Jonathan whined like a little wolf pup when he saw his mom. He covered his face with one of his massive paws. The sex potion was wearing off and he was coming back to his right mind. He couldn’t shift back though. “Cover up child,” Sephora said to Mercy, who had grabbed the blanket from the bed to try and hide her nakedness. Sephora pulled a shirt from Jonathan’s closet and tossed it to Mercy.“Seriously?” Vivenne said, seeing the plain blue t-shirt. “You could have given me that. Not this hideous thing.” She motioned at her shirt.Sephora stepped close to Vivenne and whispered in her ear. “You failed to mention that you would be administering the potion to my son,” Sephora hissed. “Can someone PLEASE explain what’s going on here?” Olivia asked. “I second that,” Alfred said. Then he turned to Vivenne and smiled coyly. “Never knew you were a Whales fan,” he said, pointing at her over-sized sports jersey. “As IF,” Vivenne replied, rolling he
“Oh shit,” Alfred said, as Amelia entered the room. She went straight for Jonathan. “What’s…what’s going on?” she asked, surveying the room. “I heard you all from the hallway. Why is everyone here?” No one knew what to say so no one said anything. “Why are Mercy and Vivenne wearing Jonathan’s clothes? And Jonathan?” She turned to him. “Why is your wolf out?” “It’s a long story,” Olivia said, stepping forward. “I’ll explain it to you back in your room? I think Jonathan needs some time alone with his mom.” “It’s all just a big misunderstanding,” Sephora smiled. “Nothing to worry about. He’s perfectly fine. Your friend is right. Let us be. She’ll explain it all.” Amelia looked to Jonathan. None of this made any sense. Jonathan didn’t want anyone to know about his wolf, and yet, here he was? In full wolf form? Exposing himself to everyone? And why were Vivenne and Mercy half-naked? “We should all leave,” Alfred said to his sister. “Y
The next morning, the resort was abuzz with excitement. The launch party was only one day away and there wasn’t a vacant room. The line to check in curved all the way through the lobby. Every table in the restaurant was fully reserved through to the next evening. Even lounge chairs at the pool were hard to come by. Amelia was ecstatic! All her hard work was really paying off. Members of the press, media specialists, celebrities – they were all here for the big rebranding launch. And as for the Star Shine program, well they were collecting so many followers per day that they’d lost track, but it was somewhere in the millions. This made the finalists really nervous, of course, but Jonathan was there to assuage their fears. He was back in human form and healing very quickly. Already, he was walking again. But the biggest difference was the pain – it was all gone! Sure, he’d had to sit through quite the scolding from Sephora, but it didn’t matter. One look at Amelia
Mercy had never been in a helicopter before. Her excitement was plastered across her face. Logan couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked like a little child in front of a stack of presents on Christmas morning. “Oh look,” Mercy said, pointing at the river below. “It looks like a piece of licorice from way up here.” “A blue one,” Logan laughed. It was still very early in the morning. True to her word, Olivia had arranged for one of her dad’s helicopters to pick them up. Mercy hadn’t been to the warehouse in a really long time, but she remembered where it was. In the clearing in a forest that backed onto Blackseed territory. It was pretty well hidden. And rightfully so, given what was inside it. They approached the clearing but Mercy didn’t want the helicopter ride to end. Neither did Logan. The scenery and view was stunning, yes…but his eyes were fixed on a much more stunning view – Mercy. “We still have the ride back,” Lo
Mercy buzzed. “Just me,” she said sweetly into the intercom. She waved towards a camera Logan hadn’t noticed. “Sephora sent me to pick up some samples.” Then she leaned in and whispered to Logan, “They’ll recognize me.” A moment later, the door clicked open. Mercy didn’t say anything as she led Logan down the first corridor. Two men were standing watch at the next door. Logan couldn’t help notice they had machine guns. “Cedric. Marcello,” Mercy nodded at the two men. “Hey Mercy!” one of them said, a smile spreading across his face. “Long time, no see.” “It has been awhile,” she smiled back brightly. They engaged in a bit of small talk while Logan stood by. Before he knew it, they were walking through the door. “Friends of yours?” he asked, raising his eyebrow. “We grew up together,” she nodded. “They’ve been working here at the warehouse since they were teenagers.” “Do a lot o
A sleek black limo pulled up in front of the resort. No one really paid it any attention – it was one of a dozen black limos to arrive in the last couple of hours. The resort buzzed with anticipation. The pool was packed, even though it wasn’t that warm. There was a constant stream of workers and hired help coming in and out of the loading dock in the back. The stage area was being decorated and a wooden floor was being installed outside near the stage. This would be the reception area following the Star Shine Show. The kitchen staff had been up before dawn, cooking and creating the most luxurious and decadent appetizers.The launch party was THAT night and rumor had it – this was going to be one hell of a party. Socialites, musicians, actors, influencers – more famous had RSVPed than Amelia could have possibly hoped for. All the Star Shine finalists were ready to go! The livestream was all set up, thanks to Jonathan. Their social media followers were well into the millions. And every
Sephora felt like the air had been sucked out of her. Her hand shook slightly as she replaced the coffee cup back on the saucer. The porcelain rattled. Mercy? At the warehouse? With Gabriel’s beta? But why? Was it…because of what happened to Jonathan? The potion? Sephora had been fairly confident she’d covered up that accident. Of course, she’d had no idea that Vivenne was giving the poison to her own son! Vivenne had asked for a sex potion. Sephora had given her a new potion they’d been working on. They’d only given it a few test runs – sold it to a few wolves, wolves they could trust. Mascu. That’s what they were calling it. It basically turned the user into a super wolf, with heightened senses and enlarged muscles. Extra speed. It made whoever used it feel superior, like they could conquer the world! Unstoppable! At first, she’d thought she’d hit a homerun with the drug. It was genius. It was perfect.But like all d
“You’ve never been down here?” Logan as he and Mercy descended a long staircase. It was dark and damp and the smell of mold permeated the air. “Never,” Mercy confirmed. “I knew there was something going on down here. Behind the red door. I just didn’t want to know what it was.” They reached the end of the stairs and came to a narrow hallway. It was lit with a few sparse lights that buzzed and flickered. There was a bad energy in the place – a sense of foreboding. At the end of the hall was another door. “Do you have any idea what’s down here?” Logan asked. “Yes,” Mercy said. Then she turned to Logan. The flickering lights cast shadows across her face. “This is where…where they make the bad potions.” She looked down at the floor. “The addictive ones. The ones that are meant to hurt people.” Logan studied her face. She looked pained. He knew this was hard for Mercy. This was her pack, after all. It wasn’t easy admitting that her own
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