She had only taken over this position late last year and was still sifting through the enormous amount of administration that her predecessor had willfully neglected. She had come across an email from one of Alpha’s Nocturne’s departments regarding a potential collaboration on a large project from a few years ago and pursed her lips thoughtfully. Ann didn’t know the full extent of his business interests, but she really should start to take an active interest. All she remembered was her father’s frequent bouts of fury over the fact that Adam’s interests often overlapped with his own, and he had lost out on more than a few lucrative contracts because he was able to provide better offers. The world wasn’t as it used to be, where family favor won you contracts. If you wanted to do business with the humans as well as the supernaturals, you had to prove that you had a talent for what you were employed to do, and not just rely on the fact that you had a big name backing you. Reputat
Maeve smiled in satisfaction as she watched the man before her crumble. “Now you know what I went through every time you sank your cock into that little whore’s well-used hole. You weren’t her first... and you certainly won’t be her last.” She chuckled. Maeve stared intently into his eyes and he shrank back as far as he could. Maeve was dangerous and he knew it. “How was it? Did you enjoy a taste of your own medicine? The soul-shattering pain as your fated comes undone at the hands of another is excruciating isn’t it?” Brad nodded weakly, his eyes filling with tears as he clenched his jaw painfully. From what Maeve could make out, his wolf had turned his back on him and refused to share in his pain, and withheld the ability that would enable him to heal quickly. She smiled sadly at the last show of camaraderie between her and her former fated. Maeve stroked Brad’s head and shushed him, her face so close to his, that he could feel her gentle exhalations as her bewitching s
Ann chuckled. “I’m proud of what you did though, Eva. Do you know how many females would have just rolled over and done as he asked? The fact you stood up to him says a lot about you.” Eva’s face lit up. “Thank you, Ann. That means a lot.” She answered happily before a look of realization crossed her face. “Oh! I almost forgot, I came here to tell you that Alpha Nocturne will be here to pick you up shortly.” “What?!” Ann exclaimed loudly. “Why?! Fuck!” Eva looked at Ann in confusion. “I’m sorry, Maeve said to call him to come and collect you… should I not have called him?” Ann was positively fuming. She couldn’t believe that Maeve would reach out in that way and make it appear as if she couldn’t take care of things herself. How was she ever going to get him to take her seriously if he had to run to her rescue when things got a little difficult? Ann sighed heavily and tipped her head back in frustration, her shoulders sagging. “Did you want me to call him back and
Ann's heart sank as she realized that Alpha Nocturne had gotten all the way through the company building and actually made it into the area where her offices were located.The fact that he was here at all was going to spread through the rumor mill at the company building like wildfire.She groaned internally just imagining what sort of interrogation she was going to face from her father. She knew that her father disliked Alpha Nocturne, she had heard far too many rants over dinners together to think otherwise. Now, he would want to know exactly why he was in his building and when he found out it was because of Ann… well, she shuddered to imagine the fallout. At least she no longer had to worry about a wall of silence waiting for her when she got home and the sneaky tricks of her stepmother and stepsister."What are you doing here, Adam?" She asked with a sigh.He rushed over to her and stopped abruptly in front of her, just short of taking hold of her, but she could feel his ey
Ann whimpered as he began circling her nub at a torturously slow pace, and she bit her lip as she fought the urge to push against him, desperately seeking the sweet pleasure and the sensation of him filling her inside. Adam lifted a hand to cup her face as he began to attack her lips, swallowing her moans as her legs quivered with the sensation that he was slowly building inside her. Without warning, he removed his hand from her pussy and ended his assault on her lips, splaying his hand across the surface of her folds and pressing down, as if attempting to seal it. Ann shuddered at the delicious pressure and simultaneously whimpered at the sudden removal of his attention. He smirked at her and repeated the question yet again. “The name, Ann… just tell me the name, and I’ll give you what you want.”? Ann’s cheeks flushed furiously as she fought with the desire he had aroused in her and battled with her conscience. She was torn. Maeve had already sent him away with his tai
Adam had disappeared shortly after their steamy session with his Beta, Allen, leaving behind two of his men as protection, despite Ann's protests. Ann wanted to talk to Adam about Lexi and get an idea of how he felt about any possible solution they might come up with regarding the lack of a mating mark. Although it wasn't an issue now, she knew it would be in the future. The elders weren't stupid, and neither were the pack members. Having a temporary fix would at least shield them from suspicion for that issue. She had to admit she was incredibly curious about his particular curse though and as they arrived back at the pack house, she resolved to ask him about it once things had settled down a little. She would have to get through the stupid engagement ceremony relatively unscathed though. Ann couldn't understand why her father would want to rub her mate's betrayal in her face like this. It was such a cruel thing to do in her mind. If she hadn't ended up entangled with Adam
"Right. I suppose it's kind of like a scar, but it never disappears as the mark left is an acceptance of the claim and marks each partner as off limits to others." 'Doubt it would have stopped Brad… it didn't stop your father either...' Maeve muttered angrily. Ann chose to ignore Maeve’s comment but she knew that Maeve was right. The mark wasn't infallible, it just signified ownership if you really thought about it. "Dad already explained what would happen if you tried to mark someone that wasn't your mate, so I know that it's not possible to do that alone. But, we were thinking, if we infused the mark on each of you with Dad's binding magic and magic to prevent healing… he thinks that it might work." Ann chewed her lip as she thought Lexi's words over. It wasn't a bad idea in theory. They would be bound to each other and wear each other's marks and it would scar as normal. By all outward appearances, it was entirely possible that this might work. "There's just one catch
The best way that she could do that was by dressing not in the reds and golds of the royal family, but instead wearing the traditional colors of royal blue and silver that were prominent in Alpha Nocturne's Pack. After all, she was Alpha Nocturne's Luna now and as far as everyone else was concerned she was his true mate and he, against all odds, her second chance mate. 'Ha! They know! Look how pissed the whores' expressions are!’?Maeve shouted gleefully. She was right. Her stepmother looked as if she wanted to murder her where she stood, Ada's face was set in the familiar fake mask of smiles but her Jaw was clenched tightly and her stare unbroken as Ann approached. Ann's father just looked confused at her choice of outfit as his eyes swept over her in a cursory glance. Ann beamed widely as she ascended the stairs and greeted them all courteously but with no warmth in her words. "Did you forget the dress code for official functions?" Her father asked with a slight frown of
As their convoy of cars and moving vans rolled up the driveway, Ann's stomach twisted uncomfortably as her anxiety set in. Regardless of what her babies were doing to her insides, the effects that her heightened emotions were having on her far eclipsed any discomfort that her pups were causing. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm the anxiety that knotted her insides and made her heart ache painfully. As far as she knew, her father was still living within the palace and she still wasn't sure that she could forgive him for everything that she had been put through because of his choices. In the worst-case scenario, she could always extend the palace to encompass two main living areas so that she wouldn't have to deal with tolerating his presence. She didn't even want to think about how she would explain to her children that they couldn't ever meet the incredible woman that her mother was because her father had an affair, broke the mating bond, and allowed his mistress and
"Right, I think that's the last of them," Adam grinned as he jogged through the huge doors of the Enclave's entrance hall to where Ann was pacing restlessly and Bartholomew was watching with mild amusement. "Finally," Ann sighed as she rubbed her belly with a grimace, "At this point, all I want to do is get my home back to what it used to be." Adam leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ann's forehead. "Are they making things difficult for you?" He asked gently, rubbing her back. Ann reached for his hand with a scowl and placed it palm down on top of her belly and grimaced as another flurry of movement rippled under her skin and Adam blinked in surprise. "Are they fighting in there?!" He asked in shock. "With two stubborn Alpha's for parents, I wouldn't put it past them." Bartholomew chuckled as he made his way over to them, smiling kindly. Ann lifted her gaze and her face softened as she looked at the kindly face of the old man that had been there for them through so muc
When Coral had returned with the Omega that worked as a nanny to the nobles, the baby boy was handed over to her and she waddled off happily, cooing at the baby in her arms as it gurgled happily back up at her. Coral began to work through updating the schedule for Ann as she dictated, adding additional notes that she shared with Allen's device. He would see to their schedule tomorrow as he had several days worth of reports to hear from Adam as to what had happened within the businesses and the Dark Moon Pack while he was away. Lexi made her way back to her room with both Allen and Greyson following behind her. She paused outside her door and turned to them both with a smile. "Sorry to disappoint boys, but I don't feel like getting frisky right now. Quite honestly, I just want to soak all of this crap off me." They nodded at her as she looked at them thoughtfully. "We really should sit down and have a discussion about how this is going to work between us all, you know." she
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." Ann said a little breathlessly as she looked between Lexi, Allen and Greyson. Adam shared the same concerned expression as she did at the revelations that Eromaug would clearly stop at nothing to get his hands on Lexi. "You're absolutely sure that your father is willing to ally himself with us?" Ann asked as the baby in her arms began to stir and protest at the noise and unfamiliar surroundings it had found itself in. Lexi snorted loudly. "Of course he is. How could he not when his daughter is your right hand woman?" She winked. "We should put it to the council first." Adam said somberly as Lexi groaned loudly. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled at the opportunity," She muttered sarcastically as Ann laughed. "I think we should get hold of Bartholomew so that he can help us find a way to ‘tell' the council of our alliance, rather than ask for their permission." Ann mused thoughtfully, "He's pretty knowledgeable about who supports us,
Ann and Adam stood on the front steps of the Enclave, eagerly waiting for the return of both of their Beta's. Adam chuckled as Ann fidgeted with her hands and struggled to stand still, her gaze fixed on the curve of the driveway. "They'll be here soon, don't worry." He soothed, wrapping his arm around her as she nibbled on her bottom lip. "What if something happened though?" She worried as she rubbed her little bump in an act of self soothing. Adam's eyes glazed over slightly as he linked with Allen and then grinned down at his anxious wife. "Allen said stop worrying, it's not good for the baby. They'll be here in seconds." "But…" As promised, the front end of the transport pulled around the corner of the driveway and Ann let out a sigh of relief. "See, my Queen? Nothing to worry about." Adam chuckled as he watched them pull to a stop in front of them. As soon as the door opened and Lexi's head emerged, Ann broke away from Adam and bolted down the steps towards her.
Lexi knew that she was still conscious, but the pressure that engulfed her head, and the rigidity of her body teamed with the almost distant voices of protest from Allen and Greyson let her know that she had no control over what was happening right now. The initial black curtain that had descended was suddenly filled with hundreds upon hundreds of memories from her childhood, all played out in glorious technicolor and accompanied by sounds and smells that made her heart ache with familiarity and her breath catch in her chest. There was no way that she could catch each and every memory at once, but she could see it clearly. The bond that both she and Eromaug had shared at an early stage was filled with love and an intensity that she had known only with Allen and Greyson. By the time the images had begun to fade in her mind's eye and her vision returned, she was overwhelmed with emotions. As she sat there trembling, clasping her hands together tightly so that she wouldn't cry wit
Lord Brarthroroz guided Lexi over to one of the chairs around the table and gestured towards the flap of the tent. "Make sure no one enters for the time being, Steve." He said with an air of resignation to his voice as he took a seat next to his daughter. Steve nodded expressionlessly as he moved to the open flap, released the material to close it and ducked through to stand outside. "You two should sit as well," Lord Brathroroz advised as he gestured to the seats across from Lexi, "This isn't easy for me to talk about." He continued with a grunt. Greyson and Allen moved to comply and took their seats next to each other, both of them focused on Lexi. Lord Brarthroroz sighed as he turned back to his daughter and cupped her face fondly. "Before I start, I want you to understand that before your mother and I had you, neither of us realized just how deeply we could love and the desire to protect you from harm eclipsed everything else in our lives completely." He said gently a
It hadn't taken their force long to clear the halls and clean up the bodies that were left behind. The losses had been minimal on their part and considering the forces that they had thought they would be up against, their plans had meant that they had been far better equipped than the coven itself. The Coven had left very few prisoners alive, and the ones that were still breathing were in pretty bad shape. Lexi and the other healers and medics had done what they could but there was no growing back limbs…no matter how proficient of a shifter you were. Lord Brarthroroz had stationed huge numbers of his daemons within the winding passageways and caverns that the coven had previously inhabited and returned to the surface with his portalmancer Steve at his side. He strode angrily across the makeshift camp to the command tent and paused at the entrance, glancing across at the medical tent where Lexi had been working. Currently, she was cleaning her hands off as her mates watched
She stood and with one last look at the lifeless body below her, turned her attention to the chaos at the other side of the room. Narcissa had no problems keeping the attacks of the wolves at bay and Lexi could feel the emotions of the past few minutes bubbling wildly inside of her as she stormed towards her, her eyes blazing furiously. Her father was still making little headway against Eromaug, but she wasn't concerned about his survival, he was more than capable of taking care of himself against his bastard of a brother. Narcissa on the other hand…she had a lot to fucking answer for. Lexi strode through the fighters battling the twisted Daemons that had emerged from the shadows, throwing her magick lazily towards the monstrosities as she passed, a sneer curling at her lips as the shifters watched her in terrified awe. It wasn't long until Narcissa noticed her approach and her face split into a sneer that matched Lexi's as she swept her arm in front of her, knocking the ma