**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**DreamAdeaHe told me he would be here, that’s what his letter had said. I didn’t look out the window, I felt defeated, instead, I dropped my chin and focused on the cold floors. The skirt was a royal blue that matched the ribbons. My fingers danced at the top of my skirt and my breath came out shuttered.Gripping the hem, I shoved it down with one push. Goosebumps broke out all over my body as the cool air in the room enveloped my nude body. Disappointment flooded me but I couldn’t find it in me to cry. Tears didn’t prick the corners of my eyes and a sob didn’t fall from my lips.This was my life and the sooner I came to terms with this… the easier it would be. I was a fool to think it could be any other way. I tried my hardest not to think about but all I could do was that. Maybe I just needed to submit and give up on my dream.I should know better by
**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**DreamAdeaHer body went slack and she slumped to the floor. I held my mouth as I stared at her crumpled body. I was stuck between crying and screaming as I looked up to see who had hurt her. I smelled him before I saw him. He smelled of fresh-cut grass and pine. I wanted to cry as my gaze locked with his.The pull to touch him, feel him, kiss him was all too much. My feet moved first, my mate was here. He growled as his eye took in my attire. His gaze promised pain and death. I cried as I ran into his arms.The tingle of electricity I knew I would feel from him spread across my face, my neck, and my lips as he kissed me. He was hard and firm, and everything I needed. The tingles proved he was really here and the tears only came harder.Tears streamed down my face, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his muscular chest. His beautifu
**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**DreamAdeaAll those years, he never let me down. He wasn’t a man of many words but I always knew, I just knew. It was in the way he looked at me, the way that he touched me, the way that he did things for me, the way that he jumped in the way when I was going to get hurt.Yes, his way of showing affection wasn’t normal but… how many people were actually normal in this Goddess-forsaken world? If that was how he wanted to show me he needed me, loved me, I didn’t care.Sometimes, yes, he hurt me, his love was painful but good, so good. I could take it and knew when we mated, I would do anything and everything to make him happy. Did that make me like Alpha’s mate? I don’t know.I could see the light at the end of the foyer that waited for us on the other side of the hallway. If we could just get there we would be okay. We’d be free and I’d never have to see
**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**DreamAdeaTwo large chains slid up and around my ankles. I was pushed back until I was laying flat and my legs dangled over the edge of the table. Cold heavy chains slid up the metallic legs of the table and wrapped around my wrists. I didn’t cry out as they seared the skin around my wrist.I couldn’t move as I was chained down to the table. The door we’d walked through flew open and all of the air was expelled from my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. Alpha stood in the doorway like the deliverer of death.This couldn’t happen like this. Not in front of my mate. As soon as his gaze locked on me, his eyes darkened as he made his way down the stairs. His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath and I knew he’d been running.His brown hair fell over his green eyes. His pink lips were pulled down in a scowl and I knew I was going to be punished tonight
**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**DreamAdeaWhat is she doing?I don’t know, but I’ve missed you Korra.I know. Me too. Whatever she’s doing isn’t good.I know.You need to get that off of you.Why? I don’t know how I’m going to do that with my whole body chained down.You need to try, Adea. Whatever it is, it isn’t good. I can sense it. Do whatever you can to get that off of you.I think it’s useless, Korra. We’re not getting out of this one.I don’t know what it is. What I do know is that it will change everything.What do you mean?I don’t know how but I just know. I smell darkness from this witch.You’re not helping, Korra…Don’t start crying now. Even if we can’t break free, we need to wipe that symbol off of your chest before she can complete the ritual.Ritual?Yes, Adea.I don’t know how I’m going to stop this. As I panic and try to find a way to smear the symbol, the witch move
**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**DreamAdeaShe was almost yelling now and my body felt weird, wrong. Something was happening, there was wind, and we were inside the eye of a small tornado as it spun around us. I wanted this to stop, I wanted all of it to stop. Please. Alpha roared as he came into me.He thrust into me as hot spurts of his semen filled me. My thighs hurt from his thrusting, my head felt heavy, and almost as if it never happened, the tornado was gone, and the witch stopped chanting.There was a bright light and I arched my back as a pain hit and threatened to crack open my skull. I screamed and my body shook as everything changed. I could feel it. My body was changing and my mind was a blur of images.I didn’t know what was happening, I cried out for my mate, I cried out for him and I prayed he was okay. It was at that moment that my heart splintered, cracked, and melted
NowAdeaLong black curls of hair fell down on the bed, eyelashes fanned his cheeks and a sharp nose. I recognized him instantly, I remembered what I had forgotten. The man who came for me, the man whose love was painful, the man who kept his promise was in front of me, laying in bed with me.My fingers trembled as I reached out to touch him. We were running and we’d almost been free. We would have been free… if not for the witch. My fingers froze. The ritual. She’d completed the ritual.Goddess. Ethan. The memory of me crying, sobbing, and screaming on the metal table melted into the day Shane ripped his heart out of his chest. The pain I had felt had been real.The loss of my mate had been real. The hate Shane felt for him had been real. The rough way he took me that night had been real. The sword through his chest had given me the revenge I wanted but it wasn’t enough.The loss of my child had been real. The wish for death had been real. The memory quickly melted into something els
AdeaThe sound of chirping birds rouses me from sleep. I should not have been sleeping soundly next to the enemy. I can see an orange glow through my closed eyelids and I know the sun is high in the sky. The warm rays caress my cheek and spread down my arm. My eyes flutter open and the room comes into focus. What time is it?There’s movement beside me and when I turn my head to the side, I’m met with two orbs of darkness staring back at me. I’m caught off guard by the fact that he was already awake and I somehow didn’t notice.Shane is propped on his elbow gazing at me as if we’ve done this a million times before. I ignore the whisper that says we have. His gaze is dark and full of heat. A delicious shiver makes its way down my back.A small smile spreads across his lips and I know he’s aware of the effect he’s having on me. Something in the air shifts as we gaze into each other’s eyes. We don’t move, we’re both present in this moment.The sun rays shine through the window and a ring
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