Jax“Where is Anna?” I demanded as I looked down at my tea. It was a surreal moment. The small tea parlor had plenty of sun streaming through the windows despite the fact that there were no windows outside.Five minutes ago, I was fighting for Anna’s life. Then, I was here, in a fucking tea parlor, with a dainty little teacup in front of me.Witches. Whatever was in this cup of tea could kill me.Three strangers were in the room with me. A short and rounded older woman with long thinning gray hair set the rest of the cups of tea down and eyed me through thick glasses. A young woman who looked no more than twenty with long red hair and a beautiful smile accepted a cup of tea and sat across from me at the table. In the corner, on the bench where an unconscious Anna lay, a middle-aged woman with a blonde messy bun and a permanent scowl on her face sat next to her and waved her hands up and down Anna’s body.The maiden, mother, and crone. Were there really only three witches of Darkwyn co
The crone’s eyes blazed purple, and her head snapped back. “I see a darkness rising within the mountains, and it will consume all. The wolves will bind together, but it will matter none if the broken wolf does not find her shadow. Her gift will be his strength.”When she lifted her head, her eyes had returned to normal. I waited a beat, but only silence followed. “I was expecting a little bit more of a song and dance from a prophetic vision.”“You will respect our magic,” the crone rumbled, and the house shook. That was more like it.“Can you provide more details? What the darkness is? What I need strength for?”“I do not know.”I stared at Anna again. “Well, she found me, assuming that I’m her shadow. So everything will be fine. I promised Anna her freedom. Will she be all right?”The crone straightened. “Her freedom?”“Her price for bringing me here. She gets to live her life as a rogue.” My stomach twisted.“Maybe she can stay here with you.”Away from whatever darkness was rising.
AnnaThree weeks laterHe was in my room again.Not my room. His room.Our room.The door closed quietly, and I could feel the air shift around him, trying to make room. I was in his bed, the sheets pulled all the way up to my chin. Underneath, I wore a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt. Nothing that would seem sexy, nothing that would give him the wrong impression, but clothes didn’t indicate intentions. I could have been bundled up in a parka jacket and snow pants, and he still would sense my needs.My desires.Damn it to hell and back, but it was hard not to want him. Especially here, in the middle of his room, in the middle of his bed. His scent was wrapped all around me, but then, that was the plan.Sleep in his bed. Smell like him. Play the role of the dutiful alpha mate and pretend we hadn’t been circling each other for weeks. Since he found out I was a null.Since he wanted to use me.“If you’re going to fuck me, then come here and fuck me. Otherwise, leave me alone. I’m try
I wanted The Fanged Smile, and to my surprise, he agreed. Not just manage it but deeded it to me as well. I wasn’t sure how that was going to work. When this was over, really over, I wouldn’t be part of his pack anymore. How would I run The Fanged Smile then?For now, it was my lifeline. Something to focus on while the pack schemed on how to get rid of me. Reaching out, I snagged the keys. “Thank you,” I muttered.“You’re welcome.”I waited, but it wasn’t like he was going to thank me. After all, I was just doing what he ordered me to do. Or what he tried to order me to do. In the past three weeks, he’s tried to use the pack bonds to test me, as if he thought maybe my null abilities could turn on and off at will.“Is there something else you wanted?”“I’m assigning Finn as your bodyguard.”My head jerked up. “Excuse me?”“You’ll be at The Fanged Smile for most of your time, unless I need you. I won’t be able to watch you,” he said evenly.“Worried your little hands-off policy isn’t go
JaxHer body curled around mine automatically, like it remembered my touch in that cave and craved more. Ever since that night, she was never far from my mind.How could a woman have so much control over me when I had none over her? The crone had told me that as a null, Anna would never feel the mating bond the way that I did. It would never affect her. When I finally let her go, she could walk away and never think of me again.She might not even think of me now except that I was forcing her to live in my house.Forcing her to sleep in my bed.Except maybe I was the only one who was tortured.I could smell her arousal. Every whimper when I touched her went straight to my cock. God, I ached for her, but I couldn’t have her. Couldn’t take her.Slipping my hand down her panties, I curled my hands over her ass cheeks and pulled her hard against my cock. She whimpered and squirmed against me.“You want to come, baby?” With one hand anchored around her, I flipped on my back and took her wit
And sometimes, I met with people in the locker rooms of the gym.Jenson ran a towel over his face as he entered the room. “Finn kick your ass?”“I took on three others before him. Just to give him an edge,” Jenson said with a smirk. “He’s good. Real good. One day, I might worry about that.”“I’ve made some decisions without talking with you about it. This is your chance to give me your opinion.”“My opinion? Wow. This is a big moment for me. Where do I start? That girl, Callie, that you took out about seven years ago? I told you that she was probably a walking case of STDs? I want to tell you I told you so. And my God, when you promoted Derrick, and I tried to stop you?And that time you thought you could make your own wine?”I cleared my throat. “That is not what I meant, and you know it.”Jenson tossed the towel on the bench, crossed his arms, and leaned against the lockers. “Oh, you mean when I asked to guard Irene, and you said no. When you moved the most hated woman in the pack i
AnnaIt had only been a month, but The Fanged Smile was a disaster. Chairs had been smashed to bits. The inside and outside walls had graffiti. The liquor wall was completely empty. It broke my heart to see her like this. She’d been my prison. My chance at an identity. My torment.Now she was just mine, and she was a mess.“One of the guards told me that there was some rebellion while Jax was gone. One or two employees didn’t like it when Jax killed the manager,” Finn said as he walked up behind me.“What did he do anyway?”“Tried to rape me,” I said flatly as I turned around. The frustration in me eased a little. It was good to see him. “I’m not well-liked here.”He gave me a tight smile. “I gathered that, too. Turns out the happy couple you played in Wisteria Woods was a lie.”“Did you volunteer to guard me, or is this a shit assignment for the new guy?” If Finn hated me now, I wanted to know.“You and I are more alike than you think, Anna. I volunteered. I hope you don’t mind.”He
“And now you need it to be a sanctuary again, away from Jax?”He was fishing. He already knew that Jax and I weren’t happily mated, but we were supposed to be changing that perception. For the pack, at least. That means him as well. I gave him a tight smile. “It’s just a good place for me to be while we figure everything out.”The back door opened, and I whipped my head around and went rigid. Finn didn’t move a muscle, but I could feel the wolf inside him ready himself.This was who TK wanted running messages for him? How could he not sense the power in him? Finn could be an alpha one day.“So how did those challenges go?” I asked dryly.Finn just chuckled softly.Two females walked in, and Finn relaxed a fraction. I didn’t. I only recognized one, and I still wasn’t sure how she felt about me.“Bridget,” I greeted calmly. “And Bridget’s friend.”Bridget looked to be in her thirties, where her friend was younger. Early twenties, maybe.Pretty with blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was
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