HUNT"I hate hunting like this," Kyler said as we loaded the hunting rifles into the back of the jeep before we headed back into town for a drink at the local pub called Dixies.It was getting dark fast, the sky was a hazy blue with the thunder rumbling in the sky. A storm was coming. We'd just have one or two drinks before heading back up into the mountains."Me too," I agreed. "But for now, we'll just have to endure it."Rubbing my hands together we stepped inside the toasty pub filled with people. Alcohol was flowing to no end. It instantly transported me back to the past when I used to party a lot and sneak into town to go to the cinema and pub after. It was one of my fondest memories with Hailey. But I needed to forget those memories. I promised Della that I loved her and only her and that I would be better for her. I knew what I was doing when I married her.I'd been through a lot in my past. Della was my chance to turn a new chapter in my book and sta
DELLA"I'm so sorry for causing trouble," Aurelia was saying as we prepared a lunch of fresh bread and cold cuts of meat from the Deer that Lilith had salted and kept cold in her makeshift snow freezer because she said the snow kept it fresher and tastier.Lilith, Faye and Aurelia and I were having lunch on the deck. I hadn't seen or spoken to Hunt this morning. And it wasn't him keeping the distance. I preferred to keep him at arm's length. What troubled me the most, however, was, how was I going to talk to him again or at least find it in me when he had told me I wasn't like them? He told me the same thing my old pack had told me, when a few days ago, he was promising me the world, saying that the way I was didn't bother him.But it did bother him and the fact that he lied made me feel like this whole situation was a complete joke to him, to me and to everything we vowed to the night we married. I gave him all of me. I gave him my virtue. And all it took was one s
DELLAIt was the early parts of the morning when I felt the weight on Hunt's side of the shift as he climbed into the bed beside me.My brain told me to get out of there, to leave the room and just run away for good, but my heart made me turn around and face Hunt. I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me in closer."I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't want to push you away but you hurt my feelings.""I'm sorry," he whispered back. "I was just scared about losing you and wanted to point out all the dangers. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt you."He leaned in and kissed my lips lightly before kissing the tip of my nose. I buried my face into his chest and inhaled deeply."I'm scared," I whispered. "Would there be no other way to save the baby?""I'll be right by your side, so don't be scared," I told her. "And I don't know about safer ways to this.""I'll talk to Lilith about it in the morning," I told him.
DELLA"You are going to give us what we want or we'll take it away from you!"I was running through the woods in my nightmare. Something terrible was running behind me. I could sense the way it wanted to harm me. The dark whispers followed as I ran. Suddenly there seemed to be too many trees and I couldn't breathe as I pushed through the thick firs. There was no way out. I could feel its breath right behind me. An earsplitting scream broke out from somewhere in the dark and my throat constricted with panic."Della!" Hunt shouted and I jerked awake at the sound of his voice. He was beside me, gripping my arms and I couldn't help the hot tears that rushed down my cheeks."They...they were going to kill me," I pushed him back as I sat up, my hands trembled uncontrollably."I saw your dream. I don't know what it means, but I won't let any harm come to you," he said in a husky voice. But even though he tried to hide it, I could sense the fear in him too."The
HUNT"I can't pick up a scent," Scott said the second he got back to my cabin.I can't understand how it happened, but I'd only been gone a few minutes to get Lilith and when I got back, the bathroom door was busted in and a pool of blood was where Della should have been. I shouldn't have left her. I keep telling myself that. I could have been here if anything happened. But there was no use mulling over my mistakes. I had to find Della and that was all that was important to me right now.The blood tracks bad stopped about a mile away from the camps and that was just before a heavy snowstorm hit us. I had a bad feeling that this was just a coincidence and that it was somehow connected to her dreams.I'd paced around the room again, running my hands through my hair several times as I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do.I didn't even know if she was okay. She was heavily bleeding when I last saw her. Panic filled me as I imagined her cold and lifeles
DELLAI rubbed my wrists as Sam, the rogue werewolf that Damien had allowed into my room, unlocked the other cuff from my right hand."Thank you," I told her and she smiled as she brought the tray of food around to me."How are you feeling?" she asked as she tucked a blonde strand of her hair behind her ear and sat down in front of me."I'm better," I said as I lifted a spoonful of the hot chicken broth to my lips.I didn't know I was hungry until now. I a ate few more spoonfuls of chicken and vegetables and sighed with relief as it warmed my insides. It felt so good."It's not that bad here," Sam said as she crossed her legs and faced me. " Damien told me about you and I just wanted to tell you that it's okay and that you can talk to me if you like.""Why did he bring me here?" I asked. "Someone in your pack doesn't want you there," Sam said. "This person was going around and spreading rumours about you and Damien heard. Which is why we brought you here
DELLAI sat in Lilith's cabin with Faye's arms wrapped around me."I can't understand how I've offended him in any way," I told Lilith.She smiled warmly at me as she prepared a pot of tea. "Hunt is very Orthodox in his thinking. He grew up with an abusive father who after he married Hunt's mother, became indifferent to the rogues. The rogues became more violent and the attacks were directed at the wolf packs.""What about me being a hybrid? I barely understand it myself.""My dear, men are very challenging creatures indeed. The feud between the witches and werewolves are still going strong to this day. He's not thinking straight. Give him time and he'll come around," Lilith said. "I'll make him understand."A stray rolled down from the corner of my eye. "I thought things were going to be better for me when I became a part of this pack. Maybe Hunt is right. I should just go to the rogues. They understand all of this better than I do anyway.""Don't d
DELLAI sat up for hours when Sam I came back to the high packhouse. The other rogues had been friendly so far despite me being a complete stranger. They didn't really care. They treated me as if I was one of their own. Well, it was definitely a warmer welcome than I had gotten with Hunt's pack.No one shot dagger stares at me and everyone mostly kept to themselves. I was in the library room, running my fingers along the thick spines of various volumes of books. I stopped when I came across a book titled: The Fascination With Werewolves.I slid the black book out and moved my fingers over the delicate gold calligraphy over the surface of the hardcover. It was beautiful. I flipped the book open and scanned its yellow-stained pages as it's showed depictions of werewolves, the werewolf trials and the full moon and its involvement in the cycle of change."That's my great grandfather's book."I turned around to see Damien standing a few feet away from me. He had
HuntI watched as Della sat close with Faye and a few other female shifters. The night air was cool and we'd all gathered around the bonfire for a grand meal before the full moon.She looked so young and carefree and when she caught me watching her, her cheeks grew a rosy red and she glowed even more. Nothing could ever change the way I felt about her. She was my everything now. I loved everything about her. She was caring, brilliant and was always getting along with the other shifters, even if some of them didn't completely accept her. They didn't know about her half-witch origins, and even if they did, I'd rather murder them first before they could lay a finger on her. She's made mistakes. I've made mistakes. I wasn't going to have a repeat the past. I was in more control of my pack than I was back then."You love her a lot, don't you?"I turned to see Lilith coming to sit next to me on the tree log.Folding my hands together, I nodded and glanced into the dancing flames. "I'm glad
Dear Readers, I wanted to notify you that my pen name has been changed to Briar Rose.I also wanted to apologise to each and every one of you for the lack of updates on my end. I should have apologised to you earlier but I didn't and should have at least left an explanation, but now I am back and I am so sorry for the delay. I will be writing more often and can expect to finish this book soon and hopefully move on to better projects.I would be so honoured to interact with all of you on there! 🖤✨Love,Briar Rose
DELLAI was in the cabin that Hunt and I were sharing when the door burst open and Hunt came in. Nostrils flared, eyes dark and his brows knitted together. He looked furious, especially as he slammed the door shut and turned around to face me. And then another look took over his expression completely. One that I recognized well. Lust. Need. Want.My body immediately picked up on his sexual desire, because the next thing I knew, Hunt grabbed me by my ass and had me on the bed, his fingers didn't spare any of my clothes as he ripped my dress off my body. For a second, his glazed eyes roamed over my nakedness and my pulse grew.He growled as I reached for his jeans and unzipped them, allowing his hard cock to spring free. I needed him inside of me right now. I didn't even care about getting undressed all the way. I wanted him to destroy me. My pussy was already soaking, just to have him pounding inside of me. The primal need to become one."Hunt," I whispered and it's all I needed to say.
HUNTThe cabin hadn't changed much in all these years. It once belonged to my father and that was before Michael had been chosen to take over as King Alpha. It was more of a royal-up-your-ass kind of title more than anything. I hadn't seen this place in more than five years. Not that I wanted to see it now either. It just brought back horrible memories of my father and the days he treated me like I was an outsider instead of his own son. It's one of the reasons I wouldn't want to have a son. I couldn't imagine subjecting him to a life he didn't want and I couldn't imagine myself turning into my father. I already adopted so many of his ruthless ways, I don't think having a son would be good for me. I'd just mess him up the way my father ruined me and my life."You came!"I turned around to see Michael standing in the doorway of the office that once belonged to my father."Yeah," I muttered. "I guess we did. What exactly were we summoned for, Micahel?"He stepped inside, hands behind his
HUNT"What does Michael want?" Ky asked, standing behind me as I read over the letter summoning my entire pack to join the royal pain in the ass for a week. Specifically, because Michael Whitlock, my cousin, thinks some pack Alpha's are out of line. And to be even clearer on the matter, he thinks I'm using my Alpha status to belittle others.This is why I haven't spoken with that dumb—I scrunch the letter in my fist and fling it across the room, not really caring where it landed.Every pack living in and around Devil's Peak was entitled to an Alpha, but we also had a social circle of elite fucking werewolves that pretended to be our very own version of the British Royal family. Introducing my cousin, Michael, who was no older than I was when my father and his brother decided to make him overall crown Alpha of the surrounding packs.It was the fact that my authority had been questioned that pissed me off so fucking much. "To be a thorn in my side for th
DELLAI sat curled up on the couch in front of the blazing flames in the hearth, sneaking glances at Hunt as he spoke with Ky in the kitchen. After spending all afternoon with Faye and discussing her magical gifts, I returned to Hunt's cabin to find he had returned. But he'd been talking to Ky for more than an hour as I nervously chewed a fingernail and then I plaited my hair, and undid it, before eventually just leaving it as a messy bun on the top of my head.I was more than determined to make the most out of my first evening with Hunt. The only time I remembered spending with him these last few days was when I was in Lilith's cabin riddled with fever, the knots in my stomach twisted with an unnatural pain. But in all of that darkness, I remembered Hunt. His beautifully sculpted face, the way his thick eyebrows drew together with fear and the tears in his glowing green eyes. His lips moved then too even though I could barely hear the words. But I made out his words. D
DELLAI sat on a large boulder, staring out at the hot spring Hunt I first swam in when I first joined the pack. It was before everything became so complicated. I wanted to fill the hollow space in me, but I didn't know how to. I tried not to feel upset about the child, but how could I not? It was something that Hunt and I had made together. I felt like if I had the child it would bring us even closer.Well, we were closer now because of our bond. Hunt shared his blood with me and lots of it. He gave me a part of himself to save me and I would forever be in debt to him.I couldn't stop thinking about him. He left early with Kyler and Aurelia probably to track Damien down.I haven't seen him since I came out of that drowsy haze during the early parts of this morning. All I wanted to do was head back to his back and lie in his bed with him and have his arms wrapped around my body, offering the warmth and connection I desperately sought. I thought the connection be
DELLA"Della, are you with me?"I cracked my eyes open slightly to see a blurry version of Lilith hovering above me."The baby?" I asked because the only thing I could remember right now was that I was drenched in blood."Don't worry about that," she forces her lips into an assuring smile.As Lilith moved away, Hunt came above me, his chiselled, flushed face was twisted with worry and desperation. A sheen of sweat dotted his forehead."One more hour to go until the transfusion is over," Lilith said in the distance."What?" I tried to lift myself, but Hunt pushed me gently back down on the soft couch I was laying on. "What transfusion?"Hunt lifted his t-shirt and I saw two thin plastic tubes stuck into his chest with dark red blood travelling through them."We're being bonded," he said, steadying his gaze on me.I moved my hand to my chest and felt the same cord connected to my chest."What does that mean?" I managed to ask him, but before he cou
DELLAI woke up by instinct the second I had heard the loud crash. My head was heavy and pounding with an oncoming headache.Climbing out of the bed, I padded across the room barefoot and opened the door slightly. I could hear two people arguing downstairs in hushed voices. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on what they were saying."She should be in deep sleep now. I gave her the tonic that you gave me." That was Sam speaking."We need to get her tied up and then start the sacrifice. She bought into our lies," Damien said.My heart started pounding in my chest. They were talking about me. What the hell was going on?Whatever it was I didn't want to stick around and find out. Hunt was right all along. But how the hell was I supposed to do anything when I was being given the cold shoulder? He didn't want to have anything to do with me when I left.Breathing in deeply, I slipped out of my room and closed the door behind me once again. I moved in the shadows,