Things are moving a bit faster now and soon a lot will change.
Atalanta’s povArcher had not spoken to me since the last time he did. While I wish I could say I missed our conversations, I really didn’t.Archer always made me feel even worse about myself, and I wasn’t feeling that good as is.I missed my boys, um, the boys. Or men, because they are eighteen now.It’s funny to think I’m older than them by a few months, because I don’t look or feel it. I feel like a child.But a child doesn’t do the things we did...I will always cherish the memories of those days with Raiden and Zev, especially now that they’re back home.“Atalanta.” Was all Archer said when he saw me in the hallway, but it was enough for me to know he wanted to talk.“Who is that?” Suzie asked. It was clear she did not like Archer, which was strange because back home everyone loved him. “Should I kick his ass?”“No, he is just a guy I share a few classes with.”Suzie laughed, “I share almost all of your classes.”I put up a fake smile, “you know when you have your beta training an
Atalanta’s pov “You’re seventeen; it’s not possible.” Again I stared at him, unsure of what he was saying, “What do you mean, Zev? Why are you back?” “How can you be... It’s… Did you lie, Lana?” “Lie?” I replied. Which lie? I had lied so much to Zev, but lately I had been telling the truth as much as I could without revealing my real identity. How could he know I wasn't really seventeen? Zev growled, and while I had thought his growls were already scary, now that he had his wolf, they added an extra layer. It sounded more animalistic and very angry. “You’re scaring me, Zev.” I said, as I took a step back. “You said you wouldn’t lie to me anymore. You promised. How can you be mine?” He sounded so angry at me. What was he talking about? I couldn’t understand what was going on. Mine? “I, I can’t, Lana. I’ve always told you I couldn’t keep you.” Why did it look like Zev was about to cry? I stepped forward, no longer scared. He was upset, and I wanted to help. “No, stay back, La
Raiden’s pov‘Mate’, Atlas growled in my head.It had been his idea to shift and kill the traitor in front of me.‘You act like I’m savage for doing what I did, but you just broke both his legs and beat his face to a pulp.’ Atlas responded to my thoughts.He ate the guy’s face.‘I bit the guys face; I spit it out,’ Atlas countered. ‘But I am losing the scent of our mate.’ He was getting anxious, and so was I.We had decided together to end Archer first and then chase after our mate. We couldn’t let him live. Not after what he had done. There was no telling what he would do if he was able to meet up with the hunters.Atlas followed his nose, trying to chase after the scent of our mate. He found a tree where someone had thrown up. Scents were so much stronger right now, and I did not enjoy that scent.But there was another scent lingering, a familiar one.Could it be her? The first time the mate bond had kicked in, I had found her scent familiar, but I had been too busy with Archer to re
Zev's pov“She’s my mate.” I had to get it out. He needed to know. I felt too weak to say more, and I hoped he grasped what I was trying to say. What was going on.Rishi was no help, letting me feel most of it. He was angry. We didn’t give her a chance. We didn’t ask enough questions.We had hurt her.No. Not we.I had hurt her. Rishi had been angry when he found out Lana had been lying. But not as angry and hurt as I was.She had promised to tell me the truth, but everything she had told me was a lie.I had no clue who Lana really was. Her last name, her age. What was real?It felt like another betrayal by a person who I loved. Someone I had trusted had hurt me once again. Not physically like my dad, but it hurt none the less.If things were different, maybe I would have tried. Maybe I wouldn’t have rejected her on the spot. However, the anger I felt at her betrayal was overwhelming. It was proof of the darkness inside of me.In my anger, my claws appeared, and I made her bleed.And i
Atalanta’s pov“Do you have a death wish, or are you brave?”He must have not been talking to me. Nobody talks to me. They only yell insults at me or ignore me. But none of the soldiers have tried talking to me in a normal tone.“Seriously, Atalanta. Why do you keep doing this?”I wiped away the blood under my nose with the back of my hand. “Doing what?”“You keep fighting the biggest guys, even volunteering when they don’t pick you themselves.” Sergi explained.I looked over at the soldier I barely knew. I didn’t know many people here. A few faces were familiar because they used to be friends with Archer. They hated me the most.Well, that’s not true. My family hates me the most.I had been here for almost two weeks now.The first week was a time of mourning and celebration for the hunters. We mourned the loss of our future leader, the sole heir to succeed General Sweets.But before Archer's death, he had completed a successful mission. Archer had apparently put Belledona in everyone
Raiden’s pov“Come home,” mom pleaded.I've been away for several weeks now. Thankfully we had great allies that I could stay at in between my search for Atalanta.I was not giving up on my mate. I needed to know if she was okay.Those weren’t lies she told us. Those scars on her body were from real abuse. My timid little mouse wasn't that much of an actress. I could always see through her lies, even if I didn't know what the truth behind them was.But she really did love spending time with us. She didn’t get to leave her house before coming here, and she didn’t have any friends.Since they sent both her and her brother, it must mean she was the contingency, the backup.Mom had communicated that maybe Atalanta could be part of the whole poisoning at the school, but I refused to believe that.Suzie had been with her all night and morning. When would she have had the chance?She’s not a bad person. Atalanta might be brainwashed, but everything she’s learned we can unlearn.Dad had mindli
Zev’s pov “I’m worried,” Grace said as she helped me out of bed. I had been stuck in bed for two weeks, healing from my rejection. Can I call it my rejection since I rejected her? She didn’t accept or even feel any of it. Even if she didn't accept my rejection, she would have still felt it if she had a wolf. Her lies and her betrayal... In a sense, she rejected me first. She ran away, making it impossible for me to forgive her. Raiden thought the hunters had captured her. Why take someone that already belongs to you? Yes, she had a sad backstory, but how much of it was lies? And how much of it was deception meant to trick us. And the worst thing is... I can understand why she tricked Raiden, but me? I’m nobody. She didn’t have to start writing letters. Had she always known it was me? She didn’t have to let me open up. She didn’t have to get me to fall in love with her. Everything I taught Lana about werewolves she could have found out in a different way. By reading a book, atte
Raiden’s pov‘Come home.’ Dad said through our mindlink.‘I still haven’t found her, but I am close, dad. Just a week or a bit longer and,-‘Dad cut me off, ‘it wasn’t a question, Raiden. Come home.’I scoffed, annoyed at his reply. Didn’t he realize how important this was? Atalanta might be hurt! She’s my mate. The future Luna of our pack. She takes priority over, well, everything.‘No.’Dad growled through the mindlink, and I could only imagine the look on his face right now.Yesterday I interrogated and killed another hunter. This one wasn’t as easy to break, clearly scared of his leader. I had to respect his efforts to remain silent, even if it meant biting his own tongue off.But before he did, he managed to say one thing that drew my attention. He told me he wouldn’t talk because General Sweets would do much worse to him than I ever could.There was that name again, and I knew I was close. There had been others to mention this general’s name, but this hunter seemed to actually kn