VICTORIAI wanted to make it up to Devon. Rejecting him was not my original plan, but I panicked. I really wanted him to love me for me. Not forced by the stupid mate bond. What I didn't expect was to feel so empty after he accepted. I planned a whole romantic date at my secret safe haven. I wanted to be honest. I wanted him to know who I really was, and if he chose to walk away, so be it. But when he reached over and asked me how I felt about never having children, I didn't know how to respond because no one had ever asked me that before. No one really asked me how I felt about anything. Sure they would ask my advice on how to kill someone or hack into a secure facility but how I felt about anything was never something I had faced—that easy task of just shoving it down and not feeling anything. Yet when Devon touched my hand and asked me. I was momentarily stunned before our food arrived. I didn't know what to say. I had them prepare the best seabass and garlic fried rice and vegetabl
DEVON It had been over a week since my date with Victoria. Besides a few single-worded text messages, she was radio silent. Is she avoiding me? Is she on an assignment? Was the date not as great as I thought it was? I was a mess. Is this how girls felt when guys didn't call right away? No wonder girls were crazy. This feeling makes me crazy! I figured I would burn off some of this frustration with a run and a beer. I changed into some sweats and my Nike cross trainers and hit the trails. My head felt at peace in the trails along the river—nothing quite like birds chirping and the smell of pine in the fall. I made it to the clearing near the cliff's side. My favourite spot to clear my head. I couldn't let my anxiety get too high. Now that I was harnessing all the power from the warlock kingdom, I needed to be in control of my every thought, emotion and feeling. I daydreamed about Victoria for a while. I thought a lot about what she told me, how they removed her ovaries and took away
VICTORIA I don’t know what possessed me to message Devon. I missed him. Was it this quaint little town with all the families farming together or was the heat getting to my head? I guess I’ll never know. I thought with the rejection, the bond would fizzle out. I still felt incredibly drawn to him. Thinking of him constantly and that little dimple on his face when he tries not to laugh at something I’ve said. I had already completed the first part of my assignment. I was to hack the secure CIA server to find the safe house of one of their witnesses. Witness or not he was still the man who murdered innocent women and children for money. So it was his turn. I wanted to take my time, but Oliver needed it to look like a robbery; like it or not, Oliver out-ranked me. Mostly because he was politically correct and looked great in a suit, I, on the other hand, could not kiss ass to save my life. I said what I thought when I thought it, and I don’t really care if you’re offended. That’s why I
LUCY I had a vision of Devon's sister being held captive. I didn't know she was Devon's sister, nor did I understand the significance of the vision. I let it go, but when Damon called to tell me what had happened, I felt sick. I knew this was tied to us somehow. I was just too tired to put it together. This baby was killing me. I was a week overdue. After everyone left, I went to bed. I needed to lie down and put my feet up. I had been having Braxton hicks all week. This baby was coming, and soon. I drifted off to sleep and seemed to wake up when my phone buzzed like crazy. Thirty missed notifications. I opened my phone and called Damon back. "Angel, are you ok?" "yes, I am fine. Why?" "You aren't in any pain?" "I am always in pain, what's going on?" "I felt an awful pain in my back. I worried you had fallen. Ellen and Lanie are on their way to you now. I’ll be back when I can.” I swung my legs over the side and stood up. “Omg,” I think. I peed my pants. “What, Angel? What’s w
VICTORIA My name is Victoria Nash. I am the WereWitch born to the Alpha. My grandfather hates me and what I stand for. Weakness-Fear-a diluted Alpha Bloodline because my mother wasn't even an Omega. Just a half-breed witch sister to the oracle though no one but I and Esmerelda know that fact. I am usually pretty good at hiding away from him when he is in the packhouse. Today though, something must have made him more angry than usual because he is out for blood. My blood. I'm not old enough to have my wolf healing yet, but I can heal myself with the magic, only it wears me out, and I can't run away from him fast enough. I just need to stay hidden until he calms down. I count the tiles on the roof of the wine cellar. I can feel myself start to calm down. Slowing my heart rate, so he doesn't hear my heart beating—fear coursing through my body. A fear so potent it makes your teeth hurt. I listen as he walks past the door. He stops, and I hold my breath. I hear the handle turning and b
VICTORIA I ran so fast I could feel the beating of my pulse in my ears. I had used magic, and he found out. I ran through the trees jumping over logs and dodging rocks. I was in my pyjama bottoms and a tank top, but he had beaten me so badly I had to use a little magic to heal my broken bones before they set. He had come into my room when he smelt my magic being used. The thing with my kind is magic leaves a metal-coppery smell in the air. Only strong Alpha's could smell it when not close by, but as if he knew I would try and heal myself after he broke my leg, he was there in the doorway of my room. He backhanded me across the face, and I flew into my dresser. I grabbed my silver letter opener and stabbed it in his leg, a roar so loud it shook my room. I darted past him and into the hallway. I just needed to make it to Damon's room, but as I neared his door. I remembered he was away at Alpha training. Damn it! I ran down the stairs and out of the packhouse. I needed to make it to the
VICTORIA It had been months since my last nightmare. Since that night, Oliver had climbed into my bed like the brother I missed so desperately and just held my hand. Similar to the way Damon had. I had watched the warriors of our pack training, but it was nothing like what we did at Artamas. I was beaten daily by full-grown wolves, werebears, vampires, creatures I didn't know existed. There was a girl in the room next to mine who was a vampire witch. I didn't think those could exist. Witches were natural beings. They used life, the earth, to gain power, but vampires were dead and evil and the opposite. They had to kill to become more powerful. I guess nothing in this world is ever the way it seems. I stood in the shower of the change room after training and watched the blood from my wounds wash down the drain. I wondered what Damon was doing? If he knew where I actually was or just that I was at my fancy school. I turned the tap off and went to get dressed. I had history of ancient
MATICE I hated Cassandra. I hated how she hung all over Oliver. I hated how everyone looked at her like she was perfect because she was the last of her kind. I hated how nasty she was to the younger girls. Why did she have to make them feel so low? She was the lowest of low. It was totally worth being dropped into the pit for two days. Watching her run from the dining room covered in ketchup. I had to let VIctoria know I had her back. I had always kept my distance. I didn't want Lucian to punish her for my bad behaviour. They like to break us that way. Hurt the ones he cared about. That is why I only got close to Oliver and Anton. They could handle their own. Victoria was sweet. Oliver told me how her Grandfather Thadeus abused her. He founded the school and dropped her here as soon as her guardian would let him. The oracle for this continent had a special connection to her. That was not often oracled bonded to wolves or witches for that matter, and Victoria was both. She didn't know
LUCY I had a vision of Devon's sister being held captive. I didn't know she was Devon's sister, nor did I understand the significance of the vision. I let it go, but when Damon called to tell me what had happened, I felt sick. I knew this was tied to us somehow. I was just too tired to put it together. This baby was killing me. I was a week overdue. After everyone left, I went to bed. I needed to lie down and put my feet up. I had been having Braxton hicks all week. This baby was coming, and soon. I drifted off to sleep and seemed to wake up when my phone buzzed like crazy. Thirty missed notifications. I opened my phone and called Damon back. "Angel, are you ok?" "yes, I am fine. Why?" "You aren't in any pain?" "I am always in pain, what's going on?" "I felt an awful pain in my back. I worried you had fallen. Ellen and Lanie are on their way to you now. I’ll be back when I can.” I swung my legs over the side and stood up. “Omg,” I think. I peed my pants. “What, Angel? What’s w
VICTORIA I don’t know what possessed me to message Devon. I missed him. Was it this quaint little town with all the families farming together or was the heat getting to my head? I guess I’ll never know. I thought with the rejection, the bond would fizzle out. I still felt incredibly drawn to him. Thinking of him constantly and that little dimple on his face when he tries not to laugh at something I’ve said. I had already completed the first part of my assignment. I was to hack the secure CIA server to find the safe house of one of their witnesses. Witness or not he was still the man who murdered innocent women and children for money. So it was his turn. I wanted to take my time, but Oliver needed it to look like a robbery; like it or not, Oliver out-ranked me. Mostly because he was politically correct and looked great in a suit, I, on the other hand, could not kiss ass to save my life. I said what I thought when I thought it, and I don’t really care if you’re offended. That’s why I
DEVON It had been over a week since my date with Victoria. Besides a few single-worded text messages, she was radio silent. Is she avoiding me? Is she on an assignment? Was the date not as great as I thought it was? I was a mess. Is this how girls felt when guys didn't call right away? No wonder girls were crazy. This feeling makes me crazy! I figured I would burn off some of this frustration with a run and a beer. I changed into some sweats and my Nike cross trainers and hit the trails. My head felt at peace in the trails along the river—nothing quite like birds chirping and the smell of pine in the fall. I made it to the clearing near the cliff's side. My favourite spot to clear my head. I couldn't let my anxiety get too high. Now that I was harnessing all the power from the warlock kingdom, I needed to be in control of my every thought, emotion and feeling. I daydreamed about Victoria for a while. I thought a lot about what she told me, how they removed her ovaries and took away
VICTORIAI wanted to make it up to Devon. Rejecting him was not my original plan, but I panicked. I really wanted him to love me for me. Not forced by the stupid mate bond. What I didn't expect was to feel so empty after he accepted. I planned a whole romantic date at my secret safe haven. I wanted to be honest. I wanted him to know who I really was, and if he chose to walk away, so be it. But when he reached over and asked me how I felt about never having children, I didn't know how to respond because no one had ever asked me that before. No one really asked me how I felt about anything. Sure they would ask my advice on how to kill someone or hack into a secure facility but how I felt about anything was never something I had faced—that easy task of just shoving it down and not feeling anything. Yet when Devon touched my hand and asked me. I was momentarily stunned before our food arrived. I didn't know what to say. I had them prepare the best seabass and garlic fried rice and vegetabl
VICTORIA I rejected Devon. I did it. I went against every fibre of my being, and I am free. He has no mate bond fog over me, and he can choose me if he wants, or he can move on. I can move on. This is what I wanted. I try to convince myself as we drive back to the packhouse. I watch as the buildings and trees blur by me. Zarina is mad at me that I gave up our mate, but he doesn't even have a wolf; who is she even bonded to? I can feel Lucy's eyes on me even as she talks with Damon. As we cross the border in our pack territory, I ask the driver to stop. "I need to go for a run. I'll meet you back at the packhouse?" "Ya sounds good. I'll put some tea on." Lucy smiles, knowing I need space but offering to be there in case I need her. "No, Macey will make tea. You are going to rest. It was a big long night out." Damon scolds Lucy, and I have to laugh at his overprotective nature already. I can just imagine when he has a daughter. I place my clothes in a neat pile and let Zarina take
VICTORIA Damon and Lucy convinced me to check out this new classic club in town; apparently, the food is binge-worthy. So says Lucy, the foodie. Axel and Lanie are meeting us there, and I am actually starting to relax, thinking less and less about my mate. Lucy looks about ready to pop, but she says she is fine. Damon has been watching her like a toddler with a knife. I watch as Lucy waddles to my closest to pick me out an outfit. "Black leather, black leather, black leather…..okay, Tori, we need to discuss your clothing choices. Do you have anything that's not black and has secret dagger compartments?" I laugh, walking over to the closet. "This one is chocolate, so not black." I push a few things aside, and there is a three-quarter-length red dress that shows entirely too much breast but judging by the look on Lucy's face, she likes this one. "Tori, this one! You have to wear this one," she gushes, looking at it. I miss non-hormonal Lucy, practical, reasonable Lucy. I sit at the
Years later VICTORIA I taped my hands as I waited for the new recruits to arrive for training. Daniel was helping me with this batch. The plan was to scare them enough to know they wanted to be here with a healthy fear with no funny business. I finished wrapping my hands and began stretching. As the new recruits started arriving, I had Daniel run them through the warm-up before we began sparring. "Recruits! Today will test your physical and mental abilities. Some of you have experience with training, and some of you have been selected based on your unique skill set. This does not automatically gain you entry into the program. This program is meant to create warriors. You will have to take a life if you can not handle that. You should leave now." I watched and waited as some of the recruits thought about staying or going. Before I could continue, Daniel spoke up. "Do not be ashamed about leaving. Great strength comes from knowing when something is not meant for you." I watch as th
VICTORIA I don't know how long I stayed in the cabin looking through different books. I moved some werewolf law textbooks and behind them were a lot of small leather-bound journals with leather strings used to wrap around the book. I slowly opened one up, knowing what it was but not who's it was. I looked at the date in the corner at the top of the page, July 2nd, 1985. I have done some terrible things in my life. Anything to stay alive. Today I have done something I can not go back from Ezmerelda will never forgive me. I found Miguel's family and killed them all. My rage will never be forgotten in his village. They will forever fear the DIAZ witches. He will not reject my only sister. He will watch his family die. I cast him into the pits of hell, and there he will stay until he proves his love for my sister. We leave tomorrow to join Blood moon pack. Alpha Thadeous says we can pay with our bodies. I know we will be safe with Blood moon pack. They are large, and no one will suspect
VICTORIA The light was fading, and I was thrust back to reality—Oliver on my left and Anton on my right. I felt even more powerful knowing they had my back. I shot my hands out, and a beam of light shot from my body, encasing the beast in a light prison. I could hear Esmerelda chanting from somewhere, so I joined whatever spell she was casting, and it was then I saw the beast transform into a man. A man not much older than my father. He lay on the ground breathing slow and hard, unable to stand. For the first time in a long time, I saw Esmerelda shed a tear. Did she know this man? Beast? What was he? Who was he to her? I saw Hunter shift back to Damon, and Damon watched as I walked toward the man. Esmerelda fast to meet me where he was struggling to stand. "Someone get this man to the pack doctor," Damon roared, and a handful of men came running to carry him to the pack hospital. Before I could touch him, Damon grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. "We need to talk, little siste