DEAMy fingers were curled firmly around the handle of the baseball bat I kept in my room. I hadn't played any baseball growing up but I knew my dad had and this one of his bats. It was something I kept to feel close to him but when I left, I wanted to leave this whole life behind me, so it remained in my childhood home where my brother now stayed. Another loud clank echoed in the kitchen, forcing me to raise the bat higher. The reservation was safe from what I could remember. Not once did we ever have a problem with a break in but I guess things changed since I left. My heart leaped in my throat, beating furiously when another loud clatter echoed through the dark, empty house. My brother wasn't home so it left me on edge. What if it was that handsome, shape-shifting, silent stranger? What if he found me and decided he wanted to take me away because he felt he had some sort of sordid claim on me?I was aware that the bat wouldn't cause him much harm but maybe it would distract him f
VICTOR "My sister is going to murder you when she finds out where you've brought me," Sinclair drawled as he let out a long, low whistle. I glared through the windscreen of my SUV, analyzing the house I was parked in front of. There was no correct way to approach a witch but caution was always needed. If I had it my way, I would have scouted out the area for a few days until I could gather my bearings and figure out a way to approach the situation in a better manner. However, time wasn't in my favor and I needed to return to Seattle in the next few days, preferably before Sinclair's first shift. I could tell it was coming upon him quickly. He had these random bursts of energy which generally captured him in moments of happiness. His body was burning up, getting accustomed to running at a higher temperature and getting him internally ready to shift. Most of his nights were spent tossing and turning due to the constant pain. I remembered when I had faced nights like those. It felt li
DEAI leaned my weight against the thick, scaly trunk of a nearby tree as I attempted to catch my breath—I was basically heaving and gaping for air like a fish out of water. For some reason, I thought going for a walk through the woods this morning would be an excellent idea. So, I grabbed a backpack, added a first aid kit, a few bottles of water, and some snacks inside, and got myself ready for a hike. When we were younger, mom would take Sam and me on hikes through the woods. But then she got sick and couldn't do things we once used to so it all just faded away. I hadn't been on a hike since and this was a clear sign that I needed to get myself a gym membership because I was severely out of shape. Shrugging off the bag, I pulled out my last bottle of water. It had been three hours since I left and if Sam had gotten home in that time he must have been worried about me. I did leave a vague note saying I'd be out but I knew he wouldn't have agreed to let me wander the woods on my own.
VICTOR"Don't turn your back on me," Saint all but shouted at me like a mother chastising her pup, "I'm not even mad that you dragged Sin with you, I'm mad because you gave up a part of yourself and you're behaving as if it's not even a big deal. Well, news flash, big man, it is a big deal and even Dea thought so."I growled at her for using Dea's name against me. We were standing toe-to-toe in the living room with her shoving a finger continuously in my chest since she wouldn't let me walk away, "I gave away a part of me to get another part back."She shook her head in disappointment, "We all accepted you the way you were, Victor. We loved you for it. You realize that it was those memories that made you the person you were. Without them, do you even know who you are anymore?"I wrapped my arms around Saint when the first tear rolled down her cheek. Resting my chin on her head and smoothing out her sandy blonde hair with one of my palms, I whispered, "I'm not going to turn into him, S
DEAI dropped the duffle I had clasped in my hands and silently stalked into the kitchen. It was then I truly understood the meaning of the phrase 'ignorance is bliss' to its full extent. When I left the reservation this morning, I expected Jason to already be at work. I wasn't sure why I hadn't informed him that I was on my way home. Maybe fate deemed it was time I found out the truth about Jason—that was if I believed in fate to begin with. It was just a coincidence. A case of the wrong place, and the wrong time for him and it was the opposite for me. The puzzle pieces were snapping into place with every footfall. It made sense why he was so eager to let me go back home. It made sense why he hadn't called or texted and why it didn't seem like he missed me. And for the glaringly obvious, it made sense why he was so evasive when it came to marrying me, why he sometimes downright refused it. Jason followed me from the bedroom, wrapping a sheet around his waist as he begged, "Dea wait
VICTOR I led Dea through the apartment until we were standing outside my bedroom door, "You can stay here for as long as you need," I needed her to know how much I meant those words so I reached out to take her hand in mine. A pang of rejection splintered through my chest when she pulled away, refusing my touch. Her features grew taunt and she could barely lift her head to meet my gaze, "I don't want to be touched right now. Not by you, at least.""I understand," after everything that she had just faced, I didn't want her to deal with the confusion of why being close to me or my touch made her feel better. She wouldn't have liked the explanation very much anyway. I opened the door and stepped aside so she could enter first, giving her enough distance from me, "you can sleep here."Dea scanned the room, inhaling deeply and sighing as if whatever she smelled appealed to her, "This is your room." She wasn't asking, it was a statement. There was nothing in the room to denote it was min
DEAI couldn't believe this was where I had ended up, especially after everything I had told Victor. Here he was, rescuing me yet again and I didn't hate the idea as much as I was meant to. I dreaded going back to my apartment though. Eventually, I would have to but for now, I'd just avoid it like the plague. If I could, I'd avoid Jason, too. Every time I thought about him all I felt was resentment, rage, and bitterness. I wasn't the kind of person to hate someone. They had to offend me or do something despicable for me to hate them. But Jason surpassed hate. What I felt for him didn't have a word. It was malevolent, toxic, and dangerous. I had curled up under the blankets after using Saint's bathroom, snuggling the pillow while inhaling Victor's scent deeply. It was manly and woodsy and brought me a sort of comfort I couldn't turn away right now. I chose not to let the guilt of practically salivating over his scent worm its way into my mind. If Jason could fuck someone in the bed we
VICTORI was so close to tasting her, so close to having my mouth on hers and kissing her until she realized there was no one better for her than me, but I couldn't do it. Dea was in a fragile state and I didn't want her to make a decision she would regret later on. I felt the heartbreak she tried to hide, it was an unrelenting pang that ached my chest for hours. Last night she had barely slept. I heard the muffled sobs which she failed to suffocate with a pillow. She didn't realize it, but I was in the hall the entire night, and fell asleep there, hoping she would come out so I could check on her. I didn't want to go in because she would know I heard her and I didn't want to embarrass her. Before she could wake up this morning, I left. I had a quick shower to freshen up and tied a towel around my waist as I left the bathroom Sinclair and I shared. Dea hadn't left my room since I left her in it yesterday so she didn't get to meet Sin and—since Quade stayed over—the apartment felt too
DEA"Dea, Angel, I'm home." Crystal blue eyes glimmered up at me from the living room rug, filled with mirth and warmth like I had never known. "In here, Papa," she yelled as she pushed herself onto her feet. Angel was ten now. She was a surprise to both Victor and I. We weren't trying for her. At the time, we spent more time apart than we did together—me pursuing my career while he did his thing as alpha. It worked out for us in the best possible way. I managed to go on exhibitions and tours, conduct experiments, and travel the world with Victor. Two years of living that life until one morning I found out I was expecting. And then everything changed. Now she was ten. Now I lived in the sanctuary as a full-time mom and Luna of the pack, and I didn't regret a thing about it. Especially since I couldn't explain my lack of aging to the people around me. Erica was the only one from my outside life to visit me, otherwise, I didn't care for the rest.Victor filled the doorway with his
VICTOR I carved a hand through my hair as the blistering water cascaded down my taut muscles. The sweltering heat did nothing to rid my body of its tension. My guilt refused to swirl down the drain with the soap suds from my body and hair. Maybe it wasn't even guilt anymore. Maybe it was the fact that I missed Saint. I found myself seeking her out during my day. When I needed something done, I'd begin to instruct her only to realize she wasn't there. When I needed to share something, I sought her out. When the pack house was finally complete I couldn't even step into it. I could barely step into my apartment without being reminded of the girl. The girl who never got the chance to fully live. Once the doctor had cleared Dea, she returned to her usual routine. I saw her on the weekends now, unable to bear the thought of entering my apartment. Besides that, I had a lot of work to complete in the sanctuary. Tania had placed a ward around the sanctuary's border. Only wolves I trusted c
DEABeep. Beep. Beep.The sound was the pinnacle of annoyance. It wasn't my alarm going off. Maybe it was Victor's. Maybe he needed to be somewhere. Then, why wasn't he switching the darn thing off?With a groan, I peeled my eyelids open. A blur of white and baby blue assaulted my weak vision. Then the burning scent of disinfectants trickled up my nostrils. Memories of the last time I was conscious came rushing back like a river overflowing its banks during a storm. It swept me off my feet, drowning me in the current. The beeps grew louder and more feverish with every memory that flashed behind my unblinking gaze. I extended my arm out, feeling around for my glasses. When I felt them, I perched it in place with a sound of irritation scratching the back of my throat. The colors solidified. A blindly white ceiling glared back at me. Baby blue walls encased me. The beep was not from an alarm but from multiple monitors hooked up to my arm and body. I was in some sort of hospital room b
VICTOR"Dea!" I had shifted when I watched the horrific scene unfold. She was attacked and I was nowhere near her to help. My claws swiped at the underbelly of a rogue wolf, penetrating deep until guts spilled from the bloodied incisions. They were all going to die. My remorse bled from my wounds and stained the ground, not a drop remaining in my system. Not when one of them had gotten so close to ripping the best thing that had ever happened to me away. Their numbers were finally dwindling while the death count on my land grew at an alarming rate. I wasn't a superstitious man when it came to death but even I had reservations regarding starting a life on land tainted with so much blood. This made me angrier. I tried to do a good thing, tried to help these creatures that were revolting against me, and this was my payment—them going after the person I loved. "I think I've figured out who their leader is."I heard the drawl of Julian's voice before I saw him. A breeze tousled my lon
DEAI had never witnessed murder before. Not with my eyes at least. I went from a wide-eyed, wet-behind-the-ears scientist to this—whatever this was. Jason's death was something that haunted my dreams. In the darkest hours when the shadows grew thicker and the cold was icier, the ominous sound of his neck snapping under pressure weaseled its way into my dreams. Daylight hours were easier to ignore the relentless echo of it which gnawed at my sanity like a dog with a bone. This. This was different. This wasn't murder. This was a massacre and all I could do was sit back and watch as if this was some morbid scene out of Twilight. Except, the vampires didn't shimmer here and the wolves were far more feral. This wouldn't worm its way into my dreams. This would become a night terror, stuck on repeat each time my eyes fluttered shut. I'd never crave the warm embrace of sleep ever again. Because, now, it felt more like claws peeling layers of my skin back instead of the reprieve it was mea
VICTORMy paws thundered against the earthen floor, snapping fallen branches and dried leaves in my wake. A flurry of heavy breaths and howls sounded as a pack of five of us cut our way through the forest toward the sanctuary. Alec had enlisted two other wolves to help him with his breaking and entering abilities along with the theft of blood. We hadn't had to go to a blood bank at all. There was a local blood drive in town to encourage people to donate. We simply tapped into their supply. I was sure they wouldn't miss the ten bags we had nabbed. We made sure to snatch the common types so they could be easily restocked. I accompanied them—along with Saint—to make sure things went as planned and none of the wolves got any nefarious ideas. The duffle hung from my jaw, sharp teeth piercing through the knitted handles. I was as gentle as I could be as I dodged thick roots that arched from the ground and large boulders that served as unrelenting obstacles in my path. A foreboding sensatio
DEA"Hands up or your opponent will easily strike you. Protect your face at all costs so you can anticipate their next strike," Quade ordered. We were only fifteen minutes into my usual hour combat class but I already heaved for air while my lungs threatened to vacate my body to find a new owner that would take better care of them. I had gone to work this morning with three wolves patrolling the building. Victor had even ordered a wolf to trail Erica. As my best friend, she had a target on her back. Or, at least, that was what Sydney implied and Sylvain agreed—something about that happening to her mother's best friend. Of course, I didn't have the heart to tell Erica about everything that was happening. She was already keeping in tune with the office gossip for me. According to the latest office news, a rumor had spread like wildfire that Jason had eloped with one of the interns. Apparently, he and the intern had a relationship for over a year behind my back, and now that Jason and
VICTOR I inhaled deeply, held my breath for five seconds, and then exhaled slowly and steadily as I shut the door. Dea's thoughts were so loud throughout the night I had to build up a mental block between us until she learned to protect her thoughts. Her worry echoed down the bond. Her fear reverberated through my body. Her love spilled into my heart and slithered into the marrow of my bones. I had allowed her thoughts to bombard my head, allowed them to infiltrate like a feral animal gnawing at my sanity. But when her thoughts of loving me fluttered around my mind like a beautiful fragile butterfly that could be squashed at any given moment, I built that wall and kept it up. Everyone had dispersed to their respective rooms. It was late and I didn't want to risk driving back to the city at this hour. The chances of us getting ambushed were high and I had confidence that I could protect Dea. However, I wasn't about to fool myself into thinking I could take out a pack of rogues when I
DEA I wasn't sure what to make of it. After everything that happened with Jason, I thought we had cleared all our hurdles. At least, that was a hurdle in the relationship Victor and I shared. This was a different kind of hurdle entirely. This was not only an attempt on Victor's pack, but also on his life. It put things into perspective. I acknowledged the risks that came with being in a relationship with Victor. Acknowledging them and facing them in reality were two very different things. The thought of losing Victor had a sharp, acidic tang of bile crawling up my throat. I forced it down but the bitterness coated my tongue. It scared me. My fear was palpable and no doubt loud by the way Victor clasped my hand in his and offered a reassuring squeeze. It drowned out my insecurities about Sydney being here. By the way Victor regarded her with an almost cold exterior, I almost felt sorry for the girl. She didn't deserve the knotted ball of wool t