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LUCY'S POV:The nights were becoming cooler. I welcomed the breeze against my skin, like a weighted blanket on my soul.I had to take a moment to realize how truly lucky I was to be here. To have Tricia in my corner meant so much to me. I hadn't felt this kind of comfort in a friend in a very long time.Zev seemed supportive. I had no idea what he did or didn't know, but there was a level of respect since I whooped his ass in our sparring session.I chuckled internally at the thought.Jason was basically like my Dad. My heart ached at the thought.He was truly my guardian angel. The Moon Goddess must have sent him just for me.He made my life bearable through this entire thing.Then there was Seth.We hated each other at first, but as time went on, I considered him a good friend.He respected me, and Dax loved Nia.It was a weird connection I didn't fully understand, but it kept me grounded and happy.I was actually excited to have him back. I kind of missed him. He really did bring me
LEON'S POV:Alpha Ruston had given me a lot to think about.He introduced me to his Beta's sister.She was gorgeous. Long dark curly hair, blue eyes, and legs for days.Her mate died shortly after they had found each other. I'll never understand how that happens.Why would the Moon Goddess give us someone to have them taken away so soon after?Anyways, she was my age. It had been several years since she lost her mate, and she seemed to be dealing with it well at this point, but it still hurt me for her.On one hand, she was a Beta, with a strong bloodline, and seemed familiar with Luna duties.This would also strengthen our alliance with The Night Shade Pack, and I wouldn't have to worry about her finding her fated mate later on.On the other hand, I would never be able to match the type of bond she experienced with her true mate. While there seems to be more pros than cons, the singular con weighed heavily on me.I promised my brother I would wait to make anything official about pick
LUCY'S POV:After finally collecting myself, Tricia and I decided to go for a walk while we talked.At this point, stretching my limbs was a love-hate situation, but after being in bed for four days, I knew that I needed to do it."So, let's start with the lake," Tricia said, breaking the silence.I explained to her the dream-walking state I had been in when I had put my feet in the water, and she gasped, putting her hand to her mouth."What?" I snapped, not meaning to speak so sharply at her."I'm not sure how you connected to the lake in the dream walking state. That's so cool, Lucy!" she exclaimed, skipping her feet along the path, making me laugh."Yeah, but it put me in a trance-like state where I was forced to answer Leon truthfully. I told him I was his mate!" I say, shaking my head.I explained that I hadn't told Leon about the dream walking, so he had no idea that it was me.She nodded in understanding before responding."We found you by the lake that night. I had a vision of
LEON'S POV:Seth answers the door and looks at me, a bit surprised."Oh hey," he says, moving out of the doorway.Liam and I accept the invitation and step inside. We walk into his living room and sit down on opposite sides of the couch.I'm watching Seth's body language and I can tell he is uneasy."Your dad said you could go see Lucy after she feels better," Seth says, breaking the awkward silence.He is sitting down on the recliner across from the couch."Why was she sick? Werewolves don't really get sick," I say skeptically."Yeah, I know," he says without giving any explanation."Anyway, Zev said she is feeling a little better, so you should be able to see her soon. Tricia is going to be here today if she isn't already here. I know that your Dad can be secretive, but keep pushing his boundaries, he will open up more if you do. You need to talk to Tricia too. You will be taking over soon, and I need you both to be on the same page as I am." He sounds irritated but gives us a curt s
LUCY'S POV:Trish and I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning talking.She showed me how to connect to my Fae magic, but I still had a lot of work left to do.Masking my scent was actually really easy. She explained a lot of our power is connected to our emotions, so the more we want or need something, the easier it is to control the action.It's crazy to me that this power has always been inside of me, and I never knew it. Apparently, I was not affected by silver because I was a Fae. Trish explained to me that the Silver Throne Faes were connected to silver in more ways than one, which made me, being a hybrid werewolf, all the more curious.I chose not to overthink it too much.My acceptance of who or what I was had made a massive difference for Nia.She was now fully present with me, making my heart feel so much better.Trish was right about one thing: I needed to gain more confidence.I had slept in pretty late after not going to bed until the early morning.By the time I wok
LEON'S POV:Liam was right about a few things.One, Savina definitely had some experience. There was no way that was her first time.She didn't have to tell me for me to know that much but she admitted afterwards that she was embarrassed to tell me.Secondly, Bandit was feeling stronger within me, which made me happy.It definitely wasn't how I expected my first time to go, but at this point, I had accepted that nothing would go as I had planned.What was important now was making sure Bandit was okay.I turned my head, shifting to my side on the bed. Savina was still sleeping.I wanted nothing more than for her to leave after it was over, and even though she told me she lied, I didn't have the heart to kick her out.So here she is, sleeping peacefully in my bed.I crawl out of the bed, trying hard not to wake her up. I locked the bathroom door behind me before turning on the shower as hot as I could handle. I felt like I needed to scrub my own skin off.After quickly and quietly getti
TRICIA'S POV:I was fuming but trying my best to keep it cool.I knew that Leon didn't have any idea that Lucy was his mate or that he would never have slept with that leech, but nonetheless, I know that what he did would have harmed their bond and connection.Most importantly, it would have been extremely painful for Lucy.Hopefully, he didn't last long, I thought to myself, cringing a bit at my own thought."Wait, Tricia, I wanted to apologize, actually. I was a bit... cranky with you before. I'm sorry for how I acted. I have nothing against you or you being Fae; I was just trying to get through some weird phase, I guess," Leon says, trying to stop me from leaving.I know that some part of him was acting the way he was because his body had recognized his mate.However, the possessive, crazy side he had previously shown stems from his wolf's connection to his mate, which he couldn't have without scenting her, so it didn't make sense.I'd give him a free pass either way since he was my
TRICIA'S POV:Leander doesn't hide his confusion at all at this point."No. Are you sure Leon? It isn't Liam? I honestly wasn't sure if she was either of theirs. It could have been another relative, really. Neither of them spoke up about it after the mating gala," he says, surprising me with his unknown knowledge.He catches on to my confusion quickly."My family has had this sense about us for every generation ever known. We get an overwhelming protective feeling over our familials and their mates even if they haven't mated yet," he explained.Interesting. I had never heard of that before. Leander always had a way of surprising me and teaching me something new each time we spoke.He senses my intrigue and it makes him smile."Yes, it's not something we share with others often. Every Alpha line has its own "quirks," if you will. If you ask me it's the Moon Goddesses way of ensuring that we stay on the right path. That we fulfill our destiny so to speak. You know the Alpha blood lines a
SETH:I was originally curious as to why no one could leave or visit Lucy during this process.No one questioned it, of course, but after three days, that felt like twice as much. It was clear why this process required her mates and why visitors weren't allowed.The first night, the master bedroom was wrecked within hours.The only things that were not broken, smashed, or damaged were the bed itself and other large furniture.Lucy switched from her Fae form to her human form on and off for an entire day.There weren't any warning signs when it happened, leaving all of us on edge.I can still hear her screaming bloody murder through the first night she held her human form. The three of us speculated what was causing the screams, whether it be nightmares, visions, or reliving experiences I couldn't imagine.There was no soothing her. Her stare was void of emotion or presence.The way her eyes glazed over haunts me to my core still. Dax was itching to go for a run. He's struggling to w
Lucy:The bag lay on its side in the middle of the table like a centerpiece.Flowers would look nice there, I think to myself as I walk across the kitchen to the dining room table to sit down.Seth grabs me by the waist and pulls me into his lap as I walk by."Sorry about earlier," he says, kissing my cheek.He's wearing a plain black shirt and blue jeans, his hair still wet from a shower."It's been a long day for everyone. It's okay not to be perfect," I remind him."I do appreciate the apology, though. Are you caught up on your work duties?" I ask, running my fingers through his damp, silky hair."No. I brought what's left here, and now that we have phones, it will be easier to do what I need to," he smiles.His smile isn't as bright as usual. I haven't asked who didn't make it. I'm not sure I can handle it if it's someone I know and they aren't offering the information.Liam impatiently slides the leather bag across the dark oak tabletop.The metal from the strap glistens under t
Lucy:Saul and I get to the City Building shortly after Leon's fit."Oh, thank the heavens. My spell lasts another hour, and Leon has been banging at the door for at least ten minutes!" Trish whines before running over to Saul and jumping in his arms.She doesn't ask what happened or if everything is okay. She's just happy to see us and to have her mate.It was simple. I wanted simple.I rush the flames out of my palm, melting the handle and eliciting a hiss and bang before the door bursts open.Leon glares at me for a split second before grabbing me and squeezing me. My feet lift off the ground, dangling in his grip as he holds me.I relax my cheek on his shoulder, inhaling his calming scent."You don't have to do everything alone, little mate," he whispers in my ear.He doesn't understand. Some things I would need to do alone. How do I tell him this?Leon got the worst of me—the wall, the part of me that wanted to refuse a fated mate altogether.Yet, he was the first one to accept my
Lucy:My shoes are hitting the ground with force, and dirt is swirling up into the air with each step I take forward.My skin crawls and shudders as if the very flesh clinging to my bones wants nothing more than to flee from the mere thought of being near that man again."Lucy! Wait!" I hear Saul shouting behind me.My body moves like a machine. Driving forward at a will that only intuition could force.The smell of metal filled my nostrils. Blood.Whirls of color fly past me like an abstract painting portraying the heart of vexation and despair.Nia is still in shock from biting and marking Zeak's wrist. I did what I had to.I can hear Saul's feet hitting the ground behind me. I turn my head to look back at him, and my foot clips a divet in the ground, causing me to crash to my knees and palms."Shhhh," I hear Saul's voice soften behind me as he kneels next to me.He grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him—my lip trembles.My cheeks are still stained from the tears I shed earlier. I'
Lucy:The air around us was thick with tension. No, it wasn't tension. It was a simmer of rage and pervasive darkness.And yet, somewhere in all the haze of emotion was a faint glimmer of compassion. It lingered like a distant lighthouse, reaching toward me, begging to guide me to shore.Somewhere deep down inside of me, I felt it. I didn't want to, but it was there. Clutching my heart like a vice that wouldn't budge.An understanding of something I didn't fully recognize yet, but parts of me sensed it a long time ago.Is this why he wants me so badly? He could feel my unrecognized understanding."Your father lied to me," Zeak says, taking short, slow strides toward me."Make them stop. You wanted me, and I'm right here. There doesn't need to be any more bloodshed!" I say calmly.I don't step back or flinch as he makes his way toward me.'What did you do, Lucy? Where are you?' I hear Leander push through my closed link with his Alpha command.He must have sensed his sons not being able
Lucy:The moment the sirens go off, a flood of emotions and thoughts start swirling within the room. I can hear everything at once.Leander pushes forward, and Liam is trying to pull me to safety, but something surges within me.I won't let this moment pass. This wasn't the need for revenge.The strength surges within me again. Stronger this time.'Use it wisely,' her voice whispers in my soul. I now understand why she gave me this gift and what it really means."Lucy, we need to get you to the shelter!" I hear Seth behind me before his hand grabs my arm. I push him off, taking in the look of bewilderment spread across his face."Sorry!" I squeak before turning and brushing my hand across Liam's forehead before he drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes."Lucy! What was that about?" Leon says, running up to Liam.I don't give him a chance to react before knocking him out as well in the same smooth fashion.I look back at Seth, who puts his hands out in front of his body with his p
Liam:She knows I need her attention. Of course, she does; she was made for me.'Just don't be too overbearing,' Bo chuckles even though he's feeling it too.I had forced myself to get over her connection with Seth. It helped knowing he was her mate, too, for some reason, but I needed my mark on her to feel the security of our bond."Oh, Mom, can you plan our mating ceremony? How long will it take for all of Lucy's magic to settle so we can mark each other, too?" I ask, grabbing Lucy's hand and pulling her back into my chest.We had all gotten up to leave, but I needed to make sure we could set a date to look forward to."That won't be necessary. Lucy won't leave your quarters without your mark or, rather, without marking the two of you," Nadia speaks up.I raise an eyebrow, my interest piqued as everyone now focuses on Nadia as well."It's tradition," Mom says, her tone flashes with irritation."I can wait. I really wanted a ceremony. I even have a dress and everything," Lucy pouts.I
Lucy:We finally sit down around the table. It's clear that Jason is fond of Nadia.I expected Trish to react more to this, but she doesn't. She seems content in her bubble with Saul.Nadia set down several things on the table, but I felt my magic the moment that she walked into the room."That's mine," I say, pointing at the leather bag."Yes Lucy, it's yours, but you cannot have it yet," she responds."But it's mine?" I say, yet it comes out as a question instead.Nadia laughs and grabs the bag. She reaches her arms out, extending the bag to me before pulling it back slightly."You cannot open the bag yet. You can hold the bag, but you can't take what's inside. It's important that you listen to me. Lucy, having all of your magic, now that your mother is gone, is going to be very overwhelming," she explains.Finally, she sets the bag down, and I grab it quickly. Fear grips my heart at the thought of having it taken away. I rip it from its spot and hold it securely in my arms.My heart
Lucy:I expected more anger. Yelling. Maybe even a fight. Nothing."Of course they did, idiot," Leon says, pulling Liam off of me entirely now."You didn't....?" Liam asks his unfinished question, looking at Seth."No. No, knot, which was really hard to hold back, by the way," Seth sighs and looks at my now bright red face."I thought that was an Alpha thing? Plus, I have a birth control implant," I say, sitting back up on the bed."Seth's mom is an Alpha, and what did you just say?" Leon says, pulling me by my ankles to sit me on the edge of the bed in front of him.Was he mad about this?All three of them walk to the bed, where I sit on the edge, looking up at them. My eyes dart back and forth, feeling like a child who's done something terrible."I'm not ready for a baby. We don't even know what this whole thing is that's going about. We're supposed to save the world or something or another," I ramble out. My hands flail this way and that as I talk because I always feel the need to