I am going to have to adjust my update schedule for the remainder of the book, its just too hard to find that much time during the week. New schedule will be Tuesday and Saturday, thank you as always for reading!
~Hannah’s Point of View~ I can’t help myself as I nibble on Parker’s ear while we’re supposed to be paying attention. Since getting mated, my body is just dialed up to 10 every second of the day. I’m on sexual overdrive and there’s no getting enough. My body hardly gets tired anymore, I could just go all day and night. Frederick says we’re naturally born to move, run, exercise. He didn’t say the big word but he hinted around it for sure. Born to breed I’m willing to bet. There’s no way a beastly creature with a lust for blood and fighting doesn’t want to get off 24/7. Also, since my shift I swear to the Goddess my hips have moved and are wider and I literally FEEL ready to pop out a kid. *Pay attention.* My mind tells me, and I turn to narrow my eyes at my mother. She winks quickly though, and that makes me blush. I never dreamed I’d find my mother, let alone have her find me in the throes of getting mated. AWKWARD!!! “And that’s when our surprise fighters will come in the next
~Hannah’s Point of View~ “Stop.” “Stop now.” I understand now that when I’m shifted, understanding a human talk is too hard and that’s why I have to rely on the other lycans around me. Frederick says he can comprehend people after decades of teaching his lycan half, but he can’t verbally respond. I’m nowhere close to that and a million times more impulsive. My body is also very much used to just knowing what to do in any situation and maybe that was always the beast side of me. I’ve always had to adapt and keep moving. A rogue can never appear weak and I was a master of disguise. Except with Isaac. He tore right through my protective walls, he laid me bare when he demeaned me. For a child, one of the worst things is disappointing your parent and I never felt good enough for him. But that was just one of his many methods of controlling me. When a big hand lands on my arm, I turn and give a low, menacing growl trying to assert some level of dominance. While I want to fight him, t
~Rafe’s Point of View~ Cruz stands in a sea of body parts and blood, panting and desperate for some water. Our entire body aches and burns in ways we’ve never felt. We no doubt have broken ribs, and cuts that will take a while to heal. But we’re alive. *Getting together a count of our people, I’m not picking up Parker’s mind-link,* Pax says, pulling me out of my thoughts. Cruz’s neck jerks up at those words and scans the area. Maybe half an hour ago we’d last spoken, but in the thick of the fight we’d long gotten separated. I focus all my efforts on trying to pick up not only his mind-link but our bond. Nothing. My heart nearly explodes as my eyes scan the bodies. No … no… I’d have felt our bond sever. Not only as twins but via our strengthened bond. I’d have felt it. *But how could he be out of range? Even taking a piss he’d be close,* Cruz asks, confused. *All paws on deck, Parker is missing,* I shout, over mind-link to anyone from Nightwind within range. The sounds of paws
~Hannah’s Point of View~ The rational part of my brain was completely at war with my heart. I just knew that I couldn’t leave the last place I’d seen Parker, I couldn’t leave without him. But after multiple searches they all finally convinced me it was time to pack it in. Rafe left a note at the battle site and at the camp we’d had with some sort of “bro code” that would tell Parker we were in fact going back to Nightwind. “So, Reign didn’t exactly tell us to come but he didn’t say not to. Your mom is still so pissed but the idea of her babies being slaughtered by rogues was likely too much to bear. We actually had to turn people away. Well over a hundred showed up, wanting to come out. He absolutely had to know we’d go, he’s a fucking coward. But if anything, it proved that your father is losing his grip on the pack. The next generation backs you fully and that was on display for all to see. After all we’ve done to fight the Rhodes clan, rogues in general and especially when his so
~Hannah’s Point of View~ “Hannah? I was just coming to--” My feet blow right past Scarlett, and I try to act as if I didn’t see her which is ridiculous since she’d been literally in my path. I’m not sure how I know where the skank will be, but I just know she won’t lose the chance to see Rafe. The packhouse is in sight though I have to cross the main road to get there, and there’s an awful lot of activity. I can’t be bothered to wait for people to get the hell out of my way! I feel my fingertips twitching, my throat is literally on fire with the craving. The thirst that I am still not at all used to. Would I actually bite and drink from Cassandra? I’m not sure if even that enemy is one I want mixing with me. I literally want nothing from her except for her new home to be at the bottom of a deep well. It’s literally as if I have tunnel vision and when my nose thinks it recognizes her scent, it's like I can’t even control my movements. When I see Rafe near the road, talking to her …
~Rafe’s Point of View~ “What the fuck did you do Cassandra,” I shout, nearly vibrating the walls. I should absolutely be getting in a car right now, getting on the road. But something tells me that Cassandra and our dear Beta may have now tipped off the Rhodes clan that we’re coming. The last thing we should do is just try to storm in. They’ll be ready and practically salivating for it. No doubt armed to the teeth and happy to take out the best of Nightwind. Fighters from Barclay are going too, and thankfully we were able to get them by cell phone and relay that they need to wait. The enemy knows I’ll come for Parker, they absolutely know it. Next to me or Hannah, he was the best to steal. I can’t exist without him and now that we share a mate it would kill both Hannah and I to lose him. And we’d be giving them a front row seat to our suffering. I’m sure it would be their perfect plan to get us all. “I knew the moment I heard there was a beautiful young rogue here she’d be nothi
~Hannah’s Point of View~I expect the next few minutes to be complete chaos but it’s like the pack is a well oiled machine. Everyone knows their place, everyone knows what to do. That leaves mom and I, struggling to keep it together. I feel her anxiety and it's so intense that it is nearly giving me a damn panic attack.They want us, they want to exterminate us and they very well might take out the entire pack to do so. It’s a hell of a burden to bear, and my mom has been here before. I just can’t imagine.I barely had time to throw on a dress, I have nothing underneath and no shoes. But it all seems so insignificant with everything going on. I watch as Pax ushers everyone into the underground bunker and everything in me says to turn back and run toward the fight.My brain tells me that Parker is here. They would have brought him as a bargaining chip, of that I have no doubt. Lycans for the Alpha’s son. Then it's like a zap hits me.“Pax! Did you get anything out of Robert? Do they k
~Parker’s Point of View~ My hands roughly grip the grass below me, furious I can’t shift. Poor Crush is literally hanging on by a thread desperately, keeping us able to mind-link. There’s not only wolfsbane in my system but the truth serum that we use on our enemies. It’s an absolutely shit combination I never imagined being on the receiving end of experiencing. But it’s now crippled me for days. There’s not only the physical agony, but the mind fuck of knowing I spilled my guts about literally everything they asked me. There’s some trigger in your brain that won’t let you lie when you’re on the drug but if you can keep your wits about you, you can be smart enough not to add to things. Only answer what they ask, no more … no less. I learned that in my time out in the world. A pack gave me the drug and tested me, and right now I couldn’t be more grateful for the test. But I wasn’t physically useless then. I can’t fight this drug in any way. The rogues had asked me where Hannah was
~Epilogue~ ~Three Years Later~ ~Scarlett’s Point of View~ I look down at the fur sprouted on my hand and gasp. I’d been feeling a weird tingle in my brain for the last two days, and I absolutely knew what that meant. But to see it finally happening, to have it be real… “Are you there,” I whisper, as I continue to stare at my skin. I’m suddenly hotter than I’ve ever felt, it’s truly unnatural. Literally all I want is to tear this dress off and shave my head if it’ll help cool me off. Since I’m alone in my room I decide I could care less, and I strip since I don’t want my dress to get shredded anyhow. Everyone is at a picnic down by the pond, and though I’m sure the twins are wondering where I went, but something told me it was best to be alone. The sun is setting, and too soon the full moon will be showing itself. This is absolutely the moment every girl dreams of, getting her best friend for life. *Hmm, what’s that smell,* I hear, making me gasp. I practically shoot off the bed
~Frederick’s Point of View~ She could very well be a trap. An attempt to lure me away. My senses tell me the heartbeat is steady, not nervous or anxious. It’s not moving either. I instantly know she’s studying me. “I mean you no harm,” I whisper, though I know she’d hear it. My body relaxes slightly, of course not picking up much of a threat. Though I’ve been fooled by females before. Considering I’m still on the property of the Rhodes clan, I absolutely shouldn’t let my guard down. For whatever reason, I kneel. I don’t know another way to tell her that she can come to me. It’s barely a minute before I hear some movement and when I catch sight of her, maybe a quarter mile away, I simply can’t look anywhere else. Her scent is stronger now but it’s bogged down with grime, dirt. Probably nowhere for her to bathe out here. It took many decades to be able to get my lycan eyes to work as I needed. To be able to see at night and focus. Lycans use their hearing and their nose for most th
~Frederick’s Point of View~ I sigh, looking down at the gas meter, it’s nearly at the end. When I see a service station up ahead with a diner, I decide to finally stop. My lycan can run for hours and refuel from eating, but driving is so different. It’s barely been five hours and I’m exhausted. *Yeah well, I like food,* my wolf, Xavier says, with a yawn. I can only smile, still having to get used to the other voice in my head though he’s been with me awhile now. Once I’m seated in the diner and looking at the menu, I nearly ask myself what the hell I’m doing. Is this really just a fool’s errand I’m on? An excuse to get away for a bit? Maybe both. *I don’t fully get it, but I haven’t seen anywhere outside of the pack so I say a little trip is a good thing,* my wolf replies. “What can I get you hun,” I hear, as I turn to look at the waitress. Even seated I’m still nearly as tall as she is standing. “Coffee, black and the special please. Very rare on the burger,” I say, putting th
~Six Months Later~ ~Rafe’s Point of View~ “That’s it baby, it’s almost time to push,” I say, reaching to brush some stray hairs off of Hannah’s sweaty face. She straight up growls at me, but I only offer a smile. The labor has lasted several hours, which Jane says isn’t uncommon for lycans. Everything is on their time, when they’re ready. Shifters usually pop babies out within an hour or so of their water breaking. But this is all new to me. While we know it’s only one baby, we don’t know the gender. We were tempted to visit another pack that has an ultrasound machine but decided it was better to be surprised. After raising two boys though, I know my mate wants a little girl to love on. *It’s a girl, I feel it,* Cruz boasts. When I see Parker come in with a video camera, I quickly motion to cut it. Now is hardly the time! But Parker does what he wants, and this won’t be any exception. As if it happens in slow motion I watch Jane palm the front of the camera and pitch it in a cor
~Parker’s Point of View~ I grab Hannah and hold her, gently rubbing her back. I mind-link our sage to bring something to settle her belly, though I know it's the stench of death making her sick and not our baby. I watch in horror as the guys pull out jars with brains, hearts and who knows what. All parts of lycans. There are notebooks and charts. They were studying them. Not too surprising but, gross no less. A growl breaks out and Hannah’s head jerks up to see where the noise came from. We both see Frederick studying a large jar and then suddenly, he’s off and running with it. Hannah’s eyes meet mine. “I’ll mind-link mom to check on him. Maybe it was a scent he recognized. Goddess, his people have been gone for so long. Could they really have something that old,” she questions. I shake my head, unsure. “You have a wolf now, we personally saw the Goddess and her parents. Shit… anything is possible,” I say. I nearly also mention that I’ve cheated death many times in the last cou
~Later That Month~ ~Hannah’s Point of View~ I make a face and stare at my hand, then shake it and throw it like I’m Spiderman trying to make a web. At long last, the full moon has arrived. And not that I haven’t wanted to believe the Goddess, I definitely have. I mean she’s already been huge with the mind-linking thing. It’s literally been invaluable, more than I could have ever imagined. “And you’re totally sure the shift won’t hurt the baby,” Parker asked Jake, for the fifth time. Getting annoyed, I fall into a camping chair. “I know it seems like it would hurt the baby, but shifting for she-wolves is perfectly safe for the first three months. The last two months it’s better to err on the side of caution and the wolf understands that,” Jake says. They keep talking but it fades out. A lull practically pings in the back of my mind like someone is trying to mind-link me. Someone who doesn’t normally. If it’s a signal my body is familiar with, it comes right through. I wait a mi
~Hannah’s Point of View~ “Loyalty amongst rogues. What a joke,” I whisper, shaking my head. “Well this guy was enough of a figurehead, a powerful force that all these people followed him. Or were that afraid of him,” Frederick says. A shriek behind the truck has us both jumping and I don’t even realize my body’s own ability to move with such ease but suddenly I’m standing back on the ground. One of the new females is on her knees, holding Oscar and Oliver like they’re… like they’re… “Ohh! My babies, he said he killed you!! He said you were gone,” she sobs, practically wailing into the night. Oscar pats her head like she’s a cat, unsure what to think. Oliver looks at me almost like he’s … asking for permission? Confirmation? While I am the only mother they’ve ever known, they’ve never called me that word. Of course I’d want them to know their real mother if in fact this female is that person. I fall to my knees next to the trio and draw a deep breath. The boys have never really
~Hannah’s Point of View~ There had been really no talk of me actually becoming Luna of Nightwind… I guess I’m just supposed to know there’s no question it is a fact. It is happening. Not that I’m sure what good a chat would do, my mind won’t wrap around it. I have zero clue what I’m supposed to say or do. If there are specific things expected of me. I want to say that surely the pack will cut me some slack. They know I have no idea what I’m doing, they know I’m not part of this world. But I know better. I haven’t forgotten the stares that made me walk taller, the whispers that made me hold my chin up. Still, as Scarlett holds my hand and walks me toward the front, with literally all eyes on me… I’m close to panicking. I don’t feel the same strength now. Running seems to be what my mind knows, it’s my fall back… My fail safe. Run, hide. Escape the threat. Which is at odds with my lycan half that only wants to run toward a threat because it feels that it’s the absolute best weapon
~Rafe’s Point of View~ “You can’t think about it like that babe, that’s not at all what being a Luna is even if it might be what my mom made it into,” I whine, stroking my thumbs over the tops of Hannah’s hands. My sexy mate practically stares daggers at me. Her feistiness will literally always be something I treasure. Parker and I both need a female that’ll push back on us and everyone else too. She huffs and pulls her hands away, then stuffs them into her hair. “Nobody is any better than me. I don’t need some title,” she snaps, between moving her fingers in a way I couldn’t even imagine. I’d never really watched a female braid their hair before but it seems impossible. Yet she does it like it's as easy as breathing. I move to her back and kiss her bare shoulder. “Well… I’m biased,” I whisper, between kisses. I practically feel her skin warm with my touch and of course, I’m instantly hard. Not only is she just sitting in her bra and panties, but she’s just showered and smells