Allison P.O.V.My shopping trip went well and I brought home a lot of new things. Book, food, drinks and other necessities. I also bought earbuds for my phone, so I can listen to music whenever I want. Not that it matters a lot out here in the forest, but I like it when I’m out in public. It’s a good way to stay out of trouble. I park in front of my cottage, bringing in some of my bags. I have a lot to carry in, so I decide to put some music in my ear and enjoy myself while working. The music blasts into my ears, and I sing out loud although I can’t hear myself. I’m not much of a singer in public, but out here I don’t even think about it. I walk outside again when I’ve put on my girl power playlists, and Aretha Franklin - Respect makes me do some bad dance moves. I really enjoy my freedom, and being able to do whatever I want when I want it. As I walk outside again I’m going over the list of things I need to get done before tonight. It’s late in the afternoon, and I’ll have to work
Allison P.O.V.When I park outside the Marigold Diner, I recognize one of the flashy cars from yesterday. One or more people from the loud group yesterday are here. Just my luck. I brought my book this time, so I actually have something to do instead of being a creepy stalker, staring at everyone. Inside there’s not as many people as yesterday at lunch, but I also realize I’m really early. It’s just barely after 6, and they opened 5.30am, so they have not been open that long either. I steer in the direction of the table I was sitting at yesterday, noticing two of the men from yesterday sitting with a third I have not seen before. The one who tried flirting with me yesterday give me a polite smile, while his new friend looks at me like I am going to be his next meal - or first meal. I don’t know if he ate yet. I sit down just as a very perky looking Tina comes over with a big smile! “Allie! This is an early morning surprise!” She says with a smile, and I chuckle. “A good one, I ho
Blake P.O.V. I couldn’t help myself. I just had to see her again before going off to the Alpha gathering. So, when I was woken before 5am this morning, cold sweat running down my face, fear coursing through my body and my heart racing with a million miles a minute, I knew the feeling wasn’t my own. It was her. I jumped from my bed and ran down the stairs to get outside. There I shifted seamlessly and ran as fast as Shadow’s paws would bear me to her home. It didn’t take me long to reach her. I needed to make sure she was okay. Had she had a nightmare or was she in danger right now? I would not be able to rest before I knew it. Reaching her cottage, I observed her from afar. She was coming out onto the porch with a steaming mug and a blanket. She seemed alright, but I could still feel the conflicted feelings inside her. Our bond is already strong enough for me to pick up these things. Incredible really, the circumstances taken into consideration. Shadow whines for us to get closer,
Allison P.O.V.It’s been five days since I met Blake at the Diner, and he has been on my mind a lot since then. I can’t shake the strange feeling of him being important to me, but that makes absolutely no sense at all. He is a complete stranger, although the way I felt in his arms and on his lap when he comforted me in my panicked state was nothing I have ever felt before. The buzzing in my whole body and the stirring in my head, as if someone was trying to break free or something. Even now I can feel it whenever I think of him. His black hair, green eyes, perfect body and tattoos. Godness. No one should be allowed to be so freaking perfect. I have been coming to the Marigold Diner every day as promised, and I’m feeling more comfortable being out in public. Finally starting to feel safer. Tina has been a huge blessing I didn’t know I needed, and every day Tristan and Elliott have been there as well. As if they know exactly when I’m there. They have begun sitting with me, talking and
Blake P.O.V. Five days! I have been at this boring ass gathering for five lousy days and not just that?! No no! They made it a gathering of all fucking regions because Alpha Asshole and his minions complained and whined enough to the Elder Council! UGH! I miss my mate, and I wish I could go home to her soon, but I still have over a week left here. In endless meetings, and pointless work groups. We have discussed everything from food and water supplies to the smaller packs in rough areas to the growing problem of feral rogues. I know Tristan and Elliott have everything under control and they are taking good care of my girl. They update me every day when they have seen her, and they check on her in wolf form multiple times a day. Tina has been an angel and helped us keep her safe as well. I decided to tell her the truth, as I knew she would be on board with keeping an eye on Allie. It made it bearable to be here, but not more than that. And it also didn’t help that some of the Alpha’s
Allison P.O.V. ‘Girl, you need to wake up now! Our mate is here.’ Dawn says in my mind. It’s still really weird. Sharing my mind and body with someone else. She has been explaining everything about werewolves and how it all works while I’ve been out, but it’s still foreign to me. I was a simple human girl, who was running from her abusive ex husband, trying to start anew, and now? Now I’m some rare supernatural being, who can change into a wolf whenever I feel like it. That is so crazy to me. And then there’s the whole mate part. Dawn says I am going to have a soulmate, which is someone who will never hurt me. Someone who will love me, protect me and help me heal. It all sounds nice, but I am not sure if that is something I want for myself. Honestly I feel good in my little old cottage. It’s home now. I made it my home. A place where I am safe and myself. ‘But were you really safe there? The rogues would have killed us before we could live out our true potential.’ ‘Dawn, I am still
Blake P.O.V. I thought I had endured pain before, but hearing my mate break down like this, begging me to end her life and seeing her so completely hopeless and feeling her agony through our bond, breaks me in more ways than I ever thought possible! The tears soak my shirt, but fuck if I care! Even when she turns her head into my chest, and uses me as a cloth to dry her soaked cheeks, I don’t care. I will be everything and anything she needs! The raw feelings of heartache constricts at my heart while she sobs uncontrollably, her fragile body shaking and wrecking at each sob. All of them are a needle sharp stab to my heart and soul, and not for the first time I silently vow to her that she will never experience pain like this again! I will not let her down, and I will forever be the protector of her heart.Allie has been crying in my arms for over an hour, and at one point I almost think I am not enough to calm her down, but slowly her breathing evens out and she falls into a dead sle
Allison P.O.V.Blake tells me he has someone who wants to talk to me. I wonder who it is? Is it someone I know, or maybe he is going to hand me back over to Bane? I immediately toss that thought to the side. He doesn’t seem like someone who would hand me over to an abuser, although one never knows about these things I am fairly certain he wouldn’t do that. But then who could it be? Tristan? Elliott? Or perhaps Tina? The train of thoughts keeps driving from one thing to another, and it takes a turn to the recent conversation with my wolf. It was very enlightening talking to Dawn again, although the premise on which I got to talk to her could have been better. I find it easier to picture her in my mind, and what I have seen so far is amazing. I’m still confused and uncertain about all of this, but Dawn keeps assuring me we got this together and she’ll be here through everything. It might sound crazy but I believe her, and deep inside I think I have always known not everything was as
Bane P.O.V.I finally had her where I wanted her. She was here and she couldn’t do a single thing to me. I was going to enjoy breaking her little by little, seeing the light that shined so brilliant in her eyes now dim with every blow and stab. I had planned meticulously for her capture. For my victory. And then someone from the outside had to fucking ruin everything. I was allowed to be there when they captured Annabel and that witch bitch, but I could not touch her, could not be near her. I wanted to taunt her; see her face when she realized I was winning, but no. They put them in a room with a guard, and told that fucktard of a guard to not let me in. I was livid. The only good thing to come out of this was Lucy. She came to us when we came for Annabel, and she joined our forces. At least she could be a distraction amidst my anger. And she was more than willing to play my little games. She told me everything she knows about her former pack, her former Alpha and made me promise to
Talia P.O.V. “Come on, babe, we need to bring her to your parents. We’re not getting answers out of her.” Ethan says with irritation lacing his voice. They have kept out of the trap they set for me, knowing they seal themselves in here with me, on my terms, if they did. The first thing I did when they let up on the electric shocks a little, was search the little snare they had laid out. It was way out of both their leagues, and I decided my mother or father must be the ones who set it up. They made sure only the person who is directly inside the pattern in the ground is trapped, and his or her active powers do not work on those outside. Searching and understanding the concept of the trap is a passive magic, so it worked quite fine. It also told me they had to render me unconscious or put dampening cuffs on me to move me. “NO! I finally have her where I have wanted her for decades. Centuries. Helpless. She is mine!” Ophelia screams at Ethan, who takes a step back from my sister's ou
Allie P.O.V.“Wakey wakey little bitch.” A whiny female voice says in my ear, while nails dig into my throat. I’m tied to a chair, and the female is nauseatingly close to me, her perfume almost making me gag. I recognize her voice immediately and Dawn growls in my head, but I chose to not let it show as I slowly ‘wake up’. Apparently it’s too slow for her, because she lets me go, only to douse me with cold water. I blink the water out of my eyes, lifting my head to see Lucy’s smug face smirking at me. “Well, well. How the tables have turned, huh.” She says victoriously, but I ignore the obvious jab. I instead search the room with my eyes and find a still unconscious Athale opposite me, also tied to a chair. Dammit. So they got her too. Something hits me like a ton of bricks. Tristan came. He came to help us. He must have been close to the blast, but not close enough to be affected by it. He found us in the forest. They killed him. Tristan died trying to protect Athale and me from bein
Tabatha P.O.V.“Can you get in touch with your Alpha, Damien?” I ask, trying to think fast. We need to move, and we need everyone to understand the severity of the situation. “Of course. You want him here?” I shake my head, we’ll need to be somewhere else, somewhere safer. A place where we can regroup. I sigh. There is nowhere safer than here at the moment. The battle has completely died down here because of the blast and the vast numbers of dead still on the ground. I close my eyes, feeling for Talia ‘s aura as well as Ophelia’s and Ethan’s; they are not in our vicinity. Someone is. Someone who I don’t recognize immediately. I frown, but right now I just need to focus on this task. I handle this person if they make a move. I make sure to put a passive tracking spell on him, so I know where he is at all times. I know it’s a he, but something is off and familiar at the same time. This is going to drive me crazy. “Yeah, I actually think it is as good as anywhere. If he can get some of
Tabatha P.O.V. I didn’t like the idea of splitting up with Talia, but she was right; we would cover more ground this way. I know our family is spread out through the battle as I can feel their dark auras pulsing in different directions, but the thought of her going into that training ground alone. The aftermath of the blast held so much dark power, it must be a trap. I shake it off mentally. Talia will know it’s a trap and prepare accordingly. She always was the smartest of the two of us. I’m more like a punch first, ask later kinda girl. It took a lot of fucking balls on our part to leave our family behind in the first place, and now we are going to protect our peace with everything we have! I swore to Talia that no matter what happens, I will fight on. The gloom tries to settle into my heart, but I push it away. We’re not going to die today. Not her, not me. “Warrior, DUCK!” I yell at one of our allies. He throws himself to the ground, and I blast the enemy with an energy ball, m
Talia P.O.V. That was a close call on Tristan. Luckily we reached him in time before his soul left his body, otherwise there would have been nothing we could do. Tabatha and I teleport to our next destination. We bound ourselves to the others before the battle started without them knowing, which is why we knew he had been severely hurt, and we felt it when his heart stopped like it was in ourselves. “That was a close call, Tal.” My sister says, looking around for enemies in our proximity. I nod gloomily, knowing we won’t be this lucky all night. We can’t be everywhere, and Tristan needed the both of us. He was just very fortunate that we were together and could reach him. “I know. We need to form a plan.” Tabatha gives me a grim grin. “So, you’re saying teleporting all around the area to defend our friends and family isn’t much of a plan?” She asks, blocking a rogue, sending him flying away from Alpha Pete’s wolf. He looks around, sees us and nods once before he is back in another
Blake P.O.V. The chaos of the battlefield is total. Dawn moved the group she was supposed to in the trap we laid for them. I stayed and engaged the main group and Bane, kept him distracted so Dawn could get away. Shadow moves seamlessly through the enemy and allies, killing all who dares try to defy him and helping all who are outnumbered by the rogues. Bane’s wolf keeps back, watching and delegating I guess. The blackness was supposed to render us confused and blinded, and the fact that we are not is giving the chaos another dimension. Bane’s wolf snarls as one of my warriors is in front of him, growling and challenging him to fight. I urge Shadow to go to the young wolf. Mindlinks are a total chaos as well, and I’m not sure the young man will heed me in time, although I am his Alpha he might be too engrossed in the battle and the bloodrush to recognize my command before it’s too late.Shadow sprints towards the scene with Bane’s wolf and our warrior. They are still just snarling a
Allison P.O.V. The wait for Bane and his band of misfits seems to take forever, but truly we only wait a couple moments longer before they penetrate the border and we get mindlinks from our warriors about their advancement. Blake squeezed my hand, looking into my eyes. For a moment everything else disappears and it’s only him and I out here. ‘I love you Allie! Stay alive and kick some ass.’ I grin, raising an eyebrow. ‘I love you too, Blake! You stay alive as well, or I will have to come hunting for your soul in Selene’s world, and I’m not sure she would be happy about that.’ His laughter in my mind is raw and hoarse. ‘Athena needs both her parents. Stay with us.’ I continue more softly, watching as the light in his eyes soften with my voice and my plea. ‘I would never leave you without a fight.’ He replies, bending down and capturing me in a whirlwind of a kiss. Someone claps, and we break apart. I look to the side to see Bane standing stark naked in front of his army, his eyes g
Allison P.O.V.“Are we sure we can trust Elias’s judgement and information?” I ask Blake as we hurriedly make sure all our warriors are in position along the border and well hidden. They know to stay hidden and quiet as Bane and his men advance. Talia, Tabatha, Diamina and Athale have been all along the border on wolf back to shield the warriors so the witches with Bane cannot track them. They all promise it’ll work, and we trust them. I just don’t hope Talia and Tabatha’s family had gotten new tricks and powers up their sleeves while they have been gone.“He is getting it directly from his mate, so yes, I trust it to be true.” Pete answers, although the question was for Blake. I turn my head to stare at him. “Bane kidnapped her to get his father to come to the Summit as a spy. They were supposed to use their mindlink connection to tell him what is going on here. They chose to help up. Elias said it was the decision to strip him of his title that made him convinced they had a chance t