The unicorn actually rolled her turquoise eyes while silver energy shimmered over her body. The gaping wound stitched itself back together before she got up on four legs. Elena was up and moving a few steps closer to me as the opal-white unicorn swished her iridescent colored tail back and forth.“Shift,” I demanded.Her head lowered, pointing the tip of her horn at me.“You don’t scare me,” I droned.She made a weird noise, then her body covered with that same silver power. Within the blink of an eye, she was standing on two feet, dressed in black leggings and an oversized, light-pink T-shirt.She glared at me, then moved her still-turquoise eyes to Elena and stepped forward.Before I could stop anything from happening, the unicorn hugged her and squealed. “Oh, I’m so excited to finally meet you!”I had no fucking clue where this glee was coming from, but one thing I knew was that an already fucked situation just got even more complicated.Elena’s arms hung there loosely. “Uh…you, to
I had to turn around before I answered her, because I was tempted to lash out with my darker half. It was the one part of me that I was equally thankful for yet also hated.The demon in me that had come from my father.The curse that had killed my family and left me alone in this godforsaken world.The powers that allowed me to channel my rage by searching for piece-of-shit people who didn’t deserve to continue breathing.She was rubbing her chest so hard that a red spot formed on her skin beneath her fingers.The bond I hadn’t wanted to accept as truth tugged on my emotions, but I stopped myself. I wasn’t the one who was going to console her.I wasn’t the person she needed, even if she wasn’t a magic-stealing murderer.Amy sighed at me. “You’re being ridiculous.”I watched as the unicorn went to Elena and quietly whispered to her. I observed closely how Elena nodded softly, pressing her lips together while her eyes remained wide.Then, I forced my feet to take me back to the jeep. I
“But why me?” I asked.She shrugged and glanced briefly behind us. “You need to know who you are, and I need to save you from something. Outside of that, the details are rather fuzzy. Well, besides knowing we need to go to Fire and Fluorite. That’s where we’ll find more answers.”Atlas was suddenly standing next to me again. “I’m not stepping foot in that cesspool of idiots. Plus, the place is probably burned down by now.”I tilted my head at him. “Why? I thought they were one of the stronger Houses?”“Stupidity sometimes looks a lot like bravery, but that doesn’t make them strong,” Atlas answered gruffly. “The last two leaders were dumb enough to get themselves killed and now there are factions within the House creating a war that’s bound to affect more than just Fire and Fluorite. I’d rather stay out of it.”Amy twirled a lock of midnight-colored hair around her finger. “Well, you’re welcome to stay out of it, but I’m taking Elena there.”Atlas’s fingers wrapped around my wrist, and
His hand covered mine over his chest and squeezed hard just before he stepped a few inches closer. His breath was warm on my cheeks as he looked down on me, but I stared defiantly back.“I take back my rejection.” He grumbled the words that should have made my heart do a happy dance, but his tone…“Maybe I don’t want you to take it back,” I quipped in return, raising a pointed brow.His lips lifted just in one corner. The closest thing I’d seen to a smile from him yet. “Lying doesn’t suit you, Elena.”Then he released me and began walking back to the jeep.That mother fucker.I took a step forward to follow him, but Lia’s hand pressed against my shoulder, halting my forward momentum. “Take the loss, girl. You’ve got bigger battles to win.”I shuddered, reality coming crashing down on me as I met her friendly eyes. “Who am I?”“That’s what we’re going to figure out,” she said. “Just as soon as we get to Fire and Fluorite. In the meantime, maybe Atlas isn’t as bad as I thought he was. L
“You were magically influenced to take the job,” Amy elaborated. “The dark energy is still there. That’s why you still want to go to No Man’s Land. That’s where they want Elena. You’re stronger than the energy, which helps you fight it, but the magic is still encouraging your actions.”She seemed so fucking sure of her answer. Her certainty further irked me. How could I have not known someone was screwing with my head? I was one of the strongest fucking supernaturals I knew. People didn’t fuck with me. Ever.The steering wheel bent slightly within my hands. “Can you take the dark energy out?”Fuck, I hated asking that. If she could, that meant I owed her, which wasn’t going to sit well with me.She nodded. “But I’ll have to touch you again. If you try to bite me, I will put you down without a second thought.”Our stares locked in a battle of dominance. I didn’t know everything that unicorns were capable of, and they’d been hunted to near extinction, so they couldn’t be all powerful, b
“I already know all I need to,” Amy said hauntingly. “I was just hoping Atlas was ready to play nice. He will be eventually, though.”Her confidence severely grated on my nerves.I didn’t want a mate, and I certainly wasn’t going to “play nice.”Though, as I thought the words, I knew I was full of shit. I could have goaded Elena into rejecting me back there. I could have left her with the unicorn and walked away from this bullshit.I could have done a lot of things over the last thirty-six hours and yet…I hadn’t.As much as I hated to admit this even to myself, I wanted to know more about Elena. I wanted to see her safe and where she belonged. Most importantly, I didn’t want to trust anyone else to make sure that happened.“So, since it seems to be my turn for story time…let me tell you what I know,” Amy said, staring only at Elena. “About three months ago, I began dreaming about Fire and Fluorite. Shortly after that, the stories of their leader being killed started going around. It s
All the while, Atlas acted as if he didn’t give a shit about our conversation, keeping his eyes focused on the road and his hands tight around the steering wheel, which was now slightly bent, but he couldn’t fool me. He might not have been watching me, but my eyes didn’t stray from him for too long.I saw each time his knuckles turned white, like when Amy asked me about past boyfriends a subject I avoided answering just yet or the way his shoulders strained against his shirt when I talked about being on my own for the last eight years without anyone to have full conversations with.When Atlas yawned for the third time, Amy placed a hand on his seat, less than an inch from his shoulder. “Do you want me to drive so you can rest?”His jaw tensed. “No.”“Then do you trust me to give you a zap of energy?” she asked. I tilted my chin, curious how that would work, because I was getting tired as fuck, but I didn’t want to sleep and miss anything.“Ido,” I replied when Atlas didn’t, then I hel
I nodded, but Amy didn’t agree as quickly. “Is he like you?”Atlas’s eyes filled with flames. “Nobody is like me.”“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, then. We have a wolf to resurrect.”When I got out of the jeep, my knees buckled, and I had to hold myself up with the door. Apparently, sitting in the same seat for eighteen hours wasn’t good for one’s legs.Amy leapt from the back and wobbled, too. She shrugged sheepishly. “Opening a portal takes a lot of energy out of me, which is why I didn’t offer to do it before, but it’s fine now that I know I’ll get the chance to rest.” She glanced around and nodded toward where we could hear people and music. “Are we going to have privacy?”Atlas nodded as he came around the front of the jeep. “When I texted Clayson earlier, he assured me that we wouldn’t be bothered as long as we stayed in the construction section and used the forest area out back while the show was going.”Great. Nobody would get to witness my body being torn to shreds a
But the pain was magnified by the look Marigold had given her as Elena washed and dressed her for the last time.It was a look of pure, unadulterated trust.That baby loved you. And you just left her.She still had her keys to her mother’s house, and when Elena walked in, the house was silent and dark.It seemed her mother wasn’t home. She was probably out shopping or with one of her friends.Great, your mother’s got a better social life than you do. Now get it together.Her thoughts had changed.Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she would be strong. She would put herself back together and be happy doing it.Back in her room, Elena unpacked her duffel bag and pulled out her laptop.Then she headed to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee while she updated her resumé.Elena also considered starting a writing blog where she could post fictional stories about men that turned into bears and wolves. But then she remembered the man who had followed her in Costco.She understood what At
Could this man have been one of the council’s goons? Atlas couldn’t picture any shifter he had ever met from Elena’s descriptions.But then, there were bear shifters all over the United States. Who knew what kind of trash Elias or Callum had called in to take care of Atlas?“I don’t want you going out on your own again,” Atlas found himself saying. His voice was harsher, hotter than he had intended.Elena turned from where she stood at the stove and looked at him with raised brows.Her bright eyes were almost cold. He shuddered. Lyra had never looked at him with anything other than warmth in her eyes.“Excuse me?”Her voice was a whisper.Just then, Marigold started fussing, and Lyra came from the kitchen to pick up Atlas’s daughter.“It isn’t safe for you to go out on your own. We don’t know if that guy who followed you was just a creep or if he was connected to something … else.”Atlas ensured that his voice was gentler, but Lyra still looked incredibly angry.“I’m not someone who l
Elena spent about two hours trying to fit Mari’s car seat into the backseat of the truck.Then she went back into the cabin to wash and dress Marigold, who she put in a fluffy, yellow onesie.She put a white cap on Mari’s head and matching white woolen booties on the infant’s tiny feet.Not that Marigold was that tiny any longer. The baby was growing faster and faster every day … faster than most babies.Elena had a feeling it had something to do with her bear-shifter genes.Marigold was even outgrowing the clothes that Elena had purchased two weeks earlier.“I’ll stop by the baby care store in town,” Elena whispered to Marigold. She stroked the baby’s cheek once and then lifted her into her arms. “And we’ll get you some new threads.”Elena grabbed her bag on the way out, as well as the Maya wrap Atlas had purchased.She settled Marigold safely into the car seat, strapping her in tightly. Then Elena got into the driver’s seat and turned on the beast of a truck.The engine roared to li
He wanted to growl, his bear trying to break out, but he held his anger down and frowned at them. "I have a human nanny. Elena is my daughter's nanny."They didn't seem to believe him, and he sighed, waving a hand."Serenity died if you have forgotten, and I have a newborn baby that needs attention. Much more attention than I can give her, mind you. So, I hired a nanny.""You're saying that this nanny that is living in your house hasn't joined you in bed? That's what you're saying? You haven't slept with her?" Devlen asked, narrowing his eyes. He wanted him to admit that he'd mated with Elena, but he wasn't going to."No," he lied, shaking his head. "She is just my nanny. She's what Marigold needs right now. I need an extra set of hands around the house."Devlen scoffed and shook his head. He placed his hand on the table, his words coming out harshly. "I don't believe you. You're lying. She isn't just your nanny, and we are all watching. I'd be careful, Atlas, because all eyes are on
Atlas reached for her hand, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”He pulled her toward him, sealing their lips together. A spark ran down her body. She leaned into it.His hands skated over her back and down, cupping her ass. He pulled her onto his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened, and she moaned softly against him.He broke the kiss, inhaling against her neck. “You smell so good,” he muttered into her ear.She smiled, feeling his hands sliding up her back. He reached for her bra straps.She leaned back, looking into his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” she asked, seeing frustration in his eyes.He shook his head. “Maybe later. Right now, I just want you.”She felt the love so deep in his words. She kissed him, allowing him to pull her shirt open and undo her bra.The air bit at her bare skin, but he pulled them onto the bed and under the covers. She pressed into the sheets as his fingers scraped at her pants.His lips kissed
Her heart dropped into her stomach, and her breathing, she realized, was shallow, unsteady.Atlasr’s eyes darkened then, and his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth.“We need to be very careful, Elena.” The warning in his voice was clear. “We need to continue pretending that you’re my nanny and not my mate.”“You really cannot expect me to do that.” The distress in Elena’s voice surprised her. But a dent had been put in her pride.“Yes, you have to,” Atlas said, his voice more serious than Atlas had ever heard it before. “You cannot tell anyone about us. Not even your mother. And I’m not doing this because I want to keep you a secret … far from it. I’m doing this because I want to protect you.”“Maybe we should move?” The idea flashed across Atlas’s mind so suddenly that she hurried to grasp it before it vanished. “Move to another state where we can live freely. Like Alaska.”Atlas shook his head as Marigold started crying.Elena took the baby automatically, cradling the little gir
Devlen, Case, Elias, and Jameson represented the bears of Montana.“Atlas,” Devlen spoke in his growling voice.Atlas inclined his head in a small bow to each of them.The four shifters all wore bear skins.“Thank you for seeing me,” he said. “I am here to plead before the council. I would like to find a human mate. Clearly, Serenity and I were not a match, and this resulted in her death.”“I believe, Atlas, that you’ve mated with a human before coming here to get our approval.”Fear raced through Atlas, crashing into him in great waves and almost knocking him over.But he remained steady, his face impassive.“Not at all, sir,” he said as respectfully as he could. Anger had blended with his fear. “I simply want us to change the old ways of living to save the bear shifters of Hendrick Klaus.”“The reason we do not mate with humans, Atlas,” Elias spoke in a gentler voice, though his face was stern, “is because we are keeping our species pure. Mating and procreating with humans only weak
Atlas took a hesitant step toward her.Outside, the wind had picked up. Leaves and thick, rich patches of soil blew around in gusts and spurts.The air had smelled wet and ripe, as though it was about to rain.“I want you. Only you,” Atlas said. His eyes were sincere … sincere enough that Atlas believed him. “More than anything. But I have to ensure that the council approves of our relationship first.”“Why?”Elena settled into the rocking chair next to the baby’s bed.Marigold was still awake but allowed Elena to cradle her. It was as if the baby knew Elena needed to hold her.“Because,” Atlas leaned against the changing table, “the council rarely approves of bears and humans mixing. Socially and … romantically.”“Is it really that big of a deal?” Elena found the strength to ask Timber, who crossed his arms over his chest.“It isn’t to me. But the bear council wants us to keep our bloodlines pure. They believe that mating with humans is physically impossible, and even if it were poss
She gripped her hands into tight fists. Her lips pulled into a straight line, and she inhaled sharply.“If you're not going to be honest with me, then I'm not staying. I told you I wasn't going to watch after your kid day in and day out. I'm the nanny, not the mother."She turned on her heel and marched toward the door. He quickly pulled himself out of bed and reached for her hand, stopping her."Stop!" Elena yelled, but he didn't."Just give me a second to explain," he whispered, making her pause.He knew she wouldn't believe him unless she saw with her own eyes, so he turned them toward the door and walked her out to the backyard.The grass was wet, and it smelled like it had recently rained. He turned toward her on the deck and took a few steps back."Now, you can't say I didn't warn you," he said, watching her look at him confused.He relaxed his muscles and allowed himself to shift into his bear form. His bones moved, and his muscles contracted. And then she screamed.Elena's eye