LiaThe lunch I packed for myself remained mostly untouched. I picked up part of the sandwich, took a bite, and struggled to swallow. It felt like ash in my mouth, making me want to spit it out.Folded and shoved into my pocket was the invitation for my coming-of-age ceremony that was delivered to me two weeks ago. With trembling hands, I pulled it out and read it word by word.Official InvitationDear Lia Brown,It is with boundless joy and honor that we invite you to attend your Coming-of-Age Ceremony, a momentous occasion marking this significant milestone in your life. This celebration is a testament to your growth, achievements, and the exciting future that lies ahead.Event Details:· Date: Monday, the 6th of October· Time: 9:00 AMWe encourage you to arrive promptly at the clinic to ensure the smooth progression of the event and to fully immerse yourself in the process. The ceremony afterward will include heartfelt speeches, special performances, and a formal acknowledgment of
LiaWhen I came home I was looking forward to being in a quiet house where I could clear my thoughts. But the moment I walked through the door I heard multiple, loud voices coming from the kitchen, the spot my brother and his friends liked to haunt with their imposing presence.Taking a shaky breath, I closed the door as quietly as I could behind me, but not quite enough. Michael, my brother, popped his head into the room, a smirk playing on his lips.“Trying to sneak away without saying hello, little sister?”“I live with you. Why do I have to say hello?” I countered.A deeper voice chuckled, and Colby came to stand on the left side of Michael. He was a little taller than Michael who was already six feet so that was saying something. Colby’s piercing jade green eyes locked onto my tense form, pearly white tease exposed as he smirked.“Lia are you going to go all the way upstairs without saying hello?” he asked.Rain popped up on the other side of Michael. He was the same height as my
LiaWhen I was called to the administrative office the next day, I was a bundle of nerves. I didn’t understand why they called me here. Wasn’t it enough that I handed in the form?With a shaky sigh, I tucked an ebony lock behind my ear. My blue eyes darted around the room, waiting for the staff member to come into the room and talk to me.“Thank you for coming here, Lia Brown.”I resisted the urge to squirm in my seat, even though the urge was great.“I signed the paper and returned it. Why am I here?”She blinked. “Miss Brown you're not in trouble. We just have to move your ceremony to next week to accommodate a speaking guest we booked at the last minute. The staff will be busy with preparations so I hope you can understand.”“What?” I blurted out. “I want to get this over with; not wait another few days!”“Miss Brown please calm down,” the woman muttered, glaring at me from across the desk. “I understand you are eager to find your mates—”“No, you don’t understand because that’s no
LiaThe school was buzzing with excitement from the moment the email was sent out. Come Friday, it was all anyone could talk about. It was like they forgot that the championship Rugby team members once went to this very school.I don’t know how they could forget such a thing. This was something I remembered every single day, unable to forget no matter how much I tried.But I believed what my brother said. They weren’t going to be there. It was just going to be him.Until I ran right into Colby of all people. He looked surprised so I don’t think he was trying to seek me out. I jerked away as if I had been burned, flattening myself against the wall and trying to become as small as possible.“Hey Lia,” he purred, grinning from ear to ear.He ran a hand through his damp dirty blonde locks, clearly having just gotten out of the shower not long ago.“Colby,” I spat, trying to make a run for it.Before I could, Colby crowded me against the wall. He had me pinned with both hands on either sid
LiaI sat in the nurse's office, trembling from head to toe. My skin was pale and my eyes wide, filled with anticipation, and none of it was good. Today was the day—I was going to discover who I was going to be mated to. This was provided it worked out.The nurse was preparing the medicine, rattling off a bunch of medical mumbo jumbo to me. I was only half listening and the stuff I did hear didn’t make sense to me. What was the gist was that this medicine was going to react with my omega hormones. Then alphas nearby would react to my scent if they were my chosen mates.If, on the rare chance no one reacted, then they would take a sample of my blood and put it into the database. From there, they would test against others in the state to see if I had a potential match.It wasn’t to say people didn’t seek out relationships from those they were mated with but our state was very stuck in its ways. Those who deviated from the norm were not treated well by society. I had thought about leavin
ColbyThe smell was something I could only describe as sweet, mixed with a hint of berry. I was overcome by the scent, unable to think of anything else. In the middle of talking with Michael, I stood up and started walking, entranced.“Hey Colby, what are you doing?!” Michael shouted.“I smell something. It’s—hard to focus on anything else.”Michael grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look around.“You have a glazed-over look in your eyes and claim there is this sweet scent that I can’t smell.”I blinked. “Yeah, and?”“You found your mate.”The two of us had been finishing our shared class together. I was going to head home and Michael was going to head home to his. Then I smelled that scent that was turning my mind into mush.“There was a coming-of-age ceremony today?”Michael suddenly went rigid.“Yeah, just one, remember?”“Mike, I know your sister’s was today but what was the other one?”“No, Colby I don’t think you are quite understanding the situation right now. My sister’s scent
MattThe dorm room is quiet when I enter. I called my roommate but heard nothing in return. Sighing with relief, I dump my rugby bag onto the floor, glad to have a few moments to myself. The practice was particularly grueling today. Not that it wasn’t something I couldn’t handle, but I haven’t been myself lately.For a few weeks now, I've been experiencing this strange feeling. It’s like I’m anticipating something, but I have no idea what it is. Knowing something was coming but being unsure of what it was was driving me crazy.Sighing, I threw myself onto the bed with a sigh. My shoes were still on as well as my uniform, but I didn’t care. Should my roommate come in suddenly, he would start complaining about how I was leaving all my crap on the floor and stinking up the place.“Go take a shower. You smell.”I would usually just glare at him until he got uncomfortable with me. It wasn’t like I didn’t intend to shower, but I wanted to just lay there for a moment.My phone started to rin
LiaWhen I started to come too I realized there were multiple scents nearby but the scents were calming me down. The logical part of my brain was scared by this because these scents belonged to my brother’s four friends Colby, Rain, Matt, and Jesse. Usually, these scents made me tense up, wondering what torment they would inflict on me next.But it was different now. It helped me feel at ease, making me get closer and closer to consciousness.“Okay, I understand all of you are worried about your future mate but you need to give her some breathing room. Can you imagine how she is going to feel when she realizes there are five pairs of eyes on her?”Five?Slowly, I took in the scene before me. Standing near the door was my brother Michael who looked the most concerned I had ever seen him. Colby and Rain, the two jokesters, also looked concerned. They looked very serious, something I didn’t expect.Then I shifted my gaze to the other two. Matt refused to meet my gaze, a scowl on his face
RainI was fussing over Lia, trying to see how badly she was injured and the more I fussed, the more I annoyed her.“Lia are you—”“Rain, I’m fine,” she assured me.Then she winced, making me panic.“You winced!”Lia glared at me. “How are you not wincing? You got shot in the shower with a bow and arrow?”I shrugged. “I didn’t go through and only pierced the skin. It just feels like a dull ache.”“If I slap it it’s not going to feel like a dull ache anymore,” Jesse pointed out, making me shrink away from him.I grinned nervously at him. “Can you just not and say you did?”“Guys, enough,” Colby snapped. “We’re all tired and injured so let's just wait until we get back home, okay?”The fight had been crazy. At times I was convinced we were going to lose until what remained of the witches turned tail and ran. Afterward, I learned the vampires had taken out one of their coven leaders and injured one, causing the rest to flee.It gave us a chance to create another portal with what magical
LiaGabi was a strong woman. Throughout all of this, I never doubted that she could handle this and was doing her best to keep it together for herself and the cub.The werewolves association was still dodging our calls and messages, refusing to talk to us about the situation. I did not doubt that after we attacked they would be forced to respond. It could spark a species war, something all of us were more than aware of.I shoved down my anger at them, not wanting to let it overcome me when I needed a clear mind tomorrow.Once we got Gabi back then I would worry about everything else.The sun hadn’t even risen when we left the house. We were meeting the vampires at this nondescript field about halfway between both our towns. It was there I would cast a spell with the help of some of the vampires to create a portal.This was where Michael came in. He had been the one to go to the coven once and see it with his own two eyes. With his involvement in the spell, we would be able to create a
LiaPlanning to infiltrate a coven is not as easy as it sounds. We spent hours with the vampire clan, perfecting the plan as best we could.I wanted to have one last hurrah before we set out on this dangerous path. But Simone had other ideas, texting me with what she thought we should do.The second I saw her text, I sighed. It was just like Simone to want to go a bit crazy and out there with her plans. She meant well. Simone just had a similar personality to Rain, wanting to go a bit crazy.What we needed was something quieter and more subdued. The Moonveil pack had to break into a coven so we needed our rest, to make sure that we didn’t overdo it partying the night before.But I suppose I should try to indulge my friend.No, indulge my best friend.Simone would never steer me wrong no matter how crazy she got. I called her, grinning when her face appeared on video chat.“Okay, hear me out. Pre-attack party.”“…What?”“A party. Before the attack. You know, to get everyone in the righ
LiaIt killed me to start writing this letter, but I knew I had no choice. This was the only way to lull the Moonveil pack into a false sense of security. Without it they would continue to be on their guard, something I didn’t want to happen.To the Esteemed Leaders of the Rosewater Coven,I hope this letter finds you well. After much deliberation, we have come to understand the weight of the blood oath and the deep-rooted traditions that bind it. Though this situation has been painful for us, we recognize that honor and loyalty to the old ways must come before personal grievances. The history between our people has been fraught with tension, and while this ordeal has tested our bonds, we choose to uphold the ancient agreements rather than succumb to further division.We have decided that it is in everyone’s best interest to allow the agreement to remain as it stands. We understand that the child Gabi carries is of great significance to your clan, and we do not wish to prolong hostili
LiaWith Gabi’s rescue on the horizon, my thoughts drifted to our upcoming mating ceremony. I found myself in the living room with my four mates. Michael was out and the five of us were discussing things of a sensitive nature.“I can’t believe it’s almost here,” I murmured, my fingers idly tracing patterns on Matt’s arm.“You nervous?” Colby asked, his voice low and teasing.I shook my head. “No. Excited.”Rain scoffed. “Excited? You should be. After the ceremony, you’ll officially be ours.”I smirked. “I’m already yours.”Matt’s hand slid up my thigh, his touch slow and deliberate. “Yeah, but this makes it permanent. No take-backs.”“As if I’d ever want to take it back,” I said, tilting my head to meet his gaze.Rain leaned in, his lips brushing against my neck. “She says that now, but after we—”“NOPE. NOPE. STOP RIGHT THERE.”We all jolted at the voice, snapping our heads toward the door. Michael stood there, arms crossed, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.“…Michael?” I bl
Rain"You hear anything yet?" Jesse leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who knew I was about to lose my mind."They said they'll get back to me by the end of the week," I muttered, my legs refusing to stay still. I paced back and forth across the room, every step making my nerves worse."So… no."I whipped around to glare at him. "Not no. Just... not yes."Jesse let out an exaggerated sigh. "Rain, that's just a fancy way of saying no answer.""Yeah, thanks, genius. I figured that out on my own."He shrugged. "Just making sure."I dragged a hand through my hair. "I should've pushed harder. Asked more questions. What does ‘by the end of the week’ even mean? Thursday? Friday? Midnight on Saturday? If they already know whether they’re in or not, why not just say it?""Because maybe they need time to finalize things?"I scoffed. "Please. They're vampires. They’ve had centuries to perfect the art of making decisions. They should’ve had a plan
LiaI was sick of sitting on our ass and waiting for the vampire clan to come up with a plan. Yes, I knew they were going to help us but we had to do something—to send a message to the Rosewater Coven that they couldn’t just kidnap someone and threaten to take their child once it was born.My goal was to track down one of the witches sand make a statement. I was didn’t mention it to my mates, knowing they were going to be angry with me. So, I confided in Simone because I knew she was going to have my back.“Are you sure you can handle a full-fledged witch?” Simone whispered to me as she drove an hour and a half away to this little quiet town that had only one grocery store for all its residents.I nodded. “Yes, I am. I’ve been able to track down one of their witches and this one I’ll be able to handle.”Her name was Harriet Cho. She had been with the Rosewater Coven for a few years but was someone whose magical skills, according to the public records, were average. Given my growing ab
LiaThe next morning Michael knocked on my door. He was walking back and forth, looking like he had something to say. But wasn’t sure what or how to say it.I’ve been there and done that.“Michael?”“Hey, can we talk?”“I think you’ve already decided you want to talk. It’s more what do you want to talk about?”He grinned, scratching the back of his head nervously. The action reminded me of rain. I forgot that the five of them had spent almost their whole lives together. It was likely that they were going to rub off on one another at some point.Hell, I think the guys were starting to rub off on me to be honest. Sometimes I would stop and find myself doing small little actions that weren’t my usual go to type of action. They were rubbing off on me. But I liked to think I was rubbing off on them too.The only thing I hadn’t managed to do was teach Rain how to properly cook but that was never going to happen.“I’m going to leave the rugby team,” he said, plopping himself down next to me
Lia“So, are you gonna tell me what’s got you all glowing like a full moon, or do I have to guess?”“I told the guys I wanted to have the full mating ceremony. Soon. Like, ASAP.”“OMG, WHAT? NO WAY! You’re finally doing it?! You’re going through with it?! I can’t believe it!”“Yeah, it’s time. I don’t want to wait anymore. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I just feel ready. I want to do it, and I don’t want to keep putting it off.”“This is HUGE. Like, seriously, this calls for a pre-mating party. No arguments. It’s tradition, right? We need to celebrate this!”“Simone… you’re already planning something, aren’t you?”“Nope! No backing out now. This is a massive step in your life. You’re about to be mated for real, and that deserves a proper send-off. We need a night to celebrate before the big day! A full-on pre-mating bash!”“You just want an excuse to throw a party, don’t you?”“Okay, yes, maybe a tiny bit, but also, come on, you deserve this! You’ve waited long enough,