Just like that, with a single call, all the tension in her body melted away, her shoulders completely dropped from their stiffened position and her hands relaxed at her sides. She turned her body toward the one who called out to her and a smile brighter than the sun spread across her face. Her pink and full lips split open to show her slightly sharpened canines, the corners of her eyes crinkled as the smile widened as she locked eyes with whomever had caught her attention, and a single dimple on her right cheek could be seen as her mood visibility brightened in what seemed to be a split second. Aiden was almost jealous, a feeling he tried to stifle, almost relieved she was too distracted to notice it flash through their bond. He'd never gotten one of those smiles before, it made him almost green with envy. All he had ever gotten was a tight-lipped smile or a sarcastic smirk unless he caught the woman, he loved off guard. But he couldn't blame the person responsible for her smile be
A chill ran down her spine as if a ghost had brushed up against her skin, leaving it feeling hot as sparks of annoyance were struck in the pits of her stomach. It just had to be her, and it had to be now, now that things had finally cooled down between her and Aiden. ‘Like you could be an Alpha,’ the haughtiness of the comment echoed as it had with the first one and only served to sour Alexa’s mood even further. It didn't take a genius to hear the impertinence in this newcomer's voice nor to one to identify the snide scoff that soon followed it. With an exasperated sigh, and the oncoming signs of a migraine, Alexa unwillingly turned toward the beautiful but arrogant Native American woman, who stood tall and slender like a model, her straight black hair falling like an onyx waterfall across her copper-kissed shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes were surrounded by an expertly applied smokey eye shadow. And her lips were smeared a bright red which stood out against her perfect skin. Ye
‘Kneel,’ once again the order washed over Vanessa like a tidal wave and her legs buckled out from under her, sending her falling into the ground with another audible thud, her knees cracked at the sheer force. Tears began streaming down her cheeks, her expertly applied mascara running like rivers of black against her tanned skin. Vanessa’s breathing hitched in her throat as she struggled against the weight of an Alpha’s order. She panted as a cold sweat broke out across her skin causing the rest of her perfect makeup to run. Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath her as her knees ached. She shrunk backward, almost crawling on her hands and knees when Alexa continued to menacingly take steps toward her. Her lips trembled but no sound escaped, her sobs trapped by the first order. Eventually, Alexa caught up to the cowering she-wolf, towering over her with a look of anger that had Vanessa wanting to scream out in horror, but soon found herself unable to even whine. The redhead glared co
Speed, to move faster than the human eye could see, that was what speed had meant to her. Her supernatural strength made her the top dog in the metaphorical food chain, but in all these years on this human infested earth she never once thought she’d be using her enhanced speed and strength to run away from something she had deemed nothing but an ant beneath her stylish boots, but there she was, scuffing her perfectly polished Gucci boots because a mutt had told her to. Her! Vanessa Lightwater! A purebred werewolf of the esteemed Black Pines pack, had been ordered to run with her tail between her legs by some Alpha-wanna be mutt… Just who did she think she was? The Lightwater’s had been part of the Black Pines Pack for centuries, and one day this abomination struts in and she has to bow down? Oh, she didn’t think so. Almost at the edge of the great Black Pines National Forest, at a speed far greater than that of any ordinary human, Vanessa sprinted as fast as her impractically tall s
With an idea firmly planted in her mind she took another moment to compose herself, her insidious plan bouncing around her head as she gleefully and expertly pulled a compact mirror out from the small sequined clutch purse she had somehow managed to hold onto throughout her ordeal with the redheaded Alpha. She nearly let out another shriek at the state of her appearance. Annoyance caused her face to contort, finally revealing her true nature beneath the beauty she took so much pride in. With a barely calming breath she studied the twisted smudged makeup, mascara tracks that had hideously run down her cheeks, even her lipstick had smudged across her chin, from what she couldn’t be sure, but the look she had worked so hard on that morning was completely ruined. She was a sore sight to look at, and Vanessa could not have that, she had an image to uphold after all. From that same clutch she pulled a makeup wipe and proceeded to clean her face, removing any sign of her weakness, of her f
‘Sigh……’ Boredom … the sheer tedium she felt was almost as suffocating as the impossibly large tomes scattered across the mahogany desk before her. Her back protested in complaint at the abuse it had to endure as she slumped over the said tomes in a desperate attempt to absorb a fraction of their knowledge whilst unempathetic eyes bore down on her from above the edges of a newspaper. Not for the first time that day, Alexa found herself wondering how she had wound up in such a situation. With a groan, she leaned back into the leather chair which provided no comfort after having sat in it for so long, and stretched, the sound her vertebrae made as if snapped echoed in the silent room. Her eyes met the disapproving gaze of her captor, ah she means tutor, and bashfully she returned to her previous position, fighting off the need to yawn. Looking back at the words in the aged book made her groan internally once more. Now she remembered how she had been dragged into this hellish study ses
Two hours earlier… ‘Jayden!’The sound of Aiden's voice sent the former witch into a mild panic, as her body tensed, and her heart began hammering in the confines of her chest. Without so much as a backward glance, she increased the length of her sides, her face contorted in a stiff but alarmed facade. In her attempt to make an escape she ducked behind the first building she saw, feigning deafness as the werewolf continued to call out for her, but she was only human after all, and thus easily caught. Before she could feel the relief of freedom she felt a large, rough hand clamp around her upper arm, pulling her to an abrupt stop with such force she lost her balance and all the books she had been carrying tumbled to the floor with an audible thud, and sending her heart slipping into the pit of her stomach along with them, as her escape was effectively thwarted. ‘I know you heard me, I can hear your heart racing,’ Damn werewolf hearing! She cursed, there was never a moment she could
Jayden watched him walk away until she could no longer see his large form. But before she could dwell deeper into the shame that consumed her heart, her phone beeped, reminding her of the time and her original purpose for the day. Jayden hiked the spell books into her arms, which quaked from the emotional turmoil she had experienced with that one very brief encounter with Aiden Black, son of the Beta of the Pine Hills werewolf pack, and mate to her one and only truest friend and cousin. He was right, of course, she knew that. But just because he said her innermost fears out loud didn’t mean she was ready to face the consequences her actions these past six months have created. She wasn’t ready to see the look of hurt and betrayal in her dearest friend’s eyes when she learned the secrets she so sacredly kept in the confines of her heart. The brunette squashed down her feelings, as whispers of concern not her own flitted into the recesses of her mind, reminding her that her feelings w
Jayden watched him walk away until she could no longer see his large form. But before she could dwell deeper into the shame that consumed her heart, her phone beeped, reminding her of the time and her original purpose for the day. Jayden hiked the spell books into her arms, which quaked from the emotional turmoil she had experienced with that one very brief encounter with Aiden Black, son of the Beta of the Pine Hills werewolf pack, and mate to her one and only truest friend and cousin. He was right, of course, she knew that. But just because he said her innermost fears out loud didn’t mean she was ready to face the consequences her actions these past six months have created. She wasn’t ready to see the look of hurt and betrayal in her dearest friend’s eyes when she learned the secrets she so sacredly kept in the confines of her heart. The brunette squashed down her feelings, as whispers of concern not her own flitted into the recesses of her mind, reminding her that her feelings w
Two hours earlier… ‘Jayden!’The sound of Aiden's voice sent the former witch into a mild panic, as her body tensed, and her heart began hammering in the confines of her chest. Without so much as a backward glance, she increased the length of her sides, her face contorted in a stiff but alarmed facade. In her attempt to make an escape she ducked behind the first building she saw, feigning deafness as the werewolf continued to call out for her, but she was only human after all, and thus easily caught. Before she could feel the relief of freedom she felt a large, rough hand clamp around her upper arm, pulling her to an abrupt stop with such force she lost her balance and all the books she had been carrying tumbled to the floor with an audible thud, and sending her heart slipping into the pit of her stomach along with them, as her escape was effectively thwarted. ‘I know you heard me, I can hear your heart racing,’ Damn werewolf hearing! She cursed, there was never a moment she could
‘Sigh……’ Boredom … the sheer tedium she felt was almost as suffocating as the impossibly large tomes scattered across the mahogany desk before her. Her back protested in complaint at the abuse it had to endure as she slumped over the said tomes in a desperate attempt to absorb a fraction of their knowledge whilst unempathetic eyes bore down on her from above the edges of a newspaper. Not for the first time that day, Alexa found herself wondering how she had wound up in such a situation. With a groan, she leaned back into the leather chair which provided no comfort after having sat in it for so long, and stretched, the sound her vertebrae made as if snapped echoed in the silent room. Her eyes met the disapproving gaze of her captor, ah she means tutor, and bashfully she returned to her previous position, fighting off the need to yawn. Looking back at the words in the aged book made her groan internally once more. Now she remembered how she had been dragged into this hellish study ses
With an idea firmly planted in her mind she took another moment to compose herself, her insidious plan bouncing around her head as she gleefully and expertly pulled a compact mirror out from the small sequined clutch purse she had somehow managed to hold onto throughout her ordeal with the redheaded Alpha. She nearly let out another shriek at the state of her appearance. Annoyance caused her face to contort, finally revealing her true nature beneath the beauty she took so much pride in. With a barely calming breath she studied the twisted smudged makeup, mascara tracks that had hideously run down her cheeks, even her lipstick had smudged across her chin, from what she couldn’t be sure, but the look she had worked so hard on that morning was completely ruined. She was a sore sight to look at, and Vanessa could not have that, she had an image to uphold after all. From that same clutch she pulled a makeup wipe and proceeded to clean her face, removing any sign of her weakness, of her f
Speed, to move faster than the human eye could see, that was what speed had meant to her. Her supernatural strength made her the top dog in the metaphorical food chain, but in all these years on this human infested earth she never once thought she’d be using her enhanced speed and strength to run away from something she had deemed nothing but an ant beneath her stylish boots, but there she was, scuffing her perfectly polished Gucci boots because a mutt had told her to. Her! Vanessa Lightwater! A purebred werewolf of the esteemed Black Pines pack, had been ordered to run with her tail between her legs by some Alpha-wanna be mutt… Just who did she think she was? The Lightwater’s had been part of the Black Pines Pack for centuries, and one day this abomination struts in and she has to bow down? Oh, she didn’t think so. Almost at the edge of the great Black Pines National Forest, at a speed far greater than that of any ordinary human, Vanessa sprinted as fast as her impractically tall s
‘Kneel,’ once again the order washed over Vanessa like a tidal wave and her legs buckled out from under her, sending her falling into the ground with another audible thud, her knees cracked at the sheer force. Tears began streaming down her cheeks, her expertly applied mascara running like rivers of black against her tanned skin. Vanessa’s breathing hitched in her throat as she struggled against the weight of an Alpha’s order. She panted as a cold sweat broke out across her skin causing the rest of her perfect makeup to run. Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath her as her knees ached. She shrunk backward, almost crawling on her hands and knees when Alexa continued to menacingly take steps toward her. Her lips trembled but no sound escaped, her sobs trapped by the first order. Eventually, Alexa caught up to the cowering she-wolf, towering over her with a look of anger that had Vanessa wanting to scream out in horror, but soon found herself unable to even whine. The redhead glared co
A chill ran down her spine as if a ghost had brushed up against her skin, leaving it feeling hot as sparks of annoyance were struck in the pits of her stomach. It just had to be her, and it had to be now, now that things had finally cooled down between her and Aiden. ‘Like you could be an Alpha,’ the haughtiness of the comment echoed as it had with the first one and only served to sour Alexa’s mood even further. It didn't take a genius to hear the impertinence in this newcomer's voice nor to one to identify the snide scoff that soon followed it. With an exasperated sigh, and the oncoming signs of a migraine, Alexa unwillingly turned toward the beautiful but arrogant Native American woman, who stood tall and slender like a model, her straight black hair falling like an onyx waterfall across her copper-kissed shoulders. Her chocolate brown eyes were surrounded by an expertly applied smokey eye shadow. And her lips were smeared a bright red which stood out against her perfect skin. Ye
Just like that, with a single call, all the tension in her body melted away, her shoulders completely dropped from their stiffened position and her hands relaxed at her sides. She turned her body toward the one who called out to her and a smile brighter than the sun spread across her face. Her pink and full lips split open to show her slightly sharpened canines, the corners of her eyes crinkled as the smile widened as she locked eyes with whomever had caught her attention, and a single dimple on her right cheek could be seen as her mood visibility brightened in what seemed to be a split second. Aiden was almost jealous, a feeling he tried to stifle, almost relieved she was too distracted to notice it flash through their bond. He'd never gotten one of those smiles before, it made him almost green with envy. All he had ever gotten was a tight-lipped smile or a sarcastic smirk unless he caught the woman, he loved off guard. But he couldn't blame the person responsible for her smile be
Alexa could feel his gaze on her back, but she had soon realized that she could always feel his gaze, as was their magnetic relationship. It didn’t bother her as much as it once did, instead it made her feel safe, knowing he was there, not that she’d ever admit it out loud, and if he asked about it, which thankfully he hadn’t, she’d vehemently deny it, even if he could feel it through their bond anyway.For the rest of their trek through the forest they had remained silent, neither brave enough to break through the tension between them, though less awkward than when they had first left the clearing due to their short conversation on the way back.The walk soon ended, much to Alexa’s disappointment, not that she’d ever admit to it that either.Without so much as another backwards glance at Aiden they both entered the bustling little village known as the Burrow.Everything had changed for Alexa since the first time she had woken up here nearly two years prior. She wasn’t the same damage