Alfred guided Olivia to their favorite bench by the lake, the one that seemed to catch the last golden rays of the day. Olivia had no idea what Alfred wanted to talk about, but it seemed serious. As soon as they sat down, she became lost the tranquil ripples of the water, a soft sigh escaping her lips. It really was beautiful here; she was going to miss it when they were gone. Soon, their work there would be done and they’d all be heading back to Silvermoon headquarters she assumed. She soaked in the serene view. But Alfred? He couldn't tear his eyes away from her—the way the fading sunlight danced in her hair, how her eyes mirrored the twilight sky, a perfect blend of purples and blues. She was hot as hell, and gorgeous, and graceful, and lovely, and a big heap of sexiness all at the same time."You're so beautiful," he murmured, the words slipping out like they were drawn from him by some magnetic force tied directly to Olivia's presence.She turned to him, blushing. "Alfred..."He
Amelia stared at her reflection, admitting her sleek red silk dress and perfectly applied makeup. She’d had the dress flown in from a designer in Italy. It fit her delicate frame perfectly and hugged her small curves in all the right places. She blotted her lipstick one more time and then left the bathroom. Her heels clicked on the hardwood as she paced, heart racing. This was it. The night she'd worked so hard for. She could hardly believe it was finally happening!Sure, she had a list of worries to deal with. Mercy had said some pretty shocking things about Sephora. They’d have to get her father involved, which meant she’d have to talk to Jonathan eventually. She wasn’t sure how that would play out. Sephora was his mother, after all. But when she thought of everything she and Jonathan had been through…she was confident his loyalty was to her.And there was her father, Alpha Magnus. He wasn’t too pleased about the idea of his princess daughter dating the Blackseed Alpha’s son. He’d c
Amelia and Jonathan collapsed onto the bed, their lips locked together in a passionate kiss. They knew they had the party to get to but they didn't care. All that mattered was this moment. Jonathan kissed Amelia's neck and then softly, gently, slid his hand down to her breast.Amelia's breath caught in her throat as Jonathan's fingers lightly traced the curve of her breast, sending ripples of pleasure coursing through her entire body. She moaned softly, her eyes fluttering shut as she surrendered to the raw desire that had been building between them for so long. His touch felt like pure heaven, and she felt herself shaking with desire. Her hands reached out to unbutton Jonathan's shirt, revealing his chiseled chest. She ran her hands over his muscles and then wrapped them around his back.“Please,” she said, her voice husky. “I need you.”Jonathan slid Amelia's dress up, exposing her red lace panties. She threw her head back, overcome with anticipation."Please," she said, her voice h
The guest of honor was late. Everyone mingled in the pre-launch party, wondering where Amelia was. She was the one, after all, who had put this whole thing together. And to say they were impressed was an understatement. Celebrities, influencers, famous artists and writers, movie stars, reporters – it was an eclectic group. All over the world, millions more were waiting for the livestream to begin. “Don’t be such a glutton,” Vivienne said, slapping Sofia’s hand. Every time the waiter came by, Sofia reached for whatever was being served. Vivienne was tired of watching her stuff her face with appetizers. “What do you care?” Sofia scoffed. “Mother, Sofia,” a voice came from behind. They turned to see Gabriel. He was dressed in a dark, Italian silk suit. He kissed his mother on both cheeks. Sofia leaned in for a kiss but he ignored it. Whatever, Sofia thought. I have someone else now. Sofia looked across the room and winked at Lucas, who was stan
“I knew it!” Asher spat out. “I knew you had feelings for him!” Then he turned to Alfred. “My own brother? Really?” “We didn’t plan it,” Alfred said. “Honestly, I never meant to fall for your fiancé. As a matter of fact, I never meant to fall for anyone!” “I’m so sorry, Asher,” Olivia said. “But we’re in love. If I hurt you, I’m deeply sorry.” Gabriel, Logan, and Mercy stood by, watching the dramatic scene play out. They were all afraid that Asher would make a scene. He couldn’t exactly shift and attack Alfred, not with this many humans around. So they waited to see what he would do. Asher stared at Alfred, their eyes locked. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Asher lowered his head. “It’s fine,” he sighed. “I guess it makes sense. You’re both a little quirky. And irresponsible, if you ask me. You’re a perfect match.” Then he did the unthinkable! He held out his hand to shake Alfred’s. “Congratulations, brother.” Alfred acce
Mercy had seen Logan return from the bathroom and she watched as he went straight for Sephora. Mercy saw Sephora slip him something, and then saw Logan leave the party. She knew where he was going – to take more Mascu, and part of her didn’t blame him. He was addicted. But when she saw Sofia follow him out, she excused herself and trailed them. She hadn’t expected to see Logan in wolf form, nor to see him licking Sofia. Logan whined when he saw Mercy, his Mercy, with her strong, beautiful eyes. She wasn’t looking at him with anger, or shock. She had pity in her eyes. This was enough to snap him back to his senses. He released Sofia and shifted back, covering his private parts with hands. “I’m so sorry, Mercy,” he said, shivering from the cool night air. “Sofia, go back inside,” Mercy instructed. Sofia was glad to get away from this ‘shit show’ as she called it. She scampered away. Mercy went to Logan and held him closely. The drug still ripp
Olivia was in the wings as Mercy ran in, out of breath. “Where have you been?” Olivia asked. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you! The show’s about to start. Mercy, you’re a mess.” Mercy tried to smooth down her hair. Olivia ran up to her. “Mercy, that’s not the dress we chose. We agreed on the black velvet one, remember? And where’s your violin?” “Never mind what I’m wearing,” Mercy said. “This dress is fine. My violin is right here.” Mercy walked to a box in the wings. “I put it here before the party.” “Olivia,” a contestant said. “Uh, my costume ripped again.” The contortionist lifted her arm to reveal a large rip in the armpit of the unitard. “Oh jeez,” Olivia said. “Okay. Come with me. I’ll fix it.” “Olivia! I can find my shoes. The ones with the heels? Like we practiced!” “Right,” Olivia said, already threading a needle. “There you are. Olivia, I forgot the words to my song. Like, I dunno
With the contestants all settled, Olivia ran to the audience to take her seat. Her work was done, and now she could just enjoy the show like everyone else. She sat towards the back and was surprised when a woman sat down beside her. The woman had clearly seen her coming and had changed seats to the one beside Olivia. “That was really great,” the woman said shyly as the first contestant finished. “I’ve also loved opera. She was talented.” Olivia looked to the woman and nodded. She recognized the woman from somewhere, but she couldn’t place it. “Do you like opera?” the woman asked. Her face was gentle and her eyes were kind. She was much older than Olivia. Where had Olivia seen this woman before? “Yes,” Olivia said, but then the next contestant was introduced, the comedian. Olivia laughed along with the audience at every punch line. She nailed it. “She was funny,” the woman said. Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Who was this woman an
A hush fell over the crowd. Jonathan stood strong. At once, he possessed the air of authority that only an Alpha had. “But you didn’t want it,” Lucas cried, shaking his finger at Jonathan. “You never wanted to be Alpha. You told me that. It’s MINE. I’m the new alpha. Not you.” “I changed my mind,” Jonathan said. Then he looked to Magnus. Magnus smiled at him and nodded. “Are you sure?” Magnus asked. “I am, your highness,” he replied. “Then it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the new Alpha of Blackseed,” Magnus declared. The crowd burst into applause and Jonathan beamed. True, he had never wanted the role before, but things had changed. His people, his pack, they needed his help. “As the new alpha of Blackseed, you have my word that Blackseed will no longer be dealing with illegal potions. We will find a new enterprise, a new business. We will become a media conglomerate, under my rule.” Amelia s
“Everyone, gather around,” Magnus said, his Alpha King voice reverberating around the room. Everyone stopped and stared in his direction. Mercy’s news had been most shocking indeed. Magnus knew that Sephora was up to something but without tangible proof, there was no way to charge her. He had planned on launching an investigation into Sephora and her Blackseed Pack dealings, but now that Mercy had come forward, he didn’t need to. He had all the evidence he needed, and he knew where to collect more.The DJ cut the music. “I have an important announcement to make.” Magnus had wasted no time. He waited for the crowd to settle, some in wolf form, some still in human form. This was odd? What announcement? Right in the middle of the party? It must be very important if Magnus was announcing it in the middle of the party. “Something has recently come to my attention,” Magnus declared. “And it is something we MUST address immediately. There is a traitor amongst us.”
Gabriel pulled Mercy back to the party. He told her to wait here, he was going to talk to Jonathan. Mercy nodded. There was something about Gabriel that made her feel safe. She didn’t know him well, but he was an Alpha, and a strong one at that. So she did as she said. Gabriel made a bee-line for Jonathan. He pulled him aside and started talking to him. Jonathan’s eyes grew wide and he looked over at Mercy, shock on his face. Then Gabriel pulled him in closer and kept talking. Jonathan’s face changed and he started nodding along, obviously agreeing with whatever Gabriel was telling him. Then he smiled. The two of them came back to Mercy. “Mercy,” Jonathan said, reaching for her hands. “You could have told me. You SHOULD have told me. You can trust me. I’m one of your best friends.” Then he brought her in for a hug. It felt so good to be in Jonathan’s arms. He was her oldest friend. She had been terrified that he wouldn’t accept her when he found out sh
Gabriel and Mercy walked over to a quiet spot by the edge of the forest. “You know, don’t you?” Mercy asked, her eyes concerned as she searched his face. “Yes,” he said. “How did you find out?” she asked, already knowing the answer. “It was while you were playing. I realized, you were enchanting us. Mercy, you’re an enchantress?” Mercy looked away for a moment and he could see the pain on her face. “Not exactly,” she said. “Well, yes. But I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. It was Sephora. She kept my secret and then, at the warehouse, she…she told me.” “Your secret is safe with me, Mercy,” he told her. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t say anything.” She looked at him with gratitude on her face. “Is it..is witch blood then?” Mercy sighed. He already knew, so she might as well tell him. “Yes,” she said. “Sephora told me. I guess my mother was a witch. She fell in love with a wolf and they, they had me.”
Sephora grabbed Lucas by the arm and hauled him away.“I’m very sorry, Jonathan,” Olivia said. “This must be a bit shocking.”Jonathan nodded then he shrugged. “Not really,” he replied. “I think I’ve always known, deep down, that Lucas wasn’t her real son. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. It does explain why he was so awful to me all those years, though. I guess he knew, too, in his heart of hearts. He was afraid I would take the Alpha role away from him. I still don’t want it though. He can have it. He’s still the son of a previous Alpha, right?”“Uh, I just thought of something,” Olivia said then, her face pale. “Lucas is my half-brother.” Everyone let that sink in. Then Alfred broke the silence.“Tough break, kid.” He laughed. “But you know what they say? You can’t choose your family.”“No, I guess not,” Olivia laughed. “But you can choose your friends.” Amelia and Jonathan smiled at Olivia.“I feel like I should go,” Agatha said. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
Sephora recognized Agatha the moment she walked in. That bitch! That human that stole her husband’s heart with her seduction? What was she doing here? Sephora’s mind flashed back to the day she found her husband was cheating on her was a human! Sure, Agatha claimed that he was keeping her there against her will, but she was lying. Sephora knew it. She was perfectly content in her little love nest. The cottage her husband gave her! And now she was pregnant? If the pack found out, Sephora would be the laughing stock of the entire pack! So she had quickly devised a plan. She would keep the baby and raise it as her own. Her husband could keep his pretty little human. Whatever. It didn’t matter. As long as NO ONE KNEW! But then she’d run away and people had found out. She’d gone straight to the Alpha King himself. Sephora had rejected it all, called Agatha a liar. Why would her husband, the Alpha of Blackseed, love a lowly human. It was preposterous! Most people had b
“Davison,” Agatha smiled. “Come, sit with us.” “Oh no, I can’t stay long. And neither can you. Olivia’s friends are waiting for her at the gala. I just thought I’d check in to see how the little reunion is going.”“Reunion? Dad, did you…did you know about this? That she was coming here tonight?” “Of course. I’m the one who invited her.” “What?”“She looks just like the pictures,” Agatha said, stroking Olivia’s hair.“Pictures? What pictures?” Olivia asked. Something wasn’t making sense here. Agatha told her she had left when Olivia was little. But these two were talking like old friends? “He’s kept in the loop,” Agatha smiled. “Over the years.” “Really?” Olivia asked. This was all news to her. “Yes,” Davison confirmed. “I’ve been in contact with Agatha over the years. She made a huge sacrifice, leaving you. So I made it my mission to keep her updated on you and your life.” “He sends me pictures. And tells me about what you’re u
Lucas. Of course. Olivia nodded. There had been rumors that Lucas wasn’t Sephora’s son by birth, which is why Lucas has been so mean to Jonathan over the years. Jonathan had told Amelia that his brother had even tried to kill him once. That’s why Jonathan had left the pack. It was ironic, because Jonathan didn’t even care about being Alpha. He didn’t want it. But it made sense now as to why Lucas was so aggressive and hated Jonathan so much. Deep down, Lucas must have known that Sephora was not his birth mother. Which meant he wasn’t the rightful heir to the pack, Jonathan was. So Lucas had tried to force Jonathan to leave, to get him out of the way, so Jonathan wouldn’t be a threat. This was all starting to make sense now. “It was a secret, one that I swore to keep.” “What happened after Lucas was born?” “I stayed. For a bit. I didn’t know what else to do. But he…he got worse. Meaner. More forceful. I told him I wanted to leave, and he threatened me.
Olivia stumbled backwards, shocked. “Mmmm, mother?” she stammered. Amelia grabbed Olivia’s arm to steady her. “That can’t be.” The woman looked uneasily at everyone in the wings. “Can I talk to you?” she asked, stepping towards Olivia. “Will you walk with me? So I can explain?” the woman asked. Olivia shook her head in disbelief and turned to Alfred. He smiled gently at her and nodded his head. “Give her a chance to explain,” he told her. “Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are, love. But she deserves a chance to explain herself.” Amelia and Jonathan agreed.“I don’t know what’s going on, but I agree with Alfred. You should talk to her.” So Olivia left the wings of the stage and followed the woman to the bench overlooking the lake.The gala was in full swing inside and they could hear the music and the people laughing. It was a calm evening, and the water was so calm it looked like glass under the light of the moon. “I know this must be quite the