When Kyle insisted I take the bed, I was too tired to put up a fight. I climbed in and snuggled under the sheets. The blankets smelled like Alec. And why wouldn’t it? It was his bed.My throat tightened as I thought about everything I’d learned. Aside from my pack hunting me, there was a chance my father’s family would kill me if they ever found out I was alive. Then there was this new news about Alec. I didn’t know if it was the truth, but if Alec sold me out to earn the cash to help me, where did that leave us?Asshole could have explained it to you.I realized that if he’d told me, I’d have refused to comply. I would have taken my chances with the royal family rather than return to captivity in Wolf Creek. Alec would have known that. But he should have given me a choice.Why would the shifter king even care about me? I was nobody and I had no interest in getting involved in royal politics. Shit, if not for the mark on my hip, I wouldn’t even be going back to Wolf Creek. It was possi
Sheila was sitting in a lawn chair outside her tent. Next to her was a little folding table and another chair. Two mugs sat on the table. “Did I interrupt?”She grinned and jumped from her seat. I was swept up into a bone-crushing hug. “I was so worried about you. I can’t believe they caught you.” She released me from the hug but kept her hands on my shoulders. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you? And please for the love of the moon goddess, take me to Wolf Creek with you next time so I can beat the shit of those assholes.”“I missed you too,” I said.“Tell me you’re not going back there,” she said. “Cause I heard a rumor that I’m not fond of.”“Where did you hear this rumor?” I asked.“I guess it was more of a heads-up than a rumor. Alec says you’re going to go back,” she said. “But he’s mum on the fucking details. Since when does he leave me out of shit?”She sounded hurt and it made me think Alec probably had been honest when he told me that he’d acted alone. “Sit, sit. I hoped you
“You heard me,” I snapped. I wasn’t eager to repeat it.“I’m going to kill that bastard,” he said with a growl.“Get in line,” Sheila said.“Great, you all want to kill Tyler, but it doesn’t fix what I just went through or what he could have done to me. Why did you go along with that? You were the one warning me to keep my distance,” I pointed out.“That was before I knew the details about your history,” he said.“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked.“It seems you and me have something in common,” Malcom said.“We do?” I lifted a skeptical brow. “Do you have a mate who wanted you dead too?”“No, I’ve never formed a bond,” he said.“What could possibly justify you going along with that plan?” I demanded.“First of all, I didn’t know what Alec had in mind until after he already handed you over. Second, I agreed to help get you out,” Malcom said.“Okay, fine. But why? Why did Alec get you involved and why did you agree to help?” I asked.“I’m not an asshole. I wasn’t going to l
The day went by far too quickly. I was welcomed by the members of the camp. None of them asked about my time away, but I got the sense they were concerned. It didn’t feel like they were ignoring it, but rather they were afraid to upset me. I wasn’t used to others being worried about me. It honestly made me a little uncomfortable.My cheeks hurt from smiling, but I was able to sneak off alone for a few minutes as everyone prepared for the bonfire. Even Kyle was distracted by the ordeal. Like me, he wasn’t used to such spectacle, and I could see the excitement in his eyes.As the day faded into twilight, I could feel my wolf growing more restless. She knew it was time for us to make this thing official. I hoped we connected quickly and that I’d gain control of when I shifted without too much practice. After finding out that wolves shifted as early as thirteen outside Wolf Creek, it made me feel like I was already behind.From the little bench I was sitting on, I watched as the members o
My heart hammered in my chest and my stomach was a ball of nerves. I wasn’t sure if I was going to vomit or pass out. Maybe both. I wanted this for so long, and now it was time.“You got this,” Alec said.Kyle jogged toward me, Sheila, and Malcom at his sides. “You ready?” Kyle’s eyes sparkled in the firelight. He looked happier than I’d ever seen him. Shit, I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually seen him happy.“Just toss the clothes aside and call to my wolf?” It seemed too easy.“Or call to her now and destroy those awful clothes,” Sheila said. “You might be better off naked after this.”“One of these days, I’m going to have a closet of my very own with more clothes than I could ever wear,” I said, “but right now, this is all I’ve got.” I pulled the shirt over my head and tossed it aside. Kyle, Malcom, and Sheila started taking their clothes off too.Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Alec had moved back a little. He was fully clothed, but I could see that he was watching me. It wasn’
Catching myself, I gasped, and blinked. Why had I just turned on sexy, flirting Lola? I cleared my throat. “Thanks.”He smirked and his eyes dropped, scanning my body. A delicious shiver ran down my spine and I could feel the wetness spreading between my legs.“I need my clothes,” I managed before walking away.Quickly, I found my clothes and pulled them on. I could smell Alec behind me before I even turned. His scent was driving me wild. It was taking every ounce of my willpower not to rip his clothes off him right here.I spun around to face him. “Did you need something from me?”“I know what you’re feeling,” he said. “I can smell it on you, I can feel your responses to me.”“Excuse me?” I blurted out.“It’s normal, don’t worry, give it about a half hour and it’ll fade,” he said.“What are you talking about?” I asked.“The desire to fuck my brains out.” He shrugged. “It’s pretty clear you’re struggling with that. I would offer my services, but I don’t think I’d be welcomed right now
When I fell into bed, I was more tired than I’d ever been in my life. It was a different kind of tired, though. My inner wolf was satisfied, a feeling I wasn’t familiar with.“You’re going to sleep like the dead tonight,” Kyle said. “Sleep after a shift is better than sex.”I laughed. “Good. Cause sleep is all I’ve got.”He sat on the edge of his bed. “I get that. There wasn’t exactly anyone I was interested in back home.”“Maybe you’ll find your mate once we break that barrier. New people will be able to come in and everyone will be free to go explore the world.” I yawned. It was getting difficult to keep my eyes open.“Maybe.” He stood and walked over to me. “Go on, under the covers.”“I can tuck myself in,” I said.“Sure. You look like you’re ready to pass out on top of your blankets and you never bothered to take off your clothes,” he pointed out.With a groan, I rolled off the bed so he could toss back the covers. Then I climbed back in, still dressed. I was far too tired to worry
My inner wolf seemed to leap inside my chest, rejoicing at being reunited with Tyler.With our mate.“No,” I said. “I don’t want to be with you.” Even as I said the words, I couldn’t make myself believe them. It was as if my mind was being overridden by the mating bond. I was reacting on instinct rather than logic.Tyler brought his hand to his chest and groaned as if wounded. “You always know exactly what to say to hurt me. But I’ll never give up on you. We’re connected, two halves of the same soul.”That can’t be right, could it?Suddenly, the whole ally was spinning around me. It was like being sucked down a drain, only I wasn’t moving. The world was spinning. Faster and faster and faster. I closed my eyes.Time to wake up. Wake the fuck up.When it stopped, I was standing out by the old, broken-down barn. There was a full moon and my wolf stirred, ready to run. Now, this was an improvement. I wouldn’t mind a dream where I got to run as my wolf. I embraced the pull of my wolf, and sh