Delia’s POV
The first thing I saw when my eyes opened was my mom’s worried face. I recalled what had happened immediately, fear catching at my throat until I realized I was no longer in the woods; I was back at home, tucked safely into my bedroom. I didn’t understand how I had survived that, but I was grateful. Surprisingly, it didn’t at all hurt when I tried to sit up. I felt good as new, as if I had just woken up from a power nap and I smiled at my mother in relief to show her she didn’t need to worry anymore. She didn’t smile back. “Mom? It’s okay. I’m fine.” I said, looking over my unbroken skin and intact limbs in shock. Maybe it had been a bad dream? Because I remember a large wolf sinking its teeth into me, but here I was, arm as good as new. My mother sighed, her soft brown eyes filling with sadness “No it’s not Delia. I’m so sorry. I did everything I could to keep you with us. Remember that okay?” She said tearfully and I got a little confused. “What? I don’t understand.” The words were barely out of my mouth when the door to my bedroom opened, a tall grim-faced man stalking in suddenly with my father hot on his heels. “I swear to God, you’re not taking her!” Dad shouted, his voice shaking with anger. I had never seen my father so furious, nor my mother so sad. The fear I’d just let go of crept back, curling around my heart. “Mom, what’s going on? Who is he?” My eyes drifted to the stranger, my pulse quickening for reasons I didn’t care to explore just then. He was undeniably handsome—with dark brown hair smoothed back over his head and a jawline that looked cut from marble. His full lips were set in a hard line and I held back a shudder as those stormy, grey eyes trailed all over me. There was a cold authority in the way he carried himself, so calm and self assured, as if he commanded the very air around him. “Mom?” I pressed, growing more anxious. My mother sighed again, her movements slow and heavy, as if speaking was a burden. “This is Graeme Buchanan,” she said softly. “Alpha of the Rosewood Pack, King of the Wolf Alliance.” The words didn’t make sense at first. “Werewolf?” I whispered, the pieces clicking into place. “Is that what attacked me?” My pulse raced as I tried to comprehend what she was saying. Mom shook her head, as if unable to bear confirming it out loud. The man— Graeme —stepped forward, his eyes locked on mine. “Yes. You were attacked by a werewolf,” he said in a calm, almost detached tone. “Considering how quickly you’ve healed, it’s likely you’ve been infected.” My jaw dropped. “W—What?” My voice trembled. This was insane. “Don’t listen to him, sweetie,” Dad said, coming to my side, his hand protectively on my shoulder. “You weren’t hurt that bad. You’ve always been a fast healer, remember? Don’t let this... this lunatic fill your head with nonsense. I’ve called the police, and they’ll get him out of here soon.” Graeme’s expression didn’t change. He stood there, calm and unbothered by Dad’s words. “I understand your difficulty with the situation Mr. Mathers,” he said, his voice steady but urgent. “Your daughter was bitten by a werewolf and there’s a very real chance she’s been turned. Life as your happy family once knew it, is over and I’m the guy who broke that news to you. Believe me, you have my respects for protecting your family but—” He turned to me, a somber look on his face “we don’t have time to waste. There’s a full moon tonight, and if Delia shifts, she could hurt people. Just like the werewolf that did you. “Shift?” The word felt foreign on my tongue, and panic bubbled in my chest. “You mean... I could become a werewolf?” Graeme nodded, his eyes softening just a fraction. “Yes. And you need to be out of human territory before the moon rises. It’s for your safety—and for theirs.” “I won’t let him take you, Delia,” Dad said, his voice firm. “No one is taking my daughter anywhere.” “Eddie, please,” Mom sobbed, her voice breaking. “We don’t have a choice. The Mayor’s men—if we don’t let her go, they’ll...” She crumpled, unable to finish her sentence, and I rushed to her side, gathering her into my arms. “They’ll what?” I asked, my voice tight with fear, directing my question to Graeme. “They’ll kill you,” He said softly and I gasped. “Kill me?” I mumbled, feeling faint “Why? I haven’t done anything wrong! I was attacked!” I insisted unable to believe any of this was real. “I know, but the law is pretty clear about the need for werewolves to stay away from humans. So we can avoid accidents like the one that hurt you. The first shift is usually the most traumatic of them all. They can’t risk you turning here Delia. It’s too dangerous for others and for yourself.” Perhaps it was just my imagination, but his voice had gentled considerably since he started speaking and I found myself craving more of the comfort. “I’m sorry about this incident, I will do my very best to get to the bottom of it. If you don’t shift tonight, we’ll keep you for a full month and then if everything is fine, we’ll bring you right back to your parents. But until then… we have to go.” A lump formed in my throat. My world was crumbling around me. Kacey’s face flashed in my mind, and I remembered that she’d been with me—had she survived? “Mom... Kacey...?” I asked, my voice cracking. Mom’s eyes filled with fresh tears as she shook her head. “She... didn’t make it, honey.” My chest tightened, grief crashing over me like a tidal wave. Kacey was gone. My best friend—dead. Everything was unraveling, and I was powerless to stop it. My breath came in short gasps as the numbness set in. No one said anything else for a long time while I sat there and wept silently. “Delia.” Graeme called softly and I knew what he meant. Was I really going to do it? Just get up and leave my parents and my town. And Zack? Oh my god, what would he think coming back here and not seeing me? Would they let us be together if I turned out to be a werewolf after all? Would he still want to be with me? An image of Kacey flashed in my mind’s eye and my chest constricted tightly. I couldn’t believe she was gone. Killed by that… thing. And if what this Graeme man was saying was true, I could very much be the next thing that killed an innocent girl like Kacey. Maybe in my case, I’d hurt my parents or even Zack. Knowing what I had to do, I straightened my spine and looked over at him, wiping my eyes clean. “I’ll go.” I said with as much calmness as I could muster. Both my parents gasped. “Honey you don’t need to—” “It’s for the best dad. I can’t risk becoming that thing and hurting you like it hurt Kacey!” I argued tearfully “Please don’t make this harder for me than it is.” My father’s eyes watered, his mouth trembling, and then he shut his eyes defeated, his acceptance all over his face. I hugged my parents goodbye and packed a few things inside a duffle. My phone had been lost in the woods so there was no reaching Zack, so I wrote a quick note of how I loved him and made my mom promise she would give him. Trying to not cry, I followed Graeme and his dangerous-looking men into their jeep and we pulled out of my parent’s driveway. I sat at the back with Graeme my mind numb with grief. Staring unseeingly out the window, I did my best to hold myself together as I watched my house disappear for what felt like the last time. Barely five minutes latter, the driver slammed the brakes abruptly, making the car and everyone in it lurch violently forward. “What the fuck?” He exclaimed and I raised up my head, heart beating wildly at the thought that the beast had returned to finish the job. Someone had appeared quite suddenly in front of us, his face obscured by the car's headlight. I gasped when I recognized the features; it was Zack and I had never seen him so furious. “Wait!” I cried as Graeme climbed purposefully out of the car, murder in his eyes and I hurried after him. I started to run past him but a hand grabbed me from behind, yanking me back in place and I struggled against it, eyes completely on Zack. Zack wasn’t looking at me though. He had a death stare trained on Graeme and Graeme held it fearlessly. For a moment, the both of them simply stared at each other, tension rising rapidly between them. “Give her to me.” Zack ordered in a voice I didn’t quite recognize. Graeme didn’t flinch. “Get out of our way before I make you.” He said, equally demanding, neither giving room for the other. “Wait! Graeme, please don’t hurt him! He’s my boyfriend!” I said, desperate to undo whatever tension was building here. I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with Zack, talking to an adult like that, much less one that was a wolf king. I hoped his attitude wouldn’t cost him his life. Graeme paused an half turned to glance at me out the corner of his eyes, still careful to face Zack. “Delia, did you know this boyfriend of yours is a Vampire?”Delia's POVI gaped at Graeme, shocked at his revelation. My boyfriend? A Vampire? Come on. That was impossible.“No… you're mistaken, he can't be.” I argued but even then as I took in Zack’s beautiful face twisted with an unholy rage and the red ring around his light blue eyes, and I wasn’t so sure. A moment ago, I didn’t even know werewolves existed and now I was being told my boyfriend of the past year is a freaking vampire. I needed to catch a freaking break. “Come Delia.” Zack ordered and my body seized once more, my desperation to get to him keeping me in frenzy. “Get her away from him. He’s got her under a thrall. Head to the pack. I’ll finish him off and follow behind.” He said self-assuredly and a bone-chilling laugh fell out of Zack’s mouth. “Oh, I'd like to see you try Wolf Boy.” Zack hissed and then they flew into action. One moment they were eyeing each other, several feet apart. The next Zack moved with lightening speed I’d never known he was capable of, swiping at Gr
Graeme’s POVThe cool night air whipped past me as I sprinted deep into the forest, the sound of the world fading behind me. My paws pounded against the earth in a steady rhythm, adrenaline surging through my veins, pushing me to run faster. I needed to run. Needed to escape before I found myself doing something I couldn’t afford to do. I left my men—and her—far behind. Despite how badly I wanted to turn back, I didn’t. Panic clawed at my insides, but I forced it down, focusing instead on the forest that enveloped me. The trees blurred by in a rush of shadows and moonlight, but the image of Delia's face wouldn’t leave my mind.She had looked so fragile and bewildered, standing between there staring at me with wide, desire filled eyes. There had been something about her when I met her, something that drew me to her, but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined it could be this. Never had I thought that it was a mate bond that called to me. There was no way that girl could be my mate
Chapter 5Delia’s POVI sat quietly in the back seat of the car, numb with shock of the day’s event. My hands were folded tightly in my lap, my nails pressing crescents into my palms. I stared out the window, watching the dark forest blur past, the trees casting long shadows under the pale moonlight. My mind however, was trapped somewhere else—caught in the memory of the happenings around me. I still couldn’t believe it all. My world had been rocked in a matter of minutes at it was all because of him. Graeme.His name shot through me like a lightning bolt, sending shockwaves through me everytime it surfaced in my mind. And I couldn’t help but think about it, no matter how I tried. I could still feel the phantom touch of his lips against mine, a sensation so vivid it made my breath hitch. It had been more than a kiss; it had been an overwhelming flood of emotions, raw and all-consuming. For a moment, it had felt like the world had stopped, like there was nothing but the two of us. I w
Delia’s POV “Sit.” Alpha Oswald gruffed gesturing to one of the visitor's chairs opposite his desk. After only a brief hesitation, I stepped forward and slid myself into the seat. He said nothing for a moment, eyeing me steadily. I was uncomfortable for a moment, and tried to avoid his gaze. When he didn’t let up his silent staring, a small wave of anger started to build up inside me and I found myself glaring back into his eyes. A small sound that suspiciously resembled a growl suddenly arose and until his eyes widened slightly, I didn't know it was from me. “Hm. Your wolf’s got a lot of bite for a mutt.” He said sounding slightly impressed. I didn't really understand what he was talking about, but it sounded like a compliment so I mumbled a thanks even though it came out a bit more hostile than I intended. Eyes trained on me, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch, drawing a cigar out and placing it between his lips. “I don’t suppose you care for some?” He offered a
Graeme’s POVThe steady ticking of the clock grated on my nerves. It was the only sound in my office, save for the occasional rustle of paper when I pretended to read the reports in front of me. My focus was shot, my thoughts dominated by Delia. The image of her standing in front of me—hurt, confused, and yet impossibly fierce—refused to leave my mind. Rejecting her had felt like driving a blade into my own chest, and every passing second since had twisted it deeper. A sharp knock on the door pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.“Come in,” I called, clearing my throat and straightening in my chair. Duke stepped inside, his massive frame filling the doorway. He looked grim, his expression tighter than usual, and I knew whatever he had to say wasn’t good.“Alpha,” he said, shutting the door behind him. He held a folder in his hands, which he placed carefully on my desk before taking a seat across from me.“Any luck with the scouting?” I asked, my voice low.He nodded. “We met with the
Delia’s POVThe early morning sunlight streamed through the window, the golden beams too bright for how heavy I felt inside. Sleep had come in fits and starts, offering no reprieve from the memories that haunted me. When I did manage to drift off into nothingness, the nightmares came with a vengeance, the snarling of a wolf waking me up with a terrifying jolt. As if that wasn’t enough, Graeme’s voice lingered in my mind, cold and firm in its rejection, as if he’d carved my fate with a single word. I felt hollow, like some essential piece of me had been ripped away, and the wound wouldn’t close— and it wasn’t just for the life I had lost. A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I sighed, knowing it would be Annalise, coming to drag me for yet another round of early morning training. We’d been going at it for a week now, with her filling me in on some Lycan culture and the various hierarchies that existed in the pack. I was still clueless about most wolf dynamics, but she
Delia’s POVWe ended up going to a set of cabins instead. Even though I wanted nothing more than to collapse in the privacy of my own room back in the manor, I couldn’t fight her enough to resist. I noticed it was her cabin immediately we entered. It was warm and cheery, much like her and for some reason, it gave me a bit of comfort. Not enough to overcome the overwhelming shame I felt for lashing out like that. I collapsed onto the couch, my head in my hands.“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I just—”“You don’t have to apologize,” she said, sitting beside me. “This isn’t easy, I know. It’s my own fault for pushing you when you weren’t ready to be honest.” She said with a wry twist of her lips. I shook my head. “No. If I’m being honest, I haven’t been trying all that well. I’ve been fighting this every step of the way. Some part of me feels like if I try hard enough, I can suppress it and just… you know… go back to normal.” I finished awkwardly, my sadness spilling forth. “Delia… you are n
Graeme’s POVI was at the boardroom for a meeting with my council of elders. From the displeased looks on everyone's faces, it was going rather poorly. Despite the whir of the air conditioners tucked into strategic areas of the room, it was stifling, a palpable tension at large.A large rectangular table dominated most of the room with my pack elders seated around. They were eight in total, seasoned wolves with deep roots to prominent Lycan families and a long history of service to the pack. Usually, I had complete and unwavering support from most of them, just as my father had. Today however, none of them seemed particularly… supportive.I greeted them as I took my seat, trying not to let their stiff nods and reluctant answers get to me. As much as I valued their wisdom and contributions to the pack, I was the authority here. They would do well to remember that— as would I. Elder Marlow, always the first to speak, leaned forward, his gnarled hands clasped on the table. “Alpha. Nic
Delia’s POVI wasn’t expecting the knock at my door.Not now, when the quiet finally felt bearable and I’d managed — just barely — to wrestle my thoughts away from a certain dark-eyed Alpha King.I opened the door to find Marcus standing there, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, shoulders stiff with unease.“Hey,” he said, voice low, profile tense. “Can I come in for a minute?”“Um, yes.” I said, feeling an awkwardness that lingered from our last encounter. I stepped aside, motioning him in. The scent of the woods clung to him — pine, damp earth, the clean sharpness of the waterfall. It should’ve been comforting. Instead, it reminded me too much of everything I was trying to forget. That he was a wolf and I had only met him because I was a wolf and I was miserable because the wolf who was supposed to be my mate had rejected me. Marcus hovered awkwardly in the middle of the room until I sat down on the edge of my bed. Only then did he sit too, not too close, his hands fidgeting wit
Graeme’s POVI stepped back. “Ramona.” A warning in my tone.Her smile widened, eyes glittering. “Ah, still so proper. Even now. Even after everything.”“There is no everything.” I snapped and she raised cocked her head, the gesture so familiar that it forced me to flash back. The memories slammed into me before I could block them — her mouth on mine, her body beneath me, the wild hunger that had once driven us both past reason. And the bitterness when I'd ended it, cold and final, for reasons she had never quite forgiven.She watched me intently, a lazy amusement coloring her gaze that I didn’t much appreciate. “Surely you don’t mean that. Is it that you’ve forgotten or that you don’t dare remember?”She purred stalking closer towards me. To my great embarrassment, I took several steps back before I caught myself. Her smile widened. My jaw clenched. “Is it someone who forces you to forget Graeme? Perhaps… a certain newly-turned mutt?” She said teasingly and my hands clenched into f
Graeme's POVI was at my desk, a stack of reports scattered before me, but I couldn't focus on a damn word. My mind kept flitting between multiple thoughts, most of them centered around Delia and the predicament we were in. My conversation with Oswald kept ringing in my head about power and how I needed to use it. So I send formal letters to all the other preternatural heads; the Feline, Ursine and the rest of the Canine shifters. I tried to keep it vague, not wanting to show my cards before I had to. I would meet with all of them and see if they were having any vampire trouble too. If they were, we could band together and stand a much better chance at defeating those bloodsuckers. I wanted to avoid a full-scale war if possible. It’s just that, with all of Zachary’s bold attacks and his mother’s lack of acknowledgement, I would be foolish not to prepare for some kind of trouble. The sooner I strengthened my allies, the better off I would be. I tried not to think of the other source
Delia’s POVFour days later, I was still reeling from my last encounter with Graeme. I’d gone from sad and destitute, to furious. How dare he do these things to me? How dare he treat me like this? How dare he drive me crazy? And why, oh why couldn’t I stop thinking about him. I hated him so much at the moment but no matter how much I tried to, I couldn’t get him out of my head. He was there constantly, lingering at the back of my mind the entire day. My brain was firing erratically, trying to do the impossible task of finding something else to focus on. All was in vain. I had no peace at night either, for he would slip into my dreams unbidden, bringing passion and softness and all the good things of life. And when I woke, he would vanish, leaving me bereft all over again. Making a sound of disgust at myself, I got off my bed, unable to stand being crowded in my own head a second longer. I needed some sort of distraction, so I decided to take a walk and see if it would help. I thre
Graeme’s POV“Don't go!”I heard as I thundered down the halls of Wilburn Manor, towards Oswald's office. “Don't leave me!” Delia's voice kept re-echoing in my head. I gritted my teeth against the unrelenting urge to go back. It took everything in me and Duke’s steady presence by my side to open the door into Oswald's office. Duke stationed himself outside, allowing us Alphas some privacy to discuss. Oswald looked up at my entry, his face unchanging. “Done?” He queried and I nodded. “Thank you for your compliance and discretion. You remain as trustworthy as always Oswald.”He shrugged “I swore fealty to you as I did your father. It's my duty. However, before I continue in my duties, I have to ask, why is your mate in my pack?”He said quizzically and I froze. “Excuse me?”He raised a brow at my aghast look “Do you deny that the mutt you brought here over a month ago is your mate?”I should have. Vehemently so. I was so shocked that he'd figured it out that I forgot to. I thought I
Delia’s POVI stared unseeing at the ceiling, my mind numb, my thoughts far away. I’d been awake for some time now, but I just couldn’t generate enough will to get out of bed. I’d listened to the morning come and go without much interest in partaking of it. The maid had been by with my morning and then afternoon meals, leaving them outside my door. I let each meal pass without evening checking to see what she’d brought. Annalise had been over twice already, but I hadn’t bothered to answer her calls or knocks. I didn’t get up when Marcus came calling yet again either. Just like the other four days prior, I stayed put in wallowing in my self-induced semi-comatose state. Nothing was enough to make me generate enough will to leave that bed. Not my friends. Not the gnawing hunger in the pit of my stomach. Not the ache in my limbs from being in one place for so long. I wanted to stay so still that I could pass away if no one was noticing. I’d had quite enough of this meaningless existence.
Graeme’s POVI woke up panting, my body on fire, my heart searing from what felt like another very real separation from Delia. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I was aching, in more places than one. I had been there, at Wilburn pack with Delia in my arms. So why the fucking hell was I here? I glared around at my room, as if it had offended me by becoming my shelter for yet another night. Restlessness overcoming me, I scrambled out of bed, thinking to find the quickest route over to her when a sharp knock came on my door. I paused, looking up, an inexplicable anger brewing in me. “Who’s there?” I growled. A moment later, the door opened to admit Duke. His face was somber, his eyes worried. “Alpha? I heard you stir. Is everything okay.”Disoriented, I could only stare back at him, my eyes starved, my heart beating like crazy. I hadn’t intended to lash out like that. Torn by my most recent encounter with the mate bond, I had reacted by flinging out wisps of my power, a su
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Delia’s POV “You're getting really good at this Delia.” Marcus said and I grinned. “What can I say? I had a really good teacher.” I teased and was pleased to see a flush rise up his cheeks. “All I did was show you a few moves.” He said abashedly. I clicked my tongue “Oh come off it. You definitely did a lot more than that.” I insisted but he shook his head “No. I'm serious. All this progress was all you. And I gotta say, I'm impressed at how far you've come in such a short time.” I glanced at the bent out of shape straw man that had been my battering ram for the past nine days. I wasn't as good as Marcus was making me out to be. Not yet at least. But I worked hard and constantly to make sure I progressed. I could throw proper punches now and I had all but mastered a grounded fighting stance. It would take quite a while for me to get to the level where I could take on an opponent in hand to hand combat. I wondered if I would ever be able to fight wolves or even
Graeme's POVI left Ramona's place in a fury, cursing her and the Vampire family that currently had me running in circles. Duke sent me surreptitious glances as we sat at the back of the car together, but thankfully, he didn't speak. I brooded silently, staring out the window while my thoughts whirled. I was running out of time. So far, I'd managed to keep the Mayor under wraps with the promise that I would have answers by the end of the month. I didn't want to broadcast it to the other packs but the way I saw it, word had already spread. It made no difference whether I asked them directly if they had a hand in the attack. I wouldn't put it past them to betray me like that. Hell, some of the so-called elders of my pack held enough grievances against me that I wouldn't be surprised to find out about their involvement. As much as I was certain the vampire was behind it all, her main attacker had to have been a wolf. Otherwise, there would have been no turning Delia and the photos of the