“Sit.”
Devlin and Haydn looked at each other before taking seats across from the king.
Stefan looked at them in displeasure.
“You are here only because of your cousin,” he said, looking at Haydn. “You’re still not forgiven, boy.”
Haydn huffed. “I have no need for your forgiveness. And you’ve got some nerve to play the victim after what you did to me. Devlin is the only reason I’m here.”
“And what did I do to you?” Stefan said snidely. “Gave you a superior designation? What a crime.”
Haydn flushed, his scent thickening with his anger.
Devlin pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he’d had to leave Julian for this.
“Enough,” he said coldly, making the king turn his gaze to him. “We don’t have time for this. Haydn is here as a favor to me, Your Majesty. Treat him respectfully or we’re both leaving.”
Now Stefan’s face reddened, too. “You insolent—I should kick you out of the country too,
Jules had attended quite a few parties and balls since they had arrived at the capital, but the royal ball was something else. He’d never been at the palace before, and the luxury was both overwhelming and humbling. It made Jules acutely aware that they were little more than country bumpkins, only invited because of Liam’s undisputed success as the Diamond of the Season—and because Devlin intended to marry him. Jules bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood. Not thinking about it, not thinking about it, not thinking about it. Fuck, he was terrible at not thinking about it. He should have stayed home. He should have made up some excuse to skip the ball. But he was so damn weak. So weak for him. He wanted to be there for Devlin—this was a very important evening for him. Devlin would be declared the heir tonight. Jules had no idea how people would react, so he wanted Devlin to have at least one supporter in the ballroom,
EpilogueThe fallout of their unexpected—and scandalous—engagement hadn’t been as bad as Jules had feared. The gossip was still terrible, of course, and while some media outlets questioned Devlin’s fickle character—because no one actually believed that he’d never been interested in Liam—the juicy scandal had far overshadowed any disgruntlement over Devlin becoming the heir to the throne. Jules was beyond relieved. He could live with the gossip—he wouldn’t have been able to bear making things even harder for Devlin.Then there was Liam, of course. Their first conversation after the ball had been… awkward. Thankfully, Liam wasn’t really angry or all that upset—he still had a legion of suitors—but it had still been a little awkward.“I’m not going to claim it didn’t bruise my ego,” Liam had said with a crooked smile. “It did. But
After a few moments, he heard a low growl, and the scent of an alpha suddenly spiked in the room, delicious and overwhelming. It still smelled like Devlin, just much stronger and baser. He must have shifted fully.Jules shivered, stroking his aching cock.There was another low growl and then he felt furry cheeks between his thighs. And then there was a tongue licking his hole, again and again, before pushing into him—Jules cried out, his body arching as he came, just like that, his cock spurting his jizz everywhere. But the tongue didn’t stop: it was absolutely relentless, delving deep into him, deeper and deeper, so damn good and rough, oh fuck, more, more—Jules came again, moaning loudly. Yet somehow it wasn’t enough. He wanted Devlin’s cock. He wanted his knot.“Fuck me,” he demanded breathlessly.The tongue finally stopped torturing him, and Jules nearly sobbed, his hole clenching over nothing.
here comes the second series of rejected lunait is a new story all together. enjoy it too.PrologueThe pastDay 159 after the first New Species were freedJoy tried to relax in the chair but worry over her client made her fidget. She glanced at the clock, noting he was late again. Minutes ticked by while her anger grew. It was the fourth session in a row that 466 had blown off. He did it on purpose. She knew he was going to be irate over what she’d done in retaliation but he’d left her with no choice.The loud sound of a menacing growl startled her. Her gaze flew to the door a second before it was thrown open. 466 hovered in the hallway, his rich brown hair messed up as if he’d dried it upside down with a blow dryer to give it that fullness. Rage showed in his narrowed, dark gaze. She guessed he’d been the source of the noise.He was pushed forward as one of the guards entered the office
The presentNSO Homeland“What is going on?” Joy glanced at the New Species leading her through the building and continued, “I received a call that there was some kind of emergency with someone I counseled in the past. They said it was urgent that I come.”A snarl came from farther down the hallway and made her jump. Her escort bolted away, abandoning her to rush into a room. She hurried forward despite that terrifying sound. She paused at the entrance to the room to stare in absolute horror at the scene playing out.“Hold him down!” The New Species male who had escorted her yelled the order and two more Species males threw their massive bodies over the guy restrained on the hospital bed. An earsplitting howl fractured the room and an arm snapped free from the restraints. The Species clawed at the body over his chest, fisted the material of the other man’s shirt, and tried to toss aside the one attem
“We decided to place him in a cell, no restraints, just bars to keep him contained. We can’t keep asking our males to fight to keep him down. He sure can’t be allowed to run loose around Homeland. We have some human staff and he even sees other male Species as a threat. I’m not willing it to risk it. He could also attack our females. This was a unanimous decision by our people and your human doctors who have flown in to examine him. Our NSO doctors agreed too.”She remembered that New Species always differentiated between themselves and humans. “It was a good call to make, considering what I just saw. He is dangerous.”Tiger lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, a worried look crossing his striking features. “I know it’s a lot to ask but you don’t have to go inside the cell with him. We thought perhaps you could talk to him from outside it. He can’t reach you but he could see and hear you. We’
“You’re the shrink?” The Species scowled when she stopped five feet away.“Yes. I am.”“Come with me. I’m escorting you to your living quarters and then we’ll go over what you’ll need that you didn’t bring. You don’t seem to have any luggage. You’ll need more clothes and personal items.” Her gaze flicked to where Moon slept. “I hope you can fix his head.”“Me too,” Joy admitted honestly. “I wasn’t aware this was going to be a long stay. I have one spare set of clothes in my car if you can get someone to retrieve them.”“We can do that and we can order whatever else you need through Homeland.” The woman evaluated her. “It may take a day or two to get clothes that fit. I apologize.”“That’s fine.” Joy wasn’t worried about how she looked. Her gaze lingered on Moon. He was all that matte
“You’re the shrink?” The Species scowled when she stopped five feet away.“Yes. I am.”“Come with me. I’m escorting you to your living quarters and then we’ll go over what you’ll need that you didn’t bring. You don’t seem to have any luggage. You’ll need more clothes and personal items.” Her gaze flicked to where Moon slept. “I hope you can fix his head.”“Me too,” Joy admitted honestly. “I wasn’t aware this was going to be a long stay. I have one spare set of clothes in my car if you can get someone to retrieve them.”“We can do that and we can order whatever else you need through Homeland.” The woman evaluated her. “It may take a day or two to get clothes that fit. I apologize.”“That’s fine.” Joy wasn’t worried about how she looked. Her gaze lingered on Moon. He was all that matte
EPILOGUETHE FOREST WAS dark despite the full moon. The branches now held so much foliage that it created a barrier between the earth and sky. The moonlight no longer hurt her, but still, Miyoung was grateful for the protection.She’d avoided the woods after losing her mother. But she’d missed her safe haven. The memories this place held were both comfort and pain. And now, as she picked her way over twisting roots and through reaching branches, she breathed in deeply. The scent of dirt and wood calmed her nerves.She loosened her grip on the flowers she carried. She didn’t want to break their delicate stems. Was it useless to bring such a token? Yena had hated flowers; she said they made a mess when they died. But her mother couldn’t voice her disapproval of such a gift. Not anymore.Miyoung swiped at he
Justice North sat behind his desk while Tiger and Fury had taken seats perched on the sides of the massive piece of furniture. Joy swallowed, waiting for the last person to arrive. Dr. Treadmont finally showed up for the meeting Joy had asked for. He closed the door behind him.“What did you wish to speak about?”“Moon believes he is at site four.”Silence greeted that statement until Dr. Treadmont asked a question.“What the hell is that?”“There were remote sites we were relocated to after we were freed from Mercile,” Fury answered. “We were hidden from the press and given time to assimilate into life outside of Mercile.”“They were motels,” Tiger added. “Out in bum-fuck nowhere that the government was easily able to buy or gain access to because they were abandoned. They sent in
That just made Jihoon more determined to get a reaction out of her. “One of my favorite champions is Ahri.” Jihoon chuckled. “If you played, you’d get the joke.” He leaned in and said in a stage whisper, “She’s a gumiho.”Miyoung glared at him. Jihoon grinned. She continued to glower, unmoved by his best weapon. His smile wavered. “Do you really not do anything for fun? Sports? Knitting? Ancient tea ceremonies?”“I don’t do things for fun,” she said.“Why?”“Why do you care?”Jihoon shrugged. “Because it looks like you could use a friend.”“I don’t need friends,” Miyoung muttered.“Everyone needs friends,” Jihoon countered, despite the frown Miyoung gave h
Stop embarrassing me.” Carl hissed the words, glancing around to make sure he couldn’t be overheard by anyone except his target. “My father said you’re surly. It reflects badly on him. I just got my ass chewed out. Keep smiling and nod, Vanni. He also said you were rude to a journalist.”“Did you hear what he preached up there?” She was angry too. “I agreed to put on this long skirt because your father has a problem with women wearing pants. I didn’t say I’d talk with reporters and repeat the hatred he spews.”“You’re not supposed to talk at all. I know he’s old school but he is my father. We’re here to represent him.”“Old school? I’d use way harsher words for what he is. No, I only came because I thought we were having a romantic weekend at a nice hotel. Instead, I discover you’re sharing a suite with your father and I’m stuck rooming with hi
# Upstate New York, 2018Wolves who drink smell like Baileys and kibble.It doesn’t matter that Ronan’s poison is a 7 and 7 and chimichangas at the casino over at Hogansburg, there’s something about our livers that still makes him smell like Baileys and kibble.He lies slumped partly on his stomach, partly on his side at the edge of the Clearing, the broad expanse of spongy grass and drowned trees that is what remains of an old beaver pond that fell into disrepair when the Pack ate the beavers one lean year. New beavers have established a new pond nearby. Eventually we will eat those too.And so it goes.The Clearing is used for ceremonies and rituals because it is open and accommodates larger numbers. Usually the Pack prefers the cool, muffled, fragrant darkness of the forest, treating the Clearing like an anxious Catholic treats the church. We shuffle in on major celebrations and otherwis
She licked her lips. “I believe you love me.” She stared down at his lap. “I said on the way here that I want to do things to you. Please stand up?”Blood rushed to his groin to make his dick painfully taut. He didn’t care anymore if it was a test. It seemed a win to him either way if she wanted his hips level with her face. He almost tripped on his way up, forgetting he hadn’t lost the pants entirely yet. He pushed them down and kicked them out of the way. His focus fixed on Joy when she reached out to brush the pad of her thumb over the crown of his dick.Her tongue wet her lips again and he knew what she was going to do. Her hot breath fanning across the tip of his dick forced him to clench his teeth. She deserved a mate who could control the sounds he wanted to make as she made one of his deepest fantasies come true.The first lick of her hot, soft tongue forced him to lock his knees. One of her hands braced on the curve of his
Darkness growled. “That’s it?” Almost-black eyes glared at Moon. “How did you leave? I’ve spent the past ninety minutes reviewing the camera footage along the walls and at both gates. You were not caught on any of them.”“Easy,” Fury warned. “We’ll get to that“If he could get out, someone could sneak in the same way,” Darkness protested. “We could be breached at any moment. My team needs to know how he did it“I exited from the hidden gate we recently constructed. I knew cameras hadn’t been installed there yet.” Moon took a deep breath. “It’s not True’s fault. He’s new and I’m higher ranking. I told him I was going on patrol on my motorcycle and used my authority, believing he wouldn’t question it if I lied by stating it was something I occasionally do.” He closed his mouth, not admit
Ellie laughed. “Come on, Monarch. You can totally do this.”Monarch, a blonde-haired woman just under six feet tall, examined the vacuum with disgust. “It’s too loud and I’m afraid it’s going to suck up my toes.”Ellie lifted her hand to cover her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. “We all think that. Trust me. I promise you, though, if you point it away from you, that won’t happen. You’ve mastered the washing machine and your cooking skills with a microwave are wonderful. You can handle this beast.”Monarch sighed. “Fine, but it hurts my ears.”Destiny, a black-haired woman, cheered her on. Monarch flipped on the vacuum and pushed it around the living room
front of the convenience store. The chill of the late-fall night made his cheeks red, and he wanted something hot to drink.To say his halmeoni was upset would be an understatement. But she’d needed to run the restaurant, so it had fallen to Jihoon to retrieve the scooter from the mechanic. The errand gave him a short reprieve from her wrath.Jihoon lingered at the case that warmed individual cans of coffee, his thoughts on things other than the toasty drinks inside. Turning toward the cold drinks, he caught a glimpse of movement outside.Like a vision called forth by force of will, Miyoung sat at one of the plastic tables. Her head hung low so her hair covered her face.Jihoon walked out and settled into the chair across from Mi