I can see Edric standing at the edge of the forest, looking up at me. I absolutely scared the life out of him earlier, though I don’t know why. It’s not like I gathered the troops and handed them sticks and rocks or something. It was just a suggestion; one that still makes perfect sense to me. But it doesn’t to him, so I make a mental note to guard what I say from now on.
I’ve become very comfortable very quickly with him, and once again, my out of control mouth landed me in trouble. I really, really need to learn how to stop and think before I speak.
I turn around and go back inside. Edric will be here soon. He’ll want to talk, because that’s what he always does. Talk. He really does think that if you talk enough, you can solve any problem. ~ Not always, ~ my wolf says. ~ What about the rogue? ~
* The exception proves the rule. *
The door flies open, and Edric steps in wearing only his boxer briefs. He honestly doesn’t give two shits who sees him nak
I don’t know what weird instinct takes a hold of me. I want him. Must have him. That’s all I know, and that’s all I can think about. Maybe it’s the slight change in his scent – I can smell his arousal, and if I can smell his, he can definitely smell mine. The whole room is thick with it, our scents mixing, turning my head into dizzy nothingness with only one goal in mind. Edric’s eyes burn into mine as I break our kiss and stare at him. Lying perfectly still, his hands resting on my hips, he says nothing, but he doesn’t have to…I can feel his hard erection pressing warm and urgently between my legs. It’s all I can feel. All I can think about. Sliding down his body, I nuzzle his neck, exploring him with my mouth and tongue, the taste of his skin driving me nearly delirious with nothing but pure lust. For a man that can transform into a hairy beast at will, his skin is remarkable smooth – apart from the little strip of hair that runs from his bellybutton down h
Edric's POV: I watch Maya eat. She doesn’t want to talk to me right now, and who can blame the poor girl? My instincts told me not to tell her, but I pushed that nagging little voice away, and now I’m regretting it. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth. Nor is she ready to find her parents. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury to wait until she is ready. The sooner she knows, the sooner I can tell the rest of the pack, and the sooner we can start preparing. I mind-link Jasper and Luca. “Are you awake?” “Yes,” they answer almost at once. “Maya’s the wolf from the prophecy.” Neither of them question my statement. “Ah fuck,” Luca says, “I’m sorry man.” “That means you are…you have to be the Lycan from the texts,” Jasper says. “The one that leads us into battle.” “Yeah.” “You’re Lycan?” Luca asks, surprised. “Apparently, I am…it must be on my mother’s side.” “How did you find out?”
Edric's POV: Finding Maya’s parents are easy. The day after they kicked her out, they reported her as missing – no doubt to cover their own asses. They even made a passionate plea on the news, begging Maya to come home. Their *Bring Maya Home* social media pages are still active, and they even post to them regularly. The last one, dated two days ago, states that they haven’t given up hope, and know that Maya is out there somewhere, followed by a donation link where people can contribute financially to the “search.” Not only did those disingenuous bastards kick their daughter out of the house, they’re profiting from it. I wonder if Maya knows. Goddess, I hope not. I make a note of their location. I’ll put a private investigator on them tomorrow. Maya doesn’t need to know, and she doesn’t have to come with me when I go there to rip them a collective pair of new assholes. I wouldn’t bother, but I need to know their heritage
I sit on the porch steps, watching as the other wolves take care of the rogues that showed up. I have no idea what came over me. I heard the wolf growl and watched the scene unfold from the balcony. I could even see Edric tensing up, getting ready to attack – and I knew right away that he would have summoned help just like last time. Something, I can’t say what it was, even now, told me to go outside and talk to the she-wolf. That same something that drove me forward told me I have nothing to fear from these rogues. And I listened to that little voice. Why? It’s not in my nature to put myself in danger like that. Jolie looks up at me, giving me her usual hateful stare, but I ignore her. I have bigger worries. The rogues submitted to me in the same way the others submitted to Edric when they joined the pack. What does that mean? Am I supposed to be their Alpha now? Because, not gonna lie here, I am not down for that. I can barely take care of myself, how am I supposed
Joshua glances at me. His meaning is clear. “Well--” I get up --“I’ll leave the two of you to…sort out your family drama.” Edric’s golden eyes flash dangerously. “Stay. This concerns you too.” “Yeah--” I look at Joshua, his face says something completely different --“maybe, but you can tell me later.” “Sit.” Edric says in a dangerous voice. “Oh-kay.” It’s clear that there’s no room for argument right now. What did he say earlier? I know when to be stubborn and when to give in? I don’t think so. Right now, I want to get out of this room so bad, but then I’d have to answer to Edric later – and that’s just gonna drag out this endless night. “She’s not officially your mate yet,” Joshua says, his tone of voice similar to Edric’s. “Don’t make me mark her,” he counters. “Hey,” I say, “shouldn’t you ask me before you start making threats like that?” Edric’s lips twitch, but he says nothing. Three equally strong-willed w
I am not okay. Not even a little bit. My wolf is seething, trying his best to break free. I can’t let him; he will go on a rampage, and just now, there are a lot of easy rogue targets waiting for him right outside our front door. I thought holding Maya close to me would help, but it’s not doing a damn thing. My wolf growls softly, the angry rumble vibrating deep in my chest. * Stop. We will scare her. * But Maya looks unperturbed. She takes a step back though, and looks me straight in the eye. “Run it off.” “I can’t. I’m too angry. I’ll lose control.” “Then lose control for a little while. It’s not that bad. I’ve given over to my wolf many times.” “Yes, I know, and what did your wolf do while you took a little nap in your subconscious?” My question comes out sharper than I intent, but my mate just keeps looking at me, completely unbothered. “I have no idea, but I never heard about any bodies being found in the woods.” I give her a tigh
Edric's POV: ~ I told you, ~ my wolf growls. He’s pissed at me, and is fighting for control * Calm down, we’ll find her. * ~ She left. Went rogue again, because you told her to leave. ~ * She didn’t leave. * She was in the room for at least an hour while I slept. I easily pick up her scent and follow it through the house, all the while fighting my wolf to stay in control. All he cares about is Maya. * Stop it! * I bark. * She’s in the house, relax. * ~ You don’t know. She could be injured. Dead. ~ * Does she smell dead to you? * I follow her scent to the first floor library. Maya’s sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by a pile of books, the little green lamp on the desk bathing her in a golden glow, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. * See? There she is. * Like me, my wolf is irrational when it comes to Maya, but now that he’s seen her, he settles down. Smiling, I lean against the do
I’m a bit dazed, feeling Edric throb inside me, the warmth of him filling me up from the inside, spilling through my entire being. Is it always this good? I doubt it. This must be a werewolf mate thing again – like those little bolts of electricity that shoots through me every time he touches me. Edric doesn’t move. He lies with his head turned away from me, his breathing ragged, biting into his fist while the thumb on his other hand caresses my jaw. The smell of his blood suddenly fills my nostrils. Okay, that’s new, until two days ago I wouldn’t have known the difference between his blood and mine. I push him off me, already missing his heavy body on mine, the way he fills me up. Obediently, he rolls off me and away. “What are you doing?” He growls. A deep, menacing sound. Well, crap, that can’t be good. And to my surprise, a low rumble burst out of my chest. What the fuck? * Don’t growl at him! * I admonish my wolf. ~ He wants to mark us. ~
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