ViolettaI kept my back to Ferrara when he returned and pretended to be asleep. We both knew it wasn't true, but he quietly stretched out behind me and laid a hand on my hip. I almost gave him a warning growl, but his touch did help settle my wolf. Her anxiety at being alone on Marsh's land was suffocating.I hated how he made me feel. Calm. Centered.Desperate. Needy.Furious.The man gave me whiplash, and now, I had his kiss to haunt me. His real kiss. Not just the ones I sometimes had in my dreams.Somehow, with him behind me, I managed to slip off into sleep. I had no idea how much had passed before my wolf's panic had been bolting upright.Next to me, Ferrara had already started to pull me against him when a blade shredded the tent, and Marsh's face loomed near. He was streaked with blood and had a crazed look in his eye."Something wrong?" Ferrara said tensely."Stupid bitches think they have a say in what I can and can't do," he snarled. "This one is mine. Shane gave her to me,
ViolettaI hated not knowing where we were and having to follow the instructions of a stranger.Finn had risked a lot to see us to safety, though. So much so that Ferrara didn't think he was safe in Wisteria Woods anymore. He gave the young man instructions back to West Ham with a message his guards would understand.When Ferrara returned, Finn would have a chance at joining a pack. I was a little sorry that I wouldn't be there to see it happen."That would be a pretty targeted question for me to ask, wouldn't it?" Ferrara responded.Shivering, I turned my back and slipped off my wet shirt. We were in a cave that, according to Finn, was part of a system of rock dwellings. He believed the caves would lead straight to the witch's den, but he hadn't explored them. He said he'd only tried to go further once when he became ensnared in a spell trap. It was two agonizing days before a witch released him and warned him away.Ferrara had commented that it was awfully nice of them for a group o
FerraraThe minute her hands touched my chest, I saw the flash of heat in her eyes. The warmth penetrated the fabric of my shirt, and her mouth opened just a little.That was all I needed. Capturing her lips in mine, I kissed her urgently as I backed her into the rock. Just before her head hit the stone, I cradled her head, and it was my knuckles that smacked against the rough surface. I didn't care.My tongue swept in, taking what was mine, and as soon as I tasted the sweetness of her mouth again, my fury grew. How could she be so fucking delicate? So goddamn innocent?How could I crave her this much knowing what she was?Growling, I tore my mouth away and stared down at her. Wet large and hesitant eyes stared up at me, and I was lost in her. "Turn around," I ordered. "I want you pressed up against me."Quietly, she obeyed. As soon as my fingers moved down her soft belly, she shivered and squirmed against me. I could smell her arousal, and my own body tightened in kind.Mine.She was
FerraraOur clothes were dry by the next morning, although they smelled like the river. It was still better than having her smell like Finn."I'm not familiar with this area, but I should still be able to spot any spell traps. You just have to follow me closely and listen to me," she said sharply as we stepped out of the cave.She was feeling vulnerable about what happened yesterday. She wasn't the only one.Rubbing my chest, I just nodded. "Finn said we're probably only a day or so away from the witch den.""Lead the way," I said with a mocking bow.With a roll of her eyes, she looked left and right. Finn had said to follow the caves north until we could find the narrow path to climb over them. From there, we'd be able to see the fortress.We made it ten minutes before she stopped short and held out her hand. "Don't move."Her voice held just a thrill of excitement, and I followed her gaze. It only took a second for me to see something shiny. "It's just the sun reflecting off some me
ViolettaFreedom was one step away. All I had to do was turn and leave. I knew the way to the witches. They could come back and get Ferrara and be prepared for whatever he had in store for them.It probably wouldn't lead to his death."You're not breathing," I snapped as I knelt down by him to check out the trap. I couldn't leave him here. Not even if it was in my favor."Maybe because I was thinking you'd leave me," he said weakly. I glanced at the blood trickling down his leg. It was serious, but he wasn't going to die just yet."I should have," I muttered as I focused on the magic. It wrapped around me, brushed along my skin, tried desperately to claw at me and trap me the way it had trapped Ferrara.I'd lied to him before. I didn't have a way to dispel the trap. I didn't need it. After a moment of touching me, it turned dark and died. Just died and dissipated into nothing.I couldn't tell him that. I knew what it made me. My father knew what it made me, and he'd locked me in the h
ViolettaIt was two days before Ferrara could walk on his own again. Two days of him swearing up and down that he was fine and collapsing not more than five minutes of trying to leave the cave.Two days of him demanding to know how I released him from the spell.Two days of him asking about my father.I couldn't tell him about the spell, so I told him about Shane. Everything he wanted to know. Every answer I could give him. Maybe I felt like it was my last chance at redemption.After we reached the coven, I would never see Ferrara again.I had a plan. If he didn't tell me what he wanted with the witches, I would leave him there. He'd never get in without me. If he did tell me, maybe the witches would let him in. Either way, we'd go our separate ways.I'd stop being Shane's daughter. Adopt a new name and live my life alone. Lonely but peaceful.Away from Ferrara.When we walked the rest of the way, we did so in silence. If Ferrara was suspicious of my motives, he didn't let on. If he w
Ferrara"Where is Violetta?" I demanded as I looked down at my tea. It was a surreal moment. The small tea parlor had plenty of sun streaming through the windows despite the fact that there were no windows outside.Five minutes ago, I was fighting for Violetta's life. Then, I was here, in a fucking tea parlor, with a dainty little teacup in front of me.Witches. Whatever was in this cup of tea could kill me.Three strangers were in the room with me. A short and rounded older woman with long thinning gray hair set the rest of the cups of tea down and eyed me through thick glasses. A young woman who looked no more than twenty with long red hair and a beautiful smile accepted a cup of tea and sat across from me at the table. In the corner, on the bench where an unconscious Violetta lay, a middle-aged woman with a blonde messy bun and a permanent scowl on her face sat next to her and waved her hands up and down Violetta's body.The maiden, mother, and crone. Were there really only three w
FerraraThe old witch and I glared at each other, and she smiled, revealing her chipped yellow teeth."I see the heart in you, Ferrara Knox. You will not fail your pack. Your leadership will always come first."She wasn't wrong. My pack had always come first, and if they were in danger, there was nothing that I would not do to protect them."She is one of mine. I made a promise.""Is she?"With a frown, I snapped my head up. "Is she what?""Enough," the mother snapped.The crone just continued to grin wickedly. "I don't think it is. The man deserves to know. Surely, he's realized by now that his pack's bond to her is strange. One-sided. Same with his mating bond. He knows what she is. When will he learn that even wolf magic can't touch her?"My blood ran cold, and I stared at Violetta. I'd pushed all my alpha power into demanding she shift, and she'd resisted. I knew then that something was wrong. Then it was how she dispelled the traps. She couldn't have used witch magic to manipulat
ViolettaIt was nightfall by the time I awakened from within my wolf. Tentatively, I surfaced and took stock. My wolf was curled up next to a warm body and was sleeping soundly. I’d declined any drugs from Saul, so the pain must have ebbed if she was so relaxed.Or maybe it was the heat radiating next to me.Ferrara had returned after Emerson knocked on the door and hadn’t left my side. I’d listened to his soft voice as he caught me up on everything that had happened, but then I’d retreated deeply.Once I was human, he’d have questions, and I wasn’t sure how he’d feel when I answered them.But unfortunately, I had to pee, and I couldn’t just waltz out of the motel room as a wolf and squat. With a sigh, I started to shift.“Violetta? Baby?” Ferrara held perfectly still while I uncurled myself from the bed. “How do you feel?”“Pee,” I mumbled and tried to stand. “I have to pee.”“Okay. I got you.” He tried to take my hand, and I pulled away. For a moment, we stared at each other. “Sorry
FerraraThe small little honeyed wolf was curled up tightly in the bed. She gave me a half-hearted wag as I sat on the edge and gently stroked my hand over the top of her head. “Is it all right if I join you?”Another thump of the tail. I settled back against the wall and resisted the urge to pull the small wolf in my lap. My own wolf rose inside me, but he didn’t try to take control. Instead, he just came close enough so Violetta’s wolf could feel me.She sighed and leaned against me.“I guess I should catch you up on what happened,” I began. “The crone called. She was furious that her maiden had been hiding out on our land, so after she finished blistering my ears, she provided some information on Amaya and her twin, Yelena. Apparently, they were close. So close that when Amaya came for the maiden position, the crone was certain both of them were there. She admitted that she’d performed a spell to separate two souls when Amaya disappeared.She assumed the spell worked, and the twins
Ferrara“Saul.” The lump in my throat was so large that I could barely get the words out. “She’s so damn cold.”“Then let’s get her warm.” Ever the steady wolf, Saul opened the door to my room, and I carried her inside. Now that she was in my arms again, the last thing I wanted to do was let her go, but even Kenzi was looking at her anxiously. I needed the healer to look at her. “She may be your mate, but she still requires privacy. You may wait in my room while you get your report.”I sure as shit wanted a report. Like why my mate was near death, and why there was an extra person in the group. Janelle. The witch. Her eyes were practically glued to the floor.“I will be right next door, and I’ll return as soon as Saul is done. Whatever Emerson did to you…” I couldn’t finish it. “We’ll find a way to make it better. I swear it.”She gave me a tight smile and nodded. Slowly, the group herded out of the room next door.This plan had been five weeks in the planning, and it was the flimsies
ViolettaEight wolves descended on Kenzi. I recognized Emerson as he pulled her off me and threw her across the clearing. When he stared down at me, there was nothing but disgust in his eyes. No worry. No compassion.When he growled, I whimpered and tried to drag myself away. Finally, he shifted back to human. “Leave her,” he commanded his other wolves. “Kill her, and we’ll start a war that we’re not prepared for yet.”Turning my head, I watched numbly as Kenzi fought off her attackers. Her eyes on me, she snarled. “Leave my territory,” he said dismissively. “I can’t have you killing my mate, now can I?”She shot one more look at me and then bounded away. Nobody followed her. Their eyes were on Emerson, waiting for instructions, but his attention was fully on me. “Shift before you die,” he said mildly.Painfully, I tried to sit up but pain exploded in my hip. Kenzi had, no doubt, broken several bones. “Can’t,” I whimpered. “She’s too scared.”Emerson cursed loudly and turned to his wo
ViolettaIt was a full thirty minutes after I’d returned to the apartment that there was a shimmer in the air. “It’s clear,” I said in a low voice and moved to the television. I picked a music channel with angry chick rock to play just in case the guards could hear through the door, which I doubted.“If you’re here to trick me, I won’t think twice about shoving a knife through your heart,” I told her.“I expect nothing less. I assume from your get-up that Kenzi is here?”“My outfit is none of your business. Tell me what the hell is going on.”“Very well. The short version is that unlike the other pack witches, I did not ask for sanctuary and protection. I was taken nearly three years ago. I’ve never been to this godforsaken mountain in my life. I was taken by another witch with a spell much like what happened with Amaya, only I wasn’t killed. I’ve been used ever since, and when Emerson learned that my magic isn’t all that strong, abused.”“Why didn’t you say anything to the other witc
ViolettaIt took every ounce of energy not to scream. At her smug expression, I forced a slow smile and ignored the lump forming in my throat. "Congratulations," I managed.Did this explain why there was darkness in my mating bond? Ferrara had found a way to dampen it magically so he could be with Kenzi?This was what I wanted. This was what was best for the pack. Best for him. This was why I left.But damn it, I thought it might take a little more time to happen.Kenzi's eyes dropped to my necklace and she gasped. "Oh, how pretty! I'm going to have to tell Ferrara to get me one. I would look amazing in black diamonds."She would.Popping on the barstool, she waved Emerson away. "Give me a few minutes to catch up with my old friend, will you?"Emerson hesitated. "A few minutes. Violetta doesn't like to be distracted from work.""No. She wouldn't. That bar was the only thing she cared about." Turning her head, she watched Emerson walk away, and then she snapped her head and sneered. "D
ViolettaA dark bruise formed on my cheek the next day. I dressed for work and opened the door only to find a female guard waiting for me. She bustled her way into my suite, covered my bruise with makeup and pinned the necklace back around my neck. "It's so pretty. You should show it off," she said mildly.Right. So pretty.The first hour of opening the bar was usually a quiet one for me. Everyone else was busy at their stations, the manager was counting the money, and it was just me, flipping on the automatic switch, and planning while I worked. Only today, I was constantly interrupted by a parade of my co-workers who wanted to admire the necklace. Their simpering made me sick to my stomach."Oh, how beautiful. Our alpha has amazing taste.""The two of you are like a fairy tale. I can't wait to find a mate of my own who treats me like this.""He loves you so much."Don't vomit. Just smile and nod. You can survive if you just smile and nod.Hiding the necklace down my shirt, I opened
ViolettaThe regiment was always the same. After my shift ended, I had three hours to relax, shower, and prepare for dinner. As always, there was a dress laid out on the chair. Not the bed, as if that was somehow supposed to make me feel better.I wasn't an idiot. I knew the suite was searched every day while I was gone. There were little things I would note before I left and saw that they'd been moved. Sometimes it was a lampshade turned just a little. Once, I'd tucked the edge of some thread under the rug and found it in the corner when I got home. My bedsheet was tucked differently. Emerson told me that he would have the maid come in every day, but I'd asked to keep my own suite clean. He'd relented, but it hadn't stopped him from searching the rooms.Tonight's dress was red. Most of the dresses were red. That seemed to be Emerson's favorite color. The dresses were never the same. Either the pack's seamstress was very busy or Emerson was spending an enormous amount of money clothin
ViolettaThe tap had run dry.As the liquid started to spurt and grow foamy, I put the glass down and smiled apologetically at the wolf waiting on the other side of the bar. "Sorry, it's going to be a few more minutes for that beer. I need to change the tap.""No worries." The woman flashed me an easy smile. "It'll give me a few more minutes to look over the menus. I'm loving all these new choices. Is that your doing?"I gave her a quick nod. "Just let me know if you have any questions. I'll be right back.""I'll do it, Violetta," Josh volunteered as he sat down the crate of clean glasses he'd just brought up from the back. "I know you're busy.""Great. Thanks, Josh. I appreciate it.""Anything for you."Hiding behind what I hoped was a friendly smile, I turned to address the newest customer who'd walked up. "Welcome to Hair of the Dog. What can I get you?"Hair of the Dog. Not the most original name for a bar in the middle of werewolf territory, but it was well-run. Emerson had insta