"I know what you're thinking... I should be home right now, and you're right, but my dad hasn't come back yet. I'm pretty sure I have abandonment issues because I can't sleep unless I know he's in the house. I guess it's because my mom left when I was around four...I hardly remember her face anymore. My dad's always making these irresponsible, immature decisions and I just want him to be safe, you know?" My voice caught in my throat. "He's all I have now. My own mother walked out on me. I feel like that pretty much shows how worthless I am. If something happens to him, I'll be all alone. It's like he doesn't even consider that in his decision making, but that's all I can think about...that's my biggest fear." Tears began to stream down my face. I buried my face into the wolf's soft fur as its snout nuzzled against my chest. After crying out all the sadness and frustration I had been holding in for a long time, I found myself laying against the wolf's warm body, my breath slowing into
The next day of school flew by. Dad was less annoying and overprotective today, so he actually let me take my car. I got up early, picked myself up some breakfast from the local diner, and listened to my favorite jams on the way to school. With plans to hang out with Jasmine in the afternoon, I was looking forward to a taste of normal teenage life.I didn't spot Dante in English class or anywhere in school, but I hesitated to inquire about it from Jasmine. Texting him seemed intrusive; after all, who was I to pry into his business? Still, a part of me genuinely wanted to make sure he was okay.After the last bell, Jasmine invited me to meet her at the mall. Peach and Mya were tagging along, so it felt like an opportunity to get to know them better. Nervous but excited, I embraced the chance to spend time with the whole group.I approached the food court and spotted them sitting at a round table. Jasmine noticed me and ran over, pulling me in for a tight hug. Her excitement was contagi
Once Peach removed her slutty hands from him, Jasmine eagerly stepped in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. You've been too busy to hang out with me for a while now," she teased. "You know that's not personal Jazzy," he replied, kissing her on the forehead. It was nice seeing them being nice to each other. Rashaad grinned upon spotting me awkwardly standing behind the other girls. "Well, well, well...if it isn't my angel!" he shouted. Striding over, he wrapped me in his bulky arms, slightly lifting me off the ground. His scent was a blend of citrus and sandalwood, emanating a wonderfully masculine aroma. If I weren't entirely uninterested in him, I might have been impressed. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Dante's face harden. Was he jealous? Wait, what was I saying... of course, he wasn't; he had Peach throwing her ass at him. Rashaad put me down but kept an arm around my waist. If looks could kill, Dante would have stabbed him a hundred times by now.Peach scoffed, as if
My thoughts drifted as we navigated through the mall, entering practically every shop. Despite my reluctance to be here, Jasmine had a point. With my dad not returning until tonight, going home would only lead to driving myself crazy with thoughts about the looming secret. However, staying here didn't seem to offer much relief either. Seriously, what did my dad do that everyone knew about but me? Why relocate us to a place where all his secrets could be unveiled? The questions echoed in my mind, demanding answers I didn't yet possess."Angel! Angelique!" Jasmine's voice pierced through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. I looked around, noticing that the boys had vanished. Damn, I was dissociating so intensely that I hadn't even noticed their departure. We were in Charlotte Russe, the girls engrossed in trying on clothes while I waited for them to finish. Although this was my favorite mall shop, my mood had taken a nosedive, and all I wanted was to go home and confront my
I entered the house, finding Dad seated on the couch, patiently awaiting my arrival. The ambient lights danced, casting ominous shadows on his face, intensifying the gravity of the moment. A palpable tension hung in the air, nearly suffocating the room. "Hey honey, take a seat," he uttered with a calm demeanor, yet the worry line etched deep on his forehead betrayed an underlying concern.Inhaling deeply, I settled into the chair opposite him. "Do you know what I want to talk about?" I inquired in a hushed tone.He offered a simple nod. "Yes, I've been made aware."Made aware? How? When?"Angel, there's a lot of things that I haven't told you. I-I've just been waiting for the right time, and I hope you don't hate me for this," he began, his words hesitant and weighted with a mix of remorse and apprehension.I held my breath. My heart pounded so fiercely that it felt as if it could explode at any moment. An overwhelming fear gripped me as I awaited the next words from his lips. Was he
Dante's POVAlpha, I finally told her, David's voice echoed through the mind-link as I was running the perimeter at the edge of my territory.I'm guessing that didn't go well, I replied.No, she sped off in her car. She just needs to process it. I know she will come around eventually, David responded, his words carrying a mix of concern and optimism.Let me know the second she does. I cut off the connection, frustrated that David didn't know where Angelique was. His calm demeanor unsettled me; I needed to ensure her safety. With only three days until she shifted for the first time, the urgency weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn't fathom how terrifying it must be for her. While I had my entire childhood to prepare, she only had until Friday. I didn't agree with him waiting so long to tell her, but it wasn't my place or anyone else's to intervene.Jazzy nearly slipped up today, but thankfully she didn't. It was nearly unbearable watching Angel in so much emotional distress and still n
Angel's POV It was around midnight as I stepped into the house. As I flicked on the kitchen light, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of my dad seated at the table. Despite his evident exhaustion, there was a palpable eagerness in his eyes as he spoke, "Angel, I'm glad that you came back. Where have you been?" "Sitting in my car on the side of the road," I mumbled, settling into the chair across from him. My body felt drained from the tears that had flowed relentlessly."Are...are you feeling better now?" he hesitated to ask. I breathed out a heavy sigh, "No, but there's nothing I can do but accept it, right?" It would have been nice to have known all this shit a few years earlier, or at least to have had a say in the decision to move here. However, I realized that embracing the inevitable was the only path forward.He nodded silently."I have some questions then."Again, he nodded. "I knew that you would. What would you like to know?" His nervous habit of rubbing the back of hi
Dante's POVThree days had passed since I last saw Angelique. Tonight, she would be getting her wolf, and I would finally discover if she was my mate or not. I had been checking in daily with David to inquire about her well-being, but his response remained consistent.She had locked herself in her room and refused to come out, even to eat. David claimed that he kept slipping granola bars underneath the door, but they were starting to pile up on the other side. She was starving herself, and who knew if she was getting any sleep. If she continued down this path, she would end up in the pack hospital. Shifting for the first time was excruciating and exhausting, and it would be even worse for her if she hadn't slept or eaten in three days.Jasmine and I had arranged to visit her after my pack meeting this afternoon. The Alpha from our neighboring allied pack, the SilverClaw Nightwalkers, was in town to discuss the recent surge in rogue attacks. I felt a growing sense of concern as the att
Two years later*Dante's POV "Daddy! Daddy!" Aiden squealed as I lifted him into the air. He had my hazel eyes, brown-curly hair, and the cutest button nose. An urgent knock on my office door interrupted our play. "Dante, there has been news of another attack," Akira announced. From the worry lines on his forehead, I could tell this was a big one. "Alpha Brock's entire pack is dead.""Great," I muttered. "Again, Daddy!" the little boy in my lap demanded, pouting his full lips. "Daddy will play with you in a little while. Why don't you go find Mommy and Norah?"I set him down, and watched his cute, little legs carried him out of the room. I waited patiently for a few minutes before mind-linking my queen. You got him? Yep. We're heading to the garden with your mom. So don't get too paranoid with me being gone, okay? There was playfulness in her tone. Okay, be safe. Come inside immediately if you see anything. I love you. I love you too, forever and always. I knew I had been a bit
Justin's POV My fallen brethren lay scattered on the ground, many of them headless or shredded into pieces. The stench of death was horrific, yet no worse than what I endured in the caves. King Jett was a merciless leader, killing anyone who dared question or defy him without hesitation. Although, it did mean plenty of food for us. He never anticipated losing this war. He was too cocky, too blind to see the errors in his plan. Finally, I came upon his body, which was badly burned. I searched for a spot that hadn't been completely barbecued. "You poor, stupid bastard," I muttered, crouching down and shoving the long, thick needle into the back of his thigh. Pulling up the plunger, I drew the dark liquid into the barrel of the syringe. It's finally mine! How dare Jett try to keep this power all for himself!Wrapping a rubber band around my arm, I inserted the needle into a vein. I pushed the plunger down and immediately felt power flowing through me. It was excruciatingly painful ye
Angel’s POVThe weight of betrayal pressed heavily on my heart as a single tear trailed down my cheek. Swiftly, the knife flew from my hand and sliced across David's jugular, and he fell to the ground. Thankfully, Mom landed softly in the grass. David's dark eyes bore into mine, their life quickly fading. "What did you do?" Mom sobbed loudly and uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around her dead mate. "Mom, are you okay?" I rushed to her side, panic coursing through me. "Somebody call Doctor Johnson! She needs to go back to the hospital now!" Jalen ran a hand through his hair, frowning. "Uh, about that...he's dead. David killed him." "I know damn well with this large pack, we didn't just have one doctor, right?" I screamed, my frustration boiling over. I can't lose her too! I just can't. But Mom's grip tightened on my hand, drawing my attention back to her. "It's okay, honey.""W-What are you talking about?" I stammered. She...she wants to die?"I want to be with him."With
Angel’s POV The adrenaline kicked in as an ear-splitting growl rippled up my throat. I crouched down and launched myself at Jett, determined to free my mate. Jett released Dante and grabbed me just as I was about to maul his face off, holding my face back as I viciously snapped at him. His claws slashed across my cheek, drawing blood, before he flung me aside. I skidded across the forest floor, stopping just before I hit a tree. Through the pain, I gritted my teeth and pushed myself upright, already feeling the wound heal.Dante snarled. Are you okay? I nodded. Just because Jett used my mom's blood to turn himself into a giant demon wolf didn't mean he was invincible. His silver claws still had no effect on me, I just had to keep them away from Dante. Dante, I want you to stand back now. I promise I can take him. Do you trust me? My voice was steady as I met his gaze, willing him to let me do this. A glint of fear flashed in Dante's eyes, but he nodded and retreated to the edge of
Angel’s POV"Where the fuck did Jett go?" Jalen demanded as he jogged back over to us after removing everyone's cuffs. Peach and Mya went to aid the other warriors. The fighting had finally subsided as the remaining rogues were taken to the dungeon. Now, we only had two more bad guys to deal with. Dante, Jalen, Rashaad, Akira, and I followed David's scent trail. The Moonshine spray must've worn off him because I could smell it clearly. Whether I was going to capture or kill him, I hadn't decided yet, but I had time to figure it out. It was surreal being naked around all these men, yet I still felt confident. I guessed this was normal for werewolves anyway."Eww fuck, I just stepped on a dick with my bare foot!" Rashaad suddenly exclaimed. Akira grimaced. "You might want to burn your foot off, man."I glanced down and shuddered at the thought of what could have happened. I pictured it in flames, hoping Jett would soon face the same fate when I sent him back to hell where he belonged
Angel's POVWar broke out right before my eyes. I needed to free Dante and find out where Jett and David ran off to, but the rogues wouldn't stop attacking me. There was an overwhelming number of them everywhere. Our side was working hard to take them down but avoiding their claws made killing them take longer than usual. Dakari and Brock defended the pack members that couldn't shift. Many of them ran into the forest once the fighting started, but Rashaad, Akira, Peach, Mya, and Cassidy remained by the cage, refusing to leave Dante's side. Mya had somehow found Jett's dick knife and started stabbing any rogue that tried to get past to hurt the others. Noah, I can handle myself. Get all of the wolves who can't shift into the dungeon, so they won't get hurt, I ordered. Giving me one last conflicted glance, Noah yipped and took off into the forest. I continued clawing and tearing into flesh, ripping out throat after throat. Blood was being spilled everywhere from both sides, but to my
Dante’s POVAfter Noah bandaged my abdomen, he was in charge of watching us along with another rogue. Nobody had said a word since we were locked in the cell. We all just waited for our inevitable doom that was fast approaching. Hours seemed to past before David came down. "It's time for the ceremony," he announced coldly. Nobody moved a muscle as he entered the cell. He gave everyone another dose of wolfsbane, besides me. Katherine's heart rate had slowed as soon as we came down here, so they finally had Doc take her to the hospital. Who knew if she would survive or not. If she wasn't Angel's mom, I would've wished death on her just so he could suffer. I glared up at him. "How the fuck could you let him do this to your daughter?" I growled, feeling the muscle in my jaw jumping up and down. "It's not personal, punk. I just need my mate back. I would say you'd never understand, but you will after tonight," he snickered. Not persona
Dante's POV "Alpha, are you okay?" Peach asked softly. She was staring at the dark liquid pooling from my wound. "No, he's not okay. We're all going to die!" "Shut up, Rashaad," Akira hissed. I ignored their bickering and even my own searing pain, focusing on the only thing I cared about. My mate and pups were in danger, and there was nothing I could do about it. We were all chained up to the floor in a black van heading back to North Carolina. Jett, David, and Angel rode in a separate van that was leading the way. He sent the rest of his army on foot. I knew Jett wouldn't try to touch her until the mating ceremony, but just knowing that he was alone with her drove me fucking crazy. There was no way I was letting her go through with this. I'd rather die than let her be raped and mated with the devil himself. The sound of Katherine's moans snapped me out of my thoughts. "Angel," she whimpered. "
Angel’s POVA figure came of the shadows, red eyes piercing through the darkness. He was tall with espresso brown skin and long, black dreads. His nude body was rippled with unnatural muscles, even his ankles were bulging with them. He held a silver blade to Dante's throat while maintaining a tight hold around his neck. Kira lurched forward in my mind, ready to tear them apart, but I pushed her back. Growls erupted all around me, everyone's instincts kicking in from the sight of their Alpha in distress. "Don't attack," I said sternly. They only wanted me, so they had nothing to lose killing Dante. More wolves appeared. There was one I recognized, Justin. His hand was gripping Akira's neck while holding a knife at his side. He forced Akira down onto his knees, but he only looked down at the ground. There was not a single trace of fear in his calm and collected features. Noah growled at his brother. He sneered in response. "I'm just finishing the job that you c