Bianca half-choked when she realized what she'd just done. Acting only on instinct, she opened the door wide before her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. She'd expected to see an older man and ended up with a fashion plate worthy of making the front page of the most prominent magazines. Augustin, for his part, was startled to find the door slammed in his face. He couldn't say why, but the moment this stranger had opened the door again, her perfume had filled his lungs like a gentle breeze in a lavender field. And now that she'd opened the door again, he couldn't help thinking that he found her absolutely charming. She perfectly matched everything he wanted in a worthy beloved. For one thing, she was brunette, even though Augustin had discovered a new passion for women with straight black hair during his stay in Japan. Secondly, he was absolutely fascinated by her big, caramel-colored eyes, a favorite treat among his family. Finally, she had a mischievous air that made the vampi
Augustin only had to follow the sound of voices to reach the half-open bedroom door. A cushion lay just outside the doorway, and he had only to bend down to pick it up and tuck it under his elbow. Then he knocked gently on the doorframe and had to use all his self-control not to run to his adopted daughter's side. He knew she was suffering, which was enough to alarm him. But now, seeing her so pale and with dark circles around her eyes, he felt as if a bucket of ice water had just been poured over his head. Emmanuelle was in bed, leaning against a pile of cushions. She was covered by a thick, soft yellow blanket with lavender motifs painted on it. Next to her, on her bedside table, was a porcelain basin of water, with a cloth hanging from it, still damp from its last use. When Emmanuelle's eyes fell on him, Augustin felt a lump in his throat. As a result, he rushed towards her as soon as she reached out her hand. He had almost fallen to his knees, too worried to see her so weak wh
Emmanuelle froze and stared at him. Augustin had an annoying tendency to use long, complicated sentences, but in this case, he'd gone straight to the point.She was far too shocked by what he had just revealed and laughed embarrassedly. "What are you talking about, Augustin?" she asked, her voice trembling. The ancient vampire heaved a sigh and closed the bedroom door as gently as he could. As things stood, he knew it was impossible to carry on a civilized conversation with her. They were both far too emotional, but he couldn't decently leave her alone after such a revelation. "I do not see how I could be any clearer, Emmanuelle," he replied, glaring at her. Emmanuelle shuddered. She could see in his eyes that he wasn't lying to her. In any case, Augustin would never have lied to her, especially not about a possible pregnancy. The birth of a vampire child was far too exceptional for him to joke about. The young blonde woman trembled and put her hands in front of her. She had almo
The patriarch was furious and knew it would be best for him to withdraw quickly, or he'd risk tarnishing his relationship with his adopted daughter forever. He could hear her whim to drink only the blood of her beloved. But it was inconceivable to him that she would continue to be stubborn when she knew what was at stake. "More than two millennia, and you still have not understood that what is important to you is not necessarily important to others," Augustin murmured, looking out. He sighed deeply, trying to chase away his frustration, but without succeeding. The comforting scent of coffee guided Augustin into the kitchen.Once inside the room's large entrance frame, the ancient vampire stopped dead in his tracks and took a moment to gaze at the human in front of him. Bianca was arranging two empty cups on a wooden tray. She moved around easily, opening and closing cupboards to grab sugar, milk, cookies, and chocolates without realizing someone had just joined her in the kitchen.
Bianca put on the most neutral expression she could muster and finished drying her hands. Then she joined Emmanuelle and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'll take the accounting documents and be on my way. Call me if you need anything... and above all, get some rest. It would be best if you weren't up," the young brunette told her best friend. Emmanuelle simply nodded in the affirmative. She glanced back, waiting to hear the sound of the front door closing. Augustin, for his part, had not moved and was twirling his coffee cup with the fingertips of his right hand. He was deep in thought, and Emmanuelle's presence had brought him back to all his preoccupations. Besides, he didn't need to talk anymore. Again, he knew that if Emmanuelle had come to join him, it was because she had finally accepted the truth about his slow recovery. It had always been this way between them: whenever he reprimanded her, he had to give her a moment before she came back to him. The second Bianca was out of t
The medical team in charge of monitoring Red Moon Alpha was on the warpath. Doctors and nurses were running around trying to revive their pack leader as quickly as possible. One nurse had started standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation in waiting for the defibrillator to be set up while his colleagues were busy getting emergency care up and running. Jason, the pack's healer, knew that at this stage, his healing gift would be of no use. He had positioned himself in front of the feet of his Alpha's body and put his hands forward to try and make direct contact with the big red wolf. His eyes had gone completely white as his own wolf cried in his mind, looking for an answer from his pack leader. This was the difference between a doctor and a healer. Where the medical profession relied on science and research, healers served as amplifiers for the wolves sharing their hosts' souls. The mere presence of a healer accelerated the healing process of an injured werewolf. But at that very mo
Alpha Black had crossed his arms over his chest and kept his eyes riveted on Harry's face. Beneath the redhead's thin, closed eyelids, Black could see the eye movements that confirmed the Red Moon Alpha's return to life. "What... what happened?" whispered Jason, staggering closer to the body of his pack leader. He placed a hand over the redhead and waited a moment. The healer breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the red wolf's presence beneath his fingers. He looked up at Black, hands trembling, and murmured an emotional thank-you. Black paid no attention to the healer and watched for the slightest sign of Harry waking up. As for Jason, he didn't know where to stand. He didn't understand what Alpha Black wanted from him or why he had ordered the medical staff out of the ruined room. "Do your job," Black growled at the healer. His voice was so low and hoarse you'd have thought it was his own wolf speaking for him. A shiver of terror ran down Jason's spine, and he had to force himse
Emmanuelle had fallen asleep after feeding on Augustin's blood. She hadn't stopped crying, despite her monstrous thirst. She could hardly swallow easily.By the time she'd finished her meal, she'd burst into tears again and started screaming her beloved's name.She was utterly unsettled and didn't know what to feel. Her heart and mind were torn between the joy of carrying a child and the despair of no longer feeling the presence of their beloved. Thus, she had alternated contradictory emotional states before collapsing from exhaustion.Two hours had passed since she had finally found refuge in her sleep. Two hours in which she had regained her strength and her wits. With the bond between her and her beloved now severed, she seemed to have regained all her mental faculties and the cold, objective reasoning that characterized her. However, despite all the cold objectivity, she was capable of, she continued to mourn Harry's loss inwardly. From now on, she could only hope that he was we
The vampires stiffened at the mention of Emmanuelle's beloved's first name. The young blonde woman had burst into tears again, closely followed by Bianca. Augustin looked back curtly as he saw a blood maid standing in the doorway. She shyly held in her hands a square black wooden tray on which rested a box of tissues as well as a carafe of water and crystal glasses. Typically, the ancient vampire would never have tolerated such an intrusion into his family sphere. However, he had to admit that the gesture was thoughtful, and the two women in front of him were particularly boisterous. "Thank you," he said to the servant, and she disappeared as quickly as she had come. "Does Ari even know?" asked Bianca. Emmanuelle was at a loss for words and shook her head to say no. She rose from her rocking chair. "Damn, when I thought I'd said as a joke that you could take nine months to make a baby! If I could do that with the lottery numbers, it would make my life so much easier," Bianca
Emmanuelle, diligently knitting a child's bonnet, was startled. She was sitting on a rocking chair, enjoying the cool morning air and the song of the cicadas. She was stunned to see Bianca in the doorway.How could this be? She should have heard, even smelled, Bianca coming.The young brunette woman had rushed headlong towards her best friend, staring at her from head to toe.Emmanuelle gently placed her red woolen book on the oak coffee table beside her. But she remained silent.Of course, this moment would come sooner or later. But Emmanuelle had hoped to delay it as long as possible for fear of Bianca's reaction.Emmanuelle was still thinking about her best friend's lecture on contraception. But how could she have known then that she was actually able to get pregnant without a complete bond?Augustin's hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Obviously, the former vampire had done this on purpose. It would have been inconce
"Ouch!" Augustin had unintentionally crashed into someone while carrying several cartons of paper. It was when he'd backed up, and especially thinking he was alone in the office, that the accident had happened. The ancient vampire froze, then quickly turned his head towards the person. He was surprised to see Bianca rubbing her nose. The young woman had come in and tried to cover her eyes to play a trick on him. On the other hand, she had made a maneuvering error, and his best friend's father had moved much faster than expected. He was completely stunned. It was the first time in his long immortal life that a living being had been able to approach him without him being able to detect its presence. He squinted for a moment, searching for some hidden power within Bianca, but nothing. The young woman's heart was beating normally. Her big, caramel-colored eyes had that human life and light in them. And it was only after a draught of air entered the room that Augustin could smell the s
Before Harry knew what was happening, he was back in human form. He soon found himself lying on his side, in a gun-dog position.His breathing was ragged from the rapid, forced metamorphosis imposed by the Mad One's order, while a sense of emptiness gradually invaded his mind.Memories flooded back like a burst dam, and he felt a lump in his throat.However, he didn't have time to react as Black threw a pair of black gym shorts at him.It was Wayne who'd been in charge of quickly fetching clothes the second he'd seen the Mad One revert to human form."Stand up," Black ordered once he was clothed himself.Harry had struggled to his feet and dressed himself, keeping his head down. His body had begun to shake as memories returned more clearly, and he managed to organize his thoughts.The young Red Moon Alpha had to clear his throat again and blink rapidly to chase away the emotion gripping his heart.When he
The red wolf trembled from head to toe as the black wolf circled him. The disapproving growls of this fantastic beast with glowing red eyes left no doubt as to what it thought of Harry. Why did we swear to protect him?" growled the black wolf to his human counterpart. "Because he's alone," Black replied coldly, without trying to say anything more. He already knew what Harry's wolf was thinking, and he suspected perfectly well what would happen next. _He's not alone! He's got a Mate!" barked the black wolf, still showing his fangs in his mind, but also to the two trembling Alphas in front of him. Black merely sighed. His wolf was as stubborn as he was, and he knew perfectly well that his wolf would still go after Harry no matter what he said. And this wasn't even for valid reasons, but simply because he was jealous that the red wolf had been rewarded with a soulmate before him. "He's alone," Black repeated. The black wolf's growl had grown even m
Harry had seen Alpha Black's face gradually take on the appearance of a wolf with fur as black as a moonless night. This should never have frightened him so much. However, what should have been a commonplace occurrence in a werewolf's daily life had turned into a horror movie for the young man. Had it been any other wolf, Harry wouldn't have cared a lick about it. Yet he never thought he'd have to deal with the Alpha Black wolf himself. During their training sessions, the Mad One had always made sure he had the upper hand over his animal side for fear that his wolf would try to hurt the young man. Now, for the first time in his life, Harry found himself face to face with the great black wolf. The fear he felt was so great that he felt as if everything frightening he'd experienced up to now had been a walk in the park. The Mad One's bones had cracked in transformation, while his skin was covered in a long coat as black as night. A menacing growl arose, amplified by the spherical sh
Harry was now sprawled on his back. His arms stretched out crosswise to his sides. His nose was bleeding from the kick he'd received in the face, and he had to cough to get rid of the blood filling his throat. The young redhead let out a pained groan as Alpha Black lifted him by the hair. Harry's usually well-groomed brush cut had grown long enough for the Mad one to grab it quickly. Alpha Black lifted Harry so that he was at eye level and stared at the young man in front of him. He wanted to see Harry's healing speed and was shocked at how slowly his wolf's power was working. This confirmed that the red wolf was dormant, and Black knew he had to act quickly if Harry's animal side was not to sink too deep inside him. The Mad One knew perfectly well what it felt like to be deprived of his animal part. He couldn't even tell the last time he'd been able to talk to his own wolf. Despite Black's pleas, the animal remained walled in silence, communicating only by growling. Despite his
Witnesses who had seen the scene had tried to follow them, at first squealing with delight. They all felt happy and reassured to see their Alpha fit enough to go out. However, when they finally became aware of their pack leader's posture, they finally realized that something was wrong. Worse still, they had begun to cry out in horror at the sight of the Mad One heading straight for the arena. The Red Moon pack's telepathic link had been flooded with warning messages and cries for help. Beta Connor, who had spent the day organizing meetings with other packs, had lost his balance and abandoned whatever he was doing to rush out. The pack's collective panic had prevented him from thinking calmly, and his body was now only acting automatically. He had shouted to the soldiers and guards positioned at the borders of the pack's territory to join him as quickly as possible. Alpha Black tossed Harry's body without a moment's hesitation. He remained completely indifferent to the growing crow
Harry slowly opened his eyes. He had to blink several times to adjust his vision to the blinding brightness of the room. The young Red Moon Alpha had no idea where he was or what he was doing there. He took a few deep breaths and recognized the aseptic smell of disinfectant so characteristic of hospitals. Then, at last, the sound of machines reached his ears, and he became aware of the plastic tubes to which his body was connected. "Till?" whispered Harry. He couldn't understand why he was in a hospital bed or why his wolf's power hadn't been enough to heal him. It wasn't right that he should be placed in a condition where he had to be bedridden. Nervous spasms moved his facial muscles as he gradually became aware of his wolf's silence. Alone. A feeling of anguish gripped the young Alpha's heart as that single word echoed in his mind. He was alone again and unable to contact Till. But he had something else. So it wasn't just Till's lack of response that paralyzed the young Alpha