Breeana fought for composure. "What?"Reece's face remained impassive."I… I understand your dad's sick and you just had a truckload of responsibility dropped on you. No one could have anticipated this would happen and I'm sorry. I truly am. But you don't have the right to send me away."Reece stapled his fingers together and leaned back slightly in his chair."I am your Alpha Breeana. I can send you wherever I please.""I call bull. My parents would never stand for this. I am the daughter of the Beta of this pack. So unless you give me a really good reason, I will stay here exactly where I want to."Breeana barely held back a growl. The nerve on this guy.Reece gave a bone-weary sigh. "Of course, you would make even this difficult."He leaned in, his green eyes looking darker in the lighting. His gaze caught hers."Aren't you feeling it?" Reece tapped his chest. "The draw is increasing. Very soon, it won't be a choice but inevitable."Breeana swallowed. Yes, she had noticed. She had
2 Years LaterSpain"If I move your leg this way, does it hurt?""No.""How about this way?" She rotated the leg slightly to the left and felt him wince."Yes, definitely." Mr Wheeler said, his voice breathy."Okay. You have a twisted ankle and because of the initial swelling because of your diabetes, you'll need to do some bloodwork and scans to make sure your diabetes isn't affecting the injury before we can give you an all-clear.""So more needles." Mr Wheeler deadpanned and she fought back a laugh."No." She said with a smile. "Just a bit." She indicated a small space between her thumb and index finger."It's going to be fine though. You are going to be just fine.""Just not in time for my girl's wedding. Don't think I'll be walking anyone anywhere anytime soon."She thought for a moment. "I don't think your daughter will mind if you wheeled there instead. She'll just be happy to have you.""Bah. You are just flattering this old man." But beneath his beard, Mr Wheeler blushed and
Spain"Guess what?""What?" She was still half asleep after a ten-hour shift."Silly, you are supposed to actually guess." Callie was exceptionally chipper for… Breeana looked at the clock. It was 1 am. For Callie with the time zone difference, it was around 10 am. Goddess, she was so tired."You have a dog?" Breeana reached for the closest thought, her eyes heavy with sleep.Callie laughed and for a minute, Breeana felt like she was back home again with mere miles separating her from her friend."We are having our mating ceremony in two weeks!" Callie shrieked in joy. Breeana could just imagine how happy she was in person."Oh my goodness, so soon?" Breeana was wide awake now."Soon? We should have been mated almost two years ago now." Right. It seemed like time just flew past sometimes."I know. I know. It's just that you just launched your brand online and I guess I just felt you would want to wait a bit longer."Callie laughed. "Oh, Breeana. I'm not sure Nelson can wait anymore. H
Mountain Coast Pack, CaliforniaReece turned to look at Ariana.Her blond hair was twisted back into a bun and her eyes were teary, her face twisted in anger and pain."It is true." She closed her eyes and rocked backwards as though hit by something."Sarah. She was right and you… you banished her. I thought you were just showing your affection for me by protecting my sister but you were just protecting her and your dirty secret.""What are you talking about, Ariana?" Reece deflected.He couldn't allow Ariana to know about Breeana. He knew about her vengeful streak. Sister or not. She would not spare her. Reece could take her disdain, no, he wanted it. Breeana on the other hand would be broken. She loved her family."You must think I'm stupid. Ever since I listened to Sarah, I became wary. Then during the bonfire, I saw how you looked at her when you were on top of her during the tiebreaker. I couldn't believe it, surely you wouldn't betray me in that manner, so I asked around. Turns
SpainBreeana helped Alexander pack up his things. He was leaving that evening to make it in time for the wedding the next day.Breeana had already chosen to return home but she didn't inform her brother because she didn't want him to ask her to follow him to Ariana's mating ceremony.She couldn't remain in Spain. She had realized it when she spoke to Javier.She had grown in Spain. Learnt so much that would help exponentially when she returned to the pack to establish a bigger and better clinic. However, Breeana had never envisioned herself staying there long-term.It was funny how sometimes someone never realised the truth about themselves until they were faced with an existential crisis.So she bade her brother goodbye promising him that she would be fine, that she would be alright without him despite knowing that she would be going home to meet them the day after the mating.Breeana took the day off work and spent her time working out while letting her mind drift away. Maybe she di
Mountain Coast Pack, CaliforniaAriana sat at the vanity in her mating dress, her makeup done and the sun already setting. Soon the moon would be out and she would be joined permanently with Reece. Finally, all her efforts would have paid off."You look beautiful dear."Ariana saw her mother step behind her through the mirror, her eyes glittering with tears."Mom." Ariana gripped her mother's hand on her shoulder. She ignored the space where Bree should have been."I'm scared. I am afraid I won't be a good enough Luna."I'm scared Reece will never love me again even after we become mates. Ariana thought but she didn't voice out that opinion.Her mother bent and kissed the side of her head."You'll be perfect dear. You care for them, you have a good heart and a willingness to learn the ropes. You will be fine. I promise.""Thank you, Mom. Thank you."A good heart? Ariana wasn't sure she had that but she had the rest, it would be enough.*****Reece was on his third glass of wine. He had
One minute Ariana's dreams were about to come true, the next everything was in shambles.When the ceremony started she noticed Reece was uncomfortable. She had thought he was having cold feet and silently prayed for the priestess to hurry along the coronation so that she could finally get to the joining of both of them.Only when the ceremony for their mating just began, Reece turned away to look at something."Reece."He didn't respond. He didn't even seem to hear her. Surely whatever he was looking at wasn't–Ariana turned to see Breeana. Her worst unspoken nightmare had come to reality.Ariana reached out to hold Reece but he stepped away moving towards Breeana.What was he doing? Was he going to show the entire pack that Breeana was so important to him that he would put his mating ceremony on hold just to welcome her?Ariana would not let that happen. She had worked too hard for this. As she moved to stop Reece however, Anya stood in her path wearing a distant smile. Ariana tried
When Breeana reached their home, the door was locked. They never locked their doors. A feeling of sickness washed over her. She ignored it and knocked on the door."Mom, Dad, Ari, please open the door. We need to talk."Breanna knocked harder and raised her voice all to no avail. No one answered.Breeana slid to the ground in front of the house and sat on the floor. Tears flowed from her eyes freely. She couldn't help but feel like she had alienated her entire family.Goddess, what had she gone and done? She imagined it from her family's point of view. How it must have felt for them to see her kiss and mark Reece at his mating ceremony with her sister. How could she tell them she had tried to resist it? That she had fought it every step of the way when they saw that.The painful thing about life was that if there were no results to prove it, no one believed that you put in effort. That you tried.What could she have done differently if she had known this would be the outcome? Maybe if
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