I pulled my hand out of Jared’s so fast that I nearly popped my shoulder at the quick movement. Although, I didn’t know why I was so affected by the sudden appearance of the redhead. There was no denying that Amanda was intimidating with her slim, tall figure and her flaming red hair that despite being wavy, never looked unkempt or tangled. I knew girls who had wavy hair and hated it because it was difficult to maintain. Amanda looked like she could tame anything, and that easily included wavy hair. Even now, it was the middle of the night and she looked like a fire goddess. She was wearing a blood-red nightgown with a black wrap over it. Her bright wavy hair was loose and wild, but still managed to tumble over her shoulders in neat waves. Her eyes were the scariest at the moment. They were almost orange in the dim lighting of the empty recovery room like they were filled with tiny flames. She literally looked like she wanted to burn a hole through my head, and I wasn’t completely c
*Claire*I sighed as I pushed my food around on my plate. I regretted not grabbing any vegetables, but I wasn’t very good at eating them anyway. Avery usually forced me to grab a side of veggies when we ate together, but this evening, she was working late at the infirmary.I offered to help her since she had fallen behind on some boring inventory-type stuff, but she insisted I go ahead and have dinner without her. She was too sharp and observant and noticed that I barely ate that day. She knew all she had to do was refuse my help, and I would be forced to go to dinner without her.She didn’t seem to realize that if she didn’t eat with me, I was eating alone.I looked over where Kent and the other higher-ups tended to sit during meals. I hadn’t seen the Gamma since we got caught during our training session by Jared. I couldn’t help but be concerned for my new friend.Jared had said Kent and I would still be allowed to train together, but I should have also made sure that the Alpha woul
“I thought you hated me,” I murmured in a heated whisper.Jared just stared down at me, his golden eyes giving nothing away. His large hand came up to cup the side of my face, his breath hot against my skin as he lowered his head toward me.I tried to push him away, to struggle beneath him, but my body wasn’t my own. It wouldn’t obey me. I just lay there helplessly, waiting anxiously for what he was about to do.Jared sat up suddenly and threw his head back, howling deeply, thick tufts of fur growing on his neck and the sides of his face.“What—” I gasped.My eyelids flew open.Just a dream.I blew out a breath, but it immediately got caught in my throat at the commotion outside my bedroom window. Deep haunting howls shook the thin walls of my room and I jumped out of bed, running to the window to see dozens of Moonstone members running.Was this some kind of fire alarm or something?I looked around wildly. No smoke, which was a good sign.I grabbed a thin jacket to throw over my shou
I held the now empty vial in my hand, clutching it as Rob fell backward and shivered hard over the exam table. He started to make gurgling noises, white bubbles forming at his mouth and spilling off the side of his face. His glassy eyes started to roll back into his head.“Claire?” Avery gasped in shock as she rushed over to stand beside me.We watched as the thin wounds across Rob’s chest began to widen, a gush of blood spilling onto the white table.“Why isn’t it working?” I shrieked. I grabbed the whole container of gauze and pressed it to the man’s convulsing chest. I whirled to stare at Avery with wide eyes. “We have to do something!”Avery just shook her head. It was too late.Rob was no longer moving.Avery rushed to his side, grabbing onto his wrists and looking at his face. She put her ear against his chest. She lifted her head and her eyes were hollow and wide with shock.“He’s gone,” she said, her lips barely moving.I felt my ears ringing and the room began to spin.“But h
Shock coursed through me, although it really shouldn’t have.It was obvious from the time I first set foot on Moonstone that Amanda was pining for Jared. Each time she looked at him, she was fluttering her eyelashes and gave him seductive looks.Jared had been harder to read. He seemed to definitely tolerate her even though she didn’t hesitate to challenge him in front of the entire pack. It always shocked me whenever he would allow her to disrespect him. He was quick to berate anyone else when they stopped even a foot out of line.The only explanation was that they were mated.Amanda’s past behavior was making so much sense, from the way she hung on Jared’s arm to the way she could get away with just about anything. I knew that there had to be something else going on. She couldn’t get that much special treatment just because she was the daughter of the Beta.I watched Jared’s face, which was set in stone. It was clear that he didn’t want the news of their being mated shared this way.
I obeyed, shocked that I was able to do so as if I was surrounded by the cleanest air in the world. It was a momentary instant, but enough for me to survive.My body was still weak but my mind was clear.I could sense the tiniest flow of the water, although I couldn’t do much more. So I waited.Finally, a splash rang above me. Jared was swimming toward me, holding a sharp knife in his mouth. He was shocked when he saw me quietly sitting there, waiting for him.I gave him a nod. His handsome face softened, and I could clearly see the worry in his eyes was replaced by relief.Without any delay, he cut the ties and the ropes. My wrists easily broke through the binds and the stones attached to my legs fell away. As soon as I was freed, he grabbed me by my waist and swam toward the surface.The beacon of moonlight above me was whining through the water. He gave me a forceful push, and I gulped in lungfuls of air as I burst through the surface of the water.The air flowed into my lungs so q
*Jared*I could feel my temper rising with each passing moment. Sleep was in short supply for me, but I was sure the majority of Moonstone probably didn’t rest well after the attacks and the near-persecution of Claire.There was hardly any time for rest anyway. As soon as we returned from the lake, I was immediately called by the elders for an emergency meeting. I understood the value of sitting amongst the wisest of our pack members, but I couldn’t help but find it tedious to end such a chaotic evening.“We’ve seen more rogues lately. Not only us, our neighbors as well. We should collaborate with them for patrolling … the rogues we encountered were much more powerful than before, we need to intensify training…”While the elders discussed the further fortification of our borders and the improvement of our troops, which would take weeks in order to complete, I found myself thinking about a certain dark-haired ex-rogue.I was replaying those terrifying moments when I watched her disappe
*Claire*One would think that I would stay away from the lake after almost drowning in it just two nights prior, but I found that I couldn’t do that. Yes, it had been a traumatizing experience, one that I was unlikely to forget for the rest of my life, but it also filled me with a fierce determination to reconnect with my wolf and fulfill whatever wishes my parents had for me before they passed away.After the fight for my life, Avery insisted that I take a couple of days off from working with her at the infirmary. I understood her reasoning. I had nearly drowned and had been soaked to the bone in the cold lake water and while I woke up without any kind of ailment, I was drained and weak from all the intense and exhausting events.I stayed in bed for most of that first day, forcing myself up during meals. I was used to being ignored or thrown dirty looks by people as I wandered through the community, so I was shocked when some people actually greeted me.Of course, there were always s
*Claire*As we approached our camp for lunch, my nose twitched, taking in a medley of odors that didn't belong to Todd, Bryan or Frank. “Alan, wait a moment!” He responded with a nod. “We have visitors.”We slowed our pace and fell into a crouch. Peering through the foliage, I saw Frank's back was pressed against the tree where Bryan was tied up against. Next to him was Todd and Bryan. The ropes that had bound Bryan now lay discarded on the ground. They were circled by ten rugged scavengers, while two other were rummaging through our belongings."Thank Goodness you're back. Help, Claire," Todd's voice cut through the stillness, "Those freaking omegas, they are stealing our food!""Stay back!” One of the bigger attackers barked in a gruff voice. I assumed he was their leader. "If you don't want your friends to die."I shifted my weight, ready to charge. Despite them having a bigger number, there was no doubt in my mind that we were stronger and faster. Just then, Alan pulled me bac
I whipped my head toward Alan. Suddenly, the air was thick with tension. Todd locked eyes with Alan, neither willing to break the stare. "Todd," I said, tugging at his arm, trying to defuse the situation, "I can just stay here with you. Alan, do you mind hunting without me?" Not that I fully trust Alan, but I also didn’t want to fracture the fragile alliance we'd just build. Besides, Alan seemed to know quite a lot, and I was hoping to get more information from him. Suddenly, a glint of metal caught my eye. Alan's hand moved and a dagger charged toward Todd. "Watch out!" I yelled, adrenaline surging through me. However, the tip of the blade stopped right in front of Todd’s heart, barely touching his skin. "What’s this all about?" Todd inquired, his voice steady, remarkably unfazed compared to my own racing heart. His eyes remained locked on Alan, expecting an explanation. Alan smirked. He extended the dagger to Todd. "Take this." Todd frowned, but he still took the dagger. Ala
*Claire* After Alan mentioned that our potential threats from Reeva, Todd and I almost immediately agreed to the alliance proposal. As a token of good faith, we shared half of our jerky. “Bryan and Frank can take turns to carry Todd,” Alan said while chewing the dry meat, “Sorry, man, we broke a few bones of yours.” “All good,” Todd grinned, “I’ll enjoy my ride for the next few days.” I knelt beside Todd, examining his wounds and the jagged line of his broken bones. “Hold still, Todd, I need to align your bones.” Alan stood a short distance away, watching me. “You're quite skillful at healing. It's not exactly a common skill among rogues. Were you a born healer?” "Not exactly." I secured a sturdy branch against Todd's leg with strips of fabric torn from my shirt. “Then how did you learn it?” “I was once told, that as a weak and useless omega, I should at least pick some skill and do my part for the…pa, people around me.” I realized that I almost let my past slip. I frowned.
A huge rogue stepped out, his body marked by scars of survival, his gaze fixed on our fresh provisions. Behind him were two other smaller wolves. Todd’s wolf had jumped between me and our foes by now, his low growling warned the rogues to back off. I kept to my human form. Todd and I had a plan for situations like this. If attacked and one of us wasn't shifted, we'd stay in our perspective forms. The human would be the bait and play weak, luring the enemy into a false sense of security, while the wolf waited to strike at the right moment. That was why we always camped near trees with climbing ropes at the ready for a quick getaway if needed. In this case, I was the bait. “Don’t… don’t come over!” I faked a shaky, small voice, while getting my escaping ropes ready and started running away. Usually, one of the wolves would go after me, and Todd would evaluate the situation and launch his blow. However, none of the three wolves moved. The hell? Why didn’t it work? I gasped as t
“Wait a moment!” Kent went after me. “What?” I glared at him. He knew he couldn’t talk me out of it. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to stop you. It’s Avery. She just mindlinked me.” He paused, “Urgent.” “What happened?” I frowned. Ever since Claire’s departure, Avery did her best to avoid me. Deep down, she probably blamed me for everything, and she was right, I pushed Claire away. “She said she spotted Amanda and Damien together in the small woods near the lake, Amanda was arguing with him and mentioned something like ‘another vial’. Avery said she was going to tail them and asked me to tell you that…” Kent looked at me a bit worriedly, and cleared his voice and mimicked Avery’s voice “ ‘if the Alpha is upset with me, he can punish me when I’m back.’” “How dare she!” I growled. “You’re not really going to punish her, aren’t you,” Kent hurriedly defended her, “You know, she would never disobey you with ill intention. She’s just—” “Ask her to keep a safe distance and repo
*Jared*I kissed her hard, feeling the desperation surge through me as I hugged her close to my chest. I knew this couldn’t last. I had been through this heartbreak dozens of times already, each time more painful than the last.Some invisible force yanked me away roughly and I was forced to look down into Claire’s confused, but gorgeous blue eyes. Her lips quivered into a frown and I badly wanted to kiss her again so that the sad form would disappear.“I reject you,” I heard myself say in a low, cruel voice.Pain exploded on her face and large tears streamed down her smooth cheeks, as anguish and agony ripped my heart apart.Just as I thought the excruciating burn from the rejection was going to tear me into pieces, I woke up.I gasped and sat up in my bed, my whole body shaking at the nightmare. I wiped a hand over my face, groaning at the pounding headache that felt like it was threatening to split my skull open.
She tried to rip her arm away from my hand, but I held on to her wrist.Yes, I would have to let her go eventually, but not yet.Not right now.She took a deep breath, and then finally parted her rosy lips.“Good, you’re awake,” she said, her voice flat.I tried not to let my expression change at how calm and almost indifferent her tone was. She was acting as if she wasn’t experiencing any kind of emotional turmoil that I had been.No way that was true. I read the intensity in her eyes just now and when we were in the throne room. The pull between us was powerful, undeniable. She had to be feeling it, which meant she was fighting it.I didn’t say anything, just continued to observe her as she started to struggle in my hold. She refused to give in to her own feelings or the irresistible connection between us.Just how stubborn was this woman?“What are you doing? Please let go of me.&rd
I had subconsciously avoided looking at Jared ever since Bentley was dead because I couldn’t bring myself to face my mate’s miserable state. However, there was only so long I could drag.“Todd, give me a hand please.”“You don’t have to get up. Just tell me what to do … okay, fine.”Todd helped me over to Jared after he saw my stubborn face.I almost regretted it as soon as I saw Jared. His handsome face was swollen and bloody, and his eyes were shut. Even in his unconsciousness, he seemed to be undergoing a great amount of pain.My knees gave in, and I kneeled over him. Tears were already streaming down my cheeks as I dug through the medical pouch on my waist, thanking the Goddess that I thought to pack medical supplies.Luckily, his chest was rising and falling slightly but evenly, giving me some confidence. I brushed the tears from my cheek and got to work, using everything I had learned fr
Our enemies had gotten stronger.In the short time since our last battle, the Blood Moon pack had somehow doubled in numbers and were much less sloppy in terms of their strategy. We had to be steadfast and diligent as we moved through the trees.“Three men per group. One defends, one attacks and the third should act as a watchman for the group, focusing on identifying the invisible attacker while providing aid to your other two group mates!!” I gave my order, and within fifteen seconds, my warriors finished forming their groups.“Kent,’ I instructed my Gamma via mind link, “take a small team and stay hidden. We need to figure out what the hell is behind the invisible attackers and how they work!”“Got it.”Then we charged toward our enemies, me included.I fought alongside two warriors just like the rest of my troops. My role in our small group was the watchman. I took a deep breath and started