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Hold Back The River
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Run. Twenty Questions
Lya For being alone most of the day, it passed quickly. So much interaction was jam packed into the morning, I was thankful for the break. I just buried myself in more werewolf books, which made it a little difficult to pretend the disaster that was my life wasn’t happening. I had to wonder if the books in my room had been carefully selected - all of them pertained to werewolf history. The evolution, notable battles, remarkable people. It frustrated me that it all seemed to make entirely too much sense. Maybe Allyssa had a point when she said because it’s in my DNA, the adjustment wouldn’t be as rough. Additionally, this was the most open communication with my wolf had been in years, and all desires to drive her away were quickly vanishing. The ways I had kept her out made me feel sick, and it was a relief to not feel like I had to go to that extreme anymore. A knock came from the door, startling me from my book. I glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was only 7:30. I shuffle
Run. Never Keeping Secrets
Oliver Half a bottle of wine and a couple burritos later, I was starting to see Tala peek out from behind Lya’s eyes. The difference in your own eyes versus your wolf’s is never that dramatic. Everything about your wolf reflects you - their coat color would be your natural hair color; the eyes stay the same except for a slight change in the shape of the pupil. As someone who had been raised in a werewolf community, spotting the presence of someone’s wolf had become second nature. For Lya, I’m sure she couldn’t see the difference. I hadn’t heard from Adair, probably off attempting to get in touch with Tala. They weren’t pack or marked, though, so his attempts would be futile. They already had some kind of link, but it was more like emotions being thrust upon him and able to feel her presence. The more I tried to think of it from a human perspective, the more I could see how the whole mate thing would seem absolutely bizarre to Lya. For one, it was a connection amongst the four of
Run. Stressed Out
Lya I wasn’t the least bit surprised when I woke up the next morning to a big black wolf on my bed again. He was sprawled out and snoring like the day before. Tala was practically purring in my head.'Do you have a thing for Mr. Stalker Wolf or something?' I demanded. 'If you only knew…' she hummed. I shimmied my way out from under the wolf and found clothes. Then, out I went to find coffee. The conversation from last night kept running through my mind. In fact, it had kept me up for hours last night. His last question - “So what are you going to do about it?” - plagued me. I needed to run. But how did I go about doing that in such a way that it drew the hunters away from this place? I could only imagine Ted’s father would be solely focused on hunting me down. They were so close, after all, and if Ted knew what I was, I was certain his father did, too. The people here were innocent and had shown me nothing but kindness. They did not deserve to be caught up in the mess I crea
Run. Day Drinking
Oliver I had been trying to take Sundays off for years now. I enforced a day off for my warriors, so I should try to enforce a day off for myself, right? It had been eight years, and the closest I had gotten was a half day or so. I could safely say the werewolf immune system and the natural instinct to pour every waking hour into the pack was the only reason I hadn’t worked myself to death. Lya had been a breath of fresh air, and my desperate attempts to carve out time to spend with her had made it abundantly clear that what I thought was enough delegating was, in fact, not enough delegating. My well oiled machine was quickly rusting. For that reason, I was thankful she was out of the packhouse and with Rose for the day. It provided for no distractions and no excuses to leave all the work I had to catch up on. That, and Cody sat across from me to aid in keeping on task. Cody let out a huff, sitting back in the chair. “I know she’s your mate and all, but she’s really created a l
Run. Gilded Lily
Lya Last night, the big black wolf barked at my door to be let in. I sighed when I saw him, telling him I had always wanted a dog, but it seemed like this was the closest I was going to get, so he could stay. This morning, he had woken me up with a cold nose to the cheek before nosing open the sliding door to the patio and scampering out. Tala was still riding on the high of besting a pack warrior yesterday, even though I kept trying to remind her she was just a pack warrior in training. Oliver had made sure to tell me he really didn’t want me fighting just anyone again. I was barely healed, most fighters here are actually good, blah blah blah. But she was a bitch. And I would never apologize for taking up the opportunity to put a bitch in her place. I had done it before, and I would do it again. I couldn’t explain what snapped in me yesterday. I think it was more Tala that couldn’t stand the way Ellie spoke and acted, but I was still fairly certain I hadn’t done anything to des
Run. You Come First
OliverRose had mind linked me before pulling Lya aside. We had only been there for ten minutes, and she was already hearing whispers. I’d give anything to keep her tucked into my side, showing her off and introducing the pack to their Luna. My mate. The one I had been waiting ten years for. The woman I had given up hope would show up. But I wasn’t about to ruin any hope I had of Lya sticking around by throwing her in the deep end. She had been alarmingly receptive to my physical advances, and I was going to do my best not to blow it now.Adair grumbled in complaint when Lya left us, but we were never too far. We could feel it all. She was tense and nervous in a crowd of so many people she didn’t know. I silently thanked Rose for being so observant and her quick thinking. She is a tracker and a scout, though. That is what I pay her for. We heard every single time someone called her Luna and she corrected them to Lya. It made me wonder just how quickly ten minutes of selfishly keeping
Run. Halo
LyaI woke up in a tangle of sheets and a heavy weight across my side. I glanced around, expecting to see the big black wolf, but my eyes fell on Oliver instead.'Same difference,' Tala mused. 'I like the wolf, though.' The night before came crashing into me, causing me to freeze. I stared down at Oliver, trying to decide if last night was a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of it - in fact, Oliver had probably ruined the possibility of enjoying being with anyone else for me, and we had only gotten to third base. And it wasn’t like I had coerced him into anything. I’d go so far as to say he started it. It was not my responsibility to bear the guilt of him going against his supposed rule of not messing with people that had mates - we were both consenting adults for goodness sake. I, for one, had had my fair share of one night stands. Letting my guard down and just rolling with instinct would help me find my place here, right?And yet, regret still formed a knot de
Run. Hard To Say I'm Sorry
Oliver She ran. And to be honest, I didn’t know why. My name on Lya’s lips echoed through my head all the way to the training grounds. I let Adair take over for the run there. I needed the release. I wracked my head to figure out where I went wrong. Was she not as into it as I thought? Did I push too far? Why couldn’t I just kiss her and then wish her goodnight?Adair offered no words of support or encouragement in regards to Lya. He was smug and so certain he had Tala on his side, he could hardly be bothered with the human half of our mate. We crashed into the field of the training grounds, interrupting the 1st year recruits morning session. I shifted quickly, grabbed a pair of shorts from the stash of spare clothes kept on the field and marched over to the head of the field. Cody was in a nonverbal pissing or eye-fucking contest with Elise - I couldn’t tell which - and didn’t even bother looking my way until I cleared my throat. “Yes, Alpha?” he grumbled when he finally turn
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
