Elliot.The mountain air was sharp, biting at my skin as I trailed Luciana deeper into the woods.No matter how hard I tried, my legs now refused to stop moving. It was almost like I was a puppet meant to do what she wanted against my will.What kind of person had such a twisted command over another?We reached a narrow trail I didn't recognize, leading us up a steep incline. This was the part of the woods I hadn't ventured into when I started my past journey.I never made it to this place.We reached a narrow trail, which led us up a steep incline. Even from where I stood, I could see a hidden cave tucked away in the rocks, partially obscured by tangled vines and shadows.Just another reminder of how freakish I had become.I needed to turn away and run. Hide. Whatever Luciana was up to, I had a feeling it wouldn't be good.But my feet, heavy and numb, didn’t listen."In here." Luciana ordered, her voice a low, dangerous murmur. She glanced over her shoulder, her brown eyes holding a
Damien.Mates were annoying.Werewolves who were opportuned not to have one had no idea how lucky they were. Or those who got rejected before they could even form a bond.Elliot was the most stubborn human I had ever had the opportunity to meet. He was annoying and secretive....Wait.The cabin was silent, yes, but this was something else. Something I'd forgotten before I felt the tug of Elliot towards me that day in the woods.It was unnerving.I was supposed to be able to feel him, sense his presence through his bond that binded us together, but there was nothing.Just the hollow stillness in the place where the familiar tug was supposed to be.Something was wrong.Elliot was gone from my reach, severed from me like a shadow slipping from under my feet."Don't panic." I hissed at myself.Maybe he was hiding, somewhere out of range.He was a smart man, cautious not so much, but most of the threats out there were gone at this point. I made sure of that.But the bond... our bond... it
Damien."Where is Luciana?"I paced back and forth in front of Frank, my wolf itching to break free.It was taking every ounce of control I had not to tear into him, not to let the monster he so clearly think I was tear take over.Frank shrugged nonchalantly, his arms still crossed as if we were discussing the weather. "I don't know where she is. I haven't seen her, she was supposed to meet me here so we can do some searching for creatures like you."I lunged forward, my hands gripping his collar, lifting him up as he flailed. "You're lying." My voice was a growl, barely human, more wolf than man now. "I can smell the lie. You know something."Frank didn't flinch, even as my grip tightened. "What's the matter, Damien?" He sneered, eyes glinting. "Pick one. Do you want Elliot or Luciana?"I slammed him back against the tree, my claws extending as I fought to keep my wolf in check.Not now. Not yet."Tell me. Right. Now."He laughed, a hollow sound that echoed through the trees. "Lucian
ElliotWas he dying?My hands trembled as I watched Damien collapse, writhing and contorting in agony on the cave floor. The silver dust Zara threw in the air floated like a deadly mist, clinging to his skin, cutting through his strength as if it was nothing more than tissue paper.It all happened so fast.One minute, he was lunging towards the six feet demon, and the next minute, he had been flung to the wall like a sack of cloth.Damien clutched at his chest, his breaths shallow, desperate.Every time he tried to push himself up, he fell back, his body betraying him.The smell of burnt flesh and blood filled the space in minutes, and every second that passed, I felt Damien's pain like it was seeping into my own skin.Arghhhh.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.He was going to die.We were going to die here."Damien..." My voice was barely a whisper, choked with fear. He was transformed halfway, a grotesque man beast with fur at all the wrong places. I could see the fight in his eyes, the way he cla
Damien.That six foot tall bitch.Pain radiated through me like wildfire, dulling my senses but not my resolve. The silver dust Luciana... Zara had used on me had clung to my skin like poison, tearing through my muscles and bones.Every breath was a struggle... until...Elliot!I wouldn't let him die. Not after what he did for me."Was that all you've got?" I snarled, forcing myself upright, ignoring the tremor in my arms as I faced her.She chuckled, her eyes gleaming in the flickering shadows of the cave. "You're barely holding yourself together, Damien. Even after loverboy over there sacrificed himself." She cocked her head, watching me struggle with smug satisfaction. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."“You’re going to regret this."My arm no longer throbbed the pain when she sliced it open with that blade.A small mercy.Zara moved closer, her steps echoing off the stone. "I don't think I will. In fact, I've never felt so..."I didn't let her finish.I lunged forward, throwing a p
Damien.Silent.The forest was silent except for the faint rustling of leaves and the sound of my own unsteady breathing.If Zara had somehow made it through what happened at the cave and came at me now, I would rip her apart with my bare hands.Stupid silver dust.Where had she even gotten that? It had sapped at most of my strength, making it hard for me to carry Elliot fully towards the cabin. Now, he lay motionless against the rough bark of a tree, his skin pale, and his breathing shallow.He wasn't bleeding from anywhere in his body, which I was grateful for, but the ashen colour of his face was enough to send panic racing through me.I looked down at him, torn.Taking him to the cabin might be the safer option, the one that would give us both a chance to recover.But I had no idea how he had been able to do what he had done... to rip the silver dust from me and pass his strength to me.Which had left him in this state... I doubt a night's rest would awaken him. "We need a pack'
"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
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