Thane was right; I didn’t need any external help to connect with my wolf’s side.I got accustomized to running on all fours; my senses weren’t as overwhelming as they had been the first time I transformed.I felt... free and finally complete..My clothes waited for me, just where I had left them before I transformed and I put them back on.I heard the footsteps approaching, even before I saw him."Hey,” the stranger called. Maybe not exactly a stranger; I had seen him before, but I couldn’t quite place where I had seen him.“You startled me." I lied“I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t know it was you.”“What are you doing here?”I face-palmed myself ‘internally’ the moment I asked that question. This was no private space; anyone could come here at their free will.“I just needed to clear my head,” he said, a small sad smile on his face. He was good-looking—the type you really wouldn’t notice till you looked closer. I should walk away, but then I remembered my duty as the Luna, and he did look
I woke up feeling dizzy. My head hurt, and my throat felt so sore.And there stood Jake.“She’s awake,” he says to himself; the sadness I had once seen in his eyes was gone, and all that was left was rage.“Yeah, I am awake." I manage to say, “What next?, kill me?. He would find me and then kill you.” I threatened.“Just like he killed my sister?” Jake questioned, the single tear slipping down his eyes; he wiped it away, angry at himself for letting me see that. The guilt I’d carried along since Nelly’s death felt more oppressive than ever.Coming to think of it this must have been what he had been referring to earlier when he spoke about taking the ‘little things’ for granted, he was referring to the times he had spent with his sister.“You know why she was killed” I tried explaining, “I wish it never happened, and it still haunts me... but she...” I trailed off, I couldn’t lie to his face, so I remained silent.“What is it you wanted to say?” Jake inquired, those sorrowful eyes on
“She did nothing. The one responsible had been killed,” I said, my voice cold. I couldn’t give any detail away, it was no longer a game, not with my mother involved.“A woman was killed, yes. But the one responsible wasn’t. Your mother had been in my room. How couldn’t I tell? I can never forget that scent,” he says with a smirk. “My son is either growing weak or trying to spite me.” "Is it a shame you couldn’t ask my mother this question yourself?”“I would have, but she is under Thane’s protections, so it could be quite... difficult,” he says, and I snort. His gaze trailed down my body, and I held back the shiver of pure disgust.“It hadn’t been difficult for her to get to you,” I retorted only to spite him.“Hell hath no fury like a woman seeking revenge,” he says. And the resentment I felt threatened to break through my calm facade.“You should be ashamed of yourself” I hissed out. “If you hoped to get anything from me then apologies your royal highness, I know nothing, so whatev
“Tell me Riley, Who did this?” Thane questioned.“I don’t know,” I say.“I need a name, and you can either tell me or I’ll find out myself,” he says, his hands trailing down the white bandage wrapped around my head, one I wasn’t sure I needed since my wolf was already accelerating the healing process. This was one of the many pecks of getting my wolf back.“Would you force a name out of me with your Alpha... ‘thingy’?” I asked with a smile and he stared at me like he thought I was crazy.“Is not called the Alpha ‘thingy’ is called an ‘aura’. And no. I won’t use that, I do not need that to get what I want”“I just... It was Alpha Slade,” I said finally. I didn’t want Thane getting in trouble with his father and ending up punished. I was not covering up for Slade, but ‘trying’ to keep Thane safe.“The bastard,” he cursed, his eyes as dark as coal. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?”“I already told you, I am fine.”“But your wrist isn't,” he said. Staring down at my wrist, which was al
It had been so long since I was alone in a room with Axel; I needed to talk to him; he couldn’t just drop a bombshell on me and walk away like that. But he was rather more interested in speaking about ‘the incident’.“So this random guy just pops out of nowhere; you’ve never seen him before, and he’s like, Let’s go to the creepy safe house, and you go with him?” Axel asked, his voice disapproving.“No... I mean, yes. But it didn’t happen that way; you made me look so foolish in that theory of yours.”“So what did happen?”“I was out for a run... but I had hoped to see you,” I admitted, and his eyes softened. “But when I didn’t, I figured I could just go... alone, and that was what I did. I had gone through with it, but then ‘he’ showed up; he seemed so sad. I thought he was one of us—a member of this pack—and I had been so bored, he offered to escort me anywhere I wanted to go, but then he brought up the idea; he made it seem like it had just occurred to him; I never knew it was all p
Reservations were cast aside.Axels’ fingers brushed against the lace of my panties before moving it to the side. He gently stroked me in there, and I moaned, leaning against him. In slow movement, his fingers when round my clit, the pleasure almost unbearable. Finally, he dipped the single finger into me, pumping in and out."I'll add a second," he informs before his second finger sinks in. I rode his fingers fast; his chest vibrated with a deep rumble of satisfaction; I could almost feel his wants, yet he held it down, intent on just satisfying me. His fingers curled in me, hitting the 'spot' and I moaned out his name.I claimed his lips, and he kissed me back hungrily, his fingers still thrusting deeper into me."Can you take one more? he asked, and I nodded. He eased out the two fingers and then slammed back in with a third added, and that had almost brought me to the edge. His thumb stroked my clit as his fingers pounded into me, and I came hard. He cradled me against his chest,
"You seem lost in thoughts; what are you thinking about?" Thane enquired. It was late at night, but my mind was very much awake, and of course, Thane noticed that."Nothing," I lied."Are you by any means thinking about Axels’ proclamation?" He asked, and I was silenced. I always thought Thane was very good at reading people, but what if... it was more than that? There was no way he could have read that off my face alone."Thane, I think you can read minds.""Does that mean I guessed correct?""Yes, and how... how did you do that?""I am a really good guesser, I think?""No, it is more than that; I feel like there is something more, something you aren't telling me.""Riley, look at me," he says, and I do just that. "I am not a mind reader; that would be cool but it only happens in books and movies, I cannot do that. Axel told me about it earlier; when you had been kidnapped, he thought it was his fault, and so I guessed.""Because I am an open book?" I questioned"No, I find you myste
All I wanted to do was get back to my room, but that seemed impossible.The news about me being kidnapped in my own pack had spread like wildfire; although many showed genuine concerns, there were still those few who were only looking for fresh rumours and juicy gossips to circulate."Luna,” someone called from behind me, and I had to school my face into a smile before I turned back. I anticipated another concerned pack member but I had been wrong. It was Jake.Maybe I had forgiven him and let him go, but that didn’t make us friends, so what exactly gave him the right to come speak with me after what he had done?“Stay away, Jake,” I warned before walking on, but he ran to my side.“Please, I really need to speak with you...”“Why? So you could tell me some shitty story about your life and deceive me? Not thank you,” I said, walking on.“Please...”“If you keep following me, I’ll have a change of heart and maybe place you in the dungeons where you belong.”“I am not here for that... is
THANE'S POVThe door opened, and Caleb walked in, his hands up as if in surrender. My beta, Axel followed, a gun pointed to his head."Free him," Axel said.Caleb walked to me, taking out the pipes. "The chains too." Axel said, and I could tell Caleb was not going to do that.Axel shot at his leg, but Caleb was strong—maybe even the strongest of all the elders. In the next second, Axel's gun was in his hands, and the table turned."Let him go, Caleb; it's me you want." I warned."You are right." Caleb says, "But I want him dead too."He shot at Axel. I growled, pulling at the chains; they burned my skin. He aimed for me next, pulling the trigger, but the gun was empty of bullets, and he tossed it to the ground."In every single room, I had planted a bomb; all I need to do is press the button, and everything would go 'boom'; everyone in this building would die, and I alone would be left. After a while, you will be forgotten, but for me, I'll take over from you; I will be known and fea
Axel unsheathed his sword before striding towards Nick.Nick let out his wing, flying right over us, but Axel leaped into the air, bringing him down by his wing. Axel pinned Nick down, holding both wings. I watched in amazement as Axel sliced them off, and Nick roared in pain, the bones where his wings had been attached prodded out of his back.Axel passed the blood stained sword to me. I limped to where Nick lay groaning in agony."Didn't I tell you, I will kill you?" Now kneel." I said, and he rose, falling on his knees. "Riley I..."I didn't let him say more; in a clean swipe, I incapacitated his head from the rest of his body.Axel took off his leather jacket and helped me put it on."I know a way out." Axel says, leading me out of the room, we walked down the hallways to an open space."Going somewhere?" A voice called from behind us. Bailey.She held a crossbow in her hands. "Nyaos is dead. Thane killed him. I guess this means our deal is… off."She shot the crossbow at me, bu
RILEY"It's girls time, Nick; you should leave." Bailey said to him, and he gave me a long look before leaving both of us alone. "I didn't remember telling you to stop with the dagger," she said."It fell." I lied.I didn't know if she bought that, but she spoke no more about it, taking a seat beside me."I'm going to tell you a story, one I had never told anyone before. Well, you would die in the end, so it makes no difference.I was in love once. I don't mean the casual crushes and those little feelings girls have. I was in love with Nyaos; he had always been there for me when I needed him; he helped me so many times; I can't even count the number of times he had saved my life. But Nyaos loved another; I was the ‘other woman’, and I knew that. Katara believed we were good friends; she trusted me; she trusted the both of us, and I knew what we did behind her back was very wrong, but I couldn't help myself. Nyaos said he loved us both, and though I always wanted more, I could settle
CAUTION: THERE WOULD BE VIOLENT SCENES IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS; PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.THANE.I could do it; I knew I could break through the chains. Rage is one powerful thing. I pulled hard, and the chains broke off. I ripped out the pipes that had been used to pass the fluids into my bloodstream, and I staggered to my feet. I heard footsteps approaching, and I positioned myself beside the door. Nyaos walked in; he noticed the empty chair, I could smell his fear; he should be afraid. I shut the door behind him, and only then did he notice me; he turned, his eyes widening in terror as I plunged my hand into his chest, past the crunch of his ribcage, and deep into his heart. His mouth opened, frozen in a silent scream."The cursed weapon isn't the only way to kill an elder." I whispered before I pulled his heart out. The sight of blood was so intoxicating it ignited a lust for blood in me, I wanted to spill more blood. An elder had been brought to nothing in a matter of minutes
RILEY.I couldn't turn back; if I did, he would see the tears I could no longer suppress; that would destroy everything and my little act would be over, so I didn't turn back when he called, I had my eyes pinned to the door. "When I get out here, I will kill your lover, Nick, and after that, I will kill you, bitch."Those words would forever haunt me. He sounded so cold. I wondered for the first time if I did the right thing; my fear was that my attempt to save would cause him to lose the little humanity he held onto."You did well back there." Nick says, "I almost believed that maybe you never really liked him. He seemed very angry; I would stay as far away from him as I could if I were you.""Stop talking.""Oh, come on, this was the deal; get over..."I punched him right in the face, cutting him off; blood dripped down his nose and his eyes flashed with anger. He slammed me against the wall, and my skull, still fragile from his previous attack, hit the wall hard. For a moment, all
I remembered Regnux's words; he had suspected Riley; he must have seen something, something I was too blind to see.I also recalled Riley's disappearance and how all of a sudden she wanted to tag along anywhere I went. She was the only one who knew where I had kept the keys to Bailey's cell, yet I believed there had been a spare key. I was ready to believe everything but the truth that had been right before my eyes.A fool. That was what I was.The evidence was clear, and yet... yet, I didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be true. Once I had been heartbroken, Bella's death had left me in so much pain I couldn't heal on my own. Axel had bonded with me to share my pain.But I hadn't loved my mate like I loved Riley, and that's why I refused to believe it; the truth was clear, and yet I wanted it to be a lie; I wanted there to be some kind of explanation to it."Riley, if you think you are doing this to help me in some way, then don't. This won't help me, tell me this is all lies."The
THANEI couldn't move. It must be these damned fluids being passed into my veins. I was forced to endure hours of pain and agony, the only comfort I got during that time was the minutes I spent thinking about Riley.My fear was that they got her too; I didn't mind them taking me; I was ready to bargain my life to save hers if it came down to that, she could go back to Axel, I was confident that he would take good care of her and she could live the rest of her life happy. The only problem was that in this position, my life wasn't really good enough to make the bargain. I hated to say this, but I was completely at their mercy, and that could only change if I managed to take these damned pipes out.The pain only worsened with time; maybe this would be my end. I had spent my life killing people—yes, the majority of them were those who challenged me and others who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, so this could be karma catching up with me. My only wish was to have a few more
I always knew Bailey wasn't a good person; from the very first time I saw her, something about her was off-putting, but this was beyond evil.She was not only going to torture Thane but torture me too. He would hate me; even in my death, he would never discover the truth that she had been the one compelling me, and yet... it would be worth it if he stays alive in the end. Yes, he wouldn't have his wolf, but he would still have his life."And how do I know you won't stab me in the back after I am done with what you've asked?" I questioned. I couldn't trust Bailey; I knew that."You don't really have a choice here, do you?"That was equally correct; I didn't exactly have a choice. "Take me to him.""Give him a day; he is too weak to react now.".....A day.That's what Bailey asked for, but I would have preferred if I walked right into that space and said it all to him at that moment; at least it would be over, but now I sat here, alone, thinking about what I was about to do; I didn't
RILEY'S POV I was alone in the empty containment room, chained to the chair I had been placed on. The footsteps approaching got my attention. Bailey was back, again. "Your mate is here. Just as I had said, feelings make us weak, and that was his downfall." "Don't you dare harm him." I warned, struggling out of the chains. "I guess you would want to see him, right?" She questioned me, and I gave her no answer; I wouldn't let her see how desperately I wanted to go to him. She walked to me, taking off the chains, and I immediately bolted for the door. The moment I touched the handle, the silver burned my hand. "You may call it karma—you remember the silver dagger you used on me?" she asked. "Let me out." "I'll do that, but first, we need to make things clear. In whatever you do, you will not try to escape this place. Got it?" She ordered, and I nodded, compelled. "Good, now come with me." I followed her out of the room. The building seemed ancient, clearly an underground h