Allora - Lya's mother (years before)"Allora, can you pass me my other spatula, please?" I just dropped mine in that crevice.Beside Professor Doyle, Ruth—the senior undergraduate assistant—giggled as she eyed a deer skull through the theodolite. Two years ago, Ruth would be the one doing the fetching and picking things up from the farm, but now she was more experienced than I was, and I was the one chasing after our muddled-up teacher like a faithful dog.Sighing loudly—because my sigh would never be heard in the pouring rain outside the cavern—I stepped out from under the stone shelf I was using as a shelter, and walked through the opening straight into the pouring rain. This was the third trowel Frances had lost in that damn crevasse in as many days, and every time I braved the elements to replace it, the weather got worse.We kept all the site tools in a lockable chest outside the cave mouth, which meant I had to lie on my stomach and slide through a small hole while the muddy wat
Ruth gave me a hateful look. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw a flicker of amusement cross Josh's face. But when I looked at him again, he had been replaced by his now-familiar sour expression.- This way. I gestured for him to follow me back through the cave entrance and out into the rain. I ran down the path, looking back to make sure Josh was following. He took long, graceful strides, having no trouble keeping up, despite looking like he was just taking a walk. More hair fell out of the ponytail and the rain plastered the curls to her face, making her look even more attractive. An image of him naked in a shower flashed across my vision, and I was so shocked by the thought that I turned and crashed right into a tree.— Argh! I fell backwards, landing on my ass in a puddle. Mud splashed onto my shirt and further soaked my overalls.“Careful,” Josh said into the rain as he walked past me. He didn't help me. What an idiot. I cursed myself for fantasizing about him.I followed Jo
joshWow.Allora SanDiir.Wow.The moment I got out of the car, her scent hit me like a brick wall. Light, floral and utterly delicious, she was like a rare flower blooming in a barren field. I knew from the moment her scent wafted through my nostrils that she needed to be mine.And acknowledging that was terrifying.As she walked through the woods towards me, panic rose in my chest. This should not happen. I went back to DownMoor through the caves. I was only here for one reason: to prevent any of my family's dark secrets from being brought to the surface once more, to ensure that my father could rest in peace without the past being re-evaluated. And now that the discovery of the site was made public, there was also the possibility that some other wolf would show up here, eager to claim my family's old territories. I had to be on guard. There could be no distractions.As I watched her nervously bite her lower lip, my cock springing to life, I knew Allora SanDiir would be a huge distr
"Sounds divine," she said, her voice a little wistful. 'I live with my mum in a flat in Crooks Crossing. There isn't much space, so I have to store my favorite books in boxes under the bed. Even so, there are several boxes hidden in the loft.— Do you live with your mother? So your parents are divorced.Allora shook her head. My stomach dropped as I realized what that probably meant. Allora looked away, her entire body stiffening. Her hand flew to her wrist, which the silver bracelet still clasped defiantly."I have to go," she whispered, the book falling from her hand and skittering to the floor.- Why? — My disappointment was transparent. I was really enjoying talking to her. I wanted to find out more about what books she liked, about her family, about her studies and what made her want to be an archaeologist.But for some reason, her father's death—because that was all it had to be—kept her closed off from me. But he didn't have to. I reached out to her, willing to say anything to
“Josh,” I called, pulling my hand away. - I feel…- I know. His deep voice came through the darkness. Confident, reassuring. “Don't think about it now, Allora. We need to focus on getting out of here. Can you follow behind me?- I think so.Josh's fingers closed around mine. The heat in my body rose. Slowly, Josh felt his way back through the fissure, working his way through the gap. I stayed close on his heels, my other hand moving along the rocks, restoring my bearings. Every moment he squeezed my hand. I squeezed back, assuring him it was fine.“You're good at this,” I commented as we emerged on the site, and Josh carefully made his way through the quadrants without disturbing any of our cuts.“I can see well in the dark,” he said, and then took a deep breath, as if he'd said something he shouldn't have.- This is interesting.- And even? He slid down a rocky ledge, then turned to grip my waist in his strong hands. Before I could say anything, he lifted me up and crushed my body ag
I'm here now, dad. I promise I will succeed. I will not let our family legacy be dishonored.I took a deep breath.Time to stop feeling sorry for yourself, Josh.I needed all my intelligence back to destroy the paintings without arousing suspicion. And I needed to stay calm around Allora. It would be better for both of us if we didn't get involved.I pushed open the trailer door. Ruth and Frances looked up from the table, one giving me a bright smile, the other a disdainful look. Allora's eyes flickered briefly to mine, and then she looked away, suddenly absorbed in her porridge. Not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable, I sat down at the opposite end of the table and intentionally prompted Ruth into a conversation about fossil fuels. If Allora would ignore me, I could follow her lead. alloraAll through breakfast, I kept sneaking glances at Josh. He sat at the opposite end of the table and was completely focused on Ruth's every word of flattery. He forgot the kiss too quickly,
He seemed to be looking for something. And he was carrying a crowbar... it just didn't make sense.I entered the cave, ducking to fit under the low ceiling. The ground tilted away from me. If I had dropped the bracelet here, it might have slipped deeper into the tunnel. It was worth checking out while I was here. I may not get another chance.That's probably how Daddy justified going near that machine, a voice inside my head muttered.And how Ben decided to climb the ravine without the right equipment.My stomach twisted at the thought, but I couldn't bear the thought of being without that bracelet. I just had to be careful. I moved forward, carefully testing where I placed my boots, using the wall to support my weight. One wrong move here, and I would be in serious trouble.You shouldn't be here, I scolded myself. This is so dangerous. If you slipped and hit your head, they wouldn't know where to find you. Like father, like daughter…My light caught something shiny on the wall. What
I looked at him, wanting to turn around and leave him out there in the cold. But curiosity devoured me. I wanted to know what his game was, why he was trying to get me involved with this old wives' tale.Josh stared at me steadily, his gaze intense. At first, nothing happened. But then I noticed her face was changing. The bones under her skin seemed to move, elongating her nose, rearranging her cheekbones, flattening her skull. His ears receded into his head, the lobes growing up and out. His eyes remained locked on mine as his chin and nose came together into a muzzle, his teeth curling into two long, sharp canines.What was it? What was happening?Josh fell to the floor on all fours. His clothes ripped from his body as the muscles in his shoulders bulged, coming to merge with his neck, throwing his head back at an impossible angle. His back arched, and his legs and arms flexed and moved, his knees creaking as he moved backward.This can not be happening.My entire body went rigid wi
AlloraJosh let Caleb drive back to the farm while he laughed in the backseat with me. He didn't seem able to let me go, which suited me just fine. Our lips met in a long, lustful kiss. I devoured him, the relief of still being alive and having him alive coursing through my veins. Adrenaline made me dizzy, and his tongue against mine felt like the most amazing thing in the world.“I was serious before,” Josh murmured against my lips. His arms tightened around me. “I love you, Allora.“I know you do. That scared me.- I understand.“But it doesn't scare anymore. I put my arms around him, losing myself in his kind green eyes. “Being kidnapped by Derek… showed me something, something I should have learned from Dad and Ben. Life can end in a moment, and all we have is what we are given. I don't want to waste a single moment of the life I've been given fearing to know what it might be or what might happen. I want to embrace all my feelings, all my dreams, even the scary ones.Especially th
josh“Her car is gone,” Caleb said, pointing to the empty spot where his Mini was parked.- Yes. She quickly fled after my little revelation."Any idea where she might have gone?"I made my brain work. Would Allora have gone deeper into the forest?No. I remembered what she had said about her previous boyfriend, how he had an accident and died in the woods. If she was upset, she wouldn't stay here among the trees and the memories. She would go back to town, find someone to talk to, maybe that guy she visited the other day."She's at DownMoor," I said. “She had a friend there, Derek. I bet she went to see him.- Let's go. Caleb opened the door to my truck and got in. - Keys?— Why are you driving?“Because you're too upset to think straight. And you are a shitty driver.“I can just feel that love, cousin,” I growled, but there was no time to argue. I climbed into the passenger seat and tossed him the keys.Caleb started the engine and we took off down the road. Behind us, Ruth came run
josh— The Anna! I yelled after the Mini started. She didn't look up, didn't stop the car. The Mini's wheels screeched as it sped around the corner, the tiny car carrying the only woman I've ever loved.My chest hurt. My entire body shuddered. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. She's gone. She's gone. The shock of it shivered through my veins.“Josh? Frances's voice cut through the pain slicing through my skull. I was vaguely aware that I was standing in the middle of the camp, stark naked. But I couldn't care. I ran my hand over my lip.I could still taste the sweetness of her kiss there.Allora left me. I told her I loved her and she left. Cum!Anger surged through me, an anger that purred from my feet to my entire body, a bubbling heat that burned me inside and out. Fuck her. Just a few minutes ago, she'd been telling Caleb these things, and now she's just walked away.My eyes burned with tears. I blinked angrily. I haven't experienced this feeling for a long time, since I was
- Boys! Allora jumped between us. I stopped, pulling my wolf back just as he threatened to explode. - Stop it. Caleb, Josh couldn't have destroyed the paintings. He was with me at the time. We were in town.- It saw? “I looked at Caleb.“But, Josh, I don't think Caleb did it either,” Allora spoke directly to me. “It doesn't make any sense. His whole purpose here is to establish his own pack. How can he do that when he destroys the only evidence of his claim to this place? Or when he has cops swarming all over the woods?"Well then, who else did this?" I demanded.“It was the other wolf,” Caleb whispered. “The black wolf.“I thought we established that the black wolf couldn't exist."No," Caleb snapped. “You established that because you're too desperate to believe I'm the culprit here. I know the black wolf exists because I've seen it with my own eyes. His scent is all over the cave."You mean your smell."“I don't need to hear that shit. Caleb fell forward and, with a snap, the spine
Allora's lips found mine, her tongue slipping between my teeth. My hands cupped her face, pulling her closer. My body ached for her, wanting to be as close as possible, right now.I reached out to unbutton my shirt, but Allora held it."Let me do this," she whispered. "You've already ruined two of my favorite shirts."I was going to protest, but she started undoing the buttons, starting at the neck and working her way down. She looked a little nervous, like a schoolgirl in the backseat of a car for the first time. It only heightened my desire as she unfastened the last button and opened her blouse.Her breasts were cupped inside a black bra. I reached behind her and released him, sliding the blouse off my shoulders. I cupped one of her breasts in my hands, loving how perky and firm it was. She gasped as I closed my mouth around the nipple and sucked gently, her nails digging into my back.As I suckled on her other breast, Allora fumbled with my buttons. I took my shirt off my shoulder
“This is Allora SanDiir,” Josh said, his hand resting protectively on my back. “She's working on the dig. She's one of the archaeologists.“Allora SanDiir? The officer frowned even more. "Then you too will need to testify." Your name appeared in our questions.- He appeared?“The victim was a reporter for the Daily Post. Her name was…' He consulted the clipboard. “Misty Sharpe. It looks like she was leaving the archaeological site to conduct more research. She stopped here, parked the car and walked a few meters before someone attacked her and ripped her throat out.My head spun. Was Misty dead? I spoke to her yesterday. Your ridiculous article was on the Internet this morning. How could she be dead? And who would have done such a thing? Rip out her throat, like a wild animal...The cop gave me a pointed look.“She was coming here to talk to you, Miss SanDiir. Apparently, there was an article about you published this morning, and Misty was hoping for a follow-up. Sounds like you're…”
“Shit. Josh crossed the room and scooped me up in his arms. - This is hard. I'm sorry, Allora. How old were you?- Eighteen. “I rested my head on his shoulder. - Everything is fine. It's old news now. I don't want to bother you by talking about it...“You don't bother me,” Josh murmured against my hair. "I think you're an inspiration." I'm still learning to live with this grief. But seeing what you did after losing not only your father, but also a boyfriend… you are much braver than me.- I doubt.Josh's words and the warmth of his arms brought a rush of emotion. A lump rose in my throat.- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her. I… admire you, Allora. And not just because you're hot. And now I understand why you are so picky about security. You know firsthand what can happen when things go wrong.I sniffed.— The pasta is boiling.- Right. Josh pulled back, his gentle eyes searching mine. But I didn't want to break down at that moment. I wanted to keep floating in post-coital bliss. S
“I decide that. Before I go any further, I want to know exactly what I am to you.“Werewolves retain many of the primitive animal instincts of their wolf half. One of those instincts is to create and continue the genetic line, passing our wolf genes on to the next generation. Wolf genes are passed down the male line, but only females with certain genes can give birth to a werewolf.- That makes sense. Clara didn't tell me that.“We are guided to these females by scent. A potential mate gives off a very distinct odor. They are very rare, and it is not unheard of for a wolf to go a lifetime without finding a mate, especially when the genes are recessive and can disappear from a bloodline. Wolves believe there is only one mate for them in the world, and that mate is drawn to them as much as they are drawn to her. Josh's eyes met mine. “That's why we both ended up here. It's fate, the universe, as you call it, trying to bring us together."But we didn't know each other!" I didn't even kno
I was just starting to gain control of my life after Dad and Ben. I wouldn't let anyone take that away from me. Not even Josh. Not even if I secretly, deep down, desperately wanted to be his mate.I tried to force Josh out of my mind. I traded her pretty face for Ruth's smile. I drove back to DownMoor village, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel and imagining the look on his face when he revealed that the paintings weren't Neolithic.As soon as I emerged from the forest canopy and my phone rang to let me know I had reception again, I stopped and texted Derek. He texted back right away, inviting me to come over.For the first time, the weather was worse in DownMoor village than in the forest. The rain fell in cascades. There was hardly anyone on the road, and the main street was mostly deserted, many shops closed for the day. I pulled into a parking lot across from Derek's apartment, pulled my hood over my head, and hurried to the door.— Allora! He hugged me, his muscles tense.