Rosette moved quietly through the brush, her senses heightened. She spotted Emily, the sweet young kitchen girl, tied and motionless on the ground. Emily was naked, her body marred by multiple cuts, her face bruised and battered. Two wolf men stalked around her, circling like predators sizing up their prey.
Rosette screamed for Kyle in her mind, focusing intently on the scene before her. She prayed he could hear her in this wolf form, hoping their bond still held. A single word echoed back to her, as if whispered from a distance, "Run."
She assessed the carnage before her, recognizing the wolves. They were the last of the renegades, the ones who had captured her twice, likely responsible for her near poisoning. Now they were harming a member of her pack. She wouldn't run.
She wouldn't be foolish either. She would use stealth, but then the wind shifted. Two heads popped up, turning to stare at her. Her white fur offered little camouflage without snow.
She
To appease Kyle, Rosette tried to stay as the wolf, but the frustration of working knots with her teeth was immense. Quite suddenly, her human hands reached forward to undo the knots, and she found herself kneeling beside Emily. She hadn't really meant to shift, but it had happened.Emily was soon unbound and rolled over, leaving a bloody mess on the ground where she had been lying. Rosette was horrified by the look of her front, bitten and bruised.Her hands grew claws, and she felt herself shift back to the wolf woman. It was based on pure anger and adrenaline. She rose up on her legs and howled her frustration over the hills. She was mine to protect. A female in her pack, the evil doers had gotten off too easy.As she knelt back down, she saw two terrified brown eyes staring up at her. She didn't know if she could talk in this form. It seemed it would be difficult with the muzzle, but she had seen Kyle do it. At first, she tried to speak, but she couldn't quite manage it; the words
Rosette wasn't entirely wolf, though. Her human side had witnessed abused women do things to appease their abusers. Emily had made a mistake and tried to atone for it. Forgiveness was still an option.The wolf didn't understand forgiveness. Rosette felt her melt into her mind, trying to wrap her brain around the concept. It was human logic, based on the complicated inner workings of a human society. The wolf sifted through Rosette's understanding of the werewolf pack. Forgiveness wouldn't be an alien concept to them; it might even be acceptable.Emily was weak, allowances could be made for her frailty. The wild side of Rosette relented. This girl was no threat, and killing her wouldn't be satisfying.Rosette rubbed her hands on her face. Now she just had to convince Kyle. Emily had made a foolish choice, but she tried to pay for it. That should carry some weight."Get up, we're going back to the den."She motioned for Emily to get up and walk."Madam Alpha, my punishment...""I forgiv
"Don't you ever get tired of having to say that, love?" he asked, his voice laced with anger."Don't you ever get tired of bossing me around?" Rosette retorted, the words escaping her lips before she could stop them."We will talk when I get back," he answered curtly, ending the conversation.Rosette chose to ignore him and focus on her leisurely run. She could sense the pack running behind her, but the forest felt like her own. The stars and moon shone above, and the woods were alive around her. It felt wonderful. Too soon, she saw the looming structure of the den come into view.Concentrating hard, Rosette fell gracelessly back into human form as she saw her friends standing outside the den. She wanted to tell them she was alright and apologize for ditching them."Rosette," Katrina cried, approaching her. She looked a wreck. Shana was right behind her and didn't look much better. As Rosette threw her arms around them, she realized they were both sobbing."What's wrong? Did something
"There were extenuating circumstances," Rosette said, watching him warily. "I forgave her.""Was it your place to offer that?" he asked, crossing his arms across his broad chest. Rosette lost her train of thought watching him."Well?" he asked."Yes," she answered confidently. "I am the female Alpha. It was my place to offer her forgiveness."He slowly came at her and wrapped her in his arms. There was no protest she could offer that would sound sincere. She needed him. Shaking her head, she tried to clear it. This conversation wasn't over yet."It was my place to decide her fate. Do you agree or not?" she asked him, trying to sound firm.He nuzzled into her hair and ran his hands down her back to knead her buttocks."Maybe," he answered. "Convince me.""How do you want to be convinced?" she asked, running her hands over his skin. He was steel covered in silk. She growled her appreciation at the texture of him."You, my little love, will submit to my mastery until I say otherwise," he
"You haven't learned to filter your thoughts yet. When she told you in the forest she had been the one to put the poison in our rooms, you opened a connection to me. I heard it all, your internal argument and her admission. I didn't tell you I knew because I was curious to see how you would handle me.""Dishonesty is not a very alluring trait, mate," Rosette retorted, poking him in the chest."Neither is not trusting me," he said, reaching for an exposed pink nipple. Rosette jumped out of his way. There was no way she would be talking to him if he started to touch her."Why is she coming to talk to me?" she asked instead as he stalked her toward their bedroom."You said yourself you've seen abused humans, and Emily struck you as the same. We don't really have that problem here. No one else is going to know what to do with her."He continued to speak and follow her as she coyly avoided him. "You don't have to worry about how the rest of the pack will treat her. Our forgiveness is absol
Compared to Kyle, Rosette was weaker and less experienced. He was powerful, of course, but that wasn't his primary weapon. He plotted, exploited, and anticipated. He had seen every move she had, in any combination she tried to use them, and his energy for this game was boundless.'I'm not as good at this as you are,' she finally called out to him, standing still for what seemed the first time in hours.'If the renegade wolves,' he said, walking in front of her as the large black wolf, 'were more in number or had paid attention to the training I offered, you could have been hurt. I teach the smaller, weaker wolves to fight together and to fight dirty. Your instincts are good, you are fast, and you have good stamina; however, your moves lack sophistication. You haven't learned to anticipate your opponent's tactics or developed any sense of strategy.'It was a harsh statement, but it was the truth. This reminded her of all the rigorous attending physicians she'd co
Rosette directed Roel across from her in front of the crackling fire, inviting him to speak. To make him feel welcome, she had the kitchen bring up a tray laden with snacks. Roel spotted the tray immediately and pulled the entire thing onto his lap. Rosette sat across from him, amused by his behavior."Kyle," she called to him mentally, "Roel is eating the snacks, all of them!" She laughed inwardly and showed Kyle the image."Do not move," Kyle ordered. "Roel is still more feral than I realized. If he thinks you are trying to take his food, it may inflame his beast."Rosette felt Kyle come to stand beside her as she heard his voice in her head. He stood casually by her chair and didn't move a muscle. She followed his lead and just sat quietly until all the food was gone.Roel let out a little burp and placed the tray back on the table. He seemed to notice them suddenly and remember where he was."Pardon me, my Alphas, I apologize for my behavior. H
"You've lost me," Rosette answered him, confused. "I have a day planner on my PDA. I take notes at meetings. Why do I need someone to do this?""Something is stressing you, and you're sleepwalking because of it. This might help. Also, it's the perfect job for a wolf that needs constant reassurance about who she is serving," Kyle said, grinning."It's the perfect job for a wolf like that," Rosette agreed grudgingly.She hated the idea of giving up the mechanics of her day to someone else. She wanted to do those things herself. From what Roel had said, it made sense to do this. Emily would be busy all day serving her Alphas and the pack. Hopefully, it would break her of her depression.Rosette rose to go find her phone and then turned. "I'll go call her, and shouldn't you be calling Ethan? By the way, why are you working out with Roel now?""Roel was slated to become one of the pack's warriors when he was shipped off. My father used to talk about his
other girls slowly came to after Dee. April woke next, stretching like a cat, despite the pole lodged between her thighs. Juniper woke up last. She winced, moving her leg, and Rosette was concerned. "Where does it hurt?" Rosette asked her, touching over her previously injured leg. "My thigh, Luna," she said, pointing. "It's not the break. I think it's just a cramp." Lucas reached down with his big hands and started to massage the area she had gestured to. Once the area loosened, he sat her up like the other girls. All three sat facing out with their legs spread over their mates. The men whispered soothing words in their women's ears. All except Will, who kept telling his mate to stop twisting on his lap. 'Mate,' Kyle sent into Rosette's mind, 'we must greet Dee first and then the other two girls. Once we are done, the pack will go, but not before.' Rosette shifted the form of the wolf and approached Dee. She was being held with an arm across her chest by Will. Rosette approached
"Dom," Marybella chastised, "that is so inappropriate." At least the conversation had distracted Marybella from being afraid. Down in the circle, Will had finally moved between his mate's thighs. He knelt down and spread her lower lips wide with his fingers. He took one lick up her slit, and she moaned loudly. A second lick, and her legs were quivering on either side of his head. Will stood up briskly and stepped so he stood between her knees. He leaned over her body and spoke into her ear. Rosette saw her hand drift between her legs, but Will stopped her and spoke sharply. "No mate, you must come around my cock. The other girls are not ready. You cannot touch yourself, or this will start much too quickly," he said, probably louder than he meant to. "Bet she's got a hair trigger," Dominick laughed, and Kyle joined him. Two new figures settled in the grass beside them, and Rosette recognized the scent. Ethan and Shana had joined them. "I saw them in the gym when Dee finished tra
April is going to do it," Marybella pleaded, pointing. "I'm strong enough. I can do this too." "You are a fighter and a survivor," Dominick told her, "but no." "I love you, Dom," she said, looking at her friends and searching for one of them to support her. "I know it means a lot to do this in the circle. We can get through this together." "It's just a ceremony, Marybella, and it's not necessary for me," Dominick stated. Rosette was unsure of the situation. In her efforts to become a better Luna, she had been spending less time in the infirmary. If Marybella was facing difficulties, she was unaware. "Dominick," Rosette said. "Tell me why you are so opposed to this." Rosette had to admit, Dominick seemed annoyed by her question. He probably thought she was going to try to force him to participate in the ceremony with Marybella. However, the opposite was true; she wasn't sure it was a good idea for any of their human companions who had experienced trauma. A public changing ceremo
Rosette sat with Kyle in a pack meeting, reflecting on the past couple of weeks. It had taken her a long time, but she was finally embracing her role as Luna. Meetings were a routine part of her responsibilities, so she attended them diligently. When necessary, she knew when and how to administer punishment. Overall, she was becoming more adept at this way of life. Despite the adjustments, life remained chaotic. Rick and April had just returned from visiting the rescued humans in every pack. The reports they brought back indicated a significant positive impact. Juniper had completed Roel's healing process, and there was no longer any trace of the loner he had once been. She refused to let him dwell on the past and kept him busy by keeping up with her. They had become dynamic and active members of the pack. Marybella had returned to her profession of forensic accounting, but with a twist. The pack accumulated a substantial amount of wealth and held onto it for too long. It needed to
didn't seem possible. Marybella was soft with generous curves. She didn't seem like a rough and tumble type of girl. Tracking was grueling work and only attracted the toughest in the pack. Rosette would have thought the same for the human equivalent."I am...I mean I was a forensic accountant," she told Dom, pushing her glasses up her nose slightly. "People try to hide their money, it was my job to know where it went. I was the best in my department."Dom took her hand and led her to a small sofa off to the side. "Tell me how you did that," he said, very interested.Luckily, the rest of the afternoon was boring. Rosette didn't think she could stand another scene like Dom nearly caused. When the meeting was over, she was thrilled.Walking with Kyle toward the circle later that night, Rosette spoke to him about new concerns she'd realized.'Cedric's pack members were picking on Rick. It's not safe to send him around, they may try to hurt him,' she sent to Kyle thr
"If you're good," he whispered when she stopped for a breath, "I'll give you back the knife I took from your room."That did it. Marybella lashed out at his larger frame, seeking to drag her nails down his cheeks. Chuckling, Dom quickly restrained her arms behind her back and hauled her body against his in one swift motion.The Betas in the room started to close in, and Rosette waved them off. Dom's reputation was as a lethal fighter. To try to take Marybella from him would lead to a giant brawl. She wanted this done peacefully.Dom's eyes never left the face of the woman he held. He seemed oblivious to the commotion he was causing in the room as he spoke to her."When I heard about the unfortunate death, I feared for your safety, sweet. I removed anything from your room that could be harmful," he said softly."You had no right," she said, struggling against him and pressing her chest into his. "It is mine, for my protection. I can't sleep without it.""You s
The Betas who had witnessed the scene remained motionless, simply staring at Rosette. She politely excused herself and calmly walked out of the room.Kyle and Cedric were watching from one side as the Beta dusted himself off. His eyes glowed fiercely as he stood up. The wall behind him was destroyed, the small decorative table he'd landed on demolished. He eyed Rosette warily.Rosette came to a stop in front of him and addressed him as coolly as she could. "I believe we have a difference of opinion. How far you would like to take this difference of opinion is up to you."The man straightened his outfit and bowed his head slightly to her. "Luna, I apologize if I offended you. I will watch my tongue when talking with your pack in the future.""Lovely," Rosette said, turning to Cedric and Kyle. "Cedric, please educate your pack members. I don't tolerate disrespect in my home, and I'd hate to have to replace any more wallboard."Kyle looked at Rosette appreciatively. They'd have to talk a
Rosette smiled, her eyes sparkling as she read the new social security card and driver's license Kyle had pulled from his desk. "Rosette Anne Luther?" she questioned.Of course, he'd changed her name to match his."I believe," Kyle explained, "that it is appropriate in human society for the woman to take her mate's name. I'm sorry you can't keep your own name in the middle as women usually do. It would be too obvious.""Thank you, Kyle," Rosette said, hugging him tightly. She kissed his mouth tenderly, holding his jaw."You taste like candy," he marveled, dipping down to capture her lips again. "I like it."They curled up in the bed, cuddling for the afternoon. Feeling guilty about simply lying in bed with her mate, Rosette offered him sex, but he declined."This is not about me wanting to bed you," Kyle whispered into her ear. "This is about comfort. While your presence arouses me, your sadness sobers it. Let us just be here together for a little while."As they lay there, Rosette ta
One woman had been pacing quietly by the window; Rosette feared she would jump if the window was open. Kyle told her the Betas outside the door would not let her get that far. If they heard it open, they would enter, or Rick would stop her."Are vampires real?" she asked quietly."Does it matter?" Rick asked. "Did you know about werewolves? In five minutes, won't another mythical creature permeate your senses, and you will be terrified of that one? I beg you to accept your lives have changed. The only way to deal with it is to stay with us; we can help you, protect you, and guide you."It continued for hours. The women went round and round with Rick until they each came to the same conclusion. They were not the same; their worlds had changed, and they could never go back to the way it was.The women sat around the room in huddled piles. Some clung to each other; some sat by themselves. Rick circulated the room and touched each of them. When none of them recoiled from him, he went to t