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Kane’s POVI thought it was settled. I’d booked the trip, paid for the plane tickets on my AMEX card and was looking forward to acting like a CEO for once, when Selene tried to ruin all my plans.We were due to have our mating ceremony in midsummer and I could definitely stand the wait, given what was on offer. Maybe that was harsh, but she had only brought it on herself with her recent behaviour.I thought Amy looked very tasty indeed in that yet-to-be-embroidered choker.“I’m coming too,” my Luna declared. “A little retail therapy will help with you know what.”It was time to play dirty, so I messaged her Lycan father, complaining that his bossy daughter was interfering with pack business.I could be bold when it was in a good cause.Her mobile rang soon after and she sulked for ages after listening to his tirade. I already had the impression he didn’t care for females. That set me thinking. Why did dominant males all follow a mythical Moon Goddess? Had there been a time when Alpha
Jake’s POVI tried to remember everything Selene had disclosed about her Lycan parent. It didn’t help. There were no similarities when it came to Michael. I assumed it was something to do with the difference in the atmosphere down here.We’d survived the train journey and now this.His Beta had come for him in a stretch limo, though we had a bit of a hike through the woods first. I understood the Alpha King was something of a maverick and caused his security detail endless headaches.Yet there was no messing with him. I had seen that for myself.Lisa was annoyed with me, convinced I had meant it when I joked about selling her. I would have to be more careful. Next thing, she would realise I had never loved her. Rene’s daughter was only the means to an end.Unlike Amy, I didn’t have grand plans or wonderful aims. My purpose in life was to get rich quick and if that meant trading in female flesh, I would do it. Pretending to be in love was the easy part. I just acted out a role like in
Amy’s POVThe joke was well and truly on me. I knew I should have packed my own case. I was told slaves “got what they were given” or “deserved”. No way had I merited this.We had an appointment with Elvis Munro and I hoped what I was wearing wouldn’t be too distracting. The peekaboo style cropped top was the most modest thing currently hanging in my closet – maybe I am exaggerating a tad – and I was giving it an airing on what was a hot day in the business district.Fortunately, the Omegas had included two pairs of shorts, and I opted for the slightly less fitted ones above nude seamed tights. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for some roller skates so I could leave Kane for dust.I raised a few eyebrows outside the bank, I can tell you.The library district seemed more cosmopolitan in terms of clothing and I hurried along in my clunky heels, mindful of where I was stepping. Discarded chewing gum was the least of my worries.Munro was small and jaunty, like the angle of his trendy cap with th
Kane’s POV One minute things were moving along swimmingly and the next I was filled with doubts thanks to my dark-haired companion. To be fair, she was only pointing out something I should have addressed long ago instead of merely wondering about the part my grandmother might have played in Rene’s disappearance. It hadn’t taken long for the seed to sprout from deception and plotting to something even more incredible where the old Luna was concerned. Dorothy had been my rock when Mom went. As far as Amy knew my mother was dead. All anyone from the pack could be certain about was that she had vanished one night without a trace. The circumstances were a closely-guarded secret because, apparently, Rene had been with someone at the time and it wasn’t Dad. Burying an empty coffin meant she was truly dead to us and I hated that. There’s a song about dancing in the moonlight and I often imagine her doing that. It helps sometimes. Mom loved moving her feet to music. Selene wasn’t answe
Jake’s POVA little snooping is good for the soul. Sometimes, it can pave the way towards blackmail. In this case, the only thing I was after was the sultry Diana in my bed.I’ve always been light-fingered and, judging that tonight would be one she spent with the Alpha King, I gathered my courage and entered her room. Exploration had its perks and her scent was everywhere, including in the lingerie drawer.That probably worked both ways, though I didn’t care. I wanted her to know I’d been here.Finding the diary was an added bonus. I had trouble with the lock initially and decided to take it away with me along with a pair of see-through panties. Maybe if I asked nicely she would wear them for me sometime in the near future.I had managed to persuade the Alpha King that it would take time to ensnare Amy. He wasn’t aware it was my own sister I was procuring for him. Finding out from a friendly source within the Crescent Moon pack that she was currently on a working trip with Kane left m
Amy’s POVTo be fair, when I complained about the contents of my suitcase, Kane denied all responsibility. Selene, the bitch. It had to be her doing.When I refused to go jogging with him, he soon consented to splash the cash. In some ways it was disappointing he wasn’t more of a challenge. How was I to know he was just biding his time?The tracksuit was okay and it would do for the airplane. Good job he’d bought an open-ended ticket. I didn’t even know that was possible other than for trains and maybe buses.We called at the bank first. I was fearful they would never have heard of old Elmer and stared at Kane like a simpleton when he asked for Elvis. Where was my brain these days? Probably under glass in the museum where our man had once been a curator. It appeared he did actually work there and had not just been a customer emerging at the exact time of our rendezvous arrangements. Everyone was entitled to a leave of absence though it didn’t endear him to the Alpha.This waiting was
Lisa’s POVI had to believe the evidence of my eyes. This was a vampire seated to my left, a gorgeous woman with the ageless beauty of her kind. She didn’t belong here, I sensed that much, and yet she was in no hurry to leave.“Hi there,” I said, wincing internally.She wasn’t a fellow tourist seeing the sights, rather a ruthless opportunist who seemed to be sated. For now.“If you are wondering who bid me enter, my dear, let me tell you that notion is a fallacy.” The creature examined her long talons, one by one. “Let’s just say I have an open invitation.”That curtain was billowing gently every so often. I guessed someone had deliberately left a window open.I decided to adopt a practical rather than an accusatory attitude. It seemed to work.“Is Jake – will he be okay?”The woman laughed and I could only stare at the vein which wasn’t pulsing in her throat. That alabaster complexion was almost worth dying for – almost.“I didn’t turn him, if that’s what you are alluding to, little
Amy’s POV I saw him through the glass windows of the Hilton, sitting on a high barstool as if he didn’t have a care in the world. At some point he had been back to the room and changed into a sharp suit. This wasn’t fair. Perhaps I’d dawdled. I kept debating with myself whether or not I should contact Anastasia out here in the open. I had my ear buds, didn’t I? But the thought of voicing my suspicions aloud left me silent. My mind could think of only one subject: how to resist Kane. That probably explains why I took a wrong turn and had to retrace my steps. These avenues all looked alike and now there was a persistent drizzle to contend with. Yet the more I thought about it, I was convinced the document transcribed from a diary – and I wasn’t sure how I knew that – wasn’t in code, just an old language. Probably Native American. Laughing at my folly, I soon sobered when I began to wonder if I would get away with lying to the Alpha yet again. Soon there was nothing for it but to en
Kane’s POV It soon became clear that Miss McGregor wasn’t a rogue she-wolf. She explained that she’d been heading back to her pack above the border in Canada when her car got a flat. Jake had offered her a lift when he spotted her hitchhiking. She said he’d been on his own and never mentioned another female. I would question him later. Expecting my Luna to burst through the door and start what the humans called a cat fight, I can’t say I was disappointed when she didn’t. After a brief lecture on how lucky Miss McGregor was not to be considered guilty by association, I stood up and looked her in the eye. “You can go,” I announced. She cocked her head on one side, regarding me critically, and I knew it wouldn’t be quite so easy to dismiss someone like her. Not without proceeding to formally reject her. Faith Isla McGregor beat me to it, not even hesitating over my surname and the name of my pack. I couldn’t believe the nerve of that she-wolf. It didn’t seem to cause her much pain,
Lisa’s POVI was pleased to see my brother so happy and even unbent enough to invite Amy to tea. Kayleigh was there, moping a little, but she brightened up when she saw the Luna. Noah was supervising the border guards. Again. I’d pouted a lot until he told me Kane was thinking of appointing another Delta.He swore me to secrecy afterwards, but Amy knew. Of course, she would.“Does this mean there will be two Alphas again?” I asked, when my daughter was paying a visit to the bathroom.“No chance,” she said. “But it’s cool. Kay looks much better.”“Do you think so? I wish she would cheer up.”“She’s been through a lot.”Did the Luna think I didn’t know that?“Have a scone. Fresh from Ray’s bakery.” My visitor hesitated. “Go on. Take one at random. I haven’t poisoned them all,” I joked. To prove that, I selected one with blueberry jam inside and took a small bite. “Mm, delicious. I don’t know why I didn’t think of commissioning your stepfather to bake my daughter’s special cake.”“He’s n
Kane’s POV“If I’ve won, I want you to … ”Amy whispered the rest.“What? No way,” I said, and went on to issue a stern warning.Just for a second there I was tempted to cheat, claim she'd lost. Until –“Be nice,” she hissed, putting emphasis on the second word and fiddling with the knot on her blindfold.I watched her struggle for a while – why didn’t she just lift the whole thing over her head? – before going across to the monitor and calling up the incriminating evidence.“You won’t like it,” I warned her, again.That had been a part of my reply when she said, “Show me the footage of you and Omega Sharon. All of it.”As if there had been other encounters in the past.The truth was laid bare, making her huff with contempt.“Satisfied, Luna?”“I thought as much. She was faking it. On your orders?”“Yeah,” I managed, feeling like I’d just crawled out from under a rock and couldn’t find my way back there.Exposed, just like Amy, yet in a very different way.“She must have told everyone
Amy’s POVIt soon became apparent that Jake was lost to us. I missed Ingrid, too. Was he treating her right? I hoped so.Mom was inconsolable for a whole week and then, in typical Velma fashion, she moved on. That must have been something to do with Ray. One for the homilies, he was. She kept twittering on about my brother making his own way in the world.As far as I was concerned, he’d always been rogue material.I was biding my time to catch Kane off guard and then I would strike. In the nicest possible way, of course.It wasn’t long before we were back to sharing the same bed again. His hands kept straying to my tummy. So much for emergency contraception.I’d been feeling really sick in the mornings, something I’d not experienced much the last time around. Making him wait fit in well with my plan.Coaxing him back to our quarters that afternoon, I had a surprise in store in the form of a new game.This time, my intention was to win, though I allowed him a say in the ‘rules’ we were
Lisa’s POVSomething was off about the atmosphere in the nursery. Dan usually got the blame but this seemed different. Even more unwholesome, if that was the right word to use about my only nephew.I didn’t visit the pups with my daughter any more. She was sensitive and tended to kick off if she knew we were going there.Noah and Kayleigh were closer than ever. I tried not to resent their easy relationship while I had to work at it. Maybe she sensed my annoyance and that was why she clung to the Delta when he came home to us. Or could it be that because I was always around she missed him more?I told myself that was it even though it bugged me. A lot.Picking up Dan’s rattle one day, I felt a surge of power. Static electricity, I thought. It didn’t plug in, that was for sure.He went ape until I gave it back to him.Dora wasn’t like that. She didn’t seem to mind when he took her toys off her. Maybe she was in awe of him – or frightened. I couldn’t be sure and knew better than to menti
Amy’s POV The pups were hard work but I became engrossed in what was mainly pandering to their needs. It gave me time to think. I didn’t miss the decisions I had to make, the daily squabbles which had to be sorted between maids and Omegas. They were trivial in the scheme of things. It made me smile to think of the Alpha dealing with petty rows about dirty looks and the more serious allegations of slacking, which tended to be unfounded for the most part. Some of the older servants had heart conditions and they needed more regular breaks. If he reinstated punishment in what had been CC’s room I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night in that same bed. Yet I couldn’t stop him. I had no say and wouldn’t be aware of anything like that given that I was stuck here for the most part, even for meals. He deserves to know. Misha, now’s not a good time. Do it. Or Rhett will tell him. Are you threatening me? My wolf didn’t answer, retreating to sulk, presumably. I knew she was right. The
Amy’s POVSomething was going on. Something I didn’t understand. People were murmuring to each other and occasionally gazing at me. Was I paranoid? This had happened to a human at school, all because she had a fondness for snacks between meals.Suzie’s a renowned pie maker these days. At least she was.They’re not sniggering any more.Someone asked Chrissy in a loud voice if there was any Sharon fruit, to general titters. I didn’t get the joke. At least not until later when she knocked on the door to our Suite.I was tossing and turning in what had been the pleasure room.“You sent for me, Alpha Kane. And here I am.”“Give me a twirl,” I heard him say.What? I wanted to jam the pillow over my head, but I was curious.“Do you like it? I sewed it myself in my spare time.”“Very fetching.”There he went again with those old-fashioned words. Was I the catalyst, being around Mina and not ‘suffering’ myself. Still, I was proud of my extensive vocabulary so perhaps it was less noticeable wit
Kane’s POVCC told me more than once that a good whipping would convince anyone not to re-offend. I didn’t subscribe to that notion. My belief was that discipline should be relative.Amy had failed as a Luna when she allowed the rogue she-wolf to abduct her without a fight. I intended to pit her against Lori, an up and coming female warrior, who had once shot her by mistake. That should serve to punish both of them.Maybe I would sell tickets, for charity of course.My Luna had betrayed me by succumbing to my former Beta’s kiss. At the same event, maybe I could have my pack members – men and women – line up to claim her lips. Standing up for hours, hungry and thirsty, her mouth swollen and parched. That would teach her.And now I had found the blister pack containing something which fuelled my fury yet further.A public whipping seemed highly appropriate.I knew I would put her through none of the above. She had always been mine to ruin.If it wouldn’t hurt our twin girls I would have
Kane’s POVIf I had to absorb Blaylock, surely Garrett would help me control him? I could only hope. Asking Rhett would just depress me, because I already knew the answer.My priority was to rescue my cousin’s girl. We had a date to watch a movie for fuck’s sake. And Noah would surely not survive a prolonged invasion even though he’d been doing better recently. I needed my Delta and Kayleigh needed her stepdaddy.As for Lisa, words failed me. Her scream had alerted us and yet she must have been the one to lure the mage upstairs. My guess was she’d visited the lab and seen him.I was hoping to save him, too, if only by hosting the Lycan wolf once more. Though the mage was way down the pecking order. Probably last.In fairness, it didn’t seem as if Amy and Jarvis were lovers or even planning to be. Yet the crisis had elevated a level. Maybe they were just biding their time.I knew I couldn’t afford to think like that once Blaylock was in situ. The ancient Lycan would probably pounce on