The knock at the door startled us away from each other. I hadn’t realized just how close we had gotten until I jumped away from him. Rowan closed his eyes and then nodded. “We won’t fail?” His words were soft, but there was a tiny flare of hope to his words.“Not if I can help it. I will take these next years to crack into everything I can.” I thought about what my plan was and I worried at my lip.“What is it?”“I need a place I can hack it for practise.” I looked up and Rowan nodded. “Use my stuff. I would give you the information to find me, but that is half the battle.” The knock sounded again. “Get that?” The hope that flared in my chest that he wanted to spend time with me was pushed down. I nodded. “The rest of the girls are here and we have a plan to make.” Rowan nodded. “You can stay if you like.” I offered without thinking.“What?” Rowan tilted his head.“I, I, I.” I stammered over my words, but I cleared my throat at his chuckle. “I mean, you are a part of this, and if
Toya gripped my hand. “Amy, I appreciate the effort, but lease don’t lie to me.”“I’m not.” I went to my lock box and pulled out my secret phone. I called my father’s number and waited.“Pup, you know you shouldn’t be calling me.”“I know, daddy but I needed to hear your voice and there is someone here that needs to hear their father’s voice.”I heard my father huff, and then there was a click. “Ok pup, we can all hear you.”I clicked the speaker on the phone. “I sealed the room so no one can hear us.”“That’s good pup. Now, all the alphas are here. What do you need?”I looked at Toya and held the phone closer to her. “Say hi.”Toya leaned in. I could see “Hello? Baba?”“Toya, my love.” A rich voice called out, and Toya snatched the phone away. She sobbed as she clutched it to her test. “Baba, they said you were gone. That everyone was gone. Moma, Tiven, everyone.”“We are still here. We are all still here. Amy there will explain it to you. You weren’t supposed to know.”Toya sobbed
“Hey.” He looked at the girls and back at me. “You said you had food…so I brought drinks.”“Holy shit.” Micca repeated as she grabbed Wendy’s hand. “Please tell me we aren’t hanging out with our fucking king.” His voice was barely above a whisper.I dropped my head down and shook it. “Yes, Micca. We will hang out with him.” I gestured for him to come in, and he walked into the kitchen. He slid the beer into the fridge and fidgeted for a few minutes before coming back into the living room and handing me one beer. “What have you covered?” He dropped onto the loveseat next to me and the girls kind of stood around before I laughed. I sealed the apartment and cracked the beer. “Sit down.” I pointed to the couch and chair surrounding my new coffee table. Everyone sat except Micca. “What?” I looked up at her and she shook her head, staring between Rowan and me.“Is it okay if I grab a beer?” Her voice was breathy and confused.Rowan smiled. “Of course.”She looked around. “I’m sorry but if
“He tried to trap your mother and you as sex slaves?” Rowan’s voice was dark.I just nodded. “My mother would never have touched another wolf if it was an option. It was the threat of me becoming a slave that pushed her to marry Morgan, and how he kept her under his thumb the entire time.”“She did it to keep you safe,” Wendy whispered and I could see a single tear slip down her cheek.“She is a good mom.” I nodded. “But that isn’t why I brought it up.” I looked at Toya. “I brought this up because I want you to see the men we have to face. The kind of men we will have to fight.”“Fight?” Hanna tugged at her hair. I looked at Rowan, and he cleared his throat. “How many of you know about the attacks from when you were babies? The ones that killed my father?” Everyone around the room nodded. “We all do.” Toya answered. “My father taught me as a part of my training.”Rowan nodded. “There are a few of us, the newer Alpha’s like Amy’s father, that believed that the attacks were a lot less
“War?” Everyone froze. Rowan’s hand tightened at my waist and I wanted to shiver, but I nodded. “War.” “How do you know?” Toya leaned closer. Everyone had finally settled in and forgotten that the king of our kind was sitting next to me. “Has the goddess ever spoke to you?” I looked at her. “The goddess? Like the moon goddess?” Micca nearly fell from her seat, but I just nodded.“Some of us are blessed to communicate with our goddess. Some get feelings, guided by her hand. Shamans get visions.” Rowan looked at me, and I could see the question in his eyes. But I knew it wasn’t time. I shook my head slightly, and he refocused on Toya. “Some others are gifted from the goddess herself. Lycans, when they come of age, are visited by the goddess.”“Visited how?” Wendy was almost enthralled.“When my father died, and I inherited the throne, and when I came of age, the Goddess visited me in my dreams.”“How do you know it wasn’t just a dream?” Hanna asked.I could feel my forehead burn and
“On goddess. What happened?” Wendy covered her mouth. I closed my eyes, remembering the scene. “He dropped to his knees, and howled. It was the most heartbreaking noise I have ever heard. Then in seconds, his eyes changed from the crystal green they were to blood red. His face half shifted, and with the last remaining shred of humanity he had, instead of attacking us, he took off into the forest.”“He went rabid that quickly?” Micca’s mouth dropped open.“It isn’t a slow process.” Rowan clasped his hands and leaned on his knees. “It’s like the human soul is ripped from the wolves. Leaving the beast alone with the pain and having no way to work through it.” I nodded. “There has been only one rabid wolf in history that has come back from it.” I remembered my father told me the story of the wolf after I watched the man go rabid. “It was a she-wolf that had been betrayed by her mate. He killed their pup because it was a girl and he wanted a boy. She went rabid and stayed in the wild for
I was frozen in my spot when he pulled away. My eyes snapped open and I could see his self-assured smile as he turned away with his meal. If I could die right this second, I would. Well, well, well. Nix’s voice was amused. I thought you said you weren’t interested in him?Amy, are you okay? Megan’s soft question caught me off guard.Why wouldn’t she be? Nix was just as confused as I was.Megan came closer and started to rub her side against the wall in my mind. Because… She started. She didn’t want to like Rowan because of us. We are waiting for your mate, Nix. You, yourself, are interested in Erubus. Falling for a man, specifically our king, would be hard. Knowing he will be selecting a queen, or finding his mate, is even worse. Megan paused. No matter what happens, Rowan isn’t for her and she knows it. Nix was quiet. I didn’t think of that. I felt her following Megan, pressing herself against the wall. If Rowan is who you want, I would give his wolf a shot. He is the king, so he
I looked up, surprised when I found everyone’s eyes on me. “Sorry, my mom is heading this way.”Toya stood and collected all the garbage and brought it into the kitchen. “Let’s go ladies.” Toya called as she dumped everything in to the trash.“What?” Wendy called out as she stood.Toya stepped out of the kitchen and looked back at me. “I don’t know how long we have, but Amy is about to have a very hysterical woman who lost her mate in her hands.” Toya gave a soft smile. “She gets to explain to her devastated mother that her dad is still alive and then she is going to have a very livid luna on her hands.” “Oh fuck.” Hanna jumped up. “No offense Amy, I don’t have the ability to deal with a distraught luna that might rampage at any moment.”I just nodded. “Yeah. It won’t be pretty.” I stood and smiled. “Honestly, it’s fine. We can work out all the details tomorrow about training and figure out a time that works for everyone.” I looked around as everyone stood. “Can you all meet me in th
His words were a soft balm on the pain I was feeling. But I needed to get a little space. So I slid off his lap, and I saw a flash of hurt flash in his eyes. “I like him too. But my wolf actually feels the same about another, so I understand.” I slid next to him and grabbed his hand. “But what did you mean about an opportunity?”Regret flashed in his eyes and then they faded to his normal brown. Rowan was back. “Hi.” He was struggling with something.“Hey.” I smiled and grabbed his hand. “What’s wrong?”He sighed. “What I’m about to say will make zero sense and I know already it isn’t fair, but it’s how I feel, okay?”I turned to face him. “Okay.”“I don’t like that your wolf likes this unknown male.” Hu huffed out a laugh. “And like I said, I know I’m a hypocrite. Okay, I do, but I wish you both just liked me…”I listened as he explained and smiled, but it was a little sad. “I feel exactly the same way. But we can’t change our wolf’s mind. They have to figure out their own feelings,
The kiss melted my bones. Heat started in my center and then exploded out of me. My hands tangled in his hair and he groaned as I launched myself from the ground and into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. His tongue teased at the seam of my lips until I opened for him and then his tongue delved between them, tangling with mine. He wrapped one arm around my back and the other clutched my ass tightly against him. I groaned in repressed need. Goddess, he was perfect.The kiss lasted less than a minute, but it was imprinted on my soul, and I knew in one crystalized moment this man would be the end of me. Whether it be together, wrapped in his arms, or alone and shattered, a forgotten toss away in his conquest for his queen. I didn’t know the answer, but he was either my everything or my death. That I was certain of with an almost finite clarity. He was the first to pull away, placing his forehead against my own. “I’m sorry.”My eyes fluttered open. “Why are you sorry?” My voi
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