"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
"Deep breaths. Breath in, breath out. Don't think about anything else. Just listen to my voice. Concentrate on it"Clarisse did what he told her. She tried to keep her mind clear but it was easier said than done. Especially when it felt as if she was on the brink of death. Bursts of tearing pain pulsed through her entire body. Her head felt heavy and she could feel dizziness starting to kick in. Panic slowly took over as, for a moment, a way out of the pain began to seem more and more unrealistic. She closed her eyes and relaxed her muscles. Then took a deep breath, and then another. It was her best attempt to regain her composure. She felt Reed's hands on her face, forcing her to look at him. When she lifted her eyes, she found that his were red. When had they changed?"Calm down. I'm right here with you. We'll get through this together" he told her running his hands up and down her arms. Hands she'd bruised because she was in t
"How have you been?" "Good" "That's good to hear. Have you found your mate or are you still searching for her?" "It could be a him" He burst out laughing "Now that would be something. Wouldn't it?" "It's not up to me to decide who my mate is so there's nothing I can do. If the moon goddess chose a man for me, then there must be a reason" "True. And who knows? It might be a good thing. Women can be troublesome". "Is that the reason you never found yourself a queen, your majesty?" Reed knew he was treading in dangerous waters but his patience was running out. The king had requested his presence, claiming he had something important he wanted to discuss with him. But all they'd done was eat, drink and make small talk. Since w
Adrian tried to get close to them but the wolf snarled at her "How... What happened? How is she a wolf? Reed, I'm talking to you!"He raised his hands, as if he was about to explain but dropped them at the last minute. Because her connection to him was deeper than that of normal family members, she could almost feel what he felt. Shock, fear, regret. The shock and fear were understandable. After all, no one knew Clarisse was a werewolf or the reason she'd hidden her identity. At first she'd been sure Clarisse hadn't killed the warriors. She couldn't have done it because she wasn't strong enough. Granted she'd managed to knock out two rebels back at her house but that had been out of luck. They'd underestimated her and she'd taken advantage of it. However, if she was a wolf then there was a possibility she could have killed them. Perhaps Reed was regretting not finding out who she was sooner.&nbs
...I know how...like this room.......You know...means......officially husband and wife...raise them now or forever......allow...any changes...room...painting the walls pink then forget about it.My room, my rules.Clarisse heard what he was saying and wondered why he spoke that way. Why were his sentences broken? She tried looking around her again. There was only darkness. Where was she? How had she gotten there? She replayed her memories. The last thing she remembered was taking a walk. What had happened after that? How did she end up in that dark place?"Our mate smells so nice" someone said. She scooted back even though she had no idea where she was moving to."Who is that? Show yourself""Mmm I could stare at him all year long and it still won't be enough"
They were childhood friends who did everything together and called themselves the three musketeers. The two brothers took it upon themselves to protect the girl who always tagged along with them. Their parents thought their friendship was adorable. Everyone did. As they grew up, both started having feelings for her but as expected in a love triangle, she chose one. What she didn't know was that the one she rejected was her true mate. Problems arose when they first shifted and their wolves recognized each other as mates. The bond isn't something that can be ignored. She made a choice and that's where it all began. The boyfriend who was left behind couldn't accept it. She loved him. Why would she suddenly choose his brother over him? What about their relationship? Things got really bad between the brothers. It didn't help that they were princes with one set to be the king. Originally, the girl's mate was supp
"He doesn't love me. He wants to leave. Why? Why does everyone always leave? What is wrong with me? With us? Are we really unworthy of being loved?"Clarisse rolled her eyes trying to downplay it. She felt the anguish, the fear, the sadness her other personality was feeling. Even though she didn't want to involve herself in her affairs, they shared the same body. Their feelings were bound to be intertwined. But, she could understand that although she felt that way, those weren't really her feelings. Clarissa's thoughts weren't hers. Neither were her fears. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman who every man wanted. It was her decision whether she would accept or reject them. Not the other way around."So what? There are many men out there. If one doesn't like you, you can alw
She curled up in a ball, taking quick short breaths and convincing herself she wouldn't cry. She wasn't the type to cry but it hurt so much. She felt like a failure. Guilt combined with fear and self pity weighed her down. Her eyes swam with tears and she squeezed them shut, in the hopes of stopping them. Yet they still flowed down her cheeks, wetting the pillow she was lying on. If they'd left earlier, this wouldn't have happened. She regretted all the mean things she'd told Twila. At the time, they sounded logical to her. Clarisse couldn't understand why Twila was hurt when she was only speaking the truth. But now she did and she was so sorry she hadn't apologized. She regretted not caring for the only person she had.They'd grown up together. Ever since she could remember, Twila was always there. As if the universe was compensating her for taking away her parents. Her mean words and standoffish manner didn't deter Twila from trying to make friends with
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