***POV:Amara***I have to get a control of my emotions and this damn mate pull. I went from trying to do something nice for Clara and Mike to salivating over Cole through the window and being caught in the act by Imogen. I wish I could just shut down all my emotions. It’s like I am volleying back and forth between overwhelming heartbreak to inexplicable desire. As wolves, we are supposed to have full trust in Moon Goddess and who she chooses our fated mates, but why did it have to be a human, and why did it have to be now? I just can’t wrap my head around Trent and Heather, and the long-term betrayal. I can’t shake the feeling of loss of a child that will never be born. And yet still, the pull to Cole is there, getting stronger every day. It doesn’t help that he is ridiculously delicious to look at. He is a serious man, but seemingly a kind and loving one when it comes to his family. I just have to stop thinking about him. If I am being honest with myself, it’s not even just about Co
***POV:Amara***I wake up in the morning feeling more rested and at peace than I have in a while. I’m so warm and comfortable, and then it dawns on me that there is someone in bed with me. I turn around and come face to face with Cole, laying there in all his perfection. He seems to still be asleep, his chiseled face perfect, his light brown hair tousled so sexily as if he meant to make it look that way. I put my hand near his face and just lightly trace his lips with my fingers, his full soft perfect lips. The same blasted sparks make their way through my body and Cole stirs. I immediately pull my hand away.That’s enough indulgence, time to go back to keeping my distance. I start slowly scooting away from him to get out of the bed when suddenly he puts his arm around my waist and pulls me toward him. Kaylah is intolerable at this point. My wolf is wild with desire for her mate. If I let my guard down for one second, I have no doubt she will take over and jump his bones. Cole nuzzles
***POV: Trent***It’s been days and days of searching now and coming up empty. One of the boats went back to The Colony to print up flyers with a picture of Amara to put up next to our survivors’ lists in every city and town. I don’t have high hopes for it, but it does offer a reward for finding her alive and includes instructions for leaving a message on the flyer. I do worry what the humans will think of seeing something like a printed flyer with a photo on it. This is something they think is no longer possible. We can’t worry about that. We must use every resource we have to find my future mate and my heir. It is a long shot, but I have to try everything. If it wasn’t for the fact that Alpha Carlos had not felt her tether to him snap, there is no way all these wolves would still be willing to go through all of this effort for one girl, future alpha or not.Days keep passing when we finally get a break. We find her family’s boat at the docks located near the camp that Heather met m
***POV:Violet***I have been looking forward to seeing Cyrus so much, that I feel guilty for allowing myself to get distracted away from worrying about Amara. While it is devastating to my heart that she hasn’t been found yet, at this point I am starting to believe that she simply doesn’t want to be found. I know Cyrus is feeling guilty for promising he would find her and coming back empty handed.Am I crazy for starting something with Cyrus? Our packs have been against each other for as long as I can remember. He just seems so removed from that. He is different, he is a good man. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the man is hot as hell, but that truly isn’t even the original source of attraction. I sit and wait for him to come out of the locker room area. I notice another boat docking. Heather is on the dock waiting. Trent must be on this one, she is always trailing after him like a lost puppy. A few minutes later I see him getting off the boat and head towards Heather. Irritation painf
***POV:Cyrus***Finishing up getting myself ready to take Violet out, I am more nervous than I expected to be. It actually feels like this may be the most nervous I have been about a woman. It’s not like I am inexperienced, a bit rusty and out of practice perhaps, but definitely not new to the game. I got around in my younger days more than most, before the world came to a stop. After all that went down, my priorities changed, and hooking up randomly just seemed pointless. I needed more. There was no need to waste time on the wrong people. Violet is everything but wrong, she is all things that are right, she has all the potential for more.I am wearing a tight-fitting cream-colored V-neck t-shirt, and some dark jeans. Trying to go for casual but put together so she knows I made an effort for her. I even put some cologne on, I cannot recall the last time I did that. Not much call for cologne in the apocalypse, I laugh to myself. I walk out of my apartment, going through a mental checkl
***POV:Cole***It’s been almost a week since I spent the night in Amara’s bed. While nothing happened with her, I haven’t been the same since. She occupies my every waking thought. The woman is consuming me. I have kept my distance as much as possible. I see her most nights at the dinner table, sometimes I stay out working in the fields purposely coming in late to avoid her. The only time I allow myself the guilty pleasure of her company is in the mornings. Something about our quiet morning coffee exchange makes it impossible for me to give it up.I was supposed to have gone scavenging days ago, but it’s been raining continuously every day making it more dangerous to leave the farm. While I don’t mind getting wet, and will even work outside in the rain, I will not travel in the storms. There are already so many other unknown variables out there, I don’t dare tempt fate even further. I must go soon, if for no other reason than to get Amara some properly fitting clothes. I try my hardes
***POV:Amara***Sitting on the porch, letting myself slip further and further into relaxation, watching the sunset over the water. Suddenly I see Cole coming towards the house from the barn in nothing but a towel. Is it possible that I have now devolved into full on delusions about the man? He looks dangerous, he is practically naked and within my reach. I can’t make myself look away. His body rivals that of an alpha wolf, he is tall, well built, and super defined. He has a few tattoos and a beautiful golden tan. Perfection.He stops at the top of the porch steps, looking glorious with the light behind him, making his skin glisten even more. I may be drooling at this point. Kylah, that hussy of a wolf of mine isn’t helping matters at all. She is fighting for control and wants to come out and play with this beautiful man in front of me.He gives me a self-assured sexy smile, opens those full lips, and says “Amara.”I stare open mouthed and can barely manage a response. “Cole.”He smile
***POV: Amara***We get our packs on, hop on the bicycles and head towards the center of the small town. I take everything in as we ride past, it’s both eerie and beautiful. I really haven’t seen much of the aftermath. I moved to the colony before everything truly had changed and had not left until I went after Trent…. Trent. Thinking about him is definitely hurting less, but the anger at the betrayal is still so raw. Cole snaps me out of it, he is talking about what he has noticed about the town.“From what I have seen just from passing by, there are at least a couple of pharmacies and a boutique next to one of them. I want to hit it all but go quick. Just because it looks quiet and deserted, there is never a guarantee. No reason to tempt fate.” He looks over at me, something about the way he emphasized the word fate is tugging at me.We hit the pharmacies, and although they have been picked over, there were some good finds there, and we manage to find most of what his parents had as
***POV: Imogen***After a lengthy brainstorming session, we split up and Violet took me to see the kids. I wanted to check in on them, but wanted to give them a chance to get reacquainted with their parents after being apart for so long. It was good to see them and they are definitely settling in.So now we are getting ready to go out as a group for the night. The big buzz is the ball that will be happening in a few days. Apparently they have already had a few off colony guests portal in, and it’s apparently a big deal.
***POV: Trent***That didn’t go the way that I wanted it too, but lately nothing has. Amara saying I don’t love her, that I’m not capable of loving her… how dare she? She doesn’t know what my feelings are, what I am thinking. At least she has the capacity to understand. Heather is not even capable.Being around Heather makes me feel like I am actually losing brain cells. She is not an Alpha, she is just not capable of understanding me. And now I am stuck with her, thanks to my pup growing inside her.
***POV: Cole**The next day we are all assembled at Tobias’ packhouse bright and early. Of course, ‘we’ are missing Amara, but Tobias, Imogen, Violet, and Cyrus are all here. Tobias gathered us to share all of the things he has uncovered about Imogen and I.We sit around the large table in his dining area, and one of the wolves from his pack is busy putting out a nice breakfast spread around us.“Tobias, I appreciate the hospitality but I am dying here man, when can we just find out what is going on?” I ask, trying to not be rude, but most likely failing at this point.He looks at me knowingly. “I get that you are anxious for more information, but we are still waiting on one more person to join us before we get started.”My heart skips a beat, Amara must be coming. While I hate where we are with things, I would never turn away an opportunity to see her.
POV: TrentAmara opens the door and I barge in past her. The look on her face tells me I am completely unwelcome, but I don’t care. This woman is mine whether she wants to accept it or not. I stride in to the living room and sit down on the bigger couch. She is still standing by the open door, looking at me, assessing me, obviously trying to figure out what to do next. She closes the door and pauses there for a minute, finally turning and walking over to where I am. She sits down on the loveseat across from me.
***POV: Amara***Back at my packhouse and I can’t stop thinking about Cole. I am in a loop of replaying what just happened. I don’t know how I am supposed to do this, walk away from this feeling, abandon this gift of my fated mate. I leave my room in search of, well anyone really. I don’t see Violet, of course Imogen is now at Tobias’, my mother isn’t anywhere either. My last stop is my father’s study, and sure enough he is there. I watch him for a moment before knocking on the partially open door. He is poring over a large volume. From here it looks like our wolf directory for the other colonies, he’s probably working on finding me a match.I lightly tap on the door and go in as he looks up and smiles at me. “Where is everyone?”“Not sure, but I know your mother went out to do some “errands” on the other side of the colony, whatever that means.” He said distractedly, going back to his research.“What are you up to Papi?”“Well, I’ve spoken with some of the Council members, and it loo
***POV: Tobias***All day I have felt this incredible pull to get back to Imogen. I walk into my packhouse and I am hit with some ridiculously good smell coming from the kitchen. Imogen is perched at the stove stirring what looks like pasta sauce. She is surrounded by a handful of pack wolves, who all appear to be thoroughly enjoying her company. It throws me off a little, but not in a bad way.She says something and everyone in the room erupts into raucous laughter. I watch her, throw her head back and laugh unashamedly and it does something to me. After they settle, I am finally noticed by one of my wolves, Peter.“Hey boss.” He says, smiling at me a very relaxed and at home smile. “We were just hanging with Imogen here, she offered to make us dinner so we wouldn’t be hungry enough to eat her.” They all laugh and he wiggles his eyebrows at his own joke. They obviously don’t know she is my fated mate and their future Luna or he would have never dared make a joke like that. Imogen loo
***POV: Tobias***Luna Claudia rakes her eyes over me, as if she is trying to read my mind. I get it, it is odd for me to have requested we meet alone. We are sitting outside of her packhouse, within the walls of their private garden. In a spot like this it’s easy to forget all of the strife brewing within our colony, and even more so the strife that the rest of the world is buried in. It’s beautiful and full of blooming tropical plant life.We sit across each other, with a small table between us. She looks at me, her piercing gaze starting to turn impatient.“I’m sorry to be taking up your time Luna, I know it was a strange request.”She nods and softens her face a bit. She has always been kind to me, motherly even. “So tell me Tobias, what brings you here under these odd circumstances?”I launch into my retelling of all the things that Alpha Thomas told me. She listens quietly and thoughtfully. When I am done, I notice she is wringing her hands in her lap.“So Imogen is your mate, a
***POV: Imogen***It feels like this day has taken forever to come to an end. I really enjoyed hanging out with Amara and Violet, and getting to see all of the colony, but I am exhausted. I think it’s just an overload of new information and feelings for me to process, and it’s just taken it out of me.Violet walks me back to Tobias’ packhouse. While I am excited at the thought of seeing him, and reveling in the anticipation of getting to know him better, the fact that we are going back there and not back to Amara’s makes me sad for Cole.“Violet, you think there is any way that Amara will come to her senses about Cole?”Violet stops and turns to me. “That is such a complicated topic Imogen. I know where you are coming from, they are perfect for each other, quite literally. It’s just a lot of complication.” She sighs, looks away for a moment and then turns back to me again. “How many female Alphas have you seen?”“I guess so far I have only met Amara.” I shrug.“And that is all you wil
***POV: Tobias***My visit with Alpha Thomas was the right move. He has listened to me carefully as he always does, and put some pieces together for me that I would have never put together otherwise.“Tobias, there is a prophecy that is older than we know about two human siblings that are destined to save the werewolf race. It really isn’t talked about much, especially since the collapse, because what wolf wants to admit that their future depends on humans?”“Not talked about much? I haven’t even heard this and I am an Alpha.”“I know son, but losing your parents so early on really robbed you of years of knowledge and training that you should have gone through before becoming an Alpha. Don’t get me wrong, you have done a great job without it, but still would have been nice for you to benefit from that as others have.”I nod, momentarily losing myself in thoughts of my parents. Snapping out of it, the questions come flooding in. “So who knows about this prophecy? Where did it come from