Creed has been quiet since the boys left. I can tell he’s thinking about everything. He hasn’t told me a lot about his home life, but I have a feeling that something is bothering him. “I’ve got to go relieve some tension. You have my number if you want to meet up later tonight.”I nodded, “OK. I’ll talk to you later.”He gave me a quick kiss before heading out the door. I decided it was best not to question him. I can tell he’s upset, and I know he needs to shift. While he’s hiding his identity, he can only shift at night. He would be seen too easily during the day. “Now that we’re finally alone, tell me what you know about Ezra. I didn’t know you guys were from the same pack.”I laughed, “Actually Jacie, Ezra is my cousin. So, yeah, I know him well. Our family is really close.”“I had no idea. He is so sweet, and funny, and.”“And if you finish that sentence, I’m going to smack you.” I laughed. “Sexy,” Jacie smiled.I hung my head and laughed. “The Green boys are popular with the
I opened my eyes to Ryker, Drake, and Ezra all standing over me.“I’m sorry,” is all I could say as I took in their expressions. Drake and Ryker both look pissed, while Ezra looks more concerned.“What happened? You were fine when we left you. That was only a couple of hours ago,” Ryker said as he helped me sit up.“I went to a party with Jacie.”“Damn it, Bella! You clearly can’t drink,” Ryker yelled.“I only had one beer. It wasn’t the alcohol that made me lose control.” I bit my bottom lip as I took a deep breath.“Are you OK?” I looked behind the boys to see who else was there. “Dawson, how long have you been here?”“Long enough,” he looked at me like I had a third eye.I turned my head and looked up at the boy’s. Drake’s eyes are flickering. He’s so upset, he’s fighting his wolf for control.I looked back at Dawson, “I can explain.”“I’d like to hear that explanation too.” Great, someone else is walking up behind Dawson. I closed my eyes for a minute. Shit, please don’t tell me
Creed turned around and looked back at the water. “Instead of turning away from me, why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you.” I stared at his back and waited for him to turn around to face me. “What do you mean? You know why I’m upset.” “No, I don’t. I know you’re lying to yourself. You’re not really mad at Dawson or me. We agreed not to keep any more secrets from each other, but you’re hiding something. I can feel it.” “All I’m trying to do is protect my mate.” Creed shook his head as he finally turned around to face me. “Creed, I appreciate the effort, but I don’t need any more bodyguards. I can take care of myself and if I need it, I have plenty of back up. What I need is someone that will stand beside me and let me figure my life out.” I stood up and walked closer to him. I need to make sure I have his full attention. “I’ve been protected my whole life. I need to experience things. I’ve also known forever that this mark has a meaning. It’s time to figure out what it
***Warning - Mature Content ***Creed slowly lowered his lips to mine, and I opened slightly, allowing his tongue to enter. He deepened the kiss as he laid me down on the bed.“If you want me to stop, just say the word,” he whispered as he started kissing down my neck. The fire is burning in my soul, there’s no way I'll stop him.I can feel tingles and sparks all the way down my body, even though his lips are only on my neck. I arched my back and pressed my chest to his. I need to be closer to him.Creed let out a soft giggle, “Slow down firecracker. We’ll get there.”He sat up slightly and ran his hands up my sides before he lifted my shirt off me. I shivered from the sudden feeling of being exposed. I’ve never been this far with anyone. I’m nervous, but I’m comfortable with Creed. He would never hurt me.His eyes racked over my exposed skin, and I noticed a soft grin on his face. A look of pride, he likes what he’s seeing.“Flip over,” Creed tapped my hip. “I have all night to pleas
I looked around at the mirrors surrounding me. I’m alone. Always alone to be the only witness of the destruction that I know will play in these mirrors. I stared at my reflection, and my heart started racing as I thought of the last show I watched in those mirrors. If my family is getting attacked, I need to figure out who’s behind it. Who are the blurred images?I waited for what felt like an eternity. My image finally started blurring, but it’s not my family that’s reflecting back at me this time. It’s Creed, bloody and bruised. He screamed as the chains that held him rattled. The mirrors surrounding him played images of burning buildings and people running. I can hear their screams, their innocent. Just as fast as they came, the images vanished. They were replaced by a battle, but I don’t recognize anyone. The image of a black wolf is positioned above the battle in the mirror. An image of a vampire was on the mirror next to it. I can hear screams of pain and heartbreak as I watc
I hung the phone up and tried to make sense of everything. Things are not always what they seem. What does that even mean? Creed is possessive and a little rough around the edges, but I can tell that he cares about me. I haven’t been able to spend much time with Dawson, but he seems nice. That brings me to Rowen, who I haven’t even formally met yet. I think I need to get out more. I’ve been spending so much time in my room and with Creed. I feel like I’m missing something. I need to open my eyes and pay attention to what’s going on around me. I also need to spend some time with my other two mates. After last night, I think Creed’s on the same page as me. I smiled as I thought about last night again. Even after the crazy dream I had, I feel calm. Weirdly calm. I can’t help but wonder what my other two mates will do to me. I feel selfish thinking like that, but I can’t help it. All three of them are gorgeous in their own ways. I don’t know Rowen yet, but Creed and Dawson have the
“Where are you guys,” I linked Ryker as soon as my class ended.“Me and Ezra are in our room, Drake will be back soon.”“OK, I’m on my way.” The boys have a nice suite in Raven Hall. They live together, but all three of them have their own rooms, and they have a small kitchen and living room in between their bedrooms.Luckily, I made it to their room on the third floor without running into Creed. Ryker had the door propped open for me.“What happened? You don’t usually just drop in to see us.”“Nothing really happened, but I do need to talk to you guys. I had another dream last night, but this time I talked to the Moon Goddess.” I sat my book bag on the floor and sat down on the couch.Ryker and Ezra both sat down across from me.“What did she say?” Ryker asked.I went through the whole story with them, including what Reese said in class. I noticed Ryker kept rubbing his thumb under his chin, which is something he does when he’s nervous. On top of that, the two of them kept glancing a
My heart pounded as I watched the flickering of his eyes and waited for Rowen to make his choice.He started to take a step toward me. He needs to get control back somehow. I smirked as I extended my hand toward the bathroom and lifted a large stream of water out of the tub. He’s eyes are focused only on me. He can’t see what’s about to crash down over his head. I released the water and watched his eyes as it started pouring down over him. Nothing, he shook his head a couple of times, but his wolf is still in control. That’s the only warning he’s getting. He took one more step and started closing in on me. I threw a right hook at his face, but he caught my arm. He held on to me so tight it didn’t matter how much I twisted my arm I couldn’t break free. I spun, and I felt the break in my forearm as he still wouldn’t loosen his grip. I spun back and quickly landed a kick to his abdomen. It was strong enough to knock him back. The wet floor helped me, and he started sliding as he trie
As the meeting came to an end, I felt a lot better about everything. I finally realized why I was marked by the Moon goddess. I feel foolish that I never realized why the rogue problem was so bad, and that the wars between species were leaving so many people helpless. This meeting has definitely been an eye-opener. I was chosen to bring the supernatural species together, and I refuse to fail.I don’t expect to ever have complete peace, but the pointless wars need to end. I sent text messages to Dawson and Rowen, and they’re both coming tomorrow night. The boys are busy trying to find information on Ezra’s mate, and I finally get some much-needed alone time with Creed.With everything going on, I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, but I also feel completely at peace. Like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be at this moment. Walking hand in hand through my pack with Creed. The moon is high, and the stars are shining bright. I still want to be mad at him, but I mi
“Does anyone have paper and a pen?” I asked. “I just had a thought, but I need to write down the connections to see if it makes any sense.”Mom went into the house and came back out with a notebook and pen. I used everyone’s initials to make the connections of which leaders are against me and which ones support me. Starting with my fated mates. C – dragon king – against me, D – Bear king against me, R – Alpha hole – against me. R – priestess supporter, V & D – Vampire king - ? Supporter, I – quiet alpha - ? Supporter. I took a minute to look around at everyone and noticed that most of my family just realized the same thing as me.“I was fated to a powerful heir from the species that are against other supernaturals. It was the Moon Goddess’s way of bringing us together. Maybe her way of making them see how much things need to change.”I noticed a lot of confused faces, “think about it. Dad, Alpha, Beta, when you met your mates and still to this day, you would do anything for them. You
“We’re going to have to finish this later. Dad’s calling for me. A lot has happened since you left, and I might have messed up during the meeting.” Creed rubbed his hands up and down my upper arms as I slightly pulled away from him. “Whatever happens, we will get through it together, I’m not going anywhere.”I nodded and laced my fingers with his as I led him around the house to the backyard. I couldn’t hide my smile as we entered my backyard. All the adults, the boys, and Zadie were sitting on the deck, and the younger kids were all playing in the yard. I’m excited and nervous about introducing Creed to my family. Luckily, the introductions went well, and my mom and my aunts gave me a smile and nod of approval as they looked Creed over. Yeah, I know he’s gorgeous and he’s all mine. My dad shook Creed’s hand, “Alpha Kain just got off the phone with your brother. He’s on his way over.”I took my seat on the deck railing, and Creed sat in the chair next to me.“Did everything go OK w
None of us said a word as we walked out to the car. My dad looks like he’s a mix of proud and concerned. Yeah, there’s a long lecture coming my way, but it was so worth it. I can’t read the look on Uncle Kain’s face, but Uncle Gavin looks proud. Even if he is trying to hide his smirk.As soon as our car doors shut, I had four sets of eyes on me.“What the hell were you thinking,” my dad yelled.“Are you completely crazy,” Ryker added.“That was awesome. Did you see the look on their faces?” Ezra smiled wide until my dad and Ryker stared him down. Drake just ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “Don’t be mad at me, someone had to tell them how stupid they're acting. They act like it’s normal to hate each other, just because of the species you were born as. You have all these Alphas and kings in the same room acting tough, but nobody has the guts to call them out on their crap.”“There’s a reason for that, Bella. I don’t want you to think I’m mad about you standing up for
I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I looked at my dad, and he just ran his hand over his face.“Is this your girl gamma?” Rowen’s dad said.“Yes, she’s my oldest.”Rowen’s dad looked back at me, “I thought you were a wolf. What are you?”“My genetics are my business. The important thing is, I didn’t kill the vampires?”I noticed Cyrus had a smirk on his face, yep, he knows who I am.“Why didn’t you kill them? We don’t need to worry about blood suckers. If they attack you, take them out.”“No disrespect sir, but I don’t think you have a right to tell me how to act. If that’s the way you think, then you’re not any better than the fallen dragon king.”“You don’t know who you’re talking to, little girl.”My dad stood up to defend me, but I jumped up and grabbed his arm.“Let me handle this,” I linked him.He glared at Rowen’s dad for a minute but nodded to me and sat back down.“I know exactly who I’m talking to. If you think that I should have killed the vampires, then I should have kil
This week has been a rough one, but hopefully we can get some answers tonight. The boys have been helping our dads locate the Blood Moon Pack. We’re hoping to find Abby, so Ezra can explain the situation. If she is meant for him, she should understand and forgive him.I’m hoping we can get more information at the meeting. I’m nervous for Ezra, and to find out what’s going on with Creed. I need to know that he’s OK and not lying in a ditch somewhere.“Bella, let’s go. It’s a meeting not the prom,” my dad yelled up the stairs.I took one last look in the mirror before heading downstairs to meet the boys. The butterflies in my stomach are driving me crazy. Calm down Bella, you’re just there to listen. I keep telling myself. The drive to the convention center was quick. Dad gave me the run-down on how these meetings usually work on the drive. The Alpha’s all sit at their designated tables with their Beta and Gamma’s behind them, and the heirs sit in the last row along the wall. Whoever c
We all just stared at him. No one knew what to say. Finally, my aunt Violet piped up.“OK, what can you tell us about her?”My aunt’s trying to keep him calm, but I can see the wheels turning in all of our parents' eyes. There has to be a way to fix this.Ezra swallowed hard, “it’s kind of a blur. I was coming out of the dining hall, and I picked up her scent as soon as I walked out of the door. She was headed into the library. She was beautiful.”He took a minute and closed his eyes as he ran his hand through his hair. “I followed her into the library. She was curled up in one of the lounge chairs reading a book. She looked so peaceful.” Ezra shook his head to snap himself out of it.“Anyway, she’s a wolf from the blood moon pack. Her name is Abby Jennings.”My aunt Violet nodded and gave my uncle Gavin a look, pleading for him to fix this.My uncle Gavin nodded and put his hand on Ezra’s shoulder, “take your time, but I need you to tell us everything, son. You won’t be in trouble, b
“Ezra, where in the hell did you get those cookies?” I closed my eyes as I already knew the answer. It was right there in front of our faces this whole time.“She said she loves to bake, but only for the people that she loves. I thought she was just trying to show me how much she cared about me.” Ezra sat there staring at Tate completely stunned like the rest of us.“How long have you been eating them?”“A couple of weeks, maybe a month. I was starting to get sick of them, but I was trying to be nice. So, I gave the ones she sent home with me to Tate. I figured what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.”“Let me get this straight, a witch has been baking you cookies for a month. She told you that they were only for you, and you ate them.” I glared at him from across the table.“Well, yeah, but she wasn’t just any witch, she was Jacie. I’ve been with her since I got to Moonlight. I trusted her, we all did.”“Aunt Violet, we need you.” I yelled to her, and she gave me a curious look.“Wha
After the long chat I had with my dad and a good night’s sleep, I feel a lot better. As I walked into my uncle’s house, Tate the tornado was running full speed ahead. Dropping cookie crumbs on the floor behind him.“Bella, Ezra said I could have his whole box of cookies.”I laughed, “I can see that. Did you get any of them in your mouth?”Ryker walked through the door behind me. “Hey buddy, are you causing trouble already today?”Tate shook his head no, “Ezra gave me his cookies.”Ryker looked at the vanilla frosted cookie, “You’re a lucky boy. Ezra doesn’t ever share his cookies. He even calls them Ezra only cookies.”I shook my head. You guys are weird. Ezra and my cousin Zadie finally came downstairs.“It’s about time, we should have been at the gym a half hour ago, slackers.”“Calm down, Drakes not even here yet.” Zadie yelled at him.“Bella, do you want to see my dress for this weekend?”I smiled, “Yes. Sweet 16 are you excited?”“I’m nervous,” she said as she pulled me upstairs