The following morning, Ava stared at a sleeping Caspian. When he’d carried her out of the forest, claiming that was just the beginning, she expected him to make love to her the moment they got to the cabin. He’d taken her to the shower, where he’d washed her body, quite thoroughly. Her cheeks heated at the memory of his hands on her ass, spreading her cheeks wide as he cleaned there. She’d never had anyone clean … any part of her.None of the pack liked her.She pushed those thoughts right out of her head, and instead, looked at Caspian. He looked so peaceful.After the shower, they’d sat and he’d read her a book.She’d been so tired. Just as she was about to fall asleep, he cooked dinner. She expected the rest of his pack to join them, and then she’d been a little disappointed when they didn’t turn up.Did they not like her?Sure, she was a bit strange, and her ability to heal would freak out a lot of people, but the last thing she wanted to do was unnerve anyone.She kept her hands
Ava didn’t stop him as he touched a part of her that set her on fire. He knew what to touch, and what to tease. Within seconds, she was coming as well, screaming his name and not wanting him to stop.The feelings he inspired within her took her completely by surprise as he rocked her entire world. They were just coming down from their makeout session when the cabin door was knocked on. She heard Caspian’s name being called, and then she chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed to have been caught in the act.Caspian stared at the security footage, and with each second that passed, he was even more pissed off. “When was this again?” he asked.“A few hours after we all left.”Sean had set up security cameras around Ava’s apartment to keep her safe—to keep all of them safe. This was their way of protecting themselves against any potential pack threat.He’d never gone out to cause a war with anyone else. There were times he’d declined invitations from others because he refused to be part of
A strong alpha female.The words rolled around Ava’s head as she tried to understand them.It seemed nearly impossible to think of herself as strong. Why would she? All her life she’d been held down in some way. Forced to live a life in fear. Wondering when the next bout of punishment would arrive and if she’d be able to withstand whatever they threw her way.She stared up at the night sky, feeling the warmth within her core, alerting her to the fact she was close to what Caspian had told her.Mating heat.She’d never experienced it before. There was no doubt in her mind that Caspian told the truth, but even as she knew it, she couldn’t help but still deny it. After living her life for so long without anyone, always being hurt and never being able to trust, it was hard for her to start now.Wrapping her arms around her legs, she pulled her knees up. She wasn’t quite able to put her chin on top of her knees, but she sat, calm.She listened to the night, the animals running through the
Ava was avoiding him. Caspian stared around the empty cabin and shook his head.“You okay?” Sean asked, following in behind him.“She’s gone.”“She hasn’t gone far. I got a text from Melissa and Raine. Ava is with them.”Caspian spun around and headed back out of the house.“Where are you going?” Sean asked.“To go find her.”“Whoa, man, I don’t think that is a good idea.” Sean moved quickly in front of him and placed a hand on his chest. “You might want to rethink this idea ofgo and see her.”Sean still didn’t move, and Caspian wasn’t prone to violence against his own pack, so going, and you know, helping out.”“I need to he growled instead as a warning.“I know. I know. I’m pissing you off, and all of that, but come on, man. You know this kind of shit isn’t going to end well. At least not for you. You cannot force this, even if you want to,” Sean said.“You know what happened last night?” Caspian asked.“We’ve all got good hearing,” Sean said.“That’s why I’ve got to go to her.”“M
Melissa and Raine had told her to trust him. Told her that Caspian was a good alpha, and not only was he a good alpha, but he was also the kind of person you stood beside.When they first met him, he didn’t want to be any kind of leader. He didn’t want to be anything to them, other than to help.They all had guided Caspian into the role of alpha. It was a title he didn’t like.Ava knew he took his role seriously. She’d seen the way he talked with the pack, the way he cared. They all had an unwanted story to tell.With his lips now on hers, she felt safe, she felt … loved.Caspian was her mate.The wolf within her mind kept on chanting the words as if it was some kind of stuck disc, or she was afraid that she might actually forget, which was impossible. There was no way she was going to forget that Caspian was her mate.Her wolf wouldn’t let her. Neither would her body.This morning, sneaking out after he’d made love to her, taken care of her, and fucked her again, had been so damn har
Caspian knew he was leaving everything until the last minute when it came to the mystery man in Ava’s life.He should have gone back to the city by now. The full moon wasn’t far away, but leaving Ava, he couldn’t do it.Liam, Sean, Books, Simon, Raine, and Melissa all wanted him to tell her. To show her the security footage, but he didn’t want to scare her.He didn’t want her to fear any more. She’d lived that life for far too long. Her time for being scared was long over. There was no way he was going to ever allow her to be afraid again. The pack was behind her.No one else from her pack had made an appearance. Just this one man.Caspian didn’t know for sure if it was a trap or if he was being too cautious. His gut was telling him to be careful.The sound of a twig snapping made him smile.He pushed all of his thoughts to the back of his mind, and instead, focused on hunting. Ava was close. The scent of her was intoxicating, and it was a smell he wasn’t going to deny aroused him so
The moment the words spilled from Ava’s mouth, Caspian launched into action. He pushed her behind him, and a snarl rippled from his lips. His entire pack went on high alert, and she gasped as each one made a wall around her, protecting her.She wasn’t used to this.Each one stared off with the man who claimed to be none other than her twin, but that was impossible. She had no family.She wasn’t quite as tall as Sean, Liam, Books, and Simon, who’d stepped in front of her, going either side of Caspian. It was impossible to see if the man’s face stirred some kind of memory.“Whoa, whoa, stop. No, this is not what is happening here,” the man said. “I get it. You’re all protecting her.”“You wanted to hurt her?” Caspian asked, tensing up, ready to strike.“Hell, no. I’ve been waiting, for fuck’s sake,” the man said.That was a bad thing to say as all of the pack began to growl. The low hum of their anger filled the air, making her hair stand on end.“She doesn’t know who you are.” Caspian
“His story checks out,” Sean said. “He hasn’t lied to you. Everything is as he says. There was a cabin at the far edge of the woods, just past the border of Ava’s pack. All of it. The death of the alpha. George is telling the truth. With his keen sense of smell, I’m guessing that was what he was doing. Trying to sniff her out.”Caspian looked across the park, to where George and Ava were catching up. The heat building inside her was getting stronger with every passing minute. The full moon was tonight, and Caspian knew she only had hours before it was too late.“Good,” Caspian said.“You’re not going to stop him from, you know, being with your woman, or anything?”“I’m not going to do anything that would jeopardize her friendship with him. He’s her brother. I won’t come between that.”“The guys want to know if you’re going to accept him into your pack.”He couldn’t help but curse as Sean held up his hands.“Don’t get angry with the messenger. I’m just along for the ride and all that,
Three months laterLilly stared up at the sun as Scott caressed her face with a daisy. The last three months had been a whirlwind of activity. The biggest change for her was the tattoo she now held on her back with a wolf and Scott’s name underneath. The love she felt for her mate had grown, and every day that passed without the vampire’s enthrallment had brought her closer to Scott. There were no lies, and they were inseparable.Alexander and Charles remained in town, but everyone else had left to go and deal with their own covens or packs. The fear of the Disaster of the Otherworld still stayed with all of them. Lilly wouldn’t forget the mark of the cult that was determined to ruin all of their lives.“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Loved.”He chuckled. Scott moved the daisy down to her exposed breast. They’d made love in the fields next to the lake. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight, a
Scott held Lilly’s hand as he made his way through the forests. He felt the happiness of his pack as they saw her. Alexander and Charles were standing at the head waiting for him. Crazy Lizzy danced toward him.“This is the right thing to do. You’re saving yourself and her,” Lizzy said, smiling. She wrapped her arms around Lilly. “Soon, we’ll be good friends and Layla will too. I can’t wait for Layla to join our friendship. She’s going to be a hoot. You just need to drop that pesky thrall.”Lizzy danced away. He watched as she wove her way around his pack. Alaric stood without his shirt with his bears. Gripping her hand tightly, Scott made his way toward the head. Several murmurs erupted when they saw the state of his back. Lilly had marked him deeply. Her scent covered him. The smell of strawberry and vanilla permeated the air.When he got to the head of the pack, Scott took the time to show Lilly to his vis
Scott watched her head toward the door. Her depth of emotion startled him. And she’d been right in everything she said.You can’t let her get away. She’s our mate.We need her.Fix her and keep her.Charging to the door he placed a hand on the hard wood against her head.He closed the door. Her shoulders slumped as her head rested against the door. “What are you doing?” she asked, quietly.“I’m sorry.” With his free hand he brushed the hair off her neck. “You’re my mate, Lilly. I’m an idiot. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I’m a wolf, and I’m the alpha, and for the first time I was scared.” He cupped her neck, stroking the pulse that pounded under his touch.“You’re doing this on purpose,” she said. Her voice sounded breathy. Arousal gripped him as he pressed against her. Every time he was arou
Scott made his way up to the house with his men behind him. The first of the meetings were scheduled for tonight, and he needed to get there before the sun went down. He’d spent most of his time at the diner watching Lilly. She served him without really seeing him. He’d never anticipated her anger like he did. Alaric had been right, and he’d get punished for keeping Lilly secret. They all had rules, and lying about his mate broke the rules.Lewis refused to talk to him, and he sensed Darcy and Nathan’s disapproval.Crazy Lizzy sat on the steps outside the house. She stared up at the sky. “You’re early,” she said.“I’ve got nowhere else to be.”“Everyone is waiting for you.” Lizzy stood then walked into the house.He turned to his men. “I know you think I did the wrong thing, but you’ve got to understand I was doing what I thought was right to protect her.”“You’ve put her in more danger by refusing her claim by your side. I sense her leaving us,” Lewis said.“I won’t let Lilly leave.
With Crazy Lizzy’s words ringing in his ears Scott went in search of Lilly. The sun was coming up, and several of the pack greeted him as he passed. He ignored their comments and went in search of his woman. He recalled the conversation he had with Lizzy last night, and he was still confused. Why would someone know about Lilly? How did they know about her when he only sensed it after her birthday?Crazy Lizzy had spoken of the prophecies in detail last night, especially when Scott pressed her for more details. Centuries ago Crazy Lizzy’s birth mother wrote everything down she saw into the future. Her mother didn’t see the near future but the far future. These prophecies were bound and hidden so no one would try to destroy them. Amongst those bound prophecies was the foretelling of Scott’s human mate. He’d be the first wolf to mate with a human female.Not only was Lilly supposed to be human, but she was destined to be the greatest were-human-queen that lived. She would birth many sons
Scott watched Lewis take her away. His heart ached, and he felt her crumbling inside. Her mind was screaming in pain, but he wrapped his arm around Lori and turned toward the two vampires that had interrupted his mating.“You don’t mind your mate fucking a human?” Charles asked.“He has needs. I’m not always available to satisfy them,” Lori said. She ran her hand down his ass. He gripped the hand firmly stopping her. He’d sent Lilly away to protect her. Scott had no intention of cheating on her. Lilly owned his body.“I’m the alpha of this pack. I don’t answer to anyone,” Scott said, drawing their attention back to him. His pack was behind him. He sensed their unease with Lori by his side. They’d be able to sense his true mate and her distraught emotions. He could, and it was kicking him in the gut. Lewis better be doing everything he could to help her.“I find the whole meeting
Scott sensed Lilly’s nerves. She was wound tighter than a piece of string. If he didn’t get her to settle down he’d not be able to claim her. He was going to fuck her tonight, but there was no way he’d do it if she was going to hurt herself by not relaxing. He was pleased no other man had touched her, but in that moment he wished she’d gotten a little experience. His passions were anything but gentle. Staring down at her, he watched as she fought to keep his gaze. “No rushing,” he said. He stroked her nipple watching as her eyes dilated. Lilly was turned on by his touch. She nodded her head. Caressing her body with his fingers Scott felt the heat building in him. His cock was thick. After being around Lori and her scent surrounding him, Scott needed to be with Lilly. Lori repulsed him. Every woman who wasn’t his mate repulsed him. Bending down he took her lips under his. Inhaling her vanilla scent he ran his hands all over her body. She moaned, writhe
Scott waited out in the chilly night for Lilly to finish. He’d spent most of the night inside the diner eating and watching her work. When she bent over he got so many sinful thoughts that he’d spent most of the night rock-hard. Lewis stood waiting with him. Darcy and Nathan had left several hours ago. Their disapproval filled the air around them. The pack were slowly finding out about Lori taking Lilly’s place by his side for this visit. He’d need to have a meeting to explain his decision.The scent of disapproval came off Lewis.“Go on, spill,” Scott said, folding his arms.“I’m not saying a fucking word. I’ve said everything that needs to be said. You know my position, and I’m not backing down from it.” Lewis was waiting for Layla to finish.The other man helped her home safely. With the creatures of the Otherworld present the humans were not safe. In the next twenty-four hours the vamps
Scott joined Lori, and together they moved in the direction of the house in the far forest. Over the last few days several witches and warlocks had turned up, along with two other wolf alphas and the leader of the bears next to his.Nathan, Darcy, and Lewis stood outside the house as yelling came from inside.He was thankful the woman at his side remained quiet on the walk up. “What’s going on?” he asked.All three men turned to him. They glared at Lori before turning back to him.“They’re getting pissed with being trapped in the house. We’re waiting for several more bear leaders along with vamps to turn up. Crazy Lizzy almost burnt the place down to the ground earlier,” Nathan said.“What? Why?” Scott headed towards the front door.“She was setting fire to towels. The flame caught the curtain, and instead of putting it out, she watched the pretty colours. Her words not mine,”