Teagan's Point of ViewAlvara was still looking at me like I had three heads. Looked near ready to come at me with fists, teeth, and legs. Anything to get her point across.But I knew what she saw and what the truth actually was. "And what do you think this looks like, Teagan? Because from where I am standing, it looks a whole lot like you are cheating on Harland," Her eyes narrowed on me. She glanced behind me to where Ulrich had retreated to. "with a human, no less."There it was. That little word. The nail in my coffin. He was a human. Nothing more. Just helpless and stupid because he wasn't like us. Not as strong or fast. Just another piece of meat that could easily be chomped down on.For some reason, her venom pointed toward him. Not me. Not fully, anyway. As if he had put me under some kind of a spell and I was just a helpless puppy.Which wasn't completely false. He had me under his spell but he didn't know it.Hell, the odds were great that he was under the same kind of spe
Teagan's Point of ViewI was on my fourth double gin and tonic. Harland had his hands clutched around a double brandy and coke. Some romcom played in the background. All the lights in the house were off. This was life. This was what I had missed.Our legs were intertwined on the couch as we faced each other. "Most disgusting food?" He asked with a mischievous grin.I could feel the alcohol by now. It unspooled my tense muscles. Made my stomach feel lighter and all my guilt washed away. Scrunching up my nose, I took another sip of my drink. "I think... blue cheese."We did this on occasion. When our lives ran away from us and we were two ships in the night, passing only from time to time, this was how we would catch up. A strange version of twenty questions.We used it to keep the relationship fresh. To catch up on things that might have changed. Mix it with some alcohol and you had a recipe for disaster. Or a very fun time. It could swing either way."When did you try that?" He a
Teagan's Point of View"All dolled up and ready to go?" Harland asked from the door.His smile was infectious. Gave me butterflies down to my toes.It was a relief that we were finally on the same page again. Could carry on without tiptoeing around each other's feelings. He had made his stipulations and expectations clear and I was more than willing to go with it. If it meant I could prove myself, once and for all, then I was game.We would find a different therapist today for me as well. Along with new outfits and luggage. A little bit of spoiling from my husband. From the man who had loved me his whole life long."Just about done. Just fixing some mascara." I replied and brushed on the last layer of it.My eyes popped. Lips looked plump. When I turned around, Harland's eyes bulged out of his face. Mouth dropped open until it was nearly hitting the floor. I smiled and gave him a little spin. Giggled when I came to a stop."How do I look?" I asked.He picked his jaw up off of the f
Harland's Point of ViewPrevious DayShe was gone for two hours. Just up and left in the middle of our fight.I never thought I would see the day that she was this angry with me. So up in arms that I had no idea how to handle her or the situation.Something else was afoot. Something that I was missing."If you want, Alvara can go after her. I know it isn't our place but-"I turned to look at my Alpha. Noted the lines wrinkling his face from worry. The gleam in his eyes from too much stress and too little sleep.Our predicament had him up at night. He worked himself to the bone to try and fix the world's problems. Sending Teagan back to Desert Sun might ruin her but it would help in saving him. Saving Eiecrunt. I wasn't dumb. Knew that she was the quickest way in securing what we needed to survive this ordeal.But my heart told me not to let her go. To keep her here where I could ensure her safety."Do you think I am doing the right thing by keeping her here?" I asked, assessing his f
Teagan's Point of ViewHis leg refused to stop bouncing as we drove home. Was a constant rhythm in my ear. Up. Down. Up. Down.The back was loaded to the brim with parcels. All the clothes and shoes a girl could dream about. Designer luggage made for princesses.All on his tab. All of it, only for me.And here I was and adulterer and liar. I didn't deserve anything in this car. That included him. Included the love he had for me.Because if I was a good mate. A good wife, I would have told him about Ulrich and Bellamy. Right off the bat. Rip the bandaid off and be done with it.We could go to therapy together. Work through all of this together.But I hadn't. Instead, I kept it from him, hoping that Ulrich and Bellamy would just vanish from my life.Now we were in our car, on our way home, after my husband had invited my other mate for dinner.It was extremely out of charac
Teagan's Point of ViewThe men were having a conversation in the living room. Harland had poured both of them drinks. Sat them down on the couches. Conversed in hushed whispers as I checked on the food in the kitchen.My heart was about to explode out of my chest. Slammed relentlessly into my ribs at a furious rate.It made it all the more difficult to focus on the food.Ulrich's eyes had burned themselves into the back of my mind. Forced me to look at them over and over again.When he looked at me, it looked like he had found the most precious of diamonds. The biggest and brightest one of them all. Entranced.I couldn't shake that look. That longing. Harland handled the situation well. Broke the tension within a moment's notice with ease. Warned Ulrich in his own way that he was still the husband. Still the mate. The one person I had beside me for the rest of my life. Not that Ulrich knew all of those things. Knew anything about why Harland was this fiercely protective of me.Fuck.
Bellamy's Point of ViewI acted more stupid than I was. Kept myself looking dense at all times to make sure the old cunt didn't catch on.But in reality, I knew how to hide. How to deal in the shadows.Sometimes I reminded myself more and more of my brother. The douchebag who left a young child to fend for himself. I hated that I became more like Ciaran. Yet I knew it was necessary right now.Dealing in the dark will drench your soul in darkness but I needed to figure out what was going on. Who was pulling the strings here in Desert Sun. What was my father planning? And why the fuck was he so adamant about getting Teagan on our side.And what better place to start looking than the werewolf capital, Makatza?With my phone pressed to my ear, I shrugged on my shirt. Alastair's groggy voice popped up on the other end. There were a few other voices in the background but none were distinguishable enough for me to make out what they were saying."Do you have any idea about what time it is?
Teagan's Point of View"Well, at least the house didn't burn down," Harland said as he made both of us cups of coffee.Ulrich had gone home about twenty minutes ago. Once Harland returned with our drinks, he all but downed his. Got out of our house faster than a cat on fire.I was sure he would never want to see me again. got conflicted about the entire situation within a matter of moments. Had I really led him on? Flirted, maybe. But nothing other than that.Even Harland seemed a bit terse about everything. Strange. Or reserved, now that he knew Ulrich felt the mating bond as well. "It could have, with the way he turned tail and ran out of the fucking house. I was almost convinced that one of the candles had caught the curtains on fire and he was just making a break for it." I said, folding my legs beneath me on the couch.My shoes were discarded on the floor in front of me. Pencil skirt rode up well past my knees. Hair curled around my ears from pushing the strands in behind them
7 Months Later Teagan's Point of View "Who has the baby bag!" Ulrich screamed, flitting from room to room as he scrambled to get the one thing he was tasked with. "Already in the car," I mumbled, slipping out of my soaked nightgown. Although I doubted he heard me. No one could hear me above their panic right now. Who thought the baby would come in the middle of the night? Not fucking me. Not when I had finally figured out a way to sleep with such an enormous stomach. "Did you install the car seat like I asked?" Bellamy screamed back. I could hear him in the living room. He had forgotten to set up the spare cot downstairs. Thought now would be a good time to do it. Rolling my eyes, I slipped into a clean dress. Didn't bother with underwear. They were going to come off, anyway. "I can't find the fucking car keys! Who had them last?" Harland screamed. The house was echoing with their voices. Bounced around relentlessly. So it was no help to remind him that they were on the
Bellamy's Point of View"Where is he!" I screamed down the moist hallway. Down here in the earth, everything was damp. Which was strange, given we were in the middle of a desert.But that wasn't the problem right now. The problem was Felix. The bastard wasn't anywhere near the cells. Hell, his scent wasn't even here, which meant he had never made it down here to begin with. "Heir, sir, Alpha," The guard nervously stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. "From the list in the office, he was brought here right after you asked. The last man on duty here even swore he had booked him in."He had lied, no doubt. Or this little maggot was. Either way, Felix had never been here. No doubt thanks to all of his bribery. "Find him! The enemy is on our doorstep and you let our only fucking bargaining chip escape!" I roared and spun on my heels to march back the way I had come in. We had evacuated everyone in the town within an hour. Left only shells for homes and shops. Mariland and Keagan
Teagan's Point of View"Get most of the civilians to the ranch! Don't trust fucking any of the guards! The moment they try something funny, kill without mercy." Bellamy all but screamed as we stopped in front of the house.The two cars that had followed us from the desert were barely full, compared to when they left with us in the first place. So many of Bellamy's men had turned. Or died. "What do you want me to do?" I asked, clinging to his arm. Watched as his face shifted. Took in everything around us all at once.Those caramel eyes turned towards me. Blinked slowly."Why did you call my brother?" Bellamy asked in a whisper that no one else would be able to hear.Not with all of the commotion taking place around us.I stiffened. Twitched my eyes away from him.I knew he was going to be upset. I just hadn't thought it would come so soon. Not when we were still in crisis mode."Because I would rather take his help than see any of you in a grave. We need his man-power and he is more
Teagan's Point of ViewWe headed out into the eastern part of the desert with several guards in tow. The ones who stayed behind with Felix were informed of the situation and instructed to keep him shackled at all times.Killing him wasn't an option. Not until we could safely get Jonah back. The moment we had him or deemed him-I swallowed down the lump in my throat, shoving the thought that he might already be gone to the back of my mind.Bellamy was never going to forgive himself if he didn't say goodbye to his father. Especially after the note Jonah had left in his last file.As if he knew he was walking into his death."There... On the dune just past that large outcropping." Ulrich said from the passanger side.He was looking west now. Scanned the horizon fervently with the stars shining down on us.Out here in the middle of the night was the best time. With no light pollution, the air was clear. The Milkyway a shiny symbol above us.But in the direction Ulrich was looking, someone
Teagan's Point of ViewThe end note left my mind reeling. Shot a wave of dizziness through my body. Jonah knew. Knew about Harland being here and about Ulrich. Knew that we had taken some of his files. And he had done nothing about it. Actually counted on the fact that we might come snooping again.Now he was somewhere in the desert, likely dead, from what the note implied."We have to tell Bellamy." I breathed, feeling my lungs quiver with each word.Ulrich's eyes shot towards mine. Eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. "There is no fucking way I'm letting you go down there by yourself. We might not be able to hear what is happening but I can assure you, it isn't going to be pretty." "His father can be somewhere out there fighting for his fucking life and you just want to keep that from him when we can try and help?" I screeched, balling my hands into tight fists.A sheepish look passed over his face then. One of pain as well. "It's not like the guy is winning the Father of the Yea
Teagan's Point of ViewHarland moved closer to me on instinct. Shifted his weight to his dominant leg. Geared himself up for a confrontation if the need arose."What do you mean he can handle himself? Why would he have to?" I pushed more, feeling a shift of energy all around me.Felix gave me another long and cruel smile. Took one step forward before I noticed several men behind him. All tall and menacing. Brooding hulks that engulfed the space we stood in.None of them looked familiar. Or even scented to me that I knew them."Let's just say that Jonah isn't the only one fighting for his life right now." My heart slammed into my throat. Bellamy. He was talking about Bellamy. Harland sensed my urgency. Spun around and pushed me lightly to the staff door on the other side of the kitchen. "Go. I can handle this." He urged, fear lacing his voice.He was my mate and I loved him dearly. But he wasn't the best fighter around. Ulrich, on the other hand, was.I nodded and broke for the door
Teagan's Point of View Even with everything aired out, Harland barely looked my way. His shoulders were still sagging. Hair fell into his eyes. And whenever I tried to make eye contact with him he would look away the moment he noticed. The air wasn't clear yet. "He is going to be away for two days. I say we haul up in the pack house and start digging for whatever we can find on him. I told him I'm your new assistant, so he won't question my scent. Harland can lead the run tonight so that no one questions your absence too much. Get the shit and-" Bellamy shook his head in the driver's seat. Locked eyes with me in the back of the car. At least Harland had agreed to drive with us instead of walking. "No. I'll go lead the run. They won't expect Teagan to be there, seeing as the news of her pregnancy has spread like wildfire. Jonah can smell Harland in the house when he gets back because by then we will have everything we need to dethrone him. Just make sure that Felix doesn't j
Ulrich's Point of View Their family was fucked up. Beyond fucked up. Made me thankful that I had grown up in the foster system. Drama on drama on drama. Like there was no end to it. But it shaped Harland and Teagan into who they were. Gave me the greatest blessing I could ever have. Teagan. Our baby. A future where I didn't have to kill or maim. A stable home. Well, it was going to be a stable home the minute all of this madness passed. Died down. Which wasn't going to happen anytime soon, I was sure of that. "Harland. Wait up!" I screamed and followed him down the driveway. If he heard me, he gave no sign of it. Continued marching toward the gate and away from all the shit this place gave him. "Harland!" I tried again and upped my pace. Broke into a sprint. When I touched his shoulder, he whirled on me. Those were tears in his eyes. Snot peeking out from his nose. He was crying. And I could feel his pain as if it were my own. "Something wrong?" He asked, wiping his face
Teagan's Point of View Jessebelle brought out tea and coffee for everyone. Stood at the door and watched as the drama unfolded. Her little smirk of satsifaction upon seeing Mariland's distraught face was enough to make me smile as well. "Now then, we have something to drink. The mood in the room seems to be less intense. Care to explain what happened?" Bellamy asked, placing his coffee on the small table in the middle of the room. We were sitting around the living room like we were friends. Discussing the weather and upcoming plans. Like we weren't hoping the other would just fall over and die. Keagan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Placed on leg over the other. His eyes slid my way. Took me in with a remorseful look that had my bones aching. Was he ever as bad as Mariland? Not really. But he permitted it and that was all the confirmation I needed to not pity him. "When we mated, we tried for years to have a child. Jonah was freshly made the Alpha of Desert Sun and h