Feed her first.
“Bree! Wake up!” Brianna shot up, thinking she heard Bran’s voice. Looking around, half asleep, she realized she was still behind bars. “We need to go! Now!”“Bran? I can’t leave. They locked me in jail.”“Bree, I can hear you, but I can’t sense your presence. Why is your vision so dark?”“I don’t know, maybe because I’m in the basement. Bran, I have something to tell you.”“I’ll break you out, but I can’t find any openings. Do you see a window? How did you get in there?”“Bran… did you know we were werewolves?”“Did they torture you? Is that how you found out? I swear I’ll kill them.”“Is it true?”“Yes, Bree. I’ll explain everything, but you need to tell me where you are so I can bust you out.”“Bran?” The voice disappeared.Was it all a dream?Bree snuggled under the covers, confused and feeling alone when she felt something else stirring inside her.A feeling of warmth and something familiar. ‘You are not alone, Brianna.’ ‘Mom? I miss you. Tell me what to do.’‘Brianna, I am not y
Grayson knew Brianna needed to cool off before he could ask about her inner wolf, so the next morning, instead of spending more time together, he headed to work to check on his staff. Most days, Grayson would walk around town, checking out on the store owners and the locals to see if they needed any help. It was a small town so his duties included anything from carrying animal feed to someone’s flatbed, tasting someone’s latest baked good, or just having coffee and saying hi to Maggie to get updates from the night before. Instead, he headed straight to work and did some research on how to help Brianna overcome her rogue wolf and take control.He also planned to call his grandparents and tell them about what was happening, hoping they could shed some light on what to do, but it was the first vacation they’d had in a long time and Grayson wanted them to enjoy being away from all the responsibility.Plus, he did not want his grandfather to think he couldn’t handle the job. Grayson had
“Marina! She’s Grayson’s mate, and if you hurt her, we don’t know what might happen to you?”“I’m Grayson’s mate, not this intruder. I’ve been with him since we were young.”“You’ve always wanted that to happen, and it never stuck because Grayson didn’t want you. Now that Brianna is here, you’ll never get a chance.”Marina swiped at Aiden with her claws in anger while pulling at Brianna’s hair harder, making her tear up. A few strands had come loose, and she did not mind having a bald patch, but Serena was getting agitated.“Let her go, Marina, or I will call Grayson right now.”“Owww!” Brianna cried in her most pitiful voice.Why were they saying she was Grayson’s mate when they just met? Did Marina and Aiden come from Australia where they call their friends’ mates?She understood Marina saw her as a threat against Grayson, but why was the word mate making her so angry?Bree was not used to acting like a damsel in distress, but she needed to look weak, so she channeled the whiny girl
At the academy, her mentors commended Brianna for her interrogation skills, so while Aiden tried to coax information about her family, she turned the tables and interviewed him instead.Aiden’s family had been in the valley for at least a century. The patriarch of the pack ran away from his family because he disagreed with their practices. Werewolves, like their wild counterparts, were very loyal to their packs, and it rarely happens that a member leaves on their own.Aiden was never privy to the traumatic events that occurred between his grandfather and the original pack. But he knew his grandfather ran away with their grandmother and later established the Silvercreek pack.Brianna wondered if their story was the classic Romeo and Juliet plot where their parents did not agree to their union, so they eloped.It sounded romantic, but from the story Aiden imparted; it seemed like the couple struggled a lot.They’d been hiding in different places for a while before they ended up in the m
“You let her out?!?” Brianna felt his presence even before Grayson uttered the cutting remark.It had been hours since she’d taken command of the kitchen, making grilled cheese sandwiches and creamy potato soup, after Aiden revealed his inability to perform any task in the kitchen. Wolves ate constantly and in huge amounts to replenish the energy they lost when using their abilities. Aiden didn’t perform strenuous activities recently, yet he still felt hungry.Even without his request, Brianna would have done anything to stay in the kitchen because she fell in love with it instantly. The spacious area reminded her of being on a farm or a cattle ranch where everyone came to share their meals. A sliver of memory touched her mind briefly but was immediately lost when she tried to reach out to recall it. She could imagine people walking in and out of the house the entire day, asking for snacks, and trying to swipe newly baked cookies off the counter.For such an enormous house, she wond
Grayson wanted Brianna to say something to him, anything, just like how she was talking to Aiden, but when she laid back down on the bed facing away from him, he sighed.He had been too harsh with his greeting, but he was caught unawares when he saw her in the kitchen.Everything felt right at that moment, as if she belonged in his house. But then, seeing Brianna having an easy conversation with Aiden made him jealous. She had a smile on her face and was laughing at his antics. He wished she had been smiling at him instead.Grayson expelled another sigh. “How are you? Any progress on contacting your wolf?” He asked after hesitating outside her door for what seemed like a long while.“No. I’ll try again later.” She mumbled into her pillow, acting like a child that’s been scolded.“I can help if you want.” They were tiptoeing around each other as though caught in an awkward dance. “I’m okay. You don’t need to. I’ve bothered you enough.”“Let me change my clothes and scare up some dinner
Brianna had no food, tent, extra clothes, or a navigation device to guide her path. She did not need any of those things now that her connection with Serena was recognized. The wolf would keep her safe until she could find sustenance.‘We could always eat other animals.’‘Yuck! Serena, don’t even think about shifting and getting blood on my hands. We are not savage animals.’Serena had been in control whenever she sleepwalked, taking Bree to different paths that held Brandon’s scent. And now that they were one, there was nothing to stop Bree from finding him. Brianna wanted to check and see what happened to her expensive, slightly used camping gear, so against Serena’s better judgment, they returned to the campsite where she had last stayed, only to be surprised by a backpack and camping gear waiting for her.Had Grayson known what she would do and left her all the items in the forest? Did he really care for her that much?Thinking it might be true made her feel horrible for tricking
Nana always said she loved us, and caring for us was a gift, even though I could see being with us always made her sad. But why?Bree never thought Brandon paid attention to their grandma’s feelings, seeing as how he always got in trouble and dismissed her scoldings.Their nana was probably sad because the twins reminded her of her lost son and his wife, but she said nothing about this.Brianna continued reading, eager to learn more.I know Bree will want to read this diary one day. Maybe we’ll turn it into a memoir if I learn anything useful during this trip.Visualize the scene with me. I am looking at a majestic snow-capped mountain and a trail leading towards it. I still can’t believe how green it is out here. Everywhere you look there is vegetation and flowers.I can walk this road forever and not tire of it.This is just perfect, Bree. You would enjoy it too.This trip was a mission to learn more about myself, get the peace I could never find in the city, and learn about my orig
“Marina, wait up! I rarely see you during meal times. Is everything alright?” Brandon had just come down from his room and found Marina on her way out. Like the last few days, she’s been having breakfast later to steer clear of the breakfast crowd. In reality, she was trying to avoid Grayson and Brianna most of all. Brandon wanted to join everyone for breakfast, but lately, he had been too tired. They played tag every night to tap into his werewolf abilities, which depleted most of his energy, and then when his head hit the pillow, dreams of wandering around the farm in the dark drained him to the last drop.He’d never heard of dreams sucking out a person’s energy before, but that is how it felt.“Oh yeah. Dinner with everyone present is too much for me sometimes. The noise level gets too high and it’s difficult when you hear everything.”“I get you, I’m still weirded out when I hear people’s hearts beating too loud.” Marina looked at Bran, wondering what he thought about hers speed
“I know your grandmother.” Victor looked at Brandon and Brianna while he delivered the big secret he’d been keeping since he learned of their arrival at Silvercreek.“You do?” They asked in unison.“Yes. Your grandmother sought refuge in Silvercreek for a while when she first ran away, but our pack was smaller then and though we offered her sanctuary she didn’t stay.”“But my parents came back. Did they know Nana was here before?”“We told them she was here, but to ask her about our encounter.”“I wonder why Nana didn’t bring us here directly after our parents passed away?”“She must have been scared. The accident site wasn’t too far from here and we suspected foul play when we found werewolf tracks.” “We tried to talk to your grandma at the hospital, but she disappeared and took both of you with her.” Amelia sat beside her husband. “She must have found the same tracks on the site and it spooked her.”“We had no idea our family was a bunch of werewolves. I always considered Nana to b
“Brandon, I see you’ve finally come in. Are you happy rolling in the hay all day and getting acquainted with the animals?” Brianna was alone in the kitchen, peeling and chopping vegetables for dinner.“That’s an insult to the cute animals, but even though I wanted to hang out with them all day, I got to muck out the stables for the horses. Have you ever seen one up close before?”“No. They are majestic, but you are wearing more of their dung that you cleaned out.”Bran laughed. “It’s amazing here. Who knew such a place existed? I made up my mind.”“About what?”“Staying in Silvercreek.”“I thought you were unsure.” “I didn’t think there was a life for me here.”“What do you mean? They’ve welcomed us with open arms and we have a house that mom and dad paid for over the years.“I know, but what happens after you’ve settled in? I don’t want to be the third wheel forever.”“You’re family—”“I know that,” he sighed. “But now I have more than one reason to stay.”“Why now? What happened?”
Gran glares at Grayson. “You don’t need to be so mean to her. You know how tragic it was to lose her parents to hunters, and she’s just craving for attention.”“She’s used that card for far too long and it’s time she grew up. We’re not kids anymore and I have a good reason not to let her sleep in the house.” He said, taking his stance.“Bree, are you bothered by their relationship?” Gran turned her focus to the other person in the room.“Marina and I don’t have a relationship.” Grayson interjected rudely before Bree could reply. “Don’t worry too much, dear. It’s a harmless crush. She used to follow my grandsons around when she was younger, and I guess she never grew out of it.”‘Are you going to tell your grandma the real reason or will you let me look bad in her eyes?’ Bree asked Gray with annoyance.“Don’t argue with me, Gran.”“Why don’t you let Brianna speak?”“I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me for stealing Grayson from her.”“Oh, that child, she’s still a selfish little girl
“I heard Gran call my name. I’ll see you at the house.” She used her werewolf ability to run from Bran, thinking she would get there first because she got a head start, so she was surprised when he ran beside her, yelling for her to go faster.He made the task look easy. The distance from the barracks to the house spanned several acres of land. To a normal person driving a truck or a golf cart would be ideal to get around the property, but werewolves have the speed and strength to use their own feet which would definitely get them to their destination faster, and if they couldn’t use their feet, they could use all four paws.Both got to the house at the same time and Marina did not know if she was really that fast or if Bran made adjustments, so she didn’t feel bad.“What is your ideal breakfast?” Bran changed his choice of topic, seeing she would never talk to him again if he kept broaching the same subject. “Whatever gran makes. Everything tastes good.”“You don’t have that one thi
“Brandon! I thought you left?” Marina almost jumped out of her skin when the object of her dreams manifested when she opened the door.She made sure everyone had left before getting up and starting her day. Using her enhanced hearing, Marina listened to every movement and every conversation, training her ears to detect Brandon’s voice.Aiden knocked on his door. “Bran, we’re heading out. Don’t delay or you’ll have no food to eat. Gran’s breakfast won’t last long.”“I’m right behind you.” Brandon got up, shuffled around to pick up his clothes, peeled the sheets off the mattress, and followed the other pack members.And as soon as the main entry door banged shut, Marina was sure everybody had left.She got up, stripped the sheets from the bed and pillow, then wrapped a towel around her body. There was no way she’d go to breakfast without removing the sweat and evidence of what happened while she was dreaming about Bran.It was time to wash the sheets and take a shower so she could go b
For the rest of the evening, Brandon bonded with the men through alcohol and poker. They drank more than necessary and Aiden was unwilling to stumble in the dark, so they picked an empty room and stayed over.Aiden was concerned that there might be someone waiting for them between the house and the barracks, and he’d rather not risk Bran’s safety.As soon as Bran closed his eyes, he began dreaming about Marina. The setting from his other dreams was different. The deep, dark void was gone, and in its place was a cabin, much like the one his parents left for him and Brianna.Marina was sleeping on her stomach on the king-sized bed, the lower half of her body covered with a sheet. He was right. She had come to bed naked and lust surged within him as he thought of ways to wake her up so they could make love.Naked as the day he was born, he slid in next to her sleeping form, hugged her torso, and nuzzled her neck. Something about the dream felt familiar. As if he’d visited her like this m
Brandon smiled, appreciating Aiden’s sensitivity. His parents’ death was still a sore topic and now that he had less of his memories, he would rather talk about something else.“Where are we going?” Brandon asked.“To the barracks, where we can hang out with the guys and watch a movie. They have enough bunks available if you want to sleep over.”“Okay, I guess there’s nowhere else to go, right? Like a bar?”“Nah, the barracks would be better. We won’t need to watch our words here. Plus, the guys are eager to see you. They’re afraid you must have forgotten about them, too.”“What if I did?”“Then it’ll be cool. We’ll have stories to tell and you’ll think they’re all interesting.” Aiden smiled as if Bran, forgetting the last few months of his life, was nothing to be concerned about. “Don’t worry too much. Werewolves are resilient, so you’ll get your memories back in no time.”“You keep saying werewolf, is everyone at the ranch a werewolf?”Aiden nodded. “The humans at the ranch know abo
Brianna felt weird about having sex in a house full of werewolves with special hearing, especially with Gran and Gramps sleeping a few bedrooms away.Even a small whimper or moan would be equal to blasting a steamy, erotic audiobook on a loudspeaker. Aiden had mentioned before that sex was natural for the cycle of life and though werewolves could hear what happened behind closed doors, they should just do it anyway, otherwise they’ll both be sexually frustrated for never having the chance. But still Bree felt self-conscious, so she went to bed that night, said goodnight to her mate, and ignored the craving she felt.Grayson smiled and pulled her into her arms, molding their bodies together like spoons in a cutlery drawer. “I want you,” he whispered in her ear as his chest rumbled in frustration.Bree leaned into his embrace, her neck feeling the touch of Grayson’s nose as he caressed her skin.‘Yes,’ she answered through their bond as her legs intertwined with his. “You are wearing