NIA’S POV-Crash!Bang!Whack!Thud!It wasn't my alarm that jolted me up in bed in the wee hours of the night. It was a crashing disturbance, followed by heavy footsteps thumping up the stairs and then along the hallway.What's going on?Groggily, I raked tangled, black strands from my face as I discerned that people were in my Mom’s house. It hadn't clicked for my body to be alerted. In a dreamlike state, I stared in the dark through half-cracked eyes.The disturbance stopped. Quietness reigned once more, befriending my drowsiness. My lids closed. Sleep slowly dominated me. I flopped back on the bed.It's been three days since the funeral, and I've cried so much that my body was weak and tired. Life was insignificant with my unhealed heart agonizing from the rotting mate bond, but for my Mom, I pressed on. There was nowhere for me to discard this unbidden pain, grief, and disappointment. So, I moved back into my old bedroom again, keeping close to my mourning mother. We needed each
--NIA’S POV-Letting out disgruntled puffs of breath, the barbaric rogue crouched beside Mom’s inactive, slender body. I struggled to throttle the echoes of my darkest fears.I wrestled against Layton’s grasp. I wanted to stop Gossart, but Layton gripped my throat, squeezing the air out of me. Gasping for breath, I clutched at his hands, digging my nails into his skin and tearing his flesh. It was useless.Gossart picked up my Mom. When the monster stood, his bumpy eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of me. He traipsed towards me. Coming to a stop, he gurgled his throat and spat slimy saliva on my forehead.Layton chortled.My red-rimmed eyes jittered restlessly and watched the horrid scene even though they were getting blurry. I coughed and wheezed, feeling less and less air. My heart beat so fast that I could pass out any minute. My struggle grew feeble and subsided.“Money,” Gossart growled monstrously like Hulk, turning to Brooke, and cradling my limp mother in his arms. “Now.”Br
-LYKOAN’S POV-Loneliness was a monstrous enemy with deadlock tendrils that sucked the sprightliness of one’s will to live. However, tonight was a special night. Years of pain and misery would finally come to an end. For I, the man known as the Lycan Diabolyn, was cursed.Nightfall arrives quickly when you've lived a long mateless life. Hours were an empty void, and the silent times that fell in between were horrendous.Tonight was the ashaze night that accompanied the igneo moon. Indeed, it was the dark hour of my demise’s big finale. After years of searching the earth for all the magical ingredients required for the Nasphyxia of Soul ritual, at last, I’ve done it.The glowing, full moon hung high in the dark sky above the sacred old reliquary temple grounds. The stars were so bright that their illumination brewed optimism within my soul.It had begun.The ancient chants of the Quinto Quintessa Witches graced my ears. The five voices blended harmoniously with the natural sounds of th
-LYKOAN’S POV-With a finger, I nudged the animal’s muzzle. No response. Apparently, she was still blacked out.“We do not know her,” Lisandre, Bernadette’s youngest daughter, replied.The circle remained unbroken. No one moved but the witches exchanged knowing glances. My nostrils flared. Although I was irate at this she-wolf, strangely, I liked her body being on mine.How odd. As I tried to elevate my back from the ground, I noticed that the blood scent disappeared. All her wounds had healed.“How do you feel?” Leah asked with concern.Tenderly pushing the wolf to rest on my legs, I managed to sit up. “I'm fine. I'm just disappointed. Now tell me how to redo this ritual.”All pairs of teal eyes widened before they looked at each other and then Bernadette glanced at me. “All the ingredients were used up, and it will be next year before the igneo moon reappears. Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to live with the circumstances.”The way she spoke hinted that she was afraid to tell me
-LYKOAN’S POV-I awoke around 7 a.m. with a snarl on my lips because of Jacques mentally yelling in my head.“Vampires are at the border!”“It’s your pack ― your problems.” I hissed and blocked the mind-link. I had bigger things on my mind.The stunning she-wolf still lay there on my chest. She slept like she had no care in the world. Yet, every fiber in my being admired her; desired her. Kudos to her. My tongue darted out to wet my dry lips.“Wake up.” I whisper-yelled.She did not stir. I used a finger to trace the outline of her pretty face. Sultan purred, begging me to stay in bed with her. No. I couldn’t. There was a lot of work to be done. In opposition, he began whimpering, which annoyed me.“I’m keeping her.” He huffed.“Don’t start with me, Sultan.” I rebuked him.Slowly, with much care, I hugged her with both arms and rolled her over. Briefly, I hovered above her. Again, lewd thoughts infested my mind to snare me in a super-enticing world like a beacon. I shook my head to ad
-LYKOAN’S POV-Sheer terror and panic overwhelmed her. Frantically, she scraped up the blue duvet sheet to wrap around her nude top. She shivered like a scared bunny. Tears trickled down, and she stared at me as though I was the demon imp, Blitzo.With a hoarse croaking voice, she hissed, “Get the hell away from me!”A pang of pain slashed my chest at her sadness and fear. I held my hand up in the air and took two steps backwards. I remained calm. “Hey, I’m not a monster.”Well, not anymore, but it’s not like she would know about my past.“Gossart. Where is he?” She cried, pressing herself into the tufted bedhead.Anger bubbled up from Sultan’s stomach. He was pissed that she was missing another guy. Howbeit, my heart was aching too.“I do not know who that person is,” I admitted, trying to keep the vexation down. “Don’t you remember what happened in the forest?”Controlling her weeping, she sniffed, wiped her eyes, and then shook her head. Seemingly in pain, her hand reached up to he
-NIA’S POV-Mate!My wolf's loud announcement jolted me out of my slumber.Mate! The blurry environment became moderately visible. Strange room.This wasn't my home.Where was I?As the light of the morning sun hit my eyes, I covered them with my hand and tried to sit up in the large bed. I turned my head to the shaded side of the room to open my eyes safely. Then the unfamiliar alluring scent hit me. This new inebriating aroma of snapdragon and lemon.Aside from that, memories began flooding my brain. Dalton, Brooke, Layton, Chase, Dad, and Mom. I gripped the sheet as grief and anger rolled over me. How did I end up here when I was chasing after Gossart? My Mom was in danger. At least, I prayed that she was alive.Sitting up in bed, an ache jabbed me right between my eyes. I brought up my hand to the spot and waited for it to subside. When it did, I surveyed the area.The large, elegant room had colored tones of light gray, blue, and black. There was an eye-catching starry night 3D c
-NIA’S POV-“Nia,” I muttered and pursed my lips with immediate regret. Maybe I should have given him a fake name.Taking up the pizza bread, I took my first bite. Delicious!“Call me Lykoan. This is your new home,” he remarked. Gosh. Despite his rugged appeal, he looked no more than a twenty-two-year-old.I choked on food and protested through three coughs. “Absolutely not.”“Is that so?” He chuckled tauntingly and gave me a hand towel.“Was the man you were talking to the Alpha?” I asked because he mentioned earlier that this was his pack.“Yes.” He sipped his coffee.I shifted uneasily in my seat and swallowed my food. “He does not want me here.”Lykoan shrugged. “Who cares?”“He's your alpha.” I cut into my bacon.“Do not worry about unimportant details like that.” He replied in a calm and collected tone.Confused at the disrespect, I inquired, “Are you his Beta?”He shook his head with eyes trained on me. He was evaluating my reactions with every small piece of information that l
NIA’S POV-Not even flinching, I sucked in a calming breath. Thinking quickly with the slyest smile, I beamed, “One of your favorites.”He halted his strides to swerve a dangerous look to the girls. “Which one of you told her that?”Panic flashed in Tameka’s and Kourtney’s eyes. Their bodies went into seizure mode, shaking their heads vigorously because they had nothing to do with it.“Lucidora,” Lykoan muttered in realization, cursing silently. He returned his stormy eyes to me, resuming his steps. “Then wear it only for me. You are not leaving here looking like you’re up for grabs. Please change into something more conservative.”I tried not to roll my eyes.“We are going to, um…” Kourtney trailed off, moving sideways towards the door with a firm grip on Tameka, dragging her along.The girls scurried out of the room to avoid his wrath, leaving me alone with this puffing beast. Kourtney made sure to close the door behind them.When I did not move, Lykoan’s patience wore thin. Stoppin
NIA’S POV“Tonight will surely be unforgettable,” Tameka muttered, roaming her dubious eyes up and down the risqué dress I had on, clearly not thrilled. She had a few dresses hanging over her arm that she thought were better options. “That one is going to come back to bite you.”With one hand on my hip, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, doing a half-turn to the right and then to the left. I could barely recognize myself. What little amount of fabric there was in the outfit clung to me like a second skin.“Lucidora packed it, and I’m rocking it.” I chuckled, pushing at my bosom and wondering when my breasts got bigger.Tameka did not even crack a smile. She hummed, contemplative, with a finger tapping on her lips.The silver dress was slightly vulgar and incredibly sexy, very sexy. It was unlike anything I had ever worn. But my eyes lit up, and I knew it would be the second dress of the evening, as soon as I saw it on the rack of gowns in my bedroom at the Protostarlet hotel pe
DALTON’S POV-“Evangeline Volkes, by the will of the moon goddess, Selene, I pronounce you the new Luna of the Boulderfist Howlers Pack!” Elder Sixsmith announced with glee. “May the power of the night be with us. Let the union be the start of a stellar new life together with love to spread and power to hold.”The other Elders, in their long, gray, black, and white robes, rose from their chairs to bend in a low bow at us. They saluted in unison. “May the moon whisper her blessings on your union tonight.”Me, in a tuxedo suit of the same colors, returned an Alpha’s respect by bringing a firm fist to my chest and extending it out to them.All the wolves at the late function in the backyard of the packhouse began howling in celebration.Showing her appreciation, Evangeline turned to smile half-heartedly at the crowd. She wore the traditional gray gown with lace. It was backless with a deep V-neck, flowy style with several slits and knotted strings at the shoulders. Tiny silver floral bud
DALTON’S POVLost in my animalistic nature, fist after fist met my naked brother's face. He laid flat on his back, and I towered over him in the nude, pounding in rage. The afternoon sun's searing streaks whipped my back like it was on Pete’s side, hot and brutal.“Stop!” Evangeline shouted, being held back by her father among the crowd in the expansive backyard of the pack house.Roughly grabbing her shoulders, Haynes swung her around to face him. He shouted angrily, “Evangeline, this is unbecoming. Control yourself!”Pack members flocked the grounds. Several Alphas, with or without their Lunas, and the Elders sat pompously on the deck to watch the challenge for the Boulderfist Howlers Alpha title.Dad and Francine were among them. The expression on my stepmother’s face was unmistakable: pure, unfiltered rage and abhorrence.Not caring for appearances, Evangeline shoved her father’s large arms from her shoulders. She ran towards me, dropping to her knees on the lawn grass, and claspe
NIA’S POV“Nia,” Lykoan pleaded with a rise in his voice, hoping to center my focus on the present. “It's just me, baby. Talk to me."“What if you don't like what I have to say?" I inquired timidly, with fear veiling my voice.“Talk to me anyway. What did you steal?" Lykoan captured my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look up at him.I swallowed hard, squeezing my eyes shut as if my throat was too dry to function. Here goes nothing. “Weloganite.”Lykoan released the grip on my face and went thoughtful for a second. “Aren't those the electric-powered stones Harrison has recently promoted for their power company?”Blinking at him, I nodded.Taking a deep breath, I contemplated my words carefully, aiming to convey my actions without causing misjudgment.It prompted Lykoan to gently caress my hand, offering comfort.Gathering courage, I delved into explanations. “One night, my parents went into the forest for a picnic. My Mom discovered an underground site where the we
NIA’S POVEvery shadow and shape, every unnatural silence that chased the birds away, was that massive, silver beast. With quiet, light paws, the big, sleek Lycan prowled towards me. The muscles on his furry chest and shoulders flexed with every step he took.Crickets and toads pounced away upon sensing the vibrations of his paws, and the crescent moon above was the only light source that never ceased to illuminate the path.Vulpine and alert, he fixed his glowing pairs of sharp, carnivorous eyes on me, his ears straight up on his gigantic head, and his white nose twitched as he sniffed around my scent. The golden hairs along my spine prickled with warning.Did he spot something?I can’t let him get to it first.Suddenly, Lykoan’s gleaming wolf lay still, down on his belly on the ground of the dark forest. Distracted, Starr scrambled on top of Sultan immediately, licking his face numerous times. Hot air blustered from his nostrils when he was satisfied with her affections.Wanting to
LYKOAN’S POVJacques’ mouth dropped in disbelief, and he picked on the tip of his nose. “You’re announcing yourself to the world?”“Nia's family,” I clipped, feeling done with this conversation.“How? She doesn't bear your mark, neither is she your mate.” Josh commented in place of his Alpha. The shot of whiskey has made him bolder towards me.“He's in love with her,” Jacques muttered like it was something that finally clicked.I shrugged.They could think whatever they want to.“She'll have to stay in Boulderfist until the trial ends. We can only keep her if she's mated to an Alpha here. Marking her is the most vital sign of that. It's the incontestable code that would make Dalton request reparations as an alternative,” T.K. declared, snatching the tumbler out of Josh’s hand and turning the glass to his mouth for a large drink.Jacques snickered at me and leaned back in his chair, diverting the topic. “Why hasn’t she shifted? Why haven’t I seen her wolf? I know she has one.”He thriv
LYKOAN’S POVBlam!I nearly kicked the door off the hinges as I barged into Jacques’ office and stood heaving, fist clenched, and growled, “You asshole!”Trepidation budded from the others as my hostile aura splurged out, creating a hair-raising atmosphere.Beta T.K. choked on his cereal, sitting in a chair in his boxers. Josh glanced up from his tablet. The device almost slipped from his hands as he jerked from fright, on the edge of his Alpha’s desk.“Morning sunshine,” Jacques snickered distastefully from his executive chair where he leaned back, pumping two dumbbells. He cocked his head to the side with brows raised, “Why the hell are you blowing a fuse?”"Get out," I snarled at the other two, whose eyes were wide with fear, as if I was death himself, and scrambled out of the room.Not going far, T.K. and Josh’s presence lingered in the passageway. Anger pulsed through my chest."Oh, for fuck's sake," Jacques rolled his eyes, tossing the dumbbells he was holding to the ground. "Is
-NIA’S POV“You can’t do that!” I exclaimed, experiencing their devastation. A swirling coil of dread tightened at the base of my spine.Conflict raged behind Lykoan’s gaze, and I physically felt its calefaction through our bond. My chest hurt at the intensity of it, extending for several long seconds. A dangerous, electrifying tension loitered over the terrace.“Look at them.” Lykoan retorted, flicking his head at the dismayed group. “They won't have the same loyalty to me when she dies. So my verdict goes to all of them, and anyone who opposes.”Stricken, the Sigmas’ fear and desperation washed over me in waves. It tugged at my heart. The guilt that their pain was because of me. Kenzie was meddlesome, but death?I rubbed my temples.“Not my baby, please.” Lucidora wailed, struggling to catch her breath between sobs. There's a pleading quality to her voice that just gutted me. The sheer, raw emotion laced every word as she poured her heart out.Scraping a hand through the hair at the