1. Diana

1

DIANA

Sixty years ago…

T he forest was blooming with color and scent, the sound of small animals scurrying ahead of me, the feel of a late spring breeze tangling through my hair. I breathed it in, letting the earth center me when all I wanted to do was rage.

I slowed my feet and closed my eyes, fighting the urges threatening to take over. Still, the blood in me ran hot, vampire and werewolf combined, and after all these years, I struggled with keeping myself in check.

My mind dipped back to the argument with my father earlier today, which only spiked my heart rate again.

"You need to find a mate. That is our way, Diana." Lycan didn't move from his spot behind the big wooden table. His breakfast was spread in front of him, and he barely lifted his head as he spoke.

"No. I don't," I bit back. "There is none that so much as flicker my interest."

"Not even Lochlin?"

I snorted. "He's a brother to me. A cousin. Not a lover."

Lycan tipped his head to the side. "Our pack is not just you and me. I am king, Diana. And one day when I am gone, you will reign as queen and you will need an heir."

I barked a laugh, though my ire rose with each of his words. "Perhaps I will make myself an heir, as you did."

His face closed off. "Do not mock?—"

"I'm not. I am the last of your children, but I was not born here. Why can I not?—"

His fist hit the table, making every plate on it jump, and the legs below groan. "Because of what you are. That will never be forgotten no matter how many years pass. Even now, there are whispers that I should not trust you."

My heart felt as though an icy fist reached through my chest and took hold. "And do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!" he bellowed. "Even if any of your siblings had survived, I still would have named you my heir. And I would not have named you heir had you not been the best choice! But there are some who will never trust you. Some who only see you for what you once were."

My wolf inside of me, she fought to break free, to unleash on those others.

In part because they were not entirely wrong. I was a werewolf, but I had not always been. Born as a half-human, half-vampire, biologically the daughter to the vampire king, my blood was stained in the eyes of my pack. Even though I'd undergone the most brutal of changes to become a werewolf in truth, burning the vampire blood out of my body… it was not enough, even now.

"I have defended the pack against our enemies, and that includes the vampires." My voice deepened, as I fought to keep my wolf in check. "I have been obedient to my king, and done everything in my power to serve our people!"

Lycan grunted and went back to eating, but I knew him. Knew that this conversation was not done.

Soon enough, he spoke again. This time, with a note of finality in his voice that made my stomach turn.

"Find a mate, Diana. This is not your father speaking, but your king. It is a must. I don't care if you love him. I don't care if he means nothing to you and is just a trophy. But do it. Before the year is out."

I knew a dismissal when I heard one.

Spinning on my heel, I'd left at a good clip, heading for the deep forest bordering us on the north .

And so here I was, feeling sorry for myself.

"A mate I do not love."

I opened my eyes and kept walking, finding myself in the graveyard, beyond the black willows that wept with us when our dead were buried. Past the north creek, and deeper still until I stood on the border between us and the angels. Angelic in nature in only their own minds.

What had drawn me here?

My mate?

I laughed at myself. "You're a romantic fool."

The crack of a twig spun me around and I dropped to a crouch, my hand going to the knife at my belt. Shifting would take too long. But a blade would protect me just fine.

Movement across the border stilled me further, and I lowered myself until I was almost flat to the ground.

Stumbling, a man tripped over a log and fell, sprawled out on his belly. He should have sprung up, but he didn't move. A low groan slid out of him, a sound that cut into me. Whoever he was, he was clearly injured and in pain.

Did I dare try to help him? He was still technically on the other side of the border…

I pushed myself back into a low crouch and peered over the brilliant, orange poppies that hid him from view.

Face up, he'd rolled onto his back as he'd fallen .

I just stared at him, not sure why I couldn't look away. His hair was long, a deep brown, and in a few places around his face it was braided, beads set into the ends. His face was covered in a bit of scruff that hid the fact that he was a bit baby-faced still—as if anyone couldn't see that from the smooth skin of his cheeks.

His shirt was peeled open and large gashes ran in patterns over his chest.

Demon sign. He'd have had to cross at least two borders to get here.

"Fuck," I whispered. I crept forward. Demons did not mark their own like that. They marked captives. I was on the edge of the border when the sound of wings snapped my head up, the animals around us going silent.

Decision time, Diana. Help him, or leave him?

I had my hands under his arms and was dragging him across the border before I even had a chance to change my mind. Bending at the knees, I scooped him up over my shoulders and ran back the way I'd come.

A screech in the air behind us set the hair on the back of my neck on end.

Why was I risking my life for this human? Because human he was, I could smell it all over him.

A second screech ripped through the air, and I had no choice. I set down the human and wheeled around to face the incoming demon. Demons running through the territory held by their high and mighty cousins? What was going on?

"You cross our border, and you will start a war!" I yelled as the demon ducked in and out of the trees, weaving through darkness.

"Ah, but you took something of mine, little wolf! He did not make it to your lands."

I grinned, baring my teeth. "Finders keepers."

"Then prepare to weep," the demon laughed and shot toward me, wings and body coming into view as the shadows around his—no, her—body gave way. She flung a five-pointed star at me and I knocked it from the air with my blade. The clink of metal on metal rippled through the air.

She did not slow, and I met her head-on, weaving and ducking to one side so I could grab a hold of one, black wing. Digging my fingers in, I gripped the leathered skin and yanked hard, dragging her off course and away from the human.

"He's mine!" she shrieked.

The wolf in me howled, and I snarled back. "No. He's mine ."

We went down in a tangle of limbs and claws. I wasn't just fighting for my life, I was fighting for his—even if I didn't understand this need to protect him.

Her fingers raked across my neck, grappling for a hold on me. She slid through a shadow, her body turning into smoke, only to solidify behind me. Her one hand was around my neck, the other my head.

I knew I was about to have my neck snapped like a pencil. Father would have to select another heir. Maybe he'd choose one who could find a mate. Despite my maudlin thoughts, there was no regret. If I had to do it again, I'd have done the same. Something about saving this human felt like…my destiny.

Behind me the demon stiffened, and a gargled shriek slid out of her. Her hands loosened on my neck and she fell to the ground twitching.

Behind her stood the human male, a glowing blade in his hands. His eyes slowly lifted to mine. One blue, one green.

"Are you…all right?" He swayed where he stood, asking if I was okay.

I looked down at the demon. "Y-you saved my life."

"You saved mine first." He shrugged. "It was nothing."

Only it was more than that, it was very much something. "Stay here."

He popped off a jaunty salute with the hand that still held the glowing knife, and then slumped to his knees.

"Don't mind if I do. I…don't feel particularly well."

His chest was still oozing blood, but it was the rivulets running down the side of his face from his hairline that had me worried .

Shit.

"I have to move the demon's body. I'll be right back. Don't move."

I wanted to ask him his name, ask him what he was doing here, ask him how he came in possession of a blade that could kill a demon with such ease…all the things. But I had to get rid of this corpse first. If it was found on our lands, war would break out, and it would be all my fault. That wouldn't do at all.

Scooping up the body, I took it to the river. The waters ran into the angel's lands and from there to their demon cousins. The current would carry her home as well as wash away some of mine and the human's scent. Perhaps the combination of distance and time in the water would be enough. The fact that she was killed by a blade that I had no knowledge of would help.

I hoped.

Once she'd floated well out of sight, I made my way back to where the human knelt. I found him motionless, his chin dropped to his chest.

For just a moment my heart seemed to stutter. Had he died while I'd been gone? I hurried to where he was and dropped to my own knees beside him.

"Hey! Wake up. Please wake up!"

He startled and the blade came up so fast, I didn't have time to move. For the second time in the space of only a few minutes, I was sure I was going to die .

He had the blade pressed to my throat, the steel of it glowing a bright bluish-white. But he didn't cut me as his wild eyes tried to focus. "Who are you?"

"Diana," I said, my throat moving against the blade. "And I just saved your life, remember?"

His jaw and throat worked and his eyes fluttered closed. I yanked the blade out of his hand and tucked it into my belt as he slumped forward, his head landing on my shoulder. "Maverick. My name is Maverick."

"Well, Maverick, seems like you've found yourself in a bit of trouble."

"Thought you said your name was Diana," he mumbled.

A laugh huffed out of me as I stood and helped him to his feet.

The moon was high in the sky by the time we made it to one of the old and rarely-used hunting lodges that dotted the Territory. I had brushed the cobwebs off the bed and tucked him in with a coarse blanket before heading over to the keep. It didn't take long for me to dig through the laundry sent down the chutes and recover a pair of pants and a shirt that smelled like Hamish, one of the guards. Hopefully, between the remote location and Hamish's clothes making his scent, that would be enough to keep anyone from finding him.

A tiny part of me wondered why I was hiding him, but I already knew. He was…different. And if only for a little while, I wanted to keep him to myself.

Crazy. This was sheer insanity. Or the influence of my father's discussion with me over breakfast about finding a mate. I surely had not found it in this scruffy, demon-slaying human.

Once I returned, I helped him wash and change into the new clothes, doing my best to be careful of the wounds on his chest. I asked him no questions until I had tossed his clothes in the fireplace, burning them into a pile of ash. There could be no evidence of the female demon's death.

"What happened to you?" I sat on the edge of the bed, tending his wounds. The ones on his chest and back were deep, but not so deep that he needed stitches. And, although the knock on his head had stopped bleeding, it had lumped up nicely. I'd need to watch him carefully. He probably had a concussion.

"I was a prisoner of the demons. I…I overheard them talking about a blade they had confiscated from another prisoner. One that could kill them. A week ago, while they were sleeping, I was able to escape my bonds and search our camp. That's when I found it. I snatched it and made a run for the hills, as they say. Almost made it, too…" He winced as I wiped alcohol across his chest. "Why are you helping me?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "I've been asking myself that same question, Maverick. "

"Are you human?"

I lifted my eyes. "You think I could have taken on a full-grown Fallen female—a demon—as a human?" I wasn't offended so much as surprised. He had to be new to the Territories. There was no way he couldn't understand how incredibly dangerous it was to fight one of the Fallen. The fact that both of us had survived was still something that made me wonder just how we had pulled it off. His stolen magical weapon had definitely helped.

"Where's the blade?" He suddenly sat up and I pushed him gently back down.

"I've hidden it. If the demons come around asking questions, we need to make sure there is no evidence."

He frowned. "Why would they come here?"

"If they figure out that she died on Werewolf Territory, then they will come. They have been looking for a reason to start a fight with us for a very, very long time." I sat back and dropped the cloth into a bowl. "That is the best I can do for now. You need to rest, and heal."

"And then what?" His eyes searched mine, and despite the injuries done to him, I could see him working over the choices for his future. A quick and agile mind lay behind that pretty face.

"Then we see what you're made of." My smile was stupid, and sudden…and stupid. Something about him drew me in. He was different. I was different. And in th at, I felt a connection to him. For whatever reason, I got the sense that I could trust him. So I let my guard down. We spoke for hours in our little lodge in the forest, and I felt my heart slipping into his hands. Felt myself sharing more of who I was with him than I had with anyone else in my life ever.

Two weeks passed, and they were the most amazing two weeks of my life. My father, in a bid to give me more time to find a mate, had relieved me of some of my duties, and I used it all on Maverick. To my surprise, nothing ever came from the demons. If they hadn't come by now, I knew they would not, and my worries faded.

"You look happy, Diana," Lycan's voice called to me across the dining table the morning of the fifteenth day.

I smiled. "That's because I am happy."

He lifted an eyebrow. "And?"

"And what?"

"You're going to make me ask, are you? Fine then. Who is he, and when do I get to meet him?"

Panic settled in my chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, clearly you've got your sights set on a mate now. You've hardly been home, and you're practically walking on air. When do I get to meet my new future son in law? "

My heartbeat slowed some and I managed a weak smile.

"I promise, if it gets to that point, you'll be the first to know."

It was going to have to happen, and sooner than later. But it would be a fight, I knew. And I wasn't ready to share yet. I just wanted to keep Maverick to myself, hidden away for a little while longer.

Back at the lodge a short while later, I flung the window open to let in some fresh air. "Are you feeling well enough to sightsee tomorrow, maybe? The merchant ships will be here, and we can walk the harbor. Maybe we can even take you to meet my father soon. We will just have to come up with a story of how we met. A story that doesn't involve border-crossing and murder…"

Maverick leaned against the headboard, his shirt flaring open to reveal his wounds mostly scabbed over, some even smooth already. "You think the wolves are ready for me?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. "Never. But my father is suspicious. He knows I am hiding something."

Or someone.

I made my way over to the chair beside the bed. We'd been careful not to touch too much. I could feel the tension in him, could smell the desire rolling off him. He wanted me. But he never so much as leaned too close. Never tried to take advantage of me, though he watched me when he thought I wasn't looking.

I made my way over to the chair beside the bed. We'd been careful not to touch too much. I could feel the tension in him, could smell the desire rolling off him. He wanted me. But he never so much as leaned too close. Never tried to take advantage of me, though he watched me when he thought I wasn't looking.

"I brought you something," I said, grinning as I reached into my pocket. His eyes widened as I produced the four leaf clover I'd found on my walk back to the cabin. "I've heard they're supposed to be lucky in your world."

"I've never found one before," he said, eyes shining as he accepted it. "Though I've been so lucky lately that it almost seems like I had. And I've been meaning to give you a gift as well."

I cocked my head, wondering what it could be as he reached for the bedside table. He hadn't had much of anything when he'd arrived, and had spent all of his time in my room, so what could he possibly have to give me?

"It's an anklet," he said, gesturing for my leg. The green thread was strung with shells of all kinds, with lots of deep purples and bony whites .

"It's beautiful," I said, eyeing it closely. "Where'd you get all these shells?"

"Here, try it on," he said, smiling softly at me, ignoring my question.

I raised my leg instinctively, and my ankle tingled as he gripped it lightly in his hands and tied the beautiful anklet in place. "Thank you," I said. "The colors are beautiful."

His hands lingered for a moment, caressing my leg before letting go to gesture to the room around us. "I tried to find lots of purple ones, since you seem to love it so much."

My heart stopped for a beat.

" Find? From here?"

He looked away. "I wanted to do something for you, some kind of gesture for taking care of me for all this time. I snuck out to the beach a few times earlier this week, while you were off at the keep."

I rolled my eyes, but the warmth inside me only grew, even as I chastised him. Hot, daring, and thoughtful. "That was reckless, Mav. You could've been killed."

"And it wasn't reckless when you ran headfirst into that demon to save me? We both have a bit of a reckless streak. Besides, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's being slick," he said, waving off my concern. "All that matters is that you like it."

"I love it," I said, warmth rolling through my body in waves. I paused for a long moment, just staring at the anklet and enjoying the moment. Just a few weeks earlier I'd been so certain that I didn't want a mate, and now I was here, giddy and starting to fall in love.

I ran my fingers over the back of his hand. "Mav. If…there was a way…would you stay here? With…me?"

He turned his hand over, lacing his fingers with mine. "A way? What do you mean?"

We'd talked at length already about him not wanting to be a prisoner, and I felt him tense. I held onto him a little tighter.

"A way to become…like me. A werewolf. A way to stay here in truth, a part of this world."

His hand tightened on mine. "You told me there was a way your kind could hide their true nature when you went to the mainland. I thought maybe you could come back with me?—"

My stomach flipped. Leave my pack? My family?

"No. The Crimson stones are kept in my father's chambers. There is no way he'd give us one. And even if he did, I need to stay here for my people." I shook my head. "But you could…" Gods of the forest, this was hard. To be vulnerable…tell him how much I wanted him to remain here with me. "If I could find a way to keep you safe, would you stay?"

His hand slid up to my cheek, his mouth finding mine. Tentative and careful. Sweet. Kind. He was so very kind. "It would be my honor."

It would be his honor …

But that, like so many of the things he'd told me, was a lie. Instead, he had betrayed me and left me heartbroken and alone.

Present Day

A knock at the door snapped me out of the memories that burned in my gut. I stood in front of my window holding two items in my hands.

"Enter."

"Your Majesty, the meeting is set to start in under five minutes. Are you prepared?"

"Yes, I'll be there in a few moments. Just gathering my thoughts."

The item in my left hand was the second of two crimson stones. The other had been stolen by Maverick that same night he'd kissed me and then escaped to the mainland, hidden in one of our ships.

In my right hand lay the hilt of the dagger that Maverick had used to save me. A blade that still glowed bluish-white.

A knock at the door snapped me out of the memories that burned in my gut. I stood

I balanced them as I stared out the window of my room. The skies should have been brilliant with a noonday sun, but instead were black as night. The window flung open, clattering and slamming the panes against the wall, and the storm ripped into my room, flinging objects around, and scaring my attendant right out the door. The wind howled like a bitch on the hunt for blood. I bared my teeth as I gripped both the dagger and the stone, the storm matching my mood.

I'd managed to put him out of my head eventually, but it had taken decades. And now, here we were, full circle once again. If we had any hope of saving the world, I would first have to face the man who had broken my trust and then stomped on my heart. Only this time, I was a lot older and a hell of a lot smarter.

Maverick was going to wish that I'd let that demon have him by the time I was done with him.