I am beyond excited to be going home to our pack today. It feels like we've been away for a lifetime. I know Ezra will be happy to be back home, too. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring many toys, and he's bored. The new pack members have already started training and are settling in well. One of the first things we will do is announce that I will be selecting a Beta and Gamma. We are opening up a trail of sorts to see who is interested and would be best in these roles. The two things I am most excited about, though, are planning Ezra's birthday, which is in just a few weeks, and telling Luke I'm pregnant. We haven't talked about children yet, and there hasn't been time. With everything happening, we may not have planned to have a baby right now, but we haven't done anything to prevent it. I have ordered a cute shirt for Ezra that says - Currently Training For My New Position: Big Brother. I plan to get him ready for the day and put on a zip-up sweater over the shirt. I will take Luke an
I don't think I have ever been so furious as when I saw my father taking my son. The rage that coursed through my vends was like nothing I had ever felt before. My dad could hurt me. I'll deal with it, but no one, and I mean absolutely no one, will hurt Ezra again as long as I am breathing. My son has been through more than enough already.As I screamed for Luke, I charged at my dad. I saw his eyes widen in fear. He only knows the old me, the docile daughter he raised, the girl who catered to him, and all of his stupid demands. I'm not that same girl anymore. I have been training with Donte and gained a confidence that I didn't know was possible.As I could close the door, he pushed through it. I was mere seconds behind them, flying through the door in pursuit of my son, willing to do anything needed to keep me safe. As I came out the door, I saw Chelsea and Brendon. Brendon was at the back of a van, holding the door open, and Chelsea was in the driver's seat.I wasn't surprised my dad
“Lila!” My dad screamed at me from the kitchen. I hurried out of my room to see what he needed. I only had a few minutes left before I needed to start walking to the bus stop.“Yeah, Dad.”“Lila, do we have aspirin? My head is killing me.”I walked to the cabinet where the aspirin is always in and grabbed the bottles, dumping two pills in my hand, then grabbing a cup and filling it at the sink. I handed them both to my dad.“Thanks.” He grumbled.I left the house and started making my way to the bus stop. That one thing about living somewhere so rural the bus doesn’t come to your house I need to walk a mile just to get to the bus stop to get to school. Thankfully, it's my senior year.“Does he ever wake up without a hangover?” Lately, my thoughts have taken on their own personality. It’s weird that I always had just my line of thoughts, but recently, it’s like a separate person is in my mind. Maybe I’ve spent too much time reading that I started thinking in a separate inner dialog or
We came to this sh*t hole of a town because we had just found out it was the last place Gemma had been seen. That was nearly eighteen years ago. I don't understand what the obsession is with finding this one she-wolf, but my dad told me we can't ever stop looking for her. It's not like she was my dad's mate or anything. He told me when I find her and bring her home to the pack, he will explain everything.That girl Lila at the diner caught my attention today. She is gorgeous with her pale skin, dark hair, and those green eyes. She was striking. It was hard to keep my eyes from trailing every inch of her body. I didn't want to scare her, though. She truly didn't seem to know what I was talking about when I asked her about her pack. She didn't smell like a rogue, though. She is either a very good liar or something else is going on. I'm going to find out before we leave this little town, though."Hey, Jake, what did you find on the girl so far?" I asked as he comes barging into my little
Last night was nothing out of the ordinary. I had dropped my dad off at the bar, and the bartender, Dawn, called me when it was time for me to pick him up. That's normal for us. We've been following this routine since I was fourteen, and my dad taught me how to drive because he was threatened with a DUI. They let him off, though being a firefighter and all, he seems to get away with more than you would think normal. So I dropped him off and picked him up. At least I have my driver's license now. I used to be afraid of what would happen if we were pulled over while I was driving, but I guess we were lucky.There was one thing, though, that was different last night. I saw the blonde man from the diner. His eyes were locked on me. I'm used to men staring at me, especially when they've been drinking, but he wasn't watching me in the way I'm used to. I really can't explain it. I tried not to pay attention to him, but I can't help but hope to see him again. My dreams had him at the center,
It has been few days since the incident at the diner. My dad has been so strange lately. I don't know what his deal is, but he's been super protective, not letting me walk to the bus but driving me to the bus stop or school. When he had his shift at work, he called the house line rather than my cell phone to make sure I was at home where I always am. If he knew how to track my cell phone, I'm sure he would have.He also hasn't been drinking, which, unfortunately for me, means he's super on edge and snapping at me over everything. I wash the dishes too loudly; I use too much laundry detergent, leave my hair on the sink, and don't check in enough throughout the day. All I know is I hope he calms down soon. My birthday is in five days, and my dad has decided to take me on a camping trip to celebrate, which is also weird. We don't do camping trips. I don't even want to go camping, but I also don't want to say no. It's just not worth the fight.The next couple of days went by horribly slow
Whoever is out there comes into the cave, and I step back, staring in complete disbelief. "Dad," I say in almost a whisper.My dad looked around quickly, turned on a flashlight he had with him, and examined every crevice of the cave. I stand there watching him. I don't know what's going on with him lately, but something is bothering him. I'm sure it has something to do with his phone conversation I overheard last night."What on earth are you doing here, Lila?" He asks me as he still looks around the cave."I found this cave and just thought I'd check it out and see if there was anything cool in here," I say in a very calm voice, looking in the eyes. I don't lie to my dad, but he seems unhinged and, for the first time in my life, I feel afraid of him. I've always been anxious around him, but I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He was just a little unstable and a bit unpredictable. This is different, though."Well, what did you find?" He asks, looking at me in a way that makes the hair on my n
When my birthday came, I was excited to know I didn't have to worry about shifting in front of my dad, thanks to Nova. I have also come to terms with being a werewolf. It is actually really nice to know I'm not alone. I have spent so much of my life feeling alone and like no one really cared about me. I mean, I've always had my dad, but that's been a weird relationship. Sometimes I feel like he hates me or like I'm just here to take care of him and make his life easier, but then there are time when I think my dad really does care. He will show up at my work and want to spend time together. I've always loved those rare times.My dad has been checking in on me a lot lately, to the point where it's almost suffocating, and when he's checking in on me, it is like he is just waiting to catch me doing something wrong. He seems surprised when he finds me just going about my day like always. He will relax and give me a side hug or tell me I'm a good kid. All I know is it's weird, and I hope he
I don't think I have ever been so furious as when I saw my father taking my son. The rage that coursed through my vends was like nothing I had ever felt before. My dad could hurt me. I'll deal with it, but no one, and I mean absolutely no one, will hurt Ezra again as long as I am breathing. My son has been through more than enough already.As I screamed for Luke, I charged at my dad. I saw his eyes widen in fear. He only knows the old me, the docile daughter he raised, the girl who catered to him, and all of his stupid demands. I'm not that same girl anymore. I have been training with Donte and gained a confidence that I didn't know was possible.As I could close the door, he pushed through it. I was mere seconds behind them, flying through the door in pursuit of my son, willing to do anything needed to keep me safe. As I came out the door, I saw Chelsea and Brendon. Brendon was at the back of a van, holding the door open, and Chelsea was in the driver's seat.I wasn't surprised my dad
I am beyond excited to be going home to our pack today. It feels like we've been away for a lifetime. I know Ezra will be happy to be back home, too. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring many toys, and he's bored. The new pack members have already started training and are settling in well. One of the first things we will do is announce that I will be selecting a Beta and Gamma. We are opening up a trail of sorts to see who is interested and would be best in these roles. The two things I am most excited about, though, are planning Ezra's birthday, which is in just a few weeks, and telling Luke I'm pregnant. We haven't talked about children yet, and there hasn't been time. With everything happening, we may not have planned to have a baby right now, but we haven't done anything to prevent it. I have ordered a cute shirt for Ezra that says - Currently Training For My New Position: Big Brother. I plan to get him ready for the day and put on a zip-up sweater over the shirt. I will take Luke an
"Hmm... Did you believe everything Margot said?" I asked Lila while kissing her neck just below her ear. We were lying in bed, discussing her private conversation with Margot. A less confident alpha might be upset that Luna snapped it in front of others and ran off to speak privately, though I love my mate's confidence. I find myself being proud of Lila and her fierce determination."I do believe her. She told me her story, and it was devastating. She also shared a lot about Hudson. If I'm honest, he sounds like a bit of a creep. He gave her drugs for s*xual favors. It's gross to think my brother is willing to do that to someone who uses someone's weakness for his self-satisfaction. I also learned it's really Gemma who is in charge of everything. People are terrified of her. I don't really know why they are all following her orders." Lila was deep in thought over this information. Her face is furrowed in concentration as she tries to work through her thoughts."Hudson is a creep, and
Donte called Luke and me to update us on Margot. I can not believe she is his mate. She is struggling, though, and needs to get clean, so Donte took her to Sedona Sky Recovery. It is a drug rehab center for shifters. I don't know if getting sober is different for sifters than it is for humans. They have only been at the facility for a few weeks, which seems fast, but they should be meeting us tonight at the Red Oak Pack in Oregon. I made a mental note to ask Luke about this later.Donte did read the note Hudson wrote me, though. Margot contacted one of the people she knew who also went back and forth getting Wolfsbane from Gemma. I am sending my brother a letter that simply contains a cell phone number. It's a burner phone. Jake didn't want me to give him my real number; he didn't want someone tracking me or hacking into my regular phone, so this is one I could toss if needed. I'm hoping to hear from him any day now.Later that night, after dinner, Luke and I laid Ezra down for bed, a
This chapter contains Margot's story. It can be triggering. Read with caution. If you are in the U.S. and have been a victim of sexual assault, help is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline. 1-800-656-4673 I'm sorry, I don't know the resources available in other locations. I didn't have the money to get a hotel to sleep at. I could have shifted and slept in the woods, but I learned my lesson long ago that it is not safe for women to be alone in the woods, even in wolf form. There are plenty of rogue wolves who look for females, and that is why I ended up sleeping on a park bench. The last thing I expected was to be woken up by my mate. Mate? I didn't think I would ever find a mate. I am broken and have been for a very long time. My cousin knows I'm an addict. She doesn't know how I ended up this way, though, and I will never tell her. We weren't close and never have been. When I was ten, my dad passed away, protecting the pack. When someone loses their mate once bo
We have been to five packs so far, and four of them are taking the information seriously and have agreed to stand by us. Today, we are on our way to a pack in California. The travel locations are sporadic based on who agrees to see us. I can't say I'm upset that in just another three hours, we will be at the Chimariko pack, and we plan to stay for a couple of days, so if anyone needs me, they'll have to come find me at the beach. I'm in the driver's seat of the large eight-passenger SUV. Luke is sitting next to me in the passengers seat. Lila and Ezra are in the back seat, and we are followed by two other SUV's. When I heard Lila's phone ring, she was a little on edge lately. I can tell it is Abigail on the phone based on the excitement and hesitation I see on her face when I look into the rearview mirror. I know she's been waiting to her back from her brother or at least hoping to hear from him. I heard Lila's side of the conversation. "Really?! That's great news." "Yeah, I just c
Please, before you read this chapter, mention sexual assault with a very brief flashback. The scene is brief and doesn't go into terrible detail, but this can be triggering, and I want to ensure you know you can skip to the second paragraph and avoid this scene.I am sitting in my room reading the letter that the dumb sl*t brought me. Margot told me about the letter as she was kneeling in front of me; that girl would do absolutely anything for her next fix. It's hard for me to say no when she offers herself. She is beautiful with dark brown hair and mocha skin. I know many wolves wait to have sex until they meet their mate out of respect because our wolves are so jealous. I thought I would wait, but mom sent two girls, well, two women, to my room when I was thirteen. I tried to hold out against the temptation, but mom fed me a little blue pill after one of the women went back out to tell her I wasn't performing, and now look at me handing out drugs to get my d*ck wet.The letter Margo
The room Ray and Abigail let us stay in was gorgeous. It's different from my personal taste, but you can't deny the beauty. The room had three white walls, and the one that paralleled the foot of the bed was a dark navy blue. The furniture was all white. A four-post canopy bed was a feature of the room. The fabric draped on it was a sheer, almost silk-like tulle that was also navy but so sheer you only see that dark navy where it bunches together. A small living space hosted a white rocking chair, a love chair, and a coffee table. On the coffee table was a clear vase filled with blue flowers, cornflowers, and white roses. There was a stack of three books and a stationary set with a pen. On the stationary sat a small note-card. Lila, I thought you might need this. -Abigail My breath caught at Abigail's kindness. The fact that she sent this to the room for me meant so much. Luke read the note over my shoulder, kissing and nibbling along my neck and collarbone. A shiver went through m
As Luke finished telling Ray and Abigail all that had happened up until now, Ray turned to look at me."I am so sorry you have had to go through all of this." I could hear the pity in his voice, and I despised that. I haven't had the best of luck times, but I don't need anyone's pity. I have a beautiful life, even if it is unconventional. I have an amazing husband and the most beautiful son. I am nothing if not blessed in the family I have found. I sat up straighter and squared my shoulders."Alpha Ray, I am so grateful you are hosting us, but I don't need your pity. I need your help. As Luke said, we are building an army. I want you as an ally because what Gemma is doing won't just affect our pack. Gemma may be the woman who birthed me, but she is not my mother. She is a cancer, and she will spread her vile poison if not dealt with soon." I pick up the water before me and take a long drink, hoping to swallow back any emotion that may try to break through."I don't pity you. I apologi