After I ran upstairs to bring up my presents, we headed out. We had decided to drive there together, but when we walked out of the building to get to Wendy’s van that her mom lent us, there was a limo waiting.Everyone furrowed their brows until Brandon seemed to kick in. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday.” He smirked as he opened the door, but I had a feeling he was lying. Toya looked at me, and I just nodded. She gave her thanks and slid in. Sterling made his way out of the door, while everyone was sliding in with their dresses. “You know the pup didn’t pay for this limo.” He leaned in to whisper. I chortled as I gave a tiny nod. “Was it?” I trailed off with my question, tilting my head to look over my shoulder. Sterling swallowed and then gave a single nod. “I figured. He’s going to announce something today, isn’t he?” Another single nod, but I could see the pain in his eyes. I turned fully. “Hey, none of that.”“I just know-” He started
I felt the wind knock out of me with those words. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” I turned my full attention to the newscaster, and I saw the hint of surprise. She thought I already knew. Then it was like there was blood in the water and these anchors were sharks. I was surrounded, and everyone was shouting at me.“How do you feel about your father being branded as a traitor years after his death?”“How did you not know that your father was working with the rouges?”“Were you a part of the circle of traitors?”“Have you not seen today’s news?”Then there was a commotion and one new caster pushed through. A smaller wolf who had a glint in her eyes. “Alpha Amy.” She was also the only one to use my rank, and instinctively, my attention shifted to her. “While the new reports that went out today have branded your father as a traitor, but my investigation has uncovered multiple documents labeling him as a scapegoat.” A hush fell over the surrounding crowd. “What is your opinion of your late
I walked past all the reporters and made our way inside to our seats. We sat down with the rest of the students, saying hi, and settling in before one guy turned to me with a sad look. “I don’t agree with what they are doing to you Amy.” I looked, really looked, at Chad and raised an eyebrow. “Look, I know we aren’t really friends, and we have just had class together, but I know everything you and your dad have done for all of us. I may not like you personally, but your family doesn’t deserve this bullshit.” He shook his head. “We all talked about it, and all of us agree. They are painting a target on your back. This is happening today for a reason. I just wanted to warn you. And to let you know, we all stand beside you.” I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was serious. We had never been close. Sometimes I thought he even hated me. I think my face conveyed that when he smiled again. “Like I said, I don’t like you, but you helped me. And my family. We won’t stand
I turned my attention to Vince, who had come up next to me. “I think this is the place.” My eyes flashed and Vince took a step back. I redirected my attention back to the crowd and the reporters. “My father, Gavin Maclean, was an outstanding man. He did a lot of this community, and I refuse to allow anyone to speak ill of him. He was as far from a traitor as one wolf could actually get.” I met eyes of a few people in the crowd, and I saw their doubt, or confusion. So I pushed on. “He donated billions of dollars to the council annually. Way above the allotted amount so that smaller packs could stay in the alliance, but reinvest their fees into their own packs. When I asked him why he did it, supported people we didn’t even know. His only answer was that people deserved the chance to thrive. He wanted them to grow, to become stronger, to build up our community. My father donated millions to this school annually, to support the students here, and giving them more opportunity by designati
I felt my aura, which for the last year I have kept securely under wraps, because it was still growing, unfurl. I was still so young when everything started. Even then, I was too strong for anyone of them to really challenge me. But now? Now I was something never seen before. Still, I kept most of it hidden. My power fell in waves, everyone felt it. There were gasps from the crowd and Vince and this woman stepped back. I smiled, and I knew it was predatory. I pulled my power back in, clenching my fists as it fought. It wanted free rein. It craved relief. But I was stronger, so I tucked it away and turned back to the crowd. “I started this day with such hope. Hope for our future. Hope for our packs. This was the very beginning of our lives. I got ready with my friends.” I turned as stared at the man that had rushed to the side of the stage. My rage burning in my eyes. “I celebrated my twenty-first birthday.” I watched him wince. “And I came here for my graduation with my speech prepar
Nix ran past everyone on campus and headed for the trees. I pulled back enough that I was hovering over our magic, pulling from it to feed power into my body, into the girls’ bodies. “How is this possible?” Toya called to me and I laughed. “Magic.” Nix called back and a few of the girls howled. We ran past the edge line of the trees and starting weaving through the trunks. “Nix?” Thistle called Hanna’s wolf. “Yeah?”“Where are we going?” She called as she picked up her pace. I thought of Carly. She was at most seven, but she sounded younger on the phone, closer to five or six. I knew where she was, my grandmother’s cabin, but from here, I had no idea. But I trusted the goddess, and I trusted my wolves. “The goddess will show us the way.” Nix called back and I nodded. Megan pushed closer to the barrier. “Megan? What are you doing?”She looked at me, then back to Nix. “You are wasting magic, feeding Nix. Focus on the girls, I will send my strength to Nix. This way we will have you
I stared up at my grandmother as she pushed me back down to the ground. “How do I find her? How do I find your cabin from here? Are we even close?” My questions fly out of my mouth and she smiled as she settled next to me. She grabbed my hands. “Calm my girl. Focus on me.” She breathed through her nose and out of her mouth. “Follow my lead. Match me, and once you’re settled, we can find your girl.” My girl. The words seemed so foreign, but as I thought about it again, it settled in soul, and she was right. She was mine, almost as much as she was Carls. I focused on her eyes, matching my breathing with hers. She nodded. “Good. Now close your eyes. And picture that little girl.”Once again I closed my eyes and remembered the bright giggling little girl I first met at Carl’s store. So little, yet so bright. Her blonde curls danced in the light. Carl’s protectiveness, her innocence, all came rushing back. And so did the panic I felt as I found her on the ground, white wide eyes and cold
I headed straight for the man on his knees with a vicious growl. As soon as I got close, I dove for the first rogue I was near. Everyone else joined the fight, I knew, but I was focused on saving Carl. It was too soon. I wasn’t ready. And I knew Carly wasn’t ready either. The rogues were pretty big, and as soon as we breeched the trees, they all squared up with us. We were the incoming threat. But what we hadn’t planned on, were there being so many. Even with Erubus, we were outnumbered five to one. The rouge was quick; he dove away from every attack and countered. Toya and the girls were fighting tooth and claw as well, but from the corner of my eye, I could see Carl trying to get up. Trying to help. “Stay down Carl.” I called to him and I could see the thought in his mind. “We were fine. Stay alive. You have better things to worry about.” I called again while nearly avoiding a second rogue diving for my back. That got through to him and he sagged onto his hands, the pain becoming
Vince turned to look at Brandon. He looked at its stumpy fingers and shook his head. “Why would you bring up the brotherhood in front of the wench?”Wench? Is he trying to be a fucking pirate or something? Nix snorted and rolled her eyes. Vince is stupid.But I watched him. Something was off in the way he watched us. Ever since I ripped off his cheek. I think…I think he likes us, Megan. She snapped her head to mine and then gagged. Absolutely the fuck not. She shook her head. But Nix watched him. I think she is right, Megan. Everytime he says something, his eyes flick to us. He is looking for our reaction. She gagged again. No, you two have to be wrong. We ripped off half his face.I think…I think he likes us because of it. The thought made my stomach clench. Sick fuck. “Wench? Dad…common we all know she is going to be dead soon. So why does it matter?” Brandon snorted as he passed me, kicking out, but I jumped up and snarled. “I would watch your self Bran. She is feisty. She alr
I sat still. I knew I couldn’t run away without being caught, so I would sit, watch, and wait. I was going to hold back on any magic use until I was somewhere else. Since Rick said the forest was covered in magical traps, this was once I was out I would be safe. I just needed to get out first. Rick narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t going to come quietly, are you?” I just settled on the ground. I wasn’t stupid, but I wasn’t going to just fall in line, either. He chuckled and turned to Morgan. “Watch my son. Don’t let him get close to the wolf.” Morgan nodded, but Vince was already turning away. “Rick, come with me. You can carry me back here with our shit and the pup.” Rick’s eyes tightened again and then he nodded. He smiled. “Yeah. Poor thing has to survive another week.”He shifted and left the clearing while Morgan and Brandon glared at me. “Are you seriously still going after Amy’s mom?” Brandon sagged against a tree. “I mean, I get it. She’s hot. And the power of the women in tha
Vince yelled as he tossed me to the ground. Morgan kicked me as soon as I hit the dirt, chunks of grass and twigs flying, the swift kick to my stomach sending me into a tree. I yelped as my shoulder broke, along with a few ribs, but Vince just looked at me with surprise as a chunk of his face slowly knitted itself back together. I looked at him through hooded eyes, but I watched with satisfaction as his cheek slowly rebuilt itself. Blood poured from his left side of his face. The lip hung loose, cut adrift from the portion of his cheek. I ripped away. His teeth were visible, and the surprised look in his eyes made the slow healing a little easier to deal with. Brandon looked at his father with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” He went to move closer, but that was the moment I spat out the hunk of meat I had in my mouth, as if his blood was poison. Vince didn’t look away from me. I sat up and wretched, like I was going to vomit. His blood and bits of flesh clung to the inside of my mouth.
I heard them all shift and start after me. One after the other, I heard a growl and then charging feet. Even Rick, who knew I was going to be out here, was charging after me. Rick, fucking Rick.Why would he want me to see all of that? Megan’s words were ragged. She was waning, but Nix was pushing her body to the brink. I think he needed us to see that. Maybe this started as a couple of friends, and he thought they were joking. Or it was a what if, and then he fell in love with Shelly?Nix panted but hummed her agreement. I think it was probably in the middle. He thought they were just assholes joking around with the women they were using, and then he found his mate. But he didn’t want to let go of his friends. Until his pup came back branded. Megan finished, and Nix agreed.I feel bad for him. Her words made us stop. But Nix pushed on. This about it, you’re trying to stay loyal to your friends but faithful to you mate and you think that witchcraft is probably fake and then suddenl
Morgan shrugged. “You should have kept your pants on. You only had to keep it in your pants for a few years, and you can’t even do that.” Morgan leveled him with a look. You can blame Shannon all you want, but let’s not pretend she is the only one you’re fucking.Brandon glared at him for a minute before laughing. “True.” He sighed. “But Shannon was the only one Amy had to deal with.”Morgan level him with another look. “Again, it isn’t her fault you decided you wanted to drain Amy of her power. You could have chosen anyone else.”Brandon sighed. “True again, but she is so fucking strong.” He grabbed his dick. “And she is so fucking stuck up. I was going to enjoy draining her.” Rick laughed. Fucking laughed, but when he turned, I saw it. A flash of something in his eyes. He didn’t want to be here. What the fuck is going on here? Megan called back to us, but neither of us knew. “Shut the fuck up.” Vince called back and everyone quieted. “Verity. How fucking long now?”She sighed as s
The world blurred past us. The trees became blurred sticks as we wove in between. Bushes became wider obstacles that we jumped over. The animals, the birds, they knew something was happening, and they stayed quiet and out of the way. Megan passed the borders of the pack lands, she weaved between the border patrols that were following their routes, and others that were just out for friendly hunts. We finally slowed to a stop to catch our breath and to figure out where to go. She looked around. Nix receding back beside me and collapsing. Are you okay? I hurried to her side. Yeah. She huffed and sagged against me. I pushed too hard, that’s all.I cuddled her to my side, holding her up as she caught her breath, and I realized the sun had set. How long did it take us to run here? Nix huffed out a breath. Not long. Around two hours. Why?Why is the sun setting? I looked around and the woods were definitely darker. Megan looked up, and we saw it. She checked the sun, but there was nothi
I drove past the pack members that had lined the street. All of them were waving and bowing, giving my mother a farewell deserving of a luna, not just another pack member. But she has stepped up where Vince’s mate failed. My mom helped with the pups. She made sure they were taught properly. She fought for the females of this pack. And wolves never forgot their debts. I drove down block after block of our pack, saluting to my mother, who wasn’t even here to see it. I waved as I drove past the guards at the beginning of the land, and then we were out. My mother’s body double disappeared, and I called for the jet to get ready to take a flight to the coast and come back. “Who are we taking?”I laughed. “No one.” There was silence on the other end. “Take you families for a vacation to the coast if you like, my gift to you.” I looked at the dash. “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Get everyone to the hangar to leave and I’ll transfer you twenty thousand to have a nice weekend. Make s
We made it back to the house and my mother was ecstatic, dancing her way to my room. We shut the door, and she twirled. “Where do I go?” She turned to me and I just gave her a look. “I know I’m going to the cabin. I just mean how? Won’t the pack notice if I don’t leave?”I waved my hand. “I’ll use magic to pretend to drive you away and I’ll leave your car at the airport and run back. Just pack your essentials and we will go over.” I kissed her temple. “But let’s be quick.”“Why?” She sat on my bed and I pulled out black clothes. She just lifted her eyebrows. “What are you going to do? Rob a bank?” I laughed. “I need a shower and descenting spray.” I rummaged through my bathroom, but my mom stood and went into my closet. “What are you doing?”“I put the extra spray in here, foolish girl.” She came out with a bottle. “Now tell me why.”“Rick.” She just twirled her finger. “Rick what?” She handed me the bottle, and I put it on my counter. “When he told me to go home for the day. He to
Vince looked at me, then he turned to Morgan with a raised brow. “Well, then…” He sat back. “There isn’t much of a choice, is there?”Morgan turned to me. “Amy, you can’t be serious. I raised you. I was your dad.” My eyes flashed and Nix was in front in a second. “Repeat those words and I will call the Cath Báis for pure arrogance from you. You barely looked at us when we were a pup. You did everything and anything to take our mother’s time and attention from us. And when I finally shifted, you stole our bonding night.” Nix chuffed a warning call. “So think before you open your mouth again, beta. If you step on my father’s legacy and my mother’s hard work, then I will not hold back. I will rip you to shreds and reunite you with your mate.”Morgan paled. “Nix…I didn’t mean-”“You dodn’t mean to take credit for work you had no hand in. You didn’t raise me. You didn’t pay my way. You didn’t even house me. Amy bought the house. Amy’s money paid for everything for her and her mother. You