They had set up a temporary stronghold at Scarlet University. It was one of the places most securely guarded when all hell broke loose, and the loyal members of the Scarlet pack had taken advantage of the stored food, backup generators, dormitories and suites, and even the medical supplies. Enemies had taken control of the two smaller hospitals in the city, leaving only the major one in friendly hands, which meant any injured civilians or weaker Deltas with less regenerative power needed all the extra help they could get.
But Peelle had been beyond all medical aid. When a team of Deltas had rendezvoused with everyone else at the new base in Scarlet University, they had come carrying his marred body in the mangled car that he had used to kill at least several other pursuers. No one would ever know the full story, but it seemed that because he had been unable to shift, he had turned and crashed his car straight into the enemy vehicles, both of them, as they came around the bend
It was a stalemate. Evan's side had the discipline, the experience, and the Alpha himself to bolster their strength tenfold. But handicapping that was the crumbling unity thanks to the wave of mass suspicion and accusations different sub-packs and families threw at each other in the midst of the boiling tension. It took Evan's snarling warnings to everyone involved that he would personally deal with their pettiness if they didn't shut up.But besides that, the enemy had rogues who would resort to anything, even the lowest of tactics like holding hostages. There were rescue missions here and there to pry free the last of the captured civilians who had been snatched before they could evacuate. It was brutal work with casualties, but the people came first.It was transformative. I had only known Evan these last few month, but before then, I knew as well as anyone else of his blood-soaked reputation. Before this catastrophe, no one would ever have guessed he would devote h
With his hands on my waist, he pushed me toward the bed. The towel was still draped over the top of his head, but it was bound to drop sooner or later as he shoved me onto the mattress with a mischievous smile. I yelped when he dropped on top of me, his body still warm from the shower and intoxicatingly damp. Really! He had time to rest and he was going to waste it like this... Or so I should have complained, but I moaned under the rough strokes of his hands as he dived under my shirt. His lips on the side of my neck teased and nipped at my ear before trailing to my cheek, where he traced his tongue in a tempting, fluttering butterfly trail before reaching my own lips. But the kiss was neither teasing nor slow, and as soon as his mouth was on mine, he surged with dominant strength to tame me with his tongue. Hard and fiery, he pinned me to the bed and kissed me breathless, trapping me under his weight as he let out all the pent-up desire he'd kept back for days. We'd
I couldn't remember falling asleep, but I must have dozed off, the sensation of Evan's warm chest against mine filling my senses and removing all the rest of my awareness. But I did dream, somewhat. On the boundary of wakefulness and sleep, Cassiel appeared, my beautiful white wolf."You look so happy today," I teased as she came to lick at my cheek. Her tail hung low but waved from side to side, betraying her joy with grace. "And you're all better now. You've thrown off the last of the slump."It affects us more than it does others, she reminded me as she sat on the grass. A breeze drifted by, rustling her fur and my hair. We should be careful. Who knows what will happen if we breathe in that poison again?"Everyone needs to be careful, not just us. But you're right. The doctor not only at that safe house but the ones here cleared us, but we weren't feeling like ourselves for days after. Evan and the Deltas who were at the manor all said they
The Glilies were finally getting their meeting with Alpha Evan.He glared at the door he had paused outside of. Beyond it, someone was waiting for him to appear. Funny enough, it wasn't the Alpha of the Glilies family or even his mate. It was their daughter, Flicka.Flicka called herself Evan's childhood friend since they used to romp together with all the other children, back when Evan was not yet an orphan and his father was still the Alpha. Even then, she had fancied herself his future mate. Evan had always been annoyed by that. After all, from the moment they first met when they were barely toddlers, she had insisted to all the other girls that he was hers. That wasn't normal childish behavior. Her parents, the money-hungry influence peddlers Gerald and Lenore, had clearly drilled it into their daughter's head from birth that she must shoot for the stars. Or rather, shoot for the money pile.That attitude never disappeared. When Evan had taken over the Scarl
That was impossible. Evan would never stoop to mating with a half-breed nothing, one that even used to be a filthy slave for another pack. Flicka had asked her father to look into Claudia's past.She knew basically everything there was to know about the weakling bitch, though that wasn't saying much considering she was lower than trash. Illegitimate daughter of an Alpha of a weak pack -- the disgraced Dark Moon pack no less, most of whom had been slaughtered all on the same day weeks ago -- and of a human slave. Honestly, Flicka didn't despite humans so much as she was disgusted by those who dared to try to mingle with superior werewolves.Where did they get the nerve? Humans weren't Flicka's concern until they tried to squeeze into upper society where they didn't belong, and Claudia was the worst of them all. Seducing Evan? Trying to become his Luna? Where did the stupid fucking slut get that idea? Did she think all a Luna had to do was lie on her back and spread her
Flicka was in control. She could salvage this. Claudia retaining her backbone even when no one was nearby to help her waddle around had been unexpected, but Flicka wasn't immune to miscalculations. Of course she could make a mistake here and there.But really, Claudia acting brave and swaggering around when the whole campus was watching was one thing. After all, those who wanted brownie points with Evan would come to her rescue like she was some fragile damsel in distress, so of course the half-breed had gone all-out when they'd last fought. This time was supposed to have been different. There was no one around in the greenhouse to back the half-breed up, just her and Flicka. How dare the bitch slap her! That dirty, ugly, miserable little...This was unacceptable. The whore had gotten too full of herself. Flicka was going to take care of this once and for all, going straight over Claudia's head to the Alpha. Evan had been taken in by exotic wiles and batting eyelashes,
If there was one good thing to come out of the confrontation with Flicka in the greenhouse, it was what happened the next morning. But I would have no idea until a few hours after I woke up and returned to the greenhouse.I stopped by the Joseph family's new lodgings first, a two-bedroom suite in the Lambeth Apartments, the more upscale residence right next to the first-year dorms. It was soundly within the secure territory around campus, so I could go alone to greet Ken and welcome him at last to the new base.Yesterday had been far too hectic for all of us, with my help being needed in the sick bay because of an influx of wounded werewolves coming in from skirmishes, and Ken because there was considerable difficulty relocating his family's sub-pack into their rooms appropriately. But now I could say hello and catch up after far too long without contact. His temporary room was sparsely furnished with only a student's captain-sized bed, a desk and chair, and a small ta
"Wait for me in our room next time.""How can I? Evan, look!" I beamed at him as I dried off my hands with a brown paper towel, courtesy of the helpful lab assistant who had been tending to me devotedly for the past hour. "These plants, do you see them?"Evan leaned over my shoulder. He carried the acrid scent of fire, and his clothes were rumpled. He must have thrown on whatever he could find in the dresser right after arriving in our room to find me gone, and he had come here straightaway instead of washing up. But he was worried for nothing. This was cause for excitement! As Professor Ornby had said, almost a miracle, though I wasn't so full of myself that I would really call it one."I don't understand. What am I looking for?""Oh! I didn't explain. These were seeds less than an hour ago. Something happened in the greenhouse overnight and Professor Ornby wanted to make sure of the cause for it. So he's running some basic experiments with all of our ba
ClaudiaLife is hard. It is full of things that none of us deserve.It can be full of wonderful and beautiful things, but it is also full of a lot of things that are unfair.There is nothing fair about what happened to my daughter.She didn’t want to be kidnapped and brainwashed, she didn’t want to become impregnated by a sociopath, and she didn’t want to have a stillbirth.After going into labor and the doctor wasn’t able to get it’s heart rate they took Alita to the pack hospital to have an emergency c-section to try and get the baby out in time.It was a girl, she looked so much like Alita, and she wasn’t breathing when she came out.The wails that Alita cried out haunt all of us.Thankfully, she has Mateo on her side. He helped her through her grief. He helped her to be able to see the good things in life even through all the darkness that clouded her mind.One of the things that had been stressing her out was the thought that they would have to leave soon so he could be Beta agai
AlitaMy eyes snap open and I take in a sharp breath.Everything suddenly flooded into my mind. Being taken from the party for Osborn, Peelle, and Eda, the brain washing ritual, all the time I started figuring things out and Aamon would drug me again.Everything. Every single little detail of my life came back.I grind my teeth together in anger. I’m ready. It’s time for Aamon to die.I slip out of Mateo’s grip and thankfully he’s in such a deep sleep that he doesn’t notice me leave. The house is quiet, no one is awake, but still, I am careful as I sneak out to the cell. I walk into Aamon’s room, and he looks surprised to see me but then he notices my prominent baby bump and says, “Oh my goddess, our baby looks like it’s cooking great! How are you feeling love?”I hiss, “I am not your love!” I huff as I try to regain my composure. I don’t want him to think of me as a small hot-headed child. No, I will be cold and calculated with my actions.I look at him and say in a cold voice, “I g
AlitaI can’t stop staring at Mateo and I notice he hasn’t released his breath since he asked if I believe him. I slowly nod my head; I do believe him. The tingles, the sparks, his scent, and the overwhelming desire to be with him made it obvious. He is my mate.I force myself to stand up. Mateo holds his arm out, helping to steady me. I look down at Aamon who is watching me curiously. I’m overwhelmed by the emotions and tears threaten to fall down my face and in a choppy voice I ask, “What the hell is going on? You clearly aren’t my mate.”His lips are pressed into a line, and he shakes his head and then suddenly a laugh slips from his lips. His eyes flicker back to me, and he says, “You were so innocent and naïve and so easy to brainwash, dear.”Shock rushes through me and I don’t know how to respond. He shakes his head as he continues to chuckle and at this moment I realize that everyone has been telling the truth.This man… I’ve lived with him for a year… I thought that I loved h
ClaudiaEverything comes rushing back to me as I stare at this son of a bitch. He has ruined my life and my family. He has harmed my children in so many ways and I want nothing more than for him to die.But then… he laughs at me and shakes his head. He snaps, “You don’t intimidate me, mutt!”Evan takes a step from behind me, and I can’t help but smirk, everyone is intimidated by my giant hulk of a man. But Aamon shakes his head, “What are you going to do? Hit me? You have questions for me, and I guarantee I won’t answer them just because you are trying to intimidate me.”Mateo asks, “Then what will make you answer?”He lifts his head up and gives a smirk, “They already know what I want.”Osborn steps forward, “You’re not getting the child.”He laughs, “Then I won’t fix her memory.”Osborn lets out a growl that feels like it shakes the whole room and Aamon looks at him and shakes his head, “I will fix her memory if I am guaranteed to leave with my child and no one attacks us.”Osborn r
EdaOsborn paces around the living room and holds Faith. His constant movement helps soothe her while I feed Hope.We can’t believe that they were able to find Alita so fast. We know that Alita is different than she was before, but it doesn’t matter. She will finally be home.When the door opens Evan, Claudia, and Peelle come in and behind them is a pregnant Alita and a man we don’t know. My heart breaks for her knowing that the child inside her belongs to my disgusting biological father.Her eyes zero in on Osborn and then she looks at Peelle and she murmurs, “Huh.”Peelle says, “That’s our brother, Osborn, he’s the current Alpha of the Scarlet Pack.”Osborn walks over to her and repositions Faith in his arms and says, “Alita, I can’t believe your home.”She looks him up and down and Peelle takes Faith from his arms and walks over to me to give me a kiss. I notice the confused look on Alita’s face and she asks, “So, you’re both with her?”We all nod our heads and she asks, “And who a
PeelleI feel bad for Mateo whenever Alita wakes up. They knocked her out and we went on our way back onto our private plane to head home. She’ll wake up at some point during this flight and when she does, I guarantee it’s not going to be pretty.Mom sits near her and plays with her hair and will randomly make remarks about how happy she is that we finally found her.I ask Mateo, “Do you know how far along she is?”He shakes his head, “She didn’t talk to me much. We were more like acquaintances. If I had to guess I would say four months… maybe five.”Mom says, “Her baby is going to be so close to the girl’s age.”I nod in acknowledgement and Mateo says, “You have kids?”“Twins, my brother and I have the same mate and we had our girls, Hope and Faith, five months ago.”“That’s amazing. I wonder if Alita is pregnant with one or two.”“How do you feel about her pregnancy?” I ask as I try to feel him out. He knows she’s pregnant, will he be there for her even though she is carrying some o
MateoI lie Alita’s body down on the bed in the guest room we gave her. I breathe out as I watch her chest move up and down with her steady breathing. I need to make sure that whatever Sofia gave her was safe, I want no harm coming to her or the baby. Even though I understand that she’s struggling, I’m having a hard time with Alita.Her whole life has been turned upside down, but she won’t even consider what we’re trying to tell her.I get it, I do, I’m sure we sound like a bunch of crazy people to her. But there must be some way to get her to remember her old life. But… is that what’s best for her? Knowing that she’s been playing house with the man who kidnapped her?I groan as I leave her room. I need to go downstairs and talk with her family and explain everything that happened on our end and maybe they could explain some things that don’t make sense to us.As I come into the living room her parents, Evan and Claudia, and her brother, Peelle all look at me. I breathe out and say, “
MateoI had dinner with Alita, and it was wonderful. It doesn’t matter if she has accepted me or not, just being in her presence is more than enough.I need to talk to Lorenzo and Sofia and see what we should do with her though.Should I tell her about the missing person notice? Or should we wait until her family gets here?I leave her so that she can rest, and my wolf is antsy inside my mind. He wants to come out and mark her, he’s ready to know that she is 100% ours now and forever.When I walk into the room both Lorenzo and Sofia look at me. Sofia asks, “How is she doing?”“She’s… antsy. She’s ready to get home to her ‘mate’.” I scoff, it’s hard to even think of another man being her mate. Having a relationship with her the way only I should be able to have.Sofia looks at me sympathetically and says, “I think she’s been brainwashed, Mateo. I think she truly believes that man is her mate. If she is this missing girl… it’s the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she
PeelleFinally, we’re going to find Alita. I know things have changed, I know she’s different now, but my heart leaps for joy knowing that soon she will be home and safe.I’m glad I packed last night and enjoyed my time with Eda. While my mom and I were busy packing, my dad and brother were searching for packs near Venice.Dad found the Verona Pack and has some connections with them because of business. He sent in the request to stay there and although we haven’t heard back from them yet, but we decided to head out anyway. Worse comes to worst then we’ll stay in a hotel, it’s not like we can’t afford it.We say our goodbyes to Osborn, Eda, and the girls and we get on the plane to go find Alita. I hope that the bond we have built over these years will help guide me in finding her.MateoI think that Sofia was right and that Aurora, if that’s her real name, is actually a missing person. It makes a lot of sense and so I have been looking through the missing person reports that we have re