“How far is the house from here?” She pursed her lips, “Maybe thirty minutes. Less if we shift and run the rest of the way.” I grabbed a backpack with some essentials for Kiera and I, as well as the coffin, and followed her off the plane. I walked quickly behind her until we reached the edge of a thick forest. I began to strip, throwing my shirt into the backpack and unbuttoning my jeans. Kiera looked at me in shock, her cheeks flushing bright pink before turning around. “Jeesh, you don’t have to act as if I’ve burned your eyeballs.” She shook her head quickly, “I’m just not used to the werewolf lifestyle. You did not burn my eyeballs.” “With someone as hot as myself, it’s hard not to,” I tossed my clothes into the backpack, "Been frying corneas since puberty." She giggled, “You are goofy as hell.” Her laugh sounded genuine, and I was glad that she was feeling more comfortable. “Shit, I just thought of something. How are we going to communicate? You’ve not bee
“You know him?” Kiera questioned. Her eyes were trained on none other than Vincent, but it was the fear that fueled another wave of anger through my body. I was sure there was a story behind them. Knowing the type of guy he was, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. Before I could answer her, Dex had pushed forward, and we were barreling down the side of the hill at full speed. Rocks shifted beneath my feet, propelling us faster than my legs could keep up with. I think you forgot to shift, I grunted as my ass slid down the steep hillside.“Wait!” Kiera yelled, causing Vincent to turn his attention towards the top of the hill. Her voice distracted him enough for us to close the distance. I was standing in front of Vincent in a matter of seconds. “Beta Wyatt, to what do I owe the pleasure of you showing up here today?” he asked, a smug smile spread across his face. I’d like to tear that smile to shreds. The anger that I’d pushed down for so long was slowly bubbling to the surface. He
‘You two shouldn’t have come alone,’ Atlas chuckled in my head. Kiera looked over to me, asking with her eyes if I had heard the voice too, and I nodded. “Stay close, I don’t want him to have any opportunity to separate us.” She put her back to mine and we walked around, looking for any signs of Felicity. I could feel her here. My heart raced wildly within my chest knowing how close we were to her. ‘How about a little riddle to help you find your dearest friend? Beneath materialistic beauty lies the epitome of a beautiful soul,’ Atlas' voice sang melodically. I frowned, thinking of what he could possibly have meant while Kiera stood, mumbling to herself. “Beneath means below. She is under something. Materialistic beauty signifies.....” she paused, looking around, mumbling some more, “She’s under the house! Felicity is in the basement,” she whispered. How the fuck did she get that from his riddle? ‘Probably because there is something called a brain within that pretty
I could feel every ounce of pain that was flooding Wyatt's mind and body. It was intense and grueling. And not just physical pain. Wyatt’s heart had broken. He flooded me with emotions. He felt as if he’d failed me, which was the most prevalent of them all. Atlas tossed him around as if he’d weighed nothing. His body hit the walls with such force that it crumbled the concrete. I desperately tried to break free, but Atlas was smart. The silver cuffs were too strong and thick for me to break free from. “Don’t...... look,” Wyatt choked out. From where I was sitting, I had a full view of what was happening, but I wouldn't dare look away. "Wyatt," his voice fell from my lips in a pained whisper. Atlas was going to inject Wyatt with his venom, causing a slow and painful demise. This encounter made him feel powerful and he relished in the fact that he’d, once again, outsmarted the wolf. Atlas lunged forward, plunging his fangs deep into Wyatt’s neck, just above where my m
The emotions that I’d been holding back came out all at once. I fell to the ground, sobbing. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to kill Atlas all over again. I wanted it to be slow, so he could feel an ounce of the pain that I was feeling right now. I felt Kiera’s hand on my shoulder. I forced myself up slowly, and her eyes were full of unshed tears. I outstretched my arms and she fell into me. We cried together, allowing the weight of the day to finally fall on us. She may not be grieving the way that I am, but she left a small piece of her past back in that room and I'll never forget her strength in that moment. For Wyatt. Parker came rushing onto the plane and Kiera basically leaped into his arms. He held onto her like his life depended on it, though when he looked down at me, he seemed conflicted. I took a few more moments, focusing on deep breathing before I stood, and walked off of the plane, leaving the two of them. He wasn't my mate and as selfish as it was, I couldn'
“You shouldn’t summon me unless you are exceptionally serious,” a deep, velvety voice spoke within the darkness. It took my eyes a few moments to adjust before the voice materialized into a man. Another man appeared beside him only moments later. I recognized him instantly. His long black hair, slicked back on his head. His body draped in a black cloak while still showing off his impressively large frame. Hades. I didn’t recognize the other with him, but he was equally as impressive. His hair was shaved on the sides and longer on the top. His body was covered in tattoos that peeked out from beneath his black cloak. I pushed myself off of the ground, standing before them, “How can you be so sure that I am not serious?” He chuckled darkly, “Most of you say you’d sell your soul for something, but not many actually mean it. What makes you any different?” I closed my eyes, allowing a flash of images to flood my brain. Wyatt laying in that hospital bed. “I’d give anything
“What do you mean?” She closed her eyes, “I may have asked my brother for a favor." Selene rolled her eyes, but I didn't find a hint of irritation towards her brother, "He had another lost soul on his hands that I was interested in taking.” I furrowed my brows, thinking silently that this woman must have gone crazy. Have I driven her mad? Am I the first wolf to finally push her over the edge? She chuckled, glancing around the vast open space before her eyes landed on an empty space and another wide smile played on her lips. Just then, I saw something moving in the distance. When it got closer, I felt my heart skip a beat. The air was instantly sucked out of my lungs and my eyes flooded with tears. “How?” I choked out. I was starting to get up when Wyatt tackled me to the ground. He wrapped his body around mine as if we were welded together as one. I couldn’t see through the blurring of tears, but I felt him peppering my face with kisses. “Is it really you?” He le
I groaned, pushing myself off of Wyatt’s bed. My whole body hurt and I felt like ice had crept into the depths of my bones. My eyes found Wyatt's face the same way as it had been before I'd fallen asleep. His skin still held an ashy hue. The heart rate monitor still showed a flat line, despite brain activity. But now I knew the answer as to why.If I had never been to Selene’s kingdom, you would never be able to convince me that the dream I just dreamt was real. When Wyatt woke up, he would wake up wolfless. A vampire. Dex was gone, his soul now tethered in the kingdom. I should have realized what was happening when I felt Wyatt’s ice-cold skin. Though the goddess said that he almost lost his fight, I was thankful to her for giving him another chance. My heart constricted painfully remembering the way that Wyatt looked at me after finding out that he would be living his life as a vampire. A gentle knock at the door broke me from my thoughts and Kai’s head popped in. I mot
The night was finally here and the room was full. People from all walks of life sat at small round tables together. “You look beautiful,” Wyatt whispered in my ear. I decided to wear an all-black sun dress and just enough eye makeup to accentuate my eyes. We opted to keep things fairly casual for the evening. That way, there was no pressure on our new members. Many came here with next to nothing, and didn't want a free handout. Wyatt’s father was sitting at a table chatting with a beautiful vampire. He had a broad smile and she was laughing at whatever it was he was saying. He held Dex in his arms and kept glancing down at him while speaking with the woman.“I think that your father might be smitten.”Wyatt followed my gaze, “Oh yeah, he’s in trouble. Or maybe she’s in trouble.”Kiera joined us, “There are far more people here than I thought,” she whispered, nervously wringing her hands. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re a natural.”She took one final deep breath before taki
“Do we have all of the food prepared for the evening?” Two of the kitchen staff stood before me with clipboards. We were going over everything needed for our welcoming party. We had an overwhelming response once we began sending out invitations for the Safe Haven. At first, it was like a shockwave to the supernatural community. Unheard of in a way. A lot of packs returned our letter, accusing us of trying to steal their members. Some packs asked to come in and see what it was exactly that we were working so diligently on. We had five Alpha’s meeting Kai in total confusion on why we would welcome those of different supernatural races into our pack. ‘Werewolves are supposed to run packs for werewolves!’ they’d say. But in the end, they weren’t why we were making the program anyways and we held no room for their outdated ways. Once we had a few wolves show up, it was like the domino effect. It quickly became apparent that we were not prepared for the task ahead of us. “I believe so
I’ve been trembling with excitement since we arrived. Felicity was sitting on a small bed with a towel on her lap, fidgeting her fingers since the nurse brought us in here. They’d taken a small vile of her blood and we were patiently waiting for the ultrasound tech to come and start looking at our pup. “I hope they hurry up. I’m going to burst here in a moment.”Felicity giggled, leaning down and capturing my lips in a sloppy kiss. A soft knock at the door had her pulling away and in came a young nurse. “Are you two ready to see your fledgling?” she asked with a warm smile. I’ve been calling my pup a kin, or pup, but the correct term is fledgling. The more you know...Felicity leaned back on the table as the nurse squirted jelly on her exposed belly. I grasped Felicity’s hand, squeezing it tightly. My eyes never left the little screen as she placed the wand into the sticky substance. A wiggly bean appeared on the screen causing my eyes to instantly well with tears. That little t
I decided to walk back home slowly, thinking about everything that had happened. I don’t want to believe that Parker is still in love with me. The thought makes me feel dirtied, like I'm betraying Kiera. She deserves his whole heart just as I've given mine to Wyatt.‘Can I come to you?’ Wyatt’s voice floated in my head.‘Sure, I’m walking home from the lake.’Less than thirty seconds later, Wyatt appeared in front of me. I could feel his guilt as he stood there wringing his hands.Closing the distance between us, I wrapped my arms tightly around his body and angled my face to look up at him. “Are you okay?”His arms snaked around my back, pulling me flush to him. One hand rested on the back of my head and the other squeezed my midsection. His chin rested against my hair, “I feel awful for how I acted earlier. Kiera didn’t deserve that."“I’m sure she will forgive you.”His head fell onto my shoulder, “Did you talk with Parker?”“I did.”He pulled away from me, “That’s all I get?”I s
She nodded and he leaned forward, crashing our lips into hers. His hands went into her hair, gripping it tightly. He pulled her closer to us, snaking a hand behind her back. The sparks from their contact were electrifying. ‘You taste like heaven,’ he growled, ‘Better than heaven.’ I typically wouldn’t have given Ash full control but I felt like they needed this moment. She climbed onto his lap and from where I was in his mind, it was like watching a show. Almost like seeing my mate with myself but from the outside, which was an interesting twist. He gripped her sides, positioning her directly on his lap. She leaned forward, capturing his lips in a dominant kiss. He plunged our tongue deep in her mouth and she let out a muffled moan. ‘Will you let me explore you, Kiera? I want to show you just how much you mean to me.’ “Please,” she moaned out. He stood, her legs wrapped around our middle and he carried her to the room. ‘Don’t be too rough,’ I warned. ‘Go away,’
As we ran through the thick foliage, Felicity’s voice was on repeat in my mind. I needed to forgive myself. Let go of the need for control. How does one do that when it is the only thing that they know? ‘The Goddess made Kiera for us. She doesn’t make mistakes,’ Ash muttered. That was only one piece to my puzzle. How do I forgive myself for not being there when my parents needed me? When Felicity needed me? When..... I needed me? Ash followed Kiera’s scent back to our house and I silently thanked the goddess that she still came home after I had embarrassed her today. He shifted, giving me control. I quickly threw on a pair of shorts and rushed inside. Kiera was sitting on the couch with a packed suitcase. The sight broke my heart. “Are.... are you leaving?” Her gaze met mine and I saw her puffy, bloodshot eyes. She probably hasn’t quit crying since I left the pack house. The thought that I caused that was a suckerpunch to the gut.“I think that would be what’s bes
I found Parker sitting by the same lake that I’d taken him to the first time we talked after he came home. The whole run over here, I tried to think of what I was going to say, but in all honesty, the shock hadn’t worn off. There was never a moment where I would have considered Parker still harboring such deep feelings for me. The air coming off of the lake was bitter, even for myself. I walked over, sitting down next to him on the embankment. We sat in silence for what felt like forever before Parker spoke up, “I come here sometimes to think. It’s peaceful,” he chuckled sadly, "Just like you'd said before. Who would of thought you were always right?"I smiled, looking over the dark expanse of water, “It’s my favorite place within the pack lands.” “Why did you come to find me?” he questioned, sparing me a sideways glance. “It sounds like we need to talk,” I whispered. Part of me still didn’t know how to approach this situation. I didn’t want to hurt Parker. That was never
When I heard all of the crashing coming from down the hall, I never imagined we’d be walking in on this. Parker being held back by Kai. Wyatt was leaned against the wall spitting blood. Wyatt shook his head with a smirk, his eyebrows raised, “Are you really going to make me tell her?” “Fill me in here. What is going on?” Wyatt chuckled, looking directly at Parker, “He’s still in love with you and is pissed that you turned.” A snort escaped his throat as he spit blood again, swiping the drips that had slid down from his nose, "What a fucking joke."My gaze fell on Parker and he looked absolutely devastated. I thought that we had been through this. We talked by the lake. He had given me a small ounce of doubt, but I was under the impression that we had worked through it. “Is this some kind of joke?” Kiera whispered. Tears filled her bright green eyes as she stared at Parker waiting for him to contradict what Wyatt was saying. I could hear her heart rate increase. She was hol
I slammed my fist into the opposite wall, “What’s my problem?" I seethed, "I don’t know, Wyatt. Ever since you walked into Felicity’s life, you have fucked things up.” He looked at me, a mix of anger, hurt, and confusion in his features, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” “You destroyed my relationship with Felicity. We were mates, that was supposed to be sacred, but you used your mate bond to destroy what we had. You play daddy to my daughter," I slammed my finger into my chest feeling the emotions inside tryng to explode, "You continuously put my family in danger. Time and time again. You’re not even a werewolf anymore for Goddess' sake and now... now you’ve managed to turn Felicity. You stole her identity. She was perfect. A beautiful she-wolf and now she’s a filthy bloodsucker.... just like you.” Kai’s eyes were wide when I finished my rant but Wyatt just stood there, smirking. “Are you still in love with Felicity?” was the only thing that came out of his mouth.