āđāļāđāļēāļŠāļđāđāļĢāļ°āļāļāđāļāļĢāđ
Chapter Twenty-Three
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ:
2022-07-26 23:11:08
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After the Downfall   Chapter Twenty-Four
âShh, baby. Everything is going to be okay. Weâre leaving as soon as the rain breaks.â Silas soothed, correctly assuming Iâd overheard them talking as he pulled me into his arms, rubbing his face against my brilliant, red hair seemingly without thought. Although, he didnât seem to realize Iâd eavesdropped on more than just the last part of their argument. I chose to disregard the confusing dialogue for now as other more pressing matters took the forefront, not wanting to examine that line of discussion for the time being. My bare skin brushed against his still naked chest as I realized someone had stripped my outerwear off, and goosebumps popped up everywhere our flesh made contact, sparks detonating all over my body with his touch. I knew I probably shouldnât be letting him hold me the way he was with how conflicted I was on the inside, but I couldnât bring myself to push him away, needing every piece of relief his presence gave me. Something about being in his embrace felt right
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-07-27After the Downfall   Chapter Twenty-Five
Silas carried me a few feet into the darkness, letting the others lead the way as he clutched me securely against him, and I felt myself relax as his personal fragrance washed over me. He continued strolling forward with a sure step until I couldnât see anything, let alone the two males who I knew were ahead of us. Even so, I wasnât afraid, Silasâs touch grounding me, but that didnât mean I wasnât wondering where the hell he was taking me. Initially, Iâd heard the echoing footsteps coming from in front of us, but theyâd tapered off until I could only detect Silasâs tread. I was about to ask him where the others had gone, but he came to an abrupt halt as I opened my mouth. âDo you think youâll be able to cling to my back, Bell? Be honest. If you donât feel up to it, I will find another way to get you down, but Saint and Slade are waiting at the bottom in case anything happens.â I didnât particularly relish the idea of freefalling through the air, so I made sure I was positive in my
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-07-28After the Downfall   Chapter Twenty-Six
Silas had left me perched on the closed toilet seat before heâd departed, but the pain had recommenced almost the second heâd shut the door behind him. I knew it would have crippled me to the ground had I been standing. Katya went about preparing a bath for me, and I almost squealed in joy when she added the vanilla scented bubbles into the steamy water, the warm, soapy liquid already almost tangible under my fingertips as I imagined sinking into it in just a few minutes. I didnât give a damn if it made me childish; I hadnât taken a bath since before the downfall of society, water being too precious a commodity, and I was going to appreciate it in spite of my throbbing body. Just the same, Katya used the time we were waiting wisely, thoroughly sterilizing the major wound on my leg and wrapping it in a waterproof bandage for now. Wriggling in anticipation, I attempted to distract myself from the array of emotions barraging my brain, circling back to the discussion weâd begun a fe
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-07-29After the Downfall   Chapter Twenty-Seven
Damp moss and the woodsy scent of oak saturated every part of my being, right down to my very soul, and it even invaded my dreams as I slept deeply. I wasnât surprised when I groggily opened my eyes, ascertaining that the sheets encasing the downy bed I was laying on were bathed in the smell. Something told me I was resting in Silasâs bed, that this spacious bedroom belonged to him. Rolling over, I went to push up with my right arm to get a better look at my surroundings, glimpsing the soft glow of a crackling fire against the far wall, but my arm buckled with the stress, a twinge spiraling out as I fell face first into the pillow, as a result. A massive midnight-black head popped up from beside me on the ground, next to the king-sized bed, a look of worry evident in his wolf-like features. âIâm fine, Silas. I just forgot about my arm.â I explained, wincing at the lingering ache, but he was already shifting shapes, standing naked in front of me before I could finish my sentence. â
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-07-30After the Downfall   Chapter Twenty-Eight
Silas groaned, easing back to put some space between us as he said, âYouâre vulnerable right now, baby. We should wait until youâre healed, and until your one hundred percent certain, Bell. Wolves mate for life, and Iâm never letting you go after you accept my mark.â His words were like a subarctic gale crashing into me full force, smothering the flames thatâd burst into being between us, even if I didnât quite comprehend his meaning. A tiny part of me felt the sting of rejection, but I knew he was right beyond the shadow of a doubt. Something about him drew me in, made me go a little crazy in his presence, but that didnât matter with my state of mind. I was aware I needed to concentrate on getting through another loved oneâs untimely demise, and I didnât think I had room in my heart for another, even if the imprudent organ seemed to argue otherwise. Not wanting to dwell in an awkward silence, I deliberately moved off his lap as I took charge, redirecting, âSo, the other wolves? Wh
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-08-01After the Downfall   Chapter Twenty-Nine
âHey, perfect timing it seems.â She said, entering as she immediately shot an exasperated glance at Silas, continuing in the next breath, âSlade all but demanded I âaskâ you to go see him.â Her tone was tight, and I could tell something was off. Silas must have picked up on her strain, or maybe someone was communicating with him through the mind link, which heâd begun to tell me about. Either way, he left us alone after ensuring I was settled, giving me a brief squeeze that lingered a tad too long, but Katya didnât say anything about my reddened cheeks after heâd strode out in a hurry. Be that as it may, heâd had plenty of time to share my most recent muscle spasms with Katya to my chagrin. I hadnât been planning on telling her everything, knowing it would likely extend the amount of time she ordered for me to be on bedrest, so I wasnât in the best of moods after Silasâs tattling. The pressure to rescue those girls who were still trapped in the abandoned silver mine with Robbie and
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-08-03After the Downfall   Chapter Thirty
When I came to, woodsy oak and damp moss suffused my awareness, the incredible aroma gently tugging me from my sleep. I took in the dimly lit room from my horizontal position, comprehending that I was still in Silasâs bed as the hush reached my ears. Silas was the first thing I saw, the easily distinguishable ink on his pectoral instantly informing me whose chest I was laying against, not that I really expected it to be someone else holding me so familiarly, and I swiftly ascertained that we were alone after lifting my head up slightly. There was no way Katya hadnât told Silas what weâd been conversing about, but I was grateful he hadnât brought it up, all the same. Neither one of us spoke, him encouraging me to relax against him once more with his soft but firm grip on my right shoulder. I didnât resist, already missing the warmth exuding from him. It wasnât nearly as cold as it was above ground in this covert forest that I was lucky enough to experience, but I enjoyed his embrace
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-08-04After the Downfall   Chapter Thirty-One
The others said a swift sayonara, hightailing it out of the room with Silasâs arrival, but I hardly noticed their departure. Clearly, they didnât want to be present for this conversation, but I didnât let the thought deter me. Silas greeted me warmly, disregarding everyone else in the process and not stopping until heâd yanked me against the chiseled lines of his bare chest. These shifters didnât seem too fond of clothing, Iâd noticed, but I supposed I wouldnât bother with the cumbersome garments either if I was also shredding through them every five minutes. âBell.â He growled, right before his lips came crashing down on mine, me having unconsciously risen on my tiptoes to meet his hungry mouth halfway as I caught a glimpse of Katyaâs lengthy tresses flitting around the edge of the doorframe. I was overwhelmed by his greeting, the room around me wholly disappearing with his intoxicating presence, and any resolve Iâd had to finally get my answers petered out when he speared his ton
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2022-08-07
āļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ
After the Downfall   Thank you!!
First off, I want to thank all of you who've stuck with me since the beginning of this book. I appreciate all the patience you've shown as I navigate through this bumpy part in my life. I've had a pretty crappy couple of months, from the many goodbyes in my life to a freaking hurricane interfering with everything, I've struggled to put anything into words, but I'm slowly coming back to myself. There are a ridiculous amount of edits waiting to be approved (particularly at the end), but editors are on break, so it may unfortunately take a while for them to show. The word count should be over 120k once they are approved, but you may also have to log out and then back into the app for them to show. Any feedback would be much appreciated!! Reviews and/or comments are an author's brainfood! I do want to also touch base on the ending. I realize I've left some things unanswered. This was done intentionally because Gage will be getting his own book. However, I do not have a timeframe for w
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Nine
Silas didnât need to ask why my mood had plummeted when he returned to walk back to the pack house with me, and he didnât pressure me into anything when we were alone in the spacious room. Instead, he ran me a bubble bath, encouraging me to relax in the soapy water as he massaged the tension from my shoulders, comforting, âIâm sure theyâll both be here any day now, Bell. Atlas and Gage can take care of themselves, but Iâm more than willing to knock some sense into them when they do finally make it here after all the worry that theyâve put you through.â I chuckled weakly at his attempt to bring a smile to my face, but it was transient at best, even if I had no misgivings about whether Silas would follow through on his threat if I really wanted him to. We didnât end up continuing what weâd begun earlier in the evening, but Silas didnât seem to mind in the slightest, holding me securely against his chest in the king-sized bed throughout the night without even a whisper of what heâd bee
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Eight
Needless to say, Silas, nor Slade for that matter, were pleased with the way things were turning out, but they couldnât necessarily ignore the bond that had been formed between Rylan and Rhona. Truthfully, it would probably be just for Rylan to lose his chance at finding happiness given all the hurt heâd perpetrated over a period of years from what the males had revealed, but that wouldnât be fair to Rhona. Moreover, I couldnât help but think my epiphany would change things. I didnât know everything about how the mate bond worked, but if I was correct and Alissa had been Rylanâs first mate, there was no doubt in my mind that her erratic behavior could have contributed to his crazed state of mind with her absence. I remembered how Silas had eventually confided in me how my distance was affecting our mental health when Iâd overheard parts of his conversation with Saint above ground prior, and I felt confident the level Alissa had gone to would likely drive any man insane. It was conv
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Seven
Notwithstanding the relatively uncomfortable lack of furnishings and creature comforts in the cave, I thoroughly enjoyed my respite from reality with Silas as we took the time to solidify our relationship, but I knew our escape was drawing to an end. I felt the same soreness from when my canines had made an appearance, only the feeling was emanating from my whole body. Itâd been hours since Iâd claimed my mate, but it seemed the rest of my body was determined to catch up now. Silas was slumbering peacefully at my side as the pain woke me up, and Iâd moved away from his body in an effort to not rouse him. Yet, he was awake a minute later, his familiar voice soothing some of my frayed edges as he explained what was happening, saying, âItâs time to shift, Bell. The pain will stop once the first transformation is complete. Iâm here, baby. Let your wolf guide you.â The anguish deepened, and I writhed on the ground as my body splintered apart, an inferno razing its way through me, leavin
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Six
After everything weâd been through to get to this point, I knew every minute of heartache and pain had been worth it, and I beamed as the strength of our connection blossomed in my mind, seeming to branch out its leafy tendrils as I basked in the exhilaration flowing through me. The feelings spreading through me were beyond incredible, and my wail was the only thing I could hear as I floated high up in the clouds overhead, figuratively speaking of course. Even so, I wasnât so gone that I didnât revel in the feeling of Silasâs dick spurting deep into my rippling core, his hard body pressing mine into the unforgiving ground as he released my legs to fall forward until our naked chests were smooshed together. He was breathing hard, still brushing a few soft kisses across my face as we both came down from our zenith and laving his tongue over where heâd claimed me at long last. Sweat slicked our skin, cooling my overheated body as he pulled out, rolling over and positioning me to where
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Five
All thought ground to a halt in my mind; then, my brain kicked into overdrive, and I was blurting out the first thing to pop into my head, âBlaze was down. I got him with my daggers. Thereâs no way he was going anywhere.â My denial was prompt. Gage couldnât be missing. It just couldnât be true. Saint exchanged glances with Kat as he moved to put his arms around Mira, whom had tears leaking down her face for some reason. Silas pulled me in closer to his body, wrapping his own burly arms around my shaking frame. âI donât know what happened between when you saw Blaze and when I did, Zoe, but Iâm positive it was him that Gage was tracking. Maybe he was able to resist the poison longer due to him being an Alpha, but Gage and Atlas can handle him, regardless. Your uncle went out looking for him, so heâll guide Gage back to our pack.â Woodsy oak and damp moss invaded my nostrils as Silas pressed my face against his chest, the coarse hair tickling against my cheek providing another sensati
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Four
âShit! When the fuck did they join the fight?â Silas shouted, speedily setting me on my feet as he shifted shapes, sprinting after the rogue wolf. I wanted to follow them, worry for Rhona already blossoming in the pit of my stomach, but I made myself split off to hobble through the waterfall, intent on checking on the others. Not to mention, I was plainly in no condition to be launching a manhunt. Hell, I was barely standing on two feet by this point. The icy liquid washed over me, and I was spluttering as I advanced through the short cave until I reached the others, using the rocky wall as a support. All the females were on guard, Rhonaâs scream having put them on high alert, but Mira threw herself forward once Iâd made it within the circle of light, her voice frantic as she inquired, âZoe! What happened?! Are you okay? Whereâs Rhona?â I didnât have the strength to keep standing upright, the weight of Silasâs and my own wounds coalescing to leave me feeling as if a hurricane had
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Three
There was instantaneous chaos surrounding me, and I sprung up onto my feet as I scanned the area, unable to see further than a foot or two in front of me. It was still dark outside, but I knelt down once more, fumbling around for my bag as I registered the femalesâ cries and the wolves scampering towards the exit. It took me a minute, but I was bolstered by Silasâs determined aura radiating back to me through the connection we shared. I didnât question anything for now, simply grateful when my hand came into contact with the familiar worn canvas of my backpack, and I dipped out of the way of a shifter whoâd nearly bulldozed over me in his haste to cut off the assault before itâd truly begun. A fleeting jolt of fear rocketed through me as I grasped that we were on our own, and I silently said a prayer that we could manage to keep the enemies at bay without Katya and Slade. I knew Silas was strong, and the other guys Iâd been travelling with had proved they could take care of themsel
After the Downfall   Chapter Sixty-Two
Silas and the others returned before I had the chance to panic too much, and they brought some much-needed provisions with them to everyoneâs relief, even if it wasnât much after it had been divvied up between the members of our group. It was enough to keep the girls calm and the shifters from complaining until the cows came home anyway, but I wasnât foolish enough to believe we were out of hot water. Still, I thought it wise not to bring the issue to everyoneâs attention, knowing it would only throw the others into disarray if they hadnât already figured out that something was up. While everyone was engrossed with filling their bellies, I joined my mate, asking in a low voice, âIs everything okay?â I didnât miss the anxious look in his amber brown eyes, but he responded with a tight smile, saying, âIt will be. I contacted Slade and Katya. Theyâre gathering a group to come meet us so weâre not traveling through the forest at such a disadvantage. The girls need rest before we move a
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