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
I smiled down at her. “Not yet. I' still have to go shopping but I promise, I’ll be back soon.” I pointed down the hall. “Someone came to visit you.” My mom’s eyes were full of tears, but she managed a smile.“Hey Carly.” She crouched down. “Do you remember me?”Carly’s eyes lit up, and she ran down the hall. “My daddy called you our luna!” She ran into her arms. “But he also said you were his first pup.” Carly pulled back a little. “Does that mean you’re my sister?”My mom laughed, but I could hear her pain. Carly’s words sank in. Carl loved my mom like a pup, and looking at my mother, she loved him like a father. A fresh pain crept into my chest. My mom looked up at me. “Another time baby.” I just nodded. She turned back to Carly. “How about you think of me like a grandma?”Carly’s eyes grew wide, and she looked back at me. “A never had a grandma before.” I smiled. “It’s up to you, sweet pea. Like I said last night, you get to decide what you call us.”She nodded and turned back to
Everyone froze. I looked around and everyone, even my mother, had their mouths hanging open. “Well then.” She whispered as she walked over. We looked back to Carly, who blinked, and once again her bright brown eyes were staring back at us. I crouched down to her level. “Does that happen often?” “The goddess?” Her voice was bright once again. She shrugged. “Daddy said she comes when she has a message to deliver.” Carly giggled. “When I have visions, I remember what I see, but when the goddess comes, I don’t.”“Why?” “Because she has to put me asleep so she can speak through me. Daddy said it so it doesn’t hurt me. But I don’t don’t mind. She is the goddess.” Carly spun around and walked back to my mom. “Thank you for helping me hang my curtains.” Then she skipped off to her room.I stayed crouched and I looked up at my mom. “I am out of my depth.” She laughed. “Every parent feels that way some day. You just happened to feel it on the first day.” She kissed me. “Get Lynn situated, t
“Where are you going?” I laughed as she swerved around another car. “The mall.” She swerved again and I slammed against the door, making me laugh again. “Why the mall?” “Because I have an idea.” She pulled into the mall and parked. “About what?” I looked around confused. “Mom, I don’t really have a lot of time here.” I checked my watch. “I have a kid to feed.” I paused. “That’s a weird thing to say now.”She laughed. “It’s weird to hear. But I swear we are here for a reason.”“And what’s the reason?” “We are here to get things we need.” She hopped out, and I followed. “Has Toya messaged yet?” I checked my phone, then shook my head. “That’s alright. We can figure it all out.” I was so confused. “Okay…” I just followed. We headed inside, and she headed to the first store. She went around and grabbed a shirt and a pair of jogging pants. She held them up to my body and then nodded. “These will work.”Then went to the cashier. “Did you find everything you needed?” The girl asked wit
Two hours later, we were pulling back into the driveway and I was exhausted. I was running on a few hours of sleep and breakfast was my last meal. I was hungry and annoyed at everything. We parked, and I heard a door open, and I wanted to cry. “No.” My mom looked over her shoulder and I saw her slump. “Deal with this now, or else you won’t have peace.”I sighed as I hopped out. “Hey Brandon.” I looked at his father. “Alpha Vince.” I turned to my mom. “Do you need my mom?” Vince shook his head. “No, we are here to talk to you.” He looked at my mom. “Hey Ainsley.” She nodded. “Hey Vince.” She opened the back door. “Mom, you can just drop everything inside.” I walked over to hand her my key, but she smiled and jingled her own. I just nodded and turned back to Vince. “What’s up?”He looked over the bags my mom was bringing into the house. “You went shopping?”I nodded and smiled. “I haven’t been able to have a shopping date with my mom for a few years. We figured we would do it today
I walked into the pack house early the next morning and waited near the door for someone to stop. An omega approached me with her head turned down to the ground. “Alpha Amy?” Her voice was a soft whisper. “Yes?” I turned to face her fully, but she refused to look up. “Can I help you?”“Yes. The Alpha’s sent me here to get you.”“What’s your name?” “Winnie.” She was still focused on the floor.“Do you not look up, Winnie?” Even to myself, I sounded confused. She looked up in confusion. The black eye stood out on her pale skin. “I’m sorry?”I reached out, and she shied away from my touch, but I followed her with quick steps. I wrapped my fingers around her chin. I tilted her head up, staring at the bruise on her face. “What’s this?” She tried to pull away, but I held her close. “I would stop pulling away, Winnie. I don’t want to accidentally hurt you as I figure this out.” She froze in my hand and her eyes grew wide. “There’s a girl.” I turned her face, this way and that, looking at
I sat on the porch with a glass of wine, watching the sunset over the water. The sky was a dark blue with a dusky pink over by the fading sun. The door opened, and Wendy and Toya settled next to me. “Carly?” Toya took a deep drink from her wineglass. “In bed.” I sighed and wiped my face. “Back in her make shift canopy bed?” Wendy took a smaller sip from hers.“Yeah.” I sighed. “My mother went crazy with the blankets.” Wendy and Toya laughed. “She used to do the same in my room when I missed my dad. She sent for blankets and made this blanket fort over my bed.” I closed my eyes and I could still smell it. “It made me feel safe, and like I was back with my dad.”“It helped that much?” Toya swirled her wine and looked over at me. I nodded. “The tents layer the scent inside. You are surrounded by it.”“And she has her bear.” Wendy sniffled. “Are you crying?” Toya turned to her, and she nodded. “Why?”She laughed. “Is it bad to say that I’m jealous?”We both turned to face her, and she
I ran my hands along the table. “So they are trying to use the kudzu again. Morgan is going to try to slip some into a drink for my mother that I hand her, so she doesn’t question it. And Brandon is going to try again, now that I work at the pack house. They want me to mate him and get pregnant because they know if I have a pup, then everything would be given to the baby.”“And Brandon and Vince would have access to your money,” Wendy finished, and I pointed to her. “Exactly.” I looked at my friends. “Then they said they would kill me. Shannon asked if Vince would be able to kill me, because I was so strong and Morgan, the dumbass that he was, laughed. He said that Vince killed my dad. He could kill me.”Wendy waved her hands. “Wait.” We both turned to her. “Your dad’s pack was supposedly taken out by rogues.”I smiled. “Exactly.”Toya stared down at the tabletop for a minute before she looked up. “So you are saying that Vince is somehow behind the rogue attacks?” I nodded. “I mean,
My blood ran cold when I heard her words. My mind flashed back to my first life. Strapped to a table while my child was ripped out of me. That will never happen. Nix growled out. Megan ran her side down the barrier. We are smarter and more prepared than they are. We will not fail in our mission. Their calm, matter-of-fact voices helped me shake myself from that life, that nightmare I lived before. “Amy isn’t stupid. She would ensure most of her wealth would go to her mother.”“You are married to Ainsley.” Shannon was confused, and Morgan sighed. “Yes, but if she inherited billions and Amy was dead, she would disappear. Specially now.”“Why?” Morgan sighed again and I had to stop my laugh from escaping. “Because she doesn’t love me anymore. She might have stuck around before I fucked up, but not anymore. She would have no reason to. Vince’s only bargaining chip is Amy. It’s how he threatened her when she first came, and early this year. If Ainsley doesn’t perform basic wifely dut
He grabbed her and pulled her into her room, and slammed the door. I pretended to go into my room, closing the door loudly, but then I mumbled a spell that deadened my steps and I crept closer to Shannon’s door. “Daddy, how could you ask her? Why are you doing this to me, over and over?” She cried as Morgan paced. “Just stop Shannon.” He screamed, and I heard her whimper. His voice softened, and he walked closer to her. “I already told you.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “We have to play nice. We have to cater to Amy.”“But why?” She whined, and I heard her hit his chest. “Shannon!” He screamed. “Just stop. Honestly. Just fucking stop. You will not mate with Brandon.” The frustration filled his voice again. “I am tired of this,” Shannon howled, and his voice dropped to another whisper. “She owns this house, Shan. And Vince needs her close.”“Why?” she cried, but I knew this was now more of a show than anything else. “Because he’s the alpha.” His voice boomed, but then he f
The air in the hallway froze. Her breathing became ragged. “You’re lying.” I shrugged my shoulder. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” I tilted my head. “But does it matter? You are going to think about my words over and over until you find out the truth. Am I telling the truth, Shannon? Does the truth actually matter to you?” I smiled. “Actually, that is the question I want to know. If I was telling the truth and said Brandon chose me to be his mate…would it matter to you? Or would you still mindlessly chase after him and come up with reasons that he should leave me and choose you?”Shannon snarled. “Brandon is mine.”I sighed. “I think we both know that isn’t true in the slightest.” My mom opened the door wider than she should have. But she just smiled.“I put all of your stuff away in your closet.” I nodded. As she slipped past me and headed down the stairs. “I’m going to get started on dinner.” Then she was gone. I groaned as Shannon was still there, glaring at me. “I’m over this Shan.
Two hours later, we were pulling back into the driveway and I was exhausted. I was running on a few hours of sleep and breakfast was my last meal. I was hungry and annoyed at everything. We parked, and I heard a door open, and I wanted to cry. “No.” My mom looked over her shoulder and I saw her slump. “Deal with this now, or else you won’t have peace.”I sighed as I hopped out. “Hey Brandon.” I looked at his father. “Alpha Vince.” I turned to my mom. “Do you need my mom?” Vince shook his head. “No, we are here to talk to you.” He looked at my mom. “Hey Ainsley.” She nodded. “Hey Vince.” She opened the back door. “Mom, you can just drop everything inside.” I walked over to hand her my key, but she smiled and jingled her own. I just nodded and turned back to Vince. “What’s up?”He looked over the bags my mom was bringing into the house. “You went shopping?”I nodded and smiled. “I haven’t been able to have a shopping date with my mom for a few years. We figured we would do it today
“Where are you going?” I laughed as she swerved around another car. “The mall.” She swerved again and I slammed against the door, making me laugh again. “Why the mall?” “Because I have an idea.” She pulled into the mall and parked. “About what?” I looked around confused. “Mom, I don’t really have a lot of time here.” I checked my watch. “I have a kid to feed.” I paused. “That’s a weird thing to say now.”She laughed. “It’s weird to hear. But I swear we are here for a reason.”“And what’s the reason?” “We are here to get things we need.” She hopped out, and I followed. “Has Toya messaged yet?” I checked my phone, then shook my head. “That’s alright. We can figure it all out.” I was so confused. “Okay…” I just followed. We headed inside, and she headed to the first store. She went around and grabbed a shirt and a pair of jogging pants. She held them up to my body and then nodded. “These will work.”Then went to the cashier. “Did you find everything you needed?” The girl asked wit
Everyone froze. I looked around and everyone, even my mother, had their mouths hanging open. “Well then.” She whispered as she walked over. We looked back to Carly, who blinked, and once again her bright brown eyes were staring back at us. I crouched down to her level. “Does that happen often?” “The goddess?” Her voice was bright once again. She shrugged. “Daddy said she comes when she has a message to deliver.” Carly giggled. “When I have visions, I remember what I see, but when the goddess comes, I don’t.”“Why?” “Because she has to put me asleep so she can speak through me. Daddy said it so it doesn’t hurt me. But I don’t don’t mind. She is the goddess.” Carly spun around and walked back to my mom. “Thank you for helping me hang my curtains.” Then she skipped off to her room.I stayed crouched and I looked up at my mom. “I am out of my depth.” She laughed. “Every parent feels that way some day. You just happened to feel it on the first day.” She kissed me. “Get Lynn situated, t