HOPE POVI sat in miserable silence while Nicco and his sister continued to shout at each other. Izan didn’t seem to be worried. He finished his beer and helped himself to another. Finally, the shouting stopped and the door opened. I looked over as Nicco slid inside, scooting next to me. His sister was next, shooting daggers at me with her eyes and slamming the door behind her. I looked around for Bianca and saw her slide into the seat next to the driver.“Hope,” Nicco said, bringing my attention back to him. He tipped my head up and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. I heard a snort from Lucia that I tried really hard to ignore. “Everything okay?” I asked, willing my voice not to shake. It was a little higher pitched than normal, but nothing too noticeable. “Yes, everything is fine,” Nicco said. “As a matter of fact, Lucia has something she wants to say to you.”Inwardly I felt myself shrivel up. This wasn’t the way to endear me to his family. Lucia didn’t want to be chas
NICCO POVI watched Hope follow the Omega and disappear from my sight. Only then did I turn to my mother.“This needs to be quick,” I said, letting my voice show my impatience. “I am beginning to regret this visit.”“Your mate has no wolf!” my sister said fiercely. I turned on her in time to see my mom shaking her head at Lucia. “Yes. That is true. Hope has no wolf. She is my fated mate. If the goddess thought she was good enough for me, then who are you to say she’s not?” I was angry and my sister took a step back away from the aura that was pushing out of me. My mom put her hand gently on my upper arm.“Come inside, Nicco. We don’t need to discuss family matters outside in full view of the servants.”I pressed my lips together. “Quit calling the Omegas ‘servants,’” I said, exasperated. “They’re part of the Pack, therefore part of the family.” I could never get my mom to let go of the classes. I had many Omegas that were part of my inner circle because they were loyal,
HOPE POV“It’s up to you. Do you want to stay or would you prefer to leave?” Nicco had explained to me what had happened between his mom and sister. I was cautiously optimistic.“Do you think she’s trying?” I asked. She had seemed remorseful at the pool.“No.” Nicco was blunt. “I think she’s planning her next move and us leaving will make it harder for her to work on me.” He used his fingers to put air quotes around “work on me.” I was amused.“Is there anything to work on?” I asked. “Pretty sure you already marked me. My understanding is that you can’t take that back.” I turned my neck to him and ran my fingers over the mark, watching him shudder. I didn’t really understand how some of this wolf stuff worked, but I enjoyed manipulating it to my advantage. Nicco’s eyes darkened and he lunged for me. Shrieking, I danced out of his way.“I can’t!” I said, gasping with laughter as he caught me and tossed me over his shoulder. “I need to shower. I can’t go to dinner with
HOPE POVI was drunk or drugged. I didn’t know which, but I could feel it and I had no idea how it had happened. I had only had water to drink.My brain was foggy, and it was hard for me to put words together coherently. I could see the disapproving look on Bianca’s face every time she looked at me. Lucia was glaring daggers at me. All of their friends were ignoring me. Nicco had been spirited off to hang out with some of his old buddies and the only person who was nice to me was Izan.“Are you okay, Hope?” he asked, peering into my face, concerned.With difficulty I shook my head. “No. I don’t feel well. I need Nicco.”Izan looked around. “I think he’s out front in the driveway looking at Alberto’s new Charger. I know Alberto and I know his Charger. Nicco will be out there for a while.”I stood up unsteadily. “I think I need to go back to my room.” I lurched and reached for the back of the nearest chair. I could see Bianca pursing her lips and turning her back on me. I
NICCO POVNot taking the time to undress, I shifted into Lupo. He was insistent that something had happened to Hope and he was getting hard to control. He’d have an easier time finding her, anyway.Lupo headed towards the villa where we were staying but her scent trail was at least a few hours old. We circled around the pool, hoping to pick up a stronger scent but we couldn’t find anything.“Head for the boundary” I suggested. The entire property was enclosed by a ten foot high concrete wall and it would be impossible for her to wander off. If she was disorientated, there was a chance she would end up at the wall at some point.Lupo turned and loped towards the south, swinging our head back and forth, trying to pick up Hope’s scent. I could feel his panic and frenzy and it was affecting me. I was beginning to believe that he may be right. It was weird that we couldn’t pick up on Hope’s scent. She was our mate. We should be able to find her.“Hope!” I tried mind linking her.
HOPE POVMy head hurt. It hurt bad. I was also having a hard time breathing at this point and my chest felt like something heavy was pressing on it. I was also hot and rocking from side to side.I kept my eyes mostly closed and looked through my lashes. There was an odd red glow around me and a very musty smell. I tried to stretch my limbs and realized my hands were cuffed behind my back.I held back a whimper of fear, trying to figure out what was happening. My senses were slowly coming back and my brain was beginning to clear. I felt a big bump and, with a jolt, recognized that I was in the trunk of a car.There was some rumbling noises and then the car rolled to a stop. I kept my eyes closed, waiting for an opportunity, any opportunity. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want to be in the situation I was currently in. The red glow abruptly ended and there was some squeaking as the car rocked. I could hear footsteps crunching on gravel and th
HOPE POVI looked behind me again to see the two men gaining on me. I gasped and tried to put on a burst of speed.Ever since meeting Nicco and mating with him, my body had been undergoing some changes. I noticed I was getting stronger and faster. Maybe not werewolf strong, but more than a typical human. Since I got Nicco’s blood, my strength had increased even more. But it was failing me now. Whatever drug or poison that I had been given made my joints feel achy and leaden. I was running with my arms tied behind my back and my coordination was off. It was dark and I couldn’t see where I was going. I ran straight into someone.I bounced off them, landing on my back. I rolled to my side, scrambling to get to my feet while making mewing noises.“Shhhh, Luna. It’s me. We want to help you.”“Mario?” I gasped out, looking at him with shock. “Who is with you? What are you doing here?” I was confused and a little overwhelmed. How did he manage to be here? Could I trust him?
CHAPTERI was dragged along by Mario. I knew his eyesight was better than mine because he saved me a few times from braining myself into a tree, so I just trusted him, going along with it. He was sticking to the trees, staying away from civilization. I realized we were heading in the general direction of the villa.Five minutes after Gina left with my dress, we heard howling. Mario stopped short.“They figured it out. Those were hunting calls.” I took two steps forward, tugging at him. “Then let’s keep going. I don’t want them hunting me.”“Wait just a minute,” Mario said. “I’m going to shift. My wolf can go faster than us. Just climb on when I’m ready.” He squished up his face and with a horrific popping noise, shifted in front of me. His wolf was a lot smaller than Lupo and I was worried I would squash him. He swung his head wide and bobbed it and I pushed my worries aside, scrambling on to his back. I felt his legs buckle a little but then he gathered himself, trotti
HOPE POVBeing behind the wheel of my van was like coming home to an old friend. I knew her idiosyncrasies and I loved them. The engine responded to me and the familiar hum lulled me. My mind began to wander. So much has happened in the past few months. It was hard to remember that, just a few months ago, I was working as a mechanic. Since then, I found out about werewolves, had several adventures, found my mate, had a few bad encounters and have changed as a person. I feel like I am a completely new person, but the old Hope was still inside me.I put on the blinker and slowed down. My map said that there was a campsite up to the left. I had headed northwest to try to avoid Nicco’s Pack, and my map said I was hundreds of miles from them. I should be safe enough to spend a night or two here while I tried to get my head on straight and to come up with a plan.I found the road in the dim light and drove the rough terrain that winded through towering pine trees. It opened up t
NICCOI started by gathering all of the residents of Moon Tower. I wanted answers and Lupo was pissed. We lost our Beta and I wanted justice. Not as bad as Charlie did, though.The wolves began arriving, most of them confused, especially when we ushered everyone into the basement. It was dank and dark, but it was the only place that was large enough for what I wanted to do.“They’re all here, Alpha,” Caleb said, checking the last wolf off the list. I walked to the far end of the room, my pack members nervously shuffling out of my way. Charlie was already standing in the front of the room, his arms folded across his chest and glaring at everyone. “This meeting is to be kept secret,” I shouted in my Alpha voice. I could see everyone’s neck bowing to my authority, exposing their vulnerable necks to me and showing submission. I hated giving Alpha commands. It reminded me, and everyone else, of my father’s realm where Alpha commands were given multiple times a day. They should o
NICCOI raced over to Vinnie’s apartment. Despite his Beta status, he chose to live in an apartment building that I owned and used to provide living accommodations to members of our pack who worked at my companies. He had at least taken one of the top floor apartments, using the excuse that the view was amazing. It was.I didn’t wait for the elevator and, instead, took the stairs two at a time. It helped Lupo work off some of the nervous energy and gave me an outlet for mine. We made it to the top in record time and I gently knocked at the door.There were no police, no crime scene tape and no techs dusting for fingerprints. We handle things in house. There would be no outside involvement. And when I found out who did this, there would be no trial, no jury. Only swift justice.Charlie opened the door, his face white and his jaw set. He stepped aside and I slipped in, closing the door behind me. Until we knew what we were dealing with, I didn’t want to let anyone else know w
NICCOI frowned at my watch. Hope was late and that wasn’t like her. I was glad she wasn’t early as usual, though. I didn’t want her running into Lucia. What a hateful brat. My phone chirped and I grabbed for it, a smile playing on my lips. It was probably Hope, begging for forgiveness because she got caught up in some sort of shopping expedition with her new friends.“Alpha?” It was Charlie and his voice sounded strained.“Yes.” I could feel my stomach tightening in a knot. Charlie rarely sounded this way. Nothing bothered this wolf. He and I grew up together and the wolf was cold.“It’s dad. He was killed.”Lupo reared up inside me and it took all of my self control to push him back down. I knew why he felt this way. He had immediately felt for our bond with Vinnie, the tether that held him to me, and we couldn’t find it. It was broken and the only way it could be broken was either by banishment or by death. I had lost my Beta.I threw some money on the table blindly,
Chapter 70HOPENicco irritated me beyond belief sometimes. After all his lectures to me about lying, he goes and does it to me. Our mate bond must be getting stronger because I could tell he was lying. I was so angry, I was growling under my breath. When I caught myself, I giggled a little bit. I was picking up on Nicco’s habits.I had a good morning showing Mario and Gia around and getting them settled into their own apartments. Nicco had been kind enough to get them apartments at one of the many buildings that he owned. They were small, but they each had their own, which was usually unheard of. “This is amazing,” Mario gushed, coming back in from the little balcony. His apartment consisted of a tiny kitchen, a small living area and a bedroom with the balcony. “I have never had this much space before.”Gina’s apartment was almost the same, though I had picked out one that had a larger bathroom and more closet. Girls have to stick together and there are just some things t
NICCOMila’s attitude shifted and her face got dark. “You’re never around anymore,” she complained.“What did you do?” I asked, suddenly tired. I always felt guilty about Mila. The attack that killed her parents had taken place right after I became Alpha. I had been warned that it was coming, and I was too arrogant to listen to anyone. We had found Mila in the rubble, her limbs mangled and her little body limp. It had taken the talents of multiple healers and doctors to get her to where she was. “I just wanted to get your attention,” she said, the tears starting. I forced my emotions to harden. She was manipulating me, and I knew it but my guilt made it easy for her to do so.“Who?” I asked. Mila shrugged. “I don’t know. It came in an encrypted message.”“And you thought it would be a good idea?” I asked, dumbfounded. Mila was never one to consider the consequences.“They only borrowed the money. It was always put back,” Mila said, pushing out her lower lip. “I should k
NICCOHope and I stayed up the rest of the flight, trying to figure out what the signature meant. She was the one who finally did. She had gone to the bathroom and had come back, her eyes tired. Before she sat down she stopped with a start and softly chuckled, staring at the paper.“We’ve been making this harder than we needed to,” she said.I looked at her in confusion. “Yeah? If you have figured it out, I’d like to know. It’s driving me crazy.” I was irritable. She grinned and took the pen from my hand, writing over the top of the random letters and numbers that we had been working on, transforming them into one word. BITE.“I’d guess the hacker is a wolf,” Hope said mildly. I looked at the word, my vision clouded. I knew who went by that name and I couldn’t believe it. Hope picked up on my fury.“Do you know who this is?” she asked.“No,” I lied. I didn’t need her to know until it was over. I was going to confront this wolf and find out everything. I would get my ans
Chapter 67HOPE POVI woke up with a start, not sure of what had awakened me. I was laying in the only private bed in the back of the plane with Nicco. I listened carefully and his breathing was still even. Whatever woke me up didn’t wake him.The only noises I could hear were the normal noises of the plane. There was no turbulence. So what had awakened me?I carefully rolled on to my back, trying not to waken Nicco. There was a moment when his breathing changed so I lay still until it went back to normal. Then I slipped out of the bed.I used the bathroom in the dark, not wanting to waken him. Something was still nagging at me. It was like I had forgotten something very important and my brain was trying to remind me.I sighed. I wasn’t going to go back to sleep anytime soon. I slipped out of the bedroom in the back and into the main part of the aircraft. Vinnie opened one eye and looked at me, going immediately back to sleep. Mario and Gina didn’t move.I reached up into
Chapter 66HOPE POV“I don’t care what he said,” I said, impatiently. “I am sick and tired of staying inside. The beach is out there calling my name.” I tried to get past Mario who was blocking the door to the hotel with his body. He looked terrified of me but I knew he was more afraid of Nicco, so he was doing what he could do to keep me in the room. I didn’t blame him, but it still made me mad.“Luna, we could watch a movie,” he suggested. I shrugged, sighed and acted like I was going to go back to the sitting area. He visibly relaxed and I took that opportunity to dart around him and dash into the hallway. “Sucker,” I heard Gina tease Mario behind me. I took off running for the elevator, giggling as Mario ran behind me, trying to reason with me. “Please, Luna Hope. Alpha is going to kill me,” he begged.“Tell him I forced you,” I suggested. I turned just in time to see him roll his eyes. “Just for that, I’m not coming back with you,” I said, jumping into the open eleva