-Aurelia-“Au-Aurelia?!” Madison’s voice was good to hear, even despite how loud she was. I looked around nervously. I didn’t want anyone walking up on two half naked young women standing in the forest. Where it was clear that I was nervous, Madison seemed not to have a care in the world. “Aurelia, I…I can’t believe this!” Madison rushed toward me, an ecstatic look in her eyes. Nevermind the fact that we both were bare in the moonlight. She wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so glad to see you again!” “Ha, thanks!” I chuckled. “It’s-I’m glad to see you too.” Madison pulled away from her. “What are you doing here?” she asked, as she steadily began to put on the remainder of her clothes. “I…well, I came back home for my…” It was hard to even mention her mom around others. “For?” Madison pressed, but not in an intolerable sort of way. She was curious as I remembered her to be. “My mom,” I finally replied. “Oh! Ms. Char! How is she? I think about her often. Is everything oka
The hunting hour was close, and I was so glad for it. I needed the break, from everyone and everything. My thoughts were still in a whirlwind from that day when I saw her. I was glad that Josephine had gone home to visit her father because being around her seemed to only make me feel worse about the whole ordeal.Why? Because I really wanted to see her again. I stood on the hill overlooking the vast land owned by the Sno pack, anticipating the moment where I tore away from this human body and roamed free with my beast, Maxim.“We should find her.” he suggested in the back of my mind.Immediately, I scoffed, annoyed and intrigued by the idea. Annoyed because it was probably the worst idea that he could think of; trying to find a woman that not only did I reject, but also manipulated her memory to forget almost everything that she knew.I was still intrigued, however, by the terrible idea, because simply put, I just wanted to see her again.“We will run into her, one way or another. It
-Aurelia-“So, are you sure it’s a good idea for you to be meeting me like this?” I asked Madison as she sat across from me at the table of the small cafe we sat at.She sipped on her black coffee. “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” I chuckled. “Don’t want you getting into trouble for associating with me,” I told her. “Seems that pack life…wolf life in general is far more strict than I previously thought. I’m learning that more and more every day.” Madison sighed. “Colter Sloan cannot tell me who to talk to and who not to talk to,” Madison said. “If he has a problem with me talking to you then…well, he’ll just have to get over it.” “Okay,” I laughed a little. “If you say so.”“Besides,” Madison went on to say. “Not like I told him that you were even here,” she shrugged. “He doesn’t even know that you’re back.”I sat there quiet, sheepishly staring down at my drink. Madison seemed to catch my sudden awkward silence.“Right? He…he doesn’t know that you’re here…I mean-I-I didn’t tell hi
-Aure-Mom had been doing pretty well over the last few days with the new herbs that I’d been getting from the shop.Her walk had gotten a little peppier, and her energy levels had improved a bit. Sure, she was still a bit weak but the little improvements were better than nothing at all.“Hey, sweetie?” I heard mom call me as I finished brewing her special tea. “Yeah, mom?” “How do you feel about pizza tonight?”Pizza? Both me and Sephara were surprised by the suggestion, as mom hadn’t been able to eat anything so heavy like that for a long time.I chuckled. “Yeah, sure! If you’re down, I’m down.” My phone began to ring. “But I’d still have some soup or broth on hand just in case.” “Yes, hon, I know, I know.” I could hear her replying impatiently as I picked up the phone.“Only trying to look out for my best girl!” I teased before answering. “Hello”It was Madison. Again.Ever since our little meet up at the cafe, she’d been hassling me nonstop to not only take her up on her offer t
-Aure-Alpha? Of the Moors? “Moors?” I emphasized the word after she confessed this. What on earth was I supposed to do with this information?“Yes, Aure,” she said. “You heard me correctly. It’s a wolf pack that lives deep in the Moors, a place quite majestic in its way.”“Mom, you’ve got to be kidding.”“I wish I was,” she chuckled tensely. “It’s not the easiest place to live when you’re a human-born wolf.”“What?” I had never heard of something like this before. To be honest, I had never heard of any of this before. All of it was new to me. What my mother was telling was simply furthering the concept of my mind being blown.She sighed. At this point, I had noticed that she was showing signs of fatigue and so I helped her to her favorite reclining chair, and propped her feet up.Mom leaned back in her chair, and then continued to explain. “That’s why I never told you, Aure,” she said. “About your true nature. Your father and I thought that you were like me, and he felt that since he
-Aure-I was wholly invested in mom's history at this point. Sitting on edge, as I pressed and waited for her to tell me how she and my father met.“How?” I could tell that there was an interesting story behind it.“He, uh, he was the enemy,” she said. “Your father, he was Sigma, the strong lone wolf of the Moors. And well, your grandparents had gotten a little too arrogant, I guess. They were powerful, the strongest mated couple in the territory. That power went to their head, and they moved in on the Sigma’s territory, deciding that together they could take him.” she laughed. “They were wrong.” “Did he kill them?” I asked.“No,” she answered. “But he took the pack from them, and banished them. And…for good measure,” she paused, a slick grin on her face. “He took their daughter as his.”“What?” Eyes wide, shocked and bewildered, I asked, “Dad-wait, are you saying that you are a daughter of the Moors?”She chuckled. “That’s a…regal way of saying it.” said mom. “The thing is, I never co
-Colt-It felt like days since the last time I talked to my best friend and Beta.Mads was clearly angry with me after the last time that we’d spoken. It had begun to seem as if the only thing that I could do lately was upset her. “This doesn’t have anything to do with me, does it?” I heard Josephine say from behind me as I blankly stared in the bathroom mirror at my reflection. “Everything bad that happens between Mads and I isn’t always about you, love,” I said in the most cordial way that I could.Fortunately, Josephine actually wasn’t the most sensitive when it came to telling it like it is.“Ah, good. I was beginning to think that I was the center of her little universe.” She spoke in a teasing manner as she wrapped her arms around my wide torso, her naked breast pressed against my back as she said, “Maybe instead of guessing whether the girl is still upset with you, just go talk to her?” she asked. “Might be best that I give her some space, Jo.”“You’ve given her enough space,
-Colter-“What are you doing here?” Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, knocking me out of my trance of how positively sexy she was.My wolf growled, and I knew that he felt the same thing that I felt at that moment. “Hello?” Madison irately followed. “She asked you a question! What? Are you following me now?”“No-yes, no, no!” I stumbled out. “I just needed to know who it was that you were meeting…who this ... .this... .it's you?” I asked.I sensed something different about her-something strong, and inhuman.She didn’t respond, only averted her gaze and took a shot of her drink.“You’re....no longer...human,” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “So, now you’re telling me about myself? Is that it?” “Wh-no, no, that’s-that’s not what I was doing at all. I just-”There was no coming back from the fumble I just made. “Are you done making a fool of yourself, now?” I ignored Madison and turned my full gaze on Aurelia Smith. “You look good, Aurelia.” And oh did she? The sheer mesh romper
The silence stretched, thick and heavy, as everyone settled into the living room. The scent of the Moors, musky and potent, lingered, a stark reminder of the intrusion.I watched the Alpha of the Moors, Mason, as he moved with an almost predatory grace, his eyes never quite leaving my mother. And when they did, it was only to give me a once-over."So," Connor Sloan began, breaking the unspoken tension between us, "perhaps we can begin by understanding the purpose of your visit, Alpha Mason? As I understand it, there was some urgency to this meeting."Mason inclined his head slightly towards Connor, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. "Indeed, Alpha Sloan. My purpose is quite simple. It has come to our attention that Luna Charis, and her daughter, Aurelia, are… alive." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "And that Aurelia is the direct heir to the Moors’ seat."Charis, though pale, sat upright, her eyes sharp. "We made our reasons for leaving the Moors quite
-AURE POV-The scent of the Moors hung heavy in the air. I’d never been there before, but I imagined that the scent was painfully similar to the Alpha and his minions. Their essence, it was musky and potent, mingling with the familiar scent of home. It wasn’t a terrible odor, but the scent still gave me unease. It gave me an unease because ultimately, their being here was an invasion, a violation of our space, and it made my wolf snarl deep within me. The Alpha of the Moors stood in the center of my living room, a tall, broad figure that seemed to command the very air around him. Even in the warm lamplight, his face remained mostly obscured in shadow, adding to his aura of intimidating power. To his right stood Josephine, her features sharp and clear, and perfect, a tight smile plastered on her face. Beside her was another male, equally tall and imposing, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze sweeping over us with cool assessment. I sensed that he wasn’t far from the high com
-AURELIA-The hours crawled by, each one thick with a tension that clung to the air, making it hard to breathe. It was this weird mix of dread and anticipation, like waiting for a storm to break, but you didn't know if it would be a drizzle or a hurricane. A strange hum vibrated beneath every word spoken, every movement made.I moved with a restless energy, checking on Mom. I had even made sure that every window was locked (even though I knew it wouldn't matter against them but at least I’d have a heads up if someone tried to sneak up from behind.) The small and seemingly insignificant preparations all helped to create some semblance of order in the chaos brewing inside me. But even my frantic activity couldn't distract me from the scene unfolding in the living room.Connor Sloan, the Alpha of their pack, had Mom cornered in a deep conversation. "Cornered" might be too harsh, but he definitely had her full attention. And she most certainly had his. His voice, a low rumble that seem
-Aurelia-The days crawled by, each tick of the clock a hammer-like blow to my gradually fraying nerves. Colter’s warning, though begrudgingly acknowledged, echoed in my head, a constant, and irritating reminder of his unwanted foresight. And…a tinge of concern.“At least he told me, I muttered under my breath, a tiny concession in the face of my simmering resentment.Mom, bless her, tried to soothe my anxiety, her voice a gentle balm against the coming storm raging within me.“Aurelia, sweetheart, you must project confidence. You are a Disperser, a very powerful wolf, and a strong young woman. A daughter of two extremely powerful lines. Show them who you are.” Her words, though comforting, did little to quell the gnawing fear that coiled in the pit of my gut.I spent hours pacing, rehearsing scenarios, preparing for the worst. After listening to the stories of hostility and judgment-the shunning of those that were abnormal within the Moors from mom, I wasn’t very confident that this
-Colter-Ever since my heated conversation with Josephine, my mind was ill at ease. I’d kept some pack members checking patrolling around the territory-including the more human-populated areas.I had hoped that Josephine wouldn’t show up at Aurelia and her mother’s residence without telling me. But to be honest, I couldn’t be sure. “Any news?” I asked as Madison approached. She shook her head. “No, fortunately not. At least for now.”“Good,” I said. My next question was one of reluctance, but one that I needed to know nonetheless. I swallowed my pride and parted my lips to ask.“I haven’t seen her since I visited her last week, Colt,” she said. “And she hasn’t been using our territory to release her wolf.”She already knew what I wanted to know. I took a deep breath, silently hoping that she was okay.Then an odd sensation enveloped me. A sense of a familiar nearness. “Madison, did…did Aurelia say something about…about coming here?”Before she could answer, the loud and resonating so
-Aurelia-The air in the house felt thick, heavy with the unspoken. Josephine's words, "His line is not dead," echoed in my mind, a chilling pronouncement that sent shivers down my spine.I’d been out on a ride that day in an attempt to free my mind of the weariness I’d begun to feel as the days went by. “To have them both coming to our home on the same night. Seph, this can’t be good, can it?”I could hear my and feel my wolf’s weighted concern as she heavy sigh resonated from her in the back of my mind. That was all the response that I needed at this point.Once I hit a fork in the road, I turned around and took the drive back home. It was close to mom’s tea time.When I pulled up, I noticed a jeep in the yard. I pulled my helmet off and quickly headed to the vehicle. It was empty.“She must be in there already.” I knew who it was by the scent that surrounded the vehicle. I pressed forward to the house without as much concern as before and unlocked the door. “Ma?”“Yes, dear. In t
-JOSEPHINE-He sat in his seat, staring at me. I was glad that we were the only two present in my father’s office. This was information of a sensitive nature after all. “I am so glad to see you have returned home once again, love,” he said to me. “Or at least I would be,” he then added.I tried to feign confusion at first. “You’re not happy to see me?” I asked him.He chuckled with only slight amusement before he said, “Oh, I am always happy to see you, Jose. You are, after all, the only daughter that I have-my only child, and the heir to my seat.”I offered a small, incomplete smile. The word heir seemed to carry a bitter taste in my mouth of late. I was sure that after the conversation that I was soon to have with him, he’d feel the same.“However,” my father finally continued, pulling me out of my reverie. “Twice in one week, five in the course of two,” he said adding up my visits in total from this week to the last. “Even you could understand the sudden concern. And the fact that
-Colter-I sat in the darkness. As I heard the click of the lock echoing in the silent room, I knew that Josephine had finally returned from her midnight excursion.She closed the door behind her, and leaned against the solid wood, letting out a breath-one harsh and long. It was almost as if she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding it in this whole time.Something was clearly on her mind, I, at this point, couldn’t bring myself to care. I knew where she’d been. I could smell it on her.My visit to Aurelia’s house, seeing her mother as she was-it left me with a knot of unease in my stomach, a feeling I couldn’t quite place.“Where have you been?” I asked as soon as she turned from the door. Josephine didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she began to remove her jacket, her movements slow and deliberate. “Josephine!” I snapped. “Answer me!”She expelled a harsh sigh before saying, “The same place you’ve been, my love.” Her words were nonchalant, boarding on dismissive, as her eyes avo
-Aure-The click of the lock echoed in the silent house as I closed the door behind Colter. Leaning against the solid wood, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Why did he have to be so… decent tonight? So respectful to my mother? It was so infuriating. Hating him was significantly easy for me after what he’d done. And letting him go was only made easier because of his betrayal as well.Sure, there was something lingering. Something that I couldn’t place or understand. I could only assume that every wolf who had to deal with the turmoil of rejection had to deal with such troubles.Then he had to go on and be…decent-respectful, not only to me but my mother as well. Didn't he realize the mess he was making, dragging us back into a world we'd fought so hard to escape? That I had been waiting for years to escape. And yet… that lingering glance, that question about how I was feeling…it was like a tiny ember refusing to be extinguished. A stupid, foolish ember that thr