The arrangements for the ball were exquisite and tasteful but Reece couldn't take his eyes off his mate. She looked simply stunning. The deep blue gown brought out the blue in her eyes and the gown hugged her curves and flared out from the hips to the floor forming a small train. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant loose bun with little braids that framed her features.She held his arm as they walked, smiling at him as though he was the only man on this earth for her. Which he sort of was but that wasn't the point. The point was that she was pretending. She was still mad at him but he wouldn't have known by her smile.The other couples stood next to each other on the dance floor socialising and picking drinks off trays from waiters that passed by. A low orchestra played in the background and he could see Janine and Arthur playing hosts at the head table.Reece inhaled and braced himself for the onslaught of questions to come. Ariana had been a social butterfly that drew conversat
Breeana woke up refreshed and ready to face the world. After that rather cryptic statement from Rachel yesterday, she didn't know what to think.So she had decided to not think about it at all. She didn't tell Reece about it either. Mostly because she didn't know what to say or how to say it. If there was anything to say.The other couples had begun to leave for their various packs. Rachel and her mate were among the first to leave but due to some air turbulence, Reece and Breeana's flight was cancelled at the last minute. So they were unable to catch a flight back that day, they would leave the following day.In a spirit of spontaneity, Breeana decided to dedicate the day to exploring as much of Washington as she could before they left.The only problem was that Reece had decided to invite himself along."No, you can't follow me." Breeana said for the umpteenth time."And I will tell you again, Breeana. I am not asking. This is uncharted territory for you. If Alex finds out that I le
Breeana stood for a moment stunned into silence. Sarah Keyes stood in front of her wearing a loose top and free pants, her blond hair looking unkempt and wrapped up in a messy ponytail looking nothing like the girl she remembered."Let's get out of here." Sarah grabbed her hand and pulled her. Breeana's sense of preservation kicked in and they began to run through the forest.The outraged cries of their pursuers finding their slaughtered colleagues reached their ears and they increased their pace."We are running towards a destination, yes?" Sarah panted."The Blue Moon pack house is some meters away. If we are running in the right direction.""If?"Breeana would have laughed if her life hadn't just taken the most bizarre turn. Werewolf hunters were hunting down non-rogue wolves and Sarah freaking Keyes, who hated her guts, who was supposed to be thousands of leagues away on the south pole, had just saved her life. She had so many questions that could come when they weren't about to b
was easier said than done asking Sarah to come with them. She outright refused and Reece had to order her as the Alpha of her pack to not throw away her life for a fruitless endeavour."But I have to, for Damien. He would have done the same for me. Surely you understand, you would do the same for Breeana, wouldn't you? And you aren't even true mates."Reece nearly winced. If the girl didn't want to follow them, why were they forcing her hand? One look at Breeana's expression made him clear his throat. Right, she'd saved his mate's life. Because of her, he could be with Breeana today."Look, firstly, Breeana and I are true mates and I would do the same for her but I wouldn't want her to do the same for me while carrying our child and unable to shift to protect herself. I doubt Damien would want you to risk the life of your child to get revenge for him. There is no further discussion to be had. You will go with us and that is the end of the matter.""But…" Sarah looked towards Breeana f
"That is unthinkable. You can't just force the entire pack to have mandatory training every day. We have it once a month and they still don't turn up. Why do they need to when the pack warriors are here to protect them? Or do you think the warriors are subpar?" Elder Elvis raised a brow sounding thoroughly unconvinced."I am not doubting the prowess of our guards but with the current amount of insecurity we have, it is a valid concern. It'll just be for one hour daily. I don't want our people to be sitting ducks when this fight comes to us."The elder scoffed as though he had heard something extremely ridiculous. "Insecurity? With all due respect, Luna, perhaps you should pay more attention to the current status in the werewolf society. We are currently at the most peaceful and civilized that we have been in a really long time."Breeana's cheeks burned.This morning she had woken up inspired to do more for her pack, especially in the wake of that attack. If Sarah's words were the tr
Blood stained the broken glass and Breeana's head swam. She should move. She needed to get help, but how? Her hands shook and her legs refused to work.She hadn't felt so weak and helpless before as she put pressure on the wound praying for the goddess to keep death at bay for just a little bit more time till Reece could come. Because surely he had felt her. He would come.Breeana closed her eyes.Twelve Hours Before"We are taking five." Horace announced in his booming voice and Breeana could see most of the pack collapsing sweat drenched and relieved.Truth be told she was also out of breath. When she instituted training for the entire pack, she had seemingly forgotten that she would also participate in the training.The pack would go in batches for an hour per batch as planned and would be paired up based on individual body size and weight with a member of the pack's military as a trainer.Being the Luna of the pack, no one would spar with her so she'd ended up with Reece. Reece wa
The silence became awkward very quickly. What exactly did one say to a sister whose mate the person had sort of stolen?Breeana had no idea.Ariana sipped the wine in her glass daintily. Okay so she was the only one feeling awkward here. The diner was almost empty. They were the only guests there. The way Ari had wanted it."Ari–""It's so quiet here." Ariana tucked her short hair behind her ear."Never thought there would come a day when I would pick a human establishment over a wolf's."Ariana explained to her earlier on the reason she wanted them to meet outside their pack lands for this. It would seem like it wasn't only Breeana that had been on the receiving end of so much backlash.Ariana couldn't go anywhere without scrutiny or ostratization by some members of the pack. And with the increased patrols even the woods were no longer a secure location for delicate conversation. Much less one of this nature that was extremely fragile already.Hence the location of their dinner. It w
It was getting old. It was like Reece could not catch a breather even if he tried. He was beginning to understand why his father had aged so quickly. He woke up in the wee hours of the morning to an emergency.Reece got up quietly so as not to wake Breeana up. She needed as much sleep as she could get with her burning the candle on both ends. She was training as if her life depended on it and at the same time finally immersing herself in the pack's social life with help from her sister.It was wild. Reece could almost not believe that Ariana had forgiven Breeana so easily while she still gave him the cold shoulder. It was like the life-and-death experience had bonded the sisters in a way he failed to comprehend. Not that it mattered, it wasn't like he needed her friendship anyway.Breeana's parents were still distant but less distant than they had been before the sisters had made up. But that wasn't the problem now. The problem now was the wolves at their border. Reece shifted and ran
Six Years Later"Can I take you to lunch?"Sarah threw a mean left hook that had Jared struggling to keep his balance. He always favoured his right a little bit too much."No.""Sarah…"She didn't let him continue before releasing a barrage of blows that got his head back into the fight and away from emotional talks.An hour later, she was walking out of the training centre with a bag slung over her shoulder after her shower."Sarah, please wait up."She didn't. She kept walking because she really didn't want to have this conversation. He easily caught up to her though with his long legs."So off to pick up Cole?"Sarah stopped walking."What do you want? Please speak directly."Jared looked at her with hurt brown eyes that eerily reminded her of Allen."I'm trying to have a conversation with you, Sarah.""And I'm trying not to. We train together. That's all.""It doesn't have to be. We can be friends–""I apologise for my mistake. I shall find another trainer." Sarah nodded brusquely
Breeana opened her eyes and nearly screamed.Reece. She had to get to Reece. But what could she do on her own?No, if there was one thing that Anya had thought of her it was that she needed backup. She knew that Reece and the others had a contingency plan where their forces could charge in and rescue them but that plan had relied on the use of their pack links.She didn't even know where the forces were situated. Reece hadn't told her and she hadn't thought to ask."What do I do? What should I do?"She paced the length of her room and then inspiration struck. Of course. How could she have forgotten?Sarah. She would know.*****"We need to get to them now."Sarah had known. She had known that something like this would happen. She had suspected it and now Allen was trapped in a room with Damien she would have felt fear if there was time.Every minute she dawdled was time that Allen couldn't afford especially with the vendetta that Damien had against him."I know where they are camped a
Breeana puked again and her belly contracted in response. She was in the bathroom for another hour or so before she felt strong enough to make her way out.She had woken up with morning sickness and by God, it wasn't what it was hyped up to be.She hadn't even been able to wish Reece goodbye properly and she knew that if the coronation hadn't been that day he would have stayed with her until she felt better.She was barely seated on her bed before she felt a tug on the bond. It wasn't unusual these days for her to feel that way but what made her pause was the fact that Reece was in a closed-door meeting with a cold-blooded murderer. Relaxing herself, she let herself drift until she connected with him and then she was…******"Today we are here for something momentous. Because for the first one in centuries, we will be welcoming in a monarch. Someone who will lead us through these dark abysmal times."Reece sat in his seat exchanging side glances with some of his allies. Adelaide looke
"You are asking me to stay behind?" Breeana glared at Reece, she couldn't believe that mere days ago she had cried and wished desperately that he would wake up.Now she felt the almost stifling urge to suffocate him. Ugh. He was so annoying and so obstinate that it was a marvel that they were still together.Truly."I just want you to stay safe while all this is going on." He leaned in and dropped a kiss on her forehead before touching her belly. "You and our child."Breeans pulled away before she would melt against his concern and sweet words the way she had been melting for the past few days since he woke up.Suffice to say that their fight had been long forgotten almost immediately after he woke up and she kissed him like the weirdo she was.No, Breeana do not think of kisses. She chided herself. Or of all the other things he had done to her and she had done to him."So I'm supposed to just sit in my hands while all the men I care about go off to fight a maniac? Come on, Reece. I'
"You shacked up with a council member?"Breeana looked at Sarah shocked beyond belief.Sarah blushed. "I didn't know that at first."Breeana kept staring at her."And he's Cole's dad?""Yes."When Breeana had come to threaten Sarah to talk to her the last thing she had thought of was this.Sarah had taken one look at her thunderous expression and scented the blood on her before letting her in and telling her what had to be the surprising thing that Breeana had heard since the beginning of this fiasco."Bloody hell, does Allen know about this?" Was she the only one to be blindsided by all this?"I… I haven't gotten around to telling him I guess I just wanted it to go away." Sarah brushed her hair out of her face. "He's the only father that Cole will ever have. The only father I want my child to have. I thought if I ignored it, it would stay that way."Breeana looked at her like she had hit her head on the wall one too many times. Wanted what to go away? For all they knew this was proba
The ambush was quiet, this was their land after all. They knew every nook and cranny of it and more than that they were preternaturally quick and quiet. The hunters on the other hand were loud and clumsy in comparison. They must have thought they would take their pack the way they had taken the others.They were wrong.As the hunters sat around their campfire, discussing their strategy for the upcoming attack, they surrounded them."We enter from the north and–"Allen gave the signal and they attacked.The hunters quickly reached for their weapons, but they were too slow and the werewolves were too fast. They pounced on the hunters, their razor-sharp claws tearing through flesh and bone.The hunters fought back with guns and knives, but they were no match for the werewolves' supernatural strength and agility.The air was filled with the sound of snarling and screaming as the werewolves tore apart their prey. The hunters tried to retreat, but the werewolves were relentless, chasing the
Poison.The word resounded over and over in her head long after Reece had been wheeled into the ER.Someone had poisoned him.She felt a touch on her shoulder. It was Sarah."It's going to be fine, Bree." She comforted her, her voice low and compassionate.Only that was a farce, wasn't it?A terrible suspicion bloomed in her mind as she turned on Sarah. She had been there last night and suddenly Reece got poisoned. She didn't think it was a coincidence.Breeana gripped her by her throat watching her choke."It was you wasn't it?" Breeana squeezed harder, her vision going red. They had granted her mercy and she had gone and done this.Reece was… her mate was…. Just when she had wanted to give their relationship another shot. It was almost too cruel."I swear…" Sarah coughed trying to breathe through the strangling sensation around her throat where Breeana held her immobile."Don't fucking lie to me. You are still in contact with your people, right? You didn't tell Allen everything, did
"We should just execute her and be done with it." Breeana said offhandedly and Reece stifled a laugh."Sure. Any more unreasonable requests you would like to add?"Breeana mock glared at him but a smile peeked through. She was surprised that they could even joke about this. The moment she had seen Ivy she had frozen thinking about the last time they had seen each other.Ivy didn't try to attack them or even struggle. She just turned herself in and allowed herself to be detained. Breeana and Reece had been shocked to hear that she had lost her pregnancy and that she was willing to sell her father and his moles in their pack out in exchange for her freedom."Why did you even bother coming back? You could have just stayed in Europe. There is no way we would have tracked you down." Breeana asked her still suspicious about her return and willingness.Ivy locked gazes with her. "I don't fancy being a fugitive for a murder I didn't even commit and I refuse to be used as a chess piece in my f
Breeana looked at Reece suddenly unable to speak as he walked towards her with the bottle hanging limply from his hand.He reached her.She didn't know what to expect. No, that was wrong. She did know what to expect. It was Reece after all. He would yell at her and question her about why she hid it from him and then he'd–Reece fell on his knees and pressed his ear against her belly, his arms encircling her waist delicately.Breeana froze as he listened for the heartbeat of their child and he reacted in the most peculiar way that she could never have anticipated.He began to cry.Not loudly but softly. Breeana was confused but tried to comfort him in her own way by cradling his head against her belly.And for some minutes they stayed that way. They just stood and it was okay. Strange but okay."I'm sorry, Bree. Sorry that I made you feel the need to hide this from me."Oh, Reece. How could he be so uptight and downright annoying sometimes only to soften up and be nice later? She felt