Teagan's Point of View They had Ulrich in an ice bath when I walked into the house. Bellamy was standing beside him. Held most of his body down in the tub. All whilst Ulrich was fighting against his grip. Growled and groaned through his clenched jaw. The sound was enough to make my teeth grind against each other. Sent all of my nerves into a tightly woven ball. As if his pain was my own and I had no way of making it better. Behind me, Harland placed a hand on the small of my back. Tried to comfort me. But even the sparks that danced between us seemed to sputter. Took up second place in my mind compared to Ulrich. Pop was screaming at some of the counselors to get whatever he needed. Veins were popping out from beneath his fragile skin as he screamed. As the counselors fluttered into action.Chaos reigned here today. Was nothing like when it had only been Bellamy and I visiting only three days ago. "When was he turned?" Pop asked and approached me. My eyes were still wide as I t
Teagan's Point of ViewThe cold seemed to vanish the longer I sat in the water. But when my arms curled around Ulrich's body, the temperature in the water spiked. Gone was the biting cold. Replaced by heat that flooded throughout my body. Became as warm as my bath water normally was. Bellamy remained a steady presence beside me. Harland was on the other side as well. Neither kept Ulrich down anymore. Not because they didn't want to but because he had stopped moving the second I touched him.He had calmed down the moment I was close to him. His breathing became even. Deeper than before. The pressure between us was unsettling. Not the kind of sparks and electricity I was used to but something else.Something different.When children changed, they didn't have mates to ground them. Or that was my working theory. At least with Ulrich, he had someone to keep him here. Keep him in the now. If anything were to work, it would be this. This unstoppable force that tethered us together. Loweri
Teagan's Point of ViewBellamy was on the other side of the room, bags of ice in hand, when the first bones started to break. All on their own. One by one. They cracked and hissed, causing my heart to drop.A low groan escaped Ulrich's lips. His legs started moving in front of him. Shoved to the sides of the tub, trapping me behind him. My arms uncurled around him. Realization slammed into me.He was changing. Shifting into a wolf for the first time. All because I had coaxed him to do it. Now I was in his bubble and I had nowhere to go."Get out of there!" Harland urged and leaped from his chair. He was beside me in mere moments.Bellamy dropped the ice on the floor. Ran towards us with giant steps. "Pop! He's turning! Get the fucking pen ready!" He screamed and came sliding to my side.Harland was already hauling me up and out by the arms. Made most of the water drip to the floor around us. Everything was soaked but the heat from our combined bodies still lingered."What fucking pen
Teagan's Point of ViewBellamy's arm was draped around me. Pulled me in tightly against him as the cold of the night pressed in. In the front seat, Harland snored softly. Seemed oblivious to the cold. To the bite across his skin. Pop was fast asleep beside him. Sat upright with his arms tucked over his chest. We were waiting. For a sign that Ulrich was alive. Or turned. Both, preferably. This was normal as well, sleeping in the truck whilst they waited for the person to turn. This far out into the ranch you couldn't connect cameras to keep watch from the house. Not that they would, even if they could. It was better to be close if something went wrong. Horribly wrong.My mind drifted in that direction, time and time again. What I would do if something happened to Ulrich. How I would lose my mind if he didn't make it through.Goddess only knew how shot my nerves were."You're shivering," Bellamy murmured beside me. Shifted a bit so that I was flush with his chest.Biting down on my
Bellamy's Point of ViewHarland cracked open an eye in the front seat. Looked to the right just as Teagan started to strip. His eyes went wide. Lips tugged into a thin line.Pop gave a low whistle as his eyes bulged out of his head. This was met by a growl from Harland. A slap on Pop's arm had the old man twisting his head. A large grin donned his face."Skeletons can also yearn," He chided through his large smile.The comment left my chest tightening. Contracted as a laugh split my lips. Brought forth a tyrant of tears to my eyes. Trust this bag of bones to make such a remark. Old but not cold.At least he looked away. Not that him staring at her would make a difference. She belonged to us. Them more than me but still an us. At least I had some part of her.Her figure was immaculate. Curved and dipped in all the right place. Her hair cascaded down her back in a sheet of chocolate brown curls.And then I averted my eyes, realizing that I was being just as much of a pervert as Pop in
Ulrich’s Point of ViewIt was a hassle to get my legs steady beneath me. They wobbled and bobbed in directions of their own. Tried to throw me to the ground more than once.But by the devil, it felt amazing. All of it. The feel of the dirt beneath my paws. How I could hear a bird singing far off into the distance. My vision that suddenly improved ten-fold.Yes, all of these things had improved when I came back from the brink of death. When I was first bitten. But not this much. Nothing was this intense. This beautiful.Everything was brighter. Seemed lighter and more carefree. Nothing weighed me down. Except for my legs at this point, of course. The bastards seemed to find it amusing that I couldn’t get a grip on them.The rubber chew toy snapped against my large canine as Teagan pulled it again. Her body was awe-inspiring in this form. Seemed glossy. Smooth. Light in a way that a human body dimmed a bit.She was viciously pulling at the rubber. But the moment the fragile toy snapped,
Bellamy’s Point of ViewThere was a pause in the world. As if the goddess herself was holding in her breath. Waiting for something to happen.When I looked to my right, out the window, and into the pen beyond, Ulrich was shifting back. His body was now half-wolf, half-human. It was a slower process for people who needed to shift back the first time.Painful beyond belief.But that’s not why everything seemed to slow down to a crawl.Right there, in front of Teagan, he was closing his eyes. Not blinking but closing his eyes. Didn’t open them again.Grabbing for the handle on the door, I shoved it open. Was up and out within a heartbeat.Harland noticed, by some miracle, what was happening. This astounded me for just a second, seeing as he never noticed anything that didn’t concern him.“Shit. Shit. Shit.” He got out in quick pants.Before I could comprehend it fully, he was also out of the car and rushing toward the gate, hot on my heels.“Pop, get the remote!” I screamed and the old m
Teagan's Point of View"Do you think this looks a bit too casual?" I asked, twirling around in the off-shoulder dress I had chosen.The floral pattern was light. Airy and whimsical compared to what I normally wore when I went to see Jonah. But I wanted to portray an image. One that screamed I was drunk on love and there was no hiding from it.Harland lifted a brow at me. "Why do you care so much about it? You're only going to see him for work. And technically you are the boss when it comes to the mine." He explained but I only rolled my eyes at him.He was skirting the question, which meant this wasn't the right outfit for me. Maybe on a beach day, it would have been nice. Not as work wear, even if it was just a simple meeting with Jonah.Our first real attempt at fooling him about where Bellamy and I stood within our relationship.Not that either of us truly knew where we stood with each other. It was a guessing game at the moment.When he first brought me to Pop’s ranch, I saw somet
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