Ayla’s POV Waking up in my own bed with my three mates around me was the best feeling in the world. It almost made me forget about the shit storm that was my life right now. If I could stay in this little bubble, I would, but I can’t. “Awake already, Beautiful”, Archer’s voice reached me. I looked over at him, lounging in one of my armchairs. His top had been discarded on the floor somewhere in the night, and he was left in just his trousers. He was looking nothing less than God-like as always. “I guess so; how did you sleep? Sorry, it was in a chair” I yawned. Gently I untangled myself from Aiden only to make my way over to Archer to tangle myself up with him. “Hello to you too,” he said as he held his arms open for me to fall into. Instantly he knew how to wrap them around me and kiss me at the same time. “I love my life right now,” I thought; he laughed and agreed with me. Honestly, though, who could blame me? I had th
Ayla’s POV Two weeks had passed since the Sun Valley pack tried to attack us; emphasis on the tried there! Of course, they had no idea what they were walking into; honestly, I think they thought I would be some helpless little girl, one that they could stroll in and wipe out without too much trouble; oh, how wrong they were. Lives were lost that day that hadn’t needed to be. All out of fear of something they did not understand, a better way to put it would be that they didn’t want to understand. All the representatives from the other packs are still here. They all witnessed what the Sun Valley Wolves tried to do and failed. Life has become a mixture of nervous anticipation, anger and a whole lot of confusion. Everyone keeps staring at me like I’m going to explode at any minute, like something different. “I’m still me, for fuck sake; no one cared before, so why should that change now” I mutter, getting annoyed at the millionth person gawking at me already this morning. Or maybe it w
Aiden’s POV Nothing is worse than having to watch the one you would die for struggle and not be able to help. Watching Ayla fight her internal battle alone has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Surely there must be something I could do to help? But whenever I asked, she would smile and say she was okay. She hasn’t learnt yet that we are mates, and I can feel when she is fine and when she is not. For once, it seems like Axel has a better grasp on the situation than I do. He seems to know exactly what she needs and when she needs it. At the same time, I feel like I’m just annoying her! “What is the point in being this big strong protector if I can’t even protect her from tormenting herself over this?” Archer had been out cold since he took the hit for Michael two weeks ago. Never will I forget the pain we all felt when Archer went down. I swear we all felt it with him; Ayla took it badly but channelled the pain into rag
Axel’s POV Everything was annoying me! But I had to keep a firm hold on things, Aiden wasn’t coping, and it was obvious and expected that Ayla wasn’t. I loved how she needed me, and that was awesome. I won’t lie, but I feel for Aiden. He was feeling pushed out. It’s not like he had even done anything wrong. If I’m honest, I think it’s because he did have the strongest link to Ayla, and now that Archer was missing, she doesn’t know what to do. I felt like I was the one having to hold everything together; I couldn’t let anything crumble.I felt her before I saw her. It was odd, like we knew when she was near. I knew my brother could feel it too. Both of our heads whipped up as she drew closer. Suppressing the cheesy grin threatening to take over my face, I slowly turned to face her. I wish this weren’t hard on Aiden, but I couldn’t help it. I did love the attention I was getting from our girl right now.“There you are,” I say with a smile and pull her in for a cuddle; my hair flopped
Aleena’s POVWalking back through the door to the main pack house was harder than I thought it would be. It had been many years since I had come here. Most had forgotten I was even here. Only Michael visited me, well, and the chase brothers now. A few knew of me, like Laura and their beastly son Mason. Thankfully he showed no interest in me. If I had to guess, I would say Michael had warned him away. He doesn’t seem to be the kind of boy that would leave anyone alone without either good reason or a warning.I have always hated how I get stared at; I know I look different and stand out like a sore thumb. I hate the muttering and the pointing; I can’t say I mind the questions as I’d rather people talk directly to me rather than about me.“Lead the way; it’s been a long time since I have been up here. I don’t know my way around,” I tell the brothers hoping the house wouldn’t be too busy today. I didn’t feel like being a spectacle.“Sure, his room is up here,” the black-haired one said.I
Ayla’s POVBria’s voice was a welcome sound; I hadn’t been able to talk with her since the fight. It had been so dark and lonely without her. Even though I had only physically had access to my wolf for a short while. It was horrible when she wasn’t there.“Bria, where have you been? I have been reaching out to you, but you never replied,” a sob escaped, drawing my mate’s attention.“I am sorry, I could hear you, but I was wrapped up with Alune; I had to ease her transition into this world once again”, Bria’s sympathetic voice filled my mind.“What do you mean?” my mind was beyond lost right now; what was she going on about? We merged with Alune on the day of the fight; why would she need aid in her transition?“Ayla, I can hear your thoughts remember.”“Then answer the questions, Bria!” I didn’t want to lose my temper with my wolf; none of this was her fault.“Yes, we did merge with Alune on the night of the fight, but that doesn’t mean she has yet transitioned to our plane. She Is an
Aleena’s POVFear, all I felt was pure unbridled fear. The sheer thought of having to go to my old home – it wasn’t my home anymore, here is – was tying my stomach in knots. Never in my lifetime did I ever think I would have to go back there; well, I didn’t plan on it anyway. For once, I was happy; I didn’t have to worry about fulfilling unreachable standards, about being something I knew I could never be. But now I have no choice, that boy’s life depends on it, and if I refuse to go out of fear of my past, I’m dooming him to certain death.“Aleena, are you alright?” Michael’s silky-smooth voice filled my ears. I am sending crazy little butterflies swarming around my belly.“Yes, my mind is just busy” I tried to smile at him but knew it was weak.Michael had been a constant in my life for so long that it felt comfortable, something I never wanted to give up. I hadn’t realised how much until now, though. I had always liked him and found him pleasant to look at, but lately, since the fi
Aleena’s POVThis is crazy! How can I be heading back to my village with the Alpha of a wolf pack that I shouldn’t have anything to do with, yet here I am, wanting everything to do with him? What will the Elders say when they see me with Michael?The wind chilled my skin, even through the jacket I had borrowed unknowingly from Laura. The walk wouldn’t take long if we kept up a decent speed; I kept dragging my feet; this wasn’t something I wanted to do. I had nightmares about this exact thing. I swore never to come back here. Not that I hated who I was, it wasn’t that. It was the way I was treated within my village. They wanted me to be something I wasn’t, something I couldn’t be for them. But they wouldn’t see it that way. I had a duty to the village like my family before me.“Are you okay?” Michael spoke gently to me as he ran his hand down my arm; I swear I could feel the heat of his skin on mine through the thick material of my jacket. My heart started to hammer once again; I had t
Laura’s POVIn an already clean house, one can only do so much cleaning. My world was all over the place. My mother might have been pleased with me for once, but I couldn’t find my husband. I hadn’t seen him since that morning. I had only just been able to wangle him back under my control this time; there was no guarantee I’ll be able to do it again. He is so strong-willed; it was kind of scary. If he found out I lied, that I had spelled him into loving me, being with me and protecting me, I don’t even want to think what he would consider doing.No one had approached me all day, not since Mason earlier this morning. He had left in such a mood, but that was nothing new. I had to focus on gaining control of Michael and Mason. When he struck me, it only proved I was slipping majorly. If I didn’t gather my family back in and get back to the level of control I had before, I would surely lose it all.Frantically pacing the kitchen, trying to keep my mind busy, was when my phone rang, and it
Stacy’s POV“Mason keeps ringing; what do I do,” I asked wide-eyed, cross-legged on Jacob’s bed; I hadn’t left yet; I had been with him all day and all last night. He was the same Jacob I knew but, at the same time, different. He was strong, confident and possessive; I loved it.“Next time, let me answer; I’ll sort this out”, He answered. Storm stared at me from behind his eyes.“It will only infuriate him, Jake; you know it will, he will go nuts; I don’t want you to get hurt”, I admitted, but Jacob just laughed, a full belly laugh.“Babe, please, have you seen me?” he laughed again “Do you honestly think he could hurt me.”“He is the Alpha’s son though” I was quiet as I didn’t know what to do.“Pfft, who cares? No one hurts my girl and gets away with it,” he declared, reaching over and kissing my jawline, sending tingles all over my body.“Look, don’t worry about Mason; I’ll handle him. It would be best if you worked out what to say to your crazy mother and her friends,” he said poin
Archer’s POVAxel spoke with Ayla; I sat silently, doing nothing. I didn’t begrudge him that; it’s just that I missed her too, and it’s my fault she is in the state she is in. I lost my wolf and my mate both at the same time. I felt less than useless right now. I couldn’t shift or mind link, I couldn’t shadow walk, and I had lost part of my strength; I was no longer a werewolf until Titan was found.“Arch, stop it; you’re not useless; I can hear you, you know”, Axel grumbled from across the room.“Great, at least you can hear me; it makes me feel so much better”, I moaned back.“I didn’t mean it like that; you know I didn’t. We will sort this; it just won’t happen overnight” he tried his best to reassure me, but he failed miserably.Ignoring my brother as I didn’t have anything to say in response, I decided to flick through my phone, looking at crap on social media from my old life. I felt so disconnected from the person I used to be. It was like looking through someone else’s memorie
Aleena’s POVThe wind howled outside as I waited for Aiden to return. He said he would track Michael down, just in case my presence still hurt him. I was a bag of nerves. I was actually going to do this; I was going to claim the man destined for me. That and saving everyone else in such a small space of time, but who’s counting?Dressed in my Michael hoody, I waited. Minutes felt like hours, which led to the discovery of me not being a patient person. I needed to distract myself so I didn’t go crazy, so braiding my floor-length hair seemed like a good idea until it wasn’t. I was so anxious that I couldn’t make my fingers do the work I needed them to do. I swear I looked like a child who had never braided before.“You need to calm the heck down, don’t be so stupid,”, I told myself sternly; I had never imagined I would find love, seeing as I no longer lived with my people. But I guess the goddess has other plans for me after all.Taking a few deep, calming breaths, I started again. I ha
Aleena’s POVThe morning had arrived by the time I found the Chase brothers. All three were in Aiden’s room, and he looked like shit. I wasn’t surprised after all he had been through. But I didn’t have time to stand here feeling sorry for him. I had to see if I could siphon the Shadows out of his body, so he could function when we needed him. Being unpredictable was not what we needed right now.“There you are, Aiden. You look like hell, but I think I can help if you let me,” I spoke quickly, hoping to get in there before they all tried speaking at once.“Oh, hey Aleena, yeah, thanks for that. I feel like hell, too,” he smiled at me, which I was shocked at. I thought he would be a massive pile of brooding mess by now.“Well, I can help get some of the darkness, if not all, out of your system, which will help in the long run if you want” I shrugged like it was nothing but knew how massive it was. I was doing everything I could to keep my mind on task and not on Michael.“Sure, let’s do
Stacy’s POVI was having the best dream, something I hadn’t been able to do lately. I was with Jacob; it was safe and warm, and I missed him. I wouldn’t admit that out loud, however. I could smell him around me and feel the comfiness of his bed. If I could stay asleep forever, I think I would.I felt something next to me, an arm snaking around my waist and warmth on my back. I froze, had I stayed at Mason’s last night? I couldn’t remember, and then it came rushing back; my eyes flew open, yet I stayed dead still.I was in Jacob’s room, in his bed. I remember coming over now and snuggling into his hoodie like an idiot. I must have fallen asleep before he had gotten out of the shower, but how did I end up in his bed?“Dear goddess, please say we didn’t do anything; Mason would kill me”, I frantically thought.I had only come here to talk; I planned to make Mason want me more, but also, partly because I missed Jacob, and he was so sweet to me. But now I’m in his bed, and I don’t know wha
Aleena’s POVWaiting to hear anything from Michael or the chase brothers was killing me. When did I suddenly become a man-obsessed person? Never before had I been this way about anyone, and not about the Alpha. I knew the Werewolf rules; I knew that once they found their mate, they were done, they wouldn’t even look in the direction of another woman, and Michael had his mate. So why was he constantly looking at me like he felt the same way I did?“What do I feel for him” I questioned myself; I wasn’t ready to face that mountain yet, but deep down, I knew; I didn’t want to say it out loud. But, of course, it’s not unheard of for different races to end up together. But a mated one, now that was unheard of.I had walked in circles around my room. I returned here once I had set Aiden on his task. There was no way I would risk being around Laura; she hated me near her man, and I don’t blame her. Even though Michael would deny that she hates me, I could feel it, and we elves had a knack for
Aiden’s POVI was sure I was dead. I had no energy to force myself up off the floor where I had landed, running from the Luna and her unsavoury friend. My body hurt, my legs felt like they were made of led, and I had been thrown into the sea and sinking fast. I was sure I’d never wake up again if I just gave in.Shadows constantly sang to me, trying to drag me back under, calling me back to their dark embrace.“No, I’m needed here; she needs me”, I mumbled in my sleepy haze. Then, finally, I had to force myself up. I don’t know how long I had lain here in the dark, my back pressed against the cold wooden door. But I didn’t care.“Aiden, where are you” Ayla’s voice tickles my mind. But could it really be her, now that Alune had control of her body? Could she still reach me if she wanted to?“Ayla, babe, is that you” I call out desperately to her, needing to know if she was there, if she was okay and how I could help.“Aiden, she’s sleeping; it’s the only time I can reach you,” she told
Stacy’s POVWalking out of Mason’s room and leaving the pack house like I did, felt fantastic, liberating in a way. My car was parked around the corner, and I couldn’t get to it fast enough.“Get the fuck off of me”, a rough voice roared across the grounds. Turning my head, I saw the three overly sexy Chase brothers in some scrap. Usually, I would stop to watch, what with all the sex appeal they have going on, and right now, they were practically bursting out of their clothes. Goddess knows why Ayla; the attention-grabbing whore was able to bag all three of them. They were the kind of guys you would get wet over just looking at them for too long, and she was nothing.“Maybe I will make them mine once I rule this place”, I muttered as I turned towards my car. Jacob was waiting for me; frankly, I couldn’t wait to get over there.Nerves were kicking in as I rounded the corner to Jacob’s street. I had been here so many times before, but this time felt like the first time all over again.