~Ivy POV~ Alpha James has spent the entire night floating from woman to woman, with Haley fluttering about like a fucking annoying gnat that he continually tries to bat away. It’s very obvious that she is dying for his approval. At some point, Enzo melded into the background and disappeared. That is his specialty, though. He has a knack for being invisible, even if he is mere feet away. I tried twice to garner Enzo’s attention, but he seemed to look right through me. When I turned, it annoyed me to find he was watching Haley with an intensity I had never seen. Haley spots him a few times and throws him a few air kisses, which makes him grin and shyly look down at his feet before tossing her a wink. I hate how Enzo and I parted ways. What I hate more, though, is not knowing what his “Fine” meant. Did he mean fine as in he would aid me, or fine he will leave? I can feel the grips of panic clawing at me when I think about him leaving, and I have to steady myself against the wall. In
Two weeks since the stupid ball and the few times I have been near Alpha James, he completely ignores me as if I don’t exist. Last week, Haley decided I was trustworthy enough to join pack runs with her as the designated clothing carrier. Bella actually scowled at me when Haley told her I would accompany her instead of Bella. On the first run, I didn’t really get why I had to carry spare clothes for her to wear, considering there are stores of random clothing all around the pack. But once she pulled on her sparkly jeans and unnecessary lace black bra with a tiny white tank. It was then that I understood her reasoning. Everything with Haley is a fashion statement. Which TYPE of fashion statement is the real question?Today marks my third pack run, and Haley is bound and determined to keep up with Alpha James. Almost a laughable feat if you ask me but, I’ll jog along beside her while she tries to stay near him. I have been waiting near the mouth of the woods for her to show up as instr
~Enzo POV~Ivy’s lips are soft and the moment I move to pull away, she chases my lips with hers. I shouldn’t let her kiss me. I should pull away and give her a cocky grin, making a joke about teaching her how to seduce someone. But her lips part for me and I’m lost. So fucking lost in her. My hand snakes up the smooth skin of her neck, sliding into her hair and pulling her close as I ease my tongue into her willing mouth. Willing. She is feeling this as much as I am right now, and that’s enough to send me over the moon. When her tongue collides with mine and it’s like a jolt of electricity burning its way through me, drawing a moan deep from within my chest. Her hands cling to my back, pulling me flush to her, her breast pressed against me in the most glorious of ways as her breathing grows erratic. Her hands roam my back muscles, her nails scraping through the fabric, sending shivers through me. I step into her, backing her against the wall, using my grip in her hair to tug her chi
~Ivy POV~Haley watches me walk out the door with an excited look on her face, and I roll my eyes, slamming it behind me. I stew in my slurry of emotions, trying to place them, going through my head and lining each emotion up with its stressor, only to find a few still lingering for no reason. I want to murder Haley for waking me up to deliver a letter to a man who clearly doesn’t want her. But then again… he made out with her tonight before he kissed me. And he didn’t just kiss me, he branded my fucking soul. I have never been kissed before and here it was my first time and he did it with Haley’s spit still fresh on his lips?“Gah!” I wipe hard at my mouth and try not to gag. “Asshole.” Enzo had no right to kiss me the way he did… ok, so maybe I asked him to help me learn to seduce someone, but was kissing me like that really teaching me? He acted so into it… so into me. And maybe that’s why it hurts? I used to have fantasies about kissing him. When I was a young high school girl
~Enzo POV~Ivy whimpers in her sleep as she wiggles, trying to get more comfortable. I ease us down the bed further and carefully spin to lay her on her side, facing me. My hand reaches out to stroke the loose hair from her face and she moans, chasing the warmth of my hand by tilting her chin up. Her lips are right there, pouty and pink. Looking more tempting now that I know how they taste.When the alarm goes off, she mumbles and groans, scrubbing her hands down her face before rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes and looking at me. I offer her a small smile, relishing the very rare moment where it gets to feel like she is really mine.“I spoke with the Alpha last night,” she says, her voice a soft whisper.“I know,” I admit.“You followed? Did you follow me the entire way?” She asks, her eyes watching me closely.“No.” “Where did you go after you followed me?”“I went to shower.” I give her a shrug and she eyes me suspiciously before crawling from the bed and moving to her dresser.
~Ivy POV~Enzo watches me from the living room couch where Haley is sprawled on his lap giggling at the tv screen. Now and then, she will look up and mutter something to him, and he will look down at her and touch her cheek. Twice now she has thrown glares in my direction. It’s been like this since I ran into the alpha two weeks ago. Strangely enough, she hasn’t laid a hand on me since then, nor has she been using me as a go-between when sending her sweet little love letters to Enzo. Bella now has the great honor of doing such tasks. I have been able to see James, as he has asked me to call him, only a handful of times since our initial conversation. He is different from what I thought he would be, and I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t confess that I enjoy his company. James seems to be someone with immeasurable patience and zero tolerance for violence. It is still strange to me that he isn’t seen much during the day in his own pack, but then again, the more I get to know him, the
When I wake up, my room is empty and Enzo’s usual spot is cold to touch. I sigh in relief, realizing I won’t have to see him until later tonight, which will give me more time to get over the terrible things I want to say to him about what happened in Haley’s living room. It is one thing doing things in privacy to further our mission but to do it with me there. While staring at me. My cheeks flush, remembering how intensely he watched me. Like there was no one in the world he could think of but me, not even the girl who was gliding her hand up and down his—Gah! I throw a pillow over my head, trying to stop it from thinking! I should focus on my kiss with James. The way he pressed me against the wall and took control. I nibble on my lip. Two guys have now kissed me. I grin and then it falls from my face when I realize I have no one to discuss it with. I miss my friends from before, the ones who are hopefully still alive and maybe even thinking about me every now and again. “Ivy?” Bel
I sprint the entire way until I hit the little pathway and then I smooth my outfit and knock on the door, asking for Sarah as David instructed. She shows me around and tells me I will help her with basic cleaning and kitchen chores, like preparing food and serving it when necessary for the duration of Haley’s absence. “I am off for the evening, so you will be in charge of making dinner and having it ready for when the Alpha arrives in an hour.” My eyes bulge at the thought of cooking a full meal and I try to beg her to stay, but when I turn around, she is already gone.“Shit.” I busy myself with pulling out the chicken slated for dinner tonight. I stare at the pale raw bird, then search for a plethora of spices. I have never cooked a chicken before. Not a whole chicken like this. I mean, I’ve eaten roasted chicken before. I’m not a stranger to good food, but… this chicken is giving me the creeps.Ironic, I know, considering I just killed an asshole in the woods and a little raw chi
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