As we entered the lower level, the path was clear to the only person in a cell, Santi. I rarely have to put a pack member down here, but he crossed a line last night. Even if Crista hadn’t turned out to be my mate, he still crossed a line. And he’d still have ended up sitting here in a cell, just maybe not in such rough shape.
Rough was undoubtedly a good word. Unlike the windowless dank room my father liked to lock me in, this room was new and lacked many medieval dark ages esthetics.
There were no windows, but there were vents to circulate air. Instead of torches, fluorescent lights were casting a harsh bright light on the plain grey cement walls.
My grandfather was very meticulous when he had this place built. Every outside wall was laced with silver, a metal that can weaken any supernatural creature to
New chapters are posted Monday-Saturday. There will be no new chapter Thursday, November 25th, due to the holiday.
The patrol office looked new, well newer than the town hall. It was undoubtedly built in a different era, even if some of the architecture tried to stay with the same old-world charm of other buildings we passed in town. “How long ago was the patrol office built?” I asked, looking at the imposing building. “I’m not sure the exact year. But it was built during Alpha Marcus’s reign.” Isadora explained. “Marcus was papa’s grandfather.” Katrina chimed in probably because she saw me trying to figure out how many Alphas ago that was. I nodded. That didn’t exactly give me an exact time frame but a rough one. Maybe if I knew how old my mate actually is, that would help. ‘Ha, you called him your mate! You’ve claimed him!’ Emilia cheered, bouncing around in my head like she had just won a prize. ‘That doesn’t mean I won’t reject him. Till we actually finish the b
"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,Silence the pianos and with muffled drumBring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overheadScribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West,My working week and my Sunday rest,My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
‘Well, this is a turn of events. I can certainly work with this. Crista wants to know what I’ve been thinking. Give me control, and I’ll show her.’ Chesed smirked, rising to his feet starting to step forward. ‘No.’ I shook my head. I can’t let him take control, and I won’t. ‘The last time you were in control, you snarled at her. And the time before that, she walked out of the house with a cold farewell. I can continue with examples of how you ruined this. So sit there and stay out of it.’ I reminded him. I am not letting him ruin this. Crista is my mate. When she’s in a wolf form or gives her wolf control, I’ll let Chesed step up. But Crista obviously isn’t interested in being close to Chesed. So he needs to stay back. ‘Do you even remember what to do with a woman? Been a long time since Liliana.’ Chesed t
My heart was still racing. I can’t believe that just happened. ‘You and I both. The fuck was Persephone thinking beaver blocking like that. And then bringing up last night in front of our Betas and worse a whole building of pack members.’ Emilia grumbled. ‘Not what I was talking about. I just had my first kiss in an elevator and let it escalate to the point that I was in my underwear.’ I rolled my eyes as I tugged Persephone and Delilah out of the office. I did my best to keep my head held high with what dignity I might still have left. ‘Persephone Grace Fayte. What the hell were you thinking back there?’ I hissed through our family link. ‘What? You had been in that elevator for almost fifteen minutes. We were worried something was wrong.’ Persephone tried to defend herself. ‘You beaver blocked us, damn it!
Chesed really needs to learn to stay out of it when it comes to Crista. He just seems to get us in more trouble. ‘It isn’t just me, though. You did threaten her sister with letting me discipline her. I mean, I’m fully on board with that, but still. Don’t put this all on me.’ Chesed scoffed. ‘Besides, she always rises to my challenges. I like that.’ Chesed smirked. ‘She’s supposed to. She’s our mate. Mates are meant to balance each other.’ I rolled my eyes as I managed to wrangle control back from him. ‘Well, she’s obviously got some freak in her. Maybe it’s her wolf. I look forward to meeting that she-wolf.’ he licked his chops. I rolled my eyes as I was once again apologizing for his behavior toward our mate. I gave her the option to go join her sisters and meet some of the youth of my pack. ‘I don’t want
Seriously, what in the name of the Goddess is wrong with me? I told him as we were getting into the elevator to not get any ideas. I fully intended to keep my distance from him. Yet in that small enclosed space, all I could smell was his scent, and I was getting drunk off it. I entirely blame being drunk on his scent for what happened in that elevator. ‘Oh please, you weren’t impaired. You were just horny. Exactly as nature and the Goddess intended. Why do you think mates smell so good to each other? It’s not just so you’ll know them by scent. You can also know by touch and the sparks. But the scent is a pheromone. It’s meant to make mates want each other.’ Emilia sighed. ‘So, I was impaired. Even if it’s by the design of the Goddess, I was not in my right state of mind.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘If you can rema
For once, I’m rather glad Chesed was in control as he opened that box. It seems Ignazio was taking a page out of Chesed’s book on how to intimidate an enemy. Too bad Chesed doesn’t get intimidated by anything or anyone. Well, except for Nonna, she scared the shit out of him. So while I felt like I wanted to throw up, he was unfazed as we looked down at the bloodied severed head of a young male. His eye sockets empty, the twisted bastard had carved them out with silver, judging by the burns on the socket, while he was alive. I shoved away my own disgust at this act when Crista almost collapsed. The tears staining her cheeks and filling her blue eyes cut me to the core. I never want to see her cry again. ‘Then we kill Ignazio.’ Chesed concluded. ‘Oh, we are killing that pup, slowly and in the most painful wa
“You will all turn over your electronic devices, phones, tablets, laptops. All of it.” I instructed, looking at the bloodmoon members in the room. “Um, may I ask why Alpha… Alec?” One of them… Tanner, I believe the blonde’s name was… questioned. “We are dealing with an Adio hunter. He could track you through any of them. I will have my tech department do what they can to block any tracking the hunters may be using.” I explained. “Persephone could help.” Crista chimed in. “Persephone? The smartmouth sister?” I arched an eyebrow. “She’s brilliant. A complete whiz when it comes to tech and mechanical stuff. If there’s tracking on their devices, she’ll be able to stop it and make the hunters think they are in Antarctica.” Crista shrugged. “I see. Persephone’s done that before?” I asked. “Once when she didn’t want our
I can’t believe we are going on a week-long vacation. I’m happy for the time to relax. And if I’m honest, to be away from everyone. My sisters have been overbearing recently. I know they are trying to be helpful, but even if I am starting to resemble a beached whale, I am not an invalid. I can still do things for myself. So a week away from them will be nice. And the same for Isadora and the other ranked she-wolves. I like each of them, but if they aren’t treating me like a child, they give all this advice from their pregnancies. And I appreciate it. I truly do. But I am not them, and they are not my mamma. This trip happened just in time because I was inches from ripping Isadora’s face off. She is a wonderful woman. I love her; I do.
We’ve reached the third trimester of Crista’s pregnancy, and if memory serves, this will be the more uncomfortable trimester. The first trimester was hard on Crista, and as her mate, I felt her pain and did what I could to take some of it. But no mate bond can stop morning sickness. Still find that a strange phrase, a complete oxymoron from anything I’ve seen. I thought I’d seen plenty of morning sickness during Liliana’s pregnancy with the twins and also from a less up-close experience during Izzy’s three pregnancies. Crista, however, suffered far worse. Doctor Anselma Laurito diagnosed her with hyperemesis gravidarum, severe morning sickness. Thankfully, with proper monitoring and ensuring Crista stayed hydrated, we could make it through that first trimester. And by the start of her fift
I shook my head, willing my blush away. I was failing, but I was trying, damn it. “Anyway… Tiberius sent me a surprise from our family home.” I gestured to my mamma’s gown.“And of course, I’m for Crista wearing this. It was our mamma’s dress. She met our papa in that dress and took the Beta oath in it. She promised it to Crista when we were just kids. So she should wear it tonight.” Persephone snorted.André’s eyes lit up as he looked at the gown. Gently setting down the black dress, he picked my mamma’s dress up like he was holding a priceless jewel.“This is… oh, it’s gorgeous. The craftsmanship is exquisite. Nonna Gwen had taste. It’s heavenly… ethereal. It’s sexy while still demur. It just screams Crista, host of Light.” André gushed before gently putting the dress down.“Now, why are we arguing?” André looked from
A lot happened, and it all happened so fast. It wasn’t even two months ago that I was getting dressed up for Thales’s welcome home party, heart fluttering as I wondered if we would be mates. My mind raced with thoughts of becoming Luna of Nebrodi rather than Beta. All that quickly changed when Madonie attacked us. Thales was killed. His parents, my parents, all the ranked wolves were killed. All but Tiberius, my sisters, and me. Though they did a number on Tiberius and had some nefarious plans for him based on what he’s told me after waking up from his coma. ‘You weren’t wrong on that feeling you’d be a Luna rather than a Beta.’ Emilia shrugged. ‘Instead, we’re Luna of Incubi and mated to a much better-looking male than Thales.” Her nose twitched slightly as she made the comparison. I rolled my eyes. ‘It’s rude to speak ill of the dead. Thales was cute as a boy, and I’m sure he’d grown to be a handsome man while studying abroad. But even t
“Of course. Rather hard to not have an alliance with my mate’s father and twin brother.” Tiberius shrugged as he flipped through the papers. Darren nodded, scanning the documents a bit more thoroughly. “Of course, Alpha. We intend to also maintain an alliance with Bloodmoon. I am unsure if that is in your plans or Tiberius’s for your individual packs. But given I am from Bloodmoon and retain connections there, André and I intend to write up a formal treaty with Alpha Logan for our packs. We plan to present it to him before his wedding in November.” Darren explained. I’m not surprised he wants to keep an alliance with his former pack. Given that the Bloodmoon wolf is connected on some ancient cosmic levels with Darkness and Light, I already had that in mind. “I cannot speak for Tiberius, but yes. Damon faxed over a rough draft of our treaty to Logan this morning.” Tiberius shrugged. “Katrina suggested we make the alliance too. She assumed you and André
Sitting in my office at the town hall, I found it hard to focus. So much has happened. So much has changed. And it all happened in what both felt like a blink but also forever. It’s only been a month since our victory over Ignazio, and things are still settling down. It’s strange to think that a chance encounter turned my world upside down. ‘It was not a chance encounter.’ Darkness snorted, his voice faint from beyond the wall that contained him. I sighed in concession. Darkness is right. Nothing about what happened was by chance. Everything happened by design. As the hosts of Darkness and Light, it was only a matter of time that Crista and I would be drawn to each other. Ironic that Melania wanted to prevent us from coming together, yet everything she did only pushed us down that path. Her enlisting Ignazio to do her bidding, having him attack the Nebrodi to take Crista, starting a war with my pack, all of it brought Crista and me together.
Witch? What in the world? Does that mean the reason Tiberius has been in a coma even after Katrina at his side this whole time is witch-related? I swear if Melania did anything to Tiberius… what I did to Silvano would look like child’s play. ‘We can’t kill the witch.’ Light sighed. I frowned. ‘Why the hell now?’ I demanded. ‘Only another Berardi witch can kill her. So if Katrina is displaying witch powers, she can or the Crone. You will have to leave it to them.” Light shrugged. “I still want to see them. To know they are okay.” I insisted. Damon sighed, and I could tell he was getting exasperated. Even if I haven’t had the ceremony, I’m his Luna, so he wants to do what I ask. He’s also loyal to Alec and obviously wants to protect me and stay on Alec’s good side. “Crista! Forget Katrina. I can feel Delilah!” Persephone shook my arm. I blinked and let myself call out to Delilah. She’s okay! My sister is okay. ‘I’m okay. I’m sorry that I worried you both.’ I wi
I know I’m going to get a lecture for this. Alec won’t be happy that I left the villa, but he’ll get over it. And Chesed… well, I’m not sure which he’ll be angrier about. Me leaving the villa or driving his car. Either way, he can shove it. I’m not some helpless damsel. I have Light, and well, if what she did to Silvano is even a fraction of her power, I’m going to say me, and the baby is in good hands. ‘I will do my best to keep you and the pup safe. However, I cannot use the full extent of my power in this form. So keep that in mind.’ Light cautioned as I pulled out of the driveway. “Damn, this is a sweet ride. A Maserati Ghibli Trofeo, it can go from zero to ninety-six kilometers in under four seconds.” Persephone whistled in appreciation as she wrung a hand over the dashboard. She and papa were total gear heads. “I know we are in a rush to follow Katrina to ensure she and Tiberius are okay. But maybe we shouldn’t test just how fast this car
I snarled, wanting to go after my son and Gastone. My need to protect my son kicked in as I started to turn in that direction. Darkness, however, pulled me back. Freezing me in place.‘Leave the underling to your son. We have work to do.’ Darkness growled, his eyes locked on Ignazio. The little twit was still standing there, in no rush to escape. His grip on that chain that dragged a she-wolf by her neck tightened.“Amazed you showed yourself, old man. I heard you’ve been in hiding. Too afraid to come and face me.” Ignazio scoffed, yanking at the chain, forcing the girl in front of him. He’s seriously using her as a shield. There’s no honor in that.“Do you like my little pet? She’s not as lovely as the prize I’m going to claim. I heard you took a liking to my mate. Too bad she’s mine. I’d say you’ll get over it, but it won’t matter. You’ll be dead.” Ignaz