***Flashback Chapter***I awoke to the sound of steady beeping. My eyes felt too heavy to open, so I thrashed my head around trying to muster the strength to do so. They felt like lead sitting in my eye sockets. My hair stuck to my face, greasy and unkempt, smelling oddly of dirt and smoke, the feeling of uncleanliness irritating me further in my inability to just open my damn eyes. If I can just lift my hands up to my face I can pry them open, push my hair back, anything. I try lifting my arms but they too, feel like I’ve had a bear sitting on them and I have no awareness or feeling in them. Betrayed by my own body. I lay there, hearing the scuffle of people walking past, tennis shoes periodically squeaking on a tile floor, low chatter and beeping around all me. I can smell hand sanitiser, soap and rubbing alcohol permeating the air, the uncomfortable smell tickling my nose and bringing back memories of injuries of the past. I start to focus and then all I am able to focus on is t
“In the hospital… he all but told me. He stepped up and took my father’s place. He took my place, while I was sedated in that bed. We never stood a chance that day. He set everyone up. He is the reason my parents are dead. I should have known when only they lost their lives that day. It was targeted.” I say seething. My fists are clenched so tight my knuckles are turning white and I have to reign myself in to keep from clawing myself through my palms. The tears welling in my eyes are threatening to spill and I will them to stay in their place. Nolan has a hand on the small of my back, the sparks dancing along my skin like a calmingly delicious jolt of comfort that tingles all the way to my heart. The sign of a True Mate. I had yet to acknowledge it, but now I obviously can’t deny the truth. Grams confirmed my suspicions, but what does this mean I am? What is he? “Yes. But he didn’t count on you surviving. I never left you in the hospital, alone. He knows you are more than what we sa
Nolan’s POVWe leave Clara and her grandmother in the office to have a moment to speak and my chest is tight walking away from her. I can barely think of anything but her as we make what feels like the twenty mile long stretch to the top of the stairs, when in reality it is a mere four doors down the hallway. I reach the top of the staircase and exhale heavily, not realizing I had been holding my breath the whole time. “They will be okay, she will be okay, Nolan.” Brianna reassures me as she wraps her arm over my shoulder. “I just can’t fathom not knowing such a big part of herself for her entire life. Her grandmother essentially told us she is like we are, how are we supposed to continue keeping that from her? What do you think her gift is, if she is like we are?” “Ohh I honestly can’t wait to find out. This is going to be incredible, Nolan. To have someone like us, as a part of our family! And when she isn’t being suppressed anymore she is going to feel so powerful. Not to mentio
Adam’s POV I woke up with a brain melting migraine, trying desperately to peel my eyes open. Where the hell am I? The last thing I remember is going to the edge of the territory to go shopping and fill my empty fridge and meet Leila Knox, the wolf I met on a dating app to see if she was my mate. Living in a more private pack makes finding your mate a lot more difficult, and my schedule as a warrior makes it extremely difficult to make it off territory. I figured I may as well kill two birds with one stone, meet her for coffee and then get groceries on my way home. If she ended up being my mate, at least I could buy whatever food she liked, my own pitiful rationale mixed with wishful thinking told me. I just couldn’t wait to see the gorgeous girl with honey brown hair and golden eyes. She has consumed nearly every thought of mine. Too bad I never made it to her. I stopped for fuel at a station just outside of our territory, hopped out of my truck, put my debit card in the reader and
Adam’s POV (continued) “What the hell is this? Who the hell is this? And uh, a little later there bud.” I say, showing Brianna and Britton the message. “So they knew you could be possessed by the demon, and told you to get selenite, but they were too late. We need to see if we can get a trace on this number or track down an IP address, VPN, carrier information or something. Unless it’s a burner, we’ll find them.” Britton says. “We have to at this point. Now I have even more questions than answers. And who is the redhead? Am I supposed to know a redhead?” I say to the room. “Leila’s not a redhead?” Britton asks “Nope, she’s got a gorgeous head of thick honey hair.” Brianna says, winking at me. “Let’s see if we can salvage this before Nolan gets back down here.” “Salvage what?” Nolan asks, coming down the stairs. “Nothing important.” I say quickly. “Ooooh not true. Adam’s love life. However now that you’re back I suppose that will be on the back burner. You should definitely te
Clara’s POV We all follow Nolan in a somewhat single file line upstairs to our respective rooms, Brianna is thrilled and giddy, probably pumped full of adrenaline and now sugar from today’s activities. Everyone aside from her seems either exhausted or solemn or both. Nolan pulls Adam aside for a quick talk and a hug, and we all go about our business heading to bed so as not to intrude on or hear their conversation. Grams reels me in tight to her side, locking our elbows and resting her head against mine. I nuzzle her from the side, rustling her perfect hair with my forehead; my own silent feud simmering down, knowing she just wants me safe. She has always been my safe place and my rock, yet now I’m supposed to trust Nolan this way, as my partner, my true mate. My stomach churns at the thought of trusting another person as wholly as I do her, or even more so, as they say with your mate. With her free hand, Grams pulls my face towards hers and places a gentle kiss on my forehead as sh
Nolan clears his throat and backs away from me slowly, smirking and trying to hide his embarrassment. His lips are red and swollen, and his eyes are twinkling, flickering between his brilliant blue and the gorgeous amber Color of Sabre’s. Seeing this strong Alpha male smirking at me isn’t helping the situation at all.. I, on the other hand, could just about die from embarrassment. Now that we’ve disconnected I can smell my arousal in the air around us. I shoot up from the couch, tucking my hair behind my ears and then putting my fingers on my lips, still feeling the tingles of the mate bond on the now inflated feeling skin. I’m sure I am as red as a tomato from the tip of my ears to my toes. I cross my arms over my chest and shuffle my feet, looking at my grandmother before lowering my head. “Oh sweet girl, he is your mate. You don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s not like I’ve never seen two people kiss before. However, I’ve never seen your beautiful skin such a shade of scarlet...”
Clara’s POV ******* I’m a bundle of nerves. I can feel my anxiety running through me like electricity crackling in my veins. I smooth the front of my dress down at my waist trying to collect myself. Nolan left me a note on my nightstand asking me to meet him in the small clearing behind the pack house for a romantic picnic dinner. No one has ever gone through the trouble of something so sweet or elaborate for me. I usually hate surprises but I can’t wait for this one. I follow the trail of tea lights from the edge of the woods towards the clearing, walking carefully as not to make much noise. I know he’ll be able to catch my scent once I’m close enough anyways. I’m playing different scenarios in my mind, imaging doing a lot more than kissing him thanks to this romantic scene. The wind is blowing softly, the smell of pine and Rainier cherries wafting around me. It’s not cold but it’s not warm enough. I wrap my arms around me to comfort myself from the wind chill, wolves don’t get co
Clara’s POV I watch as Nolan retreats up the stairs to his office, following the auburn haired vixen from my nightmares, literally. I can’t help but wonder about their history, especially after walking into the kitchen seeing her hands on his arms.. Those arms are mine. It took every bit of control I have to muster the energy to reign in my wolf. Carina is strong and seeing someone eyeing Sabre aka Nolan has her gnashing in my mind, still trying to claw her way through and slice Irina’s throat. But I can’t just hold Irina accountable, I’ll need to find the courage to grill Nolan about her when I see him after breakfast. Grandma eyes me warily while we make our way through the breakfast buffet, as I stab waffles with more zest than necessary, imagining their faces as I do so. I’m moving my way to the sausages, picturing a different appendage when she finally breaks the awkward simmering silence of anger. “Darling girl, if you don’t control your stabby behavior, the rest of this pack
Clara’s POV ******* I’m a bundle of nerves. I can feel my anxiety running through me like electricity crackling in my veins. I smooth the front of my dress down at my waist trying to collect myself. Nolan left me a note on my nightstand asking me to meet him in the small clearing behind the pack house for a romantic picnic dinner. No one has ever gone through the trouble of something so sweet or elaborate for me. I usually hate surprises but I can’t wait for this one. I follow the trail of tea lights from the edge of the woods towards the clearing, walking carefully as not to make much noise. I know he’ll be able to catch my scent once I’m close enough anyways. I’m playing different scenarios in my mind, imaging doing a lot more than kissing him thanks to this romantic scene. The wind is blowing softly, the smell of pine and Rainier cherries wafting around me. It’s not cold but it’s not warm enough. I wrap my arms around me to comfort myself from the wind chill, wolves don’t get co
Nolan clears his throat and backs away from me slowly, smirking and trying to hide his embarrassment. His lips are red and swollen, and his eyes are twinkling, flickering between his brilliant blue and the gorgeous amber Color of Sabre’s. Seeing this strong Alpha male smirking at me isn’t helping the situation at all.. I, on the other hand, could just about die from embarrassment. Now that we’ve disconnected I can smell my arousal in the air around us. I shoot up from the couch, tucking my hair behind my ears and then putting my fingers on my lips, still feeling the tingles of the mate bond on the now inflated feeling skin. I’m sure I am as red as a tomato from the tip of my ears to my toes. I cross my arms over my chest and shuffle my feet, looking at my grandmother before lowering my head. “Oh sweet girl, he is your mate. You don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s not like I’ve never seen two people kiss before. However, I’ve never seen your beautiful skin such a shade of scarlet...”
Clara’s POV We all follow Nolan in a somewhat single file line upstairs to our respective rooms, Brianna is thrilled and giddy, probably pumped full of adrenaline and now sugar from today’s activities. Everyone aside from her seems either exhausted or solemn or both. Nolan pulls Adam aside for a quick talk and a hug, and we all go about our business heading to bed so as not to intrude on or hear their conversation. Grams reels me in tight to her side, locking our elbows and resting her head against mine. I nuzzle her from the side, rustling her perfect hair with my forehead; my own silent feud simmering down, knowing she just wants me safe. She has always been my safe place and my rock, yet now I’m supposed to trust Nolan this way, as my partner, my true mate. My stomach churns at the thought of trusting another person as wholly as I do her, or even more so, as they say with your mate. With her free hand, Grams pulls my face towards hers and places a gentle kiss on my forehead as sh
Adam’s POV (continued) “What the hell is this? Who the hell is this? And uh, a little later there bud.” I say, showing Brianna and Britton the message. “So they knew you could be possessed by the demon, and told you to get selenite, but they were too late. We need to see if we can get a trace on this number or track down an IP address, VPN, carrier information or something. Unless it’s a burner, we’ll find them.” Britton says. “We have to at this point. Now I have even more questions than answers. And who is the redhead? Am I supposed to know a redhead?” I say to the room. “Leila’s not a redhead?” Britton asks “Nope, she’s got a gorgeous head of thick honey hair.” Brianna says, winking at me. “Let’s see if we can salvage this before Nolan gets back down here.” “Salvage what?” Nolan asks, coming down the stairs. “Nothing important.” I say quickly. “Ooooh not true. Adam’s love life. However now that you’re back I suppose that will be on the back burner. You should definitely te
Adam’s POV I woke up with a brain melting migraine, trying desperately to peel my eyes open. Where the hell am I? The last thing I remember is going to the edge of the territory to go shopping and fill my empty fridge and meet Leila Knox, the wolf I met on a dating app to see if she was my mate. Living in a more private pack makes finding your mate a lot more difficult, and my schedule as a warrior makes it extremely difficult to make it off territory. I figured I may as well kill two birds with one stone, meet her for coffee and then get groceries on my way home. If she ended up being my mate, at least I could buy whatever food she liked, my own pitiful rationale mixed with wishful thinking told me. I just couldn’t wait to see the gorgeous girl with honey brown hair and golden eyes. She has consumed nearly every thought of mine. Too bad I never made it to her. I stopped for fuel at a station just outside of our territory, hopped out of my truck, put my debit card in the reader and
Nolan’s POVWe leave Clara and her grandmother in the office to have a moment to speak and my chest is tight walking away from her. I can barely think of anything but her as we make what feels like the twenty mile long stretch to the top of the stairs, when in reality it is a mere four doors down the hallway. I reach the top of the staircase and exhale heavily, not realizing I had been holding my breath the whole time. “They will be okay, she will be okay, Nolan.” Brianna reassures me as she wraps her arm over my shoulder. “I just can’t fathom not knowing such a big part of herself for her entire life. Her grandmother essentially told us she is like we are, how are we supposed to continue keeping that from her? What do you think her gift is, if she is like we are?” “Ohh I honestly can’t wait to find out. This is going to be incredible, Nolan. To have someone like us, as a part of our family! And when she isn’t being suppressed anymore she is going to feel so powerful. Not to mentio
“In the hospital… he all but told me. He stepped up and took my father’s place. He took my place, while I was sedated in that bed. We never stood a chance that day. He set everyone up. He is the reason my parents are dead. I should have known when only they lost their lives that day. It was targeted.” I say seething. My fists are clenched so tight my knuckles are turning white and I have to reign myself in to keep from clawing myself through my palms. The tears welling in my eyes are threatening to spill and I will them to stay in their place. Nolan has a hand on the small of my back, the sparks dancing along my skin like a calmingly delicious jolt of comfort that tingles all the way to my heart. The sign of a True Mate. I had yet to acknowledge it, but now I obviously can’t deny the truth. Grams confirmed my suspicions, but what does this mean I am? What is he? “Yes. But he didn’t count on you surviving. I never left you in the hospital, alone. He knows you are more than what we sa
***Flashback Chapter***I awoke to the sound of steady beeping. My eyes felt too heavy to open, so I thrashed my head around trying to muster the strength to do so. They felt like lead sitting in my eye sockets. My hair stuck to my face, greasy and unkempt, smelling oddly of dirt and smoke, the feeling of uncleanliness irritating me further in my inability to just open my damn eyes. If I can just lift my hands up to my face I can pry them open, push my hair back, anything. I try lifting my arms but they too, feel like I’ve had a bear sitting on them and I have no awareness or feeling in them. Betrayed by my own body. I lay there, hearing the scuffle of people walking past, tennis shoes periodically squeaking on a tile floor, low chatter and beeping around all me. I can smell hand sanitiser, soap and rubbing alcohol permeating the air, the uncomfortable smell tickling my nose and bringing back memories of injuries of the past. I start to focus and then all I am able to focus on is t