ALEKSANDROnce the spell had been lifted, I let my nose lead me back to the pack house. I could smell the trail back clearly, but for some reason it was taking longer than it should have to return.It felt like there were eyes on me, but every time I looked around, the forest was peaceful and calm. No sound, no movement, not even a hint of the creatures who dwell in the forest. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. It shouldn’t be this quiet.I stopped running and decided to nudge at my mate’s mind to see if she was awake, but I hit a wall. Was she blocking me? I pushed harder, but the wall was too strong. Something is wrong. Rieka would never block me from her mind, but even if she felt like she needed to for some reason, she wouldn’t be strong enough to keep me out if I pushed.Looking around the forest again, I noticed some other things that were off. The position of the stars hadn’t changed. I’ve been out here for a few hours, and the stars should have moved by
RIEKA This was ridiculous. They were just going to let this vampire-witch keep my husband trapped in his own mind. They weren’t even going to try and negotiate for his release or rescue him. I know my husband is one of the strongest werewolves in America, so I had a hard time believing that this Jacinda could hold him against his will for very long. Still, I couldn’t just sit here and wait for him to come strolling back into the Blue Ridge pack house. “Can I take this book?” I questioned with a bit more attitude than I intended. The luna nodded and without waiting for further instructions, I spun on my heel and walked out of the office. Asher and Sebastian followed closely behind me. We passed through the kitchen where Ash was sitting and eating with Alpha Leon. They both paused and looked at me, and without saying a word, I knew that they were both aware of what was going on. I clenched my jaw and fixed my gaze on the door at the other side of the room. Then, I walked stra
RIEKA The information in this book was terrifying. Apparently, Jacinda inherited powers from both of her parents, allowing her to project images into your mind, seduce anyone with her words and touch, and cast spells with the greatest of ease. She was also a seer who could interpret the past and predict the future with far more accuracy than had ever been recorded in history. Everything in the book matched what Luna Imogen had told me about Jacinda not coming to the pack lands very often, but it was also clear that she was a very powerful being who had been rejected by everyone except her own mother. A part of me felt compassion for her. How does someone survive alone, knowing that everyone hates you and fears you, and the one person who didn’t is gone? For most people, losing a loved one is hard, but it gets easier to cope over time. How different is the grieving process when you have no one else? My heart went out to her, but a bigger part of me, the part that missed my husb
RIEKAI stood there shocked. I couldn’t believe that my guards had both just abandoned me. This had to be the work of Jacinda. Was she hoping I would die out here, all alone?We were already feeling a bit lost, and now Sebastian was gone, along with the book. Not only did I have no idea how to find the cottage, but now I also didn’t know how to find my way back to the Blue Ridge pack house.For a moment I wanted to sit down and cry, but I immediately thought of my children. They would not lose their mother this way. I would find my husband and then we would return to the kids and never come back to the God-forsaken Mountain.Wiping the tears from my eyes, I stood and looked around again. The wind had died down and the forest was eerily quiet. I stood there praying for a sign to point me in the right direction, but nothing changed.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, listening for any sound that might indicate life in this dead quiet place. I small gust of wind blew again
RIEKA Warm air hit my face as the door silently swung open, and it was a welcome relief from the cold. I saw a hearth that was lit and a worn but cozy sofa against a rock wall. I wanted to curl up under the blanket thrown over the couch and just rest. Unfortunately, that only lasted a second before my eyes turned to scan the rest of the space and landed on my husband standing in front of a woman who was completely naked. It was like a terrible wreck. I didn’t want to see it, but I couldn’t look away. Her white hair made it obvious that this was Jacinda, and her body was perfect! Everything that mine was not. Every part of my body that made me insecure, was like a perfect piece of art on her. Soft smooth skin, free of stretch marks, a flat toned stomach, perfectly round ass without a hint of cellulite, and perky breasts with hardened peaks pointing right at my husband. His pants were unable to hide his arousal and only confirmed my fear that he appreciated her perfect shape.
ALEKSANDR My wolf and I both perked up with Jacinda’s last statement. She knew the answers to all our questions about Rieka’s family? The reason all these other wolves were after her? Did she also know how we could stop all this madness and live in peace? Turning to look at my mate, Rieka sat there in shock for a moment, unable to speak. I nudged at her mind. ‘Love, are you alright?’ She swallowed hard and then turned her eyes to mine. ‘Can we trust her? I mean can we trust anything she says?’ ‘I don’t know,’ I respond honestly, ‘The best we can do is hear her out and then decide if we believe her.’ Rieka nodded and turned back to Jacinda, “What do you know?” She asked calmly. “I know the truth about your family. It’s a tightly guarded secret that was intended to keep you all safe, but a few wolves found out, and unfortunately for you, they are the kind of wolves who would do anything to gain the power and prestige that they think they deserve.” “We already know that they
RIEKAIt was the strangest sensation I’d ever experienced. My head felt clear, but I only have vague memories of being in a cottage with Jacinda. I wasn’t even sure if they were real memories or if I had dreamed the whole thing. If it was memories, how did we get back here?My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps rushing down the hallway. Aleksandr and I both turned to see Asher and Sebastian rushing towards us.“Alpha, Luna! Thank the goddess you’ve returned!”They both looked so worried, but I couldn’t understand why.“We need to talk to Alpha Leon and Luna Imogen right away,” I informed them, “Jacinda is coming tomorrow.”They both looked at me in shock and I was a bit confused myself. How did I know this, and how was I so certain? My memories of where we’d been and what had happened were pretty fuzzy, but everything else in my mind was very clear, and somehow, I knew exactly what we needed to do.Aleksandr nodded his agreement and we turned towards the
ALEKSANDR“Do YOU trust her?”I could hear the suspicion in my mate’s voice when she asked me that question, and it cut me. I knew that without remembering what happened in the cottage, she had no reason to question my intentions, but my own guilt over not telling her colored how I interpreted her tone.Did I trust Jacinda? I remembered everything she said, and she obviously told the truth about my strength and my ability to resist her magic, but that didn’t mean I trusted her.She also lied to me when she said she wouldn’t “test me” again, and then she set Rieka up to walk into the midst of that “test.”I turned to look at my gorgeous mate, and the question in her eyes held a hint of the pain I’d seen when she first arrived at the cottage. Her mind might not remember what happened, but it was as if her heart did.“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly.Her eyes swam with more questions.“So what part of you wants to trust her?”SHIT! I’m not ready for this conversation yet. I need