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Cary’s POV “Darling, please sit down and rest. Between your pacing and your frustrated scent permeating the air, you’re triggering every Alpha instinct I have. Colton, please make her sit. She’s driving me crazy!” I pleaded with my brother to step in and help me settle our mate before my wolf lost his mind. By the way Mallory was biting her nails and wearing a path in the carpet, she was obsessing over something again. It had been her favorite pastime since we’d brought her home and I was beginning to worry. It was almost like she couldn’t let her mind be quiet for fear of the memories that might creep in if she did. Colton’s head snapped up from the report he’d been reading and he fixed me with an irritated glare. I’d asked him to be the bad guy this time and it was a role he was nowhere near ready to play. When Mallory had allowed him to move in, Clay and I thought we’d have an ally when it came to taking care of our mate, but that just hadn’t been the case. How dare we sugge
Clay’s POV “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I snapped at the woman on the phone. The Wolf Shifter Council’s secretary didn’t deserve my rudeness. She was just a messenger. But when it came to the safety of my mate, no one was exempt from my incivility. “This is ludicrous! After what he did to my mate, he shouldn’t be allowed inside a courtroom. He should never see the outside of a cell again!” I snarled. “And you’re only giving us a week to find witnesses. You’re practically handing him his freedom on a silver platter!” “My apologies, Alpha. The council has deemed him deserving of a trial and I was tasked with informing you of the date. If you’d like to file a complaint, there is a process for that. In the meantime, if you do not show up to the council hearing as scheduled, we’ll be forced to dismiss the case.” She rattled on, giving me the company line. “Sure. What the fuck ever!” I cursed, hanging up on her as I entered the bedroom. I’d been roaming the apartment during the
To all my wonderful readers, I just wanted to drop a quick note to apologize for being unable to update today. I tried to write but am not feeling well and unable to give it the attention it deserves. If I am feeling better and able to get enough done, I will try to post an update on Sunday to make up for the missed day. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding! On another note, I wanted to let you know that when RTAT wraps up, I will be including a short novella at the end of this book for Nathan and Charlie. Nathan is a good guy and deserves his own HEA, though it won’t be without its challenges. Much love, Cara
Trigger Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of physical and sexual abuse that may be difficult for some readers. Darcy’s POV I hated being here in Hazelwood territory. I hated being any place where Quade’s presence lingered. I could feel him everywhere I went, like a waking nightmare I couldn’t escape. But I had nowhere else to go. He may be locked in a cell, but the memory of his tyranny still roamed free, haunting these people who suffered under him for so many years. It was in the drab walls of this ramshackle packhouse while he used their wealth for his own gain. It was in the hopeless and defeated expressions of the people who lived here. Not that I saw much of the Hazelwood people. The crippling anxiety that plagued me prevented me from leaving my room most days. Besides, Alpha Nathan Richardson had taken charge of the pack, and while he never treated me unkindly and seemed to tolerate my presence, I knew he blamed me for what happened to Mallory. “Let’s go outside
Mallory’s POV “Everything is going to be okay, little wolf.” Clay reassured me again, pulling me into his lap and nuzzling my neck to soothe me. I suspected my leg nervously bouncing so fast it could have taken flight was the real motive behind him trapping me in his arms but I couldn’t help myself. The closer we got to Hazelwood, to the place I knew Quade was, the more anxious I became. It was maddening to let him have this power over me but I felt helpless against it. “Sure. I’ll believe that when that monster is behind bars for good.” I muttered. “Hey,” He tipped my chin up and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Do you trust me?” I nodded, earning a lopsided grin from him that made my stomach do somersaults. “Good. Then trust me when I promise you I won't let anything or anyone hurt you again.” “I trust you. All of you.” I sighed, leaning my head against his chest and letting him rub comforting strokes up and down my arm. It was the truth. I did trust them. And sudd
Mallory’s POV “You’re okay! I’ve got you, love. Everything will be okay!” Colton lifted me from the ground and held me close to his chest. “It hurts, Why does it hurt?” I cried out when another sharp pain stabbed me in the gut. Distantly, I heard footsteps pounding the ground, growing louder and louder as they drew nearer. But all I could focus on was pain and the panic for my babies. Then Cary’s cinnamon scent and Clay’s leather mixed with Colton’s lime, surrounding me with a heady fragrance that reduced the agony to a dull discomfort. “Fuck! She’s burning up! Come here, darling.” Cary reached for me and I fell into his arms, wrapping my arms and legs around him. “Find a fucking doctor!” Clay thundered. “We have a doctor on staff at the infirmary. He doesn’t have much equipment to work with but it’s the best we can do for now.” Charlie had arrived with Nathan and offered to take us there. I buried my face in Cary’s neck and took deep drags of his scent. It eased my distress
Mallory’s POV “Mallory, you don’t have to decide this today. My brother’s marks will be enough. I won’t let you be pressured into accepting me.” Colton’s voice was firm but his eyes held vulnerability. Clay and Cary had gone in ahead of us. They asked Colton to stay with me while they cleared the packhouse of unmated males, but I knew they were trying to give us some time alone to talk. Dr. Diaz’s advice caught us both more than a little off guard. Logically, I understood where Colton was coming from. Hopped up on hormones while your wolf is begging for her alpha mate’s bite isn’t the best time to be making life-altering decisions. But emotionally, his attempt to be noble just felt like another rejection. I stared out the window, trying and failing to contain a whimper. Colton must have sensed where my head was at, because he pulled me into his lap and grazed my neck with his finger. I shivered under his touch and burrowed into him, chasing his soothing scent. “Look at me,
Cary’s POV My wolf was practically rabid for our little mate writhing on the bed beneath us. It took considerable effort to keep him from shoving my brothers out of the way and sinking his fangs into her. My mouth watered as his need mingled with mine. Mallory was so stunningly beautiful, my breath caught in my chest just looking at her. Her hair, silky strands of midnight brown, flowed around her like a waterfall under the moonlight. Her perfect tits topped with tight rosy nipples bounced as her chest heaved and her slim waist flared into curvy hips and thick, creamy thighs. She was a fucking vision and she was all fucking mine! I couldn’t keep my mind from slipping back to those years ago when she left for the academy. I’d been destroyed when she left but I hadn’t understood why. So I buried my feelings in meaningless fucks and a multitude of bad decisions. Now I understood that when she left, she took part of my soul with her, because she was always meant to be mine. I wished