Blake POV - The shadows cloaked him as he watched the Hayre and Lynn wolf retreat. Blake was impressed they had managed to take down one of the creatures so quickly. They were strong wolves, reacting quickly to the danger. Though he couldn’t decipher their strategy to get up the mountain. It had merely seemed like brute force and ignorance. Surely, they had thought it through before they tried to infiltrate Blood Mountain. Their movements had been easy to predict, his warriors stationed on the path long before they made a move, and yet they hadn’t even made it past their first line of defence. He huffed his disappointment. If this was the calibre of wolf the Moon Goddess thought was appropriate to support the Luna of an original three pack, he wasn’t surprised his Alpha saw fit to correct it. Deity or not, their behaviour was rash and undeserving of their mate. She should've chosen better.Blake pushed away another mindlink as the other creatures closed in. Alpha Castriel called th
Mina POV - It was a sizzling ache that woke Mina. She jerked from a sleep that was anything but restful, her eyes flying wide, her hands launching to her neck. They were smacked away as easily as a fly. “Stop it, you’ll ruin all my hard work.” The woman standing over her huffed. Mina relaxed as gentle hazel eyes fell to her, narrowing with suspicion, but calm. They were a similar colour to Alastor's, but didn't hold the same sharpness. Instead, they were paler hazel, a unique softness to them that boasted a strong presence beneath the surface. She pushed her glasses up her nose, sending a spark of recognition through Mina. “Haven’t we met before?” “So, you remember me?” The woman grinned. “I must say, I was surprised to see Clear Blue’s next Luna in my home. Or, I suppose you’ve taken the title now, right? You’re what, a year older than me?” Mina’s head throbbed as she tried to place the woman. She absentmindedly reached for the ache in her neck again, just to have her ha
Mina POV - With his forced marks still bruised and swollen on her neck, Mina didn’t want to be walking at Castriel’s side, but she didn't have a choice. The summons to accompany the Alpha on a tour of his pack had come with a messenger. She would’ve preferred food to a letter, but the cells only got one meal a day. Instead, she was carted off to her room, forced to leave Taylor behind, to quickly change and become presentable for the Alpha. Castriel had insisted she wash off the filth of the cells, but Mina was thankful for the time. She took a hot shower and examined the marks. It was a relief that they still bore red and angry on her skin. Unlike her mate's silvery marks, his had been rejected and would soon heal.It was Luna Evelyn's horrified gaze that made Mina grab a scarf on her way out. It didn't quite compliment the gaudy floor length gown that Castriel had chosen for her, but she was glad for it. She got a heady satisfaction when his eyes first narrowed on her scarf, pierci
Mina POV - “What did Castriel mean by a ‘bite’?” Mina asked, as Blake led her back to the packhouse, her two plates of leftovers in his hands. She felt a pull to walk back through the streets of Blood Mountain, to feel the warmth of their home touch her again, but the Issacs wolf made a bee line for the town’s edge before working his way around its perimeter. “I suppose our Alpha means to invite her to dinner.” He clipped. “You and I both know he doesn’t.” “Then why ask?” He whirled on her, the growl on his voice supposed to make her shut up, but it only stoked a fire in her belly. “Because of these." She ripped off her scarf, freeing the angry bites to his gaze. His eyes widened, something dangerous flashing within them. “Luna Evelyn’s still haven’t healed. They injected her with silver to try and weaken her into accepting Castriel’s mark. If he tried again now... If he used... She can’t...” Mina’s breath held tight in her upper chest, refusing to fill her lungs. She
Mina POV-It was a simple brushing of fingers, a light touch that sparked the most wonderous of sensations. A pleasant warmth built at her fingertips, a tingle passing between them, spreading across her palm. It was the sparks of the beginning of their mate bond, waiting to be completed. When he didn’t pull away, Mina sighed and took his hand in hers. The feelings were fami
Alastor POV - “Keep down, keep quiet, and if you find yourself against one of those beasts, don’t face it alone.” That was all the advice they could give to the rest of the Lynn wolves as they began the plan to rescue Mina. The first step was to successfully make it into the Blood Mountain pack undetected and unscathed. Given they hadn’t made it more than halfway up the mountain before, with no sign of the pack, it was a huge hurdle to get over, but they didn’t have a choice. Alastor had felt Mina’s pain a couple of days ago and had spent every waking minute since waiting for the next wave to come. Roman was the same, he could see it in his mate's eyes, the tension of his body, how it felt like there was something missing each time they laid down to rest. They had to get Mina back, and they had to do it now. Since their failed attempt to rush the pack, Emery had lectured them both on proper planning. He didn’t say anything they didn’t already know, but the reminder helped to gr
Mina POV - Mina could feel Castriel’s desperation in the air when she was invited for breakfast in the packhouse hall. Evelyn had been forced into his company for dinner, but she had stood strong against his bite. He hadn’t even used silver on her, though there were more attempts marring her neck, deeper and bleeding when she returned to the room. Something had happened. It hung in the air like a foul stench that only those in the know could smell, but it was easy to read the discomfort on their features, the tension in their bodies. She eyed each silver blade the warriors wore on their belts, armed even in the packhouse. Whatever it was, Mina let it fuel her confidence. Something had knocked Castriel off kilter and she would be happy to push him further. She refused to wear the dress he had sent for her, nor did she bother to sit at the table full of fruits and pastries and meats. Despite its hunger, even her stomach stood with her, staying quiet in the face of the temptation. “L
Mina POV - As if the danger between them was non-existent, Mina giggled. “I’m sorry, my dear mate. I didn’t want to leave you so abruptly, but these lovely wolves insisted I must see their home. They gave me their best room for the stay. What do you think?” She gave a twirl of her cell, but when she faced him again desperation gripped her hands to the bars. She pressed her cheeks to them, as if every inch closer to Alastor could bring her more comfort. “It needs a window, but it has the most important features. You and a bed.” He winked and strolled down the tunnel as if five Blood Mountain wolves didn’t stand between them. He gave them a smile. “I don’t know why you fellas are staring at me, he’s the traitor. I’m merely a simple rogue.” “A rogue only in name. I know you Hayre. You’re our Luna’s mate. A Clear Blue warrior with an immunity to silver.” Blake’s cousin bared his canines. “Oh? You know about that?” Alastor drew to a stop only a few feet from the first growling warr
Mina POV - The room was a rush of excitement, everyone moving around, getting ready, beaming with joy. Mina watched them all from the nest, pillows carrying her mates’ scents propped all around her. She inhaled it, letting the familiarity wash though her, soothing any lingering nerves for the day ahead. Two new scents mingled with her unit’s. They were fresh and clear like the morning air after a night of rain, but crisp and warm like a dry heat in the middle of summer. They warmed her with a love she didn’t know she could feel, one that was buried deep inside her, unlocked the moment she realised she was pregnant. It had been three days since her daughters were born. Three days to recover and bond. Three days for her love for them to grow so unbearable strong that she didn’t think she could contain it all. Small faces peaked out from yellow blankets, staring up at her with inquisitive eyes like they knew there was something different about that day. For young pups, intelligence
Mina POV - Concern for Blake swamped any grief that Mina had for Sam the moment he died. She raced to her mate, her eyes widening at the gash that carried the length of his body. She had seen him twist away from Sam’s blow, likely knowing he’d be the one targeted out of the three of them, but to see the amount of damage that had still been done made her feel sick. The cut was shallow but carried from his shoulder to his rump, in one straight slice that threatened to be so much worse. If he hadn’t anticipated Sam’s response, if he hadn’t twisted enough, if he hadn’t... A wet nose pressed to her cheek. ‘I’m fine.’ Then he rumbled a chuckle and gently pushed her to make her turn. ‘Though maybe the others need some attention.’ Mina spun on the spot, panic slicing through her, but it eased the moment she saw Roman and Alastor’s pout. She’d expect it from Alastor, but Roman’s bottom lip was firmly popped, eyes averted. They had shifted back into their human forms, leaning on each other
Roman POV - Given the look on Blake’s face, the wound was bad. It hurt like hell, but Roman had held a slim hope that his body was exaggerating the pain. The iron tang of blood and the wet heat coating his shoulder told him otherwise, but it was the worry etched into his mate’s features that convinced him. Not that it mattered. He could’ve lost his entire front leg, or been knocked unconscious, but would still get back on his paws and keep fighting. He did that now, forcing his legs beneath him, letting his unharmed three take the majority of his weight. A searing heat sliced from his shoulder to his front paw when he attempted to put any weight on it. He whined, but Blake was there, giving him a solid form to lean against, helping him to stand. Roman appreciated his lack of arguing, but it would’ve been hypocritical. If the unit had demanded the others to rest every time they were injured, Blake would still be in the packhouse cells and Allie would’ve clocked out after Derren’s hit
Blake POV - The brutality of Sam’s actions made Blake jerk. If how he treated Chloe, his own mate, wasn’t bad enough, he was trying to bond with another wolf just after she lost her own mate. Whether it was an act of desperation or pure cruelty, it was wrong. The anguish contorting Chelsea’s face twisted further as pain ripped through her. A forced marking was unpleasant, but it must’ve felt a lot worse coming from someone she had trusted. Blake knew it did from the way she struggled, the way she screamed. She tried to pull free of Sam’s hold, but his arms locked around her, holding her in place. Even the Diamond Ridge wolves around them, those who had ignored their Luna’s pleas to help Derren, looked uncomfortable. Finally, Sam pulled back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, matching the red line that slid across the Luna’s throat. “Accept it.” He snarled. “You promised me this, now’s the time to pay up.” Tears were already streaming down Chelsea’s cheeks, cries tur
Chapter 103 – I’ll do it myself Roman POV - The tightness in Allie’s jaw worried him. Derren’s blow had been hard and, if they were right about his ability, the hardest punch Allie had ever received. Roman was certain he had heard a crack, yet his mate was back on his feet again, walking into formation. He wanted to tell him to him to go back to Mini, to protect their Luna, but Taylor was already there, keeping an eye on her, Oliver and a still whimpering Owen. Besides, against a foe they didn’t know much about and already were struggling to face, the full force of their unit would be needed to kill him. With the cuts and bites on his own body, Blake still being weighed down after the poisoning, and Allie’s jaw, Roman wasn’t sure they could muster their full strength, but they had to try. Their packmates were fighting around them, keeping the bulk of the enemy away while they took on the leaders. They couldn’t let them down. They had to try and end this fighting before any more unn
Alastor POV - “Isn’t this sweet? A little family reunion. Two Hayres close to dead, and one soon to be.” Sam’s voice grated on Alastor as his attention flickered between his father and the bastard responsible for this mess. He avoided looking at Owen, his brother’s screams lessening to whimpers as the silver took root in his body. The knife Taylor used wasn’t pure silver like the blade that Owen had stabbed their father with. His brother would be able to bare the pain for a few hours before the poison would kill him. Alastor intended to leave it until the last possible second, so Owen would feel a small amount of the pain he’d caused Mina. “Your mother is going to be utterly heartbroken about the death of you three, and that’s before I let slip about the infidelity.” Sam laughed, the sound cruel and haunting. Alastor was sure he didn't care about the Hayre head cheating on his mate, but there was still some satisfaction to the words that let him know he relished every ounce of ang
Mina POV - Lover? Mina was struck immobile with the urge to recoil and surge a protest all at once. Her brow furrowed as she tried to picture her mother on Oliver’s arm, but she couldn’t do it. Not just because it was Oliver, but because it was anyone. Not once had her mother discussed having a partner, nor had she ever had a date. In all the years she had spent with her mother, Mina hadn’t even seen the woman look twice at another wolf. Not unless they had said something rude and she had to make sure they felt the full wraith of her glare. Surely, Mina would know if her own mother was keeping the company of another wolf under the packhouse roof? Yet, Sam seemed to know, and he had lived there just like her. But what about Oliver’s mate? Alastor’s mother? Did she know he was cheating on her, did she care? Mina was pulled from the questions flooding her mind at Oliver’s wheezes. Before he had cast her out of the pack, she had considered him something of a father figure. Despit
Mina POV - As Sam and Chelsea whipped around to face the oncoming threat, her unit pounced. As one, they charged forward in a blink, hitting the front line of the enemy wolves. They moved so fast, no one reacted before three throats were torn out, the first blood of this battle splattering across the floor. Mina winced. Two of those wolves were Clear Blue, but she hardened against the discomfort, knowing they were choosing to side with Sam. If they hadn’t known the truth her guilt would’ve eaten her alive, but she couldn’t feel bad with her unit protecting themselves. These wolves would kill them if given the chance and she knew her mates would give them the same consideration. However, they were trained wolves and wouldn’t go down easily. Alastor, Roman and Blake only took out one wolf each before the others reacted. They pulled around the closest member of her unit and battle ensued. The clash of warriors was a grating sound, the stench of blood slicing through the air immediat
Blake POV - Though a heavy weight riddled his body, Blake stood tall behind Willi. His canines were bared and he stared out at the mixture of Clear Blue and Diamond Ridge wolves that came to do Chelsea and Sam’s bidding. Though their presence was a threat, he was more concerned about Willi. She was still standing strong, challenging the enemy, but he could feel her through their bond. A deep, welling ache was growing beneath her composure as she faced the betrayal of her brother. Blake hadn’t known her when she had been close to Sam, but he knew how it felt to be discarded and used by family. He hadn’t even liked his, yet their betrayal cut deep. He couldn’t imagine the pain she was forcing herself not to feel in that moment. “So, you want to cut me off? You’re doing all this, so I won’t rely on you?” Willi called out. “Rely on me? You did more than that. I was your support for everything and what did I get for it? A whiny sister who didn’t know how good she had it and no credit