The truck rolled and bounced over the frozen road leaving a trail of broken glass and vehicle body parts in its wake. It was only when the vehicle rolled into a ditch did they come to a stop, the world falling silent as the now dead engine hissed and clicked. The windows were smashed and items that had been in the truck were now strewn across the interior. Yet, despite the fact they were now stationary, Lucas’s head was spinning. It took a few minutes for the male to clear his head despite the piercing pain in his skull. His ribs hurt with each breath he drew in and he could feel something warm and wet dribbling down his cheek. The faint but recognisable coppery tang in the air told him that either he, Sierra or both of them were bleeding. Sierra. The brief thought of his cousin’s name sobered Lucas further and he looked to the passenger seat. His cousin was out cold, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead and just below her left eye but she was breathing. No doubt she would be
“She’s gone to find her parents.” The comment was so normal and yet so bizarre at the same time that Lucas didn’t register it at first. Perhaps he had been expecting some other reason. Revenge maybe or just pure chaos but this? It hadn’t even crossed Lucas’ mind yet that they would need to locate the girls’ packs. It was obvious that they didn’t all hail from Blue Mountain but given recent events, reuniting the girls with their families hadn’t even made it onto the list of things that needed to be covered off in this investigation. However, Chloe’s statement had brought to light several answers but also more questions. She knew the feral and it was easy to work out now that the feral was the missing girl. The missing girl had family in the Blue Mountain pack but how many more did too? How many hearts were going to be shattered into a million pieces once the girls learned that their parents were no more? Lucas opened his mouth to say something but before a single sound left him, an
“Police are investigating another suspected animal attack after the body of twenty-three year old Chrissy Leyland was found by a dog walker just three hours after she was reported missing. Police are asking the public to be vigilant...” Johnny groaned and jabbed at the TV remote with his thumb to try and find something to watch that was better than the news. He’d been in the states for a few months but didn’t enjoy the TV much. Then again, he was usually too busy to watch TV but being bed-ridden had left him with a lot of time on his hands and no way of filling it. He had tried on several occasions to convince Ursula that he was at least fit enough to do light duties but the woman as stubborn as her aunt and she refused to let him leave the infirmary. Just as he was contemplating chucking the remote at the TV, the door to his room opened and Lucas appeared looking tired and frustrated. “And I thought I looked like shit.” Johnny teased. “I see you’re feeling better.” Lucas mumbled a
The news that Nathaniel and his men were gone had felt like a wrecking ball smashing through everyone’s stress and the tension that had settled over everyone. At least that was how it felt to Chloe. She had watched from the dining room as the large black transport trucks had slowly rumbled off into the distance. Seeing the convoy had left the blonde feeling confused, relieved, and worried. Her life had been a prison for so long now that Chloe had no idea what to expect now. Was she free to leave? Would she have to find another pack to call family? What about her family? Did she even have one to find? The anger she suddenly felt rolled over her like the stifling air of a summer heatwave. It filled her lungs and boiled her blood. Chloe hadn’t spared a thought to her parents ever. It wasn’t because she didn’t care but because it was an anguish she wanted to avoid especially when there was nothing she could do about it. But now, as her Nordic blue eyes settled on the convoy once more. Chl
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
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
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.”
“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