The sun was starting to set. Lola stood by the window in the living room as everyone else had headed out after the contracts were signed. She looked at the houses down the road with the lights on. The mansion was on top of a hill, and the view of the town was mesmerizing.
“Hi, you.”
She turned around in shock when she heard Ash’s voice.
“Hi,” she said coldly and glared as he walked in.
“How are you feeling?”
It was odd, she thought, that Ash was the first to ask her that.
“Like I just signed my life away,” Lola answered and crossed her arms over her chest.
Ash raised his shoulder and smirked. “You did,” he answered without any sugarcoa
Jax’s wolf stood to his paws. Lola didn’t step back. Something about him felt safe. Whether it was his size, the unmeasurable strength, or the fact that he was a wolf was unknown to her, but she did know one thing—the wolf wouldn’t hurt her.He stepped behind a tree and shifted back into his human form. Lola heard the sound of a zipper as he dug through the bag, and a few seconds later, Jax stepped out from behind the tree. He was pulling his shorts up and tying the waistband. When he looked up, he saw Lola gawking at his bare chest. Her eyes went from his waist, taking in the creases of his muscles, over his abs, and across his chest. She stepped back in her mind and let her body take control. Her feet moved over the grass, and she walked with small steps over to where he stood. She stopped inches away, her eyes still taking in everything he had to show, everything that wasn’t covered. S
“The Alpha wants an audience with both of you,” Kolton explained.Ash winced and looked over his shoulder. “Well, shit,” he cussed and walked up to the warriors.“Fine, let’s go,” he said, walking butt-naked back to the forest line. He stopped when no one followed and heaved a sigh. “My cousin may not be an Alpha yet, but I am, so I suggest you lower your guards and do as you’re told. Also, if you try to take that girl from him, not only will he bite your head off, but I will help him do so.” Ash’s voice changed. It grew more threatening and serious. Nothing was amusing behind his words, and though he smiled at them, they knew that his threat was the equivalent of a promise. The warriors turned on their feet and faced him.The lead
***“What is happening to us?” Carrie coughed as she put her feet on the floor. She tried to stand, but her legs buckled beneath her, and she fell, hitting her head against the wall. “Carrie!” Lola stood by the window, looking through the dirty glass, watching as her father coughed up blood in his hands on his way to his wife, who fought for her life on the bedroom floor. “K-Kent…” her voice disappeared in the heaving as she fought to take a breath.“What is this?!” He ran to his wife and fell beside her. Lola watched in the darkness as her father dragged her mother out of the house. Her aunt fell out on the
Lola had eaten breakfast with the whole family. Jax’s parents went on about the initiation, talking about throwing a big party to celebrate him stepping into the title. They discussed magazines they would allow to attend because not only was he becoming Alpha, but he was also rising as a future CEO of Blackwood Enterprises.Lola sat idly by as they discussed everything at length. She was surprised to see the lack of devotion on Jax’s face. He hadn’t seemed excited about any of it.After breakfast she excused herself. She went upstairs and sat in the den on the second floor and read a book.“Weathering heights.”She looked up and saw Jax leaning against the wall. He scanned the book cover, and she tilted it back to see what he&r
Lola woke up to the alarm clock going off. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the wall opposite the bed. Melissa left yesterday after about an hour. She was in a hurry to leave and tossed a quick bye when she was already out the door.Lola dreaded going back to school now, even if part of her was just happy to get out of the house. However, she wouldn’t have her best friend. A surge of determination blew through her, and she aggressively ripped the cover away.“If I’m stuck here, I will sure as hell at least have my best friend,” she seethed as she pulled out the last shirt she had and a pair of jeans. She looked at her clothes, the little she had with her, and her head fell back in a desperate sigh.She dressed and washed her face. She put her hair up in a high ponytail and grabbed her bag. Lola opened the door.
Lola walked with her head down to grab lunch. She looked around the cafeteria. The tables were filled with people, and in the crowd, she saw one familiar face. Melissa was sitting with some of the girls who also studied law. Their eyes locked for a split second before Melissa looked away. Lola kept her down, her eyes aimed at the food on her plate. One of the girls next to her looked at Lola and laughed. She turned to Melissa and said something that earned her a hard glare. The girl stopped laughing and turned around.Lola walked to the table where she and Melissa always sat together. However, she sat alone this time and looked at the empty seat.There was one person in the entire school who would sit with her, eat with her, talk to her, and now that person was gone. It only took a few days, but it was as though a whole lifetime had passed in those days.
Lola didn’t see Jax for the rest of the day. He wasn’t in any of her classes, nor did he show up to the seminar. After the professor had gathered their papers at the end of the class, everyone started walking out of the classroom.She turned her wrist and looked at the time. Jax was the one who drove her to school. If he had left, then she wouldn’t have a ride back, which gave her an excuse to stay away from the mansion.Lola stuffed her books into the locker and grabbed her bag. On her way out, she kept looking over her shoulder, hoping that she wouldn’t see Jax. She smiled when he was nowhere to be found and pushed open the doors to get out of the school. On the parking lot, leaning back against a car that looked far too expensive to be in the community college parking, was Ash.I would’ve preferred Jax.
The alarm clock rang, not that it needed to because Lola hadn’t slept for more than an hour after she nodded off. She was staring up at the ceiling with her phone lying on her chest. Clay’s message was still very much in the front of her mind and occupied her thoughts—his face when she first met him, the way his eyes glinted, and how he held his own with Jax. There was something curious about him, something she wanted to get to know.However, then there was the other part of her that wondered why she had caught his interest. She always kept her head down to draw as little attention to herself as possible, and people rarely showed interest in her.And, of course, the other little detail that kept being pushed aside but then rose like a tornado and sunk her heart was that she was married to a werewolf.* * *
“Get your butt in here right now, young lady!” Lola scolded while running around with a towel chasing her two-year-old daughter who was running down the hallways butt naked. With her arms swinging in the air and laughing menacingly, the water traced her steps on the carpets, and she headed towards the stairs. Just before reaching the end of the hallway, she was lifted into the air by two large arms and flown around like an airplane. “Daddy!” “My darling Ophelia,” he said and lowered her gently. He tickled her nose and hugged her tight when Lola came to a stop with the towel. “That little girl is definitely wolf,” Lola panted. She halted to a stop and raised a brow when she took in Jax’s appearance. “Daddy indeed,” Lola purred when she watched her husband’s bare upper body as he stood sweating after his workout with the warriors. “She could be a Doe,” Jax said and looked into his daughters’ eyes. “She has your big, beautiful eyes,” he remarked. Lola giggled and cupped Jax’s che
They were back at the mansion and had constructed a plan on the way. The danger was still not altogether eliminated, not all enemies had been neutralized and they were those on the inside still aiming to break Jax and Lola apart.Jax and Ash walked into the mansion with Lola keeping her distance behind them. She turned away from them and hid where they wouldn't see her until it was time. Jax had called for a meeting on the way and told his parents and Lavina to meet him in the study. Nobody had suspected a thing, they were all just glad to hear that he was alright and their Alpha and son were returning home. The Blackwood boys entered the office and let the door fall to a near close. “It is so good to see you again, darling,” Mrs. Blackwood gleamed.Lavina ran up and wrapped her arms around him. The wide smile on her face and the wrinkles on her eyes deepened as relief washed over her. “I was so worried I almost went after you myself but Lola insisted she had it covered,” she said
Lucien clapped his hands, starting slow as the sound echoed in the room before he picked up the speed and laughed menacingly. He slammed his fist in the air and blew into his hands in celebration.“I have played this in my mind for months, going over what it would be like to have you all here and to tell you the things I knew but now that it is happening, holy shit, there is not a feeling like it.” He licked his lips and wiped the sweat from his face.He used his speed and kneeled next to Lola in a second. She fell back and tried to widen the distance between them by crawling backward but Lucien circled his fingers around her ankle and pulled her in with a rough grip. He gestured with his hand towards Jax and said through a deep smirk, “How I have been waiting for this. Be honest now, which do you prefer- getting fucked by a werewolf-” he grabbed her chin and forced her head back, “-or a vampire?” He asked. Jax’s mouth fell open and his eyes glistened as though all the pain came rus
Ash’s eyes glowed as his wolf stepped up, his canines extended and his growl shook the walls of the house when he pulled the knife out of his side and he flung it at his cousin's hands. They all turned their heads and watched as the knife cut through the air and went clean through the chains that bound Jax's hands. Jax fell into a pool of his blood, his heart barely beating and his body weakened from the poison in his wounds.“What the fuck?” One of the vampires spat and tried to overrun Ash. Ash grabbed the vampire's arm and spared no time as he ripped his head clean of his body and through against one of the windows, shattering the glass.“Let go of her.” He growled and walked towards Lucien. Whatever they had laced the blade with was eating at his insides, burning his flesh like acid but Ash refused to fall, not until he knew that she was safe.Lucien pulled out his fangs and lifted his head, looking toward the ceiling in a euphoric high.Three of his men jumped on Ash who was alre
They went to sleep not long after their talk and Ash slept on top of the covers. He watched Lola drift off into slumber and lay awake completing his choices.His cousin had been taken and he was making moves on his girl. Though he knew what he wanted, he now began to regret the many decisions he’d made that had led him this far. He looked at her lips slightly parted in her sleep and her eyes softly closed still, the faint freckles on her nose and her thick hair landing over her shoulder.She was a special girl, loved by many and desired by more. Perhaps it was the curse of being the Doe or maybe it was just her heart that sparked interest once she trusted people enough to show it to them. Regardless of the reasons, Ash realized now that his fighting was futile because her heart was not his to win. He should've been grateful to have felt her love, the one she gave him when she chose to trust him. The love was addictive, at first taste he wanted more, and he wanted what his cousin had.
They drove up to the Inn though it was further away from the street than advertised and they circled a sharp turn that led up a narrow path.As they arrived at a red neon sign saying ’open’ and a lady sitting with headphones on behind the desk inside they looked at each other, a lingering silence that was questioning just how good of an idea it was to go in. The rain poured around them. Drops on the roof of the car began to sound like firecrackers went off in a tunnel.Ash gave Lola his jacket to hold over her head and they shared a look before they ran from the car and slammed open the door as they tumbled inside.The lady looked up, slowly and gently as though a couple of strangers hadn't just tumbled into her hallway. She slowly leaned to the side to look past them and watch the pour outside of the Inn.“You kids don’t listen to the news, do ya?” She laughed.She wiggled her finger in front of Lola and pointed to the den.“There are towels in there, go grab yourselves some and I'll
They were back in the mansion. Ash had gathered the Alpha's warriors and filled them in on the situation. One of the cleaners had turned on the radio and Lola heard on the news that extreme weather was to be expected as she walked down after having changed clothes. Extreme rainfall was to occur during the night and the following days in and around town.She had the keys to her car and a small bag with toiletries.Ash and the warriors came out of the office and saw Lola standing at the entrance. His shoulders rose in a predatory bow as he stalked towards her.“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked. “To find Jax. Whatever he and I are, it’s my fault that he’s been taken. I'm going to bring him home,”Ash was in front of her before she could blink and ripped the keys from her hand.“The hell you are.” He put the keys in his pocket and grabbed her wrists when she tried to get them back. “It’s my fault that he was taken, he was protecting ME!” “And I will get him back!” He growled
She froze, time stilled around them and that picture would now be etched in her mind forever as it was all she saw wherever she looked.Nobody moved, she heard faint gasps and a low growl behind her but she couldn't turn around.For Lola, it felt as though hours passed without either Jax or Lavina moving but when a hand weighed down on her shoulder and forced her to turn she noticed everything moving a lot faster and people not having noticed what happened.She looked over her shoulder at Jax and Lavina and saw that they stood apart from each other, Lavina was by the table and Jax wiped his thumb over his lips and turned his head, his eyes locked with Lola’s, and his hand fell to his side. “Lola,” Ash said and tried to get her attention.Melissa had her arm hooked in Ed’s and watched with a glimmer in her eyes as her worst fear came true.But at that moment Lola couldn't breathe, she couldn't hear what anyone said and needed to get away from all of the people that surrounded her.On
“She did an amazing job,” Lola said, trying to break the thick ice coating when they were alone.“She did.” He said huskily and looked down at her. His gaze burned into her skin, his eyes glistened as they scanned her as they had many times before and his tongue slid over his lips.They stood staring into each other's eyes and Lola noticed the life in Jax’s eyes had dimmed. It wasn't what she looked into before, he seemed hardened and cold. Not just towards her but in general.Lola didn't know the first thing about being an Alpha but she was starting to realize that perhaps it entailed your persona shifting from tough but fair to cold and hard.Was it Alphas or just Jax?There didn't seem to be any in-between.“You wanted to talk.” He said.Taken aback by the hurry in his tone she realized he wanted to leave.“We haven’t talked since that night in the guest room. You slept in my bed, told me to be patient with you and then I don't hear from you for weeks.” Jax’s brows furrow and a ch