2nd for today. Thanks for reading!
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
Zoe’s POV “Did you ace it?” Ciarra asked me as we walked out of our Research I final exam. “Of course I aced it!” I boasted. “After working with Dr. Knolls in the lab all year, I think I could test out of all the research classes. She taught me so much more than I learned in class.” “I knew you would.” She replied, but her gaze was fixed somewhere over my shoulder. “Looks like someone is waiting for you.” I whipped around, traitorous hope rising in me. It was the last day of classes and I would be heading home. Some small, irrational part of me held onto the ludicrous idea that Dillon might surprise me. That I might find him waiting for me, wearing that lazy smile I loved so much, ready to take me home with him. But the sight of Mattias standing there smothered that little ember of hope before it ever caught fire. Because Mattias was a strong dose of reality, and the reason Dillon would never be waiting for me. So even after all his groveling for forgiveness, I still couldn’t
Zoe’s POV The next morning, I woke well before my alarm, Cinna pacing anxiously in my head. I meant to arrive at the airport early, hoping to catch the first plane out rather than waiting for my scheduled mid-morning flight. But I could have slept slightly past the butt crack of dawn if my wolf hadn’t been so impatient. “Want to see mate.” She shrugged unapologetically. “Well when we fall asleep and drool all over him, I’m blaming you.” I grumbled. “Eh, you can sleep on the plane.” She quipped before sauntering off. When the plane touched down hours later, I had no more sleep and much less patience. The airport bustled with travelers getting a jump on their summer vacations and the buzz of all their frenzied voices had something suspiciously like a migraine creeping up on me. To make matters worse, there was no hired driver waiting with a smile and a helping hand for me. That was of my own design, as I wanted to arrive early and surprise my brother. But as I schlepped my ba
Dillon’s POV I thought I’d resigned myself to a life without my fated mate, without the only woman I would ever love. I thought I’d been ready to commit to Blair, to settle for companionship and that would be enough. Then Zoe came barrelling into the Alpha’s office and suddenly, all the air was sucked from my lungs. She was fuckin’ gorgeous! I’d forgotten just how stunning she was, effortlessly beautiful. She’d cut her long blonde hair to just below her shoulders, framing her face in long, flaxen silk strands. Her smooth shoulders and the slightest hint of cleavage were on display in off-the-shoulder top she had on, making me itch to leave little kisses all along her creamy skin. And when she turned to greet her brother, fuck! Her ass looked amazing in those painted-on jeans. I must have committed some mortal sin and this was my punishment. My ravishing mate sent to torture me! Because all her clothes did was remind me just how perfect she looked without them on and my cocked swell
Zoe’s POV Avoiding Dillon had become a full time occupation. I wanted to enjoy spending time with my brother and get to know his new mates. I wanted to hang out with Kat and tell her all about the things I’d learned during my first year as a medical student, the exciting research projects I’d worked on. But every time I tried, it seemed like Dillon was always lurking nearby. So, instead of reconnecting with the people I’d missed for so long, I’d taken to hiding out in the lab at the infirmary. Not that it wasn’t a valuable way to spend my time. I was happy to contribute something useful to the pack. But if I wasn’t going to spend time with my family and friends, I could have just stayed at school. I had to face reality though. Refusing to come home would have just been delaying the inevitable. Dillon had obviously moved on. And though maybe some remnants of our mate bond were driving him to be nicer to me than I deserved, at some point he would need a formal rejection. How ir
Zoe’s POV I inhaled deeply as we walked up the path to the Alphas and Luna’s cabin, but I didn’t pick up even the faintest hint of Dillon’s scent. I felt my shoulders relax with the knowledge he wasn’t there. Maybe he and Blair already had other plans. Maybe that’s why she dropped by his suite. Maybe he wouldn’t show up at all tonight. “Hey! Thanks for coming ladies.” Reegan greeted, sliding up behind Kat as she opened the door. “I’m so glad you’re both here! It’s been way too long since we got to hang out together. Let’s go into the kitchen and get you both a glass of wine.” Kat led the way and I eagerly followed, thinking some liquid courage was just what I needed. “Only sparkling apple juice for you, angel.” Ryan lectured, but threw up his hands and shrunk back at the scathing look she shot him. “So, how are you feeling?” I asked, laughing at her annoyed expression once the three of us were alone. “I feel great!” She chirped with a grin, then her face darkened. “But the two
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