What a week from Hell.Jane spent most of her high school life hiding from Alex and praying for a boy to find her pretty enough to go against the other kids and ask out the invisible girl. Then, the first boy that looked her way, Alex scared off like the bully she knew him to be.It'd hurt her head trying to think about it. She contemplated everything that happened on her walk toward the library parking lot where she parked her car. There was no way to make any sense out of it. She appreciated him apologizing, and maybe he meant it, but it wasn't because he was jealous.Alex had plenty of girls in high school. Why would he not ask her out as he did the other ones? It wasn't as if she'd been the class leper before he made her that way. None of it made sense. "What a jerk," she mumbled to herself whiledigging her keys from her pocket. She couldn't wait to get home and curl up in her bed, away from the drama of the night.She checked her phone for a text from Tegan but wasn't surprised
AlexBy the way Jane stared at him from the crowd at the pep rally, he figured Tegan took his threat to heart. After he made sure Jane made it to her car and apartment, Alex came back and found him.It wasn't his proudest moment-by far, but he'd cornered him outside of the frat house and scared the piss out of him. It worked, obviously. Tegan couldn't have run away quicker if dogs had been after him.Jane’s gaze shifted toward Alex and held. He felt her anger from yards away, and he couldn't even be sorry for it because he hated the thought of her with another guy. She turned on her heel and marched over to her friend, who glanced in Alex's direction. He didn't care if she was pissed or if her friend didn't like him.**********************The crowd clapped once Cash finished his speech. The football players all left the stage for a steak dinner in the cafeteria before their game the next day. Alex was dying for a steak. His diet mostly consisted of meat being a werewolf, and nothing
Jane"Who knew bullying your bully would make him want to take you out," Cat said, slurping the last of her late-night coffee. "I mean, Alex is super-hot, but I don't tolerate bullying. I wish I could have been there to see the look on his face." She chuckled and kicked her feet onto the chair opposite of her. "I'm sure it was priceless."Jane wiped down the last area of the counter and smiled to herself. It had been the highlight of her lifetime to do it. She'd dreamed of tossing more than iced tea on him during her life, and it'd felt great to give him a dose of his own medicine. She wished she had the guts to do it years ago.However, his reaction wasn't what she expected. When he walked into the coffee shop, she expected a tantrum of three-year-old proportions, and what she got was charm. Almost? Kind of. The closest thing Alex had ever come to charm, at least.She chuckled. "It was amazing if I do say so myself. And I think he got into trouble with his coach. I'm shocked he didn'
Alex“Way to go, Alex. You made her faint”, his wolf said."Me?" I hissed. "You were the one that shifted, and attacked the lycan. She's scared of you, not me."His wolf huffed. "Actually, she hates us both. At least I didn't bully her for four years."Alex shoved his wolf back into his mind, and bent down to pick up Jane. Her small body was limp in his arms, her head swung as he walked her over toward her car, jerked the door handle open, not caring that he completely broke it, and placed her into the backseat. He'd pay to have it fixed, but he needed to get her to her apartment before someone saw them. He searched her car for something to wear, only finding one lone towel that looked damp, but he had no choice, his clothes shredded when he unexpectedly shifted. He tied the towel around his waist, and jogged over to grab her purse and keys. Thankfully, the campus was bare of students, so it was easy to leave the parking lot undetected. He drove toward her apartment complex, checking
JaneI've suddenly became ill, and I need to leaveschool.No, that didn't sound right.I've become pregnant and need to leave town. The baby's father is too hard to look at.Jane let her head fall against her keyboard, and she groaned out in frustration. She'd been contemplating her dismissal from the university for hours. After what happened the night before, who could blame her? She'd seen Alex, her bully, turn into a big wolf and save her from an even bigger beast. It was only the second week of school. By the end of the month, she'd be in an asylum, for sure. She knew Alex was up in her living room, probably waiting for her to get up, but she couldn't face him.Not after seeing him naked. She'd never seen a man naked-in person—before, and ... she didn't know how to look at him without imagining his ... stuff.She rolled her eyes and got dressed for the day, taking her time brushing her hair and washing her face. When she finally gathered the nerve to leave her room, she found Ale
“The nerve of Cash”, Alex’s wolf mumbled. After he said he didn't go after other dude's girls.Alex didn't put anything past Cash. He had one of those personalities that Alex felt a snake would have. Jane continued to eat her food, taking a few bites and glancing up at him."Why are you staring at me?" she asked."Nothing else to look at," Alex mumbled, sliding his plate across the table. "You eat like an old woman."She eyed him. "Excuse me for not inhaling my food. You're supposed to eat slowly because you get fuller faster and don't overeat."Alex rolled his eyes and braced his forearms against the table. "Right, because you need to watch your weight and everything.""Is that sarcasm? I don't need to watch my weight because I eat slowly," she said, taking a slow bite.Alex sighed and dug his vibrating phone from his pocket. His mother had only called seventeen times since he started school the week before. He knew finding his mate was important, but dang, how many times did he nee
‘What was happening?’Jane stared at Alex as he walked from the library door, leaving her inside where she assumed he thought she was safe. That touch... it'd sent fire down to her toes. Nothing about Alex had ever made her feel wanted, or cared for, and he swooped in and changed everything.Had he even meant to touch her? On reflex, she jumped away from him because on the very few occasions when he touched her before, it didn't feel like that.She found her seat in the library and pulled out her bag. She didn't want to dwell on the past because she had forgiven him, but the memory banged in her head, suffocating her.***Jane stared over the book she held in the library, searching to make sure she was alone. The quiet had become her solace over the last year, her safe haven is the library because no one came in there during their lunch hour.She snuggled down into the beanbag in the corner of the small room and curled her legs inward. She'd finished her tuna sandwich fifteen minutes
Alex scanned the crowd, knowing he could sense her but not knowing where she sat. They were beating the opposing team, twenty-one to seven. He noticed they had no wolves on their team, and as Jane mentioned, it was unfair. But he'd grown up with lessons on how to hide his nature, how to hide his wolf and extra senses. It'd become second nature to suppress it.By the time the third quarter ended, he found her sitting in the top left side of the bleachers with Cat. If Cat hadn't been screaming and waving around a foam finger, he probably wouldn't have pinpointed Jane so easily. But Cat stuck out like a sore thumb.He'd spent most of the game concocting a way to get out of the dreaded party. Alex didn't understand why she wanted to go anyway, since the last attempt at a party went so well. It took everything in him to keep his wolf secured inside that night, and he needed to keep it that way.If the university or any of the students, besides his mate, found out about him, he'd be in trou
EpilogueThe smell of freshly cleaned hardwood floors and bittersweet excitement lingered in the air as Kerry stepped into the banquet hall with Demetria.They'd spent the last week alone in his house, healing from the guilt that Demetria held inside.It'd taken Kerry days to convince her to go shopping for a dress for the coronation.It'd taken him even longer to convince her that none of this was her fault. He wasn't sure she really believed him, but she believed him enough to attend the coronation. It was her niece being announced as Luna. She had to be there.Kerry tucked Demetria into the crook of his arm and admired the way she twisted her hair into a braid on top of her head, and the way it exposed her slender neck. He'd made her pick out an expensive dress, one that curved to her body, and showcased just enough, but not too much because Kerry's wolf wasn't having any of that.Kerry caught a glimpse of Dan and Cynthia sitting at a round table in the midst of the main floor. The
Demetria walked with Cynthia from the pack house to Kerry's with nervous butterflies in her stomach. Dan and Kerry stayed back at the pack house to deal with some pack-related issues surrounding the upcoming funerals.She was glad to have something to do other than stick around for that. She felt bad enough, and dealing with funeral arrangements made her skin crawl. Grace had been kind, but she didn't miss the absent look in Alex’s eyes. She worried about him the most. That was his father, and he looked up to him."You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Cynthia asked.Demetria glanced over at her pretty face, and the way her smile warmed Demetria's heart."Yeah. I can't help it. It's just ... engraved into my thoughts, ya know."She nodded. "I do. It will fade with time, but in the meantime, we'll focus our energy on Sabrina. I'm sure she's ready to get out of that thing. I don't get it. Of all things to put her in, ya know. Why not something you can actually cuddle with?"Demetria sm
Demetria followed quietly beside Kerry on their way to the pack house. It'd taken over an hour for her to gain the courage to leave the room. Even with Jane reassuring Demetria, and Kerry on her side, Demetria was hurting.The guilt felt like it would eat her alive.It showed she had a soft heart, but it made Kerry fear that it would weigh her down just after she freed herself. He interlaced his fingers with hers. He hadn't been to the pack house since the night before, but he figured it would be doom and gloom. He sensed the pack's heartache well into the night, until hefinally had to block his mind from any mind link so that he could sleep.The closer they walked to the pack house, the harder Demetria's heart pounded."There is no need to be nervous, D."She pressed her mouth into a hard line. "I don't know if I can face them right now. Grace, Alex…all the pack..."Kerry turned her to face her. "We need to see them now. Waiting will look like we don't care." He tipped her chin upwa
Demetria let the warm water rain down on her back, her face pressed into Kerry's chest as she sobbed. She cried because of Alpha Davis. She cried for the pack and Alex. She cried because she felt guilty. Though deep down, she felt so much relief that it came out in tears.She'd held it in for so long. The pain. The agony. Now they spilled from her like a broken damn. It was finished-mostly. She still had to make a decision about Ivory and Dom, and free Sabrina's spirit from her tortured life inside a bird. What had Jack been thinking?Kerry smoothed his palms down her back.He didn't ask questions about her tears or even try to cheer her up, he just held her. She appreciated it. She needed silence and comfort.They stood there under the waterfall until it turned cold. Demetria hardly noticed.Finally, Kerry picked her up and carried her to his room, where he carefully dried her hair and helped her into some sweats and a t-shirt."I need to go check on everyone, and see what I can do a
Watching Demetria make her way toward the portal sent vomit up Kerry's throat. As if the sound of the wolves tearing into the dragon behind him wasn't stressful enough, and the death of his alpha, now his mate was risking her life... again.The inky blackness crawled upward from the ground and molded into Jack’s form.When he blinked, realizing everything that happened, what little resolve he had leftevaporated. Dan still cradled Cynthia to his chest, daring Jack to make a move and touch his mate again.Jack’s deep chuckle melted into a low hum, and then a roar like he was the animal, not the pack. Putting his arms outward, his body shook, and he began to seethe. It reminded Kerry of a deranged 'Dragon Ball Z' character, and he fought his laugh.Demetria made eye contact with him from across the yard and nodded. Stepping closer to the portal, Kerry curled his fingers into a fist. He could see the heat licking at her body, forming sweat against her skin. He went to step toward her, t
Demetria's body went numb, any idea ofmovement vanquished from her being, Ikerendering her helpless. The hope she had slowly leaked out like a pierced balloon, and her air went along with it. They should have never let their guard down, not even for a second.Cynthia put her hands outward, and Demetria knew it wouldn't work. He was using her to get what he wanted, the pendant. Because Jack would die trying to fight for Sabrina. If he wasn't so hateful and selfish, it would have been romantic."Don't even think about it," Jack said. "That dragon will set this entire yard on fire in seconds, and Demetria will be tossed into the portal forever."Kerry shifted, quickly, and stepped toward Cynthia. "He's not going to toss her in there," he whispered to Cynthia. "He needs her to bring Sabrina back, and she is his vessel."There was a twinkle in Jack’s eye. "You're right,” he said, tossing Demetria to the ground and lifting Cynthia up. Cynthia screamed, but invisible hands wrapped around
The ground broke open beneath Kerry's paws. Frantically, he searched the grounds for Demetria, seeing Jane beside her,while Jack wreaked havoc around them.‘The hellhounds are almost gone’, Alpha Davis said through the mind link.Kerry glanced around at the wolves fighting the last two, while Roan fought Dom like he'd been waiting his entire life for it. Kerry would have unleashed hell on the siblings too if one of them turned him into a cat. Of all things to be turned into.“We need to bring Jack down”, Alpha Davis said.Kerry nodded. Walking over the cracks in the earth, his wolf stumbled to stay upright. What Kerry would do to have the balance of a cat right about now. Jane protected Demetria, but Kerry sensed Demetria's anger growing by the second.Cynthia clung to the porch railing of the pack house as the earth moved beneath them. If they didn't get them away from the house, it'd collapse, and he was sure an earthquake caused by a deranged warlock wasn't covered by insurance.Al
Demetria's senses kicked into overdrive.Everything, everyone, around her shifted in one second, the wolves transitioned into their wolf forms, while Cynthia and Demetria braced themselves for impact.Kerry's wolf landed before Demetria, blocking her from harm. She knew he meant well, but she needed to see to use her magic. The beast the evil twins brought with them roared, and it sent a shiver down Demetria's spine.She knew better than to radiate any fear because creatures like that fed off it. Though, while peering around Kerry's hulking wolf, she noticed several wolves attacking the beast in teams of three and four, tearing him down inch by inch.Ivory cowered down against the base of the tree where Kitty had been hiding. Ike had her trapped there because of her betrayal. Demetria wasn't sure if he would let her go or not, but she looked terrified that he knew the truth.Kitty, who was a very attractive alpha, was helping fight two hellhounds at once."We have to move," Demetria s
Kerry's wolf skimmed the surface, begging to be let free from his chains at the sight of them. The tension that formed in the air crawled over his skin. As if his wolf needed another reason to hate Jack, he eyed Demetria like he'd missed her.It sent anger up his spine and into his throat like fire. His wolf growled lowly, howling in the midst of him, making Kerry's body shake with a need to shift. Demetria reached over and grabbed Kerry's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.It wasn't just the siblings that had his wolf on edge, it was the hellhounds crouched and ready to fight beside them. Then the creature lurking in the back. His coat was so black that it nearly blended into the darkness around them. His ghoulish red eyes were vibrant and shifty. Kerry couldn't be sure, but he thought the creature smiled. He'd never seen anything like it before. He stood nearly eight feet tall, burly like a bear but cunning like a person. He looked plucked from Hell, right along with the hellhou