Gavin deflated. He didn’t say anything, but I saw that she’d gotten through to him. He clearly hadn’t thought about that. His single-minded determination to destroy his brother had blinded him.Power blinded anyone at the top. It was the way of things. The ones in charge never thought about how their actions would affect those at the bottom.“What’s the plan, then?” I asked Kira. “You must have one. I know that look.”“A meeting,” Kira said. “We bring this info. We meet with Jayson in private and show him that we had nothing to do with his father’s murder. Once he sees the truth, he’ll turn his attention to the Seventh Pack.”“Kira,” Kolton said, looking exasperated, “how are we gonna get him to agree to that? He’ll assume it’s a trick.”She pointed at Gavin. “You use half of your plan. You’ll deliver the message that we want to meet.”Gavin gazed at her dumbly for a few seconds, then, like a lightbulb clicking on, he smiled. “He thinks I’m dead.”“Exactly,” Kira said. “Seeing you ali
Chapter 17KiraI felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach. When Gavin sent us word that Jayson had agreed and told us the location to meet him, I’d almost called the whole thing off. Jayson wanted to meet on the mating grounds, where he’d rejected me weeks ago.Had it only been weeks? It was difficult to keep time in a normal frame of reference. I’d gone through more in those weeks than some people did their entire lifetime. I was not the same person who’d been rejected in front of her entire pack. That wasn’t hyperbole; I had completely changed since that day. Looking back on things, I’d built up all these walls and had kept almost everyone at arm’s length because I thought I was a monster. If I was completely and totally honest with myself, I’d been a bitch. Harsh, unfeeling, and driven to the point of obsession. Now, what really mattered and what didn’t were crystal-clear to me.The idea that Jayson had chosen the meeting location as a fuck you to me was probably incorrect. This p
“Let him get it out, Dad,” I said, completely unperturbed. “Maybe being childish for a few minutes will clear his head.” I glanced back at Jayson. “Can we get down to business? This stroll down memory lane has been lovely, but we have things to discuss.”Jayson’s sneer turned into a grin. “Ah, yes. I should have known you’d come crawling back to me.”I wanted to be professional, to stay stoic, but those words broke me. I laughed so hard, I almost doubled over to catch my breath.Jayson’s smile morphed into a frown. Becoming pack alpha had somehow inflated his ego even more than it had already been.“What is so fucking funny?” he demanded.Wiping tears from my cheeks, I straightened, trying to regain my composure. “That was a good joke. You know, after everything I’ve been through, I can’t believe I ever shed a tear over you rejecting me. It’s kinda surreal to think I went on that show because of you. Ugh.” I shook my head. “I spent five years forcing myself to believe you were my actu
I turned to Gavin. “Tell them their alpha doesn’t give a damn that the Seventh Pack and the Tranquility Council orchestrated their last alpha’s assassination.”“What?” one of Jayson’s men gasped. “Are you serious?”Jayson flew into a rage. “Did I fucking say you could talk?”The man glared at Jayson, as did some of the others. Maybe things in the Ninth Pack weren’t as good as they seemed on the outside.“It’s true,” Gavin said. “Jayson never investigated. All he did was point fingers like a child. Your alpha was murdered, and he didn’t—”“Enough!” Jayson snapped. “We’re done here. Let’s go.”Jayson strode away, and his men trudged along behind him. Several looked back at us, doubt in their eyes. If I had to guess, Jayson might have to watch his back in the coming days and weeks. The information we’d just dropped would spread quickly.“Good luck, Jayson,” I called sweetly.He kept walking and didn’t acknowledge my words.It wasn’t over between our packs. Regardless of how things went,
“There’s lots to see.” I opened the front door and waved her inside. “Come on in.”The house had that musty scent that developed when it had been closed up for a while, as though the home itself had begun to forget you and taken on its own scent. I started opening windows to air the place out.“I’d like you to sleep here with me,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.Kira chuckled. “Wow. You get right to the point, don’t you?”“All I mean is, I got used to you sleeping beside me in Haven. Last night was lonely.” I shrugged helplessly.Kira had spent last evening in her childhood room while I’d come home. I’d tossed and turned most of the night, wanting Kira’s warmth beside me. I did not want to spend tonight in the same way.Kira’s smile faded. “Yeah. I barely slept last night without you next to me.”She moved around, studying the few items I’d decorated the place with—a painting of a rising moon, pictures of me and Kolton when we were teenagers, photos of me with my unofficial
“Do you want to feel my mouth?” she asked, dragging the nails of her free hand down my thigh.“Yeah. I do.”She took me in her mouth, her tongue wet, slick, and hot as it glided over me. Gripping my sheets, I watched her move up and down on me. The wet, smacking sounds of my cock going in and out of her mouth were the most erotic thing I’d ever heard.She worked me slow, so achingly slow. All the way down until I grazed the back of her throat, then back again. I rocked my hips in time with her mouth. Sensing my desire, she curled her hand around me and stroked in time to the movements of her mouth, her other hand cupping and massaging my balls.“Kira,” I rasped, “you’re gonna make me come if you don’t stop that.”She pulled her mouth away and looked up at me, still stroking with her hand. “Isn’t that what you want?”My mind was so consumed with lust, I couldn’t think straight. “I do, but…”Kira winked at me. “You’re a big, strong man. I’m sure you have a couple rounds in you.”“Fuck,”
When we finally collapsed in absolute exhaustion, I tried to think how long our climax lasted. Ten minutes? An hour? I had no clue. All I knew was that my body felt like it had lightning running through it. Pulling Kira close, I wrapped her in a hug.“Can you feel that?” I said, still shivering in postcoital bliss.She nodded her head, her hair tickling my chest. “I’ve never…never felt anything like it.”As I held her, I did my best not to freak out. My senses were much more vibrant and heightened. I could hear more, smell more, sense more than ever before. At the same time, I caught glimpses and flashes of Kira’s emotions. My inner wolf mewled happily, and for the first time in my life, he and I were complete. Until this moment, I’d never known he was so hollow inside, so desperate to find the one thing he longed for.In a flash, I understood, and Kira did as well. I could feel her surprise fluttering through my head like an echo at the back of my mind.A smile spread across my face.
“No. Nope. Gotta be grown-ups,” she said, though she looked disappointed by her own words. “We have important things to do. Jayson might attack us at any time. We need to get everyone ready.”“Ugh,” I groaned. “Why do you have to be the adult? All I want is to fuck your brains out all day.” I sat up. “You know, usually newly mated wolves get a week or two to be together until their hormones and pheromones calm down.”“I know. Too bad we’re at war,” Kira said, standing to get dressed.“Fine,” I pouted. “But no promises I won’t pull your pants down and bend you over at an inopportune time.” I held my hands up in surrender. “You’ve been warned, so you can’t get mad at me.”She threw my pants at my face in response. I snatched them and watched her grab her stuff.“Don’t bother with all that,” I said. “Check my closet. I have a surprise for you.”Kira frowned at me before opening the closet door. Inside, two outfits hung side by side. Tranquility Ops gear—one fitted for me, the other for h
Who knew what the future held? Maybe things would look even more different in a few years. After all, look how much had changed in a few short months.I walked down to get a better view of everyone. So many familiar faces. Chelsey and Crew, of course. Mika, with Zoe snuggled right up against him. J.D. and Leif, holding hands. Leif’s body, face, and attitude were stronger and healthier than during our final days on Bloodstone Island. It had taken weeks of intensive work with spell casters, healers, and psychologists, but he’d fully recovered. No longer feral, he’d begun working with J.D. to form a nonprofit company to help shifters who were in danger of going feral or who had recently slipped over. He wanted to give everyone the same help he’d been given.Abel had come with his new girlfriend, the woman he’d always thought should have been his fated mate. My brother Kolton stood beside Eli, their hands clasped together. Eli was even more beautiful than before. After we’d revealed all t
I needed to speak to Kira alone. Now that everything was wrapping up, I had to see how she was doing. Taking her hand, I led her back down the hallway to a private alcove. I kissed her, my lips lingering on hers for longer than necessary. All the stress of the last few days—hell, the last few weeks—finally felt like it was easing. Now we would have time to think and recover.“How are you?” I asked. “After what Simon did to you in there?”Watching her turn into a mindless animal had frightened me even more than when she’d attacked me. Seeing those soulless eyes glaring down at me while she snapped and growled had damn near broken my heart.Kira took a steadying breath and nodded. “For a minute or two there, I really thought I might kill you. I had no control. The idea of killing my own fated mate was horrifying. I don’t think I’ve ever been that terrified in my life. But it’s over.” That beautiful smile returned to her face. “Whatever Lucina did broke that spell. I don’t think I’ll eve
The elevator trip was spent in silence, each of us basking in the other’s happiness and relief. Kira’s emotions bounced through my mind, and I was ecstatic that we hadn’t lost this deep, binding connection.At the ground floor, the doors slid open and we were met with two voices, one mewling and begging, the other pissed.“Told your ass not to run, didn’t I? And my name is fucking August, not Autumn!”What the hell was going on?“Please, you must let me go, you must. I have fans. Oh, gods, it hurts. What do you want? Money? I can get you girls. Boys, if that’s your speed? Whatever you want!”Von?I turned to look at Kira, and her eyes were as shocked as mine. We sprinted from the elevator and around the corner. Von was pinned to the wall with the broken leg of a chair. The makeshift stake pierced him in the shoulder rather than the heart. August stood before him, using a hand to hold the vampire’s head up. Seeing us coming down the hall, he let Von go, letting the host dangle six inch
Movement caught my eye, and I glanced at our friends. August was talking hurriedly to Crew, who nodded and took over control of the camera. August then rushed over to take a seat at the table while Crew zoomed the camera in close to August’s face.“Good afternoon, world. I hope you enjoyed the latest episode of the new show, What the Fuck? I’m your host, August Evander.“Now that I have a captive audience, I have some cats—er, dogs—to let out of the bag. I’m sure you’ll all enjoy this. We all love dirt. Let’s spill the tea, shall we?”August rambled off the information he’d dug up, starting with Crew’s parents. He proceeded to discuss the Tranquility Council’s corruption, the assassinations carried out by Tranquility operatives, pay-offs, embezzling, blackmailing, paid-off judges, murders, and more. Nearly every alpha and beta from the upper packs were named in some dirty dealing or another.At first, we stood transfixed by August’s rapid-fire delivery, but eventually, the board membe
Heline turned and registered the camera. A mix of emotions flashed across her face--confusion, understanding, shock, anger, fear, rage. Her face was even paler than before as she took in the truth. Millions had seen and listened to her admit to all she’d done.Behind me, Wyatt chuckled. “After all this, I can’t believe I’m happy to see a camera.”Heline’s eyes widened, and I thought she was going to unleash a tirade on us. But instead, she grinned and laughed along with Wyatt.“Yes, yes, yes, so funny,” she chuckled. “Of course I knew that camera was there. Do you really think the great Heline would let anything happen to her acolytes? I care deeply for them. I would never allow harm to come to them for something I allegedly did.”“Really?” I asked dryly.“I fully intended to make the fated mate pairings right again. I always did, my dear girl,” Heline added.The way she called me dear girl made my guts go watery and cold. The smile on her lips was no longer jovial. It looked like the
Stop! Please no, don’t hurt him. Gods, please stop, I screamed out at myself from deep in my mental prison, but through my internal screams, I watched as the jaws that had once belonged to me snapped and bit at Wyatt. He managed to hold me back, his hands under my jaw, but I was strong and he’d been caught unaware. I couldn’t even hear his thoughts or emotions now. All I could see was the terror in his eyes as my teeth drew nearer his neck.“Enough!” a shout erupted from behind me.Even in the manic feral state of my body, whatever controlled me turned to see the mousy woman standing. She lifted her arms and a flash of magic shot forward, surrounding me in a net of darkness, the strands of it digging painfully into me. With a jerk of her hand, I was hauled away from Wyatt, leaving him blessedly safe.Inside the strange magical net, Simon’s influence melted away, the weird connection between us shattering. Suddenly, I was free. Freer than I’d felt since that night all those years ago.
“I can’t die like this,” he gasped. “My fans. They’re watching. If I die on air, it will be appalling.”Ignoring Von’s pleas, Wyatt said, “Call for Heline, Von.”Von’s murmured begging ceased. “Excuse me?”“Of every person on this show, you’ve been around the longest. If anyone knows the moon goddess, it’s you. You see her at the end of every damned season. Call her. Tell her to get her ass down here. Now.”“But…but…but,” Von stammered. “My boy, I can’t simply call to a goddess—aah!” Von’s words cut off in a shriek as Wyatt dug the pencil in deeper.“Von,” Wyat said with a sad shake of his head, “I am not a fan of yours. Please don’t piss me off. I’ve staked enough vamps in my day to know exactly how scared you are of this pencil.”I couldn’t take my eyes off Von’s face. The sheer terror I saw there was both sad and cathartic. He’d put us through so much shit, had giggled, laughed, and applauded over it. Now he was getting a taste of the danger he loved—and it seemed he wasn’t a fan.
Every time I tried to open my mouth, nothing came out. I must have looked guilty beyond belief. Wyatt turned toward me and saw the look of horror in my eyes. The fingers of his mind drifted into mine, and an instant later, he spun in his chair, angry eyes leveling on Simon.“He’s doing something to her,” Wyatt snapped.Simon adjusted his glasses and laughed. “Me? I’m doing nothing. Perhaps Ms. Durst is simply speechless with guilt for her crimes. Have you thought about that, Mr. Rivers?”Veins bulged at my neck as I tried to force words from my mouth, but it was like a brick wall had been built between my voice box and my mouth. I stared down at the table, at the pad of paper and sharpened pencil I had before me, trying to make sense of what was happening. Around the room, the other guests and board members glared at me with dark, accusing eyes.A hand touched my leg. Firm yet gentle, gripping my thigh. The fingers cool even through my pants. Von’s assistant. Surprised, I glanced down
Chapter 25 Kira The hesitancy I felt as we walked toward the table nearly made me freeze in place, but I pushed forward. I would not let these assholes see me weak.Before each seat was a legal pad and pencil, as if they expected us to take notes or something. Wyatt took his seat, and I sat beside him, the mousy little assistant on my other side. The woman still hadn’t said a word, which didn’t surprise me. If I had to be around Von Thornton all day, I’d keep my mouth shut, too. The guy never seemed to stop talking. The poor woman had probably given up on speaking while at work.Simon’s eyes were still on me. Even without looking in his direction, I could feel them boring into me. In the deepest recesses of my mind, I could still catch small hints and whispers of his voice, calling to me. It was less like the connection Wyatt and I shared and more like a faint memory. Any hope I’d had that I’d imagi