KylarI feel as though Ava and I are finally getting somewhere. Over the last two days she’s surprised me, in a lot of good ways. I never expected her to join me on a date, not really. Not when her walls are so high and she’s so defensive and uncertain. It should put me off. Her continued refusal to acknowledge anything between us. Instead, it makes me want to know more about her. I want to unravel the mystery that she is. She’s not a shy, passive woman. She’s put herself through college and become a Doctor. She’s a Rogue, that Grandma Maria explained had been living in the city, without our detection for years. So she’s able to resist the pull of her wolf. She’s strong. Yet, I always get the feeling that behind that strength and resilience, she’s vulnerable. The reason she pushes me away, that she spends all her time keeping people at a distance, is because she’s afraid. She’s been hurt. Everytime I think about it, I get this sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach. A desire to r
AvaI return to the door, trying to get myself ready to speak to Kylar. I can’t get past the look in his eyes. The pain and anger combined. I’ve betrayed him. There is no moving past that. I don’t know what I was thinking, how I ever thought that it might work out. He’s not there. He’s gone. Vanished into the woods and part of me wonders if I’ll ever see him again. The expression on his face is something that’s going to haunt me. I’m shivering. Of course I will see him again. Even if Kylar left now for some mercenary mission and didn’t return for years, then at some point he will be the Alpha of this pack. This is his home, it was supposed to be mine too. I can’t help the sinking feeling though, that it can’t be my home without Kylar. Not anymore. I’m standing at the door, my hands on the wooden panels as I stare out at the path and the trees that stretch off endlessly. My eyes are burning, like someone’s thrown dust in them.I don’t date, because I don’t want the pain that comes w
AvaAlpha Anton stood staring at Lou as though she had three heads before suddenly he turned to Marie. He bent down, eyes still fixed on Lou, who was busy scribbling onto a pad. What she was writing, I’ve got no idea, because it’s not as if we have any patients. I expected some kind of reaction from the Alpha, to the human walking freely through his territory, but it’s Lou’s reaction I find strange. Lou’s almost worse than I am, when it comes to dating. She definitely dates, but they’re short term flings. She dates then drops, with no intention to commit to anything. She’s left a trail of heartbroken junior doctors throughout the Hospital. However, I would swear that under Anton’s gaze she’s blushing like a school girl.I don’t have time to investigate, because my son’s take the opportunity to start climbing an unused stack of chairs. Helping each other up, with teamwork and problem solving skills that should be applauded. But I’m too busy trying to save their lives. The rest of the
‘Can I get you something to drink?’ Kylar follows me into the hallway, I pad back through to the kitchen. ‘No,’ he shakes his head. He watches me before looking at the kitchen door, he’s frowning, ‘do I shut it?’ he asks and stares at me in a way that makes my heart ache. He wants to know if I need the door open, so I can hear the boys. ‘Please,’ the word catches in my throat. I turn my back on the man as the door clicks shut and move to the small sofa that’s against the far wall. Usually it’s overlooking the garden, but the blinds are drawn for the night. I sink down on the cushions, pulling one onto my lap. As though it’s some kind of shield against the man who stands before me, on the other side of the table. He has his hands planted on his hips as he stares at the blinds before sitting down. His long arms stretched across the table before he pulls them back. As though he doesn’t know what to do with them. I know the feeling. I want to bring my legs up, but the urge to run
I was called away from the village again, the day after my conversation with Ava. I’m grateful, it gave me some more time to adjust to the idea of being a Father. Even if I’m haunted by the look in her eyes, her fear at the thought I would take the children from her.I know there are some packs out there, where the children would be claimed under ownership of their sire, but Midnight Forest has moved past those primitive roots. I still don’t know what Pack Ava was originally from, but I can’t help but wonder if it was archaic in its structure and expectation. It’s a conversation I know we’ll have to have one day. How did she become a rogue, what pack was she from? Knowing Ava, and I think that I do, even if I’ve been blindsided by the twins, I can’t imagine her betraying her pack. I can’t imagine that she deserved to be rejected that way. Being away will hopefully give Ava time to accept what I told her. That I want to be part of their lives. I’m serious about it. I want to know
The medical center is busier than I expected, Katie’s sitting upright at the desk and it’s amazing to see how confident she has become so quickly. She’s always been a shy girl, like her Mother, Anna. There are a couple of young kids around the reception with their Mothers, waiting for some kind of vaccination no doubt. But Katie stands up as we come into sight, calling back to the Doctor.Ava appears and looks me dead in the eye before giving instructions for Katie, asking for the clinic to be rescheduled. Then she simply turns and holds open the door as me and Mat half drag-half carry Luca in. Gethin’s shuffling along with the drip back, still sunk into his arm.‘Put him down,’ she points to the bed, business-like. We set him down and she orders his boots be taken off. She moves over Luca, pulling off his shirt and I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Then tell myself to get over it. There’s nothing sexual or romantic in what she’s doing. Her stethoscope is on his chest as s
‘He’s going to be just fine,’ Ava steps out from the medical room, with Katie following behind her. She looks relaxed and I’m on my feet, moving towards her.‘You knew what was wrong?’ I can’t take my eyes off her. It feels like she’s worked some kind of magic.‘My predecessor did,’ she lifts up the notebook, ‘he mentioned that some venoms can prevent our healing abilities. Luca was bitten by a Spearhead Snake, either before or after his fight with the Rogue. It meant that instead of healing up, he was bleeding out internally.’I pull in an uneven breath, reaching out to balance myself with a hand against the wall, ‘he’s going to be okay?’ Everything she’s said sounds serious. I always think of myself as invulnerable, nearly immortal. Taking down Rogue’s is dangerous, but I’m bigger, stronger and faster than most other wolves, including the Alphas.I don’t tend to think of the rest of the world as dangerous, but this has shaken me to the core. ‘He’s going to be okay?’‘He’s res
Ava is as good as we hoped that she would be. Luca recovers over night and by morning, he’s his usual irritating self. Teasing me about the Doctor stripping him off. If I wasn’t so relieved that he’s alive, I’d be dressing him down myself. Putting him in his place. At the end of the day, Luca’s just being a dick. His heart is in the right place, and he’s loyal. Ava checks in before we leave before signing Luca out, telling him to take it easy for a few days. If I know Luca, it’s unlikely. Then it’s my turn to fulfill my promise. I join my Dad for breakfast, he always eats it on the veranda that wraps around the top floor of his house. Surrounded by the tree’s. I’m nervous about making the suggestion that he tells Lou, and he laughs. I’m left staring at him and he explains that he’s already told Lou. She knows about werewolves, and she’s fully on board. She’s just waiting for Ava to tell her, before she says anything to the Doctor. I walk away feeling lighter. Hoping for some downt
It was a rare moon that tied with the Winter Equinox and the Human celebration of Christmas. A tradition that I have always embraced for my children. Afterall, they spent their first years immersed in human culture. Yet Christmas Eve, with snow falling thick and fast through leafless trees, was when Kylar and I married. My residency was completed and felt as though it was part of a life I’d nearly forgotten. Between our children and the medical practice, I’ve been busy enough and can’t imagine fitting in any additional responsibilities. The sky was white with snow clouds but the trees were covered in fairy lights that twinkled in a gentle golden glow. I’m excited, butterflies filling my insides, as though I didn’t see him yesterday.I’m stood at the back of the pack house, in a beautiful satin dress that clings to all of my slender curves. I’ve styled my hair down in loose curls, just how he likes it. I should be nervous, but I’m not. The dress has a mermaid train that kicks out
The second morning of the trial turned out to be the last. Much to the relief of everyone within Midnight Forest, and I imagine Silver Stream as well. The sky was clear, but cloudy. A storm brewing on the horizon, black clouds swirling around the distant forest. A storm we sat within the centre of. The air heated and uneasy as we waited in a calm filled with fraught anticipation.I sat beside Kylar, trying not to pay too much attention to just how incredible he looked in a slate grey tailored suit and black shirt. I still can’t believe that he is mine, that he is my Mate. But despite how awful events have been, I am so incredibly happy to be beside him. With Kylar, I feel at home. With my children, I feel complete.We waited, sitting back among the rows of hundreds of Wolves. Kylar was sitting upright, scanning the tree line for any more trouble. Every now and then I would catch a glimpse or a sense of a Midnight Forest patrol. I knew that there were a lot of Pack members, because I
AvaI’m grateful, and very relieved when about an hour after he passes out, Kylar stirs. He sits up, blinking at me. Frowning, the top of his chest dotted with beads of sweat as his body fought off the nasty infection from the fangs of a werewolf. He stretches out and I sink onto the sofa beside him passing him a glass of fresh water to sip.‘How are you doing?’ I look him over, but it’s clear that the effect of the silver in his bloodstream has worn off. It really does affect us badly. I can understand why he tried so desperately to free Elsbeth from the magically imbued cage, but it wasn’t worth the toll on his body. But that’s my Mate, as wonderful and intelligent as he is. He often thinks with his heart instead of his head. I smooth his hair back as he drinks as though he’s dying of thirst. Technically he is, his body will be working on overdrive to restore the blood that was lost.‘Thirsty,’ he replies, voice gruff. ‘The Queen was here?’ He peers at me, heavy brows drawn toge
Without any more time to think, I’m thrown clear of the Star Bitten Brother. I skid over the dirt and I’m on my paws again. I let Sabre take control. The Brother might be huge and even a decent fighter, but he hasn’t made it his career to be a hunter and a killer.I’m on him again, aware that the second has been brought down by a pair of black wolves with silver streaks. I can hear the human, shrieking voice of Elsbeth, an irritation in the back of my mind as I snap at my foe. He twists, sinking his teeth into my leg but I’m on him. He’s hurt me more than anyone has managed in years, but I won’t make the same mistake twice. I lunge, catching hold of his neck again and snap. He drops, soundless beneath me. Dead to the ground and I land on top of him. I kick away at his body, putting distance between us before I morph back.Luca’ is wrestling with Elsbeth at the edge of the nearest Prison block set with silver. She’s in human form again and he’s changed back, trying to catch her ha
The King opens proceedings with a short speech before he and his wife take their seats on one side of the platform. My Father remains in the middle, waiting for hush to fall again before he asks for the first of the Rogue’s to be brought forward. There are nine elected elders from different Packs, representing different areas of the North America’s what will conduct the interviews of the Rogues, for everyone gathered to witness. Part of me hopes that this will be over in a day, but I know it’s more likely to take at least a week.Werewolf justice is often swift and brutal, but calling together a full conclave with royalty in attendance, always slows proceedings down. In reality, I find it hard to concentrate. I can see Ava watching my Father intently, and then as the gathered Elders take up their own seats on either side of our rulers. What she is either trying to ignore, or hasn’t noticed. Is that the Queen and the Goddess's representative among us, has not looked away from her,
Kylar There are more Wolves and Alpha’s in the Midnight Forest than I ever thought was possible. Our Village has always served as the main hub for the region and it has a decent number of guest houses in case of an event. Yet they’re all full, and so are the guest accommodations in each of the subsidiary villages. I haven’t had as much time as I, or Sabre would like to spend with our Mate over the past few days, or the twins. I feel like I’ve spent all my days driving or running through the territory to meet the Sub’s that head up the different villages. They’re Wolves that might be considered Beta’s. I know most of them as friends, something I’m grateful for.If something ever happened to Luca, I’d still have backup. Even better, is the organisation of our military strength. It’s why I always have such a good pick of skills to fill out my missions. I try to bring along someone from each Sub once a year. To make sure we’re all staying in contact.What it means, is that our command
I knew that the Village was going to get busy with the imminent trials of the Rogue’s. So, although I had a month of shifts to fit in at the Western Hospital, I rearranged my shifts to drag them out. It’s going to take me the better part of Autumn to finish my residency, but it’s worth it.This way, I’m also never away from my boys for more than one night at a time, something I’ve struggled with. Even knowing that Kylar is staying in our little house. I’m still caught with a thread of fear whenever I step out the door and leave them behind, with their Father. I introduced them to Kylar, properly as my boyfriend. They were over dramatic, playful, grossed out and found the idea that I had a special friend hilarious. Then Rowan wrapped his arms around me, possessive and wouldn’t let go. Until his brother started picking up his toys and he didn't want to share his latest tyrannosaurus rex.Yet once I had explained that Kylar really was their Father, the boys stared at him. I shared a
I feel complete in a way I find hard to explain. I stretch out on the bed, marvelling at the man before me. As though I could luxuriate in the view of him all night. I smile to myself, rueful. That really isn’t an option. Not with the twins due home after their movie night. I bit my bottom lip as he moves over me.I reach up, wrapping my arms around his neck. I can hear his thoughts in my mind. They’re down right dirty enough to make me blush again. I’m giggling, because I’m happy. Strangely, deliriously happy to have been claimed by Kylar.You don’t think we have time to make love again? He teases me with his thoughts as he bends to kiss me again. Grazing his lips over mine in a gentle caress. Maybe my body temperature is still spiking from the hot water, but he makes me feel so effortlessly dizzy. I reach out with my own thoughts, closing my eyes. Enjoying the touch of his kiss against the side of my neck. Hyper aware of the sensitive patch of skin on my neck, where his mark will c
Kylar’s movements are deft and confident as he unfastens the buckle of his belt, letting it fall away. His pants are down the strong muscles in his legs, pooling on the floor as he steps out of them. Someday, I have to tell him how much I love seeing him barefoot. I didn’t think I had a weird obsession with it, but I love how he’s already lost his socks. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me and my heart gives rapid little pumps of excitement. I stand beneath the waterfall, body hot, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. My mouth is dry, but my hair is slicked back from my face. I can see myself in the mirror behind his shoulder and I gulp.My eyes are darker than I’ve ever seen him as he advances, his erection jutting out from his body. He’s hard and ready as he steps behind the shower screen. He hasn’t said a word and I look up at him, breathless, tongue tied. He advances and I backway, pushed by the force of his Alpha presence. Like the weight of a waterfall bearing down on me