It had been three days since the raid and so far, no one had found the girls who had made a run for it. They had simply vanished like ghosts leaving no trace behind. For Lucas it had been three days of frustration. He had been snarling and snapping like a caged up tiger, lashing out at everyone. He argued that without the girls they couldn't class this case as won. They had promised they would help all of the victims of Nathaniel's despicable deeds not to mention that those girls probably wouldn't survive as rogues, which they technically were. It didn't help that his moon-blessed was amongst the missing girls. If he ever found her then he would be making sure that she was never out of his sight again. What was perhaps even more frustrating was that Chloe hadn't recognised him as her mate or, she had pulled off the performance of the century by acting like she didn't recognise the bond. Lucas doubted it was a performance though. He had sensed something off with not just Chloe but w
The first day passed without incident despite everyone waiting with bated breath for something to happen. When a few more days passed and no one came to drag them back to their prison, everyone began to relax a little and yet the tension was still palpable. There had been no sign of Omar despite Katie's continued assurances that he would turn up and when he did, they would leave Wyoming for good and find somewhere else to call home. They were pretty much lost without him since they had no idea where the nearest town was. They didn't even know where they were in relation to the borders and state lines. They had explored the cabin to see what they could find as well as any clues as to who really owned the place. Their searching had resulted in them finding coats suitable for the weather and a hunting rifle. There were no clues as to who owned the cabin and when they might return. The fourth day of waiting had started with a thick blanket of cloud hanging low above the cabin. The air s
Her heart leapt into her throat and her ocean blue eyes widened as she watched the steady movement of the figure through the heavy curtain of the snow. Part of her wanted to run inside and hide with the other girls while the other part of her was trying to work out if she should fire off a warning shot or wait until the intruder was closer to determine if they were a threat. She silently cursed her past self for thinking she was brave enough to protect them. She didn't normally out herself in such situations and with good reason. Those who tried to defend themselves and others normally suffered the wrath of Nathaniel's temper. Katie was a perfect example of that and yet, Chloe couldn't deny the urge to step up that had come to life inside of her. Was it because Nathaniel tried to violate her or was it because they were so close to freedom? Either way, Chloe couldn't be a victim anymore and she would sooner die fighting than be cowed once more. "Chloe?" The familiar voice dumbstruc
"Your reports have been reviewed and we are pleased with your progress. As soon as the storm clears, we will send in reinforcements to assist with relocating those women and children who would like to leave the pack." "And what about the former Alpha and his men?" The laptop screen flickered as the vampire on the other side shifted in her seat. A sharp black eyebrow lifted upwards over unearthly green eyes that resembled a serpent with blood red lip set themselves into a hard line. "As you know," Cassandra finally spoke. "The committee intends to give Nathaniel Thorn and his men a fair trial. Those found innocent will be released from custody and those found guilty will be given an appropriate punishment. However, Thorn's Alpha title is suspended pending investigation, meaning the pack has no Alpha and so makes it susceptible to being invaded by another pack of rogues. Word will get out soon and it won't be long before any wannabe and their friends come looking to lay down a chall
Night had closed in silently around the cabin but there had been no let-up in the blizzard that continued to hammer down. It had been at least six hours since Omar had left again and yet there had been no sign of him. With each hour that passed, Katie grew more worried, pacing the small living room like a caged animal while her dark eyes danced between the windows looking for any signs of the male wolf. Chloe could only watch on as her friend fretted over Omar's wellbeing. Between making sure Katie didn't do something stupid like try and go out on the snow to find the male and making sure Emily was okay, the blonde had already worked out that she wouldn't be getting any sleep either. In truth, she was worried about Omar as well. He was being hunted and she feared that whoever was chasing him would get to him before he got back. Nothing about the situation was ideal and Chloe didn't think she could sleep until it was all over, and they were far away from this place. With most of the
The blast from the rifle echoed through the frozen air just as Chloe was thrown back. The force of the shot knocked the she-wolf off her feet and she landed heavily in the snow, her head smacking against the rough bark of a tree. For a few moments, everything was silent again except the ringing in her ears and the sound of her blood pumping through her vein. The world of white and grey tilted and spun, forcing Chloe to squeeze her eyes shut to prevent herself from reacting to the dizziness. The pounding in her head pushed away all thoughts and worries. She didn't care if the snow was melting into her clothes or that she was lying defenceless just yards from three very dangerous men. She wondered if she just laid here forever if eventually the earth would reclaim her and the moon goddess would welcome her soul into the moon's light. Her vision blurred as she opened her eyes again, but Chloe managed to focus on the naked tree branches above her right before a terrifying face filled h
"Ah!" "Hold still." Katie huffed as Chloe hissed in discomfort from the brunette dabbing the cut on her head. "I need to make sure there is nothing in it." Katie and the other girls had been waiting for Omar and Chloe. However, the relief of seeing the pair return was short-lived when everyone realised Emily was gone and Chloe had given a vague account of what had happened out in the wilderness. Once again, an uneasy atmosphere had filled the cramped cabin and the bitter scent of fear permeated the air. Even the sun sitting up in the sky couldn't chase away the tension or the worry. Chloe had found herself with a headache and her shoulder hurting every time she moved it. She had no doubt she would be feeling it tomorrow and only hoped she wouldn't slow down their escape. Omar had gone back out as promised to try and find any sign of what happened to Emily. He had returned empty handed and with no clues. Now he was sat on one of the few chairs in the small living room area, fingers
At some point Chloe had fallen asleep, however the depths of slumber were far from peaceful or energising. The moment her eyes shut Chloe found herself surrounded by watery images of the snowy forest. Blood stained the pure white blanket while the shadows of everything stretched out from the base of trees or bushes, crawling towards her like worshippers. Despite not having a thread of clothing to protect her, Chloe didn't feel the cold. She felt calm and safe. Even at the sight of blood and ice, Chloe didn't feel afraid, not even when the shadows finally reached her and curled upwards to brush against her hand like the welcoming nuzzle from a dog. The feeling of thick fur brushed momentarily against Chloe's fingertips before she felt like she was being shepherded forward, further into the winter wasteland. It felt like she had been alone forever. Well, not *alone* because the shadows kept her company as they followed her, dancing around her bare feet as she walked through the snow. Ch
Just as Lucas had said, Bobby was waiting for Chloe when she stepped out of her room a short time later.The blonde was beginning to get used to the vampire's presence. They seemed to share the same level of shyness as Chloe struggled with, meaning that both were happy to avoid awkward small talk and simply walk in silence. It was just as well because Chloe's mind was focused on something else.The strange dream from the previous evening still occupied Chloe's thoughts. It had differed from the previous dreams and yet there had been enough similarities to lead Chloe to believe that this dream had something to do with the others. She just couldn't figure out what exactly. It felt as real as the others to the point that Chloe could still smell the perfumed air that had filled the den and the heat from the fire. There was cl
Just like the previous times, coming back to reality was like plummeting from some great height into the depth of stormy seas. The surface swallowed her up like the mouth of a giant fish, sucking her down into the maelstrom of freezing cold darkness. It rolled her like a washing machine until she couldn't tell up from down or dark from light. But just as quickly as she had plummeted into that strange void between reality she knew and the reality she had come from, Chloe felt herself being pulled out of the depths. As she broke the surface, Chloe opened her eyes to be met with dim light and something soft and light covering her face. It took a few moments of sleepy confusion to work out that it was her hair that was blocking her vision and making her nose and cheeks tickle. It took a few more moments to realise that the light pouring in was from the morning sun.Pushing her hair from her face, Chloe froze when her blue eyes landed on the face of her male. It only t
The light from a fire jerked and writhed against the heavy stone walls that surrounded the small space. The smooth rock face went up some ten feet before curving inwards to create a ceiling that was painted inky black by the shadows.The naturally formed den was big enough for a small family to congregate. Mats and piles of furs were bundled tidily in one corner while primitive cushions littered the floor strategically. Treated hides had been stitched and then hung over the several exits that stopped this place from being a tomb to being a safe space. A home. The air was warm thanks to the fire in the middle of the room and the smoke lazily floated upwards into the only void of shadows. The scent of herbs and dried flowers fragranced the air, adding to the warmth until it felt like a thick blanket was wrapping around everything. The shadows pooled wherever the light of the fire couldn't get. They bubbled and boiled high above like a canopy of stormy seas. The life force in them puls
"Hm…" "Hm?""Yes, hm."Chloe shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the urge to get up to run and hide squirming inside of her and pawing at her willpower. She felt her muscles tense in order to spring into action freezing only when hazel eyes landed on her, pinning her to her seat. It wasn't malice or disapproval that Lucas conveyed across their strengthening bond but assurance that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She was safe, even if the old crone currently scrutinising her looked like she had the power to turn them all into dust. Dagmar was silent for a few more seconds before breathing in heavily and muttering a few foreign words. She finally limped over to an overstuffed armchair and collapsed into it, pulling a packet of cigarettes from the pocket of her cardigan. "Well?" Ursula's was as sharp as the eyebrow she raised on her blue eyes, her irritation for the other witch far from subtle and souring the air. "Well, what?" Dagmar challenged. "The girl is healthy. The moon
The tidal wave of shock was quickly followed by anger before a maelstrom of confusion, grief, disbelief and rage cut through the pack bond like a punch to the chest.Chloe felt like the air had been knocked from her lungs and it took everything she had not to be dragged down by the riptide. Hecate’s hold on their body released like a rope snapping under pressure and Chloe was quick to take the reins and shift into her human form. She ignored the biting wind on her naked flesh as her blue eyes focusing on the scene below them. Around her, wolves shifted into humans as everyone let Emily’s words sink in. “Are you sure?” Chloe finally asked Emily, turning away from the gravesite. “I’m positive.” Emily replied quietly, her tone as solemn as the silence that surrounded them. “Don’t you feel it?” The blonde frowned in confusion, shaking her head softly. “Feel what?” “The bond with this place.” Freya spoke up from behind the pair. “It’s difficult to explain. It feels like...” “Coming ho
“You need to move them outside!”Lucas had been trying to help a nurse with one of the girls thrashing violently on a infirmary bed when the rushed voice of his mate rose up above the cacophony of noise. He looked up to see Chloe entering the infirmary, blue eyes wide and lips parted in shock. The noise they had all heard from the small examination room didn’t prepare any of them for what they wound when they entered the infirmary. Even Lucas had found himself shocked and he had seen his fair share of carnage during his time as a police officer and now an agent. However, the look was only there for a moment though before Chloe’s lips pursed together and her eyes darkened with determination.“I thought I told you to stay where you were.” Lucas replied roughly. “If you haven’t noticed, it’s a little chaotic in here!”Chaotic didn’t seem to aptly describe what was currently happening. Lucas was grateful that they didn’t have to also deal with the women and children that had been found in
Despite the pressure of having thirteen werewolves about to go through their first shift and another werewolf critically injured, Ursula looked as calm and composed as a statue. Her cool demeanour when the witch spotted Lucas and Chloe felt like a blast of arctic wind had just barrelled through the infirmary. It was obvious that the frigid welcome was solely for Lucas’ benefit as the towering male’s presence filled the small examination room like an overpowering wave of dominance and strength. Chloe had only seen the pair interact once before but she could already tell that some bad blood ran between them. It was the type that formed between family members or those one might consider family. Their presence was never outwardly welcome by the other but their history, bond and loyalty to each other was what kept the peace. It just didn’t stop the verbal jabs whenever the opportunity arose. “I need you to check Chloe over.” Lucas was straight to the point. “I’m a bit busy here, Lucas.”
Mate. The word reverberated in every ounce of Chloe’s being. Every synapse, every cell, every ounce of her body seemed to light up and sing the word like it was the only thing she knew and understood. Even the golden wolf locked in her mind had joined in the chorus until Chloe’s ears felt like they were ringing from the calamity within her. It felt like hours passed as the shocking revelation knocked the blonde for six, her heart skipping a beat when Lucas raised a rakish eyebrow questioningly at her as if he could hear every thought (or rather, the one single thought) on Chloe’s mind. The world seemed to fall back into place with that. Reality reappeared with a thud and what had felt like hours had only been a few seconds. Those few seconds were enough for Alvaro to depart, leaving Chloe alone with the black-haired, intimidatingly handsome male that now towered over her with eyes that reminded her of the forest and the ocean colliding. It was conditioned instinct for Chloe to run
The inky depths seemed to go on forever with no end in sight. Chloe couldn’t tell up from down. She felt like she was sinking and any attempts to try and swim in the opposite direction simply had Chloe falling further and further into the watery void. Then, without warning, the void disappeared and the world around the blonde morphed into snowy ground and frozen trees. She could feel the snow under her naked feet and the cold wet air caress her skin like the fingers of the dead. Someone had cleared the pavement of snow and under the night sky, the asphalt looked like a river cutting neatly through the white blanket of snow. Orange Street lights illuminated the bellies of the grey clouds that hung above and in the distance were the lit signs of stores and restaurants. Chloe didn’t recognise the place but something in the back of her mind told her this was a human settlement of some kind. It wasn’t in the same state but was also close enough to share the same kind of weather. The shad