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Chapter 84
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Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 85
DeidreDEIDRE: Remind me to ask you about a step-open trunk.MARK: Excuse me?DEIDRE: It’s for you-know-what. Kira can’t open… things when her paws are… not hands.MARK: How big?DEIDRE: Enough to fit a grocery-bag sized amount of stuff.MARK: Your level of specificity astounds me.DEIDRE: Can you do it or not?MARK: Probably.DEIDRE: Your level of specificity astounds me.I watched as the bubbles appeared and disappeared as he wrote, then thought better, of his text. Good.MARK: Yes, can do it. And stash it, I’m guessing?DEIDRE: Yes. It will contain what she needs.MARK: I’ll talk to Janas tomorrow. Good night.As if I would have a good night. I threw my phone down, not even flinching as it crashes to my wooden desk. It lay back in the desk chair and my hands through my loose hair. I have spent the last twelve hours plotting, only to realize in the last hour that Kira wouldn’t be able to open up the glass vial of sedative in her wolf form. Stupid, stupid, stupid! But at least we had
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 86
Deidre No. No no no. I had no time to consider the implications of the Chiyad Beta Challenge. No. I had to focus. Think think think! I withdrew from my husband’s office under the guise of unfinished work and returned to my own. I close the office door behind me, barely able to breathe. What had I just agreed to? Was this completely insane? Taking over for Mistra? No. This was stupid. No! It was the only reasonable option. I had to honor her. What was I thinking? This was insane. Memories swirled to the surface, dense and unstoppable like ink added to water. I fought to stave off the haunting vision of Sienna’s face, but it was no use. Like weeks before, the memories flooded into my mind, this time crisper; more intense, long-forgotten details materializing before me with stunning clarity. Years before A knock sounded at the door. “May I come in?” Said a soft, melodic voice. “Luna?” I rose reflexively. “You shouldn’t be out of bed–” She waved a dismissive, gentle hand
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 87
Mark No. No no no. I take a deep breath, unable to go back to patrol now. I was only manning the desk, but… Fuck. Nobody apart from Mistra had… well, since Kyle had…. Fuck. I made my way back to my office, slamming the door. Everything, everything had come crashing down that day, in this office, Kyle’s office. I tried to shake the cascade of memories, but I couldn’t. My fingers are shaking, nearly twitching. Itching for something that’s not there. I put my head in my hands, willing it all to stop. Wanting the visions and the memories to recede. But they won’t. They come crashing in full force, just like they had a few weeks ago. Twelve Years Ago “Has he called in yet?” Janas asked. “Yes,” I lied, scribbling nonsense on my clipboard. I shifted uneasily. Kyle hadn’t checked in from his last two checkpoints, and I had faked radio static so that Janas wouldn’t know. I knew that Kyle wasn’t really running patrol tonight, but rather was on a separate mission tonight for the Al
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 88
KiraHis skin was warm, his chest smooth. Hardened with surprising muscle. Could books really do that to someone?His lips were on my neck, his hands pressing my lower back into the hardness at his waist. The moan that escapes me is loud–harsh–filling the room with charged intensity. His hands grip my ass, squeezing me into his hips.I’m whimpering. Whimpering. Hoping that he touches me.When he inserts a finger I can’t stop the sound from escaping my throat. I’m no longer in charge. It’s as if he has complete control over me, his fingers coaxing everything he wants and everything I want to give.The sound of his zipper and our breathing is the only thing that fills the room. His pants drop to the floor and he pries my legs open, demanding entry with his–“KIRA?”The pounding of the door rattles my senses. What the–“KIRA!” For fuck’s sake. I squint, looking to push the hair from my eyes only to realize my hand is between my–Fuck. I was having…Goddess damnit.“Coming!” I shake my h
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 89
Deidre The knock came quietly. I glanced at the clock. 9:00 sharp. Smart she-wolf not to keep me waiting. She opened the door, once again remarkably clean. Good. I didn’t want anything staining my pristine cashmere carpet. I gestured to the chair opposite my desk without a word, then opened a large drawer within my desk and pulled out the briefcase of medical supplies I had snagged from the infirmary earlier. Mistra’s dark eyebrows rose. “You just keep that on hand?” I glared, then took her wrist, pushing her loose, dark purple sleeves back to examine the veins of one arm. I clicked my tongue, reaching for the other arm to assess. “This one,” I said, pushing back her second sleeve with a forceful yank. I began to prep her arm and sterilize the area in silence. Breaking it, she said, “Your bedside manner could use some work.” I shot her a look that said, “Really?” before shoving the needle into her forearm. “Ouch!” “Do you make this much noise when you visit Sirius?” The force w
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 90
DeidreIf this night wasn’t already surreal, I wouldn’t have believed it. Here, in the depths of a cave, I would meet him. Finally, after all these years.Jason had shielded me from duty as much as possible–but this trek? Hiking here every night? It was…“Ready?”No. That much was clear. But I nodded.One last steel gate stood before us, and Mistra held a key aloft from her pocket. I eyed her cautiously, pointing a thumb over my shoulder. “Are the three gates not enough?”Her lips pursed before answering. “Yes. Though this one is a… a formality.”I blinked. “Excuse me?”“You understand that he’s nearly twenty-four years old, correct?”I sputtered. Had time really gone that quickly? “Of course I do.”“Then you’ll understand,” she drawled, “that he’s entitled to his privacy.”“Privacy?” I spat, on uneven footing both physically and mentally. “How much more private could it get in here?”“Sienna wished that he live with the dignity he deserves,” Mistra said smoothly, but her eyes flashed
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 91
Deidre “Happy to make yourself at home, are you?” My spine shot straight in surprise, the glass dropping from my trembling hand. I watched it fall to the polished wood floors, a single second before it splintered into a thousand glass pieces, great gobs of water already poised to splash out and over the surface of the– I blinked. The cup was gone. Not on the floor, not shattered, but– A soft *clink* of glass on marble countertop sounded to the side. I blinked, taking in the unbroken cup Sirius set there with apparent ease. “Ah, but I forgot. As Luna, all of this territory is your home, isn’t it? Of course, what’s mine is yours, isn’t it? Well, except for my father. He’s all yours.” I stood in stunned silence, unable to move. His voice was low. Rumbling. I was surprised; I hadn’t expected much, but I had expected disuse. Maybe hoarseness. Sirius folded his arms, eyeing me carefully despite the cool disassociation of his voice. “Not what you expected?” he drawled. I forced myself
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 92
Deidre The next few hours passed in uncomfortable–and dizzying–silence. Sirius and Mistra stayed to themselves, harmlessly reading the same book, side by side, and comparing notes. I tried not to notice how close together they sat on the couch. I guess it was his lack of human contact, but… he was over twenty years her junior. At nearly five in the morning, Sirius excused himself through a door I hadn’t noticed earlier for a round of exercise. Apparently this replica had a few modifications, a gym included. Mistra and I were left alone. “So, what do you think?” It was the first time Mistra had addressed me since Sirius had made his appearance in human form. “You know exactly what I think,” I seethed, finally feeling like I was able to draw breath. “You let me walk into this blind!” “Blind?” She laughed, sweeping her dark hair over one shoulder and standing, making her way over to the fridge and pulling cheese and fruits out of it. “What could I have said that you didn’t already e
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Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 160
Deidre“How about this?”Mistra shakes her head, the pink dress I’m holding not doing it for her. Of course it wouldn’t. Mistra only wears dark and… darker. Except for the day she came back from vacation. From ‘visiting her son.’ Here. In Texas.“How about this?” This dress is darker, with a slit up to the thigh that should make any she-wolf her age think twice.“Too revealing,” she dismisses it. The hangers clank loudly on the rack as she disapproves of yet another rack of options.“Mistra?” The clacking plastic stills in response. “You wore pink when you came back from Texas. You think I didn’t notice?”A considering pause follows, then, “I was in a different mood, then.”“Oh?”“Yes. It was… the fresh air.”“So logic would dictate the color would suit you now as well, wouldn’t it?”Another pause. “I suppose.”I thrust my arms around the corner of the clothing rack, holding the original pink once again. She grabs it reluctantly and holds it up to her chin in front of a full-length mi
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 159
Perrin The sound of my camera phone clicks and I don’t bother checking it before sending it to Lo. Then I switch shirts, and send another. PERRIN: Blue or green? LO: Either. They each bring out one of your eyes. LO: Goddess you look good. Before I can type a response, a video call from Lo pops up on the screen. I can tell based on the angle of the camera that she’s propped me up against a glass on Dina’s counter in the kitchen. “Hey there, beautiful.” Beautiful doesn’t do her justice, even mid-meal. Her eyes are bright and full of laughter, as if she’d just been joking with Dina. She munches on a carrot stick, grinning. “You know it’s not fair for you to just send me pictures like that.” She lowers her voice. “When you know I really want the other kind of picture.” I laugh, angling the camera so she can see my bare chest. “Gross,” I hear a mutter somewhere off-camera. “I’m not going to be attacked while I’m having lunch, Jack. You can be excused for ten.” “Thank Goddess.” Ja
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 158
Deidre “Fontaine?” I flick through my mental list of scholars. Nothing registers. “Well, if he’s not a medical scientist or researcher, I probably wouldn’t have heard of him.” Mark grunts, throwing his phone down next to his lunch plate. “I’ve got nothing. The internet is supposed to be helpful. All I have are a bunch of university papers and a bunch of research I can’t make heads or tales of.” “Ah yes. My husband’s Beta, ever the academic,” I smile over the brim of my cup. “Quit it,” Jason growls, absorbed in his own phone screen. “Janas is keeping tabs on him, but other than going back to the infirmary, he hasn’t done much apart from call a taxi to take him to a restaurant.” Mark blinks. “A restaurant?” “Yes,” I quip. “The social environment in which people elect to eat and enjoy one another’s company–not that you’ve been to one in the last ten years.” “Seriously?” Jason snaps, head swiveling between Mark and I. “This is the last thing we need.” “A restaurant is not a securit
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 157
Kira The tour was incredibly boring. Ben was professional and polite, wandering at a pace that Lo could keep up with, without getting breathless and being able to contribute to the conversation. It annoyed me how courteous he was. Jack spent most of the tour looking around inconspicuously for all of the cameras, finding their hidden reflective lenses in the niches of wood and leather around the Archives. From what I could tell, he’d found twenty-six of thirty. A flashing, toothy smile catches on another camera. Fine. Twenty-seven. They were just making the far side of the stacks, near the stairway that led down to the pack Archives, when Sirius became incredibly more interested. “And what are these?” He asked pointedly, looking at the stairs and the ropes that separated them off from prying visitors. “Ah. The Royal Archives of the Aperture Pack,” Ben said admiringly. “Home of our pack lineage, royal birth and marriage documents, copies of temple ceremony proceedings, and histori
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 156
Kira I watched through the screen as Lo’s baby bump proceeded the rest of her into the frame, extending her hand to greet Ben’s. It was more formal than I’d ever seen either of them interact; but I recognized the show. It was all about appearances. Impressing this scholar. A moment later Sirius eased into the frame, his height nearly blocking out all of Lo except her belly, his own graceful hand extending to capture Ben’s as they exchanged greetings. “Good morning, Professor–?” Ben opened warmly. Smooth. And good. Since I still had no idea what this guy’s last name has to do a thorough background check. I looked at my legal pad, tapping my pen on the blank page. Mark was clear with his instructions, and so far I wasn’t doing very well. “Oh! Just Sirius, please. No need for formalities.” Lo stepped out from behind Sirius, her face beaming with that pregnant glow of hers, despite the gray-scale of the monitor. “Sirius, this is Benjamin, the scholar and historian I was telling you
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 155
Kira Janas walked me through my controls. Eight screens, two keyboards, something that looked like an old-school joystick, and enough cords and plugs to cover the majority of the Luna’s office. I wondered what she’d think of it now; it’s usually pristine surfaces now covered in a jungle of electrical equipment. “Got that?” Janas said for nearly the seventh time. “Yes,” I muttered, sitting down in the seat behind the Luna’s desk. It was the last place I ever thought I’d sit, and shifted uneasily as I put down my crutches. The ruse was still necessary in case anyone came in here with Cynthia while I was working. I had felt the glances as Janas wheeled me in this afternoon, crutches across my lap as we passed the busy lobby of the pack house. Many offered greetings and wishes for a speedy recovery, all genuine. It made my back stiffen at the deception. I made a mental note to talk to Perrin about just how different his legacy was going to be from his father’s… and despite my own sel
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 154
BenMy alarm goes off, and I don’t even want to reach for my phone.It’d be great to stop the two-day hangover that plagues me. But something else entirely when I’ll look at my screen and realize Kira hasn’t called me back. Or texted.Not like she would.I roll over, swatting blindly at my bedside table until my phone drops onto the floor, vibrating and jittering across the cheap carpet like some strange bug.I test my eyes, flickering them open against my ceiling.Well. At least my hangover is gone today. I exhale. I’d rather have the pain of that hangover instead of the anger I feel at myself. Not just anger.Shame. Annoyance.And the worst part? The self-pity.I’ve drowned in the feelings of the last few days, addicted to the self-sabotage of not eating, not consuming anything and not trusting myself. I’ve been sober for years. And doing this now? Giving into temptation? I want to blame my thesis. My stupid failed research. I want to just burn all of it to Hell and back. But gnawi
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 153
Perrin“Holy shit.”Mark softly whistles behind me, unnerved at the site of it as we drive in. The Chiyad training facilities is enormous. No. gigantic. Whichever one is bigger.“This is where Ethan’s been training,” I say unnecessarily, awed at the outside of it. I wondered if Ethan could escape being the favorite for the Beta championship by just having access to state-of-the-art facilities. Mark doesn’t answer, but drives to a series of parking spots on the side of the building. “I know Ethan’s been working hard,” I go on as we get out of the car. “And Justin had only mentioned they were working on getting their facility renovation underway. Is this the before or after? They couldn’t have done all of this in just a few months.”Mark’s neck cranes to look up the side of the building. “I don’t know.”We walk into the large side entrance, automatic doors whooshing in around us with crisp, air-conditioned coolness. I blink twice as a discreet whirring sounds, a scanning of our bodies
Chosen Mates, Stolen Fates Chapter 152
KiraI set the phone down on the bedside table, pulling my blankets over me at the chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of my room.What the hell?But I couldn’t help but smirk. My gut instinct about the visiting wolf hadn’t been totally off. Something hadn’t been right about Sirius. Not wrong, per se… but definitely not normal. Were all European wolves that way? And how Mark had discovered our pack had a visitor less than twelve hours after they’d left? I didn’t know. Some type of Beta secret perhaps. He’d tell me in time. I was beginning to realize just how much I had to learn.I frowned, knowing Royhill would likely come pick me up in the morning. I stared at the clock. It was way past my bedtime. Not that I cared. I scratched at the stupid fake brace on my leg.On the positive side, apparently hiding away in the Luna’s office was going to be exactly what I was up to, the joke made earlier to Jesamine in jest or not. And sooner than I had anticipated; Naineeve was her
