Malachai's POV."We just left him there to die!" Sarah, my first Lieutenant, cries out in disbelief. Sarah is without a doubt one of my best soldiers. She is well-trained, smart, and very motivated, but her emotions often tend to get the better of her."He was a fool." I keep her gaze with mine. Her brown eyes burn bright with fury. Her jaw is clenched so tight that I can see a small vein pulsing just beneath the curve of her jaw. Her fists are clenched into balls by her side. Her entire body is rigid with rage. The rest of my soldiers are all staring at me as well. Waiting for my answer. Waiting for my reaction.But unlike Sarah, I have learned to keep my emotions in check a long time ago. I no longer allow them to control me the way she does. I don't allow them to cloud my judgement, and I most certainly don't allow them to get in the way of our mission."He put us all at risk. He made a fool's mistake, and he paid the ultimate price." I keep my tone even and my voice steady.Sarah'
Malakar's POV."Order! Order, please?" Vladimir, our pack's chief elder, and my father's voice rings out over the protesting. His voice is clear and still powerful enough to cause them all to stop talking immediately. They all turn to face him, and he resumes his seat next to my mother.Because I have refused their order to reject my bond with Hope, they feel that it is necessary to involve the rest of the pack. I think that they believe that if I hear it enough times I will eventually start to agree with them. So, they called for a pack meeting, and now we're all gathered around so that they can all have the opportunity to raise their opinions, and in the end I must agree with them and do as they ask.That's the plan, but I have no intention of going along with it."Now, we've heard from everyone else, Malakar. But we still have not heard from you." "Please?" My father gestures to me, implying that the floor is now open, and I finally have his permission to say what I have to say. Th
Lucian's POV."Apologies for interupting your little moment, ladies. It looked serious, but we need to talk.""Talk about what, Lucian? What the hell are you doing here?"I regard Talon with raised eyebrows as he takes a step towards us and speaks on behalf of his alpha. My beta would never do that. None of my wolves would. They respect me too much, and they know better. But Malakar is a weak alpha. He probably doesn't even mind that his beta takes control."Oh, I'm sorry Talon. What I actually meant was that the grown-ups need to talk. I'm here to see Malakar. He is your alpha, isn't he?" I lace my voice with as much sarcasm and distain as I can manage. Talon clenches his fists and growls at me. He takes another step towards me. And still Malakar does nothing. He just stands there, staring. Typical."You know that he is. What the hell is that question supposed to mean?"I shrug and smirk at Talon. I can see the anger rising up inside him. He reminds me of a puppy pretending to be a b
Hope's POV."Try and get some sleep, Hope.""You can count on it." I wave over my shoulder at Dr. Moore as I rush over to the parking lot. It's pouring with rain and everything is shrouded in a thick, grey blanket of mist. I'm soaked down to my skin by the time I make it to my car.I've just finished a grueling twelve hour shift as a trauma surgeon at the Black Hollow Medical Center, and I'm dead on my feet. I cannot wait to get back to my apartment, curl up under the covers and sleep.I'm just about to open my car door when I feel something slip over my head and I'm surrounded by pitch black darkness. A pair of hands close around my arms and it feels like they've been placed in a vice-grip. I try my best to struggle, but the hands have got such a tight grasp on me that it's useless. I barely move. The strong hands move down my arms to my own and they tie a rope around my wrists. The rough, slightly bumpy texture immediately digs into my skin."You're coming with us, Doctor." A danger
Hope's POV.I fell asleep at work. I fell asleep and now I'm dreaming a very, very weird and realistic dream. It's the only thing that makes sense. It's the only logical explanation.Why else would I be taken against my will by one of the most attractive men I've ever seen and taken to a campsite full of equally attractive men just to be led to the actual most attractive man I have ever seen in my entire life, ever? Why else have I not heard about Camp Hot Stuff before?I assume that the man, covered in blood, on the stretcher in front of me is the dangerous (-ly sexy) Malakar.He is absolutely, breath-takingly stunning. A towering figure that commands both my fear and my desire at the same time. His jet-black hair is long, thick, and wavy and it frames his handsome face with its sharp features to absolute perfection. His full mouth hints at both cruelty and temptation. His body is a masterpiece of raw, masculine power. His deeply olive toned skin stretches over his beautifully formed
Hope's POV.I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy and the back of my head is throbbing. I'm vaguely aware of frantic whispering. I recognize one of the voices. It's Talon."Why'd you have to hit her so hard, jackass?"There is a brief moment of silence."I didn't. I can't help it if she's so fragile."Talon scoffs. "Yea, well you can be glad that Malakar was passed out. He would have had your head for laying so much as a finger on his mate."Another moment of silence follows. Longer this time."He made a mistake, right? Malakar I mean. He can't have a human as a mate. He's an Alpha. It doesn't make any sense."Talon sighs heavily. He hesitates before he answers. "Look man, I don't know. We don't get to choose who we bond to. You know that. It happens when it happens."He gently moves my body into the front seat of my car and brushes the stray strands of damp hair out of my face. I feel the warmth radiating from his body. It's a comforting sensation."But the elders will never all
Malakar's POV."Where the hell is she?" I demand from Talon as he tries to hold me down."Who are you talking about, Alpha? And where exactly are you trying to go?" He has a serious look on his face.Not only is Talon my Beta, but we've been friends for as long as we've been alive. He's like a brother to me. I trust him with my life.I stop struggling so that he'll let go of me. "I'm talking about the girl. My mate. Where is she?"Talon raises his eyebrows at me. "So that really happened, huh?"I frown at him. "What are you talking about? Of course it happened."I knew it the second I saw her. Mating to a human is rare, extremely rare actually, but not impossible. And there is no way I can deny the fact that it happend to me. I could feel the unmistakable pull between our souls. I felt the shift in my existence. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the only thing that mattered to me from that moment on, the only thing that meant anything to me, was her. My soul purpose in life is
Hope's POV.I roam the forest for hours in search of Camp Hotstuff, but it's like it never even existed. I walk around aimlessly in hopes of running into Talon or Malakar again. Mostly I hope that I run into Malakar, but Talon will do as well.I'm soaked and freezing. My wet hair clings to the side of my face and I'm really out of breath. The forest is completely shrouded in grey mist that makes it impossible to actually see anything.I consider turning around and heading back home. It's my day off, I'm tired, and I could be in bed right now binge watching Teen Wolf, but something inside me won't let me. I feel something pulling me forward. Almost like my feet know where to go even if I don't. It sounds really weird when I think about it, but it's like I can sense Malakar. Like I know that he's close, I just have to keep looking.I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. All I can think about is him. Those piercing yellow eyes that looked right into the deepest parts of my soul.
Lucian's POV."Apologies for interupting your little moment, ladies. It looked serious, but we need to talk.""Talk about what, Lucian? What the hell are you doing here?"I regard Talon with raised eyebrows as he takes a step towards us and speaks on behalf of his alpha. My beta would never do that. None of my wolves would. They respect me too much, and they know better. But Malakar is a weak alpha. He probably doesn't even mind that his beta takes control."Oh, I'm sorry Talon. What I actually meant was that the grown-ups need to talk. I'm here to see Malakar. He is your alpha, isn't he?" I lace my voice with as much sarcasm and distain as I can manage. Talon clenches his fists and growls at me. He takes another step towards me. And still Malakar does nothing. He just stands there, staring. Typical."You know that he is. What the hell is that question supposed to mean?"I shrug and smirk at Talon. I can see the anger rising up inside him. He reminds me of a puppy pretending to be a b
Malakar's POV."Order! Order, please?" Vladimir, our pack's chief elder, and my father's voice rings out over the protesting. His voice is clear and still powerful enough to cause them all to stop talking immediately. They all turn to face him, and he resumes his seat next to my mother.Because I have refused their order to reject my bond with Hope, they feel that it is necessary to involve the rest of the pack. I think that they believe that if I hear it enough times I will eventually start to agree with them. So, they called for a pack meeting, and now we're all gathered around so that they can all have the opportunity to raise their opinions, and in the end I must agree with them and do as they ask.That's the plan, but I have no intention of going along with it."Now, we've heard from everyone else, Malakar. But we still have not heard from you." "Please?" My father gestures to me, implying that the floor is now open, and I finally have his permission to say what I have to say. Th
Malachai's POV."We just left him there to die!" Sarah, my first Lieutenant, cries out in disbelief. Sarah is without a doubt one of my best soldiers. She is well-trained, smart, and very motivated, but her emotions often tend to get the better of her."He was a fool." I keep her gaze with mine. Her brown eyes burn bright with fury. Her jaw is clenched so tight that I can see a small vein pulsing just beneath the curve of her jaw. Her fists are clenched into balls by her side. Her entire body is rigid with rage. The rest of my soldiers are all staring at me as well. Waiting for my answer. Waiting for my reaction.But unlike Sarah, I have learned to keep my emotions in check a long time ago. I no longer allow them to control me the way she does. I don't allow them to cloud my judgement, and I most certainly don't allow them to get in the way of our mission."He put us all at risk. He made a fool's mistake, and he paid the ultimate price." I keep my tone even and my voice steady.Sarah'
Hope's POV.I wrap my hands around my throat and gasp for precious air. Jenny and the E.M.Ts are staring at me with terrified looks on their faces. An ice-cold chill runs down my spine and for a split-second I have no idea what to do next. Then I realize that no one else except for me knows about Malakar and the existence of his kind. Jenny and the E.M.Ts probably think that this man is hopped on something strong and that he got attacked by a bear or a mountain lion, and that his friends left him in the park because they were just as hopped up as him.Again, my instincts as a doctor take over and I can feel my mind start to relax a little. I hear the alarms of the monitor sounding and I realize that I have to try and resuscitate this man. My body starts to move, and I begin to shout instructions at Jenny again. She comes out of her daze and jumps into action. The E.M.Ts know that their work here is done, so they turn around and leave.Jenny bags the man and starts pumping oxygen into
Hope's POV."Hope. Hope, can you hear me?" I hear nurse Jenny's voice as if it's coming from far away. My thoughts are not here. They're back in the forest with Malakar.I can't seem to stop thinking about him and the conversation we had. Malakar is a werewolf. Not only that, but he's the alpha of his pack. What I know about werewolves is what I've seen on TV or read about in books. I must be the one losing the plot now. How can I believe all of this? How do I still want to get to know him? Why am I not running for the hills? It makes no sense to me at all. I am a doctor. I believe in science. I believe in that which can be researched, tested, and proven. I don't believe in anything supernatural. Well, I suppose I didn't until now.I have a very uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach about all of this. In all the movies and all the books, werewolves are dangerous and unpredictable creatures. They hunt and kill without mercy. They are violent and ruthless, and, above all else, they ha
Malakar's POV."I've been looking everywhere for you, Malakar."I turn my head slightly to look at Velara as she walks into my tent. Her eyes are soft, and she's smiling, but I know why she's here, and I'm in no mood. "I wasn't hiding from you." I hope that she hears the irritation in my voice. She does, and the smile fades from her face."We need to talk. Avoiding me and the rest of the pack elders won't do you any good. This problem won't go away on its own."I sigh heavily and rub my chin between my fingers. "I'm not avoiding anyone, and I don't have a problem. You and the rest of the elders do. I just have more important matters that call for my attention."Velara sighs and shakes her head angrily. "Oh, come on, Malakar. How can you sit there and tell me that having a human mate isn't a problem? You're in denial!" "You know how dangerous this is. Not only for you and our pack, but for our entire species. You have to do what we discussed. The sooner you do it, the easier it will be
Hope's POV."No you're not." I giggle, a little more nervously than I intend.Malakar just stares at me with those bright eyes of his. He looks as serious as a heart attack. But he can't be. Werewolves don't exist! Do they? He's completely lost the plot.I sigh heavily as I look into his eyes. I should have known that he was too good to be true. A man this perfectly gorgeous has to have a flaw. No one is perfect.I take a small step towards him and raise both my hands slowly. I talk in a gentle tone as to not scare him away. I feel like I'm approaching a wild animal caught in a trap, and I can't help but remember the first day that I met him. The way he howled with pain and snarled at me. He reminded me so much of a wild animal that day too."Look, Malakar. The hospital where I work has a world-class psychiatric ward." "The doctors there are really good at what they do. They can help you. I can take you there."Malakar frowns at me. A deep frown that draws his beautiful dark brows tog
Hope's POV.I roam the forest for hours in search of Camp Hotstuff, but it's like it never even existed. I walk around aimlessly in hopes of running into Talon or Malakar again. Mostly I hope that I run into Malakar, but Talon will do as well.I'm soaked and freezing. My wet hair clings to the side of my face and I'm really out of breath. The forest is completely shrouded in grey mist that makes it impossible to actually see anything.I consider turning around and heading back home. It's my day off, I'm tired, and I could be in bed right now binge watching Teen Wolf, but something inside me won't let me. I feel something pulling me forward. Almost like my feet know where to go even if I don't. It sounds really weird when I think about it, but it's like I can sense Malakar. Like I know that he's close, I just have to keep looking.I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. All I can think about is him. Those piercing yellow eyes that looked right into the deepest parts of my soul.
Malakar's POV."Where the hell is she?" I demand from Talon as he tries to hold me down."Who are you talking about, Alpha? And where exactly are you trying to go?" He has a serious look on his face.Not only is Talon my Beta, but we've been friends for as long as we've been alive. He's like a brother to me. I trust him with my life.I stop struggling so that he'll let go of me. "I'm talking about the girl. My mate. Where is she?"Talon raises his eyebrows at me. "So that really happened, huh?"I frown at him. "What are you talking about? Of course it happened."I knew it the second I saw her. Mating to a human is rare, extremely rare actually, but not impossible. And there is no way I can deny the fact that it happend to me. I could feel the unmistakable pull between our souls. I felt the shift in my existence. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the only thing that mattered to me from that moment on, the only thing that meant anything to me, was her. My soul purpose in life is