Sorry this went up late, thank you all for your patience! Chapter 28 will be posted in a few hours.
[Apple]Grabbing a towel, I scrub the writing from the mirror as best as I can, but instead of coming clean, it leaves a pinkish-red stain across several panes of glass. Next, I try soap and a bit of cleanser I find under the sink, but the best I can manage is to make the letters a little less clear as if reading them while wearing a friend's glasses. Giving up, I look around for something to cover my face, I tie a hand towel over my nose and run around the room opening every window in an attempt to dissipate the smell. When I look over at the bed, I see that my nose didn't deceive me when I first walked in. "That nasty bitch peed on my bed!" I growl. "Come on! Doesn't she know I'm just doing my job!""She's just trying to scare you away," the voice inside my head suggests. "Don't let her win." Grimacing, I hunt under the sink until I find a pair of rubber gloves and pull the comforter off of the bed along with all of the sheets, blankets, and ruined clothes. Once I have everything
[Sylvester]I knew that she was the right pick for this job. She is so different from any she-wolf I've ever dated. She shapes the world around her with her smiles and frowns, brightening the room with her light. She almost glows with energy, and when I saw her with the pups tonight, I could tell that they could feel it too. If she were a wolf, I'd have been afraid to make her my Rental Luna. A wolf with that much charisma is destined to run a pack. Because she's a human, she'll never be a threat. "She'd never be a threat because she is ours," Rufus rolls his eyes in my mind. "Alexis was once ours too, remember?" Or so we thought. I don't understand why she's come back. I know it's not for me, no matter what she's been telling the Board of Directors. "Apple is different," Rufus insists. "She is OURS. Alexis was never really ours." The way he emphasizes our ownership of her usually means one very particular thing--something that can't be possible. If it were, I'd send her as far a
[Apple]"Good Morning, Apple," the Alpha stretches slowly. "Did you have pleasant dreams? You were making quite a bit of noise in your sleep." He plants a kiss on my temple and then rolls out of bed as if waking up next to me is the most natural thing in the world. I try not to watch him stalk around the room in his boxers but I fail. Miserably. He's an absolute Adonis. His body is so well-formed that even his muscles seem to have muscles. He isn't overly bulky but moves with the predatory grace of a wild animal designed to hunt its prey.And right now that prey is me. I take long steadying breaths as he walks toward his bathroom. "How did I end up in your bed," I ask in what I hope sounds like a neutral voice although internally I'm seething. I fell asleep on the couch, the only way I could have gotten here is if he carried me in here from the couch where I fell asleep."Don't worry," he says to assuage my worried frown. "We didn't do anything more than sleep next to one another, a
[Apple] "Alpha," I pull on his arm. We are seated in the car, just moments before Rudy opens the door. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"I try to pull my dress to cover the mark and the alpha growls softly. As I move my hand slowly away, I look to see his eyes watching me attentively. "Don't cover it, Apple. You should be proud of it. That mark on your neck is better than an engagement ring. If my wolf is so smitten with you that we'd willingly leave that kind of mark on such an important location," he explains, a touch of anger in his voice. "Most people will assume I'm very close to declaring you my official mate." Reaching down, Alpha Sylvester adjusts the deep v of my dress, until it frames his nibble mark like fine artwork. Looking me up and down appraisingly, he smiles widely. "I wasn't planning on this mark appearing, Apple, but I plan to take advantage of it. I was only thinking of saving your honor last night, but now that I think of it, I really couldn't have planned i
[Apple]Sitting at my desk, drinking a cup of coffee, and shouting into a phone, is the she-wolf of my nightmares.Alexis.Looking poised, professional, and every inch the Luna in charge, she sits in my place like she belongs there. As Rudy starts to growl softly in outrage, she raises her eyes briefly, then blinks away as if we are invisible, returning to her call.The nasty bitch who peed all over my room just snubbed me. I'm usually not a violent person, but I have a sudden urge to claw out her eyes. "Excuse me," I almost raise my hand to get her attention but remember myself. "Um...Hi, I'm..."Irritated, she closes her phone and addresses Rudy, ignoring my presence entirely. "Oh, you're finally here," she holds up a stack of papers. "Can you run these down to accounting?"To his credit, Rudy doesn't flinch. In his calm, easy-going way he says. "I'm sorry, Ms. Greystone, but you have the wrong office. I'm sure you'd be more comfortable in one of the visitor's suites down the hall.
[Alexis]How dare they.This is the company that my father built. By every right, it should be mine. As I walk down the hallways, I can see my father's hand in every detail. He poured his heart and soul into this company only to have his vision squashed by the very same upstart foundling he pulled off the streets. Sylvester. I want to hate him. I've tried to hate him. No, I do hate him. "That's never been true," Alana speaks to me from the shadowed corners of my mind, her white pelt shining in my thoughts. "You loved him once with all your heart. You love him still, just admit it." "No, Alana," I correct her, "I pitied him." "You loved him. And I love Rufus," she curls up in a ball, tucking her nose under her tail. "And I still don't forgive you for what you did to him." None of it matters now. I have a job to do, and his new little tart is getting in the way. I need to speak to the Board of Directors. The elders brought me here to reconnect with Sylvester, and now our plans ar
[Apple]I could see the rage brewing in Sylvester's eyes even before he took a step toward his Beta. Rudy immediately falls to his knees before the Alpha, his head bowed, prepared for the worst. "Explain now, Beta." There is nothing Rudy could say that would save him from some kind of terrible punishment. He is responsible for keeping me safe when the Alpha cannot, and I was harmed by Alexis on his watch. "It's all my fault," he begins, telling everything from how we entered the room and how he failed to keep Alexis from putting her hands on me. The longer he spoke, the more tense Sylvester became, holding onto me so tightly I'll probably bruise. Wolves, I've learned, are very possessive. Especially alpha wolves. Hazel had warned me about this possibility, that once the alpha considered me "his", Sylvester would be unable to keep himself from being as brutal as he deems necessary when it comes to protecting me.It won't matter that Rudy did his best. It will only matter that he fai
[Apple] Sylvester seems so happy, but all I feel is terror. I'm not a real wolf. What am I going to do in an agency full of alpha-class she-wolves? They'll smell my weakness a mile away.Not only that, the Alpha didn't ask me what I wanted to do. He just signed me up for classes as if my opinion didn't matter. "No," I pinch my lips as I grab my cup of water and take a sip. The miniature rose bush in the center of the table shakes as I set the glass down with too much force. "I have classes this afternoon. I can start tomorrow." "Skip class, get your friends to give you notes," he brushes off my concern as he takes a bite of his steak sandwich. "Problem solved." I close my eyes and repeat, “No." Why isn't he listening to me? He's always so stubborn. As I open my eyes, I cross my arms in frustration, accidentally knocking the rose bush over, leaving a trail of dirt and muck behind as I scoop the plant back into its overly fancy pot. Carefully, I replace the dirt, apologizing to t
[Apple]Hawthorne could incinerate Sylvester where he stands. Sylvester is the Alpha King with a small army of guards ready to pounce if anyone moves.The two men stared one another down, neither one relenting. Both are powerful and capable, both have the power to destroy the other, and both have my love in one shape or form. I'd never forgive the other if things got out of hand."I asked him to come," Hazel's small voice pipes up as she takes a bold step forward, facing down both men with the strength of a future matriarch. "I wanted my twin for company, but also our mentor insisted he come as...help." Sly blinks and Thorne takes a step back as he lowers his hood the rest of the way. "Araminta sent me," he admits. "I would never have come otherwise." He coughs, swallowing hard as he adds. "Alpha King." Sylvester doesn't move and so his guards also stand in position, waiting for orders as their king wars with the emotions swirling around inside his mind. He can barely tolerate Thorn
[Apple]When my eyes open, I am staring into a dark room. I must have fallen asleep at some point because Sylvester is wrapped around me, his body pressed into my back. Our bed is warm and rich with the smell of us. "Good Morning, My Queen," he kisses my neck. "Are you ready to meet your people?""Can't we stay like this a little bit longer?" I roll over into his arms, kissing his nose. His smile tickles my cheeks as his unshaven face touches me lightly. "A little bit, but then we need to go and greet our beta and your best friend," he kisses my chin, and then my cheek, and the space just beneath it on my neck. "And then our supporters. I intend to show you off today. I want everyone to fall as deeply in love with you as I am." "Oh," I giggle as his trail of love continues down my neck. "I thought you wanted me all to yourself." His hands roll down the sides of my body possessively, stopping at my hips, his fingers framing my waist as he pulls me into him, aligning our fronts. His
[Alexis]The news was broadcast across the city as soon as the conclave of elders was done casting their votes. “It is time that we as wolves took a step towards a brighter future,” Alpha Emeritus Alphonso Greybeard announced, his long hair framing his dignified face for all of wolfkind to view on their screens. “Which is why with a majority vote the council of Elder Alphas have chosen Sylvester Sterling of Silver Crescent Pack to lead us as the next Alpha King.” A cheer could be heard reverberating across the city. It wouldn't have mattered who had won--there would have been cheering just to see a selection had been made. And yet, if you were to pick any wolf out of those in the running based on intelligence, ambition, and charm, Sly was an easy choice. "He was born to it," Alanna agrees in my mind, her chest puffing with pride. "He was born to be king." "He was born a rogue," I shoot back silently. "My father made him a prince." "And you were his princess," she reminds me, sull
[Sylvester]Oh Goddess, what a mess we’ve made of things. My mate…I should have left her alone when I met her all those months ago as a terrified girl from a small town. She’s have been safer with her witch friends, learning about her powers, and growing fully into the bloom of womanhood, without having a political nightmare forced upon her. She’s still so young. Twenty-three. When I was her age, I was a new alpha married to the pack princess still figuring out what my world was all about. Apple is still discovering her destiny, and now she’s Luna Queen. How will I keep her safe now? “Sylvester,” her small voice sounds exhausted. She’s been through so much. Too much considering she’s carrying our pup. “What are we going to do.” That’s a good question. “We’re going to keep her by our side and protect her,” Rufus growls. “You’re their King. She’s their Queen. We need to keep her close to keep her safe.” “If they find out I’m a witch…” her small fists grasp the edges of her dress n
[Apple}"What's my surprise," I try to keep my voice light, even though the joy from the square is quickly dissipating from my system as the weight of what had happened just before sinks into my bones. The hybrids in the witch war, the hate of the people watching Sly speak, the words of the witch in the shop, "I don't do abortions. You're too far along..." Two months, this sweet little life has been trying to show me she's here for two months and I missed it. And now this little life needs me to keep her safe, to keep both her and her father safe. I need to leave to save my family. Pulling over, Sly takes my hand and places it on his chest. "What is it, Apple?""We'ren't heading towards your surprise," I change the subject away from my feelings, not sure how I to say what I need to say.His lips turn downward as a small crease of worry forms between his eyes."The museum, did you know that your father-in-law paid to have it built?"He nods, not surprised. "He had a lot of influence
[Alexis]"Where are you going, Apple? Where have you been?"Hunched in the back of the crowd, I cover my face with a hat as I watch her scamper into a dark alley. My connection, Willow, will arrive any moment now with evidence that will destroy this weak bitch once and for all. She's got a secret. I can tell. A woman knows when another one is trying to hide something shameful. Whatever Apple's up to, she doesn't want anyone else to know.Which means, of course, that I must know everything she's been up to. Every small detail. Looking over my shoulder, I keep my face blank as she follows Sly into a luxury rental. I don't think she saw me. Not that it matters. There's nothing she can do. I know at least one of her secrets, one that can tear everything down if the public finds out. "I'm sorry, Sly. But everyone needs to know the truth about her. Especially you." Dipping into the shadows of the alleyway, I find what must have been her destination. An apothecary shop. Turning the han
[Apple]The faint echo of her words shakes the branches of my mind as my feet, rooted in place, level me frozen, unmoving and staring at the witch before me unblinkingly as my heart and lungs fight to settle.With just a handful of words, everything I knew to be true about me changed.“Two months,” I repeat, placing a hand over my belly. Concentrating on my core energy, I send a tendril of my warmth and light into my abdomen, hoping to find nothing. A faint spark flickers beneath my palm. She's been with me this entire time, from the first time Sly and I mated, back when my life was in danger and he claimed me as his because a life tied to him was better than deathAnd he didn't want me to die.A second flicker flutters beneath my hand. Her wolf. She's a wolf and a witch. A hybrid. Too dangerous to live. The apothecary shakes her head sadly as my feelings telegraph across my face. “You poor child, you had no idea. May I assume the father is…willing to help you care for your child?”
[Apple]The next morning, I wake to find Sylvester gone. My heart jumps until my mind clears from the fog of the night before and I notice a tray next to the bed with a covered plate and a single red rose in a tall crystal vase. The note next to the tray says, “I’ll be back this afternoon. Enjoy yourself. I’ll meet you for lunch.” Beneath the note is a platinum card with his name engraved in bold letters. Below his name is my own, although not quite my own. The card reads:“Alpha Sylvester S. Sterling. Luna Apple B. LeRoux Sterling.”“Cheeky wolf,” I smirk. “When did he have this made? Awfully presumptuous. We aren’t even married.”“Yet,” the voice in the back of my head adds. My heart flips with nervous joy. He wants to keep me. He must have planned that dress to be part of his proposal. He made it look so casual and Hanging from the back of a chair is one of Sylvester’s scarves. Picking it up, I breathe his scent deeply feeling my body calm. I’ve only just woken up but I already
Chapter 084[Apple]Killed for loving a witch. Feeling dizzy, I sat back against the headboard, grasping the sheets in my hand for support as I waited for the world to stop spinning. I wanted to hold Sly, I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn’t when my own heart and mind were spinning. What have I done? Has loving me condemned my mate?“I had been living with Lysander Moon for two years. His mate, I always just assumed she was a wolf. As a child, I didn’t think about those things yet or asked questions about things like that. I had mostly grown up as a rogue and hadn’t spent much time around witches or even many wolves other than my mother. Looking back, I realize there were small signs, but they were very careful.”Sly’s breathing is shallow and rapid as he relives the past. Reaching forward, I place my hand on his clammy cheek. He calms instantly, falling into my touch. Turning his face until his nose rests on my wrist, he inhales deeply. A shiver of gratitude trickles through our