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
Brandon couldn’t walk out of the cabin even if he wanted to. It had been a struggle to keep his wolf form, and he doubted he could even walk upright since he remembered crawling most of the way to get to the cabin.Every muscle in his body was tingling and his bones felt weak, making him wonder how he helped the woman the last few days when he couldn’t even move.Then he remembered he had been handling the Calabar beans without gloves and had been inhaling the fumes every time he brewed the tea.He heard Violet mention it was poisonous, and he did not heed her warnings about brewing the tea in an open area to have the least amount of contact with the poison.The effect on him had been gradual, given that he was also a werewolf whose body could heal itself. But over time, and with no sustenance to replenish the energy used to flush it out of his system, the poison stayed in his body longer.It was Brianna who figured out what was making him weak when he was unresponsive after two days
Brandon woke up the next day with his back touching a mattress so soft he thought he was dreaming. It had been a while since he slept indoors. He was sure it was a trick his mind was playing on him.Bran was weighed down by several blankets to keep the cold away and as he peeled them off slowly, he noticed the scents of the items around the room reminded him of home. He hadn’t expected to stay in his human form, but after his drastic shift, it became difficult to switch back. Thorne had warned him not to interfere. But the thought of leaving a human in need felt wrong.He only had to think of Brianna lying alone in the woods and his protective instincts kicked in.Bran remembered visiting this human in her dreams repeatedly, giving him another reason to help.He could feel the sorrow and the pain she felt, and he wondered if he was empathetic towards her because he had felt the same feelings while growing up. While in school, he felt lost and alone, despite being among people he thou
Momentary silence…then angry growls erupted around her. Bree tried to reach for Bran through their link, but all she felt was fear. The terror she felt from her brother had been too great. It consumed her as well. She did not know what was happening, but if Bran was scared, it meant something horrifying was happening. He was the bravest person and feared nothing, so she knew to keep quiet instead of crying out for help.Heavy footsteps thudded closer to her location, and Brianna strained to see what made the sounds. Labored breathing told her they were closer. Sitting upside down distorted her perception, but a window to the left that remained uncrushed offered her the opportunity to see the feet of an animal twice the size of any regular dog she’d seen. It had such enormous claws that Brianna almost let out a scream.‘Bran, I’m scared.’ She cried to him as her body shook in fear. ‘Close your eyes, Bree. It’ll be over soon.’She could feel the end coming. The wolves she saw in the
Marina woke up in the comfort of her bedroom a few days later, weak and thirsty. A glass of water sat on her bedside table, and she gulped the liquid greedily, spilling some of its contents down her sleeping gown.She sat up in bed and wondered how she got there. The last thing she remembered was running through the forest and crying her eyes out. She had eaten the berries by the riverbed and asked for death to take her, so when the hooded figure appeared, she was sure all her problems were gone. It was death, come to take her home.Marina laid back down and screamed at the top of her lungs. She stomped on the bed and used both fists to pound on the soft cushion like a child throwing a tantrum.She was mad that even death wouldn’t allow her the peace she wanted, so she blamed other people. Why me? I wanted to die. This is all Brianna’s fault. That bitch keeps interfering with my life.And the first thing she did after taking a shower and hatching out her plan was to call Seth.“I s
Brianna just stood to the side, and Violet pushed her toward the house. “No, Vi. This is Brandon. I told him we found the cure.”“You talk with him through your mind?”“Yes, we’ve done it since we were kids.”“That is astounding. I’ve never heard of a wolf having telepathic abilities outside the mate bond before.”“I guess we are rare. They said wolves never had twins before, either.”Brandon scolded her for telling their secret, and Brianna just smirked. How else could she explain his sudden appearance?Brandon was getting impatient. ‘Give me the pods so I can make the cure.’‘You have to shift. Violet says every part of the plant is poisonous and putting it in your mouth might kill you before you can help your friend.’‘Place it in a bag and wrap it around my body. Hurry Brianna. We do not have time. She might die and I can’t—’Brianna ran into the house and found a kid’s backpack. She emptied its contents and hurried to gather some of the pods, a few of the leaves, and the flowers,
Brianna had been worried about Brandon. After he almost ran into Seth’s men, she had been more worried, but he was stubborn, unwilling to compromise his freedom.Grayson was right. They were more vulnerable apart. So she tried to convince him to stay in the cabin with her, but Bran insisted Grayson was enough to do the job of guarding her. So she let him be. There was no convincing Bran to do things when he’d already said no. Not having her link with Bran made it more difficult to stay in the cabin and read through her mother’s books. She couldn’t bother Grayson too much during the day because he needed to concentrate on doing his job as the sheriff.Bree was amazed at the amount of information the books contained. It had everything from the beneficial uses of everyday household items to love potions, curses, and cures for every ailment.She wondered if modern medicine would benefit from reading through any witch’s journal.‘What is the cure for Belladonna?’ Bran interrupted her thou
Trigger warning: this chapter contains manipulative scenes and sexual acts that may be disturbing to some readers. Proceed with caution.Brandon had finally shaken off the goons after him and was on his way to check on Brianna when a brown wolf darted across his path. He sniffed at the odor it left behind and discovered it was a female wolf.The trail she took would lead her deeper into the forest, and he wondered if he should follow. There was something familiar about her, but a scent masked her true identity.Thorne, his wolf, objected to following the unknown wolf because they just evaded four of Seth’s pack members and didn’t want to run into them again. They had been relentlessly on his trail the past few days, but Brandon won the argument. Leaving a stray wolf to two rival packs bent on finding each other might mean trouble.Thorne, like any wolf who grew up taking care of Bran and Bree, could not let a lost wolf wander in the forest without protection. So Bran pursued the brow
Trigger warning: this chapter contains manipulative scenes and sexual acts that may be disturbing to some readers. Proceed with caution.Seth was using his alpha command on Marina, and she had no escape. There was no choice but to follow his every command.“I want you to suck my cock, but don’t worry, we’re not having sex. That is reserved for Brianna, my little angel. And so are my seeds. We need that to make beautiful children.” “But, Seth—” He grabbed her hair with his right hand and shoved her face to his crotch.Marina felt mortified as her face came into contact with his balls.“We both saw what they were doing. Suck my cock like Bree did with Grayson. And don’t think about biting me, or I will end you.” “But I haven’t done this before.” Marina angled her head away and felt him tug at her hair. Stronger this time. “Well, there’s no better time to start than now. I’m an excellent teacher,” he sneered while using his left hand to cradle his cock and raise it to her mouth.“Ple
Trigger warning: this chapter contains manipulative scenes and sexual acts that may be disturbing to some readers. Proceed with caution.“Don’t shift. I want to see your magnificence in the moonlight.”Brianna opened the door before Grayson could wear the clothes he left in the planter outside the door.A layer of sweat covered his body, enhancing the musky smell that filled the air and highlighting the muscles that covered his entire body. With enhanced vision and a sliver of moonlight outlining his body, he looked like a work of art. Every portion of his anatomy looked chiseled by a master craftsman.“Brianna, what are you doing out here? I told you to wait inside.”He grabbed her shoulder a little too roughly to push her into the house. Inside, Gray kicked the door shut, ready to scold her for going outside, when he saw her smiling.“What are you smiling about?”Bree lifted both arms and with a circular motion, like she was wiping the windows with both hands, shook off Grayson’s h