NARRATORONE MONTH LATER…The cold night wind whipped through Theron’s dark hair.His eyes, as cool and sharp as his father Elliot’s, the current Regent of the Elemental Realm, stared at the distant mountains.The former Dukes of Everhart now controlled every inch of land in this realm that had once been hidden and protected by darkness.The pounding of hooves over the forest grass thudded in his ears.The animal ran hard under the moonlight, carrying him to roam the wide tracts around his duchy.Pure freedom was what Theron’s spirit felt, yet he kept an iron grip on the reins, the same way he did with his fate.As a lycan, born of a beast and a sorceress, power coursed through his veins and, from the day he was born, responsibility weighed on his shoulders.Unlike his sisters, Theron liked bureaucracy, that intoxicating control over other people’s lives, but on days like today he just craved letting go.“Hyah!” He urged the horse on and steered it toward the Everhart mansion.He live

NARRATORTheron held the lioness’s sturdy body and sat down with her draped over his thick thighs.His feral eyes locked on a bloodstain on the ground. Searching, he found she had a wound on one side of her head."At least the bleeding stopped," he muttered, chest tight with worry as he felt the dried fluid.Why was he so desperate to save this animal?"Kham, do you feel anything special?" Theron asked his wolf while his rough lycan hands searched through all that golden fur.She had bruises and maybe a few fractures from that violent fall."It’s confusing… I feel she’s special somehow, but I can’t see inside her… she smells delicious, I like gardenias."Theron found himself burying his muzzle in her furry neck and breathing in deep.The creamy, perfumed scent flooded his senses, making every pore of his skin tingle.Theron frowned; he knew there were other continents with rare creatures—he’d have to ask about this lioness.But first, he would give her his blood; he hoped it wouldn’t

NARRATORBeof stared toward the tree for a moment. He thought he’d seen her somewhere; maybe he was confusing her with someone else… he wasn’t sure…"Do you know her?" Amara asked him."No… I don’t know, maybe when I fought on this continent… I don’t really remember," Beof admitted, but he soon forgot about it because it wasn’t something he cared much about anyway.Laziel stepped aside with Lavinia to open a special portal to Victoria and Drakomir’s castle."Why didn’t you tell your brother that what he’s carrying in his arms isn’t a pet, but a shapeshifter?" Laziel whispered in his female’s mind, standing off to the side and letting her work her magic."Have you seen how he carries her everywhere? Theron isn’t exactly affectionate. So who knows… maybe he found himself a little surprise. So lips sealed."Lavinia’s beautiful eyes narrowed at her male, who was watching her intently, leaning against a wall.The dark prince loved his companion’s bossy streak.With Laziel’s detached, indif

THERONI looked around for her and there was no one else here.My eyes locked on something moving at the base of her spine, swaying in the air.A… a lioness tail? Wild thoughts shot through my heated mind.I watched her straighten up, licking her lips as if she’d just had a great meal.Her eyes clouded, storms dark in their depths.She was aroused; she hadn’t gotten her prize yet and had already given me mine.I noticed that among her long golden curls there were two fluffy little things like ears.I opened my mouth, half lost, to ask her who she was… though the answer was screaming inside my brain.But the sight of those two creamy breasts exposed as she crawled toward my body left me speechless.This is what they call thinking with your dick."You…" I swallowed hard as she straddled me, sweaty and panting, shamelessly asking for sex."My male, it hurts… here…" She took my hand and I let her guide it between her legs, where a viscous fluid slid between my fingers.Fuck, I was losing

THERONHer body twisted under my muscles, and I had to pull my muzzle back so I wouldn’t get a nasty bite from those fierce jaws."GET A GRIP, DAMN IT!"My roar made her go rigid.Through the temporary mark I knew perfectly well she could hear me even if she wasn’t my race.Her erratic pupils locked onto my wolven ones."I’m going to let you go and we’re going to talk, but if you try to run again… know that my patience has a limit."My rough hand dropped to give her lioness ass a good shake.She growled, pissed, but held back from attacking.I lowered her slowly and, the second I loosened my grip, she slipped free with a quick jump back.Her wariness toward me, that prickly state, had nothing to do with the seductive female from hours ago.What happened here?"Why did you leave like that? Why were you running from your mate?!" I tried to keep control, but my temper was breaking the surface."My… my mate? Are you really?" A feminine voice filtered into my thoughts.If it weren’t for ho