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Chapter 38
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2024-10-29 19:42:56To say that you could hear a pin drop might have been putting it lightly. My words - the challenge issued - results in such complete silence that I can hear my own heart beat. All eyes flit between myself and Lorenzo as we await his response.
He swallows loudly, turning to Suarez for guidance… only Suarez seems to have disappeared into the darkness and suddenly, Lorenzo is all alone. He swallows again, the sweat on his palms glistening in the firelight as he fidgets. He knows that he has no choice but to accept. To reject the challenge would mean he would be forced to step down as Alpha anyway."Alright, I accept," Lorenzo mumbles, his voice strained.Silas smiles knowingly, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans."Considering that neither opponents are from Dark Moon, the challenge will have to be carried out in two days during the full moon so that the Moon goddess can grant her blessing.""If the girl wants to challenRelated chapters
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 39
The morning of the challenge arrived too quickly for my liking, and while I was as ready as I was ever going to be, I wasn't confident that I was going to win. Jaydon and Silas had taken personal responsibility to ensure I was "battle ready" as Silas termed it. Basically, they challenged me and tried to correct my weaknesses over and over and over again until I felt like I was going to break. I can't say how much it helped though. I caught a glimpse of Lorenzo fighting with Beta Wyk and he isn't as awful as I was hoping. What did help strangely, was being able to fall asleep in Liam's arms each night. We ended up moving back into my old cabin with the girls and, even though it was a tight squeeze, cuddled together each night in my bunk. Megan initially complained, believing that the top bunk would fall on her along with us while we slept. Her theory was quickly disproved when we managed to squeeze Liam, Amy, Ash, Kane, and myself on the bed without any sign of it
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 40
The sun set far too quickly. One moment it was high up in the sky and the next, it was kissing the horizon as it bid us farewell, making way for the moon to take its place. "Are you ready?" Liam asks as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my temple. "Do I have a choice?" I reply with a laugh, trying to seem braver than I felt. We stand in silence for a moment, staring out across the lake as the sunset reflects its orange and pink masterpiece on the clear water's surface. I'm faintly aware of my friends coming to join us - Kane, Daniel, Matt, Silas, Megan, Ash and Amber. Even Lana joined at the end of the line. Ricky takes his place beside me and clasps my hand in his, squeezing it gently. I can feel his emotions as if they're my own. Hell, they mirror my own. "It is time." Silas breaks the silence and I turn to face my friends. "I wouldn't have been able to get here without you… all of you." I feel a tear roll down my cheek but I
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Epilogue
"You look fine! Now can we go?" Liam grumbles as he leans against the door frame. He catches the reflection of my smile in the mirror as I'm hit with the deja vu of it all, just this time it's my mate nagging me instead of my brother. "I just want to look perfect for Ricky's ceremony." I admit, watching in the floor-length mirror as Liam comes to stand behind me, his hand resting on my rounding stomach. "You already do." He says, his lips moving to kiss his mark on my neck and sending tingles down my spine. Four years since we first mated, and I still react this way to his touch. Although I think his pup is helping him a little bit considering the urge I get to jump him every time he takes his shirt off. Apparently it's quite common in pregnancy though. I look at my reflection in the floor length mirror in my parents' house… Ricky's house. It's going to take me a while to think of it as that. The emerald green silk dress leaves very
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 1
"You look fine, now can we go already?"My twin brother, Ricky, whines with exasperation as he leans against the doorframe of the hotel room we had rented. I look at myself in the mirror for the last time, wondering if I should have done something different with the auburn hair that ran loose down my back and if my short black dress was showing off too much skin for the meeting Ricky and I were being forced to attend. "Fine!" I sigh, flashing the mascara wand through my eyelashes one last time before tugging on my heels. "What's your rush anyway?"Ricky rolls his eyes at me before grabbing my purse and throwing it at me, rushing me out of the door."I want to see who else is being placed this year. You know, we haven't left Grampa's place in ten years but I'm sure I'll be able to recognize some of our old playmates." I smile at his enthusiasm. At least one of us is keen for this whole placement for training saga. Having been out of the pack life for the last ten years has made me a
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 2
My grandfather was waiting for us at the door of the cottage where Ricky and I had basically grown up. It was a rough looking home, stark against the backdrop of the rumbling mountains which had been both our playground and training field.Grampa had begun training us from the moment he moved us to the mountains, terrified that the murderers of his son and daughter-in-law would return to finish off Eric and myself. He had given up everything for us - his position as Beta of Red River, his beautiful pack home, his friends - all for my brother and I. We would never be able to truly express how much we loved and appreciated him. "So younguns? Where are you off to?" He wiggles his bushy eyebrows at us as we tumble passed him. "Dark Moon." Ricky declares, flinging his bag onto the sofa before grabbing a glass of water. We'd trekked up the mountain to our home as no vehicle could navigate the harsh terrain. Grampa had said it was better that way, not letting anyone or anything sneak up o
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 3
Having been homeschooled, I missed out on bitchy teenage drama for which I was eternally grateful. Unfortunately, one of the recruits decided to catch me up on all I had missed. "Oh look, here comes the rogue. Be careful Natalia, pack wolves kill rogues." Amber eyes flutter innocently as Lana Cole turns her back on me and my roommates and gathersher flock of sheep around her. I'll show her rogue! Ember growls. The tiny upstart needs her ass beaten properly. I ignore both Ember and Lana, smiling sweetly to the other girls. I am determined to be the bigger person. The guys join us with Jaydon who quickly establishes a no-talking-while-he-is-talking rule. "Ok, runts. Let me see what you've got. The last person to get around the lake and back here does the dishes tonight. Every recruit for themselves! Go, go, go!" We all take off at a sprint, some of the guys leaving us in the dust as their long legs afford them quick strides. Suddenly that same intoxicating woody smell hits me
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 4
"How were the dishes last night?" Lana whispered to me as I shoved a piece of toast into my mouth.I ignored her… but barely. My sleepless night had put me into one hell of a mood and I wasn't up to putting up with her bullshit today. Ricky eyed me from across the dining hall where he was shoveling food onto a plate before he dropped into the chair next to me. "Spill." He said via mind-link, not paying me any attention externally."Didn't sleep well and that bitch Lana keeps pushing my buttons." I reply, reaching for his coffee cup and taking a sip."Yuck! What is this?" I exclaim, barely able to swallow the bitter swill I'd just sipped.Ricky grins at me, looking more like a doofus than ever. "Green tea." He answers proudly. "The guys and I were discussing the benefits of clean eating last night as a way to improve performance. I'm giving it a shot." "You can keep that rubbish, thank you. I'm off to get a coffee refill to get me through this day. Will catch up with you on the t
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 5
After yet another restless night, I drag myself out of bed. It's been two weeks since I've seen Liam but every night when I close my eyes I dream of him. It's the mate bond. Ember explains in her bossy way. It's trying to get you to jump his bones so you can either accept that or reject him. I tell my roommates to go ahead to training and I'll catch up, wanting a moment to myself to compose myself. I enter the small bathroom, splashing ice cold water on my face to force myself to wake up. A quick glance in the mirror makes me cringe. My skin is pale, my green eyes slightly bloodshot and my auburn hair looks more brown than auburn, hanging limply down my back. Try as I might, I only make myself look faintly better - plating my hair and pinching my cheeks to try instil some colour into them. "That's as good as its going to get." I say to myself before I brush my teeth, throw on my training kit and run down to the training grounds where th
Latest chapter
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Epilogue
"You look fine! Now can we go?" Liam grumbles as he leans against the door frame. He catches the reflection of my smile in the mirror as I'm hit with the deja vu of it all, just this time it's my mate nagging me instead of my brother. "I just want to look perfect for Ricky's ceremony." I admit, watching in the floor-length mirror as Liam comes to stand behind me, his hand resting on my rounding stomach. "You already do." He says, his lips moving to kiss his mark on my neck and sending tingles down my spine. Four years since we first mated, and I still react this way to his touch. Although I think his pup is helping him a little bit considering the urge I get to jump him every time he takes his shirt off. Apparently it's quite common in pregnancy though. I look at my reflection in the floor length mirror in my parents' house… Ricky's house. It's going to take me a while to think of it as that. The emerald green silk dress leaves very
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 40
The sun set far too quickly. One moment it was high up in the sky and the next, it was kissing the horizon as it bid us farewell, making way for the moon to take its place. "Are you ready?" Liam asks as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my temple. "Do I have a choice?" I reply with a laugh, trying to seem braver than I felt. We stand in silence for a moment, staring out across the lake as the sunset reflects its orange and pink masterpiece on the clear water's surface. I'm faintly aware of my friends coming to join us - Kane, Daniel, Matt, Silas, Megan, Ash and Amber. Even Lana joined at the end of the line. Ricky takes his place beside me and clasps my hand in his, squeezing it gently. I can feel his emotions as if they're my own. Hell, they mirror my own. "It is time." Silas breaks the silence and I turn to face my friends. "I wouldn't have been able to get here without you… all of you." I feel a tear roll down my cheek but I
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 39
The morning of the challenge arrived too quickly for my liking, and while I was as ready as I was ever going to be, I wasn't confident that I was going to win. Jaydon and Silas had taken personal responsibility to ensure I was "battle ready" as Silas termed it. Basically, they challenged me and tried to correct my weaknesses over and over and over again until I felt like I was going to break. I can't say how much it helped though. I caught a glimpse of Lorenzo fighting with Beta Wyk and he isn't as awful as I was hoping. What did help strangely, was being able to fall asleep in Liam's arms each night. We ended up moving back into my old cabin with the girls and, even though it was a tight squeeze, cuddled together each night in my bunk. Megan initially complained, believing that the top bunk would fall on her along with us while we slept. Her theory was quickly disproved when we managed to squeeze Liam, Amy, Ash, Kane, and myself on the bed without any sign of it
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 38
To say that you could hear a pin drop might have been putting it lightly. My words - the challenge issued - results in such complete silence that I can hear my own heart beat. All eyes flit between myself and Lorenzo as we await his response. He swallows loudly, turning to Suarez for guidance… only Suarez seems to have disappeared into the darkness and suddenly, Lorenzo is all alone. He swallows again, the sweat on his palms glistening in the firelight as he fidgets. He knows that he has no choice but to accept. To reject the challenge would mean he would be forced to step down as Alpha anyway. "Alright, I accept," Lorenzo mumbles, his voice strained. Silas smiles knowingly, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. "Considering that neither opponents are from Dark Moon, the challenge will have to be carried out in two days during the full moon so that the Moon goddess can grant her blessing." "If the girl wants to challen
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 37
It didn't take long for the recruits to discover that something secretive was happening in the training hall. Although with the guys, Megs and Doc coming and going, it can't exactly be termed secretive anymore. We decided that if I was ever going to ensure that my challenge was both well received by the pack and fair, we would need the recruits' help. They know me better than any of the pack members so will need to vouch for me when it comes to the legitimacy of my claim to the alpha title. "Hey, isn't that my shirt?" Ashley eyes my attire with obvious suspicion. I strike a pose like some fancy runway model and stick my tongue out at her before returning to my task of cutting and buttering bread rolls for the hungry wolves who were passing through for lunch before they resumed their duties. "You shouldn't leave your clothes lying around." I retort with a grin. "You try working eighteen hour shifts and have the energy to tidy up your living quarters. You're just lucky that shirt wa
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 36
My body feels as if it's taken flight, all the emotions I'd pushed down since we escaped coming to the surface. I run to the spot that holds the most meaning to me in this pack, stripping my clothes off moments before I dive into the clear water. Hiding behind the waterfall on the ledge that Liam showed me, I curl into a tight ball and let the sobs wrack my body, tears streaming down my face. I don't care. I need this right now. Minutes go by before I'm able to pull myself together and head back to the water's edge. I dress slowly, my mind slowly piecing together information I had gathered over the last few days as well as my stay in Dark Moon. By the time I enter the training hall, I've got a few things well ironed out in my head. I can feel all eyes on me as I take a seat next to Liam and let him draw me into his arms. "What happened?" He asks softly, his hand gently rubbing my back, his heat permeating my frozen skin from my damp hair.
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 35
It may not have been how I had always pictured my mind, but our marking had brought Liam back to me. I stare down into his eyes and feel every single emotion that rolls through him as he tries to make sense of what has happened. "What the fukk, Natalia!" Ricky fumes as he paces toward us. "What would have happened if that aconite in his system affected you? Huh? You would have lost Ember again. Did you think about that?" I glance briefly over to my raging brother, ignoring his tirade as I look back down at my mate. "I missed you." I whisper, kissing his lips briefly before I climb off of him and sit down beside him instead. It won't do to be in such an arousing position when the room is full of people. As much as I'd love to make out with my man… and go much further… I don't think our witnesses would appreciate the show. "Nats, babe… what happened?" Liam croaks, clutching my hand in his. I fill him in as quickly and efficie
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 34
Sneaking into the pack house in the middle of the day was a lot easier than I had imagined it to be - either Lorenzo had refocused warriors to the border leaving too few to maintain the security within the pack, or Lorenzo believed no one would be foolhardy enough to attack his residence since he had made examples of Harris and Gail. Probably both. Janet had agreed to visit some pack members and was going to try to convince Vicky to go with her, leaving one less resident present in the house. However, judging by the guttural sounds coming from Vicky's bedroom, Janet had not been successful in getting her daughter away. This change of plans actually works in my favour though, leaving Lorenzo otherwise occupied. I sneak in through the kitchen door which leads out into the garden, moving as stealthily as I can muster through the lower floor. No one is there. Liam's study is an utter mess, polar opposites to its state from when I had last visited. Papers li
Love Me Not : a haunted alpha tale Chapter 33
Kane, Ricky and I watch the sun set from our vantage point at the top of the hill which overlooks the Dark Moon pack homestead. From up here it seems like a picturesque village, all the inhabitants going about their day as if they don't have a care in the world. Only we know the ugly side, the side plagued with intimidation and corruption. We watch in silence as the guards change over, night shift taking the place of the day shift with a shared joke and a slap on the back. They are all young men, all unknown and almost definitely from Lorenzo’s old pack. He would never trust a Dark Moon member to guard their own Beta. Ricky looks over at Kane and myself, a sadness in his eyes which seems misplaced in the man who has always been so happy-go-lucky. The way he has changed since he left the training program is hard to comprehend. It almost feels as if I no longer know my own brother anymore - although I'm sure that once his wolf returns to him we will regain some of
