Lucius
My heart is clenching, pushing at my ribcage constricting my breath from coming out.
Before leaving the office, I thought I could keep myself together. Turns out it was a faux restraint that spoke, just so I could get up and away to meet Penny.
I bet we did not think, we would be seeing her in this position. On the hospital bed. Still seemingly better - holding hands and out of the hell of a club after today.
Wrath, jealousy, confusion - every emotion that I keep at bay clouds me.
I dont remember a day I was so angry, that I hauled an entire man with just my fingertips. I dont remember a day I was soo jealous, just because I heard my brother’s name instead of mine. And I dont remember a day, when I questioned my decisions. Confused as hell, telling myself it is ok to take a chance with Penny.
That I dont need to wait for my mate.
That it is okay if she wants us both. It is okay, if I open the door I once closed labeling it as our horny perky days.
I dont like to be insecure.
Nevertheless, Alpha or not we all have our own, we just dont own them.
So, when Aeric asks me what would I do if she wants us both. The only sane thing that came to my mind was to give her that.
Mate or not- Penny perforated the only organ I keep shielded.
I look down at our threaded fingers, raising her hand to kiss the edge of her knuckles. Aeric did his best, to add his magic of mirth to the room. Not gonna lie. It pulls me off the edge placing me on more level land.
My back’s killing me from sitting on this hell-of-an-uncomfortable stool. I dont know how many seconds, minutes, or hours pass by, the only thing I remember is the creek of the uncreaky, if that's even a word when the doctor enters the room.
I twist on my arse, the best I could to see him and not strain Penny's arm too far from her body when I see the twinge of uncertainty, with a whole-ass bucket of fear etched on his brows.
“Doc… Is something wrong?”, Aeric asks, sensing the very features, I suppose.
He supposedly, was even gentler because I was ready to snap his head for whatever reason his expression contort in a displeasing way.
“Amm…” he hesitates, doing his best to avoid the space my puffed-out chest claims.
“We tried to figure it out, but I think you should take a look at it.”, he says scrambling towards Penny’s feet.
He lifts the blankets from around her ankles. Aeric, and I stand not letting go of her hand, tiptoeing with our six and more stature to get a better view.
It's the shackle I saw the other night.
Why isn't it off her foot by now?
I unthread our hands, placing her palm flat on her stomach to kneel near her ankle. The doctor - gasp.
Yup! Alpha’s aren't supposed to kneel to anybody, but I couldn't care less.
I take her ankle in my hands. The soft velvety skin of her leg brushed the callouses of my skin with a fervent warmth, making them just as smooth as her skin.
Gently lifting her leg, I look at the shackle.
Up, down.
Right left.
The shackle caught my attention at the club. I knew it wasn't normal, like the ones secured around every other girl. Looking closely at it, my speculations were right.
No latch, no screws, or any dam thing to open it. It is as if inked on her skin, in 3D- only an inch thicker than her skin.
“Why dont you remove it?”Aeric says.
“We cant” I say looking at him. His head tilts in confusion. Repeating my prior course of action, he places her hand securely over one another before scooting near me. He kneels; an action too egoistic for his narcissistic self.
I want to raise an eyebrow, twerking my lips in a stupid smirk he carries to ask about his oath, “To not kneel.” I know I can't.
His face yells, serious. Weirdly, it makes me happy.
Stretching his fingers he touches the metal of the shackle.
“What is this?”, he croons.
“We dont know masters. We tried our level best to get it off her feet. That thing on her feet is like her skin.”, he says pulling out sheets of records from a file in his hand.
“We checked it thoroughly, there is literally no space for any instruments to slide between her skin and the metal. We can't cut through the top, it is super thin and we can't make where the metal ends and skin starts. Apart from it, everything is absolutely fine with her.”
They sure cant. This isn't a simple shackle, this cant be. Aeric and I trace the shackle with our fingers, our skin bouncing on the little unknown words engraved on the shackle. Four different lines of words, going around in circles, reunifying in themselves. I take a closer look as if the alien language will reveal itself, probably, speak to us.
In this lifetime, I have learned more language than necessary. Some for business, others to read the coded scriptures of Alphas and their sacred rules to rule. But none of them were remotely related or even curve the slightest in the way the words on her shackle do.
What is this Penny? I rasp inside my mind, my throat tight and heavy from all the emotions that impale through me.
What emotions? I am not sure yet. It's the shackle that sends the weird vibrations to Aeric, his mind link coursing the same through my mind as we feel it at the same time. It's like the shackles have a life of their own.
“Get her discharge papers ready.”, I say. The doctor scoots out of the room on his tiptoe, afraid to either get questioned or caught up in a brawl.
“Aeric, we should take her to our house.” Aeric’s body freezes, a pensive stare barring a hole in the mattress of the bed.
I frown, his expression turns hostile soon, contorting with pain. A heartbeat later, his eyes jump on mine, their edges rickety. My heart picks a beat, a sudden pain crashing me down in the wave of agony.
No? This can't happen.
My mind was too muddled to sense the inevitable, unbearable pain that went straight to my heart. It just did not scratch, it gashed, taking one of its most important parts off and far away.
Mom's dead.
" When it rains, it pours".
My head falls back on the headrest of the car seat, a chuckle erupting from the base of my throat. I rub a palm over my face, holding tears bay.
I dont want to cry.
I can't.
It's just gonna make things worse.
Aeric is no different. He sits in the front seat. Fingers swiping through his blonde top hairs, farfetched look in his eyes.
Trust me, if someone gives us a second of solace from being the bad-ass-future-alpha-kings, we are gonna break down, crawling on our knees.
Begging every superpower to give us our mom back.
Fuck!
My throat tightens, the pain almost unbearable.
For fuck’s sake! It was our mother.
We can't even mourn her death without looking weak in front of the pack.
My body itches, my wolf clawing my insides to let it free. My feelings are suffocating him, the pain surely a lot more unbearable for him than my human form.
I take a deep breath, inhaling the childhood that lingers in the air. Leaves hurl off the trees preparing themselves for the winter, letting out a sweet musky smell from decaying piles of leaves on the ground.
The smell reminds me of the crustless cranberry pie, mom used to cook for us after hours of training. She wasn't a cheerleader for pumpkin in fall, she made her own rules.
A traitor tear pooled along the edge of my eyes, turning a small patch of my brown khaki pants darker in shade.
That's it I can't take this anymore.
“Stop the car!”, the words are too hoarse for my liking as they slip past my lips in warm agony. Aeric turns towards me, the driver hitting the break in an instant.
“I will be at the mansion. You can go ahead” I say opening the door. Leaves crunch under my leather boots, the air knocking the memories out of my guts. Aeric’s eyes impasse on mine.
‘I need a run’, I mind link him.
AericBash me in the head with heavy metal, and I will get up hundreds of times to fight - again and again. Physical training teaches you that shit.Makes you strong, ready, and too coercive.What it does not teach you is- what to do when someone bashes you on the inside. Severe. Harsh. To the point that you do not have the will to get up and fight.Mom was the only one that actually acted like she was our parent. Not some trainer, who is turning the animals he breeds into fighters that can conquer wars.Us being werewolves does not help as well.People might expect the alpha kings to be burly, strong, and emotionless. That's not true.
Chapter 1Bright light escaped through the illuminated halo mirrors dusting a silver pixie over the skin of the figure staring into it. Icy blue eyes with an equally cold face reflected inside the mirror, desperately trying to practice the smile the women in the brothel taught her. Every day she diligently practiced hundreds of expressions that could give her cold face some structure. Expressions that can add life to her lifeless face. It was not that she wasn't beautiful. In fact, she was the epitome of beauty. Ice blue doe eyes sat perfectly on her small round face, complimenting her pale skin. Soft plump flesh bounced with a natural pink tint, as she trapped and left them from between her small pearl teeth. Dark brown hair teased her waistline. The bright lights of the room made her look like a goddess, ready to shower her proximity with abundance and happiness, but she was anything but a goddess in the eyes of the people. Penny is a stripper, in the largest club of Dark Night
Penny's POV“Penny, can you handle the client in the third cubicle? I need some desperate rest after my last session”. Amanda, a blonde girl dressed in a leathered gold bikini calls out as she enters the make-up area in the back. She slumps on the seat next to me, tipping her head back and massaging the small of her back with her long fingers. The freckles on her face glisten with small sweat dews as she creates an O-shape with her lips puffing some air out. I look at the clock on the wall; it’s almost the end of my shift but who doesn't like some extra cash in their pockets. So I remove the pumps, lining the bruise on my leg with a second skin patch, before trudging towards the door.“Penny, you just had a rough session with Alpha Valen”, Martha voices out, her eyebrows crossed in the middle of her face, and I just look at her. I don't understand what all the fuss is about. As strippers, we get clients for private dances, and sometimes the Alphas and the Betas that enter have sex
Aeric's POVLoud R&B music blares inside the club creating a symphony that sways hips on the stage. As Lucius and I enter the club, people freeze in their place eventually bending at their hip and bowing a full ninety degrees. Why not? We are the future Alphas of the Dark Night Pack. Alpha Lucius and the strongest Alpha Aeric, the undefeatable twins.My lips tug at the end lifting up in satisfaction at my own thoughts. You might think I am narcissistic. Well, I won't deny it. When you are as handsome as the Endymion even the moon goddess will fall for your charms. I snort walking behind my brother into the club Delirium with my head held high only to bang into a body before me." Ouch! Look before you stop", I say rubbing the edge of my forehead and looking at Lucius who suddenly stopped in his tracksLucius is a giant- standing five centimeters taller than me at six feet two and with bulky shoulders, he looks like a Greek God. Definitely, less than me - but his heavily built body c
Lucius POVA strong smell of moonflowers and night jasmine struck my nostrils, as the bitter bourbon lingered on my tongue. My head immediately shot up looking for the source of the smell, but when Aeric pointed out that he smelled it too my mind went into a whirlwind of emotions. Possessiveness, jealousy, protective instincts, and every bubble of belonging burst in me. It felt like someone was snatching something that was mine. I am usually a composed person, and nothing so far has driven these emotions in me. And besides emotions, I have never felt an eager urge to act on them as well. When Aeric asked me whether I smelled my mate, I said No. Well, it wasn't a lie, but the question also told me that, the someone we smelled is neither his mate. An immediate relief flushed along my nerves at the realization, but when the smell grew stronger and unbearable my head snapped towards the right. There she was standing, the source of the enticing smell. The smell that particularly left m
Penny POVCold wind gushed in at the impact of the door against the wall, lugging a serene smell of Lavender and Spice with itself. The room crammed, a mixture of lavender, spice, orris heart, and woods blending in the air.I always heard we could smell a werewolf, but this was the first time I smell them in the air. The air around me felt congested, with the puff of air battling around yet blending in so well to create a symphony. And all I could do was to hold my breath for a second and take a long breath the other. The temperature of the room weirdly rose every passing second, passing an unbearable and squirmish heat down my body. It felt like the heat from a fire. The only difference - I felt the fire inside me and not surrounding me. My heart rammed against my ribcage, creating an incoherent sound of thumps against my brain. Sat in the lap of a silver-haired man, I look at the man with dark hair standing at the door. His chest heaved up and down, his eyes squinting at the reg
Penny POVIt was hard keeping my eyes open when Alpha Aeric started the story about his skydiving experience in Saltamos Village in Barcelona.We have been talking all night. No, Alpha Aeric has been talking all night, and all I and Alpha Lucius did was listen to the story that involved him and his brother.I wanted Alpha Lucius to speak, and tell me about his life. Not that the information Alpha Aeric gives missed them out. It was just that I wanted to hear his voice and look at him for seconds more than stealing a glance.Again not that I did not want to look at Alpha Aeric, but I just wanted to see both of them and see the different twitches on their face mimicking them on mine.
Alpha Damon’s POVThe forest grows darker, the swirls of the wind a color of white smoke penetrating my skin. The winds howl, trees laugh, the birds threaten, and the cold bites with every step I take.The land beneath my feet breaths sinking me deeper and deeper until I reach the end of the tattered black iron gate hoisting crows as the guards, bats as the protectors, and skulls as the deity.“Alpha Damon, the king of the wolves.”, The voice cold and shrieky echoes in the air, the smoky wind leaving my body, entering the gates marking the start of the territory of the witches.“To what do we owe your visit to the witches' territory.”I
AericBash me in the head with heavy metal, and I will get up hundreds of times to fight - again and again. Physical training teaches you that shit.Makes you strong, ready, and too coercive.What it does not teach you is- what to do when someone bashes you on the inside. Severe. Harsh. To the point that you do not have the will to get up and fight.Mom was the only one that actually acted like she was our parent. Not some trainer, who is turning the animals he breeds into fighters that can conquer wars.Us being werewolves does not help as well.People might expect the alpha kings to be burly, strong, and emotionless. That's not true.
LuciusMy heart is clenching, pushing at my ribcage constricting my breath from coming out.Before leaving the office, I thought I could keep myself together. Turns out it was a faux restraint that spoke, just so I could get up and away to meet Penny.I bet we did not think, we would be seeing her in this position. On the hospital bed. Still seemingly better - holding hands and out of the hell of a club after today.Wrath, jealousy, confusion - every emotion that I keep at bay clouds me.I dont remember a day I was so angry, that I hauled an entire man with just my fingertips. I dont remember a day I was soo jealous, just because I heard my brother’s name instead of mine
AericOne moment I am looking at this gorgeous-cant-take-your-eyes-off- face, and the next moment I am digging into her life history, geography, and even biology to understand why she affects me so much.Or should I rather say us?What is more shocking? No. It is utterly astonishing.Why did I feel a Deja Vu at the words?Whatever?Is that my goody-two-shoes-of-cold-face-brother is as affected as I am? No woman has affected me in that way.Again, no woman was as beautiful as her.I dont know what to say or think, but
LuciusAeric and I sit at the breakfast table, picking at the food rather than eating it. I dont know what is running through his mind. Mine is full of thoughts of Penny.Shocking. No. It is utterly astonishing how I behaved yesterday.Mindless.Drunk.Dazed.Most of it- out of control.It has never happened to me. Not in 24 years of my life as a human or a werewolf. My mate was the only thing I expected to affect me this way. Yet, she is not. Not my mate, and definitely not someone related to me.The last 12 hour
Alpha Damon’s POVThe forest grows darker, the swirls of the wind a color of white smoke penetrating my skin. The winds howl, trees laugh, the birds threaten, and the cold bites with every step I take.The land beneath my feet breaths sinking me deeper and deeper until I reach the end of the tattered black iron gate hoisting crows as the guards, bats as the protectors, and skulls as the deity.“Alpha Damon, the king of the wolves.”, The voice cold and shrieky echoes in the air, the smoky wind leaving my body, entering the gates marking the start of the territory of the witches.“To what do we owe your visit to the witches' territory.”I
Penny POVIt was hard keeping my eyes open when Alpha Aeric started the story about his skydiving experience in Saltamos Village in Barcelona.We have been talking all night. No, Alpha Aeric has been talking all night, and all I and Alpha Lucius did was listen to the story that involved him and his brother.I wanted Alpha Lucius to speak, and tell me about his life. Not that the information Alpha Aeric gives missed them out. It was just that I wanted to hear his voice and look at him for seconds more than stealing a glance.Again not that I did not want to look at Alpha Aeric, but I just wanted to see both of them and see the different twitches on their face mimicking them on mine.
Penny POVCold wind gushed in at the impact of the door against the wall, lugging a serene smell of Lavender and Spice with itself. The room crammed, a mixture of lavender, spice, orris heart, and woods blending in the air.I always heard we could smell a werewolf, but this was the first time I smell them in the air. The air around me felt congested, with the puff of air battling around yet blending in so well to create a symphony. And all I could do was to hold my breath for a second and take a long breath the other. The temperature of the room weirdly rose every passing second, passing an unbearable and squirmish heat down my body. It felt like the heat from a fire. The only difference - I felt the fire inside me and not surrounding me. My heart rammed against my ribcage, creating an incoherent sound of thumps against my brain. Sat in the lap of a silver-haired man, I look at the man with dark hair standing at the door. His chest heaved up and down, his eyes squinting at the reg
Lucius POVA strong smell of moonflowers and night jasmine struck my nostrils, as the bitter bourbon lingered on my tongue. My head immediately shot up looking for the source of the smell, but when Aeric pointed out that he smelled it too my mind went into a whirlwind of emotions. Possessiveness, jealousy, protective instincts, and every bubble of belonging burst in me. It felt like someone was snatching something that was mine. I am usually a composed person, and nothing so far has driven these emotions in me. And besides emotions, I have never felt an eager urge to act on them as well. When Aeric asked me whether I smelled my mate, I said No. Well, it wasn't a lie, but the question also told me that, the someone we smelled is neither his mate. An immediate relief flushed along my nerves at the realization, but when the smell grew stronger and unbearable my head snapped towards the right. There she was standing, the source of the enticing smell. The smell that particularly left m
Aeric's POVLoud R&B music blares inside the club creating a symphony that sways hips on the stage. As Lucius and I enter the club, people freeze in their place eventually bending at their hip and bowing a full ninety degrees. Why not? We are the future Alphas of the Dark Night Pack. Alpha Lucius and the strongest Alpha Aeric, the undefeatable twins.My lips tug at the end lifting up in satisfaction at my own thoughts. You might think I am narcissistic. Well, I won't deny it. When you are as handsome as the Endymion even the moon goddess will fall for your charms. I snort walking behind my brother into the club Delirium with my head held high only to bang into a body before me." Ouch! Look before you stop", I say rubbing the edge of my forehead and looking at Lucius who suddenly stopped in his tracksLucius is a giant- standing five centimeters taller than me at six feet two and with bulky shoulders, he looks like a Greek God. Definitely, less than me - but his heavily built body c