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
Knox ‘Change of plans. We’re training with the others on the field today,’ I mind-link Bennet. ‘Okay? Be down in a sec,’ he replies instantly. I’m seething as I make my way across the clearing. It's bad enough that I stood by and let him ask her out first, but he went and slept with her too! The anger I’m feeling is not only shared but magnified by my wolf. When I smelled Thea’s arousal mixed with Bennet’s scent, it took every bit of my self-control to not walk into his room and kick his ass right then. I don’t know if I’m angrier that she’s another tally on his tail count or because he got her first. Okay, I’m fucking jealous. “Alpha? Uh… everything alright?” Travis’s voice wavers slightly as I approach him. Shit, I need to reign in my aura. “Fine. I’m leading today. I need to spar,” I grit out. Travis is smart. He just nods his head and jogs to stand beside Adam and Derrick. I cross my arms, digging my nails into my biceps as I scan the group in front of me. Tracy’s head i
TheaI can feel my bottom lip tremble as the anger and the hurt fight for dominance. I won’t cry, not out here at least. Here I need to be strong, it’s what I’ve worked for, and I won’t let two boys' dick measuring contest break me. I don’t know how much everyone heard, but we all saw those two rolling around like a couple of pups. Knox may have told us to get back to training, but the way everyone was standing with dumbfounded looks on their faces, I doubt training will go on much longer.“Thea, are you okay?” Tracy asks as I join the group of girls standing to the side of the training field.I nod my head, pushing the tears back. A whore? The sting of my Fathers words echo in the back of my mind. Is that what Knox really thinks of me?“Are you sure?” Daisy asks. She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders, “I’ve never seen Alpha like that before… I don’t know what’s going on.”“Isn’t it obvious?” Harlow snorts.I narrow my eyes and tilt my head to the side as we all wait for her
Kenrik I should be locked away in my room with Ahlana, creating an heir and readying myself to take over the throne from Father. Instead, I’m sitting in my office, waiting for her father, Alpha Jonah, to get here to transport her body back to Dark Fang. There won’t be a funeral here. Father said she hadn’t done anything worthy of a formal goodbye, and as she died before we could seal the chosen mate bond, she was nothing to the pack. Just when I thought she was finally becoming obedient, she had to go off for a run in the woods. I know I need a mate of alpha blood to keep the Adler heirs strong, but it’s such a hard spirit to break. The smell of burnt flesh has been permanently etched into my senses. The look of horror that her eyes held as they stared lifelessly as Anders carried her back to the castle was no match for the pure rage of Father’s eyes. Three tentative knocks rap out against my door. “Come in,” I growl. Our Gamma, Niko, slowly opens the door, dropping his head and
Thea My mind is still trying to wrap itself around Ahlana being killed. I’d only known her for a short time, but she was so young and innocent. When the talks of me being used for a deal came up, I knew she sympathized for me. I could see it in her eyes. That could have been my fate; traded off for an alliance to a cruel alpha or even being killed by rogues. I roll over on my bed and notice the time. I suppose I should get ready to meet Knox for training. I feel a little guilty that among all of this, I am still anxious to meet with Knox. I never got to finish what I went to his office to talk about anyways. After Knox and Bennet told me how bad the rogue issue really is and how they have been actively tracking them with the goal of eliminating them, I was stunned. They said they had to get the full team together to review all activities. No matter how much I wanted to sort out what happened at training, I wasn’t selfish enough to hinder their mission. I push myself to sit uprigh
Knox “I need time, Knox.” Thea’s words have been on a loop in my head for the last three days. Time was the least I could give her. I owe her that much to sort out her own feelings. If she wants to stay with Bennet, I told her I’d accept it. But I’d be a fucking liar if I said giving her time doesn’t have me on edge. Her body responded so perfectly to my kiss that night. Everything about that moment with her felt like a fucking dream… Focus, Knox. I sigh and return my attention to the latest rogue warfare updates from Bennet. Another large group of rogues has been spotted working its way through no man’s lands across the Southern Territory. It’s possible that the ones calling the shots are in this group and heading North to convene with the others that are still camping out at Bria’s borders. If our predictions of their movements are correct, they will pass by our borders tonight and be heading toward Golden Claw. With the full moon celebration and lunar lap tonight, I want to
Thea It’s been a whole week since Knox and the others left to hunt those foul fleabags. The packhouse now feels as lonely as the one in Golden Claw did. Tracy has taken over group training for Travis, while Harlow is helping me in the evening with extra sparring. Either Travis has to be taking it easy on me, or Harlow is just a savage. I have more bruises and sore muscles now than when I first started. I feel like I am bothering the girls enough though, so I keep my night runs to myself. The pack is familiar with my wolf now, so there isn’t any danger of not being recognized. It also serves as the perfect opportunity to be alone with my thoughts. After Bennet told me about the night I was brought here, the strange pull to Knox has intensified. I feel like a real jerk knowing I’m going to have to completely break Bennet’s heart. I really did feel something for him, but whatever I’m feeling for Knox is stronger. Bennet has been nothing but kind to me, and I hope he’ll still be my fri
Knox We’ve just stopped for the night on the outer edges of Crimson Valley pack lands. The Alpha and those on patrol know we are here but that’s it. We can’t afford for just anyone to know where and when we stop. The rogues have led us all across the south. We followed them past Golden Claw, and then they doubled back near Onyx ridge before returning back to Golden Claw. Finally, they are heading North, like we initially expected them too. It seems like the primary group we started following has been meeting up with the other groups before sending them North. I’m worried for Bria’s pack. I don’t know if they are strictly after royals or what but with the Luna to be of Golden Claw being killed, it’s safe to assume that Bria is in trouble. We took out a few of the smaller groups after the main group went through. With just a dozen of us out here, it's too risky to try to eliminate the large groups by ourselves. I know we are all eager to kill them off, to end this and get home but,
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