LOGINQuinn's POVOne might not have fully known the true meaning of utter uselessness until this exact moment. I was the great and powerful Lycan King, a warrior feared across the territories, but right now, I was about as helpful as a newborn pup. I was supposed to be the one protecting my men from the shadows of the forest, but instead, my scrawny little squire had become my current protector.I had watched the pup fight off two feral rogues entirely by himself, move with unmatched agility, and still somehow manage to drag both of our bodies out of the freezing water.Not many people in this world have ever earned my genuine admiration, but this kid was scarily topping the list right now. The arrow that hit my shoulder must have been dipped in some serious, high-grade numbing agent. Despite my current predicament, I was deeply glad that the arrow had hit me instead of Elias. Between my superior Lycan status and my much bigger body mass, I was in a significantly better position to suffe
Elsie’s POV I knew I mustn't shift into my wolf form. These rogues were far bigger and significantly stronger than my female wolf, due to their massive body mass and feral, unhinged state. In a test of weight, they would crush me in seconds. I had to fight in my human skin—using the small, sharp weapons that I was exceptionally good with.The two beasts came to a skidding stop a few meters away from me on the dirt path. Their low snarls vibrated the cold air. I took a deep, steadying breath, squaring my shoulders just as the first one launched itself at my chest.I waited until the very last second, then rolled out of its trajectory, using the momentum to slash my blade deeply across its front leg. I had to take advantage of my superior speed and natural nimbleness in this form. The second rogue immediately joined the fight, lunging with snapping jaws, and I began to fight like a she-wolf possessed.At some point during the chaotic blur of flashing teeth and claws, my rational mind
Elsie’s POV I loved the thrill of a fight, but this was the brutal, unfiltered reality of war. It was my first time seeing someone on my own side die like that, his body discarded against the stone like a broken toy."Elias!"The King's furious, panicked shout snapped through the clearing, and I realized that I was just standing there, frozen in shock on top of my horse. A large mangy rogue had broken past the perimeter and was silently approaching me from the thick shadows of the forest.Three rogues were already dead on the bloody grass. The Lycan King let out a deafening roar and slashed his spear through another beast's chest. Four dead.The fifth rogue was currently locked in a vicious struggle with both of our shifted guard wolves, which left the approaching beast to me. I quickly crouched low on the horse's back, hardening my posture and getting into a defensive position.I could see the pure malice in the rogue's red eyes; it clearly planned to jump high and throw me down int
Elsie’s POV Two of the guards silently shifted into their massive wolf forms, their thick paws making barely a sound against the damp earth as they flanked the King and I at a respectable distance. The remaining two warriors stayed on horseback, walking their mounts a few paces behind us to give the illusion of privacy. I knew the setup was purely for appearances, though; with their wolf hearing, they could probably still catch every single word we whispered if they truly wanted to.I remained completely quiet on my horse, my knuckles white on the reins. The Lycan King looked around the thick trees, his sharp eyes already fixed in a cold hunting mode."Elias," he said again, his voice dropping into an almost questioning fashion.I cleared my dry throat, forcing the deep, raspy tone back into my voice. "Your Majesty.""Now would be a good time to talk," he stated calmly, not turning his head."Erm, yes, it is," I stammered, my heart doing a nervous flip. I gripped the saddle tightly
Elsie’s POV I looked around at the small group surrounding us as we walked toward the edge of the clearing. Is this truly all the security he is taking along? Wow. For a ruler of his status, I had fully expected a heavily armed vanguard of at least fifty warriors to trail behind his steps. Instead, there were only the two commanders, Dane and Jasper, and a handful of select guards.We walked to the camp stables, which turned out to be a fucking large expanse of space tucked neatly against the northern stone wall. I had never once approached this area since arriving at the Hold because it was constantly heavily guarded by armed sentries, and only authorized personnel were ever allowed inside.The moment we passed the gate, I looked around in awe. There had to be well over a hundred horses kept here, their sleek coats shining under the stable lamps as workers brushed them down.A beast of a black stallion was led out from a large stall toward the King. Its muscles rippled with raw pow
Elsie's POV I remained where I was at the very back, planting my boots firmly into the dirt to try and avoid getting shoved around too much by the pushing crowd. The noise of hundreds of rowdy wolves shouting and scrambling to see the wooden board was almost deafening. Suddenly, Gerald came pushing through the mass of bodies, heading toward me out of nowhere.He stopped in front of me, a bright shit-eating grin splitting his face, and offered a funny, exaggerated salute. "Assistant Commander Elias," he announced proudly.I cracked a small smile, the knot of anxiety in my chest loosening just a tiny bit. "I guess that means our team gets to stay at the Hold then.""Yes," Gerald said, letting out a loud, relieved laugh.Before we could say anything else, the other members of team four started to come around us from the crowd, their faces flushed with excitement. Each man was enthusiastically clapping the others on the back for a job well done, their loud voices joining the general roa
Elsie's POV I cleared my throat thoroughly, forcing my voice into its deep, raspy Elias disguise. "Good morning, Your Majesty."He just let out a low, gravelly grunt and walked past me toward his large desk, taking his seat. He looked to be fully recovered from the ordeal, exactly as expected of h
Quinn's POVLiliana had completely lost her mind.As the thick fog of the drug tightened its grip on my brain, her twisted motive became glaringly clear. The plan was to get pregnant for me. For the very few times that we had had sex in the past, I had strictly ensured she took the contraceptive h
Elsie's POV As if the news from last night wasn’t enough to rot my soul, the next morning brought a fresh disaster. Oliver showed up at our front door, acting like the most dutiful son-in-law in the world.I watched him from the shadows of the hallway. He was dressed in a clean, pressed shirt, his
Elsie's POVA hand with wicked-looking claws sliced through the air toward me. I felt the rush of wind against my skin and only ducked at the last second. I could have moved sooner, but I loved the thrill of the danger. It made my blood hum.Staying low, I swiped my short wooden sticks, the ones I







