Her first class was in an hour at the local college. She was starting with basic fundamentals until she figured out what she was planning to do after.
As she made it through her first day of mainly introductions into the courses, Lincoln locked himself away in his office, not allowing any visitors.
He couldn’t clear his mind of the image of the young pack member mangled on the earth’s floor. It brought back the same feeling of fear and weakness that Lincoln always fought to ignore. He trained harder and longer as he aged to make sure he could never be in that kind of position ever again, but now that Ian was coming back around, it was as if all his skills would disappear and leave him as that same terrified child once again.
His office door flew open, and Wilson waltzed in as if he was welcomed. “Go away.” Lincoln growled, gripping his tousled hair in his fists and keeping his gaze on the mess of paperwork across his desk.
Wilson ignored his demand an
The next day, Lincoln met Jadie at the same spot after her schooling with a grin. “Ready for training?” He asked, chuckling when she threw her head back with a groan. “No.” She complained dramatically. “Let’s get it over with.” He draped his arm over her shoulders and shook his head. “That’s the spirit.” He teased sarcastically and led her out to the training grounds where the females were already beginning to train. Jadie dressed in preparation for this before she left that morning. She wore a plain pare of black leggings and a green t-shirt with her school’s logo. Lincoln waved Kyra down from across the field. He jogged in their direction, raising his eyebrow at Jadie. “Alpha.” He bowed respectfully to Lincoln and turned over to her. “Ready to get started?” Jadie let out a deep breath and shrugged. “As I’ll ever be.” They set her up inside on the rubber mats with Kyra standing opposite her in a fighting stance. “I’m going to show you co
Jadie’s eyes widened at the sight of her family making their way across the grounds. Her father had a bright smile on his face, and her mother was close to tears. Both her brothers seemed to be on edge, and Lincoln became ridged at their presence. “What are you guys doing here?” She asked, jumping into her father’s arms with a tight squeeze. She didn’t realize how much she had missed his hugs until now. Jack and Jeremy joined in, tightening their grips around the both of them. “We thought we would surprise you.” Gerald mumbled before setting his daughter back on the ground. Kristine stepped forward and smoothed Jadie’s hair down. “You should really thank Alpha Lincoln. It was his idea.” Jadie raised her eyebrows and spun around towards a silent, emotionless Alpha. His eyes were staring off at nothing in particular, clearly lost in his own mind. She rushed forward and hugged him around the waste making her family’s eyes widen in shock. “Thank y
Jadie woke up early the next morning feeling lighter than she had in a long time. She quickly got dressed and went to find her family.Jeremy was asleep in his bed, Jack sitting up on the couch scrolling through his phone. Her mother and father were getting dressed in their room, planning to meet her downstairs for breakfast.“Wake up, we have food to make!” She shouted in the younger of her brothers’ ear. His eyes shot open as he winced in pain from the volume.“Why would you do that?” He groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. Jadie rolled her eyes and ripped it away from the foot of the bed, leaving his whole body that was only covered by a pair of shorts exposed to the cold morning air.He hissed and sat up, giving his sister a glare. “Fine.” He growled, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and slowly making his way to his bag that held all his clothes.Jack remained silent by the door, waitin
His voice came out quiet as he dropped his head to stare at his hands. “I can’t get the image out of my head. It’s haunted me for as long as I can remember.” Kristine rested her hand on his knee in a comforting manor. “Whatever it is, you can tell us.” He took in a ragged breath and continued. “Do you remember the last time we all came here together? We were all a lot younger.” She nodded in confusion, curious to where this was going. “Well, Jack, Michael and I decided to pull a prank on Lincoln.” His voice broke, causing him to clear his throat. “It was supposed to be innocent. Jack and I would tie him to a tree near their northern border and go back to get him later.” Gerald frowned and sat forward. “Why would you do something like that?” His voice was becoming harsh as he tried to understand why his sons thought something like that was okay. “It was Michael’s idea.” His voice grew lower. Jadie looked confused and chimed in. “Who is Michael?” She aske
Once Lincoln was calmed down enough, he took a deep breath and straightened up to his full height. He nodded to Jeremy and pushed away his fear as he approached hesitantly. “Lincoln.” His voice was hoarse as he struggled to look him in the eye. The images of him close to death flashed in his mind; the fear in his voice when he called to them for help. “I am…so sorry.” He cleared his throat and forced himself to continue. “We should have never done that to you.” Lincoln remained expressionless. “I wanted to help you when you called out to us, and I regret it so much.” Lincoln sighed and stopped him. “Honestly, you don’t need to do this.” They all looked at him in confusion. “I may struggle to be near you for obvious reasons,” he clenched his fist and continued. “But that is for me to deal with. We were children, and no matter what you say, it will take me a while to forgive you.” Jeremy dropped his head slightly but froze when Lincoln rested his free hand on his s
Nadine searched for her son’s mind link, forcing her way through to tell him the good news.Lincoln was busy helping situate some of the pack members that lost their homes when he heard his mother’s voice.‘Jadie accepted Wilson’s rejection. She also told her family she isn’t moving home.’ Lincoln’s chest swelled in pride. She was getting stronger, and he couldn’t have been happier for her.Excitement grew within him the longer he worked in Matthew’s pack lands. He couldn’t wait to be done, his wolf anxious to return home. This created quite the distraction, and he struggled to keep things standing without bumping into them and knocking them over. He did create some form of amusement for the gloomy wolves, even if more things became broken when his large frame came into contact with them.Jadie enjoyed one of the final days of her family’s presence, but something felt missing. She
Food was quickly served, and everyone had gone through the line to grab themselves a plate. Jadie picked at her meal, suddenly losing her appetite. “You all ate without me?” A familiar voice sent chills down her spine. Lincoln’s bright smile was hard to miss in the sea of people. Chris was close behind him with a rare grin as his mate raced into his arms. This was something Jadie loved about Lincoln. He was adored by everyone, and treated every person in his pack like they were his family. Jadie’s palms grew sweaty. She was actually nervous now that he was here. They had spent plenty of time together before without an issue, and she couldn’t understand her reaction to him now. “Are you alright?” Kristine asked her, watching as Jadie’s face paled. She thought she was going to be sick from the flurries in her stomach as he moved further into the yard with a dazzling smile towards his guests. Lincoln froze halfway through the crowd, lifting his nose i
Lincoln snarled in warning and pushed his shoulders back. This wouldn’t be a difficult fight for him; he had Alpha training and strength that Wilson didn’t have. “Not anymore.” He glared, waiting for Wilson to make a move. “Back down before you do something you will regret.” Lincoln warned, but it was too late. Wilson shifted, snapping his teeth at his Alpha. “He’s challenging him.” Jeremy mumbled, staring at the deranged beta as he lifted his lips to growl again. “Is he insane?” He turned to his father with wide eyes. “He lost his mate. Wolves do crazy things when they’re rejected. It probably doesn’t help that she’s paired with Lincoln now, either.” They all watched as Lincoln looked over his shoulder at Jadie, motioning for her to back away towards her family. Jadie clenched her hands together in nervousness and backed up into her father’s arms. Once Lincoln knew she was safe, his eyes faded to a charcoal color and he let out a roar that sent sh
Lincoln’s mother forced her way through the crowd of wolves in determination. If her son was in danger, she was going to be the first to volunteer to help him. “This is going to be dangerous. We don’t know they strengths and numbers, but we must save your Alpha and future Luna at any cost.” Jeremy boomed over the bustling of anxious warriors. This was what they were trained for-they must protect their pack, and without their Alpha they would crumble. “Watch each other’s back, and be prepared for anything they may throw at you.” Jack looked over the crowd, impressed by the numbers. The pack he was part of was much smaller, and their warriors would be flooded by the amount that stood before him today. “Let’s do this!” Jeremy shouted, earning approval from the wolves as they all shifted into their wolves. The brothers shared a determined look at the front of the pack. “Wait! I’m coming with you!” Nadine shouted, stumbling over the mass of fur and muscle. Jack shook his head, but befo
“Aurora here is a witch, if you haven’t figured that out yet.” Michael snickered. The petite woman at his side wielded raven black hair that made her violet eyes stand out against her pale skin. Anyone could see the powers she yielded. Lincoln snapped back into reality and lowered his eyes cautiously to her. He had an unsettled feeling-if Michael was partnered with a witch, they were all screwed. “She is going to help me destroy you.” Lincoln scoffed. Way to be blunt. “How do you plan on doing that exactly?” He grumbled, his eyes remaining glued to the powerful creature in front of him. “Easy. She is going to make you kill your own mate.” Jack sucked in a startled breath, Lincoln releasing a threatening growl. His body shook in rage. “She can’t get me to do anything!” His wolf pushed to the surface, his eyes fading to black as all he felt was the sincere need to protect his mate. Michael pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked his cell door, nudging Aurora inside alone. “Go
Lincoln’s eyes shot open as a pain ruptured through his chest. His wolf whimpered from within him, making him squirm. A fire raged through him, alerting him that something was wrong. Jack groaned from across the hall. Lincoln’s eyes took in their surroundings-they were in opposite cells, both chained by their wrists to the concrete walls. “Jack.” He grumbled, his voice coarse. He had no idea how long they had been down there, but one thing was certain-that man, whoever he was, had brought them to Michael. Where Michael was, Jadie couldn’t be far. “Jack!” He hissed. The drowsy man groaned, wiping his face roughly. “What the hell happened?” He blinked a few times, trying to gain composure and come to terms with where they were. “Where are we?” Lincoln scoffed. He didn’t have the patience for this man anymore. “Where do you think we are?” He growled. “Now wake the fuck up! We need to find a way out of here.” Lincoln’s serious tone wiped any exhaustion out of Jack’s system. He shot
Warning: Sexual Content. Read at your own risk.Jadie shook her head and pleaded as Vince’s hands explored her body. He grew frustrated with the cloth that was between them, and his anger grew until he gave in and tore the thin fabric from her.She was now fully naked-exposed to a rogue that was forcing her into giving something sacred to her. Something she was saving until she found her mate-something that belonged to Lincoln.Her innocence.His growls of appreciation grew when he lapped up her appearance greedily. Even though all the other beatings he had sentenced her to weren’t enough to stop her from fighting to escape, she knew for sure this one would break her.“I’m going to enjoy every second of this.” He took the dagger and placed it against her cheek, reveling in the red line that appeared from the pressure he was enforcing.The pounding of Jadie’s heart flooded her ears, and she clenched her eyes closed to try and pretend this wasn’t happening to her. She imagined she was b
Lincoln’s wolf slowed down to a halt once they neared a familiar clearing. This was a place marked on his map, and so far there was no signs of life other than the wildlife that scurried within the trees and bushes.“Search the area. Meet back here in twenty minutes.” He commanded his warriors and stuck his nose to the ground to try and pick up even the faintest of scent.Jack followed him close behind, the rest of his pack members dispersing to cover more area. He buried his nose into every space so they wouldn’t miss any clue as to where his sister could be.He let out a frustrated growl and shifted back to his human form, gripping his hair tightly.“How the hell could she just disappear? They couldn’t have gotten that far!” Jack hissed, his fists tightening at the top of his head.Lincoln did his best to ignore him as he kept his nose to the ground, traveling deeper into unclaimed territory.“How are we supposed to find her alone, anyways? It seems pretty pointless if your warriors
Lincoln was trudging through the halls towards his room when he made an unexpected detour towards a familiar bedroom he had gotten used to being around over the past couple weeks.The plain white door that separated him from Jadie’s scent and belongings seemed so simple, but it was enough to made his body become rigid, and his hand at his side that was once prepared to grip the handle felt like a heavy dead weight.He stood for a while, just staring at the grooves under the paint of the door, thinking about the day he had fallen asleep in the hall and was later caught by Jadie. The urge to be near her was strong, but it was nowhere near what he was feeling now. He felt empty, something that was all-too familiar to him. He didn’t have many friends growing up—most of the kids were close to Michael and steered clear of him. Once his father’s health started to slip, his mother started focusing everything on him and that left Lincoln with no-one.
Jadie groaned in pain when she was awoken by a solid object burying into her stomach. She barreled over, but was unable to move far with her hands tied behind her back.“Wake up!” The man growled, glaring at her in hatred. Jadie examined him through pain-filled eyes, his face looking familiar. He had the same color hair as Lincoln’s, but his eyes were a muddy brown. His features were softer than Lincoln’s sharp jawline and straight nose.This man resembled Nadine more than Anthony, and Jadie could tell exactly who he was right away.“Michael.” She spat, squinting her eyes against the bright LED lights that hung from the ceiling of the cement room.He gave her a sickening smile and stood straight, crossing his arms. “Oh, so he does talk about me!”Jadie shook her head. “Only bad things.” She taunted. His face fell to a scowl as he reared his arm and back handed her with all his strength. She cried out in pain when her head whipped to the side, stinging
“Where are we going?” She asked, struggling to keep up with his speed. Jeremy looked around to make sure they weren’t being followed before continuing on, deep into the woods. “There’s a safe house a few miles south of here. If we can make it there, we should be fine until this is over.” Jadie huffed and pushed her legs as fast as they could go as they weaved through the trees. “How do you know about this place?” She shouted over the sound of their pounding footsteps on the ground. “We used to hide there from mom and dad when we would pull things on your mate.” He grazed over, his eyes flickering around to be aware of their surroundings Jeremy froze when he sensed someone nearby. He shushed Jadie who was about to ask him what was going on, scanning the trees with cautious eyes. “I knew he would send you away. What a fool.” A familiar voice chuckled, echoing through the shade. Jadie glared at the redhead that stepped out into the light peaked throu
Lincoln snarled in warning and pushed his shoulders back. This wouldn’t be a difficult fight for him; he had Alpha training and strength that Wilson didn’t have. “Not anymore.” He glared, waiting for Wilson to make a move. “Back down before you do something you will regret.” Lincoln warned, but it was too late. Wilson shifted, snapping his teeth at his Alpha. “He’s challenging him.” Jeremy mumbled, staring at the deranged beta as he lifted his lips to growl again. “Is he insane?” He turned to his father with wide eyes. “He lost his mate. Wolves do crazy things when they’re rejected. It probably doesn’t help that she’s paired with Lincoln now, either.” They all watched as Lincoln looked over his shoulder at Jadie, motioning for her to back away towards her family. Jadie clenched her hands together in nervousness and backed up into her father’s arms. Once Lincoln knew she was safe, his eyes faded to a charcoal color and he let out a roar that sent sh