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False Pretense
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Run. How Do You Sleep
Lya My eyes snapped open. Time to run. Everything I thought I knew of this place was a lie. That’s what I get for trusting too easily. A mistake I have made before and know better than to do. 'No,' the wolf - Tala - said. Her voice was harsh, and I was scared of her. 'Yes,' I insisted. 'I won’t let you.' I knew she wasn’t lying. She had taken control of me before, and I knew she would have no qualms doing it again. 'Look around, Lya. They trust you. Now you trust them.' I did as she asked, expecting to be back in the hospital, probably behind a locked door. But, I was still in the room at the packhouse. Alone.'You could leave if you wanted. There’s the door, but that would be conspicuous. We have an entrance to the patio, and it would take a while for them to realize we are gone.''We aren’t safe here, Tala,' I moaned. The wolf growled. 'Yes. We are.''How do you know?''Adair.' She slunk back, leaving me in control. The vote of confidence from her left me uneasy. There
Run. The Dream's in the Ditch
OliverThe rapping on my door startled me out of my daze. I had things I needed to do, and absolutely no ability to focus. I was angry at myself for practically encouraging Lya to leave, and I had very little hope she would actually still be around at this point. That scared me more than I could put into words.“Come in,” I called gruffly. Trevor opened the door, but didn’t come inside. “I’m headed out,” he said. I looked up at him. “You better not bail on me this time,” I reminded him. “I’m not planning on it.” He paused, looking down on the ground. “I’m really sorry Lya heard everything last night. That wasn’t a very fair way for her to figure out.” I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “Realistically, she might have had the same reaction no matter when and how it was done. It is just part of the long list of reasons if people don’t know what they’re fighting for, they shouldn’t be involved in the fight.” Trevor nodded. “We could have come up with a plan together if you had t
Run. Under Pressure
Lya The silence was strained in Oliver’s Land Cruiser. I sat with my arms folded across my chest, refusing to look at him. 'There’s no harm in enjoying the view,' Tala insisted. I rolled my eyes. Oliver was, unfortunately, exactly my type. The dark and broody mountain man looked like he was chiseled from stone. I wondered if Michelangelo was jealous. I settled for studying the tattoos down his right arm. Oliver kept glancing over at me. He looked like he was trying to come up with something to say while I was trying to put off vibes that discouraged interaction. 'He’s not the one you’re angry with,' Tala reminded me. She may be right, but I wanted to be angry with him, too. “Have you been feeling better?” Oliver finally asked as we pulled into the parking lot. I nodded, still not wanting to talk. “That’s good,” he nodded. I hopped out of the SUV, and Oliver fell in stride beside me. “You haven’t really come out of your room - have you been bored?” “I found a book to read.
Run. Everything You Want
Oliver Bringing up her ex had clearly struck a nerve. As much as I hated the thought of that guy with her, I felt bad that I had unintentionally hurt Lya. Humans were weird. I couldn’t wrap my head around why she would still be hung up on that guy. The rest of dinner had been quiet. Every attempt I made to pull her out of the shell she had receded into failed, and she asked to go home as soon as she had finished. At this point, she was back in her room, and I was sitting in my office. I looked over at the clock. It was still early for a Friday night - only 7. I decided to head back out to the bar, where I was sure Cody would have migrated to. I sat in the driver’s seat for a moment before starting the Land Cruiser. The smell of lilac and pine still lingered. I could get drunk off of it. Begrudgingly, I started it up, the fans of the air conditioning dispersing Lya’s intoxicating scent. Adair growled. 'Someone should be at the packhouse with her,' he insisted. 'Gregory is there,
Run. Here I Go Again
Lya Oliver didn’t complain about me calling it an early night. He had offered to show me around a bit, but I just needed to be by myself. If I didn’t know any better, I would think Oliver was trying to surprise me with a date, but I was certain it just had to be a tactic to get answers out of me. I wasn’t exactly upset he was asking nosey questions - I knew that would be coming at some point - but I needed some time to think and process. The past few days had been such a whirlwind, I hadn’t even had time to do that. I wondered if this was how they handled all surprise pack visitors. It didn’t seem at all like the most secure setup. This pack would be very easy to infiltrate if someone harbored any amount of ill will toward them. It couldn’t have happened before, though, otherwise I probably would have been in a cell rather than the packhouse. Maybe that reputation of Oliver’s really did precede him. I sat in the loveseat in my room with a book cracked open on my lap, staring at
Run. All Nightmare Long
Oliver The night dragged on. I had buried myself in work as soon as I got back from town, trying to keep myself busy. I was behind, anyway, so it was a good use of time. Patrols needed to be increased due to the imposing threat, the full moon was around the corner, I needed to debrief all the extended leadership of the pack… the list went on and on. I didn’t really trust anyone else to help Lya acclimate, and I could only go so long being stretched this thin, so it was time to delegate - not something I was good at. 'One of the Luna’s unspoken duties must be to make sure you don’t try and do everything yourself,' Adair mused. I chuckled at his hypothesis, but he must have been right - Lya had only been here a few days, and already, she unknowingly had me wrapped so tightly around her little finger I was willing to actually relinquish my hold on some of the pack management. If my dad was still around, he would have laughed. It really wasn’t fair that most transitions of power were
Run. To Be With You
Lya I woke up to the sound of gentle snoring. I tried to sit up, but a weight was pinning my arm down. Fuzzy tingles ran up my arm, almost like the weight was causing it to fall asleep. Wide eyed, I looked around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. My eyes fell on a giant black dog sprawled out on the bed with his head on my arm. What the hell? I shifted around, wiggling my arm free, keeping my eyes glued to the dog. How did a dog get in here? I hadn’t seen one roaming around the packhouse in the days previously. 'Hate to break it to ya hun, but that’s not a dog.' Tala’s snarky tone was about the last thing I wanted to wake up to. I looked a little closer. I gasped in horror as I realized I had been curled up next to a wolf. And, given that we were in a werewolf pack, I could only assume where there was a wolf, there was a human counterpart that went with it. I tried to fly off the bed to get out of the room, but Tala wouldn’t let me budge. 'Chill, he is frien
Run. Hold Back The River
Oliver Adair perked up when he heard people come into the packhouse. I had buried myself in the work I had let get behind upon Lya’s arrival at the pack. I could already tell Adair was right and the pack would be best off if I started delegating sooner rather than later. A knock came at the door, but I knew who it was before it even opened. “You wanted to see me?” Lya asked, poking her head around. I smiled. “Yeah, feel up for a walk?” “Sure, but isn’t there someone you wanted me to see?” “Yep,” I confirmed, “but it’s a bit of a walk to her place.” I stood up and walked around the desk, leading the way out of the packhouse. Lya followed in silence. Luckily, Adair and I had agreed if he was going to insist on sleeping in her room, we’d avoid shifting around her so she didn’t figure out who it was, so I didn’t have to argue with him about what form we walked to my grandmother’s house in. I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep myself from reaching out to touch her, settling
Latest chapter
Run. Thank You All
To all my faithful readers, Mate bonds, plot holes, and unfinished story lines. Oh my! Thank you all so, so much for your commitment to this story, even when life got in the way and updating was not regular. It was such an adventure to write, and I am excited to say the adventure continues in the sequel, "Chase." Your favorite side characters will be pulled to the forefront as the beginning of the war the hunters alluded to takes hold. Mate bonds aren't what everyone wants, and they can prove to be quite the hinderance - especially when they fail to see that the universe has a bigger plan than just their destined lover. No one likes to admit they can be the difference between life and death, etiher. No one truly loves change, but sometimes it's necessary to chase after it. ********* ********* Time passes, things change, and everyone moves on. It’s easy to feel left behind. I always feel left behind. Left behind and forgotten. All my life, I’ve wanted for someone to reac
Run. Begin Again
Oliver In the couple hours that had passed, the entire crew had filtered onto the patio. Trevor and Brandon had ensured everyone - aside from Allyssa and Maggie - always had a beer in hand. Every one of Lya’s questions got answered, and she had given up trying to pass off her newfound alpha title. Her grand plan that someone should just challenge her and she would just concede before the first punch was thrown was laughed off. It was a well known fact that the alphas who had leadership thrust upon them were the ones who upheld the title the best. Lya reached over, grabbing another beer. “So the Beta I choose - do they have to have Wulver blood?” “No,” Cody said. “In fact, there are only a few families left that have Wulver blood at all. I don’t.” “But,” Gregory added, “the alpha always somehow does. When our previous alpha fell, it was between your father and I who would take up the gamut.” “Why didn’t it go to you?” she asked. Gregory offered a rare smile down at Allyssa, w
Run. Chlorine
Lya Apparently, the pack had a morgue. I shouldn’t have been surprised by this, but I was. Also apparently, the pack had brought all the rogue bodies back, as well as pack members. This didn’t surprise me. Oliver claimed it was because they died fighting with and for a pack, so they should be treated in death as one. “I don’t understand your mentality toward rogues,” I mumbled. Danica had filled me in on the way most packs treated rogues, and with what happened to Oliver’s father, I was genuinely shocked he did not feel the same. “People should be treated as individuals,” he stated, offering no further clarity. Getting to the morgue had taken forever because people kept stopping us to thank me, congratulate me, praise me. And I didn’t deserve any of it.I had been the catalyst. And now I was being rewarded for starting a war. My eyes scanned the room, expressionless eyes staring into the abyss of nothingness that now consumed them. A lump rose in my throat, hating that so
Run. New Dawn Fades
Oliver I ignored Dr. Whitledge’s request to know where his patient was. He was a smart man, he could figure it out. What was the point of sitting and relaxing in a hospital bed when she could easily do the same thing at home? I had no intentions of letting her out of my sight anytime, either. It was a noble effort, but Lya only lasted all of a half hour before she passed out, slumped over on my shoulder. The firepit was still burning, though, and the Woodford was still being passed around. I had watched her closely before she fell asleep. There was a dam that was going to break, and I wanted as much warning as I could get. She was handling things alarmingly well for now - too well. The only person she truly strayed away from talking to was Liam. I had to wonder if she even realized who he was. My eyes danced back and forth between them, picking out their similarities. They had the same wild mess of red curly hair, freckles, and features, the same eyes that seemed to change colors w
Run. Cartographer
Lya Oliver’s lips crushed down on mine, awakening a hunger and need and wholeness I had tried to forget about while I was the hunters’ hostage. The tears pricked my eyes, but he was quick to brush them away. He pulled back, looking down on me. “Why are you crying?” Oliver murmured. “You’re back home now.” I reached up, pulling him back down to me. “I missed you.” “Scoot over?” Oliver asked. I made space quickly, anxious for him to be as close as possible. I quickly found myself tucked under his arm. “Can we go home?” I asked. “Back to the packhouse?” “Tomorrow,” he promised, brushing his lips across my hair. “The doc says you’re healing better with your wolf around.” “Tala only held back like that as a punishment, apparently,” I said, furrowing my brows. My relationship with my wolf had grown immensely, and she had plenty of confessions for me. That was one of them. Oliver placed his thumb on my chin, turning my face toward him. “Don’t ever do that again,” he glowered. “I
Run. It's All True
Oliver Lya’s own little army sat in the waiting room as she underwent surgery. Everyone seemed to be glaring at someone. Liam and I continued with our silent argument through looks alone, Jade and Jason - Lya’s supposed cousins - were arguing about whose fault it was they hadn’t realized Lya was a wolf, Thom kept his eyes locked on them as he rocked Kai, silently begging them to be quiet, Anna and Trevor were still in a staring contest about his refusal to let her start warrior training, and Cody was curiously enough shooting daggers at Jade. Marjorie was the only one sitting quietly, observing everything. Brandon waltzed back into the room, returning from his mission for “supplies.” “You all need to take a chill pill,” he said, handing everyone a beer. “We are all on the same side here, don’t forget.” I sighed and sat back, cracking my beer. “You’re right.” “I mean really, you can be as angry as you want that Lya accidentally landed herself an alpha gig, but think of why you’re a
Run. So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish
Lya Endings are hard. Beginnings, though? Well, beginnings are easy. They sneak up on you, and you find yourself halfway into the storyline before you even realize what the plot is. Truth be told, I couldn’t even tell you when the beginning of this story was. Was it my first shift? The first time I slit my wrist? Maybe when I met Ted Marsan, or killed him. What about when I finally ended up in this pack? I could tell you one thing, though, and that was this was the end. Endings are hard. They always come too soon, leaving plot holes and unanswered questions in their wake. There was so much more to say, to do. My story was ending, and it felt like it had only just begun. Fate is a fickle bitch. I was still resentful it had taken Her this long to let me find my way to this pack. Six weeks just didn’t seem like enough time to be happy. Oh, how I would have changed those six weeks if I had known how quickly this all would end. I had known death was a possibility when I signed up fo
Run. Ever The Same
Oliver I saw red. The first I heard from Lya in weeks, and it was a plea for help. I followed my nose, bursting through the door blocking me from her. I couldn’t see her anywhere, but I knew she was here. There were countless other wolves from her birth pack on my tail, and we immediately set to work dispatching the stragglers looking to escape us, dragging most out of cars that refused to start. I finally spotted her, underneath one of the vehicles disabling it. I took half a second to let out a breath of relief and smile. Smart girl. I lost track of her again, though, my focus shifting to keeping others away from her. It wasn’t until I had no one else in my sights and everything had fallen quiet that I heard her voice ringing through the garage, filled with confidence and conviction. “I’m challenging your alpha title.” I spun around, charging for where she was. I wasn’t going to let her risk her life like this. But, I was stopped by Cody and Gregory. 'She initiated the
Run. Martyr
Lya My mind was made up. I knew exactly what my role in this fight would be. If I had learned anything about my father, it was that he was a coward. He wouldn’t be out on the field participating. Maybe he was who I got my ability to run away from problems from. Even still, though, I was drawn outside. The sight was horrifying, and the smell of war made me gag. Guns rang out, teeth clashed, screams and howls resounded. What my eyes honed in on, though, was none other than Will barreling into my mate. I was careening toward them faster than I could think. If anyone died here, it was supposed to be me. “NO!” I screamed, but the sound was drowned out. Oliver waited too long, giving Will the opportunity to aim his gun. I didn’t have time to shift, but I still had the axe. I flung it with every ounce of strength I had, burying the pick deep in his chest. I was certain the pick side of a fireman’s axe wouldn’t be enough to actually kill him, so I twisted it just for good measure. If
