KnoxDejected.That was the look on Thea’s face when I came home the other night. I’ve never felt guilty for fucking someone…until now.I thought at that hour she’d be well asleep, and I’d be able to shower away any trace of that waitress. My sad attempt to fuck away my feelings only went to show me that I do feel something for Thea.I don't know what it is. Maybe it’s hero’s syndrome or some shit. I mean, I did save her, and she is easy to talk to. Fuck, even my wolf is calm around her.As I step into the dining hall to grab my breakfast, her soft and floaty scent of peach blossoms hangs in the air. She hasn’t been down to breakfast over the last couple of days, but since Bennet’s gone on a mission, I guess she is tired of eating alone.I really need to talk to Bennet about her. I don’t like the idea of him adding her to his list of hookups. She’d been through enough, and she doesn’t need him fucking with her mind.I grab a bowl of my favorite peaches and cream oatmeal and turn to he
Thea“Grip the bag like this, and alternate driving your knees into the center. Stay on your toes and draw your leg out and around to gain power,” Travis says, demonstrating knee drills on the heavy bag.I bite my lip and nod. I step up to the bag and grab it like Travis instructed, the vinyl cool under my hands as I grip onto it. I let out a breath before I start to mimic Travis’ actions.“That’s good, Thea, but a little harder. Put force behind it. Show some anger,” He encourages me. “Your knees, elbows, and shins are going to be your biggest assets in defending yourself. You don’t have to be big or strong to do damage when you use those.” Anger? I harness my conflicting emotions and let them wash over me. The way Knox kissed me and then ran off. Knee.How he reeked of that woman the next night.Knee.How he’s avoided me since I got here but put me across the hall from him. Knee.Was I delusional? He made the moves first…ugh, he's so frustrating!Knee.“Nice! I’d hate to be the
KnoxI’m four cups of coffee deep as I am sitting in my office, trying to come up with something to discuss with Bennet. I overheard him wanting to spare with Thea today on my way to my room last night, and the thought of Bennet rolling around with Thea in her workout clothes…I…Well, I don’t know what it did to me, but I knew I needed to stop it.I am on edge. My wolf is on edge.I didn’t sleep much last night, either. If the adrenaline from dealing with the rogue wasn’t enough, hearing the muffled mewls of pleasure coming from Thea’s room when I went out for a run agitated me further.Who was she thinking about? Why do I even care? I have noticed her spending time with Travis now and getting closer to Bennet. Does she want one of them? Does she ever think about me like that?I shake my head to clear the thoughts out of my mind. I take another gulp of the burning hot caffeinated liquid while I wait for my bullshit meeting to start.A few light taps on the door frame catch my attentio
Thea My body practically vibrates with excitement when my alarm goes off. I know I’ve only been training for a little over a week and working with Travis for about the same, but the thought that I have done well enough to try sparring with someone… Eeek! I’m just so pumped. I never pictured myself training or thought that I could do well at it. I hope you are proud, Apollo. I walk over to the closet, discard my jammies and pull on a pair of burgundy leggings and a heather gray sports bra. I’m just starting to french braid my hair when a funny rhythm of knocks plays out on my door. I smile to myself, knowing it’s Bennet. ‘Come in, I’m decent,’ I mind-link him. The door opens before he steps in and nudges it shut with his hip. “I’d be happier if you weren’t.” I feel my face flush at his comment. I bite my lip and finish braiding my hair, before popping up from the vanity stool and take the cup of coffee he brought me. “I didn’t think I’d see you until lunch. Don’t you have a meetin
Knox I slam my fists into the heavy bag repeatedly. The chains jingle, and the support in the ceiling groans with each punch. Harnessing all of my anger, I land one last blow and the bag drops to the ground. I push my sweat-drenched locks back and draw in a deep breath, trying to calm myself. My chest heaves up and down, the calming breaths not doing a damn thing. “AHHH!” I scream as I kick the bag, sending it into the cinderblock wall. Fuck! Why am I so agitated? My wolf scratches at the surface. Seeing Travis on top of Thea has left him unsettled. I thought a gym session would be enough, but it seems like I won’t get any rest until he gets to run. I grab a towel to wipe off the layer of sweat as I head up the stairs from the packhouse gym. The cool night air hits my sweaty body, sending a chill down my spine. I slip off my black sweat shorts and toe out of my sneakers, lazily kicking them to the side of the patio. My wolf presses forward quickly, eager to get out. The air fli
Thea The slightest tingles tickle my cheek as Knox swipes his thumb across my face. His touch has been the only one to bring me and my wolf this level of comfort since we got here. I guess his saving us from being raped or killed gave us a deeper connection. I don’t want to leave this moment. I feel so at peace. I suck in a breath, sighing softly, and the knot in my stomach loosens as Knox accepts my secret and insecurities. “Thank you, but what about the pack?” I lift my head away from his touch, and his hand falls gently to my thigh. “A white wolf can be dangerous for a pack. My Father said if anyone ever knew, I’d be hunted. I don’t want your pack to be in danger.” Knox’s handsome face softens, his dazzling, forest-green eyes sparkle with an emotion I can’t quite place. “Thea, this is your pack now too. We’ll make it official during the next full moon, and no one in the pack will care about a gift.” His eyes glass over, a flash of pain and sadness dancing across them before he
Knox My breathing is quiet, my heart rate is slow, and my wolf is pressed flat to the ground behind a large boulder next to a dead deer. I’ve been hiding for just over ten minutes when I just barely hear her. Her footfalls are getting quieter, but I can still hear the way her heart quickens as she picks up the scent trail. I hold my breath, waiting, but nothing happens. Just when I’m about to push myself up, my body is slammed flat, and a set of canines graze the nape of my neck. She nips lightly before she steps back to let me free. I stand up, shaking out my fur as I turn to face her. She sits there, glowing in the sliver of moonlight that cuts through the trees. We’ve been training in wolf form for almost a week now, but every time I see Thea’s wolf, I’m mesmerized by the way her pure white fur sparkles. ‘Nice job, you’re getting quicker at tracking,’ I say through the mind-link. Her wolf yips before lunging forward and nipping my paw, then takes off towards the packhouse. I
Thea I let out a sigh. I’ve changed my outfit at least a dozen times. I’ve never been on a date before. This is it, though. I twist my body around and smile at my reflection. I look hot! The periwinkle tank top clings to my body, showing off all the new muscle outlines I’ve worked my ass off for. Scratch that. My ass looks fabulous in this black tennis skirt! I sit down in front of the vanity and tousle the loose waves left by the French braid I had earlier. I brush a bit of lipgloss across my lips and add a few swipes of mascara to my lashes as I work to contain my excitement. Soft knocks sound at my door. Eek, this is it! “Coming!” I call out as I slip on the tan suede sandals and head to the door. I take one last, deep breath and let it out slowly as I pull open my door. “Evening, Princess,” Bennet says with a rich and playful tone. My breath catches at the sight of the handsome man in front of me. Holy hell, he looks so sexy. Every ripple of muscle in his body can be seen
Thirteen Months Later Thea I slide down the bathroom door, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my head on them as I wait for the longest three minutes of my life. The sound of the shower running beside me helps hide the racing of my heart. What if I’m still not? I don’t know if I can take another negative result. We’ve been trying every single Supermoon to get pregnant and it hasn’t happened yet. It has really made those feelings of not being enough resurface. Knox has been great though, beside me each time, promising me we’d keep trying. He’s held me when I cried and always knew what to say when I felt like I was failing him. He’s taken me to pack doctors and to Sybil for any and all things to try to help. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sick and tired of yoga, herbal teas, vitamins and the lean and green diet I’ve been on. I didn’t want to get Knox’s hopes up with this test, I told him I’d just wanted to shower alone after training today and he begrudgingly agreed. I lea
Thea Three months later “Sophia, can you zip me up?” “Of course!” Sophia says, pushing off the bed in my old room. I bundle the soft waves of my hair and move them to the side as Sophia pulls the back of the black and nude sparkling gown tight. I suck in a deep, deep breath as she starts to move the zipper up. It’s a little tighter than when I picked it out and had it tailored, but it made my ass look great and gave me killer cleavage. You’re welcome, Knox. The zipper stills and I hear a mumbled “shit” and my heart stutters in my chest. No, no, no, please let it fit! “Soph?” “Sorry,” she groans out. “Little guy doesn’t like when I have dairy but still craves ice cream at all hours.” I turn, Sophia is rubbing her adorable little baby bump while she apologizes for the bowl of rocky road she had for lunch. “Can I?” I ask, my hand stretching towards her. A soft smile graces her face, and she pulls my hand to rest on the side of her stomach. “Here. This is where he’s been prot
Knox Hearing the need in her voice, feeling her desire through our bond, is everything I need to know that she wants this. I push the soft material of her panties to the side and run two fingers up the sides of her pussy. She’s soaking. I bite my bottom lip, my dick punching at the zipper underneath her hand, begging to be inside of her. “You’re so fucking wet, baby. All this just from a few sentences? Wait til I show you how much I fucking love you.” Her heart rate increases, and her chest rises and falls rapidly as her eyes sparkle with lust. I know she’s a virgin, but I also know having her pussy played with like this isn’t new. I’m not going to be rough, but I don’t have to hold back, either. My fingers part her lips, slipping easily through the wet heat, as I find her clit. Her eyes flutter shut as her head tilts back against the headrest. I trace small circles over her clit, alternating the amount of pressure I apply, making her mouth fall agape. A soft moan slips out her
Thea “Paula- what a perfect name.” I whisper, passing the little pink bundle back to Whitney. Anders smiles proudly as he tucks Whitney under his arm and presses his lips to her temple. His face is etched with pride as he leans them back in her bed in the maternity wing of Golden Claws hospital. I get it now. Why Anders had to be careful of how he helped me. Even with the personal risks, he still did it and my heart swells in my chest that he survived and gets the chance to be a dad again. That little girl is so lucky to have a father like him. “You and your mate go on ahead kiddo, I’ll be right behind you,” Anders says, his eyes never looking up from Paula’s sleeping face. With a curt nod, Knox and I slip out of their room and head towards the packhouse for the meeting we called. It’s been three days since I woke up, and what a long, three days it's been. I told Knox about my weird encounter with the moon goddess. I guess he’s already met her, so he understood how surreal it f
Thea Even in the darkest of corners, you can still find shadows. People try to cast them away, hide them from the world, and pretend they don’t exist, but they still weigh heavily on their souls, keeping them from being whole. I should know. I’ve come face to face with all my fears, my secrets, and darkest wishes in a matter of one day. There is blood on my hands, and unlike the first time I witnessed death, I happily take credit for it this time. I have no idea how bad the damage to my throat from Kenrik was. The stinging pain was sealed off with the pleasure of Knox’s mark, but it was too much raw power for me to handle. I welcomed the sleep that tugged at my eyes as my savior- my mate- carried me away. A flicker of light catches my mind’s eye, glowing brighter, beckoning me to come closer. This is all in my head, nothing can hurt me here. Right? The light burns brighter the closer I get. I close in on a single, white, pillar candle burning in a sea of obsidian, and as I
Knox “Under the light, a marking will take place. One the Goddess doesn’t approve of. Only the other half can undo what goes against nature.” Sybil’s message from her vision repeats in my head as I nuzzle into Thea’s hair. Her delicate, light and sweet smell of fresh peaches floods my nostrils. “I love you Thea,” I breathe. Her body stills, her eyes fluttering softly as her plush lips settle into a small smile. I don’t like the thought of marking her without her permission. She asked me to make her mine, but our marking should have been something beautiful. Something we did in our bed after I’d brought her to the precipice of pleasure multiple times. Not lying in the grass after her neck was torn open. Rage rips through me. I let my guard down before all the threats were gone. This is my fucking fault just as much as it is Kenriks. I can’t believe that the unhinged fuck actually tried marking her. I can’t think of a marking that the Goddess would disapprove of more than that. I
Thea I push myself back to sit on my knees, Maksym’s heart slick and warm in my palm. I should feel sad or at the very least, remorseful. I should feel some level of sorrow for killing my father, right? I’m oblivious to my surroundings as my eyes stay locked on my hand. The loud thumps of my heart reverberate in my ears as I try to feel something. The adrenaline is still buzzing through my body as I stand and try to quickly sort through my emotions. The only thing I’m certain I feel in this moment is relief. But it’s short-lived. The hollow echoes of my heart fade away as I swivel my head to see that everything around me is chaos. Sophia is crying as she presses her hands into the wound on Anders stomach. Blood trickles through her fingers as she pleads with him to hold on. His rich, dark skin dulls as the warmth in his eyes slowly dims. Kenrik releases a desperate howl as he crashes down to his knees from what I’m guessing is the pack link breaking. His fingers thread into
Thea The spot on the bed where Anders sat is still warm when the door to my cell creaks open again. Man, I sure am popular today. “Hello sweetheart,” Elder Egan coo’s as he steps in with a blush pink dress draped over his arm. A wave of unease washes over me as I sit and watch with bated breath as the skeevy, bald-headed man steps further into the room, pressing the door shut behind him. His long strides quickly eat up the distance between us. The scent of old books and stale smoke invades my senses as he leans close to my face, and his warm breath sends a shiver running down my spine as it unwelcomingly skims the shell of my ear. “Dinners just haven’t quite been the same without you there beside me.” I fight to swallow back the bile that creeps up my throat as he strokes my cheek with the back of his knuckles. I don’t offer him a reaction, even as his deep blue eyes dip to where the towel is tucked securely around my chest. His eyes trail lower as he tosses the dress to the
Knox “We’ll divide into six teams. Each team will have two leads, one from Silvercrest and one from Onyx Ridge. Communication is key to keeping everyone safe. We’ll start with team leads, then section everyone off. Gather up with your team, and then we’ll move on to the details of tonight's assignments.” A unified, “Yes, Alpha,” rings out from the group gathered in the community building. I nod to Bennet and Carter, and they start calling names out of their clipboards. I watch for the slightest bit of defiance from anyone as the warriors start shuffling around the room to form their teams. Things seem to be running smoothly again after the incident at training this morning. I only hope it stays that way. Originally, Bria, Bennet, Carter, Griffin, Travis, and I planned to each lead a team, but with Bria on her way back to Silvercrest, we had to find someone else to fill that spot. Tracey didn’t feel like she deserved to be one of the leads and was hesitant to take it. I know she