Rider Two days have passed since we brought Sophia home. She slept straight for the first twenty-four hours and then spent the next day alone in her room. I gave her space even though it killed me because I knew she needed it. After all, she had been through a lot, and I was probably the last person she wanted to see. When we found Sophia in the vampire’s castle, everyone hugged her but me. I wanted to so badly, but I wasn’t sure if it would upset her, and that was the last thing I wanted to do, so I played it safe and kept my distance. I did a lot of thinking over the past two days, but still felt just as confused as before. Why did everything have to be so complicated? I knew I cared deeply for Sophia, but was that enough for things to work between us? So many obstacles kept us apart, and I struggled to wrap my head around how to make things work between us. The one thing I realized was that Sophia wasn’t the problem; I was. Since finding out she was my mate, all
Rider A week had passed since Sophia went home, and I was just as devastated as the day she left. I missed her more than I could have ever imagined and fought the urge to go to her daily—the things I would give for a chance to go back in time and fix my mistakes. Hell, at this point, I would prefer we went back to when she hated me, but not because I hurt her. The knowledge that I caused her emotional pain was the part that was eating me alive; I never meant for that to happen. I thought about begging her to take me back, but I knew she wouldn’t. Maybe she could have forgiven some of my mistakes, but the one I knew sealed my fate was when I made her feel like she wasn’t good enough for me. It wasn’t what I meant to do, but I could see it now that I was looking at things from her perspective. That was the worst thing I could have done to someone I cared about. I didn’t try contacting her because of what she said to me that day. “If you care about me at all, Rider, you’ll r
Sophia Today was my nineteenth birthday. Instead of celebrating, I locked myself away in my room, drinking straight from a bottle of wine at barely ten in the morning. Now that I was nineteen and the mate bond snapped into place, I missed Rider even more than before. Which I honestly didn’t think was possible. I wasn’t one to cry often, but I had been bawling my eyes out ever since the strike of midnight when I officially turned nineteen. All my emotions were heightened thanks to the mate bond, and it was as if I had no control over the tears spilling from my eyes. I hadn’t looked in the mirror yet, but I could only imagine it must not be a pretty sight with my blood-shot eyes and puffy cheeks. Not to mention the black circles around my eyes from the lack of sleep lately. Rider still hadn’t contacted me since I left his territory. I knew I should be relieved that he hadn’t, but the more time that passed, the more it hurt. It almost felt like another rejection, even th
Rider 6 Months Later Six long months passed, and my heart still ached from the rejection. My mother said that whatever I felt now had nothing to do with the mate bond. When Sophia accepted the rejection, the pain from our bond would have faded over a few weeks, and that meant that whatever I felt now was real. I already knew I had real feelings for Sophia, so what my mother said didn’t surprise me. I just wished I had figured out how much I cared for her before it was too late. It was almost comical how much things had changed in such a short period. Everything I once thought was important to me no longer was. I didn’t care about the alpha title or my position in the pack anymore. It just wasn’t the same without my mate by my side. I kept myself busy on the training field most days, so I wouldn’t obsess over everything that happened. I still did sometimes, but not nearly as much as I would if I didn’t distract myself. Today, I spent almost four hours on the traini
Sophia What the hell was Rider thinking, giving up the alpha title? Had he lost his damn mind? I remembered our argument clearly. It all started when he told me it was my responsibility to give up my pack and title to be his luna. He refused to give up his pack and position even though he had a brother who could take over. So many emotions were swirling through me as I made the two-hour drive from my territory to his. I was angry because none of this made sense to me, but above that, I was curious. Why did he do it? He must have had a reason for making such a drastic decision, and I wanted to know what it was. I deserved at least that. I was also confused as to why Rory wanted me to go to the training field at three in the afternoon. What did that have to do with anything? The closer I got to the High Mountain Pack, the more nervous I felt. I hadn’t seen or heard from Rider in almost seven months, and I would be lying if I said that the thought of being face-to-face w
Sophia I didn’t know what to think anymore. Confronting Rider didn’t go at all how I expected it to go. He poured his heart out to me. Hell, he even said he loved me. Out of everything he said, those words were the ones that stuck with me the most. Rider and I no longer shared a bond, so he had no reason to say what he said unless he truly meant it. Did he? That question scared me because I wasn’t sure I could handle having my heart broken again. It hurt so bad after the rejection, and I hated how vulnerable it made me feel. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let anyone hurt me like that again. But yet, could I live with myself if I didn’t give him a chance to prove himself to me? The entire drive back was spent white-knuckling the steering wheel and trying not to crash the car while my brain worked overtime, processing everything Rider had said. Maybe he wouldn’t come after me, and all this worrying would be for nothing. Who was I kidding? I already knew he would. When I
Rider I couldn’t be happier after seeing Sophia again. I thought I had lost her forever after the rejection, but it looked like I might get a second chance to prove myself to her. I didn’t take that lightly and was ready to do whatever it took to win her back. I fucking loved the woman and couldn’t wait to show her just how much. The minute Sophia had left me on the field, I practically ran back to the packhouse, searching for Maribel. I wanted to save time and figured she would be the fastest way to get to Sophia’s territory. Maribel, the little witch that she was, made me grovel for her help. She wouldn’t open a portal until I told her she was the best sister-in-law in the whole wide world and the most powerful witch I had ever met. The woman was almost as infuriating as my brother and mischievous as fuck. I knew I had a few hours before Sophia returned to her packhouse, so I took that time to find her parents and talk to them. I wasn’t expecting it to be an easy co
Sophia We arrived at the lake on the western edge of my territory just before eleven. I knew where Rider was taking me the minute we left the packhouse and started walking west. It was where Conrad, Emma, and I always used to go camping when we were younger, and even Rory joined us a few times when he visited. Rider got to work on setting up the tent while I got the rest of our camp set up. There wasn’t much to do, but I cleared an area for a campfire and unloaded our backpacks. Once done, I glanced at Rider, who was cursing like a trucker, struggling with the tent. “Hey, you need some help?” I offered. “Nah, I think I got it now. Why don’t you hop in the lake, and I’ll join you in a few minutes,” Rider replied with a smile, but I could see right through it. He was getting frustrated with the tent and, by the looks of things, had not made any real progress. I held back a chuckle as I watched the stubborn man trying to figure out how to set it up. It looked like he woul
Sophia Fifteen Years Later The first five years as king and queen were challenging. Rider and I spent most of that time figuring out our new roles while everyone else adjusted to our leadership. No one outright challenged us, but we were forced to use our aura to bring people to their knees occasionally. I didn’t like doing it, but it was a necessary display of dominance to gain full compliance, and it worked. Since then, things have been much more manageable. We’ve earned respect and loyalty from our people by keeping the peace in our kingdom and bringing the packs closer together. We’ve even formed a close alliance with the vampires thanks to my cousin Jonah and his queen, Dawn. Now, if ever there was a threat against our kingdom, we had all the support we would need. Rider and I still had our battles, but they were fewer and farther between since we’d learned to communicate better. The Moon Goddess was right. I would have never succeeded in this role if it were
Sophia The week flew by in a flash. It felt like just yesterday when Rider and I marked each other, and here we were, getting ready for our crowning ceremony. We traveled to the royal palace for the first time since discovering that it would be our new home. The council had been busy renovating it over the past week in preparation for our arrival. They said it wouldn’t be completely ready yet, but it would be livable while they finished the last few details. The palace was jaw-droppingly beautiful, straight out of a fairytale. The building was at least triple the size of my old packhouse, and you could tell money was not an issue when it was built. Everything looked expensive and hand-crafted. The building had a Venetian feel, with rounded stone window frames and entryways. The floors were expensive marble, and the ceiling had intricate carvings in the stone. The entire place looked like a work of art. When I first stepped foot inside, I felt like an imposter that didn’t belong
Sophia I should have gone straight to find Rider after I left my parents, and that was where I was heading until I remembered our earlier conversation. Rider had said, “If you’re not back in here within the hour, I’m hunting you down.” A mischievous smile tugged at my lips. When did I ever listen to commands? OK, maybe when he brought me to the edge of an intense orgasm, I might be a little more compliant, but right now, I wanted to make him work for it a little. So instead of heading for our room, I headed to Emma’s. I hadn’t had a chance to hang out with her much since Rider arrived, so I was actually looking forward to catching up with her while Rider lost his marbles searching for me. Hell, we went seven months without sex. What would a few hours hurt? When I reached Emma’s door, I knocked. I heard a bunch of commotion inside the room before the door finally opened a crack, and Emma stuck her head out. My eyebrows shot up when I took in her disheveled state. Her hai
Sophia Dream I was sitting at the edge of the dock with my feet dangling in the water, wearing my sleeping shorts and white tank top. How did I get here? The water was cold, but there was a warm breeze, and the sun shone above me. This was the same lake Rider and I camped at, but I was alone. I was drawn from my thoughts when a presence behind me caused the hairs at the back of my neck to stand up. I glanced over my shoulder only to be blinded by a bright light. My hands lifted, shielding my eyes while they adjusted to the brightness. The light faded, and I gasped in surprise at the woman who appeared and started walking toward me. She was breathtaking, with long silver hair, bright blue eyes, and the smoothest skin I had ever seen. She looked no older than thirty and wore a long, silky white dress. The woman smiled at me, stepping onto the dock. “May I sit with you, Sophia?” she asked, her voice serene. How did she know my name? A glowing light surrounded her, b
Sophia After the initial shock wore off from finding the crowns above our marks, Rider proceeded to fuck me three more times throughout the night. The guy was an insatiable beast, and I loved every minute of it. He was currently fast asleep next to me while I lay wide awake. My mind was a jumbled mess, thinking about the mark on my neck and what that meant. I remembered my conversations with Darius and Dawn, but at the time, I thought they were nuts when they claimed I was a true queen. I needed to speak with my parents and see if they could shed some light on everything. I gently lifted Rider’s arm around my waist before wiggling out from his grasp and climbing out of bed. It was six-thirty a.m. on Saturday, so there was no warrior training today, but I knew my parents would be up anyway. They liked getting up before the pack and having a quiet breakfast together. I tiptoed into the walk-in closet and slipped on black leggings and an oversized blue off-the-should
Sophia When the kitchen staff brought out our dinner, I nearly died laughing. The chef had made Al pastor pork tacos for me with fresh pineapple salsa and a drizzle of chipotle crema. And for Rider, he made chicken Alfredo. When I looked at Rider with a brow raised and an amused smile on my face, he simply shrugged like it was all just a fluke. The kitchen staff also brought out a bottle of prosecco and two flutes before leaving us alone in the small dining room. The room was usually only used when we had important visitors and wanted a quiet, more intimate evening. It was small, with a ten-person rectangular wooden table in the middle surrounded by dark grey upholstered chairs. Rider was sitting on the end of the table with me by his side. “Mmmm… these are so good,” I moaned, taking a bite from one of my tacos. “Not as good as this creamy, garlicky goodness,” he argued, spinning a decent amount of the fettuccini onto his fork before shoving it into his mouth.
Sophia What a week. It all started with our camping trip, but it only got better from there. Rider and I have spent almost every minute together. My father wasn’t lying when he said he cleared my schedule. Whenever I tried to get a little work done, I was scolded and sent on my way. I couldn’t be mad, though, because I had the best time of my life. I didn’t even recognize Rider anymore. Instead of the uptight, domineering man I grew up knowing, he seemed stress-free and even playful. His need for control was still present, but I didn’t mind that. I even enjoyed it at times. He’d slept in my bed every night, but as he promised on our camping trip, other than a few passionate kisses, he hadn’t gone further. We just cuddled and tortured ourselves with the sexual tension building between us. Rider hadn’t pressured me at all about us, and I was appreciative of that. I liked this new version of him, but was this just because we were on some stress-free vacation? Now that I had a
Sophia We arrived at the lake on the western edge of my territory just before eleven. I knew where Rider was taking me the minute we left the packhouse and started walking west. It was where Conrad, Emma, and I always used to go camping when we were younger, and even Rory joined us a few times when he visited. Rider got to work on setting up the tent while I got the rest of our camp set up. There wasn’t much to do, but I cleared an area for a campfire and unloaded our backpacks. Once done, I glanced at Rider, who was cursing like a trucker, struggling with the tent. “Hey, you need some help?” I offered. “Nah, I think I got it now. Why don’t you hop in the lake, and I’ll join you in a few minutes,” Rider replied with a smile, but I could see right through it. He was getting frustrated with the tent and, by the looks of things, had not made any real progress. I held back a chuckle as I watched the stubborn man trying to figure out how to set it up. It looked like he woul
Rider I couldn’t be happier after seeing Sophia again. I thought I had lost her forever after the rejection, but it looked like I might get a second chance to prove myself to her. I didn’t take that lightly and was ready to do whatever it took to win her back. I fucking loved the woman and couldn’t wait to show her just how much. The minute Sophia had left me on the field, I practically ran back to the packhouse, searching for Maribel. I wanted to save time and figured she would be the fastest way to get to Sophia’s territory. Maribel, the little witch that she was, made me grovel for her help. She wouldn’t open a portal until I told her she was the best sister-in-law in the whole wide world and the most powerful witch I had ever met. The woman was almost as infuriating as my brother and mischievous as fuck. I knew I had a few hours before Sophia returned to her packhouse, so I took that time to find her parents and talk to them. I wasn’t expecting it to be an easy co