ALEKSANDRI was caught off-guard when Jacinda was, in fact, in the office, but the way she smiled at me made me sick and flooded my memory with images of her. Was it actually my memory, or was she doing it again? I wasn’t sure.Rieka’s hand tightened on mine, and I prayed she didn’t remember anything more. I just need to make it through this meeting and get Jacinda away from us then I could take my time and figure out what to tell my mate.I hated feeling like I was lying to her, but I also needed to protect her. I would not put her through the torture of imagining me with another female, even one I didn’t want. The very thought made me want to vomit, but I held myself strong and ignored Jacinda’s flirty tone.The real question was why is she still acting like this if she already knows I’m strong enough to resist her and I’ve already made it abundantly clear that I’m not interested?Holding tight to my mate, we walk to the love seat which is conveniently the furthest from Jacinda
ALEKSANDR The fear in Rieka’s eyes broke me, but I dreaded the pain that would replace it if I told her everything that had previously taken place. A hatred for Jacinda was building up within me, and it was taking most of my self-control not to turn on her. Was she angry that I’d rejected her? Was this her way of exacting revenge? Maybe we were better off to figure this out without her help if she was going to continue causing problems. As if she knew my thoughts, Jacinda spoke up. “Do not blame me because you underestimate your mate and keep things from her.” I snapped my head around to silence her, but she kept going. “You’ve been feeling fatigued for the last 24 hours, haven’t you?” The color in my face drained and my mouth hung open in shock for a few seconds. How did she know that? Rieka looked at me and I could see the shock on her own face as well. “Your strength is connected to your bond,” Jacinda explains. “When you don’t trust your mate’s strength and you keep t
RIEKAWhen I reached our room, and the door closed behind me, I just stood there an let the tears fall freely. I was too overwhelmed to decide if I would fall apart in the shower or sobbing on the bed, so I collapsed to my knees in the middle of the room.I know that Aleksandr isn’t perfect because no one is, but a part of me hoped. He had already proven to be so much better than I ever expected. I guess I started to believe that he would never disappoint me or let me down like Isaac had.That was a secret I planned to take to my grave. I would never soil the kid’s memory of their father with information about his failings. I always knew without a doubt that he loved me, but he made mistakes, and they were painful.I’d never intended to remarry after Isaac died. I guess I was a bit jaded and was convinced that every man would fail me. I didn’t have the strength to deal with someone else’s issues. It was just easier to keep my world focused on my kids and raising them, but bein
ALEKSANDRAfter talking for several hours Rieka was finally able to relax a bit, but she didn’t want to leave our room. Since we planned to leave as soon as possible, she spent the afternoon packing everything up and preparing us for our departure in 2 days. I was just thankful when she was able to fall asleep in my arms later that night.The next morning, I woke with a mix of emotions. First, I was hit with a rush of peace and happiness at having my mate here in my arms, still sound asleep, but then frustration crept in as I remembered the events of the last few days.Tomorrow we could finally leave for the Night Stalkers pack and return to the kids, but Jacinda would be going with us, and not only did I have no idea how Alpha Cornelis would feel about this, but I knew that my mate was not happy about her tagging along. Besides, we still had to get through today.I wondered what would happen if we just left today, without Jacinda, but I would never make the decision without discu
ALEKSANDR Rieka appeared to be waking up, and I was eager to find out What her dream was about, but I waited patiently for her to wake on her own. A few minutes later her eyes flutter open and connect with my own. “Did you sleep well, Love?” She nodded, but she didn’t smile, or speak yet. “Another dream?” I question while trying my best to hold in my eagerness to hear about it. She nods again but doesn’t speak or offer any information, and I can feel myself growing frustrated. "Do you want to talk about it?” She hesitates and my heart drops into my stomach as I wait for a response. Why doesn’t she want to share her dream with me? Finally, she shakes her head no and breaks eye contact to look at my chest as she wraps her arms tightly around me and squeezes. At least she isn’t pulling away from me. Maybe she just needs some time before she’ll be ready to share. I can be patient. We go through our morning routine and eventually make our way downstairs for breakfast. The alp
ALEKSANDR I dropped the bags in the car, and then walked back inside to find Alpha Leon. Before I’d made it more than a few steps inside, Sebastian was in my head. ‘Alpha, we have a problem. An angry wolf is coming this way.’ ‘Protect your luna,’ I commanded, ‘I’m coming.’ Racing up the stairs and through the hall, I turned a corner and saw Sebastian lying on the floor, but he was still breathing. He must have been knocked unconscious, but I barely had time to think about it as I heard my mate reaching out for me through the mind link. I raced down the hall to the already open door of our room. Asher and the alpha I’d encountered earlier were a tangle of limbs and fists as they struggled against one another. The Luna’s guards were all very strong and capable, but very few wolves could hold their own against an enraged alpha and Asher was not going to last long. My eyes were quickly drawn to a small lump a few feet behind the fight. My beautiful mate was curled in on herself
ALEKSANDR I’d lost control of my body. I didn’t think that was possible. I thought I was somehow strong enough to resist her magic, but that obviously wasn’t the case. “What the hell is this?” I spat as I strained my muscles trying to get control of my body again. “There are many different aspects of strength and you have not yet mastered them all.” Jacinda rolled her eyes, “don’t fight me on this.” “You can’t make us stay here. We’re leaving.” “Actually, I can, as is evidenced by your current inability to move,” she smirked, “Follow me.” Jacinda turned and began walking towards Alpha Leon’s office, and without my permission, my feet followed. Rieka took swift steps to keep up with us, her brow furrowed in confusion as we moved down the hall. The walk was silent, and I could feel the tension mounting as we approached the alpha’s office. I could scent Alpha Leon and Alpha Mikhail beyond the door, and my wolf was snarling at the idea of our mate going anywhere near him. Ja
I'm so sorry that apparently Friday's chapter didn't publish. I realized it just now as I was publishing today's chapter, so now you get two chapters in one day. (They also were published out of order, but I've asked my editor to fix the issue, so you'll have to let me know if they were in the correct order when you read them.) I work very hard to maintain my updating schedule and I feel terrible that I missed a day. I appreciate you all leaving reviews over the last several days, and if you haven't already, please visit the book info page to write an official review that will be visible to readers who are considering checking out my novel. Thanks again! Your support is so encouraging and I always look forward to your comments, likes, and votes. Much Love,Anja