“You managed to buy yourself out of the contract though? You said a year ago?”
Riley looked at me, an odd look on his face. “Doesn’t it matter to you?”
“What?”
“That I can’t have kids. That I wouldn’t be able to provide you with a family. I mean, that’s the whole reason for having a mate, right?”
I set down my mug on the table. “Riley, it’s not about having pups. Having a mate is having a partner to continue through life with. I’ve been alone for a very long time. This house sometimes makes me feel like I’m my own ghost in it. Especially since I’m up at all hours. I’ve wanted to have someone by my side. For myself, not for having pups.”
Riley just watched me for a long time before huffing. “You’re a weird Alpha.”
Smiling, I leaned back in my chair. “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He laughed and nodded. “Good.”
Looking up at the clock, it was already almost noon. It would take about an hour to get to the city
“Have you not been in a mall before?”The way Riley looked at me, it made swallow down the laugh that was bubbling up. He looked overwhelmed and I wondered if maybe I should have gone someone with less people.“I mean, I don’t know if what I’ve been to can be considered a mall after seeing this.” Riley wasn’t looking at me but down the long stretches of the mall. “How far does it go?”“There are also offshoots that turn into the food court and such. If we want to get dinner later. Come on, there are a few clothing shops down this way. See what aesthetic you like best.”I pulled him with me but he was far more hesitant. We walked past a bunch of stores until there was a few stores that sold clothes side by side. It ranged from metal to preppy, street, surf, and a few in-between.“Do you have a style or preference? All of these places are pretty different. So if something jumps out to you…”Looking at Riley, he looked like he was going to cry.
*** Riley’s POV ***“Well, well, what do we have here?”I looked up from my book. Three wolves were standing over me, blocking my view of the entrance to Target. Frowning, I looked around them for a moment but I couldn’t see Zayle anymore. Not only did I not know if they were his pack members, but they knew I wasn’t.“Little Omega, you all alone?”“No. I’m not. I’m waiting for my Alpha.” I snapped back at him.The wolf in the middle was huge but he wasn’t anything close to leadership. There wasn’t even a hint of Gamma blood. That was ridiculous. Did they think they had a chance?“I don’t see any mark. I think you’re lying.”“And I think you’d be stupid to take that chance.” I snapped my book shut. “You three that stupid?”His hand reached out and gripped my neck, pulling me up. The bo
Sighing, I closed my eyes. I needed another smoke. The Adrenalin was staring to subside and I needed something to keep my brain occupied. Otherwise, I might actually start to cry.“Oliver, can you pull into the gas station?”“What for?”I raised my eyebrow and he sighed, pulling into the pump. Getting out, I slammed the door shut. Walking in, I didn’t even bother going anywhere but up to the counter.“Can I get a pack of…I dunno…the blue box?”The cashier pointed to one and I shook my head. “Next pack over.”He pulled that one and I added two lighters to the table.“I’m gonna need to see some ID.”Sighing, I pulled out my duct tape wallet and handed him my ID. He looked down at it and narrowed his eyes.“You got anything else.”I threw up my hands. “For fucks sake. You want to see my birth date tattooed into my
Groaning, I let Oliver pull me back inside. Setting my pack and lighters on the table, I continued to let him drag me down the stairs. He took me out the back door that I didn’t even know existed, Oliver started to throw off his clothes.Oliver really was nice looking. For a Gamma, he was built more like a Beta. Larger shoulders and lots of muscle, plus the slightly longer brown hair gave him a bit more a surfer dude feeling. There was nothing lanky about him. His shift sounded terrible though. I winced as the cracking sounded like he was breaking more bones than necessary.His wolf was pretty large. I went over and rubbed his head. He was a brown auburn color with some black mixed in. Scratching under his muzzle, I smiled. One thing I never did was shift in front of people. I knew I was a scrawny puff ball.Sighing, I dropped my pants and pulled off my boxers. Pulling my shirt off, I rolled my shoulders.“Don’t go spreading it around. I
The reminder that if he marked me I’d somehow earn the title of Luna sobered me up a bit. I nodded slowly and tapped his arm. He let me slip down and I picked up my pants. I could see him struggling.It was hard not to think maybe he just didn’t want me but as I turned away from him, his hand grabbed my arm. Zayle pulled me back and slammed his mouth against mine. The kiss was passionate and loving at the same time. Thoughts that he might not want me tumbled out of my head as I nearly melted on the deck.“Shower, Rye. Then come down to the kitchen for dinner.”I nodded and watched as he headed in first, admiring his ass as he walked through the house. Smirking, I followed him up the stairs but he was already slamming the door to his room. Going to my room, I left the door open behind me. All the bags we had gotten were on the bed and I started to rummage through them.Grabbing the shampoo and other bathroom items, I took them in wi
“Riley.”I hummed, looking up from the castle the characters were storming after the prince finally died.“If the Alpha King gets involved…”“Zayle, I said don’t worry about it. You have enough stress. This bullshit is what it is. Bull. Frankly, the Alpha King can shove a hot rod up his ass. He’s done nothing for me. As a rogue, as a slave, or as an Omega. If anything, he’s made things worse. So I don’t give a shit what he says. He cannot do anything to me that’s worse than what’s been done.”Zayle sighed. “He could take you away from me.”“Why? Because I’m not Luna material? Because some she-wolf dressed up like the mother from Matilda said she’s better than I am? Alpha, please. I’m not really sure I want that title but I sure as hell have more respect for it than she does.”He finally smirked, squeezing
I didn’t want to wake up. The blankets were warm and the scent of lavender still clung to the air. It was light outside but the only reason there was to get up was the fact that Zayle was out of bed. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed my eyes.It wasn’t raining now but it seemed like it had just ended. Slipping out of the blankets, I went into the bathroom to relieve myself. A quick brush through my hair and I pulled it up into a top knot. Walking out, Zayle was sitting at the dining table was a laptop, some of the leftover muffins in front of him and a cup of coffee. He looked up and smiled.“Good morning.”I nodded. “Morning.”“I’m headed into the pack house today. I need to talk to my Dad and actually get some work done.”“Can I go with?”Zayle seemed amused at my question. “Of course. Get dressed. Did you want breakfast?”Shaking my head, the thought of eatin
Zayle disappeared up the stairs and I couldn’t help the smile the spread to my face. Turning, I went into the kitchen and smelled the coffee in the pot currently. Not only was it at least a day old but it smelled burnt to hell. Taking the pot, I rinsed it out and scrubbed it clean before wiping it out to put it back. There was a second machine but it looked clean and not used recently. Rummaging through the cabinets, I found the coffee and everything else I needed.I did use both machines, since I could at least ensure that it wasn’t burnt. If there was only me, Kirk, Oliver, Zayle, and Cesar, that could be a single pot but I had a feeling others would be coming in and out. So making both pots actually drinkable for people seemed like a good idea.As it dripped, I tried going through and organizing a few things since it looked like people just threw shit into the cabinets rather than putting them away. The first coffee pot finished just as I finished stacki
I leaned back in the lounge chair, trying to take the doctor’s advice to rest. It was going to rain soon. Everyone was outside playing, dressed up for the occasion. Their rain coats and rain hats in different colors made it easy to tell them apart.Nero and Fabian were leading their two other siblings through the grass in search of anything interesting. That included an acorn, a snail, some leftover streamers from the twin’s seventh birthday party yesterday, and a peculiarly colorful rock. Each one of them were set out on the deck stairs, though Mr. Snail was trying to make a very slow escape.I smiled as Lily slipped and as she stood, her face was covered in mud. Nero got down on one knee and wiped off her face with the edge of his shirt. The twins were the perfect mix between Zayle and I. Not quite identical though. Nero was just a little larger than his brother, but to the untrained eye, you might easily mistake them for each other. Lily was Zayle’s clone and our youngest for the mo
Leaning forward in my chair, I had my head in my hands. I’d never felt so exhausted. Currently, I was only taking a break for moment before I needed to go back and help. Downstairs, Oliver and Kirk were trying to corral everyone into a more organized way. It wasn’t great, but it was something for now.Cesar was also helping now, since he informed the ministers of what had happened. They would take a few days to get here and for the moment, he could also direct the knights to help where they were needed too. We had to deal with the damaged windows too which Vincent had picked up immediately.We’d put Zayle in my office, since I had a loveseat put in to take naps when I needed it. Oliver basically ordered me to take a break and it wasn’t helping that while Selene, with her last bit of power closed my wounds, they still were fresh and raw. I couldn’t relax but it was nice to have a little peace.There was a knock on my door and Belle opened it up, a mug in her hand. “Luna, I thought some
I couldn’t stop staring at Cesar. He was worried about what just happened but I had no words to describe what I was looking at right now. The fact that I had to then tell Zayle ‘Hey, your dad is like thirty now again because he’s taking over as Alpha King’ had all my words caught in my throat.The only thing that tore my eyes away from him was when Jasper started to whimper. Selene was leaning over him, hands made of ice griping his chin.‘You have kept your fears hidden for a long time, wolf. You have acted as though all wolves are equal in your eyes. Made them love you with your lies. But I see past that, Nightfang. I see past all of the facades you hold so dear.’He openly wept as the goddess’ anger crackled and lightening struck the ground.“Will you take his wolf?” I asked, not sure if I could bear another cry like Yara’s.‘No, my little rain wolf. Despite the poison and ugliness, this one will be useful to you in the future. He has already burned his path and I will ensure when h
Part of me wanted Selene to kill him. I wanted to watch the life leave his eyes with a look of utter regret on his face. That was personal though. A hatred that was my own and something I needed to work through on my own. Especially after Selene passed her judgement. It was final and I would not dare go against it. Whether or not I felt he was worthy of it.There was a few moments of Selene standing in front of Kane before she moved. His face was still completely blank, in the daze like everyone else. Her hand pressed against his chest and when she pulled away, a white ball of light burned brightly in it. Closing her fingers around the light, it disappeared.She continued through the group, doing it to every single person on their knees. Selene did leave Jasper and Yara in the corner as they watched the display of our goddess’ raw power. Turning her back, she walked back to stand next to me.‘I am done passing judgement on these ones.’I nodded and started to order them off the platfo
I took a single breath before rain poured from the sky like a bucket had been tipped onto us. Lightening flashed bright and screams from the pack sounded as the thunder tore through the center of town. Glass shattered and I felt my breath get stolen away from me for a moment. Opening my eyes, I wanted to cry out in relief.Selene, silhouetted by the rain, stood between Jasper and I. His sword had turned black and was crumbling at his feet. He was holding his hand which turned a fire red.“Selene…” My voice was hoarse but her name came out more as a prayer than anything.‘I’m here, my little rain wolf. I’m here.’My body slumped forward and I let the post hold up my weight. “My pack…”She chortled, the thunder following but were flashes of lightening streaking across the sky. ‘I know, little one. However, I must deal with these strays.’I smiled and nodded. Jasper stumbled back a couple steps, looking at the figure made of the rain before him. Fear consumed his face and even his knight
“Where is the whip? Why aren’t we whipping him? Why aren’t you shutting him up?” Jasper was manic as he ordered his own knights around.I felt bad for them. This must be so jarring for them. No one was comfortable with what was happening right now. Not even the Councilors, their faces marred with conflicting emotions. They weren’t about to stick their neck out against an angry Alpha King though. The only one who looked absolutely pleased was Yara. She had Kian blood running through her so I didn’t doubt how much that poisoned her.“Alpha King…we…we are ready.”Lifting my head off the pole, I braced myself against the wood. It wouldn’t do me any good to jerk and hit my head. I kept my eyes closed, trying to keep my body from tensing up. That also would do more harm than good right now. If I could focus on my back getting hit, it would protect our pups better.‘Zayle?’ I tentatively reached out to him through the mind link.‘My love…my love…my sweet mate…stop this. Please stop this. Tel
My eyes widened as I saw a group of high school students, including Jake, Curtis, Haley, and Franny coming forward. All of them were running together and I felt fear course through me. Not only should they not be here but they should be safe up north out of reach of the council.“No! You guys! Go home! You shouldn’t be here!” I called out to them.Jake smiled at me and shook his head. “We can help.”One of the girls stepped forward, a folder in her hand. “I am Anastasia Hansen. Councilor Constantine is my father, Alpha King.” She bowed her head. “I work part time at the clinic under Dr. June. She is our town’s OBGYN.”The sound of silence felt heavy as all attention moved to her. However, Councilor Constantine looked livid at his daughter. She stepped forward with Curtis and another one of the boys flanking her.“I was working the day Luna Riley and Alpha Zayle came in. This is their chart. I can confirm that Luna Riley is pregnant. The blood tests and even the photos are all here.” S
With how the center of town looked last night, it was almost like we were transported into a completely different place. They set up a huge platform in front of the statues of the wolves and I snorted. Zayle sucked in a breath seeing the post coming out of it. I’d seen one and been tied to something like it plenty of times of times. I wondered if this was the first time he saw one in person.From around the area, I watched as more and more of our pack started to meander into the area. They kept to the edges and I was happy to see none of the younger kids were present. Oliver and Kirk came forward but the knights kept them from reaching us.“It’s okay.” I smiled and nodded to them.Zayle was focused ahead, looking for the one person who was about to decide our fate. He wasn’t there on time, of course. The clock tower tolled one and we continued to wait. The skies were growing darker and I let myself lean against Zayle. He was standing tall like a statue and I closed my eyes.“Rye, don’
*** Riley’s POV ***When I woke up, I was alone. It was quiet but it was different than normal. The air was heavy and it felt harder to breathe. Sitting up, I buried my head in my hands. I’d fucked up yesterday. I’d been so good but I’d snapped. It was one thing to snap at a Councilor or one of their kids, but the Luna Queen?I was so fucking stupid. Oliver was giving me a play by play of what happened after I left. Everything was my fault. I’d ruined our chances of doing actual good. Worse, I may have gotten Zayle removed as Alpha. He didn’t deserve that. Not because of me.My eyes slipped to the window. It was dark, the clouds threatening rain, but I wanted it to be raining. I needed to speak with Selene. She might know something…anything that I could do that would fix this. As it stood, there wasn’t many options that we had left.The bed next to me and Zayle’s scent meant that he had been up for at least an hour. It was still early in the morning though. Getting up, I padded downst