RhysonWater splattered on the floor between Anna’s legs, and she stared at me in horror. “Jax isn’t here. He should be here for this.”“Jax is not my concern right now. I thought you were still a month out from your due date.” I would have never fucking let her come along if I thought she was going to give birth in the middle of everything.“I am.”I roared again, and everyone came running. Lunessa took one look at Anna, paled, and disappeared. Irene and Janelle coaxed a stressed Anna out of the kitchen and into the living room while Maya raced around getting supplies.My wolves stared on, a look of horror on each of their faces, and I was pretty certain that it mirrored my own. “Uh, what do we do? Juniper?” Duke asked in a strained voice.“You did not just ask me because I’m a woman,” Juniper snapped. “Do I look like I’ve had a kid?”“No, it’s just…” Duke tried to backtrack but Maya raced through, arms full of towels and blankets.“Out of my way,” she yelled. “Why isn’t anyone boili
“Why did she give birth so early?” I asked the healer in a quiet voice.“Anna was never just a wolf, and I always suspected that might change her delivery date,” Saul said with a sigh. “Not to mention all the trauma that she went through during the early stages of her pregnancy and what she did to her own child before it was born. Frankly, I’m surprised she even made it this far before giving birth.”“What do you mean? What did she do to her child?”Saul smiled. “Gave him a gift that saved the mountain, and if you want any additional information, you’ll have to ask them to tell you the story. Now, if you will please let me see my next patient. Anna was not the only pregnant woman to go through trauma.”“Maya,” I called out, knowing she was probably hovering right outside the door. “Let Saul examine you.”I left them alone without asking, knowing that he would demand it and she would wish it, but afterward, she came straight to me with a soft smile and told me that our child seemed to
Maya“Take a deep breath, and try to work through the pain.”“Pain?” My eyes flew open. “You said this was painless!”Above me, Lunessa rolled her eyes while Janelle and Irene both grimaced. It was early afternoon the next day, and since there was a baby still in the den, everyone was tiptoeing as quietly as possible. I should have asked more questions when Lunessa put up a soundproof barrier.“Yeah. I did. Unfortunately, Lunessa had a journal where someone had documented the effects of the spell. The good news is that it was effective, but the bad news was that it apparently hurt quite a bit while it was doing the healing. Afterward, there was no pain. There are no side effects,” Janelle assured me. “It’s essentially a regrowth spell.”I didn’t feel any calmer. Instead, I sat up from the hard bench that I was lying on and frowned. “Can you regrow something from nothing?”“Oh, but it’s not nothing. We found part of your bond. A newly formed bond, which no doubt means that it’s a matin
Maybe that will be enough for me.“So you’re going to drink this swill,” Janelle said with a wrinkled nose. “Once it’s been in your body for fifteen minutes, you should start to feel it activate. Unfortunately, that’s when you might start to feel the pain. We’ll start guiding it with magic, and hopefully, your bond will regrow.”That still seemed very vague. “And how long will that take?”“Maybe ten or fifteen minutes? Also, maybe two hours?”“What?” I shot back up again. “How many times has this spell been performed before?”“Timing can depend on the magic of the witch,” Lunessa said impatiently as she grabbed the jar from Janelle and thrust it toward me. “Trickier spells can be like that. There’s a lot of magic in this room, so hopefully not very long. I suggest you drink up so we don’t waste any more time. You do want this, don’t you?”Cautiously, I took the jar. “Of course I want it. You’re sure it won’t harm the baby?”“We’re not amateurs. Drink up.”With all three of them lookin
RhysonThe sounds of her pain ripped through me, and my wolf came charging out as I burst through the door. Magic surrounded her and the witches, and she was on her back, arching upward, screaming like they were torturing her. Without a second thought, I slammed through the magic, and the whole coven rattled.“Fuck. Duke!” Janelle screamed, and Maya’s screams stopped. That didn’t stop me from breaking through the witches and hunching over her body, growling.“Rhyson, she knew there might be pain,” Irene said in a calm voice. “We are trying to help her.”Her voice barely penetrated, and I realized in that split second that my wolf was in control.Fucking hell, my wolf never took full control. I yanked hard on my bond with him, and he snarled.At me.“Rhyson?” Maya asked in a weak voice, and I felt her hands on the belly of my wolf. “Rhyson, I’m okay.”Duke stepped into the room. He took one look at me, and his eyes widened. “Walk very slowly to the door. Do not turn your back on him,”
MayaEven with the vehicles, it still took four days to travel to Snake River Pack. We didn’t run into any trouble, but camping out in the open was tense. I shared a vehicle with Rhyson, and he was rarely not touching me. I think he expected me to have a breakdown at any moment.Meanwhile, I was worried that he’d lose control of his wolf, and I wasn’t the only one. The others kept shooting him furtive looks as well.Jax, Anna, and the witches all stayed behind. Jenson was our only emissary, and he was clearly not happy about it. I didn’t know for sure, but it felt like he still hadn’t healed from Gideon’s torture. At least, not mentally, and he was clearly reluctant to leave his witch.They clearly had a bond. Was it a mating bond? If so, how did it feel to not have the bond reciprocated? It wasn’t like Irene could grow a mate bond. She wasn’t a wolf.I needed to do my research. Now that I knew what was wrong with me, I needed to know how to best handle my situation. If others could f
Rhyson growled, and the room stilled. Elonso, however, didn’t seem upset. “Sorry. I know you’re incognito here. I just thought we would go ahead and point out the white elephant in the room. How would you like to be addressed?”“Rhyson. If I don’t like what you have to say, you won’t live long enough to address me at all.”“You aren’t going to like what I have to say, but I’ve been told you’re not likely to shoot the messenger. Jax says you’re a good man, and I hope he’s right. What I have to say is private. Your wolves can stay outside. Jenson can remain, as Jax’s representative. I hear congratulations are in order.”“My wolves will stay,” Rhyson said darkly.“Then I’ll leave.” Elonso met his gaze head-on. “In other circumstances, I’d be telling you this in complete privacy, Rhyson. I’m not just protecting myself.”What the hell did that mean?Turning, Rhyson nodded at the others, who hesitantly filed out of the room. They wouldn’t be going far. I turned to follow them, but Rhyson sn
Rhyson “Maybe we should go for a run. Blow off some of that energy,” Maya suggested in a low tone. “If you keep pacing, you’re only going to build more agitation.” Whirling around, I nearly snapped at her, but she didn’t shrivel up at my expression or shrink away. She’d been with me while Elonso and London figured out exactly who my sister was within his pack. She’d been there, but London told me that he would not let me see her until he spoke to her first. She’d kept me from pulling out every wolf in this pack and forcing them to my will. With a low moan, I sank onto the bed and cradled my head in my hands. “Rhyson,” Maya whispered, and placed her hand on my knee. “Talk to me. Let it out. It’s okay. Whatever happens, we’re going to be okay.” “I never looked for them. Not once. I was so certain that they were dead,” I said hoarsely. “It’s been years, Maya. They must have thought Marrow and I would come for them. That we would rescue them. They must hate me.” “No matter how
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