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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
Dillon’s POV “We have a new rotation of Fae warriors arriving today. Are the accommodations prepared?” Ryan asked during our daily morning meeting. “Everything is ready for their arrival. Sarah oversaw the preparations with Zoe’s help.” Zayne answered then turned to me. “I hate to do this but I think my sister is going to have to manage the next group on her own. Between the pregnancy and caring for Mason, it’s taking a toll on my mate.” “No problem, man. I’m sure Zoe can handle it and you know I’ll help her if she needs it.” I told him. He fixed me with a questioning look, one that said he wasn’t sure he believed me when I said Zoe could take care of anything. It was no secret she’d been a shadow of her former self since her time in the Dark Fae prison. If she wasn’t in the lab, working away on something she refused to talk about, she was either sleeping or staring off into space. I’d lost track of the number of times I’d tried to get her to open up to me, to let me help her
Dillon’s POV Zoe coiled her arms around my neck then sucked my earlobe into her warm mouth as I carried her to our room. Between her hot kisses, her lush body melting into me and my weeks long self-imposed celibacy, my cock was harder than steel and aching with the need to be sheathed in the wet heat of her pussy. The slick dripping from her core as she grinded over my bulge didn’t help matters either. “Fuck, baby doll! Keep that up and this will be over before it starts.” I warned her. “Mmm.” Her hummed response was the only indication she’d heard me at all. When we reached the bed, Zoe refused to unlock her legs from around my waist, pressing herself even closer when I’d tried to pry her off so I could lay her down. Instead, I tumbled down with her in my arms, landing on top of her and fusing my lips to hers. I dominated our kiss, plundering her mouth with my tongue, tasting every inch of her. The kiss was a message, demanding she submit to me, lay back and let me take ca
Zoe’s POV “Fucking hell!” I cursed to myself when yet another sample yielded nothing. I’d been meticulously studying the slides from the swabs Dillon and I had collected for weeks with no luck. How could it be that those monsters had been so close to me without leaving a single piece of usable evidence behind? It just wasn’t possible. I shoved away from my workstation and stomped over to the fresh pot of coffee I’d just brewed, pouring myself a cup. I’d commandeered a spot in the back, away from the busier area where all the patient samples were processed. That meant more peace and quiet for me and less witnesses to my crazy. Pacing and talking to myself was a regular occurrence for me these days. This had to work. I knew it was a long shot from the beginning but it was all I had. “Power, love, and intellect” the Moon Goddess had said. Kat was clearly powerful. I loved my mate and family but it didn’t overflow from me the way it oozed from Sarah. This had to be where I fit i
Dillon’s POV “Mornin’ baby doll.” I pulled Zoe back tight against my chest and nibbled on her neck. “Mornin’ cowboy.” She mimicked my southern drawl, the warm breath from my laugh making her shiver as it washed over her ear.. She stretched in my arms, arching her back and pressing her delectable little ass against my morning wood. I slid my hand up under the t-shirt she wore to bed, drawing lazy circles on the soft skin of her belly. “I can’t wait to feel you round with my pup.” I whispered in her ear, nipping at the tender lobe. “Really?” She laughed. “You hold Olivia once and now you have baby fever?” “I’m pretty sure I’ve had a little baby fever since the day the Goddess gave you to me. Holding that little bundle of joy just turned it up a notch.” She turned to face me and I pulled her in for a heated kiss, sliding my hands to her ass and grabbing a handful. I trailed my tongue along her bottom lip and she opened for me, moaning into my mouth as I deepened the kiss. The want
Zoe’s POV I felt the weight I’d been carrying lifted from my chest after my conversation with Dillon. My heart was lighter than I ever dreamed it could be again. Even my wolf felt at peace though it surprised me she wasn’t scolding me for not talking to Dillon sooner. Dorian and Cinna remained in the back of our minds, allowing Dillon to finish what he’d started this morning, only with a lot more nature involved. I’d be picking leaves and twigs out of my hair for days to come. Not that either of us was bothered by a little dirt and forest debris. We were animals in our basest forms. Making love in the grass with a chorus of birds chirping, bees buzzing and the stream flowing in the background was just as natural to us than any domesticated version of sex. But our human sides had responsibilities to attend to. Reluctantly, we both called our wolves forward to run home. I was heading for our pile of clothes when Dillon yanked me back, enveloping me in his arms and kissing me se
Dillon’s POV It was late by the time our flight landed in Ashmouth. Zoe had wanted to go straight to the lab but I insisted she get a few hours rest then she could get started first thing in the morning, refreshed and alert. She pouted during the entire taxi drive to campus but she didn’t argue with me. She’d called ahead to arrange for us to stay in her old apartment on campus. I had offered to book a hotel but she wanted to be close to the lab. Plus she knew a few research students who stayed on campus that she thought might be able to help if she needed to talk through some ideas. I’d felt out of place amidst the college crowd the one time I’d visited and didn’t expect that to change but I would do it for Zoe’s sake. I’d been so amped up the entire flight due to Zoe’s anxiety pulsing through our bond, I hadn’t realized what a toll the day had taken on me. But by the time we made it to her dorm, exhaustion hit us both fast and hard. We dropped our bags inside the front door and
Zoe’s POV I was shocked to hear about Dillon’s run-in with Mattias. It felt like forever since I’d thought about him. There just wasn’t enough space in my head to consider what I’d left behind here. All I could think about lately was whether or not there would be a future. Admittedly, I was a little surprised by Dillon’s reaction to finally learning what happened that night. I’d always blamed myself for hurting him, however unintentional. But he was furious on my behalf, insisting that if Mattias had been a real friend he would have protected me in my inebriated state, not taken advantage of it. I supposed he had a point, but thankfully it was all water under the bridge. “I appreciate you defending my honor but you didn’t have to hit him.” I chided Dillon as I cleaned his bleeding knuckles with some antiseptic. They were already healing but I wanted to take care of him. “I know I didn’t have to. That part was just a bonus.” He grinned wickedly. “Men,” I huffed, rolling my ey
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