5 years later… I wake up to an elbow in the gut. “What?” I ask, bolting upright immediately. “What’s wrong?” “It’s your turn,” Nova murmurs, her voice heavy with sleep. It’s only then that I hear one of the twins crying. Glancing at the alarm clock, I see that it’s just after 2:00 AM. Fuck. I roll out of bed, stumbling to the bedroom door and next door to the twins’ room. “Hey, buddy. It’s okay. Dada’s here,” I call, my voice rough with sleep. In the glow of the nightlight, I see Ronan standing in his crib, crying, his nose impossibly snotty. His cheeks are bright red, and drool soaks the front of his pajamas. “Da! Da!” he cries the second he sees me. “Hey, Ronan. Are those teeth bugging you, bud?” I ask, picking him up and pulling him to my shoulder. His skin is hot—he’s definitely running a low-grade fever. Both boys are teething hard right now, reacting just like human babies: colds, fevers, pain, the whole nine yards. His cries quiet the moment he’s in my arms, sniffli
Checking my watch, I turn to our little girl."Do you know which one you want to wear, Lenita? Kiki and Harley are going to be here soon. And you don’t want to miss the petting zoo."My little princess is standing in front of her closet, arms crossed and her lower lip sticking out in a full pout."I wanna wear my pwincess dwess!""Chiquita (little one), we’ve already talked about this. You can’t wear it to the fair, but you can wear it later," I say, pleading with her.We’ve been at it for twenty minutes, trying to get Elena ready to go out with Kamryn and Harley before a birthday party for one of her pre-school friends later today.The party is princess-themed, hence the dress she’s insisting on wearing.Unfortunately for her—and us at this point—if she wears the dress to the fair, it’s guaranteed to end up covered in dirt and food, ripped from a skinned knee, or chewed on by a goat at the petting zoo.So, she can’t wear it.Not that she’s listening."I wanna wear my pwincess dwess,
We’re staying in the cabin we got each other for an anniversary present last year.While still with the rogues, Cody and I would comfort each other by saying that once we got free, we’d find each other, build a cabin in the woods, and stay there together for the rest of our lives.It’s what I had been saving money for when Ivan and I found each other — so that we could have the land and the house free and clear.Admittedly, the cabin we have now—two stories, five bedrooms, a basement playroom for the kids, a pool, and a half basketball court—is a far cry from what Cody and I would have managed on our own.Still, it’s nice to get away and return to what we always dreamed of.To bring our other mate and our children here with us.We come as often as we can — for a week, for a long weekend.A little home away from home.We had the kitchen stocked and the whole place cleaned and ready, so there would be no interruptions.Which is good, because after all the teasing we did on the way here,
“Daddy? Why are we here?” I know I’m whining and Daddy hates whining, but I can’t help it. It’s cold and dark and scary and I want to go home. “Shut the fuck up!” he orders. Though his voice is gruff and the words that he says are mean, he isn’t really paying attention to me right now. He’s too busy peering into the gloom that’s all around us. Daddy looks down at his watch and then looks back into the trees that surround us. His movements are fast and jerky, like he’s on that special medicine again. Well, more like he needs to have another shot with the special medicine. He always gets meaner whenever he needs the special medicine. “Are we really going to see Mommy out here?” I ask. That’s what Daddy had told me when he made me get out of bed. He was bringing me out into a deep dark part of the words beyond our pack borders where the teachers always tell us that we’re never allowed to go so that we could get Mommy and bring her home. He
Climbing the steps to my rundown, shit hole of a house, I feel a bone deep weariness that never seems to go away these days. The evenings at the club, the skintight clothes, the filthy hands grabbing at my body, it all takes a toll. One that I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to wash away. Tonight was no better. My feet ache from the heels that I’m forced to wear and I feel like I have a permanent wedgie from the way that the bunny outfit that is my uniform at work showcases my ass cheeks. I just wish there was a better, faster way to make the money the I need to get out of here. Unfortunately, those grabbing hands also fork over a fistful of cash for the liberties that they take. And if I want to escape the situation that I’m in, this is the fastest way to do it. Speaking of my ‘situation,’ I take another quick peek at the street in front of my house to make sure that he isn’t there. That his truck isn’t coming down the street or
The bath is tepid and too small, but it still feels glorious. A bargain basement bath bomb, a travel-sized bottle of Moscato left over from a very confused man’s bachelor party, and a sugar cookie candle that one of the other servers gave me for Christmas and I’m in heaven. No thick, itchy stage makeup to cover my rogue mark. No aching feet. No hands on parts of my body where they aren’t wanted. No father that never wanted me lurking around. Just me and marginal luxury. Thinking about the night, I realize how good it was. I made $800 in tips. That’ll cover what’s left of my bus pass for the month, food, and a little extra cash just in case, leaving me with $500. Calculating in my head, I add that to the total that I have hidden away in my room. I’m within $5,000 dollars of my goal. Maybe by the end of the month. Definitely by next month and then I’m out of here. Away in the cabin in the woods that Cody and I said that we woul
I stay in my wolf form throughout the night. It’s the best way for me to heal. My wolf’s metabolism is sped up which will help to heal the bruises to the point that I can at least cover them up with makeup tomorrow. The bones will all shift back into place when I shift back, probably leaving a bit of soreness and ache behind, but nothing that I can’t deal with, even on heels. I’m used to pain. It’s like a second skin that I wear, whether physical or mental, I always feel it. I can fake like it’s not there and no one will know. And at least in wolf form, if Roy comes back I can defend myself better. Healing from major wounds like this always causes me to dream. I don’t know if it’s because of the fact that I’m in my wolf form and closer to the Goddess or if it’s because of all the crazy amount of chemistry that’s going on in my body to heal myself. Whatever it is, I find myself floating into a dream. I find myself walking in a fami
“Come on, man. It’s your 25th birthday. We can’t be late!” my beta, Jude, calls from my bedroom. “All the guys are ready to go.” I’m standing in my bathroom, having just finished putting on my hair. I grab the body spray that my mom got for me. It’s a pheromone enhancer, one that will increase my scent for my mate to find me. It works pretty damn well on the general unmated female population, but it will make my scent nearly irresistible to my mate. Wolves are able to start finding their mates after their first shift at age 16, so the fact that I’m 25 and haven’t found mine is fairly unheard of. Especially since I’m an alpha. Honestly, I’m not all that pressed about it. My parents hadn’t found each other until Pops was 31 and Mom was my age. Pops stayed alpha until well into his 50s, giving the pack over three decades of stability. He’d made alliances and friends in a ton of different packs and grown our own pack to nearly one thousand wol
We’re staying in the cabin we got each other for an anniversary present last year.While still with the rogues, Cody and I would comfort each other by saying that once we got free, we’d find each other, build a cabin in the woods, and stay there together for the rest of our lives.It’s what I had been saving money for when Ivan and I found each other — so that we could have the land and the house free and clear.Admittedly, the cabin we have now—two stories, five bedrooms, a basement playroom for the kids, a pool, and a half basketball court—is a far cry from what Cody and I would have managed on our own.Still, it’s nice to get away and return to what we always dreamed of.To bring our other mate and our children here with us.We come as often as we can — for a week, for a long weekend.A little home away from home.We had the kitchen stocked and the whole place cleaned and ready, so there would be no interruptions.Which is good, because after all the teasing we did on the way here,
Checking my watch, I turn to our little girl."Do you know which one you want to wear, Lenita? Kiki and Harley are going to be here soon. And you don’t want to miss the petting zoo."My little princess is standing in front of her closet, arms crossed and her lower lip sticking out in a full pout."I wanna wear my pwincess dwess!""Chiquita (little one), we’ve already talked about this. You can’t wear it to the fair, but you can wear it later," I say, pleading with her.We’ve been at it for twenty minutes, trying to get Elena ready to go out with Kamryn and Harley before a birthday party for one of her pre-school friends later today.The party is princess-themed, hence the dress she’s insisting on wearing.Unfortunately for her—and us at this point—if she wears the dress to the fair, it’s guaranteed to end up covered in dirt and food, ripped from a skinned knee, or chewed on by a goat at the petting zoo.So, she can’t wear it.Not that she’s listening."I wanna wear my pwincess dwess,
5 years later… I wake up to an elbow in the gut. “What?” I ask, bolting upright immediately. “What’s wrong?” “It’s your turn,” Nova murmurs, her voice heavy with sleep. It’s only then that I hear one of the twins crying. Glancing at the alarm clock, I see that it’s just after 2:00 AM. Fuck. I roll out of bed, stumbling to the bedroom door and next door to the twins’ room. “Hey, buddy. It’s okay. Dada’s here,” I call, my voice rough with sleep. In the glow of the nightlight, I see Ronan standing in his crib, crying, his nose impossibly snotty. His cheeks are bright red, and drool soaks the front of his pajamas. “Da! Da!” he cries the second he sees me. “Hey, Ronan. Are those teeth bugging you, bud?” I ask, picking him up and pulling him to my shoulder. His skin is hot—he’s definitely running a low-grade fever. Both boys are teething hard right now, reacting just like human babies: colds, fevers, pain, the whole nine yards. His cries quiet the moment he’s in my arms, sniffli
“Holy shit, that was a long day,” I say, falling onto the sofa next to my mates.We’re in the first-floor common area with everyone in our leadership crew—minus Jakobi.He found his mate today. A she-wolf from a neighboring pack, second daughter of a delta. Maureen seems nice. We didn’t really get to talk to her much, though—Jakobi whisked her off, and they’ve been... indisposed in his room ever since.We might see them tomorrow.Or in a couple of days.“Fuck, yeah it was,” Jude groans. “I’m just happy to be out of that monkey suit.”“I don’t know,” Lucy murmurs, running her fingers down his jaw and pulling his attention. “I wouldn’t mind having you in it more often... and helping you out of it.”“Well, this was fun, guys, but my mate and I need to be getting to bed,” Jude says as he stands and throws Lucy over his shoulder.Lucy squeals and props herself up on his back, waving at us. “See you guys at breakfast!”“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Jude calls from the hallway.
My mates and I are standing on a large floating platform in the center of the harbor. All the boats have been cleared for today’s ceremony, and the entire pack has gathered along the shore to witness the official welcoming of their Luna and Lune. The platform is made of strong, transparent plastic, giving the illusion that we’re standing directly on the water. Flower petals and floating candles drift both on the surface and around the edges of the platform. A camera positioned at the far end captures the event and projects it onto screens placed throughout the crowd so everyone can see what’s happening. Nova looks stunning in her midnight blue ball gown, her hair swept into a messy bun. Thin straps frame her exposed matemarks, and the dress is low-cut in both the front and back, revealing creamy swaths of skin. The bodice hugs her tightly, while the skirt flows freely into a long, lacy train that shimmers in the sunlight. Cody wears fitted pants and a tailored gunmetal gray vest—no
“I really don’t want to do this,” I murmur, tugging at the hem of my skirt again.“Girl, if you don’t stop messing with that skirt, you’re going to unravel it. Stop it!” Lucy punctuates the last word by smacking my hand.I stick my tongue out at her but stop fiddling. Honestly, I think the only reason Lucy isn’t as nervous as I am is because she’s too busy managing me.At least, she doesn’t seem outwardly nervous.But I know her butterflies are causing a full-blown tornado—just like the one twisting in my own stomach.We’re heading to the Hartwood Pack, where Lucy and Cody are from. It’s been two weeks since we brought Cody home.Alpha Timothy was pissed when he realized we had “absconded with one of his most valued packmates.” He threatened to call down the Council of Alphas, press charges against our pack, and even force Ivan to step down as Alpha.All of that might have been intimidating—if it hadn’t taken him four days to even realize Cody was gone. Add in the fact that the three
The second Ivan and Cody establish their matebond, a ripple of power, connection, and pleasure sweeps through all three of us. Bite howls in my mind, the sound echoed by two other wolves—Fang and Howl. Our bond is complete. The three of us are tied together, not only by fate, but by our marks. There is no one—and nothing—beyond the Goddess herself that could tear us apart. “Holy shit,” Cody says. Ivan chuckles. “You can say that again.” “Holy shit,” Cody and I both say at the same time. We all laugh at that. Looking at my mates, I can’t help the affection that thrums through my heart at the sight of them happy together. “Let me get you guys a towel,” I say, slipping off the bed. “And the wet wipes,” Ivan calls after me. I grab both from the bathroom and bring them back so Cody and Ivan can clean up. “Thanks, Estrella,” Cody says as Ivan leans forward to kiss the top of my head. I move to the head of the bed, watching them as they get themselves together. Ivan heads into the
I watch Cody—his chest rising and falling as he catches his breath, eyes glazed over from orgasm. His shoulder-length black hair is fanned out across the bed, giving him a dark halo. His bronze-colored skin shines with sweat, and those chocolate brown eyes are begging for me to touch him.So beautiful. I mean, fucking gorgeous. It’s why I called him lindo.I’d thought hard about what nickname to give him. Nova’s was easy. Seeing her that first time at The Warren in the bunny costume, all timid and shy—she reminded me of the little rabbit she was dressed as. She’ll always be my little rabbit.But Cody and I didn’t have that kind of “meet cute.” Not even close. Still, I needed a name for him, something that felt right.It was Fang who suggested lindo. Clearly, our mate has Hispanic roots, and using that in his nickname felt like a way to honor that.Look at him, Fang says in my head, voice thick with awe. Spread out and waiting for us.Let’s not make him wait, I reply, and lean down to
Howl is going insane inside of me. He wants Ivan. I want Ivan. And we’re finally going to get him.I suck at Ivan’s skin, making a hickey in the spot where I want to put his matemark—right next to Nova’s. One of his hands grips my hair, the other wraps around my back.“Bedroom. Lube.” The words come out strangled with need.Mate! Fuck mate! Bite mate! Make him ours! Howl’s words echo through my mind, getting lost in the frenzied need that pulses between us.I’m working on it, Howl. Calm the fuck down so I can focus on him, I snap back.He smells so good. Feels even better. Fuck, Howl moans, and I know exactly what he means.I know Ivan wants us in the bedroom, but I can’t make myself move. Can’t stop touching him, kissing him, losing myself in him.Thank the Goddess for Nova.“Come on, boys,” she says, grabbing both our hands. “Let’s get to the bedroom. I want to see the two of you laid out before me.”It’s her touch that finally breaks the trance. Her words remind me there’s more t