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Dillon’s POV I was dragging as I walked to the Alpha’s office for the meeting I’d just been summoned to. Every muscle in my body was sore, aching from the extreme workout that was Zoe’s heat. She’d been insatiable and I wasn’t even a little ashamed to admit she’d pushed me to the limits of my endurance. I would never tell my best friends, but I’d secretly pitied them for having to share their mate. Under normal circumstances, I couldn't stand the thought of another man putting his hands on my baby doll. But as I’d come to learn, heats weren’t normal. The last four days had come really close to changing my perspective on the multiple mates issue. There was definitely a time or two when it might have been nice to tag someone else in and take a breather. But the truth was, I wouldn't change a second of it. As I neared the office, I wondered if Zayne had been invited to the meeting too. My guess was he would be there. I’d just have to hope the long, scalding hot shower I’d taken wo
Zoe’s POV Dillon’s body pinned mine to the bed, our tongues still tangling together while his hands roamed my curves. His fiery touch was like a brand on my skin, marking me as his. My heart fluttered when I realized that’s exactly what I was, his. I felt his weight lift off me and opened my eyes to see him tugging his shirt over his head. I licked my lips as I watched him strip out of his pants then slowly peel down his boxers, revealing every thick inch of his raging erection. “Your turn.” He said huskily, coming to hover over me again. “I want to feel all your soft skin against mine.” I reached for the hem of my sweater but Dillon batted my hands away, replacing them with his own. He slid his hands along my torso, his thumbs running over my nipples where they strained against my lace bra as he lifted my shirt. Then he turned his attention to my jeans, popping the button with one hand and working them over my hips. “Dillon.” His name came out breathy, a plea, a claim, an offeri
Zoe’s POV Suddenly life seemed so full that the strange dream I’d had started to fade into the background. As if the Moon Goddess was making up for the losses we’d suffered, she’d filled our lives with so much joy that we had little time to ruminate on the negatives. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I knew a threat still loomed over us all, one we’d have to face sooner or later. But despite Selene’s message, I just couldn’t see what I had to offer that could possibly change the outcome. So I chose not to consider it at all. Instead, I focused all my energy on the people I loved. Sarah was the sister I never had and the fact that she was Kat’s best friend since childhood made our trio complete. We spent our days enjoying time together with Kat’s twin pups and my adopted nephew, Mason. Who had time for life’s worries when there were adorable little ones to dote on? Then there was Dillon. Since my brother and his mates had moved to our old cabin in the woods, we spent almost ever
Zoe’s POV The house was packed when we finally made it to the bar but we had no problem finding our group. We pushed through the tightly packed bodies to the table right in front of the stage that had become our usual spot. We were the last to arrive so all eyes were on us as we sauntered up. Zayne growled and his lips pulled back in a snarl as soon as he spotted us. But his eyes slid past me and settled on Dillon. “Why the fuck would you bring her here wearing that ridiculous excuse for a dress?” My brother ground out furiously. "Did you see all the fuckers leering at her when you walked by?” “Yeah, I saw them.” Dillon’s features darkened. “But have you met your sister? When’s the last time you were able to make her do anything? In fact, I’m pretty sure all she has to do is bat her pretty eyelashes and every one of us bows to her will, including you!” Zayne narrowed his eyes at him, frowning petulantly, but I couldn’t be bothered with their macho bullshit anymore because Sara
A few hours earlier at the Karaoke Lounge Dillon’s POV I was so wired, It felt like an electric current was coursing through my veins instead of blood. My heart had thumped nervously since the minute we walked in the door. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone the truth about Zoe and me, to finally have our bond acknowledged openly by our family and friends. But the wait was nerve-wracking. All our mated friends were so in love and openly affectionate with one another. I wanted to be able to hold Zoe that way, to put my arms around her and kiss her sweet lips no matter who was watching. But just when the perfect moment presented itself for our announcement, Kat was called on stage and we had to wait. My wolf and I were about to lose our minds. I was especially anxious to claim my mate because the next fucking asshole to leer at her like they couldn’t wait to get her underneath them, I was going to pluck out their eyeballs and shove them down their throat. Not that I blamed them for l
Zoe’s POV I blinked my eyes rapidly, hoping that my vision would clear and the creature leering at me would disappear like a bad dream. But it wasn’t a dream. The biting cold of the concrete wall at my back and the dirt floor with its jagged-edged rocks digging into my feet were terrifyingly real. My arms were strung up over my head, bound in metal chains and attached to a silver ring hanging from the ceiling. My feet were shackled in iron manacles attached to the floor. My naked body was stretched taut and the silver cuffs on my wrists singed my skin with any attempt to move. The remnants of whatever drug they’d given me still burned in my veins, no doubt responsible for my still blurred vision. I should have been thankful I couldn’t see clearly but when the creature moved toward me in a blur of black scales and streaks of green from his luminescent eyes it was all the more horrific. A scream died in my throat as the black shadow drew suffocatingly close, morphing into more o
Dillon’s POV None of us wanted to admit defeat, but after running in circles for hours with no trace of the girls, there was little else we could do. I’d never hated anything as much as I hated leaving that forest without Zoe. The anguish that clung to me like a second skin was crippling. Silence reigned as we drove back to Glass Lake. Whether we were all too lost to our own heartache to speak or just afraid talking about our failure would make it all too real, no one seemed inclined to talk about it. If someone had a brilliant idea of what to do next, they certainly weren’t sharing it. That was the most gut-wrenching part of all. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack with no idea where to start. We could take a stab in the dark, but if we guessed wrong, we’d be wasting precious time. Time that could cost our mates their lives. When we finally arrived at the packhouse, everyone filed out and headed inside but I hung back. I was breaking and didn’t need an audience
Zoe’s POV I leapt for the door as soon as we pulled up in front of the hospital, but Dillon caught me around the waist and hauled me back before I could slip out. “Dillon! Let me go!” I demanded, “I need to get to the lab.” “I understand that, baby doll, and I will make sure you get there. But there is no way in fuckin’ hell you are getting out of this car naked!” He protested I looked down at myself and was startled to find he was right. My thoughts had gone from dazed, guarding me from the trauma I had yet to process, to laser-focused on the idea formulating in my mind. There had been no room for anything else, not even my state of undress. “Damn!” I muttered under my breath. “Can I wear your shirt?” Dillon was already pulling off his t-shirt and dragging it over my head. He helped me out of the SUV and I started for the front door again. But again, he pulled me back. “Too much skin.” He grumbled, eyes trained on my bare legs. He grabbed the blanket from the car an