I looked back to Brandon and I mouthed sorry. I wasn’t, but I needed him to this I was. Then I turned Lynn back towards my house and brought her inside. We headed straight to my bedroom, but I froze. The fucking door. “Toya?”“Yeah?” She came up behind us. “Take Lynn to my room. I need to speak to my mom about some food.” She saw the look in my eyes and nodded. “Of course.” She sidled up next to Lynn. “Hey honey, I’m Toya. We are going to become the best of friends you and I.” Lynn barely registered her, and just leaned on her. They started upstairs, and I turned back to the kitchen.“Mom?” “Yeah baby?” She came around the corner and she saw my face. “Did you kill that boy?” I just shook my head. “Pity.” She turned around and headed back into the kitchen. I followed her inside and leaned against the counter. I needed a second. “That bad?” I nodded again. She just came over and hugged me. “You did good, baby.”I shook my head. “No, I didn’t. If I did, this wouldn’t have ever happen
I heard the door open and Shannon gasp. “No freaking way.”My mom turned to me. “What the hell is this?”“Mom, did you think I didn’t notice you eyeing up Jora’s SUV the last time you came up?” My mother blushed. “It was nice.” She pouted.Shannon ran up to us. “Whose it for?” I ignored her. The SUV was fully unloaded and the delivery guy was walking over. “I am looking for a Mrs. Maclean.” I smiled as my mom turned to me. “An Ainsley Maclean.” She whipped her head back around to face the driver. “I’m guessing that’s you.” His chuckle was soft as he walked over and dropped the keys into her hands. “Hope you like it.” Then he was gone. My mom turned to me. “I might have gotten you a new car, too.” I grinned. “But I’m going to go help Lynn and Toya pack, so I’m going to go. Go look at it.” I pushed her towards her new car and turned away.Shannon was pouting behind us. “You bought your mom a new car?” I nodded as I went to go past. “This isn’t fair.” She stomped her foot like a child
Nix nodded as she came closer to the barrier. Yes, she has finished the carving. I waited and watched so that I could tell you where she carved what, just in case it was important. Smart. I leaned down and grabbed the book from the floor. I didn’t even think of that. Okay. I paused, ready to start. Which one first?Nix pushed forward. She pointed at the first symbol, a weird-looking N. She did this one on the bottom. I shifted my hand into my claws and carved the N into the baseplate of the door frame. Nix pointed at the circle with a line through it. This one is in the middle of the left-hand side. I carved mine in the same area. This one, a sideway S with a few dots, is on the top. I stood and went to carve the symbol above the door but Nix stopped me. Not there. She did it like the bottom on the top plate. Like the sides. I nodded and carved it into the crossbeam on the frame. And the last one was the star she did exactly across from the circle. I finished the carving, then kne
Only to run face first into another fucking door. “Ow.” My eyes snapped open, and I rubbed my forehead. “What the fuck?” I placed my hand on the wood and tapped on it, making sure it was solid. “What?” Toya came up behind me. She peered over my shoulder. “Is that another door?” I nodded. “Well…” She nudged my back. “Open it.”I puffed out my cheeks. “If I don’t come back, I’m blaming you.” I opened the second door quickly, slamming the door against the wall. “What the fuck!” Wendy screamed. “Holy shit, it worked.” I whispered as I stared at my friend. “It worked.” Toya clapped behind us. “Amy!” Carly came running, and I opened my arms. “Hi baby.” I hugged her to me and then pushed her back as I crouched down. “Have you been a good girl for Aunt Wendy?”Wendy smiled and nodded. Carly bounced. “We played board games.” Wendy sighed. “She beat me every time.” I chuckled.“Good.” I looked up. “We have all the stuff here. We can hand it through, but we will have a guest with us at th
I pulled my power to me and slammed it into Lynn. She arched off the bed and screamed. Wendy and Toya came running, and I could hear a faint yelp from Carly. I would explain it to her later, but right this second, my entire focus was on the woman slowly dying on my bed.“Amy, what the hell are you doing?” Wendy came running to my side. “Amy, stop.” Toya ran back from the cabin, but I shook my head. “I can’t.” I was holding her wrist, but the blood wasn’t slowing. “Grab me a towel from the bathroom. Now.” Toya ran. “What happened?” Wendy knelt next to me, putting her fingers against Lynn’s neck. Toya came back from the bathroom with a towel and held it out. I pulled my hand away from her wrist and they both gasped. “I needed her blood for the shield. I can’t bring her there until she is added to it. Otherwise, she can be traced there. I was just going to take a little blood.” I wrapped the towel around her wrist and squeezed. I held her arm to Wendy. “Squeeze. Hard.”“Why isn’t she
Lynn shot up from the bed with a gasp, and I nearly wept in relief. Wendy and Toya jolted back, surprised, but then grabbed Lynn again. “Are you okay?” Touya turned Lynn’s face to hers. Wendy wrapped her hands around the soaked towel and peaked under. “Thank the goddess.” She pulled back the towel completely, inspecting Lynn’s wrist. “She’s healed.” She stood and brought the towel to the bathroom. I heard the slap of the towel hitting the bottom of my tub and water running right before she came back with a washcloth. She wiped the remaining blood off Lynn’s wrist, cleaning her up before she turned to me. “You did it.” She looked back over my shoulder, her eyes catching on something again. Toya and I followed her eyesight and Toya’s mouth dropped open. “Holy goddess.” She looked back at me. “Did you do that?” I stared at the plants I had in the corner. The plants I collected and my mother had taken care of while I was gone. The plants, all six, that were now shriveled and dead. The
“So?” My grandmother pushed, as she could see I was done thinking. “No, I don’t find them to be a duty. I say duty, because I am honor bound to help, but even if I wasn’t, I would have. They are connected to my wolves. To me. I wouldn’t turn on them.”She nodded. “Good.” She pointed to the statue with her lips. “I know your fear is talking. And that’s okay, just don’t let it talk you into something you shouldn’t do. Like turn your back on your people. Add your warrior into the shield and then bring her back to heal.” Then she was gone. I shook myself and I turned into the see how much power I had left. To my surprise, I was recharged more than I should have been. I closed my eyes and sighed. “Thank you.” I picked the blood up and stood. I poured a little on the statue and then I moved on to the next. Once I had poured blood onto all four statues, I settled back in front of the northern statue and opened my magic. “Isla fo int ye per ta dona clin stio pa ne.” I sent my power out, an
Shannon froze, her tears forgotten as Morgan finished screaming. He turned back to me. “I’m sorry.” He turned back to Shannon. “Take Ainsley’s old car or don’t, but I’m done with this bullshit Shannon. You are a fucking adult. Act like it.” Then he turned on his heels and left, back down the stairs. Shannon was frozen to her spot before she turned back to me and my mom. “This is your fault.” She screamed and then ran to her room, slamming the door. “Well…” My mom pointed down the stairs. “I’m going to-”“Come in.” I pulled her into my room and closed the door. “Amy, I have to go.” She sighed, but then stopped when she looked over at Toya and Lynn. “How is she doing?” She walked closer. “Not great.” I walked over to the bed. “They poisoned her with wolfsbane.” She gasped. “I didn’t know and when I cut her-”“Why the hell did you cut her?” My mom ran over to her and looked. She saw the bloodstain on my carpet. “Amy!” She ran to the washroom and screamed when she saw the towel in the
They all stared back at me with different looks on their faces.Alannah leaned closer to Ternen. “Will the vow hurt?” I shook my head. “No, it’s just a vow to the goddess to keep whatever we say here secret, even under threat of command or death.” Alannah paled. I reached through the middle and held out my hand. “Don’t be scared. It doesn’t mean you will face death. It just means the goddess recognizes your sincerity for secrecy and she makes it so that we can keep our secrets.” I smiled back at her. Ternen nodded. “I’m ready, but I don’t know what to say.”I pulled my hand away and I turned in my seat, so that my back was pressed against the door. “I, Amy Maclean, 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.” I felt the acceptance of my words settle in my chest. I nodded to Ternen, and he repeated my wo
Shannon stepped back from whatever she saw on his face. “Amy told me about her birthday lunch, and since we all have become so close, I figured while she was busy, we could have lunch together.” She looked at his face, and winced. But I jumped at the chance. I stepped to her side and wrapped my arm around hers. “Shannon, that is honestly the best idea.”She looked at my arms around hers. “It is?”Brandon’s face morphed into a mask of confusion. “It is?”I nodded. “Shan is right. I mean, we have spent the last six months working on our friendship. And it’s made our relationship that much easier to go ahead with, knowing that we aren’t going to fight over you.” I smiled up at him and he considered it.I could see the exact moment he decided to go to lunch with Shannon. The exact moment he figured out he could have a little afternoon rendezvous with his lover, since I give him nothing. I saw the heat enter his eyes and knew I had him.“Okay. Okay.” I wanted to clap. “I give in. Go have
I was deep into programming a new firewall when there was a tentative knock on my door. I looked up to find Alannah standing there, looking a little lost. “Are you busy Amy?”“For you? Not at all.” I saved my progress and sat back. “What’s up?”She stepped in to the office. “There is someone that wants to come talk to you, but I don’t want him too.”I lifted my brows. “Why not?”She looked down. “It’s Ternen.”I smiled. “Send him in.” I leaned my elbow on the desk. “I wanted to ask about his day yesterday.”“What, why?” Herr head snapped up. “Because Brandon said he was going to give him a new job in the house. I wanted to see how it went.” I watched her body tense and her face fall. “What’s wrong?”She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”“No.” I had a sinking feeling. I stood and walked around my desk, grabbing her hand and pulling her to sit. “Sit.”“I can’t.” She turned to look at the door. “Ternen is waiting.” I pushed her into the chair and walked to the door, opening it.Ternen sto
Six months later…“Good morning Alannah!” I swung into the office with a slam, startling our poor omega. But the swish of bags had her hopping up and coming around the desk.“Amy, what’s all of this?” Allanah rushed to my side and pulled the bags from my hands. “This is your birthday presents.” I squealed as I pushed her to her desk. She stumbled over her feet, and Rick mosied out to see what the commotion was. “What’s going on?”“It’s Alannah’s birthday!” I screamed as I pushed her back into her chair. “I know.” Rick smirked and turned back to his office. Alannah sat confused as the bags sat at her feet. “Amy, I can’t accept these.” “Of course you can. You have been my secretary for a few months now, and you never mess up my lunch.” I smiled big and then leaned in with a whisper, “and don’t think I don’t know the extra attitude you have been getting from Brandon. He’s been in a mood recently and I know you have had to take the brunt of him aura when he comes in here swinging.”S
We walked down the street hand in hand. Every so often someone would stop and stare, but I ignored the looks, until we turned down my street and my mother was pacing outside the door. “Mom?” We walked up, and she turned. I watched her face shutter when her eyes landed on Brandon. “Hey baby, how was your first day?”I looked up at Brandon. “It was great. Why are you out here?”My mom heaved a sigh. “Morgan is talking to Shannon again, and it isn’t going well.” She winced when another scream could be heard. I nodded sadly and turned to Brandon. “I’m sorry.” I pulled the flowers closer. “I can’t.” I looked to the house. “I really like the job, and you are an amazing friend, and…” I trailed off. “And what?” He pushed.“And maybe we could have been a good mating pair, but I can’t do this to my mom’s family.” I stepped back. “I know you wanted to talk to them but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” I turned to leave, but my mom stopped me. “Actually, I think it is.” She nodded to the hous
The door to my office busted open. “Holy shit.”I smiled as I sat back. “What?”“You found me!” Rick rushed in and rounded my desk. I felt my face pinch as he came close. Before I could think, he had me in his arms and he was jumping. Literally jumping. “I can’t fucking believe it.” He seemed to freeze and then placed me back down on my feet. “Sorry.” He backed away with his hands raised. “Sorry, I just…it’s just.” He blushed, and I chuckled.“What?”“No one has ever found me. Shit, half the guys Vince shoves in here can barely make it past the first trap I threw at them.”I threw my head back and laughed. “The firewall that turned on me?” He nodded. “Seriously?” I furrowed my brow, and he just nodded again. “But that was easy.”He tossed his hands in the air. “Exactly!” He yelled as he spun in a circle. “I told Vince every damn time that they failed, it was the easiest trap to unravel. But no.” He finally walked around my desk and sat down. “I thought…”“You thought I was just going
I was digging into my second sandwich when there was a soft knock on the door. I looked up to see Alannah staring down at the floor. “Alpha Amy?” I put my sandwich down and smiled. “Alannah, please. I am serious. You can just call me Amy.”She shook her head. “Alpha Vince likes the distinction.”I sighed. “Okay. What can I do for you, Allanah?”She bowed again. “Alpha Brandon is here to take you to lunch…” Her eyes flashed in terror as she looked at the food on my table. “Send him in.”Brandon came in a few seconds later but stopped short. “Oh…” He looked back and I heard Allanah running back to her desk. “I didn’t realize you were already eating. I wanted to take you out for lunch on your first day.”I smiled and winked. “I’ll have to reschedule. Maybe we can go tomorrow. Today, I have a date.” I rubbed my hands together and checked the time. Brandon furrowed his brow and walked over and sat down. “A date? With who?”I looked up, surprised to hear the jealousy in his voice. “With
I tilted my head to the side and nodded slowly. “I am.” I smiled. “Did you know my father?”The man chuckled, the little extra he had around his waist jiggling with it. “Yeah, I know your dad. How is the old bastard?”I froze, and I forced tears to spring to my eyes and I looked down at my hands. “He passed away in a rogue attack a few years ago.” I looked up and I let one tear drop. “But you are right, before he went, he was one old bastard.” I smirked and wiped the tear away.The room was silent or a few minutes and Brandon leaned over and whispered to me. “It’s okay.” He rubbed my arm with his hand. I smiled up at him and nodded. “I’m sorry.” Rick sighed and rubbed his face. “I didn’t know.” He came over and stood with his hands in his pockets. “Now I normally hate any person Vince forces on me, as I feel like he is going to force me out once he has young blood in here. But for Gav, I’ll take you without complaint.”I laughed, sniffling along the way. “Sounds good.”Brandon turned
Vince stared at me for a few more seconds, the wheels turning in his mind, and then he nodded. “I actually just remembered I had things I have to do. Brandon. Bring her to the security offices and introduce her to Rick. Her office is the one on the right.” Vince smiled. “Settle in. Rick will know what to do.” Vince turned around and went to leave but turned back. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to settle you in, but as long as you come in, do your job, and help this pack, you won’t have to worry about your position here.”I nodded and then bowed. “Thank you Alpha Vince.” Then he was gone, leaving me alone with Brandon. I turned to him and smiled. “Where to?”Brandon came around from behind and took the lead. “This way.”I nodded and followed. “So Rick?”Brandon looked over his shoulder. “An old wolf. Smart. His daughter is sickly, and my father takes care of her.” I could feel my stomach clench. Vince wasn’t the caring alpha. “That’s sweet of him.” I followed him down the rest of the hall