Nadia’s fear was palpable it was impossible for Angel not to perceive it. She was vibrating with it on her knees as she looked at him with a terrified gaze. Angel watched the guard as he got close to their location, still brandishing a gun forward, scouting the perimeter. Angel shifted on his knees to have a better view and Nadia’s hand shot out to lay over the one he placed on his right thigh. When Angel reverted his gaze to meet hers, she shook her head, silently begging him to not get confrontational with a man with a gun. Tears streamed down her face. Angel’s heart fluttered at the show of emotion for his sake and he raised a tightened fist to nudge her chin gently before using his fingers to wipe off her tears. She shut her eyes and wrapped her two hands around his wrist, holding his hand to her face. The crunch, crunch sound of the man’s booted feet sinking into the layered snow continued to sound from below until he was just standing by the side of their tree. He then stood
With Nadia over one shoulder, Angel headed up the stairs to Antonio Rufus' floor. The gruesome sight of burnt and dismembered bodies that greeted him made him smirk.“This is way more than I had hoped for,” he muttered, enjoying seeing the table turn for a change. At the stairs landing, Mathew’s unmistakable scent carried from the doorway, leading from Antonio Rufus' room and Angel hugged his back to the side wall, slowly skittering towards the entrance. When he was close enough to see, he discovered the bastard sounded like he had the upper hand and he knew he must be armed or had someone as leverage. Without thinking twice, Angel crept up on him from the back, half-shifted and raised his now protruding claws to stab his neck from the back, fast and hard enough to cut it off, using the other paw to hold him still by the shoulder with his claw digging into his flesh, and at the same time, a bullet hit Mathew in the forehead, causing blood to splatter all over his chest and Nadia’s
Angel stood alongside Xavier and Isabelle while Cole Miller's men ushered the human captives out of the woods and back to the front of the house. Ava stood in front, helping the men to direct the younger ones to stand by the roadside. He turned back, noting that Blaze, Kurt and the rest of the Weres are still there in the shadows out of sight of the humans. The little ones all had protective coverings now and he saw that a few of them had bandages on. "You have a doctor with you?""Yes, my mate, Amelie," Xavier replied. Angel nodded, impressed at how efficient everyone in the team appeared. Cole Miller and Blake's brother, Jason, walked to stand in the middle of the stone-paved road, waiting for the cops. The sound of their siren ranting loudly in the air. Angel felt Isabelle's anxiety and he supposed Xavier did too because the other Were let out a sigh and said, "I recalled he told you to go back to the house. Isabelle, he is fine.""He is bleeding. Why is he not healing?" Isabe
Soon enough they got to the house. An average-height woman was pacing impatiently on the front porch. Even with the bulky winter jacket she wore, Angel could see that she was pregnant when she let out a relieved sigh upon seeing them. Angel heard Xavier growl, “It’s freezing out here, Amèlie !” using his alpha voice. “I was worried, love!” she replied, rushing down the flight of stairs to meet up with them. Xavier drew her into his arms with so much tenderness that made Angel smile. He need not be told who the woman was. “Where are Cole and Jason?!” she asked as soon as she drew back from her mate, darting her gaze from one figure to the other. “Sorting out the mess we created. They will join us soon…” Xavier replied. When Amèlie ’s eyes locked with Angel’s, her eyes widened in shock. “We are related… I am Xavier and Isabelle’s cousin,” Angel answered her silent query. “Oh, my God! I am so sorry for your ordeal …” she said with great compassion. Her exotic purple eyes gleam
Nadia let out a quiet groan as he placed her on the big, nicely laid bed. He tightened his jaw when he saw how swollen her face had gotten now. Her neck and face were discoloured and there was evidence of bruises around her neck, face and ankles. The corner of her mouth was cracked and a coat of dried blood lined it. Xavier cursed. “I know she can not be one of the captives because of what she is wearing and she looked better fed than the ones we saw. I also doubt you would do something like this, Angel…”“I didn’t. I couldn’t…”“Who did this and why? And who is she?” he asked in evident anger. Angel’s heart tightened. “You are right, she is not a captive. Daniel Antonio Rufus attacked her because of her association with me…”“You killed him…”“I did.”“I suppose this is the friend you mentioned?”“Yes…”“Tell me who she is, Angel…”“Nadia Rufus…”“Oh, shit! Please, tell me that last name is just coincidental…”“She is his niece.”“What?” Xavier said. Angel nodded, folding his arms
Angel shut his eyes, dragging his hands over his face and back to his nape. All the information he just got swirled inside him, making him feel tired to the bone. He doubted Nadia was going to agree to come with them, especially when she find out what he had done to his uncle and cousins. She might not have a great love for what her family was doing for business, they were still her blood. That was why he had deliberately left that part out, making her believe he just needed the weapons to aid their escape. He, however, didn’t know how she was going to take the news of her being his mate and having the blood of a wolfless clan. And of course, the possibility that she might already be a full-blown wolf. The thought of Nadia being able to shapeshift somewhat excited him. The knowledge filled his beast with pleasure. Seducing him with the thought of being able to roam with her, hunt, feed off of the land and fucked with no restrain. He sat beside her on the bed and raised his hand to gen
“Two days,” Amelie supplied. “Two days?!” she exclaimed and darted a worried glance at Angel who for some reason refused to meet her eyes. “Guys, you need to listen to me and get Angel away from here! He is too close and when they find him…”“Calm down, Nadia,” Angel spoke, interrupting her. “Nobody is coming to find me, I am safe,” Angel enunciated. “But my uncle and Mathew! Once they find out what you did, they will come looking! Trust me! They will never stop until they find you! You need to leave me behind, and forget your vengeance against me and run. I already told you that I am sorry. It was an accident! Please!” Nadia said almost hysterically. The room grew very quiet. “What she did to you?” Xavier repeated, turning to Angel. Angel looked everywhere but at him. Nadia’s eyes darted from Xavier to Angel, wondering what was happening. “Maybe we should let them talk alone, Xavier,” Isabelle said, standing up from the bed to turn to the two men.“No! He deliberately omitted t
“People like us. A different version of my kind. The only difference was your family can not shapeshift. Your youngest cousin, by some birth defect, managed to be born half-wolf half-human. Your uncle wanted to be like us! That was why he took me and killed my fucking family. That was why he kidnapped all those poor werewolves to learn our source of power and steal from us, but he failed. Because our powers are naturally engineered by the moon-goddess and no experiment by humans, even one with our blood, can alter that.”Nadia slowly rose to her knees, holding his gaze in shock. She wanted to accuse him of telling lies but she knew right in her gut that he was telling her the truth. “Do you want to know the irony of all these? The moon-goddess made you my mate, giving me the power to make you full-blooded Were – something your uncle had maimed and killed for more than a decade!”“What is a mate?” she asked in a voice filled with dread. For some reason, the thought of her tasting her
When their needs were thoroughly satisfied, they found their way to the park. Angel noticed the little ones were no longer there. Amelie and the triplets had gone back to the cabin but Xavier was there with Cole, Ash, and the rest of the gang. Cole was standing behind Isabelle with his arms wrapped around her, chatting with Xavier and Jason. Opaline was talking to Faelan and he could see the younger Were shifting on his feet and darting anxious gaze to Jason. His big brother turned around and grinned in his direction as the younger Were glowered at him. Jason laughed. Wulfrun, Darrow, Kurt, and Odwolf were sitting around a table laden with drinks, and with the way Wulfrun kept shaking his head and staring into his cup he was certain the Alpha wolf was half drunk. Tiana was in a corner with Ash and with how close their bodies were and the scent surrounding them Angel knew there was some foreplay going on there. "Looks like we have to pick a side," Nadia said in a laughing tone.
Angel and Nadia left his parents and strode back in the direction of the park. Angel wrapped his arm around Nadia's shoulder, holding her tight to his body as they walked. "Tell me about them…" Nadia said in a soft voice. Angel lowered his head to press a kiss to her forehead. "My mother was the only daughter of an alpha—" "Also Wulfblood?" Nadia asked. "No," Angel replied. Nadia smiled up at him. "She was a warrior and quite dashing. According to the story, I heard. She rejected her first mate, and the second and the third…" Angel said. Nadia chuckled. "She said she didn't want to be tied to any mate, but then she met my father at a party and his wolf recognised her as his true mate. My mother said the moment she set her eyes on him she knew she was in trouble." "I bet! Especially if you look like him. It's hard to tell now and it breaks my heart," Nadia said. Angel's arms tightened around her and he kissed her again. "Yes, I looked like him. She said he walked up to her
Xavier, Isabelle, Angel, and Nadia with Hallec in the lead accompanied Angel's parents to an unoccupied cabin not too far from Angel's house. Angel's mother faltered on her feet after the walk, clinging to her son and Angel paused to lift her up in his arms. "Aunty," Isabelle called with concern. "It's been a long day. I am fine, Belle," she said. Isabelle nodded and threw a worried look at Xavier. "Amelie is the pack's doctor. I will come to pick you up first thing in the morning. So she can give you a full body check." "Thank you, Xavier. Cole, Belle's mate, already told us," Alpha Bardulf said, sounding tired too. "He seems like a good human," he added. "He is," Xavier, Angel, and Nadia said at the same time. The old man grinned. Isabelle smiled. "You have quite a number of humans here as security. Do you trust them all?" "Well… they are useful for now. Cole hired them for specific jobs and I am certain that none of them would want to have him as an enemy," Xavier sa
Nadia was with Isabelle, Tiana, Opaline, and Amelie when they all watched the craft land atop the mountain. They had gone to visit Amelie with the new additions to the family as they had been doing for the past few days. Amelie was a bit overwhelmed with the thought of three babies but with the she-wolves' assistance, she had a lot of time to rest and be with her mate. The she-wolves have been taking turns in babysitting and helping with the house chores. Xavier was still a tad careful about having Weres stream freely to the home he now shared with his mate and still had guards standing across the water to the cabin as security and to allow only authorised pack members to cross over to the cabin. But since he was the Alpha to the pack and the triplets were the first babies born by a human mare to a Were, all the pack members were interested in seeing the babies. Xavier decided to organize a party so as to introduce the babies to the pack members. Nadia didn't know the setup of
Angel helped to groom his parents in the jet on their way back to the island, cutting off his father's beard and trimming his hair. Cole gave them new clothes and the two took their baths and changed into the new clothes in the jet. Angel's mother washed her hair and braided it into two cornrows. Her hair was all grey now and reached below her bum. The dress she wore hung on her slim form, but Angel thought they looked quite better than they did a few hours before. The stewards gave them plenty to eat and drink, and Cole assured them they would undergo a thorough check-up when they got to the island. After their meal, Angel sat across their chairs just looking at them. His mother tried to smile at him and her lips trembled as tears welled and spilt down her face. "I never thought that I would see you again. I did pray and prayed for the moon goddess to watch over you and send you a helper," the older woman said in a voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry, mama. It was my fault…"
Angel and his parents watched the fucker's blood pool under his head and soak the snow-covered floor. His brain cells splattered everywhere. "Where is the property deed?" Cole asked calmly as if he hadn't just shot a man in the head. "In a box buried under the earth over there," Angel’s father said, weakly, pointing to the left end of where they stood."How come you never gave it to him?" Angel asked, still holding on to his parents, making sure he held them to his sides as if he was afraid they were an illusion that might fade away. "I was hit in the head, when they attacked," the old man started. Angel clenched his teeth remembering the scene too well. "I told him I had lost my memory. Your mother was unconscious for days," he continued. Angel pressed a kiss to the older woman's head as she clung to him. "She lost her voice for a while too. It made it easy for me to continue the charade.""They had killed everybody else…" the older woman chipped in sad resignation. "So there wa
(The Boldclaw Prowlers’ Pack, Ohio. Seven days before Cole and Isabelle's wedding) Angel took a deep breath as the Jeep stopped just in the driveway. The place looked different from the last time he saw it. The expansive bungalow he remembered was now replaced by a massive duplex. The front porch was framed with exotic flower beds and the only familiar sight was the endless ridges of grapevines about a quarter of a mile away from the building spanning to the horizon. He wondered if the small cottages at the south end of the grounds were still there. "Ready?" Cole asked and he directed his gaze at him. "I still can't believe we are here…" Angel said, noting his courage failing. "Believe me, I know exactly how you are feeling right now. But if you don't take that step and find closure, it will forever haunt you. Let's go," he said and without giving Angel the chance to react he pushed the door open and stepped out. Angel was forced to imitate the act. As soon as he stepped out th
"I found out who I am, papa," she said, calling her father the way she used to when she was little or feeling vulnerable. Her father's eyes widened. "W – what do you mean?" he stuttered. "I found out why you and mum wouldn't allow me to use a regular hospital.""That fucking bastard! Did Antonio tell you?! He promised me he will never bring you into his shitty obsession with those creatures---""You mean our kin, papa?""Nadia, listen to me you are nothing like—""I am no longer just wolfless kin as you and my uncle Antonio, Papa. The moon goddess blessed me with a mate, a Wulfblood…""Oh God, he has infected you with his madness. Wulfblood are extinct. They no longer exist, Nadia! Antonio was not right in the head. He was obsessed with those creatures …"Nadia gave Angel a warm smile, Xavier gestured for every Were to turn their back to Nadia and right there she shapeshifted. A gasp tore from the device as her father gaped at her. Isabelle passed a robe to her, standing out of vi
"Tiana!" Amelie called out to the unconscious she-wolf on the ground. "Help me drag her here. She can not die! She was protecting me!" Amelie started to weep. Isabelle rushed back to her and knelt in front of the two women, panting. "Help me drag Tiana here. He shot her in the chest! She was trying to protect me!" "Amelie, calm down…" Isabelle cautioned. The other woman grunted in pain. Isabelle looked from her to Nadia for an explanation."She is in labour," Nadia supplied. Fear clouded Isabelle's eyes. "What?" She muttered and jerked her gaze back to Angel. "Let me try to get Xavier and Cole," Angel said as Amelie struggled to crawl to Tiana, but Nadia stopped her.Isabelle dragged her friend towards the doctor. Amelie struggled to kneel and then quickly tore open Tiana’s vest to check her wound. Nadia knelt beside her ready to help. Angel and Isabelle flanked them, in a protective stance while war literally raged around them. Kurt, Blaze, Odwolf and the rest of the Weres had