VENITA:I thought that one time, one night with Landon would be enough to slake my thirst, but I was wrong. It only sparked the flame, and one night wouldn’t be enough. It made me crave him more. I was insatiable."I had a good time," I murmured as I stepped into his arms. We were standing by the car he had ordered to take me home as Landon insisted on walking me to the garage and then going back to handle a few things before coming back. I felt a little better, not having to do the walk of shame in my dress by myself, though Landon assured me there was nothing to be ashamed of. He wasn't the only one who reeked of sex and blushed uncontrollably. With how nosy his pack members seem to be, I'm confident that they were already gossiping about seeing me. I didn't care though.After breakfast, we lounged around in bed, watched some TV, and just enjoyed each other’s company. As I watched him shave and get dressed, I had this dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to touch him,
VENITA:I had a rough night, constantly thinking about the content of the note. I barely kept my focus together to entertain Sasha. I also made sure to avoid Landon, leaving very early for work so I didn't have to run into him.If his orders were carried out, I would have little to nothing to do for real back at the office. I drove to the company, and as I pulled into a parking spot, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. “What the hell?” I scratched at my neck. I slid out of the car, and a dreaded feeling came over me. It was like I was being watched, but I looked around me. The parking lot was empty. Must be imagining things, I shrugged, trying to push that strange feeling to the back of my head. As I entered my office, the scent of roses hit my nose. “Your boyfriend sent those,” Peter quipped as he popped up behind me. I jumped back in surprise, but I really should have expected it. He was the only person who was so friendly with me. No one else. “What boyfriend?” I dryly ask
LANDON:I was going over the gruesome documents and videos that I had been shown. Somehow, the activities before have been long financed by my company without my knowledge. My company had expanded into experiments and pharmaceuticals. Kidding right? I wish I was."How come I didn't know about this for a long time? How can such an activity happen right under my nose and nobody knew?" I was turning red from anger, wishing I could really snap someone's neck right now. How could I forgive myself? This so-called extension was responsible for generating the virus outbreak that killed my pack members. There were documents fabricated, showing extensively how I have been involved from the beginning, pictures and videos showing numerous times I surveyed a ghost program I knew nothing about."Landon, we've been investigating and this is where it led us. No more leads. It's so difficult for anyone who sees this not to believe that you're involved with this activity.""For one, we never got invol
VENITA:"Did he just end the call on me?" I loudly huffed. The audacity of that man. He owns me and every aspect of my life.Sasha was out of the bathroom in no time and I got her ready for bed. We tried our best to stay out of Emily's way. She was acting like a sore bitch and I couldn't handle that. Landon had already annoyed me enough. It would take less than nothing for me to go off should she get on my bad side.Thankfully, the night soon swallowed us and we gave into it with my brain constantly searching for ways to show Landon that I couldn't be owned.The next day came and the day after that with Landon still not back. I also noticed that Grey, Cross and Dr. Grant were nowhere to be found. Alexander and Brighton pestered me like a housefly feeding on a meal. They took turns to drive me to work; while one was with me, the other would be with Sasha. No matter how I tried to fight them off, they insisted as instructed by Landon. I pitied the poor boys because I didn't want them to
LANDON:Away from Venita, I felt the weight of the numerous challenges I was yet to solve pressing on me—dead ends in the investigation, my pack's training ground under attack, the mystery surrounding Venita's DNA, an unknown child in the mix, a deadly virus linked to her blood, my wolves falling victim, manipulation threatening my company, and an unseen adversary bent on exposing us to the human world. Not to forget the secret I've kept about her parents' death. We both needed a break from the chaos, so I decided to plan a mini-vacation to help Venita decompress.We were thousands of feet up in the sky and there she was, peacefully asleep like a child with no problems. “Wake up, beautiful,” I kissed her on the cheek. “Please, no. Ten more minutes,” she protested, pulling the covers over her head. One of Venita's qualities was that, she was a sleeper for sure. She could sleep all day and still doze off once her body hit the bed at night."No, Missy, we’re almost there.” “Wait, what?
VENITA: I was still buzzing with excitement, expressing how I didn't know how I would sleep that night. Everything has been so perfect that I didn't want the day to end or sleep to wake up to find out it was all a dream.Landon pulled me into the bedroom, proclaiming he had the cure for jet lag in his pants. The next day, we packed up early, said our goodbyes to Mateo and Ramona, who had prepared a to-go breakfast of freshly baked pastries for us, and headed to Madrid. I felt a pang of sadness leaving the city, a place I now felt connected to. However, going to Spain was a dream come true. I knew that I was bound to have so much fun. We arrived in Spain around eleven a.m. and checked into our luxurious suite. I was still not accustomed to all the luxuries Landon could afford. During my previous trips to cities in Nashville, I mostly stayed in hostels and cheap hotels. I have never enjoyed luxury before Landon. I flung myself onto the plush, king-sized bed, arms outstretched, and dee
LANDON:"What do you mean she's gone?" I practically shouted, unable to fathom how someone who I trusted with her security could lose my mate. "Is she a two-year-old who can be lost? Get real and find her!" I abruptly ended the call, seething with anger. I slammed the phone down, my frustration boiling over as Cross dared to inform me of such nonsense. He shouldn't have even taken another breath until she was back in his safety.The day had been consumed by meetings, starting with Amsterdam and then moving on to Shanghai and Norway. I felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Venita alone, but I wanted her to enjoy herself, shop, and have fun. Little did I know that the day would take a dark turn. As the hours stretched on, Cross's call shattered my peace. I couldn't shake the image of Venita alone and possibly frightened in an unfamiliar city. Gathering my thoughts, I tapped into our bond, hoping it would guide me to her faster than anything else. I couldn't bear the thought of her feeling
LANDON:Returning to my temporary residence, I grabbed my phone and dialed the Spanish police. Luckily, someone picked up immediately the phone rang."Hello, this is Landon Kurt. I'm calling to report a missing person. My girlfriend, Venita Lowell, went missing in Madrid. I've been searching for her, but I haven't found any leads and it's already late." The voice on the other end was calm and professional, which annoyed me. Could they not sense the urgency of this matter? "I'm sorry to hear that and I understand your concern, Mr. Kurt. However, we can't activate a search party until after twenty-four hours. People often return on their own within that time frame." "But this is different! Venita would never leave me. She's in a foreign city, and I have reasons to believe she might be in danger. I can't wait for twenty-four hours. Is there nothing you can do?" "I empathize with your situation, sir, but our protocol requires waiting for twenty-four hours. It's a standard procedure." F