Ciaran's Point of View
Moving around too much made the healing wounds smart. Dancing with Alvara last night had a lingering effect on my overall pain levels. Some of the more deep cuts had split. Blood had trickled out into the bandages. The pain was but a mild irritation compared to the joy I had felt. The freedom of just being around the people I cared for. Excluding, Adelia.
Why she had shown up at the house was beyond me. Her audacity was rivaling even her mother's. But Alvara had tolerated her at the beginning. Enjoyed her presence by the end of it. The once conniving young woman had made my mate's evening pleasurable. Contributed to the funny stories exchanged.
Sadly, it was now time for business. Eugene had declared war and left us with a day of silence. Stewing in what we could have done better. Soothed our turbulent minds with whispers of gratitude that Alvara had at least made it out alive. Horseshit. She was alive but utterly
Alvara's Point of ViewOily food was the only cure for a severe hangover. Or so I've heard. I had never been hungover before. Never dared drink more than Eugene had allowed. Last night had slammed into me the moment I put my head on the bed. I wasn't alone in that. Both Teagan and Adelia had puked up their guts alongside me.This morning, we decided it best to go out to eat breakfast. Or rather a lunch. Something deep-fried, preferably. Calorie counting was a thing of the past for me, as well. We had settled on Menlyn. Sybil had dropped off clothes for Adelia. Harland had fetched some for Teagan in the car. After a short dressing session, lots of water, and sunglasses we were ready.The boys were in the living room when we approached. All of them had dressed. Looked as if they were in deep concentration. They all had laptops on their laps. Ozias glanced up, smiling. Adelia stopped beside me, Teagan bringing up the rear.
Alvara's Point of View I had been right to assume Teagan knew someone for the tattoo. She had made her dislike of the thought clear but still supported me enough to introduce me to one of Harland's friends. Jean had his ears stretched. Almost every piece of skin was covered in tattoos. Except for his face, besides for one random unicorn close to his hairline. He was a happy-go-lucky type of person. Artwork framed his walls along with him and another man together in photos. Everything was sterile. Clean to a point where even Ozias would approve. Thankfully, his shop was inside Menlyn. The bright daylight outside would only worsen my headache. Alcohol, I had realized, was not meant to be consumed in large quantities. Our oily lunch had helped stabilize my stomach but not much for anything else. Adelia loved my act of love. Loved that I would put my body through pain just to prove to them that I was theirs. I had hoped the pain wo
Dargan's Point of ViewThe five of us had scrambled to gather more information about the looming war. How many men Eugene had at his disposal. Who else might aid him except for the royal family? Any other details that might help us during this turbulent time.As we had suspected, we weren't informed of the progressing situation until Nerezza had phoned. Frantically, we had gathered our resources. Maverick even phoned all of his friends from different packs across the continent for support. Anything to give us an edge. An advantage.The odds were currently not in our favor. Eiecrunt was inhabited by mainly civilians and our security detail. New soldiers could be trained within a few weeks but it didn't look promising. Our more lethal pack members had been dispersed to allies of ours who had wars waging in their areas. Human wars affected all of us. Hopefully, aid would come.Ciaran refused to recall his men from America. The
Alvara's Point of ViewThe alcohol had taken its toll on my system. Yet the pain from the tattoo had been minimal at best. Adelia's tat had taken the least amount of time. When she was done, she had freely poured Teagan and I shots. Mine was a lot more difficult to take thanks to being splayed out on my stomach but we had made due.Soon the room filled with the smell of liquor. Brian had cranked the speakers up to max and closed the doors for the day. He had drank with us, spilling his life story. Jean added some of his own to the mix. Stef nodded entuisitically whilst buzzing away on Teagan's leg.Once everyone was finished up, Stef and Jean drank with some more. Soon enough the six of us headed into the mall, Ozias' card in my hand. Teagan had grabbed her own and Adelia had taken Sybil's earlier on in the day. None of us realized how much we would spend. How little self-restraint we had amongst ourselves.I informed Stef, Brian
Alvara's Point of ViewScraping together my confidence, I headed downstairs. Teagan, Harland, and Adelia had left minutes before, their tail lights zooming down the driveway. Every nerve I had stood on end. Frayed and split. This was a massive step in our relationship. The last step was to show them I was fully committed. Fully theirs.Voices bounced and echoed in the living room as I trudged down the stairs. The conversation seemed to be deep. Troubled. I stifled my flight or fight mechanism and stood in the door. All their eyes turned towards me. I couldn't help but fiddle with my fingers.“I’m sorry, did I interrupt something important?” I stammered, my eyes jumping from face to face. There were smiles on all of their lips as Ciaran waved me closer. Swallowing down my cowardly heart, I stepped onto the rug in the center of the room.“What seems to trouble you, baby girl? Was your little outing upsetting
Ozias' Point of View Alvara had settled on making a Christmas bed in the living room. She refused to sleep alone and refused to let anyone else sleep alone. Her mating bond had taken full effect and it was evident. None of us could move without her asking us where we were going. So we had settled on this solution. Brought down two king-sized mattresses along with more blankets than was necessary. Pillows were scattered all around the room. Alvara's eyes dipped and opened repeatedly until Dargan had nestled up beside her. The two fell asleep soundlessly, leaving Maverick Ciaran, and me to discuss what had just happened. How Alvara had come out of a left-field with her tattoo and urge to finally seal the bond between all of us. I could still feel it. Taste it. That wire that now wrapped around my heart, plunging out of my chest and towards the girl. Our mate. Fully, this time. Nothing felt more like home than knowing she was now ours to
Maverick's Point of ViewI woke up just before dawn. Lazy rays had already filled the living room, casting everything in a soft shadow. Ciaran was splayed out on the couch swing, hair covering his face. Soft snores coming from his chest. Ozias was by my feet, almost curled up into a ball with his blanket tightly wrapped around him. Dargan was still beside me, mouth slightly agape.For a moment I forgot why I was in the living room. Why I had slept so well for the first time in ages. A body was missing from our communal bed. Her pillow was frumpled and blankets discarded. Fear pounded the inside of my heart.Sitting up too quickly, lightheadedness struck me. I braced myself on the bed and shook my head. Hair tossed about my face. No trace of Alvara in the living room. No sounds coming from the rest of the house. Panic rid me hard and fast. I jumped to my feet, taking everything in.Towels from last night lay on the floor beside th
Alvara's Point of ViewHorse riding with Maverick felt like a peaceful reprieve from the busy house. Ciaran had headed off for business deeper into the city. Ozias and Dargan profusely planned for the coming war. They had to get spies out. People to listen to everything going on within Half-Moon. Maverick had wanted to join them. Help them in their pursuit of winning what was to come. It had been three full days since our encounter with Eugene. Two days spent in agony and then one night in bliss.I could feel their minds constantly on the cusp of mine. With a single thought, I could talk to them. Hear from them. Know that I wasn't alone. But Maverick had seen the sadness in my eyes when they all wanted to leave. Had offered to stay, instead calling Harland to fill his shoes for the day.Harland had a lot of catching up to do regarding protocol and the likes. Teagan had assured us all over the loudspeaker that he was a quick study. From
Alvara’s Point of View “Aunty Adelia!” Aurelia screeched and ran to the front door. Adelia leaned against the frame, arms crossed over her chest, until she saw my daughter. Her face lit up like a thousand little lights. Her arms unfolded and reached forward. The little girl jumped full force into her. Nearly knocked her inside the house. Dargan came in behind me carrying the diaper bag. As he passed me, he kissed the side of my face. His wedding ring glinted in the afternoon sunlight. I swelled at the sight, still transfixed at the thought that I was a married woman. Married to the loves of my life. “My sweet girl!” Adelia exclaimed and threw Aurelia into the air. A giggle escaped the two-year old. Her dress puffed out around her. Hair fluttered in the wind. Dark golden blonde. Curly, like mine. The trees were a bright green. The grass neatly trimmed. Flowers bloomed all around us. Maverick was next to walk up. His hand settl
Alvara’s Point of ViewJessebelle stood at the edge of the fighting. Kept a close eye on all of her men. Guns fired in rapid succession. Wolves tore men limb from limb. Blood coated the grass. Between it all, Ciaran had a standoff with Eugene.Both sides landed blows. Bones crunched beneath their combined strength. Ozias had run after the Beta. Maverick shot whoever got closest and Dargan was still passed out cold.For a moment before Ciaran had arrived, I was sure I would be dead by the end of this. I was sure that I wouldn’t see the morning. Yet, Jessebelle had pulled through. Made sure that the odds were fatly stacked against Eugene. With however many reinforcements he called, he still wouldn’t win. Money drove him. Drove his pack, which wasn’t a good motivator. Love and freedom drove ours.Mason had gotten away in the chaos Harland caused. Got hold of Jessebelle and convinced her that we needed h
Maverick’s Point of ViewThe truck collided with the first of their cars. I lurched forward, gripping tightly onto the dashboard. My driver floored it. Scraped the road with their scrap metal. I braced as we hit another one. Men darted from their positions. Drew their guns and fired rapidly at the sides of the truck. Bullets peppered the steel but refused to go through. Thousands and thousands of rands were spent securing my people.The border patrol was thin tonight. Almost lax. According to Mason, we would have a hard time getting through, but this seemed almost too easy. Some of my men jumped from the rear. I heard their feet hit tar. Saw them run beside us. They opened fire. Some of Eugene’s men held up small flags with a diamond on it. I opened my window and craned my neck outside.“Don’t hurt the ones with the flags! They are on our side!” I screamed to my men. All of them nodded and proceeded to atta
Dargan's Point of ViewMy feet ached from the pace I was setting. I dodged trees. Cleared ditches. Lungs screamed for me to slow down. Air came in short supply. I had to take it easier. But I refused. It had been years since I ran with such ferocity. With so much intent and purpose, it nearly drove me mad.Alvara sounded far beyond distressed. Her voice had pitched and fallen. The fear was tangible in my mind still. She needed us and she needed us now. Everything we had endured led up to this moment. I would not let her have the same fate as Savanah. Let her die in a pack that hated her deeply. Die beside a man that had used her all her life.Those revelations set my mind blazing. My legs pumped harder. Drove me further. I could see the lights of houses in the distance. Slowing down, I sniffed the air. Picked up the scent of several enemies. I lightened my steps and avoided the trail where the scent was strongest.Two secon
Ciaran's Point of ViewMaverick nearly crawled out of his skin the moment Alvara left. Her mind link had shut between us. Locked us out of her thoughts. But I could feel every tremor of fear. Every quickening of her pulse. The panic she felt. Her small feeling of pride. Like she was still with us. Yet, none of us could reach her. Speak to her mentally. It drove us insane. Made us bite our nails and down glasses of whiskey. This was hell.Our minds remained open at all times. We had a plan but plans could change at any moment. Alvara had to be able to reach us at a moment's notice. Thus, we played riddles and made jokes through the mind link. To keep it sharp and make sure it was open even whilst we were sleeping.Ozias wouldn't stop pacing. Dargan smoked more than he had ever before. We weren't far from her. Maybe 80 kilometers, tops. Maverick and Dargan were closer. Harland camped out on a farm close to the edge of Half-Moon. We were w
Alvara's Point of View All the lights in the house were off when I woke up. Glowing moonlight sifted in from the open curtains. A cool breeze drifted over my bed. Yet I had woken up. No nightmares plagued me. No monsters hidden in shadows. My body had made peace with my surroundings, even if my mind was a bit slow to adjust. There wasn't a sound to be heard. Barely a cricket chirping. But I was awake and it was hell. Maybe two in the morning. I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes once more. Sleep danced at the edge of my mind and I rolled back onto my back. Then I heard it. The near-silent struggle in the room beside mine. Soft groans. Scraping of nails across flesh. Grunts of satisfaction. I covered my ears with a pillow. Eugene had a lady visitor over. As I had told Angelique, he would never change. I willed myself to sleep until I realized that Teagan's room was beside mine. Cold dread settled into my spine. Blind panic
Alvara's Point of ViewAs I had thought, Eugene never came to dinner. He had made paint swatches with Mariposa. We could all hear them laughing and bantering above us. Then, she had insisted they go out to eat. Something about having a craving met. So, that was exactly what they had done. Without so much as a whisper about spending too much money, they were off.If she had arrived before any of this had happened, I would have believed it when he told me she was just some woman he was helping. Clung to the idea that some part of him was still good inside instead of rotten and foul. Now, I knew better. Knew that she was his mate and I had been used for my money all these years.Stolen from my pack. Kept under lock and key because they couldn't find the keys to my family's kingdom. Somehow, after spending so much time with my own mates, I understood why he was so excited. Happy. She brought out the best in him as all mates would. But she w
Alvara's Point of View"You asked for me?" I said from the door. Eugene lifted his head, looking at me with a soft smile. He nodded and I stepped inside."Did you find everything you were looking for today?" A vague question. Very vague. It set me on edge enough that I lowered my gaze. Made my eyes appear larger than they actually were. Eugene put a hand out towards me and I took it when I got closer."I forgot how expensive everything was. I am sorry you had to spend money on me." I whispered back. Eugene kept that soft smile on his lips. Gently, he tugged me into his lap. I nuzzled into his neck, draping my legs over his.This was wrong. Utterly wrong. Being close to another man in such an intimate way hurt my heart. Every memory I had of my mates flashed into my mind, making my soul hurt even more. They were far away and I was inside the monster den with only Teagan to help me."Anything for you. I hate how we left thin
Alvara’s Point of ViewMason met us at the house. Unlike when I had first met him, he had a suit on. Sunglasses. Polished shoes. As if he had changed overnight. The young man I had come to know was gone. When Eugene greeted him, he simply gave a curt ‘Alpha’ and a bow of the head. Everything felt formal. Stuffy. As if the air had thickened in just a few seconds. Teagan looked between the two men and shrugged when I looked at her.I had personally asked for Mason, but it still didn’t mean that we were completely safe to wander around. The rest of the pack was still on Eugene’s side, and I had returned. Once an outsider, always an outsider. At least now I knew why they had stayed away.As for Lover’s Quarrel members, they had stayed away because Eugene had threatened them. Told them that if they interfered with me, they would lose their jobs or their lives. None of them would risk that. Until now.