Rhyson “Rhyson, I am in no danger,” Maya insisted. “There is no need to fight.” Anna cleared her throat. “Jax, back down. Now.” The alpha and I stared at each other. Instinctively, my wolf knew that he was protecting his mate and his territory, but my sanity was hanging by a thread. When I learned that Maya had gone off by herself, I’d lost my mind. We only had a stranger’s word that we were safe here. I don’t know who moved first, but suddenly, we were both in the air, each aiming for the other’s throat. “Roosavier,” the blonde shouted. With a grunt, we both fell to the floor. Grunting, I tried to rise, but there was something invisible pulling me down. I could barely budge an inch. When Jax growled unhappily, I knew he was in the same boat. “Irene,” Anna snapped, and raced to Jax’s side. To my shock, Jax sat up and shook his whole body before glaring at me. “What? I didn’t hurt them, although the spell isn’t all that strong. It won’t hold them for more than twenty or
MayaMy wolf didn’t just give over control. She sank deep in me, almost as if she were retreating to lick her wounds. Rhyson’s look of disgust had broken us both, and when I emerged, I started to shift. Nobody said a word as someone handed me some clothes.“Is there any way to fix it?” I asked without looking up. “Can you use magic to repair my bonds?”Janelle looked over at Irene and then back to me. “Honestly, I have no idea. There isn’t much information on wolf magic that’s available to witches. I’m not even certain how a witch would have gone about removing them to begin with. Your best course of action is to find the witch that removed them and hope he knows how to fix it.”That didn’t bode well. Even if I could somehow get the information from my father, it wouldn’t do me any good. “Well, thank you. I did think I’d go my whole life never knowing what was wrong with my wolf. Turns out she’s perfect.” I forced a smile. “We were just fucked from the moment we were conceived.”“Maya
I gave myself into the wonder and curiosity and tried to let go of the hypervigilance and fear. We sniffed and ran. Anna even tried to play with me, although I had no idea how to play as a wolf. When she bowed to me, I tried to run, and when she started to run, I wanted to hunt. In the end, we settled for running side-by-side.Other wolves watched, but no one joined and no one approached. Finally, when it felt like we were hundreds of miles from where we started, we collapsed and started to shift back.Reaching into a tree stump, she pulled out a bag of clothes and tossed it my way. “Ah. I did wonder how everyone always had access to clothes,” I said without thinking.Anna gave me a sideways look. “This is the most common method, at least here. How is it off the mountain? Do you not run for fun?”“I can’t tell you what it’s like off the mountain,” I said carefully. “You can’t leave the mountain or come to the mountain, remember?”Wrinkling her nose, she started to dress. “Right. Okay,
Rhyson“So you think Emerson left the mountain and killed your brother,” the alpha on the computer screen said. Unlike most wolves I knew, and most wolves I’d seen on the mountain, Elonso kept his hair cropped short. He must have shaved it every day to keep up with it. His expression was distrusting, but it was obvious he was interested in my story.If Elonso was Emerson’s second, I didn’t trust him at all. Jax swore that Elonso worked his way up as Emerson’s second with every intention of taking him down when he got the chance, and not out of loyalty. Since he was alpha and Emerson was dead, I guessed his plan had worked.“I know the exact month. You would have been his second then. To your knowledge, did Emerson leave the mountain?” I asked.“Hard to say,” Elonso said dryly. “My memory has been a bit foggy since two members of my pack have gone missing.”Behind the computer screen, Jax rolled his eyes. “They’re not missing. Cindy is technically no longer part of your pack as her pac
Maya“Wait, why are you yelling at me? I don’t even know you. She tried to eat it,” I said as I pointed at Anna. The man in front of us glared disapprovingly while the enormous body was laid out on the table behind us.The healer’s veins bulged in his forehead. “You were going to eat it?” he echoed.Anna turned to me. “What the hell, Maya? I showed you a good time, and now you’re going to throw me under the bus?”“Sorry,” I whispered and dropped my head. “He looks mean.”Anna just snorted. For the past hour, I’d had the most fun I’d ever had. I hadn’t considered myself violent, but taking down that mutated creature had been exhilarating. Anna’s warriors worked as a team and listened to her every word, and she was an excellent strategist.Unfortunately, the creatures were in a pair, and the first was too far gone to take down safely. The female had been secured and was being brought in now. I’d given my wolf plenty of control and watched her joy.And this man was totally judging me for
The female smirked and strode away. Only then did I realize that Rhyson was still touching me. Reality hit me hard. What the fuck was that?Saul turned. “Maya, my dear, your wolf has kindly requested that I examine you and the babe, so if you’ll go into room one, we’re almost finished up here, and your healer will join you.”It was all I could do to run away from Rhyson. Tessa winked at me as she ushered me into the exam room. “By kindly, he means that Rhyson bellowed it very loudly after he and Jax got into a heated argument about his mate leading you into danger. It was very entertaining to watch, and it didn’t end until Saul shouted at them that they were breaking his concentration.”There was a strange light in her eyes. “You seem excited,” I observed.“Saul has some amazing equipment here, and his knowledge is incredible. I thought my training was superior, but he knows far more about wolf magic than I even thought possible. Outside of this mountain, we tend to forget that we’re
RhysonNobody said a word as I walked out of the office, but a few minutes later, I found Jax behind me. “Don’t you have someone to spy for you?” I asked.“Not spying. Apparently there’s a skirmish forming between your people and mine. I was going to suggest we go check it out.”A skirmish? I frowned. “My people don’t skirmish.”“Neither do mine, so this should be interesting.” He fell into step next to me. “We fight to survive out here, but we do know how to have fun.”“Are you implying that my people don’t know how to fight to survive? Do you know what we’ve faced to get here?”Jax shrugged. “I just assumed the outside was all luxury cars and golden thrones.”He was baiting me. It was clever. “Our threats are different, but they are no less real. I brought only the best with me.”“Care for a wager?” Jax asked lightly. “My people win, and you leave. You can leave the woman too. It’s clear you don’t know how to take care of her.”I growled at him for that.“And if your people win, the
MayaI had dinner with Anna and went up to my room, exhausted. It was empty, and I was grateful. Since discovering what was wrong with me, I hadn’t had time to myself to think or process. Now that it was all hitting me, I just wanted to curl up in a fetal position and cry.My wolf and I would never have a connection or form a bond. I’d never have a chance at a mating bond. I’d never be able to truly rely on an alpha.Only one of those things bothered me. I was never going to find my mate, and I didn’t give a fuck about bonding with an alpha. As far as I was concerned, too many of them were assholes.Jax might be an exception. I couldn’t help but notice the one fair and kind alpha I found was in the middle of a rogue-infested and wild magic mountain. An alpha who bowed to no king. Oh, the irony.I cradled my hand on my belly. Had I conceived a child who would carry my curse? A babe who would never connect to their wolf?The door opened, and I stayed on the floor. Rhyson looked down at
HaydenThe scent of tilled earth met Hayden’s nostrils as he drove through the town. The team was spread through a handful of vehicles, each one keeping watch. They had just escorted the cargo van to and from the city for the latest shopping trip. Last time, Spencer had attempted to stop them from leaving.This time, they had barely seen a sign of any other wolf in the town. It seemed as though Monroe was keeping them busy elsewhere. This was why, along with food, Hayden bought a handful of camera drones from the city. Patience was a virtue, but sitting idly by without finding any additional information was a flaw that could easily prove fatal.He pulled to a stop in front of Monroe’s house and got out of the car, leaving the engine idling. The team all hopped out of their vehicles and gathered in formation around him.“Monroe,” Hayden bellowed. “Quit hiding and face me!”The door slammed open, but it wasn’t the possessed Alpha who came out. Instead, it was Spencer. He walked with a s
Mica didn’t want this to end. She never wanted it to end. And if that meant holding her questions inside and refusing to let any of them out? That’s just what it would have to be.She wasn’t going to give Hayden up. Now that she had him, she wanted to keep him. So she held him tighter, fighting against the pressure building through her. Instead, she kissed him, the way he wanted. And their eyes remained locked open on each other as they continued the dance as old as time.***Chirping birds just outside of the window woke Mica in the early morning. She sleepily buried her face into Hayden’s chest, unwilling to get up just yet. Their naked bodies pressed together, soft and warm in the cool morning. Being in Hayden’s arms always made her feel safe and secure. His strength seemed to seep into her, giving her everything she needed to face their situation.The previous night’s activities had kept them up quite late. Mica hoped she wouldn’t be too tired to perform her duties today. Not that
MicaThe pack took the news of Monroe's possession by a demon reasonably well. At least, none of them went running around flailing their hands in the air, proclaiming they were all doomed. What they whispered to each other was another thing altogether, but Mica didn’t spare the worry about that possibility. For the time being, she focused on taking care of injuries.Once she was done, Mica sought Hayden out. He was with his team, plotting out their next course of action. Mica found a spot at the side of the room to sit and wait until they were done.Maverick shot her an uneasy glance but focused back on Hayden. It seemed to Mica he didn’t want her there, but until his Alpha was going to say something, he’d accept it. Hayden hadn’t paid much attention to her entrance into the room except to briefly glance at her. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said finally. “Tomorrow, we’ll start training the pack on how to fight the beast-demons. Until they’re ready to fight, we’ll have to keep the
Ryder nodded, then shifted to his own human form. As he was arranging the wolves into teams, Hayden strode for the house. Mica greeted him at the door, armed with a kitchen knife. She glanced over at him, relief in her eyes, then headed outside to help Ryder. Hayden resisted the urge to grab her and kiss her.He let out a shaky breath, grounding himself, as he headed up the stairs. He stopped in his room for some clothes before heading to Echo’s room. The aura-demon possessing Echo was active in her circle of salt, trying to cross the barrier. When she saw him, a cruel smile twisted over her face.“How’s Mica? I do hope that she didn’t find herself caught up in a wolf fight. Such a weak little human wouldn’t stand much of a chance, after all.”Hayden ignored the obvious taunt. “What’s the name of your leader?”“Monroe.”“And your name?”“Echo.” That cruel smile was still in place.It was expected. No demon that Hayden ever met would admit to their own name. It made him wonder if they
HaydenAt the first howl, Hayden rushed to meet the attackers. He leaped from an upper window, exploding into his wolf form as he did so. Spencer howled again and charged over the fence at him. Hayden let out a howl of his own, rushing to meet him. They clashed head-on, fur and snarls flying through the air.Spencer lunged, his teeth white against his black fur. He feinted to the left, but Hayden anticipated his motion. He lightly leaped to the side and ducked, coming up at Spencer’s throat. Spencer clawed at his flank while the wolves of the pack clashed on every side.Pain burst through Hayden’s side as his teeth snapped just shy of Spencer’s jugular. Blood soaked through his fur. Spencer grabbed at his ruff, but Hayden twisted himself, rolling. He kicked all four feet into Spencer’s stomach, his claws ripping through fur. He flung Spencer through the air.Hayden jumped to his feet and took half a second to take stock of the others around him. His team was at the forefront of the fi
Mica smiled up at him, squeezing his arm. “And if they refuse to swear allegiance, they can’t stay. For now, though, I’m accepting them under my protection. Unless you wish for me to send them away, Alpha?”Hayden gave her a dirty look but jerked his chin toward the hastily built lean-to on the south side of the house. There were three such structures now. The south was for the unmated women, the north was for unmated men, and the west was for family groups. The special ops team all shared rooms inside the house now, too, with the other rooms holding any injured wolves.“You can keep them, for now,” Hayden said. “But see that you put them to work. I don’t want them causing us any trouble.”“Of course.” Mica bowed her head toward him, fighting back a smile.Unlike Monroe and his people, Hayden cared about the pack. He might say that he only returned because Ryder and the others from Bluebell Valley wanted to save the pack, but he did genuinely care. It reminded Mica so much of the Hayd
MicaMonroe sent someone to the house every day for the next few days, demanding Elin back. He even went so far as to send Elin’s father. Hayden refused every time, but only allowed one of them onto the property. Or, as Mica learned later, only one of them could come onto the property.Spencer, it seemed, had no demon influence on him, but many of Monroe’s people were possessed.Mica tried not to think about that. She tried not to think about her own mother under a demon's influence. The few times when she and Ryder ended up working together, Echo was a topic neither of them brought up. Mica couldn’t bring herself to ask. If Ryder said there was no way to save her, then the last bit of hope she clung to would shrivel up and disappear.“Mica, we’ve received three more women,” Tess told her one morning. “Clarissa, Monique, and Rachel.”“Really?” Mica reluctantly closed the laptop she’d been working at. “Spencer’s daughters?”Hayden had been up at the crack of dawn, and Mica had gotten u
Hayden chuckled, enjoying her demanding side. He pushed in until he was fully seated, groaning as her greedy heat sucked him in. Mica whimpered and Hayden rested his forehead against hers. He waited there, letting her adjust. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. She was the one that started moving first, rocking her hips back and forth to move him inside of her. Her eyes were at half-mast, her mouth slightly open. He swelled, his skin feeling too tight to contain him.She kissed him, panting into his mouth. Hayden started to move, slowly at first but with increasing momentum. Mica matched his rhythm, her hips thrusting upward. Soon, she was crying out every time they came together. Hayden gritted his teeth, fighting back on the pressure building inside of him. Hewould see her finish first. He was getting dangerously close, so he reached between them and stroked her clit again.“Hayden,” she cried out. A flush rose up her neck and face. Her back arched, and her mouth fell open.“That’s
Mica shivered. “But I’m fat.”“You are beautiful, Mica.” He ran his hand down her hip. “Your skin is soft and smooth. Your breasts are perfect. I want to get to know the rest of you.”He slid his hand between her legs and cupped her. She felt even better without the clothes between them. The heat of her sex radiated into his hand, already growing damp. He massaged her slightly, watching her reaction. The tension melted from her shoulders. Her head fell slightly back and she let out a soft moan.“You’re beautiful,” he repeated. “And I want you.”Mica turned back to him, letting her legs open for him. Her sea-green eyes didn’t leave his face.“I think that’s the first time someone didn’t say ‘You’re not fat, you’re beautiful’ even though I am… without a doubt—” She cut off, biting her lip.“Do you want to continue?” he asked.Mica nodded. “Yes.”Hayden waited a moment before adjusting his hold on her. He slid two fingers deeper, exploring her. They brushed over her entrance, already wet