Claudia is avoiding me, and I’ve decided to take a more direct approach—somewhere she won’t miss me. Which is why I’m currently stretched out on her bed, ankles crossed, arms behind my head, staring at the ceiling. Her scent is everywhere. Jasmine, rose, and sandalwood. It’s intoxicating, overwhelming. My wolf paces beneath the surface, restless. If she doesn’t return from training soon, I’m not sure what will happen.Footsteps. Soft, rhythmic approach. The key turns in the lock. I smile, letting my head sink deeper into her pillow. The door creaks open, and there she is. Sweat glistens on her skin, tracing the curves of her body. My gaze drops to where it pools between her breasts, trailing lower to her stomach, shimmering with moisture. Her shorts ride high on her thighs—short enough to make even the most faithful mated man take a second glance. She looks fucking delectible. She doesn’t notice me yet. My cock twitches, thickening as the urge to claim her gnaws at me. Each day, the
I meet Erin again at the training ground for our next session. The last few days have been brutal—aches, bruises, and exhaustion—but I feel stronger, faster. It fuels me to push harder. But what gnaws at me, more than the soreness, is Asher.At first, he watched from his balcony, distant and unobtrusive. Now he stands at the edge of the training ground, his stormy grey eyes fixed on me. His presence burrows under my skin, unsettling me in ways I can't explain.I falter. My foot slips, and I hit the ground hard for what feels like the hundredth time. Erin extends her hand, pulling me to my feet. I dust myself off, cheeks burning. “Why is he always watching?” I whisper, the weight of his gaze still pressing down on me.Erin snickers. “He wants to see your progress firsthand.”I roll my eyes. “Can’t your reports be enough?” I groan as Erin steps into a fighting stance. We resume the dance of block and attack, but I stumble again. The prickling sensation of Asher’s stare distracts me, and
“You know he found you once?” Erin’s voice cuts through the thick silence. I break eye contact with Asher, confusion swirling in my chest as I turn to her.“What do you mean?” I ask, releasing her arm and letting her step back. She moves closer, lowering her voice until it barely brushes the space between us. Even the wind and the sound of the birds fade in the distance. “It was almost a year ago. He found you. You were bleeding, and he tried to take you with him, but you refused.” Her eyes flicker nervously. “Apparently, some absolute bastard stepped in and stopped him. Asher wanted to fight him off, but you were too injured and he didn't know if you would make the jouney back here on the run. He had gone alone to track you down. If he’d had backup that night, I think he would have taken you.” She whispers with an urgancy and part of me wonders if she should be telling me this. Her words spin in my head, and the ground beneath me seems to sway. That was Asher? I clutch at the edges
My heart stutters as I gaze at Asher, his easy grin making my core tighten with need. I want to believe what Erin told me. But even as his filthy words echo in my mind, I can't shake off the rumors that swirl around from the New Moon pack about the Bloodmoon pack—and him. Braden is probably behind those... I bite my lip, wavering between reckless hope and the creeping doubt that I’m being deluded all over again.A wicked gleam flickers in Asher’s gray eyes, and a shiver snakes through me, coiling low in my belly. “If you’re feeling better, let’s see what you’ve learned.” His voice drops into a low growl that thrums through me, sending a sharp pulse of heat straight to my core. As he stands, he pulls me up with him. The blanket puddles at our feet, and the cold air prickles across my skin. Asher rubs my arms, his touch sparking trails of fire along my nerves. I smile faintly, but there’s a gnawing fear that creeps in. It feels too easy, too normal. What if he turns out like Braden? I w
I follow Reid as we head past the training ground. My fists clench at my sides, and it takes everything in me not to turn around and kiss her. For a moment, I swear she wants to kiss me too. She’s going to be my complete undoing—I feel it deep in my bones.The memory of her body pressed against mine lingers, and after so long of her ignoring me, the nearness is too much. I watch her during training, the fluid way her body moves. She’s regaining her strength. Pride swells in me as I watched her best Erin. The way her face lights up with that triumphant smile makes me want to kiss her until her lips are numb. I drag the back of my thumb across my brow, trying to pull myself together. I have to keep my wolf on a tight leash before he does something reckless. He’s going feral being near her, and as much as I crave her, this isn’t the time to let him take over. He will ruin it for the both of us. Still, Erin's words gnaw at me. I should have brought it up sooner. Erin has no clue what she
I head to my room, stripping off the rest of my clothes before stepping into the shower. The hot water beats down on my shoulders, loosening the knots that have settled deep into my muscles. Steam coils around me, but even the heat can't burn away the tension crawling beneath my skin. I can’t begin to understand someone like Braden – twisted, calculating. What else is he capable of? The thought makes my stomach twist. All I know is that I have to make sure she isn’t the person he’s she once was anymore.I dry off quickly, slipping into fresh clothes while I check my phone. A few messages flicker across the screen, and I fire off a quick text to Erin, telling her to keep her mouth shut around Claudia. I’m taking over her training. The scout being here leaves me no choice. Erin replies almost immediately, and I can feel her disappointment through the screen. I get it. She’s put in the work. But this is different. I’ll still let her handle some things, but not this. This is too dangerous
Claudia sprints down the hallway, the soft patter of her feet echoing against the wooden floors. Her towel flutters, barely clinging to her as she rounds the corner. I’m right behind her. She thinks she can outrun me.She’s wrong.I stay close enough to let her believe she has a chance. The way her muscles tighten beneath the thin fabric, the quick rise and fall of her breath—I watch it all. She glances back, and our eyes meet for a heartbeat. That flicker of determination ignites something in her, but it won’t be enough.I lunge.Claudia shrieks, twisting at the last second. She slips into an empty room, slamming the door behind her. I hear the thud of her body pressing against it, breath ragged, heart racing. A slow smile tugs at my lips.“Really?” I lean against the frame, knocking lightly. “Hiding? That’s the best you’ve got?” It's good but it won't stop the New Moon pack from taking her. “Leave me alone, Asher,” she huffs. “I need to get dressed.”I prefer training this way. Nak
I lie on the floor, watching Asher walk away. A whimper escapes me as a single tear slides down my cheek. What am I thinking? The look on his face ... something twists painfully inside me, tight and unforgiving. I don't know what happened. He's the one who chased me down in nothing but a towel, the one who insisted on spanking me like some naughty child. And now he's surprised to find out I liked it.I'm torn between getting up and screaming at him for leaving me like this or finishing the job myself. Shame digs its claws deeper, and I wish I hadn't said those words out loud. I hadn't meant to it just happened.It was the way he touched me, the way his eyes roamed my body. Every brush of his skin felt like a hundred sparks igniting. The thought of his head between my thighs was too much—too vivid. I hadn't meant to say it. I only meant to think it. But it slipped out.Now I shudder, the rough fabric of my jumper scraping painfully against sensitive skin. My nipples ache, pressing agai
Braden appeared suddenly, and I lunged at him, my fist driving into his gut with a forceful punch. As he staggered, my leg swung out, jamming into his thigh with a satisfying thud. He retaliated with a feral growl, his claws slicing into my ribs, sending a sharp jolt of pain through my side. "I'm not going to let you kill me," he spat, as I shoved him away with all my might.Amid the chaos, her scent reached me, and my eyes snapped to meet her jewel-blue gaze. She was trying to push through the fray to get to me, her face radiant with a smile that cut through the violence like a beacon. "Leo," her voice seemed to rise above the clamor of battle cries and snarls, but perhaps it was just my imagination. I turned my attention back to Braden, slicing his jaw and neck, blood pouring from the wounds like a crimson river. The urge to obliterate him was strong, but I had made a promise to let Claudia deliver the final blow. Knowing she was here, seemingly unharmed, brought me a sense of relie
I squeeze through the bars, my hips scraping against the metal, the sting immediate and sharp. Welts are already forming, the raw skin throbbing with each shallow breath. By the time I make it through, exhaustion claws at me, my body convulsing as another wave of unbearable heat ripples through my veins. My skin burns like an open flame, every inch drenched in sweat, my clothes sticking to me like a second skin.I stagger toward the desk where Braden left my blade and grenade. Sunlight glints off the compact disk beside them, a flash of silver that momentarily blinds me. Pulling myself up, the wood splinters beneath my fingers, sharp pricks piercing my palm. I swipe the sweat from my brow, sucking in air, my breath shallow and ragged. My legs tremble as I force them to hold my weight. The battle outside the tent rages on, steel clashing, wolves snarling. I don’t have time. I need to move.Leo.I have to get to him.Shoving the blade back into my boot and tucking the grenade into my ja
Just as I step out of my office, a deafening siren slices through the air, signaling danger. The pack walls have been infiltrated.I sprint forward, my legs burning as I push myself faster. Over the hills of the pack grounds, swarms of warriors descend from all directions like a flood of shadows under the sun. Shit."Reid, make sure there's a team to get to Claudia!" I command through the mindlink, my voice edged with urgency. I don't need him to respond I need him to find her. Then, I shift, bones snapping and reforming as I surge into my wolf form. The moment my paws hit the ground, I charge toward the trees. The scent of rogue wolves fills my nostrils—wild, unhinged, bloodthirsty. Their snarls vibrate in the air, a chaotic symphony of hunger and rage.Two colossal gray wolves lunge at me, one veering left, the other right. A distraction. A trap. I keep my eyes sharp, scanning for a weakness. But I don’t wait for them to make the first move—I strike.I launch at the one in front of
I wake with a jolt, a sharp twist in my gut telling me something isn’t right. The weight of the room presses down on me as I blink against the dim light filtering through the curtains. A few breaths pass before I realize—I’m still in the lounge. Memories from last night surface, fragmented and raw, but I shove them aside as an unsettling void tugs at my consciousness. Something is missing.Claudia.Panic doesn’t grip me immediately—her clothes are still here. For all I know, she could have just gone back to the room to shower. But then, my gaze snags on a note resting atop one of her shoes, and an icy dread coils around my spine.I knew something was off in the way she looked at me last night, but the moment her lips wrapped around my cock, nothing else mattered. Now, as I stare at the note in her elegant scrawl, I wish I had listened to my instincts.I crush the paper in my palm and hurl it into the dying embers of the fireplace, watching as the flames lick at it hungrily, turning he
The ground vibrates beneath me as the rhythmic stomp of boots closes in. The troops march one by one toward my pack, their movements a relentless drumbeat of impending doom. If I make it out of this, Leo is going to kill me—for real this time—for going off on my own.Lying here in my cell, my body throbs with the pain of my own recklessness. What I thought was an act of bravery now feels like pure stupidity. I should have challenged Braden for the pack the second I was thrown into his tent. That was the plan. But it all went wrong. Horribly wrong.Barking orders ring out from the guards outside, their voices sharp and grating. I try to force through the haze of pain of the heat to reach Leo through the mind link, but it’s useless. I’m too weak. My breath catches as the flap of the tent rustles, signaling someone’s return. My heart pounds harder, slamming against my ribs. I want out of this cage, but I also don’t. The idea of someone finding me like this—vulnerable, helpless—is terrify
"What did you just do?" I ask, my body igniting in seconds, heat flooding every vein. My vision blurs as sweat drips down my back. Braden sways in front of me, something small and glinting in his hand. My body wobbles as he lets me go, and I claw at my hair, fingers fumbling for the vial of liquid silver. My hands shake too much to grip it. I just can't reach it. "Heat serum. If you're going to act like a whore, then I'll treat you like one," he groans, voice thick with amusement.A smolder ignites between my legs, molten and all-consuming. Fuck. I don’t know how much he gave me, but my body betrays me instantly, my movements sluggish, my mind drowning in the haze of unbearable heat pulsing through my core.My fingers slip from my hair, every thought narrowing down to a single need—I have to get out of these leathers and this jacket. Too hot. Too tight. Every beat of my heart pumps more of the serum through my bloodstream, and my panties are already soaked. The thick scent of my arou
I'm thrown onto an old wool rug, the rough fibers scraping against my bare hands. I sneer, because even in the midst of battle, Braden refuses to go without his creature comforts. Though a small part of me is grateful—at least I'm not being smushed into the dirt again.Several pairs of black boots surround me before two gleaming black brogues step into my line of vision. "Baby, is that really you?" His voice carries an almost genuine concern, but I know better. I adjust my position, craning my neck to look up at him.Those dark blue eyes are as cold as ever. But everything else is different. He’s massive, his muscles stretched tight over his frame as if he’s been pumping himself full of steroids. He could crush me like a bug."Braden... thank the goddess," I breathe, forcing bile down as I summon a few well-placed tears to trickle down my cheek. He's the one man that has haunted my dreams for months, I never wanted to see him again. I try to stop my body from shaking from fear grippin
I make it to the top of the cliffside, my heart pounding like a war drum as the sun scorches my back. The air hangs heavy, thick with the kind of stillness that only comes before battle—that electric pause before chaos erupts. Even the birds have fallen silent.I tread carefully along the ridge, peering over the other side where their camp sprawls below. From here, I'm just far enough beyond our borders that no guards should detect me. I suppress my aura, unwilling to risk Braden sensing my presence. Lowering myself into a crouch, I inch forward until I can lie flat behind a boulder, my breath shallow, controlled.The camp is a storm of movement, warriors swarming in organized precision. Hundreds, maybe even thousands. It’s as if the entire New Moon Pack has assembled for this. My stomach tightens as I spot Uncle Leon moving through the front line, barking orders. So this is how the rogues are involved. Disappointment stabs through me. One of my father’s most trusted allies, now worki
I wake up tangled in a mess of limbs on the floor, the fire now reduced to glowing embers, and a pleasant ache thrumming between my thighs. Leo lies beside me, his soft snores blending with the distant chirping of birds, signaling the break of dawn. Carefully, I peel myself away from where our bodies are molded together. I can’t wake him. Every movement is slow, calculated, as I inch my way free.Once I’m loose, I jump up, the dim morning light seeping through the curtains now that the candles have long since melted into pools of wax on the floor. My fingers fumble for a pen, hastily scrawling a note explaining where I’m going and why. He’ll be furious—I know it—but he’s my mate, and I will protect him no matter what. This way, at least, he’ll be mad but not worried. Or at least, I hope not.I sprint down the hallway, my bare feet slapping against the cold wooden floor. The scent of burnt-out wax lingers in the air, mingling with the remnants of last night. Clothes and forgotten items