-NIA’S POV-“Stop here.” I decided to leave Julius at an intersection on the boulevard that was lined with rows of Cape Cod houses. “This spot is good.”We hid behind a tall inkberry shrub at the side of a yellow house on a corner lot.“Ms. Nia, my instructions were never to leave your side and keep you safe.” Julius’ eyes narrowed with concern, unwilling to disobey Lykoan's order.“Well, too bad because your boss is not the boss of me.” I rolled my eyes and decided to explain. “We have to be careful because I have enemies here,” I replied, reaching my hands behind my perspiring neck to bundle my hair. “I want you to act as a gardener and be on the lookout.”I twirled my strands around into a messy high bun and snatched Julius’ black cap, putting it on.The crevice between his eyebrows deepened as he deliberated. “I'll be at the hedges. I'll make a whistle if anyone is approaching.”“Give me half an hour.” I nodded in agreement, wiping the moisture from my brows, and parted from him,
-NIA’S POV-Shell-shocked. My body tensed and I wanted to sink into the floor and vanish away. My nerves felt wired and uneasiness clawed inside of me.It's as though his brooding presence cast an eclipse over me. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't blink.Those devilish cobalt eyes remained stubbornly on me, and oh so slowly, his lips moved, and he breathed out like he had been enduring torture. “Nia? Is that really you?”He stumbled back. Momentarily losing his balance, his body rocked by the sheer force of the sudden realization.A moment of silence ensued before I shook my head. I blinked at my worst nightmare as my mind sluggishly came to grip the god-awful reality.“Dalton?” I hissed, lowly. The name tasted like poison on my lips.The sight of him was like a sting in my chest. A deep, sharp stake, pushing right into my heart, the longer I stared at him.Panic surged through my veins, plunging me into full terror mode. I was not prepared to see him this soon. Not when
-NIA’S POV-Veins throbbed on Dalton’s forehead. He squeezed my neck harder and his knuckles whitened.“Back away from the lady,” Julius threatened with concern in his soot-black eyes.“Are you the chivalry police?” Dalton huffed, turning his head with his dark eyes sizing up the guy standing at the threshold. “Name and purpose.”Julius replied, stoically, “I'm here to help Nia retrieve her belongings.”Dalton's eyes slung at mine with a dangerous glint in them. “You dare to bring a rogue into my pack!” He squeezed my throat aggressively, jerking me so that my head thudded against the wall.My heart shrieked, and I coughed, unable to answer.“Sir,” Julius intervened, trudging forward. “We did not come to make trouble. Nia and I will go if you could please release her.”“Who are you to talk here? Are you her new lover?” Dalton switched positions. He yanked me in front of him, arresting my upper arms to hold me hostage. “Are you the man who left these disgusting hickeys on her?”“I take
-NIA’S POV-“You dare to assault my Lily Bud!” Lykoan roared, with a heavy and dark aura rolling around the room.Suddenly, Dalton’s fangs were ripped from my neck. They gouged pieces of my flesh, making blood gush out."You fucking bastard!" I yelled as tears escaped my eyes. The moron tried to mark me.My shoulders slumped forward in terror and I slapped a hand over the wounds. A fear of dying twisted in my throat as I panicked at trying to stop the bleeding.My heart was slamming inside my chest with a second fear for Lykoan. Despite his build being bigger than my ex’s, Dalton was a ruling Alpha with power that would outmatch Lykoan’s. I did not want to see Lykoan get the crap beat out of him.It wasn’t supposed to be this way.Forsaking a deceased Jeff, Julius rushed over to help me as I sunk to the floor, losing volumes of blood that escaped through the cracks of my fingers.Julius cursed under his breath after he knelt and removed my hand to examine the gashes. He ripped a porti
-DALTON’S POV-“I've been mind-linking you for the past hour,” Brooke complained with a twisted scowl, meeting me at the front of the tundra-gray, neoclassical three-storey pack-house.In a split second, I shifted from my large black wolf into my naked human form to greet her with an uninterested face. “For what?’It ticked me off that she did not move to get my clothes like Nia would. Instead, she stood on the white steps with her hands folded thinking that she could demand anything from me. I passed her and entered the three-storey foyer.She stalked me. “Alpha Haynes and his daughter arrived for the meeting, and you weren't here to greet them.”My strides were long and hurried. She had to run a bit to keep up. Oh goddess, it was time to put up with her nagging again, I groaned inwardly.“I’m here now, aren't I? Why didn't you entertain him like you do with your other men?” I mumbled condescendingly, using a thumb to swipe sweat beads from my forehead. “That’s what you are good at.”
-DALTON’S POV-Determinedly, I contacted every Alpha just to find which pack Nia was going to. They’ll ensure she suffers so that she would run back to me for protection.As the water from the shower cascaded on my head, I wondered, how long will you make me wait before you come back groveling, Nia?She added insult to the injury of my heart of hearts when she left with them. I cannot accept that.Minutes later as I got dressed in my royal blue jeans and olive green dress shirt, a timid knock came on my room door.“It’s open. Come in.” I yelled while putting on my silver wristwatch.The tracker with a two-toned ginger and white hair entered. Seeing the scowl on my face, he stopped by the door and cast his pearwood color eyes to the ground. “I’m here, Alpha.”“Nia Ravanore,” I spoke, adjusting the watch on my hand. “Do you remember her, Otis?”“Yes, Alpha.”“Why?” I growled, landing on him a cut-throat stare.It pissed me off that he knew her. My wolf bristled as we seethed over the nat
-LYKOAN’S POV-“Are you going to snap at me all day?” I asked her in a soft voice, watching her bite into the corn on the cob while giving me a charring glare. Damn, I could burn in her fiery orange eyes and enjoy it.“I have nothing better to do since you refuse to take me to the bank to open an account.” Nia sassed, licking the baby back ribs sauce from the corner of her mouth.She was in the rottenest of moods. Something in the document bag must have upset her and she was taking it out on me. Today, her searing tongue was as hot as the blazing afternoon sun.Everyone else got her beautiful smile, except me. She thanked Julius for rescuing her, not me. Even Tank and Gawain, she inquired about this morning. I drummed my fingers on the table in agitation. Why were all these men on her mind?Shoving that aside, we were at The Agrarian Grill. It was a rooftop restaurant on the eleventh floor of the hotel and casino building. The bright space was elegantly splattered with multicolored co
-LYKOAN’S POV-Puzzled, Nia stared at me. Her eyes pleaded for an explanation. I gazed into them, knowing very well she was playing dumb.“You know,” I growled. I didn’t want to spell it out for her. I would rather show her.It was just the multiple eyes on us that were saving her. I swear the temperature between us soared. Or did she enjoy watching me try my damndest to exercise control, knowing she had that effect on me?“Don’t try to be slick with me, Lykoan. Do you think you can trick me into your bed?” She gave me a pointed look.The unbridled heat in her red-glowing gaze threatened to burn me on the spot. It was a fire that I craved. A delectable inferno that I wanted in the worst way, even if she was not good for me. Her closeness put a fiery strike on our converging desire. Sure enough, I was in for a hell of a time in the embers, and I was counting on it.Leaning towards her, I took her hand in mine, drawing slow, feathery circles in her palm. My body tingled, and hot energy
NIA’S POV-Before anyone else could react, I quickly maneuvered myself with a left roll, which positioned me on my back. With a hard tug on Vydon’s black tie, I dragged his upper body forward to loom over me just as the bullet pierced into his back.Thump.A murderous growl erupted from Lykoan. I glimpsed dark clouds in his eyes covering the burning lilacs. Clouds with thunder, dilating rapidly for that sonic boom and lightning strike.At the same time, Julius hooked his arm around the henchman and wrenched him away from the Overlord, while Beauchamp’s hands gripped down Vydon’s shoulders, veering him to sit back in his chair, and hindering him from moving.The henchman was quick to swing back, catching Julius with a cheap shot to his jaw before he drop-kicked the guy in the gut, sending him flying back. The henchman jumped on his feet, going hard at Julius.“How dare you!” Lykoan roared. It was a deep feral bellow from his partially ascended wolf.With fast movements, Julius went low
NIA’S POV-"I apologize, Lykoan. Perhaps I was out of line for assuming that you might share her with your new associate.” Vydon cockily referred to himself. “That’s what we do."Lykoan’s wolf bristled. I quickly adjusted myself on his lap and clutched him, stationing my hands on his lower back to calm Sultan down."I don't exist for your enjoyment, Vydon," I seethed through my teeth to set the record straight. “None of us do.”He waved his hand dismissively and smugly declared, "Hybrids that cross our borders are not free property. They know what it means to come to Idaho, and my pack members take full advantage of that."Horrified at the thought, my throat went dry. Why would hybrids intentionally subject themselves to the Trenchlands knowing what the Overlords would do to them?"That is a sick practice," I reproached, shaking my head as nausea crept up my throat and I squeezed Lykoan tighter."I’m blown away at how you have been hiding from us. It's so sad that I couldn't have foun
NIA’S POV-Lykoan's lilacs glowed lightly. The wolf within him sneered and snarled. He certainly did not appreciate Vydon’s eyes looming over me as his lips curled into a sinful smirk.Overlords like this one tend to flaunt their power to defend the worthiness of their positions, especially since the dominant realms frowned on their existence."Vydon, you and your man will come this way." Lykoan gestured toward the vineyard estate.Apparently, Lykoan had sniffed out that Vydon brought his henchman on the flight. A younger and bigger, blonde-haired man with silver teeth cracking through his mean scowl, jumped out of the Black Hawk chopper in black leather chaps and a gray vest.Beauchamp landed an aggressive slap on Vydon’s back so that he stumbled two steps forward, but did not fall. The Overlord ground his teeth and whipped his head to the side to glare at him.“Try it.” Beauchamp dared him, cocking a brow up with his broad form intimidating.Vydon exhaled slowly before averting his
Hello Lovelies,I though I would have been able to upload a chapter by now, but as it is, I can hardly find the time to do so.As mentioned some time ago, two relatives passed away in previous months. The first funeral will be this weekend and the second will be held the Saturday before Christmas. As such, there is a lot of preparations to do as well as to accomodate and entertain guest and visiting relatives.Therefore, I am here to apologize about the delay in chapters and kindly ask for your understanding because this month is not so merry for us.The story will resume soon.Thanks for your patience.#Much love!Virtually yours,O'Chantal.
NIA’S POV-Despite the horrific council meeting, it was a really nice day. The sun shone brightly, and the temperature was well above the average.Making our way down the stairs outside to the car, Lykoan put on his sunglasses to protect his eyes from the blinding sun. My eyebrows shot up in admiration. He appeared even cooler. I used my hand as shade as we walked under nature’s intense ball of fire."Please tell me you’re not going to become Mad Max today," I teased, and we stopped in front of the Skoda Sedan. His tall frame was large enough to block the sun currently blinding me, so I allowed my hand to come down from my eyes."I’d rather be a James Bond kind of guy, today," Lykoan replied sarcastically. He winked at me and his lips tugged upwards in a delightfully sinful smile.“Cool, because he’s my kind of guy,” I smiled, dragging my fingers along the shiny zenith gold paint job as I walked towards the passenger door."If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were more excited ab
LYKOAN’S POV-Nia chuckled nervously and asked through unsteady breaths, “What are you—are you trying to say I did magic? Because I can swear on my life that I’ve never so much as thought about it. I’m not even a witch.”“But you are elven,” Caliste strongly debated and exchanged a disturbing glance with me. “And you let her seal your powers. You owe her something. What did you trade to buy her spells?”“I-I don’t know that witch!” Nia practically screamed at her and there was a thick, death-like hush.Caliste peered at her curiously and restarted the feud.“Yet you have dealings with her. Don't you know who that nefarious witch is?”“No,” Nia averred firmly. She pursed her lips, her eyes sharpening.Jacques folded his arms, showing signs of irritation. “Neither do I, so for the love of all things holy, just be straight with us, Caliste.”The pack witch connected me with the line of her gaze. “Are you going to tell them or should I?”Too engulfed in my own analysis, I did not answer he
LYKOAN’S POV-“Well—I’ll be damned,” Tank muttered to Hogan, still in shock. “She's so scary,”“Let's not kill her momentum,” Hogan added in a low voice with his hand in the way to hamper Tank and Josh from advancing.Both of them did not move, but they were definitely pleased at the minor destruction that she had caused. In this case, Nia did not need our protection. Instead, she held the witch hostage with glowing palms burning her temples. My lips twitched, itching to smile.“Nia, let me take it from here,” I prompted for her eyes to meet mine.Still apprehensive, Nia’s messy mid-pony-haired head finally whipped up at me. Anger contorted her beautiful face into a Tasmanian devil. Her orange eyes seethed like embers, and she gritted, “The witch tried to kill me.”“Nonsense!” Jacques roared grotesquely, pointing his finger in accusation. “You attacked her.”Narrowing my eyes, I swung my head in his direction, unleashing a guttural growl in warning.“Even when she’s wrong you choose t
NIA’S POV-“We're not done yet, Alpha,” Caliste politely interjected, stopping the advancing footsteps that had made my golden ears perk up.Using my left hand, I gripped my right wrist, thrashing on my chair as I tugged and pulled, harder and harder. Yet nothing happened, only more coughing and more smoke that puffed out of my ears.My throat felt chafed, dry, and aching. Hissing from the shortness of breath, I clasped my neck, blinking my wet eyelids excessively, and I nearly passed out.My heart instantly ached for my mate. Wanting Lykoan to be at my side and make it stop. My first instinct was to scream for his assistance. However, my voice was lodged in my throat, as if some sort of imaginary block had been placed where my vocal cords were.I gripped the side of my head as a splitting headache ripped through it. The pressure built. Sweat stung my eyes like vipers. I yelped in agony. When will this terrible spell end?Then it happened.I was somewhere else, alone and petrified. I
NIA’S POV-“Nia, we invited Caliste, our pack witch.” Olsen addressed me in a cautious tone with his hazel eyes settling on mine. “To gain our trust, we require that you pass a minor test.”“Are you for real?” Lykoan scoffed. I groaned internally, reeling from the unexpected sting of that one word.“Okay.” I acquiesced with fake composure. Inside, I was freaking out. Test? What bloody test?"Excellent!" Olsen exclaimed with a nod. "I'm glad for your consent. It’s an amicable solution." He smiled, but it never touched his hazel eyes. He was hiding something.Alpha Jacques and his Beta exchanged snarky glances. He gave him a flick of the chin and T.K. moved from his spot, strolling down the table, and going towards the door. It was too late to back out without arousing more suspicion. For a piercing minute, I regretted my decision. Now, I had no choice but to see it through. To steady my heart, I forced myself to remember my initial motivation for doing this…to be acquitted of all the