ARIANNA’S POVThe sound of Carter knocking on the door of the office woke me up. When did I fall asleep? This was not the time to be sleeping. He walked in without waiting for an invitation and threw a brown paper bag at me. I knew it was food before I even looked inside. I could smell it. I stared him down, not saying anything. If he was waiting for a thank you, he would be waiting a while. He smirked and left me to my food. Before I found out I was special no one wanted to be around me. I was almost invincible. But now everyone wanted me but only so they could sell me for parts. I was the prized cow at the farm. I was the one every butcher wanted.I kept busy reading the out of date newspapers in the office. I wondered how Carter found this place. It seemed to have been empty for a while. The letters on the paper started to blur as a wave of nausea hit me. I shook my head trying to get rid of it but it didn’t pass. My tummy turned and I felt my food coming up. I ran at the door
ARIANNA’S POVWe had driven into town for some more clothes and food that morning. It had been two days since our conversation and Carter had not said anything. He was on the phone with Max a lot. I had a feeling his silence had more to do with the fact that he couldn’t bottle me up and sell to any one that wanted it. Max had sold him the same logic I did. If my parts became too accessible, it would not fetch him a lot. He seemed to be having a hard time sitting with this. The man’s greed knew no logic. It made me realize that he would never be okay with just some fur. He would eventually want to strip me for parts. I had said very little, observing from far and letting him brood. He was extra irritable today. Shouting on the phone, slamming the fridge door. It was a tiny fridge, I didn’t think It would survive another attack from an angry wolf. I locked myself away in my office. Keeping out of his way. I needed to think of another way out of here. If his mood was any indication h
LUCIANO’S POVI arrived at Carter’s door late at night. The crescent moon was out already but I couldn’t wait the night. I needed to talk to him now. “Carter!” I screamed storming in without knocking. “Whoa. What’s with the screaming?” I heard a familiar voice answer. I looked over and saw Ciara sitting in the living room with Max. Seeing her again made me remember how this whole thing started. Somehow, she had made me act foolish. I hated her but I hated myself more. “Where is Carter?” I asked her.“Hell if I know. I haven’t seen him all day. What do you need? Maybe I can help.” “When was the last time you saw him?” I asked her, ignoring her offer to help. She had helped enough. “Last night, I think. Do you want to sit?” She asked pointing at the couch. “I’ll be back in the morning.” I walked out confused.I found a hotel for the night and got a room. I could not sleep however. If Carter had been out just one day, then he may not know where Arianna is. Arianna was taken days a
LUCIANO’S POVI had been waiting for Carter to show up for days. It was clear he was hiding out somewhere. He wasn’t coming home. I needed to go find him. Andrew had called to tell me what he had found. Carter left the pack about two days before I did, which was contrary to what Ciara had said. As for where he was, nobody knew. I packed my bag, and checked out. I sat in my car for ten whole minutes contemplating next moves. I had decided I would go back to the farm and check all its nearby towns. It would take me a long time but I had nothing else. My phone buzzed and I looked to see Andrew calling. “Andrew.”“So, I just got word that Carter is back at the mystic moon.” “What? When? I taught he was hiding out.” I said in disbelief.“I thought so too but he is thetr right now.” I threw the phone on the car sit and sped off in the direction of Carter’s house. I didn’t know what his game was but I would beat it out of him if I had to.Carter was having a drink in his living room w
ARIANNA’S POVI had tried staying conscious but I couldn’t. I drifted in and out of sleep. My eyes fluttered and I tried to get my bearings. Where was I?Last thing I remembered I was hiding from Luciano after he ran me off the road. My surroundings looked familiar. That door. I was back in the warehouse office. I got caught … I got caught. I fell unconscious with that thought. My memories kept coming back to me like dreams. It had not taken long to find me. He had dragged me along the road like a stubborn goat. “You’ll regret this!” His words came back to me. What had he done to me? Why couldn’t I keep my eyes open for more than a minute.“Hey, it’s your turn to get her.” I muttered sleepily. The baby had been fussy all night and I was exhausted. Luciano planted a kiss on my head before getting out of bed. I smiled and went back to sleep. She was his little girl, he would get her to stop crying. Just at the end of my vision I could see Carter, standing at our door holding our bab
CARTER’S POVI had been cooped up in this house for days. Whoever thought being an Alpha meant freedom was sorely mistaken. We had called all the wolves home for their own safety but rather than be grateful, they spent their days bickering.I should have left them out in the world where the hunters could find them. The wolves at the rocky mountains had gotten their pound in flesh. They had lost one of their own to hunters and had taken the lives of five hunters. Their Alpha set out to make a statement and he did. The hunters there had retreated immediately. They were not going to win an all war, not with the pack at full capacity. And now my wolves wanted to go out and get their pound of flesh. I already killed about eight hunters but they did not know that. And the group that took Arianna was not the group that killed my wolf. The locations were too far apart.They wanted their pound of flesh but I already got it. Now they were bickering because they missed the action. This was rid
CARTER’S POVI slammed my door shut and walked into the house. Why was he following me? Did someone suspect that I had Arianna? No one had seen me take her from the farm. Maybe they were just following anybody. It made no sense. Fucking hunters.“What has you in a bad mood?” Ciara asked me.“I should really start locking my door. Pour me a drink.” I sank into one of the chairs as she handed me a glass.“Where did you go?” She asked again“I planned to go meet Arianna. A hunter was following me.” I took a sip of my drink.“A hunter. Just one? That doesn’t sound right.” “I know. I don’t think the plan was to attack. He just wanted to know where I was heading.” I explained to her. “That means someone knows you have her. You need to put an end to this. Now!”“I know.” I was too exhausted for Ciara’s antics right now.“Then why are you here?” She was being erratic now. She had been losing her composure recently. “I could not take the chance that someone else was following me. I’ll go b
ARIANNA’S POVHis words made my skin tingle. I was not going to let him do this to me. I would fight him till I couldn’t fight anymore. “Turn!” I could feel him put every bit of power behind those words but I refused to break.His smug look from earlier was starting to turn into frustration. This was not going to be as easy as he had convinced himself it would be. He charged at me and threw me on the cold floor. I fell on my hand, trying to avoid hitting any other parts of my body. He dragged me out of the office into the open warehouse. “You bitch! You will do as you are told.” He screamed in my face and I spat in his. He turned away to wipe saliva off his face. If I thought he was angry before, I was sorely mistaken. He slapped me across the face and I fell back down to the floor. I looked around for anything, something to hit him with, someone to call for help, I would have taken anything at that point but there was nothing. “Turn!” He said again. The force of the command shoo
ARIANNA’S POVAlex walked in and the sea of people standing around parted for her. She looked gracious and I couldn’t wait to tell her that her dress captured the light of the moon like she wanted. The crowd of people parted and converged around her. It was like a maze that opened up in front and shut behind you as you walked. They were leading her to the center. To her minotaur. But this time, it was no scary monster, it was the love of her life. She finally got to the center of the crowd and stood opposite Dave. Luciano stood with them to perform the ceremony. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His robe, fortunately for me, left a lot of his chest bare. There was a lot left to the imagination but just enough was open that I couldn’t help but stare. I stepped up when I was called. It was time for best friend duties. I handed over the stone. It was white but a little see through. It was supposed to represent the moon. Luciano took it and placed it in Dave’s hand, he then covered it
LUCIANO’S POV“And what’s wrong with that?” She asked me. Fuck! That question tugged at the beast in me that just wanted to take her, with zero regard. I took a deep slow breath to calm myself. We both needed this, but she needed it more. Her body needed to remember that there was a lot more than the pain she had endured. “Shhh” I whispered back to her.I traced kisses all over her body, slowly, and holding on to her hips. Those hips. I would let them move, in time. I made my way down her body till I got between her legs. I buried my face in there and took a deep breath. The smell of her arousal drove me nuts and I could feel my erection grow in my pants. My tongue immediately went to work. Licking and sucking at her mound. I could feel her shaking beneath me and it made me happy. I slipped one finger into her opening and heard her let out a loud moan, I slipped in the second finger and let go of her hips. She was thrusting against my fingers now, my thumb once again found her c
ARIANNA’S POV “Alex, you did it! It’s beautiful.” I told her as we stood in the clearing. “You should see it at night, with the lights lit.” She said. “Two days away now. How are you freeling?” The smile that covered her face was infectious. I didn’t realize I was smiling too. “It feels like a lucid dream. A good one.” She explained.“Well, it’s not a dream.” I told her. “There you two are. Your parents have arrived.” Dave announced as he walked into the clearing. I watched Alex subconsciously gravitate into his arms. There was no thought behind it. Her body just moved. I loved that they had found each other. In the midst of all the crazy, something beautiful came out of it. “Where are they?” Alex asked Dave.“Luciano is keeping them busy in the big house. They came with the mystic moon’s new Alpha, Dylan.” Dave explained. “That still feels weird to hear. Alpha Dylan and the mystic moon. Thank the goddess for that.” I shuddered. Alex squeezed my hand for a brief second befor
ARIANNA’S POVLuciano took my hand in his and we walked off into the field. I had no idea where we were but I wondered who owned this place. No way, It was just a wild field. Someone definitely took care of it. There were wild flowers around, two trees apart from each other. But the grass was not wild. From the beginning to the end of the field the grass was cut to the same length. It had this feel of a wild place but at the same time, I could see the intentionality behind it. I watched Luciano spread a blanket on the grass and place the basket to the side. He stretched out his hand for me. I took it and he led me to sit on the blanket. I had never seen this blanket before, so I wondered where he got it. “So, what did the Chef pack us?” I asked. “Chef didn’t pack it.” He answered a little annoyed. “I was just teasing.” I told him. “I know. And I told Estell what to pack. So it was partly me.” He said, sulking. I giggled at his face. He reminded me of a toddler who wasn’t gett
LUCIANO’S POV“Good for Dylan.” I muttered. “Good for the mystic moon. Good for us.” Dave replied. I nodded at him. “Would you mind inviting him to the ceremony? Some of the pack is going to be here anyway.” I asked.“Of course. I was only trying to keep Carter out. Dylan is good. I think he and Alex used to be friends before he left the pack.” “Sounds good. Anything from the other Alphas?” “Just the usual. Nothing about us or Arianna though…” he looked like he had something else to say but could not decide. “What is it?” “Collin was trying to stir some of the others but they shut him down.” Dave explained.“Can someone do the rest of us a favour and challenge him already? By the moon! It’s always something with him.” I said, frustrated.“He’ll be out soon. Without an external factor to distract his pack, they will start to realise what a terrible Alpha he is.” “That may be true, but I doubt it’ll be that easy. He lets them get away with a lot of truancy. This year alone, more
ARIANNA’S POV“Did you know that Ciara was changing the natural state of your forest?” I asked Luciano.We were sitting by the kitchen Island, eating a bowl of microwaved lasagna. I was eating anyway, Luciano was just keeping me company. He had a confused look on his face that told me he had no idea that Alex was planting flowers in his forest. I giggled before explaining to him. “She says its too green and needs other colors to pop.” I explained. “Of course it needs other colors.” We both laughed at the way he said that. It was so playful and almost like saying why didn’t he think of it. “How was your fitting. Can I see your dress?” He asked. “Sure. It’s up in my room.” I said. I could see the very minute flicker in his eyes. If I had blinked I would have missed it. And if I had not noticed it a few times before I would have sworn I imagined it. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked him. “What do you mean?” “Just now. When I said you could see my dress. There was this … I can’t exp
CIARA’S POVHow would I explain to Dylan that I wasn’t welcome at the Ice claw pack? The last thing I wanted was him associating me with Carter’s tyranny. It was bad enough that everyone knew we were together. We were together. The thought took me by surprise. I knew we were done but I had not said it out loud. He was sick and dying. The last thing I wanted was to become his nurse and in extension, the punching bag for all his pain. I would make up an excuse to not go. He had his beta. From what he said, it would be no more than two days. Just a formality. There was actually no need for me to be there. The environment around the pack had been light and welcoming. Everyone who left with Dylan during the plague was back. Families were happy and no one even spoke of Carter. It was almost like he didn’t exist. But he did.I walked by his house for what seemed like the hundredth time in as many days. I knocked but there was no answer. He had locked his door days ago. His door was never
CIARA’S POVI knew Carter was weak but I at least expected a fight. Watching him writhing on the floor with drool running out of his mouth was just embarrassing.He could not even get through his change let alone fight. Everyone who gathered to watch didn’t seem to understand what was happening. “Is that part of it? “What the fuck is happening?”“Can he stand?” I heard these questions randomly from the crowd. This was beyond bad for Carter. If he couldn’t even turn, how did he plan to survive? It actually explained why he was absent during the full moon. Dylan walked up to Carter’s shivering body and placed one leg on top of him, signaling that the fight was done. If we could call it a fight. Dylan standing with Carter beneath his feet was the signal everyone needed to stop feeling sorry for Carter. The screams of joy were deafening. It was like years of pent up frustration could finally be let out. I ran inside Carter’s house to grab blankets. When I got back outside, old man M
CARTER’S POVI looked at my reflection in the full length mirror. I looked like I was hexed. Considering I had no idea what Luciano stabbed me with, I guess I could be hexed. Hexes were the worst, it was also George’s best guess. If he was right then there was no way out of this for me. I would walk a slow pain filled journey to my death. Curse Nadia. What did I ever do to her for her to do this to me? Not only did she tell other witches not to help me, if this was really a hex then it would not matter who wanted to help. Only the witch who places the hex can remove it. I had been in so much pain lately, I actually tried calling her. All my calls went straight to voicemail.In hindsight, leaving threats on her voicemail may not have been the best approach. I did leave an apology, but she still has not called back. I would find a way, I was not going to go down like this. “Max!” I called out. He ran in seconds later. “Any idea where Ciara has been since yesterday?” I asked him.