…NOW…
I am awakened by a persistent buzzing.
As I glance over at the clock on my bedside table, I am annoyed to see that it yet still very early morning. With nothing but a growl escaping my lips, I reluctantly accept the call, “You do know that it is two in the morning?”
But instead of the cheerful voice, I have grown so accustomed to, there is nothing but sobs coming from the other end. Immediately I sit up straight, and with hesitation in my voice, I can only but stutter, “Olivia, what is wrong?”
“Avy…” she pauses for a moment, “I think it is time that you come home.”
“Why what is wrong?”
“It is mom.”
“No! Please, Olivia, don’t tell me?”
“Avy…” she pauses yet again, “Just come home.”
With that, there is utter silence…
And as a million reasons try to stop me from saying the words, I cannot help but, “Okay, I will be there as soon as I can.”
Falling back, I cover my head with my pillow, “Fuck!”
I am not ready to go back.
Not now, not ever.
But my mom is sick, and I know that she does not have much time left.
What are the chances of bumping into them? Hell, I do not even know if they are still around. He always used to say that he was going to leave town and I know for a fact that his two shadows will always be following right behind him.
Nah, I doubt they are still there.
Yet, I can always ask Olivia?
But then again, I do not want her to know that the only thing that is going to stop me from seeing my dying mother, is the three of them…
The Xavier brothers…
They destroyed me then, I cannot let them do it now.
So, I drag my sorry ass out of my bed instead and make the way over to the shower. With each goddamn step I take, their faces are now flooding memories that I have fought so hard to forget.
Kage is right there tormenting me with his tongue…
Slater is near close behind setting my entire body aflame…
And Niko…God, those hands…
How can I forget…
But I do not want to remember either.
Letting the water from the showerhead trickle over my body, I try to wash them away, yet they only linger… With each ticking second, the desire that used to burn for them ignites that passion once again…As my hands move over my every curve, they are right there, feeling every inch of what used to be theirs… Claiming me all over again…
Or was it me that claimed them?
But what they did, and what they did very well, was destroy me, and along with that, they made damn sure to trample on every shred of my shattered heart.
The only thing my body should feel is hate!
“Best you forget about those Xavier brothers, Avyanna!” I finally utter in complete frustration. “I highly doubt they are still around.”
Though around is Kage with the very next wink I take…
Taking me back…
“Get out!” I hear his voice echo to every crack and crevice; it only but thunders, sending my body to a shudder. Though it is his eyes that leave me utterly motionless as they turn hot with rage. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
“Kage…” I recall my lips trembled as I begged, my body shaking beyond control where I was still lying under Niko. His body grew heavier by the moment, and I prayed that I would just disappear, but then Slater finally pushed him off me.
Yet, I remained there…
Not able to move…
Or say a fucking word…
The three Xavier brothers towered over me, waiting for the explanation that never came.
It was Kage that took that leap, grabbing me by the wrist and pushing me towards the door with the utmost force. I could see that he was raging a battle within himself…
It was me or them.
But I knew that Kage would never choose me over his brothers, so he did the one thing that he vowed to do… He did after all warned me what would happen if I ever came between them… So with hate consuming his every move, he pushed further towards that front door…
But I am ripped to reality as I hear my phone chime to life…
Stepping out of the shower, I rush over to where it is lighting up on my bedside table, I cannot help but grunt as I see his name pop up, yet I know he will not stop until I answer. Trying to rid myself of the Xavier brothers, I sigh…
“Hey babe,” his cheerful voice greets me though it sparks a hint of something else, then as he continues, “You know I just had the naughtiest dream of you, how about I come over?”
I cannot help but feel a hint of irritation crawl down my skin, “You know I would love for you to show me, but it is not a good time.”
Or perhaps I should tell him that I had too had some naughty things race through my mind as well… I was near about to touch myself while thinking of that last moment I had with Kage before he had shoved me through his front door…
Yet, “Let me make it a good time.”
“Liam…”
Next, I hear a knock…
“Liam, please don’t tell me that is you?”
“Babe, you know I don’t take no for an answer.”
With that, I drop the phone and rush over to the front door… Completely naked, I watch as it swings open… In an instant, he pushes me towards my room, “I missed you?” He mumbles, claiming my mouth as each syllable falls onto my lips.
“Liam, I don’t have time…”
“Ssshhh,” with one last push, my body drops onto the satin sheets, and he moves his lips down my neck. “I promise you I won’t be long…”
“Liam, stop! I don’t have time.”
His gaze locks with mine, his hands continuing to move down my every curve, “What is wrong, babe?”
As his fingers torment the soft skin of my thigh, I only gasp, “Fuck you are making this hard.” My body squirms from his teasing touch. “I really don’t have time, Liam. I need to pack.”
For a moment, he stops, “Where are you going?”
“My mom…”
Yet he interrupts, “I am coming with.”
“No, I will be fine.”
As he brings his lips back to mine, he softly whispers, “I am not taking no for answer. I am coming with.”
With that he slides away, walking up to my closet, he takes out both our goddam suitcases and begins to pack.
Of course, he is coming with!
There is no way I am going to get him to stop.
So after another half an hour of trying to convince him that it is not really necessary for him to come along, I completely and utterly fail. Resolving myself to the fact that I am not going to win, I gather the last of my things and head for the front door.
Soon we find ourselves settled in the car, and just as he is about to pull out of the driveway, he glances over, “Is there something else going on?”
“No,” I turn my head away from his questioning eyes. “I just did not think that you would want to be around my sick mother.”
“I am not letting you go alone, and that is the end of it.”
As he finally pulls the car onto the road, I cannot help but feel an air of uneasiness settle between us. I have never told him about my life with the Xavier brothers when I was living in Jackson. Never did I think it was necessary to tell the man in my life that I was once in love with not one, but three brothers, and if I care to admit it to myself long enough, I still feel something close enough to that love that I had, not for Liam, but for them.
No matter what I tried, it always came back to the surface, though I did well at pushing it out of sight and out of mind…
I just need to believe that they are no longer in Jackson. That they have moved on and that everything will be fine.
It is with these thoughts haunting me for the next hours, that we make the trip back to Jackson in almost near silence. The closer we get to the border, the more I feel the old wounds starting to scratch open at the surface.
But it is only when Liam announces, “We are here.”
That it all comes crashing down…
Yet, what seals that final fate, is what I see as we enter… Right above the sign welcoming visitors to Jackson, there seems to be a new addition…
“Welcome to the territory of the Alphas of Anarchy.”
What are the odds that by some wicked chance the Alphas claiming Jackson are the very ones that had claimed me all those years ago?They do have this habit of thinking that everything fucking belongs to them.The mere thought of having to face them sends my stomach curling. Yet, lingering just underneath the surface is a sea of emotion that I thought I had long forgotten. There is no denying that behind this façade, the wall that I had built is slowly crumbling.And before that happens, I need to decide…I am either all Liam or no man at all.I owe it to him and moreover, I owe it to myself.The Xavier brothers are destroying me all over again and I am giving them the power.It will not fucking happen.Not again!So, as I glance over to the only man that should be wandering through my mind, I lay my hand gently on his arm, “Why don’t we book into the hotel before we go over to my mom?”With nothing but a hint of lust filling those eyes, he cocks his head, and brings the car to a scree
…THEN…“Kage…”His eyes are smoldering, and with every goddamn bone in my body, I am praying that it is from his arousal, yet he is nothing but raging mad.“Get out!”“Kage…” With his grip tightening around my wrists, he is pushing me down the stairs. “Kage, please wait! I can explain.”His voice grows louder as he bursts out in a rumble of laughter, “Please tell me how you can explain my goddamn brother all over you?”“Kage…” The tears rolling like thundering clouds down my face, “He caught me by surprise. I promise you nothing happened.”For a fraction of a second, his breathing stops, and he spits out in disgust, “The same way that Slater was feeling you up in the kitchen?”“How…”He brings the tips of his finger to my lips, “How? Is that what you want to know?” Pushing me up against the very next wall presenting itself, he continues to pin my hands above my head, “Is this the way you like it?”“Kage, please…”Stepping through the dining room, he clears the table of its very conten
…KAGE POV…Moving with pure elegance, I watch her sway those goddamn hips with utmost tormented purpose. Flicking them from side to side, that skirt flares just enough to give me a full view of her tight ass. Every emotion that was ever filled with rage, is set on fire…That fire that once burned for her ignites right the fuck alight.And in a mere than the blink of an eye, my only desire is to taste Avyanna Tate…It takes me less than two strides, and I burst through the back door only to catch a glimpse of her as she disappears around the corner. With a nothing but smirk and the hint of a growl, I adjust my growing erection, “Not so fast, my little wolf.” Then from underneath my breath, I whisper, “I am not done with you yet.”But as I take that corner, sneaking up from the side, I see her toy boy pushing his way through the door, short on the heels of my prize, into the lady’s bathroom.Picking up the pace, I slip in behind just as the door is about to close, then with nothing but
…NIKO POV…“You still believe that she belongs to you? To you and you alone?”I watch Kage as his eyes grow wide with rage, “You are damn fucking right about that. Now, do I need to repeat myself?”I cannot help but spit back at him in utter fury, “If you have not noticed, she is with someone else.”“And if you have forgotten, she is back in town because I wanted her to be here.”The mere thought of the lengths this man would go to get what he wants sets every emotion racing. He was the one that did everything in his power to get Anna out of town, and now, after all these years, he wants her back.Yes, Kage has come under fire for not having marked Anna when he had the chance, but what he has done now…It is fucking insane.Yet, he would be wise to remember that our dear Anna does not like to be told what to do and let alone be pushed into a corner.So, as I slowly rise from my chair, I give Kage a once-over, “You are playing a dangerous game. You think you lost her ten years ago, wai
…SLATER POV…Staring at Kage, still burning white-hot with fury, it brings back all those nights. Nights when I was so angry at him, and myself for the part we both played in chasing Avy away. The plan never was to get her to leave town, we were trying to teach her a lesson for playing us all.But Kage had a temper, and he felt betrayed.There was no way that he was going to let Avy make him look like a fool. So he pushed her as far as he could, so far that she eventually left.And it broke me.It splintered my heart into so many goddamn pieces, I could not find anything that would put it back together again.But now, she is back.And all those feelings, those emotions, they have been pulled from the grave that has been my heart.I know I should not.But I feel alive again for the first time in years.Though this thing with Kage and Niko, I need them to stop because if they don’t, it will push Avy away again. Yes, I am the last one that approves of what Kage did to get her here, but s
If my life was not a mess before, then it is now nothing but a fuck up. I have not been in this town for a goddamn hour and I have had all three Xavier brothers doing what they do best…Claiming what they think is theirs.And did I stop them?Not the least fucking bit.I need to get as far away from the three of them, but what my head tells me is not what my body wants. My body has done nothing but betray me with each encounter I have had. It seems that not only did these boys do some growing up, but the addiction they bring, has me craving them stronger than any drug.Stronger than ever before.With each whispered breath, they have by their heated touch set my body completely alight. I am so near damn close to exploding, if one of them edges their way over my lace panties, I might just erupt.Standing here with Slater as he pulls me back closer to him, there is nothing that I want more than to give in. Seeing him bulging in those skinny jeans, has me wanting the one thing that I cann
The very words send a chill to my spine.How can my father possibly be in trouble with the Xavier brothers?What I have learned only but an hour ago from Slater is that they own this pub. But my father is not a drinker and even less is my mother. The possibility of them causing trouble here is more like slim to nothing. So how has my father gotten himself mixed up with the brothers?Do I even want to know?Guess I will have to find out.So very reluctantly and shit scared to learn the truth, I push Olivia for the answers, “How is dad mixed up with the Xavier brothers?She only but stares at me, and from the terrified look on her face, she is not willing to go into detail. Judging from her reluctance, it must be bad.But still…How is the Xavier brother involved in this?I need to know what the fuck is going on here.“Olivia, if this is the reason you dragged my ass back home, then at least give me a fucking explanation.”“It… was…” I watch as she hesitates. Something has her spooked,
…KAGE POV…The way she is making my cock feel as she pouts those lips in utter frustration makes me want to pin her to that fucking couch and let my hands explore every inch of her body. The mere thought of how they will feel wrapped around my head is driving me crazy. The only desire consuming me is to taste every curve that is Avyanna Tate.I am trying to remain the level-headed businessman that I should be, but trying to remember the feeling of her bare naked skin far out ways any business I feel like discussing. The only thing that should be moving is our lips in perfect precision, and our bodies falling in harmony as I take her to the edge and drop her down into a pool of ecstasy.To think there was a time that I hated this woman, and now all I can think of is having her back between my sheets. Seeing that wet…“Wipe that stupid grin off your face and tell me what you want, Kage.”What do I want?You… Naked… Spread open… On that table…“Kage!”“Patience, Avyanna, we have all day.
Watching the light of the moon fall through the tiny windows in the corner, the terrifying reality sets in that in little less than a couple of hours that bright ball will reach its apex and let its curse consume the earth.Unlike the power that Kage, Slater, and Niko have mastered, I still turn into an uncontrollable beast. But saying this, I am chained to this bed so there won’t be any danger of this beast letting loose between any of the innocent souls that are wandering town at this ungodly hour.Though I cannot say the same for Liam as I have never seen him turn, but his intention is quite clear, he wants to mark me and there will be no way he will be leaving this room until he has done the very thing.I need to get away from him before that even happens.Even though he is still severely hurt from the pain that Kage inflicted on him, I still do not think that I can take him on. And there is the little problem of his friends lurking outside there somewhere. If I can only get a sli
…KAGE POV…I am not a man that shows fear nor can you easily get me on the edge but take a man that has nothing to lose and all the determination in the world, and he sets a horrific fear to course through my veins.But what this man has also created for himself is a promise that once I set my hands on him, this time he will not walk away alive.We all have underestimated Liam.But that won't be a mistake that I will be making twice.My only problem now…Where the fuck do I find this man?Slater has put the word out on the street for any strange behavior that might cause an alarm, as where Nico is scouring each and every possible empty factory or building that there might be around.But there is a nagging feeling creeping up my bone that we are not even close to looking in the right places. I know this town like the back of my fucking hand, I would have known if there had been another pack making themselves far too comfortable in my territory. This leaves me to believe only one thing…
Laying in utter darkness, listening as the wheels slowly roll over the tar road, the only feeling that consumes me is utter fear. It is not so much being in the trunk of a car, but the fact that I am about to face a furious Liam. On his best days, his temper was a force that drove him to be the monster that I do know now he is.I would like to believe that he would go easy on me but I have not only embarrassed him but also lied to him about where I was staying. How I never knew that Liam was a werewolf is beyond me. I was too busy hiding my true identity from him that I did not notice that he had just as big of a secret.So as each ticking second passes by, I prepare myself to feel his full wrath that will come down on me. The fact that he not only once but on more than one occasion disregarded Kage’s threats tells me that he is a man that truly does not care what lengths he would go to. If getting rid of me is what he needs to do then I am sure he will do it with one damn big smile o
…KAGE POV…Driving to the pub where this Alpha has last been spotted, every nagging bone in my body tells me that I should not have left Avyanna all alone at home or at least have left either Slater or Niko with her. But the thing is that we do not know what we are up against, so I need both my brothers by my side when I confront this man.I am finding it strange that only a mere hour after teaching that scumbug Liam a lesson that his Alpha decides to stroll into my town. The agreement has been very clear with every single pack that they do not set foot into my territory. Him doing so has not only gone against the agreement but it is a clear declaration of war.The further question begs, is he alone or are there others that are just waiting around in the shadows? Whichever way, he is soon going to learn the error of his fatal mistake.So as we pull up at the back of the pub, I glance over to Slater and Niko, “You do nothing until I give the order. There are people behind those doors th
…KAGE POV… I think that I did not quite hear Slater clearly, “What did you just say?” Slater raises his voice but a fraction, “I said Liam is downstairs with his pack demanding for you to hand over Avyanna.” “Do you want to tell me that we failed to notice that Liam is a werewolf?” “The man was pretty convincing, but I suggest you come downstairs before they start ripping the place apart.” Glancing over my shoulder at Avyanna, I can see the clear disappointment and betrayal in her eyes. Sliding from underneath the covers, she starts to dress. Walking up to her, I wrap her hands in mine, “You are not going downstairs.” With a hint of anger in her voice, she makes her intention quite clear, “Liam is my problem.” Feeling slightly annoyed, my eyes pierce into hers. “What you fail to understand is that anything concerning you is my problem.” Slipping back into my jeans, I grab my shirt and head for the door. Just as I pull it open, Avyanna pushes past. I try calling after her, but s
…KAGE POV…If I for some fucked up reason did not care for upsetting Avyanna, I would have punched this smirk off this asshole’s face. Where in his warped universe would he ever accept what Avyanna is? I can see his bones trembling at the mere thought that things such as werewolves exist. The only reason this idiot is saying he is fine with it is because he cannot stomach the fact that he might lose her to me.Well, guess what?She is mine.I can see that longing in her eyes. It is not a longing for him, but for me. Avyanna knows deep down in the bottom of her heart and, dare I even say soul, that she wants me. She needs me. If there is anyone that knows what her body longs for, then it is me. Liam has been a means to an end, someone to fill that gap that I have left behind. But fuck, if she chooses him.It will shatter me.So with half a hand reaching out to her and a hand coming from that asshole at the very same time, I can barely breathe. I feel like slicing that idiot’s hand off
What is wrong with me?The second one of them gets lost in me, I submit without even thinking twice. Of all of them, Kage is the one that I would sell my soul to. Even though I am devoted to Liam, the instant that Kage merely touches me, I lose all sense of reality and desire takes over every fibre of that part of me that needs to be satisfied in a way that Liam never could. Kage used to set my body alight in a way that no man ever could, and being around him again has got me wanting to feel that way again.But I can’t. I am with Liam.And it is Liam that is lighting up my phone now.So taking a deep breath, and clearing my mind of everything that is Kage, I answer his call, “Hey babe.”“Fuck baby, I am missing you.” I can clearly hear the desperation in his voice as he takes a stuttered breath, “I need to see you.”“Babe, I will see you soon,” I say with the full knowledge that I have no idea when I will see him again, for I have no idea how long this arrangement with Kage i
…Kage POV…I knew that this was a bad idea.I knew trying to trap Avyanna in this deal would do me more harm than good.The fact is, and a piece of information that I will never reveal, but I could have easily written her father’s debt to me off. I have done it before, not only for him, but for many others. I might seem like a ruthless and cold-hearted bastard, but there is something about a man that is willing to lose it all just to protect his family that I respect.So yes, I grabbed onto the opportunity to get the only woman that I have ever loved back into my bed. I was a fool for letting her slip away from me all those years ago, and I will be damned if I let it happen now again. But the fact is, she hates everything that I stand for, and I hate her just as much for her betrayal that caused me to chase her away.Is it something that I ever will get over?Fuck knows, but all I know as I am standing here, and my eyes are scanning over every inch of that body, is that I am going to
Oh that is so not happening!Feeling as the rage slowly crawl over my skin, it takes me less than two giant strides and I have my hand firmly pressed into Kage’s shoulder and spinning him around, “What did you just say?”With nothing but a wicked smirk growing at the edges of those lips, he brings his mouth only inches away from mine, “I do not like repeating myself but taken that trembling lip is turning me the fuck on, I will say this once again.” Then as he brushes his lips over mine, I can feel him smile, “You will be staying with me for the next three months. And by with me, I mean in my room.”“That will not fucking happen. That was not part of the deal.”“Oh Avyanna, you should ask next time before you agree to do something.”“I don’t give a shit, Kage. I will not share a room and even moreover a bed for that matter.”Keeping my eyes locked with his, with his lips only inches away from mine, I can feel the heat starting to consume him. I am not sure if it is from the rage build