At their room we bid James and Shoran goodnight and went up to our room. I unlocked the door and it swung open. I picked Adara up and carried her inside. She was laughing and I smiled at her. I kicked the door closed with my foot and put her down in front of the bed.“I’m the luckiest woman in the world,” Adara said in the darkness as we stood in front of each other.She leaned in and kissed me and then turned around. I slowly unbuttoned her dress. She turned around again and I gently pulled the delicate fabric down her arms, down to her waist and it fell to a heap on the floor.She stepped out of the dress and she took my hands away from my shirt. I had started to unbutton it and she continued. Once she was done, I took my shirt off and she loosened my belt. There was a soft knock at the door and I groaned.“Go away!” Adara said loudly but the knock came again. I turned towards the door and Adara hurriedly put on a robe. I opened the door and looked at the young woman that stood in f
Adrian Peters had gone into hiding for five months following the explosion at the den and Igor’s death. For several weeks afterwards he had the same nightmare, seeing that wolf as he chased him down and feeling its breath on the back of his neck.He’d grown a beard, dyed his hair and only went outside the safety of the motorhome where he lived when he absolutely needed to. The explosion in Seward was on the news but there had been nothing about Igor’s death.His hate had slowly built up until he could no longer contain it and he grabbed the burner phone and dialed a number from memory. The man answered on the sixth ring and Adrian took a deep breath.“JJ, it’s Adrian and I’m cashing in those favors you owe me.”“I’m listening.” Adrian gave JJ all the information he needed and told him what he wanted him to do.“This list is very specific and I’m assuming this is personal because you’ve been missing for months.”“Just get me what I want, JJ, and you’ll get what you want.”Adrian gave J
There was no doorman for this building and he stood outside waiting for someone to either come out or go in. He waited for an hour before an old lady opened the door and he held it for her smiling.“Thank you, young man.” The old lady smiled gratefully at him. He smiled back at her and then slipped inside. He walked up the stairs to the first floor and knocked on the first door. He pulled his cap low over his face as the door opened up.“Yes? Can I help you?” The man was probably in his seventies, thinning gray hair and a slight stoop to his shoulder.“Morning Sir, I have a package for a James Thomas but there’s no apartment number on it. Can you perhaps help me?” Adrian asked and smiled.“Sure, such a nice young man, very helpful. They live in apartment 4D, right at the end of the hall,” he informed Adrian.“Thank you very much Sir.” Adrian nodded his head and turned towards the stairs.“You won’t find him there. They’ve already left for school. They’ll be back at about three this af
“Stay.” Dezrael’s voice was a mere whisper but Kiran looked into her soulful eyes and he couldn’t resist.She intertwined her fingers, her hands on the back of his neck. He kissed her again and pulled her on top of him. She had barely caught her breath before he pushed back inside her and he let her set the rhythm.Kiran’s aura was almost suffocating, it was strong and commanding, much like he was and she pushed her guilt at finding it alluring down into the recesses of her soul. Feeling him pulse inside her, ignited her own addiction to control and power.She was still on top of Kiran, who was no longer inside her, catching her breath and willing her galloping heart to slow down. She opened her eyes with a start as she caught herself wistfully dreaming of doing this every night.Kiran shifted and pulled her off him and she lay on her side, watching him as he sat upright with his back towards her. His Alpha tattoo loomed large on his back and she resisted the urge to trace her fingers
Her spell had been effective, she had experienced the power of it for herself. She had planned on entertaining Kiran for the next three or four weeks until she could do a pregnancy test, not that she minded a repeat of the previous night.When she saw that it was eight pm she sat down on the floor and drew a circle in the air around her. She took the crystal from the windowsill and clenched it in her hand tightly as she murmured to herself.“I call on you Urdr to show me what once was. I call on you Verdandi to show me what will be. I call on you Skuld to show what shall be. I call on the Norns to show me the past, the future and the present.”Dezrael’s eyes opened with a shocked gasp coming from her throat. Her spell on Kiran had been broken and she was blinded to see how or why it had happened. Kiran Sinclair would not be coming back to her cabin.She closed her eyes again and said a desperate prayer to Freya and called on the magic of the elves in Alfheim; she needed the fertility
Adrian drove into Sterling and found the address JJ had given him easily enough. He sat in his car and waited, looking around at the dodgy neighborhood. He didn’t have to wait long; forty minutes after he’d parked his car she came walking around the corner, smoking a cigarette. She looked older than he remembered.The apartment building she entered had seen better days, like her appearance. Adrian got out of his car and walked in behind her. She walked up the stairs oblivious to Adrian following close behind her.She stopped on the second floor and was unlocking number two-zero-two when Adrian stopped right behind her. He pressed the gun into her back and her whole body stiffened as she felt the muzzle press into her. She didn’t move as she realized she was about to get robbed or worse.“Keep quiet and I won’t shoot you.” There was something in Adrian’s voice that made her comply.The woman nodded and unlocked the door. Adrian opened the door and pushed her inside. She stumbled a bit
“Tomorrow we’ll get you some better clothes and then we’ll head back to Seward, off the grid, nobody can know that I’m back in town until I’ve completed what I’ve set out to do.” Adrian made himself comfortable on the chair as Juniper’s eyes snapped up to his.“Seward?” she asked hesitantly. She was banished from Seward.“What’s for dinner?” Adrian’s question threw her off.There was definitely something wrong with him. How could he think of food when he’d just told her he was planning on massacring an Alpha family. Was he insane? Did he think he’d be able to kill them all? She’d seen how calm Malachi Sinclair was under pressure. He was going to get her killed.“There’s no food here, I buy as I earn.”“Slow night huh?” It made sense to Adrian now, the cheap clothes, the scuffed shoes, the worn out look on her face.“I’m not a prostitute you asshole! I eat at the bar after my shift.” Juniper said furiously.She jumped up from the couch, her anger pushing forward, but he aimed the gun a
Adara was sad to leave Ireland but also excited to go back home. We stayed for the rest of that week and then flew home. I couldn’t wait to get back to Seward, to our home and our pack. Promises of visiting again soon were made and Malachi invited Peter and Claire to come visit us as well.Christian had gone back to being the angry, sullen little boy that first moved in with us with his anger outbursts and tantrums. Unruly was putting it mildly. I didn’t know why he was acting out again but I would find out.“Talk to me, little man.” He was sitting on his bed after I’d sent him to his room for yelling at Adara.His bottom lip trembled a little bit and he looked up at me. “Now that she’s here you won’t have time for me anymore.”I almost smiled at his words, he was jealous. “I will always have time for you. You’re my little man, nothing’s going to change that.”“I don’t think she likes me.” His voice was full of sadness and I realized that this wasn’t just a fleeting moment of jealousy
Adara and Kai were discharged the next morning, and I was eager to take them home. Her healing had kicked in and they were both doing really well. The baby room had been ready for weeks and my sense of duty and responsibility toward them came naturally.Our first night at home was spent in Kai’s room. Adara and I stood by his crib and just watched him as he slept. He was absolutely perfect.“Thank you, Adara. I hope he got the best parts of both of us,” I said.“I’m sure he did,” she said softly.I kissed her and kept my arms around her. She yawned and I nudged her toward the door. She needed sleep more than I did and she sighed with contentment when I pulled her against me after we got into bed.“I’ll always love both of you,” I whispered.The pack had gone overboard with their congratulations and Malachi had instant love in his eyes the first time he held him. I could only imagine how he’d felt the very first time he’d held me.It was a love so instant that it scared you, the fear w
Life was as it should be. Normal and boring. I finished up in the study that Malachi had now handed over to me, but it felt odd to say that it was mine. It was almost midnight as I checked the doors and windows. I did this every night, it still bothered me how Bryan had so easily entered our house, twice.I climbed into bed next to Adara and she automatically moved towards me. I put my hand on her stomach and I felt little bumblebee kick in response. I smiled as I closed my eyes. I must have slept for three hours when something woke me.I sat up in bed and listened. The house was quiet. I got up and ran to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. My head pounded and I felt dizzy. Something was wrong somewhere. I sat on the bathroom floor and after ten minutes the nausea went away. I splashed water on my face and went back to the bedroom. I was just getting back into bed when Adara sat up, she was in agony.“What is it?” I asked her suddenly.“The baby… it hurts!” She screamed loudly
John looked disapprovingly at me and Malachi was in my head instantaneously. “What the hell did you just do?”He was anxious and nervous. I looked around me, the whole den was quiet, and everybody looked at me because I had killed a man that had tapped out. John walked into the circle.“Kiran! Do you care to explain? He tapped out and still you killed him!” John’s voice was stern as I still stood over Alexander’s body.“Wolf law nine, no claim shall be made on an Alpha’s position without due cause.” Malachi frowned slightly as I spoke to John.“That’s your excuse? An unlawful claim?” John shook his head as I smiled.“Subsection nine point twelve, any unlawful claim proven to be false shall be reverted back to the original pack with immediate effect without the Alpha having to defend his position, should a claim fight be the result, it shall be a fight of dominance.” John started laughing.“Quite right, that law hasn’t been used in many years.” John stated, and looked at me.Bryan look
I didn’t tell James or Adara about what had transpired in the kitchen in the late hours of that night. I wasn’t even sure that I believed it myself. Could it really be possible to get our pack status back?Malachi had also kept quiet and nine days later we received the summons to gather our pack at the den. John had informed Malachi that The Council would be present at this claim and that he would take charge of it himself.This time Adara and Shoran and Christian went to the den with us. Our whole pack gathered with us there and I was nervous. I hadn’t told her yet that I would be the one to fight Alexander and become Alpha of our pack. I didn’t think anybody besides us four in the kitchen that night knew.We stood in the den as Bryan brought in Alexander. He wasn’t pleased at being brought in by The Council. John Whitcombe and the other members were seated behind a table pretty much in the same way they had when we had been accused of murder. The difference this time was that we wer
Malachi had returned to work and there was a new energy around him. He smiled more until I had to sit him down one evening and have a talk with him. Adara had read Christian his story and they had both fallen asleep in his bed. I had carried her to our room when I went to check on Christian.Now I sat in the kitchen and waited for Malachi to return. It was eleven pm when his car finally drove into the garage. He walked into the kitchen and looked at me and I nodded at the chair next to me.He sat down and started laughing. “Why does this seem so familiar?” I laughed as well as it brought back memories.“I want to talk to you about drafting a will for me.”“Yes, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone is cared for should something happen to you.”We’ve had too many run ins and one day my luck would eventually run out and I wanted everything to stay in the family. I wanted to ensure that the children especially were looked after.“We should do it as soon as the baby is born.”“Thanks, Da
Jessica was good for his soul. Malachi found that he really liked her, all of her. She didn’t block anything from him and she was brutally honest. They spent as much time together as they could and after two months Malachi realized that they were a couple.“You do realize that technically we’re a couple.”They were laying in her bed one afternoon as Malachi played with her hair. Jessica laughed and turned her head to look at him.“Dude, we’ve been a couple since that day in your office.”She made him laugh and she made him feel good about himself without asking anything of him in return. She was just there, and he started laughing as he realized that he was in love with her.“We should tell Kiran.” Malachi sat upright in bed and checked his phone. It had been on silent the whole afternoon.“Why? Do we need his permission?” Jessica licked her lower lip and Malachi smiled.“No.”Jessica pushed him back down on the bed and bit his earlobe. “You are way too serious, Malachi.”“Why hide it
Malachi and Jessica held hands all the way back to Seward and she directed him to her house. He stopped the Navigator in front of the house and Jessica turned towards him. Malachi wanted to kiss her, undress her and touch every inch of her skin.“I like you, Malachi, but there is one more thing I have to tell you.” Jessica swallowed nervously.“It can’t be that bad.” Her nerves had him on edge. She didn’t come across as someone fearing anything but he knew whatever she had to tell him, it was important and likely to change things between them.“I slept with Kiran.” She watched Malachi’s face intently for some sort of reaction.“Okay…”“We were seventeen, he had just broken up with Sarah. We were both wasted and it just happened.”Malachi looked at her, listening; it was the truth he heard. Jessica’s mind was so open and she hid nothing from him, certain things were off limits, he could sense it and he didn’t delve deeper than what she was ready to tell him, but what she did show him w
Malachi smiled as he walked out of his office and found Jessica leaning against the front of the Navigator, looking care-free and young. She was young and he wasn’t so young anymore. She was also beautiful, intriguing and intelligent. She was still too young for him.“Took you long enough.” Jessica removed her sunglasses and smiled.“You are something else.” Malachi unlocked the doors and Jessica climbed into the passenger seat.“You can take me to dinner or a late lunch or whatever you want to call it.” She made herself comfortable in the seat and put her safety belt on. Malachi felt at ease, calm and happy. That emotion shocked him a little because he never thought he’d feel that again.Malachi could only smile as he drove out of the parking lot and headed towards the highway, heading out of Seward and in the general direction of Sterling.“Where are we going, handsome?” Malachi laughed as Jessica winked at him.“You know, I’m much too old for you.” Malachi glanced at her. She was d
Malachi sat in his office and thought of the events that had happened the last two weeks. He still couldn’t believe that they had escaped unscathed. If George Haynes had been a different Alpha, he and Kiran would both be dead.Malachi wiped a hand over his face. He had wanted to die that night; he’d wanted to die ever since Karani had died. She had been the other half of his soul and he saw no reason to go on without her.Even though he was an outcast now he knew that their pack would always remain intact no matter what status they had. He didn’t want to die anymore and he didn’t want to be Alpha either. He only regretted that Kiran would suffer the same consequences. He would’ve made a terrific Alpha.“Sorry Malachi.” Tim Oakes had been on his phone, leaving Malachi alone with his thoughts.“No problem. We can finalize the contract next week and you’ll be the proud new owner of the beach front cabins.”“Thank you. I really appreciate all the hard work you’ve put in.”Malachi and Tim