Rider I was furious. How fucking dare those rogues cross onto my territory while I was in the middle of spending quality time with Sophia. I was going to slaughter them all for disturbing us. I just hoped I could get there before they hurt any of my men. One of the border patrol warriors had linked me that at least five of them had crossed onto our territory. He reported that it looked like they were chasing something or someone. As soon as I made it outside of the packhouse, I stripped out of my shorts and shifted into my wolf. I took off in a full sprint toward the northern border. Matty and Rory had mind-linked me that they were also on their way. I heard Sophia’s paws hitting the ground behind me. As much as I wanted to tell her to stay behind and not come, I knew that was a losing battle so I didn’t even try. I would just have to stay close to her and ensure none of those blood-sucker hybrids got anywhere near her. I pushed my legs as hard as I could. There had bee
Sophia When Rider and I arrived at the northern border, the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was familiar and alluring. My wolf was hellbent on finding the source of it. Once we did, Malia froze in shock. It was Cole. He was lying in the tall grass, unconscious and injured. As soon as my wolf found him, it was like she completely forgot about everything else that was going on around us, including the fight. All she was focused on was him. She whimpered when she saw how severe his injuries were and wouldn’t leave his side. I asked her what was wrong, but she couldn’t answer; she just kept telling me she needed to protect him. I also felt something when I saw it was him, but I figured it was because we had missed him for all these years. Cole was like a brother to me growing up. Malia finally did snap out of her shocked state when Rider saved our ass from one of those hybrids. We had been so distracted that we let our guard down, and it could have cost us our
Sophia My wolf didn’t give me much more to work with. She still couldn’t tell me why she acted the way she did. I was hoping to have more answers before talking to Rider, but unfortunately, I did not. He sent Rory to the hospital to fetch me. Rory said that Rider was waiting in his office and expected me there immediately. As much as I wasn’t ready for this conversation, I knew there was no point in stalling it. He needed to know what happened with my wolf. I was hoping he had calmed down a bit so we could have a civil discussion, but something in my gut was telling me that wouldn’t happen. I left Conrad with Cole as I headed to the packhouse. Conrad wanted to come with me since he was worried about Rider’s behavior earlier, but I told him no. Even if I was nervous, I was better off doing this alone. I knew if he came with me, it would only irritate Rider further, and that was exactly what I wanted to avoid. I also needed to contact my parents and let them know what happ
Sophia It had been almost two days since Cole showed up. He was still in a coma, but the doctor said his healing had sped up, and he should be waking up soon. I'd spent most of my time by his side since my wolf was still acting weird. She wouldn’t let me be away from him for longer than a couple of hours, and whenever someone showed up at the hospital, she would get protective over him. It was starting to get annoying. I hadn’t seen much of Rider lately. Rory told me he was avoiding the hospital. He was worried that if he saw me with Cole, his wolf would lose it. It was probably for the best; I knew Rider would take any opportunity he got to lock Cole up in the dungeon and I was hoping to avoid it if possible. I called my parents to let them know about Cole and their reaction surprised me. I thought they would be happy to hear the news, but instead, my father was suspicious. He didn’t trust Cole, and his thoughts were the same as Rider’s, that it was too big of a coinci
Rider The doctor called and informed me that Cole had woken up, so I headed to the hospital with Rory and Matty to question him. I was curious to hear what he had to say and was ready to lock him up the minute he gave me a reason to. Something in my gut said he was still working for the enemy. Maybe it was just wishful thinking after the way Sophia acted with him, but either way, one thing was for sure. I didn’t trust the guy one bit. I hated that she was ready to go against me to protect him. She wasn’t thinking straight, and after my last conversation with her, I could tell she was confused about everything. What gave me hope was how she acted when my wolf took control and kissed her. There was no doubt in my mind that she was still attracted to me. Not only did she kiss me back, but she quickly forgot all about Cole and melted in my arms. She even told me she was mine, albeit she was a little consumed by lust at the time and probably would have said whatever I wanted her t
Sophia Today, the doctor cleared Cole and he was released from the hospital. Rider wanted him moved to a small room on the first floor of the packhouse. The room he picked was more of a closet than anything. It was tiny and had nothing in it, not even a bed. It was basically a small step up from the dungeon, and I wasn’t happy about that. Cole might have been released from the hospital, but he still wasn’t one hundred percent better. He needed a bed so he could rest. Luckily, I convinced Rider that that room was a bad idea, especially if Cole was going to be locked in it around the clock. I brought up the fact that there was no bathroom in the room meaning each time Cole needed to use it, the guards stationed outside his door would have to escort him to one. After hearing me out, Rider reluctantly agreed to move him into a bigger room with a bathroom. It was still on the first floor but was much nicer, with a king-size bed and a television. At least in that room, Cole would b
Cole I couldn’t wait to finish the job so I could leave this hellhole. It was nauseating being around all these liars who continued to pretend they gave a shit about me, even though I knew they didn’t. Fuck them all. I would enjoy watching them burn in hell once we were done with them. Pretending to be the weak, caring friend I once was hadn’t been easy, especially given the fact that I fantasized about wrapping my hands around every one of their throats and watching the life drain from their eyes. This whole situation has tested my control beyond anything else. Stick to the plan. I repeated to myself as I let out a frustrated sigh. There had been a few unexpected circumstances that almost ruined everything. Luckily, I was quick on my feet and improvised. I thought I had more time to win Sophia and the others over, but her little boy toy ruined that. Out of all the people she could have been fucking, it had to be Rider, the arrogant prick calling the shots on this terri
Sophia Flashback to earlier in the night I knocked on Emma’s door. It was late, but this conversation couldn’t wait. I needed to know what was bothering her so we could fix it. If she was going to be my second in command, there couldn’t be any secrets between us. When she didn’t answer, I knocked again, a little more forceful. “OK, OK, I’m coming,” I heard her grumble, and a few seconds later, the door opened. Emma stood on the other side of the door with an unimpressed look. She was wearing her baby blue pajama shorts and a white tank top. “Can we talk?” I asked. “Can’t it wait? It’s after midnight, and I was already in bed,” she replied with an irritated sigh. “Nope, it can’t,” I told her before walking into her room without waiting for an invitation. “Come in,” she said sarcastically before closing the door and turning around to face me. I decided to ignore her sassy display. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she waited impatiently for me to talk
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