She supported herself on one elbow as she examined his face, her fingertips delicately following the line of his mouth, his brow, and his nose as she did so. She began by stroking his neck before moving on to his shoulder and then down his arm. She positioned her hand so that her palm was resting on his chest, and then she moved her fingers from his flat belly all the way down to his waist.When his palm wrapped over hers, she let out a startled cry, and her throat appeared to be tightening.He mumbled something under his breath while staring at her with his eyes squinted and saying, "Some of us are trying to sleep here.""I thought you only woke up when there was an immediate threat to your life?""I was awakened by your thoughts." His eyes began to burn with rage. "The siren song of your desire is one that no man, living or dead, could possibly ignore."Gwen felt herself blushing at his words, which were almost lyrical. However, it was the contact of his hand gliding up and down her
"Phil," she mumbled to herself. "Perhaps it would be best if we..." The peacefulness of the night was rudely interrupted by a mournful howl, which caused her head to snap up."You don't have any fear of wild animals, do you?" Phil questioned with a sly smirk on his face.Gwen stated, "It's not just any old wolf," in response to the question. "That's my dad," the man said.Phil shot an eye upward. The night sky was illuminated by a thin crescent moon. "I thought the only time your people changed was when the moon was full?""At any given time, Alpha could shift."He grumbled, "You neglected to mention that little fact," as he pointed out his oversight.“Did I? A couple of the other wolves can likewise change their appearance whenever they want.Phil said, "I'm not worried about them," while dismissing his concerns with a wave of his hand. "Do you think your father knows that we're here?""I really don't know." Her eyes traveled over the mountain range. "I don't think that's the case. A
She gave that some thought for a second before settling on a grin and said, "Phil Marty, come in, and welcome."Following her into the house with a sardonic look, he walked across a tiled entryway, into a living room furnished in earth tones, and down a broad corridor lined on both sides with family photographs. All of these locations were within the house. They went through a number of rooms with the doors closed before entering a lounge that was paneled in a deep, dark mahogany.Phil positioned her bag so that it was next to the entrance of the room, and then he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest while he surveyed the space.There was an old rolltop desk against one wall, and a bookcase that went all the way to the ceiling against the opposite wall. In one of the nooks there was a collection of what appeared to be four comfortable chairs as well as a pair of love seats, all of which were upholstered in a deep red cloth.Gwen's father sat down on one of the love chairs,
"Good morning," her mother greeted her with a bright smile. "I was going to make another stack of pancakes for your father when you called. Would you like some?""You're welcome, Mom. Is there anything I can do to assist you?"No, there's no need," they replied. "everything's ready.""Where can I find Greta?" They frequently shared meals with her aunt and uncle. "She has traveled into the town. "Brett accompanied her on the trip."Gwen made a small nod before sitting down across from her father and reaching for the coffee kettle. It was business as usual for him, with his head buried in the paper, which was exactly what she wanted. When she was anxious about Phil's location, she was not in the mood for meaningless small talk at all. She was focused on finding him.She took a drink of her coffee, which was exactly what she required to get her day going and get her thoughts organized; it was steaming hot, full-bodied, and pitch black.The page was turned by her father. He made the rema
Gwen brushed her hair, carefully applied her makeup, put on the blue silk dress, and slipped into the matching heels. She then forced herself to block out everything else and concentrate on getting ready.Twenty minutes later, when her father knocked on the door, she was prepared to answer his questions."Smile, daughter," he instructed me to say. "A joyous occasion has come about."She did not give a response. And when she followed him down the stairs, she didn't crack a smile at all.The huge family room that was being used as the pack's gathering location was filled with a variety of folks who were milling around. As she entered the room on the arm of her father, everyone inside, men, women, and children alike, smiled and nodded. Her mother stood in the middle of Noah's parents and hers. The expression of happiness on her mother's face belied the sadness in her eyes.“Welcome!” Zebedee said jovially. "As you are all aware, the reason we have gathered here tonight is to celebrate th
Gwen gave her surroundings a quick check and let out a sigh of exasperation as she knew where she was. Noah was the one who had brought her to the lair of his pack.She demanded to know, "How long do you intend for you to keep me here?""Until we're married and you give me an heir," she replied. After that, it makes no difference to me what you do or where you go.Gwen looked at him with wide eyes. Noah's attention had always been focused on the politics of the pack. He was the Alpha's oldest son, making him the natural successor to the position of pack leader in the Green Mountain Pack. If he were to take Gwen as his wife, the connection between the Shadow Pack and the Green Mountain Pack would become much stronger. If Noah were to have a child who was the grandchild of any of the pack's Alphas, his position within the pack would be assured.As he carried her toward the home, she screamed at him, "Are you going to keep me tied up until then?" Her voice was filled with malice as she s
On the other side of the fence, he sat on his heels, his forehead furrowed as he peered at the main house, and he appeared to be quite concerned. He was pretty sure he knew everything that was going on inside of there. He was only able to think of one thing that would convince Zebedee to come to the Green Mountain facility.planned nuptials between Gwen and the Grayson heir apparent.Now all that was required of him was to devise a plan to rescue her from their predicament before she was wed to Noah.Raquel took a close look at the three homes that were huddled together behind the tall, electric fence. She had finally tracked down the werewolf girl to this location, which was tucked away in the hills of Mbulachieve. This had taken a lot of trial and error on her part. Now, as she stood in the shifting shadows close to the front entrance, she pondered the most effective means by which she could enter the building and leave without being seen. Compulsion did not work on vampires; she ha
After giving a little nod to herself, Kusuma Ila exited the room. She left for a little while and then returned with a wooden bowl, a feather from an eagle, a book of matches, and a small bag in her hand. She then opened the bag, emptied its contents into the bowl she had placed on the coffee table, and replaced the bag. She lit a match, and then she set fire to the food that was inside the bowl. There was a noticeable rise in the level of blue smoke in the atmosphere, and with it came the aroma of sage and sweetgrass.Kusuma Ila waved the feather of an eagle over the bowl while softly muttering something that Phil believed to be Apache. This caused the smoke to be drawn toward Gwen. The singing of the elderly woman gradually became more forceful and audible. This continued for a good number of minutes.Phil maintained his position close to Gwen's head. As the power of the elderly witch spread across the room, he clinched his palms into fists. He was able to sense it pressing against
Phil was approached by a young man who had light brown hair, was of average height and weight, and was of average height and weight. "I am José Grayson, the last of my line," he said. "I am the only one left in my family." "I am the only member of my family still alive." "As the one who will eventually take my place as Alpha, I beg of you to take my life if you must, but to spare my pack. Please don't take my life, but if you must, leave my pack alone. This wasn't the fight that happened between the two of them. Because of my uncle's misguided desire, I do not want them to suffer the consequences of his actions.Phil's response was, "That decision isn't mine to make," but he couldn't help but appreciate the boy's perseverance. "That decision isn't mine to make," he said. He responded by saying that "that decision is not mine to make." In spite of the fact that José couldn't have been more than twenty years old at the time, he carried himself with the natural pride of an Alpha and a re
Because the males were so focused on attempting to rape the woman, they were unaware that they were in imminent danger until it was too late to do anything about it.The first man's neck was broken by Phil, and then he tore out the heart of the second man.The woman passed out suddenly.He barely managed to get there in time to grab her before she fell to the ground. He held her in his arms for a brief period of time before lowering his head to her neck while she was still unconscious and taking a drink from her. Because he had just succeeded in saving her life, he didn't think she would be upset about it.Gwen fixed her gaze on Phil. You put an end to their lives? What steps did you take to dispose of the bodies?"There's no reason for you to know that. No one does.""I have no doubt that Rudolfo will show up here with inquiries. And even if he doesn't, we can be sure that he'll point the finger of blame at us for their disappearance."Just tell him the truth if he comes here, that's
"I know." Gwen lightly rapped her fingertips on the surface of the table. "I really should be out there."If they have a need for you, I have no doubt that they will find a way to contact you."No, that's not what I meant. I am now the leader of the pack. If my father were to be hiding out in the house, I would know about it."You're not 'hiding out,'" Greta told me. "You're keeping an eye on the house in case those shady characters decide to try to sneak in here," I told you.“Right.”"A movie is being watched by the other adults and children who have gathered in the clubhouse. Would you like to go to that location?""No, I don't feel like keeping a lot of company." She let out an audible sigh. "I really wish I knew what was going on out there."Phil went stealthily throughout the night, making no noise with his feet as he followed the fence line and kept an eye out for any wolves that may be hiding in the darkness.After making four circuits around the perimeter, he finally picked u
Gwen fixed her gaze on Phil. She questioned again, "Why not?" before shaking her head. "I can't say for sure. Brett? Greta?”The reply came from Brett. "That's not how we do things. Whenever there was a full moon, we would engage in combat with one another, either pack against pack or Alpha against Alpha. Or stealthily, like Grayson's henchmen did when they murdered Bobby and Stewart. In the form of a declaration of war"After giving it some thought for a while, Gwen shoved it to the back of her mind so that she might consider it again at a later time.She questioned him by saying, "So, Brett, have you tried shifting yet?"“No.”"Give it a go right now."After getting to his feet, Brett walked straight towards the middle of the room. He undressed to his underwear, took a long breath, and furrowed his brow in thoughtful concentration before proceeding. At first, nothing happened; then, little by little, there was a shift in the air, a subtle ripple of preternatural force that progressi
Gwen nodded. She had never before experienced the full weight of the responsibilities that came with being Alpha of the Shadow Pack, but now she could feel them. She hadn't given any thought to what being the Alpha would actually entail for her until it was too late. When she challenged Noah, the only thing on her mind was how to keep her aunt from dying."So," Phil replied as he placed his arm around her shoulders and continued their conversation. "I guess the question is, what is it that you want to do?""I want to be with you," the speaker said."I'm here."The question is, "For how long?" The inquiry that she had been too terrified to ask is now out in the open for everyone to see."Ah, Gwene, my love, for as long as you want me to be here, I'll be right here," she said.It turned out to be the correct response. The most appropriate response. And he made it abundantly obvious to her that he had already lived more than three hundred years, and that it was possible that he would liv
gathering place by following the sound of voices. She peeked over the door frame while being stealthy so as not to be seen. Someone had placed Diego's body on a long table that had a white sheet draped over it from top to bottom. They treated him as if he were a member of their own pack by washing his face, combing through his hair, and covering him with a blanket. Gwen has her questions answered, so she heads back to the patio as quickly as she can. After a few minutes had passed, Brett came back. "Well, it looks like they're gone." Gwen nodded. "You showed a lot of quick thinking by bringing the body in from the barn," said the witness. "Greta came up with the plan. She had the idea that if we honored their ancestors and handled their deceased with dignity, it could help defuse some of the tension. I believe that it was successful." Brett moved over to one of the chairs and sat down. "Of course, there is no way to know for certain. They still have the opportunity to issue a challeng
While Gwen went inside and kneeled at the grave of her mother, Phil rested against one of the cottonwood trees that stood outside the gate. In the meantime, Phil knelt down himself.Gwen prayed silently as she bent her head to the ground, tears trickling down her cheeks.As Phil watched her, he couldn't help but feel that she deserved a good cry. It was too late for her parents. She had come perilously close to losing her aunt. She had been responsible for the death of the man who was her husband. She was now in charge of the pack as Alpha, with all of the responsibilities that role entails.When he looked at her, a mixture of pride and compassion rose up within of him. His wife was one beautiful lady in every way.His ears perked up as soon as they picked up the scent of a wolf.The pack's top dog.In the space of a second breath, he was able to recognize the intruder as Noah's father. Gwen was knocked down before the wolf even had a chance to ponder the possibility that there was a
When they reached the meeting site in the woods just outside the fence line, Gwen's nerves felt like they had been stretched to the breaking point. She was adamant about not turning to look at Noah, who was standing to her left with his hand on her shoulder. A caution in the dark, without a doubt.After confirming that everyone was there, Greta made her way into the midst of the circle. You are all aware of the reason for our gathering tonight. Because our Alpha has been taken out of the game, we now need to select a new leader. Since I am the only other Alpha of the Shadow Pack and I am Nagin Luta's sister, it is up to me to fill the role that he previously had. Speak up now if there are people in this room who do not intend to support me in my role as Alpha.Noah nudged Gwen. She cast a quick glance up at him, into his icy, black eyes, and immediately realized that her aunt's life would be in jeopardy if she did not suggest Noah's name.Gwen went into the middle of the circle, her c
The screaming finally stopped when the last of Zebedee's bodies were consumed by the flames and the fire was extinguished.As Phil and the other people made their way back to the compound, Gwen and the others saw him gradually transform into a mist.It turned out to be just as difficult to go over the barrier as it would have been to climb a brick wall. He had expected that the passing of the Alpha would pave the way for him to advance, but it appears that this will not be the case. He had predicted that this would be the case.Before resuming his normal form, he waited for all of the other members of the pack to get back to their own homes. Only then did he transform back into his natural self. Gwen needed to be informed of what he had seen and heard, and she needed to be warned that her father's death had not been the product of an accident. He also needed to inform her that he had seen and heard what had happened to her mother. It was imperative that he make contact with Gwen.Foll