"In time, we hate that which we often fear" – Antony and Cleopatra,
LUCY'S POVI made my way through the kitchen first, doing everything I could to distract myself and avoid my father. I had faintly smelt my dad in a few different hallways as I was preparing earlier today. Being of Alpha blood allowed me to smell greater distances which came in handy today. The kitchen staff stared at me like I had grown an extra head when I came in. “Wow Lucy, you look... beautiful,” Jason said as he looked over me, making me blush. A few of the kitchen staff whispered to each other after glancing at me. I felt on display and not in a good way. “Thank you, Jason. I just wanted to check in to make sure everything was coming along on schedule before I joined the gala.” This wasn’t entirely a lie, but I wasn’t about to share that I was avoiding the Alpha introductions, so my murderous father didn’t find me. “Everything is going perfectly as planned Lucy. No need to worry. Have you smelt anything delicious in the air today?” Jason's question had everyone's attentio
Lucy:For Goddess's sake, why didn’t I think about the obvious touching factor of the mate bond? Either Leon was in denial or the fact that he couldn’t scent me was really throwing him off. I needed to get out of here. “This will only take a moment Lucy. Go, now!” Leon slipped his Alpha aura out as he spoke to me. Normally this would cause a wolf to submit. Either the fact that I was his mate or that I had Alpha blood caused little to no reaction on my part. He looked at me bewildered before growling at me. Geez, what has gotten into this guy today? He was far grumpier than yesterday. Why would the Goddess mate me with such an asshole? One thing was for certain, I was about to see my father for the first time in four years. Bile rose to my throat as we walked toward the small group of Alphas and Betas. My stomach felt like it was tearing into pieces, and my short-lived freedom was slowly coming to an end as I got closer. Leander smiled at me as I approached, Leon walking ne
LEON'S POVSomething was off about Alpha Kragen. When he said Lucy's name, my insides crawled. I knew Lucy was going to be a pain in my ass when I met her yesterday, but she really knew how to take things to the next level. Dad had told us about her when he bought her from the Red Paw Pack. We knew she must be special since Dad didn’t regularly participate in this type of exchange. When he did, he always freed them right away, but he kept Lucy close by. Liam immediately felt protective over her as well. It wasn’t until our mating gala that those same feelings emerged in me. It was natural for an Alpha to be protective of his pack, but I knew that this was different. When I grabbed her arm at the gala I felt an electricity pulse through my body. She didn’t smell like a mate, at least I didn’t think so. She had the same dull, earthy smell as she had the day before. It was rare, but I had heard of hybrid werewolves who were half witch or fae. This could explain the volts of el
LEON'S POV:Bandit lurched forward in my head, causing a deep growl to erupt from my chest. “Oh, calm down. I knew Lucy when we were kids. My mom was friends with the late Luna. Sometimes Luna would let me and Lucy play when Kragen was out on business,” Tricia explained. One hand rested on her hip, and her eyebrows raised at me.“So, you’re saying that Lucy is the Alpha's daughter?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Kragen never claimed Lucy as his own. They told the pack they took her in because the Alphas sister had died giving childbirth to Lucy and her mate couldn’t bear the loss of her but if you ask me, she looks just like the late Luna” she explained in a hushed tone. She looked around the room after she spoke as if to make sure no one heard her.“You’re not a shifter” I responded changing the subject while eyeing her down. I still didn’t trust her and had to keep my guard up. “You’re right, I’m not,” she said with a smile offering no explanation. Where are you? Liam's voice rang
LEON'S POVI’m not entirely sure why but the second Tricia warped into her Fae light I trusted her. I took magic history classes very seriously. I’ve always been a believer that those who possessed magic were our real threat. Pack leadership often focused on rogues and hunters but something in me always wondered about the magic societies and why they never tried to interfere with our packs. Was there something truly deviant at work? Werewolves could be disruptive, and too many packs were still living in the old ways. Buying and selling slave rogues that they did unimaginable things to, capturing magical creatures to steal their powers or torture them. On top of that, a lot of the pack leadership members didn’t respect our Goddess’s gift to us. I had heard many wolves had started to reject their true mates. Alphas and Betas were leading an example that cheating on our mate bond was acceptable if you were at a high enough rank. The entire idea made me sick. I was known to enjoy a
LEON'S POVI could tell that I was inside of a closet. Tricia must have been hiding in here I thought to myself. I watched as a pair of sleek black dress shoes moved heavily towards the girl. SMACK! His palm met her cheek forcefully. Her head whipped to the side in my direction only for a moment before her body went limp and fell to the ground with a force stronger than gravity itself. The girls' eyes looked into mine briefly. Lucy's eyes. I wanted to rush out to her and help her, but I was rooted in my spot. My body wasn't my own, it was as if I could only move and look in the directions that Tricia did in this memory. My eyes flickered up through the slats toward the man, who was none other than Alpha Kragen. He stood hovering over her body emitting his Alpha aura on her which was leaving her pinned to the hardwood floor beneath her. She couldn’t be more than 10 years old. I could see bruises on her legs and arms. Some old and some new. Her cheek was visibly red and appeared t
LUCY'S POVI don't even know how many hours it had been since I sat on the cold hard floor in my dungeon cell. There was a small cot bolted to the floor. The thin beige fabric was torn and clearly worn out. The cell was lined with silver and the bars were silver as well. This tactic was used to dramatically weaken our werewolf side. Being surrounded by this amount of silver would typically cause your wolf to go dormant. Tears were silently streaming down my face. My father always said I was a dreamer, maybe he was right. Or maybe I was an idiot for thinking that I would get a fresh start or that I could avoid him at the gala. To think that I was more worried about my mate finding me than my father. I wasn’t sure if Leon had caught on yet. I know that my lack of scent had to of been confusing but the sparks when we touched were undeniable. Some part of him had recognized that. He argued with Alpha Leander about me being put in the dungeon which caused a bigger scene. He looked at
LIAM'S POVI don’t know what Leon's issue was. Ever since Lucy got taken, he’s been acting strange. On top of that, I was disappointed that Lucy wasn’t my mate. I was so sure of it. The way I felt like I needed to protect her was very abnormal, even more me. When she had the panic attack in my dad's office, it physically made my heart hurt. Leon always told me I was too emotional. Maybe he was right. I tried not to be agitated that Lucy wasn’t my mate, but it kept hitting me in the chest whenever the thought crossed my mind. She was captivating. The second my eyes landed on her, my mouth watered. Her black hair was as dark as a new moon night, in contrast to her bright blue eyes, which made my knees feel like jello when she looked at me.She was petit but curvy in every place that mattered. Her style was rugged and unique, not prim and proper like most she-wolves who often doted on me and my brother. I was surprised when she snapped at Leon for how he spoke to her. She did it with
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
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.
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 hear
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
Lucy:"I should go talk to them first," I decide, looking at Seth.I slip the shirt over my body after getting the briefs back on. His scent is all over me. They'll know right away.'It will be fine,' Nia reassured me.'I should have talked to them first. I didn't want to complicate it. I knew Seth could reconnect us. I didn't want to lose my bond with him or the twins,' I respond, feeling like I need to explain myself for some reason.Seth gets out of bed and walks over to me, cupping my face in his hands."Thank you," he whispers before kissing me."For what?" I whisper, our lips brushing with each word as he holds my face like he never wants to let go."For not rejecting me. I don't know how this is possible," he adds before pulling away and looking down at me.He's right. The entire thing is odd. He has to be right about being second-chance mates. Although he is my Fae mate, I can feel it all now."I would never reject you, Seth; you know that. I have a feeling my aunt might have
Lucy:I grind against him. My core is covered by the baggy briefs I'm wearing, but his stiff member is all too present at this moment."It's okay," I tell him.I don't have to read his mind to know he's nervous about where I'm taking this.He pulls his lips from mine, peppering kisses along my cheek and neck.My hands are gripping his hips, pulling him securely against me, letting him know it's okay to press against me in this way.I knew he'd need me to confirm this. To confirm what I wanted."I haven't done this for a long time," he admits to me.His lips brushed against mine softly before deepening the kiss. His tongue slid into my mouth and against my tongue.His smell and taste are different than before. I can't deny this. "I've never done this willingly," I say quietly, moving his hands down my torso to my waist.I don't have to say this to him; he knows already, but it feels good to say it out loud. I'm safe with him.His fingers gripping the seams of the briefs, I'm unsure wh
Lucy:Bellona gave me something special indeed.Courage. Strength. An armor, but not like the physical one that she wore.Something within me was different. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but I felt stronger now.Emotionally.I knew what I had to do now. It was as clear as the perfect summer day. No clouds, no morning dew or fog settling within me.I could still feel the emptiness within me. The parts of me that were missing. The magic that was taken from me.It doesn't matter as much when I'm with Seth. He looks at me like I'm the moon itself. His eyes linger too long on the exposed skin not covered by the towel I'm gripping around me but I like it.I'm obsessed with his attention, and for the first time, I'm not feeling shy about it."They say the Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways. You asked me why she didn't want you, your first mate, that is. You were always meant to be mine. Could you have loved me and wanted me the way you do now had you not felt the pain of losing her?
Seth:I wasn't prepared for any of this.I knew something was different when I felt the sparks on her skin. It wasn't strong, though, not like a normal mate bond.Maybe Lucy was right; maybe it's because she didn't have her magic, but I couldn't help but feel like there was something more to this whole thing.'She's always been ours, Seth,' Dax decides.The Beta quarters are on the opposite side of the pack house, but I don't mind carrying her. I can feel her breath warm against the nook of my neck and shoulder.'She's Leon and Liam's, though. How can she be ours?' I ask Dax.'She's our second chance, Seth. Can't you smell her? Her scent has started to change,' Dax responds, calling out the obvious things I've been trying to ignore out of respect for my Alphas.I peek down at her, resting in my arms. Her eyes are closed; she looks so peaceful this way.My hands wrap around her waist, my forearm under her ass, keeping the back of her hospital gown shut closed tightly in case we run into
Lucy:I could feel Seth's hesitation, surprisingly. He didn't seem to mind my touch, nor did he have any issues shoving his tongue down my mouth earlier.Yet, he felt bad now. I wasn't sure if it was because I wasn't rushing off to my mates but rather pulling him to my room."Maybe we should stop by Liam's and just let them know first. They're likely going to hear us going into your room anyways," Seth suggests, now that we're getting close to the Alpha quarters.It dawned on me that I had never been to the Beta quarters. Of course, I never had a reason to."You're right!" I say, turning to him now after stopping in my tracks, "Take me to your room instead. You have something I could change into, right?" I ask.His eyes get wide. I'm holding the hospital gown to the side, clasping the openings closed so my ass isn't hanging out. I didn't want to change into the clothes I had worn at the challenge, which was all I had available at the hospital.I'm sure what I would be changing into o