Dear reader, apologies for the short chapter! A couple of hours ago I came down with something—which I’ll hopefully sleep off—but have no fear: The next chapter will be up in a few hours time instead of this time tomorrow, so watch out for it. As always, I appreciate all of your support. Mathieu.
Layla’s POV“Yes, it’s Wolfsbane,” Xavier explained. “Not a lot of it, but enough to mask our—“ He stopped abruptly, and his gaze flicked to mine in a show of panic I would only come to understand later.“It masks my scent,” he corrected.His throat worked as he grimaced, and from that expression a
Hector’s POVI was at home about to start on my dinner when I felt it: Nausea gripping the muscles of my stomach tightly as a sense of unease stirred through me.I frowned, pausing with the spoon already halfway to my mouth as I considered the sensation.It was an odd feeling, and it didn’t end ther
I held firm, but as my gaze locked on Carlos’s I could tell that this was one of the reasons that he had been so anxious. Wolfsbane was dangerous to our species, and so the fact that it was used now told us that it couldn’t have been the rogues behind this intrusion. So then... hunters?My skin pr
Hector’s POVWithin the hour my suspicions were confirmed. Layla was not at home. She had left earlier in the evening to let things settle after a fight broke out between her and her sister. This would’ve been all good if she ended up being found at the Blackthorn residence, where she had told Gai
They were all here, all gathered; everybody but one, and I watched as they all stiffened in reaction to me as I got up slowly from my seat, bracing both arms on either side so I leaned slightly forward.“Layla is missing,” I announced to the silent room, observing each face. “It is heavily suspected
Hector’s POVThe eyes of everyone in the room swivelled from me to Lucretia Fabrini, who blinked multiple times before letting out a nervous little laugh, but that was a weak mask that everyone gathered saw through almost immediately. She took a slight step forward, trembling as she moved, and for
Lu paused for as long as she could, but eventually the Command won out and she began to give accounts of things she had done to Layla, going as far back as a decade—with a noticeable trend being that on each attempt, her actions turned more drastic.Within the hour she had caught up to more recent e
Hector’s POVWatching Lu fall was the last straw: Reno broke out of her mate’s arms and rushed to their unconscious daughter.“Lu, oh goddess, my daughter… somebody do something…!”Her hands scrambled furiously over Lu’s body, searching until they rested on the pulse point at her neck. I already kn
Dear readers, And that’s the end of it. Unbelievable, I know. I didn’t want to write an author’s note until I was absolutely finished with this, and now I am. The journey through telling the story of Hector and Layla has transformed me in ways I hadn’t thought possible—financially, mentally, cre
For years I had been afraid, unable to defend myself as people scorned me, and dictated who I was, where I stood. But none of that remained the case now. I had my mother, who was flawed and awkward, but perfect, I had a cousin who slightly terrified me. I had a grandfather, who had sacrificed h
Layla’s POV There was an edge of something dangerous in his tone even as he kneaded my ass playfully, and I shivered. My pulse raced. “I–It wasn’t intentional.” “Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t,” he murmured in something like pride. “My Little Wolf isn’t so little anymore, is she?” I swallowed in the
This time I forced my throat to open wider, taking him deeper, and Hector’s body bucked as my mouth worked over him; before I knew what was happening, he pulled away from me, grabbing me and throwing me back onto the bed. His weight settled over me as he pinned my wrists up over my head, and I ar
Layla’s POV Lust burned hot in my brain, making it impossible to think of anything beyond Hector. The feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around me as he carried me across Pack grounds, and his earthy wild male scent which left me powerless to resist his charms—all of these resulted in a sudden
“They WILL come, and right now you decide how ready you will be when they finally come at us.” She paused to let the meaning of her words sink in before finishing: “Now, I’ll invite my mother to come and take over; you can direct any questions you have at her.” The sound of a chair scraping acros
Hector’s POV The Sanguis Pack conference hall was more packed than I had ever seen it. It teemed with visiting werewolves from all over the globe, all seated, and as the sounds they made traveled to me (chairs creaking, the steady drone of air conditioning, and people with heads close together sp
My whole body felt as taut as a string, and tears stung my eyes as I watched her let her emotions settle. “Sorry about that,” my mother apologized after some time, swallowing. I noticed her hands in her laps, trembling. “I don’t… I don’t know what came over me.” She paused to gather her thoughts b
Layla’s POV With a tucked-in T shirt, denim jeans, and hair cropped just below her chin, Elaine Holloway looked much better than she had when I last saw her… which wasn’t that high of a bar when I actually thought about it. I mean, she had been standing next to the man who kept her captive for al