I started up the stairs and finally pushed out of the tunnel into what I could only describe as a shallow cave. It was cut into a cliff, but there were no cliffs by my father’s pack.“Where are we?” My flashlight cut across the stone and I moved out toward the entrance. I slid out and somehow, I was at the edge of the sea. Waves crashed before the lip of the cliff, and I could see stairs cut into the left side heading up. So I followed. I walked up, slowly and carefully, mist hitting my face. I screamed as my foot slipped on some slick moss and I windmilled my arms to catch my balance. I pulled myself up to the top of the cliff, and there, at the edge of a clearing, was a small cottage that faced the sky.It was stunning. “This is impossible.”Only if you think magic is a thing of myth. Megan’s voice sounded, and I nodded. We followed the short path to the door and I pushed in. The world shifted, and it was like I was seeing one thing with one eye and something different with the oth
I headed back down the stairs and into the cave. The book was heavier than I expected and weighed me down as I squeezed back through the entrance of the cave, and back into the tunnel. I started to run, feeling like something was chasing me. But as I hit the bottom step of the stairs heading up, a howl ripped through the air, but it was unlike a howl I had ever heard before. Deeper, darker and somehow two toned. It made even Nix perk up and Megan hide. “What the fuck is that?” I whipped around to face the way we had just came, but my flashlight showed nothing. “It sounded like it was right behind me.”It came from far off. Nix paced the edge of her home, brushing her fur against my side, calming me and herself with the contact.“How did it reach me down here?” I whipped back and stumbled up the stairs.It was that loud. Nix’s voice sounded a little breathless.“Are you okay?” I paused with my hand on the door, and waited for Nix to answer. Another howl ripped down the tunnel, somehow
“Connect with nature, pup.” Loki pushed me with his snout into the clearing. “You are running out of time.”“I know.” I headed to the center and sank to the ground. Today I was determined to succeed, and I wasn’t leaving until I at least figured out how to feel my magic. I closed my eyes and started down into the center of myself. My mind flowed down, circling my inner-self, until I burst through a barrier, stumbling into a clearing in my dark woods.I stalked deeper into the forest, moving in between then trees as I went. Nix joined me on my right, and Megan on my left. Comparing the two wolves was hard. Megan, while beautiful and majestic, was a small size wolf for a werewolf. “Megan?”“Yes, Amy?” Her voice was soft and gentle. “What rank are you?” I looked down at her and she chortled. “I’m a small gamma. Still ranked, but now where near what Nix is.”“You are still a ranked member, little one. And together, alpha and gamma, we will be able to better serve Amy together. You see t
I looked over at the stunningly beautiful woman, and something clicked inside of me. “Moon Goddess?”“I knew you were a smart little pup.” She smiled down at me and her body seemed to pulse with light. “Now talk to me.”“I can’t connect with nature…I won’t be able to save my father. I won’t be able to save myself.” I dropped my head to my hands and wanted to cry. “Goddess?”“Yes, my dear girl.”“Why?” I could only utter the one word and she gave me a sad smile.“Something’s have to happen.” She leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Something’s are set in stone so that everything unfolds the way it has to.”“But my pup.” I choked out, and her smile trembled.“Is by my side and I have taken the very best care of him.” The goddess pulled me to my feet and held my hand. “I tell him every day just how much you love him.”Tears fell as I nodded. “I wanted him so much.”“I know my daughter. And I’m sorry you had to live that life, but…”“It’s okay.” I waved her away. “Now, about connecting t
“Amy…” a voice called out, but it sounded like it was far away. I looked around the clearing and all I could see were Megan and Nix, patiently waiting for me. “Amy!” The voice was more insistent, closer, but still there was no one other than the three of us. “Who is that?” I looked at my wolves and they seemed to shrug. “AMY!” I jumped, my eyes snapping open and there was my father at the edge of the clearing, frantically pacing. “Wake up!” He called out again and my eyes finally focused on his face. He was pale and sweating. What’s wrong?“Dad?” I called out, wiping my eyes.He whirled around and pounded on a barrier that wasn’t there this morning. “Amy!” He forced his hands flat against the invisible shield. “Thank the goddess.”“Dad?” I was still confused. “What’s wrong?”“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Amy, you have been unconscious for over two hours.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’ve been calling you since I got here, and this is the first time you answered.”I stood and dusted the gras
We made our way back to the house and into my father’s office before I saw anyone else. An omega brought in plates of rare steak. “Dad?” My stomach clenched looking at the meat. I couldn’t tell if I wanted it, or my body was rejecting the idea of eating it.“You need a lot of meat. You wolf is begging you to shift. It’s her time to shine now that the power portion has been handled. But you have things to worry about other than shifting, and this will help keep Nix under wraps.” He nudged the plate in front of me. “Try it. I know it probably doesn’t look appetizing, but I promise you, you will enjoy it.”I reached for a fork and knife, but my nails shifted to claws before I could wrap my fingers around the utensils. I snatched up the meat and tore into it, blood dripping from the meat. It was still so rare. Nix settled farther back into the forest in my mind’s eye, and Megan settled next to her. I’m sorry Amy. I seem to be losing control. Nix started to pace as I continued to tear int
“Close you eyes.” I had barely wiped the sleep from my eyes when my dad sat me down in his office with Uncle Ronnie. I settled deeper into the chair and closed my eyes. “Now I want you to pull Nix closer to the surface until your eyes shift.“The wolfs bane?”“Won’t interfere. We waited the last two days to clear it from your system.” My father settled behind his desk. That made sense. I have been shut in my room for the last few days, doing my best not to shift. And staying clear of other wolves has been my saving grace. “Close your eyes Amy.” I nodded. “Once Nix is close to the surface, I am going to have Ronnie scent you. Once your scent has shifted, we can work on the next step.”“If Uncle Ronnie can scent me, won’t that screw me over?” I peeked out of one eye and my dad shook his head. “We won’t be shifting fully, just bringing Nix forward enough so we can tell when you manage cloaking yourself.” I closed my eye again and shook myself. “Nix, I need you to come closer.” I whispe
“Okay. Now let’s try removing your scent all together.” My father tossed out and I had to think. What removes a smell from the air, other than air fresheners or candles?“I know this will sound stupid…” Ronnie started, but I just scoffed.“I’m picturing a scented candle in my mind to protect me from my shitty mate. Something that shouldn’t work, and it’s just ridiculous. I don’t think we can get any worse.” He pointed at me and smiled. “True. I was just thinking, a vacuum. It sucks everything in.” I debated the idea.“It doesn’t have to be a perfect idea. Just something you can focus on while your power does the thing you need.” My dad stood and walked over to me. “It’s more about an outlet for your power to flow through. Your power will flow the way you intend it, but you need something to start it.”I closed my eyes again and pictured a vacuum in my clearing. I angled the hose up and plugged the vacuum into an outlet that appeared on the pot, and clicked it on. The noise was deafen
We walked out of my apartment together, and I glanced at the next door. Rowan had disappeared after my heat, and I left him be. We both had things to focus on and I think we both realized that we were just distracting each other from what was important.Toya caught my eye. She glanced at his door and then looked back at me with sad eyes. “Do you regret it?”I snapped to her and lifted my brow. “Regret what?”Toya bobbed her head to the sides. “Rowan…the bullshit…”“Staying an extra year just to graduate with us.” Wendy cut in and Touya pointed to her. “That too.”I shook my head. “No.” I waved my hands and gave a tiny chuckle. “I didn’t have time for the bullshit, and Rowan and I…well, we both had more important things to focus on.”“You could have graduated early.” Hanna pointed out. “But you stayed.”“We are supposed to graduate together, plus the extra courses were amazing.” I smiled and put my arm around her. “How could I leave you alone?”Micca laughed. “You’re not our mom.” “I
Almost one and a half years later…“Are you ready?” Wendy bounced on her toes. Her long hair shining in the curls that we painstakingly styled this morning. She looked gorgeous in her pale pink dress. The black grad dress hung open around her shoulders as she finished her makeup. I looked around at everyone in my living room and I couldn’t stop the smile. “You guys look amazing.” And they did. Micca’s red hair was braided over her shoulder, her graduation dress a dark canvas to her stunning beauty. Hanna’s black textured bob was such a drastic change since our first year. She had let it grow out these two years, and then showed up this morning like this. “Hanna, your hair is stunning.”“I liked the long hair, but this feels like me.” She smiled and ruffled her hair. She slipped her graduation dress over her white sundress. “Can you believe it’s been almost three years? They said they would fast track us, but I didn’t actually think they would.”Toya came out of my room with her stunn
The silence that fell was charged. “That fucking douche canoe.” Toya and Wendy snapped to me and snorted. “You’re watching too much human reality TV again, Amy.” I flipped them off. “So you’re telling me that not only was he trying to get me to mate with him, he was trying to get me pregnant?”Wendy winced. “Well, we can’t make that jump.”Toya growled. “Why not?”Wendy slid her phone back into her pants. “Because while Brandon is a douche canoe, as Amy has pointed out, he wasn’t the one that grabbed the kudzu to beguin with. Morgan got it for your mom, Amy. He was trying to get your mom pregnant, so that is why he chose kudzu over another herb that can kick in a heat. But Brandon is…well he’s stupid. He is in my course and let’s say, if it wasn’t for his dad running the school, he would have failed business already.” Tina chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me. Last time he pretended to know what he was doing, but I was the one investing the pack’s money to make sure we didn’t go ban
I looked up at Toya in the doorway, confused. “What?”She pointed to my leg. “You’re bleeding, and it hasn’t healed yet. Why aren’t you healing?” I looked down at my leg and saw the blood pouring from a minor cut. I furrowed my brow. “I don’t know.” I looked back at her and shrugged. “I was talking to my wolves and got distracted.” Now it was her turn to furrow her brow. “Get out so I can stop the bleeding.”I waved her off. “Give me a few minutes to finish and then I will come out.”“Amy, just come out now.”“Okay mom.” I rolled my eyes. “Out.” I pointed, and she shook her head as she closed the door. Pushy woman.I finished my shower, including finishing my shaving, and I got out. It was bleeding faster than I thought possible and I didn’t know why. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my leg and walked out, leaving a bloody footprint with every step.At least you have wood floors in here. Could you imagine the damage if it was carpet? Megan sighed as Nix choked out a laugh.“D
Seventy-two. The floor fell out from under my feet. “How could you face that alone for seventy-two times?”She sighed. “I didn’t have a choice.”“That doesn’t make sense.” I was grasping at straws. “That’s like…”“Once a month from your eighteenth birthday, when you met Brandon, until we became pregnant. It would have been more, but we made our pup on your birthday. So that year I only have the one.” She answered softly. “We were almost twenty-five when we died.”The truth hit me like a punch in the gut. She survived so many times, all alone in the forest. “I am so, so sorry.”She took a deep breath and stood. “They get easier. And I had my mates touch to temper the burn. You both just went through you first without any help other than me. I took the heat, so you had those few breaks to collect yourself.”I wrapped my arms around her. “You are the strongest wolf I have ever met.”She laughed. “You’re only saying that because I’m your wolf.”“No.” Nix came over and sat next to her. “Sh
The world stopped for a minute, and then my wolves were lunging for each other. I slipped on the tub, slicing my leg as I struggled to reach for them. I turned inwards, sending myself into my mind, chasing after my wolves. “Stop.” I called as I reached the carrier, but they were fighting each other, and they were vicious. I pushed through the separation and ran to my clearing, diving between the two, earning myself a few bites in the process before they realized I was there. “I said stop!” I screamed as both latched onto me, and then jumped back. “Amy!” both of them called as they realized, and I dropped to my knees. Blood poured from my shoulder and my hip where they bit. Nix circled. “You are so fricken stupid.” She licked the wound at my shoulder, the one higher up where she got me. The blood slowed and Megan stepped up, cleaning the wound on my hip. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice you jumped in.” Megan went back to cleaning the wound. “Don’t apologize.” Nix hissed. “She knows better
“Yeah, I think it’s time we do.” I grabbed the shampoo and start on my hair. “Obviously, this last week has been hell.” Both of her wolves agreed. Nix and Megan stumbled over to the clearing where my magic lived. Once they were close, they laid down, as if drawing strength from her center. We are tired. Megan sighed. This has been hell. Nix snorted and rolled her eyes. “Say what you need to say.” I rinse my hair and focused on my Lycan. “I know you have something to say.”She sighed. I like Rowan, we both do. She started and I could feel it. She was holding back. “Come on Nix. Just say what’s on your mind.”She took a deep breath. Okay. Fine. When we woke up after dying, we swore we would never allow another man to make us beg. We agreed we would push men to the side and focus on what matters. Nix stop. Megan shook her head. “No. It’s fine.” I shook my head. I took a giant glob on conditioner and threaded it through my curls. “We need to be open and honest with each other. Otherw
My heat took a full week to disappear. And the entire time I cried for Rowan, I needed his touch, but I was left alone chained to the wall of my bedroom. The pain was excruciating, but it still never compared to the pain of giving birth, which I still remembered viscerally. But both now and then paled to having my new born pup laying on my chest struggling to breathe only to be ripped from me.I wanted to be mad at Rowan. I actually wanted to hate him. I laid in my bed, burning from the heat, the pain setting my nerves on fire, knowing that his touch, anyone’s touch, would save me. But he was right. I would have regretted it after it was said and done. I screamed all day, all night. I couldn’t eat, I barely slept. Wendy and Toya were there to help with anything I needed. Micca and Hanna came and visited, but they handled everything out of the apartment for me. Ensuring everything was in place for the start of the second year. They handled the shopping, the rumors, everything that mig
That made me stop. He always forgets. Just like he never saw my emails. My texts or calls. I close my eyes and drop my head to my knees. “I am stupid.” “What do you mean?” Wendy crouched. “He hasn’t seen any of my calls, my text, my emails all disappeared.” I turned my face towards her. “I thought it was just someone hacking his stuff. But what if it’s more?”“More how?”“What if it’s magic? Or what if it is someone close to him and magic? Because Toya is right. I have made it clear I like him, and now he’s questioning who I want to be with. It doesn’t make any sense.”“Unless magic is involved…”I nodded and wiped my face as the door opened again. I closed my eyes and took a breath before I faced him. “It’s me.” His words were soft, and I just nodded. He staggered closer. “Toya said you told me you liked me…”I bit back a moan as the heat came surging back. I drew in a shaky breath and up, slipping deeper into the water. “Yeah, in a way.”He looked confused as he came to the edge o