The first thing Eva noticed as she was pulled from the safe confines of sleep was the weight of something across her waist. It was a familiar feeling but one Eva hadn't experienced in over a year. It was the telltale sign of a body close to her own. It was a protective arm relaxed over her body, holding her close but not trapping her.
Slowly Eva became aware of the warmth radiating from a body next to hers, the soft cotton sheets, the softness of the pillows under her head and the weight of the duvet over her body. The rain had stopped and the sun was fighting against the grey clouds racing across the sky. The buttery light of the morning sun pulsed softly between the shadows of the clouds, lighting up the room every few seconds.
The events of the previous day came back to Eva in a great wave. Eshe and her father had told Eva Eshe was stepping down as the Alpha and had made the decision to pass the mantle to Daniel. Silver Moon and the Hellhou
The announcement to the packs had gone smoothly, in fact it has gone really well. Despite being very different, the packs embraced each other like long lost friends. The news of Eshe's departure had been a little more difficult for Silver Moon to handle but they had accepted it. Overall, the day went well and once the union ceremony was completed and Eshe's emotional departure passed, the packs had celebrated as one pack. Daniel had finally been able to relax a little and enjoy the night. He had watched friends reunite, families meet and even a few people found their mates. Really it couldn't have gone any better. The mood had been light and joyous, chasing away the bite of the cold winter night. People drank, ate and danced under the canopy of lanterns and fairy lights. Seeing everyone accepting their new future with such positivity had lifted some of the concerns from Daniel's shoulders.
Daniel was silently grateful when his home finally came into view. Being away for long periods of time never bothered him but even he could appreciate the comforts of being home. He knew where everything was. He knew the people around him, where had the best bacon butties and all those great little places where he could get some time to himself. He knew where his tools were, where to find something as simple as a teaspoon or mug and best of all, his bed was the way he liked it.Settling in had been easy enough even if at first Eva had been reluctant to stay in Daniel's room. She had eventually agreed when Daniel had pointed out they had already shared a bed several times.Admittedly that was all they had done. Sure they had ki
Before he even made it down the stairs Daniel could hear commotion coming from the kitchen. Inside, one of the guards was doubled over, his hands around his face and blood seeping out onto the floor. Two more guards were hanging back with wary looks. Their unease was evident and Daniel knew that familiar feeling when it came to these moments. He had seen the scene plenty of times but he still felt the same unease. It was the same feeling one got when stumbling across a dangerous animal with no defences.Kade was pacing frantically, his hands fisted into his hair tugging viciously. Daniel could see the blood around his mouth, the bright red mess soaking the collar of Kade's t-shirt and running down the front. His knuckles were busted and bloody. Kade had been fighting and not just with the guard currently trying to set his broken nose."Everyone leave. I will deal with this." Daniel commanded, his eyes keeping Kade in sight.
"Is it true you kicked Daniel out of his bedroom last night?"Eva was in the middle of using yoga to help calm herself down when the familiar voice of Daniel's sister broke her train of thought.Looking up, Eva regarded the heavily pregnant woman. Leah had almost become a replacement for Maria except for the fact she was Daniel's sister and Eva felt she had to be careful with what she said. It wasn't that she thought Leah was spying on her when Daniel couldn't be there but family is family and they talk."I thought you might want this." Leah held out a large coffee from a coffee shop down the road. "Consider it a bribe."Eva smiled at that and pushed herself to feet. Taking the paper cup, she mumbled a thanks and took a sip, humming happily. Caffeine and cream… utter bliss."So, what did he do?" Leah prompted.Eva caught h
Eva was surprised by how much she enjoyed planning the singles event. They decided on something formal, wanting those hoping to meet their destined mate a chance to dress up and have fun. Eva knew that a lot of the younger wolves from her pack had never had a chance to attend an event like this or a prom. No doubt they would be nervous but also excited. They deserved their first time meeting other packs to be special.Eva was a little envious. She wondered what life would have been like if she had met Daniel earlier. She knew it meant Noah and her wouldn't have been a couple but maybe he would have been alive. Maybe he would have met his own destined mate and then they could have remained best friends. It pained Eva to think of a world where she wasn’t in love with Noah but she would give that up if it meant he was alive.The n
Darkness closed in around Daniel as he let Hades take over. The air was frigid against his skin for a moment before Hades came forth and bones cracked and reshaped. Fur sprouted from tattooed skin and blue eyes turned amber as Daniel fell onto all fours. It felt like stretching tired muscles and cracking bones after a hard day's work to release tension.Now in control, Hades shook out his coat with a huff, letting the cold air skim through his fur and nip at his wet nose. Around him other wolves shuffled and stretched, large jaws opening wide to bare razor sharp teeth. There were ten in total of caring colours and sizes, all waiting for their Alpha to lead the way.Hades stood tall over the others, his black coat blending into the night so all that remained was glowing amber eyes like two round flecks of flames in the abyss. Occasionally the silver glow of the moon would catch his pelt, highlighting powerful muscles that rippled under
Since the night of the event, uneasiness had settled over the pack. News had travelled fast about the discovery of the six wolves viciously attacked and resulting in three deaths. A mixture of anger and worry settled like a suffocating blanket over the pack. Three lives had been lost. Another one of the victims had passed away two days after the attack leaving three still under the care of the healers. Still, none of the survivors had woken up, their wounds healing agonisingly slow leaving healers baffled as to why the three young werewolves weren't awake yet. "It could be poison." The head healer had reported. "But I can't find any trace of anything in their systems." Checking through the guest
"I'm from the Emerald Pack."Bethan's voice was quiet and Eva nearly missed it.The pack name rang a bell but Eva didn't really know much about packs beyond her own. It wasn't something they taught back at Silver Moon. What Eva did know was that the Emerald Pack was not close. It sat on the coast of Wales. Bethan was far away from home."Were you here for the singles event?" Eva asked and Bethan nodded. "We need to contact your Alpha and let them know what's happened. I'm sure your pack are extremely worried."Bethan's face darkened for a moment, an emotion washed through her that almost looked like fear but Eva couldn't work out why she would be scared. Eva was convinced she was just seeing things. Perh
<<Five years later>>The soft sound of fussing roused Eva from her peaceful slumber, the tired she-wolf opening her hazel eyes to take in the setting of the master bedroom. Outside, an Indian Summer was in full swing with golden vanilla light pouring in playfully from the french doors across the room from the large bed Eva was currently sprawled in, her body aching dully on the soft white sheets.The fussing sound started again and Eva lifted her body carefully from the bed, auburn locks spilling over her shoulders and milk-heavy breasts. In her mind Kalla rose from the darkness to see through Eva’s eyes as she approached the cot, peering at the tiny bundle wrapped up in a soft blue onesie and blanket.“Hello you,” Eva cooed to the newborn as he kicked his covered legs, tiny button nose wrinkling. “Oh my little warrior, are you hungry? Hush now, mummy’s here.”She lifted the infant gently, cradling him as sh
They made love over and over until the sun finally came up painting the sky in buttery vanillas and neon oranges. They were exhausted and hurt all over but they couldn't stop smiling.They let Hades and Kalla out to race back home, letting their natural navigation system lead them to where they belonged. The two wolves enjoyed the freedom, chasing each other and rolling around as they played. Their paws thundered across the earth as they yipped like two juveniles until finally they made it close to the township. Their howls were replied to by a chorus of howls, the song filling the air as wolves of all ages came to greet Kalla and Hades, the sense of relief and joy washing through the pack like cleansing waters. News of the Alpha's return and their victory over the forces working against them spread quickly but there were still so many questions in need of answering. Kade was sitting on the steps of the pack house when Daniel and Eva approached after shifting back and pulling on some
‘This is it. This is how we are going to complete the mating processing.’ Eva thought bleakly, her eyes wide as she watched her mate let out a deafening howl, his eyes glowing like pools of melted gold. In that moment Daniel looked demonic, his hair pitch black and skin an unearthly paleness under the moonlight that poured in from broken windows and holes in the crumbling roof. The earth seemed to shudder in submission as the alpha roared and Eva thought her eardrums would burst from the sound. Then, Daniel moved at what felt like faster than the speed of light, lifting Eva off of her feet and speeding off into the darkness with his prize. A small scream escaped from Eva as Daniel burst out into the clear night air, sprinting across sprawling fields and under the thick canopy of the forest effortlessly. Eva had no idea what was happening
The sound of someone else surprised both Ethan and Eva before the metal pole Ethan had abandoned earlier smashed into Ethan's skull with a dull crack. The force threw the blonde male off of the female under him with a grunt, air suddenly rushed into Eva's burning lungs causing her to cough and roll on to her side in time to see Maria drop the pole with a metallic bang and a small dark brown wolf charge at Ethan, pouncing on him in a series of snarls and growls. The size of the beast made Eva think it was a juvenile and while there seemed to be no grace to its attack, the bared white teeth and pink gums and angry copper eyes showed spirit as the lithe wolf dodged any attempts Ethan made to strike it."Eva!" Maria crouched next to her friend, breaking Eva’s dazed attention on the fight scene in front of her. "Oh goddess are you hurt?"
The growl rumbled through the dilapidated building like thunder, the ground and walls seemingly vibrating with the intensity of it. Eva didn’t need to turn around to know who was responsible for the sound. They way the vibrations ran through her, scorching her blood told her that Daniel was awake. Her body reacted instantly; chills ran across her skin and the familiar ache in her core nearly took her breath away. Her heat had been forgotten whilst trying to take down Ethan but now it roared into life, her skin sizzling with electricity as the scent of her arousal flooded the space around her.Now she had two males to worry about.Another growl erupted from Daniel, nostrils flaring as he instinctively breathed in the heady scent of Eva’s heat. Male wolves were prone to losing their cool around unmated females i
The moment Ethan stepped towards Eva with the syringe with the milky substance in it, Eva let out a warning growl, her eyes flashing a predatory yellow as Kalla pushed to try and take over. Eva knew Kalla was the stronger form but the wolfsbane still hadn’t cleared her system fully and there was no chance she'd be able to take on three full-strength males in either form. That didn’t stop Eva from kicking out when Ethan got close, the heel of her boot slamming into his knee with a sickening snap.Ethan howled in pain, his leg bent at an angle as he staggered back from the force, his eyes flashing at the female in rage, baring his teeth as he seemed to struggle to keep control of his wolf. Breathing in deeply, Ethan stilled, his eyes closing as he calmed himself down as if flipping a switch inside of him. After a moment, he pushed his leg back into place with another sickening crack before it healed at the wrong angle. The sound was enough to mak
The remnants of the tranquilizer and wolfsbane in Eva’s system made her limbs feel like jelly and her head spun with any sudden movement. Ethan didn’t seem to care though as he dragged the female onto her feet before pulling her after him with an iron grip on her bicep. Eva had no choice but to follow despite stumbling over her own feet and the uneven ground. Even with heightened senses, Eva struggled to make out where they were. She could tell they were no longer on pack land as she wasn’t able to connect with anyone via the mind-link but even then, the wolfsbane would make it difficult to create a link with anyone.Eva couldn’t help but wince when she was suddenly shoved through a door roughly and found herself in another room that looked like an abandoned garage lit by a couple of camping lanterns that cast long shadows across the walls and ground. She didn&rs
When Eva came to speak with Bethan about the night of the attack for a second time, Bethan knew time was running out. Her question about the Mad Alpha had sent Bethan down memory lane so dark and jaded even though she denied having heard the title before. She had been lying of course. While Michael had pretty much ignored Bethan to the point that she believed he didn't know she existed, Bethan had heard the old man's stories whenever he was drunk.He had earned his title in the same way Ethan intended to earn his; with misery, fear and murder.There was some irony in the situation. Ethan had hated Michael with a burning passion for as long as Bethan could remember. Ethan believed he was nothing like their father and everything he had stood for. He believed he was stronger and smarter and in many ways this was in fact true. But
“What the hell!” Eva yelped, instantly retaliating with a fist to the male’s nose.Ethan grunted as he doubled over, hands covering his nose as dark red rivulets of blood began seeping between his fingers and dripping onto the forest floor. Eva didn’t hang around to see the flash of black eyes as she ripped the needle from her arm and darted back towards the pack.She barely made it two steps before Ethan was on her, tackling Eva to the floor. She hissed from the impact of hitting the earth, struggling against the male while he tried to restrain her. Growling, she brought her knee up sharply between Ethan's legs, the wolf above her grunting in pain. It was enough of a distraction to allow Eva to push Ethan off of her and scramble to her feet.