My mom sobbed into his chest. “Don’t say that Gav. I am so sorry. I betrayed you.”He forced her face to meet his. “Look at me Ain. Never say that. This isn’t on you. Everything for the last seventeen years everything that happened was because of me and my decisions. And I realized that a long time ago. I never blamed you, not once.”“Gav, how can you say that?” She closed her eyes. “I can’t imagine…”My dad looked at her and gave her a soft smile. “Can’t imagine what?”“Why would you forgive me after everything? I treated you so badly. I had to do- My dad covered her mouth with his hand. “You did what you had to do to keep our pup safe. Just like I did what I had to do to keep you safe.”“Gavin. You can’t mean that.” My heart broke at her words. How could she not see just how much he loved her? He leaned in and kissed her lips softly. “I love you, Ainsley. I never stopped loving you. I didn’t blame you for anything before, and then when Amy told me the truth, I felt like I was dyin
I dropped onto the sofa with both my parents looking down at me. My father mouthed the words sorry, but I just flipped him off and he laughed. “Now spill.”“Well, you already know the beginning of the story. I woke up, in the past, you sent me to Dad’s hoping he could figure something out to help me. Dad came clean, told me about our powers, and I started training.”“She also started female warrior training back up.” My dad pointed out but my mom glared at him over her shoulder.“What do you mean ‘back up?’.” I watched him gulp, and then he rubbed the back of his head. “I was missing you. And I had hoped that you still had friends in the pack.”“I cut everyone off, Gav. It was too hard.”My dad nodded. “Amy told me this summer. If I had known the truth, I would have stopped when I still had a semblance of control over the situation.”“Gavin Michael Maclean, what did you do?”“I gave the order to stop everything you were supposed to oversee in hopes your duty as a luna would push you
“It was magic, not how I truly felt.” My dad tried to comfort her. “What happened? What necklace, and who is the she-wolf?” My mother listed off the questions in quick succession and I wanted to laugh. “Ainsley…are you jealous?” My dad smirked, but she just backhanded his arm and she turned back to me. “After I noticed something was wrong, I worked to get my power under control. Great-grandma helped me. And-” “Wait, the dead woman?” My poor mother was trying her best to understand everything, but she was lost when it came to powers. “I’m used to Carl and his gifts, so I’m a little lost, but people coming back from the dead should be off the table, right?” I laughed with my dad. “Think more like spirit. Her spirit helped Amy.” “You got help from a fucking ghost?” She came over and sat next to me. “Mom. We are werewolves, and you’re surprised by ghosts?” I patted her hand, and she shot me a glare. “Listen. That is
“Our time has run out, love, but I am so thankful I came here.” My dad kissed her one more time before he got up. “I have to run.” He took a step towards the door and my mother jumped up and wrapped herself around him.“Don’t be mad.” Her words were soft, almost childlike, in her fear.“I’m not baby. We have four years to wait. I’ve already waited seventeen, and this will be easier because now I know you are coming back.” He kissed her again, and she walked him to the door. She pulled out descenting spray and sprayed him down. One second my father’s scent was surrounding us, and the next it was gone, leaving a missing hole in my senses. “Can you do me one favor, though?”“Anything.” My mom stared at his face with a longing so strong it made my heart hurt.“Unblock me so we can mind-link. It has been ages since Loki talked to Sigyn, and he misses
I stared at her for what felt like minutes, but it was probably only seconds. “Mom…”She shook her head, and a new tear fell. “I knew then I could never mate Vince. So I left. And I spoke with my father, as you spoke with me, and he said he would never make me mate with a wolf that held females so low. Low enough to use them while they were at their weakest and then kill them when he was finished with them. So when ever Vince had come looking for his mate, my father would always send me back home.”“How did you meet daddy?”My mom blushed at her thoughts, but a more frantic howl ripped through the air and I watched him deflate. “We should go.” She put out the fire and quickly put everything away. “Morgan will go berserk if we don’t show up soon.” She lifted her lip in disgust.“Can you handle the next four years?”“Yeah. Baby, I have to.” She waved me to the fron
Morgan backed up a little as he raised his hands up in surrender. “I was worried about you.”“Bullshit.” My mother spit back. “You wanted to control our run, or come with us, but you are not Amy’s father. You don’t get that right. You are her stepfather, and after today, that is even up in the air.”“Hey.” Morgan tried to push back, but my mother was having none of it.“Hey nothing. When Shannon shifted, what did you say to me?”“I can’t remember it was so long ago.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes, but I saw the anger there.“Don’t lie to me. It was less than three months ago. You were so proud, don’t you remember? You rubbed it in that Shannon shifted earlier than Amy. ‘Look at how fast and strong my daughter is. I wonder when Amy will get here.’ Yeah, that BS like we all don’t know that stronger wolves take longer to shift. Amy sur
“Say it.” I growled out one last time, already losing my patience.“You did this.” He crumpled to his knees, heaving. “It would have been perfect if you weren’t here.” He cried into his hands, and if he would have stopped there, I wouldn’t have suspected him. But he is Morgan, and he is an idiot. “Why couldn’t you have just died in the fucking attack?”I froze.How did he know about the attack? He continued to cry and scream, but I was focused on the words that seemed to flow like lava from his mouth. It was pure hatred. Hatred of my father and me. “If you would have just died when your dad was attacked years ago, I wouldn’t have had to raise you. Money that your mother would have inherited would have been mine, or Vinces. We would have been set. But no, you both survived. It wasn’t until you father was stupid enough to cheat on her that she moved here.” His voice tailed of
I closed the door and turned back to my mom. She was leaning against the door frame with a look on her face that I couldn’t read. We went back to the bathroom, and she leaned in. “How am I supposed to stay here for four years and deal with that man after finding everything out?”“I don’t know. But at least you have a good reason to be mad. You can hold this against him for a while.”She nodded and then shut the water off. “I have to go downstairs and clean up.”I grabbed her arm. “That can wait until tomorrow. Today has been a very long day.” I looked out the window, and the sun was starting to come up. “A very long day.” She nodded, and I noticed the bags under her eyes. “Lets catch some sleep on my brand new bed, and we can try to figure everything out later today.” We crawled into the new bed, and I am thankful it was delivered and we made it up with fresh sheets last night before t
Rowan stared at me for a minute before he stood. He pulled out his phone and started to hit buttons. “Did you hear me?” I snarled, and he turned his phone screen to me. “Look.” I stared at his face before my eyes flicked to his phone. It was our text chat. I read through the screen and stopped. “That isn’t right.” I pulled out my phone and selected our chat log and showed him. “What the fuck is going on?” He pulled my phone to his face. I stared at his phone. Messages he sent that I didn’t receive. I pulled his phone out of his hand and clicked to the call log. Nothing. All the calls I made were missing. “How is this possible?” I looked up. Rowan was still looking at my texts. “You texted me?” I just nodded. “Of course I did. I also called. I felt pathetic after a week of being ignored, but I had questions and you were answering my emails.” I handed back his phone. “Wait…you emailed me? My secure email?” I nodded. “Yes.” I nodded. “You told me to. So I did. But I had a questio
Rowan pulled back from my face and looked me in the eye. “Okay.”Nix receded, leaving me panting and confused. “What?”Rowan stood, and I nearly stumbled back from how fast he stood. “I said okay.” His smile was perfect. Everything about him was perfect. I shook my head to clear it. “I’m confused…what?”He laughed and then gripped me at my waist, pulling my body against his and he bent down, kissing my lips and making me nearly moan. His lips were soft, biteable, and I wanted to spend the rest of my night exploring them, but he pulled away. “You wolf has made a good point. If I want to earn her name, if I want anything from you, I need to prove it.” Rowan squeezed my hips, and I felt my eyes flutter from the slight pain. I was learning things about my likes, my needs, in this life I never explored in my last. I was a little lost in thought as Rowan stepped back.I tried to grab at him but my hands met air. I shook my head to refocus, and I bit my lip to stop myself from doing somethi
I screamed and dropped into a fighting stance, only to find Rowan on my sofa staring at me. I tossed my head, dropping the towel that I had wrapped around my hair to the floor. I nearly growled when I found him sulking in the dark, but I just stood up and patted my naked chest. Calm down. I shook my head and chuckled at my stupidity.The feeling of soft skin on my fingertips had my hand freezing. Naked chest…I slowly looked down, as if I was a human in one of their horror movies. When my eyes met the pile of towels, my mouth dropped open. My eyes landed on my naked and prominent chest, currently on full display, and I screamed again. I snatched the towels and ran out of the room. Oh, my goddess. Kill me now. I crumpled on to the bed in disbelief. Did that actually just happen? “What the fuck am I supposed to do?” I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. “I would put on clothes if I were you.” Rowan’s voice sounded right outside my door. His voice was low, gravelly, and filled w
The next few weeks passed in a whirlwind of class, training, and silence. I dragged myself through the door after yet another long day. I dropped my dinner onto my coffee table and face planted onto my couch, and groaned. I was exhausted. I wasn’t sleeping properly and in between classes and the double training; I was running on hopes and dreams at this point. I rolled over with a groan. “Fuck.”My phone gave a tiny ding, and I scrambled to pull it out of my pocket. It was a quick text from Wendy telling me she made it home. I tossed my phone with another groan. This time, I sat up and screamed. “I’m so fucking stupid.” I gripped my head in my hands and pulled at my hair. “Goddess, how could I be so stupid?” I stood and stalked my way to the bathroom connected to my bedroom and stripped off my clothes.You’re not stupid. Megan offered, but Nix stayed silent. I jumped under the hot spray and instantly crumpled to the floor. I leaned my head against my knees and for the first time si
Vince closed his eyes and shook his head. “I will make an announcement later. No one should be stupid enough to rub that in any wolf’s face, but to do it to an Alpha is asking for death.” He huffed out a breath. “Are you okay now, Amy?”I made it look like I was fighting Nix for control. I started to shake, and she receded slowly, laughing the entire time. This is going to be fun. Nix chortled as she slunk back into the dark forest of my mind. The fur receded, and my eyes and fangs shifted back. I watched as Vince and Brandon both breathed out a sigh of relief. “I should say I am sorry for losing control, but I’m not. Nina deserved everything I did to her.” I scoffed. “She’s lucky I didn’t kill her.” I turned to Toya and Wendy. “Thank you.”“Always.” The two of them squeezed my sides and then sat back down in front of their food. I turned back to Vince. “Am I in trouble?”He stared at me, really stared at me as if he was trying to figure something out, but then he slowly shook his
The others were already sitting when I walked over. Toya was openly staring at me with a smirk. “Did you have a little fun in line there, Amy?” I chuckled, but I was still angry. “It’s like a rot in this fucking school.” I slammed into my seat as the others just stared at me. “No matter where I turn, someone is bullying someone. When did this become our status quo? We are not fucking humans.” I had to calm myself down, but this is kinda perfect. It shows that I’m not doing well. I allowed tears to come to my eyes and I shook my head. “I’m sorry.” I wiped at my face in frustration. “It’s okay.” Toya followed my lead and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I heard her sniffle, and a tear hit my shoulder. “Look at how pathetic you two look.” Instantly, Nix was at the surface. Fur rippled down both of our arms. Black against her dark brown. We looked at each other and both of our eyes were shifted. We separated and looked behind us to find Nina and her band of idiots. And Nix ripped a
I stretched my neck as I walked into the caff. Sleeping on my couch was about as comfortable as you assume. I felt my neck pop, and I wanted to groan. I shook myself as I headed to the line to grab breakfast. I needed food and caffeine as soon as possible. I grabbed a tray and waited for my turn. I felt myself wobble on my feet. I was more tired than I thought. It’s also the emotional side of things that is weighing you down. Megan’s voice called from the darkness of the forest in my mind. Last night wiped you out. First it was Toya’s emotions, then your own, and you ended the night with your mother’s emotions pressing down on you. It takes a toll. Nix agreed, and I had to nod. They were right. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. If I could have missed today I would have, but I set this meeting up last night with everyone and we had a plan to make. “Excuse me.” A soft voice called from behind me. I turned to see an omega male. “Yes?”His eyes widened. “It’s your turn to g
I woke with a jolt. My mother was standing over me with slightly swollen eyes. “Baby?” I wiped my eyes.“Mom, is everything okay?” I grabbed for my phone on the table. It was six in the morning and I wanted to cry. I finally crawled under the covers at almost midnight, and I loved sleep. “It’s morning. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I’m heading out.” I sat up and rubbed my eyes again. “Are you sure?” I grabbed for her and pulled her down by my legs. “How are you doing?”“I’m okay, baby.” She leaned in and kissed my forehead. “I shouldn’t have come here.” She ran her hands down my hair. “Of course you can come here, mom. Any place I am you can come. Anytime.” I reached for her other hand. “I will never be too old to not need my mother.” I smiled at her. But she shook her head. “No, baby.” She closed her eyes and looked over my shoulder. She was thinking about something. “I was selfish.”“What do you mean?” I felt her hands convulse in mine. “If, goddess forbid, your father was ac
Her sobs were ragged, but it was the screams that broke me. We crumpled to the floor as she screamed her pain, and all I could do was hold her and allow her to release it. She wouldn’t listen to me until she did. It wasn’t until I heard the door shut that I realized Rowan had left.I grabbed her around her shoulders, and under her legs and I picked her up. I carried her to my bedroom and laid her on my bed. And then I did the only thing I could. I pulled the phone out of the lockbox and I dialed my father. It was late, but I could only hope he would answer. I slid in behind my mother and I waited for the ringing to stop. I closed my eyes in defeat when the call went unanswered and his voice played in my ear. “Hi, you have reached Alpha Gavin Maclean. I’m currently busy, but I will get back to you.” My mothers screamed again as she heard my father’s voice. “He’s gone.” Her scream shook the sliding glass door. I hung up the phone and called back. “I told you he was gone, baby.” She g