March 16, 2003My lovely Freya,When you read this, it must mean my dear father has passed. You must have a lot of questions, and I'm sorry I'm not here to answer all of them for you. Just know as you read this, your father and I loved you with all our hearts, and we only did this to keep you safe.If I know my dad, he probably told you stories about our family history, but to you, they must have seemed like bedtime stories and sometimes even scary stories. I wish I could say all those stories were made up, but sadly, they are all true. When you turned sixteen, your dreams might have felt more like visions. That's because they are. With each year your wolf is locked away, the visions will become stronger, and a powerful feeling will urge you to seek out others like us, but you must resist. It's too dangerous to be around other werewolves. Please believe me when I say it is for your own safety, that is why we sealed away your wolf until now.Your grandfather should have given you this
I check into a small town Inn that sits near the edge of a lake near a forest. Supposedly, the spirits of the forest are stronger around here because the poles diverge directly across the center of the forest, or at least that's what the cab driver told me during the thirty-minute drive from the airport. Walking up the gravel road to the house that looks as if it was built in the eighteenth century gives me goosebumps and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. When I touch the doorknob, a strong needle-piercing pain shoots through my brain, almost bringing me to my knees. The door opens from the inside, and an older woman with a large scar on her face appears before me. "Can I help you?" She asks. I stand at five foot seven inches and probably tower almost two feet above her. "Yes. Do you have a room available?" "I do. Please come inside, and I'll get you situated," she walks behind the desk placed on the left-hand side facing the entryway, looking into the large li
"Hello? Are you awake?" A loud banging on my door wakes me up, "Hello?! I'm not waiting all day!" My eyes heavily open and only spring awake when I see the clock is a little after nine. Jumping out of my bed, I shove on my shoes and grab my jacket and photo bag, rushing to the door to open it. "I'm sorry," I say for being late and bumping into his stone wall chest, "Sorry," I say again, fixing the messy hair out of my face. Matthew doesn't say anything. Instead, he just grunts and moves to the stairs. I follow behind him. Marcy is at the bottom of the steps with a picnic basket in her hands and gives it to Matthew, who reluctantly takes it. "Have fun, you two," Marcy coos. "Whatever," Matthew mumbles in a barely audible whisper. Marcy gives me a smile while I run behind Matthew to keep up with his pace. "Can you slow down a bit?" I yell out to him.Matthew doesn't say anything, he just stops in his tracks, not even bothering to look back. Coming up beside him, he sneers at me,
Marcy and Matthew took two hours to get the kids ready. While they did that, I organized the living room and had the fireplace ready for a photo shoot. I'm still against the idea, but seeing Marcy smile when I told her what Matthew asked for made it hard to stay mad.The kids came down first, both dressed in their Sunday's finest. Marcy followed behind them in a simple purple dress and wearing the same house slippers she had on earlier."Can you shoot from the waist up?" Marcy asks, fixing her hair in the mirror that's located in the hallway.The two kids begin arguing over something random, which has Marcy yelling at them to settle down. Marcy calls out for Matthew but he doesn't respond."Do you mind getting him dear?" Marcy says, looking at me with tired eyes.I simply nod and keep my head down as I go up the stairs. I arrive at his door and knock, but when there is still no answer, I gently turn the handle and peek my way inside. The room is empty, but a light is shining behind on
Matthew's hand trails up my thighs, making my legs part to give him better access. His fingers slip into my already wet folds before he pushes them inside me, causing me to let out a moan. His lips kiss mine almost as a reminder not to be too loud and wake the others, then moves to my neck, then down to my breast. My hand reaches down to feel his cock, which is already ready for me. Even after a few drinks, Matthew didn't have any problem keeping up with me, something I hadn't experienced in a very long time. The idea of him inside me has me pulling him on top of me as I'm no longer able to wait.Matthew lets out a low chuckle and positions himself between me, then presses his thick member inside me. He pushes himself as far as he can go inside me, my body reacts instantly, wanting to clasp down on him to never let him go. Almost as if instincts kick in, I flip us over so he's now on his back, and I'm on top. My hands reach down and are placed on the headboard to give me leverage wh
Dinner time came and went. I grabbed my plate of food and came back to my room, as I was still upset with Matthew. Marcy could sense the tension, while the kids were none the wiser. I continued reviewing the journals, hoping something new would pop out of me, but I had no luck, making me even more frustrated.I slam them shut and pace back and forth, trying to think of a way to get back out there on my own without the asshole tour guide. How can he sleep with me one day and be an ass the next? I scoff."Now he's starting to remind me of Jackson." I search the room, hoping I might find something that will help me get back out there. As I rummage around the dressers and closet, I manage to find a flashlight, a few batteries, and a thick jacket. I walk over to the window, open it, and contemplate jumping out. During my internal debate a knock on the door stops me.I set the jacket and flashlight on the chair, then go to answer the door to see Matthew standing behind it. "What do you wa
Jackson POVFour Days AgoLeave! How could she fucking leave?! I've wasted these last few years kissing up to that bitch, waiting for her to become that damn wolf, and she just leaves! As if I would have stayed with her this whole time if I didn't expect to get something out of it."Damn it!" I yell.I pick up the bottle I took out of the fridge just before she left and throw it against the wall. My rage doesn't end there. I rip apart the couch, throwing the pieces all around the living room, then pick up the TV and slam it down on the ground. "Fuck!" I scream with my fist raging in the air."Hello?" a woman's voice calls from behind the front door, "I'm trying to work over here," she continues, annoyed as she bangs on the door.Perfect, I can go for a snack.I open the door, and the blonde, busted woman drops the bitchy attitude and changes her whole demeanor to something more seductive. A typical move for any human that comes across me. Humans are unable to resist the aura I exude,
Freya POV My body aches from Jackson dropping me on the floor. I panic, unsure what to do. In my condition, there's no way I can fight him off, and I need to get to the kids to make sure they're safe. I notice the camera on the floor and reach over to grab it and quickly turn it on. Jackson always hated me using it when he was around because he said he hated the way the flash bothered his eyes. Before it can turn on, Jackson lifts me back up by the throat. I clutch onto the camera, holding it for dear life and counting in my head the seconds it takes for it to turn on. My body starts to go limp. I look down at the camera and notice the red light, which lets me know it's ready to go. With every last bit of energy I can muster, I lift the camera, putting it directly in his face, and take a picture of him. The flash caused Jackson to release me and scream in pain as he uses his hands to cover his eyes. As quickly as I can, I run upstairs and shout for the kids and search for them un
Freya POV The elevator doors opened, and I was immediately hit with the sound of loud chatter and music. I would have thought I was transported to a concert instead of the grand hall. I was never good with loud crowds, and now I'm in the middle of one. Theo rests his hand on mine as if he's attempting to reassure me. I let out the breath I'm holding and take the first step out. People parted as I walked by, staring at us in awe. Some of the faces look familiar from the times Theo snuck me out. They would give me a timid smile and turn away quickly, scared as if they might turn to stone if they gawked at me too long. Theo directed me outside, and through the crowd, I could see Cole off in the distance. He was standing near an older man, which made him seem uncomfortable as Cole was hunched over instead of his usual tall stance. Cole catches us walking towards him. He excuses himself from the people he is speaking to and starts striding over to us. When he stops in front of us, The
Freya POV Tonight is the big night and the last time I'll be sleeping alone. These past few days, Cole makes himself known, but by the second sentence, he finds a way to close himself off. It was like there was a switch that went off inside him every time we locked eyes. The time I had alone would make me miss Theo, at least I think it's Theo, he used to visit me all the time, but something also changed with him. It's like he's trying to keep his distance from me. Even when we were in the same room together, he would find a way to stay as far away from me as possible. I push those ideas to the side and focus on tonight. I still find it hard to believe I'm just supposed to shift into a wolf, but then again, everything I've experienced since being here is all hard to believe. I've been living among them for a month, and slowly, I've become one of them, but after tonight, once I shift, I'll officially be one of them. Callie arrived right on schedule with a garment bag in one hand an
Cole POV With each day, I was hopelessly drawn more and more to Freya. I tried to keep my distance, but after I caught Theo lingering at Freya, I knew. He had found a way to love her. It made my blood boil that I almost nearly killed him at that moment. How could he love her so easily and openly? The worst part of the whole thing was how she looked back at him. It nearly killed me. I called Theo on it but he denied everything. Since then, I've forbidden him from seeing her. I made him take care of the day-to-day jobs while I would use that time to get to know Freya. I wanted to learn more about her because there was still some part of me that didn't trust her. I looked at the photo album every night and studied the women and family in those pictures. I need to know who she really is before I let her in. However, the idea of getting close to Freya also makes me anxious. I was scared of what it was all going to mean when she was officially my mate. How are things going to change, and
Sofia POV I knew it was only a matter of time until I got Cole into bed, even though it was more of a challenge than usual. However it's good to know not even Freya can get in my way. She's going to make my plan of becoming a Luna difficult, but it won't deter me one bit. When I first saw her, she was a helpless bird, and now she seems just as fragile, although she's doing a good job hiding it behind a tough exterior. I mean the way she ran out of dinner with the girls all but tells me she won't last long. And when she's ready to leave, aka escape, I'll be the first to help her out. There's no way she'll be able to survive outside the barrier with dirty vamps lurking nearby. I open my closet and pull out my skimpy purple dress that I know Cole can't resist, and bonus points are every woman who sees me in it gives me the dreaded side eye of jealousy of knowing they could never pull it off themselves. I shimmy into my dress and color my lips a deep shade of red. Tonight's my last opp
Freya POVThe sun peaks through the curtains, waking me up. I roll over, looking down, and remember I'm wearing the dress from last night. I sit up on the bed, hanging my legs off the side of the bed, and put my head in my hands to help rub off the headache. I unzip the dress and finally take an actual breath now that I'm not stuck in a tight-fitting dress. I slump my way to the restroom to wash my face. After speaking with Cole last night and learning more about him and this place, I'm starting to feel more at ease here. However, hearing I'll never be able to leave this place is daunting and a tiny bit terrifying. I check in the dresser to see if there's anything to wear, but when I open the drawer, I find them empty. I grab the throw blanket and wrap myself up so I don't have to put on the dress again. I try not to worry that walking around in my underwear with Cole in the next room might give him the wrong idea. I peek outside my bedroom and call out Cole's name. When he doesn't
Freya POV Cole sits across from me, looking like an open book, ready to spill all his secrets. The questions I've been forming in my mind all week come forward all at once. I calm my racing thoughts and think of which of them is the best question to ask him. "Cole, why did you have to pick me?" the question slips out before I can stop myself. "I didn't," he says quietly. "Then why?" "I can't dare to guess why the moon goddess put us together, but she did." "Moon goddess. I've heard Callie mention it, but I haven't put much thought into it with everything else going on, so who is she?" "She is the spirit of the wolves, to put it simply. The legend says she blessed the first human with the ability to turn into a wolf during a time of war, and over time, we evolved to what we are today. At the beginning, there were millions of us, but now there's probably a little over three thousand," Cole explains. "And this is because of the vampires?" "Yes. We give off a scent that gives
Cole POV After smelling Freya's arousal but being too late to join her, I can't help but take a cold shower to force myself to calm down. However, even the cold shower couldn't stop my erection, so I jack off so I can feel some sort of satisfaction. At times like this, I'm wishing I didn't stop having sex with the women upstairs. I could have called Sofia, but with Freya now around, I can't be giving Sofia the idea she's still my number one. I go to grab the suit Wilson picked out for me so I can get dressed and meet the harem. There's a slight bit of worry coursing through me about how Freya will react to meeting everyone. I put on the cuff links my father gave me that I only use for special occasions, then have a quick shot of scotch. "Wilson," I yell. "Sir?" Wilson comes into the room. "Is everyone up there?" "Theo and Freya have just arrived at the dining room," he briefs me while walking over and picking up the lint roller on my dresser to go over my shoulders. "Thank you
Freya POV Callie didn't say a word to me, not even a sigh or grunt on the way back to the room. She opens the door and points to the box on the bed, then leaves. I step toward the silver box that is neatly wrapped with a bow on top. I lift the lead to reveal a green silk dress, a pair of heels, and jewelry. When I take the dress out of the box, a note falls down at my feet. I pick it up off the floor and take the letter out. Putting on the dress is the start of our new life together. I promise to make it a good one. -Cole Together? The word alone has a thousand-pound weight falling upon my shoulders. Although I can't tell if it's guilt or the pressure that comes with being forced with someone I don't know. After I put the note away, I go to the bathroom to shower. As the hot water hits my body, I can't help but think about my kiss with Theo. The idea of it alone has me squeezing my thighs together. When the image of him on top of me appears, I can no longer hold myself back. I sl
Freya POV Theo leads me out of my prison for the first time in daylight. Instead of stealthily slipping me out, he shows me around. He introduces me to the people who walk up to talk to him, but he primarily brushes them off so he can give me "the grand tour," or so he says. I've seen a lot of the city, but I have yet to look around inside the mansion aside from the stairwell that leads outside. The whole place is a mystery to me. The only thing I've really seen is a tiny bit of the foyer when I first walked through the door over a week ago. Theo tells me the top three floors above my room are the living quarters of the harem and where I'll be moved too soon, but until then, it's off-limits to everyone, aside from a select few. The second floor has a recreation center, a study, and a few game rooms. The first floor has a kitchen, dining room, ballroom, and large living space. From what Theo described the ballroom is used at least twice a month for ceremonies and events, while the l