Evan left me in the room with two Deltas guarding me. No matter how I insisted that he take me with him, he refused. Why! I could settle this in one go. If I got close enough to any of the Glilies and the Josephs, I would be able to get to the bottom of this. The truth was in their heads, and while I hated to use my power deliberately against anyone, if invading their privacy meant being able to keep others safe, I was more than willing.
"Let me help!" I shouted, but it was no use. The door slammed shut behind Evan, and I was left alone in the room, at least for the time being. He had promised he would come get me and let me help once he determined things were safe, but even this report just now couldn't be trusted, he had said. If someone really had betrayed the pack and evidence had come to the surface at last, there was no telling who else might be involved. Until he personally settled things and restrained everyone involved in the situation, I was to remain locked in the
"Wake up, bitch."The slap to my face didn't hurt as much as Flicka thought it did. She was crowing in triumphant glee in her thoughts, which was ironically what grounded me in reality and allowed me to stay calm the second the slap woke me. Little did she know that I had been slapped by Elly and Maria so much when I was younger that I hardly cared about such trivial attacks anymore.What I was more concerned and confused about was how I was back in human form. They must have forced me back into this shape at some point while I was unconscious. And they had shoved me into a loose hospital-gown like article, thin and drafty--"I said, wake up!"The second slap didn't faze me either, which only made Flicka even more frustrated. She knew I was conscious again. I had opened my eyes and was looking straight at her when she shouted again. What she was upset about was that I wasn't groveling and sniveling, and that threw her off so much she had no idea what to d
EARLIER:Evan no longer had Peelle at his side. He had only the counsel of werewolves whose first concern was excitedly throwing themselves into the drama, not saving Claudia. They didn't understand. This threat delivered over their radio frequency to not attack, that if they did, the enemy would slit Claudia's throat. Evan would listen to their demands, or he would lose his woman.The others didn't understand. They had all shaken their heads and nearly laughed, as if it was some kind of joke. As if they couldn't believe the audacity of someone to try to threaten their fearsome Alpha Evan with the life of some... some no-account half-breed woman, a former slave no less.Someone had even dared to say that aloud. In the next second, he had gone flying across the room and smashed into the wall before sliding to the floor, stunned. In no uncertain terms did Evan make his message clear: Claudia was no mere plaything, nor was she a failed bait.The demand from
This was a trap. It was meant to be the end of him. Evan had walked into too many battles to miss the signs, the scent in the air, the killing intent buried in crafty tricks.He stood before the Wellington Federal Bank alone, in the shadow of the massive building where he had already caught more than two dozen unique scents. There would have been more had Evan's pack not circled the entire area -- though from a distance of about half a kilometer out. Evan had forbidden anyone from coming any closer. He wouldn't risk Claudia. But to forestall a backstabbing, he had ordered all werewolves already outside the base to gather at a safe radius, surrounding the patch of land to hem in the enemy should they try to escape. Or, more importantly, to fight whoever else tried to come in and reinforce the enemy's numbers so as to overwhelm Evan even more.Two dozen enemies and some change. That was a lot. They weren't all werewolves either, probably a lion shifter in the mix and a t
Evan left Claudia's side exactly twice.The first was when he presented himself at the trial to decide the traitors' fates. Matthen Joseph and the Glily family faced the judgment of the pack three days after the end of the Scarlet pack siege, and the judgment came swift and harsh.Matthen Joseph was sentenced to death, although that was probably preferable to the lifelong agony he would have had to suffer otherwise thanks to the gruesome injuries he suffered at Evan's hands in the fight. They had been so severe his werewolf healing had failed to regenerate them properly. When he stared blankly around the Quad where the entire rest of the Scarlet pack had gathered, glaring at him as they would any enemy, he quietly accepted his execution.Evan was not the one who rendered it. He had spilled enough blood, and Claudia had wanted him to leave things up to the natural majority, not take lives at a whim. It was a little thing. He could do that for her. Instead, the Sc
When I opened my eyes, I remembered nothing. For a terrifying moment, I couldn't even remember who I was.But there was a warmth on my belly and chest, the weight of something reassuringly heavy and solid. Someone was resting their head on me and holding my hand. Someone I knew. Someone I wanted desperately to never leave me.And then it all flowed back like a river crashing through a broken dam, washing over me in a mighty wave."Claudia!"I must have awoken Evan somehow even though I hadn't even moved. Eyes wide, I stared up at him, too stunned to answer.But I didn't have to. He wrapped me up in an embrace, hauling me up from the hospital bed as if I weighed no more than a feather. The way he held me was desperate, terrified, frenzied yet gentle, and before I knew it I was clutching at him too."Evan," I whispered, lost for words. I could only say his name over and over again -- "Evan!"Because now I knew.Now I felt it.
Nine years before Claudia and Evan reunited on Dark Moon territory, they met once before in a dark forest not too far away. Freezing rain pelted the trees, and winds battered the branches so hard that with each gust, needles and twigs and stray leaves ripped off to fly about. In the dark of that winter night, a young boy staggered through the heart of the forest, bleeding and bruised everywhere from head to toe.Something was strange about this forest. Evan had never seen such thick fog before, especially when this was no ordinary rainfall. Was it even possible for a mist this thick to roll in with freezing rain?He groped forward blindly, unable to see anything past the thick curtain. Even if the way forward was concealed from his sight, he had to keep moving. He had run far and fast to get away from the older and stronger werewolves pursuing him, and although this mist made it impossible to know where he was going, it helped him avoid capture at the same time. Those
"You have to catch my bouquet.""Raf, I'm already married.""It doesn't matter! It's the principle of the thing. I caught yours, now you have to catch mine!""But--""No buts!"Raf fixated on the strangest things. Normally, I would write this off as one of her playful moments or even her stubborn ones where she knew she wasn't quite right but dug her heels in anyway for sentiment's sake. But that wasn't the case now. Raf was about to explode ten minutes before her wedding rehearsal started, and she was channeling all her frantic energy into arguments that made no sense."Raf. Listen to me. This is just practice, okay? You'll be fine."She didn't even try to deny her anxiety. She flopped into the chair and splayed over it, the hem of her white cocktail dress fraying against the strain. "This is going to be a disaster! Why is there only one rehearsal! What if something goes wrong now or we have to change something! Then the actual weddi
Peelle and Osborn were tearing up the house long before they could even walk properly. Blessed with overpoweringly strong werewolf genes thanks to their father, they could slightly shift their fingertips to sharp clawed points, and they decorated the walls, floor, and furniture with their artistic masterpieces anytime we so much as blinked.This was unsustainable. At this rate, we might as well just put all repairs on hold until they were old enough to learn they shouldn't draw castles and dragons into expensive wood and leather. We had already stopped trying to patch up the dresser as it was. On either side of it, there were about twenty tangled pictures clawed into the wood, just like the two previous dressers that had been there before.I hoped they would turn their artist talents to paper or another, less expensive medium soon..."Oh, man. I can't believe they're already so big." Raf bounced her little daughter in her arms as she stared goggle-eyed at Peelle
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 didnât want to be kidnapped and brainwashed, she didnât want to become impregnated by a sociopath, and she didnât want to have a stillbirth.After going into labor and the doctor wasnât able to get itâs 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 wasnât 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. Iâm ready. Itâs time for Aamon to die.I slip out of Mateoâs grip and thankfully heâs in such a deep sleep that he doesnât 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 Aamonâs room, and he looks surprised to see me but then he notices my prominent baby bump and says, âOh my goddess, our baby looks like itâs cooking great! How are you feeling love?âI hiss, âI am not your love!â I huff as I try to regain my composure. I donât 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, âI g
AlitaI canât stop staring at Mateo and I notice he hasnât 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. Iâm overwhelmed by the emotions and tears threaten to fall down my face and in a choppy voice I ask, âWhat the hell is going on? You clearly arenât my mate.âHis 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, âYou were so innocent and naĂŻve and so easy to brainwash, dear.âShock rushes through me and I donât 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⊠Iâve 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, âYou donât intimidate me, mutt!âEvan takes a step from behind me, and I canât help but smirk, everyone is intimidated by my giant hulk of a man. But Aamon shakes his head, âWhat are you going to do? Hit me? You have questions for me, and I guarantee I wonât answer them just because you are trying to intimidate me.âMateo asks, âThen what will make you answer?âHe lifts his head up and gives a smirk, âThey already know what I want.âOsborn steps forward, âYouâre not getting the child.âHe laughs, âThen I wonât fix her memory.âOsborn lets out a growl that feels like it shakes the whole room and Aamon looks at him and shakes his head, âI will fix her memory if I am guaranteed to leave with my child and no one attacks us.âOsborn r
EdaOsborn paces around the living room and holds Faith. His constant movement helps soothe her while I feed Hope.We canât believe that they were able to find Alita so fast. We know that Alita is different than she was before, but it doesnât 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 donât 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, âHuh.âPeelle says, âThatâs our brother, Osborn, heâs the current Alpha of the Scarlet Pack.âOsborn walks over to her and repositions Faith in his arms and says, âAlita, I canât believe your home.âShe 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 Alitaâs face and she asks, âSo, youâre both with her?âWe all nod our heads and she asks, âAnd 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. Sheâll wake up at some point during this flight and when she does, I guarantee itâs 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, âDo you know how far along she is?âHe shakes his head, âShe didnât talk to me much. We were more like acquaintances. If I had to guess I would say four months⊠maybe five.âMom says, âHer baby is going to be so close to the girlâs age.âI nod in acknowledgement and Mateo says, âYou have kids?ââTwins, my brother and I have the same mate and we had our girls, Hope and Faith, five months ago.ââThatâs amazing. I wonder if Alita is pregnant with one or two.ââHow do you feel about her pregnancy?â I ask as I try to feel him out. He knows sheâs pregnant, will he be there for her even though she is carrying some o
MateoI lie Alitaâs 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 sheâs struggling, Iâm having a hard time with Alita.Her whole life has been turned upside down, but she wonât even consider what weâre trying to tell her.I get it, I do, Iâm 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 whatâs best for her? Knowing that sheâs 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 donât 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, â
MateoI had dinner with Alita, and it was wonderful. It doesnât 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, heâs 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, âHow is she doing?ââSheâs⊠antsy. Sheâs ready to get home to her âmateâ.â I scoff, itâs 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, âI think sheâs been brainwashed, Mateo. I think she truly believes that man is her mate. If she is this missing girl⊠itâs the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise, why wouldnât she
PeelleFinally, weâre going to find Alita. I know things have changed, I know sheâs different now, but my heart leaps for joy knowing that soon she will be home and safe.Iâm 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 havenât heard back from them yet, but we decided to head out anyway. Worse comes to worst then weâll stay in a hotel, itâs not like we canât 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 thatâs 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