Alpha Axel’s POV
When Samantha’s Luna dress arrived, my mom arranged a special dressing room. Only a select few could go into that sacred room, and Mom said to keep it locked. Ever so compliant, Samantha agreed without hesitation.
Gunner was ecstatic, knowing the day was approaching for him to claim his mate. But every time I walked past that room, I got a sense of dread and wanted to rip the door off its hinges and destroy the dress. I hadn’t grown to love Samantha like everyone thought I would.
But as I walked past the dressing room on my way to town, I noticed the door was ajar. I was curious, as I knew Samantha would do anything my mom suggested and that she was at basic training with Garth. I pushed the door to check that no one was inside. As it swung open, I stared at the woman inside wearing the white gown, Lily. I had no notice and Gunner saw her. He growled in anger. I quickly blocked him out, fearing what he would do. As I entered the room, I couldn’t help but stare at Lily in the full-length mirror. She looked stunning. “It looks good on you,” I said, drawing her attention.
She turned and smiled at me. “I don’t look good, I look stunning,” she said seductively before she walked over to me and kissed me. Then, while wearing my mate’s dress, Lily got on her knees and sucked my cock until I came into her mouth. I looked into her eyes as I helped her stand. The goddess has made a mistake. Lily was the one for me.
Keen for her satisfaction. Lily placed a chair in front of a full-length mirror. Lifted the skirt of the dress and leaned over the chair. “I want to watch as you fuck me.” Despite only coming a few moments earlier. My cock stood to attention immediately. “Take me, hard.” She said as I stripped out of my clothes. This woman awakens something in me. I love how she makes me forget my life. The only thing that mattered right now was her pussy and me filling it.
I positioned myself behind Lily, digging my fingers into the flesh of her hips. Her expression in the mirror gave me great delight. As the tip of my cock hovered at her entrance, I could feel how wet she was. “Do you want this?” I asked teasingly, knowing how aroused she was. In the mirror, I watched Lily bite her lip and nod slightly. Not wanting to keep Lily waiting, I leaned forward slightly, allowing the head of my cock to slide inside of her. “Fuck yes,” Lily moaned. Fuck yes indeed. The feeling of her soft pussy around my cock was unreal.
I kept my eyes on the mirror as I thrust in and out of her. Her reaction with each thrust made me aware of how much she loved me fucking her. “Harder!” Lily gasped. If she wants me to fill her with everything I have, I will. I gripped her hips harder and thrust myself further into her. My balls slapped against her clit with each thrust.
“Faster,” she then cried. Oh, goddess, this woman, I thought as I closed my eyes. “Fuck yes. Fuck.” Lily screamed. That’s how she likes it, rough. “Fuck Axel, I’m coming.” She yells. My eyes flew open as I wanted to see Lily’s face as she climaxed. Her pussy clenched around my cock and throbbed as her orgasm ripped through her body.
I was close myself and with a few more thrusts into her tight pussy. I released everything I had into Lily for a second time, all while she wore my mate’s dress. I can’t believe Samantha would ever make me feel the way Lily does.
That’s when I heard clapping from the doorway behind me. My heart dropped that someone had discovered my affair. I’m not mated, but I have a mate. As the Alpha, I can’t look like I’m being unfaithful. It sets the precedent for the pack.
I pulled out of Lily and turned, not quite believing Samantha was the one who had caught us. “That was quite a performance. Please don’t let me interrupt.” She spat before she turned and slammed the door behind her.
“I have to stop her,” I yelled at Lily. Racing toward the door, grabbing my boxers off the floor. “Samantha,” I called out her name as I sprinted after her. She doesn’t respond, but I can hear her on the stairs. I rushed and vaulted over the banister, landing in front of her. Samantha looks me in the eye and pokes me in the chest. “You disgust me. You unfaithful piece of shit.” she pushed past me and I reached out and grabbed her arm.
She can’t tell anyone about what she saw. If she does, my reputation will be ruined. She tried to pull herself from my grip. But I don’t plan on letting her go, not until I silence her. I grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against the wall, looking her in the eyes. “You will tell no one what you just saw.” I sneered at her in an authoritative tone.
“Like hell. I won’t. I’m telling everyone what a cheating bastard you are. You’re ruined. No one will respect you.” She threatens as she hits my arm. Shit, why isn’t my alpha command working on her? That’s when I remember Gunner is blocked. It’s him that has that power. What the hell do I do now? “I reject you, Axel Thorne. You cheating piece of shit. I reject you as my mate.” She shouts as she hits me. Her punches had no effect.
Her words of rejection woke Gunner, who pushed forward, taking control of my human body. He had never done this before. I watch from the depths of my mind as my nails extend and pierce Samantha’s neck. “What did you say, mate?” He challenges Samantha.
“I, Samantha Hollywell of the Shadow Pack. Reject Alpha Axel Thorne as my mate. He doesn’t deserve me for what he’s done.” She completed her half of the rejection. All I had to do was accept, and our mate bond would be broken. I try to push forward, but Gunner is too strong because of his anger.
“What did you do?” Gunner’s voice booms around me. If I can’t get to be the one in charge, this may be the opportunity I have been looking for. I must take control of this situation before she tells him the truth. “The dress. Samantha was pissed that Lily wore her Luna dress. Now she refuses to mate with me as the dress is tainted.” I lied to Gunner, causing him to growl.
“You should have banished Lily months ago.” Gunner snaps angrily.
I am going to protest. “Zola’s human would reject me over a dress? How childish and pathetic is she?” He snarls me. Then, with all of my strength, I force my consciousness forward and block him before Samantha tells him the truth.Samantha continues to fight against me. “I reject you. Let me go,” she gasps as I tighten my grip on her throat. I do not know what I am going to do or what I am doing. Then, a vase is smashed over Samantha’s head, knocking her unconscious. I dropped her limp body to the ground.
I looked at Lily, who was standing beside me still wearing Samantha’s Luna dress. “Get into town and do your job, Axel. I have a plan and will take care of everything.” She says with a smile on her face. “Wait for my mindlink before you return.” I look at Samantha and then at Lily. She has just as much to lose if anyone finds out what we did. I have to trust her.
Lily’s POV I couldn’t believe what I had done. I held my breath as I expected Gunner to force himself forward and kill me. Samantha was as important to him as Zola was. But after taking a dozen deep breaths, I looked at Axel and internally grinned. That’s when I knew for sure Axel didn’t want her. My plan worked. He was choosing me over her. This was my chance. My chance to become Luna was within reach. All I have to do is get rid of Samantha once and for all. “She’s our Luna. Don’t you dare harm her,” my wolf Fran snarled at me. “No, she’s not. Axel doesn’t want her and Gunner hasn’t marked her.” This shuts Fran up. She knows I’m right. “She’s our friend,” Fran counters. “No, she’s competition. I’m the one who deserves to be Luna.” I retorted. Because that is what Samantha is. She is the one thing stopping me from becoming the most powerful woman in the Shadow Pack. At that moment, I knew how far I was prepared to go to fulfill my dream. “Get into town and do your
Samantha’s POV My eyes flickered open. I tried to rub them, but I couldn’t move my arms from restrained above my head. I cried, as the last thing I could remember was Axel choking me. The next thing I know is that I am tied up. “Zola, what’s going on?” I whimpered, fearing her answer. The chains rattled as I tried to free myself. Hearing movement from somewhere, I called out, “What’s going on?” That was when I caught a glimpse of Lily moving around. Lily had been my best friend since we were young. She was the one I turned to when my parents were killed. As I had no family, Lily was the one I shared all of my precious moments with her. “She was also the one being banged by Axel,” “Wolfsbane,” Zola warned, when Lily approached me. “Why are you doing this?” I cried, not understanding what Lily was doing. Her response floored me. I had taken nothing of hers, nothing. Gunner was fated to Zola. As she got closer, I became frantic. There was only one reason I could do to protect my
Garth’s POV I may be the pack’s Gamma, but Xavier made everyone aware of why he was the pack’s head warrior. Just before he knocked me unconscious, I hoped Samantha was enjoying herself. Cal, my wolf, was still healing my injuries when Lily’s mind link came through. Xavier hadn’t realized Samantha was missing from warrior training and immediately started searching for her. I ran as fast as I could to the packhouse, which was when I saw a hysterical Lily being comforted by Jaxon on the porch. “Axel is searching the packhouse, trying to catch Samantha’s scent so she can be tracked.” He told me. Eventually, when Lily could speak. She confessed to being caught by Samantha while she tried on Samantha’s Luna dress. Lily said Samantha went berserk. Which is understandable. That dress is important to both Samantha and the pack. It signifies our Alpha’s union with his mate. What the hell was Lily thinking? According to Lily, Samantha vanished while Lily was changing. Which was when L
Garth’s POV I took a deep breath, covered my face with my shirt, and held it in place. Why wouldn’t Axel and Jaxon tell me what they are hiding? I questioned, as I cautiously took my first step down to the interrogation room. Cal was going crazy because of the wolfsbane. “I’ll be careful,” I assured him. As I neared the bottom, I kept my eyes peeled in case I was attacked. Focusing on my surroundings, something on the step caused me to slip. I quickly regained my composure and realized it was the missing cleaver from the kitchen. I picked it up. “What the goddess is this doing down here?” I questioned. Compared to all the knives down here, this is useless. I worriedly looked around the room and couldn’t help but notice the cupboards were open. My eyes moved to the cell. There was something or someone in there. All I could see was the bare back of the person. From the size of the person in the fetal position, it could either be an older teenager or a woman. Their skin was gray, a
Garths POV “What’s going on here?” Lily’s voice asked as she entered the kitchen. I didn’t hear the door swing open, but then again, I was distracted. Not looking at her or moving, “I found Samantha. Jaxon had her trapped in the interrogation room and hurt her badly. She’s on the brink of death.” “Oh, goddess. How could Jaxon do such a thing?” Lily said in a shocked tone, her voice was full of concern. “What are you doing?” Lily asked. I was about to answer her when Cal yelled as loudly as he could sense Zola. I wanted to cheer, but I breathed out a sigh of relief. Samantha now has a chance. I felt faint when I stood, and, predictably, so did Cal. “Zola’s, awake,” I told Lily, who gasped and rushed to Samantha in concern, “I need to get Axel home to protect her,” I pointed at Samantha. “Axel is in a neighboring pack. I’ll call him and tell him to return immediately. But it won’t be for a few hours.” She pulls out her mobile phone and begins tapping on it. “Jaxon’s in charge of th
Zola’s POV The last thing I remember was Lily force-feeding Samantha a wolfsbane concoction. As it painfully absorbed into her bloodstream, I knew I would become dormant. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to communicate with Samantha drove me crazy. We are supposed to be together forever. But as I fell asleep, I feared I would never see her again. I don’t know at what point I regained consciousness, but I knew with the amount of pain Samantha was in, I shouldn’t have. As I slowly regained my senses and thoughts, I heard Garth’s voice call my name, “Zola, if you can hear me. We’ve been set up. You need to get Samantha out of here. Get her to safety and live a happy life. She deserves that.” He tells me. That’s who saved us, our Gamma. But at what cost? I tried to mindlink Cal, hoping to find out more information. But the connection between us was too weak. “Go,” Garth shouted at Samantha. I felt Samantha’s physical pain as she reached for the handle of the door. I felt completely
Zola’s POV I couldn’t move, not that I dared to. I was afraid we would be seen. Samantha was the same. Every noise, no matter how small, terrified her. It gave Samantha and I, a chance to talk about what happened whilst I was dormant. I was shocked beyond words. My human was made to suffer by those she thought loved her. Thankfully, Garth saved her. I will always be grateful to our Gamma for that. I stayed hidden until my stomach churned. I wasn’t sure when Samantha last ate, but the pain in my stomach told me it was a while ago. I knew it was time to move then. I struggled to dig myself out of the debris that Xavier buried me beneath. My body ached so much from the stiffness and stabbing pains I could barely walk. I drank water from a puddle, not caring how dirty it was. All that mattered was that it was wet. It at least quenched my thirst, but my stomach still growled in hunger. I headed toward the river, hoping I could catch something on my way there. But every time I chased
Samantha’s POV Zola’s howls turned to my screams as my bones shifted. I pulled my knees to my chest and rocked. Closing my eyes and trying to breathe through the pain. The sound of the children whimpering distracted me a little.Eventually, I looked at the two small bodies as their hooded heads touched each other, possibly for reassurance. “Your pain won’t be going away in a hurry,” Zola said sadly, urging me to go to them. Over the year since we have been together. Zola and I disagreed on many things, but we were the most excited about motherhood. The unconditional bond between mother and child. These may not be my children, but what if they were? I would hope someone would help them.I crawled on all fours toward them, knowing that it was the only thing I could do for them. I could set them free, just like Garth did for me. I started crying, knowing that no matter how bad the past 24 hours had been for me. It was worse for him.I yanked the knot in the rope around the girl’s ankle.
Sam’s POV I was still upset about Dastin when Ellie came bursting through the door. “Get home, get some stuff. We have to get you out of here.” She yelled at me. I didn’t understand her tone or her urgency. Not until she told me Jaxon was looking for me. Sheer terror stopped me dead in my tracks. I started to shake, fearing he would drag me back to the Shadow pack if he found me. Just as I was about to break down, Ellie grabbed my arms. “Get your stuff. We’re getting you out of here.” She said before pulling me toward her. “Ellie will take care of you,” she said, gently stroking my hair. “Ellie will make sure you’re okay.” I know her gift that calmed me. She always refers to herself as a third person when she does. But I needed it. Ellie told me she was getting me out of South View and that it was not a time to panic. That panicking wouldn’t help us right now. “I can’t leave Dastin like this, though. But as soon as I have finished laying him to rest, we need to leave.” She said as s
Ellie’s POV John looked at me curiously as I approached the front desk of the police station. “How can I help you, Ellie?” He inquired.“I need to inform you of a case of animal cruelty.” John lifted his pen, ready to take down some basic details. As he began asking me questions, the door opened behind me.“I can’t believe you came,” Noddy spoke from behind me. “I want to file an assault charge against that bitch. She broke my nose,” he shouted over me. John looked up at his clipboard, giving me a questioning look.“I will be with you in a minute, Noddy. Wait your turn,” John said before looking at me. “Now, what were you telling me about Ellie?”“A German shepherd was brought to my clinic. He had been bound and left to die.” I told John. Noddy went quiet. John won’t ask any further questions. He is just taking the most basic of details from me. But I want Noddy to be scared because he should be. Noddy only came to town a few years ago.I have seen Dastin a few times, which is how I
Ellie’s POV “Come on,” Sam yelled at me. She has been staying with me for over a month now. She has come along by leaps and bounds, gaining weight and confidence. Other than the scars and the nightmares, you would think nothing had happened to her. She has been working with me at the clinic every day, performing remedial tasks. But she is happy to do it, and I am glad to let her. We have grown close, as have our wolves. I want to say she is my friend, but Sam doesn’t like that word and I can understand why. The one thing I have noticed about Sam is her love for the young. It will explain why she tried to save Jessica and Zeb that night. She has such a strong, loving instinct. Today farmer Clayton is bringing in his sheepdog, Freya. She gave birth to six puppies a few weeks ago. He wanted Freya checked over, so he had to bring the puppies with her. He was lucky he made it out of my clinic with any of them. To my horror, Sam offered to adopt them all. Today, farmer Clayton was r
Ellie’s POV “I woke up from a coma when I was about 7 years old. I didn’t know my name or where I lived. William told me I had amnesia. He told me my memories would eventually return. In the meantime, as I was medically stable, I had nowhere to go. I was placed in a group home.” I told Sam as she slurped on her milkshake. “Being the new kid, I got bullied nonstop. They made me sleep with the dogs in the kennel. As I stunk like a dog in the morning, the kids called me ‘smelly Ellie’, since I didn’t have a name. But I didn’t care, as I knew that one day my parents would come for me.” I took a deep breath. “Days turned to months and the only memory that returned was one of a pair of boys promising to take care of me. Despite the police searches, no one ever came to claim me.”“Oh, Ellie, I’m so sorry,” Sam said sympathetically. But I don’t need it.“I’m not. Mrs Fletcher, the baker, used to stop by with treats and must have seen how I was treated. The first day I was put up for adoption
Sam’s POV Ellie canceled her non-urgent clinic appointments over the next few days to look after me. She ordered food to be delivered to the clinic, and she showered in the kennel area. Her place of work was relatively small, consisting of a reception area, clinic room, operating area, kennel, storeroom, kitchen, and restroom. Ellie reopened her clinic once I could move around without being in pain. I was still experiencing some discomfort, but it was bearable. I helped with minor tasks, such as cleaning. It wasn’t much, but it was all I could manage, and it kept me busy. Ellie never once complained about me hiding in the back, away from the humans who brought their pets in for check-ups. I had never interacted with humans before and was anxious. Listening to Ellie talk so confidently made me jealous. She knew so much and she gave the animals the best possible care imaginable. Yes, she was blunt, and she was not afraid to tell anyone what she thought of them. But then I remembere
Sam’s POV “Zola.” I wanted to hear her familiar voice before I opened my eyes. Before I faced reality, “Zola, are u there?” I called out again, hoping I wasn’t alone. I never want to be without her again. Zola didn’t respond, but I could hear her whimpering. After coaxing her to speak to me, her words were not what I expected. “He intended to kill us,” she said eventually. I quickly understood why she was upset. Zola will only ever have one mate, her one true love. He is supposed to love her unconditionally. I grew to love Axel, but it was nothing compared to the love she had for Gunner. She was processing the fact that despite their love, Gunner was prepared to kill her and kill anyone that stood in the way of him doing so.I have heard of people getting second-chance mates, but that union has to come from the goddess herself, and I’m not sure if I believe in her anymore. Because she sure as hell doesn’t believe in me. We could always take a chosen mate if Zola wanted to. But I am n
Ellie’s POV I know I don’t have much of a personal life. But when you are a shifter, you are never truly alone. For the past three days, I’ve had to care for someone else and it’s been hard work. I have a new appreciation for people who do it regularly. Kiki and I talked about Sam at night. We are curious about her. Which pack she was from, as there weren’t any within a 50-mile radius. Kiki imagined her family and pack were worried sick about her as wolf packs are close-knit. The woods should now be empty and Kiki was frustrated, but it would mean leaving Sam alone. She’s just about coping. Which is better than I can say I am. I’m going stir-crazy. I have never spent this much continuous time in the clinic and I have decided that after Sam is gone, I am decorating the place, especially the waiting area. I have been keeping Sam asleep while the antibiotics take effect. William followed through and visited three times a day to administer them as well as deliver a concoction of
Ellie’s POV How dare William raise his voice in my clinic, especially while I am treating his patient? Kiki snarled at his aggressive tone. But we both knew he wasn’t a threat to me. Despite what I want to say, I need to get the information I want before I tell him what I think of his disgusting behavior. I continued with the task at hand, cannulating the girl. My hand shook a little as I tied the tourniquet around her arm. I am not used to doing this to humans. If anything, it should be easier. She is not covered in fur. A vein is a vein, Ellie. I scolded myself for hesitating in front of William. “John said the children had been found. How are they doing?” I asked as I cleaned her arm. I heard William breathing through his nose as he picked up the vials of ketamine that I strategically placed on the plastic tray. “They’re on the way to my hospital. The authorities have informed their parents.” He informed me. William grabbed my arm. “Now, what did you do to her?” I pulled my
Ellie’s POV It had been a long day. I fixed the cranial cruciate ligament on a labrador named Quinn this morning. There was a minor complication, nothing I couldn’t handle. But it made the operation run longer than I expected.But I didn’t care. The animal on my table would get the time she needed. This caused my clinic to start late. Everyone with booked appointments was annoyed, but that was their problem. If that was their pet, and I ran into a complication, they’d want me to spend the extra time working on them.Over the last few days, there has been an increase in out-of-town dog owners requesting emergency appointments, causing me to stay late in the clinic. In a frantic search for the missing children, those fools have been pushing their dogs to their limits. It ticks me off that humans disregard the health of their animals, using them as tools, solely for their gain. Maybe that’s why I prefer animals to humans. You always know where you stand with an animal. Whereas with peo