Jordan used his nose to locate Xander, and once we heard a war horn echo faintly through the underground tunnels, the three of us froze.
“It’s starting,” Otis whispered.
The colours on my face drained, and I hurriedly grabbed Jordan’s arm.
“Are you sure Xander is close?”
“Positive. He’s down there somewhere.”
“Good. We can take it from here. Find the Lycans and help the rebellion!”
Jordan hesitated but accepted my orders. He walked away, then circled around and stared at me with nervous eyes.
“What of Lynn? Where is she?”
“She’s safe with the healers away from the battlefield.”
Jordan nodded and doubled back, running into the darkness. Otis and I continued our way down the path until it forked, and not long after, there was a wooden door to our left. There weren’t any guards, but I could hear some discussing further away
Otis and Xander charged the guards that were looking out at the battle unfolding. They had not thought of being attacked from the back. They would have never suspected someone would have come through a different entrance than the ones at the base of the mountain. Xander was limited in what he could do, as he couldn’t fully transform into Lycan form, but he did his best with the situation and helped until I had regained a little of my strength. I had lost a lot of blood, and although I had healed myself, I still had slightly blurred vision and slurred movements. I thought I looked inebriated. The piercing sounds of clashing swords and dreadful screams resounded inside my ears. I placed a hand on a tree and worked hard to stay upright. I needed to get my head straight if I wanted to face Osprey, and trepidation spread over me like a cold shower. I squinted my eyes when I saw flashes of colour out on the battlefield. I momentarily wondered if I had imagined it,
Xander POV Trepidation and falling into the unknown had been things entirely foreign to me. In the past, I had always been the sort of person who calculated every possibility. It was partly because of my Lycan side, being logical, cautious and using those primal instincts. I never took chances without thinking of the outcomes. If I took a risk, at least I knew what could happen, and I would know how to react when faced with them. Ever since I joined my life with my fated mate eight months ago, I had become reckless and impulsive—my Lycan side as well. Everything I did, I did for her, so we would never be parted again, and I often found myself in situations where I didn’t know the ending. As I watched Ida floating above me, unmoving with her heart-wrenching, teary-eyed face, I knew in that instant that she was making a tough choice, and I had not been privy to her plan. I shouted her name and extended my hands, hoping that by some miracle, I would catch her an
Ida POV - Three years later I placed my quill down and looked at the manuscript I had finished. I had worked on it for three years. It had been an arduous task, especially since it recounted the story of my life—a life I had no memory of. I looked it over once more, and once I was satisfied, I closed the book and backed away into my chair. Xander had presented me with this blank book years ago. He had encouraged me to talk to everyone and gather all the stories they had to share of past moments we had lived together. Otis had been a tremendous help. He told me of my upbringing and of my parents. He had known me the longest and had emphasized that my parent’s legacy lived on through me. I was more than happy to write everything down on the blank pages of that book if it helped me understand where I belonged in this world. The first year had been challenging. Many individuals came to speak with me, and I didn't know who they were. They wanted me to become queen. They said it was my b
Xander POV They took her… They took Ida. My mate was now in the hands of Osprey. I wanted to shift into Lycan form and jump into the swarm of knights and decapitate every last one of them. However, Gideon’s silver chain was still wrapped around my arm, preventing me from raining chaos among those I wanted dead. Gideon kept shoving me back, using all the strength he must have had. I was stronger than him, but he was more stubborn than I would have liked. Gideon kept pushing and grabbing my shoulders, forcing me down on the ground. He put me down on my stomach, placed his knee on my neck, and twisted my left arm behind my back. He dislocated my shoulder when he pulled harder. I could barely feel it. I was high on adrenaline and couldn’t feel anything. Ida… “You’re no good to Ida if you’re dead, Alex. Hold it together until we figure something out.” Gideon hissed while repositioning himself on me. His voice sounded out of focus and was barely audible in my ears. “I didn’t see Diana
Xander POV “Before I tell you anything, will you promise me I can bury Diana with her family? She has been away from us for far too long, and it pains me that, once I finally found her, I lost her within the same week.” Spoke Denis softly. He was looking at his sister with tears in his eyes. “We were very close when we were younger. We only had each other. But when I started training to become head curator, Diana left to find work elsewhere. I had heard she had married and had a child. Diana sent letters once every while, but it all stopped when the uprising happened. I thought she had died. Would you know where my nephew is?” His presence still annoyed me, but I didn’t quite know what to reply regarding that. None of us knew Diana had had a family in the past. When she came to work for High Hill Estate, she was alone, and Diana told no one she had a son. “I’m afraid this is news to us. Diana never mentioned she had family, nor did she ever ask to leave the estate to tend to her c
I woke up in the dark. The humidity had seeped through the walls, coating my skin and my now torn dress. My wrists were bound by metal cuffs hanging over my head, chafing my skin and making it raw. I could barely see the outlines of my confinement, and there seemed to be no windows that could let me know the time of day. I had no clue if they had trapped me there for hours, let alone days. My body ached. My muscles were numb, and my bones hurt like they had rattled me and tossed me on the ground multiple times. I tried to lift myself but slumped after my attempt. I felt my knees were too weak to raise myself. I tried to get up again, but the sudden rush of blood made my head ache, and the dizziness I felt made me retch the little content I had in my stomach. The bile burned my throat, making me gag, and I twisted my body sideways to prevent myself from spilling the coming up-chuck on myself. I had to admit that the smell inside the room was rancid, as if years of urine had never been
“Make sure she’s attached properly to the chain post, Harrier. Oh, and keep those shackles tight; we don’t want her doing something we don’t want.” Shrike bellowed at his partner. I figured Harrier had been the other man who had come with Shrike to pay me a brief visit. They had kept me sedated, so I was fuzzy about the timeframe. Had it been the day before or the one before that? I couldn’t tell. “Strip her down to her undergarments and let her hang there for a while. I’ll need to inform his majesty that we will begin shortly.” Shrike left, and Harrier slipped a knife in the back of my dress, breaking the delicate cloth and jerking away the corset. He didn’t remove all my clothing, he just opened the back, and everything fell loosely, hanging slightly from my arms. I pressed my chest on the chain post. My shoulders curved upward since my hands were bound by chains near the top of the column. They had not given me whatever had been in the vial before bringing me here. I assumed my
“It’s ‘King.’” Osprey corrected. “I no longer go by Duke or Lord. You should know that by now.” He moved closer and went to take my arm. I flinched and pressed closer to the wall beside me. Osprey stepped forward again and took my hand, gently pulling me into the center of the room. He gestured to take a seat and returned to his desk. Once he sat down, I looked towards the door and wondered if I would make it out before his long strides caught up with me. He must have understood what was going through my head; he simply smiled and placed a hand under his chin. “You’re free to leave my company, Cressida. However, I think you would rather have mine than Shrike’s. He can be a stubborn man, which is exactly why he works for me. People usually respond better with a little motivation.” I had mixed feelings. Of course, I didn’t want to return to Shrike, but I didn’t want to be in Osprey’s presence either. He folded his hands in front of him and set his piercing green eyes in my direction