EdelineSo, I have come to realize that I have been a total stage five clinger when it comes to emotions. I have been keeping my distance this past week. I bounced back from the battle scars of losing, like, the very next day. Instead of wallowing, I just went out there and asked for more. I have been training day and night, throwing down, just trying to show myself that I really earned this tattoo on my arm. I can totally handle my emotions on my own now. I have been keeping my distance from Conor, from Alexa, from Damon—anyone I have connected with here. I just needed to break away and remind myself that I can do this on my own.Conor and I are still cool with each other. He gets that I am working on depending on myself, and he is fine with it. We have chatted a bit, but I do not wake him up anymore to train with me in the mornings. Nope, I have been handling it solo.He mentioned that Dark Moon is pretty different. If I thought his pack was more wolf-like, I honestly would not kno
EdelineAs I ran my fingers over it, I saw the engraving: “Even if you are miles apart, you will connect with a lot of hearts along the way. Always remember how tough you really are. You will always have wolves that care about you.” Tati.My eyes watered as I looked up at this girl who had been through so much. She had been off track, messed up, but now she was on her way to doing amazing things, and it made me happy that she had made this for me.I pulled her in for a hug, breathing in her soothing scent. “Thanks, Tatiana!”She let out a little sob as she pulled away. “It is a friendship bracelet. I thought… maybe we could be friends?”“Sure thing.” I smiled at her, gently brushing my cheek against hers.“Hey, just keep in touch when you can.” Her big brown eyes sparkled with hope.I gave a little nod. “You will hear from me, just not super soon. I need to figure some stuff out.” Tatiana nodded, sniffled, and wiped her eyes as she stepped back.“Ready?” Conor’s deep voice cut throug
EdelineNot many wolves had earned this mark, and even fewer girls carried it. It should have felt good, but the pride I thought I would feel had burned out a while ago. The pack here knocked it out of me. My wolf and I knew we deserved it, but we never went around bragging. She stopped with the showy antics—the diva moments were gone. Now, we just stayed sharp, always watching, always ready. I ran a hand through my hair, realizing how long it had gotten. It looked healthy, at least. Stretching out my lower back, I let out a soft breath. Even though my hair had been this length forever, I never made a big deal about it. I mostly wore yoga pants and hoodies or shorts, keeping my hair in a messy bun or braid. There was no point dressing up.After one last glance in the mirror, I pushed the bathroom door open. The warm steam from my shower curled around me as it spilled into the bedroom. I grabbed some lotion, slathering it across my arms and legs, then threw on my black yoga capris a
EdelineMy heart dropped into my stomach, leaving me breathless. “The bleeding’s under control now,” he added. “Conor’s been by her side the whole time.” A wave of sorrow washed over me. Mirabelle wanted that pup so badly—it wasn’t just about the baby. She wanted someone to love, someone who would love her back. I really believed the moon would give that to her. And now? Now it was gone, and I hadn't been there for her. I should have been a better friend. “What was the point of the moon giving her that pregnancy, only to take it away?” I whispered, more to myself than anyone. Maxim’s face grew grim. “Your brother’s not doing well, Edeline.” He leaned forward, his eyes steady and serious. “He figured out what’s going on. And now, your parents are worried about how much sanity he’s got left.” My chest tightened. “He’s going through the same stuff Percival did,” Maxim warned, his voice low. “They’re watching him, but… you might want to think about going back to Praimfaya Mo
EdelineMaxim walked over and stood next to me. “Oh yes, you totally do. Right here.” He winked at me before heading back to the truck. My parents were still gushing over me, brushing my hair back and leaning their cheeks against mine. I felt a wave of curiosity wash over me. Where were all the wolves? At this time of day, they were usually all over the place, lounging by the bonfires. I gave a little nod to the moon, silently thanking it for keeping things calm and quiet.“Where is Nixx?” A wave of sadness crashed over me. I understood that he was hurting; after all, Percival had felt the same way when everything went down.Mom and Dad exchanged a glance, and then Mom spoke up. “He is at the clinic. He is doing fine. You can see him last since he is out cold right now.”I bit my lip and nodded, trying to push down the worry bubbling inside me.Suddenly, the truck door banged shut, causing me to turn around with wide eyes. I was on edge. Maxim stood there, a smirk on his face. “Alrigh
EdelineHis nose brushed against my neck as he yanked the delicate lace from my hips, tearing it away with a primal hunger.“Percival, the panty ripper,” I thought, breathless.His lips brushed against my ear, our bare bodies tangled together. His breath came out in strained gasps, and his deep voice caressed my skin. “You are getting ready to kick off your heat.”I could not hold back; his bare hips pressed against mine, pushing me into the wall, feeling him against my stomach as his lips came down to kiss me again.Something inside me snapped, and I pushed back against him, putting in some effort to drive him back against the wall next to us. I planted warm kisses down his tattooed chest, licking and savoring the sweet scents that radiated from his skin as I ventured lower.He picked me up by my waist, his big hands wrapping around me, strong arms reaching behind my knees. In one swift motion, he spun around, slamming my back against the wall once more. This time, he lifted me so th
EdelineHis eyes were no longer filled with wonder; they carried pain and knowledge. Yet, despite it all, those piercing blue eyes had remained the same, shining even brighter against his sun-kissed skin. His hair was longer on top and shorter on the sides, giving him a more polished look.He looked even more handsome now, completely in charge of himself. The way he moved, the way he held himself—it all made me wonder about the changes in him and what had shaped him during our time apart.“You hungry?” His deep voice pulled me back to reality, his eyes locking onto mine.I was still feeling shy, and I wondered why that was.“I’m fine,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.He nodded and made his way to the door. “I’ll give you some space. I can tell you’re not really feeling it with me around. Just hit me up when you’re ready, and I’ll help you get to bed since you’re not feeling great.” He flashed a sad smile and reached for the doorknob.My heart raced a bit. I really did not
EdelineI would not run anymore.“Hey, let me wash your back, my little warrior.” His breath brushed against my warm skin, and a rush of desire coursed through me as his deep voice stirred something inside. My breath caught in my throat as I locked eyes with him.“I got this.” I really could not let him get close. It would only make the cramps worse, and the desire was already doing a number on me.He nodded, totally understanding what I was thinking through our connection.As he stood up, I could not help but let my eyes wander over him, pausing at his chiseled abs and then down to his pelvis. Right there in the middle was a thick, four-inch tattoo of an infinity symbol.Mated wolves have this thing where they let anyone who catches a glimpse of their skin below the waist know they have a mate. This tattoo meant a lot. A lump formed in my throat as my eyes began to water. How long had he been dealing with this?It was like he could read my mind—probably because he could. He looked
Percival Edeline’s eyes were locked on me as she marched over, grabbing my forearm and pulling me along with her. The contact felt like fire igniting on my skin. She was fired up—angry, for sure.She dragged me into the equipment shed, out of sight, and then—wham!—she whacked me right in the eye.I let out a low growl and slowly turned my face back to hers. Anger radiated off her as she raised her other hand, ready to swing at me again. I managed to grab her wrist before she could land another hit, squeezing gently around her slim wrist. “What the heck, Edeline?!” I exclaimed, my lip curling to reveal my fang. Low warning growls rumbled from my chest. The wolf inside me was not thrilled, but at least she appreciated that this wasn’t happening in front of the pack. Don’t mess with my authority.“Hey! Did you give that girl false hope or what? I know you have not hooked up with her because I would have sensed it!” Her nose wrinkled, eyes blazing with fury. Then, I caught a scent from
Percival Promoting her to lead female warrior might not have been the best decision after all. She was my top fighter, having trained hard before I stepped in, but now I was left questioning my judgment. We didn’t have an expert on board yet, and Jazz’s ambition made me wary.She tucked a loose, curly strand behind her ear, looking up at me with her big green eyes, her skin a lovely shade of creamed coffee. She was undeniably pretty, but just not my type. “Hey, Percival... what if we tried something different with the ladies?” She edged closer, taking a deep breath as if to check out my scent.It might sound wild, but the night before last, after showering and snuggling up in bed with Edeline, I had rubbed against her, soaking in her scent. Waking up without her made me skip a shower yesterday—or maybe even today. I just wanted to hold onto that connection a little longer. Jazz caught a whiff of Edeline’s scent, and her eyebrows shot up.“Hey, is Edeline back?” she asked, her voice
Edeline“I totally get it, Nixx. It is something else. Really special. I see what you mean.” My gaze drifted to his cuffs, curiosity piquing as I furrowed my brow. “Have you been a bit risky? What does your world do to people?” I tilted my head, observing the way he passed the bracelet back to me, unable to take his eyes off it.“My wolf is stronger, you know? Sometimes I just cannot control him and end up lashing out at people who get on my nerves. Percival dealt with the same stuff. He wants to help me train like Gaspar did for him, but all I can think about is Tatiana and the pup I lost. It is tough.” A wave of sadness washed over him, dimming the light in his eyes.“Nixx,” I sighed, “why are you still hung up on losing the pup? Mirabelle was only a few months along, right? You never even met him, and you can have pups with your real mate. You could not have had both. Tatiana would have been jealous of you and him. Trust me, I get it. Tatiana is a beta, and her wolf would have want
EdelineHe really needed his not-so-little sister. I would hit him up first, and then maybe I would finally have the guts to talk to Percival about everything. After some tough training, of course. It had been a few days since I had a solid training session. Muscle disappears faster than it builds up, and I really hoped that did not happen. If I wanted to keep being the warrior I had turned into, I had to stay on top of my stamina. But I was not sure my buddy would let me train, especially since my heat was just around the corner, and my scent was driving everyone wild. I had to remember to grab my tea after I hopped out of the shower. As I walked in the front door of my parents’ place, the cozy scent of clove hit me, pulling me back into sweet memories. I could not help but think about what might happen during this heat. The last one just did not do it for me. Did I even want him to help me out this time? Or would I just prefer to be out of it for that? I figured the latter was
EdelineI stared down at our hands, chewing on his words. He might have a point. When I left and went to Conrad’s place, I told myself I was moving on. I threw myself into letting it all go—this life, these people, everything. But once I got some space, the wolves around me nudged me toward the truth. They made me confront my feelings about Percival, especially after I caught myself feeling jealous over him. He was just my friend, nothing more, but still... I had to deal with that. But Darius? I buried that pain deep and left it to rot. Never talked about him, never thought about him for too long. I got stronger, yeah. But I didn’t heal. Not really. And that’s why I’m still stuck. I turned my head toward William, blinking back the sting in my eyes. “How am I supposed to feel about him?” My voice cracked, and I felt my throat tighten again. “Look at what he did.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep it together, but the words dragged me down, making my chest feel heavy. “How am I s
EdelineI never really hated Percival before that. He had done some stuff, sure—but it never made me hate him. Not until that night. That night, I hated him more than anything. My wolf hated him too. My skin side—yeah, she wanted revenge just as bad. But then the truth hit me. Darius was the monster. Not Percival. I spent all of yesterday lying around, trying to make sense of everything. Today, I thought maybe a walk would help me clear my head, so I came here. To the waterfall—the spot I loved the most. And now, here I am. Staring at his grave. Why here? Why did they bury him here of all places? Not in the pack’s graveyard, where the rest of them are. No—right here, beneath the tree that used to be ours. Our spot. My throat tightened, and the tears started before I could stop them. My heart felt like someone had tied a rope around it and was pulling it tighter and tighter. I reached out, tracing his name on the headstone with shaky fingers, as if touching the letters wo
PercivalI hoped I didn’t annoy her. I understood she was strong, but my Alpha side just wanted to look out for my mate. I was trying to communicate my feelings through the mate bond, to reassure her I was here for her.The corner of her mouth lifted in a quick smile. "It's all good."Shaking my head, I did what I felt compelled to do. I walked over, scooping her up in my arms. She gasped in surprise as I carried her across the room to the salvaged bed. Her eyes widened, taking in the effort I had made to clean up for her."I’ll grab you something to wear. Your clothes are wrecked." I stifled a laugh as I laid her down on the bed. I missed the feel of her skin against mine, even from that brief moment before I had to let her go to find her a t-shirt and some clean boxers.I had both boxers and boxer briefs, but lately, I definitely preferred the briefs. Guess it was just part of growing up!As I returned to her, Edeline’s gaze was fixed on my bare torso. She looked up at me with that
EdelineI would not run anymore.“Hey, let me wash your back, my little warrior.” His breath brushed against my warm skin, and a rush of desire coursed through me as his deep voice stirred something inside. My breath caught in my throat as I locked eyes with him.“I got this.” I really could not let him get close. It would only make the cramps worse, and the desire was already doing a number on me.He nodded, totally understanding what I was thinking through our connection.As he stood up, I could not help but let my eyes wander over him, pausing at his chiseled abs and then down to his pelvis. Right there in the middle was a thick, four-inch tattoo of an infinity symbol.Mated wolves have this thing where they let anyone who catches a glimpse of their skin below the waist know they have a mate. This tattoo meant a lot. A lump formed in my throat as my eyes began to water. How long had he been dealing with this?It was like he could read my mind—probably because he could. He looked
EdelineHis eyes were no longer filled with wonder; they carried pain and knowledge. Yet, despite it all, those piercing blue eyes had remained the same, shining even brighter against his sun-kissed skin. His hair was longer on top and shorter on the sides, giving him a more polished look.He looked even more handsome now, completely in charge of himself. The way he moved, the way he held himself—it all made me wonder about the changes in him and what had shaped him during our time apart.“You hungry?” His deep voice pulled me back to reality, his eyes locking onto mine.I was still feeling shy, and I wondered why that was.“I’m fine,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.He nodded and made his way to the door. “I’ll give you some space. I can tell you’re not really feeling it with me around. Just hit me up when you’re ready, and I’ll help you get to bed since you’re not feeling great.” He flashed a sad smile and reached for the doorknob.My heart raced a bit. I really did not