Several months had passed since Damon last visited the Underland and the palace that had belonged to his father and the wolf kings before him. Built upon the worn hands of wolves generations ago, the palace was as elegant as it was militant, with sprawling halls and soaring pillars that stretched up to the sky-high cavern ceiling. As Damon strode through the palace, Scar at his side, he could feel the eyes of the wolves upon him, their distrust and loathing as clear as day. But he would not be cowed. He had committed to his plan, and to Scar, and he refused to give up on change, no matter how impossible it seemed. He watched Scar's awed expression as they wandered through corridors filled with gaudy furnishings and paintings. He knew after the last few days, she deserved a moment of rest, but Damon found himself restless after the discovery that his cousin was the one scheming against him. Sleep would not come to him, even if he immersed himself in the welcome scent
His free hand slipped from her stomach and underneath the short length of her dress to tease her thigh. Scar gasped and arched her back as Damon's fingers brushed against the sweet secrets hidden at their apex, light but insistent. She was already wet, soaked through her panties, and he wondered just how long she'd been waiting for this. When had she started wanting him , when both of them had expected their first time together could be their last. Now,Scar ached for him to touch her more. It physically hurt him to hold back, but for all he knew, this could be their last time, even if their first had not been. So Damon was content to take his time, exploring her body with gentle hands and lips. He wanted to memorize the way she tasted, the way she smelled, the little sounds she made when he touched her just so. He wanted to brand her into his memory so that even if they were apart, she would be with him always. Perhaps it was selfish of him, when she was the one who'd initiate
Scar hadn't thought it would be possible for Damon to grow more distant from her, but despite her efforts, it was as though he had become mist falling through her fingers no matter how hard she tried to close her fists around him. Just when she thought she was starting to understand the man, he went and became something else entirely. Damon hadn't touched her since. She'd tried to tempt him. Perhaps she should have felt embarrassed by the wanton lust she experienced for the prince, and the extent to which she'd been willing to go to just for the hope of glimpsing the kind heart beneath his mask. But he didn't budge or break. He'd become stone.And his brother whom she had trusted first was still no where to be found. After four days of Damon speaking with his advisors, of coming up with plans that Scar was excluded from, at last, he came to her to act on their intentions to go to Scanthin without her and speak with her father, the alpha of the Scanthin pack. Shortly a
With ten wolves at their backs, Damon and Scar returned to Underland days later to confer with the wolves and goblins that he'd verified as trustworthy. To his surprise and delight, Shadow was one of those who remained trustworthy amongst his cadre of advisors. Because of the friendship between Shadow and Stanley.Damon had worried that his brother had managed to turn Shadow against him. But that hadn't been the case at all. Snarl was just as enraged and hurt by Shadow 'a betrayal, which had all but been proven in the week since the attack on Scar , when Shadow hadn't shown his face at all in any respectable wolf circles. He'd played his hand when he attempted to have Scar captured and Damon assassinated, and he'd since retreated to the shadows. That had frustrated Damon at first, but now, with Shadow 's intelligence and the help of the wolves, they'd been able to work together over the course of several days to finally track the rebels to one location. And now,
Their intel indicated that the goblin rebels were holed up in one of the abandon mountains in the agricultural district of the Underland. Although Damon was of the mind that every corner of their limited space underground should be utilized to its maximum potential, there was still much to do in his lands to make that possible. The mountain had old and rusting wooden walls with several windows that had been smashed. However, despite the mountain being out of use officially, there was a suspicious amount of goblins hanging about. Although it would make getting inside a little harder, Damon saw this as a good thing. It meant the rebels hadn't been warned, and they would be able to capture more of them than they might have otherwise. The outside was well-guarded; there were at least two dozen goblins on patrol, and there would be more inside. Damon signaled for the others to stop, and they all took a moment to assess the situation. The factory was surrounded by a high fence, and the o
Damon was still in bed three days later and the horrible strain in Scar 's chest lessened somewhat at the sight of him, and with a deep breath, she wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes and pulled up the nearest chair to sit by the bed. She watched him as he slept, guilt and worry gnawing at her from the inside out. Was this her fault? After all, Damon had fought so well for her, for the future that they both wanted. And now he was injured, while she'd been kept away from the battle and made it out unscathed. Should she have fought harder to be by his side? Could she have made a difference if she'd been there to help him with Stanley , or would she have made the whole fight worse? It seemed that every decision she made had somehow led to this moment, and she wondered if she should have acted differently. But how could she have known that the enemy would be so dangerous? Or that the war would become so bloody? Nevertheless, Scar resolved to stay by Damon 's side. She would be
"Will you lead the way?" They climbed down from the horse, and Scar assessed the trees around them. The earth was iced over with frost, ferns and plants captured in a thin layer of chill that would disperse as the sun rose. Pines towered above them in all directions, not unlike those surrounding the goblin fortress and settlement farther north. But these trees smelled of home, and a longing to see the old houses of her hometown surged when she realized where they were. Scar 's feet carried her forward of her own accord, and until that moment, she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed this forest and the small town she'd grown up in. Despite how resentment had fester bed in her heart and soul these past years, it was still her home. The wolves here were still her pack, her family, whether she liked it or not."Come on, I am going to see my family, it's all about alliance please " Scar called behind her at Shadow who looked at her in shock "You lied to me Scar, you intended to go
While Alexander assembled his council to come to a decision, Scar and Shadow were left to their own devices. Being home brought back so many memories, the narrow streets where she and Seath used to explore, the small shop where they would buy sweets, and the forest beyond the city where they would go on adventures. It all felt like a lifetime ago, growing up here ... their attempt to escape. Scar wandered the streets, lost in thought, the events of the past week weighing heavily on her mind. It was hard enough to balance her duty to her pack with her duty to Damon and the wolves , but now she had to worry about this rebel threat as well. She didn't know how much more she could take. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. Turning around, she saw that it was only Shadow . "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said sheepishly. She'd forgotten he was there with her, watching her every move. "It's okay," Scar replied, barely able to muster a smile. "I was just
Epilogue Five years later Snarl stared down into his mate’s eyes. This was their fifth anniversary of being a mated couple. Damon, godfather to their six children, all twins, had taken them for the night so Snarl could show his woman how much he loved her. “You’re tormenting me again,” she said, whimpering. He turned her over, dripping some cream onto her back and licking up the droplets. Pressing the strawberry to her lips he watched the plumpness take the fruit. “We don’t get much time alone anymore. We’ve got to take as much time as we can.” It had taken him over three weeks to get Damon and Scar to agree to take their kids. In all fairness all three sets of twins were not the easiest children to look after. Snarl adored them, but he was pleased for them to be out of the house so he could have some quiet time with his wife. After convincing the collective that she loved him, Hazel had accepted his marriage proposal and that very same night he gave her his mating m
Glancing around the kitchen, she tried to find any excuse to answer the damn thing. Be strong, Hazel . You can do this. She loved Snarl , and all she needed to do was prove to them her feelings. Tucking hair behind her ears she walked to the door. “Hello, Hazel. I’m Helen, and these are newly turned maids. I’ll be the one doing the talking today. They’re here to listen, learn, and take information in,” Helen said, going over all the introductions. “Can I tell you to fuck off?” she asked. “You can, but we can’t go anywhere. These are the rules.” Nodding, she opened the door waiting for them all to enter. She heard them scenting the air. “I’ve been doing some baking. Would you please sit in here while I get the tea?” Hazel ushered them into the sitting room like they were a pack a sheep rather than hungry dogs waiting to take her away. Once they were seated, she went into the kitchen, tempted to send someone to Snarl. No, she wouldn’t do something to make them believe s
Three days later Snarl was staring at the reports sent to him while Hazel was at home after a marathon of sex. She was probably happy with the reprieve. His nerves were totally fried at what their future was going to be. Whatever happened was up to her. He tried to focus on his work rather than on what his woman was going to do. The last three days has been preparations for their wedding he’d held back from staying with her again today. The mating heat had been between them during most of their fuck fest, but he held it back.Snarl didn’t want them to blame the mating or him for Hazel staying with him. Because her parents insisted on the marriage first. In the space of one month he’d found his woman, hurt her, taken her, fallen in love with her, and was now on the verge of marrying her. His parents were not lying when they said witches moved fast, refusing to waste a single moment of life. Leaning back, he turned his chair to look over the town life. When he was first outla
His words caused her stomach to flutter all over again and she opened her mouth to respond, but just as she had, he dove before she could, and all she could do was gasp the moment that his mouth met her most sensitive area. Still hot and bothered from sucking his cock, Hazel found that she was more prepared than ever to cum. Her fingers knotted in the bedsheets and even though she was up on her elbows, her head craned back and she screamed at the ceiling. Even though she knew that likely half the pack could hear her right now, she didn’t care. She howled her pleasure as Snarl slipped a single finger deep inside her, using his tongue and his finger to accelerate her pleasure until her stomach was so twisted in knots that there was only one thing for it. “Fuck!” she cursed even as the orgasm exploded like none ever had before. Yet right when she thought she might not be able to take it any longer, Snarl stopped abruptly. For just a second, Hazel feared something was wrong. She
Just a few days later, only hours after Snarl had spent the longest half an hour Hazel had ever experienced in the room with him, she joined him beneath the largest sycamore tree on the Lauchair estate. Though it was not their official wedding due to the lockdown that had been put in place upon the entire community, Hazel couldn’t have wished for anything more. She would give her parents the large wedding they obviously desired to show off their power and wealth, but right now, in this moment, everything was for her and Snarl. With their entire pack surrounding them and some of the women and children who had remained from Shane’s pack, Hazel and Snarl allowed Damon to wrap a crimson ribbon around their hands, binding them together. Tears pricking the corners of her eyes, Hazel gazed up into the eyes of her mate and bit the inside of her lip in an attempt to stop them from falling from her cheeks. “Though we are limited due to the lockdown, Snarl and Hazel have asked that we a
Snarl thrust deeply into Hazel’s tight, wet heat and didn’t bother to stifle his moan. Being inside her was the kind of heaven he’d never thought he’d be lucky enough to experience. She fit him like a glove, silken inner walls gripping his cock as she rode him. For a moment, he just watched her, committing every little expression to memory. She was so expressive, every ounce of pleasure showing in her dark eyes and across her flushed face. He’d done that. Made her shiver and moan in his arms, those sexy little sounds imprinted on his soul forever. Each stroke of his hands over her skin brought a new reaction and he lapped them up, needing to bring her to ecstasy over and over again. She was like a drug—his perfect addiction and one he never wanted to be free of. A sensual temptation he would never let go. “Scream for me, witch,” he ordered, his thrusts harder, faster now . She loved when he says witch and not kitten. “I want to watch your face as you come. Love to see that.” Sh
“Not any guy, just you.” Hazel smiled as she leaned back into Snarl’s embrace. His hands felt so good on her, smoothing around her waist before parting company. The left slid upward to cup one breast as the right made its way down to press the satin of her wrap between her thighs. Strong fingers cupped her mound, firm pressure against her still hidden clit making her body ache. “It had better be just me,” he growled, his voice heavy with both possessiveness and his cat. Her own purred at the sound, wanting nothing more than to roll over for their powerful alpha mate. But the human had other ideas. He couldn’t have this too easy… Or at the very least she couldn’t let him think it was that easy, even if it was. “Well… I dunno, with a lioness of my own now, perhaps I should cast my net a bit wider,” she teased, tilting her head to the side to allow his lips better access. He kissed up her neck, leaving a fiery trail until he reached her ear. Nuzzling behind it, he found the spot tha
“Your breath smelled fine to me.” She rolled her eyes and climbed on the bed beside him. Before brushing her teeth she’d been sucking his cock until he came, swallowing down every drop. “I wanted to brush my teeth.” He reached out, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. “You’re going to be the death of me.” Glancing down at his stiffening cock, she chuckled. “No, you’re going to be the death of me. I’ve not even made it to the kitchen yet without you pouncing on me.” Snarl caressed her ass, sliding his palm over her cheeks. “What can I say? You shouldn’t be so fucking tempting.” He moved over her, trapping her legs together as he kissed and nibbled on her ass. She cried out as his teeth sank into her flesh. Moaning, she held onto the blanket as pleasure consumed her thoughts. Her cream leaked out, coating her clit. The scent of their combined releases surrounded them. “I could spend all day worshipping this ass,” he said, slapping her cheek. She squealed at the sligh
Snarl saw his friend out trying his best to ignore the sympathy in his eyes. Whatever happened was up to Hazel. He wouldn’t try to influence her decision. If the alphas found her suffering from some syndrome or another, he’d lose her either way. So it wasn't about Damon's decision ? He was in love with her. The thought of losing her left a giant hole inside his chest. Clawing out his heart wouldn’t be half as painful even if he would be dead. Hazel was upstairs in their bedroom. She rarely spoke over dinner leaving him and Shadow to talk business. He was tired of meeting and the incessant need to avoid war with certain clans. What was the point of trying when it eventually happens. Staring at his reflection in the mirror Damon let out a breath feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders as he stepped out. He’d been a good alpha, and he hoped to be a good help to him as well as reward him . “Snarl?” He turned to see the love of his life standing in the doorway. She wo