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.* * *
Jax moved in and closed the distance between him and Lola. He reached out his hand and roughly gripped her chin. Her head was forced back, and her fingers wrapped around the edge of the metal table behind her.“What were you doing with him?” he asked again, slower, colder, and his eyes darkened more and more for each word.“We— We were having coffee.”Jax’s eyes flickered down to her lips, and they parted as though they obeyed his silent wish. His hand slid down around the back of her head, and he drew a deep breath. He leaned his other hand on the table, caging her in.“Lola.” Her name was the only word that he didn’t speak in pure anger.“Yes,” she whispered.“Cle
Clay’s teeth sunk deeper into her neck. His hand muffled any noises she tried to make, and her eyes stared at the ceiling as her vision blurred with tears. Lola closed her eyes and held her breath, thinking that this was when she’d die.“Lucien says hi.” He knew where she was. Clay knew who she was. She had tried to move on and put the nightmare behind her, but it followed her here, and now there was nowhere to run.She felt the burn as he pulled his fangs out. Clay leaned back his head, and his tongue dragged over his teeth. “Holy shit,” he moaned, and the taste of her blood engulfed his senses.Lola’s hand came up to cover the wound, and she pressed herself back. Clay cupped her face in his hands and leaned down. “Don’t worry, Lola, I&
Jax’s fingers were fisted in Lola’s hair, and he slightly tugged her head back. His lips hovered over hers as he allowed her a breather before he once again claimed her lips. He grabbed her waist, and in one swift motion, he had her pressed against the wall. His hand slid under her shirt, and his fingers dug into her waist as he felt her warm skin.Lola’s lips parted. Their tongues caressed against each other. Her body heated with lust, and Jax’s hands were unwillingly taking it slow and easy as they slid up against her front.She dragged her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to her body. He leaned down and kissed her neck. His tongue slid over her collarbone, and he pressed a kiss on her shoulder. He looked at her neck. His wolf was stirring within him, wanting to mark their mate.He knew he couldn’t,
“Lola.” Jax’s voice had changed. It didn’t make her relax as it had before. His eyes weren’t the ones she had seen when they were in the bedroom, and his face was contorting in anger.Lola gulped and raised her head. She turned to Ash, who stood on Clay’s other side. He was quietly witnessing the cold exchange.“Your mate is the reason the vampires are returning to Wild Cliff. This town’s plague is on her hands, and yet,” Mrs. Blackwood said and flicked her tongue. She clasped her hands in front of her body and walked in a circle around Lola. “We haven’t figured out why,” she continued. “But something tells me that this young man carries the answers to all of our questions.” She pulled out a small, finger-long knife from under her sleeve. In a quick, swift motion, she plunged it into Clay’s ch
Jax drove down the underground garage and parked.The mall was only open for a few more hours, but everyone was out of school and work now, which meant it would be packed.They walked through the garage, the smell of fuel and metal more prominent than anything else. On the escalator, they saw a little girl holding a balloon, asleep in her father’s arms.Lola smiled and looked lovingly at the girl’s closed eyes and pouted lips.“This way,” Jax said when they reached the first floor. He turned around the cotton candy stand at which Lola looked and drooled. Her favorite thing about the mall, whenever she came with Melissa, was the food.Further down, they had a stand operated by an older man who sold caramelized almonds. That was the first thing Lola b
“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