Iwrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold in the warmth of my body as I stepped outside. The ground was soggy from the torrential rain that had just come through, but the air smelled crisp and refreshing. It always blew my mind how the desert always seemed so barren and devoid of life, yet after a good rain, things always managed to come back to life.Moon Valley was no exception to the rule. Even though it was surrounded by a forest and tucked near the base of the mountains, the trees still suffered when there was a drought. Still, it could have been like Vegas, where instead of evergreens, there was steel and concrete. I could only imagine how Vegas would look under a few feet of water. The last time a monsoon this bad had come through, it damaged a few of the houses here but never touched the city.“And just what do you think you’re doing?”I whipped my head around to find the groundskeeper shaking his fist at me. Vlad had been tending to Harkness Manor since before I was born
CILLIAN “Ican’t believe they would even suggest such a thing. And did you hear them? They made it sound like they weren’t trying to steal your business out from under you,” I growled as I pushed through the side door and stepped out into the warm summer sun. Ciara was on my heels, and I could taste her irritation on my tongue. Every ounce of happiness drained from me as we trudged to the river. It was the only place I could think of to go to have some privacy. I needed fresh air, and to get as far from my parents as possible. I wondered if they’d follow us out, but when I tested the cord that bound me to them, I knew they weren’t stupid enough to talk to me at the moment. “Did you really not know what they were planning?” Ciara asked once we were out of earshot of the manor. I whipped around and grabbed her by the arms. The question stung me, but it was justified. My head shook profusely from side to side. A small part of me was offended that she would ask me such a question after
“You ready?” Cillian asked as he reached for the glass doors to the medical center.A lump of fear formed in my throat, but I nodded. Half of me felt numb like I was walking through a dream. The idea of telling my parents that I was now engaged terrified me.Although I knew everyone in the pack already believed that Cillian and I were fated mates and that this path was inevitable, it didn’t make it any easier for me. I mulled over how I was going to tell my parents about the engagement. But no matter which route I took, it seemed the words refused to come off my tongue.“It’ll be fine,” Cillian whispered as I shoved my left hand into my pocket to keep the ring out of sight. To me, it felt as if I could hide such a thing from the world. Yet, I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d have to use my hand, and then everyone would gravitate to the ring just as they did when it was on Lourdes’s finger.“Maybe we should wait,” I said, glancing over my shoulder.Cillian shook his head, b
CILLIAN What was it about my family that made them get under my skin so easily? Was it because I was the alpha, and they wanted to test my endurance to see how many buttons they could push and get away with? And the fact that they got Evelyn involved! Who did they think they were? Did they think I’d just roll over and take it? Or that Ciara would gladly hand over her company and her career to them? I wanted to fucking break something. I mulled over the punishment I would inflict on my parents for going behind not only my back but Ciara’s as well. It was clear they were stuck in some sort of power struggle. I was almost certain that if my father were alpha, he would have been the one to push the issue sooner. After all, he had a mind for business—anything to make a dollar. My mother, though? I knew she had her hand in the pot, trying to concoct a scheme for us to marry and the companies to merge the second we’d said, “I do”. My nails dug into my palms as I tried to alleviate some o
“Cillian.” I reached out a wary hand hoping to draw him to me. The way he paced the length of Evelyn’s office made me nervous. It was strange to feel him so disconnected. It was as if the world around him was crumbling. I could only assume his anxieties stemmed from the fact that he was a bystander with no legal authority in this case. Cillian had always assumed being alpha meant he would have his hands in everything. But the fact that we weren’t married yet, and Argentum was mine, meant his hands were tied.“Please, sit down,” I said. His lips formed a thin line as he scowled at me. I wagged my hand at him, and he grumbled as he finally crossed the room and stood by my side. Rolling his eyes, he slipped his hand into mine, and I felt the tension rolling off him. He was beyond perturbed by his family, but I couldn’t help but wonder if his anger was misdirected. “You need to sit and listen. I’m not saying you have to like what you hear, but as alpha, you need to be objective and open t
Pov CILLIAN“And make sure you put the data on the flash drives,” Holden said as Ciara pushed through the double glass doors. I walked in behind her and paused at the chaos. The safe house was in disarray, with boxes stacked near the walls.“What’s going on here?” I asked Ella.She flipped her long braids over her shoulder and eyed me. “Have you not seen the news?” Her voice was strained, and her tone snippy. It was clear by the way she scurried about the room that her irritation was at breaking point. It was like watching the water around a river test the levees for a weakness. I didn’t want to be around her when she finally snapped.“Holden,” Ciara called into the small voice box near the stairs.“Thank God you’re here,” Holden’s voice crackled over the speaker. “I’m coming down.”Ciara flashed me an apologetic smile as the stomping of boots reverberated through the stairwell. Holden came rushing out, hair frazzled, glasses askew, and panic etched into his brow. He pushed his glasse
“Do you think it’ll work?” Cillian asked as I leaned forward and slipped the taxi driver his money. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t,” I answered once I was on the pavement. My heart sank the second I saw my home. The red lava rocks lining the driveway looked foreign to me as if someone else had laid them out. “This is your place?” Cillian asked, his eyes widening. “No wonder you didn’t want to leave it. It’s a nice place. What’s with the cacti, though?” “Low maintenance,” I answered as I glanced at the spiny plants under the windowsill. “And since this is a desert, it seemed fitting.” “You know, I always envisioned you in some penthouse in the middle of the city, not out here in the suburbs,” Cillian said as he followed me up the concrete path and into the gated entrance. I glanced over my shoulder and grinned. “Do you think I’m that much of a snob?” “Well, I mean, all I had to go on was the house back home,” Cillian said. I found myself grateful for his discretion. After all, wit
CILLIANSunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a purple glow throughout the room. When I inhaled deeply, I tasted the lavender at the back of my throat. A sleepy smile drifted over my lips as I stretched and rolled over to face Ciara. With her eyes closed and looking so peaceful, I didn’t have the heart to wake her. It seemed like forever since we’d been able to sleep in. While staying at my parents’ place did have some perks, one of the downsides was having to wake up on their schedule.While I didn’t mind waking up at the rising of the sun, or even before it, Ciara had never been a morning person. She loved her lazy Sunday snoozes that kept her in bed till mid-morning. Ciara mumbled quietly under her breath, and no matter how I strained my ears to hear her, I couldn’t.“Hey there, pretty lady,” I whispered as I caressed her cheek gently. Ciara swatted her hand at me as if I were nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing about her head.“Rise and shine,” I said a bit louder,
CILLIAN “You sure you wanna be doing this?” AP asked as he snuffed out the cigar in the ashtray. “I mean, this is kind of permanent.” “It’s already set in stone for me, AP,” I said as I chuckled at his disgruntled expression. “But marriage? Isn’t it enough that you two marked each other? Why you gotta go and get all traditional? Oh, wait, never mind. That’s just who you are.” “What’s the matter, AP? You don’t like my sister?” Aiden asked as he stood before the mirror, fumbling with his bow tie. “You all know what she did to me in tenth grade,” AP grumbled. I laughed. “Still can’t get over the fact that she kicked your ass, huh?” I laughed. “Ciara didn’t kick my ass,” AP insisted. “She cheated. There’s no way a girl of her size could fit that many pies in her little stomach. Losing that contest ruined everything for me.” “Didn’t you end up with Malia a few months ago?” I asked as I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. “Yeah, but I’m not one to settle. Everyone knows tha
“This is nice, isn’t?” Laya asked as we waited outside the Picasso. I couldn’t help but smile as Laya looked over the menu posted on the wall. “Really, when was the last time we got to do this with just us girls? It seems like we’re always stuck with one of the guys, you know?” “Never,” Sam said as she checked her watch. “Do we know when Melody and Kenzie are going to get here? I’m starving,” I said as my stomach started to grumble. “Kenzie said she’d be here around six thirty the last time I talked with her,” Sam said. “Isn’t that them over there?” Daisy asked. I turned my attention toward the walkway and smiled as Kenzie and Melody stepped off the escalator. “Hey!” Melody shouted as she rushed through the crowd. “What took you so long?” Laya asked as Kenzie threw her arm around my neck and gave me a tight hug. “Traffic,” Melody answered. “But damn, this place is nice.” “Wait five minutes and the Bellagio fountains will start,” I said as I released Kenzie to hug Melody. “I’m
CILLIAN “Holden,” I snapped. “Yeah, I heard,” Holden said as he scrambled to disconnect from the system. I pulled him away from the system and shoved him toward the door. We did not need to get arrested for trespassing. “AP, Laya! Torque, Hatchett!” I called over my shoulder, hoping they heard me. I spotted AP and Laya rushing around from the back of the house. Their shadows bobbed through the broken windows. “We’re right behind you,” Torque called. I took a moment to glance over my shoulder and take one last look at the destruction. Everything was so surreal. It was as if the place had been in a war zone. The stench of death lingered in the air, but I knew it had nothing to do with the Corpse Lily. I was smelling what remained of Colleen and Tippy. “Pick up the pace,” Torque snapped as he rushed by me with Hatchett on his heels. We made it outside, and I glanced to the west. The clouds of dust coming off the tires grew as my heart drummed violently in my chest. “Take the back
Igasped and shot up. The room was pitch black, and my heart pounded fiercely in my chest. “Hey, you okay?” Cillian asked as he shot up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Relief came over me when I realized I wasn’t dreaming anymore. I was safe and all was well. “Yeah,” I said. “Just a strange dream.” “Come here,” Cillian said as he lay back down. “Come sleep on me. I promise I’ll protect you from those bad dreams.” A smile drifted over my lips as I scooted down into the nook of his arm. He was so warm and comforting, it amazed me that he could banish the bad thoughts in my mind so easily. “What did you dream about? Or do you not want to tell me?” Cillian asked as he played with the tips of my hair. “It was weird. I was back at the sacred oak tree, and it looked sick, like it was dying.” “That’s not a good sign,” Cillian whispered. “But then the red fog came through and I was rescued by Preacher in a chopper.” “What, I don’t get a cameo in your dreams?” Cillian teased as he h
CILLIAN The gentle knock on the hotel door roused me from my sleep. Pins and needles plagued the arm Ciara was sleeping on. Carefully, I slipped my arm out from under Ciara’s head and nudged her to the pillow. It had been more than a rough night, and I couldn’t bear the thought of having the maid wake her. Slipping the sheets off me, I let my legs fall over the edge of the bed. Ever so slightly, I got up, keeping one eye on Ciara and praying she wouldn’t wake. As quickly as I could, I moved to the door and peeked through the crack. “Housekeeping,” the woman said. “We’re good,” I answered. Before she could say another word, I closed the door and exhaled. Ciara stirred, and I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t wake up. She had been through so much; I just wanted her to get some sleep. “Cillian?” Ciara’s voice was tired and muffled. For a moment, I wondered if she were asleep or awake. Tiptoeing to her, I craned my neck to spy on her as she slept. A sensation of peace washed over m
Cillian growled in my ear, drowning out the clinking and clanging as we moved through the casino. It was amazing that we got anywhere at all with the way he refused to let me go. Every fifth step, I found myself caving to Cillian’s needs. “What if I took you right here and now?” His lips brushed against my neck as he spoke. My skin tingled as his hot breath caressed my skin. “You just want the hot waitress to watch us, don’t you?” I asked as Cillian pinned my arm over my head and kissed me. “No,” he growled and pinned my arm against the slot machine. The old woman playing at the machine gasped as she sent us a disapproving look. I flashed her a smile, wondering if she had ever experienced the kind of passion I had. “You’re the only one I need,” Cillian said. “The only woman who could ever sate me. Don’t you know that it’s only ever been you?” With my free hand, I grabbed his hair and jerked his head back. A small whimper escaped his lips, and it pleased me to hear his soft seduct
CILLIAN “Are we ready?” I asked as I walked into the Las Lobos Cantina where Torque and Blue were chilling at the bar. It seemed as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, I knew where they stood when it came to Colleen’s safety, but I’d figured they’d be more excited now that we were so close to finally getting rid of the Raze. “Easy there, tiger,” Torque said as he patted the empty chair next to him. “Have a drink. We can’t do anything until we get word from Hatchett. He’s doing recon for us and will be back any minute.” I exhaled sharply, trying to ignore the itching in my limbs. It seemed as if a storm was coming with how much electricity was coursing through my veins. Sitting around and waiting had never been my strong suit. Frustration bubbled and brewed within me, but I wasn’t on my turf anymore; I couldn’t call the shots. “Fine, I’ll have a drink,” I conceded and marched over to join Blue and Torque. “What’s your poison?” the woman behind the bar asked. I tilt
Ilet out a heavy sigh as I stepped into my old office. It seemed as if it been forever since I was last here, yet everything was exactly as I remembered it. There were papers stacked on the desk that I hadn’t looked at in months, and a thin layer of dust covered the bookshelves. I moved around the office, reminiscing about all the things I had collected here. My heart drummed in my chest as I caught a glimpse of the picture I had of Cyrus. The pain nearly crippled me as I plucked the picture off my desk and stared at it. It was like it was another life. Everything from who I dated to what I did had changed. I was no longer Sia—that girl had died the second I decided to go back to Moon Valley. I just hadn’t realized it until this very moment. I moved around the desk and sat down. Running my fingers over the mahogany wood, I couldn’t help but think of all the times I had given orders here. How many lives had been saved because I had created this company? It was a noble cause, and some
CILLIAN The tension in my shoulders that had only just vanished returned in an instant, bringing with it a hellish headache. Just when I thought we were in the clear… I should have known something was going to happen. The echo in my bones rattled my consciousness. Ciara and I couldn’t get a moment’s respite. “What’s going on, Sam?” I asked into the walkie. “It’d be best if you came to the Crescent Falls Motel,” Sam said in a grave voice. “We’ll be there in five,” I answered and clicked the button three times before setting it down. “Well? How do you feel about checking this out?” All the color had drained out of Ciara’s face. The worry etched on her brow filled me with a murderous rage, but it was the devastation in her gaze that really ripped me to shreds. “I promised Colleen nothing would happen to her. I put her in the most secure room we have,” Ciara said. “How did this happen?” “The only way to get answers to that question is by going to the motel,” I answered as I grabbe