Scott caught her in his arms. Her blood coated his tongue. The taste of her was amazing. He’d never had anything so good in his mouth. The need to claim her rose within him, as tasting her blood was not enough.“What have you done?” Layla asked, screaming at him. Lewis held her back.I’ve found her. I’ve found our mate.His wolf purred in agreement. From a young age, Scott had always talked to his wolf and felt a connection with that side of him. “She’s human, Scott,” Darcy said.Staring down into Lilly Smith’s face, Scott understood the feelings he’d had when he first met her at sixteen. His wolf had waited until she was of the right age before claiming. Their laws were sacred, and no one claimed a mate younger than twenty-one. Scott did a quick calculation and knew she’d turned twenty-one this year. He frowned. Most of the pack celebrated everyone’s birthday, but h
Throbbing in her wrist woke Lilly up. She rubbed at her eyes with the hand that didn’t hurt.“Be careful. Don’t move,” a male voice said.She started and turned to see Darcy wrapping her wrist in a plain white bandage. The man was glaring down at her hand. The sheet where her arm had been resting was stained red with her blood.“What happened?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. She never wore makeup and didn’t have to worry about smearing the stuff over her face.“Do you want the long story or the short one?” He finished wrapping her wrist before placing her hand down on the bed. She sat up bringing her knees against her chest.“I want the truth.”He let out a sigh. “The truth is simple. You’re mated to Scott, the alpha that makes you his. The bite on your wrist is the first part of the claiming.”“What?” she asked, staring at him in shock.
Lilly looked really cute when she was angry. Scott couldn’t help but be charmed by her. Her arms were folded underneath her impressive rack. He wanted to turn her around so he could watch her lose her temper.“Then why don’t you tell me what the problems are?” he asked.She turned to him. Her hazel eyes glanced into his gaze but then stared past his shoulder. He frowned. Why didn’t Lilly ever look him in the eye?“You’re old,” she said.“What?” he asked, struggling to contain the roar inside him.“I’m only twenty-one, but you’re what? Fifty or something. You’re old.”He glared at her, angry at her words. Her hands shook as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Yes, he was nearing over fifty in age, but he looked no older than thirty. Werewolves and most of the sectors in the paranormal community aged slowly when they grew into their powers or abil
I can’t be his mate. It’s a fucking mistake.Lilly followed him downstairs to where Nathan and Darcy were waiting. They smirked at her. Heat filled her cheeks. Both men knew what happened upstairs. She was left alone with the alpha for twenty-minutes, and he’d given her an orgasm. Lilly hated herself for her weakness. No man should have that kind of power over a woman.“I’m taking Lilly home,” Scott said, addressing both men. They nodded and made no other sound.She covered her cheeks in shame. Their lack of words said it all. She was a slut.Scott headed for the door. He opened the door, and Lewis wasapproaching.“Daisy’s pissed at you, Scott. She likes Lilly working for her, and she wants to see you.” Lewis turned to her. “Daisy said you could take the rest of the day off and she’d see you tonight.”“I’m taking her home. All of you be here
Scott walked out of her house needing the fresh air to clear his mind. He couldn’t focus with her close by. Her strawberry and vanilla scent masked everything else to him. Several of his pack stared at him. The men stared at him with respect while the women stared at him with lust. He ignored their lustful stares. Lewis, Darcy, and Nathan stood waiting for him a few feet from the diner.“Did it go well?” Darcy asked.“Raymond likes me. He knows what is at stake if anything happens to her. He’ll protect her. Tonight I want to organise her protection detail. Guards will be placed around her,” he said. There was no way he’d risk his mate.“She’s human,” Nathan said. “What kind of threat is she going to pose?” “Because of her being human, she’s vulnerable. We’ve got witches, warlocks, vampires, and bears coming to Grace Hill. I don’t want them to be tempted in bringing me down because of her.” Scott kept walking. Layla was wiping down tables as the got inside the diner. There were no cust
Lilly lay on her bed as Layla finished running fingers through her hair. The other woman had stayed with her instead of going back to her family home. She and Layla were the same age, and tonight would be their first outing to the feast.“Are you nervous?” Layla asked. “Nervous about what?”“About everything. Tonight is our first feast, and you’ve been mated today. Scott is the alpha. That has got to be high on the cool factor.”She smiled at Layla’s enthusiasm. “I’m a little scared. After tonight everything is going to change. Mom keeps giving me weird looks, and my dad looks worried. Between the two of them they’re freaking me out.” She stopped to take a breath. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m worrying about all the wrong reasons.”“What is there to be worried about?” Layla asked, taking a seat on the bed.“Have you seen the way the pack treat women, human women? I’ve seenthe ones they’ve taken to their bed, and they blank them as if they mean nothing.”Several humans had left because of
Scott stood in the centre of the forests waiting for his pack to gather. The first bell had just rung letting the humans know the change was coming. He stared up at the full moon in the sky feeling the power it held over him. His muscles flexed as he watched each member of his pack moving through the clearing. Darcy, Nathan, and Lewis stood beside him. He spotted Daisy as she came through with her mate. Matthew had his arm wrapped his mate. Several other mates were snuggled against each other in bliss. He saw Lori coming toward him.He raised his arms in the air gaining their attention. Silence descended on the gathering.“I want to thank you all for coming tonight. The full moon is powerful, and we use this night to give ourselves over to the night and the beast.”Cheers rang around the pack along with howls.“Tonight I bring great news as well. Today I was mated.”Gasps went around the group. Lori smirked, moving forward.
The second bell of the night rang out in the air letting the humans know it was clear to move out of their homes. The bells were in place for the humans’ safety. Some wolves couldn’t control their beasts, and if they sensed fear then they’d attack a human without thought. After the second bell she was usually forced to stay home, but now she was of age she could participate. Lilly lifted a pot of chilli from the stove and made her way out to the table. Once she placed the pot on the centre she went back for more. For the next twenty minutes she gathered food and plates from her mother’s kitchen to place on the table.Layla nudged her with her hip. “Are you nervous?”Lilly nodded and went back to setting the table. Pack members started arriving as the table was filled with food. They took their places at the head of the table. She sat by Layla as her parents took their seats next to her. Some of the wolves stared at her for several mo
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,”