“He's dangerous,” she said, her voice wavering. “How the hell did you get roped with him?”She knew him. Great Luna. They knew each other. I was about to speak when Marvin pulled me closer to him, and briefly sighted a grin on his face. “Well, there was a bit of back and forth in the beginning, Diane. But the most important information is that we're mates now.” He pecked the side of my head, and I hated the butterflies that erupted in my stomach as a result of his action. “Meaning we’re in-laws. Isn't that wonderful?”My mother's response to his question was to collapse. ♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎Audrey POV:Roman was suspicious. I knew that much from the expression he'd given me three nights before when I returned from the bathroom. It'd been on his face for just a second, but I'd seen it clearly, and it'd registered in my mind before he switched to a neutral look. And ever since the following morning, we hadn't slept in the same bed, nor had he come looking for me. It was obvious he had his rese
Audrey POV:Paul tensed beside me when he saw the look as well, but I knew it was a defense mechanism, not because he wanted to fight Jacob. As Gamma, Jacob was leader of the Guard, and there was no way Paul would strike him unless Jacob attempted to hit me first. Which, from the look in his eyes, seemed very much likely. However, I was sure he wouldn't do that. Right from time, Jake preferred to talk things over than use his fists. That knowledge gave me the courage to continue approaching him as he sat on a stone watching his soldiers train. “Jake.”He glared at me, then turned back to his trainees. “What are you doing here?” We were attracting a bit of attention. I almost panicked. “I need to talk to you. Please.” He didn't look at me, and I saw the slight tense in his shoulders before he spoke. “Where's your mate?” The bitter tone of his voice indicated he wasn't asking out of excitement, but out of anger. I was taken aback. Why was he asking about Roman? “I-” I paused, cleari
Roman POV:I looked up when the door opened, my cheek resting on my palm. Julian walked in with an envelope, and dropped it on the desk after he'd shut the door. “Here we go,” he sighed, plopping onto a free chair and placing his hands behind his head. I gave him a questioning glance. “What's this?” “Feedback from the spies.” He closed his eyes. “This time, they stressed the importance of discretion while reading it. Not that I would have done otherwise.”I opened the sealed envelope with a claw and pulled out the file, a bit of anticipation building up in my mind. Then I saw the first photo, and my eyes dimmed. “Shit.”Julian opened his eyes. “What?”“They killed them.”He sat up, his gaze trained on me. “Killed who?”“The spies.” I examined the photo. “Fuck. They found them out. Tortured them before killing them, too.” “What?” Julian sped to my side, snatching the paper from my hands. I didn't stop him or get annoyed. I was too spooked to do that. If they'd killed the spies and s
“The infamous Roman Blackburn.” My eyes narrowed at the man who stood before us with a small smirk on his face. Despite his rumored rank in the Crimson Wolves’ community, Edward Kim wasn't the sort of man labeled as ‘pleasing to look at’. A long scar ran from his temple down to his chin, over one of his eyes so that he couldn't see through it. The skin around the scar seemed mangled, and one of his ears seemed mangled, as though an animal had tried to bite it off. His nose had a deep indentation in its tip, as though a knife had carved into it, and finally, his two arms were covered in burn marks.Despite all of those scars, and the others on the rest of his body, like his one surviving leg, he was still one of the most important people to the Crimson Wolves, and had committed himself to being invincible in combat. That didn't mean he couldn't be killed, however- it just meant it'd be hard for him to be. And he was fully aware of that, which is why he carried himself with an aura o
Audrey's POV:I stared at the clouds in the evening sky, wishing that I was feeling as bright as they were looking. But I was too overwhelmed by sadness to be. I sat overlooking my room window, the cool breeze caressing my face as I ruminated over the events of the day. ‘Fuck you,’ Jacob had said. The incident had occurred earlier in the day, but his words kept playing in my mind, and I relived his insults over and again. ‘Five times over,’ he'd responded to my outburst of anger, with no hesitation. He hadn't looked apologetic at all, and he'd been clear about what he felt.When did it all change? We were thick as thieves, and would have continued to be if Diane hadn't prevented us from communicating when I ran away. We'd cared for each other like siblings, and when I discovered that he liked me, he didn't let that hinder his kindness towards me. He’d even kissed me on the forehead. So what changed? What had I done that was so evil, he was ready to toss our friendship away? By ki
Roman POV:Initially, our- that is, Julian and my- thoughts were tuned towards the cloaked figure rescuing us due to almost deafening yowls the rogues sent into the atmosphere. Then we found out he was a magic user, but also an enemy of ours. Before we could make our escape, the concealed person caused us to fall face flat onto the ground, preventing us from moving as he spoke to Kim.We lay there on the ground for so long, I began to feel insects crawling over me, and I wanted to rip someone's head off his shoulders.“Well then, Alpha Blackburn,” Edward Kim said after what seemed like a long time, and it'd taken so much to even look up at him. “Information reaching me says I shouldn't kill you. My master wants me to just rough you up a bit.”Julian immediately barked, “Over my dead body!” Kim gave him a bored look, and I was almost afraid he would tell the magic user to kill him. Instead he blinked, his eyes turned green, and Julian howled. “There. That should hold you for a bit.” T
Audrey POV:“What do you mean, injured?” I’d asked the night before, when I'd received the most disturbing news. The servant that had burst in had swallowed deeply before answering, and my heart dropped to my stomach when I heard that Roman had been ambushed by some rogues and almost killed. “He was so bloody when they brought him in!” the servant had wailed. “Oh, dear Luna. I thought he might die!”I'd immediately tried to get to him, but Paul had stopped me, advising me to wait till morning came. Which is why I raced to Roman's room the following morning, my heart pounding. The pack doctor and a nurse stood a short distance away from his door, their heads bowed over some ointment. They both looked up when they saw me, and the doctor's face burst into a huge smile. “Hello, future Luna!” I always resisted the urge to cringe whenever I heard that title, but I had begun to train myself to accept it wholly. “Hello, Dr. Garrett. Um…is the Alpha…”He beamed. “He's awake, ma'am. And muc
Roman POV:The room was silent for a moment as my question hung in the air, but my head was pounding. I couldn't move my hand to rub my head, however, because it hurt like a bitch after my failed attack on Edward Kim.What the hell had I just asked her to do?I'd been thinking about her before she entered, and seeing her triggered the part of me that wanted her terribly, despite the hurt I felt as a result of her lying to me. As a result, my presentation of that desire to her was absolutely disgusting. ‘I just need to heal?’ I groaned inwardly. ‘Who the hell says that?’She suddenly coughed, and I was drawn back to the reality of us being alone in silence. What was going through her mind? What was she so afraid to tell me about?“I-” she paused, coughed again, then attempted to speak. I turned slightly to see her looking puzzled, then annoyed. At what, I couldn't tell. “Well, I- I can't tell you, Roman.”Of course she couldn't. “Why not?” “Because-” she sighed and stood. “I just can
Audrey POV:I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I know I'd messed up by not telling him about Jacob, but I'd never expected that he didn't trust me at all. It was a somewhat ironic thought process, but I'd have preferred to break his trust than to find there was nothing to break in the first place. And when he'd brought up my father, well. Agonized, I raced out of the Alpha’s quarters, I made for the open field where the soldiers usually trained, knowing that the major trainings wouldn't have begun. As it was, I didn't even care who I met there. I just needed air. So when I ran straight into Marvin’s arms, I felt nothing. “Whoa, babe,” he said in his usual cheery voice, then frowned when he noticed the tear streaks on my face. “Dear Luna. Who- what happened to you, Audrey?” “Nothing,” I responded, trying to evade him, but he was much stronger, and he glared at me while holding my arm when he saw what I was trying to do. “Nothing happened, okay Marvin?” “Your tear-streaked face
Roman POV:The room was silent for a moment as my question hung in the air, but my head was pounding. I couldn't move my hand to rub my head, however, because it hurt like a bitch after my failed attack on Edward Kim.What the hell had I just asked her to do?I'd been thinking about her before she entered, and seeing her triggered the part of me that wanted her terribly, despite the hurt I felt as a result of her lying to me. As a result, my presentation of that desire to her was absolutely disgusting. ‘I just need to heal?’ I groaned inwardly. ‘Who the hell says that?’She suddenly coughed, and I was drawn back to the reality of us being alone in silence. What was going through her mind? What was she so afraid to tell me about?“I-” she paused, coughed again, then attempted to speak. I turned slightly to see her looking puzzled, then annoyed. At what, I couldn't tell. “Well, I- I can't tell you, Roman.”Of course she couldn't. “Why not?” “Because-” she sighed and stood. “I just can
Audrey POV:“What do you mean, injured?” I’d asked the night before, when I'd received the most disturbing news. The servant that had burst in had swallowed deeply before answering, and my heart dropped to my stomach when I heard that Roman had been ambushed by some rogues and almost killed. “He was so bloody when they brought him in!” the servant had wailed. “Oh, dear Luna. I thought he might die!”I'd immediately tried to get to him, but Paul had stopped me, advising me to wait till morning came. Which is why I raced to Roman's room the following morning, my heart pounding. The pack doctor and a nurse stood a short distance away from his door, their heads bowed over some ointment. They both looked up when they saw me, and the doctor's face burst into a huge smile. “Hello, future Luna!” I always resisted the urge to cringe whenever I heard that title, but I had begun to train myself to accept it wholly. “Hello, Dr. Garrett. Um…is the Alpha…”He beamed. “He's awake, ma'am. And muc
Roman POV:Initially, our- that is, Julian and my- thoughts were tuned towards the cloaked figure rescuing us due to almost deafening yowls the rogues sent into the atmosphere. Then we found out he was a magic user, but also an enemy of ours. Before we could make our escape, the concealed person caused us to fall face flat onto the ground, preventing us from moving as he spoke to Kim.We lay there on the ground for so long, I began to feel insects crawling over me, and I wanted to rip someone's head off his shoulders.“Well then, Alpha Blackburn,” Edward Kim said after what seemed like a long time, and it'd taken so much to even look up at him. “Information reaching me says I shouldn't kill you. My master wants me to just rough you up a bit.”Julian immediately barked, “Over my dead body!” Kim gave him a bored look, and I was almost afraid he would tell the magic user to kill him. Instead he blinked, his eyes turned green, and Julian howled. “There. That should hold you for a bit.” T
Audrey's POV:I stared at the clouds in the evening sky, wishing that I was feeling as bright as they were looking. But I was too overwhelmed by sadness to be. I sat overlooking my room window, the cool breeze caressing my face as I ruminated over the events of the day. ‘Fuck you,’ Jacob had said. The incident had occurred earlier in the day, but his words kept playing in my mind, and I relived his insults over and again. ‘Five times over,’ he'd responded to my outburst of anger, with no hesitation. He hadn't looked apologetic at all, and he'd been clear about what he felt.When did it all change? We were thick as thieves, and would have continued to be if Diane hadn't prevented us from communicating when I ran away. We'd cared for each other like siblings, and when I discovered that he liked me, he didn't let that hinder his kindness towards me. He’d even kissed me on the forehead. So what changed? What had I done that was so evil, he was ready to toss our friendship away? By ki
“The infamous Roman Blackburn.” My eyes narrowed at the man who stood before us with a small smirk on his face. Despite his rumored rank in the Crimson Wolves’ community, Edward Kim wasn't the sort of man labeled as ‘pleasing to look at’. A long scar ran from his temple down to his chin, over one of his eyes so that he couldn't see through it. The skin around the scar seemed mangled, and one of his ears seemed mangled, as though an animal had tried to bite it off. His nose had a deep indentation in its tip, as though a knife had carved into it, and finally, his two arms were covered in burn marks.Despite all of those scars, and the others on the rest of his body, like his one surviving leg, he was still one of the most important people to the Crimson Wolves, and had committed himself to being invincible in combat. That didn't mean he couldn't be killed, however- it just meant it'd be hard for him to be. And he was fully aware of that, which is why he carried himself with an aura o
Roman POV:I looked up when the door opened, my cheek resting on my palm. Julian walked in with an envelope, and dropped it on the desk after he'd shut the door. “Here we go,” he sighed, plopping onto a free chair and placing his hands behind his head. I gave him a questioning glance. “What's this?” “Feedback from the spies.” He closed his eyes. “This time, they stressed the importance of discretion while reading it. Not that I would have done otherwise.”I opened the sealed envelope with a claw and pulled out the file, a bit of anticipation building up in my mind. Then I saw the first photo, and my eyes dimmed. “Shit.”Julian opened his eyes. “What?”“They killed them.”He sat up, his gaze trained on me. “Killed who?”“The spies.” I examined the photo. “Fuck. They found them out. Tortured them before killing them, too.” “What?” Julian sped to my side, snatching the paper from my hands. I didn't stop him or get annoyed. I was too spooked to do that. If they'd killed the spies and s
Audrey POV:Paul tensed beside me when he saw the look as well, but I knew it was a defense mechanism, not because he wanted to fight Jacob. As Gamma, Jacob was leader of the Guard, and there was no way Paul would strike him unless Jacob attempted to hit me first. Which, from the look in his eyes, seemed very much likely. However, I was sure he wouldn't do that. Right from time, Jake preferred to talk things over than use his fists. That knowledge gave me the courage to continue approaching him as he sat on a stone watching his soldiers train. “Jake.”He glared at me, then turned back to his trainees. “What are you doing here?” We were attracting a bit of attention. I almost panicked. “I need to talk to you. Please.” He didn't look at me, and I saw the slight tense in his shoulders before he spoke. “Where's your mate?” The bitter tone of his voice indicated he wasn't asking out of excitement, but out of anger. I was taken aback. Why was he asking about Roman? “I-” I paused, cleari
“He's dangerous,” she said, her voice wavering. “How the hell did you get roped with him?”She knew him. Great Luna. They knew each other. I was about to speak when Marvin pulled me closer to him, and briefly sighted a grin on his face. “Well, there was a bit of back and forth in the beginning, Diane. But the most important information is that we're mates now.” He pecked the side of my head, and I hated the butterflies that erupted in my stomach as a result of his action. “Meaning we’re in-laws. Isn't that wonderful?”My mother's response to his question was to collapse. ♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎Audrey POV:Roman was suspicious. I knew that much from the expression he'd given me three nights before when I returned from the bathroom. It'd been on his face for just a second, but I'd seen it clearly, and it'd registered in my mind before he switched to a neutral look. And ever since the following morning, we hadn't slept in the same bed, nor had he come looking for me. It was obvious he had his rese