KYLE
1 looked down at Elijah sleeping soundlessly on my chest.
I had joined him in bed about an hour ago but hadn’t been able to close my eyes once.
I’d been up all night trying to figure out a plan to contact Zagan Mortar, the vampire king, in order to tell him of the upcoming war that would kill us both. Getting in touch with the Mortars was not easy.
Their kingdom was hidden away by dark magic, only accessible by pureblood vampires, a person born a vampire instead of being turned. No werewolf had ever set foot in the royal kingdom–it was hidden too well.
The only way to contact the royal family was to have another vampire deliver the message.
That meant I had to do two things: First, find a vampire willing to listen to a werewolf long enough to give them a message–a very hard task. Second, convince that vampire to get a hearing with Zagan Mortar–an even harder task.
Only then would my message be delivered. It was almost impossible.
Except that, in a stroke of pure luck, we just so happened to have a vampire in our dungeons.
One of our captives from the attack a couple months ago, a girl named Elina, hadn’t yet managed to escape. We had been planning on keeping her locked up in case there was ever a need for information…but plans change.
I had spoken to her yesterday, tried to convince her to be the one to deliver a letter I had written out to the royal family. At first, as predicted, she had hissed at me and even tried to take a few swipes through the cell bars with her long claws.
If werewolves were the dogs of the mythical world, vampires were definitely the cats.
She continued to hiss and swear at me until I offered her something that would force her to listen: her freedom. I told her I would let her go if she agreed to deliver my letter to Zagan Mortar. It was an offer I knew she couldn’t refuse.
She was already weakened from not having drunk blood since before she had gotten here.
Vampires could last without blood for up to a year but started to get weak and grumpy after only a day.
It didn’t help that Elina was also a newborn vampire, meaning she had been turned not too long
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ago. Her inability to contain her hunger due to her new passion for blood would convince her to- do almost anything.
“They’re not going to let me in,” she’d said after I had finished my plan. “I’m not a pureblood, I was bitten a year ago.” So a very new newborn.
And even after she was no longer new, she would be a half–blood, someone who wasn’t born a vampire but made one. Half–bloods were not allowed in the royal kingdom.
But in this case, that only worked in my favor.
“Yes” I nodded-“but the king won’t be able to ignore a young half–blood trying to break into his kingdom. Especially if she has this.” Through the bars, I handed her the letter.
It was written on old parchment paper and sealed with wax and the pack emblem in gold.
“The emblem belongs to one of the most powerful werewolf packs in the world. It smells like wolves and was written by the gamma of Alpha Grayson. If a newborn half–blood comes waltzing into the royal kingdom with that letter, there is no doubt the vampire king will meet you. He’ll have no choice.”
I had expected her to bring up some other point and expose more faults in my plan, but she didn’t. She took the letter and tucked it into her pocket, promising to do what she could.
She was desperate for her freedom and probably for blood.
It occurred to me now that she could have been lying when she’d promised to deliver the letter. She could take the letter and her freedom and never think about me or my pack ever again. But somehow I sensed she wasn’t the type to make a vow just to break it, especially one concerning the lives of so many.
I could only hope for the best.
Suddenly, Elijah shifted against me and k*ssed my chest, knocking me out of my intense thoughts. I had almost forgotten where I was, too caught up in my own world.
He set his chin on my chest and sleepily looked up at me.
“You’re disturbing my beauty sleep,” he whispered. “I can feel your concern through the bond.”
I sighed. Crap. I hadn’t meant to wake him up.
“Sorry.” I leaned down and k*ssed him once on the l*ps.
The action calmed my wolf but only seemed to agitate Elijah more. When I pulled away, he sat up, frowning.
“This has something to do with the battle that the alpha wants us to train for, doesn’t it? Do you know something? Is there something you’re not telling us?”
It didn’t surprise me that Elijah immediately knew I was hiding something from him.
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Throughout our years together, our bond had grown incredibly strong. We knew everything about each other. We could practically read each other’s minds without batting an eye.
I sighed and sat up as well, starting to feel his panic through the bond.
My wolf didn’t like it and was urging me to make him feel better. I took his hands in mine.
“If I could tell you, I would.” I k*ssed his knuckles gingerly, staring into his eyes. “Please believe
me.”
I felt his concern only grow with my terrible attempt at reassurance.
“I know,” he whispered, honesty pouring from his tone. He paused, studying me. “But you also would tell me if you were in trouble, right?”
My wolf whimpered, beginning to pace in my mind.
Shit.
I was going to have to lie to him. And I was going to hate myself for it. I simply refused to put him in danger. If I told him what was really going on, there was no doubt in my mind that he would do whatever he could to help me–even come face to face with a Mortar if he had to.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I was already considering locking him away when the battle started so I knew he wouldn’t get
hurt.
Putting on my most reassuring smile, I said, “Yes, of course. I’m fine, I promise.”
He didn’t look convinced. In fact, I was almost certain he knew I was lying. I k*ssed his l*ps before he could say anything else and continued. “I’m going to go get some coffee. Do you want
some?”
Elijah watched me get out of bed, a frown still on his beautiful face. My heart squeezed painfully at the sight. I was thankful he seemed to drop the subject for now.
“Yeah, sure,” he responded.
I nodded once and put on some sl*ppers, then walked back over to him and left a lingering k*ss
on his forehead.
“I love you,” I said.
The corners of his l*ps turned up a bit in a sad smile. He nodded.
“I love you, too.”
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Guilt ate at me on the long walk down to the kitchen. My wolf was angry with the decision to lie to Elijah. But he didn’t understand that my telling him the truth would only put him in danger.
Stupid wolf. Making me feel guilty for doing the right thing.
A sudden sound made my internal battle stop and my feet falter.
Someone was crying–sobbing, actually.
And I recognized the voice.
My legs started running before I had time to process what I was doing. Turning corners and running up a flight of stairs, I found myself in the main corridor of the packhouse.
My gaze fell onto the shaking form of a woman hunched over on the stairs. It was the luna.
She seemed beyond distraught, sitting on the steps in pajama bottoms and a white T–shirt.
Her b*dy shook with sobs and her hands were covering her face.
“Luna?” I asked gently, trying not to scare her, but she jumped the moment I spoke.
Her head snapped up and her tearful eyes connected with mine. She looked a mess, bags under her eyes, hair unkempt. She had lost weight too, a lot of it, leaving her cheekbones–one still swollen from the intense bruise a few weeks ago–caved–in and bony.
Fury and protectiveness slammed me like a ton of bricks.
My wolf surged forward and howled in my head, wanting to help his luna at whatever cost.
“What the fuck happened to you?”
I approached her as I might a wounded animal about to flee at the slightest movement.
Her mouth opened and closed multiple times, but no sound came out besides gasps and subdued
sobs.
I realized just how right I had been to worry about her. I’d had a feeling that something was wrong… But I’d never expected this.
Suddenly, the luna was unexpectedly launching herself at me, her arms wrapped around me in an instant, her face in my n*eck. I could feel tears on my skin as she sobbed even harder.
Her momentum caused me to stumble back in shock, but I was able to stay upright.
Hesitating for only a second, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer.
She obviously needed comfort right now, and I was happy to be the person to provide it.
“Hey, shh,” I said, running a hand up and down her back.
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I wasn’t sure what else to do. It felt wrong holding someone other than my mate like this, but also right as it was my luna who needed it. I allowed us to stay like that for a long moment before I decided I couldn’t wait any longer for an explanation.
Someb*dy had hurt her. And I was going to make them pay.
First things first, she needed her mate, even if he was some vampire–loving lunatic.
“Hey, it’s all right, everything is going to be all right.” I leaned back so I could try to look at her, but she kept her head in the nape of my n*eck. “I’m going to mind–link the alpha and he’ll help you. Whoever did this to you is going to face severe consequences. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”
Her head lifted and her eyes snapped to mine the moment I mentioned the alpha.
“No!” she yelled in fear. “No, you can’t mind–link Grayson! I can’t see him right now, I can’t, please, Kyle. Please don’t tell him!”
Not wanting to upset her even further, I nodded in agreement. If she would go so far as to beg me, it only confirmed my fear: that the alpha had done this to her. My respect for Grayson had officially reached zero as I looked into the broken eyes of his mate.
“Okay, I won’t tell him,” I said, “but you need to tell me what the fuck is going on, right f**king
now.”
I needed answers, and I wasn’t letting her leave until I got them. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“Grayson,” she choked out, “Grayson–he-” She didn’t finish. Her eyes widened and her face twisted in pain. She let out an ear–piercing scream and doubled over.
“Luna!” I yelled.
I tried helping her up and asking what was wrong, but she just continued to writhe. She was scratching at her n*eck and arms, sobbing as if some unknown thing were crawling on her b*dy and trying to break through her skin with claws.
It was horrifying to see.
Then, all of a sudden, her screaming stopped and her hand grasped my arm.
“Something is wrong with Grayson,” she said.
Yeah, no shit. He’s a douchebag.
Without another word, she turned and sprinted up the stairs faster than I had ever seen a human run. I should have stopped her. I should have never let her into that room.
But my own worry for the alpha, traitorous as he might be, blocked my better judgment.
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So instead I followed the luna until we made it into the alpha’s room. And I watched as her heart broke.
Grayson was sitting on the edge of the bed with a n*ked woman in his lap. Neither of them looked up as we came barging in, too consumed by their grinding bodies and nonstop k*ssing.
They hadn’t started mating yet, but it was obvious that they were about to.
I looked at the luna in shock, but she said nothing, only stared at her mate–my alpha- preparing to have S*x with another woman. Her face held no expression, but she had gone pale and her b*dy was swaying back and forth.
She looked like she would fall over or faint any second.
Although she and Grayson had never completed the mating process, she undoubtedly felt her soul being ripped in two, probably the worst feeling in the world.
I wasn’t going to let her stand there and watch as her mate, a man I no longer recognized, mated with someone else. I had to get her out of here.
I considered scooping her up and sprinting away with her, but I couldn’t.
I was too blinded by the rage telling me to beat Grayson to a pulp, alpha or not. The confusing behavior of the luna over the past couple of weeks was becoming clear.
It was Grayson who had hit her. Probably multiple times. He was neglecting her.
No wonder she looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks and had been practically reduced to a skeleton. I couldn’t let Grayson mate with someone else knowing that it would likely kill her.
She had been through enough already. She deserved better.
I had to stop him even if it meant risking my life and fighting him.
But first, I had to get the luna out of here.
I quickly stood in front of her, blocking her view.
Thankfully, she didn’t try moving past me, seeming too out of it to even notice. I grabbed her face and tilted her head up toward me.
“Luna,” I said.
She just stared straight ahead with a blank, dead look.
I wasn’t surprised; I would have acted the same way if this had happened to me. But I had to keep at it.
“Luna! Look at me!”
Slowly her glossy eyes found mine.
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“You need to get out of here,” I told her in the most urgent tone I could muster.
I glanced behind me. Grayson was now moving further with the other girl, back onto the bed, fiercely making out…
What the fuck is wrong with him?
He doesn’t care that his mate is in the room while he’s about to fuck some other girl?
The luna still wasn’t responding, continuing to stare at me without actually seeing me.
Was she even processing my words?
To emphasize my point, I pushed her backward just enough to get her to move. She stumbled toward the door. As she caught her balance, the zombie–like trance seemed to fade and the fog lifted from her expression.
Rather than words, a hard, broken sob left her mouth.
My heart broke. I knew she was finally beginning to understand what was happening.
That she was losing her mate. The tears started again. I approached quickly.
I wanted more than anything to pull her into my arms and hug her until she stopped crying, but
now wasn’t the time.
“I know. I know, Luna“-I wiped her cheeks “I know you’re feeling horrible, like you can’t move, but you need to get as far away from here as possible. Please leave. Right now. Go. Now,” my last words were firm. I pushed her again, this time more forcefully.
She took a few steps back but didn’t keep going; it was like her feet were glued to the ground.
Her b*dy was probably seeking the comfort of her mate, unaware that he was the one causing her pain. She wasn’t going to be able to do this on her own, then. She was going to need help.
Elijah! I shouted to my mate through mind–link. Elijah, wake up!
His sleepy voice answered.
What? Did the kitchen run out of coffee again? No need to sound so grumpy.
Elijah, I need you to meet the luna at the foot of the stairs in the front corridor. She’s going to be coming down soon and she’s going to need help.
I swallowed harshly, preparing to tell him the gory details.
There isn’t much time to explain, but the alpha is mating with someone else and the luna is in a
lot of pain. I need you to take her as far away as you can get her. Wherever she wants to go after
by
that I’ll meet you there with our stuff as soon as I can.
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Elijah, I need you to meet the luna at the foot of the stairs in the front corridor. She’s going to be coming down soon and she’s going to need help.
I swallowed harshly, preparing to tell him the gory details.
There isn’t much time to explain, but the alpha is mating with someone else and the luna is in a lot of pain. I need you to take her as far away as you can get her. Wherever she wants to go after that I’ll meet you there with our stuff as soon as I can.
Elijah’s worry in the bond was almost drowning me. But I also felt determination. He didn’t ask any questions. He immediately knew how serious this was.
I’ll do what I can, he said.
Then I directed my attention back to the broken–looking luna.
“I’m sorry, Luna. Elijah is going to meet you downstairs and get you out of here. You must
move.”
I turned her b*dy around and nudged her with the most force yet. At last with the momentum she needed, she stumbled out of the room, down the hall, toward the stairs, not looking back.
I listened until I heard the comforting voice of Elijah, ready to take care of her, and let out a
breath of relief.
Then I turned back to Grayson, ready to do whatever was necessary to avenge the luna.