“What about it? You came to tell me they all think I’m a freak and a threat and I’m getting moved to an isolation tank.” I say it so blankly like there’s no feeling behind it, but honestly, it’s had me worried to the pit of my stomach on and off for hours.
Isolation tanks dampen gifts and make you unable to do anything much about it. If they think I’m some kind of freak of nature, I can totally see Juan using that as an excuse to contain me. It would solve the whole imprinting issue and his son being in danger. I would literally live in a steel box, forgotten in some basement below one of the Santo houses. I could live and rot until I die of age in there. Problem solved.“They’re all too busy figuring out what we do about our lands before we’re hit with another attack. This shit is just the beginning, Lorey. All these years wasted when we should have been preparing and building an army once more. Now they’rI frown, mouth opening to say ‘What?’ but he grabs me by my hips, yanks me down the bed and jumps on top of me in under a second, using hyper speed and insane reflexes so I haven’t even time for a breath, or a blink. I yelp with the surprise of the maneuver, winded with his sudden weight on top of me, aggressively heavy, his body fitting snugly against mine in every way so he’s literally nose to nose with me and I can’t move an inch. My hands pinned to the cushions beside my head by his, and ankles shoved apart by his feet, viciously. Stunned and suddenly feeling all kinds of things that conflict and collide, I gawp at him, heart rate pounding up to insane levels and start to squirm in his harsh grip.“What are you doing? Colton, get off of me.” I whisper huskily against him, panic flashing that this doesn’t feel right, or like that first time we started to mark but he has me completely immobile. I’m instantly a little too h
I wake up face down on the floor in a heap, arm draped awkwardly over my head and limbs splayed out on the hardwood, disorientated, choking on my own blood, and gagging on bile. Gathering my wits and trying to get my bearings, I struggle to move, dazed for a moment and then I remember where I am, and what he’s doing to me. Like a rush of water flowing back to a dry riverbed when the damn is breached.That surge of furious self-preservation, instant awareness as the room comes back at me and I jump up, heart tearing through my chest with elevated thuds, claws appearing, mind a burning mess of mad. Ready to take him on in a battle to the death and fueled by something inside of me that I never knew I possessed. I feel like my hatred could melt steel, with the heat radiating from my fiery depths and I spin hysterically, ready to demolish my attacker. Body mid turn in furious speed when I realize he is on the other side of the room from me and looking at me like I have t
“I know how it looks. I had to make you fight back, and I knew that was a surefire way. I had to see. This changes things Lorey, can’t you understand? Our packs are verging on a war where more than ever my mate has to be capable of standing by my side and fighting worse than us. You can absorb my gifts, which means you can absorb any that you come up against, turn them into something more powerful and use them with control. You were right when you said I made a choice and I did ... but this is how we change it. My father has to see that you’re not a black mark on our people if the fates gave you a gift like this. There’s hope that I can have them accept you into the pack and lay claim to what the fates ordained. You as my mate… as we always should have been...” The muscle twinge in his jaw, the flicker of his eyes on mine as he begs me to believe, has me spiraling.I shake my head at him, so consumed with mistrust, my mind a flurry of confli
It’s as he says. After I blacked out there was a moment of pause, where he stopped, pulled my face to him from the cushions and looked over me, aware I was no longer responding. His voice laced in concern, asking if I was okay and trying to rouse me. Genuinely afraid he hurt me or pushed me too far and that maybe he had stopped me from being able to get air. He turned me over carefully, checked my breathing, leaned in, and tried to stroke my face to wake me, saying my name softly.It’s like I stopped and became vacant and there were long seconds of nothing from me. He released his hold on me, panic rising inside of him, afraid he had done something to me, checked my pulse, stroked my face again and tried to shake me, whispering my name softly. He didn’t do anything more to hurt me, just bring me round. When it looked like he started moving to pull me up to sit, so drenched in his concern, I completely exploded, transforming in a blink, like he woke the dormant
What else can I do. I’m technically a prisoner here, with nowhere else to go. I’m on my feet, with a persistent pain in my ass bossing me around, in a house full of people who hate me. I literally only have him on my side to depend on, and only because the fates forced it. I have nowhere else, and if I’m being honest with myself, everything is too messy, my gifts too new, and my mental state a little too on the fragile side to be thinking about going anywhere alone. So, I nod reluctantly.“Come on then. Stay close to me.” Colton turns and leads the way, sensing I don’t want or need him touching me and I do as he says. Staying right behind him, clutching my covering and wait while he grabs one, wrapping it on like a toga, and heads towards the door. If Carmen saw us now, naked with ripped bed sheets to cover our modesty, she would only assume the worst and I can’t imagine that going down well at all. Shuddering at the possibility she mig
I close my eyes as the tears begin to fall silently down my cheeks, warm unwelcome rivulets of remembrance. The pain returning once more, and I can’t stop myself. My heart filling up and straining to contain it as my mind is swamped with images I don’t want to relive, and I shudder as I push them away, inhaling heavily as my shoulders start to tremble with the effort of not falling apart. The horrors of how I last saw them all, trying so hard to invade my brain and cut me down all over again. I nestle back into Colton as his arm comes up around my body and across my neck as he cuddles me. His comfort, because he can feel my pain, my body trembling as I cry, squeezing my eyes shut to gain control. His touch is what I need more than anything and I stay here in the darkness of my own doing, listening and silently weeping while held tight in his comforting embrace.“We think it was a test, for this device we found in the orphanage.” Juan carries on and
After Juan is done making his announcement, the Santos start to file out of the room slowly, in a wave of murmurs and noises as they discuss what was said, and where we go from here. You can feel the tension thickening, the uneasiness, and nervousness, as it sinks in that this is real and life as we know it is about to change dramatically. Colton pulls me aside, tucking us out of the way of the door to let people pass, and grabs a passing male who is very familiar to me. “Matteo, take Alora to our room and wait for me there. Assemble the pack, I want to talk to you all. I won’t be long; my father wants me.” He nods out towards the front of the room, where Juan’s still concealed by moving people and I instantly feel sick with apprehensive. Being left with someone and separated from Colton reminds me, that for all the things I am mad at him about, I still feel secure when with him. He’s my safety net, and the only person in the world who cares
Everyone leaving the room at once causes mayhem in this narrow corridor, and I can’t tell which way we’re even moving as we’re crammed among so many, it’s like ants evacuating a collapsing den via the only escape route. It’s claustrophobic.“Yeah, I think we used to play in the same places as children.” I answer distractedly, as I avoid collision with oncoming traffic, trying to be polite, but I’m too busy side-stepping large males pushing by, and trying not to get trampled underfoot. “We did. I remember you. You had a brother, Jasper, about my age.” The use of his name, from someone else’s mouth, sucker punches me unexpectedly, and I have to bite my lip to stop the sudden inhale from the slice of pain it inflicts. Even after all these years, I’ve never really fully mourned the loss of them. I try never to think of them and push it down whenever one surfaces.“I did. He didn’t come ba
Book 2 is on this app now and named Awakening Following FateBefore you carry on with the next book, join us on the new Awakening Instagram where we will post ways to get involved with future giveaways to win Paperbacks and merchhttps://www.instagram.com/awakeningseriesThank you for supporting me xxChapter 1 preview of book 2The branches and low hanging boughs skim my face, clawing my fur as I race through the forest, ducking low to avoid overhanging sticks that pull harshly as I follow Colton into the darkness. My heart's racing, blood rushing through my head and I can barely keep up with the swift pace of my mate before me. Focused intensely on the darting black slice of shadow that moves so sleekly to lead the way. The zipping noise of foliage passing my ears at speed and yet I don't slow my
“Such threats should be punished, Mr. Santo. I might just go to sleep.” I smile as wickedly as I can at him and cast him a raised eyebrow smirk. Warm and cozy in the security that this is real, and he’s mine.“Go ahead, I’m kinda beat. I could use the sleep.” He folds his arms behind his head casually, as though he really doesn’t care at all, and closes his eyes. It riles me enough to slap him on the peck with impulsive anger. Sudden fury that he might not be joking, and it ignites an internal minor temper tantrum.“Hey!!” It’s real outrage, and that chuckle he expels is an instant dampening tool. Colton opens his eyes and grins at me, chasing away any doubt that he was not playing, and he strokes his thumbs over my thighs. Cooling my fire and bringing me back to heel with a taming touch.“Stop messing and make me your bitch already. You know I love you, and this…… it’s holding up ev
Colton laughs at me, but my insane need must be waving at him and overwhelming him too, as he only stops to put on his condom and gets on top of me right away, no hesitation. Abandoning this slow and steady, for instant gratification.“So maybe next time foreplay will be lengthier. You’re wet enough already that it shouldn’t hurt much, so maybe we should just get this done, and then the second time we can go slower… enjoy it without the tension.” He braces himself over the top of me, leaning in to nuzzle his nose against mine and I open my eyes to be faced with glowing amber eyes. The most gorgeous male I have ever known, nestling his body back onto mine. He doesn’t say anything, just a kiss on the end of my nose as he catches me unawares with a little smooth slide of his pelvis and completely enters me. It doesn’t give me time to tense up or expect it, just boom, he’s inside of me and I’m thankful it’s how he did it.
“I want to hear that multiple times a day, for the rest of my life. I’m crazy in love with you. I’ll never let you down again, ever, I swear. You’re my priority. The Luna the people need, the Luna I need. I’ll never doubt us or put you second again. I needed to lose you to realize how stupid that was, how fucked up my priorities were, because your mate should always come first. You will always come first.” Colton kisses me on the forehead, a grazing light tenderness that makes me feel delicate, and special, igniting the butterflies inside of me, and the softer side that is not consumed by lust.“Unless you turn into a power crazed psychopath!” I point out in quiet humor and get a white flash of gorgeous smile for my efforts, even if it was a tongue in cheek remark that might upset him. A lightness of the intense heavy moment.“In that case I give you permission to taser my ass and keep me shackled to the bed, for your p
I break free, dropping my legs down again, and push his face sideways with my hand on his jaw, to lean down to kiss his neck, licking over the pulse in his jugular, tracing from jawline to Adam’s apple as he slowly puts me back on my feet. His skin is slightly salty, yet delicious, with that unique smell and taste that is only his, and it pushes the need higher inside of me. Blood hitting boiling point, and all I want is to experience his mouth on every inch of my skin. Body heating from inside, and my core is almost pulsating with a strong need to feel him within me. I want to be joined to him, in intimate ways, that are only meant for us. I want to taste his blood and mark my mate.As soon as my feet hit the floor, I shove him hard backwards with a newfound strength, away from me with a giggle. Biting on my bottom lip to curb this insane horniness that’s threatening to overtake me, so he hits the bed and topples over with a manly chuckle. Colton smiles, rights him
“Fine…. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that, but what I felt was real. You obviously just screwed her then. Either way… this will never happen; the bond is marred, and damaged, and you did this to us.” I cross my arms across my chest, my fight dying because I was so sure, and yet I’m wrong. My heart pounding like a war drum within and my body, is beginning to tremble with the excessive amount of pain, and energy, coursing through me. Colton looks like he might explode, standing menacingly close, a new rage ignited in that angular face as he tenses his jaw and grits his teeth.“I DID NOT fuck her!! What is wrong with you? All this cryptic bullshit since I came for you…. The refusal to let me touch you, all this. You think I cheated on you? That’s what all of this was about? Because…. You felt it? No, Lorey, what you felt around four days after the mess hall conversation was me finding you gone. Was me coming back from fou
I gasp, inhaling a deep almost vicious breath as reality crashes back in on me, shuddering my brain around my head and I’m startled awake, back where I began, in the infirmary, gripping onto Colton’s leg for dear life, and so disoriented as my vision returns to normal. I can hardly breathe for a moment and have to drag air into my lungs while I get my bearings and shake my head to clear my blurry vision.“What the hell?” It’s an automatic response, tartly said, as I try to catch my breath and Colton’s arm around my waist loosen as he lets me go a little. He was holding me up, I guess, and I flop as I’m released, using my hands on my knees to bend forward, and finally pull myself together. It all starts to fade, and the noises, and smells of reality fully bring me back to clarity.“That was a memory… I saw it too.” Colton’s voice is gravelly, as though he’s just as shaken as me and I untangle myself fr
I sigh heavily, letting out a tiny noise, but Sierra is making sure I keep my eyes closed and I picture such a pretty girl with white hair, saddened with little pangs in my heart, that she was ended in such a cruel way. In wonder that a wolf can be both like me, and one of those creatures out there, mommy is fighting. I wonder if this story could be a little bit true and wouldn’t it be sad that all these wars were because a bad man killed a little girl, because he was afraid she would take his crown away. What a silly man.“Stories told are a funny thing, as they change and grow, and details are forgotten, or exaggerated, and soon that story of years gone by are lost among the wolves, visionaries too afraid to correct the tellers. We witches became enemies, because we held truth and sight, as alphas removed traces from our history and beheaded witches who spoke out. The wars raged on, decade after decade, for hundreds of years, until no wolf or vampire knew anymore
I lie still, watching her, frozen, breath raspy to match my elevated heart rate, but my fears begin to calm and fade as she slides down her hood with a slow even movement, and illuminates the room with a magical blue glow of both her hands. Like a mesmerizing smoky orb around each, that follows and traces with every movement. Hypnotic in nature.Sierra Santo is a very beautiful woman, with almost milky skin, despite looking exotic. Her dark hair frames a delicate bone structure, and her eyes, although electrifying blue right now, are almond shaped under straight thick dark brows, so perfectly symmetrical. She has pouty lips, and an ever-present youthful charm that completely warms her to you. A face that says, ‘I can be trusted’ to match the surrounding atmosphere of serene she always carries.I sit up, gasping in wonderment at the light show, and reaching out to touch what I can see as she moves in and sits on the side of my bed with grace. She allows my hand