A petite blond walked in with the signature River Pack cheerful smile. She was carrying a bag that looked too heavy for her to bear. She dropped it beside my bed.“Hi, I’m Paula,” she said cheerfully. “I am one of Andrew’s assistants. He wanted me to show you these dresses so that you can choose the one you like the most. He can’t wait for you to introduce you to Grant and Alana.”“Grant and Alana?” I asked.“Yes. His parents,” she explained.“You mean the Alpha and the Luna of the River Pack?”“Yeah. We don’t go by formal titles here,” she said. “We like to see ourselves as equals even though everyone knows their positions and duties.”“Nice,” I said. I wasn’t impressed but that wasn’t important now.“Let me see them,” I said and Paula opened the bag.There were different pretty dresses in it made of various luxurious fabrics. They reminded me of the clothes in Sahid’s mother’s house.A sad smile crossed my face when I remembered the Lycan pimp. I hoped I’d get a chance to see him ag
The guard had returned to his post after Andrew caught me and the other strangers had gone on their merry way. So, we were basically alone.“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I mean, I’m sorry you had to hear it from someone else first. I was going to tell you before you met my parents.”I was shocked. “So, it’s true?” I asked him incredulously. “You want me to be your mate? I don’t even know you!”“I understand your surprise, but please, hear me out.”“I’m listening.”He sighed. “So, here’s the thing. There’s something about my pack that you probably don’t know about.”“What’s that?”“Unlike other werewolf packs, we don’t feel any mate bond here.”I was amazed. “I’ve never heard of that before.”“It’s not a common thing but it’s normal in the River Pack.”“So how do you find a mate?”“The pack elders choose our mates for us or if you’re fortunate enough to fall in love with someone and they feel the same way about you, then you could become mates.”“I see…”“Yeah. That was why Antonio
They turned to look at me and Luna Alana raised an eyebrow once she saw me. She was a plain-looking woman with big bones. Her black hair was streaked with stands of grey.Her husband on the other hand was an older version of Andrew. He was handsome and charismatic. He grinned when he saw me.“So, we finally get to meet the she-wolf who has swept Andrew off his feet,” he said.“It was the other way around,” I laughed nervously. “He swept me off my feet. Literally.”Alana scoffed and rolled her eyes. I didn’t need a sorceress to tell me that the Luna didn’t like me. No surprise there!“Please, join us,” said Alpha Grant.Andrew pulled out a chair for me to sit down. I nearly blushed at the gentlemanly gesture. I can’t remember ever being treated with this level of respect by a man before. Especially one that hasn’t been intimate with me.I was sitting directly opposite Alana and beside Grant. The Alpha’s welcoming aura put me at ease. However, when I looked at Alana, I saw her watching
I gasped. “Lattie is dead?”“Oh, goodness, no!” He replied quickly with a nervous laugh. “She’s very much alive. At least, she was, the last time I heard.”I sighed with relief. I didn’t know I cared about Lattie’s well-being until now.“So, what happened to her then? Where did she go?”“Well, about two months ago, she ran into someone from her past in the village market. It turns out they were both in love with each other before she got sold off to the Highlands as a slave.”“Oh.”“Yeah… They didn’t see or heard from each other all these years. She thought he was dead and he thought the same too. But when they met again…”“They fell in love all over again,” I said, completing his sentence for him.“Exactly. At least she was honest enough to tell me the truth right off the bat.”I felt sorry for sweet old Albert. He got dumped by the love of his life for someone else. How awful.“That day when she returned from the market, I knew something had happened,” he said. “She was in an excell
This wasn’t just lovemaking, it felt like a reunion of long-lost lovers. We are physically strangers but our souls knew each other. I was climaxing and shedding tears of joy. This was by far the most beautiful experience of my entire existence.As he reached orgasm, Rowan locked himself inside me, pouring his seed into me. We latched onto each other, our eyes staring into one another as we climbed the peak together.I didn’t want this glorious moment to end, but when it did, I felt deeply satisfied. It was as if a gaping hole inside my soul has finally been filled up.“That was amazing,” I whispered to him.He smiled at me and said, “I felt it too.”Rowan cuddled me and we lay together in silence. The sun had fully risen now and we could hear the activities going on around the palace.I felt a burst of happiness rise within me. I have finally found my person. I never wanted to be with anyone else ever again!“What is your name?” He asked me. I felt the rumble in his chest when he spok
“Why keep slaves at all?” I asked him. “The Highlands is wealthy enough for you to afford to pay people for the work they do for you. That’s the honourable thing to do.”“Look, slavery has been existing even before the time of my father. It’s our way of life here. Why should I change it?”“Because the slaves are people’s loved ones. They have families and they deserve to live dignified lives. Nobody wants to be a slave, Rowan. It’s not a good way to live.”He smiled at me. “So, you want me to release the slaves?”I nodded.“Would that make you happy?”“Yes,” I replied.“Then it is done,” he said.I gasped. “Do you truly mean that?”“You have my word,” he promised. “And I shall let everyone know that it was your idea. Your duty as the pack Luna has already begun.”I hugged him tightly. “Thank you!”“You will always have anything you want here, Jade. All you have to do is ask.”I couldn’t believe it. Was this truly happening? Suddenly I have been transformed from a homeless traveller to
“Don’t let her attitude bother you. My mother is a diva. She likes to blow everything out of proportion. Her room is a perfect example of that.”I couldn’t help but giggle. “Don’t be rude. That’s your mother.”“You don’t have to tell me,” he chuckled.“But seriously, she doesn’t like me.”“So?”“So, I don’t want to clash with her all the time. I’ve been down that road before.”He smiled slowly but the smile did not reach his icy eyes. “Listen, my love. This is my territory. I rule here, I am the law and my word is final. Nobody, and I repeat, nobody will dare hurt even a strand of hair on your head. Not even my mother.“You are now an extension of me. Whoever disrespects you, disrespects me and I assure you, they all know the consequences of attempting that.”I didn’t know it was possible for me to love Rowan even more but I did. Tears of joy stung my eyes and I didn’t bother to hide them. They ran down my cheeks and he swiped them away with his thumbs.“Didn’t I say I love you?” He a
“Maybe we should wait until it becomes obvious to everyone.”“That would piss off my mother. She likes to be the first to know about everything.”“Well, she’s going to have to wait this time. I don’t want to be accidentally punched in the belly by anyone.”“My mother wouldn’t do such. She’s not that cruel.”“I’m sorry,” I apologized immediately. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”“I’m not offended,” he replied with a smile. “My mother is simply protective of me and my siblings. She’s not the best mother in the world but she’s not a bad person either.”I nodded, accepting his correction graciously. Perhaps it was time to extend an olive branch to Ria. I don’t want to have a tense relationship with her as I did with Gertrude.“What do you think it is?” He asked me, rubbing my belly again. “A boy or a girl?”“I think I want a girl this time,” I said with a smile.“What will we name her?”“Nyla. That was my mother’s name.”“I like it.”“Do you mean that?”“Yes.”I flew into his arms, embracin
“You’re back,” Rowan whispered happily. I blinked. “Where am I?” “We had to bring you to the pack hospital. Your bones were broken badly from the fall,” he explained. “But don’t worry, you’re the only one here. We cleared out the hospital to give you some privacy.” I looked at him and noticed how tired he looked. There were dark circles under his eyes and his beard was overgrown like his father’s own in the chasm. “I am so sorry,” I apologized. “I have put you through a lot. You don’t deserve any of these troubles you’ve experienced because of me.” “Please, don’t say that,” he replied tenderly. “We are one. You’re my mate and that means that whatever affects you affects me. We’re in this together.” “Thank you,” I whispered. “From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you, Alpha Rowan.” He smiled tenderly. “You’re welcome, Luna Jade. Always and forever.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead softly. “I have some good news for you,” he whispered. “Let me guess, you found the neckl
“Here she is, my lord,” Tarik announced as he led me into Alpha Jaxon’s lair.“Leave us,” he growled and Tarik promptly disappeared.Alpha Jaxon watched me warily like a predator. He was sitting on a wingbacked chair, nursing a goblet of wine. His beard was overgrown and his bloodshot eyes told me that he was piss drunk.“Where have you been?” He asked me. His deep voice rumbled like thunder.“I – I…”“Answer me!” He barked and I nearly peed on myself.Why the hell did I agree to this? Why did I let Lynda talk me into this nonsense? I wasn’t even Sasha, so why should I receive her punishment?“I’m not Sasha,” I blurted out fearfully.“That’s not the answer to my question,” he rumbled again. “I will ask you one more time only.”I swallowed hard. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest.“Where… have… you… been?”I began to shiver with fear. “I am not Sasha,” I repeated stubbornly.He was out of his chair like a shot and was standing in front of me within a second. He grabbed my throat
The last thing I remembered was Albert and Lattie shifting into their wolf forms and meeting Damian mid-air. I don’t even know how I found my way out of the cottage but I did.“I have to get to the Highlands! I have to get to the Highlands!” I chanted again as I ran towards the dock.I couldn’t see Damian but my wolf senses told me that he was already behind me. I could almost feel his breath on my back.As I reached the dock, a boat was just pulling up and the only passenger on it got off through the gangplank. He was a dashing guy that I would recognize anywhere.“Sahid! What are you doing here?”He stared at me blankly. “Who are you?”“It’s me, Jade.”“Watch out!” He yelled and pushed me out of the way.Damian crashed into Sahid, knocking him to the ground. He tried to come after me but Sahid wouldn’t let him. He held onto the Alpha’s hind legs, stalling his movement.“Get away from me, you fool!” Damian shouted and kicked Sahid savagely.Once he broke free from the Lycan’s grip, h
“Slow down, girl. Why are you running?” An old woman asked me.I had reached the southern village and I was heading to the dock to get a boat ride to the Highlands. I’d stopped briefly by an empty stall in the market to catch my breath when the woman showed up.“Are you ok?” She asked.She was standing in the shadows where I couldn’t see her properly but I recognized her voice.“Lattie?”She stepped forward and the moonlight shone on her face. She was staring at me with a puzzled expression.“Do I know you?” She asked.“Not in this life,” I replied plainly. “Where’s Albert? Do you think he’ll be willing to give me a ride to the Highlands?”Lattie was speechless at first. “Who are you?”“My name is Jade. You don’t know me yet or maybe you do and don’t remember, but I know you from another time.”“Child, that doesn’t make sense.”“To you, it doesn’t but to me, it does. Where’s Albert?”“He already packed up and left. I only stayed back this long to sell off my last batch of fresh apples
“You don’t even know me,” I said.“Doesn’t matter,” he replied promptly. “Come here.”I sighed. This new life was filled with more sex than I’d had in my other life. I’m not even sure if that’s a good thing at this point but I could tell that it was purely a physical thing for me at this point.“What a stubborn fellow,” I grumbled under my breath.“I heard that,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll make this worth your while.”“Whatever…” I mumbled. An image of Hazim fucking Sasha on her kitchen cabinet flashed through my mind and I nearly gagged. Yikes!“Why do you look like a lamb approaching the slaughterhouse?” He asked me with a chuckle. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”“No.”“Then what is it?”“I don’t want to have sex with you.”“Oh.” He looked disappointed. “Well, you don’t have to.”I stared at him. “Then how do I get my necklace from you?”He threw it at me and it hit me in the face. That reminded me of that nightmare I had in my other life where Dominic threw the necklace at me.
“Intruders!”My eyes flew open. Hycinth and Lola woke up with a start too. We could hear loud voices outside our tent and what sounded like a stampede.“What’s going on?” I gasped.“That’s what I intend to find out,” Hycinth grumbled. I could tell that he was seriously pissed about being woken up so rudely.We scrambled to get dressed but we were barely halfway through it when Gertrude burst into our tent. Her eyes were wide with fear.“Quick, we have to flee! There’s an army of werewolves out there trying to kill everyone!” She shouted frantically.“Where are they from?” Hycinth asked.“Who cares? There’s too many of them and they’re here for blood.”We ran outside with Hycinth in front and we were shocked to see the chaos going on outside. The enemy werewolves were pouncing on every Gypsy in sight, attacking them viciously.It only took me a few moments to recognize the Alphas leading them. Fear paralysed me. I knew I should run but I simply couldn’t.Hycinth swung into full battle
All Hycinth and I ever did was have sex at the slightest opportunity. We did it anytime and everywhere until Gertrude became annoyed.“You must have been starved of sex in your previous relationship,” she commented one day. “Don’t you ever get tired?” “You could ask Hycinth that too,” I replied cheekily and that silenced her.Hycinth and I were unofficially mates. His mother had tried to choose a mate for him a couple of times because he never felt the mate bond with anyone.According to him, once he’s had sex with them, he loses interest in having a proper relationship with them. He’s had a ‘taste’ of all the young she-wolves in the pack to the annoyance of the elders.“What happens when I eventually leave?” I asked him when we settled down for the night in our tent later that day.“Why would you leave?” He asked with a questioning look.“I can’t stay here forever. I have several unanswered questions burning in my mind.”“Have you regained your memory?”“Uh, no but I’m curious about
“Who is this?” Gertrude asked as we entered the camp.“This is Jade. I rescued her from the jaws of a beast that tried to kill her.”“Why? What did you do?” She asked me.“I don’t know. I don’t remember,” I said. I’m going to stick to my amnesia story and see how this plays out. I didn’t want to get myself in trouble by saying the wrong thing.“She appears to have lost her memory,” said Hycinth.“Something traumatic must have happened to her. Come on, then. Let’s get you cleaned up and fed.”She led me through the camp where everyone stared at me curiously. She assigned Lola and Cherise to take care of me. It felt odd that they didn’t recognize me.“Your wounds are already closing up,” said Lola. “Are you from the Moon Pack? They’re famous for healing faster than every other werewolf.”“No, I’m not. I’m from…” I bit my tongue before I blurted out my identity.“From where?” Cherise asked me.“I don’t remember,” I lied.“It must be very frustrating to not remember anything about your pa
“We’ll send for you when the time is right,” said Damian.It was two days after the tragic stillbirth of Domarius. My birthing injuries had finally healed but I wasn’t ready to be kicked out yet.“Why are you all blaming me for what happened?” I asked softly.“Because you gave us false hopes. We will send for you when we get over this disappointment. Goodbye, Jade.”He shut the door before I could manage to get another word in. So, here I was, mateless and babyless in what should have been my comeback.I went to Nana’s cabin to see where she’d buried the baby’s body. I saw the small mound of sand where she’d put him and my heart broke.“Who’s there?” She asked from inside.“It’s me, Nana,” I replied.She came outside and met me there. Her expression softened when she saw my tear-stained face.“Oh, Jade. Can you ever forgive me?”“There’s nothing to forgive, Nana. What happened wasn’t your fault. I think we both miscalculated the outcome.”“When are the triplets coming to see the baby’