Alpha Blood,Royal Heart

ld've died began

g. Just... a voice. Low

av

or. No one was there. Just trees. Cold. Watching. Too still. The full

one that showed up on my twenty-first birthday with no return address, just my r

tter had said. "You

ot enough answers. But standing in that forest, heart slamming against

ved up ahead

fr

er wh

rumming in my chest, ancient and wrong. Lik

slammed into s

me

fore I could scream. Cold

re," a voice murmure

d and s

had tailored itself to him. His eyes-icy blue

ci

name yet. But so

place. Possessive. Kno

epping back. "The blood sho

dried. "

es flicked to the trees.

hen the howl

ns of voices. Not

lv

were gett

demanded, heart

d. "The only one who

he trees-bare-chested, tattooed, wild-eye

a

was fire-mischief and muscle

e," Kade said, looking me

led. Actual

d. Shadows thickened. Eyes

cian hissed. "

wasn't as private as we

nother cryptic thre

into th

ringed with trees like an audience holding its breat

ls. Not e

awling across skin, eyes glowing red and gold. Five..

i

a cloak of shadows. Kade flanked the left, his tattoo

d me," Luci

e a growl. "Unless you're into

in fear-okay, maybe a little fear-but more in recognitio

t the way they moved, the way they looke

shifted

as a man. The

ng like liquid night. His eyes blazed frost

r bursting through skin, his lean form coated in streaks of

n they

, teeth flashing. Blood hit the dirt. A body fle

stood

in my throat.

s broke from the fray-

" Kade

la

ogue

e crack

ht. White-hot light pouring through my skin, racing down my arm

hands to blo

it an invisibl

p, the fire mine. The air pulsed with heat and

n agony, flames still lickin

at me, shifting back into human for

ked st

ened," he

My veins glowed silver

ppening to me?" I as

ting, bleeding, a slas

" he said, eyes wide. "That'

forward, gaze

for

flames still dancing ar

ar

roken. Not dead. But they

d glowing. The heat van

me before I

other side. "We need to

y'll all feel it now. Her bloodline

low and thunderous.

ice was col

orn line. The Luna of Fate. The

, well, the prophecy can take a n

e. "Tough. You just lit the forest on fire with your

.. a horn

Hollow

went sharp.

" I a

ck," Lucian s

not going t

ll rattled the tree

ests like they were marching to war. They poured into the cl

who looked like she didn'

ilver eyes glittered like daggers. Her mere pres

spare the

was all

as if we'd had tea last week instea

id flatly. "

ht. "High Lady Seraphine Vale. Be

rse sh

d. You'll need it." Her eyes scanned me like I was somet

p toward me. She didn't ac

" Seraphine said, lifting a pale han

The air pulled tight like a

nsed. "Se

was t

t didn't hurt, exactly, but it felt like being seen by something older than tim

my knees

n... it

eyes, everyone

glowing. Silver. Pure a

ped back, her

," she said. "T

houlders dropping like he'd bee

ike I was made of s

though...

wasn'

s uns

ed, staggering to my feet

e said, calm as ever. "

u want to lock me in some enchanted

"It's far more civilized than that. You'll come to the p

ce was sharp

u dare challenge royal prot

id, stepping toward me. "S

word

ai

n angry. I shou

dy had ot

word thrummed through my bones

"Funny. I didn't hear Rav

ual growl. His eyes

a tennis ball. No more tossing me aroun

ed. "Oh, you'll

ot to your palace. Not to your trials. Not

ttle me. "You are the end of an age, my dear. The l

sked. "Why

looke

se they were afraid o

ir cr

ross my skin-like someone breathing

turned sharply.

tensed. A new sound r

owl thi

ch

w. And grow

hts, Raven," she said, backing toward her wolves. "Then t

if I

"Then the packs w

o the trees like shadow

stood

Veins still tingling.

s said

like I was holy an

ready to burn the world down

d

down at

aintly

h fire that wa

the dark, to the

una... they better