~Zahara~ I can feel sparks on my neck and my jaw. I smile at the feeling and turn around to face my mate. “Morning, handsome.” Cory kisses my lips. “Morning. Today is the day.” I stretch and wrap my arm and leg around Cory’s body. “It is. Are you ready for it?” I open my eyes to peek at Cory. I expected to see anxiety and fear, but he actually looks excited. “I think I really am. I think I’ve gotten used to the idea and why Sylas fully with me, I feel like I can do things I couldn’t before.” I know what he means. There is always a difference when we get our wolves. The other part of ourselves is on the surface, and we feel complete. Loud knocks sound on our door. “Hey, are you awake? It’s time to start getting ready.” I pick my phone up to look at the time. It’s only 7 am, and the ceremony will be this evening. Why exactly would I get ready now? “Bryn, what are you talking about?” The door opens, and Bryn is in the doorwa
~Cory~ I’d never seen an Alpha ceremony before, so I had no idea what to expect. I have to say the ceremony was beautiful. The decorations were gorgeous, as was Zahara. The feeling that I felt when I said the oath and the power enveloped me…..indescribable. I can’t believe that I’m a ranked member; I’m an Alpha. I can’t believe that it is now up to us to take over and care for this pack. I’m excited and nervous. The pack’s approval of me was overwhelming. I could hear so many congratulations in my mind. My eyes started to tear up, listening to the acceptance I was receiving. I have never been so accepted in my life, and I never want to forget that feeling. I want to make sure that I’m always worthy of their care and acceptance. The four of us, Bryn, Zahara, Lennox, and I, have been standing halfway between the packhouse and the food, getting congratulated on our new status. It is surreal, to say the least, and I consider myself extremely blessed to have
~Justin~ Shit….shit……SHIT! Oh, Goddess! Oh shit! I can’t quiet my head, and I need to remain calm; well, my face needs to remain calm. I can’t believe I’m involved in this mess. I just wanted to be accepted and have a group of friends. I never got along well with Lennox and them…….well let me clarify….. I’d always been a quiet kid. Even when I became a teenager, I was always quiet and kept to myself. It isn’t so much that I never got along well with Lennox, Bryn, Zahara, and their crew…..it’s more so that I never tried. I never really tried to fit in. I was too scared and insecure to attempt to be a part of their group. They have always been very accepting, and Zahara will reach out to anyone to include them. I just….I would just run the other way. I just never felt good enough. I ran right into Frankie and Len. They were always outcasts and liked it that way. I didn’t latch to them; they just pulled me along. Every time I turned around, Frankie and Len
~Justin~ Oh shit! He’s going to kill me. I’m going to die by my Alpha’s hand in the back of the packhouse. Goddess, how did it come to this? My hands are gripping Cory’s, trying to loosen it so I can breathe better. I’m getting nowhere, and it’s scary. “Maybe you should put him down so he can talk, Alpha.” Cory glares at Lennox and opens his hand at the same time. I fall to the ground, gasping for air. I will have to thank Lennox one day for saving my life. “I suggest you take this opportunity to let us know what’s going on. Otherwise, I will have to let my Alpha loose and there is no telling how that will pan out.” I gulp and scramble to my feet. I really don’t want to die this way, so I guess now is as good a time as any. “Yeah….so……well…….Frankie and Len took Zahara.” I flinch before I hear the ear-shattering growl that comes from Cory. Please let me get through this alive. I can hear heavy breathing, and I’m terrified that I will open my ey
~Frankie! I make my way through the woods to the shack we have dubbed our spot. I have been trying to text, call, and mind-link Justin for a while now, but I haven’t been able to reach him. I’m beyond pissed off. He better not have gone soft and ruined this for me. Len will be coming later. I left him to tie up some loose ends and make sure that this doesn’t fall back on us. I finally make it to the shack and notice there is a light on inside. I take a deep breath at the door before walking in, hoping that I see what I want to see. I open the door slowly and see Justin sitting at the table. I scan the room and notice a lump on the floor over by the far wall. I slowly walk through the door, closing it behind me. Justin looks up at me but doesn’t speak. I make my way over to the lump, and a smile breaks out on my face when I realize that it’s Cory. Justin came through, and I’m actually surprised. If I’m honest, Justin is the weak link in the group. I walk
~Zahara~ My head is killing me. It is pounding away, and I’m not sure why. I start to move and quickly stop when my neck starts to radiate pain. What the hell is going on?Aria……..? There is no response, and my mindlink is coming up empty. I take a deep breath and move around again, trying to ignore the pain that comes with it. I feel something soft underneath me, but the room doesn’t smell familiar. “So you’re awake….” A soft voice breaks through the darkness. I don’t recognize the voice or the accompanying scent. I open my eyes, and everything is blurring. I blink a few times to try to get my eyes adjusted to the darkness that surrounds me. I look and find there is a couch underneath me. I guess I should be happy that I’m not outside somewhere. Across from me is an armchair that is occupied by a body. I try to focus on the chair and start to take in some features. There is definitely a woman sitting across from me; red hair in disarray, dull green eyes, and pale
~Cory~ I finally enter my office, and everyone is waiting on me. Frankie is locked in the cells, and Justin is out with warriors, waiting for Len to come back to the pack. They will both be in the cells as well, but I need to make sure I can get to Len. Len and Frankie’s punishment are already written, but I’m not quite sure what to do with Justin. Now isn’t the time to worry about that, though. I need to get my mate back, and in order to do that, I have to go back home. “Where is she? Where’s my bean?” Alpha Byron is sitting next to Luna Amara on the couch. The Luna is devastated, weeping into the Alpha’s shoulder. Bryn and Lennox are standing behind the chairs that are across from me at the desk. I sigh and place both hands on the desk, leaning forward to address everyone. “She is at the Wild Tail Pack.” I fill them in on all that I learned, and I can see Alpha Bryon getting angrier and angrier the more I speak. Luna Amara is ignoring her own pain to t
~Cory~ The silence stretches on, and I wonder if I lost the call. Before I can check, I hear maniacal laughter. “You…..you are challenging me?! You are weak as hell!” The laughter continues, and my grip on the phone is getting tighter and tighter. I wish I could rip his throat out right now. “Are you done?” I huff out in impatience. The laughter stops, and it becomes silent on the other end of the phone. “You’re serious, aren’t you? I can’t……fine. If that is how you want to die, then so be it.” I have so much to say, but I can’t form the words. I quickly hang up the phone and try to breathe. I just want to run over there and rip Laslo’s throat out. I want Zahara back in my arms, and I don’t want to have to wait. “We need to contact the elders and inform them of this conversation. I believe they left some people on site at the Wild Tail Pack so I’m not sure how he was able to get Zahara on the grounds without them being aware.” Alpha Byron is t