Amelia looked deeply into Jonathan’s eyes and was surprised to see that he was sober! “You’re not drunk?” she asked him, shocked. He’d sure behaved drunk down at the bar. Jonathan chuckled. “I was just pretending,” he admitted. “I didn’t drink nearly as much as them, they just thought I did.” “Why?” Amelia asked. “How else could I get you to take me into your room?” He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Amelia’s heart pounded in her chest. His lips felt electric. She’d wanted this for so long, yearned for him, and now here he was, alone with her, in her bed. She ran her hand along his chest, feeling his firm muscles. She resisted the urge to take her hand further down, to feel his other ‘firm’ part. It took everything she had to draw back from his kiss. “Jonathan,” she whispered. He was breathing heavily. He pulled her in again and kissed her, more deeply this time. Her mo
Gabriel surveyed the room. He saw Jonathan’s coat on the floor, as well as Amelia’s sweater. He yelled, his fists clenched. Both Jonathan and Amelia got out of the bed. It was innocent enough; they were both still fully clothed. The sight of them together, though, in bed was enough to send Gabriel right off the deep end. He lunged towards Jonathan, and swung a fist at him, powered by his wolf. His eyes flashed yellow. “Calm down,” Jonathan said, backing away before Gabriel’s fist could connect with his face. “Why are you here? In her room? What happened last night?” Gabriel went to take another swing at Jonathan but Jonathan caught his fist in the air. He held it and stared at Gabriel. “It’s exactly what it looks like,” he said. “We fell asleep together.” Gabriel felt his wolf rising. He knew he was in competition for Amelia, but he never thought, in a million years, that she would actually CHOSE Jonathan. Not this quic
“I can’t believe he went to my father,” Olivia said, her voice panicked and squeaky. “He didn’t come to me first? I haven’t slept all night!” Amelia took her friend’s hand. “But it’s exciting, isn’t it?” Olivia didn’t respond. She only sighed heavily. “Do you love him? Asher?” Amelia asked gently. Olivia nodded. “But he should have talked to me first,” Olivia said. “You know what? I don’t want to see any of them!” “Ummm, but your dad is on his way here. And I’m sure Asher will be coming, too.” “I just want to spend a few days with you, my best friend. My sister.” Amelia understood. Olivia’s emotions were all over the place. It was obvious that she loved Asher, but this had come out of left field. “My dad will annoy the hell of me!” Olivia whined. “He loves Asher. He thinks Asher can do no wrong! He talk about it non-stop…Asher this and Asher that. UHG!” Olivia put her head in her hand
Jonathan and Gabriel were ridiculous for the next three days. Apparently, seeing Jonathan in Amelia’s bedroom that morning had sparked some sort of silly feud between the two of them. They were clearly competing with one another for Amelia’s affection, but they were doing it in such a passive aggressive way that it was almost comical. At least it was to Olivia. “Drink this tea. It’s thistle of milkweed. Good for your wolf,” Jonathan said, setting down yet another concoction of herbal tea from his pack. “And don’t forget to eat your bone broth soup.” Amelia eyed the table and all the food Jonathan had spread out for her. Again. He’d been doing this for three days straight now, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Amelia choked back the bitter tea and smiled graciously. “Yum,” she said, although her face said otherwise. “I know you’re trying to help Amelia, but this is a little over the top. Don’t you think?” Olivia giggled. She reached for a slice o
Olivia bunked in with Amelia and made it her mission to remove all distractions for Amelia, including Jonathan. With Olivia hovering around the room at all times, there was no way Jonathan could sneak into Amelia’s bedroom again. Olivia knew that Amelia needed to focus on the resort. Of course, Jonathan and Gabriel continued their competition, but Olivia made sure that Amelia never saw it. Amelia, entrenched in her work at the resort, forgot all about the men and the silly romance. There were problems everywhere, and her ‘to-do’ list just kept getting longer and longer. It seemed like every time she crossed something off, another three items appeared. She was grateful for Olivia’s help (and secretly knew that Olivia was keeping both Gabriel and Jonathan at an arm’s length from her). Trying to choose between Jonathan and Gabriel was one thing – it was far too difficult a decision to make right now. But if she was forced to choose between Jonathan/Gabriel and Olivia? Well – t
Olivia released Alfred and took a step back. Alfred looked at Olivia, a confused expression on his face. Olivia blushed deeply. “I’m not getting married,” she mumbled. She wished she had the courage to be more firm with her father, but truth be told, he scared the crap out of her. She shook her head and wrung her hands together. Amelia and Alfred could feel the tension between Olivia and her father. “Sorry, I don’t think I heard you right,” Davison said, anger evident in his voice. “I said,” Olivia repeated, lifting her head. “I’m not getting married.” She looked directly at her father this time, her eyes flooded with determination to set him straight. However, her face fell when she noticed Asher standing beside her father. The look on Asher’s face was enough to break her heart. She’d never seen that look before; it was hurt. Asher was hurt. But he only held that look for a split second before he coughed. Always stoic, Asher hid his feelin
Amelia was in a complete panic! She started spewing off a list of things that needed to be done. She’d been so busy prioritizing the resort’s immediate needs, like food supplies and staffing shortages, that she’s completely forgotten about the rainy season. And she now just realized how big of a problem it was. The town was on low ground so the rain would be heavier here. There was the risk of flooding. Plus, the soil on the mountain was already unstable. Rain would only destabilize it more. How would they ever build a hydroelectric power plant in these conditions? What if there was a landslide? “Whoa there, Amelia. Slow down. Take a breath,” Asher said. “There’s no time to breathe!” Amelia said, exasperated. “I forgot to tell Gabriel. He’s out marking terrain for the power plant as we speak. He isn’t taking the rain into account. I have to, I gotta…” But a loud clap of thunder in the distance interrupted her. They all looked up, above the t
Jonathan scurried into the hotel, the live recording machine cradled in his hands. The rain was coming down hard and he wanted to protect the equipment from the downpour. He saw Olivia, Gabriel, Asher, and Alfred all standing in the lobby, a worried look on their faces. His thoughts immediately went to Amelia. “Tell me she’s not out there? Alone?” he asked, pointing towards the window, panic in his voice. They all nodded. “In this storm?” Jonathan continued. “How could you let that happen?” His heart raced as his mind went to the worst case scenario. What if she was hurt? The thought of Amelia being in harm’s way shook him to the core. “She went to find Gabriel,” Olivia explained. “It was no one’s fault.” Jonathan set down his equipment. “Well, what are we waiting for?” he asked. “We have to go find her!” Gabriel gave Jonathan a quick nod. Jonathan wasn’t exactly his first choice as a partner in a rescue mission, but combining forces would g
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