“Let’s go! Faster! Your wolves, not humans, you can do better than this!” I screamed out again and again, standing next to the Beta and Gamma females. Tina and Lynn watched the females struggle to run around the inside track. I turned to face them with wide eyes. “What is going on?”Tina shook her head and watched the struggling women. “The females here only train if they want to. Your father doesn’t force us to train.”“I told him it was a mistake.” Lynn the Gamma looked at the girls with a curled lip. “Look at them. It’s only been two laps, and they are already winded.” The muscled woman shook her head and tossed her arms. “I don’t understand this laziness. What happens if we get attacked?”“Well, I’m here for two months, and in the future, you two will continue this after I leave.” The two women cut their eyes to me and I nod. “I talked to my father, and he caved when I went over the last pack that kept this outdated opinion for the females in the pack.”“What pack?” Tina furrowed
I waited for the reality of what I said to sink in. “What? You said it yourself. I can’t command you to hurt yourself. Fine, let’s go with something else. What if I commanded you to give me all of your money?” I stared down at the girl and she looked away. “Something you’ve done I see.” I snarled. My eyes flashed. “What’s your name?” “Stephanie.” I slammed my aura out, and Nix took control as I raged. “Do jumping jacks until I tell you to stop.” Stephanie’s eyes widened, but I turned away to reel in my wolf. She started bouncing up and down, and some girls chuckled and I snarled. “You think this is funny? Do you want to join Stephanie? Being made to do something and not being able to stop yourself is a horrible feeling.” I whipped back to the girls, and Nix snarled again. My power struck out again, dropping everyone to their knees. “Everyone here will do jumping jacks until I say stop.” Everyone started, even Tina and Lynn, but I commanded them to stop. “What are you planning?” Ly
“How did it go today?” My father nudged me to a seat across from him and waved to an omega. She brought in the plates. “Thank you Manda.” “Thank you Manda.” I smiled up at the girl, and she ducked her head, then left. I turned back to my father. “It went as well as expected.”“Which wasn’t good at all.” I pointed to him and nodded. “Exactly.”“What happened?” He dug into his food, and I told him about the day.“We started with running, and even those that had already shifted were…”“Weak?” my dad threw out while waving his knife around.“Pathetic.” I countered. I cut into my steak and nearly moaned with the first mouthful. “They barely made it two laps before they were huffing. Then I called them over, and we started to talk about what was going on.”“And…”“And then some girls were giving us push back about commanding other wolves. So I made a point.”“What was the point?” My father focused fully on me and I grimaced. He might not agree with my decision. “They wanted to hide behin
“I look exactly like her…”“Well, you have your mother’s nose.” My dad laughed. “I didn’t want to scare you.” He peered at the picture, then at me. “This is where we come from, Amy.” He tapped the photo. “Our power stems from her. We have her to thank for everything we can do to protect our pack.” “You use your power to protect your pack?” I met his eyes.“Of course. We do what we have to do.” My father sat back down and wiped his face. “Anyway. Let’s forget about that for now. What are your plans for the girls?”“I commanded anyone that was using their power to demand things from weaker wolves to never command again.” I cut my eyes away from his face. I knew this would not sit well with him. “Amy!”“I know, I know. It’s against the law, but there is something going on with them. One girl was going to say something, but then one of the others commanded her to shut up. So I made sure she couldn’t command anyone else.”“But you can’t fight against wrong doing by following suit.”“Comm
The next morning was much of the same. I awoke to my father’s knock, and we made our way to the clearing. He nudged me into the clearing and I walked to the stump and sat down. By the time I looked back up, he was already gone. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on, or what I am supposed to do here.” I shook my head and took off my shoes. I planted my feet and took a cleansing breath. Then I closed my eyes and focused, like my father explained. The air was a soft, gentle breeze. I felt it dance across my skin. It played with my hair, tangling my curls as it blew through the clearing. The early morning sun crested the tree tops. I could feel the warming light hit my skin. I wiggled my toes in the grass, and it tickled my the bottom of my feet. I opened my hands, palm up on my knees, and settled deeper on to the stump. “This is stupid.” I opened my eyes and looked around, but I was talking to myself. “Is it?” I whirled around to see my father’s grandmother walking towards me. “H
A glowing green orb that shined like the sun. I walked closer to it and I could see the orb was pulsing. With every step closer, I could feel my pounding heartbeat, and my heart was in time with the orb. “What are you?”Nix and Megan walked out and sat beside me. “This is your power. This is the center of your soul. Your power that runs through your body comes from this orb. Your entire being is in sync with this piece of you.” Megan nudged against my hand.“Megan and I are a part of you, but separate. We are our own souls that share your body and mind. But this part of you would still be here if we weren’t. It is woven into your very soul. Your human soul. This is your grans legacy for you, the very power that ran in her veins, your father’s veins and now yours. It will pass to you pups and beyond.” Nix leaned forward.“If werewolves were to even die off, your line would continue to hold power.” Megan followed suit and leaned toward the orb. Ribbons of power floated out and stroked
“Let’s go.” I yelled behind me, frustrated with the progress these last few weeks have given to these ladies. “Hussle.” I ran with them, leading them while Lynn and Tina running at the very back. I would have lapped them three times if I ran my regular pace. Which is ridiculous. I don’t have access to my wolves yet. Soon Amy. Soon. Nix’s voice came to me as I panted around the track. I finished the laps and walked over to the water cooler and grabbed a bottle of water, waiting for everyone else to finish. I stretched out my arms and then dropped to the ground to lean over my legs to stretch them. “Amy, you are killing us.” Cass dropped next to me and I looked up, surprised.“You finished first.”“No, you did.” Cass pushed me and laughed, but I shook my head slowly.“No, Cass. You were behind me. Which is fantastic. You don’t have a weak wolf.” I smiled over at her and Nix chuffed in my head. Of course, she doesn’t have a weak wolf. Lily just doesn’t see the point in putting her str
“Dad.” I slammed into his office and dropped into a chair. He just looked up from his phone call to me and raised a finger. “Yes, Steven. She will be returning in the next month. But if she wants to move here permanently, you can’t refuse the request.” He paused and met my eyes. “I understand you think she might be your son’s mate, but if she isn’t, you can’t block her again.” He nodded. “I’m happy we could come to an agreement. Thank you Steven. I will see you at the Alpha summit.” He hung up the phone and smiled up at me. “Come on in Amy. What can I do for you?”I smiled and shook my head. “Dad. What was that about?”“Just clearing the way in case something changes and you want to come back here, or stay.” He smiled up at me and I just laughed. My father was the trouble maker alpha. “What made you bust in here just now?”My smile turned into a grimace, and I flopped into a chair. “Our family is failing this pack.”“What do you mean?”“You have had no one else heading the wolf class
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