Chapter 31 - TakenZane I was stuck between being in complete awe and absolutely furious as I looked at the wolf before me. I had no time to react before Colette shifted. One second she was backing away from Sophia. The next, her wolf took over and snapped Sophia's neck. I shouted for her to stop, but I was too late. I wasn't angry at Colette for killing her; I was mad at the fact that Sophia was still so lost in her lies that she thought it was okay to attack Colette as she did. I was also angry that she got too quick of death for what she did to my mate. But I also knew that despite everything that happened to Colette, she wouldn't have wanted to do this. Even though it had only been a short time since we entered each other's lives, I knew her. I knew that the idea of her being the one to kill someone would now haunt her for the rest of her life. "Colette," I said softly as I approached her wolf. Her silver coat held a shine to it that made it look so soft. And now that she had
Chapter 32 - PanicZane My head was throbbing, my whole body aching. What happened? Why did I feel this way, and why was I so fucking cold? My eyes felt like they were being weighed down as I tried to pry them open. I tried to bring my hands to my face, but they were numb and unresponsive. I felt like I was floating, my centre of gravity completely thrown off. I groaned as I tried to shift my body from whatever uncomfortable position I was in, but something kept me in place. I could hear music playing, but it sounded so far away. I pushed all of my willpower into opening my eyes. My vision was blurry, and my mind felt like it was stuck in a fog. I tried to look around, but everything was the wrong way. Why the hell was I upside down? I blinked my eyes, the movement slow and tiring, trying to wake my brain up. Slowly my senses came back to me, my arms tingling as I forced my fingers to move. The music now becoming clearer. Teeth by 5 seconds of summer played on the radio. I l
Chapter 32 - FightColette Drip. Drip. Drip.My eyes felt leaden as I slowly came too. The smell of mould and damp soil assaulted my nose, sending a wave of nausea through me. Drip. Drip. Drip. I wrinkled my brow as I tried to pinpoint the direction of where the water was dripping. Everything hurt, and I felt so exhausted, the wolfsbane slowly killing me. I knew any more of it in my system would be the cause of my demise. And maybe Maverick realized that too because I knew from whatever amount he gave me, it didn't put me out as long as the first dose did. That told me two things; we were close to where ever he needed me to be when he met Pierre and his men for me to be out long enough for the transfer, and two, whoever he was working for, there was a chance that I might know them which meant Zane might too.My eyes slowly fluttered open, the darkness a welcoming presence to my eyes as I stared out into the abyss of whatever hell hole I had been dragged into. Slowly my eyes adjuste
Chapter 33 - FocusZane I sat in the Bloodstone pack medical centre, alone and slowly going mad. The place was buzzing with activity, but I didn't pay attention to any of it. My focus was solely set on finding Colette and killing the ones responsible for taking her. My whole body was one tight ball of anger as I switched between sitting still and pacing. Time seemed to be at a standstill for me as I was left here to wait with no answers to any of my questions. If we had at least sealed our mate bond, I would have been able to feel her once our wolves were awakened again. I would have even been able to link her from where ever she was. But we hadn't done that, only admitting to each other a day ago that we were mates. I gritted my teeth, my fingers curling into fists as I tried to keep a hold of my emotions. Losing my cool wouldn't do any of us any good. I called Hayden as soon as I had a phone in my hand, informing him of what had happened. I ordered him to put a team together and
Chapter 34 - Breaking Point ColetteMy eyes were swollen shut; Phillip had beaten me to the brink of collapse before stopping. He would allow me to heal enough before he started all over again. We had been in this cycle for what must have been hours now.His knuckles were bloody, a mixture of mine and his blood coating them; the copper smell of blood filled the air. I lay slumped over in the corner of the room. My chains were long forgotten as he sat in a chair across from me, his eyes never leaving me. Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel the way his stare made my skin crawl. But I wasn't the only one feeling the pain of this beating. I got a little satisfaction out of the fact that I knew his face and arms were bleeding, too; my nails had dug into him every time he took a swing. I never stopped fighting. I wouldn't, but I knew I could only hold out so much longer before I passed out from my injuries. My head was a constant pulse, matching the rhythm of my heartbeat. I felt
Chapter 35 - Royalties Zane"So are we just going to ignore the male sitting at your desk or..." Paige said blatantly, clearly not caring who Balor was or how the chain of command worked in his pack. She had a point, though, and I never minded how outspoken Paige was; I actually enjoyed that about her. So, of course, when Balor didn't introduce him when he entered, I knew she was bound to point it out. And whoever he was, he and Balor were close for him to take his seat without Balor batting an eye, which intrigued me a little. But, of course, I was focusing on finding my mate and didn't care to know, not now, but I wasn't going to correct Paige for her outburst either. There was no point.Lincoln coughed out a laugh, and the male's eyes lit up with a crazed look. Balor looked at Paige, his eyes assessing her. The corner of his mouth tipped upwards, like her lack of formalities amused him instead of offended, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that. Everything about the Bloods
Chapter 36 - A BlazeColetteEverything hurt. It hurt to breathe; it hurt to speak; it hurt to even open my eyes.How long had I been here now? Was it two days, three, maybe even a week since I was taken?My mind was a jumbled mess from the continued beatings Phillip bestowed on me every time I healed enough. He even brought a little bit of wolfsbane to inject into me now and then. Not enough to drown out Visha and my abilities, but enough to stop me from shifting. But no matter how much wolfsbane he put in my veins or how many times he beat me, I made sure I never made it easy for him, even though that reluctance to submit got me into my current situation. My hands chained and hung above my head, and my feet tied down, I didn't stop.He was a coward, and I knew my words would eventually get to him if they hadn't already. I was around people like him long enough in my life to understand what made them tick. "I can't wait to rip him to shreds." Visha snarled. "I couldn't agree more.
Chapter 37 - Safe ColetteI grunted as my body connected with the hardwood floor, the water dripping from my clothes, already forming a small puddle around me. My hair stuck to my face as I looked up at the stage, my body still shaking from the cold that had seeped its way into my bones.Carter was sitting in a chair he had deemed to be his throne as if he was some sort of king. As if this was a palace and he was the ruler of his own little kingdom. But Carter was no king; the very empire he believed he ruled was crumbling beneath his feet, just waiting for a storm to sweep in and wash it all away. Carter didn't realize it yet, his arrogance keeping him blind, but he had brought his own demise to his front door. Though I knew I wasn't the only storm coming this way, I was the one who that had opened the floodgates, and if I did this right, all the people in his false kingdom would soon abandon ship when they saw their chance to gain freedom at last.Because what Carter failed to see,
Epilogue Colette Three months later "You sure you're ready for this?" Zane asked me as I adjusted my helmet for the third time. I curled my fingers around the handlebars of his motorcycle. The thought of being out there, speeding down the open road, made my heart race and my blood fill with adrenaline. "I'm ready," I said, flicking down my visor. Zane's eyes racked over my body as he drank me in. I was dressed in a leather jacket, a black Cami, and leather pants. I even surprised him with a shorter haircut, needing a change, a way to move past my past. That change came in the form of a bob haircut, new clothes, and a better, fearless attitude. I could tell the anticipation of getting to the mountain to show me how much he appreciated this new look was killing him. Which only made the thrill of this ride all the more exhilarating. I turned the key, and Zane sat behind me. His body pressed against mine as he pressed a couple of buttons. "This is the brake, and when taking off, go
Chapter 53 - Family ColetteI stared down at the box in my hand. It was amazing how something so tiny could hold so much power within it. Inside was a ring that would give my brother the freedom he had yearned for, for over fifteen years—a chance to live again, free from fear and worry. But it also meant more than that. It meant that Thomas and I could be a family again. The reality of my dreams finally coming true had me in shambles. I was nervous beyond words. I sometimes thought this was some cruel dream and that I would wake up soon and still be locked away in that small room, bone thin and still under the torment of Carter Silver. Although small, the seed of doubt in my mind was still loud enough to make me second-guess myself. "Look at me, Little wolf," Zane whispered; his voice was soft but still as commanding as ever. I bit my lower lip, trying to will my heart to calm the hell down and for my mind to shut up. This was real, and everything would be okay from here on out.
Chapter 52 - Binding ZaneIt was like we were stuck inside some dream, in a strange world with magic and magical beings. Everyone talked so casually as if this wasn't some crazy concept, and maybe it wasn't to them, but I knew I was on edge.I watched everyone carefully as they debated why they were all here. It was for some academy that Balor wanted to build, allowing beings from all walks of life to join and train. It sounded like a crazy idea, but I was only half listening as I assessed every individual here. The one I kept finding myself returning to was a beast of a male. His dirty blonde hair, grey eyes, and a mean scar across his left eye were among the few things that made him intimidating. He had furs draped over his shoulders and a warrior look about him. But what really set me on edge was how unpredictable he looked. And not the Balor kind of unpredictable but the type who would mark you as an enemy without your knowledge and kill you in your sleep kind of unpredictable.
Chapter 51 - MagicColette "Do you ever look up at the stars and wonder if our parents are up there watching over us?" I asked, sitting beside Zane on the wooden piano bench. Zane stopped pressing the keys we had been fooling around with and looked up at me. "I would like to believe they can still see us, that life isn't over after we pass." I hummed in agreement as I looked up at the night sky. I had some work done on the gardens and got a sizeable glass sunroof put over where the piano sat. I wanted to let more natural light into the place and give Zane's last memory with his mother a chance to have its own spotlight. I thought it also allowed her to watch him play again from where ever she was now like she once did before she was taken from this world."I think that if fae and dragons and the king of the underworld are real, then Valhalla and the veil are real too," I murmured. Zane didn't say anything as he turned his attention back to the piano. The sounds the keys made became
Chapter 50 - Haunting Past Zane A week had passed since Thomas had shown up at Redmoon. He and Colette spent a lot of time together catching up, and healing. I could feel her happiness radiating through our mate bond. I could tell the pack could feel it, too, the joy. The weight of whatever sadness from her past that had Colette feeling down was now gone. But now it was my turn to have a chat with Thomas and figure out what he planned to do now. Because despite Colette trying her hardest to hide it, I knew the longer he stayed, the higher her hopes got that he would never leave again. I had arranged for Thomas and me to go out for lunch. Somewhere far enough away from prying ears but also something that didn't raise Colette's suspicions. I knew it was me just being a protective asshole, but I didn't want to tell her about the real reason why I wanted to talk to her brother in case she insisted on coming. So as we sat in Vicki's Diner, making small talk over some burgers and fries,
Chapter 49 - Healing Colette When Zane returned from picking up Thomas, I had hounded him with questions from how he was to what he had said. All to which Zane answered without argument. I could sense the anxious mood through the bond; while he was gone, it had matched my own, and after a restless night of sleep, I got up with the sun and tried to keep my mind busy. I had started the day off in the medical wing working closely with Drew, healing what patients I could. And then, I headed to my office and worked on answering emails and letters pack members had sent me. We were working on throwing a gala to honour our warriors and allow everyone to have a stress-free night. It was the perfect distraction to lose myself in; it kept me busy until Zane linked me, ripping away the false calm I had conjured up throughout the day to keep my mind from Thomas. But now, as I sat in the gardens watching the falls cascade into the rocks below, I was slowly becoming a nervous wreck again. I ha
Chapter 48 - Scared Thomas The nightmares never started the same.No.Not when the torturing was left to Leon. My nightmares always varied, just as my punishments always did. Leon was a cruel bastard; the way the fuckers eyes lit up with pleasure when he made me bleed was enough to make me sick. I swore I could still see how he looked at me when I closed my eyes. I could still see the sweat dripping off his meaty face and his tongue licking away the blood from his lips that had splattered against his face from whatever tool used on me.Ivan Killian was a peach compared to that sociopath. But the truly sick and twisted mind that was behind all the death and bloodshed I had been forced to inflict on innocent people was that woman—the one who never looked quite right. She always looked like she was fading in and out, her features always slightly shifting, but the humans never noticed. So easily convinced by her magic. They followed the one thing they feared and hated more than anythin
Chapter 47 - Potential ThreatZaneIf there was one thing that ruined an amazing night with the woman you loved, it was this. Seeing the worry and uncertainty in Colette's eyes as she stared up at me was enough to piss me off. Her sage green eyes were wide, and her plush lips parted in shock. The Carnival forgot. "What do you mean he's on his way here?" Colette asked; her voice was calm, but I could sense the mixed emotions she was burying deep down through the bond. I looked around at the crowd of people, the nearby pack members not so subtly listening in on our conversation. "First, we must get to the car, away from prying ears." My voice came out sharper than I intended, but it got the pack's attention; they immediately dipped their heads and turned their attention back to the Carnival around us. Colette seemed to snap out of her shock long enough to realize this wasn't a conversation to be having here. Not when we didn't know why Thomas was coming back. Yes, Colette was here,
Chapter 46 - Extravaganza Colette The bright lights of the Ferris wheel were the first thing I spotted as we approached the Carnival. The next thing I noticed was the smell of popcorn, candied apples, and cotton candy. My teeth were already starting to hurt from just the thought of sinking them into all the delicious treats. I was at a loss for words as the sounds of children's laughter and music filled the air. Families, couples old and young, children, teenagers. Everyone of all ages was out enjoying the first warm night of many to come as summer finally settled in for the year. I couldn't fight the smile that graced my lips, and honestly, for the first time in forever, I didn't want to hide it. I turned my attention to Zane, who was watching me with careful eyes. His head slightly tilted as he took me in. I fought off the heat that threatened to spread to my cheeks. But I knew he could feel everything I was feeling through the bond just as I could feel him. "What?" I asked. He