idiot brother packed the mugs in,” she points at her own glass

of coffee.

“No, thanks. I just had coffee,” I decline.

“So, how long have you known Mason?” asks Toccara.

The door swings open before I could answer and a tall skinny
guy walks in carrying sofa cushions. He is followed by an
another man walking backward carrying one end of a bookcase.
Another end of the bookcase appears with another man who is
sweating bullets by the look of it.

The two men set the bookcase down and turn to look at us. A
sweet scent mixed with the smell of sweat assault my senses.
Dark blue eyes are staring at me and I stop breathing. Oh,
Goddess, I think I’ve found my mate.

“You’re late man!” says the tall man, dropping the cushions
right in the middle of the living room.

“Yeah, why don’t you just show up an hour from now just for
the free pizza and beer?” asks the sweaty guy, fanning himself.
The dark blue eyed guy is just standing there still staring at me.
My mate. Our eyes locked. I find it hard to believe. My heart is
racing. Mate.

“Oh, can I?” Mason asks, only to be met with angry glares from
the sweaty guy and the girls. “Okay, sorry, guys,” says Mason,
looking apologetic.
“Oh, hey…who’s your friend?” says the tall skinny guy suddenly
looking at me. A slow flirty smile form on his lips.

I have to drag my eyes away from those dark blue gaze to look
at the other guy.

“Jaxson Alexander Johnson, your girlfriend is standing right

here!” yells Toccara, slapping the back of his head with a loud
smack.

“Owww…what’s wrong with you woman? You’re so violent. I

was just being friendly,” the man yells back, rubbing his head
furiously. “That hurts!”

“Friendly my ass,” mutters Toccara.

“Oh, yeah..guys, meet Penny. Penny, this is Jaxson,” says

Mason, tilting his head towards the tall lanky guy aka Toccara’s
boyfriend.

“That over there is Elle’s boyfriend, Ethan,” he points to the

sweaty red haired guy whose face is still flushed from carrying
the bookcase.

Finally, he turns to look at the dark blue eyed guy who is still
staring at me and says, “…and this one here is my cousin
Matthew.”

So his name is Matthew. I notice Mason frowning at his cousin

as I say hi to everyone.
“Nice. She’s seriously hot, man..I didn’t think you had it in
you,” mutters Jaxson, slapping Mason’s back. I think Matthew
heard it too as he straightens up and clears his throat.

“Nice of you to come by Penny. I didn’t know Mason was seeing

somebody,” says Matthew.

“Uh, we’re not seeing each other. Mason and I are just friends,”
I quickly clarify. Again.

“Oh, really?” he raises his eyes back to look at me. Is it just me,
or is he suddenly looking a lot more cheerful?

The guys stop to have a drink before they resume carrying

heavy stuff up from the back of the u-haul truck that they
rented.

I finally manage to have a good look at him. My mate. He’s in

his mid-twenties. He looks nothing like Darius. His dark brown
hair is straight and seems to flop to one side. His eyes are the
color of a dark blue sky on the verge of a thunderstorm, while
Darius’s are of a light blue sky on a clear sunny day. His face is
softly rounded, not sharply chiseled like Darius. His body isn’t
muscled like Darius, but not as chubby as his sister. He’s about
5’11”, an inch or two inches taller than I am.

Everything about him is attractive to me. His eyes, his smile,

his smell, even his floppy hair…everything.

A human mate. Maybe that’s just what I need. A sweet normal

next door type of guy. Not a dangerous and attract attention
everywhere he goes type like Darius. Nice, open and friendly,
not brooding and mysterious like Darius. A human, not a lycan
warrior. Not larger than life like Darius.

After resting, the guys start carrying the furniture in. Mason
helps them this time. The four of them are sweating and
breathing fast after a bedframe, a queen size mattress, several
chairs, a study table, a tv, and a really big heavy sofa with floral
pink cushions that he inherited from his grandmother,
according to Elle. Everything seems to be brand new except for
the sofa.

I try not to laugh. I can hear their racing heartbeats. I think

Mason is the only athletic guy in the bunch. I could’ve easily
carried everything by myself without breaking a sweat, but I
think I enjoyed watching them struggle. I’m evil, I know.

Besides, what explanation could I offer them? I don’t think a

normal human girl could carry all those by herself in half the
time the guys did it without even breaking a sweat.

We open up the boxes and help Matthew put things away. We

joke about how he wouldn’t be able to find things later when he
needs them.

Our eyes constantly stray towards each other and I think others
start to notice. I don’t know what everyone else thinks, but
Mason doesn’t look very pleased. Not that I care.

Chapter 20 – Opposite Attracts

I’m sitting on the floor in front of a bookcase with a box filled

with books in Matthew’s living room. I’m trying to figure out if
I should arrange them by author’s names or by genre. He has
quite a selection of science fictions, biographies,
autobiographies, histories, horrors, satires and anthologies.

“Hey,” he says, crouching next to me. His eyes right away train
on my face. “Need help with that?” he asks.

“Yeah, I need help. Desperately. I have no clue how to put these

books on this bookcase,” I tease him. I know he’s just looking
at for an excuse to be close and talk to me. His cheeks flooded
with color at my teasing. Awww…he’s blushing. My mate is so
cute!

We just met and I already know how to handle him. I feel in

control. This feels different. For so long things are out of my
control in my life. I feel like I’m being swept up in a tornado
with no control when I’m with Darius. With Darius, he’s the
force. With Matthew, I’m that force.

Why am I still thinking about him? Shouldn’t I be cured of him

once I found my mate? It’s so weird to feel something so strong
for two guys. Both feel different.

“So, how would you like me to do this? By color? By size? What

are these coloring books doing here? Do you like coloring?
Crayons or markers?” I ask.

His color deepens, but he laughs. He has a beautiful laugh.

“Neither. Elle gave me those as a birthday gift. She said I need

to chill and claimed that coloring is just the right therapy for
me.”
He sits next to me and we start to arrange the books together.
Conversation flows easily between us. Our hands touched and
the heat and electricity zap up my arm. He pulls his hand away
quickly and he looks surprised. As we continue to put the books
away, I become aware of his gaze on me. Once in a while, I
caught a bemused expression on his face.

“Are you done, Penny?” asks Mason. He’s been looking like
something has crawled up his *ss all afternoon. “You told me
this morning that you can’t stay too long.”

Go away, Mason! Just go away! “I’m just going to help a bit

more, then I’ll go,” I frown up at him. He’d better not be a jerk
again.

“I have somewhere to be. I have to leave soon,” he says.

“You can leave anytime you want. I drove a car here,

remember?” Duh!

“Yeah, how can I forget. You drove your friend’s Porsche,” he

huffs, emphasizing the word friend. What the hell is wrong
with him?

He spends the next ten minutes scowling. Then he walks out,

banging the door behind him. Everyone stares at the door then
turn to look at me and Matthew still sitting on the floor.

What is his problem??? Gosh, what a drama queen.

I turn my attention back to Matthew.

Maybe I should be thankful that my mate is a human. If he’s a
werewolf, he would probably be all possessive and be counting
the minutes when he could claim me already. With a human,
he doesn’t really understand what’s going on. I think he’s
terribly attracted to me and feel the pull, but doesn’t
understand why.

The problem is, how do I break it to him eventually about what

I really am? Not many humans are aware of the existence of
werewolves, lycans, Fae and other creatures in this world. So
many are oblivious to our existence and we’d like to keep it that
way.

Everybody left around three pm. and I’m still here at

Matthew’s. He seems reluctant to let me go and I’m not too
eager to leave. We mostly talk and stare at each other, then talk
some more.

I found out that Matthew is 27 years old. He’s a history teacher

at a high school. His parents are both teachers. His sister Elle,
whom I met today is my age, 21. Elle goes to the same college
as me though I never noticed her around school before. He has
another younger sister Taylor, 18. Jaxson is his best friend
since ninth grade.

He loves sports but doesn’t play any kind of sports himself. He

likes reading and loves horror movies. His all time favorite
movie is The Shining. His idea of a fun night is watching sports
on tv with his buddies or staying home, watching movies or
reading. He also loves fishing.
I don’t watch sports on tv, but I like exercising. I love to do
fight and weapon training till I drop with exhaustion. I’m not a
fan of horror movies. I sorta like reading, but sitting in one
place for too long makes me restless. I like staying home
watching movies, only when I have my friends around me and
they make it fun. I love partying. Sitting in one spot, waiting for
fish to take the bait would totally bore me to death. I told him I
do like eating fish, though.

We’re almost the total opposite, but somehow it works. We

complement each other and we never seem to run out of things
to talk about. We just clicked.

A sudden thought occurs to me. “Matthew, I have to ask you

something,” I tell him seriously.

“Okay,” he looks worried.

“Do you like fries?”

“What?”

“Do you like french fries?”

“Huh, yeah….I like fries,” he answers cautiously. “Is that a trick

question?”

“Oh Phew!!! Good, coz I don’t know if I can be friends with

people who don’t like fries,” I say. What a relief!

“Oh,” he looks confused for a second. Then he smiles and says,

“then I love fries!”
“Good, good..it’s not a deal breaker, but close enough,” I
explain while looking at the time on my phone.

“I think I should go,” I slowly got to my feet.

“Uh…okay. You have somewhere to be now?” he rises to his

feet.

“Not really, but I’ve been here long enough.”

“Okay…” he says slowly. “Oh, hey…since you’re not in a hurry

to be somewhere, would you like to come with me for some ice-
cream or something? I know this place that makes great
Gelato.”

I smile and nod my head. I’m not ready to end my time with
him.

Matthew whistles when he sees Caspian’s shiny red Porsche.

“Wow, sweet ride.”

“It’s not mine,” I reply.

He looks at me with questioning eyes, so I answer, “It belongs

to a friend.”

I know he has more questions. I guess not many people let

their friends drive their Porsches. Well, not many people are
friends with a lycan Prince.

“He’s very generous to lend you his Porsche,” he says casually.

“Yeah, he’s okay,” I answer. I think he’s fishing for more
information I’m not willing to give. I think I just confirmed his
suspicion that this “friend” is a man.

The place that Matthew brought me to is simply called Gelato

House. It really does make very good gelato. It almost rivaled
the gelato I had in Rome while sitting at a table outside a café
in Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. I was there with my lycan
friends last Summer.

I also found out that Matthew and his family used to live just a
town over where my pack is. They moved here when he was
ten. I wonder if that means we could’ve met sooner had his
family stayed where they were.

He’s just so easy to be around and adorable. His dark blue eyes
seem so open and expressive.

I feel so giddy yet there’s a niggling feeling of guilt too. Darius.

I’m driving slowly, and the closer I get to home the stronger the
sadness I feel in my chest and the guilt in the pit of my
stomach. No, Penny. You’re stronger than this and you have a
mate now. I don’t belong to him. I don’t belong to him. I don’t
belong to him.

He made his choices. Mine is clear. I have to move on.

I guess it means it really is over between us. Would he go back

to Polina? Maybe he’d go back to one of those lycan women
who would jump at the chance to be with him. The thought of
that makes me want to howl in rage and sadness. I want to
scratch their eyeballs out. All of them. Everything in me
screams that he’s mine! How can I not be over him yet? Will I
ever be over him?

This is not the way I imagined what would happen when I

found my mate. I imagined being over the moon about it and
forget all my feelings for Darius.

It’s almost six pm by the time I pull in the driveway. I told

Genesis that I’ll be back around five when she texted me asking
when I’m going to be home. Yikes! That was an hour ago.

“Hey, Beany! Where have you been? I’m starving!” says

Caspian as soon as he sees me.

Oh, no…they’ve been waiting for me to start dinner. Everybody

is in the great room while I can hear Anya and another woman
busy setting the table and getting the food out in the dining
hall. I feel kinda guilty for being an hour later than I told them
I’d be home. I’m also not that hungry from all the gelato that I
had with Matthew earlier. I don’t have the heart to tell them
that though.

“Sorry, I’m late. What’s for dinner? Smells good!” I say instead
as I take my seat at the dinner table. I avoid looking at Darius.

Anya serves us lobster bisque soup for starter. The smell is

awesome.

“So we’re planning to visit Asia on our next school holiday,” I

hear Genesis announces enthusiastically as I spread the crisp
white linen napkin on my lap. “We’ve done Europe and North
America, so why not Asia this time, right? What do you think
Penny?”

I raise my chin up and meet seven pairs of eyes looking back at

me. Obviously, they’ve discussed this while I was out.

“We’ll do Tokyo, Fuji-san, Kyoto, skiing in Hokkaido, Osaka,

Seoul…oohh, oohh…Maldives,” rattles Genesis.

Usually, I would be excited about our trips, but this time I’m
just conflicted. World trips with my lycan friends are usually
exciting. Expect the unexpected. Lazarus and Constantine
would opt for unchartered territories and adventures. Caspian
would insist on travel in style and luxury. The best money
could offer. Genesis, Serena and I would be up for anything.

Looking into their questioning eyes, I realized that I won’t be

joining them on any more trips. I’ll be living in a human world.
We might move to live among the werewolves in my pack if my
mate agrees.

They’re still waiting for my answer.

“Well, we can always go to other parts of the world if you don’t

feel like doing Asia,” says Serena softly, mistaken my silence
for disapproval of their choices.

“We could always go back to Monaco,” says Caspian with a

grin. The others groan. Oh, we all know how much he enjoyed
Monaco. He has a magnificent private estate facing the
Mediterranean and a yacht in Monaco harbor, not to mention
several gorgeous female lycan “friends” keeping him very
occupied while we were there the last couple of times.
“Come on Beanie,” says Caspian, nudging my foot.

“I’ve found my mate,” I blurt out.

There’s a clang of a spoon hitting the bowl then the whole room
suddenly goes silent.

My eyes automatically flash to Darius. He’s as still as a statue.

Seconds ticked by while nobody makes any sound.

“Who…what is he?” it’s surprisingly Lazarus who breaks the

silence.

“A human,” I breathe. Why does he look so angry? “He’s a

human.”

Caspian stands up and a big bowl of steaming soup flies across

the room to smash against the natural stone wall. I cringe as
the sound of splintering bowl reverberated through the house.
Then the whole table collapsed as he banged his fists against it
with a roar. Fine china, crystal glasses, food, drinks, and
cutlery slide down with an ear-splitting crashing sound. The
thick creamy orange soup splattered on the wall, the pristine
white table cloth, on us, spreading on the floor…everywhere.

“I’ll mark her myself,” Caspian growls furiously, taking a step

in my direction. Oh no…

“She’s not yours to mark,” Darius hisses as he steps in

threateningly front of the crazed looking Caspian. Both facing
off each other, looking very intimidating. They’re staring each
other down.
I gulp nervously, but I’m ready to jump in to stop them if they
decide to fight. Getting in the middle of two fighting lycans
would end up badly for me, but I don’t want either of them to
get hurt.

Almost a full minute passed before Caspian finally steps back.

Before he stalks out, Caspian growls again and gives the
massive crystal chandelier in the middle of the dining room a
quick swipe. The gleaming crystal chandelier crashes into
shards and splinters on top of the whole mess. Lazarus
followed him out without another word right after.

Darius still doesn’t move a muscle. He’s not even looking at

me. His nostril flares. His eyes as black as midnight. Cold and
soulless. His body suddenly shakes and black veins around his
eyes appear darker and snake further across his face, neck, and
body and in a flash, he’s gone. Just gone. The wave of furious
energy he radiated was so strong that if I was standing, I
would’ve collapsed in a heap on the floor.

I take a deep shaky breath as I look around. The rest of us who

are still sitting there look ridiculous. Sitting with napkins on
our laps around a broken dining table…well, we’re sitting
around a big mess now. Eva is still holding her soup spoon. I
feel like laughing hysterically…or sobbing hysterically. I can’t
decide which one yet.

Genesis sits there with a flushed face and a trembling lower lip.
Constantine’s face is taut. Genesis moves first. Pushing the
chair back with a loud scraping sound, throwing her napkin on
the floor, then she runs out. Constantine stalks out right after
her.
The table is now cleared except for Serena and Eva. I feel sick.
Did my best friend just leave? A sob rises in my throat, but I
swallow it down. This is not what I envisioned would happen
when I announce that I’ve found my mate. I don’t know what I
expected from Darius, but I didn’t expect this. Not from
anybody.

Wow, I never thought I could clear up a room as quickly as

announcing a mate. I don’t get it. I didn’t think everyone would
be so pissed off about it. Why can’t they be happy for me? Why
did they behave as if I just announced somebody just died
instead of me found my mate?

Eva flashes me a sympathetic, yet puzzled look before she

awkwardly excuses herself as well.

Serena sits there with an unreadable look on her face.

“Why?” I ask her. It takes her a while to answer my question.

“We’re not mad at you. We weren’t expecting it. It was a shock

to us. We accepted that you belonged to us. With us…for
years,” she says. “We just need time to…to accept the
situation,” she adds. “I’m sorry,” she excuses herself and walks
stiffly out.

It’s after midnight. I’m sitting on the lounge chair staring at the
blue depth of the pool, hugging my knees to my chest. The
house is awfully quiet. The house is normally quiet when
everybody has gone to bed, but not quite like this. This quiet is
deafening and suffocating.
Darius. I couldn’t forget how dangerous he looked tonight. Just
thinking about him breaks my heart. I still want him. In my
head, I still feel like I belong to him. I guess I’m so used to
feeling that way, it’s hard to think otherwise. This connection
that we have is so strong, at least on my part. Serena once told
me that the lycans would feel it more than the werewolf, and
the humans feel it even less so, but I doubt it. I doubt Darius
feels the pull more than I do. If he did, he wouldn’t have done
what he did and broke my heart.

The connection is strong, but I’ll be stronger. It’ll go away soon.

The closer I get to Matthew, the less my connection to Darius
would be. One day it’ll just be a distant memory.

The rest of the lycans. They would come around, wouldn’t

they? If they see how happy I am with Matthew, surely they’d
be happy for me too? Matthew. I’m tempted to give him a call,
but I don’t know him enough. It’s late, would it seem weird if I
called him now? Would it scare him away?

I wake up on the lounge chair in the early hours of the morning

with trails of dried tears on my face. My hair slightly damp
from the dew. The house is still empty.

Nobody is at the breakfast table today. The whole house is

completely quiet except for stiff-lipped Anya who poured me
coffee and quietly placed a stack of pancakes in front of me.

My appetite has left me, just like everyone in this house. I take
a sip of the coffee and leave the table.

This big ass mansion doesn’t feel like home without them in it.
It’s cold, empty, and grim.
I have a class with Lily, Amanda, and Keisha again this
morning. I sit at my usual table. My pensive mood must be
showing clearly on my face since nobody dares to say a word to
me. Not even Amanda and Keisha have the nerve to piss me off
yet today.

Mason is waiting for me just outside the lecture hall when I got
out. I pretend not to see him as I walk past him, but he catches
up to me.

“Hi, Penny.”

“I don’t know you.”

“Awww…Penny. Don’t be like that. I’ll buy you lunch,” he says.

That’s bribery, but I’ll take it. I think I’m just desperate for
interactions…even with a jerk.

“So…you like Matthew, huh?”

“Really none of your business, Mason,” I feel my ire rise again.

“Okay, I know…but I thought you said you weren’t looking for a

boyfriend? Why Matthew?”

“I wasn’t, but I like Matthew, okay? And why not Matthew?”

“Because. Matthew is just Matthew…you know? Girls don’t just

“like” Matthew like that.”

Well, too bad for them and good for me.

“He’s the last person I’d expect I’d lose a girl to,” he adds
sourly.

“I’m not your girl, Mason.”

“Yeah,” he says. “Did Matthew tell you why he moved? Did he

tell you about Cece?”

“Who’s Cece?”

His eyes light up. Oh uh..do I want to hear about this?

“Cece’s Matthew’s girlfriend. They’d been living together. They

decided to take a break from each other. So, he moved out,” he
explains.

“Okay, so that makes her his ex-girlfriend,” I say, shrugging my

shoulders as if I didn’t care. I feel a pang of jealousy. I can’t
help it, but then again Matthew is 27, so I can’t hold his past
against him.

“Penny, they’ve been together since Sophomore year

university. They do this shit all the time. Over and over again.
Breaking up or taking a break from each other, then a few
weeks, or a month or two later they’re back together.”

I take a deep breath. Why are things so complicated all the

time? Why can’t things be easy for once? I’m too tired to deal
with this kinda shitz now.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, but I thought you should know

what you’re getting yourself into.”
I square my shoulders and straighten my back and decide.
Nope! Things are going to be different this time. I’m here now.
They’re not getting back together. Ever! He’s mine!

Chapter 21 – Subtle Like a Walrus

I am now regretting coming for lunch with Mason. I have so

many thoughts running through my head. Too much on my
plate. Too many things wrong with my world right now.

Mason goes to order us lunch after he dropped the bomb about

Matthew and his ex-girlfriend, Cece. The food court is busy at
this time of the day, so I remain at my seat to make sure we
won’t lose the table. What I really feel like doing is to kick
Mason in the fvcking mouth and leave him to bleed to death.
The only thing that’s stopping me now is that stupid free lunch
he promised me earlier.

I want to see Matthew right away to get things about his ex-
girlfriend cleared up, but I don’t want to sound desperate or
clingy and scare him off. I have a rule against texting a guy
first. I broke that rule today. I’m texting him.

Penny: Hey?

I get my reply just a few seconds later.

Matthew: Hi, Penny. How are you?

Penny: Good. What’s up?

Matthew: Nothing much. Forgot to bring lunch, so
brown goo from the cafeteria for lunch. Yay!

Is that a joke? I’m not too sure. So, I type: Wow, brown goo.
Yummm! Want to meet up for green goo later?

Sheesh…does that sound desperate? Green goo? Seriously,

Penny? What’s that? I delete that. I fiddle around trying to
think of the right thing to say to ask a guy out. I never had this
kinda problem with men before. Oh, Penny…just grow a pair
and do it already!

Penny: Do you want to hang out sometime?

Eeekk…There!

Matthew: Yes, sure. I’d like that.

Yesss!!!!

Matthew: When are you free?

NOW!!! Right now! Right now!!!

Penny: Whenever. I have one more class for today,

then I’m done.

Matthew: Great. I’m not too far away from campus.

School is out at 3.30 pm.

Penny: Club Espresso Degree at four?

Matthew: Sounds great

YESSSS!!!!

I think I sounded cool there. I slid the phone into my pocket

just as Mason make it back with my pepperoni pizza, a foot
long chili cheese dog, fried chicken, fries, brownies with
yummy chocolate chunks and a can of Dr Pepper. Yeah, so I
wish I’ve ordered more.

“Remind me not to offer you free lunch again,” says Mason,

eyeing me lifting the foot long chili cheese dog to my mouth.

“What? I didn’t have breakfast this morning,” I scowl at him.

Okay, so I totally would still eat like this even if I had breakfast.
“Thanks for lunch,” I mumble through a mouthful of the warm
yummy meat, buns, and gooey cheese goodness. I really wish
I’ve ordered more. He definitely should be paying more for
being such a jerk, sucky friend, and a blabbermouth.

It’s fifteen minutes after four and I’m sitting by myself at a

table at Club Espresso Degree, a popular cafe on campus. I’m
sipping my mango sunrise smoothie while looking around.
Matthew is late and I’m a bit pissed. Fifteen minutes! No guys
ever made me wait. Like ever.

A group of four guys a couple of tables over is talking about me.

I can hear them. Bless my werewolf hearing. They’re giving me
a ten and calling me a walking wet dream. They’re egging and
daring one guy to come over and ask for my number. They keep
glancing at me and I try not to smirk.
Don’t come over, bud or I’m going have to shoot you down.
Save yourself from the embarrassment and save me from the
trouble.

I sigh. It’s nice to have my ego stroked by strangers when the

men that I really wanted the attention from aren’t giving me
any. At least I know I’m not hideous. Still, not what I truly
wanted.

I’m contemplating leaving when Matthew comes barrelling in.

His eyes anxiously looking around the cafe. When he spotted
me, he quickly walks over. I can hear his heartbeat beating fast.
He must have run from his car to the cafe.

I’m fuming. Twenty minutes late!

“Thank goodness you’re still here,” he says after catching his

breaths as he sits on a chair right across from me. “I’m sorry
I’m late. I had to deal with some stuff after school today,” he
adds, looking guilty and apologetic.

His white button-up shirt looks wrinkled and a bit crooked

with a few buttons undone. His dark brown hair is windblown
though still flops to one side. How can I stay mad when he
looks so cute like that? Besides, he probably had to deal with
his students.

“Okay, but just for that you’re buying your own smoothie,” I
tell him.

He bought himself a sandwich and a can of pop.

We talk about our day and I bring up the topic of his new living
arrangement, giving him the opening and the chance to talk
about Cece. So far he’s not taking the bait.

“So…where were you living before you moved into the

apartment?” I ask him, not giving up on my attempt at
subtlety.

“Not far from my new apartment…just five minutes up the

street,” he answers, taking a bite out of his club sandwich.

Oh, I give up! I’m done pussyfooting around. I realize now how
much I hate subtleties. I don’t have the patience. I have the
subtlety of a walrus. Simply put, I suck at it. Big time. “Mason
told me about your girlfriend.” There! I’m subtle like a walrus.
I’m awesome like that.

He starts coughing when his sandwich went the wrong way and
he quickly reaches for his soda. He takes a big gulp of his drink
then raises his dark blue eyes to me.

“He did?” he asks. “Mason told you about Cece?”

“Your cousin has a big mouth. Yeah he did,” I confirm.

“Oh,” he says, looking away.

“So, is it over now between you two?”

“Uh, yeah…I moved out,” he replies. That doesn’t sound

convincing enough to me.

“Look, Matthew. I know we just met yesterday, but I like you.”

“You do?” he asks. His face breaks into a big smile. “Wow…”

“Yeah…but, I don’t want to be stepping on anyone’s toes. If

you’re already in a relationship, I need to know.” So that I
could tie her up to a boulder rock and drop her into the ocean
and she could get eaten by the fishies. Preferably by a great
white shark.

His smile dims and he seems to be conflicted. He rubs both

hands over his face, then he pushes them through his hair. It’s
funny how his hair flops back to one side as soon as he pulls his
fingers out. It’s freaking endearing.

“Wow,” he says again. “I never thought I’d find myself in this

situation.”

He goes quiet for a few seconds as if he’s contemplating what to

say next.

“I’ve never been with anyone else except for Cece. I never
thought another girl would be interested in me,” he says. I
highly doubt it. He’s so cute, I bet hundreds of girls are
interested. “Especially a girl like you,” he adds.

A girl like me? What does he mean a girl like me? “What’s
wrong with a girl like me?” I scowl at him.

“I didn’t mean anything bad,” he quickly answers, raising his

both hands up. “I mean you’re beautiful…I mean, okay, you’re
more than that,” he says. “I’m very attracted to you. I thought
of you a lot last night and today..” His cheeks and his ears are
turning beet red. His eyes are looking elsewhere but at me. He
looks like he wants to run out of the cafe right now.
“Well, I’m attracted to you too, Matthew,” I tell him point
blank. His eyes light up and there’s that smile again.

“So…Cece?” I remind him.

“Oh, yeah…right,” he says. “Cece’s my first girlfriend. She’s my

first everything,” now his whole face turns red. “We’ve been
together for a long time…almost seven years now.”

“So I guess you’re getting back together again sometime in the

future, huh?” Please don’t break my heart.

“I don’t know, Penny. We’ve been doing this for a while now.
On and off again. It’s not healthy,” he sighs. “Sometimes I think
we’ve taken each other for granted. Our last fight was the
worst. She wouldn’t let me move out, but I need space.”

He grows quiet for a while as if contemplating whether he

should go on. “She came after school today to talk. That’s why I
was a bit late. I’m sorry, but she just showed up…I can’t just
leave. I’m really glad to be here with you now, though.”

Swell! Just swell.

I reach home around seven pm. I think I’m anxious to find out
if I’m coming back to an empty house. I strained my ears and I
can hear their quiet voices as soon as I step out of the car. The
conversation stops as soon as I turn the antique copper knob of
the big heavy front doors.

My footsteps seem to echo throughout the house.

All of them are sitting around in the great room, quiet and
unmoving. Unearthly stunningly beautiful looking, all of them.
They look like perfect statues, it’s unnerving.

I happen to glance at our formal dining area. The destroyed

dining table has been replaced by a new solid one. A huge array
of brightly colored fresh exotic flowers in a big white ceramic
bowl sits in the middle of it. A grand, gleaming crystal
chandelier is hanging low in place of the broken one. It looks as
if last night never happened.

“Hey,” I start. All of them turn their heads around to look at

me. That’s when I notice that Darius and Eva aren’t here.

“I think us girls need to talk to our sister,” announces Genesis.

Her voice sounds clipped and authoritative for once. At first, I
wasn’t sure to whom she was addressing to, but the men
quietly get up and leave.

Only Serena remain seated on the sofa next to her. I move to

take a chair across from them, but she moves to create a space
between the two of them and indicates that I should sit there.

As soon as I sit next o her, I notice her slightly red and puffy
eyelids. She had been crying. Oh, Genesis…

“I’m sorry for last night,” she says. She takes a deep breath and
continues, “I should be more supportive of you. I should be
happy for you.”

That sounded very rehearsed. It doesn’t sound like she really

means it, so I reply sharply, “Yes, you should. You’re my best
friend, I thought you’d be more supportive.”
“Well, excuse me,” she snaps back. “Leaving my parents, my
sister, Reese, and River was hard, but I thought I still had you.
You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sister. You’re almost a
part of the pack. I thought I was going to have you for as long
as I live. We were supposed to die together. I knew that you
might find your mate one day, but then again I didn’t. I didn’t
see it coming. I’m sorry I got upset. I can’t help it. I wanted to
be with you forever. It was selfish of me, okay?”

We’re both grow quiet after her outburst. Her bottom lip
quivers, but she continues, “I thought things were going
smoothly with you and Darius. I really didn’t see it coming. I’m
sorry.”

“Things weren’t going smoothly between Darius and me.”

“Why didn’t you talk to us, Penny?” she asks. “I felt like I was
slowly losing you these last few weeks. You didn’t spend much
time with us anymore. I didn’t want to say anything because I
thought I should give you some space. I thought you’ll come
back to us. Maybe I should’ve said something. I should’ve
interfered…it’s all my fault.”

I hang my head in guilt. It’s not her fault. I wanted to keep

things to myself. I’d been too busy trying to forget and prove to
myself that I don’t need Darius, especially lately. I’d been out
partying every weekend like there’s no tomorrow since we
moved here. So determined to forget about Darius by drinking
and seeing other guys, I turned down their invitations to do
things together. I know I hardly spend time with them
anymore.
Genesis places her fingers on her eyebrows as if she’s having a
headache. “Anyway, I’m sorry for losing it…again. I should be
happy for you. I mean, I will be happy for you. All of us will,
once we get over our selfish and possessive needs to keep you
with us,” she continues. “We just need some time to get used to
the idea that you’re not part of the pack and that we’re losing
you forever.”

Her voice breaks at the end and I know she’s trying hard not to
burst out into tears again.

“We can always see each other… sometimes..” Even as I’m

saying those words, I know they’re not true. They’re just words.

“Penny, humans aren’t even aware that we exist,” she says after
taking another deep breath. “I know you will go where your
mate goes. You’ll be living among the humans. You won’t be
part of our pack. Where we’re going, you won’t be coming.”

I’m very aware of that. At any given moments the lycans would
be up and gone. I’ll never see them again, especially when
Caspian or Constantine is crowned king. We know that could
happen at any moment. It’s something we never talked about
but totally understood. It wouldn’t be too long before they
would be all be summoned back to Banehallow Palace. No
humans ever set foot there.

Humans aren’t meant to be in a lycan world. Fae are known to

kidnap and keep humans as their playthings. Lycans tend to
stay away from humans. It’s an act of kindness.

Lycans are known as monsters for a reason. Lycans don’t play

by human rules. Lycan’s world is violent. The lycans appear so
cultured, refined, and sophisticated, but their beautiful
appearances are a front for a very scary barbaric animal
residing inside, not too far from the surface. It’s the survival of
the fittest and the most powerful.

The pack is as strong as its members. The extermination of a

member could mean the destruction of a whole pack. Lycan
packs are small, therefore each pack member has to be strong.
It makes sense that the erasthais turn into lycans. A human in a
lycan pack wouldn’t last long. He would be the target of the
enemy.

I’m not really a member of their pack yet, but I’m with them
and treated as one. Right now as a werewolf, I am their weakest
link and I’m still at least twice as strong as a full grown male
human. I would be a fool not to know that extra safety
precautions were taken for my benefit every time we visited
Russia. They are all so protective of me.

The thought of never seeing them again hurts. So much. The

thought of never seeing Darius again is ripping a hole in my
heart no matter how much I try to deny it.

“Matthew wants me. Darius doesn’t.”

“You and Darius should have a good talk, Penny,” Serena

finally pipes in.

“He clammed up every time I wanted to talk. He never wanted

to talk. He never explains anything to me. He keeps everything
to himself,” I exclaim frustratedly. “Anyway, it’s too late for
that. I have Matthew now. I’m over it. I’ve moved on. It’s over
now.”
“Is it?” asks Serena softly.

“Our connection will go away one day. He doesn’t want me.

He…he rather mate with another lycan,” I answer. “Besides, he
has all those other women.”

“Oh, you silly girl. This silliness has gone long enough. Do you
even understand fully what erasthai means? Your connection
to each other will never go away. An unmated lycan never let
his erasthai go,” she says. “Except for a very sick one,” she adds
bitterly. I know she’s talking about Milan. That bitch let rogues
maul her human mate.

Right now Serena sounds so much like a grandmother. If it’s

not for her youthful stunning appearance, she would totally
remind me of my abuela.

“Tell me something, Penny. How does it feel when you let

another male other than your erasthai or mate touched you
sexually? Did you like it?” She doesn’t give me a chance to
answer as she continues, “If you hated it, then he would’ve
hated other female’s touches a lot more than you do. Whatever
you feel for him, double that…or even triple that.”

“He wanted nothing to do with me for over three years now,” I

mumble back stubbornly. What does she want me to do?

Serena tilt my face up with a finger under my chin. “I know,

sweetie,” she says softly. “He’s so stubborn. All lycans are, but
your Darius…I could kick him in the nuts.”
Both Genesis and I are staring at Serena with our mouths open.
Huh! We never heard her say that. Serena’s lips twitch as she
looks at both our expressions.

She takes a deep breath and her expression grows sober again.
“If you’re sure that’s what you want, then we will support you.
If the human makes you happy, then we’ll be happy for you.”

“Yes, we will,” echoes Genesis. Her thick eyelashes are covering

her eyes as she’s staring at her folded hands on her lap. I can’t
really tell what she’s really thinking, but her tone of voice is
still not very convincing. Suddenly her eyes light up. “You know
what? I think we should invite your mate over. We should all
meet him,” she says.

What??? No way. “Seriously?” My lycan family never allow

humans near our sanctuary. Too much at stake.

Serena looks at her warily, then something passes between

them and suddenly Serena nods her head. “Yes, I think that’s a
great idea,” she agrees. “As a matter of fact, why don’t we invite
all his friends over as well?”

“Yeah, after all, they’re going to be your…your…uh…new family

soon,” suggests Genesis. The way she’s tripping over the word
“new family” and the distaste on her face as she said it shows
that she’s not liking the idea at all.

I know it hurts her, but she’s making an effort. Besides, I do

think that it’s a good idea. Once they see what a sweet person
Matthew is, they’ll like him. I’m sure of it.

Chapter 22 – Humans, Lycans, and Werewolves

Things at home are kinda weird now. Everything seems to be
“normal”, which is totally not normal since we’re never
“normal”. The lycans are talking to me again, and I try to spend
more time with them. However, I’ve got the feeling that things
are not really how it used to be. The guys, especially Caspian,
are still playful and trade insults with me, but things are
different now. It almost felt like they’re holding out. As if
they’re distancing themselves. They’re preparing themselves to
say goodbye. They’re guarding themselves against getting hurt.

I understand that because I’m doing the same thing. I’m

preparing myself. I know pretty soon I’d feel like an outsider
looking in. Some days it already feels that way. I know it’s not
their fault. I’m not going to be one of them for much longer.

For the last couple of nights since I blurt out that I’ve found my
mate, I haven’t seen much of Darius. I know he hasn’t been
sleeping in his room. I don’t know where he’s gone off to. I try
not to care, but for some reason, it bothers me.

I’m sitting at Club Espresso Degree Cafe with Matthew again

on a Thursday evening. We’ve been spending a few hours every
evening at the cafe together. We’ve agreed that we’re attracted
to each other, but we’re not rushing it.

I think what we’re having now is the attraction from the mate
bond. Am I in love with Matthew? I don’t think so. Not yet, but
I think I could easily fall for him the more we spend time
together and the more we get to know each other.

I’m happy that we get to spend time getting to know each other
like this, but I’ve been wondering if he’s ever going to invite me
his place again or out for dinner sometime. Do I have to be the
one who initiates everything in this relationship? Was that how
his relationship with Cece worked?

Oh, well…I guess it doesn’t matter because he’ll be coming over

to our place tomorrow night.

I know he thinks that he’s just coming over for a little party and
he gets to meet my friends, and his friends get to meet mine.
Only this is more than that. This is him meeting people who are
more than just friends to me. These are the people who would
put their lives on the line for me. Of that, I never doubt.

“So, everybody’s coming tomorrow night, right?” By everybody,

I mean Matthew’s best friend, Jaxson and his girlfriend
Toccara, Matthew’s sister, Elle and her boyfriend Ethan, and
Mason…well, because Mason is his cousin.

“Yeah, they’ll be there. I’ve texted them your address,” answers

Matthew as he takes my hand in his. I love the way my hand
fits together in his and the thrill I feel just from our hands
touching.

“So what do you think about meeting my friends tomorrow

night?”

“I think that would be great. I would love to meet your friends.

Mason told me that you live with a whole bunch of friends.”

“Really? Mason told you that?” I frown. I wonder how Mason

knew about that. I’m certain that I’ve never told him about it.
I think Serena is really enjoying herself organizing the party,
even if it’s just a small one. All day long I’ve been seeing
workers going back and forth on the main floor. I try to stay
out of the way by lazying around the pool with Caspian and
Genesis. Later on, they start to take over the backyard and the
pool area as well. Oh well, it’s time for me to get up and get
ready anyway.

I go up to my room and shower to get rid of the sunscreen on

my skin. I want to wear something casual but elegant for
tonight. I chose a fun and flirty halter necked Betsey Johnson
mini dress with a fitted bodice that flares out and tulles
peeking out at the bottom. It ends a few inches above my knees
and the light rose silk printed with tiny red florals looks great
against my golden tan skin. I put nude colored heels on, a little
makeup and let my hair tumble down in loose curls.

Serena is already downstairs in a figure hugging navy sheath

dress that stops just above her knees. The dress shows off her
long legs. A pair of black suede Jimmy Choo heels graces her
feet. Her golden hair is in a simple yet elegant updo. She looks
breathtakingly beautiful, classy, and sexy.

She’s giving instructions to two uniformed waiters by the buffet

table. Thank goodness for that. If it’s up to Caspian, I suspect
our wait staffs would be busty women in barely-there bikinis
tottering around in high heels.

Eva is on the phone by the pool. She’s looking amazing. Her

hair is in a simple sleek ponytail. She has a pair of loose black
chiffon pants with a silver camisole top on.
Genesis steps downstairs not long after. Her vivid red hair is in
a loose messy bun. She has on a black one-piece Esteban
Cortazar pantsuit that looks demure at the front, but the low
plunging open back is quite scandalous. Naughty girl.

“How did you ever make it out the door of your bedroom in
this?” I ask her, knowing how possessive her mate is.

“Constantine just saw the front,” she confides, linking her arm
through mine. Her eyes light up mischievously.

I spot Constantine, Caspian, and Lazarus in a deep

conversation by their office door. Probably discussing the
palace matters. They haven’t fully taken the responsibilities of
the palace yet, but they already seem to be very busy now. The
three of them look magnificent in their button up dark dress
shirts and pants.

“I’d better go and break the serious business talk they’re

having,” says Genesis, letting go of my arm.

I sense a movement from the corner of my eyes and feel his

presence right away. I feel the heat of his eyes raking over me
and I turn towards the staircase. Darius. Our eyes meet and
lock. My heart lodged in my throat and I find it hard to
breathe. It feels like it’s been ages since we last saw each other.
I almost forgot how stunningly gorgeous he is. The black dress
shirt looks so good on him. The material stretches over his
glorious body. I know exactly how he looks underneath that
shirt.

His eyes are drinking me in like a thirsty man who just found
water and I lower my gaze when I realized that I was doing the
same thing. I missed him. I hate myself for it, but I can’t help
it.

The pull I feel towards him is very strong. I grip my hands into
fists, digging my nails into my palm painfully to stop myself
from going to him.

His sure graceful strides bring him a couple of feet in front of

me as if he can’t stop himself. I look up again just in time to see
the longing and the inner battle in his eyes before the shutters
closed and his expression becomes unreadable.

He’s so good at hiding his feelings with his cold stony

expression. These last couple of weeks, I’ve learned not to read
his expression, but to study his eyes. They tell me a lot more
about him and his feelings.

“Persephone,” he breathes.

“Darius,” I acknowledge. My mouth suddenly feels dry. We

stand there staring at each other. My heart is beating fast in my
chest. I don’t know what else to say, but I can’t move away
either.

“You look beautiful,” he finally says.

I can only stare at him in silence before I can find my voice,

“Thank you.”

His hand reaches up as if to touch me, something flashes in his

eyes and he pulls back and takes a step back instead.
He’s about to walk away when I blurt out, “have you been
sleeping?” That stops him on his track. I don’t know why I said
that. Well, maybe I do. I don’t know.

He turns back slowly to look at me. His lips curl up at the

corners as he answers, “don’t worry about me, Malyshka.”

“You haven’t been sleeping,” I say accusingly.

He still looks good. He looks gorgeous, in fact. Not a single hair

out of place, no bags under his eyes, no physical sign at all that
tells the world that he hasn’t been sleeping. Yet, there’s
something in the way he carries himself that tells me that
everything is not as perfect as it seems. He is not okay.

“Darius…”

“You don’t have to worry about me. It’s not anything I’m not
used to,” his smile is playful with a hint of smugness that I
always interpreted as arrogance. It doesn’t even reach his eyes.
There’s no amusement in them.

“Enjoy yourself tonight,” he murmurs with a curt nod and

walks away.

This is the way it should be. Matthew is going to be here soon.

It’s better this way.

“The humans are here,” Caspian announces as he strolls

casually over to the poolside. I can hear a few cars turning into
our driveway.
A wait staff opens the massive front doors just as someone lifts
the heavy copper knocker at the other side of the door, which
ironically in the form of a wolf’s head.

Matthew is standing outside holding a bottle of wine in his

hand. All his other friends are standing behind him.

“Hello,” I greet everybody. “Do come in!” I stand aside as an

invitation for everybody to step inside.

My eyes focus on him right away. He’s looking good in a white

button-up dress shirt and black dress pants. I can see that he
tried to tame his hair by combing it back, but the top is still
going to one side. He is so cute.

His dark eyes dance as they take me in. “You look beautiful,” he
says as he hands me the bottle of wine.

“Thank you,” I reply, immediately passing the bottle over it to

the uniformed staff waiting by my elbow.

“You cleaned up nicely yourself,” I smile at him. In fact, they’re

all looking nice. Jaxson, Ethan, and Mason are all in smart
dress shirts.

Toccara is in a black long dress and high heels, while her curly
hair is in a bun.

Elle is wearing loose black pants with a blue sleeveless top. Her
hair is down tonight, framing her round pretty face.

I usher them inside through the foyer and the great room to the
back where all the lycans are.
“So you live here?” asks Toccara.

“Yeah,” I answer, noticing how they’re looking around the place

in awe for the first time. It’s not the Banehallow palace, but the
place is impressive, I suppose.

The house is massive. Big original artworks hanging on the

walls. The shiny marble floor reflects the pot lights and crystal
chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The sea breeze is blowing
in through the eight widely opened thirteen-foot glass doors
that lead to the pool area, facing the beach.

The backyard is brightly lit with all the post lights and the
lights from inside the pools and the hot tub. Even the potted
plants are illuminated by lights. Water from the top tier
swimming pool flows in a glowing cascading waterfall into the
second pool. Solar tiki lights lined up the stone steps that lead
down to our stretch of private beach.

They’re busy looking at the surrounding until my lycan friends

walk over and I see their jaws drop. Yeah, I know. They’re
stunning and intimidating to look at.

I quickly make the introductions.

I can say that the party is going okay so far, though there seems
to be an invisible line separating the lycans and the humans.

Everybody seemed to be polite and tried to make small

conversation, in the beginning, then they form into smaller
groups. Serena and Genesis are making efforts to make
everybody feels comfortable. The men seem polite, yet aren’t
making much effort.

Ethan and Jaxson are by the buffet table. I can hear them
whispering and yapping about “rich folks” while shelving the
food into their plates. If only they knew that we can hear them.

Darius, Constantine, and Lazarus are talking quietly by the

pool. I find myself even more cautious with Darius. His eyes
are full of fierce possessiveness every time they land on me.
Sometimes our eyes meet and lock across the room. Even when
I’m trying to give my undivided attention to Matthew, I can feel
his sharp gaze following my every movement like a predator
eyeing its prey.

Caspian is sitting quietly on one of the lounge chairs, nursing a

flute of wine in his hand broodingly. Sometimes his eyes flash
to where I’m standing next to Matthew and among the humans.
His eyes show hurt as if I was betraying him. I feel the same
vibes coming from Lazarus and Constantine, even though
they’re less obvious about it.

I knew this isn’t going to be the greatest party ever, but as long
as no furniture or food being thrown across the room, I’m
good. Nothing has been broken and I consider it a success. I
know I set my standard very low.

Matthew is standing next to me with Genesis, Toccara, and

Elle. He has been nothing but sweet and charming so far. He’s
attentive and easy to like. I’m sure Genesis can see what a
wonderful person he is.

“So all of you live here together?” asks Elle.

“Yeah,” I answer.

“Tell me, do you have to look a certain way to be qualified to

live here?” asks Toccara, eyeing Darius, Constantine, and
Lazarus, then Caspian who is still sulking by himself. Then her
gaze moves over to where Serena and Eva who are talking to
Mason. “Or is it something in the water or the food that you
guys eat to make you look the way you look?”

I like Toccara. She just says what she wants to say. She has no
filter, just like me.

Genesis and I share a look and we both laugh at her question.

“Funny,” says Genesis. “Speaking of food, let’s get something to

eat,” she ushers everyone towards the buffet table.

Matthew holds me back when I’m about to go and join the

others.

“Is he living here too?” asks Matthew, tilting his head towards
Caspian.

“Yeah,” I answer.

“What about him?” he’s looking at Darius whose eyes look up

in time to watch us. I know he can hear us.

“He’s…uh, just visiting,” I answer uneasily.

“How long is he here for?”

“Hey, there you are. Why don’t we grab something to eat? I
don’t know about you, but I’m famished,” says Serena
appearing behind us. My eyes flash to hers and we exchange
looks. My eyes conveying gratitude for the interruption.

By the time we reach the buffet table, my eyes once again

wander to where Darius is standing, but he’s gone. I breathe in
his faint scent as the wind from the ocean blows in through the
open doors.

The atmosphere seems better after everybody had their feast

and after a glass or two to drink. Everybody seems to be
making an effort…well, maybe not everybody. Constantine and
Lazarus are polite, yet reserved, Darius is still missing, Caspian
is still brooding.

I think Mason is trying to chat up Eva, even though the lycan

warrior towers over him. Who could blame him? Eva is
gorgeous. Mason is good looking, too bad lycans can’t hook up
with random humans or werewolves.

Matthew is awfully quiet after quizzing me about Darius. I can

feel that it’s bothering him. Even when I’m walking him to his
car, he’s still not talking much.

“Are you okay?” I ask him when he presses the key fob to his
car.

“Yeah…” says Matthew, opening his car door. Then he turns

around and says, “actually, no….is he your boyfriend? Or ex-
boyfriend or something?”
“Who?” I ask, even though I have an idea who he’s talking
about.

“That boy, Darius. Is there anything going on between you

two?” he demands to know.

We slept together a couple of times, and I’m his erasthai.

“Uh…no?” Why does my answer come out sounding like a
question?

“I mean he’s awfully good-looking, isn’t he?” he says.

“Uh…” Is that a trick question? I don’t know how to answer

that.

“So, does the pretty boy always look at you like that?”

Darius is beautiful, but I wouldn’t call him a pretty boy. If only

Matthew knew. Darius might look like a 21-year-old, but he’s
way older than that and he’s all man. Tall, tough and
dangerous…and build…glorious body…full of hard
muscles…pure masculine perfection…

“Are you sure there’s nothing going on between you two?” he

sounds even crankier when I failed to answer his last question.

“Mathew, calm down. Why are you so worried about him?”

“I’m fine, but I feel like there’s something between you two. It’s
just…look at him. There’s no way I could compete with…that,”
he throws out the last word with a mixture of jealousy and
disgust.
“Why would you have to compete with Darius?” I laugh
nervously. Gosh, that sounds so lame, even to my own ears.
“Come on, Matthew…”

“Okay, sorry…” he sighs. “Forget what I just said. I’m just being
an insecure jerk. I’m probably just tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Okay. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Okay. I’ll give you a call. Good night Penny,” he says, leaning
in to give me a kiss. His lips are warm and soft. I feel the
warmth spreading across my skin and the butterflies fluttering
in my stomach. I pull back just as he’s about to deepen the kiss.

“Good night, Matthew,” I whisper. I can see a disappointment

in his eyes, but there’s somewhere else I have to be. There’s
something I have to do first.

Everybody seems to be relieved that the night is over.

Everybody says goodnight and takes off not long after I got in.
The workers start cleaning and clearing things up.

Constantine kisses his mate on her forehead and leaves.

Genesis has taken off her shoes and is lying on the sofa with a
glass of drink in hand. There’s a faraway sad look in her eyes.

I sit on the ottoman next to her.

“He seems nice,” she says finally. “Is this really what you want?
Does he make you happy, Penny?”
I just shrug my shoulders. I think so. “He does make me
happy.” He’s very sweet and he wants to be with me.

“Then I shall be happy for you,” she says it like a promise. She
places her half-empty glass on the floor and takes my hand in
hers. “Do what your heart tells you and be happy. I love you
and all I really want is for you to be happy,” she squeezes my
hand before she gracefully rises to her feet. “Good night,
Penny.”

I suspect this is the first time they’ve ever mingled like this
with humans and I’m grateful that they’re making an effort.
Even Caspian’s brooding presence. It must’ve taken quite an
effort for the prince not to throw a massive tantrum tonight.

I take my own shoes off, toss them somewhere behind the sofa
and pad across the tile to the backyard. I walk past the busy
workers, across the pool area, down the lit up stone steps until
my feet sink into the soft sand of the beach.

The moon and the stars are bright, but I pick up a solar light off
the ground and walk down the lonely beach with it. Might as
well bring a friend with me. I decided that the solar light is my
friend and call it Jake. “Well, Jake. Let’s go for a walk.”

My senses are filled with his faint scent, the sound of the waves
hitting the shore, and the briny breeze from the sea as I walk
the long stretch of the beach. I walk past the boundary of our
property and keep walking for miles following my nose.

I’m approaching a pier. A solitary figure with hair so fair it

looks silvery in the moonlight is leaning against one of the
poles.
“Darius,” I whisper as I’m within a couple of feet from him.

Chapter 23 – The Broken One

DARIUS POV

The party has barely started and I’m already struggling to control myself. Constantine and Lazarus
have been keeping me company and keeping me away from the human. They have been watchful,
and careful that no humans will be hurt tonight. I think they got their orders from their mates.

Persephone. I watch her talking to him. Her mate. Those words echo in my head. Twisting like a
knife in my heart and my gut.

He’s weak. He’s not good enough for her. I’m not good enough for her. I should’ve let her go a long
time ago, but I couldn’t.

She’s looking breathtakingly gorgeous tonight, as she always does. The way she’s looking at him is
the same way that she sometimes looks at me. The lycan in me is getting harder to control. I know I
would go on a rampage if I watch them together for longer. I would crush that puny human’s skull
and drag her into my arms and mark and claim her.

The human places his hand on the small of her back like he owns her and I clutch the back of the
chair in front of me as my vision starts to tinge red. I will crush him!

The top wooden part of the chair crumbles beneath my crushing grip and Lazarus clasps my hand.
Hard.

“Go,” says Constantine. He knows I’ve reached my limit.

I run out and keep running until I couldn’t breathe in her scent anymore. I can’t bring myself to go too
far…because she’s with him. My lycan wants to go back there to guard and claim what’s mine.

She’s mine. She belonged to me the first time I saw her over three years ago. The moment I set my
eyes on her I wanted to claim her and mark her right away, but I am what I am and she is what she
is.

I am one of the elite warriors of the Royal army intelligence. Threats of violence and death come to
me and the ones who I love, especially now.
Ten years ago, my comrade, Roman was in charge of a special unit responsible for uncovering a
conspiracy to overthrow the king and to take over the Palace. We managed to capture one of the
enemy’s top men who spilled and exposed a lot more than we expected. The web of treachery was
bigger than what we primarily believed. The threat was from the trusted and higher up in the
government. The enemy had more than just infiltrated the castle. The sensitivity of the matter makes
it a classified mission that only the involved few knew about it. Not even a mate is allowed to know
about the operation. One word out, and we’re screwed.

Apparently, we were getting too close. Five days after the discovery, Roman’s mate disappeared.

Solange, Roman’s mate was a sweet woman. Innocent and trusting. Within hours of missing, we
received her body parts in small boxes.

Roman lost it the moment they killed her. He lost control even before the boxes arrived.

The look of pure devastation in his eyes haunts me to this day. The emptiness before his eyes
turned black and the rage took over as he felt the connection severed. He knew the exact moment
his mate was killed.

He went on a rampage. Twenty-five innocent werewolves from a nearby village died. We lost
another comrade who tried to stop him. A few others were badly injured. There was no other way,
we had to take him down before he could do any more damage.

In the end, I was the one who had to take him out. I had to kill a comrade who fought with me side by
side for over a century.

I was glad he didn’t get to see those bloody boxes and their contents. Ten boxes in all. The first box
contained her head. Her spine was in the last box.

Killing the enemies was something that I’m used to. Killing a comrade nearly killed my soul.
Everything in me rebelled against it. It haunted me. I had nightmares that wouldn’t go away. In my
nightmares, I relived that moment I took his life over and over again.

Another warrior, Louis took over the mission after Roman. The whole team was revamped. His mate
was put under tight security, but that didn’t stop them. She was blown to bits along with her guards.
It was done to serve as a warning and intimidation technique. It worked.

After Louis, I was put in charge. Not only because I was the obvious choice as I was involved right
from the very beginning, but also because I was unmated. A big target would be put on anyone I
love. Luckily, I had no one. I was determined to find justice for my fallen comrades. I had hoped my
nightmares would stop.
Fate was cruel. I found Persephone three months after I was given the position.

The night after I first met Persephone, my nightmare changed. It got worse. It turned into my own
personal hell I can’t escape from.

In my nightmare, I was opening those boxes again. Only, it wasn’t Solange’s face that I saw when I
opened that first box still dripping with blood. Persephone’s dark cold lifeless eyes were staring back
at me.

I woke up screaming. The fear was paralyzing. I was dying to see her again but I left a couple of
days later without saying a word to her.

I threw myself into the investigation after I got back to Russia. I wanted nothing else than to bring
those bastards to justice, or killed. I wanted my erasthai safe. She’s mine and I take care of what’s
mine. I’ll keep her safe no matter what.

Just the thought of something bad happening to Persephone nearly drove me insane and we’re not
even mated yet. Our connection was strong. I know I would lose it if anything happened to her. I am
one of the best fighters in the strongest army force. If I lost control, I could cause a lot of damage. I
would take so many innocent lives. I would take a few of my comrades to the grave with me before
they can put an end to me.

That nightmare kept me away from her, but I could feel myself breaking every time I saw her. She
became my obsession. I could have easily stayed away from the palace when she visited, but I
couldn’t seem to stop myself. I craved her with an obsession bordering insanity. I wanted her so
badly I was losing any rational thoughts. I wanted to take her and ravage and mark her and claim her
as mine forever. The only thing that’s stopping me was knowing that in doing so I would also mark
the end of her.

So I watched her. Watching her was the only pleasure I allowed myself to have from this beautiful
creature that I couldn’t have but couldn’t stand to lose.

All those women I brought over to the palace were just for show. A necessity to distract anybody
who’s watching as to why I was there in the first place. Most of them, I didn’t even remember or
bother to know their names. Mostly spoiled, entitled, and ambitious lycan women I didn’t give two
cents about. I bundled them into the car, promised them a nice dinner at the palace, and they were
happy. They thought they had a chance with me. Almost all of them had catty, mean, nasty things to
say about a she-wolf who dared to sit among the lycans at the royal dinner table. They’re talking
about Persephone. My Persephone. I couldn’t drop them home fast enough.

Every time I felt myself weakening and started to hope for a future with her, my nightmare would
come back in full force. The nightmare reminded me of what I could stand to lose even before I could
get to have her.
Three years was a long time to keep playing this game with her. I worked hard and kept hoping that
we would solve the case and I would be free to claim her the way I wanted to.

Deep down I knew I was being selfish. I should let her go and let her find her mate. There would be
no one else for me, but she should have her happiness. Three years was too long to keep stringing
her along, but I craved her more than anything in the world. I lived for the sound of her voice and her
laughter. Every movement, every flip of her hair, every look she spared my way…everything about
her was fascinating.She’s so beautiful my heart ached.

Finally, the threat was too great to finally give me the strength to end it. So, I asked Polina to be my
mate. I knew Polina had feelings for me for a long time. I didn’t have any interest in her beyond that
of an old acquaintance. I know I was just using her. I pushed away any feelings of guilt I felt for using
her like that. I would do anything to protect what’s mine. For my erasthai, I would do anything.

Polina was the daughter of Robert Vitsin. A powerful man we had long suspected of involvement
with the rebels. He’s involved in selling and supplying weapons illegally to the rebels and their allies.
We suspected him to be one of the men behind the killing of our comrades’ mates. Unfortunately,
he’s also a very influential man and had the support of the powerful lycans in our society. We
couldn’t bring him down without strong proof.

As a major player, his own daughter would be safe. Her mating to one of the top commanders in the
Royal Force would cement Vitsin’s place in the society and keep his front of innocence as he keeps
up with his illegal activities. Little did he know that I intend to crack down and destroy his
organization.

Polina was as innocent as they come. Completely sheltered from the real world. The only thing
Polina had to deal with was her own father. Robert had a volatile temper. If things didn’t go his way,
he would take it out on his mate or his daughter.

When I first decided to do it. I resigned to the fact that it will be a loveless mating, at least on my part
because my heart already belonged to another. Polina wouldn’t be loved the way she deserved, but
at least she’ll be safe from her father’s abusive hands.

Then I kissed Persephone in that hallway. It shouldn’t have happened. The kiss was more than I
imagined it to be. That kiss was just a glimpse of what I couldn’t have. I knew then that I’ll never feel
that way again. I had a taste and I wanted more.

Polina saw that kiss and I knew it will be just a matter of days if not hours before Robert’s men
figured out what Persephone was to me. I sought Polina out right after I kissed my erasthai. I hate
leaving Persephone standing there looking dazed and confused, but I had to do damage control.
Fast.

I told Polina that Persephone was just a she-wolf who enjoyed seducing lycans for fun.
Minutes later I received news from my men what I was afraid of. There were enemies in the castle
who were watching Persephone closely as they suspected that she was important to the royalty or
someone of importance. It wouldn’t take long for them to connect the dots. The castle was not safe
for her to be in. I had to do something quickly to make sure she went home and never set foot in
Russia again and ended all the speculation.

So I instructed one of my men to get Persephone to my room within fifteen minutes.

I called Polina to my room and attempted to mark her with the taste of my erasthai still on my
tongue. I felt sick to my stomach at what I was about to do. That was it. Hurting my erasthai and
cutting all hopes and destroying any chances of ever making her mine. I felt my world was crumbling
around me, but I had to do it. She had to be safe.

Only I really couldn’t do it. I was too selfish to go through with it. The taste of another woman felt like
acid on my tongue. I wanted what I shouldn’t have. Persephone. I wanted her so desperately it hurt.
I never wanted anything or anyone that badly before. She’s a beautiful dream I shouldn’t even dare
dream of.

The hurt I saw in her eyes when she opened that door gutted me. I was never very good at dealing
with anyone who hurt her feelings. I was always feeling very protective of her, and in the end, I was
the one who hurt her the most.

I pushed Polina off very roughly as soon as she closed the door and couldn’t get rid of the memory
of Persephone’s eyes as they pierced through me, full of shock and devastation.

I realized then that I couldn’t do it. Mating to someone else for life. I just couldn’t do it. I apologized to
Polina and explained that I didn’t love her. She didn’t care. She said she loved me enough for the
both of us and begged me to take her anyway.

She didn’t know what she’s talking about. She hadn’t met her erasthai yet. She didn’t know what
love was.

What I felt for Persephone wasn’t just an erasthai pull which was already strong. During those three
years, I came to know her. I fell in love with her so irrevocably, there’s no turning back.

I felt like there was a gaping bleeding wound in my chest. I struggled with myself from going to
Persephone. I knew she was hurt. I felt sick just by the thought of it.

Morning came and I lost the battle with myself. I went seeking her out only to find her gone. Just the
way I had wanted. I should feel happy. She was away from the palace. Away from danger. Away
from me. I didn’t feel happy. Driving her away felt hollow. There’s a big gaping hole of emptiness that
swallowed me whole. The loneliness that followed me my whole life never felt so suffocating before
and I thought I knew loneliness very well.
 Chapter 24 – Of Making Choices

STILL DARIUS’S POV

Life consists of choices. Our last Commander, Louis made a

choice that proved to be disastrous for his mate, himself, and a
few others. Here I am, considering bolder choices that could
end me or lead me to a fate worse than Louis’s.

I have long suspected there is a sleeper within my team. Louis

must’ve known this. I don’t blame him for doing what he did.

I had recently discovered that Louis discreetly brought the

investigation up to King Alexandros. There is a traitor among
the Royals. He presented the evidence, but the King flat out
refused to believe him. The king was furious. There would be
no trial. No royals would be brought to justice. Louis himself
will face trial and stripped of his title and position if the matter
goes public.

A day later, Louis and his mate were gone. Death comes swiftly
in our world.

I’m very sure that the King had no involvement in Louis and
his mate’s killing, but someone very close to him did. I have no
illusions of how this is all going to end. A war is coming and I
have to end it before it starts. It might not end well for me, but
I need to end this once and for all. I’ve considered doing this
alone, but that would be committing suicide. I need back up. I
need help from warriors who are loyal to the crown Prince.
I’ve been toying with the idea of approaching Prince Caspian,
Prince Constantine, and Lazarus about the matter after I knew
about Louis’s meeting with the King. They need to know.

I hate getting Prince Caspian and his pack involved, especially

with Persephone being almost part of them, but nothing can be
gained by keeping them in the dark since the crown Prince is
the next target after the King. I need them to be on guard and
keep Persephone safe. The Princes also have their own men
who don’t take orders from the Palace. They’re among the best
warriors and to have them on my side would be a great
advantage.

I’m taking a big risk. If the prince and his pack didn’t believe
me, I would be charged for treason. The punishment for
treason is death.

If they believe me, they would be going against the King,

therefore committing an act of treason as well. Whatever action
taken from here on would be an act of treason.

Security is set up whenever the Prince and his pack settled at

after the kidnapping of Prince Constantine’s mate. A few weeks
ago there’s a new threat against his pack. I used the security
excuse to pay the Prince and his pack a visit.

I brought one of my officers, Eva with me. She’s like one of the
guys, a very capable warrior in the field and trustworthy,
though she’s not very quick to pick up non-verbal cues. It
would take a while, if ever for her to figure out what
Persephone means to me. The fewer people know about my
erasthai, the safer she is.
I have been weighing this decision for a while. Like I said,
choices. In my case that could mean life and death.

Tonight, I’ve finally come to a decision. It might have

something to do with seeing Persephone with her mate. I might
have lost my one and only chance at happiness.

Tomorrow I will talk with the three Royal lycans. Whatever

they decide to believe me or to kill me, it has to be done.

If they believed me, I will go back to Russia proceed with their

backing and their blessing. If they didn’t, they will have to
catch me first because I will make sure that my comrades will
be avenged, the throne will not be taken over by the lycan
governed by greed, and most importantly, my erasthai will be
safe before they end me. I will do this. I will end this with or
without help.

The sky is clear and it’s a full moon. The inky black ocean is
rolling its waves to the shoreline.

A faint familiar tantalizing scent carries by the sea breeze

teases my nose. My eyes zero in on a motion in a distance. At
the end of miles of pale sandy beach bathed in the silvery
moonlight, a speck of dim yellow light and a flurry of pale
fabric and movement.

Persephone. My lycan stirs and calms immediately. She’s

here…that means she’s not with him.
I should’ve kept my distance, but I couldn’t help myself. I can’t
seem to leave her alone. I kept telling myself that I was saving
her from herself and for her mate. Truth is, I can’t stand the
thought of any male touching her.

I’m a warrior. I’m strong and always in control of my lycan, but

every time she comes home reeking of other males, my lycan is
in danger of taking over.

She’s very stubborn, though. This stubborn woman is driving

me crazy and the worse thing is, she’s never lacked male’s
attention.

I watch her progresses along the stretch of the sandy beach.

The way she walks is fascinating. Her steps always sure and
carry the gracefulness and aggressiveness of a warrior with a
hint of haughtiness. I don’t think she realizes it, but she walks
like she’s giving the world a finger when she’s pissed off…which
happens very often.

Her long hair dances in the wind. The soft folds of her dress
swish gently with her every movement. The pale yellow glow
that I saw from afar proves to be one of the solar garden lights.
For whatever reason, she’s cradling it to her chest. Huh. What
is that for? This should be interesting.

I lean on one of the pier poles and cross my arms over my

chest. Waiting.

As she gets closer, I can tell that she is not pissed. She’s very
determined. She is set on something and I’m not too sure if
that’s a good thing for me.
This woman is fiery. If you’re not careful you’d be lost, engulfed
in her flame. A lesser man would cower and let her lead. With
me, we butt heads. She makes me feel alive. A lesser woman
would bore me to death.

I can smell a hint of that human smell on her and suddenly all I
really want to do is go back there and kill the human she calls
mate.

“Darius,” she calls out softly. I straightened up and my focus is

all on her.

“Persephone,” I return. “What are you doing out here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I was looking for you,” she answers. My

Malyshka. She’s not the one to beat around the bush. “Now, I
want you to officially reject me.”

What? “Persephone, it doesn’t work that way. We’re tied for

life. There’s no rejection in erasthai bond. Even if there was, I
won’t ever reject you.”

“But you don’t want me,” she exclaims, throwing her arms out
in frustration. Then she turns around to look at the sea.
“Just…just tell me that you reject me,” she adds in a smaller
voice. I can hear uncertainty and fear. That’s not really
something that she wants to hear. No, it’s not something I can
do either. I can say it, but it won’t mean a thing. Besides, I
won’t say it. You can rip my spine off, I still won’t do it.

“Is it because I’m not pretty enough? Or tough enough? Or

smart enough? I mean, I know I’m pretty stupid, most of the
time…”
“Okay, stop!” I tell her.

Goddess! This maddening crazy beautiful woman! She’s driving

me crazy…all the time. How can she not know how truly
desirable she really is? How she torments me with the thought
of her day and night? How can she not know I’m giving up my
life for her? She owns me completely.

The last couple of weeks I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to tell
her with my touch and my kisses what I can’t tell her with
words.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re perfect. I’m the
one who’s messed up and keep messing things up.” I tell her.

“Really? You’re giving me that line? Seriously???” she suddenly

screeches, twirling around to face me again. The end of her
dress waving wildly in the wind.

“What line?” This woman. Now, what is she talking about?

“‘It’s not you, it’s me’ line…ugghhh…I hate that line. I use that
line on men, not the other way around! And by the way,
nobody bought that line. NOBODY!”

“Men? What men? How many other men?” I jump in.

“Oh, of course, that’s the only thing that you heard from what
I’ve just said,” she huffs.

What? I’m totally lost now. I never had to deal with women this
way. I never answered to anybody except for my higher ranking
officers, and they’re NEVER this confusing.
Now what? Okay, let’s do this again.

“Persephone.”

“Darius,” she mimics my tone.

For a moment I’m speechless. Okay, I’m doomed.

“You’re giving me a headache,” I tell her.

She narrows her eyes at me. Oh uh…I know that look. Wrong
thing to say?

“Headache? Now you look here! You…you…you…”

Okay, this is bad. When she’s mad she’s speechless. She looks
totally breathtaking when she’s mad like this, though. Skin all
flushed. Eyes bright and shiny. Very adorable. Now her hair is
windblown and wild. Very sexy.

“Arrrghhhh!!!! You’re so….arrrgghhh!!!!”

Okay.

“I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!!” she yells and stomps her feet on
the wet firm sand and throws the solar lamp she’s been
carrying with her for whatever reason on the ground. It
would’ve hit me if I didn’t lift my foot on time.

So violent. She’s perfect.

“Look! Look!!! You made me throw Jake on the ground! It’s all
your fault! All your fault!” Jake? Who’s Jake? Judging by the
way she’s pointing at the lantern on the ground, I’m guessing
that’s Jake?

I lean back and watch her. Beautiful.

“Stop looking at me like that! You think…you think this is

amusing? You think…Oh my gosh!!! You’re so…you…I
never..Arrgghhh!!!” She stops for a beat. I think she’s running
out of breath. She’s so amazingly sexy…and cute.

“You know what? Fvck you! Fvck you!!!” she screams and turns
to stomp away. My feisty little erasthai.

“Hey!” I grab her wrist before she gets too far. “Persephone,
hey, look at me.”

She tries to rip her wrist away from my hold without even
looking at me. She stops tugging her hand finally when it’s
obvious to her that I wouldn’t let her go. She’s not going
anywhere until I’m good and ready. She stays stubbornly stiff,
refusing to turn to look at me. I keep holding onto her wrist.
Her little wrist feels so fragile in my hand. Her skin feels like
warm silk. I didn’t even realize I’m drawing circles on her soft
skin until she tugs it once again.

“Let me go,” she finally says. Something in her voice and the
shake of her shoulders alarms me. I grip both her shoulders
and turn her around. Tears are running down her face. My
chest constricted painfully.
No, no, no, no…tears. My strong little warrior. I did this. I
bring her body close to mine and wrap both arms around her,
overwhelmed by the need to protect her.

“Don’t. Please don’t. Don’t cry over me, sweetheart. I’m not
worth your tears. Please…” How can I fix this? How can I fix
this?

“Darius…” she cries against my chest.

“Tell me how I can make it better,” I place my nose on her

smooth cheek and taste the saltiness of her tears on my lips.

“Persephone…” I run my thumb over her wet cheek.

“Darius…” she sounds tortured. She touches my cheek and I

lean into it. Greedily soaking in the feeling that only she can
give me. The pleasurable spark that connects our souls
together. Breathing in her scent that gives my broken soul
peace. Home. She’s my home.

She smells so good. I can’t resist pulling her closer and run my
lips across her jaw, breathing in her scent. I want so badly to
taste her again. “Baby, please don’t cry,” I whisper against her
soft skin.

This just seems to make her cry harder, so I pull back. Goddess,
I’m such a monster.

Another tear makes a trail down her face and she says, “Tell me
why you don’t want me. Why? Why am I not good enough?”
It’s painful to hear her asking me those questions. She’s always
so strong. So confident. It pains me to think that I broke her
spirit and confidence in any way.

I have to stop her tears. I have to fix this.

I wish so badly that I can talk freely to her about our mission. I
hate hurting her. So many times in the past I selfishly wanted
to ask her to wait for me. How long should she wait? How
much longer would it take? Three more years? Ten? Twenty?
What if I died during our mission?

Now, with the choice I just made, the chance of me not being
able to come back to her is higher.

The thought of never seeing her again brings a crushing pain to

my chest. My life is hers. I doubt anybody would ever love her
the way I do.

I run my hand over my face and my hair in frustration. I’m

going back there and end this one way or another. If I didn’t
make it back. If this is the last time I ever see her, I’m going to
make sure that she knows how much she is loved. I have to
make it count.

“Persephone, would it be enough if I told you that…” Oh,

Goddess, I’ve never done this before. Pouring my heart out is
harder than going to war. “Uh…that I don’t hate you?”

I wince as soon as those words come out of my mouth.

Seriously??? I am an idiot! Fuck!
She is now staring up at me open-mouthed and with wide eyes.
I think she’s speechless. I blow out a tortured breath and try
again, “what I really wanted to say is…I uh…I….”

“Just spit it out already!” she growls.

“I’m trying to bare my soul to you here okay?” I tell her in

frustration. “This is not easy.”

She answers me by twirling around and plonks herself down on

dry sand. “This might take all night,” she sighs. “Might as well
make myself comfortable.”

I should feel offended, but I can’t deny the truth behind her
words. Why is this so hard? Maybe because I’ve never told
another soul that I love them. Ever. I never had anyone.

Okay, let’s do this. I run my fingers through my hair and say,

“I’m very…uh, fond of you.”

“Oh, I get it! It’s like when you have a cat or a pet fish, you’re
very fond of them, right?” she chimes in.

“Yes! NO! I mean, no. Not like that,” I tell her. I narrow my
eyes as I look at her closely. She’s not making this any easier
for me. The glitter in her eyes could be unshed tears, but then
again it looks suspiciously like a wicked glint. I push my
suspicion aside when I see her wipe the corner of her eyes. Like
I said, I’m such an idiot.

“I have feelings for you. I care about you more than I care for
anybody in this world.” Ouch! That sounds awkward. Ripping
an enemy’s heart out is less stressful and painful than saying
that out loud…especially in front of her. I feel my face heating
up.

PENNY’S POV

“I have feelings for you. I care about you more than I care for
anybody in this world.”

My heart skips a few beats at his words. He sounds awkward

and looks very uncomfortable and even in the pale moonlight, I
can see his cheeks redden.

Is he blushing? I’m so confused right now. Is this really

happening? He has feelings for me, does that mean..?

Okay….hold up, first, he said he didn’t hate me. Then he said

he was fond of me. Now he said he had feelings and cared for
me more than he cared for anybody in this world. What’s next?
What does that even mean? Does that mean that he cares for
me more than he cares for a pet fish? I mean if it’s any other
guy who said that to me, I would assume that they have
romantic feelings for me, but you can’t be too sure when you’re
dealing with Darius.

“Uh…say something,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck

awkwardly. I suddenly realized that I’ve been staring up at him
with my mouth open for a long while now.

I close my mouth and try to think of something to say.

“Huh,” I say.
Okay, not my best line, but I can’t think of anything else to say
right now. Now he’s the one who’s staring at me in
bemusement. His glacier blue eyes look dark in the moonlight.
They are always so intense. Every time he’s looking at me it
feels like he misses nothing.

Tonight I discovered that he couldn’t stand to see my tears. He

looked so tormented at the sight of my tears. He looked like
he’d give me the moon if I asked for it just to stop my tears.

Why didn’t I know about this before? I’d use it sooner had I
known about it. I have no shame and I feel no guilt. I’d use
anything as my weapon to get what I want. I told you I’m no
angel

I never showed him my tears all these years for fear that he’d
see my weakness, I never thought that his weakness is my
tears.

I suspect very few people can get through that impenetrable

wall he built around himself, tears or no tears. Now I know his
weakness, I’m going to use it against him.

I try to bring out the tears just for the heck of it. Nothing
happens. Too bad I can’t turn my tears on at will like a tap.

Note to self: Register for a drama class next semester.

“Persephone,” he says, jerking me out of my unholy planning.

“What does that mean?” I finally ask him.

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair for the tenth
time tonight. His pale blond strands are all mussed up. A few
top buttons of his dress shirt are undone. It’s so unfair. Why
does he have to look so hot all the time?

“What does that mean? It means that you’re important to me.”

“Important to you…like a king is important to you? Or like a

pet fish important to you?” I know I’m babbling, but I can’t
help myself. Suddenly I’m nervous. My brain shuts down and I
can’t form a coherent sentence when I’m too pissed, but I can’t
keep my mouth shut when I’m nervous. “You know, King is
important. So’s a pet fish, or a pet cat, or a doggy…or pet
anything, you know? Or did you mean like….”

“Goddess, Persephone!” he bursts out. He sounds very

frustrated and very very exasperated.

“Yeah, that works too. Goddess is important…I suppose. I

mean…”

“Persephone…” he groans, sounding extremely frustrated. He

has both hands raking over his hair by now. I was about to
open my mouth to warn him that he might lose his glorious
hair very soon if he keeps doing that when he blurts out, “It
means that I love you, okay? I’m in love with you!”

My heart almost gives out. My knees feel weak.

Ooohh…lightheaded. Lightheaded! It’s a good thing that I’m
sitting down. I think I’m about to hyperventilate, so I put my
head between my knees. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in…
“Hey, are you okay?” he’s suddenly crouching next to me. He
sounds alarmed and very worried. “Malyshka? Talk to me. Are
you hurt? Are you sick?” I feel his big warm hand pressing on
my back and another on my knee.

I had been goading him tonight. I can’t deny, I had been trying
to irritate him as much as he’s irritating me, but not even in my
wildest dream I thought I’d hear him say those words to me.
Did he really just said that he’s in love with me?

“Just give me a minute,” I breathe against layers and folds of

the fabric of my dress. My voice is muffled by it, but I think he
heard me because he stops asking me questions. His hand is
now gently stroking my back, trying to soothe me.
Arrgghh…he’s messing with my brain!

I daydreamed about him confessing his undying love to me in

the past but in my dream, nothing like this happened.

In my daydream, he confessed his everlasting love, then we

stare into each other’s eyes forever and we kissed, then we lived
happily ever after. It never ended with me hyperventilating.
Near panic attack.

Next thought in my head? Hey, this is not romantic! Not

romantic at all!

Then another thought enters my head. Really? Did he really

just tell me that he loves me? After all these years? What about
Matthew? What about Polina?

Gosh, I’m so confused! I don’t know how I’m feeling. My brain

is still trying to take everything in.
I followed him out here tonight wanting him to reject me even
though I knew things don’t work that way in erasthai bonds. I
knew I’d be heartbroken all over again just to hear him say it.
My feelings for him run too deep. I knew no matter what
happens, my connection to Darius will never go away but I just
wanted closure so that I can go to Matthew without feeling
guilty or without any doubt.

At least that was what I was planning to do, but dealing with
Darius is never that easy. He’s the most complex and confusing
male ever. Not to mention frustrating. Now, what do I do?

Finally, I raise my head, breathing normally again. He takes a

deep breath, looking relieved.

“You love me? Since when?” I ask him.

“The first time I saw you.”

“And you just told me this now? What about Polina?”

“What about her?”

Oh, did he really just asked me that? “You love her! You slept
with her!!!” Arrgghhh!!! Now I’m pissed all over again. “And
those other women…you…you asshole!!! How…you…what???
You..”

“I don’t love her and I didn’t sleep with her!” he cuts in. “I
didn’t okay? It was stupid. I didn’t…Gosh,” he runs a hand
down his face. “I don’t love her…never did. I never slept with
any of those other women. Since the first time I saw you,
there’s only ever been you.”
I open my mouth to say something. Then I close it again.

“But I saw you…”

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a second. When
he opens them again, there’s a resolved look in them.

“I know what you saw…I’ve been trying to tell you that nothing
happened. I’m not at all interested in her…or any other women.
I couldn’t even pretend that she was you…This is such a mess.”

“Pretend she was me?” I ask him. “I don’t understand. You

were trying to hurt me?”

“Malyshka, I didn’t want to hurt you. I just wanted you out of

Russia,” he stands up, putting some distance between us. Good
call, I might be tempted to hit something or someone soon.

“You did that just to get me out of Russia???”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It’s not safe for you to be there.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me to leave???” I scream. Arrghhh!!!!

“If I asked you to leave and stay away from Banehallow Palace.
Stay away from Russia…from me. Would you have listened?”
“Yes!” I answer quickly. He looks at me with those penetrating
eyes and I look away. “Well, maybe…” I concede and look up
again. He’s still staring at me intently and I look down at the
fold of my dress. “Okay, maybe not,” I answer truthfully in a
small voice. I’m very stubborn. So what?

“I can look after myself,” I say airily, as I get up and wipe the
sand at the back of my dress. “So what now?” I ask him. “Are
you going to mark me?”

“No, Malyshka.”

“What do you mean no? You said you loved me.”

“I do love you. Believe me, I do. I don’t say those words unless I
meant it. I don’t take those words lightly.”

“But you won’t mark me?”

“No. It wouldn’t be fair to you. It’ll only put your life in

danger,” he explains. “And I have to go back to Russia soon.”

What??? “You’re leaving?” I shriek. “Let me guess, you won’t

take me with you either. Am I right?”

“Yes, it’s too dangerous for you to be there right now,

Malyshka.”

“Everything is too dangerous for me!!! You won’t mark me

because it’s too dangerous for me. It’s too dangerous for me
there, but you’re going! Is that it?”
“Malyshka,” he says as if he’s talking to a recalcitrant little girl.
“I’m a warrior. I have a job to do. I have to go back.”

“Why can’t I go with you? I might be able to help. I can help

you sleep better. I can..”

“No,” he curtly cuts me off.

As*hole!!! I don’t know whether to feel elated at his confession

or cry that he’s abandoning me. Again. I should’ve known
better.

“Fine!” I yell. “You know what? Go back to Polina.

Just…just…just go! See if I care. I don’t…see if I care.”

“Malyshka, I’m not going back to anybody. I don’t think you’ve

been listening,”

“I did listen! You said you loved me, then you’re leaving me,”
tears I’d been trying hard to squeeze out before suddenly starts
to prick my eyes. Great!

“Persephone,” he groans when he sees my teary eyes.

“How long?” I ask him, turning my back to him. “How long are
you going to be there?”

“I don’t know,” he answers and my tears spill over my cheeks.

“Are you ever coming back at all?” I croak out. “Go then! I don’t
care! I really don’t,” I tell him while quickly wiping my tears
away with the back of my hand.
“Persephone,” he looks tormented. “Please understand. I want
nothing more than to mark you and take you away, but I’m
trying to do the right thing. Help me do the right thing,
Malyshka,” he reaches out to hold me, but I push his hands
away.

“Just go!” I snap. A new thought suddenly occurs to me. “Wait!

Are you getting yourself killed? Is that why you won’t mark
me? What if you died?”

“If I died, you’re still going to live a long happy life,” he says.
“But if I survived, and when my duty is done, I’ll come back.”

I cross my arms over my chest and turn to glare up at him.

He wants to play the martyr role? Fine! I give him a martyr

role!

“Whatever!” I say. “Don’t bother. By the time you get back

here, I might already be married…to my mate.”I know I’m
behaving badly, but I’m so pissed. He can’t just leave me here. I
know I can help him and he wouldn’t let me.

He growls. His eyes flash warningly.

“So happily married and in love with my mate, I’d have

forgotten all about you. We’ll have sex. Lots and lots of sex like
rabbits!” Oh, gosh…did I really just said that?

“Persephone,” he growls warningly.

“My mate and I will have lots and lots of kids…lots!” I keep
going.
“Stop it! Persephone,” he warns, but I’m just getting started.

“In fact, the moment you step on that plane, I will…eeekkk!!” I

let out a shriek and gasp as I’m being picked up. One moment
my bare feet are firmly planted on the ground, the next they are
dangling in the air.

My own hands automatically go up to grab his broad shoulders

the moment he picked me up.

He picked me up like I weigh nothing. One arm goes around

me with his hand firmly on my butt, pressing my body against
his. The other hand is holding the back of my neck, forcing my
head up so that I’m looking up into his fierce eyes. Even in this
light, I can see black bleeding into his eyes.

“The only sex you’re having is with ME!” he hisses, his hands
gripping me tighter. Then he closes his eyes and takes a
calming breath. When he opens his eyes a few seconds later,
his eyes are back to their pale blue, but he’s still very furious.

“Watch your mouth, Malyshka. Now that you found him,

marking you is the only thing I can think about. Marking you
and claiming you so that you can’t be claimed by anyone else.
In my head and my heart, you’re already mine. You’re mine the
first time I saw you. You belong to me and you knew it.”

“I know of no such thing!” I snap back, quite forgetting the

position I’m in.

The way I’m being held right now, I’m quite at his mercy. My
feet are on either side of his body, the rest of me is pressed up
and molded against him very intimately. The warmth of his
hard body and powerful arms around me seep through the
layers of our clothing. Pleasurable chills run through me.

He leans down and our faces are so close that our mouths are
almost touching. My lips part and our breath mingled.
Awareness and sparks of electricity sizzle between us. He
brings his mouth closer, and tilt my head sideways. I close my
eyes and my breath caught. I’m expecting to feel his lips
against mine, but I feel them graze my jaw and the side of my
face. My heartbeat is going wild. I wrap my arms around his
neck as he nuzzles my ear.

“If I survived, I will come back for you. Next time I come back
here, Malyshka. Run! I WILL mark you and claim you no
matter if you’re already marked, claimed or married to
someone else,” he nips my earlobe with his teeth once. “None
of that matter, because you’re mine.”

Darius carried me all the way home after our talk or fight
tonight. He gave me a funny look when I asked him to pick
Jake the solar garden light off the ground and carry it home
with us. I wasn’t about to leave Jake all alone by himself there.

I was mad at him, but I watched him all the way home while he
stared straight ahead. Every so often he would glance at me
and hold my eyes. I studied his features like it’s the last time I
would see him.

Now I find myself I staring at the mirror in my bathroom. I just

brushed my teeth and it’s already two in the morning, yet my
eyes are still bright. My hair looks wild, so I run my fingers
through it to tame it down. I hear the shower going in the
bathroom next door.
I enter my walk-in closet and I’m changing into my pajama
shorts and a tank top when I hear the shower being turned off.
Oh, gosh, since when did I become a creepy stalker? I’m
listening to his every move next door. I should stop listening!

I hum softly to myself to stop my ear from tuning in to every

move he’s making. It’s not helping much though. I stop
humming and my ears perk up when I hear a soft tapping on
his door.

Uh oh…I hear a door opening and muffled voices. It’s a

woman’s voice and it sounds like Eva. What does she want with
him at two in the morning? They’re talking so quietly that I
can’t make out what they’re saying. Darn it! So I place my ear
to the wall. So much for not being a creepy stalker.

I can’t hear anything! I scowl at the wall. What is going on?

Then I hear the door closing and Eva’s footsteps receding down
the hall.

I drop myself onto the bed with a sigh. What are you doing,
Penny? I honestly don’t know. There is Darius and then there is
Matthew. I can’t have them both.

I was so ready to let Darius mark me tonight. I had a fight with

him about it. I forgot all about Matthew then.

It’s not fair for Matthew. As a human, he wouldn’t feel the loss
of a mate like a werewolf, but it’s still not fair to him. He hasn’t
done anything wrong. Shouldn’t I give him a chance?

Tomorrow. I’ll think about everything tomorrow. There’s no

way I can fall asleep just yet though. My brain is still fired up
from what Darius just told me. My body is still tingling from
his touch. Did he really just told me that he loves me? Then I
remember his nightmares. I know he hasn’t been sleeping. He
hasn’t slept for a few nights now.

I make my way to the balcony and into his darkened bedroom.

The moonlight is shining brightly so his room is bathed in its
silvery light. His fair head looks bright against the dark
headboard. His muscled naked upper torso looks like a
smoothly carved marble statue. His room is filled with his
wonderful scent.

He lifts the corner of the cover up as I step into his room. He’s
been waiting for me.

I lie on my back and he slides down and rests his head on my

chest as if he’s listening to my heart beating.

“Thank you,” he says, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

I feel tears threatening to come out, but I blink them away.

Broken. He’s broken and we are both very messed up. I wrap
my arms around him and thread my fingers through his thick
silky blond strands.

I keep playing with his hair until I hear his breathing evens out.
It doesn’t take long. He’d gone so long without sleep. He needs
this. It’s the only thing I can give him right now.

Chapter 26 – Thank You, Grand Master Yoda

I know the sun is already up but refuse to open my eyes. The
longer I stay like this, the longer I can put off from dealing with
the real world.

I take a deep content breath and the heady familiar scent fills
my senses. The feeling of peace surrounds me and giddiness
swirls at the edge of my consciousness.

I revel in the warmth of a hard body curled around mine

protectively. I savor the feel of a warm powerful arm lying
across my stomach with the hand gripping my waist and a long
sinewy leg trapping my body under its weight.

Sometime during the night, we must have shifted our positions.

We fell asleep with his face nestled between my breasts, now
I’m guessing a side of my face is close to his chest because of
the warmth and I can hear his steady heartbeat very clearly in
my ear.

The hand on my waist moves to lay flat on my hip.

“Persephone,” he says. His voice low, deep, and husky. Sexy. It

makes my toes curl. “I know you’re awake.”

This early in the morning, his accent is very pronounced.

His hand on my hip wanders down to my thigh. His fingertips

just skimming the skin at the edge of my shorts. Teasing me.
Ahhh…electric current from his fingers travels all over my
body, especially to that spot between my legs. I fight the urge to
press my legs together. His heavy leg thrown over both of mine
is making that quite impossible anyway. I could almost feel his
amusement. Still, I refuse to open my eyes.
He moves his hand back up to slip just underneath my tank
top. My skin heats up. He has big hands. Long fingers.

My lips curl up into a smile. I can’t help it. “You know what
they say about men with big hands,” I whisper. My eyes still
closed.

“No, I don’t. What did they say about men with big hands?” His
voice is low and teasing. His hand starts massaging my side.

My smile grows. “Uh, I don’t know…”

“You do know, you just don’t want to tell me,” his voice sounds
closer. His warm hand slides further up. I cover his hand with
mine and open my eyes.

His glacier blue eyes are gazing down at me with tenderness

and playfulness.

The ray of the morning light pours in through the open

curtains. The light breeze from the sea is blowing in.

This feels perfect. Like we’re in our own little bubble where
nothing else exists. Nothing else matters. Not even the past or
the future. Just us, right at this minute. I want to stay in this
bubble for a while longer. I don’t want to think about anything
else.

I let my eyes roam all over his impressive naked upper body
slowly before they settle on the medallion resting on his
collarbone. He’s big and well muscled…everywhere. Even
relaxed like this, I can feel the power radiating off him. Finally,
my gaze found its way back to his bright intense eyes that are
regarding me curiously.

He pulls himself up to rest on his elbow, looking down at me.

My hand moves up to touch the medallion. I love touching the
warm metal resting against his skin. My fingers trace the raised
etchings on it. He pushes my hair back behind my ear. His
hand lingers on my cheek. For a tough, fierce, looking man, his
touch is gentle. Sparks of electricity and awareness crackle
between us. The back of his fingers stroke my cheek. It feels so
good I almost purr.

“What did Eva want last night?” I have to ask. So, okay, I’m
very crappy at making small talks, but I really need to know.

He looks a bit uneasy, but he answers my question anyway.

“She wanted to know if she could help me release some tense,
pent-up energy.”

Bloody hell. I know exactly what she wanted.

“What did you say?” I struggle to sound nonchalant. I don’t

think it works. It’s hard to pretend like I don’t care when I’m
pissed off.

“I told her I don’t need her help,” he answers. “And that I’d
appreciate it if she would stop asking.”

“Good,” I announce. “Have you ever…take up on her offer?”

“No, never. I would never have brought her here with me if I

had, Malyshka.”
“What about other female lycan warriors then?”

“I never had anyone since that night I first saw you,” he

answers earnestly.

Okay, fair enough. “Tell me about your nightmare,” I keep

digging.

I can tell right away that he’s going to avoid answering it. I can
see it in his eyes. He moves his hand back to my hip. His
muscle tense.

“Please?” I place my hand on his arm and his muscle flexes

under my touch. His eyes follow my movement. His grip
tightening on my hip.

“It’s my worst fear,” he answers reluctantly. “You’re killed. In

my nightmare, you’re dead.”

“So it’s not poisonous snakes or mutant killer squirrels or

hostile space aliens? I was dead in your nightmare. That is your
worst nightmare?” I tilt my face further up and give him a
teasing smile. He doesn’t smile back.

“Losing you. Losing you is what I fear most. That’s my worst

nightmare.”

There’s something so vulnerable in his expression. The side of

him that I bet this fierce warrior never showed the world. Oh,
Darius! He’s such a douche for making me melt with his words
like this, and for looking so hot. I grab the back of his head,
pull him down and smash his lips to mine.
I took him by surprise. For a second his lips don’t move against
mine. When I pull back, his lips follow mine. In an instant, he
captures my lips with his.

It starts slow. I move my lips tentatively against his, then he

groans and fully takes over the kiss as if he can’t get enough.
He opens his mouth and starts to ravish mine hungrily. He
kisses with his lips, his tongue, and his teeth. He makes me
understand what it feels like to be devoured.

My heartbeat shoots through the roof and my stomach feels

like I’m diving down on a freaking roller coaster. I grab a hold
of his strong broad shoulders and hang on tight.

He sucks my bottom lip fervently. His teeth nip my mouth

before his tongue laps my bottom lip and the seam of my
mouth. I open my mouth and he lets out a deep moan when my
tongue meets his. The sound of his sexy moan only fuels my
fire for him. I tangle my tongue with his and taste him as
eagerly.

His thumb and palm cradle my cheek while his fingers grip the
back of my head, holding my head still as our kiss grows more
desperate and frantic. His other hand starts kneading my butt
and drawing me closer to him.

He climbs on top of me without breaking our kiss and I grab a

handful of his hair, gripping the silky strands between my
fingers.

I arch my body up to grind up against him and he groans into

my mouth. Gosh, that sounds is so hot.
His mouth leaves mine to kiss and nibble on my jaw and my
neck before it latches on my throat, sucking on my skin there. A
low moan comes out of my mouth. Oh, yes…I want more. I
want…what do I want? I want him. Now.

His lower body is just hovering over mine while I’m arching my
back, trying to get closer. Darn it! I want him closer. I’m
floating in the haze of passion, and I want him on me. I hook
my leg around his hip and pull him down, grinding against his
hardness.

“Persephone, baby…I won’t be able to stop soon,” his voice is

hoarse and deep.

“Then don’t stop,” I say breathlessly.

“Is that what you want?”

Huh? Ughh..too much talking.

“You want to be mated? Now? Is that what you really want?”

What? I stop moving for a second, trying to think.

He rolls off me, putting a space between us. Both of us are

breathing hard, staring at each other. A part of me wants to
throw a tantrum, demanding him to get back to doing what he
was doing to me. Another more rational part of me wants me to
think things through.

I scowl up at him anyway.

“Please don’t look at me that way, Malyshka.”

“Look at you what way?” I ask him, sounding very petulant.

“Like I just took away your favorite toy,” he says. “Gosh, baby,
that’s actually very hot. That’s a huge turn on.”

He drags his eyes away and quickly lays back, trying to calm his
breathing.

For some reason that makes me feel very powerful. He already

told me he loves me. Now he’s struggling to keep his head. This
powerful lycan warrior. I did this to him. Me.

I roll over and climb on top of him. I place my legs on either

side of him and raise myself up with my hands on his chest to
look down at him. I know I’m playing with fire. Do I care? Not
really.

“Persephone,” he groans, closing his eyes and gulping audibly.

His breathing ragged.

Before I can blink, I find myself lying on my back with him on

top of me. Dark intense eyes staring back at me. His nostrils
flare slightly as he pulls in harsh breaths. His lips are pulled
slightly back to reveal straight white teeth. His two sharp
canines are very prominent now. His lycan is out of his
restraint.

Okay, I might have pushed my luck….a bit.. with his self-

control.

His dark eyes are regarding me like I was his prey, unblinking.
He tilts his head and leans down. His nose and lips graze my
neck. I dare not move.
“I can smell you,” he says. His voice sounds deeper. Very
menacing. He’s acting more like a lycan now. Like a predator.
“You want me almost as much as I want you….and I want you.”

He moves lower. “I want you,” he growls as the tip of his nose

and his lips skim down my neck to my collarbone, down to the
rise of my chest. He stops at the beginning of my tank top and I
stop breathing. Suddenly he bites the fabric between his teeth
and yanks it down. Oh, Gosh…

I feel the cool air on my bare heated skin. His eyes roam to look
at my exposed breasts.

“Beautiful,” he purrs before he leans down and licks the skin at

the top of the swell. His tongue feels soft, warm and wet
against my skin. “This is where I’m going to mark you.”

He opens his mouth wider and laps his tongue a few more
times there. I can feel his teeth and canines pressing on my
skin. I let out a small whimper and he lifts his head up. His
eyes are still dark and full of hunger. Then he tilts his head to
the side as if he’s listening to something.

A second later I hear it too. The clicking sound of footsteps

coming down the hall.

He lets out a low rumbling growl and gives me a long look

before he closes his eyes and takes a few calming breaths.

As the footsteps draw nearer, he unhurriedly rolls out of the

bed and saunters to the sitting area of the room. He’s only in
his navy blue cotton pajama pants. I get a good view of the
corded muscle of his back and the tight shapely butt.
Goddess, he’s gorgeous and I’m turned on and…oh, I’m such a
slut!

He grabs a shirt at the back of a chair and slips it on in a swift,

fluid movement.

He turns his head slightly to give me a look and I hastily grab

the sheet to cover myself. The corner of his lips curls up slightly
into an amused smile. His eyes are now back to their bright
blue color.

He opens the door before the person at the other side of the
door even start to knock.

“I’m sorry, sir. I thought we’re heading out early today,” says a
familiar voice before he slips out and closes the door behind
him.

It’s Eva. She’s better not be propositioning to him again, or I’ll

rip her spine out lycan or not.

“You better head out by yourself today, Eva. I have some other
matter to attend to this morning.” I hear him say through the
closed door.

They continue to discuss work-related issues for a couple more

minutes before I hear Eva’s footsteps move away from the door
and Darius slips back inside.

His eyes are watching me thoughtfully as he pushes the door

closed and moves closer to the bed.
“What things do you have to do here this morning?” I ask him,
pulling the blanket up to my chin.

“There are things I have to talk about with Constantine,

Caspian, and Lazarus,” he answers.

“Things related to your mission in Russia?”

“Yes,” he confirms.

“Things that you refuse to tell me about,” I state, rather than

ask.

“I’m sorry, Malyshka,” he sighs, sitting down at the edge of the

bed. “It’s confidential. I wish I could tell you, but if things leak
out….not only would our lives be in danger, but others too.”

“Fine!” I announce as I fling the bedsheet off of me. My tank

top is ripped and I’m pretty much topless. I boldly stand up
and daringly tip my chin up. His eyes grow darker as he stares
up at me hungrily.

“You’re pushing all my buttons, my love,” he declares huskily.

His hands gripping the bed sheet on either side of him tightly.

“We can’t all have what we want now, can we?” I smirk. “By the
way, you ruined my top.”

“I’ll buy you more shirts,” he replies.

I just flip my hair and open the balcony door wide.

“You never told me,” he says. “What did they say about men
with big hands?”

There are lots of things I can say about men with big hands, but
I give him the lamest and the least risqué one ever, “Uh….he
needs big gloves?”

I hear him chuckling as I climb to my side of the balcony.

It’s ten in the morning by the time I’m done showering and got
dressed. It’s already hot so I tie my hair up. I put on a pair of
high waisted white shorts, a little pink top and a pair of
converse and decided to join others for late breakfast.

The breakfast table is surprisingly empty. The coffee pot is still

hot. There’s a big bowl of fruit salad and yogurt on the kitchen
island. I pull out the warming drawer and lift up the lid one by
one to find eggs, hash browns, sausages, and waffles.

I pile up my plates and follow the sound of voices to find

Genesis and Serena sitting in the patio chairs overlooking the
pool and the ocean. Serena has a cup of tea in her hand and
Genesis has a big bowl of fruit on her lap.

“Good morning,” I say as I pull up a chair to sit on and push

Genesis’s feet off a footstool so I can place my heavy plate on it.
“So what’s up? Where is everybody?”

“Anya left to do some grocery shopping. Eva has already left for
the day. Constantine, Caspian, Lazarus, and Darius are having
a meeting in the office,” replies Genesis.
“Do you know what they’re talking about?” I ask them quietly
before taking a bite of my hash brown. I decided I’m going to
keep digging until I find out what Darius is keeping from me.

“No idea,” answers Serena. “Whatever it is, it looks important.

The guys disappear into the office even before they had their
breakfast.”

“They won’t let us in the office to listen in,” informs Genesis.

“It’s got to be something serious for them to forgo their
breakfast,” she adds and Serena and I nod our heads in
agreement.

“I thought you might have a better idea of what their meeting is

about,” questions Serena, turning her bright golden eyes on
me. “I know you’ve been…uh, talking to Darius.”

Is nothing a secret around here? Great! I roll my eyes and

answer, “Nope, no idea, but I think it might have something to
do with Darius’s mission in Russia and why he has to get back.
I know it’s probably the reason why he thinks it’s dangerous for
me to go back there too. I have no idea what it really is all
about.”

“Isn’t it frustrating when they keep things secret from you?”

says Genesis, echoing my thoughts. She’s scowling at the closed
office door.

“It is, but they’re doing it for our own good. Maybe it’s safer for
us not to know about things,” says Serena gently. “Maybe we
should trust our men.”
“Well, that sucks and I don’t like it,” I announce, stabbing the
sausage on my plate with a fork rather viciously. Serena is a
sweetheart, but sometimes I think she’s rather old-fashioned in
the way that she thinks about men and women’s role in life. I
told you she reminds me of my dear abuela.

“I know you don’t,” she says in a soft pacifying voice. “At least
stop trying to murder that sausage, love. It’s already dead.”

Genesis snorts a laugh.

“So, you’ve been…err..talking to Darius, huh?” asks Genesis.

My best friend is very nosy. “What about Matthew?”

Gosh, I don’t know. That’s something I’d rather not deal with
yet. It’s like a can of worms I’d rather not open yet, but I know I
can’t just hide it somewhere forever and pretend it doesn’t
exist.

Last night Darius told me that he loves me. I still feel woozy
just thinking about it, and this morning. Oh, my heart, this
morning. It was just a kiss. Well, okay maybe it was a little bit
more than that, but everything with Darius just feels more. A
kiss isn’t just a kiss. This morning it felt like our souls were
connecting.

I should feel bad for doing that to Matthew, but I don’t. I feel
bad for not feeling bad. I should feel guilty. I’m a bad mate.

“I don’t know,” I answer miserably. “Darius told me he’s in love

with me last night,” I tell them, and noted that they both don’t
seem at all surprised. “Wow, I thought you two would be more
excited or something.”
“We know he’s in love with you, Penny. A blind man can see
that!” announces Genesis. How is it that I didn’t know this?

“He said he loves me but he won’t mark me and he’s going back
to Russia,” I explain exasperatedly. “On the other hand,
Matthew is here. He’s my mate. He’s attracted to me and he’s
willing to give us a try even though he has no clue about our
mate bond. Most importantly, he’s not going anywhere. The
choice is clear, don’t you think?”

“It sounds like the choice is clear. So, what is it that you don’t
know, Penny?” asks Serena kindly. “In your heart you know,
the choice is clear.”

“Thanks, Grand Master Yoda,” I say as I bow to her before I

take my plate away. Now all my confusion is cleared. NOT.

Serena shakes her head, looking amused while Genesis bursts

out laughing.

“Now where are you going?” asks Genesis.

“Now I’m going to go and meditate in my cave aka my

bedroom,” I reply.

Chapter 27 – Being Mature is Overrated

The harder I try, the harder it seems for me to make sense of

the printed words. They seem to jumble together. Dancing
around, mocking me. Well, okay maybe I’m exaggerating a bit,
but I find myself staring out the window more often than
looking down at my reading material.
That’s it! Screw studying. I closed my book and push it off the
table. It lands on the floor with a thump, while I let my head
falls on the table with a thunk. The smooth surface of the study
table feels cool under my cheek.

How can I concentrate on reading when my brain is stuck on

something else…or rather someone else? Darius. I close my
eyes and touch my lips. I can still feel his lips on mine. The
taste of him on my tongue. The touch of his hands on my skin.
The look on his handsome face…Gah!!! What are you doing,
Penny? I can’t stop thinking about him…like always.

He brings out all these extreme emotions in me. Last night I

nearly fainted when he admitted that he loved me. Every time I
recall the moment he declared his love for me, I feel the wave
of giddiness and euphoria sweeping over me. That, however, is
followed very closely by the urge to kick him in the nuts when I
remember him telling me he’s leaving. What the hell was
that???

Time to face reality. There’s no denying that my connection to

him surpasses my bond with Matthew. My own mate. Is it
because I’ve known him longer? Has my connection to him
weakened my connection to Matthew? Is it because Matthew is
human? Would I feel this way for Matthew had I met him first?
Would my bond to Matthew ever be as strong if I gave it the
same chance?

Finally, giving up all attempt to study, I walk downstairs and

head to the kitchen. Genesis and Serena aren’t down here
anymore while the men are still in the office. Darn it! I’m
getting restless, impatient, and bored. That is never good.
Anya is back. I pour myself a tall glass of lemonade, while she
cut me a slice of still warm apple pie.

I sit on a barstool by the kitchen island, sipping my lemonade

while staring at the closed office door resentfully. Just how
long are they going to be in there? I’m dying to know what
they’re talking about.

The room is soundproof, but if I put my ear to the door, maybe

I can hear something? If they caught me, I’ll just pretend that I
was…uh, fixing the door? Yeah, more like trying to break the
door down.

My phone beeps and I find a text from Matthew asking me if I

want to meet up at the cafe again.

I should go see him. I’ll drive myself crazy waiting for the men
to come out of the office. The idea of breaking down the door
seems to get more appealing by the minute. I would totally do
something crazy like that if I have to wait another hour.
Besides, I need to face Matthew.

I quickly grab the key to one of Caspian’s cars before I change

my mind and break the office door down for real.

Today, Matthew is already waiting for me when I get to the

cafe. He leans in to give me a kiss, but I turn my face and his
lips land on my cheek. It would feel so wrong for me to kiss
him when I had been kissing Darius just this morning.

If he noticed that I avoided his kiss, he doesn’t show it. It’s

typical of Matthew. He avoids conflicts while I strive to make
everything so difficult. Why do I make everything so difficult
for myself?

I ordered a big cup of creamy cappuccino while Matthew has

gotten himself a small cup of espresso.

“I’m glad I got to meet your friends last night. I had a good
time,” he remarks. His eyes are taking in my appearance. He’s
looking casual in a pair of blue wash jeans. The navy blue polo
shirt brings out the color of his eyes.

“You did? Really?” I ask him, surprised.

“Well, it wasn’t awful,” he amends.

I let out a laugh. Awww…he’s trying not to hurt my feelings.

That’s very sweet of him, but I don’t need people sugar coating
anything. I know how awkward last night was.

“It wasn’t a total disaster,” I announce. “But it was awkward as

hell.”

“Okay, it was kinda awkward,” he chuckles. “Our friends blend

together as well as oil and water. I guess we’re from two
different worlds.” He has no idea.

We talk about his work and my study until I finally say, “I don’t
mean to pry.” I totally mean to pry. “You don’t have to answer
me if you don’t want to, but what happened to you and Cece?”

I think he’s taken aback by my directness for a second. He’s

quiet for a while as if contemplating how much he should be
telling me, before he says, “In the beginning, everything was
right….until it wasn’t.” He scratches the side of his face before
he continues, “Cece kept saying that our lives were too
predictable. We’re too comfortable. Too comfortable? Is there
such a thing as too comfortable?

I thought we’re doing fine. I mean, We have the same circle of

friends, we have the same routine every day and every
weekend. Why try to fix something that wasn’t broken, right?

Apparently, it was broken, because we kept getting into stupid

fights. Some fights got so out of hand that we broke up…only to
get back together again a few weeks, or a couple of months
later because we missed each other.

Once we got into a big fight because Cece wanted to go on a

vacation that we couldn’t afford. I mean, we have to be careful
with how we’re spending our money. We’re saving the money
to buy a place together.

It’s a vicious cycle. We fought, then one of us would give in and

apologize. Then we’re fine again…until we had another fight.

Then this year, everything was great. So great that I bought a

ring. I was planning to ask her to marry me.

Then two weeks ago, out of the blue she told me that we should
see other people. She said that she wanted to see what else is
out there. That hurt. I left that night and slept on Jackson’s
couch.

The next day I went to get my things, she was waiting for me.
She apologized and said that she didn’t mean it and didn’t want
me to leave. I don’t know what to think, but it hurts so damn
much that she even thought of seeing other people. I mean, she
must’ve thought about it if she brought it up, right?”

I shrug my shoulders. How would I know? Now I regret asking

about him and Cece. I’m starting feel like a counselor to my
mate’s problem with another woman.

“Anyway, it’s all good. She wanted us to see other people? Well,
I’m seeing you now,” he says as he takes my hand that’s lying
across the table into his.

I wonder if that’s all I am to him. Someone he’s seeing just to

get back at his longtime girlfriend, Cece.

I feel the tingles and the pull of our mate bond. I wonder if he
feels it too. I was told that humans don’t feel the mate pull as
strongly as werewolves do. Humans could have more than just
one mate, but they fall in love and marry people who aren’t
their mates all the time.

“So, what’s your plan for the rest of the weekend?” I ask him,
trying to change the subject.

He opens his mouth to answer me, but he gets distracted. His

eyes shift and fixed on something behind me and his body
stiffened.

I follow his gaze and my eyes fall on Mason who just entered
the cafe with a brunet. Mason looks around and doesn’t seem
at all surprised to see us, though the woman visibly blanched
and her steps faltered.
“Hi, Matthew, Penny! Fancy meeting you here,” says Mason
approaching our table with a big smile. The woman seems to be
about Matthew’s age. Her eyes look big as she steps up next to
Mason. Her light brown eyes suddenly focus on our Matthew’s
hand holding mine on the table and Matthew pulls his hand
away as if it’s burned.

I look at Matthew, but he’s staring at the woman. She’s looking

at him with eyes full of hurt and anger and I suddenly know
who she is. Of course, stupid Penny.

She’s beautiful and petite, about 5’3″. That’s six inches shorter
than I am. Her brown curly hair just reaches her shoulders. She
has this boho-chic style going with a loose fitting flowery
yellow dress and strappy sandals. There are several long and
chunky necklaces adorning her neck.

“Cece, this is Penny,” says Mason as he pulls her forward.

“Penny, meet Cece.”

Her eyes narrow when she turns to look at me. She attempts to
smile as she offers me her hand without saying a word. I take
her hand and just nod before I quickly pull my hand away.
Wow, awkward.

“What are you doing here?” Matthew is directing his question

at Mason, though his eyes are fixed on Cece. He’s looking very
uncomfortable.

From the corner of my eyes, I see her lips thinned as she

studies me from head to toe.
“We thought we’re getting breakfast here this morning,”
answers Mason. “Maybe we can join you at your table?”

“Yeah. Sure,” says Matthew hesitantly after an awkward

silence. I sit back and fold my arms across my chest. I can feel
my temperature rising. This is not the way I want to spend my
Saturday morning.

We’re sitting at a small round table. Matthew is sitting next to

me on one side, while Mason on the other. Cece is sitting right
across from me.

“So, Penny. Are you still in school?” she asks me. She and
Matthew are just six years or so older than I am, but the way
she’s pointedly looking at me is making me feel like I was just a
little kid or something, like I was beneath her.

I want so badly to throw my cup along with the hot content at

her head, but I like my cappuccino too much. Besides, that
would just prove her point that I’m just an immature kid. So, I
lean slightly forward and give her a sweet smile.

“Yes, I’m attending this school just like Mason,” I reply. “I

traveled the world for three years after school before I came
here, though.” I’m not exactly lying there. I did travel the
world, chasing after a certain lycan.

“Oh? You went backpacking around the world?” she seems

surprised and oddly excited to know more despite herself.

Mason bursts out laughing.

In other circumstances, I think Cece and I could get along and
might even like each other. Right now though, I’m not exactly
filled with fuzzy feelings.

“I don’t think Penny meant she went backpacking around the

world,” says Matthew.

“I think more like flying first class and fancy hotels with little
people like us handling the luggage for her,” adds Mason, still
laughing.

Try private jets, yachts, palaces, private islands and such. I pick
up my cup and sip the last drop of my yummy cappuccino
quietly.

I think I’m done sitting here pretending to be mature and

civilized. Being mature is overrated, anyway. This is just
getting weird for me. I’ve seen the way Matthew looks at her.
He might find me attractive and feel the pull of our bond, but
he loves her. Yeah, it would feel more natural and satisfying for
me to smash that big menu board in the corner on everybody’s
head.

“Well, it’s been nice chatting with all of you.” Not really. I grab
my phone and car key. “I better get going. See you guys
around.”

“I’ll call you later, Penny,” says Matthew with an apologetic

look. He’s not even attempting to give me a kiss, not even a
peck on the cheek.

“Maybe we can hang out later, Penny,” suggests Mason. “We

haven’t done that in a while.”
“Yeah,” I answer vaguely. Whatever.

On the way back, I drive past my quiet lake. I’m tempted to

stop by and sit on that lonely bench, but I promised Yummy lip
ring I wouldn’t. So I keep driving.

When I get home, I follow the sound of voices all the way to the
back. Caspian, Constantine, Lazarus, Serena, and Genesis are
sitting around near the swimming pools. They all look up as
soon as I join them. There’s something different in the
atmosphere. I don’t quite get what it is.

Everything seems normal enough. Caspian is lying on the

lounger with his sunglasses on. I don’t know what he’s thinking
or if he’s even awake. Lazarus is lying on a big patio swing with
his head resting on Serena’s lap. His long legs trailing on the
ground at the end of the long swing. Serena’s eyes are also
hidden behind sunglasses. Her hand is in her mate’s hair.
Lazarus’s striking blue eyes are regarding me thoughtfully.
Constantine is looking like he’s in a deep thought. Genesis is
sitting next to him, scowling at the blue horizon. I raise an
eyebrow, looking at her and she gives me a nod before looking
away.

We’ve known each other since forever not to understand what

that means. Genesis is upset and we’ll be talking about it later.

“I think somebody is waiting to talk to you, Penny,” says

Constantine, looking pointedly at the other side of the house.

I nod again and twirl around to make my way across the

beautifully kept grass to the side of the house. Trimmed hedges
and palm trees lined this side of the house to provide more
privacy to the pool area.

I turn the corner and follow his scent.

Finally, I see him. He’s leaning against the wall of the house.
From the distance, he looks every inch like an intimidating,
fierce, and dangerous warrior that he is.

His light blue shirt stretches across his broad shoulders and
chest and molded to his tapered waist. His pale blond hair is
immaculate except for a few locks that fall over his forehead.
His glacier blue eyes are staring out into the horizon. His hands
are shoved into the pockets of his pants. He looks so powerful,
yet so alone.

He makes me feel a lot of emotions, but right now I feel sad.

How can you be so alone and not feel lonely?

His eyes shift to look at me and they are now following my

every movement as I make my way to him.

“Hey,” I greet him awkwardly.

“Persephone,” he returns, straightening up. Judging by the way

his jaw tightens, I think he knows where I’d been.

“How did your meeting go?” I ask him.

“It went well,” he answers. “How did yours?”

“It was okay,” I answer, suddenly feeling guilty. I went to see
my mate. MY mate. I shouldn’t feel guilty, but I peel my eyes
away from his accusing stare and hurt in his eyes.

“So….are you leaving soon?” I ask him, staring at my feet.

“Yes, very soon. Possibly tonight.”

“Tonight?” I squeak, raising my eyes to look at him. No!!! “Why

tonight? Why so soon?”

“Would it make any difference to you, Persephone? Would you

care if I leave tonight?” he asks. His eyes are intense and
watchful on my face. He’s staring at me as if my answer is very
important to him.

“Yeah…sure it does,” I answer hesitantly. My heart speeds up.

I’m suddenly feeling nervous.

“Why?”

“Why?” I repeat his question after licking my suddenly dry lips.

Uh, why?

“Why would you care, Persephone?”

“Because…just because,” I say, folding my arms across my

chest defensively. I can’t help it. I act this way whenever I feel
cornered. It’s a question I’m not willing to answer and look at
very closely just yet.

Actually, I’m feeling a lot of things right now. Sadness and

anger most predominantly, because he’s leaving.
I hear him releasing a long frustrated breath, but he stops
pressing me for the answer to the question.

“Persephone,” he breathes, moving closer to me.

I look up to see him running his fingers through his hair. It

almost looks like a nervous gesture, but I know better. This is
Darius. He’s a fierce fighter to the Royal Lycan Army. I don’t
think he ever gets nervous.

“I would like to give you something,” he says, removing his

hand out from his pocket. He holds it out to me and my breath
catches in my throat.

His medallion! I didn’t even realize that he’s not wearing his
medallion around his neck before he showed it to me. I stare at
the carving of a lycan’s head with three stars above its head.

“It’s my family crest. When one of our homes in Petrograd

burnt to the ground during the revolution in 1917 not much
was left. That was among the things that were salvageable. It
was originally a cufflink. I only found one, so I had it made into
a medallion. I had been wearing it around my neck since.

It reminds me that I have a family, even though I never see

them. Makes me feel as if I wasn’t alone in this world.

I want you to have it,” he says. “You don’t have to wear it.
Just…I just want you to have it. You can sell it. You can give it
away…I… It’s okay. Just don’t tell me about it,” he laughs. Self-
mocking laugh. There’s a flash of vulnerability in his eyes
before he aims them away, staring into the horizon. When he
looks at me again, his eyes are clear blue and bright…and
hopeful.

Oh, Darius. Why does he always bring out such strong

conflicting emotions in me? Right now I feel like crying.

*Petrograd (capital of Russia at the time of the revolution) is

now known as Saint Petersburg.

Chapter 28 – The Heart Already Knows

I blink rapidly to get rid of the tears pricking my eyes, while he

continues on, “I don’t want you to think that I’m abandoning
you…or that you’re alone because you’re not. You have many
people…and me. You have me. Of course, like I said, you don’t
have to wear it —”

“Darius?” I interrupt him. Sometimes he talks way too much.

“Yes?”

“Shut up and put that on me,” I command him before turning

around and lifting up my hair out of the way.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says, with a smile in his voice.

I can’t help the smile that creeps up on my face when he fastens

the clasp at the back of my neck. His fingers graze my neck and
goose bumps bloom all over my skin. I feel his warm breath
fanning the nape of my neck before I feel the feather light
touch of his lips. I let go of my hair and sway into him until my
back falls against his hard chest. His hands grip my waist then
they slide to cover my stomach. The warmth of his hands and
his body spreading over me through the thin fabric of my top.
He has the power to make me feel weak, yet safe and strong at
the same time.

My hand quickly goes up to touch the medallion. I’ve liked this

medallion since the very first moment I noticed it on him. Now
he’s giving it to me. Knowing it’s connection to his roots and
how much it means to him makes it so much more special.

“I’ll wear it. Always,” I tell him in a whisper. “Thank you.”

He turns me around with his hands spanning the side of my

waists. He gazes down at me pensively. There’s a flash of
possessiveness in his eyes and the way he’s holding me.

“I love seeing you wearing my family crest,” he announces.

Suddenly the medallion feels like a red hot branding iron,

stamping, claiming, and declaring me as his.

“I’m done fighting our bond and my feelings for you,

Persephone. I should’ve asked you this before, but I’ve always
got sidetracked, so I’m asking you now. Persephone, when this
is all over, will you be mine? Will you let me mark you?”

“When did you decide to stop fighting?” I ask him.

He grows quiet for a while. His watchful penetrating gaze

intense on my face. He knows I’m avoiding his question. The
lines of his mouth look tight, but he answers my question, “I
knew right from the start that I was fighting a losing battle, but
I tried. That night with Polina, right after you left, I knew then
without a doubt that I can’t let you go. No matter how noble I
thought the sacrifice was.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m being selfish, but I can’t…I just can’t.
Even when I was saying that you need to save yourself for your
mate, I didn’t really mean it. I don’t want anybody else and I
don’t want anybody else touching you. You’re everything.
You’re mine.

“I never had anybody to claim as my own. Not even my family.

I was always alone and I never wanted anyone. With you
though, I can’t help it. You’re mine. All of you.”

“What about you? Are you mine?” I ask him boldly.

“Yes. Absolutely. I’m yours. All of me,” he answers without

hesitation.

“But you’re leaving me.”

“I have no choice, Malyshka.”

“What if I don’t want to be yours by then, Darius? I mean, for

years I waited for you. I watched you tried to mark another
woman, for goodness sake.” I spit out. “YOU decided we
couldn’t be together. YOU decided to give up fighting our bond.
You decide everything. What if I decide that I don’t want us
together then?”

He stares at me wordlessly. There’s a pain in his eyes that

breaks my heart, but I refuse to back down. This has been
bugging me for a while now. Maybe I’m just being petty.
Waiting for over three years for the one you’re yearning for
with your whole being can do that to you.

“Then I’ll wait for you to change your mind,” he says quietly.
“I’ll wait forever if I have to.

“I won’t pretend or promise to sit on the sideline for years just

waiting though. You might want to use the time I’m away to
enjoy your freedom, but not too much. When I come back for
you, I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power to make you
want me again. I’m not giving you up, Persephone. Not ever.”

Suddenly he moves closer. I step back, but his hands slide to

my back, holding me still. He leans in until the tip of his nose is
touching the shell of my ear. His warm breath is teasing my
skin.

“Besides, I know that you do want me now,” he whispers.

Arrogant, overbearing, infuriating asshat. He nibbles my ear
teasingly. The tip of his tongue comes out to trace the sensitive
skin, sending shivers down my spine. Okay, so I do want him.

“Cocky, big-headed, obnoxious asshole…” I mutter

breathlessly.

“I love you too, Malyshka,” he murmurs against my skin as his

mouth travels down to rain kisses along my jaw. “No amount of
time will change that.”

When he reaches my neck, he opens his mouth and his tongue

comes out to lap my skin hungrily. His mouth sucking and his
teeth nipping gently. My brain stops working.
My hands sweep over his broad shoulders to the nape of his
neck and to bury themselves in his silky hair. I lay my palms
flat on his cheeks and force his face up so that I can look into
his face. I can’t think straight when he’s doing what he was
doing to me. “If you love me, why don’t you want to mark me
now?”

He looks up as if he’s in a daze, then he shakes his head as if to

clear it up.

I know I’m giving him a whiplash. One moment I’m telling him
I might not want him anymore when he gets back, and the next
I’m asking him why he’s not marking me. Good. By the end of
this conversation, I expect that he might need to lie down or
get a stiff drink before he can function properly again.

“I know you marked my wolf when you kissed me that night a

few months ago. Why not go all the way and mark me
physically too?” I ask him.

Serena and Genesis told me once when they found out that I
am Darius’s erasthai that there are two stages to a lycan’s
claim. The first stage is marking the wolf, which is very subtle.
It warns other lycans who might be interested to stay away.
Werewolves or humans wouldn’t be able to sense the marking
at all. At this stage, my true mate can still claim me. The second
stage, which is the real stage, is the physical marking. This is
when the lycan bites you and become your real mate. You
would turn into a lycan and no one else can claim you.

“Marking you physically would be irreversible, Malyshka.

There’s no undoing it. Your fate would forever be bound to
me,” he answers. “I might be selfish, but I can’t destroy you. If I
marked you physically now, you wouldn’t survive it if anything
bad happens to me when I’m in Russia. If I didn’t mark you, at
least you would still have a chance at happiness even if I’m
gone.”

No, I don’t want to think about him being gone. “Or you can
take me with you,” I insist once again.

“No, it’s too dangerous for you to be there.” I can see by the set
of his jaw and that determined look on his face that there’s no
changing his mind.

Well then. “Okay, no biggie,” I tell him, shrugging my

shoulders as if I didn’t care.

He probably sees something in my face, because he closes his

eyes and groans out, “Please don’t, Malyshka.” It’s as if he can
read my mind. He knows me so well.

“Don’t what?”

“Please don’t come to Russia after me.”

“Sure I won’t,” I avert his icy blue gaze to study the pattern on
the wall. Actually, there is no pattern, it’s just a boring
whitewash stucco wall.

“Really?”

I trace an imaginary line on the wall, still avoiding his

penetrating gaze. “Yeah, really. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”
Liar!
He sighs. He doesn’t believe me. I don’t believe me.

“Just make sure Eva keeps her hand to herself…and make sure
you keep your hands off Eva or any other women for that
matter,” I tell him, to change the subject.

He backs me into the wall and places his forehead against

mine. “I’m all yours, Persephone. Only yours,” he breathes
before his lips claim mine in a deep searing kiss.

Darius has gone off with Caspian, Constantine, and Lazarus

after lunch, so I decided to lounge around the swimming pool
with Genesis and Serena.

I open my bedroom door after changing into my American flag

bikini to find Eva standing on the other side with her hand
raised up, ready to knock.

“Hi, Penny. I was just about to knock,” she says. “Can we talk
for a minute?”

“Yeah, sure,” I reply, opening the door wider for her to come in.

“We’re leaving tonight. I think you’re already aware of that,”

she says as soon as I closed the door. “Look, I would like to
think that we’re friends.

“What I’m trying to say is, I know you’re Darius’s erasthai. I

might be slow in figuring out relationships and feelings and
such, but I’ve finally got it.”
“When did you find out? How?” I ask her. We certainly never
told anyone outside our little circle about this. Eva was so
clueless all these while, I thought she would never figure it out.

“I figured it out this morning,” she admits looking slightly

sheepish. “I know you were in his bedroom. A lycan and a
werewolf wouldn’t be spending the night together unless
they’re mates, or meant to be mates.

“I’m sorry about offering to have sex with him. Had I known
what you are to him, I would never have done that.” Wow, this
woman is even more direct than I am.

“Okay,” I say. “Darius already marked my wolf before you came

here, how can you not sense it?”

She grins before she answers, “Oh, honey, only lycans who are
really looking or interested in you would pay enough attention
to be able to sense that. I don’t swing that way. so…”

Huh. “How’d you know you don’t swing that way, you never
had me yet,” I flip my hair sassily.

Eva busts out laughing. “Would you be willing to give me a

sample?” she teases me. She knows that she’s forgiven. I
couldn’t bring myself to hold a grudge against Eva. I do like
her. She’s not malicious or manipulative like some girls I know.
What you see is what you get with Eva.

“Nope!” I answer.
“I thought not. You’re as straight as a flagpole. Besides, I know
you’re into Darius…I don’t think anybody else really had a
chance.”

Her response startles me for a second. Is that true? I know my

bond and feelings for Darius are deeper, but I thought I was
giving Matthew a fair chance. Maybe I still am, that’s why I
didn’t answer Darius’s question about becoming his?

Serena is lying on one of the lounge chairs in her white bikini.

Her golden tanned skin glows in the evening sunlight. Genesis
and I are lying in the floating pool mats in the lower pool.

The weather is beautiful. The scenery around us is gorgeous.

We are surrounded by well-tended palm trees and shrubs,
water falling steadily from the top tier pool into the one we’re
in, blue sea and azure sky in the background, yet I’m feeling
down.

Genesis is looking pissed off. One of her feet is dangling in the

water. She’s scowling deeply at the glass of iced tea in her
hand. Suddenly she kicks the water with her dangling foot,
creating waves that make my mat bounce violently.

“You know, I would appreciate it more if you reserved that kick

for your mate rather than trying to drown me,” I tell her,
clutching the sides of the floating mat.

“Oh, stop being so dramatic, Penny,” she says. “I swear I love

you like a sister, but you’re so dramatic.” There’s a teasing
smile on her lips now. “You’re right though, I should save my
kicks and sass for Constantine.
“Nice necklace, by the way. Wonder where you got it from,” she
teases. Then she adds quietly, “He’s leaving tonight…are you
going to be okay, honey?”

“No, not really. I don’t want him to go,” I answer honestly. “He
asked me to be his….when he gets back.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I might not want to be his by then.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I don’t want to wait that long. Maybe I’m
still trying to give Matthew a chance?”

Genesis grows quiet for a while, looking like she’s deep in

thought. “Maybe you’re still holding grudges. Maybe you’re
punishing him for making you wait all those years? Maybe
you’re punishing him for leaving?”

Am I? Is that what I’m doing?

I must have dozed off a bit in the pool. I feel his eyes on me
before I see him standing just outside the door near the pool
bar.

I guess it’s time to say goodbye?

He’s wearing his black official suit like the first time I saw him
over three years ago. He doesn’t look like he’s aged a day since.
He looks so hot yet intimidating, cold, and aloof. Like a
stranger. Like he’s switched on his warrior mode. He has
sunglasses covering his eyes, the rest of his face looks like
they’re carved from the marble. Cold and expressionless. I look
at him and remember what Genesis said once about him
looking intimidating. I guess this is how others see him.

I want to break through that exterior. I want the Darius that

I’m used to seeing these last few days back.

My heart aches at the thought of not seeing him again. Do I

want to wait for him? How long do I have to wait for him this
time?

I paddle to the side of the pool slowly and he walks over. One
quick tug and I land in his powerful arms. He gathers me close
and buries his nose in the curve of my neck, inhaling my scent.
The fabric of his suit pressing against my bare skin. His
wonderful scent enveloping me. My heart breaks a little.

“Please don’t cry, Malyshka,” he whispers, pulling back a little.

I didn’t even realize I was crying.

He wipes the falling tears with his thumb, and I pull his
sunglasses away. I want to see his eyes.

“I wish I don’t have to go,” he says, crushing me to him again.

He buries his face in my hair and I thought he said “I can’t be
without you,” but it was so faint, I might have imagined it.

“I’ll come back for you. I’ll do everything in my power to come

back to you soon,” he promises.
Everybody is already in the foyer waiting for us. Lazarus,
Constantine, and Caspian are looking grim.

Eva is also in a black official suit. Her hair is swept into a neat
French braid. Her stance is rigid, very different from the way I
always saw her.

Their suitcases are already in the back of a black Bentley

waiting just outside. The driver who also looks like a warrior is
standing by the door, waiting.

I give Eva a hug. I think I’m going to miss her too.

He turns to give me one last lingering look before he walks out

without looking back.

I skipped dinner tonight. I didn’t feel like eating. All my friends

looked at me with concern when I told them that I wasn’t
hungry.

After showering and changing into my pajamas, I cross over

the balcony to Darius’s room…or what used to be his room.

The cleaners haven’t been in here yet. All his clothes are gone
from the closet. The hangers stand empty. His scent lingers.
For now. Very soon his scent too will be gone.

I touch his pillow that cradled his head last night. I lay my head
on it and rub my nose against it, breathing in his scent. I pull
the pillow close to me like I’m pulling him close. My other hand
clutches his medallion tight, close to my heart. I close my eyes
and pretend that he’s still here. Last night he was holding me
tight. Just this morning we were whispering softly to each
other in this bed. I want to go back to last night and this
morning.

How long could I go on without him this time?

Realization hits me. On the surface, Matthew is the obvious

choice. He’s so easy to be with. I lead he follows. I’m the storm
to his gentle breeze. He balances me out. He calms me down.
Life with him should be peaceful and easy. He is, after all, my
other half.

Darius is the raging fire to my inferno. Together we set each

other further ablaze till we turn everything in our path into
ashes, but oh man, does he make me feel alive like no other.

Question is, do I want calm and easy? Or do I want to burn

higher and brighter and be consumed by that raging fire?

I think I know the answer to that question. I know what I’m

going to do now. The heart already knows.

It’s still dark outside when I open my eyes. I recognize Darius’s

room. I fell asleep here last night. My heart instantly feels
heavy. I’m surrounded by his scent, but he’s not here. I wonder
what he’s doing now.
I walk reluctantly back to my room, straight into my bathroom.
I brush my teeth, put on my workout outfit and put my hair up
in a ponytail.

The gym is in the East Wing of the house. I’m surprised to find
Caspian already there, working out this early in the morning.
He seems to be totally focused, though. He just keeps working
out, totally ignoring me.

I start to stretch, watching Caspian warily. Something is not

right with this Prince this morning. Maybe if I give him a swift
kick in the nuts, he’ll notice that I’m here?

On second thought, maybe it’s a good thing that he leaves me

alone. After stretching up, I decided to concentrate on the
punching bag. It’ll give me the chance to think and plot to get
things to go the way I want it to.

I wrap my hands, put the gloves on and start punching and

kicking.

“Keep your elbow down, Beany. Protect your body,” yells

Caspian, suddenly. Really??? Now he decided to acknowledge
me? I just want to pound the bag in peace.

“Mind your footwork. Keep moving. Don’t be lazy,” he yells

again. I am so tempted to pound him now.

I pause to give him the stink eye just to have him yell, “Keep
your eyes on your target. Stop eye-raping me.” What???

My phone lights up. An unknown number is calling. I pull out

my glove, flip him the bird, then swipe the screen, rejecting the
call. It starts lighting up again very soon after. The same
unknown number. Now I’m curious. Usually, telemarketers
don’t call twice in a row. So I answer the call.

“Hello?” I say, preparing to hang up if I hear an automated

voice or somebody trying to sell me their timeshares or their
grandmamas. No offense to telemarketers, but I already have
my hands full with my abuela who calls every week.

“Hello? Penny?” I know that voice. I’m bad at remembering

names, but I remember voices and faces and I remember HER
name.

“Hi,” I answered tentatively. I wonder what she wants from me.

“It’s Cece calling,” she says. Duh! “I wonder if we can meet

somewhere this morning…and talk? I won’t take too much of
your time.”

I have an idea of what she wants to talk about, but I’m still
intrigued to know what she has to say.

“Not this morning,” I inform her. I have things to do this

morning.

“What about later? This evening. Would evening suit you

better?”

“Yeah, evening sounds good,” I tell her, glancing at Caspian.

Chapter 29 - And Then There Are Hyenas

I agree to meet up with Cece at a cafe near the campus at five.

I drop my phone on the mat and turn to look at the moody

Prince. What has gotten into him lately?

He is now facing the punching bag as if it was his opponent.

Circling it and throwing punches without really touching it. He
must’ve been in here for a while. He’s only wearing a pair of
loose workout pants. His bare chest is rising and falling and is
glistening wet with sweat. There’s sweat dripping from the tips
of his tousled golden hair. He’s looking really focused.

“I told you Beany. Stop eye-raping me. I’m not just a gorgeous
looking piece of ass, you know,” he says without taking his eyes
off the punching bag. “I’m feeling very violated right now.”

Seriously??? I feel my mouth drops to the floor.

“Aaarrggghhhhh!!!!!!” I charge at him with a loud war cry. Him

turning is the last thing I see before he grabs my wrist. A flurry
of movement and whooshing of air in my ears, then I’m flat on
my back. Good thing that the floor on this part of the gym is
covered with the martial art mats. It still hurts, though.
Caspian straddles my chest while his hand holds my hands
captive over my head.

“Really? I thought you’re my star student,” says Caspian,

shaking his head, looking down at me as if I’m a
disappointment. “You don’t yell like a banshee before you
attack anybody Beany,” he admonishes me.

“I wasn’t planning on attacking. I just wanted to kick you in the

nuts,” I inform him. “What do you mean I’m your star student?
I’m the ONLY student you have. You’re crappy....” Oh, wait! I
want to ask him a favor, aggravating him wouldn’t get me
anywhere. I need to butter him up. “I mean you’re a great
teacher...yeah.”

He lets go of my hands and stands up. He then offers me his

hand to help me up without saying anything else.

Hmmm...something is really up with this Prince. Normally, he

wouldn’t let me go without making crude comments or random
crappy pickup lines he thought as funny.

Anyway, back to my plans, butter him up. Right.

“So....are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink?” I

ask him. “Here, you can take mine. I haven’t drunk from it yet.”

He stops and looks at me warily. His eyes narrowing as he

stares suspiciously at the water bottle I’m offering him.

“I have my own water bottle, thanks,” he says, still watching me

suspiciously.

Oh, for goodness sake! Can’t I be nice without anybody looking

at me like I was plotting their murder or having ulterior
motives? Well, okay, so I do have an ulterior motive this time,
but still...

“It’s not poisoned, you know,” I tell him exasperatedly.

“Yeah, I know, but I have my own water bottle,” he says. As if

to prove his point, he picks up his water bottle, unscrewed the
lid and starts drinking from it.
“Everything’s okay with you?” I ask him, uncapping my water
bottle and start drinking from it.

“Yeah, great,” he says. Is it just me or does he sound very

sarcastic?

“Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need---”

“Beany?”

“Yes?”

“The answer is no.”

“What do you mean no?” I scoff.

“The answer is no. No, you’re not going to Russia.”

“What??? How did you...I didn’t even...I wasn’t... What???” I

stammer. “Why not???”

“It’s dangerous, Beany,” he sighs wearily. “Look, Darius cares

about you very much. He’s willing to give up his life for you if
he had to. You can grovel, throw tantrum, or pull tricks as
much as you want, but I’m not about to let you get yourself
killed.

“Oh, by the way, Constantine and Lazarus aren’t going to let

you go either. I suggest you won’t try anything funny with them
because you would be wasting your time. It’s not going to work.
There’s no way we’re going to let your annoying little ass get
hurt or killed.”
That’s not the answer that I want. A common she-wolf like me
really can’t get anywhere near the Banehallow Palace or a
Royal Lycan Army top officer without the help of the lycan
Prince like Caspian or any of my lycan friends. The secret of
our government is very well protected. The security for the
royalties and lycan head warriors are very tight. The king and
the queen might know me, but their security people don’t. I’d
be very lucky to touch the gate of the palace or catch a glimpse
of Darius if I just showed up there. Asking for an audience with
the king and queen by someone like me would be like asking
for an audience with the queen of England by anyone on the
street. The guards and the servants might die laughing if I just
walk up and demand to be seen by the king.

“I don’t want him to give up his life for me,” I stick my chin up
stubbornly. I try to think of anything to say to get him to
change his mind but come up with nothing.

“You suck!” I declare finally.

“Oh, I do more than suck, baby,” replies Caspian with a wink.

“Arghhh!!!Stop!!! Why? Why do you have to say such a thing,

you perv?” I tell him. “I do not need such visual in my head!”

Caspian laughs. His big muscular body shakes uncontrollably.

He tries to say something, but he’s wheezing too much to even
make sense. Pervert! I leave the room before he gets the chance
to say something as equally moronic again.

So, they won’t help me go to Russia. That pisses me off.

“We’re doing this for your own good!” he yells from inside the
gym as I stomp out indignantly.

Ughh!!! Next stop, shower. I’m very sweaty and need to

shower. Badly. My hair is wet and sticking to my neck and my
cheeks. My body, especially my knuckles are sore.

Well, I’m not giving up that easily. Time for a new plan. He
mentioned that Constantine and Lazarus wouldn’t help me get
to Russia. He didn’t say anything about Genesis or Serena.

The shower put me in a better mood. I put on a pair of denim

shorts, a white crop top and a pair of white Vans. Time to go
looking for Genesis.

I found Genesis in the painting studio. Painting a real painting!

Well, actually she’s lying upside down on a sofa, staring at her
painting that’s sitting on the easel.

“What are you doing?” I ask her. Maybe it’s not a good idea to
ask.

“Looking at my painting from a different angle,” she answers.

“Why didn’t you just turn the painting upside down instead?” I
ask, tilting my head to see what she’s seeing.

I think it’s a painting of Serena, Caspian and me lying on the

loungers, viewed from underneath the water of the swimming
pool. Ripples of water, obscuring our faces. There are blurring
palm trees and blue sky with soft pinkish cotton candy clouds
in the background.
It’s kinda strange, yet beautiful like her other paintings.

“I can spot the flaw in perspective better this way,” she says.

O-kaaayy....I really shouldn’t have asked.

“Do you know what’s eating his royal highness Prince

Caspian?” I ask her as I plonk myself next to her on the sofa.

For a few seconds, she just stares at the painting with her eyes
narrowed and eyebrows scrunched together.

“Seriously, what’s going on with him?” I ask her again. It feels

kinda weird to be talking to a person who sitting upside down
with her head dangling down the seat.

“Apart from dealing with his possessiveness over you leaving,

he thinks he saw his erasthai,” she says.

“Really? How can he thinks he saw her? Either he did or he

didn’t. Which one is it? What is she? A werewolf? A faery? A
lycan?”

“Too fast. He thinks she’s a human, but he can’t be sure. She’s

too fast.”

“Too fast?”

“Yeah, she ran away from him,” she answers.

“She ran away?” I think I’m resembling a parrot now, repeating

Genesis’s every word.
“But..but...but girls never run away from Caspian.” They
usually run TOWARDS the arrogant bratty Prince. What’s
going on here? Oh, this should be good.

“Yeah, I know,” says Genesis knowingly, her grin widens. “I’m

already loving her.”

“If she’s a human how can she outrun a lycan?”

Genesis attempts to shrug her shoulders, but she tumbles down

the sofa headfirst. “Owww...I think I broke my butt.”

I roll my eyes and help her up. How many times could a person
break her butt?

“Why didn’t he tell me?” I ask her.

She rubs her butt a few times before she sits next to me...the
right way, like a normal person this time.

“I don’t know. Maybe he thinks that you’re dealing with too

much already.”

“Dealing with too much??? Too much? I don’t know what the
heck I’m dealing with, Genesis! Nobody tells me anything!”

“I know right?” she suddenly turns her whole body to face me.
“They wouldn’t tell me anything either! I hate it when
Constantine keeps things from me. Doesn’t he trust me? ME!
His own mate.”

“I know what you mean,” I tell her. “Darius wouldn’t let me

come with him to Russia. He wouldn’t tell me anything either.
It’s driving me crazy. He said it’s not safe for me. Don’t you
think if it concerns me, I have the right to at least know about
it?”

“I was so ticked off with Constantine yesterday, but it’s hard to

stay mad at him,” confesses Genesis.

I wonder if it’s a good idea to ask her what Constantine did that
makes it hard for her to stay mad at him.

“What do you think it is? Do you think it has something to do

with what happened to you before? Do you think that somehow
it’s connected with what happened to you?” I ask her instead.

“I don’t know, but I know that whatever it is, it’s big.”

“And dangerous,” I add. “Genesis...I need your help. I need to

go to Russia. I need to be where he is.”

“Oh, no. No, no, no...you said it yourself that it’s dangerous.
You’re not going anywhere near where you can get killed,
Penny,” says Genesis, looking alarmed. “Besides, Darius would
be furious!”

“Who cares if he’s furious!”

“Well, I do! Darius is tough and scary...and fierce. He’s one of

the best warriors! Doesn’t he scare you? I’ve seen him in action
once. Believe me, you don’t want to get on his bad side.”

Scare me? He is tough, but I’ve seen the side of him that’s
vulnerable and as soft as a teddy bear. He can’t even stand the
sight of my tears!
“Pfftt...he’s not that scary. He’s really adorable.”

“Adorable???? Darius?” Genesis is gaping at me. “Seriously, did

you just use the word adorable and Darius in the same
sentence?”

“Well...yeah. There are times when I’d like to kick his balls, but
he’s really sweet...at times.”

“Sweet?” she is almost shrieking. “I guess it’s good that you

think he’s sweet and adorable since he’s your erasthai,” she
says after a while, still looking very skeptical.

“Well, he is!” I insist.

“Love makes you blind,” she sighs.

I huff indignantly. It’s not my fault that she can’t see how
sweet, adorable and vulnerable he is.

“Well, are you helping me or not? You know I wouldn’t be able

to get anywhere near him without your help.”

“Not. I’m sorry Penny,” she says. “I’d die if anything happens to
you. Nope, you’re not going.”

“If it’s Constantine who’s out there, would you sit here quietly
waiting even when you know he might not come back for you?”
I ask her. She opens her mouth to answer me, then pause to
think and closed her mouth back again.

“Hah!!!” I say triumphantly. “Besides, you know very well that I

would still go even without your help...though I might get
stranded somewhere and die of starvation and loneliness, or
worse, get eaten by hungry hyenas in a foreign land--- ”

“Oh, for the love of fuzzy slippers, Penny!!! Why’d you have to
be so stubborn?” she wails. “I understand your point. Believe
me, I do. If it’s Constantine, I wouldn’t be sitting here, doing
nothing either, but I really can’t help you even if I want to.”

Cuddly bunnies and fuzzy slippers are equivalent to cursing

and swearing in Genesis’s sweet little world. She uses it when
she reaches the end of her tether.

“They might’ve alerted the airport security to make sure that

you don’t fly out of the country. If you tried to leave, they’ll just
handcuff you and drag you back home,” she says.

What??? They’re very serious about keeping me away from

Russia...and from Darius.

“And you’re a werewolf for goodness sake. Why would you let
hyenas eat you?” I hear her yell as I stomp away the second
time today.

Darn it! There goes my plan A and plan B. I don’t have a plan
C. Well, okay...so I don’t really have any plans. I made things
up as I went and now I’m out of ideas.

I could try to sneak through the airport and fly to Russia, but I
really don’t want to get eaten by the Hyenas. It could happen
since I have no means of getting to Darius or the palace.

I make my way into Darius’s room. I’m glad I told the cleaning
lady not to clean the room or change the bedsheet. The whole
room still smells of him. I curl up on the bed, soaking in his
scent.

On an impulse, I bring out my phone, find his number and

type, ”I miss you.” and hit send. I don’t know if he’d ever see
that message. I was told that the line is not secure and he won’t
be using it in Russia.

So my plans didn’t work out. Now what? This is crazy. Why

can’t we be together now? Why do I have to wait? If I can’t go
to him, maybe I can make him come to me? How?

I fall asleep in his bed, surrounded by his scent. I open my

eyes, look at the time and jump. It’s less than ten minutes to
five. I agreed to meet Cece at the cafe around five. Regular
drive there takes twenty minutes.

I dive into the bathroom and brush my teeth. I pull my hair up

into a messy bun while running down the stairs, then grab
Caspian’s Porsche’s key fob, out the door, jump into the car and
drive like a maniac.

The tires screech as I pull the car into a halt right in front of the
building. A few people turn to look. I bet I look like a deranged
maniac.

Cece is one of those people who is standing at the curb to stare

at me when I jump out of the car.

“I thought you weren’t going to show,” she says. “I was about to

leave.”
“Well, sorry I’m late,” I apologize. “But, I’m here now.”

“Let’s go to the park, there are too many people here,” she
suggests. “It’s just a couple of blocks away from here.”

It’s an awkward walk to the park. I think she doesn’t know

what to say and I don’t feel like making small talk.

She motions me to sit on a bench near a tree when we reach the

park. I don’t plan to stay for long. I prefer to stand, so I lean
against the tree and she takes the seat.

She’s wearing a long blue sundress today with white sandals.

She’s still wearing a lot of bangles and long necklaces. Her hair
is in a ponytail.

She seems to be assessing my appearance just as I’m assessing

hers. I should probably dressed better, but I didn’t have time.
Besides, I don’t think I really need to impress her.

“So, anyway...this is kinda awkward,” she says.

“Yeah.” No kidding.

“I didn’t invite you here to start a fight or anything, Penny. I

just want to talk.”

Uhuh..I’m not a big fan of talking to some people’s ex-

girlfriends.

“I had a talk with Matthew last night,” she says. “I know he still
loves me.”
“And you’re telling me this because...?”

“I just want you to know about this. I don’t want you to get
hurt.”

Oh, my goddess!!! I burst out laughing. I can’t help it. “How

very kind of you,” I tell her.

Her face turns red. “I’m sorry you find this funny.”

“You should be,” I say. “You know what I really think, though,
Cece? I think you’re feeling threatened by me.”

“I did not!” she huffs. “We’ve been together for a very long
time, Matthew and I. He always comes running back to me.
Always.”

“You’ve been together for a long time, but yours isn’t the
healthiest relationship I’ve seen. You’re always breaking up.
What if he doesn’t come running back to you this time, Cece?
What if he comes crawling to me instead?”

All of a sudden she bursts out crying. A strange breathy high

pitched sound that reminds me of the sound of hyenas comes
out of her mouth. Well, okay...so I’m not sure how hyenas
sound like, but close enough. I glance around quickly to make
sure that no one is looking.

Gah!!!! Is today my bad luck day or something? I should’ve

consulted the stars before stepping out of the bedroom. Maybe
I should’ve just stayed in bed all day today. Nothing is going
my way today. Nothing!
Now I feel like sobbing alongside this strange woman.

Chapter 30 - One With Thing 1 and Thing 2

“Honestly, I didn’t expect Matthew to be seeing anybody...” she

continues.

“I thought you’re the one who said you wanted to see other
people,” I say.

“I know what I said, but I didn’t really mean it. I didn’t want to
see other people...and I didn’t think he would start seeing other
people either. ”

Okay, this woman is starting to give me a headache.

“Then why the hell did you tell him you wanted to start seeing
other people for?” I almost yell at her.

Her face crumpled once more. Thankfully her sobs aren’t as

loud this time.

“I just wanted him to pay more attention to me...to us. I wanted

him to feel jealous. I wanted him to do something. I didn’t want
him to run off every time we have a problem. I didn’t expect
him to go and start seeing a Victoria Secret model either.”

What? Wait a minute. Did she meant me??? I am no underwear

model and I’m about to tell her that when she says, “Do you
know when was the last time we went on a date? On a proper
date?”
“Two years ago!” she answers her own question before I can
open my mouth. “He could take you to a cafe, yet he couldn’t
even bother to take me out to a nice dinner.”

I’m about to let her know that meeting at a cafe could hardly
compare to a nice dinner, but I figure now is not a good time
for that when she starts sobbing again.

Now, what do I do? I pat her arm awkwardly. “There, there...” I

say. Her sobs subside... somewhat.

“Every time we go out, we always go out with his friends. It’s

always about what the group would like to do. I suggested we
go on a vacation. Just the two of us. We ended up having a
huge fight over it and he just left.

“You could’ve had any other men. Why him? Matthew and I,
we’ve been through a lot together and I love him,” she declares.
“Do you? Do you love him?”

Her question throws me off.

I’m sitting on the bench that was occupied by Cece a while ago.
That was the weirdest meeting I’ve ever had with anyone. I just
need to sit down for a while after an encounter like that.

It was so weird. I’m feeling kinda sorry for her while wanting to
bitchslap her till tomorrow at the same time. He’s supposed to
be my mate, yet now I feel like the other woman.
A gentle breeze blows a few loose whispy tendrils of my hair
against my cheek. A few guys jog past and one of them flashes
me a smile. He’s cute, but I can’t bring myself to return his
smile.

The old Penny would’ve returned his smile...and maybe check

out his butt too.

If I was honest with myself, I haven’t looked at any other men

as soon as I met Darius. At the beginning, it was just the pull,
which on its own was powerful enough. Now that I’ve gotten to
know him, the bond is even stronger.

Yes, he did hurt me...a lot. I wanted to forget him. That’s why I
partied like there’s no tomorrow. I wanted to get back at him,
that’s why I’d been making out with numerous random men.
Countless of men. I’m making up for all the women he brought
to the castle and Polina.

He threw me for a loop when he confessed that he didn’t do

anything with any them. I believed him because I didn’t want
any of the men either. I know what it feels like. I had to drink
myself into a stupor to start doing what I did. All I really
wanted was him. I knew all along deep inside that our bond is
too strong to have any room for other people in it. Still, he hurt
me and I wanted revenge.

So where does that leave me now?

Missing him. I’m missing him, yet I have no way of seeing him.
My hand reaches up for his medallion. Holding it tight.
What about Matthew? I know he’s attracted to me because of
the mate bond that he doesn’t even understand. He and Cece
have their problem, but he loves Cece. I saw the way he was
looking at her.

The strange thing is, it doesn’t hurt me all the much anymore
when I think of Matthew with Cece. The thought of Darius with
someone else though is enough to make me want to rip
someone’s heart out. After his promises and confession of love
to me, I swear I’ll rip his balls out if I ever see him with any
other female.

I should talk to Matthew. It’s not fair to be stringing him along

when I’m missing someone else. So I do. I call him up and ask
him if he’s free to see me today. He agrees to see me at the park
since he’s not too far away and I’m already here.

He arrives fifteen minutes later. Dark hair and dark eyes. Easy
smile. Total opposite of Darius. In different circumstances, I
think we could’ve been happy together.

“Hey,” he says. “It didn’t take too long for me to get here, did
it?”

“Nope, you told me you’d be here in 20. You made it in 15, so

you’re early.”

He smiles and sits next to me on the bench. He takes my hand

in his and tingles run up my arm at his touch.

“That’s interesting,” he says, leaning in closer.

“What is?”
“The medallion,” he answers, looking at the medallion closely.
“It looks very old. Is that real or a reproduction? It looks like a
crest of one of those European aristocratic families or
something.”

He reaches up to touch the medallion and I lean back in my

seat and wrap my hand tightly around it. We’re not here to
discuss Darius’s aristocratic family.

“Sorry,” he says. “It’s the history teacher in me talking.” He

smiles sheepishly.

“I talked to Cece today,” I tell him. I feel his body stiffened next
to me.

“Okay,” he says cautiously, straightening up.

“You told her that you want to try something new.”

“Yeah...I did.”

“But you love her.” He seems taken aback by my statement.

“Well...maybe it’s just not working for me and Cece,” he says

slowly, looking away and letting go of my hand. I notice that
he’s not denying that he still loves her.

“Or maybe you just want to teach her a lesson...before you go

back to her?” I say and he draws in a sharp breath. I know I’m
right.

“It’s not like that, exactly. I mean, I do like you Penny. I do.
You’re exciting and beautiful and I can’t believe you like me
too. When I’m with you I feel happy. I know we just met, but
we clicked and I think about you a lot when we’re not
together.”

I know what he’s talking about. Mate attraction. I also know

that it’s significantly less intense than what regular werewolves
feel.

“But you do love her,” I insist. “You know you can’t have us
both, right?”

“Yeah, I know that. The way I feel about you though...is

different from the way I feel for Cece.”

Yeah, but he still can’t have us both.

“Matthew, if you still love her, you should sort things out with
her.”

" I know, but I what about us?”

Suddenly I sense some changes in the air and the hair at the
back fo my neck rises. I tilt my head back and sniff the air. It’s
part of the lesson Caspian, Lazarus, Constantine, and Darius
taught me. I need to depend on my senses especially during
sparring. I know I’m slow, but sometimes the lesson sticks.

Right now, I get the sense of being watched as well as the scent
of something that doesn’t belong.

“Penny, what are you doing?” asks Matthew.

“Shhhhh...” I shush him as I keep sniffing the air and my eyes
keep scanning the area. It’s getting dark and the park is quite
deserted now. I can’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary,
but I smell something off.

“I think we should go now,” I tell him quietly.

“Why?” he asks. “Penny, what’s going on?”

I think I smell other werewolves. That, in itself, isn’t something

to be alarmed about. I don’t know what it is, but something
isn’t quite right. I couldn’t put a finger on it.

“Let’s go, Matthew. Let’s leave. Now.”

It must be the urgency in my voice. Matthew jumps up from

the bench. I move towards where Matthew parked his car,
pulling him with me.

I pull out my cell phone, trying to find Lazarus’s number while

trying to keep myself aware of the surrounding. The smell is
getting stronger.

“Penny, who are you calling? What’s going on?” asks Matthew,
looking alarmed.

“Hello there, Ms. Penny Ruiz.” I gasp and whirl around when I
hear an unfamiliar voice behind us.

“Where are you going, doll? Leaving so soon?” says another

voice.
Two big men are approaching us. Both of them look like they
could be in a biker gang or something. The first guy looks
younger and has wild hair and lots of tattoos. The second man
is taller and looks more intimidating with his bald head and a
full beard. They carry that werewolf scent, but not the regular
werewolf scent that I’m used to.

These men know my name and that’s just creepy.

I step in front of Matthew, trying to keep him behind me but he

keeps pulling me back and trying to keep me behind him.

“What are you doing, fraternizing with humans...and lycans?

Aren’t we good enough for you?” sneers the first one. He’s so
stupid.

“What did he mean? Do you know them, Penny?” asks

Matthew, still trying to push me back behind him.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I ask them.

“We don’t want anything from you, you lycan’s pet!” barks the
second man. “Cheap whoring bitch!” He spits on the ground.
He looks like he’s really disgusted with me.

“I’m nobody’s pet, you moron!” I snap back. That’s probably

not the best thing to say right now, but he’s pissing me off. I’m
gonna call these two morons Thing 1 and Thing 2 even though I
actually like Thing 1 and Thing 2.

“A spitfire! I like! Too bad we have to kill you before the lycans
get here,” says Thing 1.
I press call on my cell phone and Thing 2 seems to notice my
small movement.

“The bitch has got a phone on her, idiot! Get her!”

Thing 1 springs forward, but I kick him squarely in the middle

of his chest and yell, “Stay away from me, you a*shole!”

The man falls backward and crashes into a tree. He clutches his
chest, swearing profusely.

I hear a whooshing sound close to my ear and my phone is

knocked out of my hand.

The bastard, Thing 2 threw a knife at my phone! My hand is

now bleeding and my phone is lying on the ground with a knife
sticking right through it. Blood is dripping from my hand.

“Assh*le!!! You killed my phone!” I wail. I can’t believe that he

just destroyed my phone!

“She bloody made a call! They’re gonna be here soon. Kill her
quick! We’ve gotta go!” says Thing 2.

“Jonah, finish her off!” Thing 2 barks out and a figure steps out
of from the line of the trees.

Yummy Lip Ring? I stare at him in shock. He knows these

guys?

He’s staring intensely at me but makes no move to get closer.

“For Fvck sake, Jonah! Have you gone deaf? Kill her!” says
Thing 2 again.

“The lycans are going to be here any seconds,” says Yummy Lip
Ring casually.

“He’s right. We’gotta finish the bitch off somewhere else,”

Thing 1 announces, getting to his feet.

No way! I get to my stance and get ready to attack.

“No, no, no bitch, we don’t have time for this. If you’re going to
be difficult, we’re going to snap your little human’s head off,”
says Thing 2. One arm is around Matthew’s neck while his
other hand is wrapped around Matthew’s forehead, ready to
twist his head off.

“Okay, okay...let him go.” I raise my hands up in a surrender

gesture.

Thing 1 pulls the knife out of my poor phone and tosses it to

Thing 2. Thing 2 easily catches the knife.

“We can’t let him go now, but if you want him to live, get
moving,” says Thing 2, pressing the knife to Matthew’s neck.

I shuffle my feet, reluctant to leave the spot, but the Thing 1

pushes me ahead. An old beat up blue Pontiac Grand Am is
waiting not far away.

“Get in!” snaps Thing 1, forcing me in the backseat. Thing 2

shoves Matthew in beside me before he crawls in and sits with
a knife at Matthew’s throat. It’s very crowded in here.
Thing 1 gets in the driver’s seat while Yummy Lip Ring, or
should I call him Jonah now gets in the passenger seat. Thing 1
guns the engine and we’re flying through the neighborhood.

Matthew is quiet now. I notice him shaking. Poor guy. He has a

knife pressed to his throat. This must be all new to him. Who
am I kidding? This is new to me too and I’m freaking out on the
inside!

I hope Lazarus answered the phone and heard enough to know

that I’m in trouble. If Darius was with me right now, I know
he’ll rip these guys to pieces.

The car is going very fast. The buildings we passed seem like a
blur. Very soon, I see more trees than buildings. Wherever
they’re taking us, it’s to somewhere remote. We’re getting away
from the civilization.

“My friends are coming, you know,” I tell them, breaking the
silence.

None of them say anything and that pisses me off, so I

continue, “You know what they are and they’re coming for you.
When they get their hands on you, you’re all going to die the
most painful death.”

“You’re going to die first, doll,” says Thing 1 from the front.

“Don’t worry, we’re going to rip you into tiny little pieces and
scatter your remains all over the place for the lycans to find
you,” adds Thing 2.
I can’t believe Yummy Lip Ring...or rather Jonah is one of
them. I’m so pissed that he managed to make me trust him so
easily. I’ve seen his peepee for goodness sake, and it’s not
during sex either! If that’s not a bonding moment, I don’t know
what is.

Maybe I’m not that good at reading people like I thought I was.
He turns around to look at me and I scowl at him. I’m going to
kick his nuts to the moon when I get the chance.

Yummy Lip Ring, or rather Jonah scowls back at me, but his
eyes slide to Thing 1 who is driving beside him then over to
Thing 2 before he faces the front again. What? What was that
about? Is he trying to tell me something?

His message becomes clear a few seconds later when I see his
hand braces the roof of the car, while the other grabs the
steering wheel and his foot comes in contact with Thing 1 who’s
driving. I push Matthew down and dive to tackle Thing 2
against the car window while the car swerves sharply and
violently. The tires screeched. I think Thing 2 punches my
stomach before we are tossed around like ragged dolls before
the car comes to a complete stop with a loud bang.

The car is eerily silent for a second. The smell of burning

rubber hits my nose. I can smell that metallic smell of blood
too, and it is getting stronger.

My head and my neck hurt, otherwise I’m okay...I think.

I look around and realize that I’m lying half across Matthew. I
think he’s okay. I threw myself over him to shield him from the
impact of any collision.
The door on the other side is opened and Thing 2 is nowhere to
be seen. Thing 1 is slumped over the steering wheel. I don’t see
any airbags. Yummy Lip Ring, or rather Jonah is looking
around. He glances at me once before he pushes the car door
open.

I open the car door and pull Matthew out with me. He seems
dazed and very shaken.

The front side of the car hit a tree.

It looks like we’re in the middle of nowhere. We are

surrounded by trees. The little road we’re traveling on is a quiet
one without a single street light anywhere in sight. No cars so
far either. The moon is bright and one of the car headlights is
still on.

“Jonah, you’re a fucking traitor!” yells Thing 2 from the front of

the car.

“I might have saved your fucking ass!” Jonah yells back. “Have
you any idea what the lycans would do to us if you killed her?”

“Bossman would take care of that!” answers Thing 2. “Besides,

she’s just their pet. Their plaything. They won’t go crazy
searching for her.”

“You bloody fool! She’s not their pet. She’s their fucking mate.
They would hunt us down and won’t stop until we’re dead. All
of us dead,” says Jonah. His eyes landed on me and he has that
look on his face that makes me look down at myself.
Sticking out from my stomach is a handle of a knife. Deep
crimson is seeping out from it. Half my top and my shorts are
soaking wet with blood. Rivulets of blood run down my legs
and a few dripping from the hem of my top.

So that strong smell of blood actually comes from me because

nobody else seems to be bleeding. I thought I was a punched in
my stomach by Thing 2, but I wasn’t. That fucking asshole
stabbed me!

I got distracted when Thing 1 stumbles out of the car and

landed on his all fours, growling. He’s changing shape. He’s
changing into his wolf.

A small sound beside me makes me glance over at Matthew

who is now staring from my stomach to Thing 1 who is still
crouching and changing on the ground. His eyes are big with
terror and his skin is pale and clammy looking. Poor Matthew.
He’s shaking so much. He looks like he’s going to be sick.

I glance back down at the knife still sticking out of my stomach.

How come I didn’t feel it before? I grip the knife and pull. It’s
weird how I feel nothing at first. Halfway through, I’m
assaulted by hot piercing pain. The pain is so intense that I
growl out. My vision is tinged with red.

Chapter 31 - One Who is Changing

The heat in my chest is growing and I’m seeing red. My senses

suddenly sharpen drastically, it’s overwhelming. It’s too much.
It’s crushing me all at once. I drop the knife to the ground,
clutching my stomach. Something is happening to me.
Another wave of raw pain hits my stomach and I let out a
vicious growl.

“What the hell?” yells Thing 2, jumping back. “Bossman said

she’s a werewolf. He said she’s their pet!”

Jonah watches me and the two men warily.

Thing 1, who is now in his wolf form snarls at me showing me

his sharp glistening teeth and canines.

I snarl ferociously back and hear a thud beside me. Matthew

has fallen on the ground looking up at me with terror on his
face. He whimpers and shuffles backward on his arms and
backside when I turn my attention to him. What the hell is
wrong with him?

Thing 1 the wolf, use my momentary distraction from him to

launch himself at me. He’s really pissing me off, so I knock him
away. I must have socked the wolf harder than I thought
because he sails a few feet in the air and falls on the ground
unmoving.

Whoa!!! I look down at my hands and almost stop breathing.

My hands are bloody...and look different. Why do my hands
look different? The nails are thick and sharp like claws. Fingers
are long with veins and muscles. These are NOT my hands! I
don’t even look like this when I change into my wolf. What’s
happening to me? The red in my vision disappears and now I’m
freaking out!

The wave of nausea and sharp pain in my stomach assault me

again and I stagger backward and fall unceremoniously on the
ground. I don’t have much energy to get up right now, so I sit
clutching my stomach. Blood is seeping out through my
fingers, but I think it’s slowing down.

Thing 2 charges towards me, but Jonah intercepts with a solid

punch to his face. I almost wince at the loud sickening crunch.
Almost.

Thing 2 fell to the ground groaning, cupping his face. Blood is

pouring out of his nose and busted lips.

“You broke my nose, you fvcking assh*le! Bossman will hear

about this. You’re not getting away with it.” He staggers to his
feet and clumsily rams headfirst toward Jonah. Jonah just
moves aside and Thing 2 tumbles headlong to the ground next
to me. He growls and tries to push himself up again, so I raise
my fist and sock him right in the jaw causing his head to snap
sharply to the side. I raise my fist again, but the big bald man is
slumped face first on the ground, out cold.

Jonah approaches me warily and cautiously as if he’s

approaching a wounded animal.

I ignore him and roll Thing 2 to lie on his back. I slap the
unconscious Thing 2 a few times. Jonah quietly watches me
doing it for a while, then he sighs and shakes his head.
Strangely, he seems more relaxed after that.

I know there’s no honor in hitting a man who can’t fight back,

but I when do I care about honors? I’m very pissed that he
stabbed me and that he lost consciousness so quickly and my
knuckles hurt from punching him. I hope he gets a massive
headache when he comes to.
What is happening to me, though? Where did I get such
strength? Thing 2 is a huge male werewolf and I knocked him
out cold with just a punch.

“What is happening to me?” I look up at Jonah.

“You’re becoming a lycan,” he answers me. “You’re just starting

to change...and you’ve lost a lot of blood.”

Am I really becoming a lycan? I remember Genesis telling me

that she started to change into a lycan before Constantine even
marked her physically. It happened after he marked her wolf
and she mentally accepted him as his mate. It’s her body
preparing her for the mating with him. I guess I’ve made my
choice and my body knows it.

“You should go. Get away from here. My friends are coming,” I
tell him as I pull myself up. I’m in pain and very tired, but there
are things to be done.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Jonah asks me.

“What do you think I’m doing?” I’m pulling Thing 2 to the car
by his legs. “He’s a souvenir. I’m keeping him in the trunk,” I
announce. I’m not risking him waking up and running off
anytime soon.

“You’re a crazy woman, do you know that?” Jonah says,

observing me.

“Says the one who’s working with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle
Dum. Thing 1 and Thing 2,” I say, fighting a wave of dizziness.
“You guys are like Larry, Curly, and Moe.” I point towards him,
and the two unconscious morons on the ground. Jonah just
shakes his head at my insult.

“Now help me get him in the trunk.” On any normal day, I

could’ve hauled the two men by myself. I’m too tired, weak,
and in pain right now.

“You’re very bossy,” he complains as he helps me pull Thing 2

up. We deposit him inside the trunk with a loud satisfying
thunk.

“I am not bossy!” I tell him. “Now, bring Thing 1 over here!”

“Why did you help me?” I ask him as he helps me drag Thing 1
to the car.

“Because I didn’t feel like killing your crazy ass,” he says. Thing
1′s head is banging against the stones and the protruding tree
roots on the ground as we drag him by his feet. Good. That is
very satisfying.

“Because you didn’t feel like...? Wha..? What kind of hoodlum

are you?”

He just shrugs his shoulders.

“Who’s Bossman?”

He doesn’t answer me. Fine! I guess he doesn’t feel like talking

anymore.
“I’d go now if I were you. My friends would kill first and ask
questions later,” I tell him again as we close the trunk. “NOW
GO!!!” I push him away. I’m feeling very cold and lightheaded.

I watch him walk away. I wonder if I’d ever see him again.
Yummy Lip Ring.

“Don’t walk, run!” I yell after him as I hold onto the back of the
car. “And I suggest you quit this gig. I don’t think this line of
career is the right fit for you.”

He looks back and smirks. In seconds, a big black wolf takes off
running in his place. Its black coat shines in the moonlight
before it disappears into the ravines and bushes.

As soon as he disappears from sight, my legs give way. It takes

a lot of energy just to be standing.

Lying here on the ground next to a wrecked car, I see stars

shining brightly up above. The throbbing burning pain in my
stomach comes in waves. I wonder where Matthew is. I can still
smell him, that means he’s not too far away. I think I’ve
stopped bleeding, but I’ve lost a lot of blood and that makes me
feel weak.

My friends are close by. I can feel it. I just have to hang on to
my consciousness just a little bit longer. My hand seeks the
medallion. I grip it tightly as I listen to my own heartbeat
slowing down. Darius. I want him with me right now.

A few seconds later I feel a hand cradling my face. “Penny!

Penny!!!” Genesis is wailing. It’s funny, her hands are so gentle
on my face, but she’s yelling so loudly. Too loudly.
“Shhh...you’re too loud,” I tell her.

“You’re alive!!!” She’s still too loud. Her eyes are brimming
with tears.

“Penny...” Serena’s soft hand pushes strands of my hair off my

forehead.

Caspian’s face appears next to Genesis and Serena. “Yup, she’s

still alive,” he announces.

No sh*t, Sherlock! I wanted to snap back, but looking at his

face, I can’t.

Caspian’s voice might sound light and playful, but he looks

serious and angry as he stares down at me, assessing my injury.
His green eyes turn icy cold and his jaw hardens when he sees
my bloody stomach.

“I will bloody kill them!” he mutters darkly.

“They’re still here.” I hear Constantine’s harsh voice close by.

“In the trunk,” I manage to mumble just as I hear the trunk is

being opened.

“I smell another scent. This one is different. He’s not too far
away. I’m going after him,” growls Lazarus.

I grab Caspian’s arm. “Let him go. He’s a friend..” Is he a

friend? I don’t know. It’s hard to keep my eyes open. I don’t
want Yummy Lip Ring to be harmed is my last thought before I
succumb to the sweet oblivion.
“How long have I been out for?”

“Not too long, just about four hours,” Genesis answers. That’s
it? It felt longer than that.

I woke up in my own bedroom a few minutes ago with Genesis

hovering over me like a mother hen.

I’m no longer caked with mud and sticky blood. I’m wearing a
very pale pink cotton sleeping gown that I rarely wear.

“Who cleaned me up and changed me?” I ask her.

“Serena and I did. Your wound still looks bad, but it’s healing
up. The powerful painkillers we gave you should help with the
pain. Let us know when you need more.”

“Thanks,” I say, feeling really grateful. “Genesis, I’m changing.”

She looks at me uncomprehendingly for a while before her lips

tilt up into a big smile. Her eyes glitter. “I knew it! I went
through the same thing. You’re not a full lycan yet until you’re
marked, but you’re changing,” she says. Her smile suddenly
turns mischievous and a wicked gleam enters her eyes. “It
would help you heal faster if you’re marked.” She winks before
she adds, “And mated.”

Yeah, that could happen if the one who’s supposed to do that

wasn’t thousands of miles away.

“Isn’t it late now? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” I ask her instead.

“It’s just after 11 at night, Penny. Everybody is still awake. I
don’t think it’s easy for any of us to go to sleep after what
happened tonight. Gosh, we almost lost you!” She leans down
and wraps me in a crushing hug.

Owww...my stomach! “Okay, okay...I’m still alive,” I tell her,

trying to wiggle out from under her crushing weight. Yeah,
tonight is something else. “Did you find Matthew? Is he okay?”

“Yeah, we found him running about half a mile down the road
from where you were,” she answers, pulling back then she
grimaces. “Physically he’s fine...he’s in shock though. When we
found him, he was rambling about monsters and wolves.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t improved much since then. The men
are figuring out what to do with him.”

I let out a deep breath. It’s my fault that he’s like that. He
shouldn’t be involved in our crazy world and it’s not the best
way to open his eyes to our existence. Well, okay, that was the
worst possible way to let a human know about our world. Heck,
he shouldn’t even know about us. Ignorance is bliss they say.

“I’m sorry, Penny,” says Genesis.

I just shrug tiredly. “What about Thing 1 and Thing 2?”

“Thing...Who???”

“Uh...the two men in the car trunk. What happens to them?

Did you track down the other guy too?

“The two men are detained in the cold cellar. Our men,
Constantine, Lazarus, and Caspian, are very pissed with what
they did to you, so they’re having too much fun torturing those
men for information right now. If they didn’t need information
from them so much, those two would already be dead by now.

“The other guy....you told us to leave him alone, so we didn’t go

looking for him,” she explains. “Who is he?”

“Yummy Lip Ring,” I murmur.

“Huh?” says Genesis, looking very puzzled. “Thing 1 and Thing

2, Yummy Lip Ring...? Where did you find these guys? In Dr.
Seuss book?”

“No, in the park,” I manage to whisper. I want to tell Genesis

that I want to torture them for information too, but my eyelids
are feeling very heavy.

“Have a good rest, Penny,” sighs Genesis, kissing my forehead.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” I mumbled, drifting off.

“No, you’re not feeding me, Genesis!” My best friend has gone
crazy!

I just woke up a few minutes earlier to see Genesis balancing a

bowl of steaming hot chicken noodle soup on a tray into my
room. She’s been insisting on feeding me since.

It’s still three o’clock in the morning. It seems like nobody else
in this house is sleeping tonight. I heard even our cook, Anya is
still busy downstairs, making tea, coffee, and snacks for
everybody. Serena who’s also in the room with us is sitting
back quietly on a chair by the window, watching us in
amusement.

“Yes, I am! You’re still weak. You’ve lost a lot of blood. You
need your energy back,” says Genesis.

“I can feed myself,” I tell her.

“Okay, fine. Let’s see it.” She places the tray on my lap. She sits
back on my bed and crosses her arms over her chest, watching
me.

My hand is shaking. I grip the spoon, try to ladle the soup and
bring it to my mouth. The darn spoon rattles against the side of
the bowl so much, spilling the soup back into the bowl. By the
time it reaches my mouth, nothing is left in the spoon.

Genesis lifts an eyebrow. I try again.

By the third try, Genesis holds out her hand for the spoon.
Okay, I admit defeat. I release the spoon.

“This is silly!” I complain. “Can’t I have anything else besides

soup?”

“You just got stabbed! Your tummy isn’t ready for anything
solid yet,” argues my best friend who is now acting like my
mom slash nurse slash my tormentor.

“I don’t like soup!” I wail loudly.

“Stop being a baby!” wails Genesis just as loudly. “Now open
your mouth and let me feed you!”

I just got stabbed once and she becomes so bossy!

“You need to eat. Persephone Aspen Ruiz, open your mouth

right now!”

“What’s going on?” asks Caspian, poking his head through the
door. Constantine and Lazarus walk in behind him. Great! Now
EVERYBODY is in my bedroom.

“She’s a bad patient!” complains Genesis, pointing her finger at

me.

“Constantine, tell your mate to stop torturing me.”

Genesis turns her head to glare at Constantine, daring him to

say anything. He just raised his hands in mock surrender.
Whipped! That man is totally whipped!!!

“If you keep this up, I will call your abuela. I will let her know
what happened and get her to come and feed you herself!” she
threatens me. “Now open your mouth and stop complaining.”

Oh, no she didn’t! She just pulled out the big gun. My
shoulders slumped. I love my abuela, but having her around
here would be really bad. She would fuss over me and baby me
and it would totally be embarrassing. Reluctantly I open my
mouth and start eating. The soup is surprisingly good...or
maybe I’m just very hungry.
I hear snickers from the men and I glower at them while
meekly eating my soup. They are all staring at Genesis in awe
and wonder. Oh, my goddess! This is so annoying. It’s not like
she just solved world hunger issues or reversed climate change
or something. She just threatened to call my abuela, for
goodness sake! I know they’re secretly laughing at me too.

I have to admit, I feel a lot better after I have food in my

tummy. After Genesis is done feeding me, Lazarus, Caspian,
and Constantine start asking questions about what happened.
So I tell them. I tell them about Yummy Lip Ring, or Jonah and
the guy they called Bossman too.

“Yummy Lip Ring, huh?” says Constantine.

“How’d you know his lip ring is yummy?” asks Caspian?

“Is that relevant to this investigation at all?” I ask them,

dodging my head down to look at the pattern of my purple
bedsheet. Why did I let that nickname slip out?

“Huh,” says Lazarus thoughtfully.

“Huh,” says Caspian.

Darn it! Enough with this “huh” thing.

I shoot Constantine a glare just in case he’s about to say the

same thing. He raises his hands up in mock surrender.

“Well,” Lazarus clears his throat. “I suggest we’d better use his
real name instead of Yummy Lip Ring...especially in front of
Darius.”
“It’s not like Darius is here to hear about it, is he?” I announce
sullenly, plonking my head back on the pillow. I’m feeling
down now. My heart aches just at the mention of his name.

“Well...he’s not here now,” says Caspian with a grin. “Who

knows when he might decide to show up...one day.”

After they finish interrogating me, Genesis excuses herself to

take the tray away. She leaves a glass of water on my bedside
table. The three men look like they’re about to give me a hug or
something, but change their mind when I scowl at them. I feel
bad about it right after the three of them file out of my room.

Serena comes over and covers my hand with hers. “Don’t be too
hard on them, honey,” she says. “They’re just happy to have
you back. All of us are. You should’ve seen the guys when they
figured out that you were taken. Not good. They’re about to rip
this place apart.”

I sigh. “I know. It’s good to be back, Serena. It really is. I love

you all,” I tell her, suddenly feeling sappy.

“We love you too. It’s only four in the morning. Try to get some
more sleep,” she says gently and leans down to give me a kiss
on my forehead. “Or maybe not.” She has a smile on her face
when she straightens up.

“What do you mean?” I ask her just as my ear catches some

muffled voices and a faint, but familiar scent.

My heart thunders in my chest and I think I can’t breathe. My

chest is going to explode any moment.
“He’s here?” I ask Serena breathlessly.

Her smile grows bigger as she nods her head.

Oh, no no no...he can’t see me looking like this. I bet I look

awful!

“Now where are you going?” asks Serena looking concerned

when I push myself out of the bed. Ooohhh...dizzy. She grabs
my arms when I sway on my feet.

“He can’t see me looking like this. He can’t see me looking

worse than a garden gnome, Serena!”

“Garden gnome???” exclaims Serena. “Oh, Penny, you’re

looking just fine!” she assures me. “Besides, I don’t think he
cares how you look like. He’s too happy that you’re alive.”

I comb my fingers through my hair while shuffling toward the

bathroom with Serena holding me upright just before my
bedroom door bursts open.

He’s standing frozen by the door. His glacier blue eyes are
wide, bright, and wild, desperately taking me in. His hair is
disheveled and he has blond stubble covering his jaw. His
white shirt is wrinkled with a few top buttons undone and the
sleeves rolled up to his elbows. All in all, he looks
breathtakingly gorgeous. Hotter any man has the right to.

My heartbeat skyrocket, for a second my brain stops working, I

forget to breathe.

*Abuela = Grandma (Spanish)

 Chapter 32 - One Who Comes Back

“Persephone...” his voice is barely a whisper. In just a few rapid

steps he reaches me, wrapping his strong arms tightly around
me, burying his face in my neck, fiercely breathing me in.
There’s a burning pain in my stomach and his stubble grazes
my skin, but I don’t care. He’s here!

I wrap my arms around his neck and melt into him. The knot in
my chest that has been chocking me since he was gone
suddenly loosens and I can breathe again.

Every nerve ending in my body tingles and comes to life. Bursts

of electricity, and heat surge through my body. Fire. He’s my
fire.

He fills that deep ache of longing and emptiness in my chest. I

feel safe and protected. I feel alive and I am right where I
belong.

I’m lost in his body heat and his scent. I’m lost in him. I
vaguely hear the door being closed gently behind us.

We stay like that for a long time. I can’t believe that I’m in his
arms again, breathing in his wonderful scent.

Finally, he pulls back to look at me. Our eyes locked. How I

miss those icy blue eyes. They’re the color of the sky on a
beautiful sunny day. The pupils and the outlines of the irises
are so dark, they’re almost black. The intensity of his gaze
makes the butterflies in my stomach to flutter crazily. He
scoops me up into his arms, carries me to the bed and gently
places me on it, not once breaking eye contact. He takes off his
shoes and climbs up to lie next to me.

He pulls me close and I put both my hands on his cheeks. The

light fuzz of his stubble tickles the palm of my hand.

“You’re here. You’re really here,” I say in wonder. I must be

dreaming. “Why are you here?”

“Where else can I be?” he asks me. “Persephone, you were

taken, I almost lost you...how did I let that happen? I can’t lose
you. I can’t.” His eyes are filled with anguish. The raw pain I
see in his eyes breaks my heart.

“I’m still here,” I try to soothe him.

“But I wasn’t here to keep you safe. You were gone...I nearly
lost it. That was my worst nightmare, Malyshka. The worst. I
can’t bear it.”

“I’m here now, and you are here now,” I tell him softly while
stroking his cheek. He closes his eyes. I know my touches affect
him, but the look of torture and ecstasy in his face make me
feel powerful and filled me with awe. I do this to him. My
powerful and deadly lycan...putty in my hands.

He pressed my hands harder to his cheeks and turns his face

slightly to kiss the palm of my hand. With his nose against my
palm, he takes in a deep breath as if he needs my scent to calm
himself.

“Every moment since I left here was unbearable,” he whispers.

“The last nine hours since you were taken were pure torture. I
wanted to keep you away from danger, yet I left you just for a
day and this happened. Persephone...tell me what do I do with
you. Tell me what do I do without you. Tell me...” His voice
sounds pained. He opens his eyes and his intense gaze blazes
right through my soul.

My voice fails me, and he keeps going, “I don’t talk about

feelings. Never did and I never wanted to, but when you’re
gone...I thought of the things I didn’t get to tell you. The things
that I held back from telling you.”

“What is it that you want to tell me?” I whisper back.

“I wanted to tell you that I love you so much....I love you so

much that it hurts.”

He brings one of my hands down to lay it flat over his chest

where his heart is beating the same fast rhythm as mine.
“When you’re not around, I long for you so much and it hurt
right here. When I look at you, sometimes my feeling is so
overwhelming that I can’t breathe, and it hurts right here.

“Malyshka, I want to go to sleep with you in my arms every

night and wake up with you safe and secure in my arms every
morning. I want to be able to look at you and touch you
whenever and wherever I want to. I want to tell the world that
you’re mine so that nobody else could claim you or take you
away from me.”

Oh, my goddess...this is too much! Too much!!!

“Sweetheart, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?

Are you hurt? I’m sorry, I’m such an ---”
“No, I’m happy,” I cut him off. “I’m just so so happy.” His
thumbs wipe away the tears that are running down my face. I
never thought I would hear something like that from him. I
must still be dreaming. Darn him for melting me with his
words. Darn him for making me cry and turn me into a
blubbering mess. Darn him for making me fall deeper in love
with him. Darn it, I’m in love with him!

“Darius, I ---” A sudden wave of pain hits my stomach, I wince

and involuntarily grab his arms.

“Malyshka, is the wound bothering you?”

I just nod my head. He swiftly gets up and plucks two

painkillers and the glass of water that Genesis left on top of my
bedside table earlier.

After I swallowed the two pills, he takes the glass of water away
from me and places it back on the bedside table. His jaw is
clenched tight.

He lays his head back down on the pillow next to mine with his
eyes intent on my face. His jaw is still tight and his lips in a
straight firm line.

“There’s something I have to do,” he says all of a sudden.

“What? What do you have to do?”

He lifts himself up to lie on top of me while bracing himself

with his knees and elbows so that his weight isn’t crushing me.
His warm breath fans my skin. His eyes are watchful on my
face. His lips are so close to mine, I can feel the heat. Just when
I’m ready to feel his lips on mine, he moves away. He crawls
down my body, his eyes never leaving mine. When his face is at
the level of my stomach, he looks down and I feel the heat of
his breath on my stomach through the thin fabric of my pale
pink sleeping gown. My slow brain suddenly understands what
he intends to do when he slowly lifts the edge of my sleeping
gown up. I catch his hand in mine, not wanting him to go on.
I’m not vain or care much about how I look usually, but I don’t
want him to see the ugly wound.

He looks up and says, “Malyshka...let me see it.”

“No.”

“Please, let me see....I have to see it.” His eyes are pleading, his
hand is still gripping the edge of my dress. Our eyes battling
with each other. After a while, I let go of his hand.

He inches the fabric higher and I’m glad that at least I have
white cotton panties on.

He gently peels off the dressing that covers the wound and
when he fully uncovers it, he goes completely still. I can’t see
the expression on his face, but his grip on my sleeping gown
tightened until his knuckles turn white. I’m half expecting to
hear the rip of the fabric between his fingers.

Only after he climbs back up so that his face is the same level as
mine again that I can see his eyes. They are two soulless black
marbles looking down at me. I didn’t see that when he was
down there staring at my stomach. Feral, fierce, and deadly.
Those words come to mind when I look at him now.
“Those two will be dead before sunrise,” he vows. His voice is
low, raspy...and menacing. Right now I’m looking at his lycan.

Before I can put my hands on him to calm him down, he’s

already standing by the door.

“Darius,” I call out. “Please, come back.”

He turns around, looking conflicted. I don’t want him to do

anything rash while his lycan is in control. Besides, he just got
here. I want him near me. I want him to myself.

“Please...” I plead with him, extending my hand out to him.

He slowly moves back to the bed. It seems like it’s impossible

for his lycan to say no to me.

His big warm hand envelopes mine and I pull him back down
to lie next to me.

“I want to mark you,” he says. “You’ll be completely mine and

you’ll heal faster after I mark you.”

His eyes are still black and his voice still sounds strange. I
know his lycan is still very much in control, but there is no
conflict between the lycan and the human side. The lycan side
is just more primal without the trappings of human
sophistication and reservation holding them back. His lycan is
just stating plainly what Darius really want.

Well, he doesn’t have to convince me on that. I’ve been wanting

him to mark me even before he went back to Russia.
“Yes,” I tell him. “Mark me.” My heartbeat spikes and stomach
is once again filled with wild fluttering butterflies. I’m nervous,
yet my body is filled with excitement.

He rolls on top of me and presses his forehead against mine,

closing his eyes. My hands come up to touch his broad
shoulders and he growls lowly deep in his throat. He grips the
back of my neck, my hair twisting around his fingers. His grip
is hard but not enough to hurt, just firm enough to immobilize
me. His lycan wants to dominate. I’m not one who likes to be
dominated, but somehow I know now is not the time to fight
him.

He tilts my head to one side and his lips and the tip of his nose
skim down my cheek and my jawline. Oh, goddess, the
pleasurable jolt of electricity streaks down from the root of my
hair right to the tip of my toes from that little touch.

I sense some struggle within him. “I want to mate with you...so

badly, but I don’t want to hurt you,” he says. “I’m just going to
mark you for now, but after you’re healed, you can’t escape me,
Malyshka,” he adds, making it sounds like a threat. “Oh, the
things I want to do to you...”

I can’t wait! “Promises, promises,” I whisper back as my eyelids

flutter shut and feel his mouth curl up into a smile against my
jaw. He nips my jaw and my chin playfully before his warm,
firm and soft lips cover mine. I shudder and I swear I see
bright colorful stars behind my eyelids. He sucks my bottom
lip, then runs his tongue lightly over it as if he’s tasting me. He
sucks my lip once more and I try to deepen the kiss, but he
pulls back and tilts my head back with the hand that is still
gripping the back of my neck. His mouth travels down the
length of my neck, he nips my collarbone, then he kisses the
skin just above the collar of my sleeping gown.

My eyes fly open when I feel his fingers undoing the buttons of
my pajama and my breath hitches. My grip on his shoulders
tightens as soon as he pulls the fabric open, exposing my chest.
I’m not even wearing a bra. I watch his eyes taking me in. I
could feel the shift in his mood. His hunger for me is almost
tangible.

“Beautiful...and mine,” he says. His voice is husky and

possessive. He leans down and licks a spot right on my left
chest. I arch my back and hear him groans just before he closes
his mouth over the peak of one breast. Oh, goddess....I let out a
low moan. He laps his tongue around it once and sucks on it
one more time before he looks up at me.

His eyes are black and shiny, burning into me. “There’s no
turning back. Once you’re mine, you’re mine forever,
Persephone.”

No turning back. “Yes.” I’m already his.

I glimpse his canines extending just before he dips his head

down and latches his mouth on the rise of my chest just over
my heart. He bites down and pain laces through my body for a
brief instant before deep intense pleasure consumes me. Fire.
I’m on fire for him. I can hear our rapid heartbeats in my ears.
His and mine. My nails are digging into his back. I feel the
awareness of him inside me. We are connected, body and soul.
He pulls back after licking his mark and the need to mark him
takes over me, so I push him roughly onto his back. My own
canines are already fully extended and I sink my teeth into his
left chest.

He shudders and above our rapid heartbeats, I hear him moan.

I taste his blood on my tongue. As soon as I’m done, I lick the
mark and collapse on top of him. We are both breathing hard
and I can hardly open my eyes or move a muscle.

“Sleep, my mate..” I hear him say softly as I drift off.

When I open my eyes again, Darius is lying on his stomach

next to me with his hand playing with my hair and his eyes
intent on my face. The expression on his face is unreadable.

The room is brightly bathed in the sunlight from the opened

balcony door even though all the other curtains are drawn.

His eyes are bright and vivid in the morning light. His fair
blond hair is shiny and slicked back. His gorgeous face is now
clean shaven. His dark gray henley fits him like a second skin,
the long sleeve pulled up to his elbows. He smells of soap,
shampoo and his own mouthwatering smell. He’s clearly taken
a shower.

Did we really mark each other early this morning? It’s hard to
believe that he’s mine.

Happy, content, love and longing. My feelings are heightened

this morning. I guess some of those feelings are from him. It’s
hard for me to differentiate those feelings from mine right now.
“Good morning,” he finally says.

“Hey...Good morning,” I reply almost shyly. What??? I don’t do

shy...but my cheeks burn.

His fingers brush my cheek and a small satisfied smile tugs at

his lips. “How are you feeling this morning, my little mate?”

His little mate??? The feelings of possessiveness and pride

from him make my cheeks, no..my whole face feels like it’s on
fire! Gah!!! I don’t do blushing thingy. I’m so not that kind of
girl.

I grab a pillow next to me and cover my face with it. “Fine,” I

answer. My voice is muffled by the big pillow.

“Sweetheart, I can’t hear you,” he says, removing the pillow

from my face. His eyes are dancing with mischief. Someone is
in a very good mood this morning. “Don’t hide your face from
me. You are so beautiful.”

Beautiful??? I must be looking worse than a garden gnome

right now. My hair must be all wild and crazy looking. In fact, I
had to fight the urge to wipe the side of my face just in case I
have a drool there.

“I’m uh...I’m going to take a shower,” I tell him as I pull back

the cover and try to get up.

“I’m going to take a look at your injury first before you take a
shower, Malyshka.” He pushes my shoulders back against the
bed and sits at the edge of the bed. I hardly feel any pain that I
almost forgot I have a stab wound. He lifts my sleeping gown
up and removes the dressing.

“It’s healing as it should be,” he announces.

I get up on my elbow to look at it. There’s an angry red line less

than two inches long on the side of my stomach. The skin has
bonded together. I can feel the pain when I pull myself up like
this, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. It’s nowhere near as painful
as last night.

Lycan self-healing ability. I’m a lycan and I’m marked. Wow!

It’s surreal. I still feel like the same old Penny and I’m still
waiting for somebody to wake me up from this dream.

Darius helps me get up and get into the bathroom even though
I’m quite capable of doing so myself.

“Are you sure you won’t you be needing my help in the shower
as well?” he asks for the third time. His eyes alight with
mischief.

Suddenly I remember what he said about things he wants to do

to me once I’m healed. That makes me answer him very
quickly, “I’m very sure. Thank you very much.” I shut the door
in his face and hear the chuckle from the other side of the door.

Last night when I was in pain I was so eager to mate with him.
Now I’m feeling shy. I wonder if the painkillers have something
to do with it...or I’ve gone bonkers this morning.

I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror. The girl who stares

back at me is positively glowing. My hair is all over the place,
but I don’t look half as bad as I thought I did. No offense to
garden gnomes everywhere, but I think I look slightly better
than them.

After cleaning up, I step into my walk-in closet. The closet is

almost the same size as my room at my parents’ house. It has a
vanity table and compartments for everything and I love it. It
even has a pretty shiny chandelier just above the vanity table.
The lycans are very good at spoiling me.

I put on a short loose light purple mini dress with a pair of

ankle boots. I let my hair air dry into its natural loose curls and
put some lipgloss on. I think that’s all the effort I’m going to
put on my appearance this morning.

I find Darius lying on my bed with his hands behind his head
when I walk out of the closet.

I almost trip over my own feet when I see him. He is as

gorgeous as usual, but I think this is the most relaxed and
happy that I’ve seen him. He has a tiny smile playing on his lips
as he takes me in.

I’m not feeling too relaxed, though. There are a few things that
I need to discuss with him still and I’m not going to take no for
an answer.

I stand right in front of him with my hands on my hips, ready

for a battle. He looks at me with amusement, that tiny smile on
his lips grows.
“As your mate, I have the right to know what’s going on,” I tell
him. “You’re going to tell me everything.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you dare to give me excuses, and keeping secrets. I’m

tired of...wait. What?”

“I said yes, I’ll tell you everything,” he answers.

Huh? that was easy.

He pushes himself up on his elbows and continues to eye me

with interest. He looks so hot lying there like that, but I refuse
to be distracted by some beautifully sculptured muscles and
gorgeous face, and sexy...focus, Penny!!!

Okay, yeah...focus. “You’re not leaving me either.” Just the

thought of him leaving again makes my chest tighten in
anxiety.

“No, I’m not, Malyshka.”

“Okay,” I say slowly, looking at him suspiciously. There must

be a trick somewhere. This is way too easy. “You are going to
buy me a Porsche,” I tell him.

“If that’s what you want, sure,” he answers.

“Are you making fun of me?” I narrow my eyes at him.

“I’m not making fun of you, Malyshka,” he looks genuinely
puzzled at my question. “Anything that you want is yours.”

“I don’t really want a Porsche.” Well, I do, but....I’m so

confused right now.

Suddenly he sits up and plants his feet on the floor. “Come

here, Malyshka.” He holds out his hand.

I slowly walk over and place my hand in his. He tugs me into

his lap and wraps his arms around me. I press my face against
his neck, inhaling his amazing scent.

“I know you’re a bit confused right now, but we’ll tell you
everything. The guys, especially Constantine agree that keeping
you in the dark won’t keep you safe.”

Ha! Constantine. I’ve got the feeling that Genesis not being
happy with him has something to do with it.

“Even if the information is confidential?” I ask him, looking up

into his eyes.

“The information is confidential, yes...but it concerns your

safety. We’ll do anything to keep our mates safe. Anything,
Malyshka.”

“Thank you,” I tell him.

“Did I tell you how proud I am of you? You took on two big
werewolves by yourself,” he says.
Well, Yummy Lip Ring did help. “I had some help...” I tell him.
I don’t know how much he already knows, but I’m not too
eager to discuss other men with him right now. “Oh, we should
go downstairs now. I should go and check on Matthew,” I add
abruptly.

I feel the change in him as soon as I mentioned Matthew. His

muscle stiffened. His carefree demeanor is gone. Jealousy
heats up my chest and I know the feeling doesn’t belong to me.

Way to go, Penny! I wrap my arms around his neck and press
my cheek to his to calm him down. He threads his fingers
through my hair at the back of my neck and his lips swoop
down to kiss mine.

This kiss is rough and possessive and I can’t help but kiss him
back. His tongue explores my mouth hungrily. My tongue
meets his and delves inside his mouth just as aggressively. By
the time we both pull back for air, we are both breathing
heavily and raggedly.

“You are mine, Persephone,” he says. His forehead is resting

against mine.

“Yes, and you’re mine,” I return. “I still need to make sure that
Matthew is alright.”

Chapter 33 - Anatomy of A Nightmare

Darius slips his fingers through mine as we descend the stairs.

His warm palm is pressed against mine. Shivers run up and
down my spine at the contact. I’ve never walked around
holding a man’s hand before. This is all new to me.
I steal a quick glance at the lycan that is now my mate. His
handsome face looks cold, betraying no emotion, but his hand
entwining mine feels gentle, warm, and protective.

I meant to go and see Matthew right away when I come

downstairs, but the smell of food draws my feet to the kitchen.

I sit on my regular chair at the breakfast table and Darius slides

into the seat next to me. He even drags his chair close to mine.
His leg is touching mine and his hand drops on my thigh
underneath the table. My stomach does a somersault. How can
I eat breakfast with him touching me like that?

Somebody pours our coffee, but I’m too busy staring at him. He
seems oblivious as he casually sips his coffee. His expression
never changes.

I move my leg away from his only to have him pulls it back and
his hand moves lower down my inner thigh this time. Wowza!
My fingers curl around my mug. I’m going to break my favorite
cow mug if he didn’t stop doing that soon.

I glower at him but he only looks at me innocently as if he’s not

wreaking havoc with my senses underneath the table. He can’t
seem to stop touching me. Even after I push him off, his leg
finds its way back to press against mine and his hand comes
back to rest on my thigh.

I can’t sense his feeling either. He’s like an impenetrable wall

when he wants to. This is the first day being his mate. I can tell
already, my life as his mate is going to be very colorful.
It’s not that I don’t like him touching me. Quite the opposite
really. I think I like it too much. Right now he’s looking so
hot...and he’s touching me. It takes everything in me not to
grab him by the neck of his henley and kiss his sexy pink lips
till next year. I could kiss those lips forever!

“Good morning,” says a cheerful voice as she places our

breakfast in front of us.

I look up to find somebody else bringing us food instead of our

regular cook, Anya. This woman is also a werewolf, but instead
of the regular well endowed skimpily clad young woman, this
woman looks motherly and very well covered in a short-sleeved
blue sundress. Did Caspian hire this lady? Oh gosh!!! Is the
Prince ill?

“Anya was up all night last night, so we gave her a day off
today,” explains Serena as she and Genesis join us at the
breakfast table.

“This is Rita, she’s going to be our housekeeper when Anya gets

back. Yes, Caspian hired her. No, he’s not mentally sick,” says
Genesis before she adds under her breath, “...not that we know
of anyway.”

“Maybe we should get a second opinion on that,” I mumble

back.

Serena laughs softly as she pulls a chair back. I glance at Darius

again and I can see a tiny smile tugging at his lips before he
covers it with the mug.
“We were all puzzled until we agreed that maybe seeing his
erasthai has something to do with it,” whispers Serena
conspiratorially. “He might not want her to see him ogling a
half-naked woman when he finally brings her here.”

“Whoa!!! Are you gossiping about me?” asks Caspian as he,

Lazarus, and Constantine emerge from Lazarus’s office.

“Nope, just talking about ducks,” Genesis deadpans.

Underneath the table, I pull my leg away again and Darius

pulls it back to him. I swat at his hand.

“How are you feeling, Penny?” asks Serena, turning to look at

me as Lazarus wraps his arm around her from behind. A
knowing smile is playing on her lips.

“I’m good,” I flash her a smile. “I’m feeling great, actually,” I

can’t resist adding. I feel the flush creeping up my neck as I feel
his hand moving up my thigh.

“Oh. My. Goddess....” whispers Serena.

“What?” asks Genesis.

“You’ve marked each other,” says Serena, staring at Darius and

me in wonder.

Genesis’s eyes widen comically. “You’re marked! Oh my gosh!!!

You are!!!” she shrieks. “Let me see the mark. Let me see it!”

“You can’t!!!!” I stare at her in horror. My hand automatically

comes up to cover my mark just above the swell of my left
breast. I know they will see it sooner or later when I wear a low
cut top or dress, but now it’s very new and feels very private.

If I wasn’t completely mortified, the looks on their faces would

have been hilarious.

“Now all you two have to do is take an oath as members of this

pack,” states Constantine casually after he clears his throat. He
looks like he’s trying hard not to laugh.

I’ve heard about the pledge and I’m quite excited to be part of
the pack. I know they wanted Darius to join the pack after they
took on the rebels, but Caspian said they’re holding it off until
Darius smartens up and mark me.

“Yeah, Constantine’s right,” agrees Caspian. His eyes bright

with mischief. “But you have to show us the mark before we
can accept you to be a member of our pack.”

“We do not!” I gasp indignantly. Lazarus’s hand comes up to

smack Caspian upside the head.

Darius’s lips curl up into an amused smile and his hand

tightens on my thigh. I nudge his leg away and take his hand
off of me. You’d think that would deter him a bit, but no...if
anything, he just moves in closer. He casually drapes his arm at
the back of my chair while his other hand grabs my hand in his.
Hard-headed, possessive lycan!

Genesis grins at me, her eyes are bright with amusement. I

know she’s dying to know all the details. “This calls for a
celebration,” she says, instead.
“I can make a reservation at WP24 or Providence or
Mélisse...take your pick,” offers Caspian who is still rubbing the
back of his head.

“WP24!” says Genesis quickly. WP24 is one of our favorite

restaurants in LA. It’s owned by Wolfgang Puck, and it’s on the
24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton. The food is awesome, and so is
the view.

As much as I love to celebrate, we still have things to deal with.

“Maybe we can celebrate later. I’d like to see our two prisoners
now,” I inform them.

Genesis looks very disappointed. My friend is a bottomless pit

when it comes to food.

“I don’t think that’s possible anymore,” answers Lazarus.

“Darius dealt with them....very quickly,” adds Constantine.

“They’re dead?” I gape at them then I turn to look at Darius.

“Yes,” answers Darius. He doesn’t sound at all apologetic.

“Did you manage to get information that you needed from

them, at least?” I huff exasperatedly.

“Yes, Malyshka. All taken care of,” answers Darius. “I’m sorry,
but they hurt you and intended to kill you. I couldn’t rest until I
got rid of them.”

He made good on his promise to get rid of them before sunrise.

His thumb stroking the inside of my wrist and I sigh.
“Don’t feel bad for them, Beanie,” says Caspian. “They’re not
good men. They killed for pleasure and they killed for money.
They killed, tortured and did unspeakable things to humans
and werewolves all over the country for years. If we let them
free, they will find a way to kill you because that’s what they
were paid to do. I’d say good riddance.”

“Oh, I don’t feel bad for them,” I inform him. “I’m just
bummed that I didn’t get to torture them before you kill them.”
I turn to give Darius a stink eye, but he just gives me a smile
then slides an arm around my hip to pull me closer into him.

I hear the men snicker at my response. Caspian masks his

laughter behind his cough.

“Torture them?” says Genesis, shaking her head. “Why am I

not surprised? You are two peas in a pod. You two are really
suited for each other.”

“You are meant for our world,” says Caspian. He sounds oddly
proud.

I was looking forward to playing with those two mainly because

I was pissed that they tried to kidnap me and were planning to
kill me. I was planning to really have fun with Thing 2 because
he freaking stabbed me! He buried the blade to the hilt in my
stomach!

I knew those two were not good men. The more I know about
them, the more I wish they were still alive so that I could make
them feel half of what their victims felt. Maybe that’s why they
smelled so different. Maybe that was what I smelled when I
caught the whiff of their scent at the park. Their rotten core left
a mark on their essence.

“I’m going to go see Matthew now,” I announce. Darius’s hands

suddenly tighten possessively around me. I feel his burning
jealousy through our bond.

I place my hand on top of his to assure him that I’m with him. I
chose him. Doesn’t he know that there’s no competition now?
Doesn’t he know that I love him and only him? Oh, wait...he
doesn’t. I never told him that I love him. I mean, I do want to
tell him, but...how do I say it? I should’ve told him when he
told me that he loves me, but my brain wasn’t working properly
then. It’ll be so awkward now. I mean, how do I broach the
subject? Maybe over coffee, like...“Hey, good coffee, by the way,
I love you.” Or when we’re in a car, and I’d be like “Wow! Nice
driving. So yeah, I love you.” Or after he told me a joke, “Great
joke! You’re funny, hahaha..I love you?” Ughhh...AWKWARD!
I’m terrible when it comes to talking about feelings.

I guess we are two peas in a pod, but he somehow had

overcome that fear of talking about feelings...at least to me. I’m
still amazed at the things that he said to me this morning.

I rub my hand gently over his to calm him down.

“Before you go see Matthew, there are a few things we need to

discuss concerning him,” says Constantine seriously. “He’s
obviously traumatized by what happened. Right now his brain
is still trying to make sense of everything that he saw. We have
three options on how to deal with this.
“The first option is to let him calm down, then tell him the
truth. Let him into our world.

“The second option is to make him forget what happened and

what he saw by using our lycan “persuasion” ability. The
problem with that is, there is a risk or tendency that it might
fade over time and he might remember again. We’ll also be
playing around with his brain and we might leave permanent
and irreversible damage to his mental health in the long run.

“The third option and we all agree that this might be the best
one is to make the memory a bit hazy and “suggest” that it
didn’t really happen. That the memory was just a nightmare.”
Constantine pauses to let his words sink in before he continues,
“The problem with this one is, it requires a bit of acting and a
lot of patience on your part, Penny....and Darius too.”

I turn to look at Darius and says, “Okay, explain the third

option.”

The third option does sound like the best option for us right
now. I don’t want Matthew to be exposed to our world. He
doesn’t need all that danger in his life. He’s not made for this
life. The second option obviously might risk an emotional scar
on him and I don’t want that.

“Okay then. It seems like we agree on the third option,” says

Lazarus. “We make him believe that half of what happened
really did happen and the other parts were just his nightmare.”

“So we make him believe that he really did meet me at the

park,” I say, catching on. My eyes flash to Darius as I feel his
jealousy. His arm still wrapped around me possessively.
I met Matthew at the park to end things because I didn’t want
to continue leading him on. Now I remember that I didn’t
really get to do that.

“Yeah, you get attacked by those two bad guys, he got knocked
out while trying to save you or something...so, he’s a hero...sort
of,” adds Caspian with a little distaste look on his face. He
never makes it a secret that he doesn’t like Matthew much.
“Tell him that somebody came to your rescue while he was out
and you brought him back here for the night. End of story.”

“Yeah, keep it simple,” says Constantine.

“Let’s go see him,” suggests Lazarus after we get the story

straight.

Matthew is placed in the library which is on the main floor next

to Lazarus’s office. It has been transformed into a makeshift
guest bedroom. Floor to ceiling bookcases lining the walls.
There’s a little nook with a big bay window at the end of the
room with a cozy sofa and chairs at one corner while a full bed
has been set up at another corner.

They put him on the main floor, as far away from our
bedrooms which are on the second and the third floor. I
understand they don’t want a stranger, especially a human who
doesn’t know about us to be settling close to our private
quarters.

Matthew is lying on the bed, sleeping...or unconscious. I hope

it’s the former. At least he’s looking comfortable even though
he’s still wearing the same shirt from yesterday.
There is a little bruising and swelling on his left cheek. I don’t
remember him getting hurt at all last night.

“What happened?” I ask them.

Both Constantine and Lazarus turn to look at Caspian who

flashes me a charming, but guilty smile.

“So, I might have lost my patience when he was hysterical. He

wouldn’t stop screaming about wolves and scary monsters,”
answers Caspian. I suspect the fact that he never liked Matthew
in the first place, factors in the reason as well.

“So you punched him?” I ask him, aghast.

“No, I just...slapped him,” he shamefully admits. “I did it once.

Only once,” he adds quickly as if doing it just one time makes it
okay.

Arrgghhh!!! Caspian! This is one of those times when I feel like

kicking him in the nuts.

“Hey, it worked! He stopped screaming,” he reasons. His eyes

earnest, his expression completely innocent.

“Yeah, he stopped screaming because he passed out,” Lazarus

deadpans.

“Well, it worked,” insists the Prince. “So I’m not good at

handling hysterical grown men. Besides, it’ll help with the story
that he got knocked out.”
I shake my head and sigh. This is our future king. I should be
worried about our future.

“They knocked you out when you tried to protect me. Luckily, a
few people saw us and threatened to call the police, so they ran
off,” I tell Matthew. I don’t even feel guilty about lying to him.
If this is what I have to do to keep him safe, then so be it.

Right now I’m driving Matthew home in Caspian’s Porsche.

Darius isn’t happy about this, but this is something that I have
to do.

“Wow, that’s mind-boggling! And I got this really crazy dream.

One of the men turned into a wolf and tried to attack us. You
got stabbed right in your stomach and you have blood all over
you, then you turned into this...this...scary looking---”

“Yeah, that sounds really crazy,” I cut him off. “I got stabbed? I
would be dead or in the hospital right now if I got stabbed...not
turning into a monster or something.” I laugh and Matthew
gives me a sheepish looking smile.

I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I don’t want him to think

about it. Who knows, he might somehow convince himself that
it’s real after all the more he remembers. The less we talk about
it, the better.

I glance in the review mirror and catch a glimpse of a black

Mercedes. I know that they are in that car. Darius and Caspian.
I know none of them are willing to let me go off by myself now
after that incident last night.
I can’t stop Darius from following me, especially when I’m with
Matthew. After last night, I have a feeling that I would have to
fight for my independence. Caspian, well...he’s just very
stubborn. I managed to convince the rest of them not to be
tailing me as well just because Darius and Caspian are already
doing it.

“My face is still sore,” says Matthew, inspecting his face in the
front mirror and gingerly touching his cheek. “I’ve never been
punched before. Ever. Wow.” He looks strangely pleased with
the thought that he’s being punched. I don’t have the heart to
tell him that he had just gotten slapped. Once.

“You don’t have to worry about your car. Just give me the keys
and I’ll have it delivered back to you by tonight,” I tell him.

I pull into the parking lot of his apartment building and unlock
the door, leaving the engine running. “So, I’m just going to
drop you off...”

“Wait a minute, you’re not coming in?” he asks me, not making
a move to get out of the car.

“I...uh...I have to get back, Matthew. I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Oh, come on Penny. Come inside with me,” he says. “I just got
knocked out. What if I got a concussion or something?”

Seriously???

I look behind us. I don’t know if that’s a good idea.

Chapter 34 - Marking Territories

“Besides, I think we need to talk,” says Matthew.

Yeah, we do need to talk, but Matthew doesn’t know how

dangerous my lycan mate is. I glance back once again and
Matthew suspiciously turns to look behind us too. I know he
can’t see them or their car. His human eyes aren’t sharp
enough to see as far as mine can.

“I don’t know, I don’t think that’s a good idea...”

“Come on, Penny.” His eyes are hopeful. Maybe it’s the residual
mate pull, as weak as they may be or the guilt for putting his
life in danger, but I can’t say no to him. This is so not a good
idea, Penny.

“Okay, but I can’t stay long,” I finally tell him as I turn off the
engine while trying not to look behind us again.

I feel Darius’s anger as soon as I exit the car. This is a bad idea.
Bad idea.

The phone that Genesis lent me beeps with an incoming

message and I slide my finger across the screen to read it.

Darius: What are you doing, Malyshka?

I could almost hear him say that through gritted teeth. He is

mad. I know. I can feel his fury.

“Is everything okay?” asks Matthew as he opens the door of the

building for me.

“Yeah,” I tell him as I type my answer back to Darius.

Penny: Going into his apartment. Just need to talk.

Darius: No.

I sigh. Possessive neanderthal mate! Well, okay...if he were to

go into an apartment with another girl that has feelings for him
and he might have feelings for, I wouldn’t be too happy too. No,
scratch that, I might go berserk.

Penny: I won’t be long.

Darius: Persephone

Penny: Darius

It takes a while before I received his next message. I feel him

trying to calm himself down.

Darius: 5 min. If he touches you I’ll break his neck.

I don’t know if I can manage to talk to Matthew in that short

amount of time, but I should be lucky he’s not here to break
Matthew’s neck.

“Would you like something to drink?” asks Matthew as he

closes the door and takes a few steps into the kitchen.

“No, thanks. I’m not thirsty,” I answer him. If I only have five
minutes, I have to start talking now. Besides, I’m not very good
at the subtlety or easing the subject into the conversation like
normal people.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he says and I watch him turn the tap on
and put a glass under it.

“Matthew, I think we should stop seeing each other.”

Matthew sputtered his drinks everywhere. “Wow, you go

straight for the jugular, don’t you Penny?” he says, wiping his
chin. His face twisted as if he tasted something bad and pours
the water down the sink. “Which one?”

“Huh?”

“I said which one?” he repeats his question as he searches his

cabinet for something. His voice sounds harsh. This is the first
time he talks to me like this. “Is it the pretty boy Darius, or is it
that other pretty boy, what’s his name? Caspian?”

“They’re not pretty boys.” Pretty boys? That’s absurd. I’m

feeling personally offended that he called Darius and Caspian
pretty boys. “It really doesn’t matter. What really matters is
this...us,” I point between the two of us. “This is not working.”

“How is it not working?” he asks. He produces a bottle of

bourbon from the cabinet and pours it into his glass. “It must
be one of those boys. It’s Darius, isn’t it?”

If only he knew his nightmare wasn’t really a nightmare and

that I really am that monster that caused him to lose his sh!t
last night, I’m sure he wouldn’t be fighting me on this.

“Please, let’s not fight,” I say as I try not to wince. My injured

stomach starts to ache again. I need more painkillers. “Yes, it’s
Darius...”
“I knew it! I knew it, Penny. You told me you were just friends,
but I saw the way you were looking at each other. What about
us Penny, huh? I was willing to give us a chance.”

“Oh, please, I know you’re still in love with Cece,” I tell him.
I’m starting to get pissed. I still remember how he reacted
when Cece showed up at the cafe with Mason the other day. I
knew I didn’t have much chance when it comes to Cece and I
don’t have much patience with people who are trying to play
victims.

“Leave Cece out of this. This is not about---”

There’a knocking on the door and Matthew groans. That must

be Darius. I’m surprised he knocks like a civilized person. I was
so sure he was going to kick the door like a caveman.

Matthew moves to open the door before I can move.

“Hi, Matthew,” says a feminine voice at the door. Cece. Her

eyes widen when she spots me standing there. Great.

“Uh, Cece...” says Matthew awkwardly staring between Cece

and me.

Cece gives me a heated glare. Jealousy is apparent in her eyes.

“I need to talk to you,” she says to Matthew as she

determinedly steps in. Matthew looks at her uneasily as he
hesitantly closes the door behind her.
She crosses her arms and keeps staring at me pointedly. Here
we are, the three of us just standing around looking at each
other in silence.

I clear my throat just to break the silence and says, “So...huh!

This is...uh, different.”

“Would you like to sit down?”

“I really should go.”

Matthew and I say at the same time. Wow, this is not awkward
at all!

I still feel a little possessive towards Matthew, but I know a big

part of me belongs to Darius now. Once we’re fully mated, any
feelings I may still harbor for Matthew will be gone and the
attraction will eventually fade into nothing.

“Look, I really should go now,” I tell him.

“Oh, please, stay,” says Cece sarcastically as she unfolds her

arms. She places her bag on top of a bookcase and drapes her
cardigan at the back of the sofa, looking very much at home. It
looks like this is her way of marking her territory. Just like a
dog pissing on a fire hydrant.

“Don’t leave on my account,” she adds as she opens a cabinet

and takes out a glass. She seems very familiar with the place.
She knows her way around. Yes, she’s pissing all over this
place, marking her territory.
I look at Matthew, raising an eyebrow. He scratches the back of
his head, looking guilty and about to say something when the
front door bursts open. The doorknob bounces on the wall
behind it, making a dent. The door looks like it’s coming off the
hinges.

Darius storms in looking fierce followed closely by Caspian

behind him. My 5 minute is up, it seems.

“What the hell?” yells Matthew.

“Persephone, we’re leaving. Now!” growls Darius. Neanderthal!

“Beany, let’s go!” says Caspian. Another Neanderthal!

I roll my eyes at the two. Oh, for goodness sake!!!

Cece is gaping at Darius and Caspian without a word.

Somebody should close her mouth before it hits the floor or the
fly gets it....or something.

“Persephone,” says Darius again in a warning tone. He stalks

closer and places his hand firmly on my back.

“Leave her alone. She’s not going with you,” says Matthew
suddenly. Wow, somebody sounds brave, considering how
much taller the two lycans are. They’re practically towering
over him, not to mention the wave of power emanating from
them. Well, maybe humans don’t recognize or understand the
wave of power as a danger warning that it is. Werewolves
would have sensed it by now.
Darius’s hand circles my waist possessively and pulls me closer
into his body. “She’s mine. She goes where I go. She’s coming
with me,” he says. His anger is burning in my chest. His glacier
blue eyes darken considerably.

Caspian isn’t looking too happy either. He’s holding the door
open and when he tilts his head, I understand what he means.

I grab the back of Darius’s silky blond head to bring it down so

that he’s looking at me. I stroke his cheek once and say, “Let’s
go.”

“Penny,” says Matthew. I know he’s hurt. The mate bond

makes it so, but this is for the best for him and for myself.

I ignore him as I take Darius’s hand in mine and walk out of

the apartment, followed by Caspian. We take the stairs to get to
the ground level.

I’m surprised to see that Matthew followed us all the way

down. Cece isn’t far behind him.

I feel bad for him, but I know he loves Cece. Even if Darius
wasn’t in the picture, I’m not good for him. I don’t know if he
would ever get used to our world and be able to accept me for
what I am.

When we reach his apartment parking area, I let go of Darius’s

hand and walk to stand in front of Matthew.

“I’m sorry. You’re a good man, Matthew. I would like us to stay

friends. I really do.” Then I turn to Cece who’s standing next to
him. “I think you two should talk...not fighting, but really
talk...like adults. I know you love him...and he loves you.”

Note to self: take my own advice.

“Beany, key!” says Caspian, holding out his hand. I throw him
the key and he easily catches it before he jumps behind the
wheel of his shiny red Porsche.

Darius takes my arm and leads me to his black AMG Mercedes,

parked right behind Caspian’s.

I watch Matthew and Cece standing at the curb as Darius

rounds the car and slides into the driver’s seat next to me. They
look like they belong together. Matthew and Cece. They’ve been
together for so long that I feel like a third wheel whenever
they’re in the same room even though he’s my mate.

I turn to look at Darius who sits behind the wheel staring at me

with a curious look on his gorgeous face. I can’t even feel what
he’s feeling right now when he puts that wall up.

“Tell me you want to be with me and not him. Tell me that

you’re mine,” he says. His eyes intense, staring into mine as if
trying to read my thoughts. I blocked my emotions from him as
soon as he blocked his. Two can play the game.

“I want to be with you and no one else. I’m yours as you are
mine,” I tell him, letting some of my feelings for him leaked
through. I’m already good at this.
He slips his sunglasses on and his lips curve up into a sexy
smug smile. He starts the car with a roar of the engine and
drives off without saying another word.

He surprised me. He’s being more patient than I thought he

would. I might have gone in there and killed somebody if he
were to go into another girl who was supposed to be his mate’s
apartment.

I look at Matthew and Cece who are still standing there

through the car’s side mirror until they disappear from view. I
hope they’ll work it out. I truly want Matthew to be happy.

When we reach home, I give Matthew’s car key to Lazarus so

that he can drive it back to Matthew’s apartment.

Constantine announces that we’re going to have a meeting

right after lunch.

It seems like our cook Anya is back even though she was given
a day off. I think she’s not happy to have somebody else
invaded her kitchen. I’m not complaining because she’s
prepared enough food to feed an army with Rita’s help.

“I think Anya is worried that we’re going to replace her with

Rita,” says Serena. Lunch is served buffet style in the backyard
by the pool.

“As if we can replace her with anybody. Look at all this food,”
replies Genesis as she piles up her plate with a generous
serving of everything.
“I’m glad our men decided to talk to us,” I whisper to Genesis
and Serena.

Genesis laughs softly to herself. “Pending painting session can

work wonders,” she says under her breath. Her eyes widen and
her face turns beet red when she realized that she just said that
aloud while Serena and I try not to burst out laughing...and
fail.

I rub my sore stomach absently as I try to absorb the

information and secrets revealed to us during the meeting.
We’ve been sitting in Constantine’s office for half an hour now.

Lazarus and Serena are sitting close to each other on the love
seat. Constantine is sitting on the armrest of a sofa where
Genesis is sitting. His hand is playing with her red hair
abstractedly.

Caspian is sprawled on a wingback chair with his feet up on the

coffee table. He’s scowling and staring at his shoes like he’s
trying to burn holes through them. I wonder if he’s thinking
about the safety of this pack and his erasthai right now.

I’m sitting on a sofa with Darius. I tried to sit a bit further from
him at the beginning, not wanting to distract him when he’s
talking, but he pulled me close with my hand firmly in his.

His hand grips mine very tightly, almost painfully as he

recounts what happened to his fellow officers’ mates. My heart
breaks for him. I wonder what it’s like to be him. It must be so
lonely. He’s busy trying to protect everybody, but who’s looking
out for him?
I swear I’m going to be there for him from now on. As long as I
live, I’m going to look after us and this pack.

“You’re one of us now whether you like it or not,” says

Constantine.

“Nobody messes with anyone of us,” says Lazarus, echoing my

thoughts.

“We have to get rid of the threat. We dig it out right to the
source.” agrees Caspian in a steely voice. I’ve never heard him
so serious. “We’re doing this together.”

“There’s a big royal party going to be held at the Palace. It’s

King Alexandros’s & Queen Sophia’s Mating Godovshchina
(anniversary) party,” says Constantine.

“What a joke,” scoffs Caspian with a harsh laugh.

“We were ordered to make an appearance, but we were

planning on avoiding it for Penny’s safety,” continues
Constantine, ignoring Caspian’s outburst. “But now I think
that’s a good place to start.”

I sense the feeling of dread coming from Darius though his

expression is cold and uncaring.

“Malyshka,” he turns to me. “Would it be too much to ask if I

were to ask you to stay away from Russia? I’ll send you
anywhere...”

“No, I’m going where you and my friends are going,” I interrupt
him. My heart is set and I let him know this through our shared
bond. If they’re going into the fire, then I’m going up in flames
with them.

“Great! Now we’re just going to make sure no one else knows
that you two are mated to each other,” says Caspian, looking at
us with an amused smile. I look at him suspiciously with
narrowed eyes.

For once Darius drops his stony expression as he drags his

hand through his fair silky hair and lets out a frustrated groan

Chapter 35 - Iron Clad Self-Control

“We were ordered to make an appearance, but we were planning on avoiding it for Penny’s
safety,” continues Constantine, ignoring Caspian’s outburst. “But now I think that’s a good place
to start.”

I sense the feeling of dread coming from Darius though his expression is cold and uncaring.

“Malyshka,” he turns to me. “Would it be too much to ask if...could you...stay away from
Russia? I’ll send you anywhere...”

“No, I’m going where you and my friends are going,” I interrupt him. My heart is set and I let
him know this through our shared bond. If they’re going into the fire, then I’m going up in
flames with them.

“Great! Now we’re just going to make sure no one else knows that you two are mated to each
other,” says Caspian, looking at us with an amused smile. I look at him suspiciously with
narrowed eyes.

For once Darius drops his stony expression as he drags his hand through his fair silky hair and
lets out a frustrated groan.

“What do you mean?” I ask him. “Why do we have to make sure no one else knows that I’m
mated to him?”
“You know the threat of going in as Darius’s mate. There’s going to be a big target on your back.
We can’t let that happen,” explains Lazarus.

“So now you’re mated to me,” says Caspian looking smug. His eyes flash to Darius wickedly.

Darius emits a low irritated growl while his arm tightens around me. “Pretend. Only pretend,” he
says. “She’s mated to me.”

Obviously, the men had discussed this matter among themselves before they talk to us, girls.

“That’s an awful idea,” I protest. “I don’t know how this is going to work. The crown prince
taking a mate is a big deal. All the attention will be on us. On me! Wouldn’t that put a bigger
target on my back?”

“Yes, but they won’t be acting on it right away. Like you said, the attention will be on you.
Nobody will dare to make an attempt on your life unless they want an all-out war. An
assassination of the future queen is going to bring the wrath of the palace and the army,” explains
Caspian.

“What about Queen Sophia? She’s going to be livid! She has her heart set on Lady Celeste for
you,” I ask him. I really don’t see how this is going to work.

“Since when do I listen to my mother?” he scoffs.

“They know we’re friends, Caspian. Nobody’s going to believe that we’re mates,” I announce. “I
mean, how are we going to convince everybody that we’re mates?”

“Easy, Beany. Sure they know we’re friends, but we tell them that over time, we’ve...uh,
developed feelings for each other,” he says. ” We just fell in love and decided that we should
mark each other even though you’re not my erasthai.”

“Yeah, like they can’t see that we’re more eager to kill one another than to mate each other.
Nobody’s gonna believe us,” I say, scowling.

“They will. We just have to pretend to be lovey-dovey and all touchy-feely just like what you’re
doing with Darius right now,” Caspian replies gleefully. He’s enjoying this too much to even
hide his feelings. If he were to rub his hands together, he’d look like a villain in a crappy low
budget movie.
“No touching,” scowls Darius, totally annoyed. I can feel his irritation, jealousy, possessiveness,
and frustration through our bond.

“How could anybody believe that we’re mates if we’re not touching?” reasons Caspian.

Darius buries his nose in my neck and lets out a low tortured groan that only I can hear. His hand
seeking his mark over my shirt. He lays his palm flat over the mark as if reassuring himself and
reminding me that I belong to him.

“This is going to be hell,” he whispers. I have to agree with him.

“This is going to be so much fun.” Caspian flashes me a wide taunting smile and I look at him
with a scowl.

“How are we going to make this look believable if you two act like this? Can you two refrain
from fighting for 5 minutes, at least?” asks Serena as she tries to smack Caspian’s side of the
head with a rolled up document that she snatched from the coffee table.

“No way!” says Caspian as he ducks away just in time. “That’s how Beany Bean and I show our
love and affection for each other.”

“We’re doomed,” says Genesis.

Caspian shakes his head. “You’re such a pessimist, Red.”

This is going to be a problem. I hope this isn’t going to end up badly for us.

The celebration is going to be in just over a week’s time. We need to fly to Russia soon. Before
that, there are things that need to be taken care of. One of those things is Bossman, the guy who
sent his goons to kill me.

Darius’s men managed to track down and detained Bossman. As it turns out, Bossman’s full
name is Iron Bossman. Huh! His mom must have some balls to name her son Iron.

We girls excuse ourselves while Darius, Lazarus, and Constantine continue to discuss Bossman
and smooth out other plans before we leave for Russia.
Caspian leaves the room with us girls. He announces that he has a class this evening. He just
changed his classes around for this semester. It’s easy to do when you have the money and
people under your thumb to do whatever you want. We suspect that he’s stalking and annoying
his erasthai. Just the thought of that is hilarious to us.

“Should we all change classes and give his erasthai our moral support?” asks Genesis
mischievously.

“Nah,” I disagree. “I think he’s quite capable of making things harder for himself just by being
his usual annoying, big-headed, bratty self.”

Both Serena and Genesis laugh and agree with me.

“I’d like to meet her, though,” says Serena.

“I think you two are being nosy,” I tell them while making a mental note to track her down soon.
Hey, anybody who manages to make the bratty prince go all crazy deserves my admiration and
therefore my alliance and support.

I power up my laptop and skype my friends from my werewolf pack, Reese and River for a few
minutes. I figure I might not be able to talk to them for a while when I get to Russia. I get to say
hi to their little girl, Piper too. She’s growing up so fast. I don’t want her to forget aunt Penny.
She’s supposed to like me better than aunt Genesis. It’s a little competition that we’ve got going.
Genesis and I compete to be the coolest aunt. We compete buying Piper the coolest gifts.
Sometimes I swear that little brat is so smart, she’s playing both of us to get what she wants.
She’s tiny and dangerous, but she’s too adorable to say ‘no’ to.

I’ve been keeping Reese and River up to date about what’s been going on with us, so they’re not
entirely surprised when I tell them about Darius and me marking each other.

Darius enters the room just as I’m turning off the laptop. “Here, take these,” he says, handing me
two tiny pills and a glass of water. “I noticed you were rubbing your stomach during the
meeting.”

He waits till I swallow the two pills and down the rest of the water before taking the glass from
my hand and places it on the table.

It’s sweet that he’s showing concern for me, but it’s infuriating that he’s keeping his feelings
hidden from me most of the time. I can feel our bond, yet when it comes to sharing feelings,
there’s like a concrete wall around him. So now, in return, I closed my feeling off from him. It’s
almost like a game now trying to figure each other out without sharing our feelings.

He’s always watching me too. When he seems to be looking elsewhere or his attention seems to
be on someone else, he’s always aware of where I am or what I’m doing. Even during all those
years that he claimed he didn’t want me, he’s watching me. It can be unnerving sometimes to
have somebody paying that close attention to you.

He’s watching me now. He sits on the bed silently watching me putting my things away.

I take my time putting my desk in order. I don’t know why I’m feeling so nervous around him all
of a sudden. I’m always so confident and brazen with other men. I could eat them up like snacks
and spit them out so easily, but with him, I feel like I was the snack. Maybe because we’ve
marked each other and now he’s half lying on my bed, waiting for me, and he’s looking so hot. I
glance up at him then quickly lower my eyes to look at the papers that I’m gathering...one by
one. After these papers, there’s nothing else to do. Oh, Penny. Stupid Penny, you can go organize
your closet...by colors!

“Do you think, you’ll be done clearing up your table before tomorrow morning?” His voice
sounds amused and curious.

“Yeah, before tomorrow morning. Definitely,” I reply seriously, nodding my head a few times.
“Then I can organize my closet.”

“Oh, really?” he says. He’s smiling now, clearly amused. “What’s the plan after the closet?”

“Uh..” I never thought that far ahead, but that gives me an idea. “Bathroom. Definitely the
bathroom.”

“Wow, you’re a busy woman,” he says. Yup, that’s me. “And here I thought the cleaners come in
every day.”

“Psshhh...the cleaners. They don’t know what they’re doing...”

“Persephone?”

“Yeah?” I risk another peek at him from beneath my eyelashes.

“Come here,” he says.

Eeekk...my heart races and my stomach feels funny. I remember the things that he said he’d like
to do to me once my stomach heals. Is it time yet?

“Are you scared of me?”

“Scared of you?” I straighten my back. “Of course, not!” I huff haughtily.

“Then come here,” he says challengingly. His lips curl up into a sexy lopsided smile. His glacier
blue eyes glinted wickedly.

I look at him warily, trying hard to feel his emotion through our bond, but he’s totally closed off.

I glance at my closed closet door. My closet is very neat....but they’re not color coded. On the
other hand, he is now raising an eyebrow. His eyes are now openly daring me to show him that I
wasn’t at all afraid him.

Damn it! I, Persephone Aspen Ruiz would rather crawl through poop covered sewer than being
called a coward!

I tilt my chin up...and gulp, then march over to the bed. I sit stiffly at the farthest corner of my
own bed.

Eeeekkk!!! In a flurry of movement and a blink of an eye, I find myself lying in the middle of the
bed with him on top of me. His strong powerful body is pinning me to the bed while my hands
are trapped above my head by one of his hands. His face hovers only inches from mine.

“Now are you scared of me, Malyshka?” His eyes are watching me intently.

I shake my head and gulp nervously. Nope. His wonderful scent, combined with the warmth and
the weight of his body on top of mine is making me feel a lot of things. Scared is not one of
them. I think I can hear my own heartbeats thundering in my ears.

He’s still watching me. His lips slowly curve up into a feral, knowing smile, showing his straight
white teeth and slightly long canines.

He dips his head lower and I can feel his warm breath against my skin as he breathes in deeply,
taking in my scent.
His nose and lips graze my jaw and my stomach clenches. I close my eyes as pleasurable sparks
break all over my body shooting straight to my core.

I feel his lips touching my neck with soft featherlight kisses. I almost moan out in protest. I want
more. His lips travel to the side of my jaw, then across my cheek still skimming my skin lightly.
He drops a little soft kiss at the corner of my lips. I turn my head to capture his lips with mine,
but he pulls back with a playful predatory smile. He’s toying with me. Damn it!

I give him a scowl, but he chuckles and leans down to give my chin a little playful bite and
soothes it with a soft kiss. I want more and he’s not giving it to me. That pisses me off somehow.

I struggle to get my hands out of his stronghold, and my body out from underneath him but he
only tightens his hold and his body goes still. “Stop moving, Malyshka,” he says warningly. His
voice is husky. Then I feel it. His hard length pressing against my thigh.

I grin as I look up at him. He closes his eyes but surprises me by letting out a little laugh before
he presses his lips to the shell of my ear.

“I only wanted to show you that you don’t have to be scared of me. I won’t force you to do
anything...not until you’re ready,” he whispers in my ear. “I have an amazing, ironclad self-
control,” he adds cockily.

Ironclad self-control? Screw that! I want to wipe that cocky smile off his face. I want to chuck
that ironclad self-control of his into the shark-infested ocean.

“Wow, that’s a trait to be proud of,” I tell him in a serious tone as I wiggle even more underneath
him. I make sure to rub and brush myself harder against his solid length.

I hear the catch in his breath and try hard to contain my smile as his smile wanes from his lips.

I wriggle myself again and this time he pushes himself up so that our lower bodies aren’t pressed
together anymore. His grip on my hands loosens. I used this opportunity to free my hands and
flip us around.

He’s now lying on his back and I’m straddling him, pinning his hands to the bed with both of
mine. I grin down at him and he grins back. His eyes glazed with needs and hunger. There is also
the look of amusement and curiosity on his face. All in all, I have one hot gorgeous lycan
underneath me and his self-control is not wanted.

I know he’s letting me do this. He could easily flip us back if he wants to.
I lean down and whisper in his ear, “I so admire this ironclad self-control that you have.” I
emphasize the word ironclad as I grind down on the hardness of his length underneath me.

I hear the rumble of laughter from his chest followed by a groan and I suppress the giggle from
my lips. I know I’m so inexperienced in this seduction thingy, but I’m having fun....and my mate
is hot. So why not?

I nuzzle the side of his face and my hands slip underneath his shirt to explore the ridges of his
glorious abs. I drop small kisses along the line of his cut jaw and down his neck. The heady
smell of him filled my senses and the feel of his silky warm skin underneath my lips is addictive.

I flick my tongue out and taste the salty and delicious flavor of his skin on my tongue.
Mmm....so good. I can hear him moaning underneath me. It sends chills up my spine.

I push my self up. Watching him staring up at me intently. His chest is rising up and down as if
he’s just finished running a marathon. His eyes hooded and smoldering. His nostrils flare and his
jaw clenched. I reach down and yank my tank top off over my head.

For a few seconds, he just lies there. His nostrils flare and his jaw clenched. Suddenly I’m being
flipped back onto the bed

“I said I have an ironclad self-control, I didn’t say the ironclad is indestructible, Malyshka,” he
growls in my ear.

“Good,” I whisper back just before his lips cover mine in a fierce hungry kiss. Our lips part only
when I try to pull his shirt off. He grabs the end of it and tugs the shirt off in a swift easy
movement. His body is perfect. I let my fingers explore the hard contours of his pecks, his
amazing abs and lower while he’s watching me with his fists clenched at his sides. Ironclad self-
control.

When my hand reaches the trail of hair that disappears down his jeans, he grabs my fingers.
“Don’t go further if you’re not going to finish this.”

I don’t answer him, instead, I free my hand and unbutton his jeans, then pull the zipper down. He
stands up to remove his jeans, and as soon as he climbs up the bed again, my fingers close
around his impressive hardness over his black boxers.

“Persephone,” he moans as he covers my scorching body with his and his warm lips searching
mine.
The pleasure I feel from his bare skin touching mine is unbearable. The sparks of heat are now
burst of explosions consuming us both. I can’t think.

His seeking lips cover mine, swallowing my soft moan. His long fingers cradling my head,
holding it in place as his lips continue their assault on mine. His tongue darts out to explore my
mouth and glide against my tongue. His other hand pulls my hand that’s caressing his hardness
up above my head.

His mouth moves down to kiss my cheek, my jaw, my neck...everywhere. It feels like he’s
worshipping me while I’m just a mass of feelings, writhing underneath him in pleasure.

“Malyshka. So beautiful...” he murmurs against my skin as he releases the clasp of my lacy white
bra. His hands are exploring my body, touching, caressing, kneading... His mouth closes over the
peak of my breast and I sob in pleasure. My hands disappear into his hair, tugging his head closer
to my body.

“Darius...” I moan out. Pleading. Crying.

I vaguely aware of his hands easing my shorts down before his mouth follows his hand’s path
downwards. Trailing fiery kisses and licks.

When I feel his mouth closes over my core I nearly combust. Oh, goddess. “Darius....”

I shudder and scream out his name.

I think it must have taken me a while to recover. When I open my eyes again, Darius is staring
down at me with a mixture of hunger and awe and smugness on his face.

He pulls his boxer off and my eyes wander downwards. He’s beautiful. Everywhere.

“Malyshka,” he says as he crawls over me again. His warm lips meet mine and his sexy
magnificent body covers mine. Just like that, I’m ready for him again. Once again, I’m a
mindless mass of sensation. I’m only aware of his mouth, hands, and body touching mine. My
hands, mouth, and body touching his.

The little pain I feel when he finally enters me, makes me open my eyes to stare into his black
soulless eyes. In between lycan and man. His eyes are cold, yet the ecstasy on his face is
unmistakable.
He moves slowly at first, gripping the edge of the mattress as he does so. The pain and pleasure.
I wrap my legs around him, urging him to move faster.

He lets out the sexiest groan just before I scream out his name the second time. This time is more
intense than the first. I think we truly burst into flames. I think we both ignite and turn to ashes.

“Is it always like that?” I ask him lazily as I turn my head to look at him. His flawless skin is
glistening with sweat. His fair disheveled hair looks a bit darker as it sticks to his skin.

“It’s never like that. Never like that with anyone else. That’s the first time for me,” he says. “You
are amazing.“The possessive look in his eyes as he stares at me takes my breath away. A tiny
smug smile is playing on his lips.

“Tell me,” I say. “When was the last time you had a proper good night sleep?”

My body is sore in places I never knew exist but I’m feeling relaxed. My heartbeat is slowing
down close to its normal rhythm.

“The night I had you in my arms,” he answers. That was two nights ago. He must be tired. He
needs his sleep.

“Come here,” I tell him as I pull his head down closer to my chest. His arms immediately slide
around my body to pull me closer until we’re both wrapped tightly around each other. I reach out
to bury my fingers in his thick silky pale hair.

“You’re so bossy,” he mumbles.

“Sleep.”

“Don’t leave me,” he murmurs. His arms tighten around me possessively and protectively. “I
love it when you do that. I love it when you play with my hair.” His voice grows faint.

His breathing evens out after a while, but I keep my fingers in his soft silky hair, combing slowly
through it, my fingertips gently grazing his scalp.

Chapter 36 - A Cold Shower

This is very nice...and warm. I snuggle in more comfortably
and the arms around me tightened to gather me in closer. His
wonderful male scent fills my nose and his heart beats steadily
in my ear. I open my eyes to the sight of smooth soft skin of my
mate’s wide powerful shoulder. My cheek is firmly pressed
against his chest.

My room is now bathed in sunlight. The curtains are partially

opened but I closed all the windows yesterday since the
weather is starting to get cooler. It must be after seven in the
morning.

I pull back a little bit to look at my mate sleeping peacefully on

his side. His fair hair is sticking out everywhere. His eyelashes
are a bit darker than his hair but they have a slight golden tinge
at the tips. His cheeks are slightly flushed pink from sleep. He
looks so harmless, almost boyish and cute when he’s sleeping.
Cute. I almost giggle at the thought. I just called a fierce,
dangerous and powerful lycan warrior cute!

Even though his eyes are still closed, a sudden surge of emotion
fills me and I know he’s awake.

I trace my fingertip along his thick golden eyebrows, down his

straight nose, his firm upper lip and watch his firm lips curl up
into a tiny smile.

“Good morning, Malyshka.” His voice is low, husky and sexy in

the morning. He opens his eyes and I’m struck by his
penetrating blue gaze.

“Good morning, Darius,” I whisper back. I love lying in the bed

in the morning with him, just whispering to each other. Just
the two of us in our own little world where no one else exists.
This is when he opens up to me the most.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good,” I answer.

“Just good?” His voice is lazy and teasing. He runs his finger
over my cheek, down my neck and it goes lower until it touches
the medallion that’s resting on my chest.

“I have to take it off soon, I suppose,” I tell him reluctantly. “I

guess I can’t be seen with your family crest around my neck in
Russia.”

“Malyshka, I hate doing this,” he says. His voice sounds calm

but I can feel his intense frustration through our bond. “I love
seeing you wearing my family crest around your neck. I want to
tell the whole world that you’re mine.”

“I know,” I sigh. I love wearing it but since we’re doing this, I

want you to wear it for safekeeping while we’re in Russia. I
want it back when it’s safe for me to wear it again.”

He pulls me in again and buries his face in my neck.

“So, you’re a nobility, a blue blood then?” I tease him, trying to

take him out of this sullen mood.

He just shrugs like he couldn’t care less.

“Now tell me about your family.”

“There’s not much to tell. I have a mother, a father. So, that’s
all.” He’s still sounding glum.

“End of story?” I ask him, running my fingers through his hair.

I know that calms him down. “You never mentioned them at all
before. Why? Do you not like talking about them?”

“It’s not that I do or do not like talking about them. It’s just
that they’re not important to me. Insignificant in my life. We’re
not close, to put it mildly. I grew up with nannies and a
governess while my parents were never there.

“I was shipped off to the military school when I was nine. I saw
them a handful of times since then. The last time I saw my
parents was briefly at a Royal Gala eighty years ago. They’re
like strangers to me.”

That’s sad. “What about aunts or uncles or grandparents?”

“I have an aunt and a cousin. I saw my aunt twice. I see my

cousin, Æmelius quite often now because he’s also in the
military. We’re not close though. We don’t really get along.”

“You’re pretty much alone your whole life then?” I tighten my

hold on him.

“Yes, but now for the first time in my life, I’m not alone
anymore. Now I have you.”

The next few days are filled with classes and fight training. At
first, Darius didn’t want me to leave the house and attend
classes on my own, but I stand my ground. I can’t live my life in
fear just because I was kidnapped and hurt that one time. After
a long civilized discussion (which consisted of me throwing a fit
and threatening him bodily harm) he finally gave in. I suspect
he has his men watch me discreetly when I’m out on my own.
To be honest, I don’t really mind. It actually makes me feel safe
and protected. Despite being stubborn, I’m not too eager to be
getting kidnapped and getting stabbed again.

My stomach has healed nicely. There is a little raised pink scar

on my stomach, but I know pretty soon it’ll be barely
noticeable.

The fight training is strenuous. Lazarus wants us to be

physically ready for anything. Even Genesis is forced to train.
Darius and Lazarus drive us to train harder than we ever did
before. Days like these remind me that Lazarus is also one of
the best warriors and his job is to look after the safety of the
princes and the pack.

With my new strength as a lycan, I can run with the rest of

them. I know that I keep the men on their toes. I might not be
the strongest, but I’m fast and a quick learner. I’m quick to pick
up on my opponents’ weaknesses and use them to my
advantage. When I can’t beat them with my strength, I learn
quickly to strike at every little opportunity and opening I can
get.

“You’re born to be a fighter, Penny,” says Lazarus, patting my

back with pride at the end of our session this evening. I can’t
help but feel proud. My head might have expanded a bit. It’s
rare to get praise from Lazarus.
“Don’t let that get to your head, Beany,” says Caspian. “I’m
kicking your *ss tomorrow.” He just has to burst my bubbles.

“Oh yeah?” I return. “Well, I whipped your *ss today and I’m
going to...I’m going to.. kick you in the nut tomorrow!” Wow,
nice come back, Penny.

“Hey, no nut kicking!” says Constantine, grimacing as if I’ve

just kicked him there.

“That’s right. You tell her, Constantine. Royal family jewel is off
limits,” says Caspian with a big mischievous grin on his face.

Off limits? “How about me kicking your royal family jewel right
now?” I yell as I spring up with every intention of chasing him
around our 76.5 acres of training ground if I have to.

A big strong arm catches me and drags me back against a hard

unyielding chest.

“Training’s over, Malyshka,” he whispers in my ear. “How

about you, me, and a hot bath?”

“Okay,” I say meekly. Suddenly I realize how sore my muscles

are and Darius’s idea sounds a lot better than chasing Caspian
around.

“Whipped!” Caspian coughs into his hand.

I shoot him a deadly glare. Tomorrow I’ll show him how

whipped I am.
There’s a slight chill in the air this morning. It is November
and the temperature is beginning to decline. The cold wind
isn’t helping either. I pull my little jacket close as I walk
between the buildings of the faculties. This is actually the first
time I’m wearing a fall jacket and boots since I came here.

I just had a tutorial this morning. It’s 9.45 am. now and I’m
heading towards Club Espresso Degree Cafe. I promised Darius
I’ll be waiting for him there.

I’m actually a bit early. I heard from Serena that Caspian’s

erasthai is a student working part-time at the cafe. I’m hoping
to catch a glimpse of her. Serena told me that if I saw her, I’d
know right away that she’s the one. That makes me even more
curious.

I glance around as I pull the door of the cafe open. There are
not too many students here right now.

I find a seat near the window and start rooting for my phone
that I threw in my messenger bag this morning. Darius got me
a new phone a few days ago.

“Hello, what would you like to drink?”

I look up and I think my eyebrows just go all the way up to my

hairline.

Standing before me is a gorgeous girl. Serena was right when

she said that I’d know right away when I see her. Right now
there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s Caspian’s erasthai.
Somebody with eyes like that can only be Caspian’s. They’re so
unusual and look almost identical to his bright vivid green
eyes. They are surrounded by spiky long dark eyelashes. Her
long hair is silky black, a lot darker than mine. Now I know
what they mean when they say hair as black as a raven’s wings.
It is now tied back into a ponytail. You can’t miss a girl like that
anywhere and she’s a human.

There’s something else about her that lets me know she’s

Caspian’s erasthai. I can’t really put a finger on it. Maybe it’s an
aura around her. I suspect only someone who knows Caspian
as well as we do can tell, though.

Her eyes widen when she sees me. She stands there frozen with
a pen and a writing pad in her hands, staring at me
apprehensively before she starts to look around as if she’s
looking for somebody.

“He’s not here,” I tell her.

“What?” she asks in confusion, then, “Oh...” her shoulders

slumps in relief. I’ve never seen a girl so anxious at the
possibility of running into Caspian before. Usually, they flock
around him, acting silly trying to catch his attention.

I was right, that bratty prince has been harassing this poor girl.
I bite down a laugh that almost escapes my lips. This is good.
Better than good! My brain is filled with ideas on how to
torture that bratty prince. Oh, the possibilities!

“What makes you think that he might be lurking around when

you saw me here?” I ask her.

She bites her lower lip worriedly before she answers me, “I saw
you and your other friends with him before....and you look like
him.” I don’t quite understand what she means by “you look
like him” but I let it slide.

It seems like she wants to say more but she watches me warily
for a second as if trying to decide whether or not to trust me.
After a while, her curiosity gets the best of her. She looks
around as if to make sure that nobody else can hear us, then
she leans in and whispers, “I know you’re not a werewolf, but
what are you?”

She smells like a human, so I’m surprised that she knows about
werewolves.

“Lycans,” I whisper back. Her eyes widen, all colors seem to

drain from her face.

“God help me. This is not good. Nana wouldn’t be happy,” she
mutters to herself.

“You live with your Nana?” I ask her.

“No,” she answers, frowning as if she’s wondering how I know

about her Nana. “Nana’s dead.”

“Oh, I see...” I say. Well, no. Actually, I don’t see at all. Is it just
me or is Caspian’s mate is as crazy as he is?

“Nana said lycans are dangerous,” she explains. “But don’t

worry, I won’t judge. I’m sure not all lycans are dangerous.”

“Oh, but we are,” I tell her.

“Well, that’s not very reassuring,” she says, frowning again.

“So, he’s been bothering you?”

“You have no idea,” she huffs.

I grin up at her. “I’m Penny, by the way,” I introduce myself,

offering her my hand.

“My name’s Quincy,” she says, taking my hand in hers.

“Hello, Malyshka,” says a familiar voice. My heartbeat picks up

and my stomach clenches with excitement.

I quickly look up and my lips turn up into a smile instantly at

my mate. My mate. I still can’t get over it. I feel giddy every
time he’s near.

He’s looking hot in a grey peacoat jacket. His light blond hair is
windblown and his eyes are focused solely on me.

“Hi, (Лапочка) lapochka,” I chirp. His lips curl up into a smile

as he pulls out a chair and seats himself beside me. I know he’s
trying not to laugh.

I’ve been trying new terms of endearment in Russian every day

now. I know my pronunciation is crap, but you’ve got to give
me props for trying. A+ for effort.

Yesterday I called him (коровушка) korovushka and the day

before that I called him (Котик) kotik. He seemed happy and
amused by my effort but I learned from Constantine last night
that korovushka means cow, and kotik means pussycat. I knew
it! I knew I shouldn’t have asked and trusted Caspian.
Constantine assured me that those names are sweet but why
would I want to call my mate a cow or a pussycat?

Anyway, lapochka means darling or sweetheart, according to

Constantine...unless he lied to me too.

I notice Quincy staring at him with big round eyes. I almost

burst out laughing. I know the effect my mate has on women.
He looks gorgeous yet cold and intimidating. Somehow that
still attracts girls like moths to a flame.

“This is Darius,” I tell her. “Darius, this is Quincy.”

Darius gives her a polite nod.

“Can we have a cup of cappuccino and a cup of Americano?”

Cappuccino is for me and Americano is for Darius. “Also, a
grilled vegetarian panini, please,” I add, flashing Darius a
sheepish look.

“I’ll be right back with your order,” says Quincy cheerfully

before she swiftly disappears behind the counter.

“I saw you had a big breakfast this morning, Malyshka,” he

says, shaking his head in amusement.

“I have to refuel after all the grueling activities this morning.”

“I don’t recall you complaining at all early this morning.” His

voice is low and sexy, making sure that I know that he’s not
talking about our training. He leans in further and says, “In
fact, I think you ordered me not to stop.” His breath is warm
against my ear, his thigh brushing against mine. My breath
hitches and chills of pleasure run up my back. I have to fight
the urge to straddle his lap and kiss him silly.

“Oh, shut up!” I swat his thigh.

He chuckles as he catches my hand and laces his fingers

through mine. He makes sure his palm lies flat against mine.
skin against skin. He likes to do that and the hold feels very
intimate.

“Is that Caspian’s erasthai?” he asks me, tipping his head

towards where Quincy disappears.

“Yes,” I answer with a wicked smile. “Isn’t it awesome? I think

we...”

“Penny?” says a familiar voice. Oh uh... my human friends,

Amanda, Keisha, Lily, and Daniel are approaching our table.

I’ve been avoiding my human friends lately, except for Lily.

Friends isn’t exactly the right word for Amanda and Keisha,
maybe frenemy is the right word for them. For some reason,
they always seem to be seeking me out. Mean things spewing
out of their mouths makes me want to punch them in the face.

Frenemy means drama and I hate that. I’d rather be upfront. If

I don’t like you, I’ll just stay away from you. If you seek me out
and pissed me off, I’d rather punch you in the face and be done
with it. Sadly, I can’t punch those human bitches in the face
without seriously hurting them, so...no punch. That means I’m
stewing in my anger for them.

“Hi, Darius,” purrs Amanda. “It’s great to see you again.”

I feel my temperature rises. Darius just nods politely, though
his expression is unreadable.

“Hello, Penny. Hi, Darius,” says Lily, giving me a sympathetic

glance. “I see an available table over there. Let’s go.”

“I think I’d rather sit here,” declares Amanda as she takes a

seat next to Darius. “You don’t mind, do you?” she says,
smiling up at him.

“Actually, I do mind,” he answers before I could.

Amanda’s face turns red, but she juts her lips out into a pout.
“But Dee, I haven’t seen you around for so long.”

Dee? Did she just give my mate a nickname? I feel the burning
in my chest. I’m going to rip this human bitch’s face right out
off her skull.

Darius wraps his arm tightly around my waist just as a glass of

water is splashed right into Amanda’s face and the whole front
of her shirt.

“Ooopppss....sorry. My bad,” says a voice beside me. Quincy is

standing there with an empty glass. Her eyes are wide and
apologetic.

“You stupid bitch!” Amanda screeches, jumping up after she

gets over her shock.

Keisha tries to give her a napkin, but she throws it on the floor.
Lily and Daniel look like they’re holding in their laugh.
“Your manager will hear about this! I’m going to make sure he
fires your sorry *ss!” she rants.

I look up at Quincy who is still standing there after Amanda

stomped off to talk to the manager.

“What?” she asks innocently. “She just needed a cold shower.”

Chapter 37 - And Then There Are Seven

Tomorrow morning we’re flying off to Russia. Most of the stuff

I’m bringing with me is already in the luggage, except for a few
toiletries.

My bedroom and closet look like they’ve been hit by a tornado.

A brimming suitcase is on the floor in my bedroom. Shoes,
boots, and sandals are everywhere. Discarded tops, pants,
skirts, jackets, and dresses lying haphazardly on the floor and
on my bed. It’s hard to pick what to bring and what to leave
behind. Darius told me that it’s going to be cold there at this
time of the year, but there are so many light pretty dresses and
tops, not to mention open-toed shoes and cute strappy sandals
that I’d like to bring with me even though I know I shouldn’t.

Darius is also taking me out for dinner tonight. He wants to go

out in public with me as a couple before we leave for Russia
where we have to pretend like we’re nothing to each other.
We’ve been inseparable these last few days, knowing that our
time is limited. The only time we’re apart is when I attend
classes. Being with him is heavenly. Just the thought of having
to act like we’re not mates in Russia and be away from him
makes me feel sad and a little anxious.
I don’t know where he’s taking me tonight, but I want to make
sure to be dressed nicely for it. I keep trying on dresses and
discarding them on the floor until Genesis and Serena make
the decision for me.

After a nice hot shower, I dry off and put on what Genesis and
Serena picked out for me. A black lace, open backed bodycon
dress that ends a few inches above my knees. The top part of
the back and the shoulders are made entirely of sheer lace. The
back also has an opening that goes all the way down to the
waist. The front and the bottom part is covered with black silk
insert. The v neck at the front dipped low enough to show some
cleavage, but not too low to keep it classy.

Serena dries my hair and pulls it up into a curly messy bun. She
teases a few tendrils loose to frame my face.

I put on a bit more makeup than I normally do with a little

bronze eyeshadow, a light dusting of rosy shade blusher, a coat
of mascara, and a couple swipes of bright red lipstick. I rarely
wear lipstick, but tonight I want to do something different.
Tonight I want to feel sexy. I don’t think I look sexy, but hey,
A+ for effort.

A pair of diamond earrings and the medallion are my only

jewelry for the evening.

I finish everything up with a pair of black satin Manolo

Blahnik.

“You look gorgeous, darling,” comments Genesis imitating

Serena’s British accent after she glances up to give me an
inspection. She’s lounging on my bed among my clothes,
flipping through some magazines that belong to Serena.

Serena rolls her eyes and shakes her head with a small smile on
her face as she fixes the back of my dress. “You do look
gorgeous, love,” she says. “Very sexy.”

“Yes, I bet he won’t be able to take his eyes and hands off you
tonight,” Genesis remarks. Her eyes alight with excitement and
mischief.

Darius sleeps in my room and has left a few shirts in here, but
most of his stuff is still in his own bedroom. So he’s getting
ready in his own bedroom tonight. There’s no sound coming
from the room next door, so I’m guessing he’s already ready
and waiting downstairs.

Sure enough, I can hear him talking with Lazarus, Constantine,

and Caspian downstairs as soon as we step out of my bedroom.

The men are standing in the grand foyer talking quietly. They
are all so good looking. Tall and imposing. Darius is standing
in the middle of them with his back facing the staircase.

They cease talking as soon as I step down the landing. Darius

turns and I feel my breath is being knocked out of my lungs. He
looks stunning in his black suit and black dress shoes. His fair
hair is combed back and nicely styled. Underneath the suit,
he’s wearing a white shirt and a striped charcoal grey and deep
red silk tie.
His eyes widen when he sees me. They rake me slowly from top
to bottom, then back up again before they settle back to my
eyes. Something flared in his eyes when they locked with mine.

He steps forward as I descend the steps. “You look beautiful,

Malyshka,” he says before he brushes his lips on my knuckles.

Standing at the bottom of the steps with him, I’m glad he’s so
tall. Even when I’m wearing heels he still towers over me,
making me feel delicate and protected. Well, okay...so delicate
is stretching it a little bit. I’m still me. Delicate and Penny
should not be used in the same sentence.

“Go out there and have fun, kids,” says Lazarus.

“Don’t stay out too late, we’re leaving early tomorrow

morning,” reminds Constantine.

Sheesh...these two totally sound like my father. “Do we have a

curfew, dads?” I ask them.

“Yes, be home before midnight. I’ll be here waiting with my

shotgun,” says Caspian. “Young man, I’ll be watching you.” He
points his index and middle fingers to his eyes then to Darius’s
direction.

The others snicker while Darius just smirks and pulls me

towards the front door before I could say anything.

“I know something about Quincy that you don’t!” I manage to

yell before I’m being dragged outside.
Caspian’s eyes widen comically. “WHAT???” he yells back just
before the heavy front door closes behind us.

Darius quickly bundles me into the passenger seat of his

Mercedes AMG GT before he climbs in behind the wheel
himself.

Caspian comes running out the door after us. “What?” he yells.
“Beany? What???”

I see the prince pulling his hair in frustration through the

review mirror as the car speeds away down the driveway.
Darius has the same smirk on his face and I try to keep a
straight face.

“What is it that you know about Quincy that Caspian doesn’t?”

he finally asks me after some time.

“Nothing,” I answer. “I was just messing with him.”

Darius leans back in his leather seat and bursts out laughing.
Soon, I join him laughing until my side hurts.

“That’s very mean, Malyshka,” he admonishes me after he’s

done laughing. He still has an amused smile on his lips.

Thirty minutes later, we arrive at Chateau de Rouen Restaurant

Patio. Normal people would need to make a reservation a week
in advance to be able to get a table here. I don’t know when he
planned all this, but I don’t doubt he could snatch a table at a
moment’s notice.
He exits the car and quickly comes around to open the door for
me. His eyes linger on my face before they stray to my legs as I
unfold myself out of the car. I raise an eyebrow as he openly
ogles my exposed legs. He’s unashamed and unapologetic.

He doesn’t move away when I finally unfold myself out of the

cream leather seat. Instead, he leans in until his lips almost
touching my ear. “It’s all part of the benefit of having a mate,
Malyshka,” he whispers. “To be able to look at what’s mine
anywhere, anytime I want.”

The hostess seems to know who we are as soon as we enter the

restaurant. She’s very professional, yet her eyes linger a bit too
long on my mate for my liking.

As we are being escorted by the hostess to our table, Darius

places his hand possessively on the small of my back. His hand
feels warm and intimate on my bare skin, making body tingles
all over.

I feel the eyes of other patrons following us as we make our way

to our table. Some whip their head so fast to give us a second
look that I thought they would sprain their neck muscles. Who
could blame them? My mate is gorgeous. Strikingly good
looking.

Serena told me that we make a very good looking couple just

before we left the house, but I somehow doubt it.

I know I’m not ugly. I mean, compared to garden gnomes, I

think I’d win by a little more margin than usual tonight but I’m
not anywhere near as good looking as my mate. They say
surround yourself with ugly looking people to make yourself
look good. I think I’m totally doing this the wrong way.
Unfortunately, you can’t control who you love.

The dinner goes quickly and I think we look pretty decent and
normal to the people around us. If only they knew the truth.
We talk about pretty mundane stuff, but his legs are pressed
against mine underneath the table making my heartbeat race.
When our eyes locked, the hunger in his eyes makes my mouth
dry and my skin heats up. He watches me like a predator
watching its prey. His eyes watch me intently as I put the food
in my mouth. His heated gaze travels from my mouth to my
throat as I take a sip of my drink. My skin sizzles as if he
physically touched me. The air around us feels thick sizzles
with electricity.

“Let’s order dessert,” he says suddenly. Now I realize why our

dinner seems to go very quickly. He waved off soup and salad
earlier. Now we’re almost done with our main course.
Somebody is in a hurry to get home.

“Okay, (плохо́й ма́льчик) plokhoy mal’chik,” I tell him, so

proud that I managed to remember the words and he promptly
bursts out laughing.

What? I just stare at him in puzzlement. It’s not good when

you’re trying to call your mate with sweet endearment and he
laughs at you. That’s not really a response I was looking for.

To be fair, he’s been looking like he’s trying not to laugh for
days now every time I try new terms of endearment in Russian
for him. Tonight’s the only time he openly laughs like this.
Now I’m miffed that he laughed at my attempt to find a
Russian nickname for him.

“Don’t be mad. I love it when you call me with those sweet

names, Malyshka,” he assures me.

“Really?” I ask him glumly. If he liked it, why did he laugh?

“Yes, really,” he answers. “I love it. Especially when you call me

a bad boy....I’m your bad boy,” he says, looking very
amused....and trying hard not to laugh. Again.

Bad boy? Is that what those words really mean???

Serena told me that it’s legit sweet and that’s what she calls
Lazarus sometimes when they’re alone. I’m going to kill her!

That’s it! I’m done with trying to find him a sweet Russian
nickname. Everybody seems to be having too much fun with
this at my expense. Even Serena! I can’t believe it!

“Come on, don’t be mad, Malyshka. I really love it that you call
me with all those sweet Russian words,” he whispers as he
leans forward and places his warm hand on my thigh.

I take a sharp breath when his hand travels all the way up
underneath my dress. The tips of his fingers almost touching
the hem of my lacy panties. My breathing speeds up. My skin is
burning up for him.

I close my eyes and whisper, “Tu me vuelves loca.”

When I open my eyes again, he’s staring at me. His eyes intent
and glittering, almost black.

“Quiero hacer el amor,” I continue breathlessly. My heart is

beating like the wings of a trapped bird in my chest.

“Check, please!” he snaps at a passing waiter, his eyes never

leaving mine.

“Wait, you understand that?” I ask him as he practically drags

me out of the restaurant and into the car so fast, my head is
reeling. I was speaking Spanish! He could not have understood
that.

“When you live as long as I have, you tend to pick up a few

languages,” he answers with a mocking smile. “It proves to be
useful...especially now.”

Darn it! I only said those words out loud because I thought he
couldn’t understand me.

“By the way, you sounded so sexy, mi amor,” his voice low and
seductive. My knees go weak. I think I’ve melted into a puddle.

Needless to say, the drive back is very fast. Once in a while, he

would glance at me. His eyes hold promises and warnings of
things he would do to me when we get home. I can’t wait!

We arrive home in record time. As soon as he gets me out of

the car, he places his hands on my waist and his mouth starts
to kiss and nibble on my neck. Only after we get inside do I
notice that the whole house is in total darkness. The backyard,
however, is brightly lit.
“What’s happening? What’s going on?” I ask him.

He lifts his head from my neck, looks around, and groans,

“Why me?”

“You knew about this?” What is it?” I ask him again.

“Yeah, they’ve discussed it with me. Initiation into the pack,”

he says sullenly. “Why does it have to be tonight of all nights?”
He sounds like a sullen little boy being denied his favorite
treat. I hear him muttering something about cockblocking
under his breath and I swat his arm while trying not to laugh.
“Behave!” I tell him.

“Didn’t anybody tell you good things come to those who wait,
mi amor,” I tell him. His eyes darken considerably at my
words.

“Did I tell you, you sound so sexy when you call me that?” he
growls in my ear.

I swat his arm again. Harder this time. “Tonight’s the last night
before we fly off to Russia. It has to be tonight.”

He rubs his arm and mumbles something about hot violent

mate under his breath. “But I need you,′ he groans. “Now.”

“I thought you had an ironclad self-control,” I tease him.

“Self-control be damned. I need to have you writhing with

pleasure underneath me. I need to feel your skin against mine.
I need to hear you yell my name, and only my name when I’m
inside you.” His voice is deep and husky. His body is warm and
hard behind me.

All of a sudden, I have a mental image of us wild in bed. Arms,

legs, and bodies tangled together. My whole body feels warm
and my stomach clenches.

“Let’s go. Let’s get this done,” he says as he propels me

forward. I can see his lips tug up into a smug smile.

Darn it! Darius = 1, Penny = 0

I walk quickly forward then I drop down to my knees in front of

him just before we reach the back door. I look up at him with a
wicked smile on my lips. His eyes widen and his smile wanes.

Oh, the confused but hopeful look in his eyes!

I place my hand on his thigh then I casually slip off my shoes.

“I don’t want to walk out on the sandy beach in my high heels,”
I inform him as I stand up and turn around to walk out of the
back door. Penny = 1, Darius = 1.

His hand clamps on my arm before I can get any further and he
pulls me hard against his muscular body. He wraps his arm
around me and his lips swoop down on mine with all the pent-
up hunger. My legs almost give way. His tongue slips into my
mouth to slide and tangle with mine. A delicious wave of
pleasure engulfs my body. My heart thunders in my chest. He
sucks and nibbles on my bottom lip as if he can’t get enough. I
deepen the kiss, sucking his lips and the low sexy moan coming
from his throat makes me press my core right against his hard
thigh. My whole body goes up in flame.
“After this, Malyshka...I will take you back to our room and
lock the door. Then I will show you over and over again that
you’re mine to do as I want,” he whispers against my lips. “And
you will beg me to do it over and over again,” he adds before he
lets me go.

Okay, Penny = back to 0, Darius = 1000000 x infinity.

He takes my hand firmly in his and together we follow the

flickering tiki lights that lead the path down to the beach.

I try to calm my heartbeat. The ocean wind feels cool against

my heated skin. The sand feels soft under my feet as we make
our way down our private stretch of the beach.

When we reach the top of the dune, I can see five silhouettes
standing in the distance by the tall bonfire.

The moon is luminous and the stars are flickering against the
inky night sky. The reflection of the moon is brilliant in the
dark, ominous sea.

We walk further down the sandy beach and reach our waiting
friends. Their perfect faces and figures aglow warm and golden
from the raging bonfire and the tiki lights.

I can feel the warmth of the tall bonfire dancing in the wind. It
is crackling and popping. The smell of the wood burning fire
mixed with the salty wind from the ocean fills the air.

“Darius and Persephone Rykov, now it’s time for you follow our
path, to take your oath to be part of this pack,” says Caspian
above the sound of the rolling waves crashing the shore.
Lazarus, who is holding a copper chalice, steps forward to
stand beside Caspian. The chalice looks like an antique with
carvings of a crown flanked by a lycan and a wolf. It has strange
symbols carved around the edge.

“Do you agree to be a member of this pack and do you agree to

take this oath willingly?” asks Constantine as he takes his place
next to Caspian. In both hands, he carries a very old looking
dagger with symbols on the blade. The handle is embedded
with a brilliant red ruby surrounded by gleaming emeralds.

“Yes,” Darius and I answered simultaneously.

Serena moves forward and drops a lighted match into the

chalice. The fire flares then turn into a strange brilliant blue
flame. Then she steps back to stand beside Lazarus while
Genesis takes her place next to Constantine.

Caspian nods and Constantine hands him the knife.

Caspian holds the blade up, then he cuts a small line in the
middle of his palm. “This blood symbolizes our lives, our vows,
and my bond to you and yours to me,” he announces.

“Follow my lead and repeat after me,” he says before he tilts his
already healing hand and lets a drop of his blood falls into the
goblet. Suddenly the flame burns bright. It pops and fizzles,
then turns back into the blue flame again.

“I swear my allegiance to you, as the member of my pack. Our

souls are linked. You are privy to my feelings and senses, the
keeper of my secrets. I pledge you my protection, in my honor.
My loyalty shall be yours. My strength shall quell your
weakness, my courage shall absolve your fear. This is my
pledge to you,” he recites. He then hands me the dagger.

I wrap my hand around the handle and make a small cut in the
middle of my palm. As soon as my blood drops in the chalice,
the fire glows brilliantly before it crackles and pops and settles
down into the blue flame again. The flame seems bigger and
brighter now somehow.

Caspian recites the oath again and I repeat after him. My palm
is already healing even before I finish reciting the oath. After
I’m done, he nods solemnly and leans in to drop a brotherly
kiss on my cheek.

I pass the dagger to Darius and he does the same thing. After
he’s done reciting the pledge, they both nod and give each
other a manly hug.

This, we repeat with Constantine, Genesis, Lazarus and finally

with Serena.

This pledge affects me deeply. I feel my soul connected with

each and every one of them, not quite like the way it’s
connected to Darius’s but I can feel them. Deep in my bones.

I just pledged my life, my soul, my loyalty, and my honor to

these lycans and my mate and they did the same to me. None of
us take this pledge lightly.

This pledge might take us all to our deaths, but I wouldn’t have
it any other way. This is my family.
Genesis pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m so happy,” she squeaks
tearfully and almost inaudibly. Serena soon joins in, followed
by all the others.

*(Spanish) Tu me vuelves loca = You’re driving me crazy.

* (Spanish) Quiero hacer el amor = I want to make love to you.

*(Spanish) Mi amor = My love.

Chapter 38 - Love Shackle

Warm pleasant tingles on my cheek make my eyelids flutter

open. My mate is lying in bed with me, watching me with a
strange look in his eyes. The back of his finger is softly
skimming my jawline.

We came back to his room last night since my own bedroom

was in such a chaos. We barely slept. He kept his promise to
show me that I’m his, to do as he wants. Over and over and
over again.

I’m still feeling sleepy. I can’t believe how awake and alert he’s
looking already. How long has he been awake?

“Hey,” I say, smiling.

“Good morning,” he answers.

“What time is it?”

“It’s a little after six.” He’s still looking thoughtful, his eyes
never waver from my face. As a mate, I should be able to feel
his feelings unless he’s blocking it. A lot of the time I can’t
sense anything. The wall that he built around his feelings is
impenetrable. It bothers me that he wouldn’t share his feelings.
It hurts a little. It feels like he’s shutting me out.

I stare at him for a while, trying to figure things out. I don’t

know what he’s thinking.

“We have to go soon,” I state instead, trying not to pry. Our

plane is planned to leave this morning. We should have left a
week ago, but we put it off until the last minute. We figured the
less time we spend there, the better.

He just nods but doesn’t say anything.

So, okay...I’m not good at not prying. “What are you thinking?”
I ask him. See? I can totally do subtle.

“Nothing,” he says broodily. His eyes are now following his

finger that’s tracing lightly down my throat until it reaches the
chain that holds the medallion. I’m sure he can feel my pulse
jumps under his touch. His finger presses harder on the chain
and follows it until it reaches the medallion that’s resting
against my cleavage.

I can’t read him at all now. I hate this feeling. This feeling like
our souls aren’t connected and we’re not even in Russia yet.
This feeling is pissing me off.

I push myself out of the bed roughly, and he quickly sits up.
The sheet pools around his waist. I move further away and his
hand shoots up to grab my wrist, trying to stop me from
putting the distance between us. I pull my hand out of his grip
and stand there defiantly in my naked glory, searching the floor
for my dress. I can’t see it anywhere. I remember us peeling
each other’s clothes wildly last night. I spot his shirt lying on
the floor instead, so I put that on and start to button up,
ignoring him.

“Persephone,” he says.

I feel him letting his guard down and sense his swirling of
emotions. None of them are pleasant. My heart softens at the
lost, haunted look in his eyes. This man needs me.

I walk back to the bed and crawl to his side. “Talk to me, Dar.
Don’t shut me out.”

He lays his head back on the pillow with a sigh. The back of one
hand covers his eyes. He stays like that in silence for a while.
Only his breathing tells me that he’s not asleep.

“I don’t want to take you back to Banehallow Palace. I want you

as far away from there as possible,” he finally says. He pulls his
hand away and turns his head to look at me. “Once we’re there,
I have to stay away from you and I hate that. I don’t want to
stay away from you.”

Suddenly I realize something. I can destroy this man. I have

the power crush him completely just he can do the same to me.

“There, are you happy now?” he asks me as if he regrets his

confession. This time he shifts his whole body to face me. The
muscles in his arms flex when he moves.
“Happy?” I ask him in puzzlement. I’m too distracted by his
amazing naked body to fully comprehend his last question. My
eyes drift from his arm to his wide shoulder, down to his
impressive pecs, down to his flat abs and down...

“Malyshka, focus,” he says, tilting my face up with his fingers

under my chin. I see a hint of a smile on his lips before I bring
my eyes back up to look into his. “I’m supposed to be a tough
warrior, yet I’m whining about having to stay away from my
mate. Is that what you want to hear?”

“Yes!” I grin up into his eyes. “That’s exactly what I want to

hear.”

“What are you doing to me, Malyshka?” he groans. His arm

snakes around me to pull me down. I press my face into his
shoulder and take a deep breath. His smell is so addictive.

“Dar?” I pull back a bit after a while.

“Dar, huh?” he asks me, one of his eyebrows lifts up. I reach
out to trace his firm bottom lip with my index finger. His eyes
light up in amusement.

“Yeah, short for Darius...short for darling,” I inform him

casually. I feel his lip moves underneath my finger as it
stretches into a wider smile while heat flares in his eyes.

“Dar...I like that,” he says it slowly as if testing the sound of it

himself. “Though I like it better when you call me mi amor.” He
reaches out and places a kiss on my fingertip.
Pffttt...call him mi amor now and we’ll never get out of this bed
today.

“Dar,” I try again, not willing to be easily sidetracked this time.

“Why are you keeping your feelings from me? Are you trying to
put up a barrier between us? Is that why?”

“No, Malyshka. I’m sorry, I never wanted to put up a barrier

between us. It’s just one of a downside of being a warrior.”

I keep my eye on him, silently waiting for him to continue.

“There are lycans out there with the ability to detect all other
lycans’ feelings. They use it to find out where your true loyalty
lies, to find your weakness and use it against you. We were
trained to lock our feelings. It’s being hammered into us since
we started training that it became our second nature. Still, you
managed to get past my barrier sometimes,” he stops to give
me a tender smile.

“Do me a favor, Malyshka. I want you to do the same when we

get to Russia. Keep your feelings locked away. Do you think you
can do that for me?”

“Anything for you, mi amor.”

His lips stretch into a wider smile, his eyes light up wickedly.
“Anything?”

“Anything...”

“In that case, do you think we have time for a quicky?” His lips
start to attack my neck with soft kisses and nibbles that make
me giggle and squirm. His fuzzy morning stubble is tickling
me.

“Come on, we need to get ready. We’re leaving soon,” I say

between giggles, trying to push him away. Well, okay...half-
heartedly trying to push him away.

“You’re right,” he says regretfully pulling back.

“I think it’s time for me to give this to you for safekeeping,” I

tell him as I undo the clasp of the chain that holds the
medallion. My heart feels heavy. I feel like I’m giving a piece of
him away as I place it around his neck.

“It belongs to you, Malyshka. It always belongs to you,” he says

before he reaches over to take something out of the drawer of
his nightstand. He then places it on my lap. A red box with gold
cursive lettering on it. A Cartier box.

“Will you do me a favor? Will you wear this for me?” he asks as
he opens the box. Nestled inside is a white gold love bracelet
with screw motifs and glittering diamonds. “It’s a symbol of my
commitment to you...and also to assure myself that you’re mine
even when I can’t announce to the world that you belong to
me.”

I hold my hand up so that he can put in on me with the

screwdriver that comes with it.

“It’s beautiful,” I tell him as I hold my wrist up. “A love

shackle...I should’ve gotten you one.”
“If you want. I don’t mind...but without the diamonds, please?”
He grins as he kisses the inside of my wrist.

Twenty minutes later, I’m back in my room. It’s a relief to see

that all my clothes and shoes are neatly put away. The floor of
my bedroom and closet is clear again. My bed is neatly made.
My luggage is still on the floor, but it is now nicely zipped up. It
is so full, though. I wonder if our housekeeper had to sit on top
of it in order to zip it up.

Honestly, I would’ve brought my cow mug and even the kitchen

sink with me if I could fit them in my bag.

I brush my teeth, take a quick shower and pull the outfit I

already set aside to be worn for today. A smokey grey off
shoulder knitted sweater, black leggings, and a pair of black
uggs. I put my slightly damp hair up in a messy bun. I’d rather
dress comfortably rather than fashionably for traveling.

I quickly stuffed in an extra top, underwear, a rust color knitted

scarf, a lipgloss, a cell phone, sunglasses, and several other
things that I might need into my traveling tote bag. This is my
carry on. Lastly, I drape my dark grey Burberry fur trimmed
duffel coat over the bag and sling it over my shoulder before I
step out.

Darius is waiting for me just outside my door. He’s in a white t-

shirt and blue jeans with a pair of brown leather brogue boots.
He’s clean shaven and his hair is nicely combed and still
slightly damp from the shower. His eyes are bright icy blue as
they stare at me and he smells like heaven. I’m swooning at the
sight of him. He leans in to give me a brief sweet kiss on the
lips before he takes my hand in his and we make our way
downstairs.

My pack members are unusually quiet this morning. Either the

enormity of the danger we’re about to face in Russia is on their
minds or it’s still too early in the morning for their brain to
start functioning properly. I’m guessing the latter, especially
for Caspian and Genesis.

Two black Bentley SUVs are already waiting outside to take us

to the airport. Caspian, Lazarus, and Serena climb into the first
SUV while Darius leads me to get into the second one with
Genesis and Constantine. He stays outside of the vehicle to talk
quietly to our two drivers. He looks like he’s in charge and
those two look more like warriors than regular drivers.

Constantine wraps his arms around Genesis and she promptly

falls asleep again. My friend is definitely not a morning person.
She is worse than I am.

“Those men aren’t regular drivers, are they?” I ask Constantine

quietly.

“No. Those are his men,” answers Constantine. I don’t know

what to feel about this. The reality of it all just about hitting
me. From this point on, we’ll be surrounded by security. It’ll
get worse when we reach Russia. There will be eyes watching
our every movement. The casual easy going atmosphere we
always enjoy while we’re in North America will be gone.

When Darius climbs in next to me a few minutes later, I slip

my hand into his and lean closer to him. I think he can sense
my anxiousness. He squeezes my hand reassuringly and kisses
the top of my head. A strong sense of calm and completeness
slowly envelopes me like a warm familiar blanket and I sigh in
contentment as I rest my head on his shoulder. All lycans have
the ability to control other’s feelings, either to intimidate or to
calm them down. He’s using his power to shroud me with
comfort. The car moves and I say goodbye to our blue sky and
beautiful home in California.

The private jet that we’re on today is different from the one we
usually use. The flight crews are different too. I don’t know if
this is related to our security and safety. The plane is still very
nice, just not as fancy.

I sit with Genesis and Serena at the front since our men seem
to be busy on their phones and laptops as soon as we safely
take off.

An hour after we take off, Darius calls everybody to convene for

a brief meeting.

Genesis, Serena and I sit next to each other on the sofa,

Caspian drapes himself on a chair opposite of us like he has no
care in the world, while Constantine sits on a chair next to him
looking alert. Darius and Lazarus remain standing on the aisle
between the seats.

“In our current situation, I think it’s very important to keep

each other abreast at all time. I won’t sugar coat anything
because I don’t think that would do us any favor,” starts
Darius. “I have an update on Iron Bossman’s interrogation that
you should know.
“We have bad news and good news,” he continues. “Bad news
is, Iron Bossman does have a Russian connection. Good news
is, he doesn’t know much about Persephone. He
underestimated her importance to the pack. He even called
Persephone a “werewolf pet of the lycan pack”. Bossman was
told to keep an eye on the pack, but he took it upon himself to
order his men to kidnap and kill my mate as a warning and to
intimidate the whole pack.” His jaw tensed up as he says this.
I’m very sure I know the fate of Iron Bossman after they finish
interrogating him.

“That brings us to more bad news, unfortunately. Now we

know that there’s a threat to the Prince as well as the whole
pack,” he explains. “Right now we don’t know who hired him
since his connection was brutally murdered just yesterday. I’m
sure Bossman will be killed too as soon as we let him out.”

“If we ever let him out,” adds Caspian, exchanging a wicked but
grim smile with Darius. Constantine and Lazarus nod in
agreement.

Everybody goes very quiet after that exchange, absorbing this

new information. After a while, Lazarus says, “These people are
obviously very unscrupulous and cunning in covering their
tracks. They have eyes and ears everywhere. Therefore we
cannot slip up. We have to be on our toes.”

Darius tips his chin up in agreement. “Trust nobody outside the

pack. Keep your feelings to yourselves, but keep an open
communication between ourselves.”

“I propose we have brief meetings every evening in my

chamber. Keep each other up to date. Report anything amiss or
suspicious,” suggests Caspian before we adjourn. He’s looking
bored now, but we all know that everything weights heavily on
his mind.

After the meeting, Darius is on the phone and the laptop again.
So are Constantine and Lazarus. I wonder if they’re going to be
this busy all the time when we get to the Palace. I guess he’s
preparing his team for our arrival and ironing out security
details.

I’m about to join Genesis and Serena at the front when I see
Caspian staring morosely out the window. His hair that’s
usually glossy and perfect, always nicely styled is now messy,
so unlike the Prince Caspian that I know. Oh, he’s still dressed
very stylishly, but his hair looks like he’s been running his
fingers through it countless of times. I’m guessing he’s thinking
about his erasthai, Quincy that he left behind.

Oh, boy...the prince is whipped, but right now I don’t have the
heart to tease him about it.

“Hey,” I squeeze his shoulder. “I saw her a couple of days ago. I

have a good feeling about her. I like her.”

“You do?” He raises his eyes to look at me briefly before he

stares out the window again. “How can I bring her into this,
Beany? I can’t bring her life into danger,” he says, looking like a
petulant royal brat that he is. “I used to be so mad at Darius for
keeping you at arm’s length, but now I understand where he’s
coming from. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her.”

I put my hands on his shoulders and dig my thumbs between

his shoulder blades, trying to loosen the tight knots. “She
should be informed. She should not be kept in the dark,” I tell
him. “Don’t cut her off or ignore her even if you think it’s for
her own good. You’d hurt her more than anything. It’s her
choice. Let it be her choice, Caspian.”

“Well, right now she wants nothing to do with me,” he pouts.

“Good things are hard to get,” I tell him.

“When did you get to be so wise?”

“Since forever,” I inform him while ruffling his hair even more
before I saunter away to look for my mate who’s been on the
phone for too long now.

“Hey, Beany!” he calls after me. I turn around to look at him

and he says, “You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?”

“You bet I’m not!” We both grin at each other. I know he loves
me like a pesky little sister and I love him like an annoying big
brother, but we’re both put on this earth to make each other’s
life a little bit harder. You just can’t deny your true life’s
calling.

Chapter 39 - Surviving Your Highness

I walk to the back of the plane where Darius is still on the

phone. His magnificent body is draped casually in the plush
leather seat, while his long legs are crossed at the ankle. His
eyes are tracking my movement while he keeps talking quietly
but rapidly in Russian. His expression looks sexily playful but
his tone of voice remains serious. I wish I knew what he’s
saying.
Note to self: learn to speak Russian.

Two whole minutes, I’m still standing in front of him as he

continues talking. I bat my eyelashes and I pout. His lips twitch
into a tiny reluctant smile.

Admittedly, his heated gaze has never left my body once since
the moment I made my way to him a while ago, but I need
more than that from my mate today. Pretty soon we’ll be in
Russia and...and I don’t want to think about what’s going to
happen there.

I reach up and release my hair from its constraint so that it

comes tumbling down my shoulders and my back. I lift a
shoulder up so that the wide neck of the sweater slides off
lower. His eyes zone in on the exposed skin appreciatively, then
they leisurely survey my body till I feel like I was standing there
naked in front of him. He watches me with amusement like I’m
doing a striptease for his entertainment while he keeps talking
on the phone.

Gah! What does a girl need to do to get some attention around

here? I put my hands on my waist, prop my right hip forward
and tap my foot impatiently. Really? Do I have to strip down to
my knickers?

Fine! Whatever! See if I care. Well, I don’t. Obviously! I flip my

hair and whirl around. Hah! I’ll go talk to my besties who are
probably more eager for my company...or watch a movie..or
play candy crush...or something.

I managed to take a step before a powerful arm wrap around

my middle and I’m being tugged back against a hard chest.
“Where do you think you’re going, (душа моя) Dusha moya?”
he asks, nuzzling my ear from behind.

“Clearly, my company is not wanted. Go on, keep talking on the

phone,” I tell him while trying to wiggle out of his hold. He
grazes his lips and the tip of his nose down my neck and I
shiver from the chills of pleasure that streaks down my back.

“Who says you’re not wanted?” he says before he kisses and

playfully nibbles my skin. Chills of pleasure bloom into sparks
of heat and ecstasy that spread across my entire body. “You
provided me the most magnificent view...even the most
mundane business talk becomes exciting,” he continues
huskily. His voice thick with the Russian accent. His warm firm
lips start trailing kisses on the skin along my neck down to my
collarbone and across my exposed shoulder.

“What does Dusha..ummm...Dusha..what?” I’m struggling to

think.

“Dusha moya...my soul,” he whispers against my skin. I think

I’m melting.

I’m supposed to be mad at him, am I not? I should stay mad.

Uuummm...why am I mad again?

He bends down and places one arm around my back and

another behind my knees and I instinctively wrap my arms
around his neck. As he effortlessly he lifts me up, I look up into
his glacier blue eyes and our gaze remains locked until he sits
down on the seat at the back with me on his lap. Our faces are
only inches apart. My heart always goes crazy every time our
eyes meet. Right now I can hear my heart thundering in my
ears and my stomach rolls with excitement. His intense
smoldering stare moves from my eyes to my lips. My own eyes
are drawn to his firm pink lips and I want to taste them again.

He leans in and claims my mouth with his. My lips tingle from

the heat and electricity that explode every time we touch and I
open my mouth willingly to let his tongue plunders inside. I
shudder at the jolt of pleasure that zaps through me and I hear
him groan as our tongues tangle and dance together. His arms
tighten around me and my fingers grab a fistful of his hair as
our kiss grows more urgent and intense. His hand slips
underneath my sweater to touch my heated bare skin and mold
me closer to him like he couldn’t get enough of me. I can’t get
enough of him. His scent, the touch of his hand on my body,
the feel of his mouth on my mouth and my skin, his taste on my
tongue.

I think it’s a long time later when he finally pulls back. His
hand cradles the back of my neck as he rests his forehead
against mine. His other hand is still resting on the bare skin of
my back underneath my sweater.

Everything is quiet except for our labored breathing and the

steady drone of the engine. I think the others are giving us
some time and privacy by staying at the front of the plane.
Most of them are probably asleep anyway since we got up very
early this morning. Too bad this plane doesn’t have bedrooms
like the other one.

“You must be getting tired. You should get some sleep,

Malyshka.” He drops a quick chaste kiss on my swollen lips.
We both probably had about two hours of sleep at the most,
last night.
“No, I’m not tired,” I deny. Honestly, I’m feeling wide awake.
Very wide awake.

“Then just lie down with me,” he says, smiling indulgingly as he

lowers our seats into a full lying position and pulls me to him
until my cheek is resting on his chest. I will stay awake and
savor this moment in his arms. My hand automatically reaches
out to play with his fair silky locks.

A sudden thought occurs to me.“Dar? How would you sleep

when I’m not around?” He doesn’t sleep well when I’m not with
him. His nightmare will hound him when I’m not in his arms at
night.

“Don’t worry about me, Malyshka. I’ll be okay.”

“But you need your sleep.” I know he’d been surviving without
me for so long, but I don’t want him to suffer like that again
now that he has me.

“I’ll figure something out, sweetheart. Just rest.” He kisses the

top of my head.

I try not to think of what I’d do without his arms wrapped

securely around me like this at night. Falling asleep with his
scent and his warm body enveloping me, his steady heartbeat
in my ear....so safe, so comfortable, so...home.

“We’re almost there, Malyshka. We’ll be landing soon,” he says.

My eyelids flutter open to look straight into his glacier blue
eyes. I’ve fallen asleep despite my effort to stay awake. The
reality behind what he just said hits me. Our moment together
is almost over. Soon, we have to pretend like we don’t belong to
each other. Like we’re not half of each other’s souls. His eyes
say it all.

“Darius,” I say, sitting up quickly in a moment of panic and

despair. No, not yet. I’m not ready.

His hand comes up to tangle in my hair at the back of my head

and pull me to him until our lips meet. Without hesitation, I
kiss him back with everything that I have in me. He cups my
face firmly in his hands as he deepens the kiss. I open my
mouth for his tongue to invade my mouth and tangle with my
own. I wind my arms around his neck and his hands drop to
my hips to yank me into his lap until I’m straddling him. Even
then, we’re desperately pulling each other close, straining to
get closer as if we can’t get close enough.

“Malyshka, you are my life. Promise me you stay safe. Promise

me you keep your emotions hidden. Stay close to at least one of
our pack mates at all time,” he says.

I just nod my head.

“Now, go clean up. You need to get my scent off you.”

I reluctantly get up and grab my tote bag. He gets up with me

and grips my hips tightly as if he’s unwilling to let me go as he
leads me to the washroom.
At the door, he turns me around to face him and quickly
presses his lips to mine before he shoves me into the
reasonably sized cubicle. I place my hand on my chest, trying to
steady my heartbeat.

The washroom is nice with a small glass-covered shower, a

sink, a toilet, and even a small seating by the window. There
are rolled up fluffy white towels on the counter by the sink.

I steal a quick glance at the mirror. My hair is wild from his

fingers running through it and my lips are red and swollen
from our kisses.

I place my bag on the seat, unroll the bath mat by my feet and
proceed to take a quick shower.

I quickly towel dry and comb my hair. I put on fresh

underwear, slip my black leggings back on, pulls on a black
long sleeve t-shirt, and drape my rust colored scarf around my
neck and slip on my uggs. I fold and put everything else into
my bag except for my duffel coat.

When I join the others at the front, Darius is nowhere in sight.

He’s probably cleaning up too.

A few minutes later he steps out from the back in his full
uniform. This time with a black royal army trench coat with
brown fur lapel collars. He somehow looks bigger and more
formidable. His hands are in tan leather gloves. His fair blond
hair is sleeked and covered by an army hat. His handsome face
is a mask of indifference, a beautiful cold chiseled perfection
carved out of a marble. Aloof and unreadable. He looks so
handsome yet like a stranger. No longer my Darius.
He sits in a seat at the front on the other side of the aisle from
mine as we prepare for landing.

His eyes flicker to mine. For endless minutes we only stare at

each other. His eyes are cold, but I know mine are full of
longing. I know I have to reign it in. I should not show
emotion. I promised him I would keep my emotions hidden.

As I feel the wheel hitting the ground, I tear my gaze away from
him and look straight ahead. I take a deep breath and focus on
building a wall around my feelings. I will keep everything in.
I’m doing this for my mate, my pack mates, and myself. Our
safety and our lives may depend on it. I feel Genesis covering
my hand with hers. She gives my hand a gentle squeeze. I
return her squeeze and keep my face a stony unreadable mask.

He’s right here in front of me, yet I’m missing him already.

Oh, grow a pair, Penny! It’s not like we’re not going to see each
other again. We’ll be crossing paths. We just need to pretend
like we’re acquaintances instead of mates. That’s all. Yup!
That’s all...easy peasy.

It’s already dark in Russia. Light fluffy white flakes are slowly
drifting down from the sky. The ground is already covered with
a light dusting of the snow.

I can see that we’re not at a regular airport. It looks like we’re
at an air force base somewhere.

I shrug my Burberry coat on before we get off the plane.

Darius disembarks the plane first, followed by Caspian and me
with the rest right behind us. Men in uniform are waiting for us
on the ground. Caspian winds my arm through his and covered
my hand with his gloved one as we descend the steps of the
stairway.

I see Darius being greeted by his men while we are surrounded

by Palace’s security. He turns to us and slightly tips his head
down while touching the brim of his hat before turning to his
men, then he’s off without looking back. They are heading
towards one of the big black SUVs at the back, while the rest of
us are being swept away into a waiting armored black
limousine.

I try so hard not to turn around to catch the last glimpse of him
before we get in the gleaming black car. It’s so hard though. It
feels like a piece of me is already missing. As soon as the car
door is closed behind us, I look back but he and his men are no
longer there.

There are several black cars and SUVs in front and behind us.
They are our security detail. I know he must be in one of those
cars.

I’m quite used to having royal motorcade while we’re here, but
we usually only have two or three cars with us, never this
many.

“Relax, Beany,” says Caspian. “You’re going to break my

delicate hand very soon if you don’t relax your hold.”

I turn to look at the prince beside me. He’s sitting back, looking
bored and unconcerned though our hands are intertwined.
Now I notice how tightly I’m gripping his gloved hand. I
quickly let go of his hand and sit back, trying to relax.

The car moves and as soon as I feel like my limbs are starting
to relax a bit, Caspian takes out a handkerchief from the inside
pocket of his jacket.

He proceeds to rub the little silk cloth it all over my face and
my arms. “What are you doing???” I shriek while trying to
scoot away from him, which is not very far since we’re trapped
in the limo. Genesis, Constantine, and Serena start laughing,
while Lazarus is looking outside the car, smirking.

“I’m trying to get my scent all over you...unless you would

prefer me to do it the old-fashioned way. I don’t think Darius
would be too happy with that though.”

Oh, gosh, the torture has just begun. I think his royal highness
is looking way too happy to be doing this. I suspect this is a
payback for messing with him the other day...or the day before
that..or the week before that.

“Now what are you doing?” I almost yell at him as he pulls out
my used undies from my tote bag.

“Trying to get your scent all over me,” he answers with a big
naughty grin.

Ugghhh!!!! “EEwwwww!!!! NO!” I wail. I think I hear the sound

of the delicate lacy little fabric tear as I grab it out of his hand.

I hear the others laughing and snickering.

“I swear, your fascination with women’s underwear is
unhealthy, Caspian,” I snap at him while shoving my
underwear deep into my bag.

“Yeah, I think it’s quite worrisome,” agrees Genesis.

“Nah, it’s quite normal,” he says dismissively. “You know, as

my mate, I think you should act more loving, and meek, and
agreeable, and oh, did I mention loving? Yeah, loving,” he says.
“Maybe you should start by calling me prince hottie, or prince
gorgeous, or better yet, prince perfect, prince sexy, hot cakes,
hot stuff, stud muffin, mister wonderful, my hunky prince,
or...”

“How about lamb chop, your highness?” I ask him sweetly.

“Because you’re about to be turned into one...very soon.”

“Hey, now! No threatening your perfect, amazing, gorgeous

dear mate.”

Now we have a new problem. How am I going to survive our

time here without strangling the future king who’s supposed to
be my beloved mate?

It takes almost an hour to reach Banehallow Palace from the

airport. I’m about ready to tear my hair out by the roots. The
prince is unbelievable tonight....and I don’t mean it in a good
way.

Not until we’re almost there that I realize what he’s doing. In
his sick twisted way, Caspian is getting my mind off Darius. For
the length of the drive, I almost forgot to be sad about not
being with Darius. Caspian is doing well. Only too well. Good
thing I haven’t kick him in the nuts.

The Palace is massive, surrounded by 197 acres of well-

manicured private gardens and field and also untended
meadows and wooded area. The palace itself has over 785
rooms, 300 of those are bedrooms for the Royals, guests, and
staffs.

We usually have the entire left wing of the palace to ourselves.

Our pack stays close together with our bedchambers almost
next to each other and Caspian’s massive bedchamber at the
center of it. We have our own media room, offices, drawing
room, private dining room, and training room. Constantine
and Genesis even have their own studio...for doing real
painting!

This part of the palace is always left empty unless there are
huge celebrations or parties being held and they need to use
the rooms to house royal guests and dignitaries.

According to Constantine, when he and Caspian were very

young, they explored this part of the palace one day and
decided to claim it as theirs. Now, it’s perfect for us. While we
have to act formally around other parts of the palace, we can
act normal and be ourselves here.

For this huge celebration of King and Queen Mating

Godovshchina, a lot of rooms in this wing are being used to
house guests, but our areas are still sealed and forbidden to
others. There are guards placed to stop others from venturing
into our private sections.
It’s almost nine in the evening when we arrive at Banehallow
Palace.

I hardly had anything to eat on the plane and now I am

famished. I’m glad the rest of my pack members have the same
idea. Lazarus ordered the kitchen to prepare some dinner to be
served in our private dining room in the left wing. The good
thing about Banehallow Palace is that the kitchen staff is on
duty around the clock to prepare anything you want. The
executive chef is always there to make sure that our meal is
prepared to perfection no matter what time of the day it is.

I ask for a big Philly cheesesteak and fries. Constantine and

Lazarus follow my lead and order the same thing, while
Genesis, Serena, and Caspian ask for burgers and fries.
Ahhh...fries, my love...apart from my mate. By mate, I mean
Darius, not Caspian who is still bugging me none stop right
now.

“Beany, as a loving mate, you should offer to trade me your

Philly cheesesteak for my burger simply because he thinks your
Philly cheesesteak looks better,” he says, eyeing my Philly
cheesesteak with interest.

“Why did you ask for a burger when you really want a Philly
cheesesteak?” I ask him as I drag my plate of food closer and
place my arms around it, effectively and protectively caging in
my Philly cheesesteak and fries.

“I wanted a burger, but that was before I saw your Philly

cheesesteak,” he says.
Urgghh...he is beyond annoying! I should send Quincy a
condolence card instead of celebrating when they finally mark
each other.

Now I’m seriously thinking of running off to the bedchamber

with my Philly cheesesteak and fries where I can eat in peace.

Speaking of bedchambers, I think we have a big problem. My

luggage has been delivered to Caspian’s room. I know his two-
story bedchamber is massive, but even that is not big enough
for the both of us.

As much as I love him, I have to say that at this rate, we have

nothing to worry about our enemy trying to kill us. Really, they
don’t need to bother because we might end up killing each
other before they get the chance to.

Chapter 40 - The Royal Claim

When we reach his bedchamber, Caspian shoves me inside and

closes the door behind us. How very charming! I seriously need
to make a new resolution about not killing the crown prince.

Caspian’s bedchamber is a massive two-story suite. Both levels

are luxuriously decorated.

It looks a bit different from the last time I saw it almost five
months ago. The color scheme is different. The red, gold, black
and cream are now replaced with black, white, grey, teal blue,
and silver. The heavy window coverings and wall art are new.

There are now new grey chairs and a sofa facing a curved big
screen tv that dominates the wall in the seating area. I venture
further to the spiral wooden stairway which is also new, along
with the black wrought iron railing that runs along the stairs
and all around the opening of the second level.

“Did you re-decorate?” I ask him.

“If you want to call it that,” he answers with a slightly derisive

smile.

“Wait! You destroyed your room after another big fight with
the Queen, didn’t you?”

“I might have,” he answers with a careless shrug. Wow, that

must’ve happened just before they moved to California.

“Huh...very interesting,” I remark.

“What’s very interesting?”

“It’s funny how you destroyed everything else but left your
precious books unharmed.”

He grins as if I caught on to him, but not an ounce of guilt is

present on his smug face.

Row after row of books covers an entire wall, from the first
level all the way to the second level. There is a black wooden
ladder with small wheels, that is attached to the bookcase.
These books are precious indeed. Most are first editions, a lot
are hundreds of years old and some are even handwritten.

On the far wall is a comfortable seating alcove by a big arched

window overlooking the garden below.
Caspian takes out a small bottle from his bar fridge and pours
the content into a glass.

“What’s that?” I ask him, eyeing the clear green liquid in the
crystal glass.

“Something to help me relax,” he answers and takes a sip of the

drink.

Relax? I need something to relax especially if I have to deal

with Caspian the whole night. I grab the glass from his hand.

“Beany!!” he bellows, trying to stop me, but I down the content

in one gulp. Ackkk!!! My throat burns.

“Oh, Beany...“he shakes his head with a sigh and a slight smile.
His eyes narrow as he studies me for a while.

“What is it?” I ask him, staring at the empty glass in my hand

while trying to catch my breath. Now my chest burns. It tastes
somewhat bittersweet...almost like alcoholic licorice. It smells
strangely like some kind of flowers and herbs.

His lips stretch into a wicked grin. “Don’t you think you
should’ve asked first before you down the whole thing?”

“Well, too late now,” I say. “What is it?”

“Absinthe.” He suddenly laughs. “You’re going to be very drunk

very soon.”

“No, I won’t. I don’t get drunk easily.”

“Oh, you will. It’s a very good, strong one...a gift from Summer
Court of the Fae world.”

“It must have gone bad. It tasted awful and it’s not working. I
don’t feel any different.”

He shoots me another mischievous grin. “You just wait,” he

says before he hunches over his electronics.

Caspian fiddles around with his sound system while I venture

up the stairs to the second floor.

“I’m bored,” I tell him.

“You won’t be bored for too long,” he sings. Pretty soon, the
music fills the air.

My fingers playfully trace the railing as the famous Sergei

Prokofiev’s Петя и волк (Peter and The Wolf) echoes through
the enormous space of the bedchamber.

“What are you? Five?” I ask him even though I don’t mind the
music. Sometimes I don’t even understand why I have the need
to infuriate the Prince without any reason at all.

“Now you’re just being ridiculous, Beany. You don’t have to be

five to enjoy Prokofiev,” he huffs. “By the way, do you know
that we sound like an old married couple? We can totally pull
this off. Nobody would have any doubts that we’re mates at all
as soon as they hear us. I’m sure of it.”

I just roll my eyes and shake my head. Ridiculous!

The second floor is where his massive bed is. It’s too big to be
even called king size. Maybe it can be qualified as giant size
bed. There’s a huge woodburning fireplace on the other wall
facing the bed. A small fire is licking the wood in the center of
it, bathing the bed in a warm orange glow. There are two doors
beside the fireplace. One opens up to his ensuite bathroom and
another, to his walk-in closet. This floor also has a balcony. The
thing it doesn’t have is an exit door. You can only access to the
second level of his suite through the first floor.

“How very nice of you to give up your bed and sleep on the
couch for me,” I yell at him from the railing. “Thank you!!!”

He looks up at me from where he’s still crouching in front of

his sound system on the first floor. His lips twisted funnily.
He’s trying not to laugh.

“You are so nice, Caspian. So so nice...so nice I could hug you,”

I tell him as I let myself fall on his soft silk covered bed with a
sigh. I bounce on it a few times. My heart is so full of love right
now. I love this music. I love Darius. I love him so so so much.

“Yooo hooo!!!! Caspiaaan!” I sing.

“You called?” He asks, and I scream. He’s holding onto the

railing next to the bed with a big grin. He jumped from where
he was to the second level so quickly and quietly that he almost
gives me a heart attack.

“Thank you for giving up your bed for me,” I thank him again.

“Give up my bed? You should know by now that I’m not nice,
Beany.”
“Oh, but you are,” I insist. “that’s why you’re letting me sleep in
this soft, wonderful, totally awesome bed and you’re taking the
sofa.” I spread my arms and legs out like a starfish in the
middle of the bed. I love this bed. I love this bed so much I
could cry!

He climbs up from the railing to flop into the bed next to me.
He pushes my arm and my leg out of the way so that he can lie
down properly. “Tell you what. Why don’t we share the bed?
It’s big enough for the two of us. Hell, it’s big enough for ten
people.”

“No, no noo...we’re not sharing,” I say, frowning. “Ooohhh,

listen!” I grab his hand and put my finger to my lips. “Do you
hear that?”

“What are we listening to?”

“Dance of the Knights. Isn’t it beautiful, Caspian?” The music is

floating in the air like freaking butterflies! Never have I ever
listen to such a beautiful piece of music before. Prokofiev was a
freaking genius! “So beautiful,” I whispered reverently. I feel
like getting up and dance but the bed is so soft.

Caspian laughs. “You’re so drunk, Beany.”

“Am not!” I say, frowning. “You! Go sleep on the sofa.” I try to

push him off the bed.

“Not going to happen. We can share the bed.”

I’m not giving up the bed for anything, nor am I sharing it with
Caspian. He might kill me in my sleep.
“You don’t want to share the bed with me. I might hog the
blanket,” I tell him. “Or I might kick you out of the bed.” He
just rolls over and pretends not to hear me. He has no idea just
how very much close to the truth that is.

“I might snore like a dying cow when I sleep...or I might have a

nightmare and scream bloody murder in the middle of the
night.”

“Music to my ears,” he says.

“I might drool all over you when I sleep, or I might kill you
with my morning breath.”

“I’d wear a gas mask,” he says and then adds, “You think that’s
gross? I might wet the bed.”

“Ooohhh...golden shower. Kinkyyy! I yell. “I might have to

warn Quincy about that.”

“Don’t you dare! That was a joke. I don’t do golden showers!”

he jumps out of the bed like he’s had enough and can’t take it
anymore. “Okay, get up, Beany.” He lifts me up and set me on
my feet away from the bed.

“What? Are you throwing me out in the middle of the night?”

He just rolls his eyes and pushes me towards the fireplace.

“What??? Are you going to burn me?” I ask him in horror.

Suddenly, I feel teary-eyed. “Please, don’t do this. Think of the
kids, Caspian.”
“What kids?”

“Our kids.”

“We don’t have kids!”

“Duh! Of course not. You’re about to burn me alive,

remember?”

“This whole conversation doesn’t even make sense!” He pulls a

fistful of his hair in frustration. “The darn absinthe. You’re
more annoying than usual when you’re drunk.”

Oh, now he’s crushing my heart. “You don’t like me. Now
you’re mad at me.” My lower lip begins to tremble.

For a few seconds, he just stares at me like he can’t believe

what’s going on. “Aww..Beany...come on, don’t cry,” he says.
The expression on his face looks like he just tasted something
sour. “Come here,” he says, pulling me into a hug.

“You hurt my feelings,” I sniff as I wrap my arms around him.

“I’m sorry, Beany. I won’t do that again,” he promises as he

rests his chin on top of my head.

Yeah, right! “Don’t lie. You’re totally gonna do it again.”

“Okay, I’m going to do it again,” he sighs. “Come on Beany, I’m

just going to show you to your own room.”
I quickly pull away from him. “Asshat! Why didn’t you tell me
this earlier?”

“I thought it would be fun watching you squirm,” he answers

with a grimace.

Ha! Look who’s having fun now!

The fireplace is huge, the roaring fire devouring the firewood in

the middle of it doesn’t even reach the sides.

Caspian ducks his head and steps into the stone fireplace,
careful not to go near the fire. His fingers move along the
crevices of the stone and he pushes a slab away. A side panel
opens up. The opening is very narrow allowing only one person
to fit through. I watch him disappears into the opening in
amazement. Wow! A secret door. Cool!!!

I always find it strange that there’s no exit door in his room on

this level. Now I know it actually does have an exit or at least
an entryway that leads somewhere...or is this another ruse to
kill me?

“Hey, are you coming, Beany?” he pokes his head out through
the opening.

“You promise you won’t kill me?”

He sighs, rolls his eyes, grabs my wrist, and pulls me into the
opening with him.
It’s a tunnel! It’s pitch dark until Caspian turns on the
flashlight on his iPhone. We’re in a narrow stone passage that
only allows one person to fit through at a time.

“Follow me,” he says though he’s already grabbing my hand in

his and pulling me along to stumble behind him.

“Shhh...don’t make any noise, Beany,” he warns me in a

whisper. “We might pass through occupied rooms since we
have a lot of guests staying in our wing.” The stone wall is
thick, but I know a lycan’s hearing is very sharp.

We seem to be walking in silence for a long time until we finally

reach a dead end. He pushes the wall and it slowly gives way to
create a tight opening. He slips through and I follow him out.

Caspian flicks a switch on the wall and the space is flooded

with light.

We’re in a smaller size bedchamber. A king size four poster bed

dominates the space. The bed is covered with a white bedsheet
and a comforter with lacey frills. The wall is dark pink. Big
windows on one side of the bed are covered with white damask
semi-sheer curtains. I don’t like the pink walls and the ruffles
and frills, but I decided not to complain.

“You okay, Beany bean?” he asks me.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You’d better go back before I start thinking

that you actually love me.” I’m feeling much sober than I was a
few minutes ago. I think the effect of the absinthe is fading.
“Yeah, you know how much I hate you, Beany,” he says,
chuckling.

“I know. I hate you too, your highness.”

He gives me a brilliant smile as he pinches my cheek. He draws

back before I could swat his hand away.

“Make sure you come back to my room through here in the

morning,” he instructs me as he slips back out through the
tight opening of the wall and a built-in oak armoire. It looks
very heavy. I’m sure even a grown male werewolf would have
trouble pushing the armoire aside.

“Oh, you really should think of a suitable endearment for me,

my dove,” he says with a wink before he disappears into the
darkness and the furniture slides back into its place.

My dove? Pffttt...HE should work on a better nickname for me!

My dove. Really?

I turn the light off and push the curtains aside. It’s late now but
I’m not feeling tired yet. I know I should get some sleep.

I peel out of my shirt, pants, and underwear and I lie down

naked in my large four poster bed with ruffles and frills.

I can see the dark night sky through the big glass windows. I
wonder what Darius is doing now. I wonder where he is. Is he
thinking about me? Is he missing me like the way I’m missing
him? He’d better not be entertaining himself with any of those
beautiful lycan women...or else.
Imagining him with other women makes my blood boils. The
more I think about it, the angrier I get. I sit up and pound my
pillow a few times before dropping my head back into it. Gah!
I’m going nuts. My mind is driving me nuts. If he’s here right
now, I’m kicking him in the nuts. I really should stop thinking
about nuts. Now I hate nuts.

Absinthe makes me feel funny. I hate absinthe, I decided.

Jet lag is a nasty thing. I hate jet lag.

I love everything a while ago. Now I hate everything. I

definitely hate absinthe.

I don’t hate Darius. I miss him. I need his arms around me

right now. I need my other half. Maybe I should start counting
sheep.

It’s customary for us to have breakfast and dinner with King

Alexandros and Queen Sophia every day when we’re here.
We’ve decided to tell them that Caspian and I mated each other
this morning. This is not something that I’m looking forward
to.

So, very early in the morning, I make my way through the

tunnel back to Caspian’s bedchamber to get ready. I can see
that the passageway leads further than just to Caspian’s room.
The narrow tunnel forks out in several directions. It would be
fun to discover where they would lead to.
I hear knocking at the door while I’m getting dressed in
Caspian’s massive walk-in closet after my shower. Caspian
answers it. For a while, I hear his voice mingled with someone
else’s at the door.

“Somebody sent you this,” says Caspian, handing me a sealed

envelope when I walk out of the closet.

“Wow! This is seriously like in the olden days!” I exclaim.

Nobody sends letters anymore.

“Exactly like in the olden days,” Caspian agrees. “It’s safer this
way. There’s no electronic trail anybody can uncover or trace.
Just burn the letter after you’re done reading.”

I excitedly open the envelope. There’s only one piece of paper

inside.

*Good Morning Malyshka,

I wish I could be with you this morning, but I have a pressing

matter to attend to. You’re on my mind always. I will see you
tonight.

Missing you,

-D

The note is short, but it put a stupid smile on my face. He took

a risk just to send me this little note. The paper smells like him.
I hold it up to my heart before I reluctantly hold it over the fire
in the fireplace, letting it go slowly only after it catches fire.

Caspian just rolls his eyes. “Whipped,” he says before he opens

the door of his bedchamber.

It seems like Genesis, Constantine, Serena, and Lazarus are

waiting for us to go for breakfast together.

“This is for everyone. We’re in this together,” says Constantine,

squeezing my shoulder. Genesis loops her arm through mine
and Serena does the same to my other arm.

“We’re a very small pack, but we have each other’s back,” says
Caspian with a determined set to his jaw. I guess this is our pep
talk.

Lazarus pats my head like he’s patting a puppy. He’s totally

ruining my hair! I shoot him a glare, but I can’t help my lips
from curling up into a grin. We make our way through the
palace to the state dining room together.

Whether we want to or not, we’re going to do this. We have to.

We have no choice. A lot is riding on it. This is not only for my
future with Darius or Caspian and his mate, it goes even
beyond the survival of our pack. The rebel is set on taking over
the crown, that means war is coming. Our success in flushing
out the traitor would ensure the safety of the throne and
hundreds if not thousands of lives.

“Well, here we go,” whispers Caspian, taking my hand in his as

we neared the door of the dining room. Constantine tucks
Genesis close to him and Lazarus does the same to Serena.
“Time to face the lions...or rather my parents. Are you ready?”
asks Caspian holding the doorknob.

“Honestly? No,” I answer.

“Good. Let’s go,” he says, opening the door.

We enter another hallway where two guards are standing by

another set of doors. They bow before opening the doors for us.

“You got here rather close to the day of the celebration. I was
beginning to think that you’re not going to show,” says Queen
Sophia. Her green eyes, quite similar to Caspian’s flash angrily.

“Alas, here we are, mother,” answers Caspian. “I’m beginning

to think I would rather be spending my time sunbathing in the
Caribbean than being here.” His tone of voice is mocking,
dripping with insolence.

These two can’t be in the same room for five seconds before
they start at each other’s throat. This is not a good start.

It’s a bad start the very moment we entered the state dining
room, actually. Lady Celeste is here. She is seated next to where
Caspian is supposed to sit. Caspian barely acknowledges her,
instead, he tightens his hold on my hand and drags me to sit at
the other end of the table.

“Caspian,” warns King Alexandros quietly.

Appearance wise, Caspian looks a lot like his mother, same
vivid green eyes, blond hair, and a slightly narrow, but strong
jawline.

King Alexandros has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.
Apart from the eye color, Constantine looks more like the king
than Caspian does.

I reach out and give Caspian’s hand a little squeeze.

Queen Sophia’s eyes flit to our joined hands. She had noticed
our linked hands since we first entered the room and has been
looking at us with a watchful expression since. I’m sure they
can sense that I’m a lycan now.

“Caspian, your outfit will match Lady Celeste’s dress for the
party tomorrow night,” says the queen. Lady Celeste brightens
up for the first time since we got here. She had been pouting,
though I doubt anybody really noticed, especially Caspian.

I sometimes feel sorry for the poor woman. Caspian can be very
rude and cold when he wants to. A total royal brat. Most of the
time he mainly ignores Lady Celeste who acts like a puppy,
following him around and ever so willing to do anything he
tells her to do.

Well, okay...I guess I feel sorry, but not sorry enough to

befriend her. Lady Celeste is quite a snob, especially when I
first met her. Now, my lycan is already loyal to Quincy and
wants her to stay away from Caspian.

“I’m sorry, mother I won’t be matching with her this time...or

any other time in the future. I have my own announcement to
make,” Caspian says, giving my hand a little squeeze. “Mother,
father, I have claimed Penny as my mate.”

We hear a loud clattering sound following Caspian’s

announcement. Lady Celeste has dropped her cutlery. The king
doesn’t look at all surprised. Queen Sophia is currently staring
at us as if she’s expecting the news but her lips are thinning
and her eyes are narrowing.

Chapter 41 - The Web We Weave

To say that I had a bad day is an understatement. It was awful! After the announcement, Lady
Celeste had a meltdown. Big sobs tore through her and she ran dramatically out of the dining
room in tears. It felt like I was watching telenovela for a bit there. I glanced up to see my pack
mates already sharing a look.

Queen Sophia looked like she would’ve preferred to kill me on the spot....or have me dipped in
cow dung and left out to die a slow death in one of those cages on top of a cliff....all shrivel up
and gory-looking.

Queen Sophia told Caspian to go and apologize to Lady Celeste for making her wait for him for
decades then he went and mark someone else. Caspian, of course, refused to do so. He said that
none of it was his fault since he never asked Lady Celeste to wait for him in the first place. If it’s
anyone’s fault, it would be Queen Sophia’s for giving Lady Celeste false hope by promising the
girl something that wasn’t hers to give.

The quarrel ended with Queen Sophia leaving the table to pacify Lady Celeste herself, but not
before shooting me a furious glare. Not many people scare me, but I almost slink underneath the
table from her glare. She has that powerful aura of a lycan Queen. I was so proud of myself for
not slinking underneath the table, turning all neon yellow. Yellow being a cowardy color in my
mind.

I feel bad for Lady Celeste....well, sort of....okay, not really. Told you I’m no angel.

I do, however, feel bad about having to lie about being Caspian’s mate, especially to the King
and the Queen. I’m very sure this is a punishable crime. A treason. How else are we going to
explain the reason I became a lycan though? A werewolf and a human only become a lycan after
being mated to one and we can’t let our enemies know that I’m Darius’s mate. Oh, the web of
lies we weave!
I wonder if they would stick me to rot in the dungeon somewhere underneath the palace after
they discover our lies. They will discover our lies. Of that, I’m sure. I swear, I’m not a slammer
material. I don’t know how I’m going to survive the dungeon.

I finished breakfast very quickly and I was never so relieved to be out of that dining room before.
My relief was short lived. Queen Sophia’s messenger came to inform me that she’s expecting me
for the dress fitting.

Serena and Genesis wanted to join me, but Queen Sophia already scheduled a painting workshop
with a famous painter, Alexei Plutenko for Genesis and Serena was to give an introduction music
lesson to werewolf children from a nearby village. I suspected that it was intentionally and
calculatingly done.

Which explains why I’m standing here right now, staring out the window while half-heartedly
listening to the fashion designer, Florian Gaultier, explaining his vision for my dress to Queen
Sophia. One of his assistants, in the meantime, is busy taking my measurement while another one
is typing it down and taking notes on her tablet.

Queen Sophia has been polite, yet cold and distant. Intimidating power radiating off her like tidal
waves. Remembering what Darius told me to do, I hold my head high and keep my feelings
closely and tightly hidden. I’m a fighter darn it!

I keep staring out the window longingly as Florian keeps talking to the queen, showing her
swatches of fabrics of different colors and materials.

From this window, I can see out on the street where people are celebrating. Werewolves from
nearby villages and also those from far and wide travel here just to attend the celebration. Street
buskers are performing. People are dancing in the street. Colorful banners and flags are waving
around the road and the palace ground. Tents are set up around the designated camping grounds.
The cold weather isn’t a deterrent to creatures like werewolves and lycans.

None of them are allowed to pass the Palace gate. A lot of them try to get as close as possible to
the Palace’s ground. Many people are standing by the gate in the hope of getting a glimpse of the
Royal family. Security is increased around and inside the Palace. If only they knew that I’m in
the palace imagining myself running out of the place like a prison break at this moment.

“She is gorgeous, Your Majesty. Creating a dress for your son’s mate is a pleasure. It will be
beautiful. The prince will be pleased,” says Florian, breaking through my daydream. Yeah, keep
talking like I wasn’t here.
“Yes. Yes, of course,” says Queen Sophia and I almost wince. Not an ounce of warmth in her
voice. Argghh...the lies! I just want to jump out the window and keep running.

It’s only been a few hours since Caspian announced our mating to the king and the queen, but it
seems like quite a lot of people knows about it already.

“Well, that settles it then,” says Queen Sophia, finally. She turns to me and says, “We’re done
here. I will see you this evening for dinner.” Just like that, I’m being dismissed. I don’t even
have a clue what color my dress for tomorrow night is going to be.

Well, good! Being dismissed is good. I’m not going to argue with that. The longer I stand here,
the antsier I get, and more pissed off....not to mention exhausted.

The main part of the palace is bustling with workers and servants getting the place ready for the
big celebration tomorrow night. I walk back to our section in the left wing with two guards on
either side of me through the flurries of activity.

As soon as I enter Caspian’s bedchamber, I make a beeline straight to his massive and
comfortable bed on the second floor. I flop myself onto the bed and stay lying face down on it
like a dead duck. I’m too tired to even walk through that tunnel to get to the other room. I’m
going to have to explore the tunnel some other time.

“What are you doing, Beany?” I feel the bed dipped beside me.

“What do you think I’m doing?” I ask him back. My voice is muffled by the soft bedding. “I’m
tired. Being with your mother sucked the energy out of me,” I add, turning my face to look at
Caspian. “No offense, but your mother sucks.”

“No offense taken. She is sucky. My mother is a life force and energy sucking vampire. I’m
sorry you have to deal with her alone this afternoon.”

I shrug my shoulders. My mind wanders to think about my mate. I miss him. Then my mind
wanders to Quincy. She would have to deal with the queen for real one day.

“I feel sorry for her. Do you miss her?” By “her” I don’t mean Queen Sophia. I’m glad I’m not
Quincy.

“Yeah. I do,” he admits.

“I miss Darius too.” I think we’re both feeling sorry for ourselves now.
“This sucks,” he says and I agree with him.

“You can say that again.”

“Well, this sucks!” he says louder.

“Again!” I’m jumping up on his bed.

“This suuucks!!!!!”

“This suucckksss!!!! I join him.

“THIS SUUUCKS!!!” we both yell at the top of our lungs.

The door to his bedchamber opens with a loud bang. Four puzzled, anxious faces are staring up
at the two of us.

“Hey, what’s up?” asks Caspian smiling innocently as the four of them jump up to the second
floor.

“We thought you two were killing each other,” says Constantine with a frown. He’s holding onto
the railing now.

“I should’ve known better than to allow you two in the same room together even for a minute,”
adds Lazarus.

“Hey! We’re still alive,” I protest. That should count for something, right?

“We were just exercising our lungs,” explains Caspian.

“That’s actually very therapeutic,” I tell Caspian.

“You two are impossible,” says Genesis.

“I bet she wishes that she was doing it with us,” Caspian mock whispers in my ear and I nod in
agreement. Knowing Genesis, I bet she does.
Genesis just rolls her eyes. “We were surprised the two of you made it out alive this morning,”
she announces before she starts pulling me to my feet. “You! Go get ready.”

“But the party is tomorrow night! We’re just having regular dinner tonight,” I protest.

“A lot of people are joining us for dinner tonight,” explains Serena as she and Genesis drag me
out of Caspian’s bedchamber, and into another room right next to it.

“I’m not sure I like it that the two of them are working together now,” I hear Constantine talking
to Lazarus. I think he’s referring to Caspian and me.

“Yeah, double trouble,” agrees Lazarus. Whatever!

Three women are waiting for us there. Apparently, these women will be assisting me to get
dressed from now on. It seems that I can’t dress myself anymore even just for a simple dinner
since I am now mated to the crown prince.

These people are too much. I’m glad they still let me chew my own food.

It seems that I have to get ready in this room since the prince won’t allow strangers into his
room. The room is filled with racks upon racks of dresses and shoes my size. Makeup and beauty
products are set up nicely on the big vanity in front of me.

“Now go take a bath,” instructs Genesis as she leads me to the ensuite bathroom. She’s so bossy.
“I have to go to go get ready. I’ll see you soon!” she sings as she leaves me in the hand of the
three she-wolves. Serena stops to give some instructions to the three women before she leaves as
well.

Three freaking hours, tons of swearing, and countless of threats of violence from me later, I’m
ready. I step out proudly, feeling quite fabulous in my long burgundy sheath dress. It is floor
length and has a scooped neckline. The silky material hugs my body like a second skin. When I
take a step forward, the side slit opens all the way up to my upper thigh. I have nude high heels
on and my shiny hair is in loose curls cascading down my back down to my waist.

Genesis, Serena, Caspian, Constantine, and Lazarus are waiting for me in the seating area just
outside the door.

Caspian lets out a howl as soon as I step out of the room. “My mate is hot!” he says with a wink
and a big wicked smile.
The rest of them agree but they all look stunning. The men are looking amazing in their suit.
Genesis and Serena are looking breathtaking in their long evening gown. To be honest, I feel
rather drab next to their striking appearances.

They smile at me approvingly until their gazes land on the three women who step out just behind
me. Their eyes widen and their jaws drop before they start to struggle to hold in their laughter.

“Oh, Penny...what are we going to do with you?” says Serena shaking her head.

Okay, so admittedly my three lady’s maids are looking rather haggard right now. They are lucky
I didn’t punch any of them in the face. I don’t have much patience with people touching,
scrubbing, and waxing me.

Genesis was right when she said that there are a lot of people joining us for dinner tonight.
Dinner is held at the state dining hall. The long formal dining table is full.

One of King Alexandros’s two brothers is here. His other brother, Constantine’s father, sent his
apologies for not being able to be here for the celebration this year. There are a few other royal
family members as well as the highest ranking ministers and Royal army officers present.

We arrive just on time, allowing the six of us no time to mingle at all before dinner. We take our
seat after the royal couple sits.

Before we start, King Alexander stands up and addresses the whole room.

“I want to thank you all for being here to celebrate mine and my mate’s marking anniversary this
year. However, I’m standing here this evening to make another announcement,” he says. “Get
up, son,” he says to Caspian.

Caspian stands and pulls me up with him. My heartbeat spikes in my chest and my stomach flips.
My eyes I spot Darius sitting not far away immediately.

“I know this is sudden and unexpected, but we are happy to announce that our only son, the
crown prince, Prince Caspian Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov has finally claimed his mate,
Persephone Aspen Ruiz.”

I hear gasps, then people clapping. My eyes glued to Darius the whole time. His expression
betrays no feeling. I feel Caspian squeezing my hand and I look up to him brushing the back of
my hand against his lips.
I put up a tight barricade around my own emotions and smile up at him. I don’t remember much
of what is being said after that. A few moments later I find myself sitting down again.

King Alexandros is sitting at the head of the table with Queen Sophia on his left. Caspian is
seated on his right and I’m right next to him. Genesis is seated right next to me with Constantine
beside her. Lazarus and Serena are seated on the other side of the table along with other officers.

My eyes seek Darius who is sitting next to Lazarus again. He’s looking gorgeous in his suit and
tie. His lustrous light blond hair is swept back and his glacier blue eyes coldly sweep the room.
Our eyes meet once again but there is no expression on his face.

My gaze slides to his beautiful dinner companion. A stunning lycan woman with shoulder length
light brown hair and amber eyes. Her strapless red evening dress follows the curves of her body
perfectly. She is flawless. I see her hands intimately clutching his arm. I know he has to do this,
and I try to contain my feelings but I can’t help feeling my chest burns with jealousy.

I feel Caspian tightening his hand on mine. A warning for me to control my feelings.

“Okay, darling?” he asks me loud enough that his uncle’s companion who is seated not far from
us nods approvingly and whispers to his uncle how sweet we both are together.

“I’m okay, sweetheart,” I say through my gritted teeth.

My eyes suddenly catch the sight of a man further down the table and I breathe in a sharp intake
of breath. He looks a lot like Darius. The similarity is unbelievable. Same light blond hair, same
facial features, and almost the same tall build. They could be brothers or maybe twins, but then I
remember Darius told me that he’s an only child.

I can’t keep my eyes off of him and he’s watching me with a slight mocking smile. Even that
smile looks a lot like Darius’s. As I keep watching him, his smile grows into a smug cocky one.
It’s a smile of a man who knows how attractive he is.

No, I don’t feel the same pull towards him as I feel for Darius, but right now I can’t stop staring
at him.

The lady beside him flashes me a hard cold look.

Caspian squeezes my hand and leans in. “Careful there, my love. I’m a jealous man. If you don’t
watch yourself, I might start to think that you prefer some other man rather than me,” he
whispers.
“Nonsense, my snookums. You know you’re the only one for me.”

“Ahhh..good to know, my cuddle bug,” he replies. In a lower whisper, he adds, “I thought you
might want to know that the man you’re staring at is Æmelius, Darius’s cousin and the woman
sitting next to him is his mother, Darius’s aunt, Katya.”

Now I remember Darius mentioned something about his cousin and aunt once. His aunt, Katya
doesn’t look a day over 30. Her blond hair is shiny and perfectly done in a low twisted bun. Her
sharp blue eyes are studying me.

“Thank you for telling me, my little monkey. I’ve been wondering about that,” I whisper back
and I hear him snickers and huff the word “little monkey” under his breath.

“I have to admit, though, Pookie...I’m not a very big fan of the old broad,” he says. Pookie???

Katya is beautiful and looks nothing like an old broad. Just the way Caspian says it and the word
“Pookie” makes me burst out laughing and soon he’s laughing right along with me.

“Beside them is Lord Volkov and his companion, Lyuba. I swear, every year, for the past ten
years or so he’s been bringing a different woman as his date to the palace but for some reason,
their name is always Lyuba.”

“Kinda like a pet goldfish?” I ask him. “You flush a dead one down the toilet and keep buying a
new one and keep naming them Goldie?” We burst into another fit of laughter. We try to keep
our laughter quiet, but it still draws attention from people around us.

“That or he has a Lyuba fetish,” he says and that makes us laugh harder...I almost snort. I see
Queen Sophia raises an eyebrow delicately our way. I am so not a princess material and Caspian
just doesn’t give a damn about what people think of him.

Genesis nudges me discreetly underneath the table. “You’re going to make me lose my poise and
decorum,” she whispers daintily.

Pffttt...Genesis losing her poise and decorum? I think she just had her etiquette lesson this
afternoon after the painting workshop. I’m itching to tell her that she never has them to begin
with. The event is so bland, I can see that she’s dying to join us gossiping.

Though Caspian and Genesis keep me occupied throughout dinner, I still can’t help from
glancing at Darius and his date once in a while. Just the way she keeps touching his hand or the
way she sometimes rubs her hand over his arm suggestively makes me growl lowly and feel like
ripping her arms off the sockets. The only thing that keeps me from doing so is the thought of the
danger from the result of blowing our cover.

I can feel his attention on me, though. I can feel the heat of his eyes on me from time to time. I
know he’s very aware of my presence even when some other woman is hanging onto his arm.
That doesn’t stop me from feeling hurt.

The torture doesn’t end even after the nine-course dinner is over. We are invited to an adjacent
room where butlers and maids carry trays offering liqueurs and coffee. I use the term “invited”
rather loosely here because being invited suggests that you have a choice to turn it down. Well, if
it’s up to me I would rather go back to our wing and punch and kick something right now.

It seems like everybody wants to talk to us. I think Lord Volkov’s date, Lyuba the 10th or
something is flirting with Caspian. She raises her hands up to brush the lapels of his suit. She’s
standing so close to him that her almost bare chest is nearly pressed up against his chest and I’m
standing right here!

I can’t believe some of these lycan royalties and nobilities. I discovered tonight that they still flirt
with mated men or women...and right in front of their supposed mates too! Why didn’t I notice
this before?

The crown prince just watches her with amusement. One of his eyebrows is raised elegantly and
that reminds me so much of Queen Sophia. I’m quite sure that before he met Quincy, the player
prince would have taken her up on her offer. Lyuba is a very beautiful lycan woman.

I put my hand to my lips and cough, “Goldie”. Caspian’s lips twitch and suddenly he’s fighting
to keep his composure. I know he will get me for this later.

“Your Highness,” says an unfamiliar voice. I look around to see Katya and her son Æmelius
standing beside us.

“Congratulations,” says both, mother and son. Up close, I can see the difference between him
and Darius. For one, his eyes are deep dark brown with gold specks in them instead of glacier
blue like Darius.

True, both of them are gorgeous, like blond Nordic gods, but Æmelius is flaunting his good
looks. He’s even cocky about it. That shows in the way he carries himself and that what makes
them different.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, princess,” drawls Æmelius, interrupting my thoughts. He takes my
hand and raises it to his lips. That is a very ballsy thing for him to do since you don’t take a
royalty’s hand unless it is offered to you. “You are very lucky, Your Highness, to have found
such a beautiful mate.” He keeps his eyes locked on mine the whole time.

“Yes, aren’t I?” says Caspian haughtily, pulling me closer to his side. “Ahh...did I tell you, my
darling, that Prince Constantine wishes to talk with us before we retire?”

Huh? I think my head is reeling. Sure enough, though, Constantine and Genesis are heading our
way, so are Serena, Lazarus, my mate, Darius...and his date.

Chapter 42 - Things That Hurt

I straighten my spine and stand taller. I really don’t like the

way she’s hanging onto his arm, or the intimate way she
plasters one side of her curvy body to his.

Today is a terrible day and this is just a cherry on top of the

icing. Irrational or not, jealousy burns through me. I’m hurt,
mentally exhausted, and pissed.

His face is still unreadable and I can’t sense any feelings at all
from him, but his eyes sweep over me from head to toe.
Something flickers in his eyes as his gaze lingers on the
expanse of my leg exposed through the long slit of my gown.

I school my features to the look somewhere close to boredom

and haughtiness that I often see on Caspian’s face. I keep my
feelings safely hidden while I plot the woman’s murder in my
head.

“I think we are all ready to go,” says Constantine. That means

we’re ready to convene for our nightly meeting. His arm is
lightly but possessively wrapped around Genesis’s waist as they
all crowded around Caspian and me.
There’s a stranger in our midst and we all turn to stare at the
woman who is hanging onto my mate’s arm.

“Everyone, this is Désiré. Désiré, you know everyone here, I’m

sure,” says Darius carelessly. He’s in a pissy mood himself to
even make a proper introduction, it seems.

“Your Highness, we would like to congratulate you both on

your mating,” says the woman, Debby or Sandy or whatever
her name is.

She offers her hand to shake and I lift an eyebrow. I won’t

touch her hand unless to rip it off her shoulder.

The woman is looking at us like we poop butterflies and

rainbows. She seems too eager to please. Her smile is too wide.
Her lipstick is too red. I don’t like her. No, I hate her.

Caspian takes her extended hand in his for a brief handshake

after giving me a teasing wink. I completely ignore her hand. I
know I look like a snobbish spoilt bratty bitch, but I don’t care.

“It’s such a great news. We’re so happy to be here for this

occasion, aren’t we, darling?” She tugs Darius’s arm as if to
remind him of his manners. Darling?

“Of course. Congratulations,” says Darius through gritted teeth.

He shakes Caspian’s hand, then holds his hand out to me. I tilt
my chin up, hook my arm around Caspian’s and completely
ignore his extended hand.

I shoot her and Darius a look of disdain as if they’re pesky

gums underneath my shoe.
I see the stiffness in his jaw like he’s grinding his teeth. I feel
the eyes of my pack mates who are surrounding us watching
quietly. After a few seconds of silence, he steps closer to me
and deliberately grasps my hand in his. His date gasps at his
brazenness. Everyone knows you don’t do that to a
royalty....and I am. Royally pissed.

His date nudges him uneasily and all he says is, “Newly
mated....I’m sure you can’t wait to be alone with your mate.” All
the while keeping my hand in his. His words hold a double
meaning.

“Darling, you’re too much,” his date giggles. “Newly mated

aren’t the only ones who can’t wait to be alone.” Her tone
teasing and she runs her hand over his muscled arm
suggestively.

Gah! These lycans have no sense of decency. I hate to feel so

jealous but I can’t help it. Not when she keeps touching what’s
mine. I know I should reel in my feelings....but that would be
right after I rip off her arms.

I lift my chin up and look at him haughtily while ineffectively

trying to tug my hand out of his tight grip without causing too
much scene.

The woman Désiré is staring at the way we’re behaving while

our pack mates are watching us with amusement.

“My good friend Darius and my mate Persephone...they’re...uh,

very...errr...close friends,” says Caspian with a very wicked
smile playing on his lips, trying to explain our behavior.
“Yeah, we are all very close. Sometimes when you’re close, you
have...problems. Problems among close friends are normal. I’m
sure you would understand,” adds Constantine. The sides of his
lips are curled up into a mischievous smile.

“Your Highness Prince Constantine,” breathes Désiré....or

what’s her face. “Yes, I understand,” she says quickly and
eagerly.

“True, but it’s nothing we can’t...handle,” Darius says, still

keeping his eyes on me. His lips form a tight wolfish menacing
smile that makes chills run down my spine.

Désiré what’s her face turns to Darius and gushes, “I didn’t

know...Darling, why didn’t you tell me that you’re close friends
with the Princes?” Her eyes are shining brightly as if the
thought of being close to us really excites her. If she gets any
more excited she might just pee in her pants...or rather her
revealing red gown.

“Oh, didn’t I?” he asks tightly. “Yes, well...we’re close. Very very
close,” he says slowly and very deliberately. His eyes are
locking mine in place. “So now you know.”

“Oh wow. That’s...that’s wonderful,” she says, looking up at my

mate like the way she’s looking at us a moment ago...bright-
eyed and very excited. She presses her body even closer to him
and drags her perfectly manicured red fingernails over his
chest. “So, what are the plans after this?” Wait, is she expecting
to hang out with us? Or is she planning to spend more time
with my mate?
I catch Genesis giving her a once-over. I know she’s trying to
hide her feelings just like Serena, but I don’t think it’s working
too well for her so far.

Darius takes the moment to create a bit of space between them,

which is good because I’m very close to ripping her arm off her
shoulder.

As soon as Darius releases my hand, I lift it up to tug Caspian’s

white silk tie and says, “Darling, I’m ready for bed.”

I don’t miss the stiffening of his body and jaw. “I have to take
Désiré home,” Darius says with that same cold look on his face
again.

“Yeah, bye!” I wave him away dismissively and airily. Yeah, go

do whatever!

He leans in to shake Caspian’s hand. Wait. Is that slight brush

of his fingers on my upper thigh along the slit of my dress
accidental? Goosebumps break across my skin from his touch
despite the anger that I’m harboring for him.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispers to Caspian, while his eyes drift

back to me. Why does that sound like a threat?

I watch Darius guides Désiré away with his hand on her back.
They look like a couple. Ughhh...right now I want to physically
hurt him!
We take our leave and Constantine waves away the guards who
are supposed to accompany us back to our wing. The six of us
don’t need guards.

I’m getting tired and irritated. Being royalty doesn’t suit me.
Everybody seems to want to get close to us. The very same
people who looked down on me when I was still a werewolf are
now kissing my *ss. Being mated to a royalty means everybody
wants to be your best friend. Too many fake people. It’s hard to
tell when people are being genuine.

No wonder Caspian is very selective with the people he

surrounds himself with. Now I understand why he’s very
distrustful and cold to people outside our little circle.

It’s a relief when we finally reach our own private section of the
palace. We’re just among ourselves now.

As soon as we reach Caspian’s bedchamber, the guys start

taking off their jacket and loosening their ties. Serena seats
herself primly on the loveseat while Genesis drops herself on
the sofa with a sigh. Constantine lowers himself next to her,
lifts her feet up onto his lap and wrap her feet in his hands after
he slides her shoes off.

“Nightcap everyone?” asks Caspian as he moves to stand

behind a little bar in the corner beside the bookcase. He rolls
his shirt sleeves up, then arranges seven short-stemmed
glasses on the black shiny counter.

I sit on one of the wingback chairs and watch Caspian mixing

the drink. He seems to be very focused on what he’s doing.
“He’s taking this very seriously,” remarks Genesis teasingly.

“You know he’s always serious about his drink,” replies

Constantine.

Caspian just ignores them and pours the mixture into the seven
glasses.

“He makes a good bartender, though,” says Lazarus as he picks

a glass for himself and Serena from the counter before he joins
her on the loveseat.

“I make an awesome bartender,” agrees Caspian as he brings a

few glasses over and hands me one. Always big headed.

“There’s no absinthe in this drink, is there?” I stare at the drink

in my hand suspiciously.

“Absinthe?” asks Serena curiously.

Caspian opens his mouth to tell the story and I lift up a hand to
stop him. “Shut it,” I tell him as I lift the glass to my lips.

I don’t know what the prince put in the drink, but it’s very
good. It’s smooth, delicious, and warm as it goes down my
throat.

Of course, Caspian just can’t keep his mouth shut. I sip my

drink slowly while he tells everyone his exaggerated version of
what happened last night after I drank the darn absinthe. By
the time he’s done, everybody is laughing.
I just ignore them and keep my eyes on the watch, counting
every passing minute, imagining all the things that my mate
could be doing with his date. Each new scenario pisses me off
even more than the last one.

Half an hour later, Darius comes strolling in through the door

after a brief knock. His intense blue gaze zone in on me right
away and my heartbeat increases.

“Welcome back,” says Caspian with a knowing smile and places

Darius’s drink on the side table next to the chair I’m sitting on.

“Good. I need a drink,” he answers while taking off his jacket

and drapes it over the back of my chair. I can smell her on his
jacket and that makes me want to sucker punch him in the face.

I only half listening to everyone else talking as I watch Darius

loosening up his tie and undoes a few buttons of his shirt. Next,
he removes the cufflinks and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows.
All the while he’s keeping his eyes trained solely on me. A tiny
mocking smile is playing on his lips. It’s quite unnerving since I
sense that he’s in an irritable mood.

For a moment I thought he was going to force me to sit near

him, but he surprises me by sitting on another chair right
across from mine, looking alert and focused.

“I just got a word from our men in California,” he announces.

“Iron Bossman is dead.” We grow silent. He presses a thumb
against his tight lips, deliberating before he continues, “We let
him go this afternoon and I had some men following him. Five
hours after his release he was shot long range with a silver
bullet to the head. We managed to track down and apprehend
the killer almost immediately.”

“Oh, good! You’ve got his killer,” exclaims Genesis. “Then we’ll
know who’s involved right?”

“Not quite. He’s a human. A hired killer. He was questioned,”

he explains. By “questioned”, he means they tortured him. “He
couldn’t tell us who gave him the assignment and wired him
the money. We tried to trace the person who hired him through
his correspondence on his laptop. Whoever they are, they’re
covering their track very well so far. They rerouted their
connection to several proxies based in several different
countries.”

“I’m sure it would lead back to Russia,” Caspian sighs

frustratedly.

“That’s true, but we’re hoping to get more specific than that,”
answers my mate. “That’s where we hit the roadblock.”

“I’ve checked the list of guests for tomorrow night’s event as

you requested this morning,” informs Lazarus. “A few people
you warned me about, including Robert Vitsin are going to be
there.”

A chill runs down my spine. Robert Vitsin is the man behind

the killing of Darius’s friends’ mates. He is also Polina’s father.

Darius stiffens at the mention of Robert Vitsin.

“I guess we just have to be extra careful tomorrow night,” says

Caspian, looking at me.
“The man is like a snake. He’s very sly and dangerous,” agrees
Darius. “Is there anything else?” He seems on edge.

“We managed to plant one more of our men inside his

operation,” informs Constantine.

“That’s good, I’ll have one of my trusted agents in there to

contact him soon. The more eyes and ears we have in there, the
better,” says Darius.

“That’s all I have for now,” announces Constantine. “Unless

anybody would like to add anything?”

We look at each other but nobody says a word.

“Okay, remember to be vigilant and keep an eye on each other,”

says Darius with his gaze right on me. “If that’s all, I think we
should be retiring for tonight.”

“Yeah, great idea. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day,” replies

Caspian lazily.

“Yup, we’ll convene again tomorrow night,” agrees Lazarus.

“Well, then...I bade you all goodnight,” says Darius though he’s
looking at me with that expression that warns me he’s not done
with me just yet.

“Somebody’s eager to get out of here,” remarks Caspian, giving

Darius a knowing look and a smirk.

“Aren’t you staying?” asks Genesis.

“Oh, I am,” answers Darius, still looking at me. That definitely
sounds like a warning. Then he reaches for his jacket, swings it
over one shoulder and walks out the door.

Constantine and Lazarus look at me with an amused smile on

their faces, while Serena pats my hand sympathetically. She
kisses my cheek before she exits the room behind everybody
else and closes the door quietly behind her.

“Well, I’m going to bed,” I announce to Caspian as I turn on my

heel to walk up the stairs.

The prince is sprawled on the chair with his feet on one of the
Ottomans, still nursing his drink. The song Sadeness by
Enigma is echoing through the room. “Yeah, have a
good...uh..sleep, beany,” he says, sounding very amused. He is
so infuriating. Everything and everybody is pissing me off right
now. I feel like kicking something. Too bad kicking the wall of
the tunnel that leads me to my room isn’t such a good idea.

His scent reaches my nose even before I step out of the tunnel
and into the room through the little opening. Somehow I
suspected that he would be waiting for me. He wouldn’t let me
get away with the way I acted with him tonight.

The light is off, but I can still see him standing by the window
clearly. The moon casts a pale silvery glow over his broad
shoulders and the outline of his magnificent body. His hair
glows and appears white, almost silver in the moonlight. He’s
staring out the window like he’s not even aware that I’m here.
I stand there silently for a few seconds, taking in his beautiful
form against the inky night sky. This man makes my heart
beats faster, my stomach to be filled with a thousand fluttering
butterflies, and my emotions to swing all over the place,
uncontrollably, just by being in the same room with me.

“We have to do better than tonight if we’re going to survive

tomorrow night,” he says quietly.

“Better as in having more fun with other people? Sure, I can do

that,” I return sassily.

“I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it.”

“Do I? Well, you seemed to be having a great time with that

woman tonight.”

I push the armoire back into place to close the small opening,
then reach over to flip the switch. The room immediately floods
with light.

He turns slowly to look at me. His tie is gone. A few more top
buttons of his shirt is undone to show his smooth muscled
pecs. His pale blue gaze is regarding me possessively, boldly
roaming all over my body like he has all the right in the world.

“What about you? Did you dress like that for me or was it for
all those other men who couldn’t take their eyes off of you
tonight?”

Now he’s having a problem with my dress?

I see something dangerous flickering in his eyes but I’m pissed
and I can’t seem to stop my word vomit though I don’t mean
any of it. “Definitely not for you,” I spit out.

His eyes are darkening alarmingly. “Then take it off,” he

demands.

What? “NO!”

“Why are you so set on defying me tonight?” His voice is

getting low almost to the hissing sound should warn me that
his lycan is taking over.

Because he’s with that woman...Darla or Tracy or whatever her

name is and because I hate to feel this uncontrollable jealousy.
“I hate you.”

“Isn’t it too late for that, sweetheart? I’ve already marked and
claimed you mine. For life,” he reminds me. “Now take it off
before I rip it off you.”

It is a beautiful dress but...NO. I cross my arms over my chest

and lift my chin up stubbornly and haughtily.

“Very well.” His dark eyes gleamed dangerously. I’m not sure if
it’s excitement and lust or anger that I see in his gaze as he
stalks closer to me like he’s stalking his prey.

My heart thunders furiously in my chest but I refuse to be

intimidated by him or his lycan, so I stand my ground.

I don’t know if it’s lust, excitement, or anger that makes my

heart skyrocket, even more, when he places his hands on either
side of my face firmly and possessively. His palms pressing on
my cheeks and his fingers in my hair, holding my face in place.

I place my hands on his chest, trying to push him back, but he’s
unmovable. If anything he leans in closer until my hands are
trapped between our bodies. He moves one hand so that it’s
fully gripping my hair and with that, he tilts my head back until
my neck is totally exposed to him.

I gulp audibly. I feel trapped but excitement courses through

my whole body. How did I get into this position?

“I love it when you don’t know when to be scared, Malyshka.

My little one,” he whispers as his nose and lips brush against
my throat. The feeling of his skin touching mine and his warm
breath against my skin sends tingles and electricity to every
nerve cell in my body. He takes a deep breath, taking in my
scent before he pulls back to look into my eyes. His eyes are
now almost back to their normal color. My scent seems to calm
his lycan, but he’s not done with me yet. He bares his straight
white teeth in a tight menacing smile.

“Finally, I have my mate where I want her,” he says before his

lips swoop down to claim mine. Vaguely I hear the tearing of
my dress over the loud pounding of my own heartbeat.

Then my nose detects a faint smell of that woman on his shirt.

Her hands are all over that shirt and his suit tonight! Ugh!!! I
need to kill somebody. I push him wildly off me and look down
at my lacy bra and panty covered body before I stomp towards
the door.
“NO!” he growls, blocking my way to the door. “You’re not
going anywhere.”

“Move!” I growl back, trying to shove him out of the way.

“Move or I’ll hurt you.”

“Then hurt me,” he challenges.

I push him roughly against the wall.

I grip his neck tightly and he just let me. His eyes gleaming,
watching me through lowered eyelids, breathing hard, his
nostrils flare. I tighten my grip on his neck further and his face
reddens, but he just stands there, making no effort to stop me.
I can do whatever I want with him. If I want to kill him right
now, he’ll just let me. Well, fuck that!

I grip the opening of his expensive dress shirt and pull it apart.
All the way through and throw the offensive fabric on the floor.
I hate that smell! Then I launch myself at him, grabbing the
back of his neck and claim his lips with mine. He responds
immediately. Kissing me back with the same urgency and
hunger, making me shudder with pleasure. Our mouths
moving together, our tongues sliding against one another. His
hands grabbing my butt and my waist tightly, pulling my body
flush against him. I wrap my leg around his hips, straining to
get closer.

Shudders run through him as I run my hands all over the dips,
curves, and ridges of his muscled body. I bite his bottom lip
punishingly and hear a low moaning sound coming from him.
Vaguely I’m aware of him picking me up and placing me on the
bed. He pushes my legs apart and his weight settles in between
them without even breaking the kiss. His mouth leaves my lips
to worship my body with kisses, gentle bites and little sucks
and licks. I sink my fingers into his silky fair hair and grip it
hard as I guide him to where I want his mouth to be on my
body. I’m on fire. My whole body is on fire for him.

Chapter 43 - Things That Are NOT Funny

“So, that was our make-up sex?” asks Darius.

“No, that was an angry sex. In case you didn’t notice, I took whatever I wanted from you.”

“Okay,” he says slowly. A strange expression crosses his handsome face. “That was
ummm..wow. Just wow. That never happened to me before.” He grows silent for a while before
his firm lips curl up just a tiny bit and he says, “I’m feeling so...used.”

“I didn’t hear you complaining about it a while ago,” I reply, pulling the sheet up to my chest.

Indeed I took what I wanted. I was pissed. I took control and he let me. I did whatever I wanted
to do to him. Finally, I took him in my mouth, and before he found his relief, I pinned him down
and rode him. Hard. I’m surprised the bed is still standing.

Making love with him is always intense because of the shared bond. We let our feelings go. To
feel his fierce hunger for me on top of my own is incredible. What we just had shared a while
ago felt a bit different, though. We unleash passion and anger.

Lying here in the four poster bed full of white lace and frills with mountains of pillows behind
him, he still manages to look very masculine. He looks relaxed with his head resting on top of his
hands. The muscles of his folded arms bulge. His hard pecs, imposing abs and the deep v are on
display. The black thin chain is around his neck and the medallion sits on his chest. The pure
Egyptian cotton sheet sits low over his hips, barely covering his impressive length.

“Oh, I’m not complaining now. That was very hot, actually. As long as you’re using me and only
me, I’m good with it,” he replies. “By the way, feel free to use me anytime you want.”

Despite his relaxed demeanor, I sense his anger still bleeding through our connection.
He removes his hands from underneath his head and angles his body to be facing me even more,
not at all caring that the sheet has slipped even further down. “I have to warn you, though...don’t
dish out what you can’t serve.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask him warily. I’m not trusting where this is going.

He places both hands on either side of me, caging me in. “That means, my little mate,” he
whispers against my collarbone. “Since you have the privilege to use me, I have the same
privilege.... anytime I want.”

“I don’t think so,” I try to growl out but that doesn’t come out the way I wanted it to. That
sounds kinda husky and sexy. I blame his mouth on my neck. “I’m still pissed,” I inform him
breathlessly.

“So am I,” he growls while nibbling on my skin.

“Why are you pissed?” I push him off even though what his mouth is doing to me feels terribly
good.

He groans like I just took his toy away from him. His eyebrows turn down into a moody frown.
“Why do you think?” he asks me. “Why are YOU pissed? Wait, it’s that woman, isn’t it?” Yeah,
his date! That was no woman. She was an octopus! Seriously!

“No, Einstein! Because there’s a red and green polka dotted elephant standing in the middle of
this room. Because that old man in the bright red pajamas brought me a lump of coal instead of a
pony. Because I just discovered that chickens are now endangered species. Because fries
factory...”

“Okay, I get it, but you know I have to do that. The plans are to throw people off the scent of our
bond and feelings for each other by being with others. We agreed to it so nobody would suspect
anything.”

“Yeah, I know we agreed to it...but did she have to be all octopus-like on you? Her hands were
everywhere!” I snap. “I bet you liked it too,” I can’t resist adding.

“Malyshka...” he says in a warning tone.

“And you’re alone for half an hour with that woman...Ms. Octopus hands, Mary, Susan, or
what’s her face, doing god knows what.”
“No, I wasn’t alone with her for half an hour doing god knows what as you put it. I had to deal
with my men and had a quick meeting with my informant. I ditched her and her octopus’s hands
as soon as we got out of that reception hall. I got one of my officers to send her home.”

“Have you gone out with Ms. Octopus hands before tonight?” I demand to know.

“No, never, nor do I ever want to see her again. She’s my comrade’s cousin. Claude kept pushing
me to go out with her for a while now. I thought it’d save me the time from finding a random
woman. I didn’t know she’s going to be that way.”

“But she called you darling,” I huff.

“She calls everyone darling,” he grits out. “Do you honestly think I want to have anything to do
with other women? That I want her hands anywhere near me? Don’t you get it? I’m obsessed
with you, woman! Being with you is all I can think about,” he says, almost yelling now.

“What about you? You called Caspian darling...and a whole bunch of other sickly cutesy names.
All those whisperings and giggling. Made me feel sick as fvck!” he exclaims. “I missed you and
all I wanted to do was to touch you and just be with you. All night I watched all those men
looking at you and wanting what’s mine. All night I’d been fighting with my lycan from taking
over and rip their heads off. All of them.

“I wanted to tell the world that you’re mine, yet I had to sit there and listen to the King
announcing that you’re mated to the crown prince. You are my mate! My mate!” he growls,
jabbing a finger to his chest.

He looks away and grows silent after the outburst. His chest is rising and falling and his jaw is
tense. His hands are now gripping the sheet. I can hear his thundering heartbeat. He’s still
agitated and angry.

I was so focused on my own jealousy that I didn’t realize how it is from his end.

“I know we agreed to do this, but this is harder than I thought,” he says quietly, looking down at
the bunched up sheet in his hand. “I want you safe and I’m trying not to be jealous. I really am.”

I slowly crawl up to sit on his lap, straddling him and he raises his head to look at me.

I thread my fingers through his hair while my other hand caresses his cheek. I can feel the
beginning of the stubble against the palm of my hand. He closes his eyes, rests his head on my
shoulder, and takes a deep shuddering breath.
“I know you are. So am I. My brain is telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me something
else. My lycan is possessive of you,” I tell him. Well, so am I, but there’s no need to tell him
that.

“I know.” His arms slide around my back and he gathers me closer to him, burying his face in
my hair. “In my head, I know you and the prince are like siblings. I trust my pack and you, but
my lycan and my heart can’t stand others claiming and touching you. The only person that ever
belongs to me. You are MY mate.”

“Well, my heart and my lycan can’t stand that woman’s hand all over what’s mine! My mate.
Mine!” I whisper fiercely, gripping his glossy fair hair tighter. I sense that my outburst makes
him feels lighter and happier. I can sense it through our bond. I love it when we don’t have to
hide our feelings like this.

He nuzzles the side of my face and drops a kiss my cheek. “We can’t go on like this, baby,” he
says. “Especially tomorrow night. We’re going to blow it. Neither of us can deal with our
feelings and possessiveness when it comes to each other.”

He’s right. We’re both very possessive but we can’t blow it. We have to make this work.

“Would it help if....” I whisper slowly half to myself, thinking. “...we have our own secret code
or signs...just for each other when we’re among other people. Like when I touch your mark just
over my heart like this,” I say as I put my hand over his bitemark on my chest. “That means, I
have you on my mind and for you to remember that I’m all yours.”

“I like that,” he says. His lips curl up into a smile. I love making him smile. He has a beautiful
sexy smile. He rarely smiles when we’re out there among other people. “I would be walking
around all night tonight with my hand over the mark.”

“Such a charmer,” I tease him and he chuckles.

“That’s another first. Nobody ever accused me of being a charmer.” He kisses my cheek and
caresses my hair. “Or when I touch my nose like this, it means I want to rip the head off the guy
who’s talking or staring at you,” he adds. See? My mate is such a charmer.

“Oh, such sweet romantic things you say, Mi amor,” I whisper back. “Or when I touch my ear
like this, it means I want to rip your clothes right off you and have my wicked ways with you,” I
tease him, biting and tugging the shell of his ear with my teeth.

His smile grows wider, showing his straight white teeth with those prominent canines. His
glacier blue eyes glinted mischievously. “Speaking of which...I believe it’s my turn to have my
wicked ways with you, my naughty little mate.” Suddenly I’m being flipped to be lying on the
bed. My wrists are captured and forced over my head, his body pins mine down against the soft
white lacy and frilly bedding behind me. His sinfully sexy mouth covers mine in a searing,
demanding, and hungry kiss. Uuummm...Oh, yessss!

The subdued early morning light is sneaking in through the sheer white curtains. I smile as I feel
small kisses being pressed along my bare back.

“I have to leave now. You go back to sleep, Malyshka,” he whispers against my skin.

I roll around to face him. “Do you really have to leave now? I pout and trace my fingers over his
chest and up to his neck to play with his silky hair. I run my foot slowly down his leg.

He leans down rests his forehead against mine. “Yes, I do...and you, my little temptress, isn’t
making it easy,” he says. “I promise you when this is all over, we’re going to go away, just the
two of us. We can stay in bed all day and do...whatever.”

“Sounds good. I love doing whatever with you.”

His lips curl up into a devilish smile. “Last night...whatever.. was great. I have to thank Caspian
for this arrangement. It’s brilliant.”

Being able to spend my night with my mate is more than what I expected. He’s right, we do have
to thank Caspian for this, though I have a feeling I’m going to be tortured by the prince’s endless
teasing.

“I’m bored!” moans my best friend beside me. We’re currently sitting on a sofa in hers and
Constantine’s bedchamber in front of a big screen tv. We can’t be running freely around the
palace now since it’s full of guests and workers. The security is tight.

Darius left after a quick shower in the ensuite bathroom this morning. He told me that he’s got an
idea on how to make tonight bearable for me even when he has to bring a date. I truly hope that
tonight is going to be better than last night. I don’t want to be ripping some woman’s head off in
the middle of a party.

Constantine, Lazarus, and Caspian seem to be busy with their duties today. Serena has gone for a
morning of pampering with Lazarus’s aunt. Genesis and I politely declined their invitation to
join them.
“Let’s watch Doctor Strange again,” Genesis suggests.

“Nope, we’ve watched that like ten times already.”

“What about Table 19?”

“Nope, twenty times.”

“You’re exaggerating. Ender’s Game?” she asks again. She’s right, I just pick random numbers
out of thin air.

“Forty times,” I announce. “I know what we can do!” I jump up excitedly. “Make sure to bring
your phone with you,” I add, pulling the reluctant Genesis off the sofa. Really, my friend needs
more exercise than just eating and her nightly painting sessions.

We enter Caspian’s bedroom and I lead her right to the fireplace. We’re checking out the tunnel!

We discover that there are two main passages with a few smaller ones that branch out
everywhere. Some of the openings are so small that we have to crawl to go through it. Genesis
absolutely refused to check those ones out. One of the main tunnels leads down the steps and
finally end up in the kitchen’s pantry. Another one leads to the back garden shed where we are
currently standing and arguing in. There are more to discover, but Genesis refuses to go
exploring further. She’s scared of spiders! Gah! Who’s scared of spiders?

“Spiders are scary,” she says. “Besides, we’ve been doing this for an hour. I just want to go
back.”

“So, let me get this straight, you’re a powerful lycan who’s scared of itty-bitty spiders.” I shake
my head in disappointment.

“You’re a badass lycan who’s scared of scary movies,” she returns.

Whatever!

“Your idea of fun sucks, Penny,” she continues as she drags her fingers through her hair to
dislodge some cobwebs. I have to admit, her hair does resemble a cobweb duster. I bet mine does
too.
“I think you look gorgeous with cobwebs in your hair,” I tell her and she glares at me.
Sheesh...some people really can’t get over their fear of the eight-legged creature. “Think of what
a badass monkey ninja you are going to be when you’re able to use these tunnels to creep up on
people.”

That idea seems to appeal to my ninja monkey DNA obsessed best friend, but she still refuses the
explore any further.

Oh well, I thought that was fun.

When we emerge from the tunnel, Serena is already waiting for us in our drawing room. The
look of horror on her face when she sees the both of us convince me just how bad we look.

“What happened?” asks Serena when she finally manages to find her voice. I have to bite a laugh
when my bedraggled best friend shoots me a glare. She looks like a very grumpy Oscar the
Grouch....with soots on her face and cobwebs in her hair.

Genesis put her hands on her hips and glares at me when I start laughing. Serena bursts out
laughing too after a little while. That’s when the door opens and four figures step in.
Constantine, Caspian, Lazarus, and Darius.

Wait, what? Darius? He can’t see me like this! Suddenly it’s not funny anymore.

Darius gives me a once over and his eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t say anything. His usually
unreadable eyes now seem troubled. Even Caspian seems oblivious to our appearance. He just
drops himself on the nearest chair and put his head in his hands.

“Okay, what’s going on?” asks Genesis.

Silence fills the room when nobody says anything.

Lazarus clears his throat and says, “Girls...”

“My father wants to hold my coronation ceremony tonight. I’ll be announced King and you, my
queen,” interrupts Caspian looking right at me.

“Okay, this is not funny, guys! It’s not ha ha funny. At all! It’s really REALLY not funny!” I
announce, tugging some cobwebs off my hair. “In fact, this is the opposite of funny.”
 Chapter 44 - Things With The Crown

“Tell us this is a joke,” demands Genesis.

I look around and everybody is just staring at each other and at

me. They’re starting to freak me out.

I look back at Caspian, waiting for him to tell us that it’s a joke.
A horrible joke. He just sits there in silence. I bend down, pull a
shoe off my foot and chuck it at his head. My customize Old
Skool Vans sours through the air and hits his forehead before it
lands on the floor with a thud.

“Owww!!! What’s that for?” he yells, rubbing his forehead.

“The joke is not funny.” I glare at him.

“It’s not funny because it’s not a joke!” Caspian exclaims.

“Throwing a shoe at your King’s head isn’t funny either.”

No no no no no...this has got to be a joke. King Alexandros

can’t do that, can he? I’m still in a denial. Of course, he can.
He’s a freaking king!

“I’m afraid it’s not a joke, Malyshka,” says Darius, stepping

closer to me. He takes both my hands in his.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I tell him. I’m feeling lightheaded

and a bit dizzy.

He pulls me to the nearest sofa, lifts me up to sit on his lap and

presses my face to his shoulder. I breathe in his amazing scent
while he rubs my shoulders and back soothingly. “Breath,
Malyshka,” he tells me while I feel him breathing in my scent
and realize his need to calm himself too.

“What are we going to do now?” I hear Serena’s voice asking.

Her question is met with momentary silence before my mate

raises his head up to look at Caspian and firmly says, “You have
to talk to King Alexandros.”

“Da. Yes, you’re going to ask him to give you more time,” says
Constantine to Caspian.

“I agree.” Lazarus nods his head.

“He agreed to give me three years before we went to California

months ago. I don’t know what prompted him to do this, but
yes, that’s the best course of action,” states Caspian sitting up
straight. “My father can be stubborn once he made up his
mind. If all else fails, I shall abdicate the crown. That’s all the
leverage I have against him at this moment. Constantine, if that
happens, it shall fall on your shoulders, brother.”

I stare at them with round eyes. There’s a possibility of the heir

apparent giving up his throne now. Despite his craziness, I
know Caspian doesn’t take this very lightly. There’s a lot at
stake. If I wasn’t sitting in Darius’s protective arms, I would
have hyperventilated at this point.

If Constantine is crowned king, Genesis will be his queen. A

roll that I know my free-spirited friend isn’t too willing to take.
I quickly glance at my best friend to see a look of horror briefly
flashes on her face. She quickly masked it with a slight smile
when Constantine takes her hand in his.

They gaze into each other’s eyes for a while before she nods her
head and he turns to look at his cousin, Caspian. “We have your
back, brother. Do what you have to do.”

“Beany, we’ll go face the king together. Let’s go,” says Caspian.
“Wait...what happened to you?” he asks, noticing my
appearance for the first time. Then he does a double take on
Genesis. “Red? You too? What have you two been up to?”

“Tunnel happened,” answers Genesis, scowling. “Penny’s idea

of fun involves tunnel plus crazy giant mutated killer spiders.”

Gawd, my friend is such a drama queen. They’re not mutated! I

jump up from my mate’s lap and tells them, “Focus, people!” I
turn to Caspian and says, “Okay, let’s go.”

“Maybe you should clean up before you go see King

Alexandros?” suggests Serena.

“Yeah, you two look like dirty giant spiderweb dusters. Very
disgusting,” agrees Caspian. “I didn’t know you’re this kinky,
Beany.” he shakes his head. “Sorry, I can’t be seen with you like
this.”

“Disgusting? Can’t be seen...??? Why

you..I’m...urghh..kinky...what? What???...darn it!” I sputtered
in indignation. I’m going to kick his royal balls!
Darius wraps his arms around my middle before I can move.
He pulls me to him until my back hits his chest and my feet are
off the ground before I start flinging my arms and feet towards
the smug looking Caspian.

Darius carries me down the hall towards Caspian’s bedchamber

as I keep struggling to be free. “Kinky? I’ll show you... Argghh!
You!!! I...darn it! I’m...I’m..I’m gonna kick your nuts so bad one
day! You and your mate better start looking into adoption!”
Hah! I manage to come up with two complete sentences!
Hah!!!

I hear Constantine chuckling closely behind us. He and Genesis

are walking down the hall with us to their bedchamber. “We
left you two alone just for three hours, now look at you,” says
Constantine, ruffling Genesis’s hair. He pulls his hand back
and stares at the cobweb that stuck to his fingers in
amusement. His mate just scowls at him in annoyance.

Before we parted ways to clean up, I catch Genesis’s hand in

mine and pull her aside. “Can you two give us a minute?” I ask
Darius and Constantine. The two men walk on and I hear
Constantine saying, “Don’t get into any more trouble, girls.
Please.”

What’s up with not trusting us? We both scowl at his parting

back.

As soon as they’re gone, I turn to Genesis. “I’m sorry it happens

this way, Genesis. It’s my fault. If Caspian abdicated...”

“Penny, it’s not your fault. You know I’d do anything for you.
Who knows, the king might agree to give Caspian more time,”
she says. “Besides, being a queen isn’t the worst thing that
could happen to a girl, is it?” She smiles and wiggles her
eyebrows.

No, it isn’t, but I know Genesis would hate it. Millions of other
women might be dreaming of becoming a queen. My friend
sees it as responsibility instead of power, restrictions instead of
privileges. She wants her freedom and eats the cake too. She
has no desire to change the world.

She’s just like her father, Aaron Fairchild who joined his mate’s
pack even though he was next in line to be the alpha of his
pack. He left his younger brother to take the position, much to
his father’s aggravation.

“Oh, by the way, you’re not off the hook. If I were to become
the queen, you’ll be my right-hand woman along with Serena.”
She flips her cobweb ridden hair sassily before she sashays to
her room.

“Oh boy, I can see how this whole monarchy is going to

crumble,” I yell at her parting back. “Gone! Poof! Taken down
by three crazy women.”

I hear her laughter echoes down the massive grand hallway as

she disappears behind closed doors of their bedchamber.

I find my mate waiting in our bedroom. As soon as I walk in, he

draws me to him for a gentle yet passionate kiss. We stay in
each other’s arms for a while before I have to go and wash up.
Our brief stolen moment.
I wash my body and shampoo my hair properly to get rid of the
soot and the cobwebs. I dry my hair and choose a tight cream
colored short knitted dress and pair it with thigh-high black
boots. I add a red scarf around my neck for color and a black
leather jacket on top of that. I think I’m ready to face King
Alexandros.

Darius is sitting on our bed with his elbows on his thighs. He

looks up when I come out of the walk-in closet. he’s changed
into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He was in his black army
uniform before. His hair gleams in the sunlight streaming in
through the windows. His glacier blue eyes intense, taking in
my appearance from head to toe. He’s so beautiful he takes my
breath away.

“I feel like I’m getting ready to go to war,” I tell him.

“You’re beautiful. You look like you’re about to walk down the
runway, Malyshka,” he remarks as he gets up.

“If all else fails, I’m going to grab you and we’ll disappear
together,” he says.

“Will you, really?” I ask him.

He brushes a finger down my face gently, as if he can’t stop

himself. He doesn’t make any attempt to touch me other than
that.

“I’m sorry I hit you with my shoe,” I whisper Caspian just

before we enter the King’s office.
“You’re just scared that I might throw you in the dungeon when
I become King,” he whispers back, taking my hand in his.
“Though I could’ve thrown you in the dungeon right now if I so
wished.”

“Maybe,” I reply. “But you know I’ll come back and haunt you
for the rest of your long life if I were to die down there.”

Caspian places his hand on the doorknob and twists it as soon

as I nod my head.

The dress is exquisite. The most beautiful creation I’ve ever

seen in my life. It’s a sleeveless, A-line dress with a sheer see-
through mesh bodice. Golden floral appliques carefully hand-
stitched and conveniently placed to cover important parts of
my body that needs to be covered...which apparently not much.
The top to the waist at the back is completely bare save for the
sheer mesh and the buttons. The skirt is made of light peach-
colored tulle that reaches the ground and forms a train at the
back. The fold of the tulle is soft and exquisite. More golden
appliques are stitched down the front of the gown. The dress is
quite risqué. It will definitely draw attention. It makes me
wonder what the queen’s motive behind this. I wonder what my
mate will think of it.

I have five maids helping me today. One of the women helps

me do up the tiny buttons at the back.

My hair is being pulled up into an elaborate, elegant updo. A

beautiful gold headpiece encrusted with diamonds is weaved
into my hair to look like I was wearing a tiara.
Earlier on I was given a box. A gift, said the lady who brought it
over. Inside were a necklace, a pair of hoop earrings, and a
bracelet that match the headpiece.

One of the maids is putting them on me now. They are

beautiful and must have cost a fortune. I’ve never felt more like
a fraud.

Our meeting with King Alexandros earlier didn’t go very well.

Queen Sophia was in the office with us. I felt like they were just
waiting for us. They both refused to budge on our request for
more time before we’re announced, king and queen. When
Caspian announced that he wanted to abdicate the crown, the
queen declared that they would call for Rule of Seven. This is
an ancient set of rules. It’s mostly barbaric but is still in
practice by some werewolf packs and apparently, by the king
and queen to threaten their prince.

At first, the two of us just stared at King Alexandros and Queen

Sophia as if they just lost their minds. The Rule of Seven would
call for the strongest werewolf or lycan to be the next king.
There will be fights to the death. It sounded simple enough, but
it’s not. If Rule of Seven was announced, there will be chaos
and deaths. There will be fights among the packs. There will be
war.

“Persephone, I would expect you to be advising your mate to do

the right thing. I expect you to be telling the man you love to do
what’s good for him.” Those were the Queen’s parting words to
me.

I gaze at myself in the mirror unbelievingly. I look good. As

beautiful as the dress is, it smells trouble. I wish it wasn’t as
revealing. I wish I could wear a different dress. The queen has
put me in a very difficult situation.

My concern is confirmed when I enter the drawing room where

Genesis, Constantine, Serena, Lazarus, and Caspian are
waiting. They all look stunning.

Their eyes widen when they see me. Caspian’s jaw tightens and
his eyes grow a few degrees colder.

“My mother is playing with fire,” he says as he links my arm

through his. He is dressed in a tuxedo. The vest inside his
jacket is silky gold material to match my dress, the same with
his tie. His golden hair is impeccably smoothed back from his
face. “Your mate is going to have a fit when he sees you.”

“You’re like a sister and I feel like covering you up with my

jacket,” growls Constantine, followed by an agreement noise by
Lazarus.

I can only pray that my mate has miraculously grown an iron-

clad self-control over his possessiveness and the patience of a
saint for tonight.

Chapter 45 - Aren’t We Having A Ball?

To say that my pack was furious with the outcome of the

meeting with the King and Queen today was an
understatement. My mate was livid. For a brief moment, his
eyes turned black, and dark veins appeared around his eye
sockets, much like Caspians’ when his mother mentioned Rule
of Seven.
Darius roughly yanked me into his arms and bury his nose in
my neck, breathing in my scent to calm himself. He held me
close the whole time during our pack’s brief discussion.

The coronation is going to put Caspian’s and my life in danger.

Anything can happen tonight or sometime in the near future.
Their initial reaction, especially Darius’s and Genesis’s was to
fly us home or take us somewhere else where we would be safe
from danger. Caspian and I disagree. Running away is not the
answer. The danger would still exist and they would still be
hunting us. We are the hunter, not the prey. We think this is
the perfect time to hunt down the enemy and to flush out the
traitor.

I’d like to think that this is a good way to pave a safe pathway
for Caspian and his erasthai when the time comes.

We also can’t afford to risk Queen Sophia unleashing the Rule

of Seven and have lives destroyed because of it. Man’s greed for
power is an ugly thing.

In the end, everybody reluctantly agreed to go through with it.

The plan is to stay close and to be on guard at all time.

I could feel my mate’s intense frustration, anger, and fear for

my safety through our connection. I could feel his inner
struggle with his lycan wanting to snatch me and take me away.

After the discussion, he pulled me in for a quick aggressive

kiss, then left with a barely contained fury. He’s tightening the
security. I hope he’s calmer tonight. A lot calmer.
The six of us walk down the massive, grand hallways to the
ballroom in silence. The beautiful dress feels heavy on me. The
collective uneasiness of the pack is like an ominous black cloud
following above our heads. I might sound brave when I pleaded
my case to stay and fight this afternoon, but that doesn’t mean
that I’m not scared. We are surrounded by abundance,
opulence, and riches yet I feel like bolting. Caspian tightens his
hold on my arm as if he can sense that I’m considering making
a run for it. Well...maybe it’s not that hard to guess since my
eyes keep straying towards the doors or the windows that we
pass.

I keep imagining myself jumping out the window to freedom.

I’d be dancing on the streets of Moscow while the world is
burning around me. I could join the circus.

“Not happening, Beany,” Caspian whispers in my ear.

Wait. What? How did he know? Or did I say it out loud? I shoot
him the meanest scowl and hear the snickers and fake coughs
of my pack mates behind me.

I can hear the sound of live music before we reach our private
doors to the ballroom. Two guards are standing by the doors.

Caspian squeezes my arm reassuringly. His face is impassive

and cold. I turn slightly around and exchange glances with all
my pack mates. They seem ready. I square up my shoulders
and hold my head up high. My feelings are nicely guarded.

Guarding my feelings doesn’t mean I don’t feel them, it just

means I’m protecting them from anybody sensing them.
Unfortunately, that also means it’s hidden from my mate who,
otherwise can always feel them through our bond.

I glance at the aloof-looking prince and he nods at the guards.

The music changes tune, the dancing stops, the conversation

and laugher hush and all eyes are on us as soon as we enter the
room. The women curtsy and the men give us a little bow as we
walk past. This happened before in the past when there were
parties at the palace. I thought it was cool when it happened
the first couple of times. Now it’s something I don’t particularly
care for...especially tonight.

I nod once in acknowledgment, then I tilt my head up so I look

like I was looking down my nose at everybody. A trick I learned
from His Royal Highness Prince Caspian. I let my eyes leisurely
skim across the crowded room, looking for a particular one
person. The only person I really want to see tonight.

The grand ballroom always looks magnificent and magical.

Tonight is no exception...if not more so. The room looks
different every time parties are being held here.

Tonight, the decor is deceptively simple, yet very glamorous.

The crystal chandeliers gleam and sparkle. The lights bounce
off the reflective walls of mirrors. The natural stone tiles shine
underneath our feet.

Men in white or light colored tuxedos while women in white or

soft pastel colored gowns. The only exceptions are the six of us.
Constantine, Lazarus, and Caspian are in black tuxedos, while
Serena and Genesis are in beautiful sleek, silky, but different
shades of peach and gold and I, mostly in gold.
There has got to be over a hundred people at this ballroom
tonight. Sea of elegantly dressed men and women in white and
pastels everywhere but I don’t see my mate anywhere.

“He must be busy arranging the last minute security detail,”

whispers Caspian very quietly in my ear again. I nod and smile
softly. To the people watching, it must’ve seemed like he’s
whispering sweet nothings in my ear. The action must’ve
looked loving as I see some mated ladies giving us approving,
dreamy smiles.

There are chairs for us beside the thrones on a raised podium

where we can see everything in front of us clearly.

The arrival of the King and the Queen are announced not long
after we reached the podium.

King Alexandros is looking regal and handsome in a black

tuxedo with a gold cummerbund and a blue royal sash. Queen
Sophia is beautiful in a blue and gold evening gown, more
elaborate and more covered than mine.

I stand up and curtsy and raise my head in time to see the

queen glancing at me and my gown in satisfaction as she walks
past.

The music resumes its original tempo after the royal couple is
seated.

I see Caspian beside me exchanging a few words with his

parents. They’re very low and I can’t hear what they are saying
above the music and the noise around us. He seems pissed. Not
long after, he abruptly stands up, gives a stiff bow and snatches
my hand. He drags me to the dance floor and basically forces
me to dance by twirling me around.

“Uh... aren’t you supposed to ask me to dance first? I didn’t

hear you asking,” I tell him as he grabs my hips and sways us
around.

“Don’t Beany....just don’t. I need to get away from my dear

mother before I thrash this whole place to the ground.” His
expression stays cold, aloof and unreadable.

I notice Lazarus and Serena dancing next to us. I’m sure

Genesis and Constantine aren’t too far away.

I follow Caspian’s lead in silence for a while but then my

curiosity gets the best of me. “What happened?” I ask him.

“Nothing,” he says gruffly. After another moment of silence, he

adds, “I was just exchanging pleasantries and compliments
with my dear mother over her choice of your wardrobe. What
in the blaze is she playing at?”

As soon as the music ends, he pulls me to the side and grabs

two wine glasses from a passing server. He downs the two
drinks quickly. Sheesh...here I thought one was for me.

“Don’t get drunk, Pookie bear,” I remind him.

“I won’t,” he says as he places the glasses down on the ledge

behind us. “I’m just prepping myself for a good time, Beany
boo.”
Genesis appears at my elbow and Constantine slaps his cousin
gently yet firmly on the back.

“Aren’t we having a blast yet?” asks my best friend, squeezing

my arm.

My mate is here. I sense his presence before I see him. I try not
to look around for him or show any reaction, but my back
stiffens and my heartbeat accelerates.

“Oh, we’ll have a great blast soon,” answers Caspian airily.

“Yes, I can see it coming...right now,” adds Constantine.

From the corner of my eyes, I can see them approaching.

Darius and his date.

The four of us turn to face them. Eva is hanging onto his arm.
She’s looking radiant in her pale lavender evening gown.

My mate is breathtaking in a grey tuxedo with a matching silk

vest and a pristine white shirt with a silver-white silk tie. His
shiny pale blond hair is combed back and looks slightly damp
as if he just hastily jumped in and out of the shower to get here.

The expressions on their faces are such a contrast. Eva seems

all excited and bright-eyed, looking as if she’s in awe of the
whole thing. Darius’s face is looking cold and grim. His
penetrating eyes are fixed on me and I feel like hiding. His eyes
raked me from top to toe and his expression grows darker as he
gets nearer.

“If looks could kill,” whispers Genesis with a nervous giggle.

“I don’t think he’s very impressed with my outfit,” I whisper
back.

“I’m not either,” says Constantine.

“Neither am I,” Caspian spits out.

“Neanderthal possessive men.” I hear Genesis huffs under her

breath.

Constantine flashes his charming grin. “Darius, Eva,” he says,

lightheartedly.

“Your Highness,” says Eva, as she curtsies. “It’s so good to see

you again.”

Eva’s eyes are shining brightly while my mate beside her looks
like he’s about ready to murder someone.

Eva really is unobservant. No wonder Darius brought her over

to California with him. My mate also knows that I won’t be
jealous of her and he trusts her, I believe that’s why she is here
as his date tonight. Besides, she already knows about us.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, Eva. How have you been?”
says Genesis pulling her into a hug and exchanging air kisses.
Then they start catching up.

“Hi,” I say softly, grinning up at my mate’s furious face. A

muscle in his tense jaw is ticking. His firm carved lips are set in
a hard line. His glacier blue eyes are now darker and never
leaving my face. It’s unnerving. I feel like running off even
though none of this is my fault and I know his anger isn’t
exactly directed at me.

“That dress....I’m burning it,” he says through clenched teeth.

“Burning the dress....got it,” I tell him.

Both Constantine and Caspian are trying to give us some

privacy to talk without leaving our side. I guess this is their
brotherhood of possessive men show of support or some crap
like that. I feel like rolling my eyes at the three of them. I’ve no
doubt Lazarus would be the same if he’s here right now.

He leans in closer and whispers on the side of his face without

even moving his lips too much, “I’m very close to carrying you
out of here and locking you up so nobody else can see you.”

I feel, rather than hear the grunts of approval from the other
two neanderthals near us. This time I really roll my eyes. Well,
guess who’s going to be watched very closely tonight.

Chapter 46 - Indecent Proposal

I’m surrounded by my pack mates at all time and I know

Darius has planted his men all around us.

My mate agrees not to stay too close to me as not to make it

obvious how my appearance is bothering him. I know it pains
him to do so, but we can’t afford to have our plan to blow up in
our faces. I reach over and grab Eva by the hand before she
moves away with Darius.
“Where are you going?” asks Caspian as soon as I step away
from his side.

“We’re at a ball. I’m going to dance,” I tell him as I lead Eva to

the dance floor. I just need to talk to Eva. I can feel my mate’s
eyes burning holes through the side of my skull. If it’s up to
him, I would be chained to the wall in a locked room, up in a
tower. Never to be seen or heard of again.

“Is this the first time you’ve ever attended a party here?” I ask
Eva as we both glide to the dance floor. I don’t stray too far
from my pack and my mate, though. I’m not stupid...well, not
too stupid.

“Party? This is my very first time at Banehallow Palace. Ever. I

don’t know if you knew this, Penny but very few commoners
like me ever step foot in this palace.”

Funny, I never thought of that. “Really?” I twirl her around

then pull her right back.

I know my mate is watching me so I put my hand on top of my

his mark on my chest, then I lightly touch my ear.

“How do you like it so far?” I ask her. I caught the sight of my

mate rubbing his nose and I stifle a laugh. Yup, he’d like to rip
some men’s head off just for looking at me.

“It’s magnificent. Better than I ever imagined,” answers Eva as

she tilts her head up to look at the glimmering chandelier
above our heads.
She places her hands on my hips and lead us to the side where
it’s more private. She leans in and whispers very quietly, “I
know you’re not really mated to the Prince and I don’t know
what’s going on, but I trust you know what you’re doing.”

She looks worried. If this gets out, I don't know how much
trouble I'm going to be in. If the king and the queen found out,
I'd probably be rotting in the dungeon seven levels
underground for hundreds of years until I turn into a prune.
I'm already in enough trouble as it is. There are people out to
kill me.

“Yes,” I whisper back. I hope we do. “We’re trusting you, Eva. I

hope this wouldn’t get out.”

“No, it wouldn’t. I already had a talk with your mate,

Commander Rykov. My loyalty is with the Prince and my
General commander.”

I stand back and look at Eva. She is very straightforward kind

of person, almost like me. Sure, I felt like killing her before
when she propositioned my mate for sex as a physical release,
but I always knew that I could trust her.

“And don’t worry, I don’t offer physical release to men whom I

know are taken. I always draw the line where I seek
my...pleasure,” she says, smiling. I almost laugh. This woman is
almost like a man when it comes to sex. I know I could never
do that.

“Good, otherwise we might have a big problem,” I tell her, with

a grin. I’m not kidding, though. I really meant what I just said.
We’ll have a huge problem if she ever made an offer to my mate
again.

“He’s not interested in my offers anyways,” she says, shrugging

her shoulders dismissively. She seems not at all bothered by it.
“Besides, I spent enough time to know your brand of crazy not
to get on your bad side. So, I say no to a big problem with
Penny.

“I have to say, though...that dress is giving my

commander...uh, a bad case of a... err...uhh..headache.”

“Headache?” I whisper-squeak. I was so sure she’s about to say

something else.

“Yes,” she says firmly. “He’s totally unlike his cool self. He’s
been growling the whole night and I feel like a guard trying to
hold him back from hurting men who even look at you
tonight,” she explains. There’s a glimmer or amusement and
mirth in her eyes. “Please go easy on him.”

“Tell him to behave. He might get a reward for being a good

boy later tonight.” I give her a wink.

“You’re the devil, I swear.” She laughs softly. “Anyway, I’ll be

across the room with him. I’ll try to keep him from charging in
and snapping the neck of the next male who looks at you.”

“Yeah, I can see that happening,” I say, remembering how he

was touching his nose earlier. That's our sign for when he's
feeling like ripping the heads off some men for just looking at
me. His expression was so serious, I’m not too sure if he was
just kidding.
“I’ll try to keep him from killing anyone,” Eva promises, patting
my arm before we both take a step back away from each other
and I nod my head as she curtsies.

I become aware of someone stepping closer to Eva and me

before I hear his voice. “Your Highness.” I raise my eyes to look
into a pair of dark brown eyes on a face so familiar yet so alien.
“We meet again,” says Æmilius.

He gives Eva a little dismissive wave of his hand while keeping

his eyes solely on me. Well, that’s kind of rude.

Eva seems hesitant and reluctant to leave my side. She stares at

him in bemusement then she looks at me as if asking me if I’d
rather she stays.

I smile and nod my head, assuring her that it’s okay for her to
leave even though I’d rather she stays. Why wouldn’t it be okay,
he’s Darius’s cousin, right?

As soon as Eva leaves, he steps in closer and suddenly he’s

much too close. The intense look in his eyes makes me feel a
little uneasy.

He leans in and whispers, “I know your little secret, Princess.”

What? My body stiffened and my heart stops beating for a beat

before it starts to pound uncontrollably fast. I try to even my
breathing and regulate my heartbeat while keeping my eyes on
him.

My heart is still beating fast as I shift my gaze beyond

Æmilius’s shoulder to scan around the room and encounter my
pack mates’ eyes watching me intently not far away. All five
pairs of them. I don’t see Darius anywhere so far. I’m sure he
has moved further, but I know he is watching me closely
somewhere in this room. I can feel it. Caspian is staring at me
with that cold look, but as he’s about to step towards us,
Æmilius takes my hand with a little bow and says, “Dance with
me, my princess.”

He proceeds to steer me to the dance floor then pulls me close.

He places one hand on my hip while tightening his grasp on my
hand. I have no choice but to put my other hand on his upper
arm.

What secret does he know? Does he know that I’m mated to his
cousin?

I give him a tiny smile and school my features to look bored

and amused. “What secret, sir? I’m an open book.”

“Please, call me Æmilius, Princess,” he says, with a smile that

would’ve charmed countless of other women. The way the word
“Princess” rolls off his tongue makes it sound like an
endearment rather than a title. “On the contrary, you’re hardly
an open book, Your Highness. I think you’re exotic, mysterious,
and absolutely fascinating.”

“Do you really now?” I lift an eyebrow. I don’t really want to be

dancing with him now but I need to know what it is that he
knows about me.

His lips lift up at the corners while his eyes are watching me
closely. I've seen that similar smile and that intense gaze from
my mate so many times...it feels strange.
“I know that you’re attracted to my cousin. I’ve watched you
during dinner last night. I didn’t see much reaction from my
cousin, but I’ve got a feeling that it’s not one-sided,” he says.

“That’s absurd,” I tell him. “I’m mated to Prince Caspian.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” he says, shrugging his massive

shoulders as if it’s not a big deal or a big secret.

“I intend to stay faithful to my mate,” I tell him.

“Do you? For how long?” He smiles skeptically.

I watch him with narrowed eyes. “You’ve done this

before...you’ve slept with mated women,” I hiss.

He throws his head back and laughs as if I just said the

funniest thing he's ever heard.

“Oh, goddess...you and my cousin have more in common than

you know. You two should be perfect for each other. Noble and
honorable...or very naive,” he says after he’s done laughing.
“Pardon me, Your Highness, but everybody knows that you and
the Prince are not each other’s erasthais. Mates who aren’t
erasthais cheat on each other, all the time, Princess.

"With a fiery temper like yours, I doubt you can stay loyal to
your mate for very long when you're attracted to another," he
muses.

He's so close to the truth that I don't dare say a word.

"But then again, I know my cousin well. I know he’s very loyal,
especially to his royal highness Prince Caspian, so I don’t think
anything will come off it,” he observes. I shift uneasily. I don’t
know whether to feel relief or worried. At least he still thinks
that I'm mated to Caspian. On the other hand, it might be just a
matter of time before he figured it out.

“I’m being told I look a lot like my cousin, maybe even better
looking,” he says, lightly touching the side of my face as if he’s
pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear. Now I can feel the
heat of Darius’s gaze burning the side of my face and I almost
flinch.

He suddenly leans in close...much too close. His breath is

fanning my skin, his lips almost touching my ear. His hand
moves from my hip to the small of my back. I can feel the brush
of his fingers through the sheer fabric of my dress.

“So why don’t you take it up with me, Princess?” he whispers

smoothly. “I’m interested and very....willing.” Oh, wow...and
very brazen. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes flicker
up over Æmilius’s shoulder to encounter a pair of glacier blue
eyes staring coldly back from across the room.

Chapter 47 - Charming Like a Snake

“So why don’t you take it up with me, Princess?” he whispers

smoothly. “I’m interested and very....willing.” Oh, wow...and
very brazen. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes flicker
up over Æmilius’s shoulder to encounter a pair of glacier blue
eyes staring coldly back from across the room.
He doesn’t smell like Darius. His touch doesn’t burn me with
passion like Darius’s touch does.

It’s strange that the two cousins look so much alike yet I don’t
feel the pull towards Æmilius that I feel for Darius. In my eyes,
no one is as attractive or as captivating as my mate.

Æmilius pulls back and I tear my gaze away from my furious

mate’s eyes to look into his cousin’s dark brown ones. There are
gold flecks right in the center of those brown irises. Those eyes
seem familiar, yet I couldn’t put a finger on it. All in all, he is
indeed a very good looking man.

Suddenly my mate is standing right beside his cousin. We stop

dancing and I take a step back, pulling my hand out of
Æmilius’s hold. Side by side I can see the resemblance and the
difference. They look like two beautiful Nordic Gods. Both are
blonds. Both look as cold as ice as they stare at each other like
mortal enemies.

“Æmilius,” says Darius. His firm lips curl up into a tight smile
while his eyes remain icy cold.

“Cousin,” says Æmilius stiffly before his face transforms in a

blink of an eye. The hostility suddenly vanished. A charming
smile graces his lips. His eyes light up with delight and
friendliness. “Your Highness,” he says without missing a beat,
giving Caspian a little bow of his head. That’s when I notice
Caspian’s presence next to me.

“I was just telling Princess Persephone what a fascinating

woman she is. You’re a lucky man to have such a beautiful,
captivating mate, Your Highness,” he says to Caspian.
“Yes, indeed I am,” answers Caspian with an equally charming
smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Now if only other men know
how to keep their hands to themselves.”

“I agree, Your Highness,” replies Æmilius smoothly as if he

didn’t just offer himself as a substitute for his cousin to cheat
on Caspian just a few minutes ago.

“Thank you for the dance, Princess.” He shifts his eyes to me

briefly with a little hint of a smile that holds some sort of a
promise before he retreats.

I don’t think that the look and that smile go unnoticed by my

mate or Caspian.

“What did he say to you?” demands Caspian stiffly as soon as

Æmilius is gone. My mate seems to be speechless in his fury.
His eyes darkened considerably while his nostrils are flaring.

“He...he..he says that..uh, everybody knows that I’m not your

erasthai,” I admit.

“Anything else?” hisses my mate quietly but fiercely.

I gulp as I struggle to think. I don’t think telling my mate that

his cousin just propositioned me is a good idea. He’d flipped
for sure.

“I said, anything else?” he asks me. I stare at my furious mate’s

eyes with a blank look on my face. What? I’m still thinking.
“Persephone...” he says warningly.
I shift my gaze to Caspian and he stares right back at me
waiting for my answer as well. He’s no help at all.

I look down at my golden gown, smoothing my fingers over the

fabric before I mutter, “He thinks that Darius and I are
attracted to each other. What if somebody else noticed...” My
eyes widen and I stare up at the two men in front of me. “You
think Queen Sophia noticed and already figured it out?” I
whisper to them urgently. “Guys! I can’t be in the dungeon. You
can’t let them keep me down there for years and years and
years. I don’t want to be a prune!”

They’re both staring at me speechless, I think. I take the

opportunity before they recover to pull on Caspian’s arm.
“You’ve got to dance with me. We can’t let them be suspicious.
We can’t let them figure it out.”

I leave my mate staring after us with Caspian in tow. I know I

can’t avoid Darius’s questions forever but I just want to survive
this event. He can kill his cousin in his own free time
afterward.

I’m actually quite surprised that Darius managed to go this

long without ripping anybody’s head off, especially with me
dressed this way. It must have taken a lot of discipline and
strength on his part to be able to control his lycan half and
overcome his own possessiveness to be able to do this. I am not
taking any chances by telling him about Æmilius right now,
though.

“So what else did Æmilius Ivanov say to you?” asks Caspian
quietly in my ear as we spin around slowly on the dance floor.
I pull back and about to scowl at him before I remember that I
have to act like a devoted mate. I smile at him lovingly and tell
him, “See this face? I am actually frowning at you on the
inside.”

The Prince just stares at me, looking unimpressed and says,

“See this face? I actually don’t care. Wait, actually I’d rather
you frown. You look very scary like that, Beany bean.”

Ughh!!! I wish I could smack him again with my shoe. “Oh,

how lovely! I love all the sweet loving words coming out of your
mouth, my sweet lamb chop,” I tell him, giving him a wider
smile this time.

“Stop scaring me and tell me what else did he say to you?”

“Ughh..okay.” I give up. I sigh and lean in closer so that nobody

can be listening in to our conversation. “He said mated lycans
cheat on each other all the time here,” I tell him.

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t seem surprised at all. “And?”

“And he offered to have an affair with me since he looks a lot

like his cousin.”

“The bastard! You are not going to cheat on me,” hisses the
Prince.

I almost hit him on the back of his head this time. I stop myself
just in time. I use the hand that I raise up to hit him to smooth
the collar of his tuxedo instead. Great, now he forgot that I’m
not really mated to him.
“That would be cheating on Darius, you genius,” I whisper in
his ear. “Not on you!”

“Oh, right...I knew that. I was just staying in character,” he

says. “You are not going to cheat on Darius. Most lycans who
are not mated to their erasthais don’t really care when their
mates cheat, as long as they're being discreet. You and Darius
are different. Goddess knows what destruction Darius is going
to cause if you did.”

Gah! Didn’t I know that already?

You know how people say that serial killers like Jeffrey
Dahmer, Paul John Knowles, or Ted Bundy were charming and
enigmatic? Paul John Knowles was said to be “breathtakingly
gorgeous”. Well, Robert Vitsin, the man who was responsible
for the death of so many people, including Darius’s comrades
and mates is all of those things. I don’t know how old he really
is, but he looks like he’s in his late twenties or early thirties.
His grey eyes are sharp and cunning. His straight dark hair is
fashionably styled. He is good looking, charming, and
charismatic but he makes my skin crawl...or maybe because I
already knew what he is capable of. He’s a cold-blooded killer.

The fact that he’s Polina's father, the woman that Darius tried
to mark as his mate a few months back isn’t helping either.

Right now his glittering calculating eyes are looking at me with

creepy interest. Not like Æmilius, but rather as in “if I cut her
up, how many boxes do I need to load her in?” kind of
interest....or maybe that’s just all in my head.
A lot of people approached us tonight, but I notice my mate
and my friends moving a lot closer as soon Robert Vitsin
present himself in front of me.

“It’s an honor for me to meet you and to be here Your

Highness,” he says. “To be able to congratulate you on your
mating and also your upcoming coronation tonight in person.”

“Thank you,” I reply, keeping my eyes on him even though I

want so much to look around and see how close my mate and
my pack members are to me right at this moment. It’s not that
I’m scared of this man...well, maybe I am. A little bit. Like I
said, he gives me the creep.

In my head, I calculate my moves if he tries anything. I’ll knee

him in the junk. Yeah, definitely, knee in the junk.

“I’m sure we’ll have the pleasure to meet again,

Princess...soon.” His shrewd gaze never wavers from watching
me. I feel like squirming. I hate the vibes coming off of this
man. I don’t know what he’d do if he knew what I’m imagining
doing to his junk in my head right now.

“I hope not, Vitsin. I’m sure her mate would hate to have
strange men seeing her without him,” replies Darius who
suddenly appears beside me. His tone is playful and he flashes
the man a smile as if to soften the blow of his cutting words.

Knowing Darius, he never bothers to soften anything. His smile

looks more like a dueling challenge, baring all his straight
white teeth and his sharp canines.
“Yes, I would definitely hate that,” answers Caspian on my
other side. “Whatever business you have, you could deal with
my people.” He draws me closer to his side not even bothering
to hide his disdain.

“Your Highness.” Robert Vitsin’s lips stretch into a thin smile.

Something flashes in his eyes, but he lowers his head in a show
of respect. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing great things under your
ruling.”

Robert Vitsin steps back, gives us another little bow and leaves.
That tiny smile never leaves his lips.

“Snake,” snaps Genesis under her breath. Suddenly I realize my

whole pack standing behind me. All of them are eyeing Robert
Vitsin’s retreating back warily.

“Never let your guard down,” says Lazarus. “The King will be
making an announcement very shortly.”

My heart sinks to the bottom of my expensive shoes.

Chapter 48 - Aren't We Having a Blast?

I try to act as if I'm paying attention to Phillipe, Caspian’s third

cousin twice removed...or something like that, as we move
around on the dance floor. He asked me to dance earlier, and I
reluctantly accepted.

Apparently, Phillipe is 12th in line to the throne. Evidently, he

doesn’t know when to stop talking. What a great loss to my
fellow womenfolk everywhere, for such a good looking man,
he’s such a bore. Well...okay, so he’s not a bad person, just the
most self-absorbed man I’ve ever met. I don’t know if any of
the stories he told me so far has any point to them other than
how great he thinks he is. It’s like listening to a bad joke
without the punchline. It drives me nuts. I’ve stopped listening
after less than a minute. If I keep listening, I might
“accidentally” kick him in the nuts.

I furiously rub my chest, telling my mate that I’m thinking

about him and hoping in vain that he’d come and save me from
this fate. I think I have that glazed look in my eyes. The image
of my own tombstone is floating in my head. Engraved clearly
for all to see on the said tombstone: “Here lies Penny. Cause of
death: boredom.”

I suspect Caspian must’ve known what a bore his cousin is

because he practically pushed me onto the dance floor with
Phillipe and told me to "have fun". He must be laughing at me
right now.

That thought is pissing me enough that I start imagining

different ways to torture the annoying Prince Caspian...right
after this dance.

I almost tripped over my own feet when Phillipe suddenly says,

“I guess very soon you’ll be the Queen, huh?

“My mother used to say that I could make a great king. She said
I have a lot to say,” he explains. “Oh, look full moon! I think it’s
time I return you to Prince Caspian’s side. Did you know that
the moon goddess....”

I tune him out again when I see the dome-like roof over the
platform where the thrones are, opens up to the night sky,
revealing the full moon. King Alexandros stands up and a few
of his ministers step forward.

I realize that Phillipe is still not done talking. This man really
loves the sound of his own voice. I nod as if I’m listening while
I crane my neck in search of Darius, Caspian, and the rest of
my pack mates.

Cracking sounds much like the sound of firecrackers erupt

above the sound of the music, the talking and the laughter
around me. I look around searching for the source, expecting to
see fireworks.

I hear someone screaming and people start pushing and

running around us. We are being shoved and jostled and
Phillipe is gripping my shoulders tightly and won’t let go.

I try to push my way through to the front where the Royalties

are. I catch a glimpse of the Royal guards forming a protective
wall around the royalties. My heart starts hammering in my
chest. What’s going on?

My brain is slow in making the connection, but I think those

cracking sounds weren’t fireworks, they were shots being fired.

“I don’t think those were fireworks, Phillipe,” I tell him. “I

think we’re under attack.” His hazel eyes are now wide with
fear.

Another round of cracking sound can be heard followed by

more ear-splitting screams around us. Phillipe stumbles into
me as people around us start to push and shove more violently,
trying to get away. I try to hold Phillipe upright, but he slides
down and crumples to the floor. Crimson red blood is slowly
spreading on the back of his pristine white jacket.

I drop down to my knees. I think I’m in shock. People are still

shoving and rushing in panic around us. A few are lying on the
ground, bleeding.

“Phillipe?” He’s soaking wet with blood. I gingerly grip his

shoulder and shake him. “Wake up, Phillipe. Phillipe!” Oh, no!
"Keep talking, Phillipe!" I can't believe I just said that.

I know he isn’t dead. It takes more than a bullet to kill a lycan

but a good shot like that could knock him out for a bit. He’ll
stop bleeding soon, but it’ll take a few days, at least for him to
recover from the shot.

I try to stop people from stepping on him. It’s no use, people

are stepping all over the both of us. I let out a scream when
somebody steps on my hand with the pointy heel of her shoe,
drawing blood. I cradle my bleeding hand to my chest. A big
burly man trips and falls on me, knocking the wind out of me.
That’s it! We can’t stay here.

I hear another round of shots being fired above the thunderous

footsteps and the screaming. Chaos. More bloody bodies drop
to the floor.

I get up and try to pull Phillipe’s unmoving form away. I can’t

just leave him lying there. He’ll get trampled on and get more
bullets in him.

A big powerful body suddenly knocked me to the ground from

behind.
“Get off me! Get off me!!!” I start punching and kicking wildly,
trying to get the person off me when I hear his voice and notice
his familiar scent. “Malyshka, it’s me! It’s me.”

“Darius?” I collapsed to the floor as my body sagged in relief.

He wraps an arm around me and tucks my body close to his.
My back is pressed against his chest. That's when I realize that
I’m shaking. “What’s going on?”

“Malyshka, I’m...” I hear him say before a deafening explosion

blast through the air. Everything shakes, even the ground
beneath us. I cling to him as the glass ceiling and the wall
mirrors shatter and fall around us like rain.

I try to peek out from underneath his body, but all I see is a few
bloody bodies lying close by and a thick cloud of smoke
everywhere. Shards of broken glass and mirrors littering the
floor. The smoke grows thicker as I watch until I can barely see
anything at all. I feel like I’m deaf and blind. The pungent iron
stench of blood and the acrid smell of something burning
permeate the air.

Are they blowing the castle up? Gunshots we can recover from,
but being blown to bits and pieces...that’s not something even a
mighty lycan can survive.

My pack mates. My family.“Where is everybody? Are they

safe?” I shudder at the thought of losing any of them. “We have
to find them, Darius. We have to make sure they’re safe.”

I can’t hear his answer. In fact, I can’t even hear my own voice.
I can’t hear anything. My ears are ringing from the loud blast of
the explosion.
Right now I don’t know much. I don’t know what’s really
happening. I don’t know where my pack mates are. I can’t
think of anything much except that I know my mate is
sheltering me from the shards of glass, the stampede of people
and whatever danger we’re in with his own body.

“Darius, you must be hurt,” I tell him, desperately trying to

wiggle out from under him. I imagine the shards of broken
glass and mirrors slicing and embedding itself in his skin. I
can’t hear his response, but his arms around me and his grip on
my hip tighten.

Another powerful blast penetrates through the ringing sound

in my ears. I feel the ground move beneath us. More chaos
ensues all around us, but my mate holds me steady.

I shift and angle my body so that I’m facing him. I look up and
we both stare into each other’s eyes. His impeccable hair is now
messy and a few fair locks falling over his eyebrow. He has a
thin cut with a smear of blood across his cheek.

My breath caught in my throat when I notice that the grey of

his tuxedo jacket is red with blood on his left shoulder. It’s now
soaking wet and spreading fast.

“You got shot,” I whisper desperately. The thought of my mate

being hurt is more than I can bear. “We’ve got to get out of here
and get that fixed.”

I see his lips moving as if he’s talking to me but I can’t make

out what he’s saying. The ringing in my ears has stopped, but
everything still sounds garbled and muffled as if I’m listening
to him talking while I’m underwater.
“I can’t hear you...I think I’ve gone deaf,” I tell him sadly.

His eyes soften as he gazes down at me. He touches my cheek

and mouths something that looks like “I love you” before he
kisses my forehead.

I can feel his love for me through our connection. He loves me

so unselfishly and unconditionally that he’s willing to give up
his life for me.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I shake my head as I stare up at

him. “Don’t you dare die on me.”

He’s about to say something when I suddenly feel his body

stiffens and his mood shifts.

He looks up and I catch a glimpse of a man standing over us

with an MP5 (submachine gun) pointing at Darius’s head. My
mate swiftly shifts his body so that I’m completely covered. Too
late, I already saw the threat to my mate. My heartbeat spikes
up. My chest burns and my vision turns red. My hearing is
suddenly back and very sensitive.

My sensitive ears pick up a slight clicking noise. I raise my

head to see another gun pointing at my head. Darius’s grip on
me tightens and that’s when his eyes suddenly turn menacing
black.

Chapter 49 - Into The Fire

My mate is furious. Dangerous violent energy radiates off of

him. His anger is red hot in my chest and it burns and fuels my
own rage. His deadly cold soulless eyes are focused on the
gunman whose barrel of the gun is aimed at my head.

I sense that both gunmen are werewolves. At this point though,

I don’t care if they’re werewolves, lycans or unicorns, I’m
craving their blood more and more as my lycan Juno surfaces. I
just want to destroy the threat to my mate.

My own red gaze follows the first werewolf whose gun is

trained on my mate’s head. NOBODY holds a gun to my mate
and gets away with it. Nobody!

I want to rip his head off. I want to reach in and grab his still-
beating heart in my hand and crush it.

An angry snarl escapes my mouth and the werewolf gunman

strikes the barrel of the gun against the side of my head. It
doesn’t hurt me much but that seems to snap whatever control
my mate has. He bares his teeth and sharp canines with a hiss.
In a blur of a movement, he’s standing behind the gunman.
One arm is around the man’s neck while another hand is taking
control of the gun. The gun that was pointing at my head is
now pointing at the other gunman.

My mate just stands there for a beat before he pulls the trigger.
I have a feeling that he’s not hesitating, merely giving the men
the privilege of knowing what’s coming to them.

A sickening cracking noise followed the sound of the gunshot

even before the first gunman’s body hit the ground. Darius
twists the second man’s head right after he pulls the trigger.
I look down at the two bodies lying on the floor, unmoving.
One man has bullet holes in his head while the other man with
his head turned at a weird angle.

My red tinted haze recedes. I feel my own lycan, Juno rejoicing.

It’s retreating, giving me back the control with almost an
unrestrained bubbling evil glee.

I stare back up at my mate in awe. He was so fast. His

movement was graceful and precise. His eyes are still black
with the veins snaking out from his eye sockets. I can sense his
struggle to control his lycan. I step towards him and he tugs me
into him. He buries his face in my hair and his nose brushes
over my neck while he takes a deep breath. I sigh and press my
face into the crook of his neck. His heady scent is calming my
lycan even more.

“Malyshka,” he breathes against my skin. “You’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” I assure him.

He twined the locks of my hair that has come undone through

his fingers while he nuzzles my ear. “Listen to me, Любимая
(lyubimaya: sweetheart), that was only the first stage of the
attack. Explosions and werewolf rebels with guns. It was a
distraction to weaken us. The second round of the attack is
coming. My bet is, it will be lycan rebels. Hand combats with
the royal army to grab what they came here for...” he leaves the
sentence hanging. He doesn’t need to finish it. I know what or
who they’re after. The moment King Alexandros announced
that he’s crowning Caspian and me as King and Queen tonight,
we knew they were coming for me or Caspian.
“Do they know that I’m your mate? Are they coming for me as
your mate or as the future queen?” I’m curious to know.

“I don’t know and I don’t care, but they can’t have you,” he
answers gruffly. “Malyshka,” he whispers. “Stay close to me.
Whatever you do, don’t let them take you away from me.” He
draws back to look into my eyes. “Promise me.” His own eyes
are now back to icy blue but they are cold and ruthless. I sense
his steely determination and resolve. He’d do anything to keep
me alive.

I cup his cheeks with both hands and rub my thumb across his
skin. “I’ll do whatever I can not to be taken by them if you
promise to stay alive.

“If you dare to get yourself killed, I will personally kill you
myself...again. I swear.” Wait, that doesn’t sound right. I brow
furrows as I start to think things through. “I mean, don’t you
dare die on me. If you die, you know I’m gonna have to go after
whoever killed you. Then I’ll die because they have to kill me
because I won’t stop...and you don’t want that....”

He places a finger on my lips, effectively stopping my endless

illogical blabbering. “Malyshka,” he says, pressing his forehead
against mine. Why can’t I talk properly when I’m pissed off or
when I’m nervous or scared?

He pulls back to stare down at me. His clear blue eyes are
studying my face as if he’s memorizing it. He traces his finger
gently over my lower lip. The thought of never seeing him again
has me gasping for breath. My heart clenches painfully in my
chest.
“Don’t you dare die on me...because I wouldn’t survive without
you,” I tell him as soon as he removes his finger. “I love you,” I
blurt out.

He stares at me as if transfixed. Something stirs in his eyes and

suddenly his mouth swoops down to capture mine. Warm lips
moving against mine urgently, demandingly, and reverently.
“You are my life,” he says against my lips. It sounds like a
confession and a vow.

“Come, this place is burning, let’s get out of here,” he urges me

as he grasps my hand. He turns and I see his back clearly for
the first time since the attack. Blood stains the back of his suit
from a gunshot wound on his shoulder, cuts from splinters of
glass and mirrors everywhere, even on his neck...it must be
painful but he doesn’t even wince or complain once. Those
sharp glass and mirrors still embedded in his skin should be
taken out for him to heal properly.

Right now though, I know his priority is to get us somewhere

safe. Already, half of the huge ballroom is destroyed by the
explosions. The bright brilliant lights from the chandeliers are
long gone. Heat radiates from the blazing fire that’s licking the
wall and the roof of the ballroom.

Through the thickening, billowing smoke, I see some of the

palace’s guards pulling the bodies of the unconscious lycans
out of the burning room.

Darius pulls me down low to the ground as the smoke thickens.

It’s hard for me to figure out which way is out, but he seems to
know where we’re going. The smell of smoke is suffocating and
overwhelming. I cling to him and press my nose into his chest.
Fortunately, we don’t have to go too far to reach the heavy
ornate doors of the ballroom. If I’m not mistaken, the ballroom
has fifteen exit doors. It seems like this one is closed to contain
the fire. Darius pulls the big doors open easily. As soon as we
exit the ballroom, I drag in a lungful of much needed fresh air.

My mate brings me closer to his body and his grip tightens

almost painfully around me. His body is rigid. That’s when I
notice that we are standing in the grand hallway of the castle
and that there are fighters from both sides fighting around us.
Not only that, but we are surrounded by five big lycans and
they do not look very friendly. Why are these lycans have to be
so big? I feel like a midget among them and I’m 5′9".

“Hello, Commander Rykov,” says a familiar voice. I would

know that voice anywhere now. I’m very bad with names, but
I’d remember his name forever. Robert Vitsin steps forward
from behind one of the men with a big charming smile on his
face.

“Vitsin,” returns Darius through gritted teeth. “I knew a traitor

like you is behind all this.”

The man’s smile turns into an ugly sneer. “A traitor to you, a

clever opportunist to others...what's the difference? Tomato,
to-mah-to, isn’t that what they say?” he says. "You should've
mated my daughter. You know, it would be beneficial for both
of us if we work together. There’s no need for this to turn
uglier, Rykov. Now, just hand us the Princess and we’ll all
leave.”

“No,” growls my mate. His anger is spiking.

Robert Vitsin watches us speculatively. His eyes narrow at the
protective and possessive way Darius is holding me.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought that she belongs
to you rather than to the Prince,” he states mockingly. “Or
perhaps the rumor is true...that a high ranking warrior of the
Royal army, a trusted close friend of the Prince covets his mate,
the future queen.” His eyes move slyly between the two of us.

“She’s coming with us one way or another,” continues Vitsin,

looking miffed when his taunt is met with silence by my mate.
He angles his head as a signal to his men. They all step
forward. Two of the men are already starting to phase into their
lycan form, ready to attack.

“She’s not going anywhere with you. Touch her and you’re
dead,” hisses my mate fiercely. Intense, menacing anger
emanates from him in strong currents and waves that Vitsin’s
men slightly but noticeably hesitate before taking another step
closer.

Darius pulls me behind him and I squeeze his hand before

letting go. I stand with my back to him.

I watch the men around us warily. One of them is slowly

approaching me. He's dressed impeccably, better than the
other four. Actually, he doesn’t look much different from any of
those wealthy lycan elites. I bend down while keeping my eyes
on the man, slowly slipping off my high heels while he watches.
A lecherous smile is slowly spreading across his face. If he
thinks I’m going to be an easy target, he’s dead wrong. I’m
ready to fight but right now I’m cursing the dress that I’m
wearing.
I’m not stupid, I know these men are stronger than I am.
However, I have speed and quick thinking on my side...I think.

I hear the roar and the fighting behind me and I know that my
mate is fighting off the other lycans. My vision is starting to
turn red at the thought of someone trying to hurt my mate. I
want to turn around and help him but the pervy lecherous man
is getting too close.

He makes a grab for me and I swiftly duck to evade his grasp.

He tries to reach for me again when a hand reaches back to
seize him by his neck. My mate is fighting two other lycans
while holding the lecherous perv’s neck in a death grip.

I whip my head around when two big hands clasp my shoulders

painfully. I find myself staring into cold calculating eyes of
Robert Vitsin. A cruel menacing smile is etching on his lips.

“I told you we’d meet again, Princess.” His dark sinister smile
widens and his grips on my shoulders tighten.

“Yesss...so you did,” I tell him, flashing him a grin. My voice is

a low hiss. My lips are stretching over my sharp teeth and
canines. There’s a quick look of surprise on his face before I jab
my fingers into his eyes with as much force as I can. Robert
Vitsin screams. He clutches and covers his eyes with one hand,
yelling profanities in Russian. His grip on me is still very
strong. He's still not letting me go. That’s when I kneed him in
the nuts.

* A quick note to my amazing readers: Thank you so

much for your wonderful reviews, votes, love, and
support. I'm trying to update more often so that I can
start posting Caspian's story soon. Much love - Nicole
Chapter 50 - An Offer He Can't Refuse
The magnificent Grand Hallway of the castle is now a battlefield bathed in blood. The smoke
from the ballroom cannot be contained as six out of the fifteen entrances to the ballroom are now
wide black gaping holes of hell. Black thick smoke is rolling out of them into the massive
hallway, obscuring my vision.

After I freed myself from Robert Vitsin, another one of his men grabbed me and dragged me
further away from Darius. There were so many of them focusing on us. I managed to get away
from him too but I think he broke my arm and left deep claw marks down my back.

Now, blood is trickling down my heavy gown. My arm is bent gruesomely and pretty much
useless. If any of them attack me now, I know my chances of fighting and getting away again is
very slim even in my lycan form.

Suddenly, two strong hands land on my shoulders and I jump in fright. The feeling of terror,
panic, and helplessness swamp over me. I hate to feel this way. I am not weak, damn it!

“Princess, Commander Rykov's order. You have to come with me,” says a big man in front of
me.

Yeah, right! Like I believe him. I don’t think so. “Over my dead body, you freak!” With that, I
jump and kick him in the nuts. The man howls in pain and crumples in a fetal position on the
floor. Nothing makes a grown man howl like a sissy faster than a swift kick in the balls. Then I
run.

I hear footsteps following behind me. I don’t know if they’re after me or other people running for
safety. I don’t care nor can I see where I’m going. My heart feels like it’s bursting out of my
chest. Darius, I need you!

All of a sudden, I feel a crippling fear. The feeling is so strong that I stumble to my knees. Is it
my mate? I blocked our connection to keep running blindly through the smoke-filled hallway.
Did my mate feel what I was feeling before? Did I distract him fighting our enemy with my fear?
Please be safe.

I push myself to run faster until I reach a steel door at the end of the corridor. I push it open and
find myself standing in an empty kitchen. Smoke fills the air in here too as some parts of the
kitchen are on fire. Broken dishes are everywhere. Pots are still boiling and burning on the stove,
food spilling on the table and the floor. Utter chaos.

Suddenly I know where I’m going. I run to the back and enter the pantry. I drop on my hand and
knees as soon as I hear the door of the kitchen being opened. More footsteps walking around.

I crawl to the spice rack and quickly pour spices all over myself. Then I crawl underneath it,
dragging my broken arm behind me until I find a small opening and slip inside as quietly as I
can. I find myself in the narrow dark tunnel that I was in just this afternoon. I just hope that the
spices, the smell of the burning building and food will be enough to mask my scent from those
people who are looking for me.

My heart is still beating fast. I sit on the cold dirty floor and place my head against the wall,
listening to the muffled voices of men talking. Then I hear their footsteps getting nearer until
they’re in the pantry just on the other side of the wall.

Darius’s POV

This is an all-out attack on the Palace ground. Currently, I’m facing five men. Not an ideal
situation, especially when I’m already injured. A bullet is lodged in my left shoulder. The muscle
is already trying to heal itself and bonding around it. It’s painful and making it hard for me to
move my arm properly.

Persephone! I’ve lost sight of her when I was fighting the two men who are now lying as a pile
of broken limbs on the floor.

My eyes desperately scan my hazy surrounding. I spot Constantine fighting another massive
fighter further down the hall, but no Persephone.

I curse myself for losing sight of her. I know my woman is a fighter but some of these men are
easily twice her size and have been fighting for decades if not centuries.

I’ve blocked our bond all this time, especially throughout the ball so that nobody can sense my
feelings for her and detect our mate bond to each other. I don’t think that matters anymore now.
So, I open my feelings to our bond and feel the myriad of her feelings: anger, anxiousness,
worry... It can be a good thing since I know that she’s still alive.

An arm curled around my neck from behind, almost lifting me off my feet, crushing my
windpipe. I sink my claws into the arm that's choking me and the man roars as he swipes his
sharp claws over my unprotected left ribcage. Blood gushes out of the lacerations. Damn it! I lost
my focus when I was trying to locate my mate. Another man approaches with deadly sharp claws
and teeth drawn, already salivating at the thought of ripping me apart.

I sink my claws further into the arm and swing my legs up towards the man in front of me,
aiming just above his stomach, delivering a swift kick to the liver. He crashes back and I use the
momentum to kick the man behind me with the heels of my feet. That brings us both crashing
down on the floor and I swiftly slide out of his hold.

Through the open bond, I feel my mate’s alarm and terror. It shouts to me like a piercing scream.
Calling for me. My mate needs me. Fear grips me like nothing before. My lycan is in a fury,
clawing to take full control. I let out a growl. I need to find my mate. Now!

With a renewed vengeance, I grab his shoulder and the base of his skull and rip him apart.

I let my fury takes over. My red vision is turning darker as I tear through my enemies. My mate!
My mate needs me.

“Darius!” I almost rip the arm off before his words penetrate my red *haze. “...find Persephone,”
he says. Lazarus.

“I need my mate,” I hiss at him.

“Yes, we’re looking for her.” He grips my shoulders firmly when he is sure that I’m not going to
try to shred him to pieces. “Penny needs you to be in control. We need to find her. You need to
control your lycan. Control your lycan now!”

She is still alive. She is still alive. I need to find her.

“You need to calm down, Darius. Losing control isn’t going to help us find her,” says
Constantine. His mate, Genesis is standing next to him with red swollen eyes. Serena doesn’t
look any better.

I growl in frustration. Calm down? It’s almost 45 minutes since I last saw my mate. 20 minutes
since the last of our enemy was killed. 5 minutes since they managed to contain the fire. The rest
of the rebels ran off, not being able to sustain the fight for much longer. They lost too many of
their men.
I will not survive without my mate. I need her like I need air to breathe. Without her, my chest is
constricted in the worst pain possible. The longer my mate is missing, the worse it feels. My
vision keeps turning red every few seconds. My rage and my lycan are fighting to take over. I
can’t stand still. I almost killed the doctor who tried to take the bullet out of my shoulder. Now
it’s still lodged in there.

She had closed off her feelings and blocked our bond not long after I sensed her fear. That makes
it hard for me to pinpoint her whereabouts. We have the guards scouring the whole palace and
the palace’s ground looking for her. We ourselves had been searching through the East wing.

We all turn to the doorway as we hear footsteps approaching. “I’m sorry sir, we’re still unable to
locate her,” says Eva. I snarl and close my fingers tightly around the back of a chair to stop
myself from swinging my fist at her. I feel bad when she flinches. I need to control myself.

She was assigned to head the search for my mate around the ballroom area. “We followed her
faint scent into the kitchen. That’s where it ended. We couldn’t get anymore scent.”

That’s it. I’m done waiting around. “Keep searching,” I bark my order at her as I stalk my way to
the door.

“Yes, sir,” she responds and bolts as if her ass was on fire.

“Darius, we need a plan before we go barging in,” says Lazarus, following me closely as I
continue walking out the door. All my pack mates are trailing behind us.

I see his point. Entering the enemy’s lair without a plan is sheer insanity. He is thinking like a
trained army. Something I'm not doing right now, but I need to move or else I’m going into a
rage. Every second away from my mate, my control is slipping. They can see my eyes keep
shifting colors, as are theirs once in a while. They're trying very hard to keep in control. I take a
deep breath, trying to control my raging feelings and reign in my lycan.

“If Robert Vitsin has her we have to move now. I know how Robert Vitsin operates,” I tell them.

I am not waiting for my mate’s body to be delivered in neat little boxes. This is my nightmare
coming true in all my tortured nights. My lycan is clawing to be let out. The only thing that
keeps me rational right now is that I can still feel her soul entwined with mine. She’s still with
me. She is still alive. For now.

“We don’t know for sure if he has her,” says Lazarus.

“I’m not waiting around to find out,” I retort.

“How are we going to approach Vitsin? Are we just going to barge in and attack everything that
moves while looking for her? We need to form a plan,” insists Lazarus.

“Vitsin approached me during the ball,” I announce as we dash down the hall of the East wing
that has not been affected by the blast and the fighting. “He suggested a meeting, just between
me and him. He hinted at an offer that would benefit us both.”

“That’s good. We can form a plan around that,” says Constantine.

“I don’t think they knew that Beany’s your mate. If they knew, she’d be dead by now," suggests
Caspian. "They still think she’s the future queen. They want to use her as leverage to get what
they want. They won’t kill her. She’s more useful to them alive rather than dead.” He’s right.

“We’re coming with you to your meeting, but stay hidden until you need us,” says Constantine.
“Caspian, you’re going to have to sit this one out.”

“The hell I am,” Caspian snaps out angrily. “I’m not hiding away in the safety of the palace,
playing Monopoly with the guards while my pack mates are risking their lives. Besides, Beany
needs me.”

“Penny needs all of us but our enemy wants you too. This is like delivering you right into their
hands,” argues Constantine.

Personally, I don’t care to argue with the Prince. I don’t see him staying back while Persephone
is in danger. Prince Caspian does what Prince Caspian wants. I just want my mate back safely in
my arms.

I really need to be in total control now. I need to stay in focus for my mate. I have to close our
connection to prevent anybody from sensing our mate bond. Closing our bond at this moment is
very painful for me to do but Caspian is right. If they knew Persephone is my mate, chances are
they would kill her very quickly. If they still think that she’s the future queen, she’s more
valuable to them alive rather than dead.

“I will meet with him to find out what his offer is. Constantine, you contact our agents and
informants inside their network. Find out if any of them know her whereabouts. Lazarus, gather
our men. Surround the place. Wait for my signal to infiltrate his fort. This will end tonight.”
I’m being escorted by two men through a bleak, plain, and cold grey brick corridor.

I contacted Robert Vitsin earlier and he gave me the address to this old warehouse. I already
know that this building is one of a few owned by him to run his operations.

The men lead me right to the end of the corridor where a heavy wooden door prevents us from
going any further. One of the men knocks briefly before he turns the knob to open the door.

This is clearly an office, but it is opulently decorated, a stark contrast to the drab austere hallway
and the rest of the building. A big mahogany table sits in the center of the room. Robert Vitsin is
sitting comfortably on the big red plush leather chair behind it. Standing behind him in a
revealing red silk dress is his daughter, Polina.

Why is he bringing his daughter into this?

“Commander Rykov. We meet again,” he says with a sly smile. “Please, have a seat.” He
motions towards one of the three deep chairs in front of me.

“You came after all. I thought you weren’t interested in what I have to offer by the way you
fought with my men at the castle this evening,” he adds.

“Of course, I have to put up a good fight. I’m one of the best fighters, I couldn’t let your man
take me down,” I tell him.

“I can understand and I respect that.” He nods in approval.

“I am, however, curious to know about your offer." I lean back in my chair comfortably as if I'm
at ease even though inside I'm coiled tight like a spring.

“You are?” He raises an eyebrow, regarding me carefully.

“Yes, with the right offer, I might be...swayed.” I give him a little smile.

“My offer is very generous,” he says. “I would like us to work together, Rykov. I heard a lot of
good things about you. I want you to be my eyes and ears in the Royal army and the palace. A
trusted top fighter like you will be invaluable to my organization.”

“Who else is involved?” I ask him. "I would like to know who I'm going to be dealing with if I
were to take your offer."
“All in due time, Commander. That information is dangerous. However, that’s not very
important right now. If we do it right, we won’t be working with anybody at all,” he answers
smugly. “That brings us to what I’m offering you."

Oh, so he’s planning on double-crossing whoever he’s working for. I wish I knew which one of
the royalties he’s working for and plan to screw over. There’s no honor among thieves.

“I’m offering you immense power. Polina,” he gestures to his daughter who has been watching
me with big adoring eyes and a slightly coy but smug smile on her face.

She leaves her father’s side and rounds the table to stand directly in front of me. She parks her
ass on the table and raises one foot over the other. The slit of her red silk dress slides open,
revealing the bare skin of her long leg all the way up to her hip.

“Mate with my daughter, be part of our family and you’ll know everything. Mate with my
daughter, my sole heir and be my successor. You’ll rule the world of lycans and werewolves as
king and queen one day.

“I have a bad temper. I often take out my anger on my mate

and my daughter. I know my reputation as a bad mate and a
bad father preceded me, but what people don’t know is that
I’m very generous with them. I like to indulge my mate and
my daughter. I give my mate and my daughter whatever
their little hearts desire,” he says. “Right now, you are what
my daughter wants and that’sChapter 51 - One With Royal
Ambition

“You were planning to mate her a few months ago, so what’s

changed?” he asks me. “I know a warrior like you won’t like a
weak and stupid little woman, but I can assure you, she’s very
intelligent, my Polina,” Vitsin says proudly. “I’ve been
grooming her to take over my business since she was very
young. She knows everything there is to know about my
operation. I can trust her to be in charge of certain operations
now, isn’t that right, angel?”
“Right, daddy.” She suddenly pushes away from the table and
moves closer to me. Her eyes never leaving me, her hips
swaying. She walks slowly around the back of my chair while
she runs her fingers along my arm, my shoulder, and the back
of my neck. Then she lowers her ass to sit sideways on my lap,
crossing one leg up over the other so that the slit of her dress
slides open all the way down.

“She’ll be in charge of a lot more one day and she’s completely

loyal to me," he says to me before turning to her daughter. "Do
you like what I just did to you, angel?”

“Very much. Thank you, daddy,” she says, smiling coyly at me.
Her fingers dance around the nape of my neck to play with my
hair.

What am I? A new toy for his daughter? I almost laugh aloud at

the thought and the absurdity of the situation.

“So, not only would you gain powerful allies and possible great
power in the future, you’ll also be getting an amazingly clever,
and exquisite mate. My daughter is beautiful, is she not?”
continues Vitsin.

True, Polina is beautiful...as many other lycan women out there

but I don’t have the slightest interest in her. It might sound
mushy as fuck but my heart and my soul are completely taken.
My Malyska is the only reason I’m here.

My plan to mate Polina a few months ago was a huge mistake.

The worst mistake in my life. How could I make Polina my
mate when I couldn’t even stand to touch her?
The event of the night when I decided to mark her was a blur
except for the first kiss I shared with Persephone and the look
of despair in her eyes when she saw us in my room. I hurt my
erasthai very badly and I will not make the same mistake again.

Right now I have to focus on getting my mate back. The result

of losing her would be devastating and catastrophic. I have to
push aside the thought of never having her back in my arms
again or else I would lose control. My heart aches even more
for my mate at this very moment.

“That’s an interesting proposition, Vitsin,” I comment. “What if

I turn this offer of yours down?” I pull Polina’s hand out of my
hair and places it on her lap her so that she’s no longer
touching me.

“We’re prepared for the possibility that you’re going to say no.
That’s why this place is like a fortress. My men are everywhere.
There’s no way out of here with your spine still attached to your
body unless you’re with us. We can’t just let you go free after
knowing what you know.”

“Oh, please say yes, darling. I’ll be heartbroken if daddy has to

kill you. Please, daddy has such big plans for us.” Polina takes
my hand in hers, tangling her fingers with mine, then she
places it flat on her exposed thigh. “I have big plans for us,” she
adds seductively as she runs her finger up the back of my hand
and my arm then back down again.

I fight the intense urge to rip my hands out of her grip and
push her off me. I can’t stand her scent and her touch. That’s
another thing that I now remember. I tried to imagine her as
Persephone that night, but her scent was repulsive to my lycan.
Her touch only served to irritate me. Now it is more unbearable
after knowing that she’s in a cohort with her father. She’s
responsible for the death of my friends and their mates, and so
many others. I have a wild, almost uncontrollable desire to
snap both their necks and rip their spines off right now.

“Of course, I would be a fool to turn down such a generous

offer,” I respond casually. I remove my hands from Polina’s
and grip the armrest of the chair tightly. I flash her a smile to
smooth any ruffled feathers from the gesture. She smiles back
happily and I continue, “So, I gather you have the Princess
now.”

“Not yet,” replies Vitsin with an unpleasant scowl. His face

turns red and his lips twisted in anger. “She got away. That
woman fought like a hellcat. Wait till I get my hands on her.”

I can’t help the surge of pride that filled my chest. My mate is a

fighter. The pain I’ve been carrying in my chest ease somewhat
knowing that Vitsin doesn’t have my mate. Getting his
repulsive hands on my beautiful mate is something that will
never happen. I will make sure of that.

“I gather you don’t know where she is right now, Rykov? Is she
not at the Palace?” he asks me.

“I didn’t see her at the Palace...but then again, the Palace is in

chaos right now. She might be with her mate,” I reply.

The man in front of me smiles smugly. Clearly, he’s quite proud

of what they accomplished at the Palace this evening.
“Well, she won’t get away from us forever. We’ll get her soon. I
know you’re quite fond of her...judging by the way you were
protecting her this evening. I want to know if that’s going to be
a problem.” Vitsin produces a box of cigars and a bottle of
Vodka from a drawer.

“I really hate her,” says Polina suddenly and vehemently. Her

face contorts with hatred and jealousy yet her voice remains
strangely soft. It’s disturbing. “If you want to be daddy’s heir,
you have to prove yourself. You have to bring her to us. We’ll
let our men have their fun with her before we end her,” she
says, suddenly looking excited.

“Not just yet, Polina,” he frowns at her in disapproval. “We

need to keep her alive for a while. I’ll let you finish her off after
she’s no longer useful to us.”

My chest burns in anger and red hues cloud my eyes. My lycan

wants to finish these two off right now. I lower my eyes and grit
my teeth but keep my smile in place.

“I’m not fond of her, as you put it. It won’t be a problem at all
bringing her in.” The lie rolls smoothly like acid on my tongue.
I look up as soon as I know that my eyes are back to normal.

Vitsin is pouring the Vodka into three glasses. He hands us a

glass each to celebrate our new alliance.

I watch Vitsin carefully. I believe he’s speaking the truth when

he said that they don’t have my Malyshka. Now, where can that
mate of mine be?
I casually touch the gold watch around my wrist, look at them
and lift my lips up into a smirk. “She trusts me. That would
make our job easier,” I tell them while I push a button on the
side of my watch. “Now, tell me more about your plans for us
and what else am I getting out of this.” That button sends a
signal for Lazarus to send our men in. Now that I’m sure
Persephone isn’t anywhere in this building, I’m free to destroy
everyone and everything in it without hurting her. My fingers
are itching to tear these two in front of me to pieces right now.

Penny’s POV

Once the adrenaline rush dies down, the pain starts to throb.
The scratches on my back have stopped bleeding but my
broken arm tries to heal at a weird angle. I can’t move it now. It
is awkward and painful.

I tear down my barrier, trying to sense my mate’s feelings and

check on my pack’s condition through our connection. I’m very
worried about them and feel stupid for hiding away when
they’re risking their lives fighting out there.

I realize that the enemy was targeting me as their assault on us

was relentless. I wanted to keep my promise to my mate to
never getting myself captured by the enemy and I knew I didn’t
have the strength to save myself let alone fight in the condition
I was in before. I think I’m ready to go back and fight now.

I roll out to the other side of the wall from underneath the
bottom shelf of the pantry, pinning my now useless arm close
to my body with another hand. Dark, dank, and cold. I’m not
too sorry to leave the shelter of the tunnel.
There’s no more fire in the kitchen or out in the hallway. A
worker walks past me, pushing a gurney with a pile of broken
bloody limbs. I try not to gag at the strong stench of blood and
open flesh.

A few men in the hallway halt what they’re doing to gape at me.
I know they are part of the royal guards by their uniforms. One
of the men seems to recover quicker than the others and
mutters something in Russian into his headpiece. The others
hastily give me a quick bow then avert their eyes to gaze at the
floor. Hmm...I wonder what’s so interesting about the floor.
Nope, I don’t see anything worth staring at down there. Guards
are weird! Well, at least there are no more enemies attacking us
left and right.

Not a minute later Eva comes running down the hall looking
like she can hardly believe her eyes. She is still in her lavender
evening gown which is now almost gray from the smoke and
stained with blood splatters. She instantly pulls me into a hug
then she seems to come to her senses and draws back. “Your
Highness.” She gives me a bow before her eyes widen like
saucers.

She looks around then she holds out a hand to one of the Royal
guards behind me. He hands her his jacket which she promptly
drapes around my shoulders.

“Where is Darius? Where is Genesis? Where is everybody?” I

ask Eva as soon as we safely reach the drawing room in the
East wing, our private part of the palace. I was expecting to see
Darius and my pack mates here. “Is anybody hurt? Are they
okay?” I couldn’t feel my mate’s feelings as he was blocking our
connection when I opened my senses a while ago. I didn’t feel
any pain of broken ties or anything different either. If he or
anybody in my pack was badly hurt or worse...I would have felt
it. Wouldn’t I?

“I think they went to attack the enemy to get you back because
they thought you were taken,” answers Eva.

“What???” No, no, no...this is not happening! “We have to do

something! Eva, you have to take me there!” I grab Eva’s upper
arm with my good hand.

“No, we can’t!” answers Eva. “I’m not quite sure where they
went. Besides, I think Commander Rykov and Prince Caspian
would kill me if I brought you to the enemy. Do you know that
the enemy wants you?”

“Oh, my goddess Eva! Of course, I knew that!” This woman...I

swear. “I don’t care! You have to help me. You have to get me to
them.”

“I’m sorry, Penny, I can’t...it’ll be too dangerous for you. I have

to keep you safe or Commander Rykov would kill me,” she says,
looking quite anxious.

Oh, gosh! She’s scared of my mate that much? What did he do

to her?

“Fine! I’ll go by myself!” I wail. I don’t know where to go or

how to get there, but I’ll figure it out...somehow.

“Wait! You can’t do that!” says Eva, looking horrified. Her

Russian accent is very thick when she’s upset. She sighs in
defeat then adds reluctantly, “Okay, I’ll take you...but you can’t
go out like that.” She makes a gesture towards my body with
her hand.

I look down and it all makes sense. My gown is in tatters. It’s

showing more than it’s hiding. Gah! No wonder those Royal
guards were staring at the floor.

“Look at your arm. It needs to be reset. You have to see a

doctor,” she adds.

“I don’t have time to see a doctor,” I tell her.

“Then I have to reset it for you,” she replies. “It’s going to

hurt...a lot, but you have to promise not to hit me.” She’s
staring at me warily. For someone who’s not too observant, it’s
surprising how well Eva knows me by now.

I’m not going to lie. It hurt like a mother f*ck*r. I swore like a
sailor. Tears ran down my face as Eva cracked my bone into
place. If she wasn't helping me, I would've smacked her for
hurting me like that. Fortunately, Eva seemed to know what
she’s doing.

Now I'm pacing the floor of my dressing room, waiting for Eva
to come back. I’ve changed into a pair of black yoga pants, a
black knitted sweater, and a pair of knee-high combat boots. I
pull a black beanie over my hair. My arm is still hurting right
now, but at least the bone is resetting the right way.
A minute later, Eva comes back wearing her black Royal army
uniform. Her hair is neatly french braided as usual when she’s
on duty.

“Ready?” asks Eva.

“Yep!” I answer forcefully. “You know where we’re going?”

“I think so...” That doesn’t sound too convincing.

“Then let’s go!” I tell her. I’m going to get my mate and my
pack back.

Chapter 52 - One That Blows

Darius’s POV

I put my glass down on the floor while Polina drained hers and
places it on the table. Vitsin is looking more relaxed. This is his
third glass of Vodka. I barely touch mine.

The more he drinks, the more freely he talks and the more
belligerent he grows. Polina seems eager to please her father
and it’s clear that they share the same opinion. She’s as sick as
he is and seems to know just about everything there is to know
about her father’s operation.

I would love to know which of the Royalty they’re working for. I

would like an opportunity to get the information out of them.
Too bad I would have to kill them both soon.
I watch them interacting and form a plan in my head. I know
Robert Vitsin wouldn’t easily reveal his allies despite his
eagerness to double cross them. He must know by now how
unscrupulous they are...after all, he’s one them.

I would have to take him out soon. Polina, on the other hand, is
easier to crack.

“Who is it that you’re working with? I know he or she is

somebody important or very close to the Royals,” I try again.

“Like I said before, it’s privileged information,” answers Vitsin.

“You won’t be privy to that information until you’ve proven
yourself.” He tips his glass back, draining the clear liquid.

“Yes, darling. We’ll tell you everything once you make Daddy
happy by delivering the Prince or the Princess’s head to us,”
adds Polina with a giggle. I suppress a wince when she presses
down on my injured shoulder. The bullet that’s still buried in
there is bothering me. She touches the side of my face and
leans in for a kiss. I avert my face in time, her lips land on my
cheek. I see her pouting from the corner of my eyes.

“Now, stop asking unless you want me to start questioning

where your loyalty really lies,” snaps Vitsin. I can see that he’s
starting to get suspicious. He should’ve gotten suspicious of me
a long time ago. He should have never trusted me in the first
place.

I casually wrap my arm around Polina’s shoulders and bring

her body closer to mine. She offers no resistance as she leans
back against my chest with a sigh. I run my fingers over her
neck and she shivers with pleasure. “Maybe you should start
questioning my loyalty,” I inform Vitsin as I tighten my hold on
her.

“What do you mean?” he asks me, suddenly looking weary.

I reach out and curl my hand around her head. A quick twist of
my wrist and her body sagged against me, motionless. I’ve
snapped and broke her neck.

Robert Vitsin springs up from his comfortable chair. His eyes

turn inky black within a second. “You...traitor!” He hisses.

“Harsh,” I tell him as I push Polina’s limp unmoving body off

me. She hits the floor with a thud. “I think I prefer the word
“clever opportunist”. I throw the words he uttered to me at the
palace this evening back in his face. I unfold myself out of the
chair to stand in front of him challengingly.

My loyalty to the person I love and the people I ally myself with
is unquestionable. My devotion is definite.

“I told you there’s no way you’re stepping out of here still

breathing. My men will kill you.” He bares his teeth, pulling his
lips back into a nasty smile.

A shrill alarm sound came on a speaker. “Security Breach.

We’re under attack,” comes a voice from the same speaker.

“How bad?” he asks the voice on the speaker.

“Bad. Royal Army. Sneak attack. So many of them,” answers

the voice. It’s true. I didn’t hold back this time. I wanted to
destroy Robert Vitsin once and for all. After the attack on
Banehallow Castle and the disappearance of the Crown
Princess, The Royal Army was very accommodating in
providing as many men as I requested. Not only that, we also
have Prince Caspian’s personal security detail men who work
under Lazarus with us.

His smile turns into a snarl. “You’re ruining it. You could have
had everything. Now I have no choice but to blow this whole
place up. I told you, you’re not getting out of this place alive,”
he says.

At this very moment, I decided to let my bond to my mate

reach out to her. My heart aches for her. I let her know how
much I love her and how happy I am that she is safe.

“I’m prepared for a situation such as this, that’s why this place
is wired and programmed to blow up with my order. This office
will blow up soon. With you gone and no paper trail left, there
will be no evidence against me.”

I lift my gold wristwatch up to my mouth and snaps, “You

heard that, Lazarus. Get yourself and our men out of here,
fast!”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the room implodes from

the first explosion.

Penny’s POV

It wasn’t such a long drive to get here. Eva decided that it’s
safer for us to park the car on one of the side roads and
approach the building from behind. Which was why we had to
climb a little hill.

The dawn is breaking. Now we’re walking behind trees and

bushes since we can’t hide behind the darkness of the night
anymore. The rose pink hues are staining the purple sky. It has
been a long night. All I want is my mate’s warm loving arms
back around me and my pack’s presence. All of them. My heart
has been hurting for a while now. It’s been getting worse with
every passing minute. I need my mate. There is no way I can sit
quietly in the safety of the palace when he’s in danger out
there. My heart hurts even more just by the thought of not
seeing him or my pack mates again. Where they’re going, I’m
going with them. If they perished, I’m going to perish with
them. It’s not a choice.

We’re looking down at a three-story single structure in the

middle of nowhere. It’s a big old industrial looking building
with a crumbling, rusty steel fence on one side. Not a single
light can be seen through the windows of the building.

This doesn’t look at all like a place that I expected to see. I

imagined a place crawling with soldiers and rebels with
explosives going off everywhere. Not a quiet place like this. The
place looks abandoned. The snow-covered trees surrounding
the building makes it look almost peaceful.

“Are you sure this is the right place, Eva?” I scan our
surrounding skeptically.

“Yes, Leo told me this is it,” she answers.

“It doesn’t look like the place. Who is this Leo? Do you know
him well? Can we trust him?”

“Calm down, Penny. It’s the only lead that I have. Nobody else
seems to know where they've gone to. Leo is one of
Commander Rykov’s trusted men. I’ve known him for years.
He’s what you call...my regular hook-up.”

Regular hook up? Only Eva can say regular hook up in such a
matter of fact tone of voice.

I understand that not all members of the Royal army know

about this mission. We’re worried about a double agent
reporting our movements to the higher-up. Only the selected
and trusted ones are in it. I guess most of the men who are
involved are with Darius and the rest of my pack mates now.

The crisp winter air is nipping at my cheeks and my nose.

There is no wind. I can’t smell anything out of the ordinary
when I raise my nose to sniff out any significant scent around
us. “Are you sure this is the place?” I ask her again. I know I’m
being annoying, if I were Eva, I would’ve socked me by now.

She doesn’t answer me this time. She pulls me closer to her

side and points at one of the broken windows at the very top
where I detect a slight movement.

We both simultaneously squat down on our hunches, watching

the window closely. Sure enough, there are some movements
behind the broken, yellowing glass. In fact, there are
movements everywhere now. There’s a man dressed in a black
royal army uniform crawling along the edge of the top of the
building. There are men scouring the walls of the building. My
heart starts to beat faster.

“This is it! This is the place, Penny!” Eva whispers urgently.

Her hand is gripping my arm tightly.

Her hands are like iron bands around my arms as I start to

crawl forward. “Let go, Eva,” I tell her.

“No, you’re not going in there. It’s dangerous! Commander

Rykov wouldn’t want you to go in there.”

“He’s not my commander, let go, Eva!”

“No.” Her jaw is set stubbornly. “He’s your mate, but he’s MY
Commander and I’m doing my job. I have to keep you safe.
Can’t you see how dangerous it is?”

That’s exactly why I have to go in there. I manage to break free

from her strong grip and sprint to the front of the building as
fast as I can.

"Umphhh!!" She jumps right on top of me. “Eva! Damn it!!! If

you don’t let me go, I’m going to hurt you,” I threaten her.

"Eva, look!" I tell her when I spot Genesis, Serena, and a couple
of men crouching low to the ground near one of the side
entrances of the building.

Our scuffle earlier must have caught their attention. I see

Genesis staring at me with her mouth open. Serena’s brown
eyes are wide with disbelief.
Eva let go of me and I try to crawl up to them, but a big bulky
body pushes me down roughly to the crunchy snow covered
ground. The man's sharp claws are digging into my back. In a
flash, he is being pushed off me and suddenly Eva is on top of
him, dragging her sharp claws and sinking her teeth into him.

My body stiffens and I straighten up. I can feel my mate, like a

gentle touch to my soul. Like a loving embrace through our
bond.

Suddenly a loud explosion breaks the silence. We all look up to

watch in horror as the top level of the building blows up. One
explosion after another.

Something isn’t right. My mate. My lover. I can’t feel him.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Something snaps inside of me and I
fall to my knees. Emptiness. No, no, no...I can’t breathe. My
whole body is burning up. I’m gasping and shaking. My lycan
feels what I can’t comprehend. Uncontrollable rage is taking
over. I see red everywhere I look. Every sane thought fades
away as darkness, bleakness, and fury take over.

Darius’s POV

I must’ve blacked out from the force of the fall and the blast. I
don’t know how long I was out for, but my head and my whole
body are hurting. I remember grabbing Polina by her foot and
jumping out of the exploding building through a window of the
three-story building.
For a while, my ears are ringing. I glance around to see Polina
lying face down in the snow just a couple of feet away from
where I am. I see men fighting and a few lying on the ground.

I open my senses to check on my pack mates. All I can feel is a

red-hot burning rage in my chest. I push my body up but I flop
back to the ground. I can’t move my arm. The same arm where
the bullet is still buried in. My left leg isn’t working either. I
take a deep breath...pain. I press on my ribcage then add
broken ribs to the list. My body isn’t working well but I have to
move. The burning in my chest is intense.

Beside me, Polina is starting to move. “You broke my neck,”

her voice breaks through the roaring in my ears.

“Yes, I did,” I answer her while keep pushing myself up.

“Where is my father?” she asks me. “You killed him didn’t

you?” Her voice is strangely devoid of emotion.

“No, I didn’t. He blew everything up. He blew himself up.” I

finally manage to sit up. Faintly, I hear a terrifying roar coming
closer. That’s when I see her. My mate is in full fledge lycan,
blinded by rage.

She looks glorious. I can’t tear my eyes away. To our enemies,

she looks like a frightening nightmare. To me, she looks like
the most beautiful avenging angel. Her dark hair trailing and
whipping around behind her in wild abandon. Her dark eyes
cold and sinister. Dark veins snaking down her otherwise
flawless face. Sharp fangs and teeth gleaming, ripping our
enemies to shred. Blood dripping from her chin. Pride and love
fill my chest. She’s my match in every way.
“She’s your mate!” says Polina accusingly. Her jealousy makes
my skin crawl.

“Yes, she is,” I reply, unable to take my eyes off my beautiful

mate.

All of a sudden Polina jumps up. She’s torn and bloody but she
seems oblivious to everything as she charges towards my
raging mate.

Red clouds my vision. I jump up after her. My broken leg bows

under my weight. Pain sears through it all the way up to my gut
as it twists and buckles underneath me. That only makes me
more furious. I let out a loud growl but I keep crawling
forward. I’m ripping that woman apart now!

I know my mate heard my growl. She swivels her head my way,

watching me with a strange look on her face. Her head tilted to
the side. Then she turns her head towards Polina. She sniffs the
air and her nostrils flare, her black cold eyes turn sinister.
Suddenly she is regarding Polina’s approach with malicious
anticipation and glee. Her lips are pulled back to show her
gleaming sharp teeth and canines.

*Quick notes to my readers: Thank you for your votes,

wonderful reviews and love. I'm touched.

Thank you also for your support on my soon to be published

Catching Genesis. It's the first book in this series and if you
haven't read it yet (and you want to), pls do so before I have to
take some parts out (of Wattpad) before the 19th Feb.2018.
Much love- Nicole
 Chapter 53 - One For The Shark
Darius’s POV

I know my mate heard my growl. She swivels her head my way, watching me with a strange look
on her face. Her head tilted to the side. Then she turns her head towards Polina. She sniffs the air
and her nostrils flare, her black cold eyes turn sinister. Suddenly she is regarding Polina’s
approach with malicious anticipation and glee. Her lips are pulled back to show her gleaming
sharp teeth and canines.

The cold gleam in my mate’s eyes tells me that she can smell my scent on Polina. She stalks
towards the woman with aggression and menace. For a moment I’m mesmerized. She moves
without fear, like nothing can hurt her. She moves like she's stalking her prey and that is hot as
hell.

Polina reaches out to claw her but my mate sidesteps and swiftly swats her hand away. It angers
Polina who strikes again. This time the woman manages to grasp my mate’s arm in a deathly
grip. Polina’s sharp long nails dig deep into her skin, drawing blood but my mate seems
oblivious to it. She uses the hand that holds her arm to tug Polina in as if pulling her in for a hug.
In a flash, she swoops in and sinks her teeth deeply into the back of Polina’s neck. She shakes
her head wildly from side to side while the woman lets out a loud and shrill gurgling scream of
pain while struggling to be free. Finally, my mate pulls back and spits out a chunk of flesh and
bits of bones from her mouth. It’s the basic and the ultimate show of dominance in the world of
lycans.

From my peripheral vision, I see a figure approaching fast. Robert Vitsin. He’s bloody and
covered in soot. The bastard is still alive and he’s charging towards my mate. I try to intercept
but my leg gives out from underneath me again. The heat in my chest intensifies until red is all I
see. The vein is pulsing around my eyes.

Robert Vitsin is in his lycan form and growls loudly in warning. His warning growl seems to
distract my mate’s attention from Polina for a second and the woman uses this opportunity to
swipe her sharp claws onto the side of my mate’s face and neck. Deep red gashes form from the
sharp long nails that rip through the skin. This only serves to make my mate angrier. She pulls
back her teeth and lets out a vicious snarl. Then she rips through the other woman, biting and
clawing till blood pours out of her like a fountain, bringing Polina to her knees.

Vitsin growls again and takes a big leap. Once he reaches them, Vitsin grabs my mate by the
neck, pulling her roughly off his daughter. The burn in my chest is red hot as I watch, unable to
use both legs. I hiss and crouch low.
My eyes stay focus on my mate whose slender neck is clutched tightly in Robert Vitsin’s dirty
paw. Her feet are dangling off the ground. She might be smaller than Vitsin but she’s drawing
blood, kicking and clawing at him like a wild thing. Vitsin snarls and flings her violently to the
ground.

My leg is busted but there is no way I’m going to let him hurt my mate. She’s mine and I take
care of what’s mine.

I pounce forward and land just a couple of feet away from them. Something snaps inside my leg
when I land, causing me to stumble. The pain is sharp and intense but I straighten up and balance
myself on one foot. Vitsin is once again reaching for my mate but I take him by surprise when I
grab a fistful of his hair. In a flash, my mate leaps up. I quickly and roughly pull Vitsin’s head
back exposing his neck. She snarls and slashes his throat open before she sinks her sharp claws
into his chest. Blood spluttered out of Vitsin's chest and neck. I then tug his head violently back
until I hear a sharp crack of the bones.

Polina makes a small whimpering sound. That’s enough to draw my mate’s attention back to the
woman who’s bleeding profusely at her feet. Her dark eyes gleam eerily as she bends down to
finish what she’s started.

I pull Robert Vitsin up and proceed to rip him to shred. This is for all my comrades, their mates,
and all those whose lives he cruelly and brutally cut short.

Killing him doesn’t bring them all back to life but it satisfies my lycan who demanded justice all
these years. It would also stop further threat against my mate and send them a message that we
are getting close and we’re coming for them.

I look around and see pieces of Polina’s bloody remains scattered on the ground. The snow is no
longer pure white. Crimson blood bathes the land around us.

My chest is still burning. I scan the perimeter to see my mate ripping yet another one of our
enemies to shreds. Rage and violence in her every movement. Polina was a fool to go charging
towards my raging out of control mate. I can see that none of my men dares to go anywhere near
her.

Even our pack mates, Caspian, Genesis, and Constantine stay where they are. They watch her
pouring out her aggression without interfering.

“Malyshka,” I call out. Just a mere whisper but just like that, she stops and turns to bring her
eyes to me. I limp towards her slowly. She stands stock still while her cold black eyes follow my
every movement.
I stand five feet away from her and I feel her confusion. “Malyshka,” I call out again gently but
louder, trying not to spook her. She tilts her head, sniffing the air. All of a sudden, she bounds for
me. She almost knocks me off my feet as she crashes into me. Then she clutches my neck and
my shoulder and roughly pulls me down to her. She places her nose and her lips to my neck and
breathes in deeply. Her tight hold on me keeps me stay upright.

My beautiful mate. She lost control to her lycan yet she knows who I am.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her tightly to me. I’m never letting go. She belongs with me
and I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her away from me. She’s my home. She’s my everything.
She’s mine as I am hers.

The scorching heat in my chest is gone but I sense so many feelings coming from her. She’s
shaking in my arms.

“Malyska, where does it hurt?” I ask her, starting to get worried again. “Let me see you,” I try to
push her back to take a good look at her but she clings to me tighter.

“I thought you’re gone. I couldn’t feel you...I thought you’re gone,” she says brokenly.

Penny’s POV

He gathers me close. The feeling of emptiness and the burning pain in my chest are gone, but I’m
still shaking. I can’t shake the memory of the devastating hollowness away. I thought I’d lost
him forever. I could feel the end of my world. The end of me.

“I’m here, Malyshka. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere,” he whispers. His big strong hand
is stroking my back soothingly.

“Don’t ever leave me,” I tell him. I never want to feel that way again.

“Never.” He rains tiny kisses all over my face, careful not to touch the red angry scratches on
one side of my face. His arms are wrapped around me tightly and protectively like he’s never
letting go.

“I smell worse than a poop sewer,” I tell him when he presses his lips to my neck and breathes in
deeply.
His body shakes with silent laughter. After a while, a deep rumble of laughter escapes his lips.
He sounds happy. Actually he sounds more than happy. He sounds like he’s on top of the world.
The feeling of deep happiness and contentment flood through me.

We’re both looking very bad. We’re both injured and I know I’m bloody and probably smell like
death but I’m happy to be in his arms again. Deeply and euphorically happy. I press my nose and
lips to his neck and breath in his scent.

“Speaking of which...why do you have Polina’s scent all over you?” I draw back to look at him.

“Uh, about that...”

“Yes, about that,” I stare at him with narrowing eyes. He has some explaining to do.

“Glad to have you back, Malyshka,” he says suddenly, smiling widely, not looking at all guilty.

“Don’t you Malyshka me, mister. Explain, and make it good.”

It’s good to be back with my mate and my pack. It’s better than good, actually. I feel happy and
complete.

It saddens me that we lost a few good men. Many are injured too. It’s a good thing that lycans
recover very quickly.

I can’t help but feeling thankful that I still have my mate and all my pack mates with me even
though some of us are injured.

Lazarus was caught in the blast. He suffers minor burns, bruises, and a broken leg. He’s
recovering well with Serena quietly doting on him...as usual.

Genesis is fine but Constantine has a broken arm and if you thought that it would put a damper
on their painting session, then you would be wrong.

Caspian has a few bruises and lost his hearing for an hour or so, otherwise, he’s fine. Too bad his
hearing wasn’t gone for longer. Much much longer.
Darius had the bullet in his shoulder and broken glasses on his back removed. He has a broken
ribcage and his left leg is broken in a couple of places. My poor man.

I had to have my broken arm reset...again. The scratches on my face are healing fast. I don't
know if I'm going to have scars but I don't really care.

King Alexandros and Queen Sophia now know that I am not mated to Caspian. Caspian, Darius,
Constantine, and Lazarus had a long talk with the king to explain the situation and the necessity
of the deception. The recent attack on the palace helps our case. Queen Sophia didn’t seem to be
at all surprised to learn that we’re not mated.

I don’t know exactly what was being said or discussed among the men, but the king doesn’t seem
to be angry with me. I’m just happy not to be thrown into the dungeon. That would not have
ended well for me...and the dungeon.

Because of our injuries, we’re stuck in Banehallow Palace for a little longer than we anticipated.

For some reason, Darius and I were given personal physiotherapists to help us heal and recover
our motor skills faster. As if we needed it. In my opinion, it’s totally unnecessary...but hey, that’s
only my opinion.

I wasn’t very happy when I saw my mate’s physiotherapist this morning. She was a beautiful
lycan woman. Okay, so wasn’t happy was an understatement. I was livid! She had dark hair and
dark eyes like mine. It didn’t help that she’s curvier and seemed too eager to put her hands all
over my mate.

It turned out, I didn’t have to do anything about it. My mate asked for her to be replaced even
before the session started. Oh, swoon! I love him so much, I swear!

The physiotherapist who was assigned to me showed up soon after. Alonzo was a gorgeous lycan
hottie with a smooth mocha colored skin and a killer smile. Of course, nobody is as hot as my
mate but he doesn’t need to know that. My mate took one look at Alonzo and threw a fit. He
threatened to kill the poor man if he as much as lay a finger on me.

I can see Caspian’s hands in this from miles away. Oh, I can’t wait to have my revenge on that
royal brat!

It’s been a week, I can see that Caspian is very impatient to leave. He’s moody in most days. I
know why he’s so desperately want to be back in California again.
Queen Sophia is now more determined than ever to have Caspian mated to lady Celeste. I can
see trouble brewing between Caspian and Queen Sophia in our near future.

“I wish we were back in California now,” sighs Genesis.

“The weather must be very nice there now,” adds Serena wistfully.

The weather is cold again with a dusting of snow blanketing the land around us this morning.
We’re in the media room in our wing of the palace. The main part of the palace is busy with
workers cleaning up and re-constructing the ruined ballroom. From what I heard, the ballroom is
going to be even grander than the last one.

“Yeah,” agrees Genesis. “We’d be by the swimming pool sipping our drinks under the blue sky
without any snow...or Lady Celeste in sight.”

Lady Celeste is now walking around as if it was a sure thing that she’s going to be the next
queen. She's been following us around, pissing the crap out of me.

Caspian was ordered by the Queen to entertain Lady Celeste. We were ordered to make her feel
welcomed and comfortable around us. None of us are very happy about it.

“I wish that woman would disappear soon,” I tell them as I glare at Lady Celeste who is now
sitting so close to Caspian, she's almost on his lap. I think she would've been siting on his lap by
now if Caspian would've let her. So far she's been complaining about how bored she is because
we’re sitting around doing nothing. As if it’s our job to entertain her. She should go get herself a
performing pet monkey. “Do you think we could all pretend to go hunting and lose her in the
deep jungle of Russia? Or we could go fishing and push her off the boat in the middle of the
ocean? Better still, we could feed her to the shark.”

“You seriously need help, Penny. Your violent thoughts are getting out of control,” says Genesis.
“Not that I wouldn’t help you push her off the boat. Feeding her to the shark would be too
cruel...to the shark,” she adds as soon as she hears Lady Celeste whines again.

“Looking at his face, I think Caspian must be seriously considering all of those options right
now,” offers Serena, sounding amused as she leans back in the sofa.

The three of us are sitting on a sofa with a movie playing on the screen in front of us but we’re
not paying much attention to it right now. We’re too busy being nosy watching Lady Celeste
trying to gain Caspian’s attention. The prince is looking totally pissed off as he sits there trying
to have a conversation with Lazarus, Constantine and Darius, totally ignoring the woman.
Most of the time I am very tempted to kick her in her lady nuts. I have a very strong feeling that
Caspian wouldn’t mind me doing that at all...mainly because he told me, “Beany, I wouldn’t
mind at all if you decided to kick her in her lady nuts.” I swear, that’s what he said to me...or
maybe he said something else that sounds quite like it. Minor details.

As much as we want to have fun messing with Caspian as a revenge for all the tricks he played
on us, we don’t want him to lose Quincy as his mate. I now understand the feeling of
possessiveness that the others feel towards our pack mates. All of us are loyal to Quincy now.
Quincy is already part of our pack as far as we are concerned. We don’t want to interfere, but
losing her would be devastating to us.

Oh, no promises, but I might not push Lady Celeste off the boat if we happened to be anywhere
near the ocean with her. I would totally kick her in her lady nuts if we had to endure her presence
for much longer...and that's a promise.

*Sorry for not being able to update for a while. I'm still traveling and it's tough to write
when there are so many distractions. Writing/typing on unfamiliar devices and places is a
challenge for me too. Thank you for your patience.

Chapter 54 - Sunshine and Vitamin D

A WEEK LATER...

The first day back in sunny California and I'm currently lying
on one of the lounge chairs by the pool. Darius is officially part
of Lazarus’s security team overseeing the safety of Prince
Caspian and our pack. He will still be working closely with the
Royal Army, but his first priority will be us. I have no problem
with that. None at all.

Caspian disappears to god knows where as soon as we landed.

Constantine and Genesis are in bed, getting over the jet
lag....well, they might be having a painting session for all I
know. Lazarus and Serena were in the pool with us in the
beginning, but now they too have disappeared.
The sky is clear blue and the sun is shining brightly. Life is
beautiful.

I turn my head and surreptitiously glance at the lounger next to

me. My mate is lying there in his board shorts. A pair of
sunglasses is covering his eyes, and his fair hair is glistening in
the sun. I wonder if he’s asleep.

I let my eyes wander to the perfect curve of his cheeks, nose

and the firm carved lips. His strong jaw and chin seem relaxed.
His body is a chiseled perfection....and sexy. He’s so beautiful
my heart aches just looking at him sometimes. Like now. I can’t
believe that he’s mine. My eyes make their journey downwards
then up again from the deep v that disappears under his shorts
to his cut abs, his wide chest and all the way to his face. My
gaze makes it in time to see the corners of his lips slowly and
slightly curve up into a tiny smug smile. Ughh...he’s awake.

“Don’t stare at me like that unless you want me to take you

upstairs and make you scream my name, Malyshka.” His voice
comes out in a lazy, naughty, accented drawl. I love it when he
talks dirty to me but his self-satisfied smile annoys me. Only he
knows how to make me see stars. He plays my body like a well-
tuned instrument made only for him and he’s smug about it.

Humphh...I turn my face away. “Whatever,” I mutter quietly.

“What’s that, honey?” He’s very recently added the word

“honey” to the list of names he calls me. He still calls me
Persephone from time to time when he’s not too happy with the
things that I do or say.
“Nothing, mi vida,” I answer, flashing him a big smile, full of
sugary sweetness.

“Oh, I thought I heard you said “whatever” there for a second,”

he says, sounding like he’s on the verge of laughter. His lips
curl up sexily even more.

“I wouldn’t dare,” I mutter again.

We fight a lot. Well, okay...so I get mad a lot. He thinks that

I’m cute or funny when I lose my temper. He knows I use the
word “whatever” when I’m well and truly exasperated or when
I’m losing an argument. Now he’s using the word against me.
Whenever I say “whatever”, he’ll take me to bed to do
“whatever”. He seems too eager for me to use the word
sometimes...not that I’m complaining.

“We’re going to Mason’s party, right?” I ask him to change the

subject. He lifts the sunglasses up to let his clear blue gaze
sweep over my features before they lock on my eyes.

“You really want to go?” One of his eyebrows rises up.

I received a text invite from Mason, one of my human College

friends a few days ago. The party is this evening. Yesterday I
asked Darius if he’d go with me. He never answered me. I don’t
think he likes Mason much.

“Of course, I do. that’s why I’m going,” I answer him.

“You’d still go if I’m not going? You do realize that human

wants to get in your pants, right?”
I roll my eyes. “You think ALL men want to get in my pants,” I
answer back.

“This time I’m right,” he says. “As usual.”

Actually, I’m aware that Mason is interested in me, I’m not that
stupid. I still think that we should go, though. Lycans don’t
normally mingle with humans more than necessary but I think
we should not limit our association with only lycans and
werewolves. I decided that I should still keep my human
friends.

“Well, I’m still going,” I announce.

The slash of his blond eyebrows slope down into a frown and
his firm fuller bottom lip sticks out more prominently. “I’m not
going and I don’t want you to go either.” If I didn’t know any
better I’d say he’s pouting. He looks like a sexy five-year-old
about to throw a tantrum. Oh, wait! No five year old is sexy.
Gosh, I’m so messed up when it comes to my mate. Still, sexy
or not I will not let anybody tell me what to do.

“Whatever,” I throw back haughtily, turning my face up

towards the sun.

“That’s it! That’s twice “whatever” from you.” He jumps to his

feet and throws his sunglasses down on the lounger.

“Oh, no no...I need my vitamin D a bit longer.” I scoot back up

my chair as he advanced menacingly towards me. I let out a
yelp as he grabs my hips then throws me over his shoulder.
“Oh, I intend to give you your vitamin D,” he answers and I
howl in laughter.

“You’re hilarious, Mr. Rykov!” I announce while he carries me

like a caveman on his shoulder. “Now, let me down this
instant!” On second thought, the view is awesome. My mate
has this tight sexy ass...

“Did you just bite me?” I hear him ask. Disbelief is apparent in
his voice. Well...just a tiny bite. Serves him right. I grin, looking
at his delicious back upside down. “That merits a punishment,”
he adds just before I feel a smack on my backside. Owww...

In a blink, we’re back in our room and he’s kicking the door
shut. I bounce on the bed a few times after he drops me in the
middle of our super king size bed.

“I can’t believe you just bit me.” There’s still a look of

amazement in his eyes but there’s laughter in his voice.

“Well, you slap my butt,” I counter from my position on the

bed. All of a sudden, I’m aware that his smile is gone and his
eyes smolder as he stares at me lying in the middle of the bed
in my aquamarine blue bikini. My hair fans out wildly around
me, framing my face and covering the pillow. My heart flutters
in my chest and my stomach clenches with excitement at the
way his eyes are raking me from head to toe. Then I remember
that he threatened to punish me and I lift myself up. That look
on his face instantly changes into a predatory one as soon as I
clamber to the edge of the bed. I think I’m going to make a run
for it.
I shoot him a glance before I make my next move and he
shakes his head in warning. “Don’t do it, Malyshka.” My heart
rate spikes up even more as I stare at my beautiful mate. Do I
really think I have a chance against my powerful lycan warrior
mate? Not really. Am I still going to make a run for it? Heck,
yes!

He must have sensed my resolve because he grins wolfishly

with just a little bit of his white teeth and canines showing
while his eyes stay intense and watchful. I’m his prey and this
is a game he’s intent on winning. Well, tough luck, mister, I’m
not going to make it an easy win for you! I glance at the closed
door, then flash him a quick grin before I bound out of one of
the windows and brace myself for the inevitable landing. Hah! I
bet he didn’t see that coming. I bet he thought I was going to go
for the door.

I almost let out a self-congratulatory laugh as I roll to my feet

on the grass just below our window. Darius lands perfectly on
his feet less than a foot from me a second later and I sprint
away.

“Very clever, Mrs. Rykov,” he compliments me as he moves

unhurriedly. I giggle as I dart to the back of the house. I love it
when he calls me Mrs. Rykov. I hear his deep laughter and
almost silent footsteps following me.

He corners me on the landing of our grand staircase after a

quick run around the house. I look wildly around for ways to
escape but I can see by the way he stalks purposely to me and
the predatory intense look in his eyes that this cat and mouse
game ends here. He wants his prize now and I’m it.
“Give it up, Malyshka. There’s no escape this time,” he says.
His smile is definitely roguish. “You’re due for a lot of
punishments.”

“No, I’m not,” I answer back, still looking for ways to escape
even though he’s standing over me with his powerful arms
bracing the wall on either side of me, caging me in.

He shakes his head in incredulity and amusement. He always

seems amazed at my refusal to admit defeat no matter what the
circumstances are. I know, I’m awesome like that...well, some
people might find that debatable.

“Let’s see, you say “whatever” to me not once, but twice, then
you bit my ass...”

“Whatever!” I interrupt him before he can continue to list down

all the indiscretion I’ve committed within the span of 30
minutes. Well, if I’m going to get punished, might as well go
with a bang. Go big or go home as they say. No doing things
half-assed for me. I am a very dedicated person, after all.

Darius raises an eyebrow, daring me to defy him further.

“Whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever...” See what he’s

going to do with that!

His eyes darken as he grips my waist to make sure that I can’t

run off again. He leans in close and whispers warningly, “Oh,
you’re going to get it now.” His teeth nip at the shell of my ear
gently before his tongue comes out to trace it teasingly. I
shudder at the delicious heat that spreads through my body
from his closeness and the little teasing.
“Promises, promises.” For some reason, I’m slurring. My
tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth.

He chuckles darkly. His breath tickling my ear. “You’re hot and

cute when you defy me like that.” His mouth continues its
delicious torment downwards. He kisses me behind my ear and
along my neck. I close my eyes and let out a soft moan. “Be
careful, I might find out that you actually enjoy your
punishment, Malyshka.” His voice is low and husky.

“Hate it,” I whisper breathlessly. “I absolutely hate it...” I lean

my head on his shoulder to give him a better access to my neck.
I feel his lips stretch into a smile against the soft skin of where
my shoulder meets my neck before I feel him sucking me there.
Oh, my...a little pain mix with pleasure. Mmm...the best kind.

“Room,” he whispers huskily before he covers my lips with his.

His kiss is hungry and demanding and I open my mouth
willingly for the invasion of his tongue. I wrap my arms around
his neck and his hand grabs my ass to lift me up. He spreads
another hand on my thigh before he pulls my leg up to wrap
around his waist.

I’m drowning in his taste, his scent, and his touch. I vaguely
aware of being carried to our room. I only realize that we’re in
our bedroom when my back hits the cool soft bedding of our
bed and the pressure of his weight on me. I sink my fingers into
his silky hair as his lips continue to ravish me. My other hand
eagerly maps out the warm solid expanse of his back. My whole
body is burning up for him. He moans deep in his throat before
he pushes himself off me. Nooo...He chuckles when I let out a
sound of protest and grab the back of his neck to pull him back
down to me.
“Oh, mi vida...didn’t I warn you that you’re getting punished?”
He drags my hands up and pins them down on the mattress
above my head. Say what now?

“Get back down here,” I tell him as I scowl up at him.

He laughs and shakes his head. Cruel. He bends down to

spread my thighs open before he settles on his knees between
them. His heavy-lidded eyes scan my body slowly while his
hand is still holding both my hands prisoner.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says, running his fingers lightly over

the side of my face and my neck. He cups and squeezes my
breast lightly before moves his hand lower to spread his warm
palm over my flat stomach. He leaves a trail of fire wherever
his hand touches my body. I’m a writhing mess by the time his
hand reaches the little triangle of my bikini. He presses harder
as his finger moves lower over the little blue fabric. I arch my
body upward and he just eases the pressure and laughs when I
start cursing him to the moon and back.

I end my tirade with, “Darn you, you asshat!”

“Beg for it, Malyshka.”

“No. Never,” I growl. His eyes glint and he smiles like he knew
all along what my answer would be.

“Let go of me,” I tell him.

“No. Never,” he answers back, this time his lips are pulled back
to show a glimmer of his straight white teeth and the elongated
canines. My struggle to pull my hands out of his hold is a futile
effort since he’s much stronger than I am. He watches me
writhing and thrashing my body about with such unreadable
expression on his face but his tight jaw and clenching fist tell
me that he’s not unaffected. Such control he has over his own
hunger and want. He pulls the strings of my bikini top, pulling
it off me and keep watching.

“I hate you,” I hiss in frustration. I catch a flicker of feral

hunger in his eyes just before he leans down and presses his
mouth to my neck. “So beautiful and so stubborn,” he whispers
against my skin before he starts his delicious assault. His lips
sucking lightly, his teeth grazing and nipping my skin gently,
and his tongue lapping and playing havoc with my senses.

It’s nice lying here with the weight of my mate’s arm curved
around my stomach and his scent enveloping me. When I open
my eyes, I start to feel confused. Where are we? Are we still in
Russia? What time is it? Darn jet lag!

I look around in confusion. We’re back in California but this

room looks different. Oh, yeah...we’re in our room. This room
is in the same wing of the house as my previous bedroom. It’s
just a few doors away from it and a lot bigger. Not that we need
a bigger room but the rest of the pack insisted on it. They said
we need a mated couple’s room: a bigger room with a bigger
bed...and better sound-proofed.

I turn my head to look at Darius behind me. He is still sleeping

soundly. His breathing is soft and even. His gorgeous face
looks peaceful and his fair thick silky hair is wildly tousled. He
looks almost innocent like this but I know better. There’s
nothing innocent about my mate...especially after what he did
to me this morning.

His lovemaking was very slow. The slowest ever and it drove
me insane. I was panting and writhing underneath him with
my hands pinned up above my head. I was also moaning,
sobbing, and blubbering uncontrollably. The end was very
intense for the both of us. I felt like I was going to combust. I’m
so not hating the punishment!

I’m guessing it’s around noon right now. I base that theory on
my stomach, not the sun. I’m hungry. I slowly edge away but
the arm around my body tightens its hold.

* Mi vida = (Spanish) My life

This is just half of a chapter because it's getting too

long. I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I've
recovered from the jet lag but still tired from the flu.
Thank you for your wonderful messages. I'll be
posting the rest of the chapter by Friday evening est. -
Nicole♥

Sunshine and Vitamin D (2nd part)

I’m guessing it’s around noon right now. I base that theory on
my stomach, not the sun. I’m hungry. I slowly edge away but
the arm around my body tightens its hold.

“Where are you going, Malyshka?” His deep voice is husky

from sleep. I turn back to look into a pair of glacier blue eyes
staring at me. His arm pulls me back closer to his body.
“I just want to see what time it is,” I answer him. “I didn’t mean
to wake you up.”

“Maybe you did wake me up but I think it’s time to get up

anyway,” he says as he reaches an arm out to pick up his watch
from the side table. He pulls me to roll with him as he does so
and I end up lying on top of him.

“I hate to wake you up when you’re sound asleep,” I tell him.

He stops moving and glances down at me. “I’m fine now,

Malyshka,” he says. “I never have any nightmares when I have
you in my arms. I doubt I’ll have any more nightmares now but
I intend to keep you in my arms every night...for the rest of my
life.” He kisses the top of my head. “Just in case.” A soft little
smile is playing on his lips. I wonder how many people have
ever seen him smile like that. My guess is, very few...if any.

“Just in case,” I repeat, returning his smile.

He squeezes me before he glances at his watch and announces,

“It’s almost five.”

“Five in the evening?” I screech, jumping out of the bed. “No

wonder I’m so hungry.”

“Hey, you’re not going out like that are you?” he asks me when
I stroll towards the door wearing nothing but the medallion
that bears his family crest around my neck.

“Why? Am I going to traumatize everybody who sees me

walking around like this?” I flash him a smile over my
shoulder.
He lets out a frustrated sounding groan before he answers,
“The only person who’s going to be traumatized is the prick
who I’m going to kill after he sees you looking that way. You
know how beautiful you are, but only I get to see you like that.”

I laugh as I enter our walk-in closet. So possessive. I love

teasing him like that. As if I was going to walk around the
house like this. Genesis and Serena might not find it too
amusing and Caspian would have a lot to say...ugh! No thanks.
“I just have something to give you,” I tell him.

I grab a royal blue silk kimono robe from the hanger, shrug it
on and tie the belt. I reach into my leather crossbody satchel
that’s hanging near the door and start fishing for something.
Why do I have so much crap in my beg?

Darius is sitting at the edge of the bed when I exit the closet.

“What’s this?” he asks me when I hand him the small, flat,

black, rectangular box.

“Just a little something for you,” I tell him. “Open it.”

He eagerly opens the box but he stilled when he sees what’s

nestled inside. He sits there staring at the black medallion that
looks very much like the one I’m wearing right now before he
picks it up. He stares at it a moment longer before he lifts his
eyes to look at the one that’s already resting between the valley
of my breasts.

“How?” he raises his eyes to look at me questioningly.

“I have my ways,” I tell him in a voice that I hope would make
me sound mysterious. Ugh! I think I sound like I’m having
cramps instead.

Actually, his cousin, Æmelius saw the medallion the day after
Darius put it back on me. The whole palace knew by then that
I’m not Caspian’s, but rather Darius’s mate. Æmilius
mentioned in the passing that he knew that the medallion was
actually a cufflink and that he had another half of the pair in
his possession somewhere. He agreed when I asked to buy it
from him but instead of money, he suggested a night together
for it. So naturally, I threatened to kick him in the nuts as well
as tell the Crown Prince and my mate of his disgusting
proposition if he didn’t give it to me. I suspect, I amused rather
than scared him with my threats. Nevertheless, one of his
menservants brought it to me the very next morning.

Caspian helped me send it to his jeweler who made it into a

medallion. The jeweler was good. He made it look almost
exactly like the one that I have and he had it ready just before
we flew back home.

“So now, we’re wearing a matching medallion,” I say after he

places it around his neck. “If that’s not love, I don’t know what
is.”

“Oh, it’s love, baby,” he says, pulling me to stand between his

legs. “So, let me thank you properly...” He kisses me between
my breasts while pulling the string that holds my robe together.

“Mi amor, I’m hungry,” I protest.

“I know, I’m hungrier,” he agrees while his hands and his
mouth move across my body. My body is heating up and
delicious chill is running down my back. “Very hungry...and
you taste so good...” He murmurs. The rest of the sentence is
muffled against my skin.

We both know that’s not what I meant. But hey, who needs
food when you have love, right? Fries can wait.

*The last chapter is coming up by Friday next week. I’ll

be also uploading the first few chapters of Caspian’s
story (Tapping Quincy) on the very same day.

Chapter 55 - This is Us

Against Darius’s protest, we’re here at Mason’s small party. I

insisted on coming and Darius decided that he doesn’t trust
Mason or any man enough to let me come to the party by
myself. Surprisingly, it is not a big party. Maybe because most
students are still home for Thanksgiving this week.

Lily and Keisha, my humans’ college friends pull me aside as

soon as we arrive. We need to catch up since we haven’t seen
each other for a few weeks now. Keisha’s best friend, Amanda
isn’t here, thankfully. She’s still in Pismo Beach for
Thanksgiving with her family. The last time I saw her was when
Quincy poured water all over her.

The music is playing and the furniture is pulled aside to leave

the middle of the room empty for people to mingle and dance.
Nobody is dancing so far. We’re standing in groups just talking
and drinking.
Daniel, who is now Lily’s boyfriend is one of Mason’s best
buddies. They are both in the other corner of the room, talking
with a few other guys from college. Apart from the initial
greeting, Mason has been keeping away from me when he saw
me arrived with Darius. The stare both men gave each other
was definitely chilly.

I gaze at my mate from across the room where he is standing

with his arms crossed at his chest. He’s in black jeans and black
button down shirt that contrasts greatly with his sleek fair hair
that’s getting a bit long. The back is touching the collar. His
skin has a light golden tint from the sun this morning. All in all,
he’d featured in any straight women’s wet dream even if they’re
not into blonds.

I know he wants to come over and stay close to me but he’s

giving me some room to talk to my friends alone. Right now his
eyes are cold and he’s wearing a bored expression on his face
while two girls are currently vying for his attention. If I
couldn’t sense his feeling of utter annoyance, I’d be kicking
their asses to the moon.

Still, this sucks!

Darius raises his eyes to meet mine. His blue orbs catch the
bright light coming from the kitchen and they reflect it back,
making the color very light, almost transparent. I could easily
lose myself in those beautiful eyes. Suddenly I have a strong
urge to be back in his arms.

Whose brilliant idea was it to come here? Oh, wait! It’s mine!
Darius’ eyes turn questioning. He can feel my need for him. I
know he would come over as soon as I give any indication that I
want him to. Still, we just got here not ten minutes ago and Lily
is still talking to me. I have to remind myself that we are here
to mix around with my human friends. I’m such a bad friend.

I raise my hand and place it on his mark on me above my heart

and the corners of his lips twitch up a tiny bit. I can’t help a
little smug smile curving my lips up when I see him does the
same, placing his hand on the mark I gave him. We are so
corny but I love it that I can make a fierce and dangerous lycan
warrior does something sweet like that...just for me.

“So, Daniel asked me to move in with him next semester. His

father got him an apartment just ten minutes away from
campus, South of here,” explains Lily while I keep my eyes on
my mate.

“Wow, moving in together? That’s great, Lil. I’m glad that

everything is going well with you and Daniel.” I tear my gaze
away from Darius and give Lily’s hand a squeeze.

“I know, that’s a big step, right? Moving in together,” she says,

sighing. “Thanks to you. It started with a dare, remember?
Anyway, enough about me, what about you?”

“Yeah, what about you and Mr. sex on legs over there?” Keisha
tilts her head towards Darius. “Is he a total sex god in bed? Is
he as good as he looks?”

My eyes instantly meet his again above the heads of the few
people in front of him. There’s a tiny smirk on his lips. I know
he can hear us. He’s waiting to hear my answer even though he
knows I’m not the kiss and tell kind of person. I’d love to wipe
that smirk off his face for once. Alas, we both know he has the
reason to be smug.

I’m tempted to poke my tongue childishly out at him but I

scrunch up my nose instead. His lips twitched like he’s holding
back his laughter. I roll my eyes and he lifts his eyebrows
expectantly. Still waiting for my answer.

“Oh, he’s okay, I guess,” I finally answer her and I can see my
mate’s eyebrows rise up another notch. “I mean, he might be
really awful...you know, false advertisement and all,” I can’t
resist adding and I could almost hear him growl sexily in my
ear. The look in his eyes is warning me of a retribution and a
reminder of how “awful” he is in bed as soon as we get home,
so I quickly add, “Or he might be awesome. Who knows, right?
It’s totally subjective.” I almost snort at how lame and stupid
my answer sounds.

“Oh, come on. What kind of answer is that? It’s either good or
bad. There’s nothing subjective about it. It’s not rocket science,
Penny,” snaps Keisha, clearly not liking my response. I know
my answer doesn’t make any sense but I’m not going to divulge
any sordid detail of my intimate life to anyone, especially not to
someone like Keisha. Serves her right for being so nosy.

Lily covers her mouth with her hand to muffle her laughter. A
loud snort escapes her nose and I almost lost it.

“And don’t pretend like you don’t know,” Keisha adds, very
irritated now. “Nobody with a pair of eyes will believe that you
two are just friends. Nobody will fall for that line again,” she
says as she walks away. I guess she gets the point that I’m not
going to confide in her like we’re besties or anything.

Lily hooks her skinny arm around my shoulders as we both

watch her stomps off indignantly. We look at each other and
break into a laugher as soon as Keisha disappears around the
corner. When her laughter subsides, Lily says, “Without her
evil twin Amanda, Keisha isn’t so bad...but I still don’t trust
her.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Nosy bitch.”

“I have to agree with her though. Nobody will believe that you
and that sexy piece of man candy over there are just friends. I
didn’t believe it then and I don’t believe it now,” says Lily.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask her absently as I lock eyes with my mate. I

see a couple more girls are making a move on him and one, in
particular, is being very persistent. A beautiful redhead in a
short denim skirt and a tight little white t-shirt is pressing her
body against my mate’s side, attaching herself to my man like a
leech.

My mate, on the other hand, seems oblivious to her desperate

attempt. I know his attention is solely on me. There’s not a
minute gone by tonight that his focus is not on me. He’s aware
of my every movement, my mood and my company. His senses
are always scanning for any threats and ready to act if he sees
any danger around me. Right now his eyes are enquiring and
he cocks his head slightly towards the entrance. Had enough?
Ready to leave yet?
I lift my chin up and let my eyes wander to the little redhead
leech beside him. Unattach yourself from that bitch or else I’ll
do it myself and it won’t be pretty.

“That right there is just amazing,” says Lily.

“Huh?”

“I’ve been watching you two communicating with each other

from across the room. I don’t know what you’re saying to each
other, but I know you’re talking with just looks. That is just so
incredible!” says Lily looking between Darius and me dreamily.
“I wish I had that kind of connection with Daniel.”

I turn to look at her with a frown. Actually, our conversation

involves more than just looks. It also involves the feelings that
we sense through our bond and also our awareness of each
other. Sometimes that awareness is so intense, it feels like
we’re one soul in two bodies. However, Lily’s observation
makes me wary of how perceptive she is or how obvious we are.
Maybe we should tone it down? It’s hard to do that when the
whole world just disappears when we’re looking into each
other’s eyes. Only the two of us exist in our personal bubble no
matter where we are or who is there with us.

A familiar scent hit me first before a strained voice greets me,

“Hi, Penny.” Matthew, my mate...or rather my ex-mate is
standing next to us. For a second, I can only stare at him and
Cece who is standing rather stiffly beside him. Mason and
Daniel pick this time to join us.

Matthew seems rather awkward but he’s staring at me rather

longingly. Cece looks like she just smelt something rotten. Of
course, Matthew is here, Mason is his cousin after all. How did
I forget that? I’m so stupid.

“Hey, Matthew, Cece...nice to meet you again.” Well, not really

but it’s a nice thing to say, right? I’m working on my social
skill. I force a smile and wait for the usual thrill that Matthew’s
presence brings me but I feel none of it. I guess being mated
and marked by Darius have really severed our ties. “I didn’t see
you earlier.”

“We just got here,” Cece says, as she pulls Matthew’s hand into
hers and slides another around his arm. She can’t make it any
more obvious that they’re together again now.

“Well, this is a very nice party, Mason. Lily was just telling me
how nice it is.” I push Lily who, no doubt has sensed the
awkwardness forward. She shoots me a look before she faces
everybody with a wide smile on her face.

“Yeah, awesome party, Mason,” she says.

A muscular arm slides possessively around my shoulders,

pulling me back against a warm chest behind me. I can’t help
but lean into his warmth. His body curved perfectly for mine to
fit into.

“You remember Darius,” I tell them. I touch Darius’s arm that’s

draped around my shoulders and give it a squeeze. There’s no
need for him to feel threatened by Matthew or anyone
anymore.

“Hey, man,” says Daniel. Mason just lifts his Bud Light bottle
up.
I sense my mate giving them a nod. Matthew returns his nod
while Cece is staring at Darius with wide eyes. I’m also aware
that the persistent little redhead from earlier is still hovering
beside him. This man. I Can’t take him anywhere. I turn to give
the redhead who is now giving me a measured look, a brief
bitchy smile.

“Congratulations on your engagement,” says my mate to Cece

and Matthew.

Huh? I glance at Cece again and this time I notice a nice

diamond glinting on her finger. Gah! You’re so slow, Penny! I
think she’d been trying to show off the engagement ring since
they got here but I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts
to notice.

“Oh, you’re engaged? When is the wedding?” asks Lily excitedly

as if she’d known the couple for ages. Oh, Lily.

“Congratulations,” I say. “I’m happy for you both,” I continue

and I mean it.

“Thank you,” says Cece.

“I see you two are still... just friends,” retorts Mason, making
an air quote while looking at Darius and me with a smirk.

Darius’s arm tightens around me and I brace myself. “Who?

Us?” he says. “No, we’re not just friends. We’re married.”
Marking and mating to us is like marriage to humans, or
maybe more so...with our souls forever connected and there’s
no turning back. There’s no such thing as divorce for us.
However, to spring something like that on my human friends
was something else. We’ve excused ourselves as soon as Darius
dropped the bomb and fifteen minutes later I’m sitting in the
car quietly with a grin on my face as I recall the look of surprise
and shock on their faces. Darius was looking smug when we left
the party and now he is driving with a look of concentration on
his face. The traffic is light, so I doubt he’s really thinking
about the drive right now.

I glance down at our entwined fingers on his thigh.

Note to self: get a wedding band for my mate.

“I should take you away on a honeymoon,” says Darius

suddenly.

“Really?” I ask him excitedly. “Where?”

He lifts my hand up and presses his lips to my knuckles before

he glances at me with an indulgent look. “Anywhere you want,
Malyshka.”

My heart swells with love for this gorgeous man. I didn’t think
that it’s possible three years ago. We fought so hard to get here
and to be together. We’ve come so far. I’m a different person
than I was three years ago. I’m not even the same being
anymore. I’ve also traveled the world. I’ve seen and
experienced things that changed me. One thing that will never
change is the love and loyalty that I have for my family.
Darius turns off the engine and I realize that we’re home. I look
out the window at our brightly lit monstrosity of a house.
Inside is my family. Genesis, Constantine, Caspian, Serena, and
Lazarus. My lycan family.

I love them all with everything that I have in me yet I don’t

want to completely forget my root.

“I want to go visit my old pack. My werewolf pack. I want to see

my parents and my old friends, Reese, River and their
daughter, Piper.”

“Then that’s where I’ll take you. Anything you want, Malyshka.
I’m here to protect you and make your life happy.”

“I want to make you happy,” I tell him, turning my whole body

towards him.

“And you do. You make me very happy, every day. My life
before you didn’t make sense. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been
with you in it. You make me excited to go to bed with you in my
arms every night. You make me excited to open my eyes in the
morning to see you lying next to me. You’re my home. I devote
my life to you. I belong to you. Completely.”

Darn it this man!

“Hey, did I say something wrong?” he asks me. His voice grows
wary and full of concern suddenly.

He tilts my face up with his hands and brushes his thumbs

along my wet cheeks.
“You say all the right things. You make me cry,” I tell him.

He cradles my face in his hands while staring into my eyes. I

see the confusion on his face. “I’m not good with words. I’ve
never done this before but I’m trying, Malyshka. You wanted
me to open up to you and I told you I’d do anything for you. I’m
sorry I make you cry---”

“Arrgghh...you need to stop before I grow hysterical,” I warn

him. More tears are rolling down my face.

“Okay. I’ll stop now,” he says.

“Okay...whatever,” I snap. The air around us suddenly grows

heavy after I uttered that word. His eyes glitter in the dim light.

“Room. Now,” he growls, pushing his door open with a force.

“Okay,” I answer meekly but a naughty smile is growing on my

lips. An answering mischievous smile is already curving his lips
as he unbuckles my seatbelt. His eyes darkened with hunger
and anticipation.

He knows that meekness is just for show. There’s nothing meek

about me as there is nothing meek about him.

“Prepare to be punished for your crime, Mrs. Rykov,” he says

as he lifts me up and kicks the car door closed with his foot.

“Whatever. Whatever, whatever, whatever...” He cuts my chant

with his warm mouth on mine. Urgent and demanding.
I barely register the snickers and muffled laughter as he strides
past the living room with me in his arms or the thud of the
door of our room as he pushes my back against it.

“I love you,” I tell him between our kisses.

“And I love you. Very much,” he says.

“Show me how much,” I challenge him and he proceeds to do

just that. Over and over again.

We fight. We love. This is us. As long as we’re together, we’ll be

okay.

THE END...OR SHOULD I SAY THEIR STORY GOES ON?

*Meet them again in Caspian’s story (Trapping Quincy).