LUCIANO’S POVI sat in my car and watched. Waiting for them to come out of the mini mart. They were taking their sweet time. They were a group of four men. They were burly men but I could take them. Anytime. I watched them walk out of the mart and walk out into the darkness. “Perfect” I got out of my car and walked after them. They were too engrossed in their conversation to notice someone following them. Loud miserable men. Hunting down wolves to make themselves feel better. When I was finally out of the light from the gas station and in the darkness of night. I took off my shirt and threw it on the side of the road. My pants followed after and I let my bones shift. I shook my head and wet my nose with my tongue. It always felt good to be on all fours. This was going to be quick. There were two men walking behind and two in front. I didn’t care if they screamed. They loved listening to Arianna scream. I would enjoy listening to them tremble in fear, not knowing where I was comi
ARIANNA’S POVI stayed watching from the bushes. Luciano had beaten him down and he was on his knees. I watched Luciano kick his gun away and grab him from the back of his neck and toss him to the floor. It occured to me at that moment that I never heard his name. He was simply their boss. “There is someone I would like you to meet.” Luciano told him.I took that as my queue and walked into the clearing. I could see his eyes widen in shock when he saw me. This is what I wanted. I needed him to see what he couldn’t have, standing right in front of him.I walked up to where he was flung on the ground, leaning by his elbows and trying not to completely fall. I looked him straight in the eyes and barred my fangs. He jerked up and tried to shuffle back but he bumped right into Luciano. The action made me happy. Now he was the one running scared.It was easy when he had his goons and his many silver weapons. Now, it was just me and him. Well me him, Luciano and a raging fire.“We need to
ARIANNA’S POVWe drove past a mob of people running towards the farm. How nice of them, ready to help. Good thing they had not shown up earlier. These were good, helpful neighbors. Those hunters did not deserve them.We were about ten minutes out when we heard sirens. That actually took long. I guess that’s what happens when you live in the middle of nowhere,“Are you okay?” Luciano asked. This had to be the tenth time he had asked me that question since we got into the car.“Are you?” I asked back, tired of telling him that I was okay.“I’m fine. And it’s not the same thing.” he said.“Why? Because I made you force me to turn?” I asked him.“Well, that is one thing.”“What’s the other thing?” I was getting irritated now.“You killed someone tonight. At the farm, when we were picking them off one at a time. You did a lot of damage, but you let me get rid of them.” he explained.I realized earlier tonight that one of the reasons he didn’t want to make me shift; other than the obvious p
CARTER’S POV“Fuck!” I exclaimed and threw the bottle of bourbon at the wall. It hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground where it started to pour out. “Did you see that?” I asked Ciara “It didn’t even break.” She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. “I’m in so much pain, I can’t even throw hard enough.” I explained angrily. “If you are in so much pain, maybe stop trying to throw things.” she suggested.“And where does that leave me? Unable to function!” I answered my own question as she seemed to not understand.“What’s on your neck?” Ciara asked with a shocked look on her face.“What’s on my neck?” I walked slowly to the standing mirror on the landing of the staircase.I had to move slowly, my joints hurt if I tried to move at a normal pace. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes had sunk into my skull. I was emaciating in real time. I looked closely at my neck in the mirror. There were green, web-like lines running up my neck. I walked back to
CIARA’S POVHow dare he say that. I did not live my life to spite Arianna. She was of no consequence. And I did not start a relationship with him because of Arianna. Granted, it was funny watching him renounce her and it was basically the moon goddess dropping a blessing at my feet. I mean he had rejected her already, I didn’t make him do that. If he had accepted her then I would have gone about my business. I approached him because he was the Alpha and he clearly hated Arianna. It was a good thing to bond over. “So because of Arianna?” a stupid voice in my head asked. “O shut it” I responded in my head. My life did not revolve around my sister. So why are you mad?” That stupid voice again. I was staring down at Carter. He was sitting in his chair looking weak and pathetic. He did not have the power to tell me to be quiet. “Or what, Carter? What will you do? Take me on the hood of your truck again?” I asked him. “I remember it worked quite well. I didn’t hear your voice for days
CIARA’S POVIf anyone knew where I could find Dylan, it would be George. New packs usually kept in contact with their old healers. I made my way to George’s for what felt like the millionth time since I got back.I had been trying to convince him to talk to the witches on Carter’s behalf but he insisted that he did and they would not listen. A part of me didn’t believe him. It was no secret that he didn’t like Carter. In my head I could picture him dancing over Carter’s withering frame. I walked up to the door and knocked. “Come in.” I heard from inside. I walked in, George was sitting on one of those old people chairs that had a recline and everything. He had a book in his hand that he seemed really into.“Hello Ciara. How are you today?” He asked.“I’m good George, what are you reading?” “Just a book on herbology. I’ve been meaning to get to it.” He explained. “Anything in there that can help Carter?” I asked.He gave me a look that said he was tired of that question. I put up b
CIARA’S POVThe directions Dylan gave me were not directions. Anyone who followed them would get lost. Which is exactly what I was at that moment, lost.I was in the middle of the woods, there was no one around here. There were no houses, where were the wolves living? I heard rustling in the bushes and out came Dylan. He was shirtless with a big smile on his face. He approached me with his arms spread wide, “Ciara, good to see you.” He enveloped me in a hug. “Nice to see you too.” I said, feeling very awkward. “Why are we in the middle of nowhere?” I asked him.“This is where we live.” I looked around us, there was no one else here. “We?” I asked.“Yes, we. Come on, I’ll show you.” I followed him further into the woods until we got to a clearing. There was a fire pit in the middle and logs around it. It looked very much like a camp. “Guys, she’s here.” Someone shouted from above.I looked up in the trees and it all made sense, there were makeshift tree houses. They didn’t look
CIARA’S POVDylan was looking at me funny. He had heard me, he just didn’t know what to make of it. “Why would I do that, Ciara?” He asked.“So you can turn the mystic moon into this, only difference would be indoor plumbing.” I told him. I tried to lighten the conversation with a smile but he was gone. “I can’t do anything for the mystic moon. That’s Carter’s pack, not mine.” “What if it were yours?” I asked him. He turned to face me now. It looked like he was done with the innuendos. “What are you saying Ciara?” he asked me.“I’m saying that the mystic moon needs an Alpha.”“It has one. Carter. Your boyfriend, I might add.” He said.“Don’t remind me, please. Anyway, Carter is not really at a hundred percent right now. You can challenge him and become Alpha. Like you were always meant to do.” I explained to him.I watched a multitude of emotions flicker across his face. Confusion, excitement, doubt, uncertainty.“I don’t need to challenge him. I have a pack of my own.” He said.
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.