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Derek’s POV “What the fuck is up your ass?” I finally cornered Dillon after the third time he’d snapped at one of the junior warriors for absolutely fucking nothing. “Nothin’ is up my ass!” He barked back. “I just don’t want to see anyone get killed because they did something stupid!” “Fine, man. Listen, you’ve been a pain in the ass all week. If that’s what you need to tell yourself to justify your behavior, that’s on you. But I’m here if you want to talk about it.” I offered. “I’m going to ask Blair to be my chosen mate!” He blurted out. I just stood there blinking at him for a full minute. I’m pretty sure trying to make sense of that statement just damaged my few remaining brain cells. I was struggling to find words to express my disbelief. “What the actual fuck, man?” Yep. That’s all I could come up with. “We’re friends. She cares about me.” He shrugged. “I’m tired of the game. Tired of being alone.” “She’s a rank-climbing whore who you recently told me you regret
Julia’s POV “I’m totally killing this whole boyfriend thing!” Derek announced as we fell into a sweaty heap on his bed. I really didn’t want to encourage him considering his ego was already the size of Texas but he just looked so damn proud of himself that I couldn’t help but agree with him. “Yeah you are, baby! Derek Reed, “Boyfriend of the Year!” Who would have guessed.” I teased him. “Not that I’m a great judge since I’ve never had a boyfriend before.” “What? Seriously? I’m your first boyfriend? How is that possible?” He spit out a string of questions. “I see the way the warriors drool over you and the guys you were with that night at the bar were all half in love with you. I can’t believe you never dated anyone.” “First of all, Jase, Con and Kevin are friends. They aren’t in love with me.” I snorted at the thought. “And as far as why I’ve never dated anyone, that’s an easy one-word answer: Dillon.” “Claerly you're a poor judge if you can't tell when someone has feelin
Derek’s POV “Dude, are we going to the bar tonight?” That kid, I think his name was Kevin, asked his buddies. I wasn’t purposely listening to their conversation. I was just putting equipment away after training and happened to overhear them. It was those three pricks that Julia called “just friends” that she’d been with at the bar the night Dillon and I got back in town. “Sure! I’ll call Jules and tell her the plan. Gotta take our girl to our favorite hangout!” One of the other pricks answered. I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself not to beat them to a bloody pulp, ensuring they were all too crippled to dance at a bar with my girl! Except she wasn’t my girl anymore. I’d seen to that. If I hadn’t been such a fucking dumbass, she would be snuggled up tight with me in my bed tonight. Those three little assholes wouldn’t even be a thought in her mind. But I had to go and let my fucking pride ruin the best thing that had ever happened to me. “I know we’ve been fri
Julia’s POV Ever since the night at the bar, Derek had ghosted me. Not in the slang sense of the word. I meant he had literally been haunting me like a ghost, popping up around every corner and behind every door, scaring the shit out of me half the time. Today was no different. “Fucking hell, Derek!” I screamed when I walked out of the stall in the women’s bathroom at work to find him standing there, waiting for me. “How long have you been standing there? Were you listening to me pee?” “Maybe.” He smirked at me, shrugging a shoulder like it was no big deal. It was a big deal! It was an invasion of privacy! The women’s bathroom was off-limits, sacred, a place of refuge, for Goddess’ sake! I told him as much but his eyes just twinkled with mirth like I was the most entertaining thing he’d ever seen. “Ugh! You’re impossible!” I huffed. “Why are you here?” “Because you ignore me when I approach you in public. Yesterday you even started a conversation with that annoying guy down in ph
Derek’s POV “You look pale. Tell me what’s wrong, sweetness.” I reached for Julia when she met me at the entrance to the bar, but she just brushed by me. “Drink first. Talk later.” She muttered, heading straight for her usual table. My wolf was rattled. Neither of us liked seeing her this way, obviously shaken by something. Find the problem. Fix the problem. The mantra replayed in my head as I followed her. The waitress took our order and I was shocked when Jules ordered a shot of tequila with her vodka soda. Something definitely had her frazzled. It was taking considerable effort to keep Kylo from taking control. “Baby, I’m dying here. Please tell me what the fuck is going on.” I pushed when she tossed back the shot and downed her vodka like a cool glass of water on a hot day. “You know how you wanted to tell my brother about us?” She raised one perfectly formed eyebrow at me. “Of course I remember. It led to the worst week of my entire life. But I meant it when I said
Julia’s POV “Derek, what’s going on?” Fuck! Why did I always ask questions I didn’t really want an answer to. Not that it mattered. Derek wasn’t listening to me. He only had eyes for the tiny blond with the impossibly big blue eyes currently looking at him like she needed him to breathe. I knew the feeling. “Mate.” Derek’s voice was barely a whisper but filled with the gravel of his wolf. Kylo was responding to the call of his mate. “Derek?” He still had his arms around me and mine around him. I squeezed him tighter but he didn’t so much as blink, entranced by the girl who’d just shattered all my dreams for the future. Our dreams. That’s what I got for being stupid enough to have them. I didn’t get the white picket fence and happily ever after. I’d learned that the day my brother had to take me and run from the only home I’d ever known. It was my own damn fault for letting Derek Reed make me forget for a while. “I’m going to go.” I stepped out of his hold, his arms falling limp
Derek’s POV I couldn’t believe this was happening. I’d given up on the idea of meeting my fated mate a long time ago. And to be honest, I really wasn’t too fussed about it. Then Julia had come into my life and that had never been more true. Who needed fate when life had already given me more than I could’ve ever dreamed of? But it was really true what everyone said about meeting your fated mate. The minute I’d caught her scent and looked up into her brilliant blue eyes, I’d been entranced. She smelled like lemon meringue pie and looked like a blonde Margot Robbie. My wolf and I were both ensnared by her. So much so that I hadn’t noticed Julia slip away. I’d been too mortified by the fact the little girl was near tears. Leave it to me to be in another woman’s arms when my fated mate appeared. “Um, what’s your name, little one?” It seemed like a good place to start. “Amber.” Her voice was so soft, I barely heard it over the blaring music in the bar. “Nice to meet you, Amber
Julia’s POV I dragged my sorry ass out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I was of the firm opinion there was nothing a nice hot shower couldn’t fix, but I was pretty sure that particular adage was about to be debunked. I doubted the Moon Goddess herself could put the broken pieces of my heart back together. But even girls with broken hearts had jobs and I wasn’t about to stay at home, hiding under my blankets when people were depending on me. That was something Derek Reed just did not get to do to me. I would not become a lifeless corpse just because my heart no longer beat in my chest. I took extra time on my makeup, carefully covering the panda-eyes and red stains on my cheeks. And since I was working the reception desk at the clinic, I chose a black and white houndstooth jacket dress with a zipper down the front that landed just above my knees and clung to my curves like a second skin. A pair of black and white heels with little black bows on the back and I was ready for the
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