How much trouble is Daisuke going to cause for Hana?
Something wasn’t right. No, I don’t mean the overall hole in my heart knowing Hana was on the other side of the country where we couldn’t even write to her. I can worry about that later. Hana and the mixed feelings we likely all have about her aren’t a priority right now. Aidan is. He went to the Order this morning to report to one of Scorcha’s roll calls and hasn’t returned. While each leader’s meetings vary in length, this was getting ridiculous. He’s been gone for seven hours and twenty-six minutes. Something bad has happened. I can feel it. I’m not the only one either. Albert has been pacing for the last five hours with worry. Our eyes connected as he paced toward my side of the den. At that moment, we both silently agreed: Time was up. We would fetch our friend, and someone would pay if he were hurt. “All right. We’re going.” I nodded, standing. “About fucking time. I swear to Cain, Lilith, the Creator, Moon Goddess, God, or whatever fucking being is listening if anyone ha
Thankfully, Daisuke wasn’t at dinner last night. Aurelia told him it was a family dinner, so he wasn’t included, and we went to Uncle John’s to have dinner with his family. I don’t think I’ve ever been more grateful to Aurelia for saving my neck. Yes, I know she literally saved me from being killed by Siegfried as a child and nearly died as a result. I’m eternally grateful for that, but ensuring my first night home wasn’t spent awkwardly eating dinner with a lackluster fling is up there. It was great to see Uncle John and his family. I adore my little cousins. They helped keep Dad and Uncle John from putting me through an inquisition regarding my love life at college and who took me to Barcelona. Whenever they started to take the conversation that way, I asked one of the kids a question. Which turned into thirty-minute ramblings about what new thing they did, learned, or saw. CJ and AJ caught me up on ALL the Bluey episodes I missed. It was super informative. I had fallen asleep
It made sense why Paxton looked like shit. I had only been in that cell for a few hours and felt drained. Even while weak, I was still smug when Scorcha came to fetch me. I knew by the annoyed look on her face why she was there. It wasn’t to try and mess with me. Isak and Albert had come, and for all their big talk, Azer and Eliezer knew they weren’t a match for my friends. I hadn’t been strong enough to gloat at Paxton or the trio of fuckwits. I was just relieved to see my friends. I knew they would come for me. I felt no shame in being rescued or leaning on them for support. That’s what friends, nay family is for. Isak and Albert are my true family—blood of the covenant and all that. I was too tired to care about where Isak took us. I faintly registered that we were at DKE. I know I saw Malcolm gently shooing Pam back into his room to help get me to a room. At some point, someone brought me food and water. That’s right, the fuckers didn’t even give me water while holding me priso
My morning was going great, or it would be great if I could get my mind off Aidan. I couldn’t get him out of my head since I read Pam’s text that he showed up in rough shape with the others. A million possibilities ran through my head, and all I wanted was to be in New Haven to see for myself that he and the others were okay. I was distracted enough that my friends noticed it. I thought I’d been doing a good job engaging in conversation, but it went downhill when we all ended up at the training center. I’d lost focus thinking about Aidan being hurt, and Dervila got in a pretty brutal hit that sent me flying. While I’ll never pretend to be physically stronger than any of my packmates, I’m human. That’s just the nature of things. I’m usually better at dodging an attack than this. “Fucking hell,” Shamus grunted, catching me before I would’ve hit the wall. “You okay, Hana?” Alisha growled, narrowing her green eyes at me or specifically at Shamus’ hands on me. I rolled my eyes and got
Is going to Portland a bad move? Maybe. Is going necessary? That depends on your perspective. To most people, probably not. To us, most definitely. Knowing this pup was a forgettable lay doesn’t make his presence near Hana more acceptable. I accept that going to Portland could draw the Order’s eye, but I’m out of fucks for anyone and anything that stands between us and Hana. Fuck the Order. Fuck the Kinsley family. Fuck this bet. We haven’t all voiced this, but I know my friends. We all feel the same way. We’ve told the Order we quit. If they don’t accept that, I’m prepared to not only burn bridges but blow them the fuck up. I don’t have any need or desire to be in the Order. I only joined it because Aidan and Isak were involved. Joining ensured they wouldn’t need to keep secrets from me. Aidan lost any reason to be involved when his tenuous relationship with his dad ended. Isak’s the only one with blood in the Order. I don’t know how Jerahameel will take Isak’s leave from the
While not having Shamus and Evan with us was a bit of a downer on our traditional holiday hangout, I was still having fun with Dervila and Iver. We were up to our usual antics of joking about some of the weird stuff people bring to the market and gushing over the stuff we loved. Plus, all the shopping. I brought gifts home for my family, including little mementos of New Haven, but those don’t count as Christmas presents. All was well and good until Daisuke showed up and said we needed to talk privately. I wasn’t thrilled about that or that he forced me away from my friends for this bullshit. I knew he was here to start trouble. He hadn’t found some Cinderella mate he was trying to track down. He was here to try and convince me to be his chosen mate. The boy was out of his damn mind. I was willing to let him walk away when he grabbed my arm, but then he called me a slut in Japanese, and all bets were off. I didn’t get a chance to take him down because Albert showed up. My heart leap
Aidan and Albert would have preferred just ripping the young wolf apart for disrespecting Hana. However, it was better that she had the power in this situation. Hana wasn’t the damsel in distress type. She may want a strong male, but that’s only because she wants and needs someone on her level. It’s not about having a male there to protect her. Though I’d happily smite anyone, she told me to. After Aidan released the pathetic creature, we shared a knowing look. Aidan only nodded subtly to confirm what I was silently asking. Hana isn’t the only one who knows some hunter tricks. We’ve worked with the Guild long enough to be trusted with minor, non-lethal tricks. One such trick is to place a tracking curse on a target. It’s a very simple thing—or simple if you’re a supernatural creature. For a hunter, it requires preparation and perfect timing to put the tracking curse on their target. Because we are supernatural beings, especially Aidan, whose gifts lean more toward pulling off such m
It was incredibly unfair of them to pass me around and kiss me breathless. Each kiss was passionate and extremely too short. After weeks of letters that only got deeper and hotter to be close to them, finally, those brief kisses weren’t nearly enough. I wanted more. Hell, I needed more. As embarrassed as I was by Albert’s reminder or perhaps offer to have them all at once, I admit I was turned on by it. Nonetheless, Isak was right. Business first, pleasure later. I subtly squeezed my thighs at the very thought of that pleasure yet to come. I had hoped they’d say they were staying in a hotel or possibly had property here. Instead, they were staying somewhere I’d rather never go. I was so little when it happened, but that didn’t change how I felt. I can’t even drive past that old mall without shuddering, knowing it’s where my mother was murdered. Okay, so it was likely not the exact location where she was murdered. However, it is where the pack failed her. It is where the betrayal happ