‘Serena.’ She reached out to her wolf, only to be rejected.To Bree, it had been only yesterday when she passed out on the floor when she saw Grayson standing naked with Marina in the bathroomBut if Grayson was telling her the truth, that they had been together the past few days, it meant she had been having memory lapses again, which only happened when Serena took over.Bree reached out again, pleading for the wolf to let her in.‘You wanted to forget. But I don’t,’ Serena answered while Grayson observed her with a puzzled expression. Brianna looked like she was in a trance, so he assumed she was talking to her wolf.He learned early on that whenever Brianna’s eyes glazed over; she was busy communicating with her wolf. It was something that should come naturally to werewolves, but since Bree did not grow up knowing she was a shapeshifter, it was taking some getting used to. He could easily talk to Slate and not lose concentration or sight of what was in front of him. It was natural
Grayson sighed. He knew it would take time to convince Bree of his sincerity, but he had an explanation that would allay her fears. “Nobody but Aiden knows this, but before you came, I’ve been sleeping in my office every evening. The couch becomes a bed at night.”“Why?”“I’m the alpha and I have certain duties. I can’t have a horny teenager dictate my sleep schedule.”“You said nothing can stop her. She can just as easily get into the office as in your bedroom.”“That’s not true. It’s the one room in the house where nobody but I can enter without an invitation.”“And you think I should believe that?”“I will be here first thing tomorrow morning and you can sniff me all you want, for evidence.” He grinned.“I have a lot to think about. Maybe you should go.” Bree couldn’t pry herself from his lap. She had comfortably sat on his knees and it was hard to move from the snuggly position. One move was all it would take, and they’d be naked and doing the horizontal dance again. So Brianna
After Bran left, Bree went inside and found several sheets in the boxes, so she made all the beds in the house. To make it look more welcoming. Having all the furniture and boxes sitting around made it feel eerie.She laid her head on the pillow, but sleep wouldn’t come. How could she stay indoors when she knew Bran patrolled the area around their new house? So she stayed up the entire night and opened more boxes. There were a lot of books about werewolves written by fantasy authors and she thought it would be a good idea to pass the time by reading the materials. As Grayson said, not everything that was written about the wolves was accurate, but at least she could compare notes using her experience.She found a bookshelf downstairs and started stacking it up. The family seemed to have a penchant for reading fantasy books, as they also contained stories about mermaids, fairies, and witches. There were tomes that looked old and dusty, so Bree set those on the bottom where all the he
Marina fumed with anger as she returned to her house. It had been empty for a while since her parents passed. And she used it when she needed space.Most of the time, she spent her days at the Walker Ranch and was welcomed by Grayson’s family. So now that he told her to leave, she felt lost.She had never felt alone even when her parents died, but now, without the brothers constantly nagging and teasing her, the loneliness was magnified.Grayson had given Marina the ultimatum, and she was not happy that he threatened to banish her just because Brianna, the bitch, complained about her.She was supposed to be the alpha’s wife. The pack’s most treasured member, but now everything had changed.Disgusted with the turn of events, Marina did as she always would when faced with adversity. She pampered herself by lathering on her expensive lotions to hydrate her skin and dolled her face up. She went out to attract other people’s attention since none of the ones that mattered did.This always
“We are destined to always go back on our word, aren’t we?” Grayson smiled before kissing her sweet, red lips.There was nowhere he’d rather be at the moment, and he was afraid speaking would break the spell.“This thing between us, is it real?” Squeezed tightly together on a medium-sized couch was the weirdest place to question the validity of their relationship. But he was glad that Bree was open to talking about it.“It is, and the house deed only proves we would have been together earlier had your parents not met their accident.”Brianna looked away. It was not helpful thinking about the what-ifs when it would never bring her parents back.“Thank you for comforting me last night. It was hard to learn about all this without Bran.”“Happy to help. Do you want me to stay and make you breakfast?” Grayson wanted to lie with Bree on the couch all day, but her tummy made some grumbling noises.“No, thanks. You’ve done enough already. We should get up.” Bree lifted her head, the close quar
Marina woke up the next day fully satiated and happy. Nobody would ever guess what had her grinning that morning.She had uncovered a secret desire when the wolf licked her body. Her dream felt so real she could imagine the smoothness of his tongue and the silkiness of his fur brushing against her bare skin.Marina had to calm the beating of her heart or the wolves around her might get curious and she was afraid she might blurt out the truth. People would surely laugh at her if they learned the object of her desire was an animal.It was the beginning of the work week, so Grayson would be hers all day and she could pretend they were together.She was a secretary at the sheriff’s office, and working with him was the highlight of her day.In the office, Grayson treated her like an adult. They discussed important details about Silvercreek and he respected her opinions.“Gray, do you want me to order lunch?” She asked after knocking on his door.“Marina, I need to talk to you. Would you mi
Bree flipped through the pages and found information about their father.Patrick Stone, even his name, sounds dependable and strong. Okay, I’m grasping at straws. What can I do? I love the guy.I met Patrick when we were both in college. He had just moved from Los Angeles with his mother. I’ve never been there, but Patrick said it was beautiful, and promised we’d visit someday.He told me about LA, and I could already picture us traveling there together.We hit it off right away like we knew each other forever, even when we’ve never met before. Maybe this is what they meant when you meet your soulmate. Everything just works out perfectly.Patrick shared they moved to different places since he was a kid, never staying for more than a few years.When I asked, he said his mom had a job that required them to travel all the time, so they did.It sounded like they were hiding from someone, but I didn’t pry. Everybody had their secrets. There were things he couldn’t share, but I accepted him
Elizabeth warned me of danger several times, making me wonder if she was an oracle. I had the mark of the sisterhood and anybody in a coven recognized each other, but since she never opened up about it, I had to see for myself.Was she a witch in hiding? Is that why they kept moving?‘Wait! What?? Brandon. Mom is a witch?’ She was glad he had checked in earlier and accompanied her while she read the diary. A big revelation, such as their mom being a witch, would be hard to contain.‘No wonder we always had those herbs hanging around in the kitchen and little bottles with all sorts of things inside them.’Brianna slapped her forehead. She should have gotten a clue from the books when she put them away. The covers did not look like any regular storybook. Then the pages looked timeworn and most of the text was handwritten in cursive, which is the reason she did not read in the dark.‘There were a lot of clues and we never connected them together.’‘Well, we were kids when witches and wer
“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
“Brianna, is that you?” Amelia piped from the kitchen.“Hey, Mrs. Walker,” Bree nodded shyly at Grayson’s grandmother. Ever since they came back from the Nightshade raid, Brianna had avoided having a conversation with Grayson’s grandparents because she felt shy that the couple had welcomed them into their home while the twins had brought nothing but trouble.The older woman shook her head. “Come and sit down. Didn’t I ask you to call me Gran?”Bree wanted to hide in the bedroom until Grayson arrived, but it seemed his grandma had other ideas. She felt embarrassed that she just assumed her position as Grayson’s mate without his elders’ blessing, and Bree was apprehensive that they wouldn’t approve.“Uhmm, yes, Gran.” Bree did not realize she was hungry until her tummy grumbled upon smelling the food Amelia had laid in front of her.“You’re getting skinny. Eat this stew before you go back to watching your brother. Is he feeling better?”Brianna nodded and began munching on her food. “Th