Bria “What do you want to do with him, Alpha?” Griffin tips his head back toward the cell holding the fingerless rogue. “Keep him alive but restrained. He’s been the only one willing to talk.” I point over to the other two mangy mutts in the cell, “Those two can be executed for trespassing and malicious intentions to hunt and harm she-wolves.” The walking garbage cans snarl the best they can at me without their tongues while thrashing around in the chairs they are restrained to. I sigh as I step over in front of them, bending down with my hands on my knees. “Oh, are you all tongue-tied now that I have to leave? Did you want to hug me goodbye? How sweet of you shit cans.” Looks of pain flicker across their eyes from what I’m sure is the silver chains burning their skin. One of their faces twists into a scowl as he puckers his lips and spits on my face. “Cute,” I say, closing my eyes as I slide a hand over my face and wipe it off across the top of my tactical leggings. “Too bad t
Knox “Is that all you got ob-knox-ious?” Bria taunts as she catches another one of my kicks. I grunt out as she tosses my leg away. “Stop holding back alpha, we’re cross training packs for a reason. Make it worth it.” She’s right. But I’m not gonna fucking tell her that. She’s cocky enough as it is. I let out a sigh as I shake out my arms and resume my stance. “You going to keep talking or are you going to throw a punch?” A devious smile spreads across her face as she narrows her eyes at me and she closes the distance between us. “Bring it.” After going round after round with Bria, I’m ready for a coffee and a shower. Anyone who discounts her abilities as a warrior or an alpha because shes a woman is in for a world of hurt. I blow the whistle signaling for training to end. I swipe the back of my hand across my nose, wiping away a trickle of blood from the last hook Bria landed on me and turn to face the group. “Good work everyone. Breakfast will be served in the community cent
Thea My head throbs in a steady beat and my eyes feel heavy as I struggle to blink them open. The only difference between the dreamless void I was in and the eerie silence of the dungeon is the harsh line of fluorescent light that snakes under the door to the hall. I stretch my arms up above my head and groan out as awareness seeps back into my body. Goddess, it feels so good to stretch, my muscles are tight from lack of use. Wait. How am I stretching? The grogginess disappears in an instant as I snap my wrists down in front of my face. The silver chains that have bound me for who knows how long are gone. Raised pink and raw markings circle both of my wrists as a reminder they were there. But the dry patches of blood tell me they haven’t been off long. I feel out for my wolf, hoping that she’s there. It would be so much easier to get out of here with the ability to shift. I push for the connection, trying to call her forward but find nothing. Fuck. I press myself up on the gro
Knox This last week, as we got closer to the Supermoon, my wolf has been on edge, restless even. I usually don’t struggle with control, but the more I fight him the more my own resolve weakens. Aside from the mandatory group training sessions, I’ve kept to myself. With my temper wearing thin, Bennet and Bria have been the only ones who dared or was stupid enough to spend time in my presence. Silvercrest has a different fighting style than us, so training with their warriors has made the sessions more vigorous and should have us well prepared for tomorrow night. When I step out onto the back patio of the packhouse the lingering warmth of the day wraps around me. It’s almost eerie how quiet and still it is, like the world knows what's coming. I wasn’t going to run tonight. Today's training in wolf form had my wolf pretty well sated, but then an unexpected stop by Travis to my office after dinner has really fucked that up. He came to request that Dana and Derrick be removed from the
Thea I have tried to rest, but my mind refuses to turn off. How am I going to get out? What is wrong with Niko? How much time do I even have left? I trust Anders, but Maksym and Kenrik are unhinged and there is no telling what lengths they would go to any more. My eyes flick back to the ankle cuff and I sigh as I grab for the bottle of water from the nightstand. I sip it slowly, not wanting to make myself sick. The gleam of the syringes on the table catch my attention. I can pick the lock. I carefully grab one of the syringes and yank the needle from its position before pulling my ankle onto my lap. My heart beats loudly in my ears, stealing my concentration as I slip and stab my finger. Fuck that smarts! I stop, taking a deep breath in as I work to still my heart like Knox taught me. I slowly let out the breath and refocus on the task. I’ve never picked a lock before. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I have to try. If I’ve learned anything over the last couple of months
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
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
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
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