Eric's POVAs soon as she saw Ash has left, the bitch finally pull away from their embrace and looped her arm with Thor's, leaning into him like she can't bear to let him out of her sight. I seriously look into Thor's eyes and I see he doesn't have the empty eyes of someone who is bound with a spellHe chuckles and ask with a raised brow"Are you okay? Why are you looking at me as if I've suddenly sprout a horn in the middle of my head?" He joke. I knew right then that he's okay. Mentally, at least.He narrows his eyes at me as if he's trying to figure out why I'm not acting like my usual self. Then he shrugs and smiles, brings his arm up to encircle the bitch's shoulder, bringing her nearer to himself as if she's not almost burrowing into his sideI'm still wondering what the bitch could have done and how she did it to make him ignore his real mate when his words interrupts my thoughts "Have you met my mate? Her name is Ash and....""Wait, what?" I say stupendously, cutting him off
Ella delivers the water to Thor and comes to where I'm standing with Henrik, watching me speak with the seer. I can sense she's dying to find out why Thor, who had just been made the Alpha of the biggest pack in North America, would suddenly claim another she-wolf as his mate when he showed all of them the pictures of his real mate just that morning. As soon as my call with the seer ends, I direct my gaze to Henrik, instead of answering her silent questions. This is not the time nor place to ask and answer questions."I have to go and find Ash," I say to Henrik. "She was really devastated when she left. I know there's little I can do to console her in this situation but I have to at least be there for her and see in which way I can be helpful to her so she'll know she's not alone in this. So while I'm away, and since I don't know how long it will take for me to get back. I want you to stay with Thor, like his shadow so you'll be there to keep him in line in case he suddenly goes fro
"How's Thor? How is he holding up?" Martha asks to my surprise.I thought she would be angry at Thor for choosing another she-wolf over her daughter. And not just any she-wolf but Alpha Nate's daughter that Ash recently fought with... Okay, maybe she's not the kind of person that goes out of their way to show hate but still, I never expected her to care about Thor's well-being when it seemed like he broke her daughter's heart "Thor is..." I hesitate. Considering whether to tell her the truth or lie to her. I don't know if she will understand if I tell her the truth or if she will judge Thor even though what happened isn't his fault. The fact that she looks and sounds like she cares doesn't mean she will understand the situation "What happened? It's okay, you can tell me anything... I want to understand why he chose another woman over Ash despite showing he loved her. How he could make her happy one moment and break her heart the next... I just want to understand"I nod "Don't be dis
"Where's Thor?" Martha and I looked toward the direction where Ash's voice comes from. She stands, a forlorn figure at the entrance to the living room, looking around eagerly as if we're playing a prank by hiding her mate from her. "Ash, you're awake..." Martha says with a smile but it's as if Martha is talking to herself since Ash's gaze is trained only on me"Eric, where's Thor?" She looks directly into my eyes as she asks again. Making me wish there was something I can hide behind right then."Oh fuck!" I swear softly under my breath. I don't regret coming to check on her but right at that moment I kinda wish I'm not there with them in Martha's living room. What am I going to tell her? How do I filter my words in such a way that wouldn't hurt her too much? I thought as her amber eyes pierces accusingly into mine"He's not here, is he?..." She asks softly in disappointment, and I can only shake my head to reply 'No'She casually nods back at me as if she-wolves lose their mates
Miranda's POVI am giddy with happiness. I feel like calling Celine immediately so we can celebrate. I want to laugh out loud and jump up with joy but I can't. It's not the right place and time to do that. 'I can't believe this is happening to me for real. I can't believe I am now the Luna of the largest pack in the whole of North America' I thought in disbelief as I watch Ash shed bitter tears while I stand in her mate's embrace, hugging him close to myselfSince I never at first believed it could ever be possible to steal someone else's mate. Standing in his embrace right now feels so unreal like I'm living in a dream. Despite everything, the sorcerer put my body through... eating unimaginable yucky and stinky stuff. Standing for hours inside a cauldron filled with different matter that comes out of Ash's body. Taking away Pinky, my wolf's mind so she won't ever recognize her own mate if they meet in the future. Despite all these, deep down within me, I still never believed that
Miranda's POV My new mate confuses me. It seems to me as if he has a switch installed inside his mind that flips between hot and cold emotions. He was warm and loving some minutes earlier when he embraced and called me his mate. Suddenly, he flips and becomes cold, his body shrouded by some kind of aura that I find very unsettling I didn't say this to Pinky before, she isn't the only one scared shitless of him, I am also but can't let her know. She would only drill me with ceaseless questions that I'm not in the mood for."What suddenly made him change toward me? Could the magic be wearing off already? I'm thinking to myself when his gaze returns to me. His green eyes appeared to be drilling holes into mine, making me very nervous. It took everything in me to stay put and not shrink into myself with fear."Alpha"A female voice calls out to him behind me and I finally allow myself to breathe. Finally, someone takes his attention away from me. I look at the she-wolf and my eyes can't
Miranda's POV My heart starts to beat like crazy. What did I just hear her say?'Where she comes from, they chall enge their Luna to a duel all the time!?' What the fuck!I just can't comprehend, like what kind of a place did they came from?... In North America, duels are only used to settle serious disputes, not for the fun of it, and certainly not to take positions away! 'What the hell have I gotten myself into!? What's the essence of getting a position that I won't be able to keep? What's the essence of getting a position that would get me disgraced or killed in front of thousands of shifters and humans?' I ask myself again while imagining myself fighting in front of the kind of crowd that came to watch the duel between Thor and his brother... I'm naturally not a violent person and I never get myself involved in any dispute that I'm sure wouldn't be to my advantage. Celine never warned me about this, otherwise, I'm not sure I would have agreed to it. I would never have agreed t
Thor's POV Eric is driving me crazy.Kane is driving me crazy.My mate is driving me crazy.All my men are driving me crazy.Or maybe the problem is just me? I don't know which it is. What I know for a fact is that something is seriously wrong with me and I can't quite place my hand on what it is yet. I just feel... disconnected. I'm feeling as if I've been disconnected from an integral part of myself. Something so important that I feel useless without.'Something!... Something!... Something!...' I continually repeat the word to myself wonderingly as I pace around in frustration.'What the fuck is this important something I'm disconnected from that my brain can't grasp anymore!?... What!?... What is it!?... What the fuck is it!?...'I continually ask myself but no answer comes to me. I search my brain for the answer. I feel this SOMETHING is very close but still, I can't reach it. My brain feels to me like a difficult puzzle that I can't solve no matter how hard I try. I grow
I step out of the lobby's revolving door and frantically look around me. I don't see him anywhere but his essence is stronger. He's definitely here."Ma'am..." A voice questioningly calls and I turn around to see Jeremy, one of my security details that comes from my Dad. I wonder where he sprang from? "Have you seen the Alpha– I mean my mate?" I say, handing him my backpack."No, ma'am, I haven't." He replies, looking in the parking lot's direction."Yeah, maybe he's just arriving," I say and hurry towards the place. When the parking lot becomes visible, I smile when I see him leaning on his car reading a book. Immediately, he turned in my direction and grinned as if he knew I was coming. I know it's because he smells my essence.I run, speedily closing the gap between us, and then jump into his arms, tightly wrapping myself around him like a koala bear hugging a tree."Oh, hi, monkey." He says, chuckling.I laugh, slightly pulling away from him "Hello, monkey's husband," I say. "
Twelve weeks later"Prom is more than a dance, Miss Reynolds. It is also used to celebrate and honor students who excel in academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities..." Mrs Jones, my homeroom teacher, lectures me. "Even though you're only spending this term with us, your excellent performance has made you popular among the teachers. You're also loved by not just your peers but also your juniors. Even though you're a new student, they voted for you to be on the prom court, and with what I've been hearing on the grapevine about you, I'm sure they would vote for you to be this year's Prom Queen. Now, won't they be disappointed if they find out you don't want to be part of the event? It would be a shame if..."'Would it? Aren't you over-exaggerating?' I think as I continue to listen to her drone on and on. Contrary to what she's been saying. As far as I know and can see, no one truly cares about anyone amongst my peers in Apex Academy. Most of them are rich, pompous, opportu
"You didn't have your wolf and you weren't aware of my existence. I just recently figured it out myself. That was why I said earlier that a lot of things about our bond recently became clear to me. Even though I was made aware of our mate bond, I didn't know it was such a big deal. Uncle Elias also didn't see it as such; otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten me a girl on my birthday. Only The Seer knew. Knowing he's one of our number one fans, I guessed he also didn't make a big deal out of me being with other women before I met you because he knew the connection between us was not complete. You were too young. You were six years old when I was sixteen..." It suddenly feels as if I've been slapped in the face with the difference in our age. Damnit! Why didn't I think about that before!? Now that he called my attention to it, I feel I've been insensitive. To think I was eight years old when he was eighteen! An eight-year-old child is too young to shift to their wolves and has no busines
"About us..." He replies, and my body stiffens. "About what happened before you left for Hill-backside." "But I thought everything was fine now. We are fine now so why do we still need to discuss that?" I say and want to stand up, but from his lap, he prevents me, holding me in place. "Please..." He says, looking at me soulfully I exhale "I just don't see any reason why we should talk about that. We're fine now, aren't we?... I love you. You love me. Nothing else should matter except that." I say, not knowing if I should confess to him my real reason for not wanting to discuss that matter. Should I tell him I'm afraid to hear what he wants to say? I'm afraid I might not be able to bear it if he tells me how he manipulated his way around our mate bond? Should I let him know I would rather pretend Delilah never happened than risk hearing about her and not be able to forgive him out of jealousy. How would I let him know that I just want to forget the bad memories. I don't want to di
Even though it bothers me, I'm not really surprised when I return from the bathroom to see Thor in his nightwear, sitting on the sofa far away from the bed. At least now I know without doubt that something is indeed bothering him.He stands when he becomes aware of my presence."Can we have a few words?" He asks seriously and my heart thumps again.I nod. Few words about what? What could be bothering him this much? I wonder as I walk towards him. He doesn't need to say another word before I know what he's about to discuss is very serious. It's written all over his face. "I sensed something was bothering you. What do you want to talk about?" Even though I asked, I dread his reply and hurriedly add"Don't tell me! I don't want to know...""You don't!" He exclaims. "But we really need to...""Okay– but please not right now!..." I plead. "I can tell from your expression that what you want to talk about is serious and I... I don't want to talk about anything serious right now, Thor! Tod
Ash's POV Even though everyone, including my cousins, all testified that Dahlia's condition had improved a great deal, when I checked in on her, it looked to me like she was still struggling for life. Short and quick shallow breathing, sallow skin tone, bluish lips... If they call this recovery, then I wonder what she looked like when they found her injured.‘When we found her she was half dead. Her guts were...’"Babe..." Thor's voice interrupts Lily's voice in my mind. "Yes, baby," I reply and look at himAlthough he's smiling, his gaze is questioning."You didn't respond to my question. What were you thinking about?""Oh! Sorry! What question is that?" I ask with a smile, moving closer to encircle my arm with his. We just left the pack house, returning to Alpha's mansion. I can't believe I zoned out while in his company. "Tell me. What were you thinking about?"I sigh"I was just wondering about Dahlia. I couldn't help but worry despite everyone telling me she was doing okay. I
For a moment, my mouth hangs open in astonishment. She said such beautiful things about me to her mother!?She referred to me as her hero even when she was the one that saved us all!? How did I, the cad that cheated on her, get to be forgiven so easily, even without explanation? How did I get so lucky?I suddenly stop and whisk her into my arms, making her squeal in laughter."Oh, my! Goddess, Thor! What are you doing!?""Carrying my mate the rest of the way..." I say, looking deeply into her eyes."Why? You don't need to carry me. Why are you looking at me like that?" "I'm wondering how I got so lucky. I must have done something very pleasing in my last life for Moon goddess to bless me with a mate like you."She chuckles"Now, you're making me blush." She says, patting her cheeks that are slightly turning pink with her hands. "I'm the lucky one, my love. I don't deserve you, but I'll spend forever trying to make you happy."She lowers her gaze."Being able to spend forever toget
Thor's POV"What!?" I exclaim in a whisper. How am I a lost cause? I told her to close her eyes because I'd been in that situation before.We were in a hopeless situation that I never thought I would get out of. I didn't want her to experience even a minute of what I went through after I watched the people I loved get ripped from limb to limb. That memory– the memory of how my mother's head rolled on the ground, landing right beside the dome when she was decapitated haunted me for years. Her bloodied, sightless eyes that were opened in horror stared at me, somehow accusing me of not saving them. I turned feral because of that. I was mentally sick for years and would've gone rabid if not for Eric, my uncle, and now her, my mate. I go after her, wanting to make her understand me better but a hand holds me back. I turn to see Eric shaking his head. 'Not right now. Perhaps when you're alone with each other.' He says through the mind link.I nod. He's right. What was I thinking, wantin
"Yes, we came as soon as your Dad told us. He drove down here like a madman, almost killing us in the process!" Eric complains behind Thor and I laugh, gently pushing away so I can properly look at my man."Oh, babe!" I say. I touch his head and all over his face while telling myself, this is real. It is not an illusion. My mate is standing here before me. He's holding me in his arms."I'm not dreaming or am I?..." I seriously ask, looking deeply into his eyes. "This is not an illusion?" I ask again, kissing him this time. "Eric and Lily are not playing tricks on me?" His smile widens as he shakes his head,"No, babycakes." He replies and then crushes his mouth onto mine. His lips push mine open, making way for his tongue to deeply delve and explore the insides of my mouth. I kiss him back as fiercely, clinging tightly to him with my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist."Did that feel like an illusion?" He whispers into my ear after he pulls away from our kis