*Rafe*“Are you ready?” Percival asks.The man looks ragged. Whatever he does to make sure I don’t keel over is really taking its toll. For that reason alone, I need to make sure Howard sees the light. I’m afraid Percival is going to die instead of me.“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I admit. I step out of the carriage as it rolls to a stop in front of Howard’s very luxurious looking home.Karl is there to greet me with a wide smile and a warm arm clasp. “Rafe. You look like shit.”“Thanks,” I reply with a laugh. “You look great.”Howard stands off to the side, eyeing me contemptuously.We are already off to a bad start, it would seem. “Alpha King Howard,” I say with a slight nod.“King Rafe.” He responds coolly. “Shall we retire to the conference room? It seems we have a lot to discuss.”“Where is Ainslee?” I ask.“In her bedroom. Lying down. I didn’t think she needed to be here for this,” he replies.My heart thumps in my chest, screaming to tear past the two Alpha Kings and find he
*Ainslee*“Why does it still hurt?” I ask after we’ve been holding each other for a while. This is the second thing I ask Rafe after I demand to know where Drake is. While I’m aching to see my baby, Rafe explains to me that he’s the only reason my father is allowing us to be together, so I’ll have to be patient a bit longer. Just knowing that he’s safe and near me is a comfort.“Maybe because we were separated for so long,” Rafe replies. He strokes my cheek. “But I have an idea of how to make it better.”I raise an eyebrow at him. “I’m sure you do.”“Honest. It’s not about sex, it’s about reuniting,” he tells me.“Hmm.” I wonder if either of us have the energy for sex.“It’s worth a try,” he says.“All right,” I agree. I sit up with some effort, and he scoots out of bed to start taking off his clothes.When he looks over at me, he blinks. “I didn’t realize you were in full ballroom attire.”“This was for the mating ceremony that was supposed to happen yesterday,” I explain.His eyes n
*Rafe*The ride home gives me a mix of elation and sorrow. Being by Ainslee’s side in the carriage with our son on her lap makes me feel complete, and Ainslee’s family was so happy to get to spend a few days with her and the baby before we left for home. We’re met along the way by my people celebrating our victory and sharing our joy, but among those are those who have lost so much.We stop the carriage when we notice a young girl crying as she is comforted by a woman whom I learn is her aunt. She explains that the girl’s home is in the north and was destroyed in the carnage. Her parents were killed, leaving her with nothing.“I think the gods that she was staying with us,” the woman tells me.Ainslee speaks to her while I pull Zeke aside. “Ensure this family is taken care of.”He nods with understanding. Anger churns inside me at this encounter and dozens more like it along the trip. It makes it that much easier to deal with the evil men responsible upon return.The day after our ret
*Ainslee*Drake blinks down at Paisley, who is nestled in my arms.Rafe holds him just close enough to get a good look at her but not close enough to reach her nose, which he is trying to grab anyway.“This is your sister,” he says to Drake, pointing a finger. “You’re going to torment each other terribly.”I laugh. “Oh, come on. It won’t be that bad.”“It sure will be. Siblings this close in age are notorious for tormenting each other. Didn’t you see it with Brock and Sinead?” he asks, referring to my half-siblings.I think for a moment then grimace. “Yes, they do torment each other quite a lot.”“Exactly. They’ll fight over toys and chase each other around. It’s going to be chaos,” he says.“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now,” I remind him. “They’re both here, and we adore them.”He chuckles and kisses each little head, then kisses me on the mouth. “It will be the best kind of chaos.”Drake gets a hold of Paisley’s nose and our little girl squawks in protest.Rafe grins. “
*Ainslee*Sophia and Karl kiss, and the ceremony is over in a cacophony of cheers.The High Priestess sets the goblet of blood Karl had grudgingly shared with Sophia back on the altar, and the king waves at the crowd to be silent. “I know you are all excited to begin your celebrations. But we would also like to thank the Moon Goddess for the miracle of Paisley Poe’s birth.”Rafe squeezes my hand and waves while I hold Paisley against my chest.“And for the fruitful union of Marcus and Lucia Lightfoot,” the king continues. It’s kind of him to do this during his wedding ceremony.Lucia blushes, and Marcus pats her belly fondly.“And, let us not forget, Zeke and Annamarie Winters, who were unable to join us today, but I hear are expecting a beautiful baby themselves,” Karl concludes.Everyone claps.“Now, you may all adjourn to your celebrations.” The High Priestess waves us all off.Karl kisses Sophia passionately, and they walk hand-in-hand down the aisle.“Were we that cute when we we
*Ainslee*My sock is wet.It’s really not a surprise. I have a hole in my boot, and it’s been raining on and off for nearly three weeks now. Everything is gray. The sky. The muddy earth. Even the buildings. No one in my village has any money to paint anything. Everywhere I look, I see nothing but gray. Miserable, bleak, sickly gray.“Ainslee?”Lenny’s voice brings me back to reality. I turn and look behind me where he holds his place in the line outside the bakery. Most days, we end up giving blood at the same time, so we find ourselves standing here together as well. I don’t mind. He’s one of the few people in this town whose company I somewhat enjoy.“Did you hear what I asked you?” He has that goofy grin on his face, like he knows the answer already. No, of course, I didn’t hear what he asked me. I was in my own little world as usual.“Sorry.” I shrug, the exhaustion I’ve been carrying around in my bones beginning to radiate up to my brain. I’ve given so much blood this week, I’m p
*Rafe*“Pardon me,” I mutter as I bump into someone coming around the corner near what smells like a bakery. I’m in too much of a hurry to say more as my two highest ranking advisors and I rush from the sheriff’s office to our meeting with the mayor. Our conversation with Sheriff Brown hadn’t gone as expected. I asked about crime rates, the number of officers they keep on staff, budgets, etc., and all of his answers were vague, as if they kept no records, and he wasn’t even familiar with his staff.“I’m telling you, it’s always like this in these outlying villages.” Kris, a wiry fellow with short dirty blond hair narrows his eyes and shakes his head. He’d been a secondary advisor to the king before being assigned to me recently, and I’m still not sure how I feel about him. Something about him just seems to rub me the wrong way, though I’m not sure why. “The mayor will be better prepared.”“I hope so,” I say, preparing to add to that remark when I hear a voice behind me.“Hey! Hey you!
*Ainslee*“Ainslee, what the hell were you thinking?”It’s not the first time Lenny has asked me this question since we left the bakery—since we left the street outside of the bakery where I’d accosted those three large male vampires. He’s right to be angry because I could’ve easily drawn him into a fight we couldn’t possibly win. Just because he wouldn’t help poor Ms. Mildred, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have stood up for me if those vampires had attacked. Lenny would do anything for me.Except for give me his loaf of bread. The smell of it has my mouth watering as we make our way along the muddy streets toward home. He lives a few blocks over from me and always walks me to my house after we got bread together.“I don’t know what I was thinking,” I admit. “I was just… mad.”“Why do you have to be so mad all the time, Ainslee? You’re going to end up getting yourself killed.” He shakes his head, kicking at a rock in the road.Again, he is right. He is always fucking right, which I of