Mercy didn’t know who Mickey Dean was. She never really followed pop culture. All she saw when she met him was a good-looking man in an expensive leather jacket and designer jeans, with tousled hair and a roguish grin. He pulled up a chair right beside Mercy, looked her square in the eyes and said, “Do you know how I can get a hold of God? I need to let him know he’s missing an angel.” Okay, so the pick-up line was a bit cheesy, but the attention made Mercy blush. Alfred, on the other hand, smacked the table and chuckled loudly. “Good one, Mickey!” Alfred smiled, clearly enamored with this mysterious man. “And what might your name be, you stunning little vixen?” “Mercy,” she replied, with a casual air. “Well Mercy me,” Mickey Dean said, “because I just found the hottest girl in the whole resort.” Gabriel huffed, standing at the side of the table. He rolled his eyes. Mickey Dean had a reputation as a player: t
Mercy panicked. He was blocking the door. There was no way for her to get out. And then, before she knew what was happening, he lunged at her and slammed her hard up against the wall. He pinned her arms over her head. “You gonna take off that dress?” he asked. “Or should I?” Mercy kneed him hard in the groin. He yelped out with pain, doubled over, and grabbed his balls. It was just enough time for Mercy to skirt around him. She ran for the door but he caught her by her hair, nearly sweeping her off her feet. He pulled her into his body and said menacingly into her ear from behind, “So you like it rough, huh?” Then he licked her neck all the way up to her ear. Mercy was shaking, tears brimming in her eyes. “No no no,” she whimpered, shaking her head. This wasn’t happening! How did she put herself in this situation? He stuck his hand down the front of her dress and pulled out a breast. He fondled it roughly while Mercy thought frantically - how do I get
Jonathan stood in front of the finalists for the Star Shine program. Today was the first official run-through, a casual dress rehearsal of sorts. He was poised to take detailed notes on each performance, so he could pass them off to the mentor he’d hired. The mentor would tweak the performance based on his notes while he and Amelia went to visit his mother at Blackseed. Jonathan buzzed with anticipation. Amelia! All to himself for two glorious days!. She’d been so distracted with the up-coming launch. He was really looking forward to some quality alone time with her. Of course, he had to tell his mother about Mercy - that he’d broken off his engagement. He flinched a bit at the thought. She wasn’t going to be very happy about that, and his mother had a vile temper at times. But still, it had to be done. His feelings for Amelia were growing stronger by the day. He had to clean this up so he and Amelia could have their best shot moving forward. The fi
Well, there it is, Olivia sighed to herself. What more proof do I need? Alfred and Mercy were together at the bar last night and now here he is, kissing her on the cheek.If she’d had any doubt, however small, it was now wiped clean.So, in true Olivia fashion, she let go of her feelings for Alfred and forced a smile.. “Alfred,” Oiliva said, nodding in his direction. “Nice to see you.” She had Asher. This was silly. No sense chasing something that wasn’t there. Plus, these finalists were a mess! Ugh. Just look at that one’s hair! “I told you NOT to touch your hair.” She waved a finger at one of the girls, who sheepishly withdrew her hands from her head. “Has anyone seen Sandra? Oh, my! Kate, your unitard’s a bit snug, hun. Let’s leave something to the imagination. We’ll have to fix that. SANDRA!” And then Olivia was off, working her way through the wings, frantically taking notes on a clipboard of all the costume malfunctions. Alfred’s eyes followed h
Amaya heard the whine of the violin as she passed through the lobby. She followed the sound and ducked outside to see where it was coming from. She stood at a fair distance so no one could see her, skulking and spying on the dress rehearsal. Amaya was beside herself! NOTHING was working! This damn resort was in pristine condition. Her stupid tourism recruits had let her down epically. They’d all taken a shine to Amelia and they were hard-pressed to find problems with the resort. “Bunch of assholes,” Amaya hissed under her breath. So of course she’d sent them all back. Then she’d written up her report to send to corporate. It was weak and she knew it, but she’d come here on the premise of a tourism report, so she had to deliver. And now? She was a laughing stock! That was the word back at headquarters straight from her assistant’s mouth. The shareholders had all but laughed at the report! A leaky faucet, a small crack in the left corner of th
Gabriel got up with the sun. He whipped back the curtains in his room. He stretched his arms out over his head and looked at the beautiful dawn. Then he smiled.Today was the day! Amelia’s surprise party was tonight! Turns out, Logan had a terrific idea for Amelia’s present. They’d spent all of yesterday afternoon working on it. Mickey Dean had been a good idea, in theory, but he’d turned out to be such an ass that he simply wasn’t worth it. Logan had really come through, though. Logan’s idea, combined with Gabriel’s piano playing, (as amateur as it was) would surely soften Amelia’s heart? Right?Plus, the fact that he’d planned this entire party on his own was sure to impress her. Okay, so Alfred and Logan had helped too. And Mercy a bit. And Olivia here and there. But it was MOSTLY on his own. The decorations, the food, the drinks – it was all arranged! Everyone had to keep Amelia out of the dining room from 2 o’clock on so they could set up. Guests were comin
“Do it, Logan! Now! Shift!”Gabriel didn’t have to tell Logan twice. He could no longer hear Mercy in the water, which meant she’s gone under. He released his wolf in a surge. His clothes tore clean off his body as it transformed into the ancient and powerful form. He was all muscle now, all strength, a mass of fur swimming fast through the water.“What the?” someone on the beach asked. Others pointed and squinted, unsure of what they were seeing. It was hard to tell, but that man – he had changed. He’d changed INTO something else. Logan was pretty far out in the lake but not so far that people on the beach can’t see him. Even from the shore, his amber fur was visible.“Try to stay under water,” Gabriel orders through the mindlink. Logan does his best, dipping below the surface of the water, and only coming up briefly for air.“What’s happening?” a wide-eyed woman asked. “It’s…it’s some sort of beast.”Alfred and Gabriel glanced at each other nervously. There were a lot of humans on
Mercy’s eyes locked onto Logan’s. “What…what happened?” she asked. She tried to sit up but she felt dizzy. Logan watched as her paw changed back to a hand and the fur on her arms and legs retreated back into her body. The yellow in her eyes was washed over with the lovely chocolate brown color of her human form. “Well, long story short, you pretty much died,” Logan said, smiling down at her. “The boat,” Mercy sighed, as the memory came back to her. “I was so stupid. I stood up to get my phone and then, I guess I lost my balance. I fell in.” “If you’re going to be out on the lake, you should probably take some swimming lessons,” Logan chuckled. “We don't have much water where I’m from. I’m enamored with it. The lake. That’s why I took the boat out. But yes, you’re right. That was stupid of me.” “Why didn’t you take your wolf form? When you were in lake?” Logan asked. “My wolf, she’s a bit…how do I say this…disobedient? I
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