HYACINTHS'S POVHe'd said yes.He'd agreed to my deal.I couldn't believe it. I was going to have my freedom in a little more than a month from now! I was going to get to walk away and never look back. I wouldn't have to run from him anymore. I'd made him promise last night, swear on his life to stick to the arrangement once I was gone. He'd agreed. He'd sworn he wouldn't try to look for me. He would let me go. His only other condition of our arrangement was complete secrecy. The pack could not know about our agreement until it was over. He didn't want them to worry. I was fine with that.I was getting everything I wanted, so why did it feel like a large part of my heart had been ripped out of my chest?I pushed the feeling away. I couldn't dwell on it. I didn't have time. Most of the wolves were already gathered outside. Shockingly, they had pulled together all of the arrangements for our Announcement Ceremony in less than eighteen hours.I looked out the window, down at the wide ope
LEANDER'S POV As soon as I walked into the room, Hycinth got off the bed and faced me. She stared at me for a long moment, expression contrite at first. But then it slowly transitioned into fury."What the fuck happened?" I snarled. The Ceremony she'd just recklessly ruined with her hot-headedness was meant to give the wolves in the pack an outlet to express their appreciation and thanks. That certainly wasn't how it turned out.I couldn't believe she'd put me in that position! An open challenge always required a public punishment. There was no way that she was ignorant of that fact, and yet instead of talking to me, like I asked her to do, she decided to issue an openhanded challenge right across my cheek!If she'd done that in private, I would've handled it differently. But she didn't. And my Wolf would never allow that disrespect to go unpunished.So here we were, glaring at each other, and I was hoping for an explanation soon, which didn't look like it was forthcoming with the wa
Ever had told me she owned a tattoo parlor, but for some reason, I never anticipated she would have tattoos, primarily because pure silver extract had to be added to the ink. Otherwise, our bodies would reject the ink and heal around it. But using silver made the normal pain of getting a tattoo about a hundred times worse.And she didn't just have one cute little heart or flower on her belly. No, she had a stunning Phoenix nestled between her breasts, its wings fanning out over her pert mounds, but designed so that the flesh around her nipples was left untouched- looking as though they were peeking out alluringly from behind the bird. And if that were not enough visual titillation, the tail of the bird curled around the entire left side of her torso and flared out into beautiful swirls and tail feathers covering her belly. Like her nipples, the skin around her belly button was left untouched revealing an enticing belly button piercing.The design continued low on her stomach, flowing
She studied my expression, eyes boring deep into mine. I was shocked when she didn't immediately shoot me down Or at least try to slap me again or something. She drew her soft lip between her bottom teeth again, warring between the desires inside of her. I held my breath and waited. After a long minute, still not releasing her captive lip, she finally whispered, "Okay."It was all I could do to keep the lust filled growl contained in my chest.I spread my legs wider to make room for her. My voice so gruff, even I didn't recognize it as I said huskily, "Take a step back closer to me."She did as instructed, stepping back so that she was nestled right between my thighs.It was a chore to keep my hands steady and not let them roam everywhere on her skin. I focused on the task at hand, extracting some of the crème from the jar with my fingertips. "It's going to feel a little cold at first," I warned before pressing my fingers lightly against the beautifully rounded cheeks of her backside
Heart of the StormHYCINTH'S POVThe words left my mouth, and the atmosphere changed. It darkened. The temperature dropped. The air thinned and crackled with electricity, churning and chaotic, silently screaming a warning for anyone wise enough to listen-it was coming.No, it was already there.The thing of nightmares and dark fairytales had been unknowingly unleashed. It was free.I waited for the flash of lightning and boom of thunder. It was inevitable. I was going to be struck down by it. There was no way for me to avoid it. No way for me to come out unscathed because I was the heart of the storm.Leander stood unblinking, his face wiped clean. No trace of emotion as if struggling with the impossibility of the words that had just come out of my mouth.And then he blinked.His expression darkened, the eyes of his Wolf front and center, no longer a brilliant violet blue. Now, they glowed flat black. The timbre of his voice dropped, gruff through his vocal cords, "He touched you?"M
"Everything I wanted first?" Leander repeated flatly, his brows furrowed. And then understanding lit his expression. "And this...this is what you thought the entire time? That I was going to use you and then pass you around?""Yes," I whispered, fighting back tears again."Motherfucker," he swore under his breath. Instantly, he was right in front of me, one hand on my hip, the other cupped my cheek. His onyx eyes bore into mine. "You saw how I reacted with Luca. Never would I have allowed any of my wolves to touch you! And as far as what happened yesterday, I'll admit I thought about sleeping with Sydney. I was drunk. You'd made it clear where you stood, so when she offered, I followed her to her room. I sat on the edge of the bed. She pushed me back and climbed on top of me."Pain crashed over me as the images play through my mind. It was too much to take. I didn't want to hear all of the nitty-gritty details of their sexual escapade. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me. He
Leander ignored him and walked over to a nearby wall, mounted with various weapons, and selected a ten-inch blade. He twirled the knife casually between his fingers as he made his way back to Dagger. Without another word, Leander grabbed Dagger's cock with his free hand and held tight. Dagger jolted and pressed his naked butt as far into the wall as he could, trying to wriggle out of the grasp Leander had on his manhood.Oh shit!Flashbacks swam behind my eyelids. Leander's animalistic expression as he threatened Luca. I'd believed then that he was capable of it. Now, I was almost certain I knew what was going to happen.But I couldn't have been more wrong.Because it was so much worse.Never in my wildest nightmares, had I ever imagined what Leander was about to do.Leander's mouth curled into a wicked smirk. "Do you have a preference? Would you prefer if I yank it off or would you rather I sliced it clean?" Leander continued to play with the knife, waiting for his response.Dagger j
Chapter 16: Punishment & LoyaltyLeanderNow that I finished with Dagger, my anger partially stated, but not done. I made my way to Hycinth. She looked up at me with wide, shocked eyes.Shocked. But not afraid of what had just happened.That's my strong little mouse, I thought with pride.The Moon had gotten right. She had the fortitude necessary, the internal strength required to be an amazing Luna. Now, I was going to have to find a way to convince her to stay. I wouldn't back out on her deal, but I sure as hell wasn't going to stop fighting for her. I was just going to have to be clever about it, I thought with a smirk, several ideas already floating through my head.But before I got to any of that, I still had business to attend. "Which Wolf told Dagger that he needed to stop because I would kill him for touching you before I got everything I wanted first?"Hycinth looked around the room, studying the many wolves. Before she could identify one, Samuel made his way through the wolv
Leander's povHycinth's startled lake-blue eyes quickly cut from person to person.Her audience sat in rapt attention, smiles and excitement radiating on their faces, waiting for her to say something.But Hycinth's countenance reflected a far different reaction from theirs. Brows furrowing closer with each sweep of her confused gaze, Hycinth abruptly clutched her rounded abdomen protectively and sank as far away into the bed as she could.Instantly, I delved into her mental state, dreading what I would find.FearApprehensionMistrustMy heart dropped.Certainly not the happy reunion I had foolishly hoped for. Hycinth sucked in a harsh breath, unable to keepup with her continuously accelerating heartbeat.She blinked back tears.Without even a word to coordinate their identical reactions, Ever, Asher and Milo all stepped forward and lifted their mates. "Time to go," Ever spoke gruffly. Expression stricken, Gwen reached toward Hycinth, her mouth opening but no sound came out as Ever c
Glancing over, I found Gwen's expression radiating with happiness, tears streaming down her face.Confused by both of their responses and fearful of the unknown, Ever asked urgently, "What...what's happening?"Eyes wide, Gwen whispered, "It's a mate bond.""What?" Ever asked blankly while I echoed with my own shocked, "What the hell?""It feels like the first time I saw you," she giggled softly.Ever shook his head. "But that's not possible.""I don't know how to explain it. It just feels that way."I had no idea what Gwen had actually felt, but I agreed with Ever. I'd never heard of such a thing before.Refocusing on Hycinth, Gwen gently smoothed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.After a long moment, Ever murmured, "I think we should bring Willow in." "Ooh, that's a good idea," Gwen instantly agreed and looked up at me expectantly.I held a hand up. "Wait. I don't know about that. Yes, Hycinth seemed to react well, but what if more people becomes too much
Ever squeezed my shoulder."I intend to stay by her side and take care of her until she's awake."Quiet agreement was murmured as they nodded their heads. Eagerness to help was transparent on their faces.From the corner of my eye, I saw Gwen carefully make her way through the crowd toward me. Once she reached my side, her little chin came up, fierce determination in her expression. "Leander, let me help you care for her."I hesitated. "That's okay. I can handle it."Clearly unwilling to take no for an answer, she continued, "Leander, I know you love her but she is going to need more care than just you. Ever explained a little bit of what you're dealing with. I love her too. I knew there was no way she was aware of the full atrocities her parents had inflicted. She couldn't. Her innocence was too transparent and her sweetness of spirit. Nobody is that good of an actress. I am your Beta Female. Now, let me do my job."From my back, Ever murmured, "I think it's a good idea."Somewhat su
Leander's povShort beams of moonlight descended from above, intermittent strokes of luminosity breaking through the dense forest canopy as we ran. We didn't need the light. Wolf vision provided striking clarity of the landscape in almost absolute darkness, but even without such a gift, we probably would have been able to successfully navigate the terrain blindfolded. Each of us knew these woods like the back of our hands.Within minutes, the dimness of the forest gave way, revealing a soft glow twenty feet ahead. Not much farther now. My gait slowed, legs feeling heavier with every step. I hated losing wolves. It never got any easier to say goodbye.Finally crossing the tree line, I stepped out into the clearing and stopped. The drums fell silent.To my right stood four unmistakable structures. Meticulously prepared, each fallen Wolf had been anointed with spices and dressed in noble tribal fare. Six feet off the ground, bodies cradled in suspense by an intricately woven labyrinth of
Leander"No!" Hycinth's scream pierced the darkness.Instantly awake, every particle in my body felt like it had been lit on fire. "What is it, love? What's wrong?"Little fists pummeled my chest. Her frail body thrashed in the bed next to me. "Don't touch me!"Still snared by unconsciousness, it was clear the battle was in her mind.Primal instinct drove me forward. I had no intention of letting her fight this adversary alone. Without thought, I blew our partial mate bond. wide open and delved into her subconscious. For a moment, I was disoriented by the chaos in her head. Stark fear swirled amidst nightmare images-darkness stained with slashes of red, so much blood. No concern for her own welfare, but desperately fighting for the precious innocent she carried in her belly."It's okay, you're safe!" I whispered urgently while trying to contain her flailing limbs without hurting her.Torment all-consuming, she couldn't hear me. Continuing to fight her imaginary foe, she violently wres
The cabin door opened just wide enough for Sydney to slip inside. Cool blue eyes flickering to take in the scene around her, Sydney naturally settled into the chair across the room and waited for me to speak.Not wanting to risk stressing Hycinth, I continued to use the mind link, "I need you to stay with her tomorrow night."Sydney nodded, no break in her stoic expression, ever diligent to her duties. But I knew her better than that. The slightest twitch of pain in her eyes didn't escape my attention, revealing her struggle just as all of us mourned such a heavy loss."I don't know how... I'm going to leave her, "I murmured, getting to the heart of the matter.It was Sydney's turn to read my expression, to hear all of the words I'd left unsaid, just as I knew she would. She couldn't repair my stress but immediately, the Delta in her began to plan, "For those hours, we could increase the Sentinels in number and tighten the perimeter around the cabin. Additionally, the bikers-""Bikers
LEANDER'S POV"Leander," Grace's thoughts drifted through the pack mind link we shared. "Hycinth needs your attention."Instantly, I rose to my feet.Startled by my abrupt change in position, Ever lurched to his feet, chest puffed out, ready for a fight.I expected Ever's reaction, but what surprised me was Luca's similar response. Certainly lacking of any decent Alpha experience he could trust, betrayed by the one male he thought loved him the most, I wouldn't have begrudged Luca's reluctance to blindly follow another Alpha so quickly, especially me. But there was no hesitancy in his response as he stood ready, hands out, naturally aligning himself to Ever's body to provide me with optimal cover."Sorry," I muttered as I walked away toward the lakeside cabin. I hadn't meant to alarm them. No further words were necessary. I felt their heightened emotions calm.Breaching the entryway, I watched Sydney gently release Hycinth's hand, lean forward and place a barely-there kiss on her fore
"I know," he replied, "and I'm sorry to put you through this again, but I need to know...what her body went through."I studied his expression.He explained softly, "I can't help her if I don't know.""Okay." I ran a hand roughly through my already disheveled hair as I pulled back images I never wanted to think about again. "From the glimpse I saw into her mind and confirmation from those in the room, I think only two penetrated her vaginally but her wounds indicate her bottom was also violated, probably with claws."Luca's brows went up. "You could see that...in her mind?""Yes," I ground out through my teeth. In my head, my Wolf snarled furiously at the memories. "Thankfully, it appeared Hycinth was unconscious, at least during the time those two bastards defiled her.""What else?""The bruises and wounds on her body were too many to count. She had several spinal breaks that we could feel, likely incurred from multiple kicks due to the massive boot prints left behind on her back, bu
LeanderA sudden northeastern gust of wind rustled through the trees, causing several russet-colored leaves to lose their already tenuous hold on the branches above us and flutter to the ground. Autumn had settled in since Hycinth had left me. Three long months. More than half of her pregnancy. The thought was staggering.Ever's head came up, his astute gaze automatically scanning the horizon."But I don't think so," Luca murmured quietly."What do you mean?""After Oracle Memoree visited us and we finally knew the truth, in all of its ugly glory," he flinched, green eyes losing focus for a moment before continuing, "the plan was to contact you...figure a way to reach out as soon as I returned from our old pack. Hycinth wasn't in great shape...she didn't think you or the pack would want her back...but she wanted to try.""The pack?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why would Hycinth think the pack wouldn't want her back?"Luca's shoulders pulled back, his tone clearly communicating his personal