For a species as rigidly hierarchical as ours, there was nothing more humiliating, and it was only when Carlos materialised out of the crowd to pull me out of the way that I realised just what I had done.The weight of my actions slammed into me, forcing the breath out of my lungs, and when I turned
Beside me I felt Carlos grow tense, but around us the hall broke into a smattering of optimistic cheers.Xavier didn’t look away from Hector, but his lips quirked slightly as a slow chant of his name picked up. But none of this seemed to register with my mate, who simply righted himself.The only di
Layla’s POVThe sound of the loud and desperate scream filling my ears split my attention in half as I watched Hector face plant directly into the floor after the kick.As it continued, I felt a flare of irritation go through me, but this emotion was short-lived because I soon realised that the soun
Then the sound of a sharp, sickening crack echoed through the gym. Xavier didn’t immediately react, but when a second crunching followed—Hector fracturing his tibia—he let out a low groan, stumbling to put some distance between them. My mate wouldn’t allow that though. With all the focus and inte
Layla’s POVIn the moments that followed Hector’s exit from the gymnasium, not a single one of us seemed to know what to do with ourselves. There was a sense of general disbelief at what had just happened, and I could see why that was the case as I sifted through the room of mostly bewildered expre
Michael didn’t miss a beat.“And why is that so, Miss Fabrini?” he asked as his features tightened. “According to our customs, Hector was well within his rights to take Xavier’s life for the act of trespass—”“That’s BULLSHIT!” I cut in, throwing my hands up above my head in frustration. “The custom
Layla’s POVI could feel Michael’s eyes on me, tracking each move I made as I traced a straight path out of the room, leaving him behind. When I got to the entrance though, I paused as I discovered that the hallway outside had been cleared out too (per their Alpha’s orders.)This was all fine and go
Nothing here had been touched recently, and as I shut the door softly behind me it registered that the only sound I could make out was that of a steady clock ticking away, coming from some corner of the room.There was no sign of Hector, but as I traced my fingers across rough leather bindings, rubb
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