By the time I arrive back in my room, my nerves are fried and the only thing I can think about is how to make it seem like Sarah is still just sick and not missing. I shower and change my clothes to clear my head, then I plop down in a chair in the corner of my room and try to process everything.After everything that has happened tonight, I need to force everything out of my head and focus on the present. Then things I can do here and now to move forward and protect the people I care about. Even if I barely know Sarah, she deserves a life of peace away from the sick hands of alpha Jonathon and his fucked up men. I creep down to her room and push the door open, finding her scent different from normal. It’s hard to tell if someone has been in here or if Sarah had just panicked and cleaned the place with all sorts of pine-scented chemicals. I mean, we have those kinds of sprays and bleaches, so it wouldn’t be terribly unlikely. As I look around, I realize Sarah’s room is much nicer tha
“What are you doing here?” his voice is a soft whisper in my ear as he pulls me close, locking me in his arms like he will never let me go. When his hands smooth my hair and the gentle up and down of his chest moves in time with mine, I know I made the right choice.“Everything fucking hurts,” I say on a sharp inhale.“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Mea Causea.” Enzo says, his special nickname sending a warm tingling through my body. He adjusts his arms around me, somehow making us closer than we had been before.“I killed that guy in the woods,” I tell him, my voice growing distant and cold.“You what?” Enzo freezes. “What guy? Who did you kill in the woods?” “Henley’s partner.” Enzo breaks our embrace and looks down at me with guarded eyes. He is trying to understand.“He found me in the woods after I ran into Alpha James. He said some things. I was tired of playing meek slave girl and he didn’t like my attitude.”“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Ivy,” Enzo says with a small fr
I stare at Enzo. There is nothing else for me to do but stare. The nickname he has had for me since they assigned him as my guardian means ‘my reason’. He wasn’t being dramatic or making shit up when he said he loved me. Enzo wasn’t lying when he said it’s been since the beginning. He has spent years pining for me while I could only feel anger and spite. He found in me a reason to live while I sought a reason to die while honoring my family. “Don’t” he warns me and my eyes focus on him. “Don’t do that” But his warning falls on deaf ears. How can I not blame myself for my stupidity? “I’ve been so blind…” I start and He sighs heavily. “You have had other things to deal with, Ivy,” he says looking conflicted. “Five years, Enzo. Five years.” I exhale angrily. For someone trained in the art of meticulous observation, I have been incredibly blind. “And I would have waited for five more.” He runs a hand through his hair and drops his head back on the bed frame. “Ivy… You don’t have to
~Enzo POV~The second Ivy takes off, I move in the opposite direction. After discovering Henley was still loyal to our original pack, it was easy to convince him to help in any way necessary. I needed him to help get Sarah over the border, since learning their patrol schedule was damn near impossible with Otis on my back. Thankfully, with my premature departure date, Otis has been around less. For a hot minute, I thought he might have improved his sleuthing skills, but then I passed him in the park off the main street with who I assume is his mate. They care less about what I do with my time now that my leaving is imminent. And I plan to use that to my advantage. I don’t trust James. I wish I could have spent more time following his ass around, but as much as Ivy’s concern has been revenge for her, keeping her alive and safe has been my primary goal. And finding out that she killed a guy in the woods because I left her with her supposed mate who abandoned her on the trail pisses me
I make my way up a tree as Henley continues to sprint toward the wide camouflage complex. There is a wall of trees surrounding the dark green-colored building and ivy that crawls up its side, inching closer to the roof. It makes it seem like the building has been here for centuries. The only clue that it hasn’t is the trees. The trees surrounding the building are all younger, and shorter than the massive tall trees the forest usually produces. Where the trees around the complex are small and smooth, the old trees are wide and rough. The more I stare, the more out of place it seems to appear as though someone was trying to create a camouflage look, but somehow overdid it. Yet, I still never saw it. There had only been one area I hadn’t explored in the pack, and I was certain that was the area Henley would lead me to. He had started to at one point. But then he turned. So instead I tailed him to an area I had checked many times but still missed this. Had I allowed my mind to be preoc
~Ivy POV~ I can’t help but turn the music on as I move around the house, cleaning each room just as Sarah would have done. It’s strange, feeling lighter and happier even when terrible things have happened or new truths come to light. After running with what I and telling myself was Caleb’s ghost, I can’t seem to shake this undeniably happy mood. This light airy feeling that even though all the things we are doing are hard, it will be okay. Caleb is watching out for me. Even from his grave he is being the protective big brother and finding his way to my soul to touch it, let it know that it’s ok to be free and enjoy the things life brings us. Like runs in the woods, or the embrace of someone you love. For so long, I have buried my head in the sand and refused to acknowledge that the sun rises. It was easy down there, in the silence of my head. No one bothered me because they weren’t allowed in. Maybe that is why I feel all these things? These conflicting emotions or feelings toward
I pull away from Caleb and just stare at him, my fingers touching his scar and running over his face as I try to make sense of everything. This feels like a dream. I went from being alone, having no one but Enzo, to having my brother back. It doesn’t seem like he has had an easy five years either. My smile slowly fades and my aching eyes well up again when he takes my hands in his. I can see that they are rough and discolored, even in the crappy lighting. “How are you alive?” I ask, sucking my bottom lip in on a sharp inhale. “Enzo said he left you…” I tilt my head, that familiar burn in my chest when I think about the day that changed everything. “Shhh, Ivanya,” Caleb says softly. “We can talk about that soon. Right now, let me look at you.”He takes a step back as I look at the woman. After a minute, I look back and Caleb’s eyes are guarded and his lips pursed. “What?” I ask, looking down. “You have a bruise on your jaw…” he says. “Is that from Deacon?” He asks and I shrug. I h
***TRIGGER WARNING: Extreme violence and gore! There is torture in this chapter, if this is something that triggers you please forgo this chapter. ~ENZO POV~ I can feel everything. Whether I am awake or asleep, it doesn’t matter. The pain settles deep in my bones, in the recesses of my mind, and buries itself deep. It’s rotting me from the fucking inside out. My muscles contract involuntarily as something as simple as the blood pumping through my veins becomes agonizing. Death has never been a fear of mine, but it has also never been something I crave. Until now. I can feel my veins bulging and straining as whatever the fuck they put in me spreads, poisoning my body and my mind. I clamp my teeth tight, my jaw creaking under the strain as I fight the urge to scream out. It would be natural and completely acceptable to do so. If I weren’t who I am and they weren’t dickheads looking to get off on my pain. “Who are you?” Jonathon rails at me again. He breathes heavily as he stalks t
This was a very different type of book for me to write and to those of you who stuck it out with me, I so appreciate your dedication to see this through! It was rough for me, but we made it. so THANK YOU! I will be taking a short break from writing any new stories as I am pregnant and have morning sickness which hinders not only my sleep but my ability to keep food down. These last two weeks have been a struggle to make deadlines and ensure quality writing. I am hoping it goes away in a few weeks! I would love to see you all back for my future novels!Happy Reading!!
5 years later~Enzo POV~ James laughs at me as I pace the living room anxiously. It’s been years since we buried the hatchet. I hate to admit it but with him being so close to Caleb considering they are family now through the mate bonds that tie us all together, I’ve come to call James a friend. And a good one at that. Caleb made us sit down and have a very serious chat about Ivy and Sarah. I can’t say I would have subjected my mate to watching me pursue another woman in order to free her from the abuse she was living through. In fact, I know I would have just killed the fucker. But James and I are not the same. Where I had nothing to live for he was afraid to lose his mate, even after knowing he would have to give her up for her to be safe. I don’t think it makes him braver than me or my methods but it makes him honorable all the same. Sarah was subjected to far worse at the hands of James’ father. All because they were mates and James wanted to protect her. Only a monster uses th
8 Months later~Ivy POV~Enzo and I have been traveling as fast as possible to get back to Caleb and Clem. After taking a few months to travel and be together, just us, we are finally, frantically I might add, heading back home. Home where my brother and his mate share their alpha ship, home where I finally grieved my parents and Enzo’s. Home where my baby niece or nephew is waiting to meet us. Auntie Ivy. Uncle Enzo.Best nicknames ever if I say so myself. Honestly, Enzo seems to be more excited about it than I am, and that is saying something. We came to the agreement that we want one or two pups of our own one day. But not anytime soon. I have five years of ignorance to make up for by giving my man my undivided attention and all the love he could have ever dreamed of. “How much further until we hit the meadows?” I ask him anxiously as he tears down the road in the borrowed car. I use the word borrowed loosely here.“I would guess maybe fifteen minutes?” He says, scanning the roa
The breeze picks up as we stand in a freshly mown meadow. It whips my loose hair around my face. Caleb was insightful enough to have the areas where we would all walk and witness the ceremonial burning mowed, so we don’t set the entire area ablaze. Everyone stands in silence, all women in black dresses and men in black shirts and their choice of slacks. The amazing thing is there was no dress code, yet it looks like we had stripped the choice from everyone. To me, that’s what makes it seem more beautiful.We are all in mourning. Here we stand united with all those who came to acknowledge the terrible history of my brother and his mates’ newly acquired pack. The darkness that lingers in the trinkets and trophies of a man possessed by madness will soon be laid to rest and made free. No longer will he have a hold on me or any of the others who had loved ones that fell victim to the monster that was Jonathon. When James approaches with a wary-looking Sarah on his arm, the crowd watches wi
*Ivy POV*I sit with Clem as she vomits in the trash can in the kitchen. All I did was offer to make her eggs before we head out to the ceremony. I didn’t even pull them out, or crack them open. Just a loose suggestion to help with all her nausea, which she still claims is from a bug. Luckily for her, after my conversation with Caleb the other night, he stocked the fridge with ginger ale and the cupboard with plain old boring crackers. The original pack house is undergoing some massive renovations since it was abandoned for quite some time. I was under the impression James lived in this cabin we claimed as ours because he was never actually the true Alpha of the pack. Maybe that was part of the issue, maybe not. As lovely as the cabin is, it was made quickly and isn’t of the finest qualities. Which, if I’m being honest, lends to its charm and makes me like it all the more.Caleb and Clem have since moved into the little cabin with us, taking James’ old room and using his office for A
~Enzo POV~It’s been nice not being on edge every second of every day, strange, but nice. I can feel the change in Ivy, too. Hell, I can see it in her smile and eyes. She is lighter now, somehow unburdened and free to be who she was supposed to be before the darkness touched her. Is she perfect? No, she is flawed, like me. But there is beauty in imperfection, and it’s a beauty I plan to revel in until the day I die. Unfortunately, we have to get through some hurdles before I can fully relax with her. The first of which would be this memorial where we return the nasty-ass trophies that Jonathon collected from the Alpha’s he killed. Caleb and Clem have gone back and forth arguing about how to return the items. Clem is convinced we should return them wrapped in ornate fabric and sewn shut to not cause more distress than the entire ordeal is already doing.Caleb agrees with her in this regard, but where they differ is Clem thinks they deserve to know what the fabric contains. She says th
A week ago today I killed the man who ruined my life. A week and a half ago I almost lost my fated mate at that same man’s hand. It’s crazy how life can feel useless when you are searching for revenge. I would like to say that getting said revenge didn’t feel good, that I realized I was wrong and a life for a life doesn’t undo the pain. It’s accurate enough, I guess it doesn’t take away the pain of the loss. But it sure a shit feels good to know I was strong enough to avenge them.Would I change the events that led me to where I am at this moment? Perhaps that’s a better question for a day further down the road. It’s all still too fresh. I need more time for reality to settle in. For now, we will take things day by day. And today is a yard work day. When I was a slave for Haley, she made me do some landscaping with Garrett. At first, it was stupid and hot, but I think that was more because what Haley wanted was not attainable. What I want here in the front of this little cabin is smal
~Ivy POV~The house is silent as I wash the dishes and stare out the window. It’s strange being here, in a place I am comfortable in, with the people I love. The thought makes my heart swell while simultaneously making me fear that at any moment, someone will rip it all away. That seems to be the common theme in my life. One minute I’m happy and the next I’m falling apart. Warm hands circle my waist and Enzo’s chin finds the crook of my neck. He says nothing, only sighs in contentment as he looks at our reflection in the window. This man has been my constant for over five years. My companion and my protector, but I have never seen him more himself than I see right now. It’s like all the sorrow and pain in my life has led me here, to this very moment of utter peace in the arms of the man who was fated to be mine.“What do you think would have happened?” Enzo asks. I place the cup in my hand to the side and tilt my head.“What do you mean?” I ask. Enzo lets go of me and spins me to fac
I find Clem and Ivy sitting at the kitchen island in silence, staring at the backsplash over the oven with distant faces. I lean against the doorjamb, watching as Ivy slips her arm over Clem as her face falls into her hands and she cries. It’s strange, watching Ivy be the one doing the comforting, but the more I stand here, the more it seems to make sense. Caleb needs time to digest what he saw. I push off the frame and walk into the kitchen, pulling the kettle out and filling it with water.“He closed off the emotional link,” Clem whispers, looking up at me with sad eyes. I frown at her and slide my eyes over to Ivy, who watches me intently. “Caleb is showering and then he will be down for tea.” I sigh, spinning and placing the kettle on the stove. “He needs a few minutes of silence.”Clem nods her head. “He blames me, doesn’t he?” she asks so softly.“No,” Ivy responds instantly. “If he blamed you, he wouldn’t have mated with you. Caleb thought all of us were dead. He may not have