by Jayme Morse
Iris’s lips lingered on mine for a long moment. When she finally pulled away from me, her eyes fluttered open, and she pressed a finger to my lips.
“Wow,” she commented as a grin slid across her face. “I can understand why all of the Darken enjoy kissing you so much. You’re a really good kisser.”
I just stared back at her, feeling completely sick to my stomach.
What the actual fuck had just happened? Why had Milos compelled me to kiss her? It didn’t even make sense.
“You’re probably wondering why you just kissed me… aren’t you?” Iris asked.
I couldn’t speak. I just felt numb.
“The answer is simple, really.” Iris’s light eyes met mine. “I’m number two.”
She turned around and walked out of my cell then, closing and locking it behind her. She didn’t say another word or give any further explanation, but she didn’t need to.
I already understand exactly what she was saying.
It all had to do with the Triangle. I thought about the prophecy again, for the millionth time since I had learned of it:
The Triangle would be formed when three Alpha wolves, all born of three of the most powerful ancient werewolf packs or their first-generation descendants, kissed the first biologically born werewolf in the world.
The three of these werewolves will become the most powerful Alphas in the world.
I had long known that Milos was the first part of the Triangle. We knew he came from the Tigre pack, one of the most powerful ancient werewolf packs. He was also the most powerful werewolf, let alone Alpha, in the world. If there was even the slightest bit of truth to this prophecy, it only made sense that he was one of the three.
So, Milos was the first of the Triangle to kiss me. And now Iris, apparently, was the second.
The crazy part about all of it was that I hadn’t known that she was an Alpha to any pack, but it was clear that Iris had kept a number of secrets from me. The one thing I did know about her was that she had been around during ancient times, or else I wouldn’t have seen that portrait of her in the castle I had grown up in on Nocturne Island. She wouldn’t have acted so weird when I had told her about it, either. Iris Frost had definitely been around for a long time.
That must have been the main reason Milos and Iris had lured me here, and obviously the reason he had compelled me to kiss Iris. She was the second part of the Triangle.
I just wondered who the third part of the Triangle could have been.
During the weeks after Milos had compelled me to kiss Iris, things got crazier.
Milos kept bringing in guys to kiss me, compelling me to do so the same way he had compelled me to kiss Iris.
By the fourth guy they brought in for me to kiss, something because painfully obvious.
Milos and Iris didn’t have a freaking clue who the third part of the Triangle could have been. And that was the most relieving part about all of this. Because the moment they figured it out, everything—the entire world as we knew it—would change.
I couldn’t let myself forget about the second prophecy. Ever since I had learned about it, it had been at the forefront of my mind. It was something that I had never forgotten, something that I often found myself worrying about, so I was constantly reciting what I had read in my mind.
The Triangle’s powers would be so strong that they would tip the balance of good and evil. The world as we know it would be forever changed. Fires would begin to erupt everywhere, wars would break out between all of the paranormal races, and, over time, the portal into the human world will go extinct.
The only way to undo the Triangle’s devastation would be to end this alliance through death.
The only one who could kill the alliance, however, is the first biologically born werewolf.
I worried about this part of the prophecy for so many reasons.
For starters, there was going to be a war. A war that I wasn’t prepared for, a war that I wanted no part of. And yet, the war involved me. Because if it wasn’t for me, then the Triangle could have never been formed.
Every paranormal being who died in this war would die because of me, because of the Triangle that would be created because of me, and that was such a hard pill for me to swallow.
It also scared me to know that portal between the human and paranormal worlds would no longer exist. How would I visit my uncle and my friends back in the human world? How would my friends visit their families if they got stuck in the paranormal realm? And again, this was something that would be no one’s fault but mine. Because if I wasn’t the first biologically born wolf, then the portal would remain in existence.
I also feared that Milos would kill me once the Triangle was formed. Because if I was the only one who could kill the Triangle, then the smartest thing for them to do would be to eliminate me. Because if I couldn’t kill them, then they could remain the most powerful Alphas, their powers strong enough to start wildfires, start wars, and shut off the connection to the human world.
No pressure at all.
I just hoped that they wouldn’t be able to figure out who the third part of the Triangle was.
No, I hoped that the Triangle would never be formed at all, and that I would somehow figure my way out of this dungeon before it was all too late.
Chapter 5
Maddie came over to the Darken house to get ready for Branden’s party with me. I wasn’t really in the mood to get dressed up with her, but she insisted that we do our hair and makeup together.
Getting ready together before Branden’s back-to-school parties had been our tradition. I supposed that it was another way I wasn’t giving Iris the upper hand: she couldn’t ruin the tradition between me and my best friend.
And to think that I had once worried that Iris felt left out as one of my best friends. Ha.
As I ran a mascara wand over my eyelashes, Maddie pointed her chin at my wrist. “What happened to your tattoo?”
I didn’t even have to look down at my tattoo to know exactly what she was talking about.
The flame that had once been behind the Darken paw print was gone.
“The flame disappeared when I stopped being Alpha,” I explained.
I wasn’t going to lie. The truth was that I sort of missed it, and not only because of what it represented. Being their Alpha had made me feel so powerful, but it was so much more than just that.
I had been able to hear all of their thoughts so much more clearly when I was their Alpha. Now I could communicate with them the same way I had before, as long as I wasn’t wearing the necklace that blocked them from hearing my thoughts. But our connection just wasn’t quite as strong.
Then again, I wore my necklace to block them from hearing my thoughts more often than I didn’t. Because that necklace blocked him from hearing my thoughts, too: our new Alpha.
I tried to shift my thoughts away from him, but that was difficult. My mind often wandered back to him, even when I didn’t want it to.
“So, I have exciting news,” Maddie said, glancing at me in the mirror.
“Oh? What is it?”
“Branden and I have been talking, and we decided we’re going to get married over winter break.”
“Married? You’re only eighteen,” I insisted.
“I’ll be nineteen by the time we get married,” she explained. “Besides, we’re mates. It’s not like we’re going to get married young and get divorced. We already know we’re more than in love with each other. And we’ve known each other our entire lives, so it seems pointless to wait.” She paused for a moment. “And okay, we might be rushing it a little bit, but I promise you there’s good reason for that.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“The only way we can share a dorm room on campus is if we’re married,” Maddie explained. “Headmaster Black told me today.”
“Oh. Well, that makes sense.” Truthfully, it still made me nervous that Maddie’s roommate at Werewolf Academy was Sarah, the girl who had been my lady’s
maid when I was Princess Fallyn during the ancient times. Except she was going by the name Lydia, which had been the name of my mother, the Queen of the Werewolves. It still seemed odd to me that Sarah had chosen to use that name of all the names in the baby book to choose from.
I still hadn’t figured out what Sarah’s intentions were or why she was at Werewolf Academy, but I knew that it must have had something to do with me.
“So, I wanted to ask you if you’ll be my maid of honor,” Maddie said. “We’re going to have the wedding back in the human world so both of our families can be there.”
“Of course I’ll be your maid of honor.” As long as the portal between the paranormal realm and the human world didn’t end up getting closed off by then. I wasn’t about to tell her that, but I knew that it was a very real possibility.
Now that the Triangle had been formed, the portal could end up getting closed off at any time. And that scared the shit out of me.
The party was already raging when we got there. Not that it surprised me. Branden was known for throwing the best parties; that was why everyone seemed to trust him to throw them.
Even though I tried to get into the music and just enjoy the latest Taylor Swift song that was thumping all around us, I was just paranoid.
What if Milos did decide to make an appearance? What would happen then? Would he try to kill me?
These were thoughts that always plagued my mind, but they were even stronger tonight. I knew it was because he’d shown up a year ago, so I was on edge because of that.
Everything is going to be okay. Your mates are here with you, I reminded myself.
Knowing that made me feel better… but only slightly.
“I want a beer, how about you?” Maddie asked.
I thought about not drinking, but I knew that it might help calm my nerves. “I want a drink,” I agreed.
As we headed over to the table that served as a bar, Maddie grabbed a beer and I grabbed a wine cooler. Then we got lost in the crowd and began dancing.
I realized then how much I hated Milos even more than I thought I did. Because when it came down to it, I couldn’t even have fun… not when I was too busy worrying about bumping into Milos or Iris.
Just enjoy tonight, I tried to tell myself. But I knew that was a whole lot easier said than done.
For some reason, the alcohol hit harder than it usually did. I was dancing in the crowd to the new Billie Eilish song when Maddie grabbed my hand. “Come on, I see Branden.”
I let her guide me over to him. We were about halfway there when I spotted them out of the corner of my eyes: Vince and Iris. They were headed our way.
Oh. Shit.
Without even giving a second thought to what I was doing, I ran.
I knew how weak it made me seem. I knew how weak it actually was. But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to deal with them right now. Or ever, for that matter. Not until I figured out what to do about Iris.
Right now, all I could think to do was run. I had begun to realize that was what I did. I ran from all of my problems, rather than dealing with them head on. It was becoming a problem, one that I knew I would need to deal with eventually.
After I killed Milos Santorini.
And Iris.
And every other enemy who had made their way onto my hitlist.
I hadn’t figured out how exactly to do that just yet. I also wasn’t sure how long I had to do it. The only thing I did know was that it had to be done. It was the only way.
I had just rounded the corner and was headed back to the Darken house when I nearly collided with a tall girl. Her jet-black hair was shorter now; it fell just below her elbows, but there would have been no mistaking her from even a mile away.
Jessica Davis, Milos Santorini’s daughter.
“Aw, hell no,” I muttered under my breath.
“Hello to you, too,” she replied with a laugh.
I just stared her down. Jessica was the Alpha of the She-Wolves. She had gone to great lengths in the past to try to get me to join her pack. She wasn’t my favorite werewolf, to say the least.
“How was your summer, Raven?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Like you suddenly care how my summer was? Please.”
Normally, I didn’t feel this comfortable about talking to her, but knowing that my mates were at my side had given me the boost of confidence that I really needed to deal with her.
“Actually, I do care.” There was a genuine look in her dark eyes.
“I’m sure you’ve probably heard how I spent my summer.” I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes at her.
I knew that Jessica wasn’t all that close with Milos, but her question was too specific. There was no way she was just curious about how my summer had gone. She had to have known that I’d spent the majority of it locked in her psychotic father’s dungeon.
“I have no idea how you spent your summer, or else I wouldn’t have asked. I guess it wasn’t so good?”
I rolled my eyes at her.
“Would you just relax, Raven?” Jessica asked with an eye roll. “No matter what you might think, I’m not going to hurt you. The reason I’m here is because I want to help you.”
I stared back at her face. I wasn’t sure what it was, but something about her just seemed so genuine. Even though every part of me wanted to not trust her, for some reason I believed she was telling the truth.
“Help me with what?” I finally asked, my voice slicing through the silence that hung in the air between us.
“I want to help you kill my dad.”
Chapter 6
Ten minutes later, Jessica Davis was sitting in the Darken living room. All of my mates had made themselves visible for this discussion.
“I know what happened. I know that my dad is one of the Triangle. That was one of his biggest goals in life. My mom heard all about it during their relationship. He always planned to use the power he would gain through the Triangle for evil. He wants to become the most dangerous dark magic practicing werewolf in the world. I guess now, he technically is the most powerful dark magic practicing werewolf. We need to stop him,” Jessica explained, gripping her coffee mug so hard that her knuckles were turning a ghostly shade of white. “My dad wants to get rid of the vampires, the witches, and the fairies. His plan is for the werewolves to be the only paranormal race that’s left on this planet. He also wants to get rid of ‘good’ werewolves and save only those who practice dark magic.”
“Your dad is the very definition of a Big Bad Wolf,” Aiden made a lame attempt at a joke.
I glared at him. Now was not the time for humor. Then I turned back to Jessica. “You told me in the past that you would lead me to Milos, but you didn’t want to be the one to kill him because you didn’t want to hurt your mom,” I reminded her. “Now you’re telling me you want to help me kill him.”
“I would kill my father in a heartbeat if I could,” Jessica replied. “My mom does still love him, and I don’t want to hurt her. But I’m afraid that my dad is going to end up killing her in the end, anyway. My mom doesn’t practice dark magic. That’s why their marriage didn’t last. They’re so different from one another.” She paused. “I mean, I would kill him in a heartbeat if I could, but we all know that I can’t do that. It has to be you.”
I nodded my understanding. Like the prophecy said, I was the only one who could actually kill the members of the Triangle. I was the only one who could end the destruction that all of them would cause.
“Why do you suddenly want to help us now? What changed things?” I asked.
“The Triangle,” she explained. “Someone has to help you stop my dad, and honestly? As far as I’m concerned, we’re all choosing our sides in this war. I’m not going to side with him. I choose to side with you, with all of you”—she glanced around at my mates— “if you’ll let me, that is.”
“She would be useful to have around,” Aiden said. “An inside source as to Milos’s real location.”
“Well, here’s the thing. I don’t actually know where my dad is right now,” Jessica explained. “I just know where he could be.”
I paused for a long moment. “If we agree to let you help us, will you ever expect anything in return? Will you try to make me join the She-Wolves?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m choosing to help you because I want to help you. I want to get rid of my dad. You’ll never owe me a thing.”
“If you go against your word, I will hunt you down and kill you,” Theo informed her.
“Then so be it. I’m telling the truth.” She rose to her feet then. “You can let me know your answer on Monday, Raven. Just know that I truly want to be on your side.”
“No. We don’t have to wait until Monday,” I told her. “I want your help.”
She smiled at me. “I’m so glad.”
I made a decision then. “We start looking for him tomorrow. You can sleep in the guest bedroom. Set your alarm for seven a.m.”
Her eyes widened a little, and first, I thought she was going to protest. But, instead, she just nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
When my alarm went off the next morning at 6:45 a.m., Theo groaned.
“I know we want to find Milos, but do we really have to start looking for him this early?”
“I’m testing Jessica,” I told him through mind-speak. “If she’s willing to get up at seven a.m. to help us find him, then I believe she’s actually being genuine. But if not…”
“Is the time really a good test of her loyalty? Maybe she’s just not a morning person. Or maybe she is a morning person, and that’s even more of a reason this shouldn’t be used to test her.”
“If she’s not a morning person—and I suspect she’s not—then this will be uncomfortable. And that’s the point. This whole process should be uncomfortable for her. It’s not easy to kill one’s father.”
“If you say so.” Theo shrugged as he kissed me.