I walked through the front door of the university and to the admissions office. I pushed in through the door and waited at the desk. “Hi can I help you?” The lady behind the desk was a tiny old woman with curly hair. She walked over, surprisingly spry in her old age.
“I hope so.” I smiled over at her as my mom pushed through the door. “There you are.” She smiled over the counter at the woman. “Hi. I hope you can help us. We are here to get my daughter registered for her classes this semester.”“Oh my. She is starting a little late. Hopefully, the course she wants is still open.” She hustled over to the swinging half door and pushed it open. “Come here, you two. We will get you settled.” We followed her back to her desk, and she pointed to the two chairs and settled behind her computer. “Now. Why the late start?”I sat in the chair and my mom settled next to me. ““Usually you would get your key when you were assigned, but since you’re late, I’ll just give it to you now.” She pulled a key on a wristlet and handed it to me. “The dorms are open to move into this weekend and class starts on Monday morning.” I looked at my mom, and she shook her head. “You waited to the last minute, didn’t you, baby?” I just grinned. “I informed the university I was spending the summer at another pack out of their territory.”“That you did. I saw your note on the file. You were actually the next thing on my to do list. So you saved me the hassle.”“Next on your to do list?” I laughed. “Why?”“The dean wanted me to follow up on all alphas that have registered this year to ensure that each got the classes they wanted.”I nodded along, but my mom frowned. “What happens if a beta or gamma wolf picked their classes before the alphas and were accepted into the program, only for an alpha to ask for the same spot?”Mrs. Sandlewood frowned. “Unfortunately, with the newest
“It’s okay.” My mom tried to calm her. “I forget things all the time.” We both laughed and waited.Mrs. Sandlewood settled a little and chuckled along with us. “Oh. Well, some days are like that.” She laughed as she clicked a few times on her computer. “First thing. I forgot to give you this.” SHe handed me a piece of paper. “This is a list of things needed for your dorm. Blankets, sheets, daily life items people take for granted.” I nodded along. “On the back is a list of things Alpha Vince thinks the Alpha’s should bring to be easily identifiable.” I furrowed my brows. “What?” I flipped it over and read what seemed to be a checklist of superiority. “Louis Vuitton jewelry, or other name brand items. Luxury brand clothing only. Purses and other accessories should be above $10,000 in price, daily.” I looked up from the list and Mrs. Sandlewood was actually sweating. “Why?”“What in the goddess’ name is he trying to do? Even if a person is the Alpha, some packs can’t afford this.” My m
My mom nodded and looked at me. “You aren’t stupid with your money. But I want to make sure you have enough to do what you want.” She bit her lip as she thought about it. “How much is normally added?” I turned back to Mrs. Sandlewood.“Oh.” She clicked a few times on her computer and then nodded. “Beta’s or lower usually load between twenty-five to forty thousand dollars. But the Alphas usually load more.”“Why?” My mom kept counting things on her hands and I just laughed.“Well, they have access to a few specialize clubs on campus. Plus…” Mrs. Sandlewood trailed off.“What is it?” I prompted her to finish her thought.She lowered her voice and leaned in. “It really depends on the Alpha. Some blow through their money quickly at the clubs.”“You mentioned them. What are they?”“There are a few sports bars and one dance club. Only ranked wolves can get in. But Alpha’s have a VIP section and it costs more. The flashier ones spend their money there. Then the others, they are more respect
My mother shook her head in disgust. “All those students.” She couldn’t hold back her anger. “I’ll transfer you the money.” My father was about to hang up, but I had to stop him.“Daddy? Can you round it up to five million?”I could picture him throwing his head back, and his laughter rang through the phone. “Why?”“Because. I have a plan. I want to make a few investments. That way, I can pay back the pack and handle the rest of the cost for the next four years at university.”My father’s laughter grew even more. “Smart girl. I did the same thing.” I knew he was talking about his investments he made when I was a kid. Everyone thought he was just making just good decisions, but he knew how it would turn out. A second chance at life does that. But remembering everything is hard, and he took a few hits. But now, now it was my turn to use my first life to my benefit.“Yeah.” I smiled. “Ronnie will send it over right now.” “Thank you, daddy.”“You are welcome, pup. I love you.” “I lov
“This is the dorm room building. It’s co-op, so everyone will be in the same building. Instead of organizing us by gender, they organize us by year. But they do it backwards. First years are on the top floor.” Clint looked back and smiled. “The elevator has been out for…well I’ve been here for three years already and it was out for years before me.” He laughed. “The stairs are over here.” He brought us over to the main staircase and headed up. “What program are you in?” I followed him up the five flights of stairs.“I wanted to go into business, like most Alpha’s and Beta’s. Help strengthen the pack’s standing.” I nodded. “Yeah. A lot of packs fall into that line of thinking.” I tried to hedge my bet, but Clint laughed. “Yeah, you sound like my father.” He looked back at me with a smile as he turned to the last flight of stairs. “He pushed me into computer science. Said it was the new way to protect the pack, and potentially make money.”I reeled. “My father gave me the same push.”
“Why does she get everything?” Shannon screamed from downstairs and I had to muffle my laughter. She has been screaming since she got home. She found out that I was getting a dorm while she had to come home, like it would make that much of a difference. There was a knock on the door, and I got up to open it. Morgan stood there. “Amy, can you please come downstairs? I want to have a family meeting.” I nearly lost it right then, so I just nodded. He turned around, jaw clenched and headed downstairs towards his screaming daughter.I entered the room to find Shannon punching the couch cushion over and over. I snorted as I walked over to one of the chairs that framed the couch. Morgan shot me a glare, and I just raised my eyebrow at him. I sat down and waved my hand. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Morgan shot me another glared as he walked away. “I told you not to fucking touch me.” My mother’s snarl came from the kitchen.“I’m sorry. Please.” Morgan begged and honestly, it was pathe
“You act like I am some kind of disease.” Shannon shot to her feet.“To me, to Nix, you are.” I snarled. “I don’t think you understand. So let me break it down for you. You know how you feel about Brandon. How he’s yours?” I waited, staring at her face, and watched as the possessiveness took over.“Yes.” She bit out.“How you feel like no one ever should touch him, be near him, flirt with him? Right? Like you would kill anyone that tried to take him.” I stared at her again, waiting.“Yes.”“Well, I feel that way about my stuff. My room. My safe space. And you violated it to get laid.” I stood, and I could feel my anger rising. “You are weaker than me, lower than me, and an all around shitty fucking person. But you thought you had the right to MY stuff. You went into my room and used my things, the things I got from my mother, from my father, for myself. And you used them to trap a wolf that isn’t yours.” Nix came closer to the surface. I felt my eyes shift, my fur flowed down my arms,
Shannon and Morgan froze. “What did you say?” Shannon took a step towards me.“I said everyone now has ten thousand dollars on their card now.” I rolled my eyes. “So you can leave me alone.” “I want more.” Shannon stomped her foot.I laughed. “What?” I shook my head in disbelief.“I said I want more. I deserve more. If everyone else has ten thousand dollars, then I should have as much as you, one hundred thousand.”My mother burst out in laughter. “You have to be kidding. Why do you deserve more?” She stood and paced, almost prowl. “You are still acting like you are better than everyone else.”“Because I am.” Shannon shouted. “You’re not!” My mom shouted back. She turned on Morgan. “This is your fault. Do you not realize that? You spoiled her and made her believe that her status as your kid made her better than the rest of her pack. You have doomed her.”Morgan stood. “I have not.”“Yes, you have.” My mother countered. “You want to know how?” Morgan glared at my mother, but she just
My mom reeled back and spat next to him on the ground. “I never want to see you again.” Then she spun around and stomped halfway back up the stairs. “Remember, divorce, tomorrow.”Morgan rallied the fool. “And what if I say no?”My mom ran back into the room. Her finger poked straight into his chest. “You fucking bastard. You swore to the goddess.”“And what if I changed my mind?” He smirked. “What if I decided I would rather keep you than let you go?”My mom screamed, but it was my quiet words that caught everyone’s attention. “Then you die.”Everyone froze. A pin could drop, a leaf could blow a block away, and we would all hear it. Shannon chuckled awkwardly. “What?”Brandon furrowed his brows. “Amy, you can’t mean that.”But my eyes were focused on Morgan, and only him. Morgan stepped back a step. “What did you say?” He looked at my mom, but she was stepping closer to me. “You can’t mean that, Amy.”I sighed, as if this was all too much. “You swore to the goddess Morgan, in front
She slammed her phone onto the table where everyone could see. We all leaned in and in perfect color, there was Morgan, balls deep inside his secretary.Morgan paled. “Where…where did you get this?” He tried to grab the phone, but my mom pulled it away.She laughed, but it was filled with a sharpness I had never heard before. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” She tilted her head. “Did you think that I would have really turned this cold over a run? A fucking run?” She slammed her hands down onto the table, causing them to jump. Morgan’s mouth bobbed up and down. “I-”“Shut the fuck up.” My mom screamed and then she almost deflated. “I think you have done enough talking for a long time, don’t you think? Ainsley, it was just a run. Ainsley, I love you and only you. Ainsley, sleep in the same bed as me or else Amy will be in danger.” Her eyes filled with disgust. “I know.”Morgan sank into her chair. “You know…”“I’ve known since last year.” She clicked the text chain before she got t
I stared at her for a second too long, and I saw sweat spring to her forehead. Then I smiled. “Of course I believe you. Brandon wouldn’t cheat on me…right?” I turned to him and he swallowed loud enough that I heard it across the table. “You wouldn’t do that to me after what my dad did to my mom, right?”He jumped, like I surprised him. “Of course I wouldn’t.” But even from here, I could see the guilt eating at him. “I know your dad has different views about mating than I do. And if that is what you want, we can still cancel the mating ceremony.” I let hurt enter my eyes. “I just refuse to share my mate with anyone.”He swallowed again. “I know. And I agree with you. I promise I would never do that to you.”I smiled. “Okay.” I turned to my mom. “I believe him.” She turned to glare at him for a minute and then I watched her crumple. “I’m sorry, baby.” She turned to Shannon. “I didn’t mean to accuse you. I’m just on edge.”Shannon nodded and turned to look at her dad. “It’s okay. Let’s
I smiled internally as the door behind me ripped open. “Deal.” My mother stepped out and shut the door behind her, moving everyone back a step. “But I want you to swear it to the goddess.”Morgan shook his head. “I shouldn’t have to swear my words are truthful to the goddess.”She scoffed. “I think that right there shows your sincerity, Morgan. But not what I meant. If you can prove to me you weren’t cheating or lying, then I will believe you, and I will have your pups. I want you to swear on the goddess that if I have proof your lying, that you will grant me a fast divorce.”Shannon once again jumped in. “Deal.” She pushed her father forward. “Come on, daddy make the deal.”Morgan hesitated again before he nodded to himself. I think he has to work up the nerve to make the vow. “I, Morgan Bain, swear that if you have reasonable proof that I was lying or cheating, then I will grant you a divorce.”My mother growled. “A fast divorce.”Morgan sighed, but corrected himself. “I, Morgan Bai
Shannon shrieked, surprised. Morgan jumped and Brandon, stupid Brandon, tucked the lock picks down by his side. “I’ll ask you again. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” This time, I let a snarl leave my mouth.Brandon stood with Shannon and Morgan at my door. Morgan and Shannon took a step back, realizing the danger, but Brandon took a step closer to me, trying to force my door wider. “We are here to discuss something with you and your mother.” He tried to be sweet and leaned in to kiss my cheek as once again he tried to push past, but I held the door tightly tucked to my side. I looked over at Morgan and Shannon. “I asked you two to leave for a couple of days. I asked you to give her some space.”“Amy-” Brandon tried to interrupt, but I stepped out of my room, pushing him back with a stumbling step and closing my door. “Why are you back here?” I left my face show my anger, my annoyance. “This is my house, too.” Morgan tried to stick out his chest. “I shouldn’t have to leave.
Everyone turned in horror as Carly stood in the grass, white eyes blind to the world, voice too deep for a freshly seven-year-old child. Rick turned back to me, because the goddess left my body, and we were once again alone. “Is that who I think it is?”Carly chuckled in a voice that sounded like she was grown. “If you are asking if I am the Shaman, I am indeed.” She turned to me. “High above us, where the stars can reach, the secret you are searching for has taken root.” Something in my chest loosened. Something my soul has figured out, but my brain was still trying to catch up. “What do you mean?”“You know.” She smiled, and then I watched her start to fall. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and before she could slam into the ground, I caught her. “Holy shit, you have the shaman here?” Rick paced.“Abby is playing with the shaman?” Shelly looked confused.Ternen, sweet Ternen, just looked at us. “Who or what is the shaman?”Everyone froze for a second and then everyone, in
I nodded. “There is still so much you don’t know, and we don’t have time to explain it all today.” I turned in a slow circle. “I honestly wish we could. But every time you come over. We can come here, allow the girls to play, and we can talk in more detail. But…” I crouched down, trying to figure out how to make out here more protected. “Yes, there will be a war.”“How are you so certain?” She looked terrified. I could see her twist her fingers. “Because I know how the king feels. He wants to rip all the rot out at once. The rogues. The alphas. The men and women that turned their backs on their kind for power.” “But you could be wrong.” She tried again. I closed my eyes and I felt the shift. I was no longer alone. “No, my dear girl. She isn’t.” I felt my body turn, almost as if Nix was in control. But I looked beside me and my two wolves were watching with me. I heard a few gasps, and I turned back to watch.“Who are you?” Rick stepped in front of his mate, but the person sharing m
“The closet is the escape plan?” Ternen looked about as confused as Rick did.I laughed. “Just follow me.” I walked into the closet and they all followed. “Close the door behind us, Ternen, please.”“Okay.” I heard the door shut before I opened the next door, and then the one on the other side.“You have a door that leads to a door?” Abby giggled.“I do. Do you want to know why?” I asked, still using the other door to block their view.“Why?” Abby came up behind me, and I opened both doors wide. “Because this is a magic closet. Follow me.” I waved them forward, and we walked through my bedroom, down the hall, and down the stairs.“You have another house in your closet?” Shelly’s words were filled with awe. She turned to Rick. She elbowed him. “We can barely afford the one and she has a huge house in a closet.” I laughed and winked down at Abby. “Come on, I have someone I want you to meet.” I held out my hands and she lifted her arms.“Sorry.” She whispered as we started down the ste
We all stood, and I turned to Shelly. “Are you ready to take the vow?”She took a breath and then nodded. “I am.” “Good. Repeat after me.” I walked her through the vow. “Are you ready?”She nodded. “I, Shelly Clark, vow to keep your words from everyone excerpt the goddess. I swear that nothing you say that could be used against you to cause harm will leave my mouth. Only the goddess will know our secrets and I beg her to keep them for us.” We all watched as her eyes widened. She turned to Rick. “That’s what you meant.” I lifted a brow. But she just laughed. “When he came home, he said that when you were out for lunch, you had a moment that filled him with an amazing sense of belonging.” She blushed as she rubbed her chest. “I was a little jealous, as I thought he meant you, but he meant the vow, the acceptance from the goddess.”Rick smiled and nodded. “Amy is great, but nothing came close to that feeling.” He turned to Shelly. “Except the day I mated you.” Then he turned to Abby. “A