The wolf lunges, and instinct takes over. I dive to the side, hitting the ground hard as the beast’s claws rake the air where I’d stood a second ago. My wolf snarls, clawing to the surface, but I hold her back. The guard steps closer, his smirk widening as he gestures toward the wolf. “Tear her apart,” he commands, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. Guess Braden will find a way to heal me so he can continue to use me. Unless of course he's keeping his options open. The wolf spins, lunging again, but this time I’m ready. I roll forward, my fingers finding the switchblade in the duffle bag. The blade flicks open with a sharp click, and as the wolf comes at me, I thrust upward.The blade grazes its shoulder, not deep enough to wound but enough to make it yelp and back off. My chest heaves as I scramble to my feet, gripping the knife tightly. My hands tremble, but I force myself to stay steady. I'm not helpless. “Cute,” the guard sneers. “But you won’t last long with parlor trick
The figure’s presence is both unsettling and oddly familiar, though I can’t place why. As they step closer, the faint light of the moon catches their face—a face I haven’t seen in years. As if from one of my dreams it all clicks into place. My breath catches.“Uncle Leon?” I whisper, my voice trembling.The man smiles faintly, his eyes softening. “Claudia. You’ve grown.”Uncle Leon wasn’t my real uncle, but he’d been close to my father, almost like family. His sudden appearance now is jarring, and the flood of emotions—hope, suspicion, fear—leaves me dizzy.“What are you doing here?” I ask, my grip on the duffle bag tightening. Its the middle of the night and he is out here in the forest alone. How did he know I would be here? Or did he just get lucky? Is Asher involved? Is Braden? “I could ask you the same thing,” he replies, his tone measured. “Running through rogue territory, hunted by your own pack… Your father would have never let it come to this.” He sounds dissapointed, filled
I can’t believe Uncle Leon. The sheer audacity of his proposal churns in my mind as I stumble through the forest. More memories of him resurface with each step, memories of him as a family friend, a constant presence during my childhood. And yet now, he had the gall to suggest marriage—to claim me and my title as if I were some prize.Branches snag at my hair, my ankle throbs with every movement, and the straps of my backpack dig into my shoulders, adding another layer of discomfort to my already aching body. The night has fully settled, wrapping the forest in a suffocating darkness. I’m desperate for rest, but the thought of stopping sends a shudder through me. I can feel unseen eyes tracking my every move. Whether it’s Leon, rogues, or Braden’s guards, I don’t know—and I don’t want to find out.The thick underbrush tempts me. I could nestle down and hide there, but my scent would be too easy to pick up. My heart races as I scan the swaying canopy above me, the faint moonlight flicke
I look back up at the tree, its towering branches swaying slightly in the breeze. My body aches, my ankle screams with every step, and exhaustion tugs at the edges of my resolve, but I force myself to hobble around to the other side. Maybe this side will be easier to climb.A sudden flutter of wings startles me as a cluster of birds takes flight from a nearby tree, their shrill cries cutting through the night. My heart pounds. The wolves must be close. It’s now or never.Swallowing hard, I place my injured foot gently on the notch in the trunk. Tears prick my eyes as I try to shift my weight onto it, every nerve ending in my body screaming in protest. My breaths come fast and shallow. Don’t think about it. Worry when you get to the top.I add more pressure moving my weight a little as I wince through the pain. Fuck it hurts. On this side, I spot a slightly lower branch. Using it as a foothold, I push off and haul myself upward. The rough bark scrapes against my palms as I reach for t
The cold bite of dawn pricks at my skin, and I stir, groggy and disoriented. My muscles ache, stiff from being tied to the tree all night, and for a moment, I forget where I am. Then the events of the previous day flood back—Leon, the wolves, the climb. I blink against the soft glow of early morning filtering through the canopy. I feel as if a bird has been peeking at my head for most of the night as I feel a headache pounding away. My throat feels like sandpaper and as I go to reach for my backpack for the flask of hot water I can't find it anyway. Shit did I drop it in the middle of the night. I glance down seeing the earth look miles away. My eyes are still blurry but I can't see the bag anyway. I hear the sound of chewing which pulls me back to where I am. That’s when I see her. A woman with bright red wavy hair sits at the far end of the branch, perched with an unsettling ease. Her legs dangle over the side she wears all black jeans and a vest top with her sleeved tattoo arm
I swallow hard as the woman with fiery red hair lands gracefully on the ground, her presence like a spark in the growing darkness around me. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat a reminder of how unsafe I feel despite everything. Out of the frying pan and into the fire—that’s what this is. I cling tightly to Asher’s frame, my fingers trembling as the woman strides up to me with a predatory grace.“I’m keeping this, by the way,” she says, her teeth gleaming in a sharp smile that sends a chill down my spine as she flicks the knief once more. Her voice is smooth, almost playful, but there’s something unhinged about it. Dangerous. Deadly. My throat feels dry as I try to swallow the lump of fear lodged there. She’s insane.I feel the low rumble of Asher’s growl vibrating against my body as the woman moves toward my bag. Panic explodes in my chest. “Don’t!” I scream, my voice breaking, but she doesn’t stop. She’s rummaging through it with no regard, her hands digging through my belongings
The journey to the Blood Moon Pack feels like it stretches on forever. Every jolt on Asher’s wolf’s back sends a sharp ache through my body, and I bite my lip to stifle a groan. Riding him is like sitting on a vibrating washer-dryer, except it’s massive, living, and unyielding. His size makes it impossible to close my legs, so I cling tighter to his soft, inky fur, hoping to distract myself from the steady, maddening rhythm between my legs.I don’t even know why my mind veers there when the weight of my medical files digs into my back, a sobering reminder of what’s at stake. The forest rushes past us, trees blurring into a dark green haze as the cool night air presses against my skin. The brown wolf running beside us lets out a faint whine, and relief washes over me as we finally slow to a stop. My body is sore and trembling from hours of holding on, every muscle taut with exhaustion.The crisp air immediately settles into my bones as I consider my predicament. I have two choices: cli
I stare at Erin, my chest tightening as I try to reconcile the woman before me with the girl I once knew. Erin—my best friend, my ride-or-die. But this Erin is sharper, harder, and her eyes carry a weight I don’t remember. She’s changed, but then again, so have I.Can someone really change that much in five years?Yes. I think about the person I used to be before Braden. The girl I hardly recognize now. A pang of sadness pierces me as I realize how much he took from me—my confidence, my freedom, my sense of self. But a flicker of determination rises in me. I’ll get it back. All of it.“Erin?” I say again, doubt creeping into my voice. She just smirks, flicking her long, wavy red hair over her shoulder. Her hands rest on her tattooed hips as she tilts her head, a mischievous glint sparking in her eyes. And suddenly, I see it—the spark that was always her. Beneath the ink and bravado, it’s her.“Erin!” My hesitation evaporates, and I throw my arms around her, not caring that she’s still
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