If I ever see Lucas again, I’m going to remind him, very strongly, of the fact his mate is a top-tier bastard. How can the Goddess see those two as something worth pairing together? It’s just a waste of my best friend's heart. Without sunlight, I have no idea how long it’s been. It’s been so kind of Captain Fuckbag, as I’ve renamed calling Cesar, to ensure I get to sleep with a freshly cracked skull every time I recover from the last whack. I don’t know what he’s trying to achieve. It’s not like I’m going to suddenly beg to join Kallio. Not with the promise of concussion and a dungeon view. All jokes aside, I don’t know how many times I can be knocked unconscious and keep waking up. Everyone has a limit. I wince to think of this happening to Cass, idly wondering if Elder Cesar hits as hard as that old mole Elder Brent. Yet she’s turning down a life by Ayr’s side for dire cliff-face of crumbling power. I know where I’d rather be, and I don’t even want Ayr to smash any doors down f
Robyn somehow found me, naked and curled up on the outskirts of the village. My wolf was exhausted with nothing left to give. I smiled weakly as Robyn silently fussed and checked over me. There is a wolf waiting, every generation for a chance to finally descend, created through the bond between mine and Ayr’s wolves. Instead of seeing the Goddess as cruel for pairing Elle and I so closely, I think the Goddess is tiring of this twisted cycle. Not that I can tell Robyn any of this just yet. In silence, she began to dress me in long woollen pyjamas. Gently, she whispered. “we need to leave now. Can you stand?" Her pale blue eyes are alive, every move is more decisive. Something has definitely happened with Raphael. Guided back to her horse, I her mate strides over, green eyes glued to her. I get merely a nod. He is utterly sunk for her, I wonder if she realises.Corbin appears, his grey eyes always so serious and calm. He opens his arm, offering me a hug before freezing in uncertain
The outskirts of my packhouse found itself transformed into the unofficial Kallio waiting room for a full morning. Over a dozen idiotic Alpha’s and their entourages left waiting for the bridge. A gaggle of carriages, velvet, furs, capes, and jewels. All ready to make an impression on Elle. All waiting for the bridge to drop. Seated on Pepper, worrying about my cannonball and her schemes, I had minor Beta’s mindlinking all the overheard insults as different packs passed through. Declaring Volare deserves razing to the ground. A shame they have a degenerate Alpha in charge. Well they are all in for a shock. Men like the aged, grey, Alpha Silas quivering under ten layers of blankets openly scowled, refusing to meet my gaze. Alpha Ricardo had not fetched any of his teenage daughters. Luna Jacintha sat tall on her white horse, inviting stares and surprise with triumph, long silk sleeves trailing down her horses shoulders. She did not acknowledge me, turning her nose up. Enjoying th
/Don’t ask me if I’m okay again, I swear to the fucking Goddess/ Lucas growled, leaping up the stairs like a seriously pissed off panther. The white stone atrium had been polished to perfection. Every white section of stone would have shone had the slate clouds above allowed it. Instead, despite the flowers, the garlands, everything had a grimy, grubby feel. Every white surface is dreary, the flowers listless. Elle’s carefully curated image is finally starting to crack. Climbing up the eight flights of stairs, I can feel the amber daggers of Elle’s eyes burning into the nape of my neck. I link Lucas. /Did he say anything to you?/ /He said he missed me, okay? Right before he tried to punch me in the cock. Now fuck off and let’s do this/ Lucas snapped back. His eyes remained emerald green, but I have no idea how long he will control them for. /He misses you!/ I start, but Lucas only accelerates away. We finally emerge to the same cliff top I originally tangled with Cass. Being the
I only woke up when the sound of horses' hooves thundered around me. Kallio guards on the move? Cass leading her exiles into battle? Cass doing something completely insane because that's the only way she seems to operate? Grimacing sourly,I attempted to focus on the wooden door, except there were two of them in my fluttering vision. Shit, maybe Elle kept on hitting me after I blacked out? There are no wisecracks left to make. I’m fucked.Doomed to fail. So, like all foolish idiots I shut my eyes, praying my wolf will be able to heal my vision. If I sit here in complete denial long enough, maybe I’ll be able to see my death coming at me crystal clear. Except my wolf is curdling within, agitated and unsettled. I’m trying not to give into the worst side of myself, but I can feel anger bubbling up. Why the fuck has Ayr sent me here? What have I achieved? Nothing, nothing at all. I’ve been sent here to rile Elle, maybe tie up some of Cesar’s time. At the cost of my health, possibly my
It's absolute pandemonium. Lightning strikes continue to hammer into the cliff top. Only the screams of yet another Elder falling to their death cuts through. Lucas darted ahead of me, looking like a coward to those around him but actually throwing himself into danger to save our best friend. I try not to think of Cass and Robyn swinging helplessly against the white stone cliffs. She must be inside by now. Everyone else is sprinting down the steps. Betas shield their Alphas and Lunas. It seems Lucas and I were the only ones forced to hand in our weapons, judging by the amount of blade-wielding Beta’s, swearing loudly. I quickly leaned over from the very top for a look, the panicked guests hustling down the eight floors of white staircases like a trail of ants. Above me, the glass ceiling is a swirl of thunderous grey and black clouds. After that, I don’t let Elle out of my sight. I’m not going to intervene or give away that I’m still Cass’s mate. It’s not my card to play. “We need
There was a moment, just before I flung myself from the clifftop where I wondered if it was actually possible to die from adrenalin. Can your heart pound with that much force and ever truly return to normal? Thunder and lightning bouncing across the sky, the clouds so dark. Yet I held no fear of being struck. Not for a second. Robyn maybe felt differently. As brave and amazing as she has been, her hand gripped mine painfully tight. Her smile tight, blue eyes focused with flecks of grey, we took deep breaths and charged out into the open. Robyn had asked me if I worried about my legs. If they would suddenly turn to lead when the moment came. The treacle-sludged movement of nightmares. But I flew. We both did. In our sprint towards the edge, I caught a glimpse of Ayr’s blue eyes and towering black-armoured frame. In the split second of time, just how much I’d missed him hit me like a sledgehammer, an extra pulse of my already super-charged heartbeat. However, we were correct not t
It’s probably incredibly selfish to admit I could have really done without Cass showing up. Robyn is fascinating. Every chance I get I’m helplessly studying her. She knows it, too. The sweetest little smile creeps up her face when she catches me, battling the crimson flare of my irises at the simplest act. Friday, before setting off to find Cass, she headed away from the rest of the camp. I’m not a possessive asshole but eventually even Corbin wondered where she was. Striding down the path, my paranoia rocketed. Twigs cracking, puffs of breathing. I slowed down, approaching stealthily. Except I found Robyn at her most beautiful. She’s found a low, long limb of a tree, using it as a ballet barre. Over and over, she practised her movements. Her legs extended ever upwards without a tremble, arms poised. The strength involved was awe-inspiring. Instead of interrupting, I returned and simply said, “she’s fine,” Corbin looked at me quizzically, like I was meant to drag her back like a
Corbin is the first to arrive, urgency in his steely eyes. He and Ayr now share the dubious honour of matching neck scars. I imagine his lower chest is even more grisly after the attack on him “Is everything okay? It’s so fantastic to see you,” enjoying the sweep of his huge, iron-like hug. The sweet scent of warm baking is the only soft feature about this hardened leader. “When they set up a room for me to recover in, they found this. I thought you should have it,” withdrawing a thick envelope from his jacket. “It’s written by your mother.” I stare at the aged paper and wonder just what I will gain from reading her drunken rantings. “What made you bring this? She must have hundreds of letters, I know she kept a diary too.”“She addressed it to you. It’s the only one with your name on it. No diaries found.” "Go on, I’ll greet everyone else. It will only irritate you if you don’t read it now, " Ayr suggested "Corbin and I need to talk bridges," as the pair grinned. I took the letter
Life is very different in Volare these days. Leo is almost two. Wonderful in every way, his pouty lips and blue eyes making it almost impossible to tell him no. I flit between wondering what my mother would think of my own material efforts. Praying I make better choices than her. I still don’t know what the hell was on her mind when she died. Was it out of love for me or hatred of Elle? Staring at Leo, I will never understand how she stood by all those years in silence. It has taken some serious organising but tonight, finally everyone is going to be reunited. A celebration of friendship. Raphael and Robyn have been sorely missed. Almost eighteen months without any visits between us. Corbin had requested all bridges go up for our own safety for a period. He was attacked in an uprising in the centre of Pemberton. Touring a pack and hit in the chest with a cannonball. Quite how the fuck a group of rebels got hold of a cannon is something Raphael is furiously investigating. The nigh
She’s dreamed of me? Even as my head spins in a frenzy of pure desire, I need to delve into that conversation more. Women are clearly my blind spot. No pun intended. She’s guiding me along the wooden wall, “I‘m staying in the packhouse, come on,” she breathes, and I’m so close to just being swept along. But this is serious. Flashes of Imelda cross my mind. “Jessica, Jessica, come on, what do you mean dreaming? What colour are your eyes?” as she drags me into the packhouse. Where I once snuck in order to shave in Ayr’s fancy bathroom. Her hand feels so tiny in mine. In fact, everything about her is petite. I’m almost stumbling, and I secretly love the way she doesn’t give a shit I can’t see. She’s taking me to her room regardless. “How about you just trust me?” she whispers before placing a kiss on my open chest. Shit that must be how tall she is. When she first kissed me, she must have been on her tiptoes. What the hell is this? “If you know who I am, I don’t…I’m not going to b
Jessica never appeared at dinner. It was a shame, I totally thought her and Marcus might hit it off, but there will be more opportunity. She’s got that daring confidence that I thought might spark his interest. When the lightning flashed and rain descended, everyone jumped in the packhouse. Ayr ran out to find Marcus. Check he hadn’t got caught in the storm and lost his bearings, but he was nowhere to be seen. His blue gauze was trodden into the mud by the packhouse door, though. “He’s not answering his link?” Ayr said, rubbing his chin. “If he wants us, he will,” Matthew answered steadily. “There’s a line of how much he’ll ask for.” Ayr reluctantly agreed, and the evening continued as planned. Drinks consumed, food eaten, I sat in our bed and watched Ayr as he stripped down. I know how long he stays awake at night reading to me. I also know how the instant he thinks I’m asleep he switches from pirate adventures to love sonnets. My dreams are warm, full of summer sun and happiness
The day I stop opening my eyes and searching for a flicker of dawn will be when my wolf stops trying too. Not once did I stop believing. Now, finally, after almost five years, something has happened. Since Ayr told me their silver wolf has vanished from the heavens, the constant blackness has started to part. There are shadows and hints of grey and white in my peripheral vision. I can’t see shapes, but there is lightness where once only pitch black existed. My first instinct was to call out to Berrybrow. But then I shut my lips and breathe sharply. This is for me to know. My secret. For if it turns out, all I can see are the shadows at the edges. What has been gained? But maybe, just maybe my purgatory is finally ending? I already know my irises have turned to jade. Mrs Berrybrow was sweet to sell it kindly, maybe as proof that my wolf is still trying to heal me. Ayr has since said he doesn’t give a fuck, that I was exactly the same man to him. Except hearing how the others hav
I secretly bought a set of jangling bells, but thankfully, they weren’t necessary. I did once tie them to her and woke up to a barrage of jangling cushions to the face. Then she pinned my wrists to the mattress as best as she could before wrapping her mouth around my semi-hard early morning dick. Confusing, briefly terrifying me and making me want to explode all in the space of five seconds. Perfection. Now, such spontaneity has been briefly retired. Instead, she has to choose from a pile of leatherbound books instead of leaping onto my groin. Holding out a selection of hardbacks, I mock-grumpily bark. “Pick one then,” before helping to place the covers over my hugely pregnant, half-glowing, half-irritated mate. We’re in the final stages of this miracle of a pregnancy, and somehow, my plan worked. “You always know which one I’ll choose,” she smiles back softly, her stunningly soft figure draped in an emerald green silk nightgown before choosing the same one she’s had for the pas
It’s not possible. “It can’t be…I mean…” only to turn and see the look on Ayr’s face. The one I’ve always wanted to see. It’s joyous. The sweetest, kindest expression. A god melted into a beaming man. But it is a look he shouldn’t be giving me. Anyway, it’s just one old lady’s opinion. I said I felt sick, but that surely happens to everyone who’s having the minor trauma of almost killing their mate in their sleep. Accepting the golden-eyed wolf could be hunting Ayr and I down for the rest of our lives out of spite is enough to turn anyone’s stomach. Or, as Mrs Berrybrow suggested, the golden-wolf attaches itself to a newborn. Then what? The instant some child turns eighteen and can connect with their spirit, will their soul be corrupted. Try to harm us? “Cass?” Ayr whispers, before reaching out for my hand. I have no idea how long I’ve been silent for whilst I felt the idyllic protection of my Volare life crumble around me. It's not safe. It will never be safe. I still can’t move
It’s been almost three months, and with Cass at my side, anything feels possible. Apart from conception, obviously, but we’ve both agreed that doesn’t matter in the slightest right now. I don’t know how it works, but even the Volare population seemed brighter. The packhouse has never seen so many bawdy nights, bands playing, people talking late into the night. Annoyingly, now I’m officially not a kidnapping, raping, deviant scumbag, the other packs are scrambling to purchase even more of our goods. Something to be remembered every time I am forced to attend a Council with the two-faced pricks. Apart from Locksley. He had absolutely zero scruples in buying fancy items from a despised Alpha. Or trying to seduce Cass via pastel suits and bouquets of flowers but thank fuck that game is over. At Cass’s request I have even led a couple of Volare full moon runs. Pretty sure she just wanted to get me naked in the Kallio side of the woods though. Unfamiliar territory to her meant I had th
Robyn had arrived in Volare with a few of my favourite gowns and essentials. Like she already knew I would never be coming back if they found me in Volare. “Cass what the hell happened here!” she gasped, taking in the dishevelled room. “Take a guess, Robyn!” I reply, towel wrapped around my body. “AH you're marked. I knew it!” she squealed.Hugging tightly, I quickly dressed, and we headed down to the main packhouse. I couldn’t resist my hunger any longer. Taking a long, empty bench in the far corner, my hair still damp from the shower with Ayr, I told her everything. Yet just last week, when we played with Lucy’s dolls house, I assured her I was fine. Snapped it at her if I recall properly. Now she knows the full extent of the agreement, the silver wolf waiting to be born. How we had decided, after making amends with everyone, that we had a clean slate. No guilt, no blame. Just forwards. “That’s exactly how it should be,” Robyn smiled. “I can not believe how much you’ve changed