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~Gemma~ We had a goddamn rat in the Midnight Sky Pack. I glowered at the rat in question. He shrank from my hostility. “Gemma! Are you fucking paying attention?” Alpha Devlin griped at me. I put my hands on my hips. “I’m not and you fucking know it!” We crammed in the conference room. It was late and we never got our French toast thanks to said rat. He witnessed the altercation at Fame and alerted Alpha Devlin. The meddling alpha intercepted us in the parking lot. “Gemma, for goddess’ sake, take a damn seat.” My grumpy alpha commanded. I sighed. Damon sat at one end of the conference table, the alpha at the other. I was pissed at Damon still, but headed in his direction. A low, trickling growl came from Dev. Fuck it! I took a chair in the middle. Damon smirked. He sat in his chair as composed as a regal king. His hands rested on this crossed legs, ever the gentleman. Alpha Devlin wore ripped jeans, no shirt of course, and his feet were bare. His body draped over his chair wit
~Alpha Devlin~ Fuck me! This situation was fucking wrong. Here I sat with my former lover and her current lover. I hung out on the sidelines witnessing their longing stares and flirtatious interactions. I wiped a hand down my face as I waited for the fucking leech to answer my questions. My wolf paced restlessly, crying out for release. We needed a run, a good meal, and possibly a fuck too. I would get none of that. Shit! For a moment I faced my worst nightmare, Gemma pregnant by someone other than me. I mean, it could have been mine. But the timing was off. Vampires couldn’t procreate in the traditional sense so this smirking asshole couldn’t have gotten her knocked up anyway. A fleeting image of her rounded with my child seduced my mind. Fuck! Thankfully, no nightmare pregnancy for us. I glanced at Irina. She did seem off her game. Not as feisty as usual. I frowned, worrying about her situation now. As if I didn’t have enough bullshit on my plate. The vampire’s red eyes bored i
~Gemma~ Tyson made coffee while we three ladies sat at the kitchen island. I had to admit, the Chase boys were real handy in the kitchen. Damon sent me a text, wishing me and Irina a pleasant visit and promising to contact me soon. I sent him a heart eyes and a kissy-face emoji. Irina took my phone and set it on the counter. “Gemma, he did wrong tonight. Let that hot-headed vamp sweat it out for at least a day.” “You’re right.” I pouted. “But I don’t have to like it.” Alpha Devlin strolled in wearing black jeans and a white tee. His hair had been combed. He caught me ogling him and he smirked. Dammit. “Now who the fuck is hungry?” He asked. We all raised our hands, including Tyson. “Hey Ty!” I grabbed the corner of his shirt as he poured me coffee. “One lump or two?” He asked cheekily as he grabbed the container of my stevia sweetener. I ran a finger down his arm. “I prefer two. But then you know that, right?” I winked at him. “Christ, Gemma.” He swallowed, his Adam’
~Gemma~ Shit! He looked pissed. Like really pissed. “Dev.” His rage-filled roar reverberated in the office. “Do not call me that!” I risked it. My hand rested on his chest. “Why did you ask if you didn’t want to hear the truth?” “I knew the goddamn truth. I saw the way you two stared at each other, the way you touched. I had to hear you say it. I had to know what he said was the truth and not fucking bragging.” He pulled at his hair. “How did this happen?” It felt like a rhetorical question. I attempted anyway. “It just happened organically. No magic, no fucking predestined bullshit. It happened along the way, amidst all our interactions, sharing, caring, and plenty of fighting. One day I just knew.” He stared at me, eyes roaming over my face. The crushing weight of his pain crept over me. I thought he would punish me by letting me wallow in his hurt. Instead, he wiped away my tears with his thumbs before pulling me into his embrace. I hated my tears. I hated the way he held
~Gemma~ So much for my big, bad ladyballs. I hid at home for the next week, licking my wounds and coming up with a game plan for the rest of my life. ‘Gemma?’ Yes, I had the willpower to disobey the alpha. His voice held no special pull over me. I gave him a whole lot of silence. ‘Very mature.’ ‘Don't box in my personality with your expectations of me! It's my damn day off! What do you want?’ ‘Day off? It's Wednesday.’ I sighed. ‘For cripe's sake! We moved to a 9/80 work schedule. Today is my day. Try again tomorrow. Thank you.’ I shut our link down. No emergency that I could detect. He would have said right away. Wouldn’t he? Today was my day to dedicate to Fat Kitty. I promised him some quality. We ate snacks and decided to binge watched all the Hobbit movies. I just started the second movie when a loud thump came from my balcony. Shit! Fat Kitty skittered away to his safe room. I unlocked the sliding door. “Alpha Devlin? What are you doing here?” He breezed into my home li
~Gemma~ Our Gamma was a fucking badass bitch. We did our pre-game dance, which included an embarassing amount of twerking and hand movement. We ignored the snickers and laughs directed our way. I didn’t hug her or get mushy. Instead, I encouraged her. “You go out there and kick some wannabe ass! Show us all why you are the mothereffing Gamma! Go get this done so we can get drunk later tonight!” I swatted her ass. “Claws out. Balls out, baby!” “You got it, shorty!” Sammie cracked her knuckles and then her neck. She wore a black sports bra and some fitted, knee length shorts. Earlier, I braided her hair and helped her with makeup, mainly lipstick and mascara. Let’s be honest. The girl needed no adornments. We gathered outside in a cleared area in the woods. The snake pit, we called it. Sammie made her way to the ring where Tim already waited. Fucker. I fidgeted, pulled at the skirt of my dress. It upset me that Sammie had to go through this more often than I liked. It was hard to
~Gemma~ Like a chickenshit coward, Blake thrust me away from him. I would have fallen if Alpha Devlin had not caught me. With a blur of movement, he was just there, uprighting me on my feet. Adrenaline still coursed through my body. Alpha Devlin looked me over quickly, a finger trailing along my collarbone. I stared at the ground, unwilling to share more of my feelings than necessary. “Alpha Devlin, she came onto me. I was just about to refuse her…” Blake suddenly shut up, probably from the expression on the alpha’s face. Tyson punched him square in the nose. Blood spurted, spewing out in impressive arcs. Sometimes the movies get the gory scenes right. “Try again, fucker! Shall I remind you we are able to sense Gemma’s emotions? What she felt was not consensual.” Blake covered his face, tried to talk but it sounded garbled and confused. “Don’t bother to talk, lying bastard. We saw the entire interaction.” Tyson got close enough to Blake to shoulder him hard. Damn these wolf ga
~Gemma~ We sat on his bed. It was that or the floor. I wrinkled my nose. It smelled like guy in here. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting company.” He apologized. “Whatever. So this is simple. We will share truths until the debt is satisfied.” I squared my shoulders. “Ask your question.” He shrugged. “ Are you and Alpha Devlin dating?” “No.” I answered, frowning. “My turn. Why do you want to be Gamma?” He rubbed his face. “I’m tired of being worthless. Being Gamma will ensure my importance within the pack. A female, such as Sammie, should be an easy target. Unfortunately, that wolf is fierce.” I frowned again. “You realize that line of thinking is all kinds of messed up?” “Yeah. You helped me realize that. Next question. Do you actually think you are the lowest member of the pack?” I nodded. “Without the goddess, I would have little of value to offer the pack. I couldn’t heal anyone. I cannot shift into wolf to help defend the pack. I hold no real position. Nobody can ever challenge m
~Gemma~ I cuddled the crap out of a wiggly Little Zander. Yes, I was actively avoiding Rina. “Nobody understands me like you do, little dude.” I squeezed him again for the hundredth time. He stared at me with those dark, sage eyes of his. “Are you hiding out in the nursery?” I startled at the sound of the Alpha’s mocking tone. Where the hell had he come from? His hulking frame looked ominous in the cheery and bright room. “What of it? Mind your business.” He crossed those powerful arms of his across his expansive chest. “You are clinging to my son like your life depends on it. Hence, it is my business.” My shoulders hunched a little as I sat Little Zander down. When his hands immediately grabbed for me, I scooped him up again. “It’s no hope for it now, Alpha Zander. Little Z is my new bestie at the moment.” I winked at him. His sweet, cherub face smiled back at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beta Solar pass by the doorway. “Hey! Beta! Wait up!” I yelled after him, kno
~Alpha Zander~ James crossed his arms. “The witch has a name. It is Gemma. She prefers to be addressed as such.” James walked deeper into the kitchen. His gaze taking in the gamma’s body on the floor. “She attacked Marcus.” I pointed out the obvious. James rolled his eyes. “Marcus is the biggest douchebag around. I could feel her hunger from out there. How could it not be choking everyone from here? We tried to find her some food super early this morning and there was nothing. She was acting weird. Weird for her.” Irina remained quiet, listening to what James said. She studied her mate and then turned to Marcus’ body. “How long until he wakes up?” I wondered. “It was only an apple.” Irina frowned at that. “He will rise when I wish him to. Is anyone offering to go retrieve her? Because I am more than capable.” I nodded my head at James. “The witch,” I began. The look on James’ face irritated me. Given the circumstances, I let it ride. “Gemma,” I corrected. “Go get her and bring
~Gemma~ Why me? Just why? I rolled over, spitting out hair stuck to my mouth. My whole body hurt, like I’d been beaten with a baseball bat. Fuck! I untangled from the bedding. Yeah. Still clothed. Thank goddess. It was ten in the morning. Great! My food hunger still raged. At least the other was nowhere to be found. The day looked bright so far. Before knocking on Rina’s door, I heard feminine moans followed by a giggle. Jeez! I called out. “Um. I hope you guys realize this room is so not sound proof! My imagination is wildly out-of-control now. Thanks for that!” Driven by desperation, I made my way back to the kitchen. Surprise, surprise. Today’s search came back fruitless. Almost. I played with the apple in my hand, debating on eating it. On one hand, it was stupid. People were starving in the world while I agonized over my lack of options. I sat in the same chair I had occupied only hours earlier. I pinpointed the exact moment when my solitude had been breached. “Well, what
~Gemma~ The next night, I received a phone call from an unknown number. “Hello?” “Gems? Thank fuck! Are you okay?” Dev spoke quietly. WTF? I tried multiple times to contact him via mindlink to no avail for the past day. His phone number had been changed. And now he decides to call? When I’m an emotional fucking wreck? Avoiding the goddess' hungers wore me down, physically and emotionally. “Gems?” Shit! I answered. How could I not? “How’s Tyson doing? And Sam?” “Ty’s fine. Sammie is a fucking trooper. I’m convinced they only survived because of the enhanced strength the goddess bestowed upon them.” He hesitated. “Listen…” “Dev, I can’t. I need space to breathe. Let my anger simmer and then maybe I’ll be in the mood to listen.” I hissed at him. “The thing you saw with that she-wolf, it was a mistake I immediately regretted. It didn't get very far.” He went silent for a few moments. I could still hear his breathing over the line. I kept my mouth shut. Otherwise I might cause
~Gemma~ The day was a win so far. The sun glared down on us, warming the water. We met a few pack members. Everyone seemed nice and welcoming. Well, this one she-wolf gave me the stank eye. What could you expect? Rina snagged one fo their most eligible bachelors. Alpha Zander spent more time with me that was necessary. When Little Zander was carted away to take a nap, I joined Rina and her mate in the hot tub. She dangled her feet in the hot water, a towel wrapped around her shoulders. I scooted over, sitting on the opposite side to face them. “This is cozy. With all his money, the alpha couldn’t spring for a bigger hot tub?” What was that all about? When my foot accidentally touched his, I drew my legs up on the seat with me. “Sorry. Not being rude. But there is no freaking way I want any of your spillage.” I apologized. Rina giggled. “Will you help me unpack later?” I glared at her. “We packed most of that crap! I am aware how much is stuffed in those bags and suitcases.” “I
~Gemma~ I stared at Alpha Zander, disoriented for a moment. “Um.” I faltered. “So you’re a blank, right? Maybe tomorrow we can ask Rina to verify. Otherwise, good for you.” He watched me in silence for a moment. “Care for another drink?” “I think I’ve had enough.” I pushed my chair back and stood. “Will you think about what I said?” He stood with me. “About what?” “Joining the Moon Tide Pack and remaining with Irina.” I rolled my eyes. “No pack has two witches. That’s greedy, alpha.” He sighed, irritation riding his voice. “Avoiding the question. Again.” I lifted one shoulder. “It’s a personality quirk. Irina and I together is a lot to handle, you brave, delusional soul. Yes, I will think about it.” “Whatever your current salary, we will double it.” “Wow. That’s a lot for a troublemaker.” His statement stunned me. “I assume you can also help out with pack matters and meetings.” “And Rina?” “As the mate to my beta, her place in the pack is secure. No games, no bullshit. S
~Gemma~ As soon as Rina laid eyes on me, she scowled. “It was meant to drain you of your powers, right?” I asked her. “How do you know?” “Because that’s how I feel! Fucking drained!” I whined. Irina rolled her eyes. “She’s hangry. When is dinner? This one often forgets to feed herself. Then, everyone around her pays the price.” “Hey!” I said. “Rude, but accurate.” “Call the goddess and have her restore your strength.” Rina suggested. I groaned! “Not that bitch! Haven’t I suffered enough?” “Gems!” “Fucking fine!” I summoned her. It must have been my lucky moment of the day. Her cool power swept through me, revitalizing me. She never came to the surface. I felt full, like I had plenty and still had excess left over. Out of curiosity, I touched Alpha Zander’s arm. A shocked expression covered his face. I held on for a count of three before running over and placing a a hand on Rina and her mate. She gasped, clutching at my hand. Beta Solar groaned, in a good way, not complain
~Gemma~ He convinced me all alphas were a chip off the same stupid block. “Are you for real right now? After everything that has gone down?” “Did you sleep with him?” Alpha Zander hissed at me. I rolled my eyes at the his dramatics. “Yes! I slept with him. I would think that fact was obvious.” I wore a black tee-shirt. Alpha Zander’s tee-shirt to be exact. The very one he ripped off his back and ordered me to wear after storming my room. I say my room loosely. The alpha owned it all. “Did you fuck him?” “Bingo! Now we’re getting somewhere.” I crossed my legs. “No, Alpha Zander. I did not fuck James. Not that I think it is any of your damn business.” Beta Solar entered the office. “Gemma, she is awake and asking for you.” I got up and left, making a swift exit from that troubling conversation. When Beta Solar noticed my outfit, I said, “Don’t ask.” My head nodded in the alpha’s direction. Irina sat up in bed. I rushed to her side. “Hi, love! Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke.
~Gemma~ Alpha Zander pushed through the crowds of his pack members. “Move!” He roared. People scattered upon his demand. Something in me snapped as I stared at the nightmare in front of me. Her injuries were extensive. Irina laid on the ground, bloody and broken. Her beautiful black hair sprawled around her, like a bride’s veil. She reached her hand up to me. I grabbed it, kneeling beside her. As her excruciating pain and sorrow rolled over me, I ripped it all away from her, bottling it up in the pits of my rapidly blackening soul. Beta Solar crouched down on her other side, his face a mask of torment. “It’s done, witch. We have them.” I closed my eyes, shuddering in relief even as I absorbed her pain. “I’m dying. We’re dying.” Rina’s voice sounded so very weak. "No spell I cast can fix this." A smile curved on my lips as I swept the remaining hair covering her face to the side. “Do you really think I’d ever let you abandon me in this shitshow? Quiet, while we heal you.” I patt