Reed stared at her and for the first time in his life, he found himself at a loss for words. It had been less than five minutes since he met his mate and the first thing he wanted to do was throttle her. Adrian was right. She really had no sense of self preservation. The fact that any of the intruders could easily kill her didn't seem to register in her brain. All they had to do was swipe their claws across her neck and she would be dead. But what was she doing? Asking for explanations while worrying about her damn carpet. He gave Elliot the signal before he forgot who the enemy was. He and Adrian moved in sync, jumping on two of the guys. Reed had a second to push her behind him before punching the guy who tried to grab her hand. He'd only landed another punch when from the corner of his eye he saw her moving forward.
Angry that she was putting her life in danger, he dodged the claws directed at his chest, p
The house was more like the White House or what people would call a modern day castle. As they went around the driveway fountain, she nodded in approval. There had to be at least twenty bedrooms judging by the size. Clarisse had already adjusted herself mentally to living in a small place because she thought Reed's house wouldn't be as good as hers was. The only reason she went with them was so they could protect Twila. She'd gotten herself into trouble and while she was trying to find out why people were after her friend, she needed someone to look after her. Reed or Adrian could do it. For that reason alone, she had resigned herself to crashing in Adrian's bedroom or sleeping on the couch. The house in front her surpassed her imagination."Glad to know you're not poor" she commented leaning forward to take a better look. Perfect. A castle fit for a queen like her. If she'd come across it before he
Reed was drifting off when he heard her come in. He'd spent hours thinking of ways to shake her off. Luckily, she was a human so she wasn't bound by the mate bond. Which meant if he rejected her, he would be the only one who'd suffer. But wouldn't that be better than living with her for the rest of his life? He couldn't stand her. She took every chance she got to make him angry. He'd seen the way her eyes got all triumphant every time he reacted so he'd decided to ignore everything she said. However, deep down, he found that he liked the way she challenged him. The way she always managed to make him angry. He wanted to keep bickering with her. Maybe if he was lucky he'd get a reaction from her. She's like a tree. Emotionless. The words rang out in his head. Her friend had said she had no feelings. Did that mean she was apathetic? If so would rejection work on her? For the bond to be completely cut off, she had to say the word
"You still haven't told me where you went last night""According to Reed, I sleepwalked to his room""I didn't know you sleepwalk""It's the first time it's ever happened""You don't say. Turns out Miss perfect isn't so perfect"Clarisse smacked her lips loudly "At least I'm not a coward like someone I know""Better to be a coward than a psychotic bitch""How long have you been waiting to use that?""Don't you have things to do? People to frustrate?""Reed disappeared after breakfast and Adrian told me she was going for a run with some members. Why don't we take this chance to look around?" she was curious about the place and the secrets it held. Her inner realtor wanted to estimate how much it would cost if t
"I will never be with anyone who feels inferior to humans""How am I supposed to feel when she's been here for a day and already managed to get in your bed""I never took you for a stupid person Dane. One look at her and you'd know not to trust anything that comes out of her mouth. Are you that blinded by jealousy to the point where you can't see that she was only trying to get under your skin?""Are you saying nothing happened between you?""I'm saying nothing will ever happen between us" she started smiling but he wiped the victorious smile of her face by adding "I mean me and you. Get rid of your feelings for me and go find your mate. The sooner you leave the better""Are you kicking me out of the pack because of a human?""No. This is your home too. But if you attack them
"Do you know any of them?" Clarisse furrowed her eyebrows in confusion "Why would I know them or anyone in this place?" "They're looking for you" it was an accusation. The way he looked at her while saying it made it clear that he was doubting her. Though she didn't know why or when he started having doubts towards her. She quickly relieved what had happened before they came out. Aside from his girlfriend attacking them, nothing else had happened. Why was he suspicious of her all of a sudden? "That doesn't mean I know them" "So are we doing this the easy or the hard way?" Another man asked getting up from his seat. "I prefer doing it the easy way. You can ask whatever you want to know, I will reply honestly. No need to start a fight" she glanced sideways trying to see if there were mor
"I could say the same about you" "I held out as long as I could. You should have known he was there" "I thought you could handle two people at once. What happened this time?" "He snuck up on me. But I'm an amateur. What's your excuse?" He scoffed "Okay. I'll take the blame this time. How are you feeling?" "Dizzy and my ears are still ringing" "Do you want to wash up?" "I don't have the energy. You do it for me" "I am not your servant Clarisse" at the mention of her name she snapped her eyes open "You finally remembered my name" she beamed up at him and he had to look away before he fell into that abyss. Once he started developing feelings for her, it would be hard t
"You look so much better""It turns out sleeping in Reed's arms is all I needed" Clarisse said making sure everyone in the dining room heard her. She was coming down together with Twila and Adrian and hadn't expected anyone to still be in the dining room since it was a bit late but what do you know? That Dane was there. Pretending to eat when in reality, it was clear she was waiting for Reed."So you guys spent the night together again?" Adrian asked in an overly dramatic tone. She nodded her head vigorously."I bet it's because you were injured" Dane scoffed from where she was sitting. Clarisse threw her a dirty look."True. But he didn't have to hold me in his arms"Twila tugged her hand "What is wrong with you today? You promised we'd have breakfast real quick then leave"&
"What?""Aside from learning those mediocre moves, I've never worked out in my life. My muscles will definitely cramp up if I don't do more exercises. Sex is considered a good workout too""I'll find someone else to train you""I'll offer him the same deal. Man or woman"Reed ground his jaw, willing himself to stay calm. After all, he'd decided to keep her. He would ignore whatever she said because he knew she was only trying to provoke him. If he reacted in any way, she'd win. But damn if she didn't drive him to insanity. Picking a fight with Dane whenever they were in the same room wasn't enough. She had to go and ask around for silver then proceed to flirt with everyone in the pack. He'd be thankful if his hair didn't start falling off in a few months. Glancing over his shoulder, he said "Suit yourself. It
They were only a few feet away when they heard a loud bang followed by two more. There was a tremor on the ground that felt like an earthquake as birds and other animals fled from the scene of the explosion. Stones, branches, and dirt flew in every direction while black smoke shot up. The building collapsed. The dungeon. She was still in the dungeon and probably... No. She couldn't be dead. Panic gripped his heart, making him rush forward. Toward the burning building. Golden flames and black smoke rose in the air. Someone grabbed his hand. Pulling him back. "No. Clarisse is in there. Clarisse, Clarisse, Clarisse..." Reed startled awake and turned his head to the side to make sure she was still there. "Why are you awake?" He asked rubbing his eyes "Another nightmare? You were calling my name in your sleep" "Alphas don't have nightmares" he grumbled pulling her into his arm
"You're awake" Pennington said touching his head. He slapped the hand away, sitting up "How are you feeling? I thought being surrounded by her scent might help you wake up faster" Reed stared at Pennington, his head fuzzy. It took him a moment to remember what had happened then he shot his eyes towards him "Where is she? Where's Clarisse?" "She left with her father" "No. That bastard is not her father. Where's Adrian? I'm going to strangle her for taking Clarisse there. Where is she?" Swinging his legs over the bed, he stood up only for a wave of dizziness to send his ass back down. "Take it easy. Whatever drug they gave you is pretty advanced. I've never seen anything like it" "How long have I been out?" "Two days" He eyes widened "Two days? Are you kidding me? Why didn't you wake me up?" "I would have done it if I knew how. Also, Adrian is out looking for the Luna. She h
"Darling princess, you're awake"Her eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times. The earthy scent mixed with chemicals and other scents she couldn't identify assaulted her nose. She crinkled her face, wondering where she was and why the king was so close to her face."Can you move back a little. You're making me uncomfortable""Interesting. I can see some resemblance between you and Ursula but none between us. How is that possible?" He asked straightening."Us?" She asked trying to remember what had happened. She'd saved Reed. He had offered to come with her but the king- no. Not the king. His brother who also happened to be her father. Yes. That's what he'd meant earlier. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't resemble him. Physically he was okay but other things like his personality, well. Clarisse was glad she hadn't inherited that. How did one go a
"Let's see. Turn around" she twirled, giggling excitedly "Beautiful. Where did you get it from?" "Does it matter?" If she told him her friends had made it for her, he'd only nod and ask her to introduce them to him. But if he found out who they were, he'd definitely go ballistic. Ursula thought that it was best to keep her witch friends a secret for now. It wasn't as if they'd always hate them. She believed a day would come when wolves would put their prejudices about witches aside and accept them. "No. Let's go or we'll be late" "Are you really taking me to the palace? You always said it wasn't a place for young silly girls like me" "How old are you now?" "Fifteen" "You're old enough. Before you find your mate, you should learn how to run a pack" "And they're giving lessons on how to do that at the palace?" H
Silver chains dug into his wrist, irritating the already open skin. Pain shot through his hands, spreading down to other parts of his body. His wolf was angry but too week to do anything. Reed concentrated on not moving so as not to worsen the wounds but it was hard because his hands were supporting his dangling body. A body that was battered and in dire need of water. Food was a luxury he didn't dare think about. He attributed his weakness to the poison he'd accidentally injested. Even though it had been neutralized, he hadn't had time to recover before they were attacked again. Although the second time, the rebels had gone there for him. They were like parasites. Cut off a head and another one grew in its place. He couldn't blame anyone but himself for the predicament her was in. Why he'd trusted a madman was beyond him. Indrik had swooped in, saved them, only to flee during the second attack. His e
"Didn't he die along with my mother?"He shook his head "I don't know. No one saw the bodies or attended the funeral" Clarisse gaped at him, not believing what he was saying."Are you guys stupid or what? How could you believe he was dead without seeing any evidence or their bodies?""Why would the king lie about his brother's death?""Oh my God, are you kidding me? People lie all the time. If he wasn't the king, he could have lied so he could ascend the throne. There are so many reasons""You don't get it. The king's word is law. If he walks in here and asks us to merge with the imperial pack, we do it without a question. Because he's the leader of all wolves""So you guys just follow him blindly?""We don't have a choice. Even though there are packs who don't agree with the way he rules, there's nothing they can do. That's
A minor broken statue in a overcast morass marked the entrance to the dungeon. Beyond the broken statue lay a scanty, dark room covered in dead vermin, and small bones. The torch allowed them to see the remnants of a pillaged burial chamber, pillaged and consumed by time itself. Further ahead there were three paths, they took the middle. Its twisted trail led past collapsed rooms and pillaged treasuries and soon they entered a clammy area. There was a round stone in the center, around it a dozen skeletons in a circle. Opal swallowed, knowing who the remains belonged to. They advanced carefully onwards, deeper into the dungeon's shadows, passing a few more rooms and passages, most of which looked just like the other. Eventually they made it to what was likely the final room. A large granite door blocked their path. Dried blood splatters were all over it, somehow untouched by time a
"Where is the rebel's hideout?""No one knows""What do you mean no one knows? So where did Reed go?" She wanted to pull her hair out. How could he have left without a word? She wasn't just anyone. If anything happened to him, she would be hurt the most. Why didn't he at least tell her he was leaving? Some mate he was. Would anyone blame her if she walked away from him? Keeping her in the dark was the most selfish thing he had ever done. When she had decided to stay with the witches, hadn't she called him so he wouldn't worry?Even though she was thinking of leaving, she still called him. And they hadn't been in a relationship then. Now that they were, he couldn't tell her he was leaving? She regretted coming up with that plan. She should have realized something was fishy when he told her to sit out the meeting. When he came back, they would have to start all ove
"Your highness, you're back. How was the trip? Did you have fun? Where's Adrian?""Out of my way before I punch you""Let me carry that for you" Eilie glared at him, making him fold his hands behind his back "Or not""Where's Reed? He should have been waiting for me at the entrance""Your mate is a busy man""Busy with what?""Aside from being an Alpha, he's also the king's man. Before you arrived, he was rarely in the pack""Are you saying I was holding him back from his duties?""No. I mean that he probably reverted back to his workaholic self when you were gone. Are you guys hungry? There's food in the kitchen""This nice act is creeping me out Laurent. Don't you, as the Beta, have things to do?""I'm trying to be nice but you don't appreciate it" he huffed, leaving. Cl