That night, at the pack’s mansion, Alexander growled in his sleep. Again, his past echoed in his dream, and the pain remained.Even though it was his dream, he knew deep inside that it was more than that. It was his past before he became the creature he once hated.Disoriented, a younger Alexander woke deep within the ground. The first sensation he felt was hunger. It was no ordinary hunger, but one of gut-wrenching, skin-crawling necessity. He was starving. Every cell in his body demanded nourishment. He lay there in silence while hunger gnawed at him like a rat. It attacked not only his body but also his mind, so that he feared for all others, humans and newly turned werewolves alike. Feared for himself. Feared for his soul. This time, the darkness was spreading fast, and his soul was in jeopardy.What dared to disturb his sleep? Was he dead? After the rogue attacked him on the eastern boundary, he knew he was dead, but why was he aware of everything? Aware of the earth surrounding
Alexander should have caught the nearest prey and fed voraciously to bring him instant strength, but the dread of being unable to stop himself was uppermost in his mind. He must not allow the beast to control him. He had a sworn duty to his people, to the human race, but most importantly, to his beloved grandmother. She had been his hero, the one he placed above all others, and deservedly so.The smell of blood was overpowering. It beat at him with the same intensity as his hunger. The sound of it rushing through veins, ebbing and flowing, burgeoning with life, taunted him. In his present state of weakness, he would be unable to control his prey or keep his victim calm. That would only add to the power of the demon rising.“Sir, may I help you in some way? Are you ill?” It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. She spoke in flawless English, her accent perfect, but he was uncertain whether she was actually human. To his amazement, her words brought him comfort, as if her voic
“Bert, I have to get home. This gentleman needs help. I don’t have time to talk right now. I just stopped by for a few supplies,” Miah said with urgency.Bert Renaldo put his hand on her arm to stop her. “I need you to look at a patient for me, Miah. A little girl. It won’t take that long.”“Not now, I’ll come back later tonight.” Miah’s voice was soft but very firm.Bert tightened his grip, intending to pull her back, but as he did so, he felt something moving along his skin. Looking down, he saw several small spiders with vicious-looking fangs crawling along his arm. With an oath, he let go of Miah and shook his arm hard. The spiders were gone as if they’d never been, and Miah was already walking quickly to her side of the car. She was looking at him as if he were a nut. He started to explain, but when he couldn’t see any evidence of spiders, he decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.Bert hurried to the car, deliberately taking her arm again and bending low to peer in the window at Al
From the air, Alexander could see the estate for what it was. Obviously old, the house was in beautiful shape, and the grounds were meticulously cared for. Everywhere he looked were familiar objects, things of which he had knowledge, but now seeing them in a different light, it was more than that. It was so tangible. It was new to him. The sensation of hyper-awareness of everything made him dizzy in a way that every cell in his body thought. It was oddly familiar but weird in a way that ached his mind. He never once dreamed that he would be someone he loathed.But life continued while he lay sleeping under the earth for weeks or years. He didn't care anymore. He had pressing matters to worry about. His woman.He found Miah as he had left her, her skin so white it was nearly translucent. She was tall, so much younger than he was, and slender, with a wealth of ebony hair that framed her face and tumbled around her body, emphasising her lush curves. He picked her up with great gentleness
The next morning, when Miah returned from her walk, Mirabella video called her, her sister’s face flushed with annoyance, hissing on her the moment she answered her expensive phone. “Where the hell have you been, Miah? I've been calling a million times”“Your phone was off when I got up. I had a few things to buy, and then I went for a walk.“A walk? In werewolf territory? Are you out of your mind?” Mirabella wailed in disbelief. ‘You’re flying to London this afternoon, and all you can think to do with yourself is go for a stupid walk?"Miah compressed her lips. “I don’t know how long I’ll be away. I won't miss this place.”Her sister just rolled her eyes. “Mother came home at lunchtime yesterday. She’s guessed where we got the money from!” her sister told her abruptly.Miah studied her twin in dismay. “How could she possibly have guessed?”"Naturally, she doesn’t know about the marriage-as-a-job angle," Mirabella breathed impatiently. ‘But even though I’m the one who gave the money t
Miah’s first experience of travelling in a private jet soothed her fractured emotions. She revelled in the peace and tranquillity and all the space while the cabin crew attended to her every need. She watched a film and skimmed through several glossy magazines before enjoying a very pleasant meal followed by a box of Belgian chocolates, which she found impossible to resist. She had one chocolate and closed the box feeling very virtuous, but was eventually tempted into eating more. Alexander called her during the flight.‘Thanks for the chocolates,’ she murmured, ‘but I shouldn’t be thanking you, I should be complaining. I’ve already eaten half of them.’‘Didn’t I tell you that I’m fattening you up for Christmas?’ Alexander teased.‘That’s not a joke, Alexander. When it comes to chocolate you have to be cruel to be kind,’ she warned him. ‘I’m not great with will power.’‘I have a meeting this evening, so I won’t see you before the ceremony,’ he told her.Stark disappointment flashed th
His mouth closed over hers in a wildly intoxicating kiss. Fireworks of response blazed inside her, sending her temperature rocketing while her hunger climbed. She let her fingers sink into his cropped black hair with a muffled moan of satisfaction. She couldn’t get close enough to him. He felt it was as necessary for her as air to breathe. The fierce intensity of his hard mouth on hers was devastatingly erotic. He slid his hand through the gaping neckline of her robe and captured a pouting rose-tipped breast, skilled fingers stroking the velvety tip into throbbing rigidity. A gasp of response erupted from her as sensation piled on sensation. He kissed her breathless, and her heart was hammering so hard that she felt dizzy and clung to him. By the time Miah kissed Alexander, he was consumed by the moment, engulfed in a swarm of memories that buzzed around him like bees—aching, glinting memories of times past, flooding his mind.Alexander stared down at the woman lying so quietly in the
Miah hurried down the street on foot, avoiding the use of a car like a typical human would and refraining from transforming into mist and gliding through the air like a supernatural being might. As Alexander observed her, she broke into a run, her movements graceful and elegant, almost like poetry in motion.Who was she, truly? What was her identity?These questions lingered in Alexander's mind as he watched his mate fade away.Reaching out with his mind, he merged with hers, becoming a silent presence beside her. Miah harboured a deep fear of him; her earlier words reflected genuine sentiment. She had been engaged in some sort of experiment, enabling her to maintain her human form. But did she truly understand her own identity now?Alexander sighed. All he knew was that she had spent a great deal of time and energy researching, looking for a way to make the change. It had taken several years to get her body to the point that she could do so, undetected by werewolves and the like. She