Nick POV
I 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 reaction. It’s dark outside, so I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing what I’m doing. I slip my hand lower, and she grabs my wrist, but since her hands are shaking, it does nothing to stop me. I keep sliding my hand down I reach her pussy and start doing little circles. I see her bite her lips, so I increase the paste. I’m about to put a finger inside her when I hear an annoying voice call me, and I move my hand away.
“Babe, there you are; sorry I’m late, guys,” Mila says.
“Here I am,” I say, annoyed that she disturbed my moment.
She walks towards us, gets in the pool next to me, and wraps her hands around me. Mariah looks at her hands and looks away.“I’m going for a swim, you guys,” Mariah says and swims away.
Everyone returns to talking, but my eyes are stuck on the goddess swimming around. I look to ensure no one is looking at her, and I’m glad when I notice no one is. I see her go inside the waterfall. “Good girl, the perfect spot for no one to see us.” I think to myself. We keep talking, and I keep looking, ensuring she doesn’t come out of the waterfall just yet.
“Where did Mariah go?” Rose asks.
“Probably inside,” Josh says.
“Let’s go in and get some food,” Logan says.
“Okay.” Everyone says.
“Are you coming, babe,” Mila asks.
“No, I’m going to stay here a little longer; you can go if you want,” I reply.
“Okay, I see you inside.” She leans in to kiss me, but I turn my head, and she kisses me on the cheek instead.
“What the hell is wrong with you.” She says, clearly annoyed, but I don’t care.“Nothing, I’m just not in the mood, Mila, that’s all,” I reply coldly.
She huffs mad and leaves. I wait for her to go inside and swim to the waterfall. There she is, leaning on the wall with her eyes closed.
“What’s troubling you, beautiful,” I say, startling 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
Nick POVI park my truck in the driveway of the pack house. I don’t get out because I don’t need anyone to question why I’m mad. My wolf is agitated, so I might just go for a run. He wanted to rip Logan apart, but I had to push him back and fight for control. "Fuck, she got me so mad. Why the fuck did she let him kiss her and hold her?" I think to myself. I almost lost my sh*t when she called him a baby. “Are they dating? Fuck.” I groan and punch the steering wheel. I grab my phone and send her a text.“You owe me a conversation, Riah, and what the hell was that back there? Were you trying to piss me off because if it was, it worked?" I text.I turn my phone off and wait for her reply. My phone beeps, and I smirk when I see her name pop up.“I don’t owe you any explanation. Nick, I’m tired of repeating this to you; just because we fucked doesn’t mean you owe me. I’m done with your little games. Pay attention to your girl and leave me alone.” Mariah replies.I let out a growl, my wolf
Mariah’s POVThis week has gone by in a blur. I have been avoiding Nick every time I can. I’m trying to make things obvious so that my best friend and brother don’t question me. Logan and I have been hanging out a lot. Everyone brought up the fact that we were dating each other. My parents didn’t like me dating someone who wasn’t my mate, but they respected my decision. I wish I could have told them it was all pretend, that I was only trying to mess with Nick, but I can't tell them that.Its Friday night, and I'm getting ready in my best friend's room. We are all going to the movies tonight. Taylor and Logan are picking us up in twenty minutes. Nick said we could tag with them since we were all going to the same place, but I refused, which obviously got him upset. Nick and my brother are going with Mila and Nancy, who will meet my brother over there. I have a white solidpleated hem skort with a white crop top and some white slip-on flat shoes. My hair is up in ahigh ponytail, and I
Nick POVI see her there smelling my pillow and I smile, she hasn't seen me, so I take advantage of it; I walk gently towards her once I reach her, I wrap my hands around her waist. I can sense her body tensing up as she tries to catch her breath and her heart rate quickens."What am I going to do with you, Riah?" I lean up close and murmur into her ears.When asked, she sighs. "Nick, what the hell did I do?"She spins around and I pull her close to me. When I saw Logan kissing you, it was like a knife to my heart."Nick, he's my boyfriend, so kissing me is totally normal." She responds.What I mean is, "I don't like it; I should be the only one allowed to kiss these lips." I stroke her bottom lip with my finger.Nick, listen to me: "We can't keep doing this; it's not right. She states."Why, give me a reason, and it better be a good one." I say sharply.What better reason could there be that we would hurt people like my brother and your sister? "How do you think they'll react if they
Nick POVI see her there, smelling my pillow, and I smile. She hasn't seen me, so I take advantage of it. I walk gently towards her, and once I reach her, I wrap my hands around her waist. I can sense her body tensing up as she tries to catch her breath, and her heart rate quickens."What am I going to do with you, Riah?" I lean up close and murmur into her ears.When asked, she sighs. "Nick, what the hell did I do?"She spins around, and I pull her close to me. When I saw Logan kissing you, it was like a knife to my heart."Nick, he's my boyfriend, so kissing me is totally normal." She responds.What I mean is, "I don't like it; I should be the only one allowed to kiss these lips." I stroked her bottom lip with my finger.Nick, listen to me: "We can't keep doing this; it's not right. She states."Why, give me a reason, and it better be a good one." I say it sharply.What better reason could there be than to hurt people like my brother and your sister? "How do you think they'll react
Mariah's POVThe sound of light footsteps in the hallway reached me just before the door to my room creaked open. My parents were the first to step in, their faces breaking into expressions of pure relief when they saw I was awake."Oh, sweetheart," my mom whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she hurried to my side. "You're awake." She leaned down, kissing my forehead before taking my hand in hers, her fingers warm and gentle.My dad stood behind her, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a rare softness. He gave me a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes, but it was enough. He didn't need to say anything—his presence alone was comforting."Thank God, Mariah," he muttered, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. He squeezed my hand before turning to Nick, who still sat by my side, never straying too far. "You've been through hell."Nick, who had been holding my hand ever since I woke up, gave a small nod but didn't speak. His eyes remained glued to me, like he was afrai
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