Fifteen-year-old Raeann Romano loved her job; working alongside Dr. Williams in the Pack clinic was challenging and rewarding at the same time.
Most girls her age lived for school, and teenage crushes, but not Raeann, after school always filled her with excitement, especially today when the Shadow Moon pack hosted the Annual Howling; she wasn't yet old enough to shift and was a few years off finding her mate, but Raeann didn't mind.
She had promised herself from a very early age that she would never rely on a mate to make her life feel worthy, Isabella, Raeann's older sister was all the proof she needed to convince her that forming a strong attachment to another being made you vulnerable, and that was something R
'Fucking thorns!' Mikhail picked another one out of his face, flinching as a hundred others still embedded in his skin made themselves known; it would be getting dark soon, and he was still out off the beaten track, too prideful to mind link for help, thorns stuck every which way but loose, and he was damned if he knew where that mini tornado came from?One minute he was talking to a visiting pack warrior, the next thing he knew, Mikhail was twenty feet in the air, spinning around like sugar in a candyfloss machine speeding away from his intended destination.And, they didn't even check-in to see if he managed to escape from it, it was unacceptable, and he was pissed.
The moon was at most, an hour away from itś highest peak, and in the clearing on the north side of Blakewood forest, hundreds of naked figures stood silently waiting.The airwas alive with electricity and racing heartbeats, the smell of hope perfuming the night air as each wolf present hoped that this year would be the year they returned with a fated mate.Each pack had itś own space, members standing side by side according to age and rank, with the Royal pack on a stage above everyone else.This year four young Royals were looking for their fated, sending many a heart aflutter at the thought of being tied to the s
Colette heard it, the moment she shifted into her Russett colored wolf. The powerful howl pulled her in and before she knew it she was answering his call with one of her own.Her mate was here!Any thoughts of Mikhail fled as she searched for the owner of the compelling howling, picking up itś pace now that he had heard her wolfś answering call, wolves from different packs began todisengage from the masses, trotting to the front, making it easier to find their fated mate.
Amonstrous black wolf was prowling just inside the entrance to the hidden springs. He was the stuff of legends, or what parents would conjure up to keep their young pups in bed at night. Battle scars were proudly adorning his massive shoulders, rippling muscles flexing and relaxing with every movement as he growled at the small russet wolf, cowering behind the outcrop of rocks, COLETTE!Mikhail attempted to go to her rescue, but Narelleś wolf grabbed him by his scruff, pulling him back out into the forest, where she swiftly phased into her human skin.¨SHIFT!¨She commanded, using her Alpha voice, uncaring
Seven years earlier...The rogues he had paid were in place. In ten minutes, all hell would break loose, and at the end of it all, the woman Beta Romano loved and leadership of the Howling warrior pack would be his.Luna Abigail Stalker was heavy with his child, the Alpha completely unaware of his mate's infidelity, but Santos felt no guilt. His own mate had given birth to three of his pups whom he loved dearly, but Maria Romano was a weak wolf, and he craved Abigail's touch. How she made him feel when they lay together was unmatched, and all he needed to do was get rid of her husband and the two
Ethan shot up off his bed, monitors screaming in protest as he tore the wires off his body. The female sitting by his bedside jerked from her sleep at the same time, and as they looked into each other's eyes, they knew something horrible was happening...MIKHAIL!Ethan didn't have time to wonder at his newfound strength or question the differences in his body, Mikhail was in unbearable agony, and he had to find him. The woman grabbed his arm, spreading tingles through his body as her voice permeated his panic mode, "Ethan, we'll get to him faster if you hold onto me. I'm an Elemental, I can locate him and get us there in minutes, but you need to trust me."
ISABELLAShe still couldn't understand how it was possible to go to bed early one night and wake up the next morning to learn her brother got picked up by a tornado, challenged a Royal, demoted to an Omega, DIED, only to be revived by his TWO mates, given a blood transfusion in the middle of the forest, was MARKED before he was eighteen by both elemental Alpha's, SURVIVED IT, and was currently recovering in the Pack hospital, IN THE SPACE OF TWENTY FOUR HOURS!Isabella's father was beside himself, her mother Maria wasn't much better, and Raeann rushed over to Mikhail's room as soon as she was given the news.The Royal re
Isabella was dirty, hungry, tired, and in a bad mood.Thejourney to Howling warriors had been arduous. Any single wolf, like herself, was driven mad by the constant rushing off to bushes, tandem toilet stops, feigned tiredness, and the many other excuses the newly mated couples used to slip away and have sex.Adrian, an older married wolf, took to running a lewd commentary every time someonewould break off, more than once uttering words that Isabella didn't care to repeat.The convoy finallyreached the pack borders, late in the evening, hours after they were due, only to be questioned and then held up,
Shadow felt his breathing begin to slow as he looked up at his mate. He tried to manage a smile, but the pain was too real, and all he could do was grimace as it arced through his torn-up body. Bella was telling him to hold on, that Valenar was reasoning with the threat, but he knew that there wasn't enough time for him, so using the last of his strength, he lifted his hand and gently placed it against her lips. "I waited a lifetime for you, my Bella," he struggled to get out the words, knowing that this was the last time he would feel her touch, "I will search through a thousand lifetimes to find you mate. You have my heart, you have my soul and no matter where you go after I'm gone, know that in your heart I'll always be here." Bella's lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head at him, "You promised me forever, Shadow, please don't leave me!" As Shadow closed his eyes against the pain, he was vaguely aware of Bella's screams,
Down in the cellar, the children were quiet. Some trembled while others bristled, eager to get out amidst the fray and earn their place as pack warriors. When the ground above started trembling, and the hatch heaved as though the earth itself was trying to break in, that's when hysteria hit. Onyx struggled to hold back the retired warriors and mothers whose children were valiantly fighting to keep them safe. The tension grew higher as Onyx barked for them all to calm down. Reason was rapidly going out the window, and Lucifer awakened, shining wrathfully through Onyx's eyes as his leadership was challenged. Then, out of the darkness, a clear voice rose, weaving its way through the pack bunched up in close quarters, and Onyx looked gratefully over at his nephew.Tarakona sang of times gone by, the history of the Howling warriors, and his parents' courtship. He spread calm throughout the cellar as they were all transported back to the time of Shadow and Isabella, the magic of th
Like the plague, Hael's anger washed through Howling, killing dozens in its wake. Pyro's magic was depleting itself quickly under the onslaught of his friend's fury, and sensing his master's struggle, Barghest's howl signaled his hellhound's arrival in Howling. Unfortunately, the boy had only lasted seconds as Hael tore his intestines out, half-crazed by the thoughts of his mate being with another man. For the first time in their lifelong friendship, Pyro doubted his ability to reign Hael in."Marie is going to make me eat my own balls," He thought grimly as his legs gave way, blood dripping from his ears as Pyro faced his death. He was lucky in the sense that while he would die in this space, as an overlord in Hade's realm, Pyro would end up back where he belonged anyway, and Marie would be waiting to tear him a new one, as she did every time he went on a jaunt with Hael. Barghest came at a run, bowling through half a dozen wolves as Pyro's magic finally deserted him. His fa
Ratchet left Sal's with a full belly and a grin on his face. Maeve was like the ray of sunshine in his life that made everything okay, and whatever it was that she was dealing with, he was sure she would slay it like she did everything else in her life.Lost in his thoughts, Ian reached his bike in no time, grabbing his helmet and pulling his bandana up to keep the bugs out of his teeth. He didn't see the freight train until it hit him full force in his side. Like a spring flinging loose from a trampoline, he sailed through the air landing heavily on his side. "What the fuck?!" He roared, reaching for his handpiece. When Ratchet found who had rammed him, his mouth dropped open, and the gun fell from his boneless fingers. It was the two giants he caught sniffing around Maeve's shop earlier on. Only now, the one called Hael looked like some avenging angel. His eyes glowed with fury, and his muscles quivered with the urge to smash someone's head in. That someone being Ian.
"I had to stay and run the pack!" Lucien barked defensively, crossing his arms and glaring at the pint-sized woman in front of him. Bella's eyes widened, and he swore he could see steam pouring from her ears. "I call bullshit!" She retorted, getting right in his face; her eyes crackled, and the fury held barely in check started to leak out, giving the Luna a frightening look."You haven't been running the pack," Bella brutally pointed out, "You've been curled up in your bed like a teenage girl listening to sad songs and eating ice cream. Why do you think I'm back so early?"Lucien couldn't find an answer for that. But it didn't matter because Bella wasn't finished, "You have thirty minutes to get dressed and pack a bag, I've already organized a replacement bike for you, and my strongest tracker picked up traces of her scent on the Eastern borders. Got and get your woman Lucien, before someone else claims her." She tossed him the keys to his bike and looked at her watch
The ground felt strange beneath his feet. Grass tickled his toes as he wandered along, breathing deeply of the mountainous air. Beside him strode his friend; he was aware of the appreciative stares from females as they passed by and wondered if maybe it was unusual to see humans in Howling, but then again, they weren't really human-now were they?"Of all the places Hael? I'm allowed one free pass from Hell each millennium, and you bring me to Hicksville?" Pyro Diego glanced at his friend, who didn't bother to answer, and hoped for the sixth time that venturing into a wolf pack disguised as humans was a wise choice. Shaetan only knows what Marie will think when he returns home in a few weeks, and he rather liked his balls."She's here, man, I can sense her," Hael muttered as he began to look in the shop windows, and as the demi-gods came to the one on the corner, Hael stopped and took a deep breath, a guttural growl sounding deep in his chest."This is it."
The vortex appeared directly in front of them, and Jarvis shoved Lucy behind him as he prepared to shift. The sound was deafening, and when the light pulsed, expelling a figure from the portal, Jarvis shielded his eyes from the glare."Well, damn, this is a sorry excuse for a welcome, but I'll take it."Bella stood there, cradling the pup gently in her arms. She knew that their luggage was already at home. Lucy and Jarvis looked at her with their eyes popping and jaws dropping as she smiled back at them. Lucy was the first to recover. "You weren't gone for that long, Luna? What is this? Immaculate conception or something?" She drawled, and Bella laughed. It was good to be home."It's a long story, my friend, and will need to wait until Caspian is settled in. Now, where is my foolish mate?" Bella easily took control, and as they continued walking down the street, it was a relief for Lucy to hand over the reins. As she revealed what had transpired in Bella's absen
Something was wrong in Howling. As Jarvis pulled up to the local herbal shop, it was obvious that something significant had happened here. Many stores were closed, and the usual hustle and bustle of a small town were missing. It made the lion shifter nervous. He was still in his car, wondering at the best course of action, when a familiar figure jogged straight past him."Lucy!"Lucy turned around, and a huge smile greeted him as she jogged back. Jarvis opened the door and stepped out in time for her to pull him in for a hug. "It's so good to see you," She gushed as they pulled away from each other, and Jarvis noticed her eyes sparkled and her mouth curved easily into a grin. If he were ten years younger, Onyx might have had a fight on his hands for Lucy's affections.As he looked at his friend Jarvis, saw the dark circles under her eyes and the weight she had lost, instinctively knowing that something was really, really wrong. When he quizzed her on it, L
"I know it's late, but do you think you would like to take a stroll with me?"Thorn felt like he was drowning as he waited for Raeann's answer. He couldn't even turn around to see what her expression was like; he was that nervous. There were several seconds of silence where Thorn thought he might actually throw up. Then with the tiniest of voices, she replied, "I think I'd like that." Expelling a breath he didn't know he was holding, Thorn turned and let his eyes drink in her beauty. Raeann smiled softly, "April tells me that the thermal baths on the other side of the mountain are nice at this time of the morning?" And Thorn almost stumbled over his own tongue as he hastened to agree. Raeann held out her hand for him to grasp, and he did, almost shyly, shivering as the ever-present tingles made their way up his arms.For a time, they walked in silence, taking in the beautiful view of the sun coming up, as they slowly traversed fire mountain. Eventually, it flattened out near t