;)
Zoe’s POV Mattias stepped aside to let Dillon and I out of the sample storage room then closed the door behind us. Silence enveloped us, none of us willing to address the elephant in the room, or should I say “in the air” in the form of Dillon’s scent all over me. I decided it was up to me to end the awkward stalemate. “What made you come to the lab this late, Matti?” I wondered. “I was looking for you! You were supposed to come back to study after work, remember?” I nodded at the reminder. “Then this guy came around asking for you, claiming to be some long lost boyfriend you never mentioned. I was worried about you.” I narrowed my eyes, sending Dillon a death glare but he just shrugged it off, looking utterly pleased with himself. “Like I said, boyfriend, “ He pointed at himself smugly, “not your job to be worried about her. It’s mine!” “Dillon! Be nice!” I scolded. “If it weren’t for Matti, we’d still be stuck in there. “I didn’t mind. I was actually enjoying myself.” He lean
Dillon’s POV I couldn’t drag my eyes away from the sleeping angel next to me. Every rational bone in my body screamed that she shouldn’t be here with me right now. It wasn’t safe. But love wasn’t rational, and fuck if I wasn’t stoked to have her close to me. Loving Zoe had been a constant pastime for two years before our bond snapped in. And for me. that love never wavered, despite our contentious relationship and my questionable choices. But as deeply profound as those emotions were, they paled in comparison to what I felt for her now. Back then, her addictive scent was nothing more than a faint trace in the wind compared to the irresistible floral bouquet that taunted me now. Back then, I hadn’t known what she tasted like, all peaches and cream with a hint of brown sugar. I hadn’t known what it felt like to touch her, her soft skin gliding like silk under my hand. I knew all those things now, and there was no going back. “Mmm, Dillon.” Zoe’s breathy voice purred in her sleep
Zoe’s POV “Stay in the car, Zoe!” Cinna warned as I reached for the door handle. “Mate said to stay in the car!” “I never was very good at following orders. Just ask my brother.” I mouthed back, stepping out onto the curb and closing the door as quietly as possible. Dillon and I weren’t marked so I couldn’t tell if he was hurt or not. But I still had my woman’s intuition and it was practically screaming that something wasn’t right. If Dillon was in trouble, I couldn’t sit back and do nothing. I would just have to deal with his mantrum later. I followed the path he’d taken around the building, creeping slowly. Looking around for a makeshift weapon, I picked up a jagged piece of wood I found lying around. It would have to do because even I wasn’t foolhardy enough to go in there empty-handed. A melted door hung open a few feet away, telling me that’s how Dillon must have entered. But as soon as I reached it, voices drifted my way. “Since you obviously know nothing of value, your on
Dillon’s POV The months flew by. Week after week of chasing dead ends across the country. Every time I thought I might sneak away to spend time with my mate, another lead would pop up out of nowhere and I would have to take off again. It would be worth it if said leads actually produced something useful, but they never did. Zoe and I texted occasionally and managed to squeeze in a rare phone call but our contact was few and far between. We had no idea what the Dark Fae might know about us or the technology they possessed so staying off the radar was paramount if we ever hoped to find them. A task that seemed more and more hopeless as time passed. I wanted to believe Zoe understood my need for radio silence and the reason I couldn’t contact her. But more and more it felt like she was pulling away. And who could blame her? I hadn’t exactly been the model mate from the beginning. And now I was barely a mate at all. “What is that sour, brooding look for?” Derek jibed, breaking the sp
Zoe’s POV I cried the day Dillon took me back to university and drove away from me. I had cried the day I walked away from him without a word, boarding a plane to Ashmouth, and I cried the day he left me there again. I finally let myself feel the horror of seeing my mate almost murdered before my eyes. I also took the time to let the reality of my near death experience sink in. And again, more tears. But mostly, I cried because something about the way he left felt so final. When Dillon and I first recognized our bond, I rebelled against the idea of being his mate with every fiber of my being. I couldn’t fathom a day would come when I would actually trust him with my heart again. But now? Now I was beginning to suspect there might never be anything in life I wanted more. That thought terrified me. Because just as I was starting to believe we might have a future together, one filled with sizzling kisses, soft caresses, and the comfort of my mate’s arms, a future where Dillon looked
Zoe’s POV “What the fuck happened last night?” I croaked out, my throat in desperate need of moisture. I sat up and flung my legs over the side of the bed, only to fall back again when my room spun around me. My room? I had no memory of how I’d gotten there. Or how I’d gotten undressed. Panic slithered through me as I looked down at my naked body, save for my bra and panties. “I told you shots were a bad idea.” Cinna sing-songed in my head. “Haven’t you heard? “I told you so” isn’t a good look on anybody, Cinna.” I sniped at her. “Do you remember how we got home?” “Nope. I wanted nothing to do with your adolescent behavior so I slept through all of it.” She shrugged, sauntering away. “You could at least help with the hangover!” I called after her, but it only made my headache worse. Ever so gingerly, I pushed off the mattress and assumed a sitting position, with much more success this time. When I finally made it to my feet, my legs didn’t want to hold me. But I forced
Dillon’s POV All the leads I’d been chasing relentlessly seemed to have finally dried up and I was able to return home to Glass Lake. The irony wasn’t lost on me that just when I actually had some free time, the only person I wanted to spend it with was no longer an option for me. And that thought hurt like a bitch. That day, immediately after the pain had subsided and the reality of what Zoe had done had sunk in, my head had been a total mess. Between my wolf’s complete wreckage and my own heartbreak, not to mention a healthy dose of rage, I couldn’t hold on to one emotion long enough to fully wrap my mind around it. But that was then. Now, I was straight up pissed off! She refused to accept our bond based on the assumption I would be unfaithful and then she turned around and did exactly that. How fuckin’ dare she? And how dare any fucker touch what was mine! Goddess help the asshole if I ever found out who the fuck he was! If I was being honest, I set myself up for this. How
Aloha to all my wonderful readers! I apologize for the delayed/missed updates. Between our family vacation and all four of us falling ill, it has been a struggle to keep up. But we are returning home today and finally feeling well so I should be back on track for posting timely updates. I will also do my best to post multiple updates whenever possible. I am currently reading a couple stories that are unfinished, waiting for updates, so I understand the frustration of waiting to read the next chapters of your favorite stories. However, unfortunately I still have to work my day job so some days are more difficult to write than others. I totally understand if you prefer to wait until the story is completed. Thank you so much for all of you who are sticking with the story! I appreciate each and every one of you! Please leave comments, reviews and a gem or two if you are enjoying the story!! Much love, Cara
Hello Lovely Readers! Once again I want to thank you all for supporting my work! I hope you enjoyed reading A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret and The Warrior's Wild Mate as much as I did writing them. I may not have time to respond to every comment and review, but I read them all and take every word to heart. So if you have time, please let me know what you though, either in the review or comments section. I would appreciate it so much! As for what comes next, I will be working on The Legends of Glass Lake Series which will focus on the next generation of the Glass Lake as well as their friends and allies' children. Book one is still untitled but will focus on Mason Cross and Elena Stone as well as introducing new characters. I hope to begin publishing the first few chapters in early January and hope you'll join me for the ride. That's a wrap for Derek and Julia. For now. We'll see them again soon! Much love, Cara
Julia’s POV 5 Years Later “Hurry up! We’re going to be late!” I called to Derek, trying to rush him along. Kat, Reegan and Ryan were holding a birthday party for their two year old son Liam and we were running behind as usual. With our own two year old and four year old, going anywhere as a family was a lot like herding cats. Everyone was either moving in different directions or refusing to move at all. Currently, it was the latter. “I can’t get Lexi off the toilet, sweetness.” Derek’s exasperated voice called back. We were potty-training our daughter and Derek loved to say she was a typical woman, once you got her in the bathroom you couldn’t get her out. I crept down the hall to check on their progress and had to choke back a laugh at the conversation they were having. “Please, Lexi-Lou, show dada what a big girl you are! As soon as you go potty in the toilet, we can go to Liam’s party and you can have cake and ice cream!” He bargained. “But, I not a big girl, dada. I your b
Julia’s POV Pain seared through the raw nerves where Derek’s fangs pierced my neck. Marking was usually done in the heat of passion, a pleasurable distraction from the pain, but Derek hadn’t waited for that and I couldn’t care less. I loved that he was so desperate to make me his, he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into me. The sharp sting was a reminder that he was really there and I was really his, that it hadn’t all been a wonderful yet finite dream. But the pain went as quickly as it had come, mutating into a sensual thrill that ignited my lust while turning my bones to jelly. Derek groaned in pleasure as our bond solidified, pulling me tighter against him to hold me up as my knees weakened beneath me. A long languorous moan fell from my lips as Derek swirled his tongue over his mark. Then suddenly, a whirlwind of love, devotion, lust, and a fierce possessiveness hit me square in the chest, knocking the air from my lungs. I’d believed Derek when he’d said he loved me, but this
Derek’s POV The drive back to Glass Lake territory was the longest of my life! With every passing mile, a new worry assaulted me. Winning Julia back was far from a sure thing. I still didn’t know if she really slept with Eric. The thought of him putting his hands on her luscious body or sticking his cock in her tight, hot pussy infuriated me! But it also scared the shit out of me, because if she did fuck him, it meant she had already moved on. Julia Kane was stunningly gorgeous, fiercely loyal, and stubborn as hell. If she decided she was done with me, there would be no changing her mind. The thought of her slamming the door in my face left me equal parts terrified and depressed as fuck. A future without her felt so bleak, cold and empty. But the more I thought about it, the more dejected I became. If she’d been the one to find her mate, and agreed to give him a chance so easily, let me walk away without a fight, I’m not sure I would have given her another chance either. B
Derek’s POV Eric’s taunt sent me into a red fucking rage! I wanted to slice his dick off with my claws and shove it down his fucking throat. Julia was mine! MINE! And nobody fucking touched her but me! I suspected they’d slept together in the past and the thought of them doing it again gutted me. I’d put everything she’d done before me out of my mind, just like she’d done for me. But Julia Kane had carved her name on my heart, branded it on my soul, and nobody else could have her now! “Derek, stop!” Julia screamed, stepping in front of Eric. “It’s okay, sunshine.” Eric chuckled, wrapping an arm around her torso. “He’s so pissed he can’t see straight. I doubt he could land a hit if he tried.” “Not helping!” Julia hissed at him over her shoulder. “Step back and cool off!” Damien barked, his steadying hand on my shoulder. I was fucking furious and my chest heaved violently. I balled my fists at my sides, trying to restrain my beast but my body swayed in Eric’s direction. My
Julia’s POV “So you come out here everyday to collect samples?” I asked Trista as we tramped through the forest together. She was explaining her research on forest sustainability and showing me how she collected test samples to see how different trees and plants responded to different fertilization compounds. It was part of her postdoctoral work and way over my head but still fascinating. Although I had to admit, listening to her enthusiasm for the subject left me feeling a little left behind. Zoe had left for college right after high school and Kat had midwife training. Trista was well on her way to saving our habitat and I was still deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up. That thought led me to wonder what Amber’s aspirations were. Was she going to college? Did she have plans to do something important with her life, medical research like Zoe or maybe become a doctor? Was she smarter than me? From there I found myself diving head first down the rabbit hole of all the
Derek’s POV “Fuck man! I don’t know what to say.” Dillon had ceased trying to strangle me to death and had moved on to pacing a hole in the office floor. “I mean she’s my sister. I can’t stand the thought of her heartbroken and alone. But after finding Zoe, I know what it’s like to meet your fated mate. I could never expect you to give that up.” “Amber, could you please excuse us. I’d like to talk with the Gamma alone for a minute.” I tried asking nicely with little hope it would get me very far. “Oh no! Absolutely not! I’m your mate. There is nothing you can’t say in front of me.” She actually stamped her foot at the end of that little speech. “Of course, I can say it. I just don’t want to!” I explained, grabbing her arm and dragging her toward the door. “:Let’s go, princess.” “What? No!” She squawked in protest. “You’re my mate! You can’t tell me no! That’s not how it’s supposed to work!” She whined the whole way but I wasn’t giving in. Once I managed to deposit her outsi
Derek’s POV I was losing my ever-loving shit! How could she be moving on already? Out partying, dancing, smiling like she wasn’t missing me at all. Meanwhile, I was so twisted up in knots, I couldn’t think straight. And what the fuck did she mean by ‘fucking someone isn’t the same as getting to know them’? Who’s fucking who? She couldn’t possibly think I was fucking Amber. I knew it happened often with fated mates but surely not when they were already in love with someone else. I owed it to myself and Amber to get to know her, Just like Jules told me to do. But she couldn’t possibly think I’d get over what we had and hop into bed with Amber that quickly. Okay sure. That’s who I used to be. But that was before Julia Kane came along and turned my world upside down. I was a different person now and even if things didn’t work out with Julia and me, I wasn’t sure I could ever go back to being that guy. Not when I knew how disappointed she would be in me. That thought made me sick
Julia’s POV “I think I'm going to visit Forest Trails for a few days. I met Trista the last time she and her Alpha were here and I really liked her.” I was sitting in the living room of the cabin my brother and Zoe had moved into, trying to stop my turmoil from leaking through our sibling bond. Based on the way Dillon was watching me like he would a wounded animal, I wasn't sure I was succeeding. Zoe gave me a knowing look, but thankfully said nothing to my brother about the suspicions I saw shining in her eyes. “It’s been weeks since they were here and you never said a word. Why now?” Dillon’s tone was accusatory, telling me he’d already sniffed out my ulterior motives. “”Hmm?” I put a finger on my chin in a pensive expression. “Maybe because you’re all mated up and hiding from the rest of the world.” He shot me a beleaguered look. One that said he did not appreciate my snarky attitude. Zoe giggled at his put upon expression but instead of the same exasperated huff I got fr