I was struggling to breathe. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t suck enough air into my lungs.Twigs snapped under my feet and scratched my skin. There was a low growl from somewhere behind me. It was getting closer. I needed to run. Needed to get away from it. I glanced over my shoulder which was a mistake. My foot caught on something, sending me flying through the air and then hitting the ground. I cried out when I hit the ground. Rolling onto my back, I blinked up at the canopy of leaves high above me. “Run, Cora!”Mom’s voice had me rolling onto my stomach and pushing myself to my feet. My legs shook so badly that I could barely stay on my feet.“Run, baby!”Run. Run. Run. The monsters were coming. I hadn’t seen him. But Mom had. She told me to run as soon as she saw him. He hurt Dad. Tears burned my eyes. He was hurt. Hurt so badly. There was a lot of blood on the floor. Without realizing it, I had slowed down. It was a mistake. The monster snarled, and then he was
Cora twitched but she didn’t wake up. There was a damp spot on my shirt from her drool. She gripped my shirt tighter as she rubbed her cheek against my shirt. I held my breath and waited. She didn’t wake up from another nightmare but something in her dreams was troubling her. Just as I blew out a slow breath, Cora stirred again, digging her knee into my crotch. I winced and reached down to grip her knee so I could pull her leg higher up. The last thing I needed was to be kneed in the balls when she jerked awake. Ryder sighed behind Cora. “It’s raining.” “Where were you planning on taking her?” I asked him. “The waterfall.” I frowned up at the ceiling. “How were you planning on getting there?” “The bikes.” “Cora can’t drive a car, Ryder. What makes you think she can drive a dirt bike?” He remained silent long enough for me to realize that he hadn’t thought things through. I had no problem with Ryder pursuing his relationship with Cora. After all the shit he had been
Werewolf anatomy. Female: A female’s werewolf anatomy is the same as a female’s human anatomy, BUT and I put emphasis on the but. Although they look the same, some body parts function differently. A female has the ability to control her ovaries which means that she has the ability to choose when she gets pregnant.My eyes snapped up. “Can your females really do that? Control when they get pregnant?”Keiran’s eyes flashed black for a second before it turned back to normal. “Yes,” he growled. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”I glanced over at Axel lounging on the couch with a book. He looked completely focused on what he was reading, but I knew he could probably hear us. Ryder stood by the sink, washing the dishes. I had offered to help him but he had declined my help. Keiran had then suggested that we get started with my homework. I leaned closer to Keiran. “I can’t do that,” I whispered. “I know.” Keiran smiled at me. “Which is why there won’t be any sex until you’re ready. And when
Why did he insist on coming?I glanced over at Axel with a frown. He never traveled anywhere during the day, he never took that risk. As he had said earlier, the sun could come out any second. Axel had taken precautions just in case, but I wasn’t sure if it would do him any good. The windows were tinted so that at least offered some protection. “Idiot,” I muttered under my breath. Axel didn’t stir. I frowned at the road. Was he sleeping? If he was I was going to kick his ass because it meant that we couldn’t leave him alone in the state. “Did you have other plans?” Cora asked softly. I glanced at her. “No. Why are you asking?”“It looks like you’re mad that we have to go into town,” she said softly. “I’m pissed at the weather,” I told her. “I wanted to take you up to the waterfall so we could spend some time together.” “Oh.” She swallowed loudly.“I want to know everything about you, Cora.”She shifted in the seat. Reaching down, I placed my hand on her thigh and squeezed her
It was hard to read Axel’s expression.The guy stood next to me with a basket full of pads, and the sunglasses he wore were too dark to see his eyes.Was he embarrassed? Should I take the basket from him?I bit my lip as my eyes darted around. There were a lot of people standing in line for the pharmacy.A gasp fell from my lips when Axel wrapped an arm around my waist and suddenly jerked me against the front of his body. His head lowered until his warm breath fanned the side of my neck.“The night we found you,” he whispered. “It was raining, but there was a scent that clung to your skin. He was the one that dumped you in the woods. Do you see him?”Gripping his shirt, I glanced around. There were no familiar faces at all. I couldn’t even see Ryder.“See anyone?”I tilted my head back to look up at him. “No.”My eyes dropped to his lips which were inches from mine. Was his kiss going to feel the same as Keiran’s?His lips twitched. Leaning down, he brushed his lips softly against min
“Pick up! Pick up! Pick up!” I shifted gears and jerked the wheel to the left. A car honked behind me, but I ignored it as I pressed my foot down. “Ryder?”“They fucking took her,” I growled. “They have Axel too.”“Who?” “I don’t exactly know who but it’s someone from Rowan’s pack.”Keiran muttered a few curses. “Where did they take her?”“Some human saw them load Cora into a black SUV. Nobody saw anything. They headed east,” I told him. “I haven’t spotted them yet.”Keiran was silent for a few minutes but I could hear him moving. “There’s woods surrounding the mall, isn’t there?” “You think they took her there?” “Humans are too scared to enter the forest. It’s also a great place to hide a body.”Growling, I hit the brakes and then made a U-turn to head back in the direction of the mall. “I’m on my way. If you find them, don’t do anything stupid.”I ended the call. Was he expecting me to just stand back and watch them hurt her? I didn’t fucking care who they were, if they touc
“Scream.”My body jerked, eyes snapping open. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” The arm around my waist tightened, pulling my body back against his. “We’re home.”I glanced around, taking everything in. We were back in my bedroom and it still looked the same as it had when I left. Swallowing, I raised a shaky hand to my neck and pressed it to the spot that was still throbbing. “I healed you,” Axel explained. “You bit me,” I whispered. He was silent for a few seconds. “Yes.”I scooted forward, making his arm slip away. Turning onto my back, I hesitated a moment more before I turned onto my side to face him. His eyes darted over my face and then dropped down to my neck where his eyes lingered for a few seconds and then snapped up to mine.“You fed from me.”“Yes,” he answered after a few seconds of hesitation. “I tried not to resist.”“Do you always find it hard to control yourself?” I asked him. Axel’s lips twitched. “No. I usually have better control.”My eyes dropped to his lips. Lips
A lot of packs had their own dynamics and I respected that, but I couldn’t understand how they would want someone like the boy in front of me as their alpha. He was pathetic. Dean and Rowan were a lot alike when it came to personalities. Both were pathetic, liars and too scared to stand up and take responsibility for their mistakes. “My father’s going to kill you,” he growled, flashing his canines at me. I tilted my head to the side as I watched him. The bars were made of metal mixed with a healthy amount of Wolfs-bane and the idiot had learned it the hard way. He should have been able to smell it but he either didn’t or he was too agitated to take in his surroundings. Didn’t blame him. Axel entered the room with the smell of Cora’s arousal still clinging to his skin. I wanted to know what they had done. If she had given her consent for things to go so far, but I didn’t want to ask questions with the bastard within hearing. “Let me go!” He made the mistake of gripping the bar
“Sweetling.”I frowned as Axel’s soft voice penetrated my dream. It wasn’t a nightmare like usual, it was a nice peaceful dream, one I didn’t want to wake up from. “Cora.”A groan slipped past my lips when he gently shook my shoulder. Forcing my eyes open, I blinked up at his face hovering close to mine. Axel gave me a gentle smile as he reached out to move the hair from my face. “You’re bleeding.”His words confused me even more. Axel pulled the sheets down and then gripped my arm and gently pulled me up. Frown deepening, I glanced around and then down at my body. Slipping his arm under my knees and the other around my back, he pulled me against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck but risked a glance back at the bed. Horror hit first and then embarrassment. Not only were my pajama bottoms covered in blood, but there was also blood on the bed sheets. I buried my face against Axel’s neck. “I’m a werewolf,” I mumbled. “I’m not supposed to get my period, am I?”“You are s
Ryder moved to my other side and slipped his hand in mine. Nothing was said between the three of us as we headed towards the stage that had been set up. Keiran was already there, making a joke about something. All the focus was on him which meant that nobody had seen Axel’s confrontation with his mother. We had arrived just in time to hear the end of their conversation. I glanced up at Axel. He was still mad, but at least he had managed to mask his expression. Although people were still wary of his crimson eyes. My heartbeat increased the closer we got to the stage. Axel’s hand slipped out of mine when we reached the stairs. He moved behind me as Ryder led the way up the steps. Keiran turned, eyes locking with mine. He smiled as he held his hand out towards me. “I would like to officially introduce Cora Marlin, our mate, and your new Luna.”I turned to smile at the people. “Tonight we’re not only celebrating Cora’s special day, but we will also be welcoming her to our pack.” He
Most of the pack was already gathered at the usual spot. Laughter and conversation filled the air. I sucked in a breath, trying my best to identify as many scents as I could. There was no sign of danger, but that didn’t make me feel any better. I knew how easily things could change. Cora’s hand tightened. My eyes snapped down to hers. She smiled at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her scent had changed the moment we stepped foot out of the house. I tried talking Keiran out of making it a big deal but he insisted. This was an important day for our pack. They needed to see Cora holding her head high and acting at Luna. These pack dynamics still confused me. It was so different than how things were done in the Vampire nests. A shudder raced down my spine as memories flooded my mind. Cora suddenly stumbled. My hands instantly shot out to steady her. Our eyes locked and held. I realized with a start that she had paled. She looked sick. “What happened?” I questioned. “Are you fee
“You can’t hide in there forever,” Blue called from the other side of the door. “Come out and let me see.”I ignored her as I studied myself in the mirror. Blue had chosen one of the new dresses Keiran brought me without my knowledge. I smiled as I remembered our day at the mall. It was scary at first, but the longer we walked from shop to shop, the more I relaxed. He didn’t give my fears a chance to get the better of me. And he certainly spoiled me. I now had a lot of clothes, more than I owned before. Keiran even offered to pay if I wanted to get my hair and nails done. I agreed to have my hair cut but declined the offer to do my nails. There was no use wasting money on something I didn’t need. The bathroom door opened, startling me. Blue peeked around the door and then pushed it open wider. Her eyes widened as they trailed over me. “Wow,” she breathed. “You look beautiful.”“T-thank you.” I brushed my hands over my middle. “I’m not sure about wearing it though.”“Why not?”“
Maybe we should have talked to Cora first. I glanced over at her. It was supposed to be a surprise trip. Something to get Cora away from the pack so everything could be set up for her party. Not only were we celebrating her birthday, we were going to officially welcome her into the pack. She was already ours and the pack knew about her so the introductions weren’t necessary. But Demetrius suggested that we keep doing things traditionally. So here I was driving Cora to the human town under the pretense that we needed a few things for the party. Cora was tense. I could sense her wolf hovering close to the surface and I understood why. This was a big step for both of them. It was also considered a test. “We need more of those plastic plates,” I said. “I was thinking of getting a few extra cups and cutlery just in case.”“Is the whole pack going to be there?” “Yeah. Some will probably only stop by for the introductions.”She looked at me then, but her attention was pulled away when
As expected, the moment I fell asleep, my dreams turned into nightmares. I found myself jerking awake only to be lulled back to sleep by Keiran’s purring and Axel’s reassurance that I was safe. My dreams were a mess. It was a mix of being locked in that room and being tortured to waking up in my old pack with Dean as my mate. Somewhere during the third nightmare, I woke up to Keiran gone. Before I could question it, Axel and Ryder took control, distracting me by undressing me and giving me multiple orgasms. The last time I fell asleep it was sandwiched between Ryder and Axel with the blissful waves of my orgasms slowly fading. There was no nightmare after that. I woke up near noon feeling exhausted. There was a faint pounding behind my temples and my body ached but I pushed the pain aside as I slipped out of bed and headed into the bathroom for a shower. With my hair wrapped in a towel, I pulled on one of Keiran’s shirts and then left the room to search for my mates. The smell of
It looked like he didn't want to answer me. Why were they so secretive about it? Letting out a sigh, Keiran settled more comfortably on his stomach. I turned onto my side and waited. "I needed some time away from the pack," he said softly. "I asked Lucas to keep an eye on things and declined his offer for extra security. I was going to a human town and I thought that it would be safe." "It wasn't?" "I stopped for a drink at a bar, I'm ashamed to admit that I had a little too much." He paused. "Werewolves need to drink a lot of alcohol before we feel the effect of it. I lost count and before I knew it I could barely walk. Decided it was best to get back to the hotel I was staying at before I did something stupid." I waited a little impatiently for him to continue. "I got lost and ended up in an alley." Keiran closed his eyes. "My mind was a mess and I wasn't aware that I was being followed until they jumped on me. I struggled to fight them off and I was pretty smug about it unt
Guilt flooded me when I approached our house and spotted Lucas slowly straightening from where he had been leaning against the tree. It was almost three am and I was sure that he was dead tired. "Axel hasn't returned yet," Lucas said softly. "There's been no other movement.""Thank you," I said through our packlink. He nodded. "Do you want me to stick around?""Just open the door for me." I followed him to the front door and slipped inside the moment he opened the door. With a nod of thanks, I waited until the door was closed again before I ran up the stairs. The house was silent. Cora was probably asleep already which was good because I wasn't sure if I could look her in the eye and lie about everything that happened. Axel said that he hadn't told Cora about the other videos Dean had made of her. The kid had been stalking her for years. I was going to make him bleed over and over again to make him pay for all the shit he put her through. Entering my bedroom, I headed towards
"Why is it taking so long?" Ryder tried to grab me when I passed him but I avoided his hands and moved further away from him. I didn't want to stay in that room any longer, but I regretted not staying. Now we had no clue what was happening. "Do you think Keiran attacked Dean?" I asked Ryder. "What if he did and they decided to make his punishment worse?""Cora." Ryder stood and made his way over to me. He gripped my hips, spinning me around to look at him. "As Kelsey pointed out, the council is only there to advise Keiran. They can't punish him for anything."I swallowed, glancing at the door again. "They're fine."Sucking in a shaky breath, I stepped into Ryder and wrapped my arms around his waist. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face against the crook of my neck. Calm washed through me from our bond, but it only lasted a few seconds before my anxiety started rising again. Ryder's lips parted and his tongue flicked out to lick my skin. I shuddered. "I can think of