Unless she made a habit of kissing the people around her…She hadn’t changed, I noted as I studied her while trying to keep the fear and confusion I could feel bubbling right under the surface. I wasn’t going to give her satisfaction. I was going to be the very image of calm, in fact, I swore to mys
Layla’s POVIf it wasn’t for Hector’s reassuring presence at the corner of my mind, my reaction would’ve been more drastic. I was sure of that.Still, I couldn’t help the way I stiffened at the name she’d so casually dropped.It had been years since I heard it, years since I thought of my birth moth
The name didn’t ring a bell, and I saw no point in lying. Madeline seemed to take this in stride, as she nodded before proceeding to string together the most ridiculous story U had ever heard—something about werewolves with secret abilities, secluded and apparently wiped out of collective memory.If
To my surprise, Madeline gave me a hapless shrug.“Nothing, I intend to do nothing to you,” she assured without missing a beat, but I didn’t relax.I sensed that what she would say next even before she started speaking, and true to form, she didn’t disappoint.“Jasper on the other hand… Well, I can’
Layla’s POVEach time I thought I knew all there was to know about pain; some new sensation came in to wipe the old memory clean and take its place.This was the only thought I could muster before the torment hit me fully, a sob wrenching out of me as my connection to Hector instantly disintegrated
This was the last straw for Michael, who immediately got on the phone with his men. He was already shouting into the device by the time I came to, and at first the significance of his conversation didn’t register until I caught its very tail end: They had lost Madeline’s trail.The surge of panic t
Hector’s POVXavier and I were silent as he followed after the cab, keeping a healthy distance between us and them so they wouldn’t know that they were being followed.This wasn’t a hard thing to do, especially in the busy streets of New York, but he kept at it anyway, and as we followed I felt the
The cloud of alcohol around him was thick, cloying almost, and as soon as it hit me I felt an indescribable rage flow through me.My mate was being tortured by his leader on the grounds of some ill-founded experiment; meanwhile, the snivelling, pathetic human in front of me was out having the time o
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