~Zahara~ It’s taking everything in me to try to calm Aria and not give in to her anger. If I were to do that, let her take over, we would end up at Wild Tails pack and slaughter everyone. I wouldn’t just stop at those who have directly wronged Cory. I saw how he was treated at school, so most likely, the entire pack was hateful to him. I doubt I would leave anyone breathing. Cory is doing his best to try to calm me, and I know Sylas is trying to soothe Aria. I just don’t understand how people can treat someone as they did Cory. Not just someone but the former Alpha’s son and a child on top of that. Cory has been treated this way for as long as he can remember. Since when is it okay to be abusive and hateful toward a child? Everyone returns to the office after a while, but I can’t focus on the rest of the meeting. My mind is so clouded in sorrow and anger that I can’t grasp what’s going on around me. We need to end this pack’s hatefulness. We need to find
The night gets darker, and I can’t fight the urge any longer. I sneak out of the house, ensuring no one can see me leave. I shift into Nero and let him take over. I have to see her; I have to be with my mate. I hate how tied I am to her; how much I crave her. I haven’t marked Nona, but I feel as if I can’t breathe if I don’t see her. If things are this strong now, what hell would a mark throw me into? The air flowing through our fur feels amazing. I can sense everything around me, and it’s clear that the forest never sleeps. Something is always awake and aware. We zig-zag here and there to ensure no one is following us to the cabin. I can’t afford anyone to know where I’m going or what’s there. Not only does the pack think Nona has gone away for school, but the elders being here makes things even more dangerous. They would never accept what I’m doing to my mate. I can see the cabin from the woods. We stop, and Nero gives me control. I shift into my human body and
~Zahara~ I wake out of refreshing sleep. I stretch out and feel next to me, my hands only coming in contact with the cold sheets. I sit up and look around the room, but I don’t see Cory anywhere. I know he’s okay, but it isn’t like him just to disappear. If there were anything wrong with him, I would be able to sense it. I get out of bed and head to the shower. I take a quick one and head to the closet for clothes. I really should be down training, but I’m anxious to find Cory. I put on workout pants and a sports bra anyway, just in case I make it out to training. Maybe Cory and I can train together. It would be interesting to see what he has learned and how strong he is with his wolf. I know Sylas hasn’t appeared yet, but Aria and I have felt his presence already. Besides, after our day yesterday, I need to ensure that he is doing well. Hey Len, Have you seen Cory anywhere?........ Len? That’s odd that Lennox didn’t answer. He is usually up early and always an
Zahara's hands travel from my shoulder, down my back, and up the leg of my shorts. Her hands travel to my ass, squeezing it, running her thumbs back and forth. The sparks from her hands are too much to bear. I can’t stay on my stomach any longer. I stand up, and that causes Zahara’s hands to drop from my ass. I grab her hand and lead her to a bench in the room. I sit her down and sit down next to her, so I’m facing her. Zahara reaches out and caresses my cheek. Her thumb traces my jawline, and it makes me shudder. I swear her hands on me put my body into overdrive. Her hand trails down my throat, lighting a fire as they go. Zahara’s other hand goes back to my face, and her fingers lightly trace my lips. I close my eyes, trying not to let loose right here, right now. I swear I could cum and be happy, but that would be too embarrassing. I want to touch her so badly, but I’m scared that she will disappear. I don’t want to ruin it this even though I’m yearning to take her in my
~Cory~ I can’t believe it. I just….I just lost my virginity. I just had sex with Zahara, and it was amazing, though I’m not sure Zahara would agree. I’m not well versed in how these things go, but I think I was way too fast with it. Zahara and I are breathing heavily, and I’m on top of her. She is stroking my back, and I can hear her heart beating fast. I lift my body up and sit on the bench, pulling Zahara into a sitting position with me. I caress Zahara’s cheek, and she looks content. “We should probably get out of here before someone comes in.” I nod in agreement, and we put our clothes back on. We head out of the gym, hand in hand, and head to the packhouse. I let Zahara lead me into her room, and I stand awkwardly in the middle. I really don’t know what to say or do at this point. Zahara starts to move around the room, opening drawers and pulling out items. “I’m going to take a shower.” I say nothing and watch Zahara head to the restroom. I hear the
~Zahara~ It took a while before Cory, and I finally made it to the bed. I always imagined how this would be, but I never thought it would be like this. My body feels sore, but I really need to pee. Cory fell asleep the minute his head hit the pillow, and I did too. Then I wake up to my bladder feeling like it’s going to burst. Cory and I are wrapped up together, so I’m trying to figure out how to get loose without waking him up. I try to untangle our legs, being careful to stop moving if Cory even so much as twitches. Our legs come undone, and I set out to untangle the rest of us. I’m working hard while trying to keep the pee inside. All of a sudden, Cory shoots up straight. He screams out in pain, and he starts to sweat profusely. Any idea of using the restroom has fled from my mind, and I’m immediately focused on Cory. I can hear a crack in the air, followed by a scream of pain. Cory is shifting! I need to get him outside as soon as possible. I jump o
~Laslo~ The elders spent the day all over the packhouse. They seemed to have questioned everyone about everything. I haven’t had any time to think about my current situation. My mate is pregnant, and this is not good. I need my first child to come from Zahara. I’m sitting in my office waiting for the elders to discuss their findings. I was hoping I could get them to leave after their night here, but since they spent so long on pack grounds, they decided to stay a second night. I truly need these elders out of here so I can continue my business. A knock on my door brings me out of my thoughts. I left my door wide open, trying to get everything moving as fast as possible. I look up, and my mom walks into the room and sits across from me at my desk. “I know you went to see your mate the other night.” I look up from my paperwork but say nothing. “I told you to stay away from her while the elders were here. If they were to find out what’s going on…….” I clear
~Nona~ Things have been pretty quiet around here lately. I know Laslo was in the house a few nights ago. I woke up to pee, and I could smell his scent. It was extremely faint, but it was there. I expected him back the next night, but I haven’t seen him or heard from him. I’ve been doing what I usually do every day, trying to keep busy. I have a mate who has locked me up, and I’m torn between loving him and wanting him dead. It’s hard to focus on anything because I’m so isolated. I don't have any friends to talk to or any family. I’m alone with my thoughts and my emotions. Well, not completely alone…..I do have Zora. When I got Zora back, I was so grateful. I missed her like crazy, and I just wanted to feel whole again. With Zora back, I tried to mindlink, but I kept hitting a wall. I can’t even shift, which is crazy because the silver cuff was gone not too long after the chain was removed. No silver should have resulted in mind linking and shifting, but
~Third Person~ Four months have passed quickly, and so much has happened. The Wild Tail pack quickly got over the loss of their known leaders. Everyone wasn’t on board with Cory as Alpha, but no one felt strongly enough to voice their opposition. Cory and Zahara made some changes to how the pack treated others as well as how they went about daily life. Cory’s hope was to have everyone feel welcomed and everyone works together to keep the pack going. Even pack members who are against Cory can’t deny the benefits he was bringing to the pack. Cory and Zahara officially take over the Ash Band pack as well. Things continue to go smoothly there as they had before. Flora decided to stay at the Ash Band pack, there being too many negative memories back home. Flora and Maurice found a few common interests and are rarely without each other. The elders took Frankie because of his crimes against his Alphas. Len and Justin were given the opportunity to do better and o
~Zahara~ Elder Langston had his people take away Margaret and Gunner. He had them get rid of Laslo’s body. There were some wet eyes among the members and a lot of distrusting looks thrown toward Cory. I understand that years-long misinformation can’t be fixed in a matter of minutes, but at some point, they will have to let certain things go. I stay near the stage in case anyone had any questions, but no one is approaching me. Cory is off speaking with Elder Langston while his people take care of the cleanup. This entire situation has been crazy but necessary in the end. There is no way that Cory and I could enjoy our future with any of this hanging over our heads. I hate that Cory had to lose so much, but I will be sure to try to make up for it for the rest of our lives. I notice Lennox sitting in a chair, leaning back, looking up at the sky. He has been quiet since we returned, and I’m not sure what’s going on. I should probably talk to him, but before I
~Cory~ I have to say, as surprised as I am, I'm ecstatic for Cyrus. He is a good guy and has always tried his hardest to do right by my dad and me. I'm glad that he finally gets to have his happiness. As great as all that is, it's time to face the crowd. Zahara and I walk outside so we can address the pack. They were told to meet for an announcement, and it seems that everyone has gathered. It's hard to look out into the crowd. I have known everyone here for some time, and they haven't been the best to me. Some of the pack has treated me indifferently, not really doing anything against me or helping me. Others got their jollies from treating me horribly, and I will never forget that. Zahara and I stand off to the side, surveying the group. Lennox and Elder Langston are standing on the small stage that was put up for this. We are in the back of the packhouse, where there is way more space to fit all of the pack members. We watch Bryn and Cyrus walk by, wea
~Zahara~ Cory is so much stronger than he realizes. He keeps getting thrown curve balls, but he rises above and makes it out the other side. I’m not sure how I would have handled all that Cory has had to deal with. We sorted through the presented evidence, which is all compelling. Elder Langston has gone through it and has alerted the other elders. Everyone now knows what happened to former Alpha Brian Williams, and it’s tragic, to say the least. He picked a woman who he felt would make a good chosen mate. He accepted her son and treated him as his own. The minute he brought in his own son, there was an issue, though. From the information we gathered, it looks like they decided to end the Alpha’s life because of Cory because Cory exists. His existence is a reminder that the Alpha created a child with someone else. The thing about it is that he met his fated mate. The fact that they didn’t immediately choose each other is a testament to his loyalty and se
~Cory~ I’m so so tempted to end him right here and right now. Laslo is passed out, and it would take nothing for me to snap his neck this way or even rip his throat out. A hand into his chest, going for the heart, would work as well. Something in me is telling me that isn’t the way to go, that I need to be better about this. I let Laslo drop to the floor and get some warriors to fit him with silver chains so he can be transported back. Nona is still holding onto my mate, and it's a bit troublesome. I want nothing more than to rip her from Nona and truly show her how much I missed her. It is a struggle to hold myself back at this moment, but I really don’t have much choice. “What are you going to do with him?” Nona is using a whispered voice. A part of me doesn’t understand why she should care, but then again, it makes sense. They were fated mates, and that is something hard to turn off. Yes, they rejected each other, but those feelings can still linger to
~Cory~ Laslo came at me quickly, throwing his fist at my face, but I was able to dodge it. That didn’t deter him, as he threw an elbow back and was able to connect with my ear. We kept going like this; Laslo coming at me and me dodging his attacks. Laslo quickly became angered and shifted into his wolf. I spent some time fighting his wolf in human form, and that seemed to anger him even more. I have never been in a position to fight back or to defend myself before, Laslo always having an advantage over me. Now I know who I was always meant to be, and that isn’t someone who is supposed to be a punching bag. Once I shift into my wolf, things get more interesting. Laslo is coming at me again and again while I try my hardest to cut him off. I want to end him, but I don’t want it to be quick. There is no enjoyment if he isn’t able to fight back a bit. Laslo is fighting back. He continues to swipe at me, and each connection is a new sting. I can feel
~Zahara~ Laslo left the room quickly, and that propelled me to try to get out of these restraints. I have to get myself free before Laslo comes back, or I’m sure that he will try to finish what he started. I don’t know how long he’ll be gone, so time is of the essence. I twist and pull, trying my hardest to loosen up the ropes around my wrists. These ropes seem to be expertly tied. The ropes are as tight as when I first got there. Damn, I wish I had Aria right now. I could be out of this quickly by just extending a claw and slashing the ropes. I shake that thought out of my head and focus on the task at hand. The hallways are filled with the sounds of people crying and screaming. I want to know who’s attacking. Maybe it’s actually my pack; if it is, I know I will be out of here soon. If it isn’t my pack, I need to get free, so I can defend myself if needed, but these damn ropes won’t budge. GRRRRRRR! I can hear screams, ‘stop
~Laslo ~ “We’re under attack.” “FROM WHO?!” I growl out, shaking the cave and causing dust and pebbles to rain on our heads. “I…..I….I’m nnn…nnot sssssssure.” Pathetic! I push past the weak wolf with the intent of seeing what the hell is going on. I turn to Zahara, seeing her bent at the waist and breathing heavily. “We will finish this later.” I head down the hall and watch people running back and forth in front of me. I have no idea who is attacking, but I plan to find out. “Laslo!” I see my mom at the cave entrance, and she looks distraught. “What the hell is going on, mom?” She looks outside the cave, at me, and back again. “It’s Ash Band. They found us.” I growl ferociously, and those around me still look fearful. “Take care of Nona and Zahara. I will handle this; it won’t take long.” I can’t believe that weak fucker actually found me and came out here. What did he expect would happen if we met
Time went by fast but slowly at the same time. I tried to sleep and eat, but the anxiety of what's to come took over. I'm beyond ready to start this because I will have my mate back when it's over. I will be able to breathe again once I get my mate back. I head downstairs and out the door to meet with everyone else. Lennox is waiting for me with Elder Langston, Beta Cyrus, and a bunch of our warriors. We have a plan and are ready to go with it. It will take us about 45 minutes to get to the area of caves. We plan to travel in three groups and come from different angles. The plan is to take the site with as little bloodshed as possible. The only blood I want spilling is Laslo's, and I want to take care of it myself. We divide into groups, and half of us in each group shift into our wolves. The rest of us get on all-terrain vehicles to back us up. They will stop a bit away from the area and pick up anyone who tries to flee. We start to run, and I