It sounded like an explosion.A roar tears through the metal ward, quickly followed by wild, erratic bangings. The immortal shifter throwing himself repeatedly against the enclosures. If I were to only walk further in the direction of the sound, I'd see the gruesome smears of blood painting the unbreakable glass.But like always, I stifle down bile and turn away. Armed men rush past me, going to subdue the man, speakers blaring out commands."Hold him down!" one of them orders harshly."He's too strong! We need reinforcement."I make my way down the linoleum floors, making sure to keep my gaze down and away from the transparent prisons. White LED light shines down, the air rife with the cloying scent of antiseptic, death, and decay. I clutch my logbook closer to me, my chest constricting with each breath I pull in.Rounding into the clinic, I head toward Dr. Sarah's cubicle.She looks up when I drop the book in front of her. "Here. All done," I say with a forced chirp.She grabs it im
MALCOLM BLAINE.___The resigned voice of one of the four elders in my council floats through the room, stirring my wolf. "Alpha, you need to take a step back and view this matter from a distance. This is not wise."I eye the wide panorama glass stretching the entire east wall before me, scoping out the boisterous city of Manhattan down below. Humans flit around, bundled up in thick wool from the early November chill. Dressed in a plain black tee and a pair of slacks, I hardly feel the cold. My voice is low. "There is no time."Another spoke then, louder and with more conviction, "Your Highness, Garreth is right. Going down to South Carolina is a bad idea. You'll be offering yourself up to the Hunters on a silver platter. Yes, they have your brother but they'll be lying in wait for you. This is a trap. With Prince Bowen being the bait."When I turn around, three of them take a step back at the sight of my wolf's glowing blue eyes, all with the exception of the stooped Elder standing i
I am summoned to Dr. Sarah's office almost immediately.The space is filled with other important personnel and I fight the urge to shuffle under their openly scheming gazes.Dr. Sarah approaches me. She beams at me but I sense a falseness about it. "Gweneth. Everyone has been buzzing about the recent news. But we'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth. Is it true?"She makes it sound like I'd just announced an engagement. To her question, I nod. "Yes. I... I'm his mate." Saying it out loud sounds surreal. Impossible.Shifter-human pairings are rare. So rare there hasn't been any recorded cases of it actually happening. But to be fair, we only just found out shifters exist a few decades ago, so I'll give it time.If possible Dr. Sarah's smile widens. She claps like an excited schoolgirl and my discomfort grows. "This is good news!" She turns her attention to the team behind, and in a voice breathy with excitement, she announces, "It appears we've just made a breakthrough."White smile
MALCOLM__ The sweet smell of vanilla washes over the room when she walks in.My mate.My chest tightens when she comes closer with that blasted trolley. Her blonde hair is secured in a tight coil at her nape and like always, I am filled with a desperate desire to see it unbound, tumbling down her slender back.Her guileless green eyes take me in and she offers a tentative smile. "Hey.""Release me," I say.For the past four days, this has been my reply to her greetings. It has become a ritual of sorts, with her giving me an exasperated reply. But as the days go on, I realize I don't know what exactly I'm asking release from. This god's forsaken place, or the spell she seems to have woven over me. I crave the sight of her.My mind is a whirl of depraved thoughts surrounding her hair, her body, her lips--what the red, succulent buds will taste like, what it'd be like when I feed my dick through them. I should be ashamed.She is a Hunter.I almost scoff. My f*cking mate is a Hunter.
GWEN__I have a fitful sleep. In my dreams, I'm in the woods. Glowing blue eyes peer at me from the shadows. Then my legs begin to move and I realize I'm running, tearing through forests as a chilling howl sounds behind me.When I feel the morbid excitement of the animal pounding after me, it is then I realize something. They enjoy the chase.I snap awake with a gasp, breathing heavily. I realize I am being shaken awake.Turning, I look at Rylan's nervous form.His pupils are slitted and his brown hair has shrunk into his skull, rendering him bald. Red scales ride the entire length of his body, giving him a macabre look. I immediately take him into my arms, breathing against his skin, "Oh, Rylan. I'm so sorry." I draw back to frame his face. "Did I wake you?"He's still staring at me, a blank, emotionless look on his face. My chest instantly clenches and in horror, I wonder if he's relieving that night. That awful night. I shake him, eyes flitting around his face. "Rylan. Honey, loo
Up ahead loiter two guards. They look at us, and then look away. But then their heads swivel back around, shock registering on their faces. They'd just drawn out their guns when Malcolm let out a chilling roar. I blink in stark disbelief when one second he's at my side, then the next he's tearing through one of the men with inhumane strength. I think I scream when his head is ripped off his shoulders. The other man's trembling hand frantically reaches for his weapon. He pulls the trigger, sending off a deafening blast. Malcolm manages to sidestep it. When the Hunter makes to shoot again, he swipes at the pistol with his claws. The man goes pale when the weapon splits into two in his hands. He looks up to see Malcolm's heavy fist flying down his face. Once the man slumps down, Malcolm marches for me. His claws are bloody and his eyes glow with rage and bloodlust. He looks so terrifying at that moment that I find myself tur
As I come to, flashes of memory zip through my mind. Glasses exploding.I blink.Sprays of shards raining down.I try to sit up.Tendrils of smoke curling up from the bonnet.My head pounds.A huge body shielding me.I try to sit up again but give up, burrowing into the leather seat. My tongue feels like lead in my mouth. "My poor car," I groan in a barely audible voice.The man seated behind the wheel turns slate grey eyes to me.His huge hand palms the back of my head and I start to reach up in protest when he runs his hand through my hair gently. "No concussion," he says in a smooth baritone, withdrawing his fingers while my face flames.I drag in a breath and sit up. Then wish I hadn't.The windshield is completely destroyed, the rowers broken clean at the hilts. I lean forward, the sun rays connecting directly with my face like I'd just peered out a damned balcony. I turn to Malcolm and sna
MALCOLM__The rest of the ride is done in stiff silence. By the time we're cutting through the edge of North Carolina, I'm brimming with something akin to shame. Gwen's gasp at the sight of my back replays in my mind, driving me to the brink of madness. I know it isn't the greatest sight to behold, but my own mate being disgusted with me... The steering wheel bends under my hands.Inhaling slowly, I retract my claws and push down my wolf.I feel Gwen's gaze on me but I don't meet it, determined to push her to the back of my mind just as I'd done my wolf. It would be easy. Nothing could stand in the way of my control.Gwen stayed on my mind till we checked into our first hotel.I could feel her pleasure at the state of our room, but before she could turn those glittering green eyes brimming with gratitude my way, I stride out of the room.I go to the dinner across the street.The girl behind the counter scrawls my order d
RYLANShe takes wild jabs at me, stabbing the air each time I leap away. Now I land behind her and she spins around, face red from exertion and just the littlest bit of irritation. Falling into stance again, we start a slow dance around each other. My lips twitch."You won't be laughing for much longer," she says. She lunges, focused ruthlessly on my shoulder. Last minute, I block, knocking her wrist with the heel of my palm. The dagger falls to the ground and when she makes a dash for it, I grab her, pinning her to me with just the slightest pressure on her neck.I lean down. "Always," I say against her ear, breathing hard, "have your full attention on your opponent, not on only where you aim to attack."Her elbows come down on my arms and she wrenches out of my grasp. I grin. "Impressive."She picks her blade off the ground, coming at me again. This time I attack, feinting a right just to place the tip of my dagger against the smooth line of her throat.Time suspends.When my eyes s
RYLANWhen the sound of crushed leaves sound, I look down from my high vantage point. Emmaline.Through the darkness, I watch her advance forward. Her head snaps around, looking for sign of me. Unnoticed, I use the time to look at her. She's dressed in all black, but had forgotten to hide the most important thing. Her blonde beacon of a hair. I stifle an eye roll. She really did choose the right colour.When I jump down. I hear her gasp. But she turns around and releases a loaded breath on realizing it's just me."You sacred me," she breathes."I'm sorry."I notice there are bags under her eyes and there's an air of sadness around her that I can't explain. "Are you okay?" I find myself asking."Yes. Of course."I shrug. Fine then."Come on."We walk for what seems like an eternity. The pen is located at a really remote part of the school. The gatekeeper really took his privacy serious.We walk by moss covered plants, the scent of fresh water and evergreens strong in the air. I look ba
Once I enter the dinning hall the next morning, I wish I didn't.Sophie is sitting with a group of girls. Among them is Sharlene.I grip the strap of my bag on reflex and start to walk past them, hoping I looked indifferent. But soon that is all I become consumed with. How do I make them realize that I don't give a f*ck? Do I wave at her? Act like I don't see her?Am I waking too straight?My anxiety vanishes. It's replaced with something acidic, and painful. I see Rylan.He's with Sabrina.The wall I'd erected around myself threatens to crack. When I slide into an empty table, I feel irritation at myself well. Why did I think anything between us had changed?He's only helping me out of some misguided responsibility and not because, heaven forbid, he likes me. A hysterical laugh bubbles to the surface but it morphs into a lump and lodges at the back of my throat when Sophie's table breaks out in laughter.What are they talking about?Is it me?My stomach clenches. Did she tell them wh
Without wasting any more time, I turn on my heels and rush in. The empty room stops me short. Reaching up, I absently start to untangle my hair, drawing out stubborn leaves. My hand freezes mid air when the murmur of a crowd down below becomes audible.I rake my fingers through my hair frantically, desperately hoping I've managed to remove any evidence of being in the woods. Throwing the door open, I rush down the cold halls. The stairwell is suddenly too long, every step I take sending a rush of dread snaking through me.Finally I get to the common room. Following the voices, I make my way to the dinning hall.Up to a hundred pairs of eyes turn to laser on me. I fight the urge to shrink away.The girls wear varying looks of irritation, still in their night wear. Veloria's matron is the last to notice me. The dread in her eyes gives way to shock and then concern before her eyes turn cold. I notice someone shoot up. "Emmaline!"Sophie.She pushes away from her crowded table, heading in
EMMAShit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.Shit!We leap across another tree, legs pounding down on hard gravel. Rylan still hasn't left my hand, his strong grip steering me relentlessly."Don't let them get away!" A guard yells.When I stumble over the uneven ground, Rylan catches me, wrapping a large hand around my bicep. He hauls me to my feet easily, pushing me in front of him. My breaths tear out of me and the wind whips my face punishingly, sending hair and the scent of evergreens into my nose. Gnarled branches lie low, preventing our desperate escape."Wha--" My gasp is torn when Rylan nudges me in a different direction. The sound of water slapping against boulders become evident.When we get to the raging stream, he shrugs off his bag, throwing it into the river. The practice dummy follows soon after. He spins on me, motioning for my bag. My eyes widen. "My pho--"His voice is unyielding. "Emma. Now."A stab of frustration. When figs crack in the distance, I thrust the bag into his w
RYLANUsing my boot, I kick off excess gravel and sit. "Our professor says the first step to welding is getting pretty f*cking pissed."She blinks. "Pissed, as in drunk? Or, like, angry?""Furious. Foaming at the mouth."She lifts a brow. "Well, since I don't have rabies, do I still qualify?""Tough, but we'll see."I cross my legs, putting my palms face down on either of my knee in what is known as a thinking pose. Trees sway to the chilly night air, the sound of crickets and crinkling leaves breaking the silence from time to time. Emma mirrors my actions. "So what now?""Take a deep breath."Wrong idea. When she inhales, her breasts jut forward and I feel my mouth dry. "I didn't say suck in all the air," I snap.She trains a glare on me. "I was just following your instructions.""Well, follow them without trying to be a vacuum. Watch."She watches snidely as I inhale. "There," I say quietly. "One small breath in, another one out."She copies my actions for a few minutes then just sto
RYLAN_"Quiet," I say when Emma starts to speak behind me.Absently, my brows rise in surprise when she does. I fit a key into the lock, opening the door to my room.We both walk in and I catch my gaze flitting around, wondering what she'll think about my space. I hear the quiet thud of her bag hitting the floor. She is dressed in black, her blonde hair standing out like a beacon. Her heavily-lined eyes look around and her footfalls sound as she goes to my bookcase. A finger trails along the spines of my books.When she chuckles, I scowl, feeling an odd emotion slither through me. What's so funny?She starts, "You know, I'd kind of thought that you were some kind of control freak. But seeing this..."An unfamiliar feeling whips through me. I discover it's self consciousness."Seeing what?" I ask, my skin knotting.She starts to point. "Your skate boards have the same amount of space between them, so do the trophies on your desk. I can't find even a speck of dust on your shelf, your bo
RYLANThe mock tournaments mark the wrap of another semester. It's a series of playoffs done by opposing Houses in preparation for the main sports competitions. In mock tournaments or 'mocks', each team gets to weigh the skills of the counter House by undergoing challenges--in the hopes of mapping out a way to use it to their advantage. So it goes without saying that no one goes all out during mocks.Which is why Malkar's coach wanted to rip my head off when I went at Ezra with everything I had, giving him a black eye in the process.I don't want to look into what it is about the amber-eyed fiend that gets my blood boiling. But I know that with each moment I see him and Emma engaged in unending discussions, or laughing together at something either of them said: it f*cking grew. Each time he spoke to her, I wanted to tear his tongue from his skull."Rylan, are you listening?"I bring my attention back to Cal. "What?"He laughs. "You have a thing for Elmloch boys now?"I lift an unimpr
"Okay, I can't keep quiet anymore," Soph says.She sits cross-legged on the plush cream rug, burning candles on either side of her. Sunlight spills in through the wide windows, adding a gleam to her jet-black hair. "What happened to the 'I Eat Dick For Breakfast' type gal I saw on the first day."I blow out a long-suffering breath, pulling on a pair of tailored slacks. I slip a checkered vest over my head. "The 'type gal' is right here." I cringe into the mirror once the words leave my mouth."I liked that Emma better," she says. "Now you're like some domesticated poodle."I whirl around. "You did not just call me a dog."She laughs. "Technically, you are. You're an animal shifter."A nervous laugh. "Yeah. Got me there." I go back to arranging my hair. I'd dyed it platinum blonde. I'm just in the process of sleeking the pale strands into a bun when she lets out a frustrated noise."Stupid f*cking wind!"I turn, seeing the drapes billowing. My eyes shift to her. Her candles are snuffed