"Enough!" I shout. Now the music stops and all the guests stare at us.Immediately two men come and help Sebastian to his feet. I remind myself that I cannot defend him against Levi. The latter is now my husband, and Sebastian is not in my good graces at the moment."Has he hurt you?" Levi asks and places a hand on my shoulder, there is a warmth spreading around me and I lock my eyes on his. I feel the heat from his gaze and it takes me by surprise. I shake my head."No. I'm just a little... shocked." I frown. Levi looks at Sebastian angrily. "Take him away," Levi tells the men holding Sebastian, wrapping a protective arm around me."Don't worry. I know the way out," says Sebastian, separating from the two men giving me a venomous look on his way out. I know this has only just begun, but I still have hopes.I sigh."Are you all right?" asks Sophie, who has come running up to me."I am," I respond, taking her hand. "But I need some moment to breathe," I say to Levi."Of course," he sa
The car slows down as it turns the corner and a series of huge, luxurious structures loom before us. Modern mansions with golden lights shining through the open windows nestle against each other atop a well-guarded hill. There is a forest to the left, which rises to the top of the mountain, and to my right stretches a huge, seemingly endless lake that would easily compete with the sea."This is beautiful," I say to Levi, and my words match what I feel. It almost feels like something out of fairytales."Thank you," he said, obviously proud of his domain.His pack, I think, is one of the most powerful in the country, and probably the richest in the city. Years ago there was a dispute between his pack and mine, which separated the assets and finances of both packs, who had been powerful trading partners in the past. No one remembers exactly what happened, but from then on each went their own way.Our pack is also powerful, and in recent years Dad has increased our wealth, thus ben
"Oh, you are beautiful!" says Levi's mother, June, as soon as she sees me.She is a beautiful woman, looking in her early forties, with hair the same shade as her son's burnt honey and a deeply kind face.Her hands take mine. I remember everything I have been talking and rehearsing with Levi, and I smile at her."It's a pleasure to finally meet you," I reply kindly. June has a smile that lightens the room."Finally!" she says, excited. "Levi has been hiding you for an eternity, but that's over now."Her happiness is evident. Inside I can't help but wonder, since when does she long for her son to get married?Levi walks towards us. His smile is quiet, but sincere. He clearly enjoys seeing his mother happy."Please come along. You must be dead tired. Come in and I'll give you a glass of wine.""Thank you. That's very kind of you," I reply.I follow her meekly, admiring Levi's mansion in passing. Because of my position as the Alpha's daughter, I am used to luxury, but Le
"Oh no," I mutter, looking at my reflection in the mirror.After showering I get dressed in the only thing I have on hand that isn't my wedding dress: a lingerie set meant specifically for my honeymoon. When I walked in, I should have paid more attention to what I was bringing with me.The problem is that the special and magical night won't happen. Instead I find myself stuck with a husband, whom I barely know, and for whom I feel an attraction to which I remind myself, I can't give in to. An attraction that doesn't make sense.Despite the spark that we feel between us, there is no way I can allow that to happen. The lingerie is cream-colored. A lace corset that runs from my breasts, down my waist and to the panties, which flirtatiously cover half of my buttocks. I chose the outfit very carefully, thinking of Sebastian, but he's never going to see it.Sighing, I decide that I can't go out dressed like this, or else the rest of the night will be an ordeal. I take one of the bathrobes in
The ring of the alarm clock jolts me out of sleep.I groan, groping at the nightstand. Except this isn't my nightstand, and what's ringing isn't the alarm clock.I realize then where I am, and what happened yesterday.I should be on my honeymoon, but I'm in the room of the Alpha of the enemy pack, Levi Grant, whom I've married.Memories of last night begin to swirl around in my head. Memories of Levi's hands roaming my body, as his lips and mine joined.Of me, manipulating his manhood and coming to orgasm just as he did..."Shit, Amber," I whisper. "You've really messed up this time."I stand up as I grab the phone and run out to the balcony."Hello?" I replay in a whisper. "Oh! Amber. Honey, I was so worried about you.""Hi, Mom," I reply. "Amber?" Dad says on the other end of the line. The call turns into a video call. I smile at my parents, who look at me with worry on their faces."Daughter, this has all been crazy," says my mother, Elsa."May I ask
"Ready?" Levi asks in the darkness of the car, just before we get out.I hold my breath and look down at my dress. It's an elegant piece that fits me outrageously well. The burgundy red of the silk matches perfectly with my tanned skin, brown hair and green eyes.As I once said, Sebastian's favorite color is red. This time, I plan to use it against him.I nod slowly. "I am," I say.He gets out of the car. He turns around and comes to open the door for me. What a perfect gentleman, he plays his part well.As soon as I get out I notice that all eyes are on us, but I try to pretend it doesn't affect me. Levi is looking stunning in a black suit that fits his musculature to perfection. His hair is styled elegantly. He looks so handsome that it's impossible to look away.And indeed, as we go along the girls look at him, although there is reticence in their gestures. It's evident that they fear him as much as they long for him."He is too attractive to be real," I hear a young
Anger and satisfaction simmers inside me.Sebastian doesn't dare open his mouth. He stammers as if something is stuck in his throat. Levi lets go and stands up. He adjusts the cuffs of his jacket and wipes the blood from his knuckles with a handkerchief.His gaze sweeps over the spectators. They are all silent. They look at Sebastian's imposing size and musculature, and then at Levi, who knocked him down with a single, clean, accurate blow.Slowly they move away from him. No one comes to Sebastian's aid.Finally, after checking that no one else is going to face him, Levi comes to me, takes my hand and puts it on his arm."Let's enjoy the party," I ask him with a beaming smile.He nods.Once we're away, the crowd rushes to Sebastian to help him to his feet. Even from a distance I hear his moans about having a broken nose.I can't help but think that Sebastian was always a bit dramatic."Thank you for what you did," I tell Levi. He looks at me and his expression chan
"Shall we leave?" Levi asks me, "I think we've been here long enough, don't you?" I nod, finishing my drink and feeling just slightly dizzy. I'm far from drunk, but after a few glasses of wine and champagne I start to feel my skin warm and my inhibitions distant.Smiling, I let Levi escort me out. Except for the incident we had at the beginning of the evening with Sebastian, the rest of the night has been peaceful; a few rumors and curious glances, but nothing I haven't gotten used to by now.Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow's local news headline talked about what happened. But I also realize, to my surprise, that I don't care. Levi has shown himself to be able to take care of me, and it's something I'm grateful for.He has demonstrated a new side of his personality. Unfortunately, so has Sebastian, I think. The way he has tried to publicly humiliate me shows that he really doesn't care about me. In fact, perhaps he never really did. As I get into the car Levi's gaze li
Chapter 100: Ranger **Levi’s POV Hope and I look at each other in shock. I was definitely not expecting that. “If you let me out, then I will kill him,” he says, eerily blankly, “If I escape, I will kill him. I can’t help it. So you will need to kill me to ensure his safety.” “I don’t, I mean, I can’t do that,” Hope tells this strange creature in revulsion at the idea, “I will turn you over to the authorities. That is the only thing I can do. The only thing I will do.” “Very well,” it says, “They will probably kill me then. It is for the best.” Then the man begins his terrible shift back to the beast it was when he was captured. In a matter of moments, the man inside him is gone forever. I shiver at the thought of it. And at the howls that start up again the moment the shift is complete. “Dan is safe,” Hope tells me, her voice unsteady, “It worked. Thank the Goddess.” “You did excellent work,” I tell her, “You were the only one who could
Chapter 99: A different type of beast ***Levi’s POV “Dan, we’re going to play this safe,” Hope tells him seriously, “Amber and the twins definitely healed you. There’s no question of that. But just to be extra careful, the doctor and I want you to follow up with the medicine that you would have been prescribed if you hadn’t been healed. Antibiotics and doses of anti-venom. Every twelve hours for the next week.” I’m still shocked by this turn of events, but Dan seems to be handling all of this incredibly well. Ah, to be young again. “No problem,” he says with a smile, “I’ve got my life back! I’ll take whatever you think is best.” “And even though I know you feel great,” Hope continues with a smile, “Just do me a favor and humor me on this. Get some rest for the next week. You don’t actually have to remain in bed, that would be silly given how well you’ve already healed. You can still see friends, and I know that you’re going to meet with the school lat
Chapter 98: Grievously injured ***Amber’s POV “We’re on our way,” I tell him, “Where are you now?” “I brought him to Hope’s place,” August says sadly, “You need to hurry.” I look to my husband, who is sleeping so peacefully that it saddens me to wake him up. But Dan has been hurt, and if August has brought him to Hope’s place, he must be grievously injured. There is no time to waste. “My love,” I tell him softly, ‘I’m so sorry, but you need to wake up.” My husband stirs, and he looks so perfect lying there in bed that I want to make love all over again. But we need to go. “What is it, my love,” he asks, raising an eyebrow, “Are you ready to try the handcuffs on you this time?” “I am,” I tell him, “But unfortunately, that’s not why I woke you up. There’s been an accident. It’s Dan, and he needs our help.’ “What,” he asks, instantly alert, “What’s happened? Is he ok?” “August said he’s alive, but it’s bad,” I tell him sadly,
Chapter 97: Too powerful to be denied ** Amber’s POV “The first thing we need to do is figure out where you’re going to live,” I tell Dan, “Where have you been staying so far?” “I’m embarrassed about it, but lately I’ve been staying at that motel on Route 9,” he tells me, blushing, “The Black Swan. It’s terrible, and I absolutely hate it. But with my current financial situation, it’s the best that I can afford. Believe me, I’ve looked around.” I am horrified at the thought of a sixteen year old boy staying at that place. It is not a good place for anyone to stay. But anyone under eighteen staying there turns my stomach. Especially Dan, who is innocent despite what he has been forced to live through. Unacceptable. “Then tonight you’re staying with us,” I tell him firmly, “August, you take him out there to that terrible place to get his stuff, and bring him back as fast as you can.” “Are you sure,” Dan asks me, tentatively, “I mean, it’s so kind of
Chapter 96: Creative writing assignment ***Lev’s POV “Dan, you could have come to me,” I tell him sadly, “You could have come to me and told me what happened. I would have protected you. I would have found a place for you. Why did you think that you had to do all of that?” I remember how I felt when my father died. How terrified I was. How my grandmother preyed on that fear within me. Now as I try to envision what it would have been like if everyone I knew and loved was gone, I can’t help shivering. “With all due respect sir, I didn’t know you,” he tells me, and I can see the tears in his eyes that he wipes away quickly, “I didn’t know what to do. I was out of money, and out of options. My entire family, everyone I ever knew, was dead. I wanted to stay alive, and I did the only thing I could think of.” “And what did you think of,” I ask him, concerned for his response “How did you stay alive?” “Well, the thing is, I’m only sixteen,” he replies sa
Chapter 95: A little kinder *** Amber’s POV “Don’t look so surprised guys,” I tell everyone, “Look at it from my perspective. I’m sick of being in fear. Sebastian gave me nightmares, and it turns out that he was hearing voices in his head. Granted, that makes him scary for a completely different reason, but he didn’t know anything. He was useless. I don’t know what this guy’s deal is, but I’m going to see what I can find out about this nonsense, because I’ve had it.” My husband looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. I know he only wants to protect me, but maybe it’s time that I started protecting myself. “My love,” he says to me, “I just don’t want you to have to deal with this. This is awful business. I’m supposed to protect you, and it feels strange to me to allow you to confront this man. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet. I consider what my husband has said to me, and while I don’t agree with him, I appreciate his desire to keep me safe. I dec
Chapter 94: Best man for the job *** Levi’s POV “But I tried, I tried,” Sebastian is screaming, “I tried to deliver her to you! They got me first! I thought you would understand!” Elliot and I burst into the room together to see what’s going on. And we find no one. No one but Sebastian, screaming at someone who doesn’t appear to be there. “I did what you told me to do,” he continues, sobbing, and staring at something that neither Elliot nor I can see, “I have been your humble servant. Surely that counts for something!” “Sebastian,” I say, carefully, “Who are you talking to? What’s going on?” “Oh, don’t play with me Levi,” he says, crying uncontrollably, “Don’t pretend you don’t know. Say hello to Dr. Sherman. It’s over now. It’s OVER!” Elliot and I look at each other, and come to the same horrible realization: there is no boss. No Dr. Sherman. Sebastian has been taking orders from no one. All of this time, we thought he was the shifter wo
Chapter 93: Strike a deal ***Elliot’s POV “You know,” I tell Sebastian, leaning closer to really sell what I’m saying to him, “You don’t need to worry about Levi. Not really. He doesn’t have the stomach for what we know needs to be done. You and I, we’re different, you know?” It sickens me to say these things, but I need to find out who’s really behind the scenes here. And Levi can’t play this particular card. Sebastian knows where his interests lie. He may be crazy, but he’s not stupid. Not at all. So I’ll play the rogue shifter trying to get his payday if it means that Amber and the twins remain safe. Although I’m going to need to shower after this. Probably several times. Sebastian sickens me. I just hope I can hide my feelings long enough to figure out who he’s reporting to. “Yes, we are,” Sebastian says, and I can’t believe that he’s buying it, “But I think that the boss would prefer to reveal himself in person. You won’t have to wait long. He’s coming,
Chapter 92: As merciless as necessary ***Levi’s POV “Boss, we’ve got him,” Elliot exclaims, “We have Sebastian. We’ve finally got that bastard!” “Are you serious,” I ask him, whispering so as not to wake my wife, “Where is he? How did you find him?” I’m impressed. I knew we would get him eventually, but I had never even hoped that it would be this fast. It’s four o’clock in the morning, but only twenty four hours after I asked for help in his capture. Not bad at all. “He was wandering the streets,” he tells me, “My team found him in the park, muttering to himself. It was bizarre, actually. I thought he would be more stealthy than that.” “Yeah, so did I,” I tell him, thinking, “Where do you have him?” “We brought him directly to the place you said,” he responds, “That really was the best move.” The place he refers to is a facility I had my men create specifically to hold Sebastian. It is modeled on the facility he will ultimately reside