by Alexia Purdy
“Yes?” She perked up and waited as I gathered the words I wanted to say. If it didn’t come out right, I could offend her. That was something I didn’t want to do.
“Do you think Lilliana might know who did this to my father?”
Rafaela’s once bright face tightened when I mentioned her sister. She did love her younger sibling, but their relationship was probably based more on duty, not love. I never did pay any attention to it. Though Rafaela rarely showed her sister more than a slight cold shoulder, Lilliana would never speak wrongly of her older sister. The two were thick as thieves in private; it was the royal public life that had worn down—but not quite broken—their connection.
“I don’t know.” Rafaela lifted her chin as she subjected me to her cold, dissecting glare. “And if she did, she’d have told me.”
“She always told you everything, right?” I toned down a challenging glare. Treading carefully here was a must.
“That I know of… yes.” Rafaela let her eyes fall away and studied the ground. I knew she was holding something back. The sisters had been distant as of late, and I wondered if Rafaela realized just how big the divide had become. It would grow even worse once she became my wife.
Pack before family. Always. But what defined those lines?
I reached for her and grasped her hand in mine, giving it a firm squeeze. Sooner or later, she’d tell me what had happened between them. I was her mate. There could be no more secrets.
“Shall we go?”
Chapter Four
Lilliana
The rain pounded the windows with a furious violence. I imagined hundreds of frightened children and pets cowering under the covers tonight. Sometimes I wished I was young again; free of mistakes and wrong turns, fresh and brand new without history or future marring my existence. The things that could never be undone dug into my skin, forming invisible scars that no one could see except me.
The royal guard set his backpack down and shed off his soaked jacket before hanging it on one of the hooks lining the wall near the door. I dropped my own to the floor on top of my pack. I was soaked to the bone so it didn’t really matter to me. I’d have to wash all my clothes anyway. Most of my stuff was probably ruined.
Still freezing, I hugged my arms around my frame as I scanned his apartment. It was cozy, warm, simple and lived in. It was far from immaculate, but it was safe. That was all that mattered. I was used to palatial accommodations, but this was paradise to me compared to the freezing rain outside. Picture frames lined the walls and tables, filled with smiling faces. Two young boys who were apparently related grinned toothy smiles into the camera. Only one was a formal picture of a man and a woman standing proudly behind the two boys. Their smiles were genuine and made their faces radiate.
I picked the last picture frame and studied it closer. I’d never seen such happiness in my parents. Though my sister and I had been loved and doted upon, I could barely remember my parents ever smiling with such joy, such vibrancy. My fingers ran across the smooth wooden frame, a rush of melancholy overcoming my misery. This guard had grown up happy, cared for. I wonder if he knew how much richer he was compared to me.
“You can take a shower if you like. The bathroom is down the hall to the right. Last door on the left. Here.” He held out a dark green towel along with a shirt and some elastic waistband shorts. He must’ve guessed my stuff was all soaked through and through. I was relieved I wouldn’t have to ask for anything, but there was one question lingering in my mind.
“Thanks,” I whispered. He turned away and was headed toward his room to change. I assumed. “Wait!”
He paused and turned, awaiting my question. “Yes, m’lady?”
“Please don’t call me that. Call me Lily or Lilliana.”
His eyes looked thoughtful as he pondered this, but he didn’t speak. I was sure it was against everything ingrained in his soul to call me by name. It just wasn’t done in the royal court.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
His eyes widened with a smidge of uncertainty flashing behind them. I couldn’t quite make out all his features in the darkness of the apartment. I wasn’t sure if he was offended or not. I couldn’t wait to see his face in pure daylight.
“It’s Ephrem.” He continued toward the room on the other side of the apartment where he pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. I couldn’t rip my eyes from him and, naturally, he glanced over and caught me watching him. Great.
He definitely knew who I was. I wondered how he could know that. I stayed away from the cameras. No one was interested in the lowly younger sister of a crown princess of a royal werewolf line. In spite of my lineage, the way he caught me staring at him made my face burn scarlet like I was still a schoolgirl. I was never more relieved to be standing in the dark with my features cloaked by the dim light.
A flash of green at his chest caught my attention as he shifted his weight, turning to leave.
“What’s that?” I asked, desperate for him to stay just a moment longer.
“Pardon?” Ephrem never looked down, but his jaw tensed. He knew what I was talking about, and I was even more curious now that he’d given me a reason to investigate further. He didn’t want to straight out tell me what the talisman around his neck was, so I’d squeeze it out of him, whether he wished to volunteer the information or not.
“You know… that pendant you’re wearing. What is that?”
He reached for the necklace, curling his fingers around the emerald stone embedded in a dull, platinum finish setting pressed with tiny runes. I’d never seen it before, yet it was oddly familiar.
“This was a gift from my mother.” He searched my eyes for a moment. “Every royal-blooded family member has one.”
“What do the runes mean?”
His eyes drifted to the window where he watched the rain pelting against the window. Swallowing, he cleared his throat and let out a breath. “It doesn’t mean anything. Just a gift.”
What a lie. He knew that I knew every royal family member had an Ardent talisman. It wasn’t completely unheard of for minor royals like a king’s nephews or cousins to join the ranks of the royal guard, but it was certainly unusual. And even then, their rank would make them captains, not scouts on the periphery of the court’s domain. What was he hiding? I felt my anger pulse to my face, most definitely turning it an eggplant shade of purple. How dare he lie to me? I may be pampered royalty, but I felt the same emotions as everyone else. In fact, his deception burned into me like a branding iron.
“Where’s your talisman, Lily?”
I reached up to my neck, feeling nothing where the metal of my pendant should lie. I felt vulnerable and weak without my necklace.
“I—I don’t know.”
I looked away, breathing in deeply so as to not lose my head over such a matter, but not a moment later I flicked my gaze back toward him when I heard his door click shut. The bastard had left me there to stew in my own anger. MarkTiers were raised differently from ArcKnights. They might treat royalty with the utmost respect, but they were more secretive than the CIA. But I’d get it out of him sooner or later. There would be nothing he could hide from me.
Damn. If only I hadn’t caught sight of his well-developed, trim warrior’s body before he’d disappeared behind the door. He kept in shape, that was a definite. I was pretty sure every soldier in our guard was required to stay in perfect shape, but I’d never seen one without his armor on. The way it made my body ignite underneath my skin had me beelining toward the bathroom to hide, my anger dissipated.
Once there, I pressed my back against the closed door and closed my eyes before I turned on the light. This tiny space was a sanctuary, and if all I had to do was deal with a hot, introverted guard, this was going to be a piece a cake. I just hated that I currently looked like a drowned rat. My reflection was horrid, and I groaned as I stepped forward and swiped the stringy strands to the side, squeezing the water from my mane.
“Drowned rat, inde
ed,” I sighed. Looking away, I stared at the standard tub/shower combo and sucked in a deep, centering breath. Gone was the luxurious bath suite back home. This was my life now. Yeah, that royally sucked, but now that I had nothing, this was better than the alternative. Beggars can’t be choosers.
At least now I had Ephrem. Whoever this soldier was, I intended to know more about my knight in shining armor. Maybe he could be an ally. A comrade. Maybe he could help me retrieve what was stolen from me and help me get my life back.
Maybe he was what I needed after all. I couldn’t wait to find out.
Want more? ArcKnight: The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles Book 1 is now available. For more information go to www.alexiapurdybooks.com or get it at AMAZON HERE
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thank you to God who has my back no matter what shenanigans I get into.
I want to thank all my readers, beta readers, patrons, and all those following me for the amazing support, friendship, and nurturing you guys throw my way. I seriously would not be able to spit out this stuff without you.
To name most but not all the people who have my back in no particular order, I hope you know how eternally grateful I am for you. Here’s to you. Thanks: Michael K. Rose, Jennifer Malone Wright, Rhiannon Frater, Candice Margis, Rachelle Binkley, Nicole Robinson, Rebecca Davison, Cadence Rae, Jennifer Grap, Sandy Stephenson, Susan Commeford, Karla Stamps, Laura Lee Price, Kendra Gaither, Erin Talbert, Amanda Gibson, Sherry Christenson, Amy Conley, Kaila Karg, Galina Sulaiman, Caroline Kranat, Ginelle Blanch, Jacqueline Queen, Angela Sawyer, Julie Beard, Michelle Smith, Jennifer Trevino, Jenny S-Lamprea, Diana Lopez, Aletia Meyers, Doris Orman, Yvonne Riggs, Jennifer Mitchell, Cynthia Bayes, Candy Smith, Jason LaVelle, Kristina Thoman.
If I forgot anyone, please forgive me! I swear, it was not intentional. There’s so many people involved in each project, it truly is a miracle how this comes to completion. You guys rock and I am so blessed to have you all in my life.
About the Author
Alexia Purdy
Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she’s always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.
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Click here for more books by Alexia Purdy:
Accursed Archangels:
The Unbreakable Curse
The Cursed Labyrinth (Coming Soon)
The Irredeemable Soul (Coming Soon)
The ArcKnight Chronicles:
ArcKnight
Sovereignty
Reign of Blood Series
Resonant
Reign of Blood
Disarming (Reign of Blood #2)
Elijah (The Miel Chronicles):
A Reign of Blood Companion Story
Amplified (Reign of Blood #3)
A Dark Faerie Tale Series
The Withering Palace (A Dark Faerie Tale #0.1)
Evangeline (A Dark Faerie Tale #0.5)
Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)
Ever Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #2)
Ever Winter (A Dark Faerie Tale #3)
The Cursed (A Dark Faerie Tale #3.5)
Ever Wrath (A Dark Faerie Tale #4)
Without Armor (A Dark Faerie Tale #4.5)
History of Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #5)
Ever Dead (A Dark Faerie Tale #6)
Legends of Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #7)
Guardians of Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #8)
Other Stories
The Fall of Sky
Papercut Doll
Wicked Grove
Anthologies
Soul Games
Faery Worlds
Faery Tales
Once Upon a Curse
The Shapeshifter Chronicles
It’s a Bird! It’s A Plane! A Superhero Anthology
Once Upon a Kiss
The Aching Darkness
Once Upon a Quest
Wicked Magic
Dreams Are Stranger Than Fiction