ANNA KYLIN CHESTERTHE ROAD TO the hospital was deserted, as it had only been built a year ago and nobody in the kingdom had gone there. As werewolves, it was unusual to get sick. Mitch had only built the hospital out of formality, and because I was graduating as a doctor, and according to him, it would be strange to have a doctor without a hospital. But he never gave the thought to staffing the hospital; I chuckled as I entered the quiet corridors, still new with unuse.In another circumstance, the hospital would be like something out of a horror movie. It was too new and clean to be normal.My steps echoed down the hall as I made my way to the ward where I knew Enrique was. Alphonso walked behind me silently, on alert.We got to the ward where Enrique was, and as we approached, I could hear small murmuring coming from the room. I gave a small knock and pushed it open. Lorna was sitting on a bedside chair. She looked like she had slept there. Enrique was on the bed, lying on his sto
RICK FORSONRICK WALKED OUT of the table, ignoring Jones's subtle shaking of his head. Mitch was right, Jones had never had a mate, he didn't know what it felt like. He was in no position to give advice on mate matters. Rick went out of the dining room, following Reine's scent. She was outside the pack house."Reine," he called softly. She turned and looked at him, She inhaled sharply at the hungry look in his eyes. He walked to her and took her hands gently. "You... ""No, Rick," She said in a weak voice"No to what?" He asked, "No, to the mate bond that the moon goddess has placed upon us?""You have to reject me," she said. "You have to.""Why?" Rick asked. He held Reine's hand loosely, giving her the chance to remove it, but she did not."We can't," She shook her head. "Luna Beth...""After everything we have been through, this pack deserves more than Beth," Rick said. "It deserves someone with a good heart, someone strong and moral... not some stu-" he took a deep breath and sto
MITCH CHESTER"YOU DON'T LOOK too happy that Rick is acting upon his feelings," Mitch said when they were alone after Rick walked out to meet Reine."You don't know anything," Jones snarled.Mitch smirked arrogantly. "Tell me what I don't know.""You were not here the last time Rick acted with his feelings," Jones said. "He made a bad decision that almost wiped out this pack and the werewolf race in general -""So he makes one bad choice, and it can't be forgotten?" Mitch asked, picking up his cup of whiskey and sipping it gently.Jones scoffed. "I had to kidnap a doctor to rescue us from extinction.""I still haven't forgiven you for that," Mitch growled. "A little letter or nice email would have sufficed.""You think doctor Anna would have agreed to come back here to help the pack that treated her so bad -""She was thinking of coming here on her own free will!" Mitch snapped. "You do not know much about her, do you?" When Jones shook his head, Mitch asked, "Were you not the Beta 7
MITCH CHESTERJONES SAT DOWN and pinned his gaze on Mitch, who took his time before saying, "Did it ever occur to you to wonder why vampires came back to the world all of a sudden?""We asked around," Rick said under his breath."And?""The other packs around got attacked too a few times, but the attack stopped." Jones answered."Do you know why?" Mitch asked. They both shook their heads. "Because the vampire king is not looking to conquer werewolves. At least not yet.""What do you mean?" Rick asked, frowning slightly."He wants something first," Mitch replied."What is it?" Jones asked."That is what I am here to find out," Mitch answered, leaning back and taking another sip of his drink.Rick growled and banged his fist on the table. "I was starting to like you, Lycan. But you are here to play games with me and my pack. I might as well hand you over to the council.""And risk Reine hating you forever?" Mitch laughed. "I don't think you would."Jones growled. "I knew you had an ulte
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER THE REST OF the day went quite well after my little "advnture" with Enrique in the hospital. I took a stroll by the trading center. Some new stuff came in from the human town - mostly things we couldn't get or grow here, like fruits, some veggies, and other groceries. While I was with the traders, the furniture truck for Lorna's house came in a few hours after noon. I went there to see what was going on. Draco was there to organize them. I got word that the Senate was meeting and I needed to attend. I had never attended a Senate meeting without Mitch by my side before."Do you need me to be there?" Draco asked, but I shook my head. "Are you sure?" He pressed. "Bob has a very mean streak against you. Are you sure you'll be okay? I can leave all of this and join you there." He turned to one of the men carrying the furniture and yelled, "Oi, not there! Put the cane chairs outside on the patio, the brown couches are going to be inside the living room, you hear me?"H
ANNA KYLIN CHESTERI GOT TO the school just in time as the bell rang for closing time and children poured out of the front doors. The two guards assigned to watch the school during the daytime came to stand with me, eyes and senses on alert as we waited for the children to come through.As the clock ticked, my mind started imagining different case scenarios. And none of them were good.Maybe the vampire king had found his way into the school and snatched the children when the guards didn't know. Or maybe the council had wanted to bring Mitch out using the children, so they had kidnapped the kids and used them as bait... my mind kept on churning different awful thoughts until to my imminent relief, the familiar heads of my children bobbed in the crowd.It was Olly who saw me first, he gripped Aiden's hand and pointed at me, waiting by the car. Aiden gasped and frantically beat at his sister to get her attention, then they tore through the crowd mindlessly. This was the first time I saw
ANNA KYLIN CHESTER "REINE?" I COUGHED back the sudden rush of emotions that clouded my body. "Reine? Is that really you?" "It is me, Luna," she replied. Her voice was also thick with emotion. Tears flooded my eyes, and I covered my mouth with my hand and shook with emotions."I am sorry for leaving you-" I said. "I should never have made a promise that I could not keep. I keep wondering how bad things are -""Luna -""Don't say anything to comfort me, Reine," I sniffled. "You don't have to be so kind. I messed up by leaving you with my monster of a sister and her mate -""Luna -" Reine tried to cut in again."No, no, Reine," I interrupted, wiping my tears from my face. I closed my eyes and imagined what Beth had done to Reine after she woke up from the slap I gave her. My head was filling up with the worst case scenarios of everything."Luna!" Reine said with a strength in her voice that I never noticed before. My wolf spirit, Ava, immediately felt the power from the single word. It
RICK FORSONOUT OF COURTESY, Rick had offered to help Mitch in the search through the scrolls and old books from the study, but as he did that, his mind constantly went back to his mate, who he was sure was waiting for him in her room.He felt elated and constantly thanked the moon goddess for giving him a second-chance mate, or was it his first fated mate? He wondered as he opened to another page on a leather book and his eyes skimmed through thr pages for any mention of the Kylin history.Reine was his first fated mate. He smiled.He and Anna were happy with each other before Beth came into their lives, but they had not been fated together. They chose each other out of convenience, and had made things work - that is, until Beth came swooping down with her deceit and lies."Rick?" Jones voice entered Rick's head through the mindlink.Rick shook himself out of his thoughts and looked at Jones, who gestured at Rick's hand. Rick looked down and saw that he was gripping the page very tig