Novels by Odessa Rhys Beaumont

Twenty minutes later, I was in the palace courtyard with Alexei, Hunter, and the rest of our teams. Three groups of four, small enough to move quickly and avoid detection, large enough to handle trouble if it found us."All set?" Alexei asked, checking his pack one last time.I nodded, my mind already shifting to mission mode. "The northern approach will take us longer, but it's less likely they'll expect anyone to come that way.""The terrain is rougher," Hunter added, looking at the map on his phone. "Lots of ravines and dense forest. Good for cover, bad for speed.""Speed isn't the priority," I reminded them. "Information is. We need to know what we're dealing with.""And who," Alexei said grimly. "These aren't ordinary rogues. Someone's coordinating them, maybe even training them."The thought had been keeping me up at night. Rogues were typically lone wolves, dangerous but disorganized. What we'd faced recently had shown strategy, plann

I woke before dawn, my body alert despite having barely slept. Years of Alpha responsibilities had trained me to function on minimal rest. But today wasn't about duty. Today was about watching her sleep.Astraia lay curled against me, her ashy rose-brown hair spread across the pillow, lips slightly parted. In sleep, she looked younger, the constant vigilance that had become second nature to her temporarily gone. My chest tightened at the thought of leaving her. Three days, maybe four. It shouldn't feel this impossible.The mate bond pulsed between us, stronger than I'd expected it to be so soon after marking. Most new bonds took weeks to stabilize, but ours had snapped into place instantly, solid and unbreakable.She stirred slightly, unconsciously seeking my warmth. I traced the curve of her cheek, memorizing every detail of her face. The delicate arch of her eyebrows. The soft fullness of her lower lip. The way her lashes fluttered against her cheeks as she dr

After the strategy meeting, Carson pulled me into an empty sitting room, closing the door behind us."You're worried," he said without preamble.I sighed. "That obvious?""The bond, remember?" He tapped his chest. "I can feel it.""It's just... we literally just completed our bond, and now you're leaving." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I know it's necessary. I know they need you. But that doesn't make it any easier."Carson pulled me against him, wrapping me in his warmth. "If you ask me to stay, I will. You know that, right? You come first, Astraia. Always. The pack, the mission, everything else comes second."The sincerity in his voice made my throat tight. "I would never ask you to shirk your responsibilities. Those rogues need to be stopped.""And they will be," he said firmly. "But not at the cost of us. If you need me here, just say the word."I shook my head against his chest. "It's not you... and I want you for who

We did eventually make it to the dining room, though "breakfast" had long since transitioned to "lunch." I tried to look presentable, but there was only so much I could do with my hair that clearly showed what we'd been doing all morning.Odette's eyes widened when we walked in, Carson's hand possessively on my lower back. "Well well well, look who finally decided to join the land of the living," she drawled.I felt my cheeks heat but lifted my chin. No way was I going to be embarrassed about being with my mate."Nice of you to save us some food," Carson replied smoothly, pulling out my chair before taking his own.Hunter grumbled into his coffee, eyes darting briefly to Odette. "Some of us just wish we got lucky last night too.""Go find someone to sleep with at your own territory if you're that desperate," Odette snapped, a flush creeping up her neck as she glared at him.I caught Carson's eye across the table, and he gave me the tiniest h

Warm. Safe. Mine.Those were the first three thoughts that floated through my head before I even opened my eyes. The fourth thought was a bit more specific.I'm actually mated.I snuggled deeper into Carson's chest, feeling the pleasant tingle of our fresh marking wounds. His arms tightened around me instinctively, even though his breathing told me he was still sleeping. The mate bond hummed between us, a constant, comforting presence that hadn't been there before last night.Last night.My cheeks heated as the memories flooded back. The way he'd taken me to his childhood alcove at Shadowlight Lake, the way we'd finally, finally given in to what we both wanted. The claiming bites that had sealed our bond forever.I reached up to touch the mark on my neck, just below my collarbone. It was tender but in the best way possible, sending little sparks of pleasure through my body when my fingers brushed it. Carson had the matching mark on the same spot, our wolves choosing identical location

A low growl rumbled in his chest, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. Before I could blink, he closed the door behind us and had me pressed against it, his mouth claiming mine in a kiss that stole the breath from my lungs.His tongue swept against mine, demanding and possessive in a way that made heat pool low in my belly. This was nothing like the gentle exploration at the lookout, this was primal hunger, and I matched it eagerly, nipping at his lower lip in a way that made him groan.My hands found their way under his suit jacket, feeling the hard planes of his chest through his shirt. I could feel his heart hammering beneath my palms, a rhythm that matched my own racing pulse. His fingers tangled in my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss further, the slight edge of pain from his grip sending sparks of pleasure through my body.His hips pressed against mine, the hard evidence of his desire making me gasp against his mouth. The thin fabric of my dres