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Asher “Why the fuck do you smell like him?” I demand as soon as Mason goes inside, leaving us alone. “And don’t tell me it’s from him carrying you because I can smell him all over you. Did he touch you without your permission?” My voice is low but there is no mistaking the menace in it. If he touched her in a way she didn’t ask for or pressured her in any way, I’ll fucking murder him. If she did ask for it, I don’t know what I’ll do. “No!” She rushes to reassure me, but she’s not looking me in the eye and she doesn’t offer more. “Tell me what happened, gorgeous.” I cup her cheek in my hand and force her eyes back to mine. “It’s my fault!” Aspen butts in before she can answer. “I scared her and he thought I was a threat so he knocked her out of the way. Ended up on top of her.” “Why the fuck would you do that?” I snarl at him. ”She could have been hurt!” “Hey! I’m fine.” She rubs her hands up and down my arms, calming me. “And I appreciate Aspen explaining but he’s not
Elena I never wanted to feel weak. It took Mason leaving for me to realize how coddled I’d been. But I never wanted attention either. Not from anyone but him. No one knows what I can do with my arrows. I practiced until my fingers bled and my body ached so much I could barely move but I never let anyone see. Because I don’t need to impress anyone. I just want to feel strong. And I do feel strong. Because I did the work. I never asked for the easy way out. I never wanted my mother’s gifts and I don’t want them now. I don’t need them to protect myself and I sure as fuck don’t want the responsibility of protecting other people. But then again, no one ever asks me what I want. Especially not the Goddess herself. She never showed up all those nights I cried out to her to bring Mason back to me. Finally, all my tears dried up and I realized I was the only one I could count on. How Ironic that she’s never given me a single thing I asked her for but now she drops the one thing I nev
Mason The second Ellie slips out from between us, Aspen swings around behind me and traps me in his arms, grinding his hard-on into my ass. I’m not sure if he’s expressing genuine interest or if it’s just his way of keeping me from going after my girl. It’s also not something I have space for in my brain right now. I pull away but he holds on tight, his hot breath in my ear. “Come on, stay and dance with me. She’s safe with Asher and you’re not going to win any points by smothering her.” “Fine. One dance and then I need eyes on her.” I compromise. “She’ll be back before the next song is over, anyway.” He says confidently. The twins may be hot as fuck, but their personalities are night and day. Maybe that’s why I find Aspen attractive but can’t stand his brother. If things were different, I might even be interested in him. But right now, the only one I care about, the only one I can’t live without, is Ellie. So although I’ll admit it feels good to have aspen pressed up a
Asher I recognize the girl hanging from the tree right away. Even with her long raven hair covering her face, I know it’s her. Gemma Tresoire. Unlike Aspen, I never dated anyone. I had plenty of one night stands, both of us using each other to get what we needed then walking away.. Until Gemma. She wasn’t my mate but something about her had me coming back for more unlike anyone ever had before. Then she met her fated mate and we parted friends. Seeing her lifeless body hanging from that tree now, I wish I’d never looked at her twice. I foolishly thought that if whoever murdered Courtney did it to get to us, anyone I knew would be safe, because I’d never gotten close to anyone. Except Gemma. I should have known better, I should have warned her somehow. But what would I have said? Aspen’s former girlfriend ended up dead and I’m worried you might too? She’d think I was a fucking lunatic! “What do we do here, Ash?” Aspen whispers so no one else can hear. He knows exactly wh
Elena Exhaustion, so deep I feel it in my bones. That’s the only way to describe how I feel after the events of the evening. Well that and a sense of disbelief. It’s all too horrendous to be real. As I shower off the sweat and stench of death that is probably only imagined, I force my mind to focus on the lesser of two evils. Mason. He broke me in ways I can’t even explain to myself. So why should I care about his feelings? I’m blaming it on the mate bond. Still, the look on his face when he caught me with Asher tonight split my heart in two. I never want to see his beautiful features marred with so much pain ever again. I certainly don’t want to be the one to put it there. You would think that makes me soft, caring about his feelings that way. But the fact I never considered what my betrayal of our bond could do to him probably means I’m really the heartless bitch I’ve tried so hard to become. Yay me. That’s a moral dilemma that requires way more of my brain capacity tha
Elena After kicking Mason out of my room, I need a minute to collect my racing thoughts. To be honest, I’m freaking the fuck out! I may have acted appalled at his indecent proposal, but the truth is, my mouth watered at the thought of tasting him that way. I take an extremely cold shower and take my time getting ready for the day. I know he’s still here. It’s like I can feel his energy buzzing in my veins, feel his presence as clearly as my own. My room reeks of him and it’s doing nothing for my self-control. I’m about to pull on my clothes but I only get my jeans half way up when I yank them back off, the material too itchy against my skin. Despite the cold shower, the back of my neck is sweating and my clit throbs with need. I could fight it. I should fight it, but if I don’t sate this need, it will ride me all day. Climbing back into bed, I burrow myself deep into my Mason-scented sheets. I roll around in the silk material, coating my body in his scrumptious whiskey and leathe
Elena “Ah, Elena! I haven’t seen you since you were wee high.” Alma makes a motion toward the floor with her hand. “You’ve become a beautiful young woman. You look just like your mother.” “Thank you, Alma.” I kiss her on both cheeks and take the seat across the table from her. Mom serves her tea then sits beside me. Mason is leaning against the sink, sipping his coffee. We’re all the picture of calm, behaving for all the world like my mother didn’t just catch me naked with his head between my legs. But inside, it’s awkward as hell. “No reason to be embarrassed, child. We’re all adults and we all know what happens between mates.” Alma winks at me before turning her attention to my mother. “Isn’t that right, Luna?” Mom makes a choking sound and my head snaps to her. She gives me a little shrug but her face is bright red. I have a strong suspicion I don’t want to know what she and my dads got caught doing so I change the topic quick smart. “So, mom said you were here to see me. Is
Mason Kaden’s grim announcement brings an abrupt end to our conversation. “Show us.” The Alphas say, already pushing Kaden toward the door. My almost-but-not-quite revelation is completely forgotten as they rush back to the scene, hoping to preserve any evidence left behind. I don’t hold out much hope that they’ll find anything useful, but that’s okay. My information will keep. But just because the Alphas aren’t here to hear it doesn’t mean I’m going to keep it to myself. Ellie needs to know what I know and she needs to know now. And I want both those fuckers mascarading as her mates to be there when she learns the truth. “Aspen and I are going to see if we can help at the scene.” Asher says, trying to nudge his brother toward the door. “Why?” Everyone turns my way wearing matching confused expressions. So I elaborate. “Why are you so anxious to help investigate deaths in a pack you’re just visiting? I mean, it’s not like you have anything to gain, right?” The taunt i
Aloha Wonderful Readers, That's a wrap for Elena, Mason and the twins! Thank you for joining me for their journey! I hope you enjoyed the ride. I appreciate every single comment and review so please share your thoughts! You all make me smile, laugh, and keep going when I;m having a bad day so thank you for all your support! I have a short holiday planned with my family and then I will start writing Olivia's story. I hope to have a good start on it and begin publishing around the first week of June. You'll find out right away what led her to Elllie's door in the epilogue. And of course, as Mason's sister and Ellie's best friend, we'll see more of them in Olivia's story too. Stay tuned! Much love, Cara
Asher Elena is quiet during dinner and I can’t tell if our little Luna is upset for her best friend or just overwhelmed by the responsibilities she’s shouldering right now for the pack. Either way, I don’t like the look on her face and I intend to replace it with a much happier, more satisfied expression. And I intend to make that happen sooner than later. “All done, gorgeous?” My chair scrapes across the floor as I stand from the table and collect our plates. “What? Oh, yeah, I’m full.” She startles and it takes her a minute to understand what I said. “Excellent!” I grin, holding out my hand to help her up. “But-” Elena looks at Olivia like she doesn’t want to leave her. “Mace will get his sister settled in for the night. You’re coming with me. No arguments.” As soon as we turn the corner I pick her up, wrapping her legs around my hips, our chests pressed together. Her body heats and her scent spikes at the assertive move, her body as responsive as ever. It’s her mind I ha
Elena “Whose idea was it to build the new hospital and renovate the Alpha suite at the same time?” I ask as I burst into the guys’ office and throw myself dramatically onto the couch. “Yours!” My mates all look up from their work and answer at once. “Haha! You guys are hilarious! It was a rhetorical question!” I huff, their laughter rumbling through the room. Mason pulls me into his lap and I wrap my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest. I breathe in his rich whiskey and leather scent, letting it comfort me and help me relax. “Ugh! I’m sorry I’m being so whiny. I know you have more important things to worry about.” “You have been a little irritable late-, ouch! Why did you hit me?” Aspen rubs his arm where Asher punched him. “It’s okay Ash. He’s just being honest. But thank you for defending me.” I smile appreciatively at my overprotective mate. The two months since the Luna ceremony have been more of a strain than we anticipated. Between running a pack, set
Elena Literally, we fall backwards, Asher pulling me against his chest as he lays back on the bed. For one brief moment, I’m gasping for air, crushed by Aspen’s body as he lands on top of me. Then Mason is there, slipping his arms between us and lifting him just enough that I’m no longer bearing the brunt of his weight. “That’s it. Just breathe.” Mason gives us a second to catch our breath. He strokes Aspen’s back soothingly while Asher collars my throat with his large hand. He gives it a squeeze, not enough to cut off my air but enough to center my focus on that slight bit of pressure. It’s enough to slow my breathing and let the intense pleasure rush back in. “Now, Asher and I are going to fuck you the same way we’ll face our future. All four of us, together.” Mason’s deep, sultry voice rumbles through Asp as he frames his back and it’s like a vibrator to my sensitive bundle of nerves, a whine slipping free as my clit throbs. Mason shoves into Aspen’s ass, pulling a deep moan
Elena “We’re all going to take our time undressing you.” Mason breathes in my ear, dragging his calloused fingers over the smooth skin of my back as he unties the lacy bow at my neck. He slides his hands inside my now loosened bodice, kneading the flesh of my tits while mouthing his mark on my neck. My knees buckle but he pulls my body firmly against him, his thick length hard against my ass. I let my head fall back on his chest, moaning at the delicious sensations his touch brings. My twin mates drop to their knees and take turns lifting my feet to slide off my shoes, pressing tender kisses to my ankles and toes. Their hands slide up my legs to my inner thighs, close but not close enough, before gliding back down again. Every move is slow and sensual, calculated to drive me to the edge of sanity. “Let’s see what you’re hiding from us under all this lace, little one.” Mason lets the top of my dress fall, exposing my nipples to the cool air and licking his lips as he watches
Elena “Is it too early to sneak away?” I peer up at Mason from the center of our huddle, all my mates surrounding me on the dance floor. We’re not really dancing, a difficult task for four people to accomplish while refusing to stop touching each other. But at least out here, we can avoid being pulled in four different directions by well-meaning pack members who want to wish us well or introduce us to someone they’re sure we haven’t met before. Spoiler alert: we have. Twice. “Please say yes, daddy!” Aspen teases Mason. “I can’t wait for our special surprise!” Mason chuckles at his antics then snares our mate in his heated gaze. “Be careful what you wish for, baby boy.” His voice is deep, taking on a dark edge. “You might just get it.” He runs his tongue over Aspen’s neck, then latches onto his mark and sucks hard. I may not have bitten Aspen yet but even the hint of pleasure I feel through our shared bond with Mason sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine. Aspen’s wanto
Mason Now that she’s the official Luna of the pack, Ellie can help with inducting our Betas, and I’m so excited this will be our first official act together. When I took over as Alpha, I could have chosen a Beta and even a Gamma for myself. I declined, thinking I would eventually fill those roles once I knew the pack better. Now I see why it never felt right to do so. The twins were always meant to be my Betas, one as a brother and one as a mate. Unfortunately, though the twins will both be making vows of loyalty to us as their Alpha and Luna, it’s tradition for the previous Beta to pass the torch. Something my grandfather never had either because he never trusted anyone enough to let them in. But once again, family is all too willing to step in and assist, ensuring the twins get the ceremony they deserve. My dads take the stage at the elders signal, each one standing in front of one of the twins. This time the elder slices my hand, my blood joining Ellie’s in the bowl. He pas
Mason After my embarrassing outburst at the sight of my stunning mate, I silently praise every deity known to man for blessing me with the woman making her way down the aisle, drawing closer to me with every step she takes. Every step is one closer to the future I’ve dreamed of since long before I really understood what it meant to be a mate. A future I thought I’d lost forever. Standing on either side of me, Asher and Aspen are nearly vibrating out of their skin with the need to have our beautiful mate in their arms. Honestly, I’m not sure how any of us are going to make it through this ceremony without stripping her bare and taking her right here on this stage in front of everyone. And even if we manage that, we still have the after party filled with way too many people to get through. I take a few deep breaths to steady my racing heart, reminding myself what this night is all about and how far we’ve come to get here. No matter how luscious my mate looks and how much I want t
Elena “Mmm, that feels amazing.” I moan as the massage therapist kneads my shoulders, loosening the knots I’ve managed to accumulate from the never-ending stress of the last few months. “Totally agree. We should do this at least monthly.” Livvy turns to grin at me from her massage table set up right next to mine. “As long as you just mean the massage and not the entire Luna ceremony then it’s a date.” I reach across the space between us to hook our little fingers together, sealing the plan with a pinky promise and we both giggle. A month has passed since Asher and Aspen's father was sentenced to life in a council prison, a place no one ever escapes from. With him locked away and the passing of their mother, ending the string of horrific murders she committed, Mason, the twins and I have finally been able to find some normalcy. Well, as normal as it gets when you’re settling in to a new pack and taking in droves of new members from another that’s crumbling. With the arrest