~Enzo POV~The low hum of voices sounds like a fly buzzing by my ear. I try to lift my arm to swat it away but groan in pain instead. The pain in my body grows with every passing second and I inhale sharply, trying to use any part of me. My right leg seems to be the only place the pain doesn’t live, so I bend it and rest it on the surface I am on, prying my eyes open, and blinking into the dimly lit room. Using my leg, I force myself further up the bed and I’m surprised to find that my side and stomach don’t hurt as bad as my arms or left leg. After lots of groaning, a little panting, and a few cuss words, I sit against the back headboard. My chest heaves up and down with the effort, but it was worth it to be off my back. Not that it was worse than my whole hanging situation. I scan the room, finding it empty, and I frown. I am in Ivy’s room at James’ house. Which makes no sense. I take quick stock of my injured leg and grimace at the smell of it and the discoloration. The poison on
Ivy gently applies the herbs to my leg, watching me closely for any indication that it may hurt. But the combined touch of her skin and the numbing effect of the salve keep me from flinching away. She then grabs a wrap and eases my leg up as she reaches around my thick thigh and tightly wraps it around me.“It’s looking better than it did when we first got you here.” Caleb muses and I scoff.“This is better?” I ask.“So much better.” Ivy agrees with Caleb. “The herbs draw out the wolfsbane, which will allow it to heal. You will have a scare. There is no way around that, but it will heal.”“Will I be able to walk?”My eyes flit between the two of them, waiting for one of them to not only answer me but to look at me. I growl rumbles low in my chest when a moment passes in silence and Ivy sighs heavily, stopping what she is doing. “We think so,” she says. “You think? But you don’t actually know?”I look up at Caleb, who frowns down at my leg and scrubs a hand over his face. “If the bo
~Ivy POV~I slip from Enzo’s side as the sun filters in through the curtains. A slight breeze drifting through and tickling the fabric. He finally looks peaceful for the first time since, well, ever. His dark hair is an adorable mess, and his face is now free of swelling, only barely there bruises dot the area beneath his eyes and his right cheekbone. My fingers itch to run over his stubbled face where the hair has grown back far faster than it has a right to after I shaved it early yesterday morning.“I can feel the weight of your eyes,” he mumbles. My heartbeat quickens and a smirk tugs at the corner of my lips.“Am I not allowed to look at what is mine?” I ask. He chuckles lightly, his tone so airy and unburdened.“Mmm, I like how that sounds.” He cracks his eyes open, blinking away the sleepiness and drinking me in. “You look different.” he muses.“Oh, yeah?”“You are quicker to smile.” I tuck a hair behind my ears, feeling his emotions, his lust, desire, his utter shock, and comp
I smooth the chiffon fabric down my stomach, spinning to the side to make sure it looks okay. Finding a dress that was both appropriate and functional felt like a damn nightmare. Not that I had to find it myself, but James had brought twenty-three dress options. And I still don’t feel like the dress is perfect. It’s pretty and pale pink, innocent like I’m attending a school dance. I would have preferred blood red or black, but everyone agreed I needed to keep my meek facade up in front of the pack until the right moment comes.“My father will sit behind us and decide whether or not he wants to approve the match…” James says warily. He looks exhausted like he has been crying and drinking and not sleeping at all. “That isn’t normal in a mating ceremony,”“No, it’s not. But he informed me of the change just moments ago through the mind link. I have a feeling he is hesitant to let us mate because he knows it means that his time as Alpha is ending.” James explains. I lean forward and adju
The first guard thrusts his arm toward my throat and, for fun, I let him have it. His warm hand wraps around my throat and I stand my ground, taking joy in the thought that his hand will no longer be attached. I extend my claws, drop to my knees, and thrust my nails up and under his ribcage with a war cry. His hand drops from me as he wheezes and bends forward, holding his side. I throw the heel of my palm up into his face as I bring myself back up to standing. The sound of the crunch radiates through the building and he crumples at my feet, lifeless. The other warriors growl in anger and Jonathon’s eyes flicker in annoyance as he rolls his eyes and flicks his wrist to communicate to his men that they are up next. I allow my eyes to float through the room where pack members lurk closely but are doing their best to fight their alpha’s order. James has Sarah safely tucked away somewhere, and a trickle of relief rolls through me. Henley takes on two guys, one who fights in wolf form a
~Enzo POV~There is nothing come hell or high water that could keep me from being near Ivy when she may need me, except for her demanding that she doesn’t need me. She is right and I know it. Need and want are different things, but to me, with her, those lines are often quite blurry. She may not need me there with her but I sure a shit know she wants me there.And as long as she wants me there, I will always be there, injured or not. I only wish I could move faster than I am in my current state. In the movie they had put on to ease my mind—as if that were possible with my mate putting herself in peril. The man was in an accident and used these things called crutches to move around. I did my best to create my own. They take the weight off my leg and place it squarely on my stiff shoulders and sore arms.Thankfully, the wounds on my arms are covered with scabs. My muscles are abiding by my request to work, for now. But my progress is getting closer to Ivy is ridiculously slow. By the ti
~Ivy POV~Enzo’s promise makes my skin prickle with anticipation of his hands on every inch of me. But I am hesitant because of his injuries. Even now the scabs on his arm are healing, but he reopened some of them and his leg is an enormous factor. Isn’t the thigh something kind of important when you are making love?“You’re injured, Enz,” I breathe.“Has that ever stopped me from coming for you?” He asks, quirking a brow and I bite my lip to keep from smiling.“No, I guess not.”“Then don’t start doubting me now.” He stands with a pained grunt and reaches down to grab my hand, pulling me up from the stairs. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”“My place is closer…” I tell him and he nods. “You no longer have a ‘my place’ Ivy. You are my mate, and I am about to make you mine. We live together now.”I hesitate, not sure how to process that thought. It’s not like I haven’t basically lived with the past five years. But this is different. This is forever and we both know it. It’s almost overwhelm
It takes more effort than I want to admit to contain my squeal of nervousness as I step out of the shower and grab the gray, fluffy towel. I stare at it for a second, thinking maybe I don’t even need it. It’s not like we haven’t ever seen each other naked before. I mean, we are werewolves. And he did just sit and watch me shower. I wrap it around my breasts, anyway. My lack of confidence in the realm of, well, this type of thing wins out. When I turn to face the mirror, I look at my reflection, smiling at the mark on my neck as I gently brush my fingers over it. It’s strange to find what you have been craving when you never really knew you were looking for it to begin with. Especially when it’s been by your side waiting for you to wake up all along. I can feel my heart working overtime as it pumps blood through my anxious body and my cheeks blush, thinking about Enzo waiting for me.“Ivy…?” Enzo’s face pops up in the reflection behind me. His eyes scan mine for any sign of distress,
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