Matt's POV
Renda's eyes had been glossy with tears after I told her. Lucas howled with grief. I wanted to hold her, but I knew she would reject me. Despite what she said, she didn’t seem to like touching much at all. I was doing my best to remember that and respect her space.
When she left to return to her room it took everything in me not to go after her and comfort her. She was always pretending to be so strong, but I could feel her pain radiating out of her. It made her beautiful eyes dull and her smile dime. Why couldn't she lean on me a little bit? Why did she always pretend to be strong? It was like she was afraid to show weakness in front of me. Did she think I would hurt her or take advantage of that weakness?
I know the bastards who used her while she was at Larry’s and Midnight had probably taken advantage of her youth and any weakness.
She’d probably learned to hide everything she was feeling behind a mask jus
Glenda’s POVA few days after the party, we headed to the airport. Instead of driving to a large complex, we were taken outside of the city what looked like a large parking lot. There was only one plane around.The car pulled up beside the stairs that led into the plane. Matt ushered me onto the plane and helped me strap in while an attendant brought up our luggage.He settled beside me though no one else boarded the plane.“Do you always fly like this?”He chuckled, “When I need to. Midnight is a bit too far to drive. Have you ever flown before?”It felt like a ridiculous question. When would I have needed to fly anywhere? My father had taken a flight somewhere when I was younger and came back swearing to never take another because of the turbulence and how terrifying it was.“Wolves aren’t made to fly,” I whispered looking out the window.“What?”
Matt left and it felt like he’d taken all the warmth in the room with him. I let out a long sigh and leaned forward against the piano. What was wrong with me? I had never been tempted by a man before, not even before Dan and the massacre.My mom would tease me about not having a boy at school that I liked. My father was glad for it, saying that it was good that I wasn’t growing up too fast. I hadn’t wanted to settle for a boyfriend when I knew for certain my mate was out there somewhere.After three years of hell, I didn’t believe in such fairytales. Even if I had a mate somewhere, what would he ever want with a whore?I took a deep breath and shook myself. Maybe I hadn’t been tempted and I was just sick. Maybe Alyssa’s interest in Matt was affecting me somehow. I’d have to have a serious chat with her about it. I heard Matt’s voice somewhere in the penthouse before my phone chimed with a message.I pulled i
“What did you just say?”He took my hand, “After what happened last time, I’m not letting you go alone.”“Who said–”“So you aren’t going to Club Heaven?”“I didn’t say I was going there!”He tilted his head and looked at me the way someone would look at a child who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar and pled innocence.He sighed and gestured towards the living room, “Shall we?”I stepped back, nervous at the way he looked at me. There was a sense of resignation in his eyes that I couldn’t place.“Why… Why are you doing this?”“I’m not stupid, Renda,” he chuckled. “4.8, remember?”I stepped back again and his eyes widened as if he was surprised that I was wary of him. He sighed and drew a hand through his hair.“I know you don’t wan
I looked up at the building and got out of the car. It was strangely unfamiliar. I had spent two years at Club Heaven, but I didn’t remember most of it.I remembered trying to escape several times. They caught me so easily. I had barely gotten down the street before they’d realized I was gone. They’d beat me and starve me for a week. I remember my handler complaining about me. Someone else had kept him from killing me and putting me up for sale to their sicker patrons because I was a werewolf and they would get more mileage out of me if I was alive.“Are you ready?”I looked at him, startled from my memories before nodding. He opened the door and ushered me inside. It was early enough that there weren’t any clients inside and the hostess looked up at us as we entered.Her eyes widened as she looked at me then she slapped on a smile as she looked at Matt.“Mr. Wallber, the boss said to take you to the meetin
What did he just say? I couldn’t have heard him right. Alyssa sat up, practically purring with happiness and desire at his words. My eyes were burning with tears, but I held them back.There had to be a trick.He didn’t know anything about who I had a grudge against or what my revenge would entail.In some ways, I didn’t even know what revenge would look like right now.“What did you say?”“I told you before I planned to make everyone responsible for hurting you pay in blood.” Matt shook his head, “I won’t be able to do that without information from you, so I need you to trust me enough to tell me enough to make that happen.”I closed my hands around the envelope as he stood.“Think on it… For now, I’ll get Cindy to take you to the archives.”“What about you?”“I’ll be shutting the club down. I can’t start i
Matt's POV I left Renda with Grace with the feeling that Grace had lied to me about her name. It was the same feeling I’d gotten when Renda had given me her name.Lucas growled If we just commanded her–No.Lucas may not know the meaning of patience, but I knew that there was no other way to get Renda’s love and trust other than to be patient.Didn’t we know better than most that being mates didn’t guarantee everlasting love? Besides, how ridiculous would it be to try and command anyone to do anything? What did Lucas think we were some ancient, all-powerful alpha?Lucas snorted, but he said nothing else.Felix was gone before I reached the bottom floor and announced that the club would be closed. The patrons looked upset but upon seeing me, they scurried out without much else to say, whispering to each other.It was good they were curious about why I was there an
I searched through the computer, trying to get my mind off of things until I found the database detailing the club’s prostitutes. I searched for Renda’s profile and growled at the photo that appeared on her profile.Her eyes were closed in the photo as if she were unconscious. She looked desperate and thin as if she’d been starved. She’d been estimated to be 16 years old when she was purchased. Her profile had several documents by the security force detailing her contract violations. Each of them was followed by a medical examination report that showed that she’d been beaten and starved.I realized that she’d been trying to escape and they dragged her back every time.Guilt filled me. If only I’d known sooner, I could have saved her from all of this.I closed the profile and shut down the computer. The sight of her injuries and her young desperate face infuriated me. Lucas was growling, howling for blood
Three days after buying Club Heaven, I brought Renda to Club Heaven and let her go with Grace to search the records for any other information they could find. Before leaving, Grace gave me coded pages and a contract to be signed along with the stamp of Club Heaven to use in place of my signature.“Be arrogant about it. She’s greedy, any promise of more work will get her to tell you things.”“What about the money?” I asked her, intrigued by her coaching. “I don’t think I can just write her a check, right?”She offered me the payment request log where I would take her banking information and banking information that Club Heaven used for these purchases. There wasn’t that much money in the account, but having the information meant I could make the transfer to the account and pay the woman from the account.The account was based in the Black Mountain pack. I hadn’t heard much about them, but I planne
My legs felt shaky and everything was bigger. I realized quickly that I had shifted. I stretched and twisted. The shiny saber coat of fur lifted my heart.I didn’t think I’d ever be able to shift. I felt Alyssa fully settled and solid in my mind as I turned to look at Matt. His eyes were wide as I went up to him and rubbed my face against his leg.“You’re beautiful,” he said, kneeling and stroking my head. “Can you shift back, so we can talk?”I whined. Alyssa panicked and he chuckled, hushing me. He cupped my jaw and rubbed at the spots of tension there. It felt so good. I didn’t know what else to do but practically purr at him.“Take it easy. You don’t have to turn back right now,” he said. “I know it can take some getting used to.”He shifted and Alyssa sat up in alarm as we looked at Lucas and Matt through her eyes. He was so much bigger than us, stronger. His eyes glowed with red light. He could break my neck with such ease. I should have been scared, but I knew he would never hu
Glenda’s POVMatt was different. His eyes were clear and his jaw was set, but he hadn’t said much of anything to me other than I needed to dress nicely.I got in the car in a nice dress and heels. He was in a three-piece suit. His hair was styled, and he looked as though he needed some space, yet he didn’t release my hand.“I’m giving a press conference,” he said. “About… everything.”He turned to look at me, “Do you want to speak about Fluorite?”I looked away and shook my head. I didn’t think I’d ever be ready to speak in such a public way about what happened.“Do you want me to talk about it?”I nodded.He squeezed my hand, “Will you stand with me?”I looked at him and squeezed his hand back, “Yes.”Some of the tension bled out of him and he pulled me close, “I have to tell you the basics before we get there so you aren’t surprised. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk about it. I just…”“It’s okay,” I said, turning into his arms. “I know it’s… been a lot. He’s dead.”“Mordecai was my real fa
My ears were ringing.My mother’s video had answered a lot of questions, but not enough. My mother and Mordecai were mates. Due to some political issues on the west coast and Ben’s military force around Warhammer territory, Sharon had to make a decision: the people of Warhammer or her mate.Sharon hadn’t rejected Mordecai, but the distance and the ruse of pretending to be Ben’s mate wore on them both. Mordecai had been dying long before Sharon died, and if Ben had waited just a few more years, he wouldn’t have had to have her killed.Sharon and Mordecai had shared one night together after Sharon and Ben were married. That was the night she conceived Joel and I. She had me and Joel registered in Midnight when we were three, just after Ben came home with Sonia to protect us because she figured that Ben would realize they were mates and start to suspect that we weren’t his sons. That was the same time that Mordecai found out that we were his sons.Soon after, Ben sent her to the mental h
Matt shifted and pulled the door open. Ben was just on the other side, kicking Mordecai’s body aside. He was still breathing. I could hear his breath rattling out of him as I fumbled for my phone to call the paramedics.Matt said that Warhammer Guard was no more than five minutes away.Mordecai had to have five minutes.Matt looked like he didn’t know what to do as ben approached him. He was staring at Mordecai, shocked pale as Ben pointed a gun at him.“You’ve caused me nothing but trouble your entire fucking life,” Ben said.“You…” Matt breathed. “He… You… can’t… I…”Ben laughed again, “I didn’t think you were Mordecai’s type.”Matt turned, his eyes flashing brilliant red and I heard Lucas in his voice, “Shut your mouth, you sick fuck.”Ben stumbled back and his gun lowered just enough not to be aimed at Matt any longer. Alyssa pushed to the forefront of my mind. I felt her reaching for the dagger beneath my shirt. I heard Tzipporah’s voice in the back of my hand and knew what was a
Matt’s POV The restaurant Ben chose was an upscale little place away from a main city. The entire building had been emptied out. Uriel warned us that Ben had armed people waiting around the area, but just outside their area of operation, I had stationed Warhammer Guard. If anyone wasn’t making it out of this alive it was Ben, Sonia, and Wade. “Matt, it’s so nice to see you,” Sonia said. “You should really come see your stepmother more.” I didn’t respond to her, “Odd that you’d bring her.” “I wanted it to be clear.” It was a ruse. He was hoping to keep the gunfire down from our side because she was here. “I figure the women can stay here and get acquainted,” Ben nodded upstairs, “I’ve had our table set up upstairs.” I turned to Glenda and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t eat anything,” I whispered, drawing back. I ushered her to her seat and pushed her up to the table before following Mordecai and Ben who were putting on airs about how close they were. Wade glared at me wit
Matt’s POVI collapsed into my seat and listened to Mordecai pour us drinks as the captain got ready to take off. If I didn’t have to stand in front of a news reporter again in life it would be too soon, but I was glad for it.Mordecai sputtered and laughed, “What a fucking dumbass!”I looked at him, “What’s going on?”He offered his phone, “Ben’s a dumber son of a bitch than I thought! Oh, moon. I didn’t think it was possible.”I sat up and took the
Ben’s POVSonia whimpered, clutching at my leg and rubbing her face against my leg, trying to restrain and convince me to spare the ungrateful little whelp on the ground. I should have listened to Mordecai years ago about Matt. While he was headstrong, had I kept a hold on him he would have never crossed me like this.At the least, he wouldn’t have been caught and cost me so much. Wade’s ambition overrode his sense.“Have you anything to say for yourself, you little shit? Huh?”He choked and curled up. His injuries from
He shrieked in agony and rolled off me. The sticky heat of his blood coated my hand. The metallic stench of it filled the air and I turned, screaming, driving my knife into whatever part of him I could reach. He choked and cried out. The scent of the dungeon filled my nose. Blood and more blood came spurting out and I remembered the sight of my blood pooled beneath me, spreading across the ground.Two, three, four, five…He choked and thrashed. His body wiggled and jiggled, but I kept going, counting each thrust of my dagger as I heard his voice in my memories offering me candy, taunting me, ordering me to serve him. I heard Armina screaming in pain and fear. I heard Angelia whimpering. I heard the last breath rattling out of a young girl whose face I could no longer remembe