MaraJohnathan shows up at the hospital just as I start to leave. After twelve hours in labour, Haley finally had her baby, a strong, healthy boy. It has been a long day, and all I want to do is go home, take a long shower, and crawl into bed.“Hey Johnathan,” says as he gets out of his car. “How did it go?”“As good as it can go with these things, I guess. Healthy four kilogram baby.”Johnathan whistles through his teeth. “Big boy.”I nod and yawn, wiping sweat from my brow. The days are growing increasingly hot and muggy. “She named him Nelson.”“Interesting choice.”“It was her father’s name.”“Ah,” my mate grunts. “Both are doing well?”“Yes. Tell you what, though… I was completely wrong. I’m never having any babies.”Johnathan chuckles. “Yes. Seeing it in person is not as magical as it is on television. But, truly Mara, there is nothing like holding your baby for the first time. It’s like… your heart is beating outside your body and inside that kid.” His eyes grow misty. "And wat
MaraI expect both of them to go their own way once we’re home, but Ilsa and Rhoda follow me into the pack house to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” I ask Rhoda, who nods and takes a seat.“We should have a girl’s night,” Ilse declares. “Booze, bad movies, complain about our guys.”“Tha’ actually sound like fun,” Rhoda says.“What about your guy?” I ask her and go to the fridge to check what we have.We’ve been missing a lot of meals, but the Omegas still come to the kitchen to cook every night and store our meals for us.“Lemme do tha’ lovey,” Rhoda says and rushes over to the fridge to take over. “Yeh shouln’t be serving me anyway.”“Sit down,” I gently order her. “I don’t mind, and you must be tired too.”Despite her cheerful, almost flippant nature, towards me, I can see how troubled her eyes are when I tell her to sit down.I look at the vampire who is regarding us with a small little smile. “Do you want a drink? We always have whiskey and I think there’s wine.”“Wine doesn’t have
JohnathanThe inside of my skull explodes with hot rage so intense that I see the world through a thick haze of red. I am aware that I am on my feet, snarling and growling at the vampire. Dante surges, ready to rip Kahn’s throat out. I’m only vaguely aware of the others’ presence. “You had no right,” I grit past my teeth. “You took my vengeance from me. It was over!”“Can you excuse us?” Kahn asks the others.“No, they can not. Who the hell do you think you are?” I curl my hands into fist, aware that I won’t be able to hang on to Dante much longer.Kahn would probably survive if I tear him to shreds, but I wonder if he’ll survive being eaten.I blink, and the vampire is on top of me, his hands curled around my neck. I fall backward, missing the edge of the chair by an inch.“You have no clarity anymore,” Kahn says, and lets me go.Enraged I get to my feet, ready to pull him apart like a fly. I look around at the empty dining room, and my anger simply fizzles. “When did everyone leave
Mara“What if we’re wrong? I ask. “What if he’s been playing us all this time?”It’s the first time since the incident with his mother that I feel I can talk to Johnathan about my concerns. He had so much to deal with, his heart was so heavy, that I did not really want to pile on. But if Eli has my father then I can’t postpone it anymore.“You saw him in your vision. Rick was torturing him. They don't usually torture people who cooperate.”“Yes, but there’s… a ripple effect, isn’t there? When we change the future, we don’t just change the outcome, we change other things too. It’s almost as if- the whole world bends around the new future we’ve created.”“The butterfly effect,” my mate says with a little smile. “One small action can affect the larger system.”A puff of air explodes from my lips. I’m relieved that he understands. “Exactly.”“Okay.” He smiles at me. “If he is on his way here, then it means we’ve altered the course of our destiny, correct?”I nod.“Then we’ll just have to
MaraI climb the steps to my father’s mansion with heavy legs. Haley, my best and probably only friend, dropped me off at the gate because Lucas, my mate, won’t allow me to drive.The guard refused to let Haley in, and I was forced to walk up the kilometre long driveway, while my bruised and battered body screamed out in agony.I haven’t been home in two years. Today is my twenty-first birthday, and my father wanted to see me for the first time since I married Lucas Mattfield - the future Alpha of Red Ridge.I am in a sad state. I’m only allowed to eat once a day - Lucas wants a hot wife - and last night I took a particularly brutal beating. It was one of the worst he’d ever given me, and he laughed the whole time. I think it’s one of the reasons my father refuses to see me. I’m always covered in fresh and healing bruises now, and he can’t stand to look at the thing he had done to me.On the night of our wedding, Lucas took me into the bond room - the place where newly wed couples h
MaraI wake to the sound of tyres humming softly on the tarmac, the woodsy scent of Beta Preston’s cologne in my nose, and the more flowery lavender scent of a woman. Frowning, I sit upright and look out of the windshield of the moving SUV. Ahead of us is a long, deserted road and the setting sun.I have no idea where we are. Red Ridge must be far behind us. I’ve never seen anything so empty and desolate in all my life. The world here is flat, with nothing but the road and grasslands as far as the eye can see. How long was I out?“Hello lovely,” a chirpy voice says from the front seat. “Did yeh have a good sleep?”I look over at the platinum blonde sitting in the passenger seat. She’s in her mid-twenties. Her make-up is heavy, and she’s dressed in a tight, red dress that leaves little to the imagination. All I manage in way of an answer is a croak.“Give her some water,” Beta Preston says, his voice deep and even.He’s a handsome man, with salt and pepper hair, hazel eyes, and a bea
MaraI stare in wonder at the winding road ahead of us. It disappears around several bends, leading all the way to the top of the mountain, and the town of Haven’s Crest.Who the hell builds an entire town on the top of a mountain?We crawl up the road. There’s literally nothing between us and a sheer drop into the canyon below, but it’s idyllic, with the green mountain rising up against the bright blue sky. Cotton candy clouds drift in the azure heavens.As we round one of the many dangerous bends, a waterfall comes into view. Rainbows dance in the misty water that vanishes into the pond below. “Wow,” I gasp.“Pretty, ain’t it?” Rhoda says with a soft laugh.I can’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful scenery. It’s like a postcard sent from some exotic place I never knew existed. Far below and in the distance, a blue lake glimmers in the bright sun. At long last, we reach the top. A massive white and black sign welcomes us to *Haven’s Crest - A home for every soul.*I smile wryly. H
Mara“Your father asked me to take you off his hands,” Johnathan says in a straightforward, almost bored voice. “Actually, he put you on the open market. There was a fierce bidding war for you.”My eyes almost bulge out of my skull and fresh tears burn my throat. How could my father do that to me? He did not put me on that market to sell me to an Alpha. It’s a slave market where wolves sell their used up wives or unwanted daughters. Most end up as breeders or prostitutes in the wolf pleasure houses.“Everyone thought you came with an inheritance and that you were worth the investment,” Johnathan goes on.I have no idea how much he paid for me, but my father would not have settled for anything less than the compensation Kysan and Lucas demanded. “My father disowned me,” I whisper. “You won’t get your money back.”“I know. Preston told me.” His eyes slide over my ravaged face. “That is not why I bought you. You do not need to fear me,” he says and leans over to take one of the drinks. “
Mara“What if we’re wrong? I ask. “What if he’s been playing us all this time?”It’s the first time since the incident with his mother that I feel I can talk to Johnathan about my concerns. He had so much to deal with, his heart was so heavy, that I did not really want to pile on. But if Eli has my father then I can’t postpone it anymore.“You saw him in your vision. Rick was torturing him. They don't usually torture people who cooperate.”“Yes, but there’s… a ripple effect, isn’t there? When we change the future, we don’t just change the outcome, we change other things too. It’s almost as if- the whole world bends around the new future we’ve created.”“The butterfly effect,” my mate says with a little smile. “One small action can affect the larger system.”A puff of air explodes from my lips. I’m relieved that he understands. “Exactly.”“Okay.” He smiles at me. “If he is on his way here, then it means we’ve altered the course of our destiny, correct?”I nod.“Then we’ll just have to
JohnathanThe inside of my skull explodes with hot rage so intense that I see the world through a thick haze of red. I am aware that I am on my feet, snarling and growling at the vampire. Dante surges, ready to rip Kahn’s throat out. I’m only vaguely aware of the others’ presence. “You had no right,” I grit past my teeth. “You took my vengeance from me. It was over!”“Can you excuse us?” Kahn asks the others.“No, they can not. Who the hell do you think you are?” I curl my hands into fist, aware that I won’t be able to hang on to Dante much longer.Kahn would probably survive if I tear him to shreds, but I wonder if he’ll survive being eaten.I blink, and the vampire is on top of me, his hands curled around my neck. I fall backward, missing the edge of the chair by an inch.“You have no clarity anymore,” Kahn says, and lets me go.Enraged I get to my feet, ready to pull him apart like a fly. I look around at the empty dining room, and my anger simply fizzles. “When did everyone leave
MaraI expect both of them to go their own way once we’re home, but Ilsa and Rhoda follow me into the pack house to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” I ask Rhoda, who nods and takes a seat.“We should have a girl’s night,” Ilse declares. “Booze, bad movies, complain about our guys.”“Tha’ actually sound like fun,” Rhoda says.“What about your guy?” I ask her and go to the fridge to check what we have.We’ve been missing a lot of meals, but the Omegas still come to the kitchen to cook every night and store our meals for us.“Lemme do tha’ lovey,” Rhoda says and rushes over to the fridge to take over. “Yeh shouln’t be serving me anyway.”“Sit down,” I gently order her. “I don’t mind, and you must be tired too.”Despite her cheerful, almost flippant nature, towards me, I can see how troubled her eyes are when I tell her to sit down.I look at the vampire who is regarding us with a small little smile. “Do you want a drink? We always have whiskey and I think there’s wine.”“Wine doesn’t have
MaraJohnathan shows up at the hospital just as I start to leave. After twelve hours in labour, Haley finally had her baby, a strong, healthy boy. It has been a long day, and all I want to do is go home, take a long shower, and crawl into bed.“Hey Johnathan,” says as he gets out of his car. “How did it go?”“As good as it can go with these things, I guess. Healthy four kilogram baby.”Johnathan whistles through his teeth. “Big boy.”I nod and yawn, wiping sweat from my brow. The days are growing increasingly hot and muggy. “She named him Nelson.”“Interesting choice.”“It was her father’s name.”“Ah,” my mate grunts. “Both are doing well?”“Yes. Tell you what, though… I was completely wrong. I’m never having any babies.”Johnathan chuckles. “Yes. Seeing it in person is not as magical as it is on television. But, truly Mara, there is nothing like holding your baby for the first time. It’s like… your heart is beating outside your body and inside that kid.” His eyes grow misty. "And wat
JohnathanBefore I can interrogate Kahn any further, he’s gone again. “Fucking vampire,” I mutter to myself, but I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.“Well, if it makes you feel any better, it looks like I’ll be very busy today,” Donovan says dryly.“Hm,” I grunt. “Where the hell did he get one of those soldier things?”“At Red Ridge?”“Kahn hasn’t left Haven’s Crest for months.”“Are you sure?”I nod. “Quite.”It takes Kahn an inordinate amount to return, but such is the nature of this beast. I’ve come to learn that the kind of warfare I chose, comes in flurries of activity, and long periods of quiet unease that could drive a person up the wall with madness. I keep reminding myself that we are playing a long game and we have to be patient, but we are wolves. We’re not made for this kind of fight. We like a more hands-on approach.Kahn reappears just over an hour later, accompanied by a willing super soldier. On the outside, he looks like an impressive human, almost
JohnathanMara lies tightly curled against me, fighting hard not to fall asleep. Kahn told me what she said to Eli after we left the temple, and it blew me away, just confirming that I made the right decision. Having her father here with her, will give her some peace.Sending my weakling brother and a flip-flopping vampire like Thrax to Red Ridge as a Lycan was an extremely risky move, but I can’t go and Mara with her abilities should definitely never be captured.Putting Thrax back together was horrific. We could hear his body joining, flesh squelching, sinews creaking, then the sudden whoosh of blood starting to circulate. The vampire inhaled deeply and screamed as he sat up, nearly shattering our eardrums.“Oh, shut up, you drama queen,” Kahn said and knelt in front of him with a bottle of fresh blood. “Has no one ever cut off your head before?”“No, as a matter of fact, that has never happened,” Thrax said in a breezy, pained voice.“Fun isn’t it?” Kahn asked and held the bottle t
MaraJohnathan insisted on taking Eli into the temple by himself while we waited outside for them to return. They have been gone for longer than an hour, and I can’t tell who is more concerned - me, Donovan, or Kahn. Given how time moves inside the temple, they should have been out by now. It only takes a few minutes for the Goddess to accept or reject a wolf.The vampire glances up at the sun. “They’ve probably been in there a week,” he observes. "In temple time."I don’t know what to do. A big part of me wants to go inside and check on them, but a much bigger, louder voice, keeps warning me to stay out of it, that I have to let Johnathan take care of this one his way and by himself.“Maybe we should just head on back to the pack house,” Donovan says. “Check in with Preston. Make sure he’s still alive.”“Preston is fine,” Kahn mutters and kneels at the entrance. “I swear, if Johnathan’s not out in ten minutes, I’m going in.”Exactly nine minutes later, as if he heard Kahn, my mate a
MaraEli is wholly unimpressive. He’s shorter than most Gammas, greying around his temples, and his bushy salt and pepper beard makes him look like a caricature villain from a cartoon. He looks much older than his forty years. His body is soft, and his blue eyes watery. Yet, he still carries himself as if he has the authority of an Alpha - and I think he believes deep down to his being, that he is an Alpha. I can see it in the arrogant way he looks at Johnathan, and how he regards the rest of us. As if we’re beneath him.Even if I didn’t know what he had done to Johnathan and the Misty Mountains pack, I wouldn’t like him. He has a thoroughly disagreeable aura, and his energy is nothing short of toxic. The atmosphere is thick and heavy. We all want to run as far away as we can from this man. He's trouble. Nothing less, nothing more.My biggest concern is for Johnathan though. The moment he heard that Eli was here, I could see the little boy he once was. Terrified, lonely, and almost
Johnathan“Felicity is gone,” Kahn declares one bright, spring morning as he strolls into my office to give me his daily report.I drop my phone and look up at the vampire. I'm not particularly shocked, nothing can shock me anymore, but I'm still surprised. “What?”He nods. “We released her weeks ago, told her what Thrax did, how he fucked her up mentally… last night, she told us that she failed us, broke everyone’s blood bonds and just… left.”The vampire looks devastated. I think he loved Felicity more than he led on - or perhaps even more than he knew.Mara looks up from the laptop. We’ve been going out of our way to track and monitor the humans’ sympathies. Large movements against supernatural persecution are starting to form, and everyone’s jumping on their favourite new bandwagon.We’re trying to figure out how to capitalise on the outrage while the wheel is in full motion.More and more supernaturals are revealing themselves, going on the news and internet to tell their stories