Mariah POV
I start walking away when I hear an annoying, pitchy voice calling Nick. I look back and see Mila running towards him.
"Babe, there you are," I hear Mila say.
I roll my eyes, "I swear they are meant for each other, both annoying as hell," I laugh.
I finally reach my classroom and peek through the door window that Mr. Villanueva already started the math lesson.
"Ughh, this asshole made me late," I groan.
"Are you going to stand there or come in, Ms. Cruz?" Mr. Villanueva says.
"Fuck, a great way to start the freaking school year," I think to myself as I'm walking in the classroom.The rest of the morning goes smoothly and fast. Now it's time for lunch. I put my things in the locker and headed to the cafeteria to meet with Rose and the others. I walk into the cafeteria and see none other than Alpha asshat kissing with someone that's not Mila. How can Mila stay with an annoying playboy like him? Then again, she is the same. Since they aren't mates, they don't mind sharing each other.
"Yuck," I cringe just at the thought.
As a cue, I see him look at me and wink. I quickly turn away.
"Bastard," I say between gritted teeth.
I stand in line and wait to grab my lunch. I grabbed a burger, some tots, and water. I make my way to the table and see that everyone is there. Thank the Goddess.
"Hey, what took you so long," says Rose.
"The lines were full," I reply.
"It's crazy we have so many new students this year," My brother says.
"Yesss, a lot of hot new guys," Rose says and wiggles her eyebrows.
I giggle at that, and the guy's growl. So, possessive these freaking men. We eat lunch and discuss how our day is going when I feel a hand wrap around my shoulder.
"Hey, beautiful," Logan says.
"Hi," I reply and blush.
I hear my brother growl, and Nick is holding his phone so tight that his knuckles are white.
What is wrong with these guys today?
"Easy, Josh, I'm just being friendly. There's no need for all this aggressiveness," Logan says with a light smirk.
"Oh, he is good," I think and hold back a giggle.
"Anyways, I'm here to invite all of you to a back-to-school party tonight at my house if you want to come," he says.
"I never say no to a party," Rose says and bashes her lashes.
"We will be there; what time does it start?" Josh asks.
"9:00 pm. See you guys there and see you later, beautiful," Logan says.
He reaches over, kisses me on the cheek, and walks away. I blush and look around. I see my best friend looking at me and wiggling her eyebrows while my brother and Nick have mad expressions. Oh, good Goddess, they need to grow up.
"So, what are you wearing?" Rose asks."Oh, I have the perfect outfit for tonight," I smirk.
I can see Nick fuming from my eyes, but who cares? I am not his property. He suddenly gets up and pushes his chair so hard it falls back. I cringe at the sudden movement.
"What the hell?" Rose screech.
"You good, bro?" Josh asks, worried.
"I'm fine," he says through gritted teeth and leaves the cafeteria.
What the hell is Nick's problem today? Someone needs to get laid today. I laugh at my thoughts. Oh well, it's not my problem.
Lunch is over, and we all go our separate ways to our next class. Lord, I have to spar next with the alpha asshat. It's going to be an extended period. I'm walking to the field where the class takes place. I'm so distracted that I don't see anyone around. When I feel someone grab me from behind and slam me against the building wall.
Nick POVI see her walking distracted, and I follow her. It's not like anyone would think anything about it. I have the same class she has. I see the coast is clear, and I catch up to her. I grab her neck from behind and slam her against the wall."What the fuck is your problem, Nick" she spits angrily."You are my problem," I reply, gripping her neck tighter."I did nothing to you; now unhand me," she says, her eyes blazing."You did more than nothing since when you flirt with guys?" I spit angrily.She looks at me confused, and pouts her lips. I can't help but lick my lips and wonder if her lips taste just as good as she smells. Her smell drives me crazy. Why does she have to smell like my two favorite fruits, pineapple and a hint of coconut? I look at her slowly. Damn, this woman is gorgeous, I think to myself while I admire her breasts. She takes me off my trans when she growls."I can flirt with whoever I want, Nick. I'm not your property." She yells.I close the distance between
Mariah POVI’m walking to the field, mad and confused. Who the hell does he think he is kissing and grabbing me like that? Ugh, I hate that my body reacted now it did. Stupid hormones. Fucking asshat Alpha, if he ever tries that again, I will chop his dick off. I tried to calm down before I arrived at the field. I can sense him behind me, and it only irritates me more. Sparring should help relieve some of this anger. I finally arrive at the field and see that many are sparring already.“You late Miss Cruz.” Mr. Peters says.“I’m sorry it won’t happen again,” I reply.“Find a partner and start sparring.” Mr. Peters says. “I’ll be her partner,” Logan says.I smile at him and walk towards him.“You, okay?” He asks worriedly.“I’m fine,” I say with a smile.“Okay, Ready? Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy on you.” He says with a smirk.I raise my eyebrow. “Don’t. I’m sure I can handle you.” I say with an innocent smile.We go to our spots, and we get ready to begin sparring. When I hear a lo
Mariah POVHeading out of the house, the first thing I noticed was that Nick switched cars. I must admit he has good taste for cars. He is now driving a White GMC. We reach the car, and when I get in, my best friend Rose sits on her phone. She is wearing a royal blue casual dress with some silver sandals. Her hair is in a high ponytail, and I can tell she is wearing some blue eye shadow, which she does only for special occasions. She is more of a nude-colored type of girl. We head to the party, and as we get close, we see a lot of cars in the driveway. We are now at the Silver Mountain pack, and the scenery is quite beautiful. Nick parks in one of the reserved parking for alphas, and we all get out of the car.“You guys made it,” Logan says. “You know we never miss a good party,” Josh replies.“Well, just head inside. Everyone is out in the back by the pool,” Logan says.“Alright, cool,” Nick replies.We head to the backyard, and what I see shocks me. The place is beautiful, from the
Nick POVI let her leave the bathroom, and I try to calm down. Fuck what is this woman doing to me? She drives me crazy. I take my shirt off, wait a few minutes, and head out of the bathroom to meet them at the pool. I walk down the stairs and lead to the back. I see them all leaning against the pool wall. Josh has Taylor on his left; next to him is my sister Rose, then Logan, and next to him is Mariah. I ball my fist, the bastard always behind her ass. I run and jump in the pool, splashing them. “Heyyy.” They yell in unison.I swim to them and stand next to Mariah. I smirk when I feel her stiffen next to me. She tries to move away, but I grab her thighs to stop her. She freezes in her spot, and I look at her and give her a smirk. Everyone is drinking and speaking except Mariah. “Cats got your tongue,” I whisper in her ear. “Nick,” she says warningly.I let go of her thigh and slowly moved my hand to the band of her bikini panty. I hear her breath hitch, and I’m satisfied with her
Mariah POVI swam away from the group. I couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t know what is going on with Nick. He never paid any mind to me growing up, even before he left for Alpha training during the summer. So why now? What changed? Ugh, I’m so frustrated. I don’t know why he makes me feel the things I do. I had to leave his touch, which almost had me moaning. I need to stay away from him.“What’s troubling you, beautiful.” I hear Nick say, and I get startled.“What are you doing here, Nick?” I ask.“Just came to check on the most beautiful girl in the world,” He replies.“I’m fine. I was just about to head inside.” I say, trying to swim past him.He grips my arm and pushes me against the rocky wall behind the waterfall. I whimper as my back hits the wall. He has me pin again; this time, I don’t think I will get away quickly. He is looking at me with lust and hunger in his eyes. I swallow hard, feeling goosebumps all over my body. He leans in and licks my neck right where my mate mark
Mariah POVI walk in with Rose, and I see our group getting ready to start playing beer pong. The boys are on one side of the table, and the girls are on the opposite. I get close to them with a smile plaster on my face, but my stomach is a mess right now.“Look who I found,” Rose says.“About time we are ready to start playing; only you and Nick were missing; where is he anyway.? Mila says, clearly annoyed.“He is coming. He was outside in the waterfall.” Rose replies.“Why was he in the waterfall?” Mila asks and looks at me.I bite my lip and shrug. I can’t even form words. I freeze when I smell his scent getting closer. I can feel his stare on me, and it makes me shiver.I walk to the girl’s side, trying to act like nothing is wrong.“Who’s’ ready to get their ass beat by the beer pong king,” Nick says arrogantly.“Yeah, whatever you guys are so going down,” Mila says with a smirk.“Okay, we need to pick our team captains,” Rose says.“I call Captain,” Logan says, and all the guys
Nick POVI pull away from Mila, annoyed that she pushed Mariah so hard. Who the hell she thinks she is. I think to myself. I see the group walking to the dance floor. Mila says something and grabs my hand, but I’m not paying any attention to what she is saying. My eyes are stuck on Mariah’s hips; the way she is moving her hips so sensual makes my dick twitch. Mila pulls me onto the dance floor and starts grinding on me. I start following her rhythm, but I keep my eyes on Mariah. I saw Logan approach her and ask her something, and she smiled.Next, he gets behind her, and she starts grinding her ass all on him. My blood starts boiling, and my claws come out, scratching Mila.“Ouch, babe, you are hurting me,” Mila whimpers.“Oh, shit, sorry,” I say, my eyes snapping to Mila’s waist. I see a few scratches.“What is wrong with you today?” She asks and glares at me.“Nothing. I’m just tired and not in a mood.” I reply, glaring right back at her.“Whatever, I’m out.” She says and storms awa
Mariah POVI’m lying staring at the ceiling, thinking, what just happened? Why, when he touches me, I become mush. “Ugh, that arrogant bastard.” I groan. I get up and fix myself to go back downstairs. “Fuck I smell just like him; everyone is going to notice,” I say to myself. I finish fixing myself and head to the door; I open the door slowly and peek outside. “Okay, the coast is clear; now I just have to get to the pool without anyone noticing me.” I think to myself. I walk out and start walking down fast, trying to avoid anyone from catching me before I arrive at the pool. I’m almost outside, and I start feeling like I can get away from these when Logan’s voice makes me stop in my tracks.“Hey there, you are. Where have you been? We have been looking for you.” Logan says.I turn around and chuckle awkwardly. “Ha ha, here I am; now catch me if u can,” I say and run towards the pool. He almost caught me, but I jumped into the pool; he jumped right after me and pulled me towards him un
Josh’s POVI don’t remember walking to Julia’s guest room. One moment, I was standing outside of Mariah’s hospital room, my mind a mess, my body restless with emotions I couldn’t untangle. The next, I was here, standing at her door, my heart hammering against my ribs like a war drum.The bond is suffocating. It pulls at me, demanding I be near her, touch her, claim her. But Julia—Julia is hesitant.I swallow hard and lift my hand, knocking twice before I can second-guess myself.Silence.For a moment, I think she won’t answer. That maybe she’s ignoring me, or worse—maybe she’s inside, regretting everything.Then, the door creaks open.Julia stands there, bathed in the dim glow of her porch light, her dark eyes meeting mine with something unreadable. She’s barefoot, her hair loose and messy, and the sight of her like this—soft, unguarded—hits me like a punch to the gut.She’s beautiful.And she’s mine.The thought shakes me to my core.“What are you doing here, Josh?” Her voice is quie
Mariah's POVA breath shudders from my lips, my body aching as if I’ve been torn apart and stitched back together again. My eyelids feel impossibly heavy, my limbs sluggish, my throat raw. Every part of me protests as I force my eyes open, the dim light above me sending a dull throb through my skull.“Nick?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s enough.A choked sound breaks the silence, raw and filled with so much emotion it makes my chest tighten. I blink slowly, my vision still blurred, but I don’t need to see clearly to recognize the warmth surrounding me, the familiar scent of pine and earth that grounds me even as my body trembles.Nick.The bed shifts slightly, and then his face comes into focus. His usually sharp, confident eyes are red-rimmed, his jaw clenched so tightly I can see the strain in his expression. He looks wrecked. Like he’s been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for far too long.“You’re awake,” he breathes, his voice breaking as he grips
Nick’s POVThe moment I step into the hospital room her parents give me a sad smile, my heart clenches like a fist inside my chest.“We will go home and get some of her things.” Jennifer says and I nod. Her and her husband leave the room leaving Josh and me staring silently at Mariah. The steady beep of the heart monitor is the only sound breaking the silence, but even that doesn’t ease the fear curling in my gut.Mariah lies still, too still. Her dark lashes rest against her pale cheeks, her body fragile beneath the thin white blanket. Wires snake from her arms, monitors tracking her every breath, yet she seems so… lifeless.I stop at the foot of the bed, frozen, unable to take another step. My body screams at me to move, to touch her, to make sure she’s real, but my mind is stuck in the memories of the past few hours—the fear, the chase, the moment I thought I’d never see her again.I should have been there.The guilt crashes into me like a tidal wave, drowning out everything else
Nick’s POVThe tension in the air is thick as we make our way down the hall toward the interrogation room. My mind is still reeling from what the two women did for Mariah. They risked everything to save her, and I need to know exactly what happened—and who’s responsible.But something feels… off.Josh has been quiet. Too quiet. His footsteps are heavy beside me, but his energy is all over the place. His usual steady presence feels… unhinged. His breathing is sharp, his fists clenching and unclenching like he’s barely keeping himself from losing control.“Josh, you good?” I ask, glancing at him as we approach the door.“Yeah…” His voice is strained, but his jaw is locked so tight I’m surprised he hasn’t cracked a tooth.But the second I open the door, everything changes.The moment the scent of the two women hits the air, Josh freezes beside me like he’s been hit by a freight train.“Josh?” I say again, but he’s not listening.His entire body goes rigid, his eyes locking onto the small
Mariah’s POV (In Her Mind)Darkness. Thick and suffocating.It wraps around me like a heavy blanket, pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Days? Weeks? Time doesn’t exist in this place. It’s just me and the emptiness, stretching endlessly in every direction.“Is this what death feels like?”The thought whispers through my mind, chilling me to the core. But no… no, I can’t be dead. I refuse to believe that. There’s too much left unfinished. Too many people who need me.“Nick…”His name echoes through my mind, a lifeline in the sea of nothingness. I hold onto it tightly, letting the memory of his touch, his voice, his love, ground me. I picture his face—those intense, stormy eyes filled with worry, his jaw clenched in determination. I know he’s out there, searching for me, refusing to give up.“I’m still here,” I whisper to him, even though I know he can’t hear me. “I’m fighting. Please don’t give up on me.”But the bond between us feels…
Nick POVThe hot water rushes over me, steam filling the small bathroom as I stand under the showerhead, trying to clear my mind. Every muscle in my body aches from the relentless search, my body exhausted but my mind wide awake. I cannot relax—not yet. Mariah is still out there somewhere, and I cannot afford to stop. My wolf is pacing inside me, restless, demanding action.I finish rinsing off, grabbing the soap, but I am barely focused on the task at hand. My thoughts keep drifting back to her—Mariah. Her absence, the broken pack link between us, the pain I can’t shake. Every minute that passes without her feels like an eternity. I can feel the loss deep in my chest, and the desperation is eating at me. I’m lost in my thoughts when my dad’s voice comes in my head.“Nick, we have news. They found Mariah.” My father says through the mind-link.I stop mid-motion, the bar of soap slipping from my hand and falling to the floor with a dull thud. My breath catches in my throat as the words
Nick POVWe all sit in my father’s office quiet and trying to process what just happened. My father made calls to the pack hospital and had people go from house to house to make sure no pack members passed and that everyone was accounted for in the pack. After of few hours we found out that all the pack members where here and that no one recently passed in the pack hospital. There were a few pack members that were away either on vacation or business trips but their family members where able to get in contact with them. The only person that is from the pack and we have no contact with is Mariah. The scream of anguish that Mariah’s mom let out when my father said it must have been Mariah’s pack link that he felt break, broke something in me.(We have to find her.) Rose said breaking the silence.(Where would we even look?) Taylor says.(I don’t care where you look, we can’t just sit here and do nothing my baby needs to be found so that I can give her a proper burial.) Mariah’s mom sobs.
Mariah POVI have lost track of the days I been here; it feels like I been here for ages. Every day I think about my family, my friends and my mate; I wonder if they are still looking for me or if they have given up. The only people I see is Austin when he brings me an apple and a water and his stepsister Julia when she sneaks in to keep me company, she has become a friend and I barely get to see Mila but when she does come, she has Austin tie me up while she mocks me and warns me that my pups and my time is coming. I don’t know what she means by that but I have a feeling I’m not going to like it either.I woke up today feeling on edge I don’t know why but I have a feeling something is going to happen. I sit on the chair and rub my stomach while I talk to my pups; I have a little bump and I started feeling some movement. “What do you guys think your daddy doing right now.” I ask my pups; I don’t know if they can hear me but I don’t have anyone to speak to so I talk to them. I close my
Nick POVAnother week and nothing, sometimes I feel like they took her out of the state. We have talk to different pack Alphas they even offer to let us check their pack, but we did not find any signs of her anywhere. My wolf is starting to become feral; everyone tries to avoid me scared that I am going to snap at them I do not blame them Mariah disappearance have me on edge.A knock on my door pulls me out of my thoughts.(Come in.) I yell.(Hey bro.) Rose says her eyes shining with unshed tears.(Hey, are you okay?) I ask concern.(I miss her.) She sobs he rushed tears falling down her face.I pat the spot next to me on the bed, she walks towards me and sits. I wrap my arms around her and press her close to me.(I miss her too.) I say and sigh.(Where could they have taken her.) Rose whispers.(I don’t know we have checked everywhere they could have taken her but nothing its like she was swallowed by the ground.) I answer.(Have you seen her mom?) She asks.(No but I heard she was n