-AURE-Kenneth stared at his nephew blankly when he thought that Colter wasn’t looking. The young alpha didn’t have to look, though, as he could feel his uncle’s eyes boring into the back of his head.“I wish you would stop staring like that.”“I…I’m sorry, nephew,” said Kenneth finally. “I just…I…this is a rare occurrence. An inhuman and a human.” He chuckled dryly. It wasn’t a chuckle of amusement or heckling. There was clear concern in his tone.When Colter finally faced his uncle, he realized that Kenneth was still staring blankly at him.Impatiently, Colter rolled his eyes. “Anything else you want to say?”“I…well,” Kenneth exhaled. “To be honest, nothing comes to mind. Nothing that would add any value to your situation anyway.”Seeing his uncle this seemingly nervous only succeeded in making Colter even more reluctant than he already was to tell his father about this. “You know…you’re not making me feel any type of reassurance when it comes to telling dad about this, right?”“Lis
-AURE-I thought we were supposed to talk. Wasn’t like it was a desire more so than a need. Although…I’d have been lying had I said that there was a bit of that involved as well. Still, though, it didn’t change the necessity of the conversation. We truly did need to talk. I just… I wanted to understand. I needed to. Didn’t he? Did he not long to feel the way that he did when around me as I did him when we first met? Longing, that was the only way to describe the ache and need that had ignited in me since the first time I’d run into the stranger. Pathetic? Pitiful? I didn’t know which word to use or just to consider myself both because I certainly felt like a mixture of the two. These questions and notions had been plaguing my mind on repeat for an insurmountable time and I just couldn’t shake it. My thoughts were so intrusive that I had completely forgotten for a moment or so that I had a
-Colter-There was a lot on my mind as I stared out into the horizon. It was about time to leave for our journey but my best friend and second in command was nowhere to be found. Probably that new friend of hers that she had been going on about for the last week. In all my short years, I had never known Madison to be so taken by someone-man or woman. I couldn’t help but hope that this wouldn’t start to become a problem. “Alpha, everyone is ready to move out when you are.” I heard my Delta announce to me. I turned away from the beautiful morning sunrise, walked past Nathan and moved ahead of the line of those waiting for me. We started to the forest’s edge where we usually stood when we were about to head out. As everyone began to transition into their beastly form, I sensed a presence behind me. “Was beginning to think that you wouldn’t show up.” I said as my best friend approached. “Sorry, I’m late! Crisis prevention!” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her remark. Crisis
-Colter-The early morning sun painted the forest in hues of gold and amber, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of the ancient woods.I stood there at the checkpoint, my gaze sweeping over the weary pack, their fur damp with dew and some with eyes still heavy with sleep. The pack had rested for the night-some in the packhouse while others chose to lie about the grass under the moonlit sky. But now, it was time to continue the arduous journey to the powerful wolf pack they were to meet.“Go get breakfast and we’ll rendezvous in the next hour.” I told them. A good hunt for their morning meal would get them bright eyed and bushy tailed for our trip. And it would give me time to think.“Morning,” I heard Mads greet from behind me. I was glad that she hadn’t shifted yet.As she approached, my mind immediately drifted back to the evening before. About her. Madison had revealed a startling revelation to me. The coincidence of her roommate being my fated mate, it
“Jose!” he said. “This is the great alpha Sloan’s son! And his future commanders. Promising young bunch, I must say. Young alpha, this is my daughter, and heir of the Moorlands, Josephine.”She stepped forward, and I was taken by her beauty; her skin flawlessly brown, her hair long and pin straight in its jet black hue. Her eyes were serene in color. She was petite and simply astonishing to look at.“It is a real pleasure, Josephine.” I found myself smiling, probably wider than I should have. She chuckled timidly. “The pleasure is all mine, alpha.” We went our separate ways, a pack member leading us to our sleeping quarters for the time being of our stay, while another, along with Nathan, went to the pack members waiting outside to allow them entry.So far, this trip was doing wonders to alleviate my concerns. Well, at least one part of this trip was.“Right up the hill,” the pack member directed us and then departed. Madison and I took the rest of the way up alone.Josephine seeme
-Aure-I’d been on the phone with Mom for what felt like hours, my mind wandering as she talked about her day at the office. The usual stuff: a particularly difficult client, a coworker who’d spilled coffee on her new blouse. I tried to focus, to sound engaged, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Colter and Madison, my new roommate. It had been three days since I’d seen Madi and even longer since I’d heard any sign of the mystery man that I could not seem to get off of my mind. What was worse was the fact that despite me not knowing them nearly well enough to feel like this, I couldn’t shake the loneliness that came with their absence.“Have you made any friends yet? Met any guys that you’re interested in?” Mom asked, pulling me out of my reverie. I could hear the hopeful anticipation in her voice.“Mom, I’ve not been here long enough to-”“You’ve been there for well over a week now, dear. Surely, you’ve met someone in that amount of time.” She was right, of course, I had met someo
-Colter-Monday had come and gone into Tuesday, and still the Moorlands still lingered in my mind. A vivid tapestry of rolling hills, ancient forests, beautiful bodies of water, and the haunting beauty of the Moor wolves; it was like living in another world.Then there was Josephine, with her mesmerizing and hazy yellow-green eyes, who had captured me in ways that I could never have imagined. Our time together had been a whirlwind of passion and excitement that I didn’t expect when agreeing to this trip to the Moors.Even with this past extraordinary weekend, the weight of my obligations to Aurelia and what to do with her started to settle on me. She was my mate, after all. I promised myself that I would figure out what I should do about our mating bond before making any decisions going forward. Yet, Josephine had tempted me; the she-wolf had completely swept me away in a tide of excitement and desire. As I walked away from the classroom, I was so lost in thought that I hadn’t even r
-Aure-Central Washington University. This was the college that I was meant to go to. Was it the best college or worst? To be honest, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t care. Although the place looked positively expensive. Then again, what college or university didn’t?None of that mattered to me, truth be told. I no longer even wanted to attend any university. Not since dad. Nevertheless, this wasn’t just about what I wanted. It was about starting over. Me and mom.I was trying to be as agreeable as I possibly could. After all, I wasn’t the only one that was grieving. I wasn’t the only one who had to readjust to life. I just wanted to be agreeable. For mom. But….it wasn’t easy.My stomach churned with anxiety I got this nagging sense; a sense of something almost calling to me. I was feeling retraction and attraction to that building at the same time. Frustrating? the word didn’t cover how I was feeling.‘He’s here…’Now I was talking to myself, hallucinating random words. He’s here? What does th