The Wolf Queen (The Queen's Slave, Book 2)

Sixty-Nine: The Reaper

‼️TRIGGER WARNING: non-graphic mention of past sexual assault. Do not read if you are uncomfortable‼️

"The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity."

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

"GHOST TOWN"

By: Bensen Boon

&

"Avalanche"

By: James Arthur

K O R E

My world shattered into pieces as I looked down at my daughter, her wings curled adorably around her, different from mine but beautiful all the same. Their petals were as delicate as dandelion seeds. I couldn't stop touching her, entranced by her tiny heart shaped face. You could argue that I already had a kid, that was more or less true. I did birth something. The deity that I unwillingly created with Hades wasn't truly living though, more so a vessel for his power. She was his gatekeeper, she guarded the souls, ferrying them across in a network of steady moment to keep up with the Reapers. She had no soul, no humanity within her. Everything I knew about being a mother faded away as I stared at little Isolde, or Iris as we'd taken to calling her, and then Rueben. My fingers itched to run through his ebony curls. He yawed, nestling comfortably into Elizabeth's arms. I was not a simple woman, but as I regarded my second mate, I saw first hand the warmth and purity that radiated from her soul. I realized it was a gift, whether she knew it or not, she had just given me a beautiful gift.

My heart pounded as I watched Azalea breathe in her sleep, her skin too pale, her body too fragile-looking. Her belly still held the roundness of pregnancy, but curled up beside her lay a stubborn little fluff-ball. A muscle in my jaw ticked at the horrible memory of Azalea's screams, her cries for relief, and the excruciating pain radiating down our bond as Camille forcefully turned the infant inside her. Luckily after she'd slid into place, it only took a couple good pushes and she was free, clawing through the air and spending less than a second as a human before she shifted, her short fur the color of sun-lit bronze, even as a pup. It hadn't been exactly smart of us to get The Wolf Queen pregnant in the middle of a war, sue me, but it had paid off. My gums throbbed with the need to feed but I held myself in check.

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered softly, my breath catching when she met my eyes, the color never failing to shock even myself.

"Yes, I suppose that's okay, since we've seen each other naked and everything." She rolled her eyes teasingly, bumping her shoulder with mine. "What is on your mind, love?"

I hesitated, unaccustomed to the mortal feeling of worry as it stole over me. "What do you think of me?"

Her brows rose at the question, but she took a moment to think, rocking Rueben gently. Then she laughed softly. "Honestly, I haven't given it much thought. We don't really know each other really well, do we?"

I winked, thinking of our wedding night and the way she had writhed beneath me. "Maybe not in past context, but I sure know your body now."