Ariel Marie

Prologue

 

“Kane, I’m going after her!” Dru snarled. She pulled her sword from the dead lycan who laid on the ground at her feet. The stench of lycan blood filled the air. Dru spun around to seek out the Captain Kane Thaddeus in the melee. Her eyes landed on the elder vampire in the midst of a heated battle of his own. 

They had invaded a lycan den deep underground in the sewers that ran underneath Crystal Cove. This was a mission of the utmost importance. The lycan alpha was here and Lethia had disappeared after her. 

Dru Moldark had led the man hunt to help find the woman who had threatened not only her princess, but the entire royal family. The alpha had been hard to track down and she was on a mission to take out the vampire nation. 

That was something Dru refused to allow to happen. While there was air left in her lungs, she would defend her kind. Dru whipped her sword around and slid it into the sheath on her back. She rushed forward in the direction Lethia had gone.  The underground lycan den was in complete chaos. The vampires had surprised them and they had never expected for an ambush to occur on their own territory. 

Dru arrived at a metal ladder attached to the wall and pulled herself up to a ledge. She stalked down a narrow walkway and glanced down a dark tunnel. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Dru reached for the weapon on her waist and aimed it true. She flipped the safety off and went down the hall. She was sure this was the way Lethia had went. She released a curse and picked up her speed. There was no telling where Lethia had disappeared. 

Her longtime friend may be the only one here who could take down an alpha, but there was no way Dru was going to let her do it alone. For all Dru knew, Lethia could have been running into an ambush. Dru arrived at an opening and paused. She glanced through the doorway and found a large room with television monitors along the walls, a table in the center, a cot in the corner and a few scattered boxes stacked up against the wall. The room was empty. 

The door against the wall was left open and Dru’s senses were telling her that Lethia had certainly gone this way. 

Dru pushed forward and raced across the room to the door. It led her to another darkened hallway. She exhaled and quickened her speed. She had to get to Lethia. Dru didn’t trust the lycans and an urgency filled her. There was a large metal door ahead. Dru slammed her shoulder into it and forced it open. 

The cool night air greeted her. There was no sight of Lethia. She raised her fingertips to the com in her ear. 

“Your Grace, where are you?” Dru snapped. She stalked forward while listening intently for any sounds of a fight or scuffle. 

A pain filled cry sliced through air. It sent a ripple of fear through Dru’s spine. 

Lethia!

“Where is the princess?” a voice growled behind her. Some of her men must have followed her out. Dru motioned for them to follow her. She took off in the direction of the sound and rounded a corner. Ice filled her veins at the sight that greeted her.

 
Lethia was pinned to a thick tree with the alpha’s claws buried into her side. Dru instantly raised her weapon and fired several rounds of her argentite bullets. The alpha’s body jerked. More gunfire filled the air. Azura snarled and turned away from Lethia then raced off into the woods. Lethia slid down the tree and hit the ground as Dru and her vampires advanced. Dru arrived at her side while most of the warriors went after Azura. 

“Your Grace!” Dru fell to the ground in front of her. Panic filled her at the sight of all of the blood. “Fuck. Are you okay?”

Lethia’s hand pressed against her wound that was bleeding profusely. She grimaced and inhaled sharply. 

“I’ll be good as new in a second,” Lethia gasped. 

“Let me see.” Dru pulled her hand away and glanced down at the large gash on Lethia’s abdomen. She cursed. She raised a hand to her com. “We need help. The princess is down.”

“I’m fine,” Lethia growled. She pushed up to stand, but she fell back down. Dru reached out a hand to rest it on her stubborn friend’s shoulder. 

“Rest, my princess. We’ll get someone to help you.”

More vampires poured out of the door, flooding the area. A stubborn glint appeared in Lethia’s eyes. Dru was extremely familiar with the look. 

“I’ve got to get up.”

Dru sighed and jerked her head in a nod. Dru stood by with her eyes locked on the princess. Lethia pushed up and leaned back against the tree before she stood straight on her own two feet. Her golden hair was braided away from her face in an intricate design, but a few wisps had escaped. She held her head high, but there was something different in her eyes. Dru’s body was tense. She had fought by Lethia’s side for decades and she knew her as well as she knew the back of her hand.

 

Lethia’s color drained from her face as she blinked. 

“Report,” Lethia barked. She blinked again and tilted to the side. She stumbled slightly and Dru flew to her side. She brushed Dru’s hand away. “I’m fine.” 

Lethia’s eyes rolled in the back of her head while her knees gave way. 

“Shit!” Dru caught the princess before she hit the ground. She was completely dead weight. Now that the princess was completely out of commission, she was in charge. Dru bent down and scooped Lethia up into her arms and glanced around. 

“We have the van prepared for the princess,” Talbot announced striding forward to her. He stopped in front of her. A few of his blades were missing. The experienced vampire waited for her.  

“Good. Secure the area,” Dru shouted. The men around her would comply. She didn’t see any sign of Kane yet. He must be still down in the den dealing with the lycans. He would be able to hold his own. She had to get the princess to the healers. Lethia’s head rolled to the side. The blood was not stopping. They needed to move fast before she bled to death. “We need to hurry.”

“Come this way. It’s not too far from us now,” Talbot said. He motioned for her to follow. Dru held her head high as she carried the commander through the throng of men. Once she had secured Lethia, she would try to stop the flow of blood. 
Dru thought of one thing she knew Lethia always stressed to her about their warriors. 

“One other thing,” Dru said. She bit back a smirk with what she was about to say. “None of you saw me carrying the commander.”

***

​

There was so much blood on her from holding pressure to Lethia’s abdomen. Dru sat back in the van satisfied blood flow from Lethia’s wound had slowed down. Talbot sat in the front with the driver who had drove them like a bat flying out of hell. Lethia had been out cold for minutes. Dru was starting to get worried. 

“Fuck. What happened?” Lethia groaned. Her eyes flew opened and she tried to sit up in her seat, but Dru gently pushed her back down. A growl escaped Lethia, but she settled back once she saw Dru sitting next to her. 

“Don’t move, Your Grace. Otherwise, you will completely bleed out,” Dru said. Relief filled her at the sight of Lethia’s blue eyes. This had been a close one. They both had been gravely injured before in battle and it never got easier. Her friend would need blood to heal. It would help the wound close within minutes if she were able to consume it. 

“Report,” Lethia snarled.

 

Dru held back her eye roll but submitted to her princess. She shared with her that the den was taken care of and a few lycans had escaped with the alpha. Lethia nodded at the information. Even a hairsbreadth away from death and the commander was still trying to fight. Dru had always had high respect for the daughter of the king. 

That was why she had remained loyal to Lethia and the Riskel name. 

They arrived at the castle to a group waiting for them.  The truck halted and the door was practically torn off by Lane, Lethia’s personal guard. Concern filled his eyes as he reached for Lethia. 

“I will walk into my home,” Lethia growled. Lane took a step back from the vehicle and gave her a nod. 

“I wouldn’t dream of trying to carry you.” Lane waved his hand for her to step out of the vehicle. 

“I’ve already had to carry her, and let me tell you, she’s not as light as she looks,” Dru smirked. Lethia’s blue eyes cut to her and if looks could kill, Dru would have perished from the look alone. 

“Tell anyone else you had to carry me, and I’ll kill you,” Lethia threatened. Dru chuckled and exited the truck from the door closer to her. She ambled around the back of the vehicle and took in all of those who were waiting for them. Dru had called ahead to Aubrey to notify her that Lethia had been gravely injured. She was not happy with the news and assured Dru the house would be on standby to receive the princess. 

Only thing was, Aubrey did not share that the queen would be waiting as well. 

“When did she get here?” Lethia muttered. She stood to her full height with her hand pressed against her stomach. Her gaze was locked on her mother, Queen Mira Riskel. She walked toward her mother leaving Dru with Talbot and the other warriors. 

“Has there been word from Captain Thaddeus?” Dru turned to Talbot. She had cut off her communicator while trying to staunch the flow of blood from Lethia. 

“Yes. They are currently burning the bodies of the lycans who were killed,” he replied. Dru gave a nod.

“You warriors did well today. Rest up. I’m sure we will be called back for duty soon,” Dru said. She stalked toward the castle. Her job was far from over. With the amount of lycans they had found, she was sure it was only a matter of time before they would be at war. Azura had promised one, and Dru’s gut screamed that it was coming.  

While Lethia was being taken care of in the infirmary, Dru would continue to devise a plan. Hopefully her friend would find a way to consume blood so she could heal properly. It was easy to see Lethia hadn’t fed from her mate yet. There was no way Azura should have gotten the drop on her. Now that the queen was here, maybe she would be able to talk some sense into the commander. 

Dru entered the building and headed to her quarters. She pushed aside the thought of Lethia and her mate. Now that they were home, her friend would be fine. She was sure of it. The queen would not allow her daughter to perish. 

Dru devised a quick plan. First wash the stench of lycan from her body and put on a clean uniform. Then she would call for a donor. After a battle like that, she would need nourishment. Her job was far from over. Infiltrating that den had given her much knowledge. Now she was going to have to do what she did best and that was to prepare for war. 

​

​