Adelia’s Point of ViewI was right. I was entirely fucking right and I hated every second of being right. The plane wanted to murder us and I was sure of it. I was petrified once we hit turbulence. Petrified when the pilot fell asleep behind the fucking steering. Petrified when we stopped in the middle of nowhere to refuel.And went back up into the air by the grace of the goddess herself, seeing as we took off from a dirt road that had a fucking cliff at the end of it.All the while, Michael looked thrilled. Trilled with laughter every time I let go of a scream or yelp. Seemed amused when I needed to throw up whatever was in my stomach, which was mainly bile by the end of the trip.I missed Ciaran’s private jet that I so detested when used for willy-nilly travel. Missed the champagne and the fact that a few pieces of duct tape didn’t fucking fall off the side of it.By the time we landed I was shaken up. Like a Chihuahua in a damned thunder storm.Throwing our bags out of the damned
Adelia’s Point of ViewThe market was lively to say the least. With various spices flavoring the air and tons of colors all around us, it nearly made the heat bearable.The later into the day it became, the more the heat seemed to suffocate us. Drew us into the shadows and under the covers of various vendors.Michael had emptied one of our bags, dragging it behind him as he went. With no shopping carts in sight, it was the best solution we could come up with to get our groceries and get the fuck out. But every stall offered something different. Had some or other nicety that he just had to see or buy.By the tenth stall that didn’t contain any food, I was swaying from foot to foot, already irritated with the entire process. Which wasn’t entirely a process to begin with, seeing as he trotted into anything that seemed somewhat interesting.“I saw a café on the other side of the market. I think I’m going to go and wait for you there.” I explained and dodged out of the spice shop we had fo
Adelia’s Point of ViewAs night fell, the pack became even more vibrant. Street performers came out in droves. Danced across the markets with joy I hadn’t seen in a while. Revellers swayed from one bar to the next, alcohol clinging to the air like a second skin.And with all of the new commotion came guards. They tried their best to disguise themselves as normal people but the way they stood gave them away immediately. Stiff postures and snide remarks to each other whenever someone came too close.Clearly, the pack was used to them by now.Most people gave them wide berths, sensing the malice behind their presence.Michael, on the other hand, tried his best at befriending two of them. Clung to their side with a sloshing beer mug that spilled the foamy liquid all over himself and them.Despite the scent of alcohol on his breath, he hadn’t drunk a damned drop.We were out here in the dead of night to scan where we needed to go. To speak to drunk people who could give us any details abou
Adelia’s Point of ViewBy dawn I was well aware of where I was. Knew that somewhere in this pack Siya now roamed with my mother. Or would be roaming with my mother soon enough.Both outcomes tugged at my heart strings. Played on the most fearful part of my mind until I was tossing and turning.At night, at least, the pack cooled down considerably. Swallowed the hot air of the day whole and spat out a sheen of cold that came as a reprieve, seeing as the fan above my bed did little to combat the heat.Dreams and thoughts about my mother seemed to haunt me. With a nightmare of how they could hurt her lingering well past my waking hours. Falling back asleep had seemed futile enough that I crawled out of bed well before the sun was up.Outside, I could hear the last of the people mulling about from last night’s festivities. Some were screaming for friends whilst others laughed and danced all the way home.It reminded me of a much simpler time. About three weeks ago when life was still norm
Siya’s Point of ViewCatching the man who had shot Adelia had brought a new thrill to my blood. Made me feel like the world was mine for the taking and anyone in it.I had protected my own by dispatching a threat to her life. And the pleasure I got from it was directly linked to the mating bond I now nurtured like kindling inside my chest.No one would harm her again. Not whilst I lived an breathed.He had been a rookie sniper in one of the lower ranking units. Green as they could come and had only gotten in a lucky shot. Or it was lucky until he found out what the hostage meant to me. Figured out he had made a grave error in shooting her.Of course he tried to explain it away. Said that it was his duty to the cause to shoot anyone who looked like a threat to me or mine. But it all fell on deaf ears when I cornered him eventually.The fear on his face when I told him his days were numbered sent pleasure tingling down my spine. Reminded me of just what I was capable of when the people
Adelia’s Point of ViewHe sounded off. Sounded shaken to his very core. And it frightened the living shit out of me.When he told me he wanted to talk to me about my mother as well, my heart skipped several times. Nearly stopped beating in my chest. The fear was so tangible that Michael had moved closer to me. Pushed most of the weapons to the ground so that he could be close.I swallowed when he cut the call. Felt my hands trembling on my lap.“What did he say?” Michael asked, his eyes going glassy from our proximity.But I didn’t have time to indulge in my fantasies of him. Of him on me and in me. Because I might as well have just heard my mother was no longer with us. That they had already killed her because she had put up too much of a fight.“He agreed to meet with me at ten in the same café as today.” I got out through a thickly clenched throat.So many thoughts swirled inside of me. Bucked and twisted until I couldn’t hold down my puke any longer.Jumping up from the couch, my
Adelia’s Point of ViewThe stalls were packed again. People of all shapes and sizes darted in and out. Yelled and bartered with no heed for anyone else around them.As I made my way to the café, I could feel Michael’s eyes on me. Felt it drifting down my spine and all the way back. Knew that he was scanning the crowd feverishly to see who else might appear out of the blue at any given moment.My own heart seemed to stall every time I thought I saw Siya in the crowd. Lurched when I realized it was someone else and I was just being paranoid.By the time I sat down, I was already drenched in sweat. Knew that stains were forming on the thin material beneath my armpits.I looked horrid and I was on my way to see my mate.What would he think-No. This wasn’t some romantic date in the middle of a market. This was my mission to find out what was wrong with my mother.Settling into the closest table to the entrance, I watched as the crowd moved like one hive-mind. It was baffling to think that
Adelia’s Point of View It was like seeing a ghost appear out of thin air. One minute I was watching the crowd, the next she was there and she was familiar and my heart nearly gave out. My mom was as beautiful as always. Had her hair down and cascading around her in waves. Her beautiful face framed by long black lashes and a pert upturned nose. Even by wolf standards, she was beyond gorgeous. Always had been. Sometimes I wondered if I looked like her, even in the slightest, considering how stunning she was. But looking at her now, I could see something was wrong. Off. But I couldn’t put my finger on it. Her normally plump lips were drawn into a tight line. Her eyes narrowed into slits. And they remained that way, even when she finally noticed me. What I noticed next was a shock to my system. Phaedra had her arm looped into my mother’s like old friends. Beamed at me and Siya as they approached with a shark smile that sent the hairs on my arm standing on end. I wanted nothing more
Adelia's Point of ViewThey both cleaned up well. Looked dashing in their suits. But the scene in front of me was obscenely strange. Two fully grown men hiding behind a bush. One with an empty glass of some type of alcohol in hand. The other laughing maniacally into the dark If it hadn't been for me noticing their scents nearby, we wouldn't have found them at all.With their vantage, they could see the entire party perfectly. Still, they chose to hide away. Watched from the outside.And the moment they turned around to look at us, both of their jaws dropped to the floor.I knew Nessa had done a good job of styling me. Knew I looked better than I had ever done before. But their reactions were priceless. Worth every single burn Nessa had given me when she tried to curl my hair for the updo."Close your mouths, boys, it's fly season." Nessa joked from beside me. Chortled when all Michael could do was curse again, eyes digging up my flesh inch by inch. Siya wasn't far behind. Let his ey
Siya's Point of ViewI was a mated male.For one, I couldn't believe I wasn't dead yet. At the end of my twenties and I was still alive and well. Or as well as I could be, given that my body was a royal fuck up at the moment.But not dead. Not yet. And not anytime soon. Second, I was mated and in a new pack. Watched now as my old pack members streamed into a lush and vibrant garden made up for them and only them. To welcome them into a new and more stable home.If only the rest of my pack could have followed as well. Could have escaped the hell that was now Noha Khoeli.My mother would have been proud to see me now. Would have loved to know that her son was not only living but thriving. Saddened by the fact that her daughter had turned into such a cruel monster, yes, but glad to know her son had escaped that reality."Well, don't you clean up well," Michael crooned as he approached me from behind.I was standing in the shadows. Avoided anyone looking at me yet. Speaking to me. Mainly
Adelia's Point of View"Stop fussing! Everything has been sorted outside. It is two hours before the ceremony starts, we need to get ready!" I screeched at Nessa, hand clamped around her wrist and pulling her furiously into my walk-in closet.She was finding every reason in the book not to go inside and look at all of her options. From the decor to the food and everything in between. "Shit needs to be perfect and that fucking florist put one too many fucking roses in the centerpieces," She argued back whilst pulling away from me.A child with a new toy, that's what she was acting like right now."One too many roses isn't going to kill anyone, Nessa! But we can't be late for our own party," I hissed again and finally dragged her the rest of the way into the closet.The overhead lights flickered on the second they detected us. Flooded the small but packed space with light. And shimmers and sparkles from the clothes around us. This was where I kept most of my fancy clothes. The kind t
Adelia's Point of ViewI left Michael at the pack house with Aiden.Both men were walking around the place, making sure that every security measure under the sun was well in place. Nukes weren't the only threat we had to face. If Phaedra wanted to she could send an entire army to come and eviscerate us for what we had done to her pack. A tit for tat kind of thing. So the men peacocked around, trying to figure out every single weak point within the pack house grounds."I'm back," I called into the house and closed the door behind me.Groans sounded throughout the house, coming from upstairs. Groans. Moans. A few curses every once in a while. This was followed by a shrill voice that I couldn't make out the words from.Making my way up the stairs, I felt my teeth grind together as the groans intensified. Nessa was doing a number on her brother and showed zero remorse.When I walked in, she was straddling his ass, working her hands up and down the length of his spine. Siya's face was tw
Adelia's Point of ViewHis lips were as soft as I had remembered them. As intoxicating as well. But this time, his hands roamed my body freely. Hungrily. Claiming every inch as if he would never have the chance again. As if he needed to feel me to believe that we were doing this.Settling my own hands in his hair, I pulled his face away and smiled at him softly. Felt my heart still beating a mile a minute as he stared down at me. Blue eyes were half-lidded and twinkling when he looked down at me. Smiling like a damned fool.Ever so slowly he brushed a hand down the side of my face. Swept some of my baby hair back behind my ear. "You are so utterly beautiful that I might just die from looking at you too long." He whispered, breathing fanning my face in a minty puff. I rolled my eyes and shook his head for him. "That was maybe the cheesiest thing you have ever said to me," I bemoaned, unable to look even a tad bit disgusted by it.Because he could say those things to me my entire lif
Adelia's Point of ViewFor the first night where both of my mates were with me, we all collectively decided to sleep on our own. Not because I wouldn't have loved it to be the filling between both men but rather because neither of them felt very comfortable with that yet.Which was to be understood.I wouldn't know how to feel sleeping with my mate and his other mate.But Nessa's couches slept like utter shit! The girl had really said 'fashion and fuck the rest'. They were lovely to look at. Wonderful to curl up on. Horrendous for the back. So, when I finally woke up, I felt like an old woman climbing out of her coffin. My spine was shot to hell. Knees creaked from having had to curl them to my chest for the entire night.And if I felt this way, I didn't even want to know how Michael must have felt."We really should have brought another mattress," I groaned and stretched. Some of my limbs popped in their sockets, making me wince.Siya grumbled something into his pillow on the mattre
Adelia's Point of View"And you made sure to ask him that everything was disabled? Thrown away? Burned?" Nessa screeched, hands on her hips as she paced the length of the living room.Every time she passed Aiden, he reached for her but she was having none of it. Dodged his efforts every single time with a dip of her shoulder. Or a sneer when he got too close to calming her down."Ozias asked Dargan to check everything. He even sent over a plan of the house and where Ciaran placed everything," Michael explained and let his eyes dance over to mine. "He also apologized profusely for what his Alpha has done." "In what regard? Because everything he has done has been more than fucked up from what I hear." Nessa seethed again.Aiden made a last lunge towards her and when she dodged out of his way, he threw his hands up in exasperation. Looked done with trying. Hell, with living at this point.It was funny to witness them together.Him, the pragmatic planner who thought shit through. Her, wh
Michael's Point of ViewShe was fine. More than fine, actually, from the looks of things. Adelia was joking and laughing. Kidding around with Siya and his lack of cooking skills. Made fun of the fact that a carrot nearly took him out. And her with him, if she hadn't stopped healing him when she had. But she was bubbly and happy. Looked relaxed, even when I tried to tickle her feet. Or got her to snort coffee through her nose by accident.This felt comfortable. Easy. Like this was the place I had always been destined to find. A home I always needed to occupy.Logically she had tried several times to get back to planning. Or tried to sneak away with her phone, just to make a few calls, she had assured us. Neither of us let her, on orders of the Beta of the pack.Your first healing was as taxing on the body as your first shift. Something I had to keep in mind once I won her over and got her to turn me. The process and changes of it all were grueling enough that even Alpha pups were
Adelia's Point of ViewI was helped down the stairs. Helped, like a damned invalid. All because my body had decided healing a gash on an arm was one too much.Sure, give it a kidnapping. Nearly being killed. Being held captive by your deranged mother. Escaping said Mother. Organizing one large ass ceremony. And everything in between. But goddess forbid I tried healing someone. That was just fucking unacceptable.At first, both had offered to help me down. Neither wanted the other to help. A few glares had been exchanfged. Maybe a profanity or two, said through their eyes and luckily not their mouths.By the time they were done with their pissing contest, I was already at the door, tired of their bullshit. Scolded them for handling me like I was broken and not just tired. That had been the final straw for them to back off. Michael had been the winner in the end, to my utter dismay.His hand around my waist and my arm around his shoulders caused us to touch all up my side. Forced so m