"Get. The. Healer.""Damien!"The Alpha’s arrival was like a drop of a stone into a pool, sending ripples of tension through the group of wolves gathered around us.His scent followed him... earthy and bold, a reminder of the authority he commanded here."Why wasn't I immediately informed that Damien was here?" Alpha Jaxon asked, his tone warm, cutting through the thick air.He stepped our of the shadows, tall and imposing, his face breaking into a grin, as if he couldn't see the unconscious human in my hands."Alpha Jaxon." I inclined my head, keeping my voice steady.I didn't dare move Elliot an inch, even when the weight of him strained every fiber of my muscles, I refused to let go.Jaxon’s eyes drifted to Elliot now, concern flickering in those blue orbs. "Who's this?"“A friend,” I replied, sharper than I meant. “One who needs your healer. Immediately.”His brows knitted as he took in the severity of the situation, his smile fading. He turned, nodding curtly at Markus, who had b
Elliot.The woods were dark.So dark that I could barely see my own hands in front of me, let alone the way out. Snap.The branches scraped against my skin as I stumbled forward, tripping over roots that seemed to reach for my ankles, pulling me back.This was the woods close to my cabin, but not. It smelled like it looked like it, but it wasn't it.Where was I?Panic clawed at my throat with each glance around. There was nothing here but endless trees and shadows.Something was out there.It growled. A low, rumbling sound that sent shivers down my spine.It was one thing to be alone in this woods. It was another thing to be with some creature that I couldn't see...Fuck this.I was running before I could even think about it, each step an effort as though the ground was trying to pull me down. The growl grew louder, closer, a warning of what followed me.I didn't dare look back. Because the moment I did that, it'll be on me, ready to pounce."Keep going, just keep moving." I muttered
ElliotThe pain had dulled to an ache, but the bruises on my ribs made every breath a careful, measured thing.It had been days since that time with Zara, and since the dream, but the terror of both still clung to me like sweat. And now, here I was, nestled within a pack of werewolves.A month ago, and I wouldn't have believed they were even real.I kept my head down as I walked across the clearing, pulling my jacket tighter against the cold air that seeped through the trees.Most of the werewolves here barely glanced at me, yet their silence spoke the words they wouldn't say.Or the words Damien told me already.I was a human. I didn't belong here."Hey." A rough voice stopped me, breaking my concentration on staying out of everyone’s way.I looked up to see the Alpha, his eyes dark. Alpha Jaxon. He didn't look that much older than Damien, maybe a few years close to thirty, but his eyes spoke like someone who had seen everything the world had to offer."Good morning." I mumbled, shif
Elliot. He could have made the search easy for me. But that wasn't Damien. I ran through the camp, pulling hard on the tug between us, willing it to guide me to him. Every sound seemed sharper tonight. Every shadow . And everyone around a suspect. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I did not do my best to save Damien just to have two overgrown wolves kill him just because he brought me here. "Damien!" I called out, not caring if someone else heard me. If they were capable of helping me find him, I would make sure they helped. I pushed past tents and scattered fires, feeling eyes watching me from inside. Judging. I wasn't safe here. Never had been. I finally spotted him, standing alone near a cluster of trees as the edge of camp. His back was turned, shoulders slumped as he stared into the darkness. He gave no indication that he felt my presence. "Damien!" I staggered to a stop, catching my breath. "We have to go." He turned, his hazel eyes narrowing in confusion. "El
Damien. I had seen Elliot mad at me before, but this... This was a whole other level. I couldn't shake the way he looked at me when I pulled him through the trees and away from camp. His face was tight with anger, his footsteps quick and sharp on the earth. He kept sparing glances at me, as if he was waiting for something I wasn't ready to say. Fucking Markus. Fucking Raph. How dare they? After everything I had done to help, after everything I gave... My wolf stirred within me. Restless. "You're losing him." "I know." I was exhausted at this point. I had been ready to let Elliot go, save him from the danger that came from being my mate. Someone was going to kill him because of me one day. If it hadn't been Zara, then it might be an ambush from the werewolves who hated my guts, or from Asher himself. Whenever he found me. I could feel my wolf pacing within me, frustrated and confused. He had wanted to come out, to fight to keep Elliot alive. But I stopped him.
Elliot.The minute we got to the cabin, I felt like I could breathe again.Though barely.There was no one behind me or by my side who hated my guts just because I was a human. Or worse, a human mated to a werewolf.Questions burned within me, but for once, I didn't see the need to chase answers.I wanted this, just this.Damien and me, standing in my living room, trying to act like everything was... normal.Like we hadn't almost gotten killed by Markus and Raph hours ago.Like Damien hadn't questioned me when I told him we should leave."You hungry?" Damien asked, tossing his shoes by the door."Starving." My voice came out softer than I meant.There was tension between us. Heavy like a coiled spring, ready to snap. I wanted to reach out and close the space between us, but instead, I turned toward the kitchen. I heard Damien's footsteps behind me as I rummaged through the fridge, pretending like I was seriously thinking about what to cook. "Let's see if you can make something that
Elliot.I didn't know who moved first... me or Damien.But as we stood there, staring at each other, all I felt was an ache, sharp and relentless, pulling me closer.Damien’s hand rested on my cheek, his thumb brushing my skin as if he needed the reassurance that I was here, real, and wanting him.I pressed my hand over his, and that simple touch seemed to ignite something within me. I leaned in, unable to resist, my lips finding his in a kiss that was at first hesitant.It didn't matter that we shared a kiss just minutes earlier.This one felt different.His mouth parted, his breath mingling with mine, and every nerve in my body sparked to life.I needed this right now.I needed not to be able to feel. To sense anything.With my hands gripping his shirt, I pulled him closer, clinging to him as if I could anchor myself in the storm of emotions and senses that threatened to swallow me.My new heightened senses had a mind of their own. Switching on and off when I least expected it, like
Elliot.The next morning came in a haze of soft, warm light filtering through the thin curtains.The world outside was quiet, as though it respected the fragile calm that was within me.Damien left earlier.Perhaps to do some light hunting or other werewolf stuff.It gave me time to let my fingers grazed where he had marked me last night. A reminder of the bond we had forged... another reminded that Damien and I were actually mates."One cannot mark someone who is not their mate." A line from the book jumped at me.I was lost in the sensation, the dull ache of the mark that seemed to reach deeper than the skin.My hand lingered there, pressing against the slight swell of soreness when the door opened, and in walked Damien, a wolfish smile tugging at his lips.His eyes drifted immediately to my hand resting on the mark."Does it hurt?" He asked, concern lacing his voice."A little," I admitted, trying not to sound too vulnerable. "But it's... manageable."He sat down on the edge of the
Elliot.Pleasure clouded my mind, hungry and dangerous, as hazel eyes lined my vision.That was seriously the best blow job I had ever gotten in all my years of living. It was satisfying enough to make me forget the reason I was out here.In the woods.Alone.Damien stood up so he could slide his pants and briefs down and kick them to the side until he was wearing nothing.Damn.I had felt it. Touched it. But seeing it? That was different.I tried to look away, but I realised later on that it was practically impossible to ignore the handsome man in front of me.During most of our time together, I had kept myself from asking why he didn't have any tattoos like most of his peers. Even the werewolves at the pack close to the woods had something inked onto their skin.The moon. Eyes. Anything.Damien didn't.I attempted to get my fill of the way he looked fully naked and under the moonlight. All the muscles that are proportionally placed over his tall frame and slightly broad built.But t
Damien.The bond between us burned, not with the faint flickers I'd felt earlier but with a consuming, relentless fire.It roared in my chest, growing sharper with every breath I took, every frantic beat of my heart.I didn't get all chummy with Elliot most of the time. Not because I didn't want to... if I was opportuned, I would kiss, touch, and fuck him every single day... but because he was still coming to terms with the fact that he was attracted to a male.Elliot was trembling in my arms, his nails digging into my skin as if he was trying to anchor himself. Or maybe trying to hurt me.I couldn't tell, and honestly, I didn't care.All that mattered was him."Elliot, look at me," I whispered, cupping his face, my thumbs brushing against his cheeks. "You're safe. You're with me now. Just tell what happened, and I'll fix it."His brown eyes, darkened with lust, locked onto mine. His lips parted, but no words came out... just a shaky exhale that sent a pang of helplessness straight t
Damien.I often prided myself in my ability not to lose my control.That all burned to ashes when I met Elliot and discovered he was my mate.The house loomed in front of me, silent and dark. Too silent. Too dark.I shifted back into my human form just outside the front door, the transformation leaving my skin pricking with leftover adrenaline. If anyone saw me, that would be a case I would handle some other time.My breaths came in sharp bursts, clouding the cold night air, but my chest still felt tight.This was wrong.This quietness was unusual.The scream... no matter how far I had been from the house... it belonged to Elliot. I was sure of it.I didn't waste time.I slammed my shoulder into the door, forcing it open with a loud crack. The frame splintered, but I barely noticed."Elliot!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the empty hallways.Nothing.No footsteps. No shuffling. No hurried explanations from his parents or questions about why the house was so dark or why I had de
Damien.The warehouse was cold. Damp. The perfect place for drowning in my own thoughts.I sat on the edge of a rusted steel beam, staring out at the sliver of moonlight that pierced through a crack in the roof. The city hummed faintly in the distance... alive, vibrant, and completely unaware of the chaos simmering inside me.Why couldn't I remember?What had I done years back that was so devious I couldn't even remember?My survival instincts were working overtime at this moment. Run. Run. Leave New York behind. Disappear again.Elliot knew I would leave eventually. We both knew I was just here for the time being.Wasn't that why I delayed everything that had to do with completing our mating process?Yet, every time I tried to make that move, my mind betrayed me with flickers of a certain past I couldn't fully remember. Faces. Voices. Shadows that felt too real to ignore.It was all in my fucking head. "Mate. Mate. Mine." Elliot’s voice replayed in my head like a broken record. "Whe
Elliot.And people blamed me for disappearing for five years.What the heck had just happened?The night felt heavier after Damien left. His silhouette disappeared into the darkness, and with it, any sense of normalcy I thought we still had.Something was wrong... terribly wrong... and if he wouldn't tell me, I'd figure it out myself."Elliot, honey, what's going on? Is Damien alright?"I hesitated, not wanting to alarm her. “I don’t know, Mom. He just… needs some time to himself.”She wanted to say more. The way she moved around and her lips purse together. But thankfully, she kept them to herself and just motioned for me to come inside."You too. It's late, and you shouldn't be out in the cold."Yeah, she was right.I nodded but didn't move. "Mom, who was that man? Ryan?"Her brown eyes narrowed slightly, the worry on her face deepening. Once upon a time, my mom was the prettiest woman in the land, now the stress of old age, a child who disappeared for years, and work had worn her d
Damien."We need to talk."It was one thing for someone to barge into someone's house, neighbour or not. It was another thing for said person to come after a person eating dinner and minding their own business.The tension in the dining room was suffocating. The burly man, Ryan, stood close to the doorway, his shoulders blocking out the light. His eyes were still locked on mine, and I felt the weight of it as though it could crush me where I sat.Elliot’s family watched warily, their smiles vanishing. I would have given a million bucks to know what was going on in their mind."I said," Ryan repeated, his tone low and deliberate. "We need to talk, Damien."Elliot bristled beside me, his chair scraping the floor as he stood. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?" His voice was like sharpened knives. Ryan didn't spare him a glance. His focus was entirely on me, his lips curling into something between a smirk and a sneer. "You know who I am, kid."My stomach twisted.I didn't know thi
Damien.I didn't feel much better the next morning.No matter how much I tried to convince myself that I was probably imagining things, and I couldn't probably have gutted a random girl in the street of New York.Not even a little.My stomach was a tangled mess of nerves, excitement, and uncertainty as Elliot drove us to his childhood home deeper in the city of New York.I had no idea what to expect from meeting his family... what kind of impression I would make, and whether they would accept me.But as much as I hated to be introduced as just a friend, part of me was eager to just see the life he had grown up in, to understand him a little better.Elliot tightened his hand on the wheel, his eyes focused on the road. He looked different today... a bit more casual, no more of the anxiety filled, heightened senses, intense persona he'd been wearing.He looked lighter, almost... happy.It made me want to reach out, slam my lips on those perfect lips, and continue our activity from yester
Damien.This probably wasn't the best time for this.I didn't kiss Elliot because I wanted to. Not that I didn't want to, but not when he was confessing his guts out about what happened to his dead fiancée five years ago.That wouldn't be fair. Not to him. Not to me. But he was so close.His lips trembling with each word, his breath ragged as if the weight of the past was too much to carry on his own.And his eyes... moon goddess, his eyes... they were darker than usual, filled with so much pain that I could feel it in my own chest.And yet... all I could think about was how much I wanted him.Maybe it wasn't the best time. Maybe it was a terrible idea.But the way he looked at me, the way he leaned into me when I touched his face, it felt like an invitation I couldn't turn away from.I cupped his jaw, brushing my thumb over the stubble on his chin, the action almost instinctive. This wasn't the first time we kissed. He had a whole mark on his neck from me.But it just felt right.
Elliot."You can't possibly know that."I pushed Damien's hand off my shoulder, barely sparing him a glance. "Leave me alone.""Elliot...""Just... please." I didn't wait for a response, ducking out of the restaurant and into the streets.I heard Damien's footsteps behind me at first, his steady, relentless presence tracking me, but I didn't turn around.He'd catch on eventually. I just needed space.My feet took me though blocks and alleys without thought, my mind whirling with everything Ethan had thrown at me, every accusation he'd nailed to my skin. I didn't care where I was going, as long as I was alone.Everything...The neon lights outside an old boutique caught my eye, and I stopped, hesitating. This was her boutique.The one she dragged me to whenever she could. One she loved.How did I make it here?I knew every inch of the store... each table, every display, the delicate scent of lavender that lingered on everything she’d brought back from it on the days she didn't drag m