Abbadon's POV:
I stare at my mate, trying to hide my fury from her. How fucking dare she? How dare she take on a child? One that isn’t even hers? I was this pissed when I found out about Edric sodding Payne, but Gabriel reminded me that she wasn’t even aware of my existence at the time and that the mate pull is nearly impossible to resist.
And of course, The Moon Goddess interfered, as she always does. Naturally, I couldn’t blame Maya for accepting that stinking animal as her mate. Fuck, how much I want to rip Edric’s head from his shoulders, but if I do, I’d probably kill my mate. I’ll wait. Until she’s fully mine. Until she’s immortal and the pain of the broken bond can’t kill her.
But now this. The fucking child. Even after she found out about me, and knew what her true destiny is.
I have to get control of myself. Have to let my anger go. I will do anything I can to keep her alive and happy. I’ve waited for her for centuries. Tore
I wake in the middle of the day, disorientated and cold. The window is wide open, letting a freezing breeze in. I get up and close the window, looking down at my soaked shirt. My breasts are rock hard, and sharp needles of pain shoot through them. I have to feed Deimos. I look around the room for my baby and remember where I am. The sorrow and the aching need for him crash over me, and I sink to the bed, crying. Abbadon gave me a choice. I can go back. I can be with my child. ~ But he’ll want us back here eventually, ~ my wolf says, ~ and he will kill me. ~ * If we stay he’ll kill you sooner. * ~ Which is why we have to kill him first. ~ God. If I found Abbadon five months ago, I’d have been ecstatic at the idea of getting rid of my wolf, now the thought alone horrifies me. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without her. * I won’t let him do that. * I go to the small bathroom that’s attached to my room, and leaning over the sink, I sta
I get lost in Abandon’s fiery kiss. Every fibre of my being is alight with the need for him.If he can do this to me with just a kiss, what else can he do? My body is numb, the only living part is my throbbing pussy, aching to feel him inside me. He grabs my ass and pulls me tightly against him, pushing his erection into my belly. “Maya?” Edric asks in my head, his voice sounds so faint and far away, that it hurts. “Please tell me you’re okay.”That’s Edric. My mate. Staying at home to look after our child, because he trusts me. Because I promised him I’d eliminate the vampire that threatens our future…and here I am, kissing that very same vampire.What is wrong with me?“No,” I mutter and step away from Abbadon, pressing my trembling fingers against my lips. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I can’t.”He tucks stray hair behind my ears and gives me a quiverin
Abbadon’s POV: Everything’s going exactly to plan. I know she misses her other mate, the one The Goddess sent to her. I’d be shocked by her cruelty of fating only one mate to Edric, but I hate the fucking son of a bitch, so my sympathy for him is a little on the low side. I stand at the window, looking at Maya. My whole being cries out for her. She sits on the lawn with her legs pulled up, her head turned sideways, cheek resting on her knees, eyes closed. She looks so peaceful that it makes my heart ache. I don’t know if she’s communicating with the wolf again. She thinks I don’t know that she’s mind-linking with him, but I can hear his voice in her head. Yesterday, she left me just so she could talk to him, but last night, she was all mine. My hard cock strains against the fabric of my trousers. It’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone – almost twenty-two years in fact. From the night I made her u
Abbadon hits the target of the ball-throwing game with one try, breaking the steel target clean off its hinge. The carnie glares at him with a look of pure disbelief on his face. “How did you…here,” he rips a massive stuffed orange dinosaur off a hook and shoves it at Abbadon. “Why, thank you kindly, dear sir,” he mocks and hands me the toy. “Thank you,” I snort-laugh and fold my arms around the giant dinosaur. “Maybe it’s time we left,” I offer. “Yes,” he says and stares at the bathrooms in the distance. “I just want to wash my hands.” “Okay,” I start walking with him in the direction of the restrooms, but he stops me. “No. Wait here. I won’t be long. In fact--” he digs his car keys out of his pocket and hands them to me --“just go wait for me in the truck. It’s getting cold.” At first, I think nothing of it. I take the car keys without arguing, but then that nagging little voice that followed me around my whole life, tells me that so
Edric's POV: Standing outside on the lawn, I hand Deimos to Clarissa. Maya trusted her, so I trust her. My mate’s instincts are always spot on and have never led us astray. “Where are you going?” she asks, cradling the sleepy pup to her breasts. She knows. We started rehearsing this little deception after Millicent showed up here to tell us the truth. Always during the day when we knew that Gabriel wouldn’t overhear us. Clarissa’s pregnancy is nearing the end, and I know she’s tired, but I don’t trust anyone else to take care of my son. “Maya needs me. She’s in danger.” “You’re sure?” Darius asks. “Yes. I can feel it.” “You can feel your mate’s emotions?” Clarissa asks. “That must be…bothersome.” I shake my head. “Not always. The last time I felt it, Millicent had trapped her consciousness in the underworld. I think Maya…makes me feel her fear when she’s in mortal peril or something. I do
The only saving grace I have now is the fact that Abbadon used regular steel chains and not silver. He did a good job wrapping the chains around me, and even if I could shift, which I can’t, I won’t be able to break free. Everything hurts. Everything. Even my eyes hurt, and I have no idea why.He almost killed me, came so close that I saw the other side wink at me. I don’t know what happened, but when the world reappeared, Gabriel was kneeling next to me, dripping blood into my mouth. “What were you thinking?” he hollered at Abbadon. “Do you want her to die?”Abbadon said nothing. There was no remorse. I would have been able to deal with it better if he showed even an ounce of regret for the little girl he had murdered or got upset that he almost killed me and that another vampire had to save me. Edric would have gone batshit if Gabriel gave me his blood without his permission, but Abbadon didn’t seem to care at all. Does
Abbadon's POV: I wake up with a pounding headache and a raging thirst, a sure sign that I gave in to the bloodlust last night. Nothing will help for this hangover, not even blood. I’ll just have to tough it out. For some reason Maya is sleeping next to me, her left foot dangling off the bed. What bothers me more than anything is the pile of chains on the floor. I look up at the ceiling. The remnants of a chain still hang from the hook. Shit. Fuck. What did I do? I lean over Maya and look over the edge of the bed at her foot. Dammit. At least I had the foresight to put a barrier between her and the metal, but I tied it way too tight and the chain is eating into her skin. How the hell can she even be asleep right now? That must hurt like hell. I kneel next to her, breaking the chain off her ankle. What in the name of all that’s unholy did I do last night? “Maya?” I gently shake her awake. Her grey eyes fly open and I can see the fear sw
Edric's POV:It cannot be this easy. Killing him. He must be up to something. Must have some sort of plan to get out of this.It’s been a laughably easy infiltration. None of the vampires saw us coming, as Maya said they would, and with her help, we entered the compound within minutes, shielded by my mate’s powerful magic. “I thought you said Abbadon knows we’re coming?” I asked while she was in the shower.“I thought so,” she said. “But he has some kind of blood hangover. He can’t remember what he did last night.”I shuddered at the thought. “Vampires are disgusting.”She didn’t agree with me, but she didn’t disagree either, so I guess that was better than nothing. When Abbadon walked into the room looking for her, I almost lost my nerve. My wolf growled, just itching to rip the vampire’s throat out.We sat on the bed, Maya’s arm
Abbadon's POV For ten years, I managed to stay away from Maya, and then I couldn’t stand it anymore. I left my home in Greece and went back. I watched her from afar, my heart screaming out to her, but knowing I couldn’t interfere. She needed her peace, and she found it. She was happy, living a life of domestic bliss with her mate and their mini-pack of eight pups. Deimos grew into an admirable young Alpha, and I felt her sadness on the day he left to take his place as Silver Springs’ leader. He was loved and respected. He visited his parents every chance he got until he stepped down as Alpha and was never seen again. Warwick took the throne on his twenty-fifth birthday. Edric was happy to retire. He was a good king and dragged his tribe into the twenty-first century whether they liked it or not, but he never wanted the job. He was at his happiest when his children and grandchildren surrounded him. Their third child, a boy named Joshua, returned to Mountain Fire when he was twenty.
With Warwick resting on my hip, and my other hand in Deimos’s I look around our apartment one last time. It was our home for more than a year, and I’ve grown oddly attached to it. “Where going, mama?” Deimos asks.I look down at my one-year-old who isn’t behaving like other one-year-olds and smile at him. “We’re going home.”“This home.”“No kid,” Edric says from the doorway. “This isn’t our home anymore. I build us a better home.”“Hellooo,” Cedric calls from the living room, his voice echoing in the empty apartment. “One last time for good luck.”I start laughing and let Edric take Deimos before we leave our bedroom for the last time.Cedric and Stephen waits for us in the living room surrounded by their three pups. They took to parenthood like ducks take to water, and soon after the pups arrived, Cedric resigned as Edric’s Gamma. “Are you sure?” Edric asked.“Yes,” Cedric replied, beaming at Edric. “It’s all I want now.”“You don’t just want paternity leave?” Edric joked. “Reconsid
Edric's POV Our date night turned into a bit of a flop. We had to take it in turns to stop each other. When Maya lost control, I’d remind her to stop, and when it was my turn to lose control, she’d remind me to stop, but somehow we made it work. Together, we found new and interesting ways to satisfy each other, rediscovering each other’s bodies. I yawn and flop backward on the bed. The moment we were home, Maya rushed off to find the boys, and I take the time to enjoy the silence. Goddess knows, I love my sons, but I do enjoy these quiet moments. It gives me a chance to think. The one good thing that came out of last night was that Maya finally opened up to me and shared her fears. Now that we’re talking openly and frankly again, I’m hoping that she’ll slow down and spend more time with me. I miss her. My phone starts vibrating and I pull it out of my pocket. With a frown I stare at the caller ID. “Adrian?” I answer. “Hello,” he says. It’s strange to hear his voice. We haven’t sp
Edric's POV Maya’s heat comes on as suddenly as it did the last time, only this time I’m here to experience it, and she’s not locked behind several layers of wood and steel. One moment, everything’s fine, the next I almost drive off the road as her scent fills the car and attacks my senses. I wipe my wet palms on my jeans and try to pay attention to the road so I don’t kill us. “What’s wrong?” she asks. “You don’t know?” I ask in return, hearing my voice rise several octaves. “You’re in heat.” “Is that what it is? I just thought I’m horny for…well, no good reason at all.” She laughs uncomfortably and shifts around in her seat. “Shouldn’t I get some kind of warning or something?” “Normally, yes…but we forget sometimes that you’re not normal.” We are almost to the hotel and the road is clear with no other cars in sight, but I’m not sure I’m going to make it. Blood rushes through me so fast that I can barely hear, let alone see. Just like last time her heat overwhelms me and I can’t
I crash through the misty woods, my wolf pushing our body harder than I thought was possible, oblivious to our surroundings as we keep trying to get away from whatever it is that’s chasing us. I never saw what it was. I just felt it. Danger. It’s right on top of us. ~ Go faster! ~ I scream at my wolf. She increases her pace, but we won’t be able to do this for much longer. We’ve been running for hours, and our legs are about to give out. At first, I’m relieved to see him. Abbadon lands in front of me, and I dash past him, placing myself between him and the thing chasing us. Finally, we can stop. I collapse to the ground, and my exhausted wolf lets go, forcing me to shift back to human. I curl up in a little ball on the cold, wet, forest floor and try to catch my breath, trusting that Abbadon will take care of the dangerous thing I’m trying to escape. I look up at Abbadon. My mate. No matter what he is or what he does, he’ll never harm me. “Is that what you think?” he asks in his
Edric's POV The weeks slip by without anyone taking much notice. New Year’s day comes and goes without much fanfare, but a week into the new year, Maya insists on speaking to Alpha Neil about Deimos, and after days of pestering me about it, I give in. The Alpha doesn’t tell us anything I haven’t already told her. “I don’t know what else I can say, Queen,” Neil says. “We grow up fast, and we shift young--” he shrugs --“but that’s just how it is with our kind. We are big, we’re strong, and we’re violent.” Maya shudders lightly and looks over at Deimos who is trying to pull himself upright against a couch. “He’s not even five months old yet,” she whispers. “Yes,” Neil replied. “And by the time he’s twelve, he’ll look like a fully grown man. But you have to remember, he’s still just a child.” The Alpha bites into his nails, his face pensive, then he sighs and goes on. “This is important. The first shift is the worst. It lasts for hours, and it is brutal. Make sure you lock him up.” “W
I haven’t seen Edric in such a good mood since the day he introduced me to the pack back at Mountain Fire. At first, the higher-ranking wolves wouldn’t join us, refusing to eat with the ‘lower filth’ as one of the warriors called the True Omega that walked past him. Just when I thought my grand plan would come apart at the seams, Stephen and Cedric jumped in and arranged everyone according to their rank, which placated some of the grumpier wolves. Less than an hour later, everyone is happily chatting and enjoying the day. Even Maxwell and Alexander’s widow, Esther, came out of their hiding place to join us, but they are sitting by themselves, away from the rest of the tribe. “He looks much better,” I say while staring at Edric’s uncle. Edric looks up and follows my gaze. “Yes, now that he’s not getting poisoned every day. He’s actually improving, but he’s still not speaking. Winston says the damage to his brain is catastrophic. He’ll heal some, but he’ll never be quite…right.” I’ve
Edric's POV I lie on my side, watching Maya sleep, trying to get rid of the unnecessary guilt that’s trying to eat me alive. She kept trying to reassure me that it’s okay, but I’ve been so conditioned by my time with Mountain Fire, that I can’t let go and believe it. I lost control. "Alphas don't lose control," I can practically hear my father's voice. It's as if he's standing right next to me. "It's a thin line between losing control and going feral." Sighing, I pull on a pair of loose boxers and go back to the balcony for a glass of wine. I won't be able to sleep while I feel like this anyway. “Evening,” Stephen says from their balcony. “Hey,” I answer and pour some wine into my glass before I walk over to the low wall separating the two balconies. “Where’s Cedric?” “Inside, feeding Warwick. How’s your date going?” “Well, it’s not…I think it’s over. Maya’s asleep.” Stephen laughs softly. “Yeah, I’m sure she’s tuckered out. You two were a bit…loud.” I blush, grateful for the d
It’s like I’m standing outside myself. Watching, hearing, feeling and seeing everything my wolf does. I have no control over myself and my body anymore. It was already too late when Edric brought me inside -- by then she had taken control because she sensed my hesitation. Edric tries to pull away from me, but she growls a low warning and grips his hair, roughly pulling him back to her, folding her lips around his mouth. The kiss steals the breath from my body and drives me insane with dark, needy lust. I want to stop fighting it, want to stop overthinking every little thing, I want to stop fighting my wolf and just let it happen. I want to find my mate again and be with him like we used to be when we found each other. Edric picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him. He carries me across the room, slamming me against the wall so hard that my head connects to it with a jarring thud. It doesn’t even slow my wolf down. Her claws surface and she rips his shirt to ribbons. I’m terrified