~Jemima’s POVThe days felt endless, stretching out like a thread that might snap at any moment. Life in the pack house, once a comforting rhythm of routine and community, now felt suffocating. Fear clung to the walls, and the whispers that floated through the corridors carried unspoken accusations.Whenever I passed a group of pack members, conversations would falter, their eyes trailing me with a mixture of unease and suspicion. It was as though I had become a living reminder of the chaos that had unsettled our lives.I hated those stares. They didn’t just watch me—they weighed me down, filling me with doubt. A gnawing voice inside whispered the question I feared most: What if they’re right? What if this is my fault?Adrian stayed close, a silent shadow who seemed to think his presence alone could shield me from the growing tension. He wasn’t overbearing, nor did he try to force his concern on me, but his watchfulness felt like chains. I knew he meant well, but his constant vigilanc
~Adrian Blackthorn POV....The Pack’s TerritoryThe morning was cool, and the mist wrapped around the trees like a blanket. I walked through the forest toward the eastern border, where the scouts had reported fresh tracks. My wolf, Kieran, was tense. I could feel his frustration echoing in my chest.We need to act fast, Kieran growled. They’re testing us, trying to see how far they can go.I know, I replied, gripping the hilt of my dagger tightly. Whoever was out there wasn’t passing through. They had a purpose, and I wasn’t going to let them succeed.When I reached the border, Garrett was already there. He stood near a scout, pointing at faint tracks in the dirt.“How fresh are these?” I asked, crouching to take a closer look.“Not more than a few hours,” Garrett replied. “But they vanish ahead, like whoever left them disappeared.”I traced the outline of a print with my finger. It was too clean to belong to a rogue. Rogues didn’t bother hiding their tracks. Whoever this was knew how
Jemima Steele POV...The Pack's TerritoryAdrian and I walked through the trees, each lost in our thoughts. It had been days since the voice in the clearing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming.“Do you ever feel like we’re being watched?” I asked.Adrian glanced at me. “All the time. That’s our life. Always being watched.”But this felt different. There was something heavy in the air. Even Kiona, my wolf, felt uneasy. The trees seemed alive today, creaking like they were talking. The sun shone, but it didn’t feel warm.We reached the clearing where the stones stood. They were old, silent, and strange. I stared at them. I couldn’t understand why they pulled me in. The glow at night, the hum—they didn’t feel right.Adrian stopped beside me. “You’re thinking about the voice again, aren’t you?”I nodded. “It felt too real. Like it was meant for me.”“We’ll find out what it was,” he said quietly.I wanted to believe him. But what if we were already too late? What if the
The Hidden TruthJemima Steele POV...The Pack's TerritoryThe sun had risen, but the forest felt shadowed, like it was holding something back. I stood near the clearing, my eyes fixed on the stones. Adrian’s words, “They’re closer than we’d like,” echoed in my mind. I didn’t know who “they” were, but I felt a presence, like someone was watching us. Even with the patrols out in force, the forest didn’t feel safe.Adrian emerged from the trees, scanning the area like he was searching for something. He appeared calm, but I could see the tension in his movements.“Did you find anything?” I asked.He shook his head. “Not yet, but we will.”We stood in silence, the weight of the moment pressing down on us. It felt like the forest itself was holding its breath, waiting for something.“Garrett and the others are searching,” Adrian said. “If something’s out there, they’ll find it.”I nodded, but my thoughts kept returning to that voice. The one that had whispered, “Leave.” It sent a chill thro
Chapter Fifteen: Whispers in the DarkJemima Steele’s POVThe morning air hung around me, damp and heavy, making it hard to shake off the lingering tension. The house was quiet—not the comforting kind of quiet, but the kind that felt loaded with unspoken fears and unanswered questions. Adrian’s words from last night echoed in my mind: They’re testing us. I couldn’t stop wondering what he meant. Why did it feel like the whole forest was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen?I headed to the kitchen, drawn by the faint smell of coffee. Garrett stood at the counter, his shoulders stiff as he poured himself a cup. He glanced over when he saw me, and for the first time, his usual playful smirk was gone. Instead, his face held a wary seriousness.“Morning,” he said, his voice rough.“Morning,” I replied, trying to sound calm. “Any news?”He shook his head, his lips pressed tight. “The patrols didn’t find anything new. But those tracks from yesterday? They’re fresh. Whoever’s o
Jemima Steele’s POVAdrian’s voice from the meeting last night stayed with me: They’re not testing just the pack. They’re testing us all.I wrapped my arms around myself and stepped outside. The mist lay heavy over the forest, blurring the trees into gray shadows. The world felt smaller, quieter. Even the birds were silent.Kiona stirred in my mind, her voice calm but firm. “Stay sharp, Jemima. The forest is hiding more than mist today.”I know, I replied silently. The unease that clung to me since the vision at the stones hadn’t left. If anything, it had grown stronger. I’d told Adrian what I’d seen, but even his steady presence couldn’t erase the fear.The sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. Garrett appeared from the trees, his face grim. “Adrian wants everyone in the main hall,” he said without preamble.I followed him back inside, where the rest of the pack was already gathering. Adrian stood at the front, his presence commanding as always. His eyes scanned the room, li
Jemima's POVAfter Adrian finished talking to me, I lay back on the makeshift bed, staring at the shadows on the ceiling as my mind raced with too many questions. The forest, the runes, Adrian’s cryptic warnings—it was all too much. My eyelids became heavier by the second, and I allowed the whole exhaustion I felt swallow me whole.But even the sleep wasn’t so good. It was anything but.I had a dream, and in that dream, I found myself standing in the living room of my childhood home. The familiar scent of the place giving me a feeling that I had not felt in a long time. Everything looked just the same as I last remembered. The worn out couch by the window, the ugly coffee table with the markings on top of it that was there. But something felt wrong.Terribly wrong.My cheeks were wet. I reached up and touched my face, surprised to see that I was crying. My chest felt as if someone had punched a massive hole in it, as if all the joy had been scooped out and replaced with a void I could
Jemima's POVThe night was so heavy around us, so intense and quiet, the kind of silence that presses down on your chest like a foreign presence. Adrian’s voice echoed in my mind through the pack's mind link.“Shift. Now.”I didn’t hesitate. The command surged through me, setting my veins on fire. One by one, the others responded, their human forms shifting into powerful wolves with thick fur and sharp, dark claws. The shift came over me like something I wasn’t prepared for, pulling me under and spitting me out in my wolf form. My senses sharpened instantly, every sound, every scent, every movement in the forest felt as if it was amplified in my headAnd then, there was nothing. No more thudding, no more rustling. Just silence. The kind that wasn’t natural. The kind that made the fur on the back of my neck stand up.“Stay alert,” Adrian warned through the link. His voice was calm, but I could sense the tension that came with it. “Something’s out there.”I bent down low, my claws digg
Jemima’s POVThe way he said my government-issued name was enough to make me shudder with desire.I was well aware of my nipples hardening and poking through the thin material of my shirt which I held to my chest even as I jutted my chin stubbornly at him. It was as though there was a force pushing me to vex him as much as I could. A force I couldn't resist.“You have no right to tell me what or what not to say, Adrian Blackthorn. You can't control me like the rest of your Pack members.”A muscle in his jaw clenched at my provocation and then his gaze lowered to my chest, eyes lighting up with fascination at the way my hard nipples were threatening to poke through my shirt. My mouth went dry as his gaze darkened with a combination of fierce hunger and anger. “I guess I should head back to the Pack house,” Piper said, her voice barely above a whisper and turned to leave.Neither the Alpha nor I turned to acknowledge her. I found out that I couldn't barely move. The heat in my mate’s
Adrian’s POVI left Jemima’s room feeling like a piece of shit. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be punished for my past experiences but I couldn't help it. It had been easier to pretend that I thought the reason she was mad was because we had sex. Easier than admitting that I had pulled away and talking to her about Sienna. Thoughts of her still hurt and it wouldn't be a good thing if my mate thought that I was still so affected by my dead mate. “You look so lost,” my beta said, startling me. I hadn't noticed his presence.His eyes sparkled with mischief. “You know you can come to me whenever you want with your woman problem, right?”“Coming from someone who has no experience whatsoever with a woman. Go to bed, Garrett,” I replied. “That is not true,” he protested, grinning. “You can ask Piper about it.”I made a face. “Certainly not interested. Now, if you don't have anything else to say, allow me retire to my bedroom in peace.”“How did it go with Abigail?” he que
Jemima’s POVA shriek of surprise escaped my lips as he carelessly flung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.I was well aware of where his palm rested – right on my butt. “Adrian, this is not how you sweep a lady off her feet, in case that’s what you are trying to do here,” I said. He chuckled. “You should have known by now, dear mate, that I am not a gentleman. Don't worry, you are going to get used to it with time.”I snorted and didn't speak to him again until we reached my bedroom. The short dress I was wearing, rode up dangerously higher as he gently lowered me to the bed.His gaze latched on to my exposed thighs as he straightened just before I got the chance to adjust my dress. “Don’t,” he murmured, stilling the motion of my fingers. “You do not have to cover up when we are together.”My fingers tightened on the hem of my dress as I fought to control the sudden wave of anger that washed over me. “Jem, are you alright?” he queried. His tone was laced with concern.
Jemima’s POVMesmerized by the sight in front of me, I took a step forward. “You are supposed to be at the Pack House.”I whipped around to face Garrett, the spell cast by the stones broken in an instant by the sound of the Beta’s angry voice. An apology was just at the tip of my tongue but I changed my mind. He should have known better than to interrupt whatever it is that would have happened had I gone close enough to touch the stones. Something would have happened. I was sure of it.“So are you,” I said to him, not bothering to hide my irritation at his presence. He muttered something under his breath and then closed his eyes to take a deep breath. When he opened them, I saw that his anger had vanished. “It's not safe for you out here. Let's head back. I'm not going to tell Adrian about this even though it's the right thing to do. He is going to be really mad.”I shrugged. “You can tell him if you want. I didn't ask you not to.”Without waiting for him to say another word, I
Jemima’s POVI really wanted to go with Adrian to see my stepmother who seemed to be involved in the tangled web of mysteries that surrounded me. But it was a wise decision for me to stay behind. Abigail despised me and wouldn't want to give me anything I desperately needed, which in this case, were answers to my questions.Why was I so different from the others? And why did it seem as though my life was being targeted?Perhaps, if my mother hadn't cruelly abandoned me, I wouldn't have been as confused about my abilities and why I had them.Her abandonment was something I was never going to forgive. Because of her decision, I had suffered at the hands of my stepmother and her daughter. The most painful part of it all was that my father had done nothing to protect me.“Jeez, stop glaring at the forest already or you are going to set it ablaze.”Piper’s voice pierced through my thoughts, abruptly pulling me back to the present. I regarded her friendly expression for a moment. She was
Adrian’s POV“I think I now remember who it belongs to,” I continued. “Abigail.”Her brows furrowed in puzzlement at the mention of her stepmother’s name and then I felt the mockery directed at herself for forgetting that the name was quite common and not reserved for only her. “Was she a member of this Pack?” she queried.“Jemima, we are talking about your stepmother here,” I replied. Her eyes widened in surprise and I watched as she visibly struggled for what to say.“I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but a few weeks before the fight in the forest, I ran into her when I was following a trail. I think she is somehow connected to all of this,” I revealed.“You think?” my mate queried angrily. I didn't blame her. It wasn't right for me to have kept that piece of information away from her considering the relationship between them.“Why the hell didn't you tell me about it earlier?”“Calm down, Jem,” I murmured. “I just didn't think it was necessary at that time.”“But it certa
Jemima’s POVAfter Adrian hurried out of my room like a man who was on the run for his life, it felt like he had taken all the warmth with him. The room had suddenly become too quiet and I could feel the tendrils of loneliness reaching out to squeeze my heart. I hated the feeling.The whole betrayal I experienced with my former mate, Connor, had made me vow that I was never going to fully open up to another man and let myself be vulnerable. Damn the stupid mate bond. Perhaps, if I hadn't sensed how he hesitated to mark me and how he withdrew into himself right after our intense love-making, I would not have been experiencing the crushing feeling of regret. Being intimate with my mate had crossed my mind several times since we first met but I always managed to push those thoughts to the furthest parts of my mind. The Pack’s troubles had also helped me not to focus on stuff like that. I was still surprised at how the intense desire to mate had suddenly hit both of us at the same
Jemima’s POVAfter Adrian hurried out of my room like a man who was on the run for his life, it felt like he had taken all the warmth with him. The room had suddenly become too quiet and I could feel the tendrils of loneliness reaching out to squeeze my heart. I hated the feeling.The whole betrayal I experienced with my former mate, Connor, had made me vow that I was never going to fully open up to another man and let myself be vulnerable. Damn the stupid mate bond. Perhaps, if I hadn't sensed how he hesitated to mark me and how he withdrew into himself right after our intense love-making, I would not have been experiencing the crushing feeling of regret. Being intimate with my mate had crossed my mind several times since we first met but I always managed to push those thoughts to the furthest parts of my mind. The Pack’s troubles had also helped me not to focus on stuff like that. I was still surprised at how the intense desire to mate had suddenly hit both of us at the same
Adrian’s POVAs I settled my head between the moist juncture of her thighs, every thought that I had to take it slow and tease her mercilessly, nearly fled from me. She smelled so good that my mouth watered and it took every ounce of willpower that I had in me to keep from immediately digging in.I took deep breaths to regain control but the soft sounds of pleasure she made as my breath tickled her centre, nearly made me lose it again. Fighting for control, I rubbed my palms gently along her thighs as I kept on torturing her with my breath against her moist heat. When her clit started to pulse with pleasure, I knew I had lost the battle. With a sigh, I allowed my tongue to taste her and it nearly drove me mad with pleasure, her cries only made things worse. My dick throbbed painfully but I was determined to satisfy her needs first.I lapped at her centre like a hungry dog, allowing her taste and smell to cloud my senses.At that point, I was certain that neither of us would have