RyderI leave Ivy with Sarah then walk toward my mother's house.My thoughts are consumed with Ivy. I can't believe she turned out to be my mate. I won't have to search for her anymore. I can't wait to show her off at tonight's ceremony, but at the same time, I want to keep her all to myself.As I approach the house, I see my mother standing outside, talking with a few members of the pack. She turns and sees me, a smile spreading across her face. "Ryder! How good to see you, my son!" she exclaims, walking over to me and giving me a hug."It's good to see you too, Mom," I reply, returning her embrace. "I wanted to come see you before the ceremony tonight.""Of course, my dear," she says, pulling away and looking at me with a curious expression. "I've been dying to meet your little mate. Is Sarah helping her get dressed?""Yes," I say, feeling a pang of longing for Ivy."Good." My mother pats my arm. "Now, let's go inside and talk more about tonight's events."We settle down on the couc
IvyIn response, the demon lets out a bone-chilling laugh, shaking me to my core."It's probably a good idea to keep your people out of this, Alpha. We don't want anyone else to get hurt now, would we?" the demon says in a mocking tone. He has a deep and coarse voice.My heart races as I watch the exchange between Ryder and the demon. I can feel the tension and danger in the air, and I grip Ryder's hand tighter.I know I should stay back and let Ryder handle the situation, but I can't just run away with my tail tucked behind my back!Instead, I take a step forward, trying to summon up all the courage I have. "Who are you, and what do you want?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear that grips me. The demon turns its attention to me, and its blue eyes seem to burn brighter."Ah, the Luna. How lovely to see you again," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.See me again? What does he mean, again?"As for what I want, well, that's simple. I want what every demon wants
Ivy Lucia is still staring at me, not buying my answer, and I don't know what to tell her. "No, really. I have no idea who that was," I say it again. Lucia furrows her brow, looking like she's about to say something more, but then she seems to think better of it and nods. "Okay," she says, sounding skeptical but not pressing the matter further. Ryder turns to the rest of the pack. "Let's all head back to the packhouse. We need to tend to our injuries and regroup." The other pack members nod and start to make their way back, some limping or leaning on each other for support. As we start to walk back, Ryder turns to me. "So much for keeping your powers a secret, huh?" He chuckles. I give Ryder a playful punch on the arm. "Hey, it's not like I had a choice back there. I had to use my powers to save us." Ryder nods, a serious expression on his face. "I know, and you did an amazing job. But we need to be careful now. The rival packs might find out and come after us." I nod, understa
IvyI hear Ryder stifle his laughter next to me. "Seriously? Impress a girl? That's your reason for wanting Ivy's powers?"Phoenix scowls at Ryder. "Hey, don't judge me. I've been trying to win her over for months, but she's not interested in a lowly demon like me. But if I had Ivy's powers, I could show her what I'm capable of, and maybe she'll finally take notice."I shake my head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Phoenix, but that's not a good enough reason to take my powers. Besides, even if you did have them, it wouldn't change who you are as a person. If this girl isn't interested in you now, having my powers won't magically make her fall in love with you."Phoenix looks sad, and for a moment, I almost feel sorry for him. But then I remember how he tried to steal my powers, and the feeling quickly fades.Ryder glares at him. "No matter the reason, I'm going to kill you for attacking Ivy!" he says and snarls.Phoenix puts his hands up. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was never going to hurt Iv
Ryder"Still think he is hot?" I say in a mocking tone.Ivy turns around and punches me in the chest. "Ouch! What was that for?""Stop teasing me, alright?" Ivy snarls."Why did you offer to help that loser? He attacked my pack and almost kidnapped you for some girl!" I ask.Ivy's eyes turn dark. "I don't know...it's just that people do crazy things for love, and people make mistakes.""He is no people. He a demon, and he deserves no mercy," I say curtly."Then why didn't you try harder to stop him? Why did you let him go?" Ivy asks, raising an eyebrow."For you," I mumble."For me?" Ivy repeats, her voice barely above a whisper.I nod. "You seemed excited to help him, and I didn't want to get in the way."Ivy looks at me, her eyes searching mine for something. "You care about me."I frown. "Yeah, so what?""You are in love with me, aren't you?" Ivy accuses me."What?" I pretend to be shocked. "No, I am not! I just really like your boobs."Ivy giggles and leans forward to kiss me. I
IvyI glare daggers at Ryder and then turn my attention back to Eve. "Hi, I'm Ivy!" I chirp.Eve looks at me suspiciously. "Okay...hi. Do I know you?""You don't know us, but we know you," Ryder interjects.Eve's eyes turn even more suspicious. Way to make us sound creepy, Ryder.I clear my throat, trying to diffuse the tension. "We were just admiring the beautiful view here at the Swan lake and happened to notice you sitting here reading," I say with a friendly smile."From inside a bush?" Eve tilts her head.Ryder steps forward, trying to be charming. "Well, we wanted to be discreet and not interrupt your peaceful reading time. But Ivy here couldn't contain her excitement at seeing someone as lovely as you." I resist the urge to facepalm. That was not helping our case."Okay, here's the deal. I was hoping we could be friends," I say. Eve raises an eyebrow, still looking skeptical. "Friends? And why would you want to be friends with me?"I sigh. "We have a friend who...""He is not
IvyYes, I succeeded at summoning my powers, but now how do I stop it?I think as my vines are wrapped around the rogues' bodies, squeezing and suffocating them like snakes.I start to panic."Uh...Ivy, you can let them go. I think they are too weak to fight now anyway," Ryder says, clearing his throat."I don't know how!" I cry out. "Take a deep breath and try to calm down," Ryder suggests. "Your powers are fueled by your emotions, so if you can calm yourself, the vines should loosen their grip."I take a deep breath and try to relax. But I keep thinking about Mindy's rude words in my mind and get angry all over again. "Focus on your breathing, Ivy. Slowly inhale and exhale," Ryder instructs me, placing a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. "Try to clear your mind and let go of your anger. Don't let it control you."I follow his advice and take a few deep breaths, trying to slow down my racing heart and calm my emotions."You, worthless piece of shit. Why don't you just die?" Mind
IvyThere was something familiar about one of the rogues in that pack. I keep thinking about him as I walk back home with Ryder.Ryder notices and asks, "Is something bothering you?"I hesitate for a moment before speaking up. "One of the rogues... I felt like I recognized him, but I couldn't place where I knew him from."Ryder raises an eyebrow. "Really? Can you describe him?""He had dark hair and was lean and muscular. He kept looking at me when his leader was speaking." Ryder furrows his brow in thought. "You think you knew him?"I nod. "Yes. It felt like I'd seen him before.""Hmm...he wasn't part of your old pack, was he?"I think about all the members of Alpha Maurice's pack. No, he definitely was not in it."I'll keep a close eye on him. If you know him, it might be easier to track their leader," Ryder says.I nod.Nothing eventful happens the rest of the day, but the feeling keeps knawing at me.Where do I know that guy from?Why do I feel like I've seen those eyes before?T
The next few days went by fast. I didn't stick around to find out how Eloise's date went with that jerk Calvin. All I did was stay in the woods and mope. "What is wrong with you?" Kaelan asked as he couldn't take my sour mood anymore. "None of your business," I bark. "It is my business when you can't even help me with this simple task," he says irritably. I glare at him and reluctantly agree to help. We walked through the woods, looking for whatever Kaelan thought we needed to find. Suddenly, I heard a sound that made me jump, and I spun around to see what it was. A group of hunters with guns were coming our way. I quickly grabbed Kaelan's arm and pulled him behind a large tree. We wait there, trying to keep quiet, but it doesn't seem to be enough. One of the hunters calls out, asking if anyone is there. We stay motionless. "Why can't we fight them?" I whisper. "We are outnumbered," he says. "But those look like humans, and we are werewolves. Surely, we are stronger than them!"
As the day unfolds, I find myself caught up in helping Eloise choose an outfit for her date with Calvin. Eloise drags me from store to store, trying on various outfits while seeking my input.This is the worst thing that has happened to me!"Lucian, what do you think of this dress?" she asks, holding up a flowy, black dress against herself.I study it for a moment. "It's nice, I guess. But isn't it a bit too..."Eloise arches her brows. "A bit too...what?""A bit like you are going to a funeral wearing that. Also, it seems like the wrong size for you," I say.Eloise bursts into laughter at my blunt response. "Wow, Lucian, you sure know how to be brutally honest."I shrug, feeling a bit uncomfortable being dragged into this situation. "Hey, you asked for my opinion.""What do you mean it's the wrong size? It feels perfectly fine to me," she says as she tugs at the fabric."It's too big for your body. You look like you are wearing a potato sack," I declare.Eloise winces. "I hate tight
"Hah, what? Are you asking me out?" Eloise exclaims, her eyes glinting with amusement."Yes. You are cute and just my type, so why not?" he smirks slyly.Wow, this boy works fast."Um...yeah, okay, but no thanks. I don't date wolves," Eloise says and pulls on my sleeve, motioning me to follow her."No, wait. Can I speak to you in private?" Calvin pleads.Eloise looks at me as if she is unsure about this. "You don't have to go with him if you don't want to, Eloise," I say quickly. Not like I want this loser to go out with Eloise, anyway.But she shrugs and nods in agreement. "Yeah, sure. Let's go talk in private," she says to Calvin, then walks out with him.I stand there, feeling confused. I wonder what Calvin would tell her to convince her to date him. Even I couldn't convince this girl, and we actually mated!As I watch Eloise and Calvin walk away to have their private conversation, I can't help but feel a mix of emotions. Confusion, concern, and even a tinge of jealousy all swirl w
I will be forever alone, won't I?"You won't be forever alone. Stop being so dramatic," Eloise scoffs at me.How does she know what I'm thinking? Did I say it out loud?"Did you just hear my inner monologue?" I snarl.Eloise looks startled. "What? No way. Maybe we share a special connection because of our bond now.""Whatever. But I am telling you. Scarlett despises me," I grumble as the conversation with her reruns through my mind."Despise is a strong word, pal. She doesn't feel that way about you!" Eloise assures me."How can you be sure?" I challenge her.She suddenly grabs my chin and forces my gaze to hers. "How can anyone not love you? You are downright adorable!""I am not fucking adorable, woman," I snapped back, my alpha instincts clashing with the unexpected compliment. "I'm an alpha wolf with extraordinary power!" I reminded her, my tone a mixture of defiance and self-assertion."Hurr derr. Well, you should try to talk to her again. Bring out the charm," she says.I groan.
'Are you going to just sit here and mope all day?' my wolf scolds me."She rejected me. I can't believe it," I reply, shaking my head. The first time I mate with someone, and she rejects me? What kind of a game is moon goddess playing right now?'Oh, get over it, Lucian. It's not the end of the world. She wasn't even your real mate, so forget her,' he says.But I can't. I can't just forget her. Her scent is still lingering on my skin after we made love. I need to find her again tomorrow!I decide to sleep off my misery for the night and start fresh in the morning. I plan to hunt her down and claim her back again. She can't just use my body and then dismiss me!The next morning, I set off to find Eloise. I know that foxes usually live near water sources, so I start my search there. As I walk through the forest, I look for any signs of her presence. Her scent is still strongly ingrained in my memory, and it helps guide me in the right direction. Eventually, I find a huge fox den by th
"I will mate with you just this once," I say softly, brushing my fingers against her cheek.A smile spread across her face, but I can tell she is hesitating. "You will? Really?""Yes," I say, my voice shaking. "But I have to tell you something. I've never done this before." My teeth bite into my lip as the fear of the unknown creeps up inside me."Me too. This is my first time too," she whispers.I can feel the heat radiating from her body as she presses her wet body against me.I reach out to hold her close. Then the reality of my situation hits me like a freight train. What exactly am I supposed to do now?I roll her onto her back and lock my gaze on her wide brown eyes. She gasps in shock as I hover above her, my intensity radiating through me like a burning wildfire."I need to touch you more," I husk."What do you mean? Just get in there," she responds, her eyes smoky and distant.'Just get in there? She is quite the romantic,' my wolf teases me.I roll my eyes. This girl is som
What the heck is going on?I grumble as I attempt to shove Eloise away from me. "Get off of me! What are you thinking, vixen?" I screech."You smell...heavenly. I need you so badly," she purrs in a sultry voice.Huh?"What are you on?" I ask as I stare into her glassy eyes. They are cloudy, as if she is on drugs.She claws at my chest. "You are so beautiful. Take me now, wolfboy," she says."Is this a joke? You are not funny," I say irritably.She takes her blanket off and tosses it away.Whoa...I stare at her naked body as she straddles me. I was right about her having a boyish figure, but there is a certain allure to it.Her small, perky breasts contrast with the rest of her boyish shape, yet it only adds to her sultry appeal. I shake my head, trying to snap out of it. I can't get distracted by her body while she is assaulting me!She grinds against me and I feel myself getting hard. Oh, no, my body is betraying me. "Yo...stop this now," I bark."Ohh… is that the legendary Alpha di
The motherfucking fox won't stop peeing on me! I watch in horror as he relieves himself on my bark for the second time and then kicks some dirt.I have had it!I seriously have had it!I need to shift back before he runs away and I get the chance to kick this fox's ass!I concentrate hard, drawing on the inner strength that I have cultivated over the years. Sometimes I am able to shift back faster if I really concentrate."You can do this, Lucian. You have the power to shift back to human. You don't want to be a stupid tree anymore, so shift!" I give myself a pep talk with my conscious. Come on, work!As I close my eyes to focus, I feel a strange energy rising within me. It's as if the whole forest is responding to my call. Suddenly, I am engulfed in a warm glow that spreads throughout my entire being. I can feel the bark on my skin begin to soften and crackle as I shrink down to my human size.When I open my eyes, I am no longer a tree, but my human self. The fox looks at me in shock
Okay, it's time for attempt number two. I had the chance to inhale the girl's scent more, so now I can trace her back to her packhouse. And that is exactly what I intend to do.She called me weird and ran away from me, but that doesn't mean I should give up on her entirely!I trace her scent all the way to a territory that belongs to the Silverwood Pack. I heard the Alpha of this pack is friendly, so I wasn't too worried. I walked inside the gate with my shoulders straight, and head held high.The security guard there looks at me suspiciously. "Who are you?" he asks before letting me in."I am Lucian. I belong to Ashwood pack," I tell him."What brings you here, Lucian of the Ashwood pack?" he asks."I am looking for a lovely girl. She has long brown hair and beautiful green eyes," I say enthusiastically."Ah, you are looking for Scarlett, the Beta's daughter," he says.Scarlett...even her name is sexy. "Yes. Do you know where I can find her?" I ask.The security guard eyes me warily,