Chapter 48 My gaze locks onto Luke’s, challenging him and Axel’s arms tighten around me. I channel my anger, ready to force Axel’s arms from me, he might be strong but his strength can’t match the anger I have. The tension in the room seems to crackle with unshed power. “Woah, let's all calm down. This is not a time to be flexing our new powers,” Theo half laughs and I move my eyes to him. “Jose, why don't me and you go and take a breather in the bathroom?” he adds subtly tapping his ear like I had earlier when I'd asked if the others could hear us. “Fine,” I blow out a breath and relax my body in Axel’s arms. Theo takes my hand and Axel releases me, letting Theo lead me to the bathroom. The moment the door closes he turns to me and taps his ear again, nodding in encouragement. How does he know I have the hearing ability? I never told anyone. I'll ask him later, right now I'm grateful that I have at least one of them on my side. I try to recall how I'd used this gift before. I focu
Chapter 49The bang is accompanied by shattering glass and rubble falling, something hits my head and everything goes black. Hands yank me from the bed as I regain consciousness. My ears are ringing and my eyes sting. I can't see anything as I'm carried from the bed. I can hear panicked shouts but I can't make out what anyone is saying. Fear grips me as I try to frantically rub at my eyes, I need to see what is happening. My hands refuse to cooperate and they flail about uselessly. The scent of acrid smoke fills my nose and then I cough as it hits my lungs. “Dot,” I hear Mason roar but the sound is muffled as if I have headphones in. “Please fix her, you have to fix her,” Mason pleads and I feel him drop to his knees with me in his arms. “Stay with us, baby girl,” I hear Theo. I don't know where he thinks I'm going to go because whatever is in my eyes is virtually blinding me.“Mace, I don't think I can,” I hear Dot sob. “Fucking try, you have to try,” he barks. “Axel is raging. H
I spend some time relaxing in the warm water, letting the heat soak away some of my aches. Then I notice how hairy I am. Wow, who knew I could grow so much hair in 6 weeks? I glance around for a razor, I can't walk around like this. I might be the reincarnation of a cavewoman but it's 2024, there's no need to live like my past self now. My search for a razor is unsuccessful and I huff in frustration. How the hell am I going to deal with this? I stare at the unwanted hair, wishing it would just disappear. Then I yelp in shock when it dissolves right in front of my eyes. “No way,” I gasp, running my hands over my now smooth legs in disbelief. I lift an arm to check my underarm and that hair is gone too. This is my favourite power to date. Never having to shave ever again? Awesome! Then I reach up to touch my head in a panic, a rush of relief washing over me when I feel my hair still there. My eyebrows and eyelashes are thankfully still intact too. I hear a brief shout before the bathroo
Chapter 51“Mine!” the words slip from my mouth and as if the wolf hears me it stops in its tracks. Turning its head its glowing blue eyes find mine immediately. I recognise it, it's Mason. He looks to have some kind of internal struggle as the light in its eyes dims before shining even brighter, and then he tears his eyes from mine and continues his path into the thick forest and out of sight. “Uh oh, someone's wolf just got a glimpse of one of their mates for the first time,” Theo says coming to stand beside us. “When you feel up to it we should all go for a run together, it will be good for our wolves to finally meet,” Luke says. “Not without Axel,” I shake my head. I'm not letting him miss our first run together. “I can come, I shifted,” Axel says quietly behind me. I turn in his arms to look up at him.“Axel, that's amazing. When did it happen?” I grin, so pleased for him. He looks down in shame before he answers.“The night you were hurt, I lost control,” he admits.“Hey,” I
Chapter 52Theo's room is decorated more modestly than the rest of the house, with plain blue walls and curtains. It's a typical teenage boy's bedroom apart from the huge bed that takes up almost the whole floor space. The bed is like the one we had at the apartment and I wonder if it's a standard bed in this realm. “She could have let us keep Sophie’s room,” Theo grumbles when he struggles to move around the bed. “This is fine,” I reassure him. I'm just grateful we have somewhere safe to stay together. “I'm going to do a perimeter run,” Axel says from behind me. I turn to him and I'm concerned with the change I can see in him. His face is no longer the sweet shy one, his expression is hard and fierce. His posture is tense and on high alert. It’s the kind of change you can only earn from trauma, and I did that to him. I wrap my arms around him and feel a little comfort when he holds me back and kisses the top of my head.“Come back to me,” I whisper to him, hoping he understands the
Chapter 53The phone rings twice before I hear Dot’s voice.“Luke, you better be calling with some good news because I'm going crazy here. She should be awake by now and the healers need…”“Hi, Dot,” I cut her off. I can't believe no one has told her I’m awake yet. “Josie?” she gasps.“Yes, it's me,” “Oh my goodness, Josie, it's so good to hear your voice! I've been so worried. How are you? When did you wake up?” she blurts and I can hear the emotion in her voice. “I’m good Dot, thanks to you. The doctor said I have no negative effects,” I tell her. “I'm so happy to hear that, I thought maybe I messed up and…” her words are cut off by a sob. “Dot, I’m fine. You saved me, I owe you my life,” I say with tears rolling down my face. I wish I could hug her right now, she has spent all these weeks thinking she had done something wrong. “They wouldn't let me see you, I've been going crazy here. Is Mason with you?” she asks.“I know, I called as soon as I found out. Mason is not here ri
Chapter 54“Looks like we are going for that run now,” I hear Theo sigh as I dart after Mason. I don't wait for the others, I lower my nose to the ground letting my wolf guide us with her instincts as she takes note of Mason's scent. “Hey, no shifting in the house,” I hear a startled female voice from downstairs and my wolf heads towards it. Theo’s mum, Maria, comes into view and I wish I could apologise to her as I run by her and out the door. “Sorry Mum, it's a bit of an emergency,” Theo calls from behind me. I can hear the footsteps of Axel, Theo and Luke as they run in human form behind me, trying to keep up. “Theo, put some bloody clothes on before you go outside,” I hear her chastise. “No time,” he shouts. Their footsteps come to a halt and I assume they've stopped to shift. I don't wait, instead I push forward in chase of my mate. He's so fast but I'm determined to catch him. When I break into the forest my wolf becomes more alert. This is her domain and I let her take full
Chapter 55The girl hangs from a tree branch with a rope around her neck, her long dark hair covers her face and she has the letter J carved into her abdomen. It's not hard to miss the message. She looks very similar to me and the J has to be for Josie. “Mason give me your phone,” I pat his pockets in search of it. He reaches around to his back pocket and hands it to me.“Call Deacon and tell him to lift the wards, we are porting out of here now,” he orders. “Okay,” I nod, not fully sure what he's on about but there's something I need to do first. I open the camera and start snapping pictures of the body.“What the fuck are you doing you psycho?” Mason snatches the phone from me. “I’m not done,” I try to take the phone back.“Yes, you are,” he growls, “I’m deleting that shit off my phone,” “Mason, how many people can we really trust right now?” I ask him. “None without screening them,” he frowns. “Then give me back the phone, there is evidence right in front of us and I can tell