Cassia’s POV From the look on Cole’s face, I can tell they’re teasing me about something, but I have no idea what. Even Garrett’s lips are starting to twitch. “Who’s Belli?” “Oh get ready, Cassia,” Cole grins wickedly. “She’s an absolute menace.” I blink at him, but he gives me nothing so I turn back to Garrett who is grinning now. “She’s been begging to meet you since the nano-second we brought you to the hospital. But we’ve fended her off.” “I’m honestly a little surprised she hasn’t snuck in here herself, the nightmare,” Cole comments, turning back to his food. I shove him slightly, feeding off of their amusement now. “Who? Who is she?” “Nope,” Cole replies, keeping his eyes on his plate. “I think we’ll let you wait and see when you meet her. Eat your food, little mate.” “Yes… that IS what two ogres would do, isn’t it, Brother,” Garret smirks before turning back to his own food. My mouth drops, and I squeak indignantly, pushing at both their massive shoulders. They are en
In the darkness, two shadowy figures huddled over a small bundle. “Nathan, it just - it just seems so wrong to - “ she faltered, her lip trembling and tears falling unheeded into the blankets she’s holding. “I know, my love. I know,” the other figure crooned, his voice gruff yet decidedly tender. “But we must do what we have to in order to keep her safe.” A car door snicked shut not far from them, far too quiet for a normal human to hear. “There they are. We must go.” ————————— Sam’s POV All was quiet. The forest seemed almost to be holding its breath. Even the wind had stilled, as though it were waiting. The full moon cast eerie shadows as a copper-haired young man ran through the trees, his footsteps sure, as though he ran along an invisible boundary. As he came into a clearing, his eyes scanned the forest, and his shoulders tightened. The forest shouldn’t be this quiet. True, it was rarely loud - the animals recognised Sam and his people for
Sam’s POV Where Sam had stood but a moment before, there now stood a large wolf with dull copper fur and bright green eyes. Sam knew he had to trust Garrett and Cole to handle any further instructions to his team and shut out all mindlinks except for theirs. The wolves he now faced were larger than any rogues he had ever seen. “Could they be Lycan?” he wondered to his wolf. “They could be,” his wolf responded. “But she is important. We must protect her at all costs.” “How do you know?” “I can feel it.” Sam sniffed at the fallen woman before he pounced to the other side of her, gently pushing her further away from the rogues with his back paws, his hackles raised, and his jaws snapping as he growled. The rogues had clearly been running, but now they took their time, letting themselves rest as they began stalking Sam. He knew he would be in trouble if they circled him. “How many, Sam,” Cole asked. “At least fifteen. Cole, they’re huge. And I’ve got an in
Garrett and Cole’s POV “So what do you think,” Cole asked. Garrett shook his head, his black hair falling into his face. He grimaced, annoyed, and pushed it back before looking at his brother. “I think it’s time for a damn haircut.” Cole barked out a laugh. “You and your damn hair. You’re as bad as dad.” Garrett joined in his brother’s laughter. He then moved his arms in a mocking, robotic way and made his voice deep and stiff - “you - must - keep - your - hair - high - and - tight, - boys!” Cole fell onto his bed laughing, his own hair a tangle of dirty blonde curls that always stuck out in odd angles. “I think he gave up on me as far as hair was concerned in - what - the third grade? But you - I think he got to you, brother.” It was true. Garrett’s hair was known for being perfect, along with the rest of his appearance. Not a hair out of place, his perfect jaw never hidden behind so much as a layer of stubble. The clean cut of the twins and the exact
Garrett and Cole’s POV No time to dwell on finally finding her, their wolves roared in rage as they crashed through the trees. “Shawn! Oliver! Get to Sam’s position and help him protect the she-wolf.” Garrett snarled through his mindlink. They each crashed into a rogue and for a moment everything was chaos. The rogues moving on momentum, Garrett and Cole intent on inflicting as much pain as possible on their mate’s pursuers. A flicker of a thought from Sam, and Cole growled into the link telling him in no uncertain terms to stay put, Garrett adding his own command. “Do we leave any alive?” queried Cole. “As much as I’d love to torture every single one of them over a period of months,” responded Garrett whilst ripping the throat from the rogue he battled, “I say we kill them all and hear the story from her.” “What if she doesn’t know it all?” “Fine. One. And only one.” The rogues quickly circled themselves around the twins, acting very much like a unit - a pa
Cole’s POV Without discussing it, Cole and Garrett pulled back from each other. There was so much to think about and so much to do. Luka and Markus tried mind linking with questions, but Cole wouldn’t answer and was sure Garrett was also brushing them off. They’d see soon enough. “We found her!” He beamed to his wolf. His wolf nodded sagely. “She’s hurt.” Cole paled as he and their group began walking - then running - back to the spot where Sam hid their mate. For years, there had been speculation. The twins were so different. It was fairly normal for identical twins to share fated mates - but with fraternal twins, it was always more uncertain. Even whether or not Cole would prove to be a true Alpha had been in question - one of the reasons he got away with so much as a child - he was born second. But during the Alpha ceremony, the goddess had shown her light on them both, making it clear they were both fated to be the Alphas of their pack - something
Unknown Woman’s POV Everything hurt as the world slowly began reforming around her. Was she being carried at some point? She’d lost all hope - and wondered if she could take her own life before they could do anything more to her… But - the forest smelled different. Her senses had never been as strong as they should have been for a werewolf - she didn’t know if that would change if she could get her wolf to come forward - but they were better than an average humans. Earth. She was on the ground - and this forest smelled - cleaner, somehow. She felt people around her though and debated with herself whether she dared to open her eyes. Slowly, she lifted her eyelids, willing her heart to remain slow - and found herself staring into a matt of copper red fur. Without meaning to, she found herself scrambling back, her wounds reopening, and every muscle screaming in protest. The wolf turned instantly, looking at her, and she shivered at the sight of it, acciden
Garrett’s POV Cassia. The name suited her. He and his brother locked eyes over her, and he stepped forward to inspect her more closely. Her golden hair was an absolute tangle and dirt and blood covered her so that it was hard to tell where her wounds were. He could tell from smell alone that some of it was hers and some of it was not. Her black shirt was in tatters - clearly ripped by more than just her wild run through the forest. He stifled a snarl, quickly glancing at her, anxious that he might wake her, but her breathing remained even. She wore black jeans that were far too big for her and a battered pair of black sneakers. She whimpered in her sleep and clutched at Cole’s chest. And both men immediately bent their heads in to be closer to her, shushing her and murmuring that she was safe. Cracking filled the air and both twins shot murderous looks at their Beta, Delta, and Gamma who shamelessly grinned at them and stepped closer but remained well out