I don’t know how long I sat on the ground with Sierra’s body clasped against mine, willing her to live, trying to warm up her ice cold skin. Kane had left at one point and when he returned it was with Jett following him.“Griffin,” he whispered.I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t even breathe properly. My head snapped up as Jett’s hands touched her and I wanted to rip his arms off for daring to come close to her. His hand landed on my shoulder instead but I couldn’t focus on his voice.“Shit Griff,” he said and I looked up as I saw tears in his eyes.“She’s gone,” I whispered.“I know Griff, I’m sorry brother, I’m so sorry,” he said.“Just leave me alone,” I said and lowered my head to hers again.“Griff you need to come home, bring her home so we can lay her to rest properly,” he said. He reached out for her again and I pulled her back against me.“Don’t touch her,” I said and he stood up and took a step backwards with his hands in the air.I stood up with his help and kept her close
I kept my eyes closed for a few more seconds as my mind cleared from the fog of sleep and I swung my legs over the edge of the bed as I rubbed my face with my hands. The air was chilly but it didn’t bother me. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost five am.I got dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. I made coffee for myself and swallowed the aftertaste of scotch away. There was a dull headache thumping at the back of my head and I wondered how much I drank last night.Kane didn’t stir from his spot as I finished my coffee and slapped him on his ribs. He growled at me but said nothing, it wasn’t really unusual, he liked to ignore me. I left the front door open and started jogging to the other side of the house and into the trees.I didn’t really feel like jogging but I knew that I had to get the alcohol out of my system otherwise I’d be useless for the rest of the day and I had plenty to do. The run cleared my head and by the time I go
Samantha had fainted in my arms and I was now sitting on the couch watching her sleep after I had gotten us out of that building and safely through the portal. I still couldn’t believe that I was looking at her.The sun would rise soon yet I wasn’t as tired as I should be. I guess the shock of finding her was enough to keep me wide awake. She lay there peacefully while an inner turmoil waged war inside me. Kane had returned an hour ago and so far he’d only been staring at her intently.“Is this real?” Kane asked me after a moment.“I don’t know,” I said to him.She stirred slightly and I sat watching her wake up. It was like I knew every stretch of her muscles, every groan as her senses awakened, the way her eyelids flickered lightly before opening, the smile tugging on the sides of her lips.“Griff…. Griffin?” she said questioningly as she sat up blinking a few times.“All these years I thought you were dead,” I said to her.“I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered looking at me
I found Kane sitting near the jetty looking out over the lake. He seemed lost in thought and he hadn’t been in the house all day. I had brought his dinner with me because now I was worried. It wasn’t like Kane to act like this.“What’s up with you, big guy?” I asked him as I placed the container down in front of him.“Nothing,” he said and gobbled his food up.“What are you doing out here?” I asked him.“Waiting,” he said.“Waiting for what?” I asked.“Something,” he said.“I’m starting to worry about you, Kane,” I said and he looked at me.“I don’t know how to explain it. Something’s off, I don’t know what, something’s not right with Samantha,” he said.“What do you mean?”“Her scent’s different, she smells like them,” he said.“Them who?”“Hunters,” he said and looked back towards the lake.“I pulled her from a warehouse crawling with them,” I said.“No, her scent’s changed Griffin, how can you not smell it? She’s been here for a whole day and she still smells different,” he said.I
“Wake up Samantha,” I said as I sat on one of the chairs that I had pulled up close to the bed.“Griffin?” she asked questioningly as she rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily, “what’s going on?”“Why did you do it?” I asked her.“Do what?”“Why did you betray me?” I asked.“I didn’t, what are you talking about?” she asked me.“You knew that attack was happening, you gave your father information about me, about my family,” I said.“Griffin….” she said.“Where is it?” I asked her.“Where’s what?” she asked me looking somewhat afraid now.“Your hunter’s mark,” I said and her eyes widened just a fraction. It was so sudden that I almost missed it.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said as her eyes darted to the door.“You smell different, I didn’t want to believe it at first, but Kane was right, I can smell it now,” I said to her.She darted up from the bed and pulled the door open to find Kane standing there growling at her. I stood up as she backed away and pushed her back tow
Have you ever been afraid? People are afraid of many things, sometimes just the idea of fear itself is enough to make you afraid. What was I afraid of? Nothing, at first. Then the fear came hurtling across the landscape towards me and it sucked me right in. I was afraid of only one thing. Me. I was never afraid of the dark, even as a little child, because I was blessed, later I called it my curse, but I when I was still young and innocent, I was blessed. My mother loved me beyond what is normal and my father was always there, right beside me. They loved each other completely, I looked at them and I wanted that for myself. I was raised in the clowder knowing my place in this world. I was the future Alpha and hopefully I’d be an Enforcer too, my father was my hero, the strongest man I knew. We had a large extended family but I was never spoiled. They taught me right from wrong and they taught me respect, but they also taught me never to back down, to stand against the world if I had t
“Griff!” I opened my eyes and turned onto my back. It was the first day of the last year of school. Last night had gone on late and I still had a slight headache throbbing at the base of my skull. Mac, Jett and I had gone out to the woods, the deep woods, to drink and spar. Alcohol didn’t affect us as it did humans but enough consumption could lead to foolish actions. I groaned as I got up when I heard Finley’s footsteps outside my bedroom door. “Are you up?” she asked as she pushed my door open. “Geez mom, some privacy,” I said as I stood in my underwear. Her gaze never wavered as she looked at me. She was a beautiful woman, weird and complicated, but she was my mother and even if she couldn’t physically beat my ass, she’d tase me. Oh yes, you read that right. She tased my dad too, a few times, and then she laughed as he lay spasming on the ground. “Why can’t you sleep in pajamas like normal people?” she asked me. “Normal? In this family?” I asked her and she smiled at me. “Ye
I watched Travis for about a week and during that time I found out everything I could about Samantha Cartwright. He hadn’t made his move yet although I saw that he started being nice to her friend, Jennifer. Samantha walked to and from school every day and they lived in the lower class area of Newport. She always had a book with her and she was one of the top academic students of the school. She never wore revealing clothes and opted for jeans, sneakers and hoodies in the winter and jeans and modest tops in the summer. She didn’t partake in sports although she did go for long walks, sometimes only returning after dark. Her parents didn’t seem to be in the picture and she lived with her older sister who was rarely home, which meant she was basically by herself. “What’s going on with you?” Damon asked me one night after dinner. “Just school stuff,” I said. Damon had brought me into his office because my father really knew me too well. He was an expert in reading people but with the
“Wake up Samantha,” I said as I sat on one of the chairs that I had pulled up close to the bed.“Griffin?” she asked questioningly as she rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily, “what’s going on?”“Why did you do it?” I asked her.“Do what?”“Why did you betray me?” I asked.“I didn’t, what are you talking about?” she asked me.“You knew that attack was happening, you gave your father information about me, about my family,” I said.“Griffin….” she said.“Where is it?” I asked her.“Where’s what?” she asked me looking somewhat afraid now.“Your hunter’s mark,” I said and her eyes widened just a fraction. It was so sudden that I almost missed it.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said as her eyes darted to the door.“You smell different, I didn’t want to believe it at first, but Kane was right, I can smell it now,” I said to her.She darted up from the bed and pulled the door open to find Kane standing there growling at her. I stood up as she backed away and pushed her back tow
I found Kane sitting near the jetty looking out over the lake. He seemed lost in thought and he hadn’t been in the house all day. I had brought his dinner with me because now I was worried. It wasn’t like Kane to act like this.“What’s up with you, big guy?” I asked him as I placed the container down in front of him.“Nothing,” he said and gobbled his food up.“What are you doing out here?” I asked him.“Waiting,” he said.“Waiting for what?” I asked.“Something,” he said.“I’m starting to worry about you, Kane,” I said and he looked at me.“I don’t know how to explain it. Something’s off, I don’t know what, something’s not right with Samantha,” he said.“What do you mean?”“Her scent’s different, she smells like them,” he said.“Them who?”“Hunters,” he said and looked back towards the lake.“I pulled her from a warehouse crawling with them,” I said.“No, her scent’s changed Griffin, how can you not smell it? She’s been here for a whole day and she still smells different,” he said.I
Samantha had fainted in my arms and I was now sitting on the couch watching her sleep after I had gotten us out of that building and safely through the portal. I still couldn’t believe that I was looking at her.The sun would rise soon yet I wasn’t as tired as I should be. I guess the shock of finding her was enough to keep me wide awake. She lay there peacefully while an inner turmoil waged war inside me. Kane had returned an hour ago and so far he’d only been staring at her intently.“Is this real?” Kane asked me after a moment.“I don’t know,” I said to him.She stirred slightly and I sat watching her wake up. It was like I knew every stretch of her muscles, every groan as her senses awakened, the way her eyelids flickered lightly before opening, the smile tugging on the sides of her lips.“Griff…. Griffin?” she said questioningly as she sat up blinking a few times.“All these years I thought you were dead,” I said to her.“I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered looking at me
I kept my eyes closed for a few more seconds as my mind cleared from the fog of sleep and I swung my legs over the edge of the bed as I rubbed my face with my hands. The air was chilly but it didn’t bother me. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost five am.I got dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. I made coffee for myself and swallowed the aftertaste of scotch away. There was a dull headache thumping at the back of my head and I wondered how much I drank last night.Kane didn’t stir from his spot as I finished my coffee and slapped him on his ribs. He growled at me but said nothing, it wasn’t really unusual, he liked to ignore me. I left the front door open and started jogging to the other side of the house and into the trees.I didn’t really feel like jogging but I knew that I had to get the alcohol out of my system otherwise I’d be useless for the rest of the day and I had plenty to do. The run cleared my head and by the time I go
I don’t know how long I sat on the ground with Sierra’s body clasped against mine, willing her to live, trying to warm up her ice cold skin. Kane had left at one point and when he returned it was with Jett following him.“Griffin,” he whispered.I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t even breathe properly. My head snapped up as Jett’s hands touched her and I wanted to rip his arms off for daring to come close to her. His hand landed on my shoulder instead but I couldn’t focus on his voice.“Shit Griff,” he said and I looked up as I saw tears in his eyes.“She’s gone,” I whispered.“I know Griff, I’m sorry brother, I’m so sorry,” he said.“Just leave me alone,” I said and lowered my head to hers again.“Griff you need to come home, bring her home so we can lay her to rest properly,” he said. He reached out for her again and I pulled her back against me.“Don’t touch her,” I said and he stood up and took a step backwards with his hands in the air.I stood up with his help and kept her close
I woke up on the floor of my bedroom, alone. It was dark and quiet and I groaned as I rolled onto my back. Sierra’s scent was fading and the choking feeling of pain gripped me again. She had left me, she had really left me. How had I missed our wedding?She would never forgive me or take me back now, all this for my revenge. It could’ve waited, I could’ve killed them later, after the wedding but like every other time in my life, that bloodlust took over and I just had to kill them.“Kane,” I murmured.“I’m here,” he said sounding dejected.“She left,” I said.We could both feel her pain, it would continue until I accepted her rejection. She was heartbroken and it was killing me slowly. Chester’s words were also still with me, Samantha’s abortion, locked in a cage for three years. She had wanted to tell me everything.I had killed her out of rage when she was forced to betray me. I didn’t want to believe him but I did. She had betrayed me but not that first time, only after being subje
“How did you figure it out?” Chester asked me.He was strapped to the stainless steel table and he knew that death would come for him soon, he just didn’t realize what I was going to do to him before he died.“Someone sent me a text, telling me where to find that original agreement that you kept in your safe,” I said to him.“Who?” he asked me.“I don’t know Chester, I don’t really care, once I had that agreement, the rest was fairly easy,” I told him.“It would’ve gone the same way, your father just beat you to it,” he said.“That was the biggest mistake of your life, you should’ve known I’d come after you for this,” I said.“That’s why I had Rosco, he was supposed to shoot you in the head,” he said.“Why do you want me dead so badly?” I asked him.“It all started with that hunter treaty, I gave them information and they took out my enemies too, you messed all that up,” he said to me.“How? You won that case, you got the treaty,” I said to him.“Samantha Cartwright, her father was li
I took a knife from the block in the kitchen and walked slowly upstairs and stopped at the first guest room. Kevin and Phil were sharing the double bed with a pillow placed between them. Phil was snoring and they were both lying on their backs.I walked right up to Kevin, one floorboard creaking but they didn’t even move in their sleep. I watched him for a few minutes as he lay there peacefully, not knowing that they willingly came with me to their deaths.I slit his throat quietly and had my over his mouth and nose to minimize the noises he’d make as he struggled for air. He never even opened his eyes, the cut had severed the arteries and not just nicked them.I removed my hand when I heard his heart stop and I stuck the knife deep into his chest, leaving it there. Kane was already on the bed when I closed the door behind me and took a shower to wash the blood off. Some of it had sprayed onto my face and my hand was covered as well.I slept peacefully that night and I was awake but s
“Kane,” I spoke in his mind the moment I ported back into the house, “computer room.”“Is that an order, Alpha?” he asked me and yawned.“Trust me, you want in on this,” I said to him.Kane didn’t answer me but I knew he’d meet me. He was loyal when it mattered and only gave me shit about things that didn’t matter. When it came down to it, Kane always had my back and I wanted him with me when I did this.“I’m here, what’s the emergency,” he asked me.“The Council has asked for our protection and we’re going to take them to a safe location,” I said to him.“You woke me up for babysitting duty?” he growled at me.“We’re babysitting the men responsible for Damon’s death,” I said to him.“What the fuck Griffin…. oh, I get it,” he said as realization dawned on him.“I’m not an idiot, Kane,” I said to him.“Debatable, how did you manage this one?” he asked me.“Seems Grant was murdered in his office and now they’re running scared,” I said.“And who killed Grant?” he asked me flicking his ta