Caleb studied the treaty Rinaldi had gotten from his trip to Queensland where the last meeting of the North American Alphas had taken place, he hadn’t been able to make it because of an emergency it was imperative he attend in Europe, but Rinaldi had been an able representative. The resolutions of the meeting had been sent to him via his beta, but he would have a chance to get in a few words at the next meeting.
He particularly liked that there were discussions towards Rinaldi getting back his lost pack, a few of them were reportedly still roaming the forests of Cuba, a small group had begun rebuilding, but a pack without an Alpha was as good as endangered. Rinaldi had told him many times that he could feel the loneliness of his people, but he had no say on returning. Protocols had to be observed before he could once again return to Cuba, besides, Alejandro Corona, the slimy dog who had brought an end to the Salvatore Pack was yet to be put down
Kennedy awoke to the sound of laughter. She stretched lazily on a very comfortable bed that felt nothing like the back-breaking spring bed she had the misfortune of sleeping on at home, all she felt beneath her was foam she seemed to sink inside.She stopped mid-stretch as that thought brought her crashing down to reality. Where the hell was she? She sat up swiftly, the movement causing a sharp pain to shoot through her head, she grimaced, but was no less alert. Sharp eyes studied her surroundings, noting it looked like a compartment in a plane, albeit a very fancy one. She had never entered an airplane in her life, but she had seen enough ads on them to know what the interior of one ought to look like, and none of those adverts had a compartment this luxurious. The bed she had only just been enjoying wasn’t the only furniture in the room, there was a small chair across it attached
“Sir, the car is ready.” Another voice followed Kylie’s; a deep, male one she recognized as the black man…or was it wolf? From earlierEmbarrassment and reality washed over Kennedy. Christ! How much of her wanton moaning had Kylie heard? She was supposed to be the logical one of them, yet here she was, shamelessly riding a man and thinking of having sex with him while her sister was in the next room, and even worse, one she had been kicking and fighting only minutes earlier. How would she face her sister now?Soft lips pressing against her jaw and then her temple as he lowered her to her feet pulled her away from her thoughts. Shame wouldn’t let her look at him, but Rinaldi wasn’t having that, he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to look at him, his eyes were so beautiful up closeand weren’t as dark as she had thought, they were much light
The arrow zipped through the air and hit the target with a precision any veteran marksman would be envious of, splitting the last arrow to hit the bull’s-eye in two.It was a rare precision in these parts, or any at all in the entire country, it’s rarity made it only available to the sight of a few people once in a long while. Some treasures were shared with others, and others were to be enjoyed in the solitude of the one who possessed them.This was one of those gifts that rarely left the secrets of the woods. It was shrouded brilliantly, even though in existence for more than five decades, only the forests witnessed those rare moments when focus met resilience and precision was born. For many years, only the forests had known, until recently when a few people were welcomed into the fold, but even they, seldom participated or witnessed the kind of peace only archery could bring to an otherwise troubled soul.&
Kylie couldn’t sit still the entire ride to the house, her face was either glued to the window, taking in the sights of Connecticut, or she was asking Rinaldi random questions, most of which sounded ridiculous to the ears of any right-thinking person. Kennedy had been largely silent since they began their trip from the airport, she sat a distance away from her and Rinaldi; the other two occupants in the limo, her face hadn’t left the window, at no point had she interjected in their conversation. She was unusually quiet.Kylie wanted to ask what had happened when Rinaldi took her into the room, but her sister looked much too shaken and she didn’t want to bother her with what Kenny might call ‘foolish’ questions, she figured she would let her in on it whenever she was ready. Kenny never did anything on another person’s terms, she didn’t know a soul who could force her sister into doing anything she was de
Cassandra couldn’t be at ease, she felt that something was about to happen. She couldn’t quite put a finger to it, but a part of her was anxious.Since Dinah left her room, she had been uneasy. She hoped the girl hadn’t gone to Caleb to spill her guts out, but knowing how much she worshipped him, she most likely had. He was yet to show up here though which made her wonder, had he perhaps disregarded the message?Even as much as a small part of her didn’t want to see the man, another side wouldn’t stop wishing he would just show up, that side that kept invading her thoughts. That side that kept telling her to do things or at least kept shoving freaky imageries in her head when it wasn’t telling her what to do. She almost felt insane.Her eyes went to the door, contemplating the sense in walking out for the first time since she regained consciousness. What w
“You better point me to whichever room you have my cousin locked in or I’ll rip your balls off you.” Kennedy threatened the big man that had brought them all the way from Michigan to be some circus shows. They had been in the foyer for ten minutes and the only people they had seen were some random men and women staring at them like they were aliens from outer space.Sure, she noticed that none of the over twenty people who had suspiciously walked by was black, but they were in freaking America! Surely they weren’t getting the funny looks because of their race.Rinaldi had suggested they find somewhere to seat in one of what she was sure was many living rooms in this mansion, but she vehemently refused moving further than the distance she could see the exit before they saw who they came for. Now she was really starting to think these people had other reasons for bringing them here and they had
He knew the minute they arrived upon pack grounds that she was here. As soon as he stepped into the house, her delicious scent wafted into his nose and sent him into overdrive, he ran to his wing of the house, house staff giving him curious looks as he sped past them, but none crazy enough to get in his way. It was a rare sight to find him running through the house, Roy was a big guy and he knew that enough to not rattle the occupants of the house by running, but there were exceptions and today was one of those days that he had to implement such exceptions.He was in the bathroom in record time and scrubbed through his large frame even faster. The excitement of his wolf to meet their mate resonated through him, causing him to smile stupidly at intervals throughout his preparation whenever he remembered her pretty face. She seemed so delicate in the picture though, that thought gave him pause. He was a brute in every sense of the
The feast that awaited them was nothing like they had expected, the table was set with all types of food, some of which none of the three women had ever seen. It looked like a feast for at least ten people, not the small meal Caleb had made it sound like.The hall in which they ate was large, like the rest of the house and indeed the entire compound, it obviously served more than just one purpose as it could easily be converted to a grand hall once the furniture was moved. The table was a medium sized one, though one could easily deduce such a house would have a much larger table at their disposal. It could contain eight people, but only six of them sat for dinner. Caleb was at the head of the table, Cassandra sat right next to him by his left, Kylie was next to her and Kennedy, next to Kylie. On Caleb’s right sat Rinaldi and Roy.Kylie’s head was buried in her food, but her cutlery didn’t seem as interested in the
Banished.From all of the Americas, for the next century. That was the punishment the council meted upon Alejandro, and Trina would have to see that he kept to it. If Alejandro were ever to be seen on any part of the continents, he would be killed instantly.It was tame, as far as Caleb was concerned. They were basically just shipping a nuisance to another region and hoping they would control his excesses over there. A part of him was at peace with the knowledge that Alejandro would be off their hands for the next hundred years, another part of him was apprehensive that Alejandro would flout the order and find a way to sneak back in to cause havoc.Trina had given him her word though, even after the trial. She had thanked him profusely for his assistance, and assured him he would never have to worry about Alejandro anymore. He was glad she still had her mate, but he couldn't say in if that was good for her. It seemed she was the person
She had some courage to her.Caleb watched the woman who had unceremoniously stopped his convoy, just before they left pack grounds, claiming she was here for Alejandro. Aside when she had bowed to him out of respect, her chin had remained up, as though she were of a royal lineage. Her eyes were a mystic forest green, set upon lightly bronzed skin. Her hair was dark and voluminous, framing her face prettily. How Alejandro had any sort of relations with a woman like her, was something he still couldn't conjure up. She wasn't meek, she didn't tremble in his presence or cower in fear, so, clearly, this wasn't one of his victims….then again, why would Alejandro's victim seek audience as regards his life? Alejandro, on the other hand, did not seem quite as pleased to see her. Of course, Caleb had made sure to show her the man on whose behalf she had interrupted his travel, just so he could confirm her story. Caleb couldn't recall se
That was the extra kick, needed to pull him from his murderous haze. He reeled himself back in, recognizing this for what it was. This was what Alejandro wanted. He wanted him to lose his mind and harm him. He sought a death he had been unable to get on the battlefield; quick, easy, mostly painless. The best part was, it saved him some of his pride and ego. Alejandro knew the options available to Caleb, and nothing would strip him of this false sense of importance he cherished so dearly, than being caged and paraded in the presence of all of the Alphas whose respects he craved so badly. Caleb grunted as he tossed Alejandro aside, "I will not give you the cheap death you seek, you mongrel." He spat, "You will have your day at the council of Alphas." He stated. Alejandro glared at him, "You can't even kill me, you bloody coward. You don't have the balls to do shit!" He growled in anger.Caleb had heard enough. He stormed out of the prison, intent on
The squirrel sat by the bush, oblivious to the two pairs of amber eyes trained on it. The forest was mostly silent, none of its inhabitants wanting to make too much noise, just so they wouldn’t startle their target. Caleb’s wolf prowled in the thick of the shrubs, waiting for the right moment to pounce on the tiny animal. Squirrels could be fast, they had the gift of moving past one’s reach just when you thought you had them, so, the utmost care had to be exercised, to avoid losing them. he took a tentative step forward, and lowered himself a little, angling himself in a position to leap. Once certain that the squirrel was within reach, and wouldn’t be able to scramble away, Caleb leaped. He could have sworn his paw caught the squirrel by the tail, but in the blink of an eye, the animal was locked between Roy’s sharp teeth, and struggling weakly as more of its blood seeped out of its tiny body. Cale
Both couples sat with Kennedy, after she broke the news to them that she planned to return to Michigan. Kylie seemed close to tears, Cassandra looked like she had expected the news. Roy spoke up first "How are we supposed to protect you in Michigan?" He asked. "I don't need any protection Roy, although I do appreciate the offer." She responded evenly. There has been quite the growth in her relationship with Roy, they were cordial to each other, even leaning towards friendliness. As much as Caleb wanted to stop himself from uttering the words, he still found himself saying, "Rinaldi asked us to protect you." Kennedy paused, considering her next words, before she spoke them. "I think it's noble of you guys, to want to fulfill your buddy's wish, but if Rinaldi wanted me protected, he should have returned with you." She said with finality. Roy and Caleb had no words to argue her point, "Besides, you already hav
She felt the shift, even before the cause made it into the room. Cassandra stared out of the window, at the sparse people that moved around the compound. She could count only four or five people that had passed in the half an hour she had stood here. It wasn't usually like that; the compound was much busier normally. Most of the residents were locked away in their houses, calling on Luna for the victory of those who had gone out to fight and safe return of the Alpha. Since their mating, Cassandra found she could feel the inhabitants of this compound more. She could tell what they were feeling, she could tell if they were sad, happy, worried, nervous...a few months ago, being foisted with all of that power, would have caused her to have a panic attack, but now, it felt...natural. she was still getting used to it, but her adjustment was much faster these days. It was why she felt her the moment she stepped onto pack
It had been so long since he last fought, Caleb had almost forgotten what a battle ground looked like, but as they came upon the rogues that made up the Corona pack, as they transformed into their wolves and attacked, the scene became far too familiar for comfort. The corona pack didn’t have the numbers they had, but whatever they lacked in numbers and skillset, they made up for in grit. It was never an easy fight coming up agaisnt Rogue Weres, they were the castaways of the Were community, and whenever they go the opportunity to face packs that had a great standing in the community, they put in their all. That was the situation they were up against.Caleb’s wolf dodged the oncoming assault from a charging wolf, and latched his sharp canines onto the neck of another coming up right behind it. The tiny yelp from the wolf, as his teeth met bone, barely phased the Alpha. His usually silver fur, was coated in blood, as the batt
Cassandra’s ears had to be twitching. Get naked and get in the pool? She had assumed she would have to get naked at some point, but not this fast. She looked over at the pool, it was a few inches away from them, and was covered in rose and hibiscus petals. A small woman stood by it, her head bowed…if only the other people present could do same. Caleb placed his finger underneath her chin, and pulled her attention back to him, “Look at me.” She gulped and nodded her head in response. He looked so good, his usually sleeked and packed hair, was now loose and draped over his strong shoulders, his chest was wide, his torso lean, and tapering into a slim waist. He looked like a high class model, but of course, she had always known that to be true. “We need to disrobe.” He repeated to her, as though she hadn’t heard Magnolia the first tim
He had said it was simple.When Caleb had told her the mating ritual was much simpler than she thought, Cassandra had expected it would be as simple and unceremonious as Kylie's mating with Roy. She had assumed it would be just the two of them in a private space, declaring their love for each other as Caleb marked her.With the preparations that had gone on leading up to the day, she became more and more convinced that such simplicity would not occur for her. She had asked. The mere fact that all of the workers in the mansion were aware of the forthcoming mating, and milled about the house with practiced intention for it, had caused her to ask Caleb what exactly the preparation was for. The response she had gotten was something she was highly unprepared for. "You mean people will be there? Like, in person? I mean, like...like voyeu