[Dove]My eyes opened to a burst of sunshine in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about last night. Staring at my reflection, visions of Cole kept replaying in my mind - his concerned face, passionate eyes and loving smile. My gaze trickled down to my lips. A finger reached up to feel those plump red lips and I recalled the warm pressure and roughness of his lips. A shiver of goosebumps came all over me. Somehow, knowing that Megan likes Jude, the air was fresh again and my chest felt lighter. The dread from the past few days seemed non-existent and I kept wanting to smile. For some reason, I also took longer than usual to get dressed. The final decision - my best white dress. It snuggled comfortably around my body, showcasing my nice shoulders and rosy knees and allowing sneak peaks of my womanly assets. After a few turns in front of the mirror and smiles of satisfaction, I made sure that my face glowed in the right places and then I strolled to the dining area, humming to a
[Dove]My mind went frantic. I wasn't ready to tell Cole. Make up something, Dove! I screamed internally. I said with a dismissive tone, "It was just a pot. I didn't notice it was hot and carried it." As I wiggled my fingers, the redness dissolved. My hand was normal again. I frowned - the healing took longer than usual. Could it be that strange smell from the candle fragment? I thought. More questions sprang. How did silver get on that candle? What happened in that cave? Someone shook my shoulders and the kitchen returned to my view. Two large hands were on my shoulders and I was looking into Cole's blue eyes. He was crouching in front of me, deeply rattled. "d*mn it, Dove, can you hear me? What the hell's wrong with you?" I blinked a few times, flashed an assuring smile and said, "Sorry. I was just thinking," He straightened with a frown then crossed his thick arms across his chest, and I suddenly recalled the feel of those arms around my waist, his hard warm chest ag
[Dove]So my husband left me in the middle of the dance floor. I know men are creatures of few words but this is too much. Moving away from the dance floor, I contemplated whether to throw Cole over a cliff or remove Beef Wellington from our meals. Megan came into my view. She was staring at something - or someone - and her face was clearly upset. Following her line of gaze, I saw Jude in a dark corner, hugging and kissing another woman. My eyes swung back to Megan and she turned and ran. I followed her. I found her outside the village, sobbing quietly. Despite her effortless threats, I stayed with her. We chatted for a long while on the scratchy grass in the comfort of the glowing round moon above the stretch of distant mountains as waves of the night cool breeze flooded through us. I thanked her suggestion of playing a fast song after two slow ones to keep the celebratory mood; she confessed that she was using Cole to get back at me because she thought that Jude liked me.
[Dove]"We need to talk, Cole."Slick hair glossed to the back, moist bronze skin, damp shirt - I could tell that Cole had gone to the waterfall. My eyes were drinking in the gorgeous sight of him until he said in a curt tone, "Stop staring."I glanced away from his muscled chest and then focused on his eyes instead, but the intense stare was as distracting. "So what is it?" He asked impatiently. The old tone was back. My shoulders heaved with a dreaded thought: maybe what happened between us so far was just a lie. Visions of smiling and caring Cole flooded into my mind. I inhaled sharply. I didn't want us to be strangers again. "I thought we should have dinner together. We haven't eaten together since the feast," I said in a cheery tone. He folded his arms, narrowed his gaze and said, "I have been busy.""I understand," I quickly nodded and said, "but you promised to have at least one meal a day together."He scoffed and let out a cold chuckle. I swallowed the bitter
[Dove]As a punishment for breaking the rule of stepping into forbidden grounds, I had to help with the harvesting and help out at Connie's B&B. Cole didn't tell me this - Megan did. She was my new 'escort' - Owin had left the village for his political duties and Jude needed to increase training for the young warriors. As for Cole, we were back to square one - he was missing in action again. I have not seen him for a week. "Okay, give me that." A toned bronze arm slithered into my blurry view and removed the beet from my stagnant hand. I blinked the mist away, looked up and smiled at a bemused face. "Cry or smile - choose one," Megan shook her head and threw the beet into my basket, "don't do both - you look scary." I returned to the record book and scribbled a note about the unusually small beet that just went into the basket. Megan sounded so much like Cole that it felt like he was next to me. The thought reddened my eyes again. I turned from her and lifted my chin to
[Cole]"It didn't feel right," Dove whispered, her temple against Cole's thick biceps. She wove her arm around his and drew herself closer to him and continued, "I was nobody to Her and She saved me. So She couldn't have been as cruel as you--."She straightened and checked Cole's expression.Cole gazed into her dark round eyes. He reached out to caress the swollen face and swallowed hard. What happened to her, he thought. Another hand went out to comfort her other eye. Then, they slid down to cup her tear-stained cheeks. His thumbs started soothing the soft skin underneath. Slowly, he pulled her forward and took her lips. She shuddered slightly under his sudden touch. He started nibbling on the familiar plumpness and she relaxed. He pressed closer to take in all of her giving and then tore his lips away with a loud smack. Seeing her dreamy expression, eyes half-closed, the familiar wave of pride washed over him. Cole pushed his hands together, compressing Dove's soft pale c
[Abe]"The world is unfair." Abe said to his audience in a low impassive voice, "so it's up to us to make it fair." He paused and an evil grin spread across his face. "We're going to take down the Whispering Moon Pack and divide their lands fairly between us." The Alpha of the Silver Claw Pack, a lanky lad with a messy undercut, revealed a condescending sneer and said, "You do know that Cole's mutt has been sniffing around." "I know." Abe was slightly irritated by the tone. The young Alpha creased his brows in contempt, "Cole's an idiot for letting that smiley thing attend all meetings for him. Are we a joke to him?" Liking what he saw, Abe raised his nose with the air of a king and smirked, "He has a wife now so he'll be busy." "That silver hair freak?" The young werewolf threw his head back and laughed. Wiping the tears in his eyes, he said, "Your plan is wicked, Abe. That'll teach him not to turn his back on the Goddess.""Shushed!" Abe glanced around warily for an
[Dove]I had been toying with the dilemma for days. How would Cole feel when he learned that the ones he loved had tried to harm the thing he protects? The pain would be unbearable. But Megan was insistent to tell Cole - the Alpha has to know everything about the pack. I relented. We will talk to Cole. But he was still away. CONNIE'S BED & BREAKFAST is Connie's private property; she lives and works there. It is far enough to escape the hustle and bustle of the village but still within a walkable distance for a casual visit.Situated near the highway, it serves as a place of solace for lost and tired humans. It has also been serving as a lookout to warn the village of unexpected danger or persistent intruders, thus keeping the pack invisible and safe. Interestingly, my time with Connie had been increasing since Cole left. There was always something she would needed help with. I felt like I was being kept busy on purpose. "Dove!" I looked up from the pot of steaming stew a
[Dove]Where he had bitten stung furiously the next morning. I had to ice the area whilst Cole kissed me whenever he got the chance. I knew he was trying to comfort my pain, but I still glared at him in the swooning effects of his kiss. Then, as my pain subsided slightly, he broke the news to me:Claire had left the pack at dawn with Abe. She would bring Abe back, then find my father and convince him to leave the Moon Paw Pack. "It could take a while," her hand-written note explained. "But I will succeed.' I read the note again then folded it. She had left the note on the kitchen counter and Cole found it when he was getting the ice. "When will she be back?" Cole muttered. I shrugged, feeling hopeful. "She didn't say specifically." Cole dropped his head and shook it with a chuckle. "I have to review the rules. People are leaving the village freely without my consent." Seeing that I wasn't in the mood for a laugh, he sat closer and I rested my head on his shoulder. *
[Dove]My eyes grew misty again. Before I made a crying mess of myself, I leaned forward and captured his lips as his arms circled around my waist and pulled me close. When we broke away, Patrick and his band played a fast piece and I laughed out at the memory of the feast and my complaints. Scanning the faces that had long become familiar, their smiles bore new meaning for me - their acceptance of me as a member of their pack. I had wanted to be a priestess of the Moon Goddess because I thought I would be accepted without judgement at the house of the Goddess. She cares for and protects us so I would feel accepted. But it turns out that I was welcomed and accepted unconditionally in a place where I should feel the least kinship. Tears welled up in my eyes once more as Cole hugged my shoulder, faced the villagers and thanked them. Once their applause faded, they dispersed to the trays of steaming food.Cole returned to me. "I have many witnesses now." He wiped away the wet
[Dove]"Come on, Dove!" Megan's voice crashed into my dreams. Visions in my slumbering mind burst like bubbles. I felt my body's weight once more and groaned quietly. "Wake up. We got a long day ahead." My covers were rudely torn from me and a cold gust washed over me. I shivered slightly. "What long day do we have? Stop it, Megan," I grumbled. A hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a sitting position. Then, two hands cradled my cheeks and squashed them hard, like a soft toy. My eyes flared open at the pain and I looked soberly at the annoyed face. "You. You have a long day. Let's go." Megan took my wrist again and pulled me off the bed. She tried to push me towards the bathroom when I stepped aside and gave her a solemn expression. Throwing her arms down, she shot me an exasperated look. "Okay, what? Come on, say."Cole's tone in her voice brought a surge of tears to my eyes. "Oh no, no, no, no." She grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard. "You're not doing this t
[Dove]Cole wanted to stroll back to the village. I wondered what came over him as his fingers weaved through mine, and he clasped my hand, palm to palm, keeping me close while we walked away from the waterfall. He glanced at me and chuckled softly. "What's wrong?""You're unusually cheerful," I noted to him. He answered with that sunshine smile of his that I loved and I was mesmerized. Quickly, he looked ahead with a frown. "Stop looking at me like that." His voice was gruff again. I blinked. Realizing what he meant, I stared ahead as my cheeks betrayed me again. The forest felt suddenly alive with the leaves crunching under our feet and the distant chirping of birds. Winter's coming, I thought, while admiring the bald trees. For some reason, Patrick's bowl-shaped hair came into my mind and I laughed. Cole smiled with furrowed brows. Then, his eyes widened and he glared down at me. "I hope you're not thinking of another man." He halted his footsteps, pulled up our t
[Cole]That d*mn woman was at it again. Cole was expecting his wife to be all cheery when he reminded her about their promise of forever. Jude said that women love it when men remember such things.Well, not his wife, apparently, Cole cursed silently.She shot him a frown and said with an innocent shrug, "What did I promise? I can't remember."But then her cheeks flamed up. Cole's eyes widened slightly. Under daylight, her blushing cheeks appeared sunburnt, her smooth, fair skin glowed like silk, and her silver hair sparkled like stars in the darkest night. She looked ravishing, he thought and swallowed hard. Looking down with a chuckle, he returned to her face with a similarly innocent smile. "You look like you need to cool off."She flinched. "No, I'm fine." And then, her fingers pressed on her warm cheeks as if to cool them down. "I think you do." Were his last words before he took her by the wrist and pulled her towards the lake. Dove used her small body's weight to t
[Cole]Forever - was what she had promised him. He won't let her go this easily. She hadn't woken up or returned to her human form since the battle. And it had been three days. Cole stared at the white wolf on his bed, sensing Dove's fragility and growing more despair. He focused on her tiny breathing, fearing that it would go away. Claire quietly appeared at his side. "Thank you for keeping my secret."The giant Alpha didn't respond. Cole had figured out Claire's identity when she first saved Dove from the rogue wolves. It wasn't hard as long as you look at the facts close enough - aside from Jude, Megan, and himself, Claire was the last of the first to know when Dove left the village, so she would be able to get to her in time. When Claire saved Dove again, Cole had realized Claire's special power - hypnotism. Jude had been right about the ancient rumors - wolves with special powers do exist. They are rare, but they live amongst them. But Cole didn't know everythi
[Dove]A hand pressed on my shoulder. Claire - my mother, Alisa - stared at me with her usual stony expression. Then, her arms went around me and she hugged me gently. "My baby," she whispered softly in my ears. "Your power is what you make of it. It's your choice." "But I don't know what it is! How do I use it?" I wailed anxiously. She pulled back and stared at me with a keen look. "You know what it is."I sniffed. Studying her face, a wave of calmness overtook me, then a series of flashbacks screened in my mind like a human movie. One thing stood out clearly and it was something that I had been trying my best to achieve, all this while. I want to protect the people I loved. Instantly, my hair burst into a glorious white silver light. It grew stronger and brighter, and my eyelids grew heavier. I closed my eyes and all the smiles that I wanted to protect flashed before me. My body exploded with warm energy.******[Cole]There was silver in the veil of smoke weaving
[Dove]The villagers and I were standing on guard at the gate, facing the bluish-grey mountains when Connie came up behind us. "A force is coming. Seven odd." This was unexpected, I thought. Who could it be? I wanted to ask when Abe's face barged into my view. My heart seized for a moment. An unknown fear crept into my mind. What is he doing here? Shouldn't he be at the battle?"Dove," Abe said calmly. His mask was completely off, showing his raw emotions and darkest desires. "I didn't expect you to be here." He raised his head to the blackening sky and inhaled deeply, then returned to us with an evil grin on his face. "I wasn't expecting the village to be guarded." Realizing that he was up to his old sneaky ways, I straightened. "You never change."An eerie cackle escaped his grinning lips. "Aren't you bolder now?" His smiling eyes fell into a death stare. "You think that marrying an Alpha changes your status, don't you? Did you tell them, Dove? About your special gift."I
[Dove]I awoke to an empty bed. Feeling the dent on my bed, Cole's warmth kissed my fingers. I realized that he had only just left. Probably to catch up on the preparations for tomorrow, I thought, feeling lonely without his presence. Instinctively, I reached to the back of my neck and felt - nothing. A comforting smile spread across my lips. I managed to stop him. Then, I pulled my knees up, covered my face in them and broke down into tears. I want him to mark me. I want him as my mate. He's my mate, my mind screamed desperately. Why do I have such a sad life? I keep forming dreams only to have them shattered by my own hands. Someone knocked softly at my door. Hastily, I sniffed hard and wiped away anything that would betray my vulnerability, then I answered the second knocking. Claire entered with my breakfast. She raised her hand to above her head, placed the tray on the bed and then pointed at the steaming beef broth. Cole told me to cook this for you, she signed.