“I'll make some tea,” Alissa announced, heading to the kitchen. Jack followed, putting water on to boil. Alissa leaned her hands against the kitchen side, stretching her arms which shook slightly. “Why didn't they go straight to the council? That was their plan, holiday, council.” Alissa took a shuddering breath. “I think they wanted to check up on Luca. Cain's unhappy how much he's changed so quickly, but there's nothing he can do about it. Thankfully.” Jack rested his hand between Alissa's shoulder blades. “They'll leave soon,” he reassured before starting to gather mugs, milk and sugar. “It makes me feel like nothings changed, I know it has but...” she trailed off. Jack turned her around and enveloped her in his strong protective arms. She let him, she hadn't hugged her brother in weeks, she had been too caught up with Luca. She enjoyed the difference, a familial connection that the siblings shared. “Can you take the tea in? I just need another minute.” Alissa broke their embrac
The living room was silent. A discomfort and shock around everyone. Alissa couldn’t believe what had happened not ten minutes before. Cain had demonstrated a weakness in Luca… something that and Alpha wasn’t supposed to show. She’d always thought Luca disliked Cain but for it to be like that… in front of everyone? What had he done to Luca when they were alone, when he was a boy. Cain had an evil streak but she never in a million years thought that would extend to Luca. The seconds ticked by, Alissa remembered what had happened earlier in the day, so she focused on him and only him. she pushed in her mind, “Luca.” A hope he’d reply. He didn't.So she tried again, “Luca, can I come see you?” A few more moments of silence stretched in her head. The hope he’d open up dwindled until a broken voice returned with “OK.” Alissa stood, she grabbed a whisky bottle from the cupboard with two glasses and made her way to his study. She slowly opened the door. Luca had drawn the curtains and w
She inhaled, not wanting to say it but the look on his face, the dejection the pain. She could ease it… or make it worse. She didn’t know. “Luca...” she began feebly, bitting down on her lip until it bled. A tear silently glided down her cheek as she knew the pain and wrath that she was about to unleash. She began twisting her fingers, “Luca… you're not,” she whispered. Another tear slid down her cheek as he turned to face her questioningly. “Emily isn't your mother.” Alissa held her breath as Luca's expression turned from puzzlement, to shock. “How? Yes she is!” he cried in disbelief. Alissa shook her head slowly. “I'm sorry,” she said pitifully. Luca was still, a befuddlement on his face. “What do you mean?” “I…” she wasn’t quite sure how else to say it. “Emily, Emily isn’t your mother. I don’t know who is but… but it’s someone else. We think… we think human.”Luca descended on her and gripped her upper arms painfully. “You're lying, tell me you're lying!” he shouted as he shook
He watched with a sinking stomach as she bolted from the bed into the bathroom. Luca knew he deserved that, he had laid a hand on her which no mate should do. No Alpha should do. He felt terrible and knew he hadn't been forgiven. Luca slid from Alissa's bed, he was angry. Angry his parent's had lied, angry he had hurt Alissa, and some anger was towards her, she had kept a secret from him and now wasn't letting him apologise. He heard her voice in his mind, “Luca.” “Yes my dear?” But there was no response, he furrowed his brow and walked into the bathroom. Alissa was sat under the spray of the shower. Her knees drawn up to her chest, face buried in her knees. Her wet hair sticking to her arms and legs. Luca walked into the shower the water hitting him instantly. He slid between her and the cold glass making him jump as it touched his bare back. Luca wiggled his leg behind her heels and rested his other knee against her back. “I really am sorry.” Luca's pyjama pants began to stick t
Alissa opened her door, for the eighth day in a row something was left outside her bedroom door. She sighed picking up the bunch of lavender. She hadn't forgiven Luca, but he was making it awfully hard not to.The first three days Alissa had thrown the gifts of chocolates and flowers in the bin. The forth day was a grey suede box, inside a sapphire bracelet. She had stormed to his room and launched the box inside without looking if he was there. She suspected he had been. Apart from the gifts she wouldn't know if Luca was alive, she hadn't seen him or spoken to him. Part of that of course was her fault, but he could just knock on her door.Every night Alissa's wolf pined for its mate. She hated it, the worst part was she could feel Luca's wolf's pines and whines. She wasn't sure how, but it was as if without her knowledge they
“Sure you're ready?” Malachi widened his stance, the girl before him doing the same, her long chestnut hair flowed into her face the wind forcing her to brush it back. She nodded at him, a smile of confidence on her face. “You’re on.”They stepped side to side circling each other. He enjoyed watching her assess, her eyes darting to watch him. Her eyes slid to his bare chest, his biceps and he couldn’t help a smirk. He flexed, just a little watching a pink tinge on her cheeks. Sidestepping, he kicked out towards her chest, knowing the one to make the first move often lost. He'd lose for her. She blocked and smacked his foot upward using her body weight to add to the block. Malachi regained his footing and laughed, “Someone's got guts!” he declared as he moved his weight between his feet. Alissa jabbed towards his stomach which he easily blocked, he realised a little too late how much strength he’d put into the block and she shook out her arm. He gave her time to refocus, feigning a fe
Alissa rubbed her forehead, opening her door for breakfast only to find yet another gift. For the eighth day in a row something was left outside her bedroom door. She sighed picking up the bunch of lavender. She wasn’t sure she could forgive him, no matter how many gifts and tokens he left, but he was making it awfully hard not to. She sniffed the lavender unable to help herself. The first three days Alissa had thrown the gifts of chocolates and flowers in the bin. The fourth day was a grey suede box, inside a sapphire bracelet. She had stormed to his room and launched the box inside without looking if he was there. She suspected he had been. Apart from the gifts she wouldn't know if Luca was alive, she hadn't seen him or spoken to him. Part of that of course was her fault, but he could just knock on her door. Every night Alissa's wolf pined for its mate. She hated it, the worst part was she could feel Luca's wolf's pines and whines. She wasn't sure how, but it was as if without he
Alissa stared at the phone. Part of her was surprised at what Malachi had said, yet another part… wasn’t that what she wanted him to say?Didn’t she want an excuse to forgive Luca. Feel his arms around her again. Stay up late chatting about anything and everything?She missed leaving packland with him. Missed their sparring sessions. She missed how much he lifted her up, supported her, cheered her on even when she felt she didn’t much deserve being cheered on.He’d made a mistake. Done one stupid thing… like sure it was a pretty bad stupid thing.If he did it again. Anything that made her feel bad. She didn’t care abou
Alissa nursed her baby, she cooed down to him, his perfect tiny fingers gripped at her finger while he suckled. “Aunty, where's daddy?” Peta entered the room and sat at Alissa's feet.“He's keeping you safe little one, he loves you so much, come here.” She shifted her baby so Peta could climb on her lap.He peered up to her questioning, “I want daddy.” Tears welled in his emerald eyes.Alissa curled his chin length hair around her fingers. “I know, darling, he has to do his job though, but he has to keep us safe doesn't he? Or he wouldn't be a good wolf.” A large tear fell from Peta's eye. The little one had been very clingy recently.Maybe it was the birth of her and Luca’s little bundle of jo
Alissa couldn’t help flicking her glance to Luca every now and then, it may have been a few days but she still felt he was going to disappear within a moments notice. He caught her eye and opened his arms, dragging her into his body as soon as she was in arms reach. “It’s all going to be alright,” he whispered.She sunk into him, everything felt so right, his arms, his heat, the pressure of him against her body. It was what she needed.“Be better when we’re back home too,” he reassured.Alissa nodded against him, nuzzling slightly. “I miss home,” she whispered.He rocked her gently, squeezing her against him. “Me too, I wish the investigation hadn’t taken so long but at least it’s a
Luca grasped Alissa’s hand tightly as Rufus lead them through the council building to the sitting room beside the meeting room where the Alphas were filing into. “I’ll be right with you,” Rufus directed to the Alphas before following Luca and Alissa in.“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Luca asked.“I don’t, in truth. I wish to listen to them all regarding their concerns but… please, tell me what happened. I’ve heard Alissa’s perspective, I need yours.”Luca nodded, sitting the the cream sofa, tugging Alissa with him, not wanting to let her go. “From the beginning?” he asked to clarify.Rufus nodded, “Please.”
“I second that query, High Council.”Alissa frowned. A voice she knew so well permeating into her mind. She knew she was hearing wrong, knew that voice wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real… but it sounded so real.Gasps erupted around them, from everyone, not just the council. A ripple of surprise spread from everyone.Michael grabbed her hand and she almost had the confidence to look up but didn’t. She couldn’t look, she didn’t want to confirm or deny it was his voice. She didn’t want to know.“My land is not up for discussion, let alone on a day like this. But it is my land, High Council.”“Alpha Wuffaman,” High Council Vilkaman bre
The sun was warmer than it had been for months, the beginnings of spring poking through barren trees, dandelions budding within the dewy, luscious grass that looked inviting despite what the day was. Alphas, families, betas, and probably some others were sat, some on chairs, some on the grass, some had rolled up sleeping bags beneath them. It looked like any congregation when their packs came together but this felt very different. It felt wrong. It felt unjust.Alissa stood beside Michael on a slightly raised stage to the side, the white council house to their backs, the sun almost blinding them as it rose high above the trees. The council was assembled… All six of them were assembled (including Raoul much to her displeasure) at the front of the congregation. A congregation to mourn for her mate. Her pack, her nephew, her brother, her friends.
After getting changed, Alissa popped the wet, stained shirt on the arm of the sofa, unsure where to put it before sitting nervously. Her mind wasn’t really working properly, that was what it felt like. She felt she’d been given more information than she could process and arrange in her tired, dishevelled mind.There was a knock on the door and she was up off the sofa, taking long strides towards the door, “Yes, come in,” she called before she got to the door, wanting the door open.Michael stepped in, his hair as disheveled as his clothes. There were rings under his eyes and he looked just as bad as before he’d gone away… maybe worse. Alissa didn’t even give him time to look before she lunged at him, wrapping herself around him, clinging to his neck.&ldqu
Luca was vibrating, desperate to not let his anger out but he was finding it hard. Not knowing… Not having a clue what was going on. Angry Malachi had downed him, and he had no idea why.Alissa. Where was Alissa?“I’m going into the pack. I’m not sitting here like some prisoner,” Luca stated, a tiny rumbling growl through his words.“The pack member, Steve told us to stay here for safety,” Henry announced calmy.“He didn’t tell me.” Luca stood, he wasn’t some pup to be told to stay put. Fuck that.“I’ll be back soon,” he told the room, heading for the door.&ldq
He watched a car move away, just knowing Alissa was within. A feeling a safety moved over him… at least knowing Alissa was safe. He wasn’t safe though. A wolf body slammed him, sprawling him to the floor but he didn’t reach the floor, he kept falling… and falling.He was running through the woods, Aunty Dotty clinging to his arm as he kept moving, he was getting her to safety… he just knew that.Aunty Dotty slipped from his arm… she was safe with humans, a human ally, his vision shifted and changed, a new landscape before him, scents flooded his nose, he needed to keep going, keep moving. There was a scent he had to find. He panted, pushing himself to follow the scent. He hadn’t stopped, hadn’t slept. It was a vagrant’s scent he was hunting… although whether it wa
His hand fastened tighter over her mouth, preventing any breath to escape. She wriggled and struggled in his hold only for a panic to blind her as his other hand came up, his fingers pinching her nose.He was going to smother her.She stamped her feet down, struggled and fought with all her strength. She shook her head, desperate to get his hand dislodged enough for her to suck in a breath.She would not die today.Black crept into the edges of her vision so she struggled harder only for her head to spin from exertion with no oxygen. She stamped her foot down, landing squarely on his but it didn’t release his hold. He was infallible, regardless what she did nothing was working. She was running out of time. In a last ditch attempt, she threw her bo