What do you think? Did Hazel betray her trust?
[Apple]Hazel’s bright expression fades. “I’m sorry you had to go through this, Apple, but I wouldn’t have known how to warn you about this--what’s happened here isn’t typical.”“What do you mean?” I cross my arms, growing angrier by the minute. “You knew what was needed, you even have a recipe! You must have known something…”“All I know is that Grandmother Araminta, the old witch from Haven, has taken interest in you,” Hazel holds her hands out in surrender. “She came to me after she visited you when you were attacked. She said she had a feeling you’d call me for something critical and that this potion would be the solution.”“So you didn’t know this…would happen?”“Of course not!” Hazel crosses her heart. “I’d have told you if I had any clue what that old bat was talking about. She freaks me out, honestly, and I’m not sure if I trust her 100%.” Hazel looks over her shoulder as if expecting to see the old woman standing there, her arms visibly shivering.“Honestly,” she continues. “I
[Apple]Holding the photo to my chest, I wish more than ever that my mother was here to explain all of this to me. "Why didn't you tell me the truth?" I press the photos even harder into my flesh, the old photo paper crinkling.A warm hand touches my shoulder startling me. Blinking up, I see my handsome mate standing over my shoulder, his skin sheet white from exhaustion.“You should be in bed,” his lip curls up on one side in a self-satisfied smirk, “With me.”He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and I cannot help but laugh.“Stop it,” I playfully swat at him. “I know what you’re doing.“And what…” Sly leans in, setting his hand on the table next to me, “Is it that I’m doing exactly?”He licks his lip and subconsciously I bite mine in response. Damn is sexy. It’s not fair that he’s so damn beautiful.“You’re trying to distract me,” Standing I place my arms around his neck. “So that I don’t worry.”“Oh?” He kisses me swiftly, a feather-light touch of lips. “And is it working?”As his h
[Apple]“Can we hurry?” I call Rudy up as I fiddle with my phone. I’ve been trying to reach Sly since I left the packhouse but haven’t received a response. “Deep breaths, Luna,” Rudy does his best to calm me as he drives through the street. “Relax.”“What if he’s in trouble?” Feeling faint, the sound of blood rushing through my ears is overwhelming as I struggle to regain control of my feelings. I haven’t been quite myself since we mated and sealed our bond with his mark. All of my senses are heightened and my emotions magnified. It's as if joining with Sly opened a new side of me. A powerful, anxious, and bold side that also feels strongly protective of my big, bad Alpha. “You would know if he were,” Rudy continues to try to calm me. “You’re his Luna. That bond is special. If anything were to happen to him, you’d know.” This must be another wolf thing. Crossing my arms I tell him as much, ploping back into the cushions. “The problem is,” I remind him, “I’m not a wolf.”“I’m not su
[Apple]The room is silent. The members of the Board of Directors sit in their semi-circle, their faces passive, waiting for my response. Sly reaches forward and squeezes my hand. His presence anchors me, reminding me that he is here with me. We are here to face this challenge together. Why do I think I deserve to be Luna?"I don't," I answer honestly. "You'd be better off without me." Clancy's smile warms as he rubs his hands together like I’ve just given him an unexpected present. "From her own mouth, she admits it,” his icy tone chills me to my soul as he glares in my direction, his hand outstretched as he points at me. “She isn't good enough.”A few turn and whisper as Clancy continues to rant. “As far as I see it,” the Beta-emeritus concludes, “This meeting is over, she doesn't want to be Luna.”He pauses to let the words sink in before adding “ Luckily, I already have the perfect candidate you may remember my niece. Alexis eagerly awaits the opportunity to reclaim her positi
[Sylvester]“Apple!” She screams as another flare of blinding light pulses from her body. Pressing the hold button on the elevator, I cover Apple with my suit jacket, but it isn’t long enough to cover her completely, nor snuff her flames. Pulling out my phone I call Rudy. “Clear out the lobby and bring a large, dark cloth.” “A cloth, Alpha?”“Large enough to cover a grown she-wolf. Apple…” “Understood,” my Beta replies. “Done.” When I make it to the lobby it is completely deserted. Rudy is waiting with what looks like a blackout curtain. “I’ve already called Ms. Hazel. I figured she could be helpful.” Rudy helps me carry Apple unseen through the back door. I’ve never been more grateful than I am now for the tinted windows on my Bently. “Cameras,” I grunt and Rudy nods, heading off to take care of any security leaks that might reveal Apple’s true nature. It is going to be harder to keep this part of her hidden with her powers flaring unpredictably. Thank the Goddess this didn’t h
[Apple]Watching my mate walk away felt like a jagged stab of rejection in my heart. Just like when he learned I was a witch, he is retreating into himself, into his fear. And it hurts. It hurts because I love him. And because I love him, I don’t want to leave him. And right now, the only way I can stay is if I pretend to be a wolf convincingly enough to keep this charade going. Because even Alphas are beholden to their pack--And if the laws of his pack forbid hybrids…Placing an absent hand on my belly, I only hope it isn’t too late. We’ve made love so many times, I might already carry his child. “No,” I shake my head. “If that were true I wouldn’t be in heat, right?”There is a commotion in the next room. Standing on shaky legs, I peek into the living room to see my alpha cowing before a very old, very angry-looking witch. “You promised!” She snarls, lightning flashing on her fingertips. “You said you’d take care of her and here you are sneaking off like a …” It’s the woman who
[Apple]“Oh, what’s this?” One of the she-wolves in her group picks my vial out from underneath a nearby seat and hands it to Alexis.Holding the vial up to the light, Alexis tilts her head from side to side, watching the way the light shines through the tiny little pills. “Give that back,” I hold out my hand expectantly. “That’s mine.”“Oh is it,” Alexis plays dumb as she holds it just outside of my reach. “Looks like it’s in my hands. A nice bit of witch magic you have here. But what would Sly’s Luna need with witch magic.” What can I say that will make sense to her without giving myself up?One of the girls in her group, a female with a perpetual resting bitch face, whispers something in Alexis’ ear and I watch in horror as her eyes glow with mirth. “Oh really…? Wouldn’t that be rich?”Turning to me she holds the vial like an accusation as she interrogates me loudly. “Luna Apple, is this BIRTH CONTROL?”I freeze. The other females titter and I suddenly remember them as the trio o
[Alexis]My hands are still shaking as I open my phone and watch Sly leave with his rental slut.Uncle Clancy must have felt something was wrong, or someone must have told him because he picked up his phone after two rings. “Report.”“I’m not on the plane,” I announce, despondent. “Sly saw me talking to Apple and ordered me to stay so I…”“I warned you to keep your distance,” Uncle Clancy snaps. “You were supposed to spy on them, not draw attention to yourself. But you had to push things.”I can almost see him pacing back and forth in his office, the phone on speaker.I’m about to say something snarky in reply but remember my place. My ex-husband almost ejected me from the pack. My connection to Uncle Clancy is the only thing keeping me from being cast out like a common rogue.I can’t be a rogue again. After I betrayed Sly, I spent 5 years relearning how to be a wolf after his rejection shattered my mind. It didn’t matter that I didn’t accept his rejection--he’s more powerful. It was e
[Rudy]It's been three days since we realized our mates are in the East, waiting for us. Three agonizing days of hearing her wails of pain in my mind as I fall asleep.But we have a war to win. A war we didn't even realize we were fighting until we were in the thick of it. We have been traveling from site to site, gathering as many wolves and witches as we can, banding together and hiding in the woods as we fortify and heal, preparing for our attack on Pleasant Valley.Sylvester has named all of us lieutenants, with him as our general leading the pack. As we move from town to town, using his unique skills as a healer, Sly has cured bands of afflicted, bringing them back into themselves.Even the witches are helping. As soon as Araminta and Harlem began contacting smaller covens, reuniting them with lost loved ones, both witch and wolf, we began receiving the open support of many of the smaller covens. With wolves and witches finally working together, we may be able to end this nightmar
[Sylvester]The witches quickly take over the search. Soon, Rudy and I had nothing more to do than watch. I may be a newly discovered hybrid, the first wolf mage in generations, but I’m still learning my way around magic. At this point, unless it involves brute force or stunning an entire crowd with concentrated life-force, I’m useless.“If you were more witch, you’d be a spell-caster,” Araminta explains. “You’re mate, Apple, is more of a hedge witch, getting her energy from the plants around her. You are both extremely powerful, but you’re more like a blunt instrument. You need to learn refinement to do the work we’re about to do, and unfortunately, having not grown up around your grandmother, you weren’t gifted with her knowledge.”“You knew my grandmother,” I ask, wondering if there is any witch out there she doesn’t know.She doesn’t answer, she just smiles and says. “Remind me someday to tell you how Esmeralda Sterling and I met.”The witches have gone into the other room where th
[Apple] I now know what it means to be treated like an animal. I knew that some humans hated wolves and witches. I grew up surrounded by the teachings of The Brotherhood, indoctrinated in their rights from early childhood. But it wasn’t until today that I finally saw the truth of it. It’s one thing to be taught that wolves are dogs; it is quite another to be treated as one. The cart they pushed me inside of was made of several cages that can snap together, creating rectangular prisms of various lengths and widths. Each box has a solid base of silver which burns and blisters the flesh until it calluses over. My tender flesh wasn’t prepared for the torture of it, and they laughed as they shoved me inside, throwing me a rotten-smelling towel from the back of the van to use as a barrier. It smells like vomit and piss, but it’s still better than the smell of my own flesh, and far better than some of the wolves have in the adjoining cages. Looking across the row of prisoners, there are
[Apple] The back of the van smells like fear, antiseptic, and now vomit. I hadn't eaten anything in days, yet my stomach found some way to make a mess of the back of this van. Between the scents, the jarring motions, and being around 4 months pregnant, it was more than my body could take all at once. I wish I were back home. This place isn't home to me anymore. It hasn't been since I found myself nestled next to Sly that first morning after my room was destroyed and he carried me into his bed. Waking up next to him is home. Sly is out there. I can feel it. He feels closer than ever. "Soon," Astrea promises. "Our mate is searching for us now. Can't you feel it?" Checking our bond, I feel it spring to life, and I almost gasp. It's so much stronger than it's been in such a long time. "Sly, can you hear me?" I send through our link. "Please let me know that you are safe." His reply sounds warbled like he's speaking underwater, but the message is clear. "I feel you. I hear you. I'm
[Hazel]We woke to the sound of wolves howling and the rattling of squeaking wheels over concrete floors.Trapped as we are in our prison of silver, we witches had nothing better to do than to watch the humans at their dark work. Seeing them about their daily strife is the only amusement we have.Except that it isn't amusing. Not one bit.I wish I could unsee the parade of humans pushing carts laden with cages, cages containing terrified wolves, trapped in their bestial forms, huddled in corners, their eyes sad and sunken, their arms and legs bald where they've been shaved and poked, used for whatever sick experiments happened behind the great, steel wall.The doors to the wall are wide open today, and I can see deep inside that mysterious chamber. I had wondered if that had been where they kept the wolves. And now, seeing the condition they are in, I wish I had known sooner so that as we witches planned our escapes, I could have planned to free them as well.No one should live trapped
[Apple]On my third day of hiding, I woke to the sound of trucks rolling through town towards the city center. Large container trucks rattled along the highway, their horns blazing.Something is happening, but what?As if on cue, my stepfather storms out of the trailer, shouting over his shoulder at Tansy, who stumbles after him, his shirt in one hand and a beer in the other. Throwing his shirt over his head, Doc covers his blindingly white, naked chest right before taking the beer, knocking it back with a quick, enthusiastic chug.“Damn it girl,” Doc swears when he spills some down his front. "This beer is warmer than whore's piss. Why the…”“Dad, you don’t have time for this,” she pushes him towards the truck. “Remember, you’re meeting with the mayor in 15 minutes.”Tansy looks over her father’s head at the road leading down to town, her brow pinched with concern as she folds her hands nervously, twisting her fingers around one another as she paces. “Why are you in such a hurry?” Do
[Apple] When the dust settled and the truck came to a halt, two middle-aged men came stumbling out, half drunk, patting themselves on the back. "Damn it, Doc, that was fun," Evan Paige, Zion's father and the Mayor of Pleasant Valley, laughs as he dusts off a set of fatigues. He's a handsome man, an older version of Zion with the classic All-American athlete look, large muscles, blue eyes, and golden blonde hair. His has a bit of gray at the temples, and his face is finely lined with age, but there is no mistaking their parentage. Zion is practically his younger twin. Or he was until I killed him during my first shift. In the end, it seems he really did love me. He even warned me about Clancy, even though it was too late. "Any day, Ev," Doc belches and then laughs when he bleaches a second time. "Maybe a few less beers if we're gonna hit so many bumps. Damn, rogues had to take to the forest." "Yeah, next time let's bring the ATV..." They continue to plot as they walk inside the tra
[Araminta] The door swings open, and I’m face to face with an angry alpha, glaring down at my gathered group as we walk inside. At my back is Hawthorne, along with Coven Master Harlem and his apprentice, Parris, from the High Witch Council. They were the only ones willing to help me find the Alpha after the meeting concluded, and I lost my great-granddaughter in a flush of claws and fur, running after the last traces of her mate bond. “I did my best, Alpha,” I snap back, exhausted from my trip. “She’s impossible to tame, you should know that as well as anyone. She’s a LeRoux. They’ve always been stubborn. Besides,” I take a deep breath. “She ran off chasing you. I was hoping to find her here.” The two wolves move aside and I can’t help but be reminded of a similar meeting a lifetime ago between me and a promising new Alpha King, his beta by his side. There was a similar feeling of friendship blended with antagonism, only unlike before we are on the same side. “Weren’t you witche
[Sylvester] My body is sore, but somehow I manage to stand on shaking legs. "No need," I assure him. "I'm fine." Rudy's eyes widen with shock and uncertainty. "Alpha?" His deep timber vibrates with fear and wonder, "How are you doing this?" With each step I take forward, my footsteps become more sure as I feel my spinal cord fully knit itself back together, the muscles in my back recovering as I move. "I was trapped in that place with the remaining elder alphas." My smile is more of a grimace as I remember how one by one they took the knee, only to be slaughtered by Clancy and Calyx. "All of them." "Does that mean...?" His voice is a whisper as the truth of my words dawn on him. "Please, Rudy, don't bow," I request with the edge of an order as I turn away and head towards a large crystaline lake. I can't bear to see his reverence or watch him bow before me as his king- a title I now loathe to have after seeing all the death such power can create. Because it isn't just the alphas b