Malachi and I walk to the living area where Cypress and Paul are sitting, talking about tonight's mission. "Hey, you two," Paul says, motioning for us to have a seat. Malachi sits down, and of course, I jumped into his lap, causing him to grunt. "Don't complain, wolfman," I say, glaring at him. "Malachi, Chloe should not be a part of this mission," Cypress argues. "Hey, I am sitting right here, and I make my own decisions here. Malachi is my partner, not my boss," I tell Cypress, narrowing my eyes. "Chloe, this isn't a joke. Someone is after you," Cypress retorts. "Well, let them! I'm not some pathetic human anymore, Cypress I can take care of myself," I hiss standing from Malachi's lap, ready to smack him for still thinking so little of me. Malachi wraps his arm around me, forcing me to sit back on his lap. 'Changing into a wolf has worsened my temper. I'm so touchy.' I complain to myself, as Malachi’s touch calms me. "Chloe, you need to think about Paisley," Cypress says calmly.
I find myself under a large black wolf, dropping slobber on my face as it bares its teeth. I hold him back by gripping the inner corners of its mouth with my hands and I can hear Malachi shouting, but I can't make out what he is saying. I see him shift out of the corner of my eye and I close my eyes to take a deep breath when a familiar scent overwhelms me. Suddenly, I’m brought back to my childhood memories. My eyes widened with shock.Malachi is rushing to lunge at the black wolf and my heart stops. "MALACHI STOP!" I shout, looking into Malachi's eyes, shaking my head as tears flood my eyes. I look back to the wolf hovering over me and notice he’s no longer aggressive and starts to back away from me, looking stunned. I bring myself off the ground and slowly step to the black wolf, stopping only inches away. He lays down to be eye level with me, staring at me in disbelief. Malachi stays in his wolf form in case he needs to attack. I fall to my knees in front of the black wolf and gra
I step away from Malachi, staring into his eyes. "Screw them!" I declare, using the back of my hand to wipe the wetness off my face. I turn on my heels to walk inside. "Chloe?" Malachi calls, but I keep walking. I enter the house in search of Amelia and find her sitting at the island in the kitchen. She looks up from her phone and her brows draw together at the sight of me. "Chloe, your back. What happened? You look so pale," Amelia questions, searching my body for the loss of blood or some other sign of injury.Malachi comes rushing into the kitchen. "Chloe, you can't just walk away from the fact that your parents just showed up," He says, regretting it once he sees the color drain from Amelia's face. I turn around to face him, and everything gets blurry "I don't feel so well" I manage to get out before I collapse. Malachi rushed to me, catching me before I hit the floor.I wake up to the sun beaming down on my face. I cover my eyes with the back of my hand while rolling over to see i
I look between Malachi and Cypress, confused. "Who says they want to talk, but then run off?" I sigh, turning around to walk back inside when my mother mind links me. “Chloe, please meet me tonight, at the creek near the forest when the moon is at its highest,” she asks. I stop walking and look around, searching the area but can't spot her. “Fine,” I tell her in my head as I continue inside.I spend most of the day preparing things for the Aberdeen ball, calling catering companies, and setting up the decorations. I'm putting lights up around the dining hall rafters, standing on a ladder, when Eric the Omega comes in. I turn in his direction. "Hey Eric," I greet him then bring my focus back to the lights. Eric comes over to me with a smile. "Here, let me hold the ladder," He insists, putting one hand on the ladder then proceeds to place his other on my ass. I turn around so fast I almost lose my balance. "WHAT THE HELL ERIC!!" I growl, but before I can smack the shit out of him, Malachi
It seems like we’ve been laying there for hours before we finally decide to get up. Malachi gets dressed for a meeting, and even though we just had some great sex, seeing him in that suit is making me want round two. "How do you expect me to let you leave the house like that?" I whine, looking at him with an intense gaze of lust. Malachi smirks, He knows he’s sexy. "You know I only have eyes for you, Luna" He assures me, grabbing me around my waist and pulling me into his arms. "I know, and if another girl looks at you, they will end up like blondie," I admit with a smirk, smacking his toned butt. "Go get 'em, tiger! Oops, that's the wrong phrase," I laugh, covering my mouth like I'm innocent as I walk out of the room. "LUNA!!" Malachi yells, but I close the door and walk to Paisley's room.Malachi left for his meeting, and I'm finishing up Paisley's bath before I have to meet my mother. Paisley kicks her little feet in the water, slapping the bubbles and giggling. "You like that, don'
I come around the corner, running for the kitchen, not sure what to expect. I don't see anyone when I enter, but I find Amelia on the floor when I come around the island. I rush to her side and kneel beside her. "Oh my god, what happened?" I ask with an urgency in my voice, helping her sit up. "My water broke, and I slipped and fell," Amelia explains with heavy breaths. "Malachi, call an ambulance now!" I shout, and he pulls out his phone to dial. "Call Paul too," I tell him once he is off the phone with 911. "Paul is on his way, he said he would meet us at the hospital," Malachi says, coming to help me lift Amelia to her feet. Malachi lifts her and carries her to the front door as we hear the sirens.The ambulance pulls into the circular driveway and parks in front of the house. The paramedics step out quickly, coming to Amelia's aid. "How far apart are her contractions?" The paramedic asks, bringing his gaze to me, and his face goes white. "Um...wait. What are you doing here?" He stu
I stand in the hall, staring at Cordelia, unsure of how to feel. "Chloe, Sukie is not going to let you have your life without a price," She exclaims, pacing the hall. I grab her arm to stop her. "Cordelia, it will be fine. Malachi and I will figure this out. I'm alive right now and that is what’s important," I say, wrapping my arms around her. "You are Colette's daughter for sure. You have her fierce attitude and leadership," Cordelia claims, pulling back to look at my face. "How can we help my mother and father become human again? Do you know any witches?" I ask her with hope. "There is one person who kn
My brows draw together with confusion. "What?! Benjamin is not my father?" I ask in shock as I search her face to see if she is telling a lie, but her expression never changes so I know she isn’t lying. "Cypress is your biological father, Chloe. You have had wolf blood coursing through your veins this whole time, but since it was also half-human from your mother’s side, you don't always experience the change. Normally, that would have happened on your 18th birthday, but it obviously didn’t" Sukie explains, never breaking my eye contact.
As the sun sank below the horizon, casting an orange and pink glow across the sky, it was time for me to meet Lux for our border patrol. The crisp evening air filled my lungs as I walked towards our rendezvous point, determination coursing through my veins. This was my chance to prove myself, to show Lux what I was truly capable of. The moon hung low in the sky, like a giant silver coin, casting its ethereal light over the land. As I approached Lux, standing tall and confident in his black jeans and black sleeveless shirt, I felt a surge of adrenaline. This was it - my moment to shine on this important mission."Someone’s eager," I joked, stopping next to Lux, who was leaning against a tree and shaking his head before gazing out into the forest.Suddenly, a bone-chilling howl pierced the air, followed by the sound of snapping branches and thundering footsteps. Lux's eyes widened, his body tensing as he pushed off the tree. "Rogues," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.Without hes
It had been a couple of months since I was appointed as the first female alpha of Aberdeen. And, to put it lightly, my beta was causing me major headaches. He constantly ridiculed me and made it difficult for me to get him to do anything I needed. It didn’t help that his entire family supported him and resented the fact that I was now in charge.As I paced in my office, the weight of leadership pressed down on me like a physical force. Every decision I made felt scrutinized, every order questioned. I caught glimpses of whispered conversations that fell silent as I approached, saw the barely concealed sneers on faces that should have shown respect.My beta, Lux, was the worst of them all. Just yesterday, he'd openly challenged me during a pack meeting, his voice dripping with disdain as he questioned my strategy for expanding our territory. The memory of it made my blood boil, my inner wolf snarling for dominance.But beneath the anger, a seed of doubt took root. Was I truly fit to lea
My heart raced as the plane landed at Aberdeen airport, knowing that my mother's family would be waiting for us with disapproving glares the second we stepped onto Aberdeen territory. They resented her for leaving to become queen of the Lycans. Uncle Hunter, in particular, held a deep grudge against my dad for taking his sister away and leaving him to deal with pack responsibilities alongside our grandfather. He used to adore my father as a child, but as he grew older, his hate only intensified.After retrieving our baggage from the carousel, we walked towards the limousine waiting curbside at the airport. My parents were the first to enter, followed by my siblings Marcus and Ashton. I paused outside the car, taking in the gloomy sky above, thick with humidity - an uncommon sight in Aberdeen. Wolves were connected to the earth, so it was no surprise that even the elements seemed to mourn my grandparents' passing.“Zadie?” Dad poked his head out. “Come on.”I forcefully looked away from
Chapter 1 The Bad NewsYears had flown by since Ashton’s birth. Soon, he would come of age and take his rightful place as the Lycan king once our father stepped down from the throne. However, that seemed like a distant future; my brother was still young, and it was common for rulers to reign for centuries among Lycans. According to tradition, I was supposed to marry my father’s right-hand man, Theo, which worked well since we were already in a relationship. But deep inside, I knew I possessed powers meant for something greater than just being a wife and mother. Unfortunately, as a woman, I couldn’t rule the Lycans even though I was the oldest child; that honor would be bestowed upon Ashton with Marcus as his second-in-command.“Zadie?” Theo’s voice resonated from the hallway, and the door creaked open. He poked his head inside, trying to catch a glimpse of me.“Yes?” I glanced back at him in the doorway. “Your father called. He would like you to be at the palace. He stated it was urg
~Paisley~ My water broke, and the contractions were coming in fast. Zade carried me out of the packhouse, rushing toward the car, but I knew there was no time. The baby was coming now. “Zade, it can’t wait,” I urged. "The contractions are coming on strong,” I added, my features filled with fear for my unborn child. “Zade?” My mother called behind us. He turned. His grip was tight on me as he looked at my mother, with an expression that begged for help. He was terrified. “Bring her upstairs. I’ll prepare everything,” she said, gesturing for him to take me toward the main bedroom. There was no hesitation on his part; he rushed past all the guests into the house at the speed of light. He kicked the door open and laid me on the king-size bed and kneeled next to me, gripping my hand in his. “It will be okay, Pais,” He reassured me. My fingers felt along his jaw, and I smiled, but I knew it wouldn’t be okay. I could feel it deep down, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him, nor did I w
~Paisley~ Soft tears tread on the edge of falling down my cheeks as Asher's face appeared on the screen. In the background are the pictures of us displayed on the walls of his office. "Paisley, if you're watching this, I'm gone, but I couldn't let you think I stopped loving you. We had our problems but not once has my love for you faded. Sure, Zade was a tough competitor, but I knew you better than anyone. I guess that gave me the upper hand in at least the friend department," Asher paused while he glanced down before continuing. "I've done some things I'm not proud of, and I deeply regret them. I trusted someone over you, and that was a big mistake. I'm sorry," Asher looked back at the camera. "Maybe in a different life, we would have been able to live happily, but it just wasn't meant
Seven years ago ~ Zade ~ In the woods, I sat watching, waiting for a sign she was okay. Was she happy? It had been months since I last saw Pais. I woke up alone in a stranger's home with no recollection of what happened or who I was until one day, my memories of her came flooding back out of the blue. The urge to be with her was tough. I knew most likely she had moved on with her other mate, but a piece of me couldn't just let go. As I watch outside the Aberdeen packhouse, it's full of visitors. What was going on? I thought. Then like a slap in the face, I saw her in a white gown fit for a princess, and as she turned my way, as if she could sense me, her protruding belly came into view, and I knew right then I couldn't disrupt her life. I spent the next year like a creeper, stalking the woods outside Paisley's house in Cody. I watched Paisley turn from a young girl t
~Paisley~At an appointment for the baby, I sat waiting for the doctor while Zade looked at me in awe. It was a bit awkward. "What weirdo?" I said, laughing.His smirk that could make any girl swoon appeared, making my lady parts ache. "Nothing, baby mama," Zade lifted a brow.Lately, I have been a total horn dog. I mean, Zade and I haven't slept together since that night, but these hormones made me want to jump him right in the doctor's office.I swallowed, biting my lower lip while my eyes racked over his well-structured frame. He looked so good in his black jeans and grey t-shirt. His tatted arms were visible for my eyes to drool over. I mean, what's the use of having a Lycan mate if you couldn't have wet dreams about him?"Pais, you alright?" Zade used his thumb to motion to wipe the corner of my mouth. "You got some drool hanging," He laughed, and I sent him an icy glare.It always pissed me off when he caught me
MONTHS BEFORE...~Asher~It's late. I'm still at the office after a council meeting with the elders when my phone rings. "Yes?" I answered."I'm not a patient man, Asher," Nico's voice echoed in my ear. "Why don't I have my bride?"Aggravated, I sighed heavily. "I made the deal because you told me Zade was still alive and that Paisley was sneaking around on me with him. You lied.""I see you have resources," Nico laughed. "But that does not break the deal. We shook on it, and I take that very seriously," he claimed, a bit of frustration in his tone.My fist clenched, if Nico was present I’d sucker punch him square in the jaw. "Screw you! Deals off!" I growled, ending the call, then tossed the phone on my desk.I knew that was a stupid thing to do, but I was tired of Nico controlling our lives and manipulating everyone I love.I grabbed my things and headed