AdeaIn this life, he was someone I needed to get rid of. He was someone who had hurt me and I just— Images of the ways he’d hurt me in our first life flash through my mind. Feelings of liking it, of liking him hurt me in ways I shouldn’t have.No, that was before and this is now. Shane is someone I need to get rid of, someone that’s hurt my family, he’s someone I need to kill. This knowledge doesn’t change that fact. I decided that this morning when I woke up from that terrible dream and I needed to fucking stick to it.Ignoring the way I’d felt, the way I wished for more for him, I swallowed it all down. Everyone has a sob story, anyone can have a dark past. That doesn’t mean I can let it affect me and what I’ve come here to do. What I’ve come here to accomplish.I will not be swayed. No matter how much my heart disagrees with my mind. Shane’s lips press to mine and I’m yanked from my thoughts. His kiss is everything it usually isn’t. It’s tender, it’s cautious, it isn’t kind but it
Adea I don’t know where that came from but I didn’t believe him for one second. He was too obvious and from what I could see something was definitely up. Shane gave nothing away and I gasped as he thrust against my belly. My jaw dropped and his hard length twitched against my ribs. I gripped his hand as it slid up my side. He looked at me and had the audacity to look shocked. “Oh, right,” he started, “people to kill.” As if it never happened, he rolled off of me and sat at the edge of the bed. The sun was lighting up every dark space in the room. Shane’s back was to me and I couldn’t help but look at his marred skin. It looked beautiful and I almost slapped myself as the thought crossed my mind. Stop eye fucking the enemy. I sat up in bed, and the sheet fell to my hips, exposing my breasts and belly. Was it okay to feel this comfortable with another man? No, no it most definitely wasn’t. Without even meaning to, there. was a game of tug of war going on. I knew I should feel ashame
AdeaWe stood panting as he came back down from the wave of ecstasy he was riding. The room was filled with the sounds of our breathing and the walls were starting to close in on us. I was ready to get out of here and do anything else. I stood flabbergasted in front of Shane. A sly smile pulled at the corner of his lips, he didn’t have a care in the world.After pressing a kiss to my nose, he started about his day, pulling clothes off hangers and throwing them onto the table like he didn’t just jerk himself in front of me twice in less than twelve hours. I wanted him to get comfortable around me but that’s not what I had in mind.I realized the sheet come loose and my breasts were on display. Quickly, I covered myself. There was a knock on the door and I found myself face to face with Beka. She held a few bags in one hand and a couple of dressers hanging in the other.“I don’t know what you prefer to wear, so I brought a few things for you to choose from.” Her eyes immediately roamed
Adea Shane was right. We did have a good day. I hated to admit it but he was right. We were having a blast, at least, I knew I was. I don’t know why I was surprised when he lead me downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. I knew this place better than the back of my hand. Everything was as I remembered and it made me miss Mavy. Unease filled my stomach as I realized hadn’t seen her at all yesterday. I needed to be on the lookout for her today. Would she come down for breakfast? Should I ask Shane? The staff seemed happy and I recognized them as women I had cleaned with before. As we took our seats, we were served waffles, scrambled eggs, and a huge brown of grapes, strawberries, and blackberries. I popped a few grapes into my mouth while Shane asked me to feed him strawberries. He wasn’t a baby but I didn’t deny him when he opened his mouth like a toddler. The big bad wolf likes to pretend to be an innocent puppy with me. There was no sign of Devin or Liam. It wasn’t odd for the Bet
Just as his head dipped and my lips were about to press to his. I turned away and pressed a kiss to his cheek A low growl rumbled in his chest and I didn’t bother hiding my smirk as my heels hit the concrete. I started to drop my arms from his neck when his thumb and index fingered gripped my chin and forced me back. He dipped his head lower and kissed me. He kissed me like he was thirsty and I was the only thing that could quench his thirst. He moaned as I gave him access and he deepened the kiss. When we separated I took a step back but he wouldn’t let me go. His hand intertwined with mine and my breath caught in my throat. “So?” He asked. “What?” “Are you still a good shot, Ady?” “Why don’t you wait and see who leaves here with their tail tucked between their legs?” I whispered. “Ooh,” Shane teased. He led me into the arcade. We started with a shooting game, before I could grab the red gun, Shane swiped it up. “This is my lucky color,” He said as he handed me the blue one. “
By the time we were done playing, we realized we had missed lunch and it was dinner time. I wanted to ask him where we were going as we stepped outside but the fun of it wasn’t knowing. Orange and pink filled the sky, the sun was going to start its descent below the surface. My stomach growled and Shane lifted me onto the motorcycle. He was no gentleman and I flushed as his eyes dipped between my legs. I was well aware that I was on display but I wasn’t going to cower under his gaze. I hated the arrogant smirk that would tug at the corner of his lip. He took his time getting onto the bike and I wanted to yank on his nipple ring but I’m sure he’d like it. I wrapped my arms around him as he kicked up the kickstand. I held on tight while Shane drove us to our next destination. Five minutes later we arrived. It was nothing like Iron Pot. Today, we were eating at a pizzeria called ‘Home Plate Pub’. It wasn’t fancy but it had its own perks. The walls were made out of finished wood, the boo
It was all too easy to fall into step behind Shane. Living this fantasy was becoming a second skin and I could feel myself slipping into it eagerly. This reality was more fun than it should be. Letting him do the things he did to me should have been harder. His firm grip on my hips was too warm, too comforting, too consuming.I held onto him tightly and I wondered if it was so that I wouldn’t fall or if it was because I wanted to hold onto him? My feet still hadn’t returned to the ground from what he’d done to me in the pizzeria. My heart twisted but also soared. I didn’t know whether I should be this happy or if I should be wracked with guilt.I didn’t let myself question, wonder, or spiral. I pushed the guilt aside and swallowed down my conscience. Tonight was not the night to wallow. I was going to be wild and reckless. Was this the place to let loose? No, probably not. Was this the best time? Absolutely not.Shane sat in front of me, his broad shoulders and firm back were all too
I nodded. My mind raced as he reached for the door. Goosebumps broke out down my arms. Who could be in the dungeon? The only person I could think of was was Duke, the warrior from the wall. Shane had punished Pan while Duke remained untouched. He had said a surprise but I guess a day without killing would be too much to ask for. It’s not how I pictured how the night would end. A flashback of our past life flashes through my mind and I’m reminded of the beatings Shane had taken for me. Yes, he’d been dark and his love sometimes hurt but he’d never had a chance to be taught the right way. Sometimes you love the person and not the crimes they’ve committed. He did everything he could to protect me. I knew, I just knew that whoever was in there had done something bad and deserved the punishment they were getting. Whoever was on the other side of this door had not only offended Shane but had hurt me. If it was Duke, I couldn’t see him being sentenced to death. He didn’t do anything to me.
The first month back at Desert Moon had been hard. Not a day went by without us fighting. Ethan rejected Mavy as his mate before we came home. A part of me knew he was hurt about it, missed her like I missed Shane. I felt like he was only with me because I was his Luna, because of obligation and duty. I didn’t know why he wanted to be with me. He didn’t know why I was with him when I loved Shane. We were at our lowest. We were ugly, we were at our rawest. It wasn’t until month two that we finally talked about everything. We talked bout what happened and we talked about the past. The one that I remembered and by this time, the one that he remembered. It was hard, facing the man I loved in this life and the man I hated in the past. He wasn’t him anymore, he hadn’t been him for a long time. We dug into the past and were completely honest with each other. He fell to his knees and apologized for what he’d done even though I told him it wasn’t him, that wasn’t him anymore. He asked me if I
Mavy fell back as if she’d been physically struck. She collapsed on the couch, her eyes watering. She didn’t look back at me, she kept her gaze focused on Ethan. I watched as her world crashed around her again for the second time in five minutes.“Where does that leave me?” Mavy asked. “I’m… your…” she shook her head and turned to look back at Ethan. “That’s not possible. I’m… I can smell it. I can feel it. Can’t you?” Mavy whispered. I heard the desperation in her voice.“I don’t care what you think or how you feel. I am already mated and my mate, my partner, my love, MY QUEEN sits in this room. Don’t disrespect her again.” The emotion in his voice caused me to choke up. Mavy bit into her lower lip and tears streamed down her cheeks. She dropped her head.“Yes, Alpha,” she said submissively.“I killed your Alpha,” Ethan said. “I’ve killed your brother.”“Yes,” she murmured.“Will you fight me on this?” Ethan asked.“As the next in line, I submit to you,” Mavy whispered.Ethan dismiss
The voices were getting louder, my head was hurting. I wanted to roll up into a ball and disappear from the world. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried to drown it all out, trying to ignore everyone. I wasn’t ready to deal with it.“She’s in shock…”“She’s confused…”“Enough!”A door slammed and footsteps paddled quickly towards me. Soft frail arms wrapped around me. Tears soaked my cheeks and my neck as Mavy cried. Did she know? She had to know.“Are you okay?” Mavy sobbed.I wrapped my arms around her and nodded. The tears started up again and streamed down my cheeks. Her t-shirt bunched in my fingers as I held her close. We cried and held each other.She inhaled deeply and froze. Slowly, she lifted her nose into the air and took another deep breath. Turning from me, she tried to follow the scent. She stopped, her gaze locked on someone, I turned and followed her gaze.I should have known, expected it but I’d been so caught up in my feelings that I didn’t think. I don’t know how it w
I didn’t have an answer for him and I don’t think he would have liked what I would have said. Hell, I didn’t know if I liked what I thought or how I felt. Instead of hurting him and cutting myself open for him, I didn’t say anything. I remained quiet. My world was crashing around me and my ears were ringing. I lowered my head and the tears flowed of their own volition.Ethan leaned down and I flinched as his arms wrapped around me. They were strong and broad. His embrace was warm and promised I could lean on him. I attempted to get to my feet only to fall. My face twisted from the pain and I wanted to cry and wallow in my own self-pity. Standing, he pulled me up and held me as my body gave up. I collapsed against him.I wanted to get to Shane, needed to. As if on cue, the weak mate bond snapped, and just like in my dream, it was gone. Only, this time, the pain I was feeling was because of Shane and not because of Ethan. The world was cold, the warmth I’d been able to feel from Shane f
Did what I do to him last night not bother him? I betrayed him. Did he not care that I came here to hurt him? Did he not care that I chose Ethan? I wanted to cry and scream. I wanted to run into his arms. I wanted this to stop. I wanted them to stop fighting. I wanted it all to stop. I screamed, it was painful and gut-wrenching but I screamed. I cursed the Goddess, damn her, she was useless in all of this. She sat up there above the clouds and did nothing to help us. Did she enjoy watching us suffer? When I couldn’t scream anymore, I inhaled deep breaths of air. I looked up and froze as Shane stared back at me. The way he looked at me told me he knew he was going to die. The look in his eye told me he knew he lost but for me, there was a small spark as if he wouldn’t just lay down and take it. I watched Ethan punch him. It was as if he was moving in slow motion. He hit his jaw and Shane’s head snapped back hard against the ground. Shane’s body tensed and he punched Ethan in the gut.
For a moment in time, they stood glaring at each other. The sun was blaring down on us. My gaze darted back and forth between the two. Shane’s eyes wandered away from Ethan and landed on me. “Look at me, mutt. You don’t get to look at her after what you’ve done,” Ethan spat. “I’m not so weak that you can look away from me in the middle of a fight.” “What have I done?” Shane taunted. “You’ve touched what’s mine,” Ethan growled. “I haven’t done anything other than touch what is mine. I haven’t done anything but make love to what is mine. I’ve claimed her. She may not wear my mark, thief but she is mine. Don’t claim her as yours. She was mine, she was always mine. She doesn’t belong to you, she never did.” A look came over Ethan’s face as if he knew as if this was confirmation as if he was reminded of something he’d forgotten. “You’re the one who touched someone who wasn’t yours. You are the one who took what was mine. Don’t try to play the victim. Don’t pretend to be something you’re
No.Not Odis.“Devin,” I gasped.Devin heard me but didn’t stop. He didn’t look up at me, didn’t even hesitate as he continued to stomp Odis into the ground. Blood spurt from Odis’ mouth and I think I heard his ribs crack. I took a step closer to stop it, to stop him. In a flash, someone was on top of Devin. Strong arms held Devin’s prisoner in a headlock and his legs wrapped around Devin’s abdomen.I wanted to scream but it quickly died in my throat as Odis and I realized the man in front of me was Gabe. Gabe. It was Gabe and he was on top of Devin. Well, he was wrapped around him like a python ready to suffocate his prey. Gabe grunted as he continued to squeeze Devin’s head, blocking his airflow.I wanted to cry out happily but I couldn’t. Gabe was here. Why was he here? He wasn’t supposed to be here. Things were going differently since he was alive. He was standing, breathing, his head was still attached to his body. Maybe things were turning out differently.Maybe Gabe was safe, ma
“Do you understand what I’m saying?” Odis asked. I couldn’t find the words to speak, so I nodded. “Good,” Odis said as his grip on me loosened. “Why don’t you let her go?” A voice called out to us. Looking up, I searched for the source of the voice. My eyes widened as I found Devin watching up. His gaze locked around Odis’ arms that were still wrapped around me to his hands that gripped my arms. “I promise I’m more fun,” Devin teased. I know what it looked like. It looked like I was being held back from moving. It looked like Odis was stopping me from helping Shane. It looked like I was stuck between two packs, two men. The situation I found myself in was precarious. I was now stuck between two Betas who were supposed to protect me, despite their conflicting thoughts regarding me. I hadn’t had much time with Devin since I’d been back. He hadn’t been the nicest, shit, I don’t think he even liked me. That didn’t change the fact that Devin was Beta of Half Moon pack. Shane was his
I didn’t have an answer and I prayed I didn’t have to make the choice. Not only had everyone stopped moving but it had gone deathly silent. For a moment, everyone and everything froze. There wasn’t a whisper of wind in the air, the trees stood still, and it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was the calm before the storm. It felt like someone had pushed the pause button and all at once the play button was pressed and all hell broke loose. As if planned, the two of them ran toward each other. I looked past Ethan and my gaze landed on Shane’s chest. The sword had been taken out, a gaping hole was left in its place right next to his heart. Now that it was gone, I could see I had barely missed his heart. If I’d been one inch to the right, he would have died. How had I missed that? I didn’t kill him. Was I not paying attention? Why hadn’t I looked at his heart? I had aimed, hadn’t I? Had I meant to miss it? No, I had meant it, or else I wouldn’t have stabbed him at all. I tried to