~Kiki~"Get some rest. We will do this again later tonight." Cel purred in contentment at her mate's words as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. I couldn't help pouting as he moved away, instantly missing the feel of his arms."I'll miss you.""I know, Kiki! Don't want to leave at all but I have to meet someone before the ball." I loved the way my name sounded rolling off his lips. He kissed me again and pulled the covers over my naked body.I watched his chiseled back as he picked his clothes from the floor. I wanted to memorize everything about him and about our time together. His delectable scent as he hugged me tightly, those gray eyes and the way they darkened so many times today, and that heavenly feeling when he was inside me.I closed my eyes, relishing every moment of the last few hours, about how Alpha Kayden let himself go. The sound of heavy footsteps slowly faded away as I drifted off into a blissful delirium.Not sure if it was the rumbling sky or the hushed whispers of P
~Alpha Kayden~Thirty Minutes EarlierMy meeting with Alpha Brandon went much better than I had imagined. Given that I already irked the Alpha King Kian, only a fool would go ahead and piss his loyal ally off as well. And I was that fool when I told Alpha Brandon that I could not go ahead with what my grandma had proposed.Grandma had pinned high hopes on this alliance and spoke on my behalf without consulting me. Once Willow left Thunder Bay weeks ago, I assumed it was over. But grandma and my Gamma Nash reached out to Alpha Brandon again and gave their yes before I even got to Dark River Pack.I expected Alpha Brandon to be furious for rejecting his daughter a second time. But instead of spewing angry threats and challenges, all he did was ask why I was turning her down. And when I told him I found my mate, he seemed to be completely convinced his daughter wouldn't be happy with me as my chosen mate while my true mate was around me.He just had one request for me: "Willow is very se
~Alpha Kayden~"Kade!!! Fuck!!"I heard my Gamma's words before the howling wind took over, blowing my hair into my face as I made a nosedive to meet the raging waters below. Brilliant streaks of lightning blinded my vision while I strained to see if we were going to hit any sharp rocks that lined the rugged coastline.My heart was pounding in my throat, not out of fear of dying but with fear of losing Kiki. I was still midair with a plummeting feeling in my stomach when I heard a loud splash followed by a gasp as her body crashed against the water's surface.Frigid salty waves splashed and stung my eyes moments before my body collided with them. The currents were super strong, they pulled me down violently, tugging my body deeper and deeper. Peals of thunder now sounded distant as I tried to swim underwater, making my way to calmer deeper waters, away from the coast.I knew Kiki went this way because I would have easily caught her if she had managed to make it to the shoreline. It wa
~Kiki~The feeling of despair and hopelessness was soul crushing.Alpha Kayden had broken my heart countless times, every single time I saw him with Sienna, when he threw me into the dreary dungeons, and when he ignored the mate bond to choose Willow over me. But I had no control over those situations and could only hope for better days. Today was harder. It was me leaving him behind and choosing the ocean over him.The look on his face as I swam away from him would haunt me forever. I fancied believing so bad he actually wanted me the way he wanted his chosen mate.The only reason he slept with me was the mate bond. The bond was too powerful and it forced him to protect me from his pack and Victoria. He wouldn't have spared me another look if I wasn't his fated mate. He wouldn't have jumped into the ocean without thinking for a second if not for this pointless bond. None of these arguments eased the pain I felt when his face flashed through my mind. I had to do it. To let go of wh
~Kiki~ "Siren abode?" "Our home in the ocean. You've seriously been living under a rock, haven't you? No wonder we never saw you before." Her laughter echoed across the water, bouncing off the curious stares of the two sisters. "Do you remember the first time we met?" I shook my head as if a thick fog was obscuring my past. "Well, the siren abode is closer to where we first crossed paths," Haley continued, her voice turning gentle. Every full moon, sirens from all corners of the world gather there. It takes us just a couple of hours to swim from Storm Moon Pack, but for those farther out, the journey starts the night before. You see, not everyone can leave the ocean. We're the lucky few." "Um, so your mate is..." I trailed off, unsure if I was overstepping. A blush bloomed across Haley's cheeks, and her fingers unconsciously traced the pendant around her neck. "He's the Alpha King's nephew. I never knew sirens could feel such emotions until I met him. He's—" Eleanor cut in, he
~Nyla~ The Grand Hall pulsed with anticipation. My heart fluttered with happiness as I took slow steps, accompanied by my best friend, Maya, and my lovely sister-in-law, Rachel. "My Luna Queen, you look beautiful." My good old friend Olivia greeted me at the door. The feeling of being loved by everybody filled me to the brim with contentment. The most awaited moment of the year had arrived. And there he was! Alpha King Kian stood on the dais, sporting an extra dazzling smile today. He was dressed in a well-fitted charcoal gray tuxedo and a striped purple bowtie, which he was forced to wear at my insistence. I wanted something on him to match my flowy purple dress. His deep green eyes caressed me with such adoration as I climbed up the dais and stood next to him. I resisted the urge to claim his lips and act out of character in front of so many people and packs. Everyone had been waiting for us while I lost track of time and spent too long in my dead husband's bedroom. Wyatt's me
FIFTEEN YEARS LATER~Ari/Kendall~Lightning bolts, thunderclaps, and colossal waves.Rain was pelting down relentlessly. I was caught in a raging storm, with my body swaying back and forth at the whim of the waves. I tried to scream, begging to be rescued, but ended up swallowing a good amount of water."Mamma..." I cried out, coughing and trying to stay afloat.Salty water stung my eyes and nose, filling up my lungs as I struggled to stay conscious. Darkness engulfed me now and then, and I could feel my body drifting off out of control, caught in massive tidal waves. Everything was pitch black, but I woke up again to find myself in the same situation. Angry waves were colliding with raging winds, throwing my body at high speeds into random directions. The only difference was that it was now night instead of day.Something didn't make sense. A shiny blue tail kept presenting itself to me. I thought it was some large fish following me, or mor
~Kiki~Walking to the farther end of the horseshoe driveway, I got into a new black RAM 2500. It was a loaner car the dealership gave my dad when he dropped off his old pickup truck for servicing yesterday. I used his pickup truck solely for doing my job and walked to school or beaches and other places.My parents drove fancy cars while Megan inherited my mom's old Chrysler. She was going to get a nice loaded BMW on her eighteenth birthday next year. I was hoping they wouldn't trade in the Chrysler and give it to me instead.I took a sip of my delicious hot chocolate and set it in the cup holder before keying the car.Wait, what? Why would my dad bring a loaner with a manual transmission? He knew I sucked at driving a stick shift.Checking my watch, I hopped out of the car and darted towards my friend Benjamin's house, which was next door.All the elite warrior families were treated on par with the other high-ranking members. We didn't need