Rosette followed her mate through the woods to the circle. There wasn't any reason to tap into his mind right now. It was obvious just looking at him; he was seething mad. The source had been a member of his pack. All the destruction caused across the country had started on his home turf. Rage was radiating from him.
When they reached it, Kyle stopped her from stepping in the circle. Looking in, she saw Ethan and the others had built a simple wooden funeral pyre in the center. They were laying the body on it when they got there. At Kyle's command, they lit the kindling underneath and bolted back so they were outside the circle of stones.Kyle reached for her hand as he watched the scene before them."The body will release its energy when it starts to burn. The circle is meant to contain magic. We will be safe out here," he said in that level voice she'd come to dread.The kindling burned slowly, catching the larger pieces on fire. Suddenly the light hit the body,"She is cooperating, Alpha Luther, may she have some water?" Will asked.Kyle nodded, and a pitcher and glass appeared before them a moment later. Kyle poured a glass for Dee and gestured for her to take it. She hesitantly accepted the water and took a sip, seemingly reassured that it wasn't poisoned, she finished the entire glass."Thank you," she said, nodding to Kyle and then looking at Will.Will patted her back reassuringly and encouraged her to continue.Juniper had told Dee about a woman who had approached her with strange questions a year earlier. The woman knew Juniper lived with werewolves and was curious about their potential cooperation. Juniper had initially been intrigued, as the woman offered a substantial sum of money in exchange for a simple task from one of the boys.The woman had piqued Juniper's curiosity. Juniper had visited her home and confirmed she was a witch. Juniper, never one to resist a good heist, had later broken into the woman
Will grinned triumphantly and pulled Dee closer, kissing her forehead. She seemed a little taken aback by the gesture, but she didn't resist."I should go check on Juniper," Rosette told Kyle, "Sarah is good with human injuries, but only to a point.""Go," Kyle instructed, "come back to the security suite when you are done. I think this night is far from over.""I would like to come with you, ma'am," Dee said, rising from her chair. "I'd also like to see how Juniper is doing."Dee and Rosette headed quickly down the hall to where the infirmary was. It was an offshoot of the secure room, so it had much of the same protection. One of Sarah's assistants buzzed them in when they reached the door.They walked into the room Sarah directed them to. Juniper was laying in a bed surrounded by her brothers and Roel. They all looked concerned. Rosette took her time examining Juniper before talking to them.Juniper was resting, attached to a monitor on the wal
"You told me you would protect me," Dee said, pointing at Kyle, "you can't do that dead. You need to take a tactical approach to this. Force will only get you so far. They are prepared for force.""Odds are they know you are coming. They are probably waiting for you to bring your so-called army. They will cut you down in an instant," she ranted, her voice rising.The room had gone strangely quiet as the warriors tried to pretend they weren't watching and listening.Kyle growled and towered over Dee. "I will have you removed from my security center and placed downstairs if you can't control yourself. This is my territory you are in. I will protect it and I will protect you. The witches are not prepared for the full weight of my attack. We will destroy them before they are able to mount any resistance.""Kyle, just listen to her," Rosette argued softly. "What harm could more information do? Maybe there is a better way to do this. Perhaps charging in is a bad idea.
That was the most accurate way Rosette could have hoped for a human to describe it."Plan," Dee said, taking a curve much too fast, "we need a plan to make them stop. At least they need to pause before they hit the estate's security. Maybe if they see what's in front of them they'll stop."Dee laughed at her. She'd been on the fringes of society her entire life. She knew werewolves. According to her, they would only stop if the Alpha said stop."They'd run into my semi going full speed if the Alpha told them to," she said. "You're different. I don't know if it's because of your rank or what. You don't feel the pull to follow his lead like the others do. For them, the compulsion is non-negotiable.""Can you get us inside the house?" Rosette asked her. "Do you know enough about the security systems to shut some of them down before they get there?"Dee grinned at her and told her yes. She'd just avoided the security last night, but she was sure she could turn i
"You forced us to do this your way, mate," Kyle answered. "Of course we are here, but we are biding our time. Does Dee know where the back up generator is?"Rosette asked her, and she quietly told her downstairs on the other side of the house. She gave specific directions, and Kyle heard her through Rosette."Let us turn off the distribution system for the potion," Rosette told Kyle, "and then you can do whatever you want.""Be careful," Kyle warned. "If I get one hint something is wrong, we are coming in, whether it is off or not."Dee moved them into the security suite, and there were several armed men inside. They laughed when they saw two women walk in. Rosette dispatched two with the hunting knife rapidly, but the third got a shot off before she killed him.Rosette barred the door to the security suite as Dee started to press buttons on the panels in front of them.Outside the door, Rosette could hear the stamping of feet as the witches realized th
Dee got off Rosette's back, she collapsed to the ground, almost too weak to move. She wanted to curl up, lick her wounds, and sleep. Dee refused to let her crawl back into the undergrowth, which is what she wanted to do."Shift!" she screamed at her, and Rosette did, falling back to a human form.Dee lifted her into the passenger side of the truck and got in the driver's seat.Rosette saw her fiddle with the area under the steering wheel for a moment, and the truck roared to life. It struck her that she'd left the keys in her clothes, which she had torn off in the security room of the burning house."Damn it, damn it, damn it," Dee cursed, looking over at her, "you aren't dressed, and you're covered in blood. If we get pulled over, this is going to look so bad. This road is going to be crawling with cops pretty soon."She was right; Rosette had to keep her wits about her."There's got to be a blanket or something in the back," she said, turning to dig around behind their seats.The p
"He won't kill you," Rosette muttered, trying to make her mouth work. "He may chain you up in Will's bedroom for a while."It was funny to her, but apparently not to Dee. She started to load her weapon.Kyle stood in the middle of the road about twenty-five yards away. His arms were folded across his chest. Apparently, he had gone to the fight prepared, because he was dressed in a tight black t-shirt and black cargo pants. He even had black boots on. Kyle looked commanding.Rosette's brain felt hazy, and she focused inanely on his clothes. She was jealous of his outfit and wiggled her naked feet. Well, that's what she got for rushing in half-cocked. She lost her shoe privileges."I want shoes," she told Dee.Her eyes were huge, and she stared at Rosette, mouth agape. "What the fuck, man?" she asked rhetorically.Dee must have panicked because Rosette watched her shove the truck into reverse and hit the accelerator. The tires spun but they didn't go anywhere. Dee cursed again and hit t
"You were already injured when you ran from the house," Kyle surmised."Yes," Rosette said quietly.The pretty green scenery was lulling her to sleep."My men watched you run. You were so fast, none of them saw your injuries," Kyle said but kept his eyes on the road.The tiredness was back again, worse this time. Rosette just wanted to rest so badly. Her mate was close. She was safe. The animal in her desperately needed to curl up and sleep. The SUV was warm and comfortable. It felt like she was laying in a field drowsing on a lazy summer day."No," cut through her haze, and she was up again, woken from her weird peaceful dream. "Stay awake, Rosette, no sleeping right now."She whimpered in protest but stayed conscious. It was a relief when they finally pulled in front of the den. She was so glad to see home; perhaps she could sleep just a little bit now.The vehicle was barely stopped when Kyle jumped out. Rosette howled her displeasure at being moved again as Kyle pulled her from th
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