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*The first sensation I was aware of when I regained consciousness was that I was swaying. My arms were stinging and aching terribly as if circulation was being cut off from them. My whole body was aching. I cracked an eye open and the first thing I saw was the forest floor. It was moving, shifting back and forth in front of my eyes in quick, jarring movements.It took me a few seconds to realize that it wasn’t the ground moving. I was moving. I was tied up with rope and was dangling a couple of feet off of the ground. I stayed as still as I could and peeked above me.I almost squealed with fear when I saw Bentley’s wolf eyes only a few inches away from me. He had shifted and was biting down on the end of the rope that was tied around my body. I looked like a hunted animal as he trotted along. I tried to be discreet as I glanced around, trying not to alert him that I was conscious.The next thing I noticed was that my jaw ached horribly and it was difficult to breathe. I had so
*Claire*I did my best to put up a tough facade, but I was shaking inside in reality. Reeva had an air about her that screamed ill intentions with her dark clothes and sinister grin. Worst of all, I was under the impression that she knew who I was.I didn’t want someone like her to know me.I tilted my chin up as best as I could, despite the fact that Reeva had a tight grip on my face. “You speak to me as if I’m supposed to know who you are.”The frightening grin grew and I barely had time to shudder when she suddenly tossed me back on the cold floor, shoving me so that I fell hard.“I suppose it’s not shocking that you don’t know me, little bird,” she practically cooed. She started to step around me, moving as if she was floating. Her shoes didn’t make a sound, unlike the loud clicks of Amanda’s heels. “Your family didn’t stick around long enough for you to know me.”I struggled to sit up, my side throbbing from the impact of my fall. “How the hell do you know my family?”Reeva scoff
*Jared*When we were just about to shift and set out to track down the vile Blood Moon pack, a hurried voice stopped us.“Alpha Jared!”I ignored the voice, unwilling to turn my attention away from the task at hand, but Kent grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I gave him an irritated look but dutifully turned around.Todd, the rogue was running toward us. He was probably not much younger than me, but there was an eagerness about him that was childish.I sneered at him, angry that he had slowed us down.“Why are you still on my land?” I snapped.As a courtesy that I felt was too kind, we had Avery look the guy over before sending him on his way once it was clear he had sustained no serious injuries.Most of the vicious rogues we encountered in the past had scars, patched fur, or wounds that told us they were belligerent, but Todd wasn’t like them. Especially after he was fully back to himself, he actually carried himself more like a traveling scholar than a filthy rogue. Because of that,
*Claire*A part of me was marveling at how I keep finding myself in situations like this one. The amount of turmoil and danger I managed to put myself in since coming to Moonstone was starting to make my previous life as a rogue seem like a merry picnic.I dug my teeth into my lip as the pain increased in my wrists. I had been working for hours to get the Wolfsbane cuffs loose and I was finally able to wiggle my wrists enough to reveal a loose thread. My fingers stung when I grabbed the end and tug on it to slowly unravel the cuffs. I stayed on my side and tried to look meek and depressed as I worked on the cuffs.Eventually, I had it to the point where I was certain that I would be able to break free of them.I still couldn’t believe the witch actually thought I might agree to kill Jared. I thought she might kill me on the spot after my immediate refusal, but she just looked amused, as if I was a little girl that told her that I wanted to be a fairy one day. She had chuckled, patted
*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