MIKE Back in the room Alpha Brett had assigned for me, I find Tobias behind the tiny desk that sits in the corner. Due to the Golden Circle pack not being as big as the palace, obviously. Tobias and I were sharing a room. He looks up from the papers he was reading and gives me a look, raising an eyebrow. “Shut it, Toby.” I bark as his mouth opens like he was about to say something. I don’t need to hear his condescending advice or listen to him joke about my situation. I was mad as shit at myself as it was. She may have initiated that second kiss, but it was me who jumped all over her and was ready to lay her flat out on the table and take what I wanted. With or without consent and no remorse. I was wound up tighter than a top hat. That wasn’t like me. I wasn’t that guy; Duke wasn’t that wolf. I acted like a desperate manwhore, which only part of that would be true. I was a manwhore. Until I met Jonda. But even now, I only wanted Lyric. My wolf was adamant he was going to mate wi
LYRIC I didn’t think I would be able to sleep. Not with the impending doom that hovered over the Golden Circle Pack. Over me and mine. I thought calling and talking to my boy would help. It did but only for a few moments until he passed the phone to Lizzy. Who told me that Queen Tala had come to sit with them as well as Olivia, the former beta’s mate. My mate's mother. They had brought the little prince with them. She also told me security had been ramped up in the wake of what happened here and the Shadow witch's threat. They now had four guards posted outside the suite at all times. It made me and my wolf feel just that little better that they were safe and being taken care of in my absence. I closed my eyes willing for sleep to take me, yet also anticipating that when I did the nightmares would come. I was on edge as it was, and Note was on full guard. I wasn’t sure when I had fallen asleep, so over-exhausted that my body naturally let me fall into darkness. At first, the vis
RHETT My men and I moved fast. Navigating the terrain. We dumped the vehicles some miles away. Mike hadn’t even cut the mind link before I was up stuffing my gear in my pack and less than an hour later, we rolled out. Heading to Golden Circle. The Blood Alchemist, AKA Senko or the Shadow Witch, had my Jonda. He had given them twenty-four hours to trade her life for the kids and his breeder. Who I could assume was Lyric. Mistaking her for her sister. I knew there would be no trade. It wouldn’t even be thought of. I was in the same mind. Despite Jonda being my mate, I honestly felt a deep attraction to her, but I didn’t feel the full pull of the bond like full shifters would. I was without a spirit animal. I was a hybrid. A hunter. Not a shifter. Still, I could never in a billion years think of trading the life of a child into the hands of a monster. I hadn’t slept and I wouldn’t let my men or the trackers and warriors that were with me rest either. Time was of crucial essence. It
MIKE Senko had a male who, oddly I recognized from the camera footage - the murderer - brought Jonda front, and next to him, center. I was in full Beta mode. Duke riding my skin form along with me. He was fully present. He knew I wouldn’t give him Lyric or little Zane. I knew he wasn’t going to trade Jonda. I also knew, he knew, Zane was at New Moon. There was no way we could have brought him here on time. Especially as he maneuvered his army of… whatever the fuck the creatures and things were – earlier than declared. Not a man of his word. “Wow Senko, all this for us? I’m honored.” I taunted him by cockily saying. Ensuring he saw the smirk I aimed his way. I knew I was goading him. It was inevitable. There would be a battle. Blood would shed. I was determined to rescue Jonda. I would die trying. I wanted my mate. Yes. The shift between us the past few days had settled the idea in my mind. At the same time, I couldn’t just turn my feeling for Jonda off. I loved – Love – her.
LYRICMike lay in the room next to us sleeping peacefully. Whatever he made happen, and however he made it happen, had wiped him out. His body and wolf had slipped into a deep slumber fully exhausted from exerting that amount of energy.Other than needing rest, thankfully, he was unscathed.Tobias had taken Twenty-Nine to the Golden Circles cells. Rhett was hovering outside the room Jonda was currently laying in, while doctors fussed around her taking her vitals and hooking her up to antibiotics and saline.She was in a severe state. Dehydrated from loss of blood. Her skin was pale and the dark veins that covered her body were slowly receding. The energy or light Mike had produced was what brought her back to life. Rhett's bite is what stabilized her.There was a theory surrounding Jonda’s curse, why she didn’t have her wolf. She was told her wolf would only emerge when she met her fated mate – a wolfless shifter. That was Rhett, so I was hoping that since he marked her, her wolf woul
SHADOW “I’m sorry it didn’t go as planned father.” Petra wraps herself in a robe descending from the back of a van after flying in there in her raven form. I shoot her a disappointed look. The silly girl is a fool. “On the contrary, dear daughter,” A smirk tugs at my lips, a rare emotion for me but one that’s warranted today. “Today went well.” She frowns with confusion, and I sigh as she hasn’t quite got the big picture yet. “I got what I needed. Saw what I needed to know.” “But they didn’t bring the child, and you didn’t get your breeder.” If I didn’t know how loyal she was, I would swear saying I didn’t get what she thought I came for, made her happy. Just the slightest hint of light danced in her yellow eyes. “That was just a distraction. I don’t need the boy. Not yet anyway. Not until he gets his spirit animal. There's time for that.” I watch Petra’s reaction closely, but this time she gives nothing away, keeping her face impassive. It was true. I knew there was no way they
LAMIA A roar so loud and so enraged shook our room as Arcas, Mathias's beast voiced his pure outrage and wrath at what Travis just said. His possessive and protective side causes him to rumble and shake with the knowledge. I hung up stunned into silence. Or so angry that I couldn’t even comprehend my emotions or form a single thought about what Travis just told me. “Lamia.” Mathias tries to get my attention, his voice harsh and grating as he desperately tries to control his own anger. I heard him but I was struck dazed. I can feel my heart thumping harder, gradually building up to a panicked pace. My breathing becomes heavier. I’m lost for words. I pinch my arm to make sure I’m awake and not imagining the phone call I just received. That this isn’t a dream. I want to think this is a joke, but I know Travis would never joke about Oliver. There was nothing remotely funny in relation to that mutt and what he did to us. What he let happen to us. “Lamia?” I tilted my head towards my
OLIVER For The first time since Alpha Travis had locked me away in this cell, and I must confess it was nothing less than I deserved, the sound of multiple steps rang out from down the other end of the long corridor. The musty dank air shifted, becoming thicker. Even with my wolf as weak as he was, I felt her power. I smelled her sweet scent. Wafting through the stagnant air of the dungeons. I smiled to myself. I didn’t think Travis would do it. I didn’t think he would tell her. I guess all this reveals is one; he was ready for me to die. Two; Travis was scared of disappointing his queen. I suddenly felt nervous. My hands became clammy and started to slightly shake. My heart began to beat harder, and the thudding of my organ pulsed through my ears. I hoped to make an escape from the life I grew up in, in Bhakhil, but my plans were foiled. I was looking for an out. A way to leave everything behind and find out who it was I really wanted to be. Unfortunately, there is no light at th
Bonus chapter for: Rise of the Hunters – Book 7 RHETT 3 Years Later MacTire held my heart, but I couldn’t help visiting the borough I grew up in when out in the field. Recruiting new Enforcers for the INE. I found myself missing the familiarity of the streets. The people – half human, half shifter. Most without a spirit animal. A town, us half breeds built, grew, and protected. Hunters as Lamia called us but was a hunter? The town wasn’t big, but it was a place where half-breeds gathered – safety in numbers - we had become a close-knit community. Even still, we were constantly heckled and subject to the packs that surrounded us. Always trying to strong-arm our community or take what they thought belonged to them. Hybrids – Where one parent is a shifter the other human or no spirit animal – were born one of three ways. Either they were purely human or gained a counterpart that was weaker in comparison to full-blooded shifters, or there was us. The ones like me. A hybrid. Neither
ASHE I found Aodh, sitting regally at the top of Mint’s mountains. A throne made of stone. Cold and sharp just like the god of the underworld. His face was dark and impassive. The hatred inside him poured out and I could feel his disgust with this realm hanging in the air. “You dare come before me halfling.” He sneers as I make my presence known. I brush off his rude remark. His power has no hold over me. “How long will you keep the Moon Goddess imprisoned?” I watch Aodh's expressions carefully, but he gives nothing away. “Until I get what I want.” He remarks with a flat tone after a moment of silence. “Don’t be coy with me youngling. You are in my realm now.” I snarl back. A little of my beast showing. “You forget your henchmen are dead. My Knights still live.” “I will kill them!” He pounds his large fist against the stone throne, stating a matter of fact, his red eyes holding no lies. “For what? Because Inanna had been promised to you by her father centuries long before? The
Thank you for reading The Beta and the Jewel Thief - Book 6 of the Delta's Daughter series. I would like to kindly ask you all to leave me a review on the about book page. This helps me as an author and my stories get noticed on the app. Just a few words and a great rating would be appreciated. Now I know I left this book with another cliffhanger... You still love me I know it. ;)I also know there are a few questions. Not everything could be explained, the story had well superseded any of the other books in regards to word count. In the beginning, it was always thought that the story was more about Lamia and Kellen's wolves than it was about them. Throughout the series, it has been hinted at that Inanna was always promised to a god of the underworld by her father (Aodh). It seems as though Ashe and Ascena (who is originally Nessie, Inanna's daughter) had this planned from the beginning. To have the next immortal child come into this world. In book three Kellen was given his life b
LYRIC The aftermath of war was something to behold. The atmosphere was thick with melancholy. A pensive sadness gripped each and every one of us. Were we happy that the fighting had stopped? Of course. But no one would cheer or rejoice. There would be no celebration. Because we didn’t win. We were lucky. Those of us that survived. We had lost many. On all fronts. Including the Changelings and rogues who ended up joining forces against this other realm god with us. Under the command of the rogue, they called Oliver. Mike begins to take control of New Moon's army. Shouting out commands. Note retreats to the back of my mind, not far, but far enough to rest. The aches in my bones set in, and the sting of wounds where they had already begun to heal, linger. The dark-skinned werecat comes to stand next to me, She points the short sword in her hand across the jungle plane to where King Mathias stands with a woman whose skin is as dark as night, her hair a flowing white, shining like th
TALA Winds whipped through the trees as night fell across New Moon. My wolf, Mora, had been roused all day, feeling uneasy about her mate being so far from us. It had been snowing for hours, mixed with lashing rain. Connor slept soundly whereas Jonda’s child was restless much like myself as I kept checking in on her every hour. Jonda was only down the hall, Olivia and Lizzy stayed with the child. *Tala!* Olivia pushed through a mental connection. Her voice was rushed and distraught making my wolf’s ears perk and fur hackle. Without thinking I scrambled to my feet from where I sat by the window in Connor’s nursery. My gut was twisting with dread and a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Olivia’s voice worried me. I raced out of our suite and down the hall. Greeting Olivia at the door to Jonda’s room. “What’s wrong? Is Jonda, okay? The baby…” “She won’t come down. She’s gone mad! Her marks!” Oliva pants in a panic. “The guards they tried…” Without waiting I brush past her
SHADOW My beasts begin to growl and shake. Their snarls and attention concentrated on the young females that cross the field we currently march across. The darkness curls around my veins and I hush the beasts to settle. “Patience my wild ones,” I say as the females draw near to the front of my army's line. Just over the crest of the hill, where the jungle meets the dense forest, the warriors of Cambiador lay in wait for me. I can feel my son's blood, his magic lingers in the air, it calls to me. And so do these three young females who approach. It would be favorable for the Grimalkin to side with me, but that ship has sailed. And unfortunately, he will die alongside his brethren. “Master,” The young girls reach me and kneel down. From the pocket, of one she pulls out an object and instantaneously the darkness unravels and travels down my arms to my fingers. The inky black shadows strained from my body reaching towards the object in her hand. Her palm opens and the shadows grasp wi
TALA Meanwhile at New Moon Shrill screams sound from down the hall. With Connor in my arms, I raced towards my sister’s anguished shrieking. I barely notice Olivia and Lizzy behind me as I rush to Jonda’s aid. I fling the door open and Connor begins to wail. My eyes land on my sister and I almost drop my son at the sight. She’s doubled over clutching her large stomach, blood trickling from between her legs, soaking the purple gown she wears. “Jonda!” I cry out with alarm and concern. Immediately I link the pack doctor to come quickly. “Oh my!” Olivia exclaims behind me with shock. Followed by a sharp gasp from Lizzy. I hand Connor to Olivia, “I already linked the doctor.” I say with a rushed breath, quickly crossing the room to my sister's aide. Lightening flashes in the evening sky, illuminating the room and Jonda. That’s when I see the marks on her body begin to move and swirl, crawling across her skin. Becoming darker by the moment. “Jonda. Come lay down please.” I tell her
LYRIC Some drive and others run in their wolf form alongside our convoy as we rush towards Cambiador. The trip takes two days from where we were in Lewe to reach their borders. Kellen and Mike keep in constant communication with Rhett and Alpha Travis who are already at the border of the werecat kingdom. The tension in the car is palpable. All of us wondering if this is it. If this is when we face Senko and his army. The warriors are in good spirits, for some, it is not their first battle. For others, it would be a first. Their lack of worry is what has Note and I on edge. After what I witnessed at the Golden Circle Pack - I want to scream at them. I want to pound it into their heads that they should be afraid of this Shadow Witch. Of the creatures and not quiet humans he has under his command. I’m looking out the window from the back seat of the car I share with Kellen and Mike. I tune out their conversation and think of Zane. It was him I was fighting for and our future. Maybe M
MIKE I ran in my wolf's form, letting Duke take charge and lead the way through the kingdom's forest. We knew these woods like the back of our hands or paws. Could probably navigate the terrain with our eyes closed because we had run through them so much. Duke speeds up when catches Lyric‘s scent. We were spending as much time together as we could. Kellen and I were leaving in a couple of days with three teams of elite warriors heading to the border of Lewe to look for the compound. Rogue would join us, and Tyron would stay back to protect the kingdom with my father. Usually, it Would be the Delta going but for unknown reasons he wanted Tyron to stay back and man the palace. Lyric was also staying behind. On one hand, I was happy for Lyric to not be in the thick of a fight, on the other I didn’t like the idea of being away from her. It was making me apprehensive just the thought of leaving her. Duke catches up with Note and nips at her hind legs playfully. We had been out here for