Had I heard that right? I felt the anger building. No, this cannot be right. How can I be scaring her? This is my fated mate. The one chosen for me. What irritated me more, was that my friend, my supposed best friend, had called me away from my mate's side to tell me this. Could he not have done this via mindlink, or on the occasional visit he made to the hospital?! He had to know the pain this was going to cause.“No.” I murmured, anger evident in my tone, as my hands shook. “Just no, that is not right. I would not be scaring her. I am being there for her. The way that I should as a fated mate.” I snapped, standing suddenly from the stool I was sitting on, causing it to fall loudly to the floor.“Rocco, come on, calm down.” Anna was by my side. “I know this likely came as a shock, and it hurt, but you need to try to understand how Aria is feeling. She is likely scared by everything right now…” her voice faltered, as my eyes focused on her angrily. Was she agreeing with all of this?!
I had awoken in the night, like I so often did, the downside, I suppose, of drifting off to sleep during the day. But as my sleepy eyes adjusted to the dim lights within my room, I guess I was expecting to find those big blue eyes upon me, but my room was empty. The thing that shocked me the most, was that I felt strangely lonely.I could not help but wonder where Rocco might be. I believe he has been here every time I have woken, since I came around in this very room… had something happened to him? But as I pondered this, I knew this could be of my own doing. I had spoken to the nurse when she had helped me bathe, expressing that he scared me a little. Was I wrong in saying that though?I did not think it was in such a terrible way, just that his gaze was intimidating. So intense… I believe that stare could scare even the strongest of men. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if maybe the nurse had spoken out? Could something have been said to him? Had that stopped him f
Having stormed from Micah’s home, I did not know where to go, nor what to do. Usually, when angry, I would allow Ciro out for a run, but right now I did not have my wolf to turn to. My wolf was missing in action. He had retreated, struggling with the situation we found ourselves in. Leaving me to battle it out alone. I felt I was drifting out to sea, barely keeping my head above the water right now. I did not know what to do.This was not a position I had ever been in before, and was never a position I expected myself to be in. So, it was not one I had prepared for. When I met Aria, I thought all my problems were solved. That my life was complete. Happiness and contentment had filled me and taken over... everything I had wanted was there, and my wolf felt the same. And now it felt like it had all been torn out from under me with no warning... had I done something wrong?! Did I deserve this pain and the suffering?I contemplated heavily as I wandered aimlessly through the familiar pat
It took no time at all for me to reach the training field. And as I sat on the wall that was close to it to wait for the imminent arrival of my Dad, my heart felt heavy. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I didn’t even know if I was able to carry on.I had always felt so capable as a man... as a werewolf. So strong. Confident. And when I came of age, my wolf only enhanced that. A Beta wolf was only second in strength to the Alpha, and my wolf, Ciro, was certainly a wolf to be proud of. A wolf to fear. So feeling the loss of him right now was like a bullet through my heart. Part of me felt like I was missing, and I did not know how to cope with that. It did not feel real. Was this what it felt like to fall apart?“Rocco?” I heard my Dad speak before I had even heard him approach, which told me just how distracted I was. Distracted by my own thoughts, and also clearly weaker in my abilities due to the lack of my own wolf right now.I looked up and met his concerned gaze. A sympathetic lo
I lay under the trees watching the night sky, stars seeming to move slowly above me. The peace and tranquility of the surrounding forest was almost calming. I felt content out here. I loved the feel of the forest floor under me, and the security I felt. With no other person around for miles. It felt the safest place to be.The sky was a deep shade of almost a deep blue-purple color, lit up by the gentle glow of the moon. I could see almost the full moon in the small clearing I had brought myself to, and it fascinated me. Something so far away, yet it brought light to our planet. It was truly beautiful lighting up our night sky and I felt blessed to be able to see it so clearly out here…As I lay admiring the natural beauty of the sky of stars, there was a rustle in the trees nearby, causing me to turn my head. I knew people did not come out here, so I did not feel panicked. This was my safe space, and I was sure it was nothing more than a small animal exploring the forest. But I hear
I pressed my eyes shut once more, urging sleep to wash over me once again. Perhaps if I could fall asleep then the dream would return... continue where it had left off, and maybe I could discover who the mystery man had been. The man who had shifted in front of me. Would he reveal himself to me again? I desperately wanted to know who this man was and if I knew him. He felt familiar. I needed to see him. Then I would know. I squeezed my eyes together even tighter, willing the sleep to come. But the harder I tried, the more wide awake I seemed to feel, and the more frustrated I became. It seemed I would not get my answer...I opened my eyes with a deep sigh, looking up at the ceiling, my mind running over the dream. Trying to relive every aspect. But, I came back to the same thoughts. It was too familiar. Something seemed recognizable about where I was. About the wolf. Like I had been around them before... Those blue eyes... yet my mind did not seem to want to work properly right now, a
After a long talk with my father, whilst walking through our pack, it was decided I would stay with my parents until the doctors decided Aria was able to move home. The thing I feared most about this plan was that even if they say she is well enough to be discharged, what if she continues to have no knowledge of me… of our home… then where would that leave her when it came to returning home with me? For I saw the look of fear in her eyes when I reached to touch her, and it was not a look I wanted to see again. So forcing her to return to a house with me… a house she would not know, with a man she deemed a stranger… well, it was asking for failure, wasn’t it?I had tossed and turned most of the night in the bed within the spare room, before taking a shower and edging my way downstairs, hearing my parents talk within the kitchen as I approached.“I don’t know Lucia. I will suggest he heads to work.” I heard my Dad saying to my Mum, and I had a feeling I had caught the end of a conversat
Sitting in my office, I was surprised by just how easily I had slipped back into work. My mind had repeatedly fallen to Aria, but I pushed her to one side as best as I could and focused on my responsibilities as the Beta. I needed to prove to myself I was still worthy of the title, because in recent weeks, maybe longer, I had allowed my pack to slip down my list of priorities, and that was not how a Beta should be.I was relieved that Micah and our pack Gamma, Madden, along with our warrior teams, had worked so hard after the attack to reassess all aspects of pack safety and security, all while rebuilding the pack, until our pack was now probably close to being the safest it had ever been. Maybe we had been lapsed. I didn’t like to think of that, but either way, unfortunately, many packs are weak to rogue attacks. It had just been the attack that came to our pack had been one of the worst ones…The door of my office opened, for Micah to walk in, mug of cof
1 YEAR LATERI poured myself a coffee, dressed ready for the day. I hated wearing my formal clothes, but today was a day for a pack celebration, so it was required. I knew once out there I would enjoy every moment.“Bella, you want a coffee?” I called upstairs, knowing Aria would be almost ready. She had been almost ready when I left her a few minutes earlier.“Please, baby.” She yelled back, as I heard her approaching the staircase.The last year had been nothing but perfect. My mate was back. In every way. She had returned to our home as soon as the doctors had given her the all clear, and we had begun afresh. I had wanted to not waste another moment of my time with the beautiful woman I had been blessed with as a fated mate. The fact I had nearly lost her, not once, but twice, only made that even more present within my mind.I returned to my role as Beta once more, working hard alongside Micah to track down punishment for
I had been poked and prodded beyond belief. Laying there while doctors and nurses examined me time and time again. Asked me so many questions to the point my head was hurting. When all I wanted was to be with Rocco. But, everytime I thought they were close to being done, they would need to do yet another test. A scan. An x-ray… one thing, then another. I was sick of the sight of them.All the while my head was buzzing with the events of today. Or what I was able to remember. The rest was simply what people had been telling me. My life of late seemed to have been a black-hole of lost moments. My mind having not been my own for quite some time. All because of rogues attacking a pack I had come to see as my safe haven. Not that I would ever see the pack as anything else. Rogue attacks were sadly a park of living within a werewolf pack, and I knew that. I had accepted all the things that came with being part of a pack when I became Rocco's mate.I knew that the Alpha here, and my mate, as
Today had not been the day I had hoped for. And it was not a day I wanted to go through again. I felt like my insides had been pulled out. I felt like I was falling apart, piece by piece. But, I knew I needed to stay strong. This was not about me any more. This was about Aria. There was definitely flickers of her there. The old Aria. I was clinging to the hope she was back... call me crazy, but I think she was, and Micah felt it too.Perhaps the knock to the head when she crashed had done something? I didn't know, I wasn't a doctor. Her loss of memory had made no sense to me even when they had explained it... But, I knew she was in the right place now for getting fixed. The doctors would know what to do. And, the second we had walked through the doors of the hospital, the doctors were rushing to see to her. Desperate to help her knowing what had happened.Aria had been rushed away from me and the doctors would not let me back in her room. I was pacing the corridor desp
We drove into the pack, my heart pounding as the silence in the car seemed to be defeaning me. Micah and Rocco were sharing knowing glances that I think they thought I wasn’t aware of, and no doubt mindlinking too. I did not know what they were thinking, nor what they may be saying to one another, but I was clearly not aware of everything, and I did not like it.This was not what I wanted. They were hiding things from me, and that hurt. They were meant to be people I could trust. But, I think what hurt more was learning I had been planning to run from the man that meant the world to me. Meeting Rocco had turned my life around. Or meeting Ciro, I should say, seeing as it was him I had met first. And learning the reason that weird little wolf would keep returning to the cabin was because of me… because I was meant to be a part of his life. Chosen just for him. And, him for me, it seemed.I had read of fated mates because of being intrigued by werewolves when my Grandma talked of them. I
With Aria in my arms we climbed into the car. Her confused expression had not altered as I adjusted the belt around her. Confusion. Fear. Uncertainty. I saw tears filling those beautiful eyes of hers, and I hated myself for being the cause of them, but I had told myself I was not going to hide things from her anymore. We had done that once, and it had not gone well. She deserved to know the truth.‘Roc, what did you say?’ Micah’s voice is urgent as he mindlinks. 'She looks terrified.'Well, he wasn't wrong. I glanced across at my friend and Alpha, as I sit next to my mate. ‘I told her the truth. She did not know why she was out there, so I told her she was leaving me.’ I explained matter of factly through our mindlink so that Aria would not hear. The situation was already spiralling, I don't think I wanted it to become any worse...Micah’s eyes widened. ‘But she seemed to know who we all were, dude. I think she was okay again.’ He suggested, and I think he may be right. That same thou
I woke up, my whole body aching. Wondering why the hell I was laying on the grass at the side of a road. A road the more I tried to look around me looked like the North Road outside of the pack. Why would I be here? A felt a sharp stinging to the base of my neck was irritating me, but then, the whole of my body was irritating me in one way or another right now. I had clearly been injured, I just did not know how...My eyes flickered between open and closed, trying to adjust to the light, and I could see the concerned eyes of my husband and mate, Rocco looking down at me. His icy-blue eyes darting over me... the eyes I adored so much... eyes that had drawn me in the first time I had seen them; and eyes that were always able to win me over... he looked worried right now though. What had happened?“What happened baby?” I whispered, hoping he may be able to give me the answers I was looking for. But my words caused his brows to furrow as I continue. “I ache all over!” I informed him, in
Ciro whimpered heavily in my mind at the sight of our mate in the arms of our friend, but I don’t think it was because of the fact she was being held by another man. A man that by all accounts would be considered stronger and more powerful than me, it was the way she had looked at us. The way her eyes lit up when they met mine…But, I knew I did not have time for emotion right now. Aria needed to know we were here for her. “Tesoro, are you okay?” I reached for her, but those beautiful eyes flickered closed once more, as Micah rushed her away from the car, just as a rush of heat englufed us. Flames were taking over the car, and we had done exactly the right thing in following my gut and getting Aria out when we did. A moment longer and it would have been too late. The thought does not bear worth thinking about...That heat from the increasing fire behind us was radiating across our bodies, so we moved faster. Micah using all her had to increase the speed with which he was moving, know
My eyes are darting over the damage to the car. This is not how I had wanted to find my mate. I had wanted to find her well. Be able to convince her to return with me. Tell her what a fool I had been. Knowing that in spite of everything she had fallen for me again meant the world to me. We had found one another once and fallen for one another, and in a cruel twist of fate, she had forgotten me, and fallen for me all over again... I had been blessed, not just once but twice. I could not let my girl die.I looked to Micah. His eyes were doing the exact same thing as mine. I could see the concern across the face of my friend, as his dark eyes took in the damage to the car. There has certainly been some sort of impact to it. Aria had to have been thrown around inside of her car. My heart ached at the thought that my mate may well be injured further... but I noticed my friend's eyes are currently lingering on that leaking fuel. The thing that is concerning me the most right now…‘We need t
Ciro ran. Faster than I think I have felt my wolf run before. His feet pounding along the floor of the packlands until we had crossed the borders onto the lands beyond. Micah’s wolf, Zane, had wasted no time in shifting and running alongside me. But I was paying little attention to the wolf by our side. My focus was through the eyes of my wolf. Looking for the car accident that my Alpha had mentioned.The car accident that my mate may well be laying in…The thought that Aria could be laying injured in a car somewhere tore at my heart strings. Knowing that she had been fleeing me when that had potentially happened made it even worse. This was not how my life was meant to go. Never how I envisioned meeting my fated mate would be. It had been enough of a shock to disover she was a human. But, I had thought I was strong enough to protect her. A matebond is everything to a wolf; and I truly thought ours would be. Evidently, I was wrong. I had