[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 picks 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. I was almost ejected from the pack by my ex-husband only a few minutes ago. I was only seconds away from becoming a rogue. My connection to Uncle Clancy is the only thing keeping me from being cast out of the pack. 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 accep
[Apple]Moon River was not all like I was expecting. Although, maybe I wasn’t expecting the right things. I’ve only ever lived in two places my entire life--Pleasant Valley and now Crescent City. And while I saw versions of the fabled Werewolf capital in movies as a kid, it isn’t the same as experiencing it in real life. Yes, Crescent City is a city, but Moon River is a metropolis. Almost everyone here is a werewolf and the city is so big that it has not just one but five major packs: Bloodbane, Steel Fang, Crystal Claw, Goddess Valley, and of course, Moon River Pack. Sly does his best to explain this big city to my small country self while we stand in the train station with our luggage. “Each pack is like a shining point of a star,” Sly describes as he shows me how the city is divided among the 5 packs. “While each one is its own independent pack, they all work together to create unity within the city, each taking responsibility for various vital resources for mutual survival. God
[Apple]"Of course," I nod, as I squeeze his hand and his body slowly relaxes.We check in and make our way up to one of the luxury Alpha Suites on the top floor. As the representative of one of the largest packs in the country, we have a very nice overview of the entire valley. Unfortunately, a handful of major alphas are on this floor and a few minutes later we hear Alexis' piercing giggle just a few doors down. Her voice is soon joined by a deeper laughter, which I guess must be Rodrigo.Sly's eyes flash red, his hands opening and closing as his nails lengthen and retract. But is it because of what he said earlier or what he hears now? Could it be that seeing this elder wolf with Alexis is setting off a nerve?"Sly?" I call out. When he doesn't respond, I call his name louder, "Sylvester!"He jumps, coming back to the here and now, and I release a deep sigh as his eyes slowly return to blue. "What happened," I step forward. He could tear me in two when he is in this kind of a mood,
[Sylvester]My mate is crying. I can feel her pain like a thousand needles stabbing my heart. "She's worried about carrying our pup," Rufus sighs. “She’s worried about what that would mean. She doesn’t understand.” Entering the shower with her, I scoop my love into my arms. “Shh.” I hold her to me, my pain lifting as she nuzzles into me instead of fighting to get away even when I’m the one who hurt her. “I am so sorry, Apple. I should have felt something was wrong, I should have pulled out sooner, I should have…” Turning towards me, Apple’s eyes spark with a flash of anger, followed by a well of sadness, her tears mixing with the shower water as they trace the lines of her face. “No Sly, I’m the one who…oh what was I thinking!” Doing my best to mask my own fear, I project feelings of love strength, and support through her bond. I can’t have her feeling bad about this moment, one that if she were born a wolf, we wouldn’t be as worried about. “We don’t know that there will even be
[Apple] My handsome mate, the mightiest alpha in the west, is kneeling before me, his heart in his hands. “...You are already my luna. Would you honor me by becoming my wife?” I can taste my heartbeat on the back of my tongue. So much has happened so fast. But when he looks up at me with those eyes the color of the sea, I know I’m lost. Bending down, I answer him with kisses, sparks igniting between us as my energy flows into him from where our lips touch. “Yes Sylvester Sterling,” I smile against his mouth. “I’ll marry you.” Whooping in joy, Sly rises to his feet and swings me around. Laughing, for a moment everything else falls away. The stresses waiting for us beyond this room are nothing compared to the strength of his love flowing between us along the bond, my own witch energy moving through us as well, so powerfully that Sly’s skin seems to glow. Sly is glowing. How? “Sylvester,” I pull away, “Stop. Put me down. You’re…” The door to the shop slams with so much for
[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
[Apple] After the fiasco with Alexis, Sly decided to spend the rest of the evening curled up in each other’s arms. It wasn’t sexual, but it was intimate, and a much-needed balm to the stresses of the last few days. It was enough just to feel one another and wrap ourselves in one another’s scent. I had never been so driven by my senses before meeting Sly, if anything I avoided feeling too much. I never let Zion get this close to me. Even when I thought I was giving him my love, I realize now that there was always a wall between us placed there by me. Was I aloof with Zion because I wasn’t ready, or was it because he wasn’t my mate? Either way, thank the Goddess that I waited. I couldn’t imagine having him touch any part of me now. It all belongs to Sly. Every part. Lying between his legs, skin to skin, I cuddle up to Sylvester’s chest. His arms, wrapped with a thick woolen blanket, envelop me, pulling me into him. He smells like heaven and I tell him so and he chuckle