I smoke a cigarette as I wait for Rain. The last eight days have been the happiest of my life. After the party for my birthday—to which I had to return, for my mother wanted me to meet all the females she had invited, hoping I would find my mate—I spent as much time with Rain as possible, for she is my mate.And now, finally, it is a Full Moon. If Titan is right, tonight she will turn nineteen, and I will finally feel the bond with her. I will finally be able to stop hiding my relationship with her. Starting tonight, she will move to my room. We will share the same bed. We will wake up together.My heart beats fast against my ribcage as I look at the forest.I can almost imagine waking up with her beside me, the sun kissing her skin, her freckles standing out, my room smelling like her. And when she opens her eyes, that green gaze looking at me….‘How about we put a pup in her belly tonight?’ Titan asks.‘You and your obsession with a family. She is yet to build a nest and have her fi
I can see the confusion in her eyes, and I can scent it on her. “It had been Titan who told me about you been born today. I don’t understand either since I checked your birthday record, and you are listed to be born on the 28th of August, but here we are on the 13th of August, and you just barely turned nineteen. If not, how else could we feel we are mates? But regardless of what is happening, you are my mate, Rain.”She bites her lip—like she usually does when she is nervous. “Are you sure we are mates? That you want… me?”“I suspected it for days, and I wanted you long before that,” I finally tell her the truth. Even if I might have wanted her for selfish reasons, there is no denying that I fell in love with her. Even if I have been with many females before her, she is my first love, my mate, my Luna. “What do you say, Rain? Will you honor the mating bond and give yourself to me? All of you?”“I don’t know what to say. The pack hates me. Your mother hates me. And your father… Your f
It is not her first time.She lied to me.“You have been with another,” I mumble as I pull out and rush to stand.Rain opens her eyes and uses her hands to cover herself. “What? No. No. It’s not like that.”I put my pants on and take out a cigarette. “Then how is it? Because I asked you if someone did anything against your will, and every time you denied it!”Rain gets dressed. “If… if…” she breathes hard. “If I have been with another, what does it matter? You have been with others before me.”“But I never lied to you!” I roar. She flinches. “I didn’t mean to yell… I just need a few moments to process everything.”She stands there, looking awkwardly around. “I never meant to lie to you. I am sorry. If you want to reject me, I understand, but I want you to know that I never lied to you and… and… I love you,” she says before rushing back to the Packhouse.I pace around smoking like crazy.‘Why the fuck do you have to ruin everything?’‘I didn’t ruin anything! I just need a moment to thi
A few hours before Kevin returned to Jordan with Rain’s phoneTatiana had been so insistent that I should be patrolling the border—which I already do every single night—that I ended up running along trees and thickets that mark the end of my territory for almost twelve hours now. Usually, I would be exhausted by now, but the potions Tatiana gave me not long ago helped me sleep a few hours during the night. I forgot when I last felt so rested.I let Raven take control for a while, and I enjoy seeing the world through his eyes. His senses and night vision are much stronger than mine, and even without the light coming from the moon, he would still be able to see perfectly.Normally, Andrew, my ex, would accompany me during the patrol, but since he found his mate, I am alone. I should get used to it because I don’t plan to let another male into my life only to have my heart broken again. Conon and Conrad have tried to set me up with several single males from the pack, but I am done with d
An IV is connected to Red’s left arm, a transparent liquid slowly flowing into her body. She is wearing one of those medical gowns that cover almost nothing, a blanket draped over her legs. Next to the bed is an Ekg heart monitor, her heartbeats showing on the screen. Her eyes are closed, and she appears to be sleeping, her breathing even. More whimpers come from her. I even think I hear her say, ‘hurts.’ “I know it hurts, but you will feel better soon.” A sob so broken comes from her, it makes my anger return with more force than before. “You are safe,” I say more for me than for her. ‘We will hunt down each and everyone responsible for her attack and… rape… and kill them.’ ‘We will,’ I promise Raven. It does not take long to see the outskirts of the village. Hector and Conon are waiting for me and… the Omega. I realize I don’t know her name. Red. I decide to call her Red—the color of her hair—until she is well enough to tell me her name. “How is she?” Hector asks. “Alive, bu
An IV is connected to Red’s left arm, a transparent liquid slowly flowing into her body. She is wearing one of those medical gowns that cover almost nothing, a blanket draped over her legs. Next to the bed is an Ekg heart monitor, her heartbeats showing on the screen. Her eyes are closed, and she appears to be sleeping, her breathing even. “How is she?” I ask Hector, careful to keep my voice low, not wanting to wake her up. “She is lucky you found her in time.” Sensing that’s not what I want to know, Hector adds quickly, “The stab wounds were not deep enough to affect any vital organs, and she has no internal bleeding. I gave her two shots to speed up her healing, but even so, it might take a while. As for her rape, from what I could scent, only one male was involved.” I nod, Hector confirming my suspicions. “If you don’t mind, I will stay with her. You know that the nightmares will start soon.” Hector glances at Red. “Are you sure? She will most likely be scared of being alone in
The anger returns, and I have to take a few deep breaths to keep myself calm. ‘Jordan Reed, what does he smell like?’ I ask Jeremy.‘Oranges.’Oranges.He is not the one that raped or beat Red, but if my nose is correct, he is the one that gave her the mark of the Betrayer. Her mate. The one who rejected her.‘Tell him there is no Omega with that name in our pack,’ I tell Jeremy.A few moments later, Jeremy mind-links me again. ‘He is adamant about searching our territory. He thinks his mate is here.’The fucker rejected her and now claims she is his mate? Where the fuck was he when she was beaten and raped? If he had loved her, he would not have rejected her, he would have taken care of her.‘His mate is not here. And he has no business stepping inside my territory, less he wants to start a fight between our packs,’ I snarl.Jeremy sighs. ‘Fine. I will make sure he stops bothering us.’‘Thanks!’Red remains in the clinic for the following three days, and my ass is glued to the chair,
The never-ending pain in my chest prevents me from thinking or breathing or… functioning. I want this agony to end. I want to close my eyes forever. I want for one moment to forget what he had done to me. Each night, I relive the moment Jordan rejected me. My pleas to be heard are never listened to. Jordan always turns his back on me, leaving me alone in the shadows, where the monsters lurk.I step inside the shower and turn on the cold water. I feel so dirty…. The scent of the guards still clings to my skin, and I want—need—to remove it. Grabbing the soap, I start to wash myself, scrubbing my body hard to the point of pain. But no matter how much soap or water I use, I can still scent them… and it makes me gag.I close my eyes and slide down along the cold tiled wall until I am crouched down, and I hug my legs with my arms, letting the water—now freezing—cascade down my back.I see him on top of me, his weight pinning me to the ground, the guards hitting me as he…. Then that white wo