[Rosalie’s POV]My body shivers as Diego stares down at me. Despite knowing that this would be the first and last time this would happen, I can’t stop myself from getting lost in the moment.“Do you know what you’re saying?” He asks, hooking a finger in my shirt and pulling.Gasping, I watch the fabric rip in half, so I’m left with nothing but my pants and bra. I’m sure that Diego can hear my heart, which is hammering in my chest, and that only makes him happier.“It’s like a hummingbird's wings.” He murmurs, pressing his ear between my breasts. “I wonder what it will sound like while I’m fucking you.”Eyes widening, I shiver as he sits up again and pulls my bra down so he can begin to attack my breasts. Moaning, I fight the urge to touch him as he takes my nipples one after another into his mouth so his teeth and tongue can attack them.“Diego,” I breathe.“Say it more.” He urges me, beginning to kiss down my stomach until he is positioned between my legs. “Think of me more until I’m
[Rosalie’s POV]I look from Diego’s mother to Diego as my heart shatters into a million pieces. This was it. I was really leaving and would never see him again. Would he be okay without me? Would he come looking for me? I didn’t know, but a small part of me hoped he did.“Time’s ticking.” Diego’s mother purrs. “Get dressed and come on.”Nodding, I climb off the bed, grabbing my clothes off the ground and quickly pulling them on. “I’m coming.”Once I’m dressed, I follow Diego’s mother out into the hall, where Kate waits wearing nothing but a robe and a look of triumph.“I guess you aren’t as dumb as I thought.” She says, tossing her long, dark hair over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you that you slept with my fiance. Just do me a favor and stay gone.”I don’t bother responding as she shoves her way past me and into the room. After she shuts the door so whatever happens next in there is hidden from the world, I turn and meet Diego’s mother’s gaze."Remember, this i
[Diego’s POV]My head fucking pounds, and my body feels like it weighs a ton as I fight to regain consciousness. With each passing minute, my panic grows as I worry about what has happened to Rosalie.“Rosa…” I husk, twitching my fingers, and then reaching my hand. “Plea… be…”Be alright, I think inwardly, continuing to reach out until I find a warm body beside me. Instantly, the fear that I’m feeling disappears.“Thank… the…” I manage, prying an open so I can take in the blurry form beside me. “I’m so…”“Diego!”The voice reaches me through the haze that still clouds my mind, but it isn’t the one that I want to hear. Instead, it is the one person I don’t want beside me.Prying open my other eye, I blink a few times until she comes into view, and I can make out the worry in her eyes.“Why?” I growl, attempting to move but finding that I’m still too fucking heavy. “Why are you…”“Diego!” Kate says quietly. “How can you be so mean to me? Especially after attacking me like you did.”Atta
[Diego’s POV]I jump out of bed while my lycan rages, threatening to take control as my panic and fear that something happened to Rosalie grows.“Diego!” My father snaps, grabbing me.“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!” I roar, letting my aura explode from me, so it sends him crashing backwards.Ignoring the yells of everyone else in the room, I move, extending my senses as I do so in hopes that maybe, just maybe, Rosalie is nearby, but there’s not a single fucking trace of her.“Dammit.” I growl, taking the stairs two at a time. “Where the fuck is she?”Bursting out of the packhouse, I look around, hoping that she may be there, but when I come up empty, I turn my gaze toward the small house where Anthrose and possibly Chanel should be right now.“That’s right.” I hiss, breaking into a full run.When I reach the house, I burst inside, drawing Chanel’s gaze toward me.“What the hell?” She says, eyeing me. “What the hell is going on, and why are you naked?”“That isn’t important.” I snap.“It is.
[Rosalie’s POV]The soft sounds of machines beeping reach me in the darkness that I’ve been trapped in, beckoning me to fight my way toward them. However, my eyelids and body feel so heavy. It’s like there are a ton of weights holding me.‘Wake up,’ a soft voice murmurs. ‘It’s time to open your eyes, Rosalie.’‘Hana?’ I whisper inwardly, feeling more strength drip into me. ‘Is that you?’‘Time to wake up.’ She repeats, sending waves of warmth into me.Gasping, my eyes fly open, and a bright light threatens to blind me.Blinking a few times, I clear my vision to find that I’m staring up at a white tiled roof.“Where?” I whisper, causing my throat to burn and a coughing fit to hit me.“Careful.”Trying to stop my fit, I look in the direction of the voice to find a handsome man with glowing blue eyes that almost resemble my own. Even his light blonde hair is similar.“Who?” I rasp, trying to make sense of what is happening. “Where…”Shifting my gaze from the man, I begin to take in the r
[Diego’s POV]I stare at the city in front of me while letting the scents of it hit my nose. After five fucking years, this was the only lead I got toward Rosalie’s location. Five long, fucking years of searching with absolutely no results. It was like she disappeared entirely or never existed at all, and it was so fucking infuriating!Turning, I watch as Giddeon gets out of the car I’m standing in front of and comes to join me.“Ready?” He asks me, pulling out a piece of paper that contains the address of our informant. “I’m sure that Kate and your mother are probably have a coniption over your sudden disappearance.”“I don’t give two shits.” I huff, taking the paper from him and eyeing it. “I wasn’t the one who allowed Kate to live in the walls of Moon Storm.”“Maybe,” Giddeon agrees. “But what about Landon?”For a moment, I don’t respond as the young child's face pops into my mind. Although I was certain that nothing could have happened between Kate and me, she ended up pregnant on
[Diego’s POV]“Is this the place?” Giddeon asks, staring up at the large building in front of us. “Who knew that your princess wasn’t only the daughter of an alpha, but even a conglomerate princess?”I don’t bother responding to him as I continue to take in the building in front of me. With luck, Rosalie would be somewhere inside it. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing that I finally found her, but why did she stay gone for so long and work so hard to keep herself hidden?“Are we going to go in?” Giddeon asks, snapping me out of my head. “Or are you just going to stand here pining.”“Who the fuck is pining?” I growl, beginning to move. “Don’t speak such nonsense.”“Right.” He laughs, beginning to follow me. “I forgot that my dear friend is an emotionless bastard.”Rolling my eyes, I don’t bother countering his words as I push open the large glass doors in front of me and begin to stroll straight to the reception desk.When I arrive, the woman sitting behind it lets her dark eyes begi
[Diego’s POV]Rage rushes through me as Gil keeps his gaze calmly on me. Was this bastard being serious right now? He was actually threatening to ruin me if I were to find Rosalie. Well, he could try it.“I’ll accept your challenge.” I grin, getting to my feet. “Thank you for taking the time to see me.”“Leaving so soon?” Gil asks, leaning back in his seat. “When we were just starting to get to something interesting.”“Sorry, but I have important matters to take care of.” I respond. “I’ve already gotten all that I need.”“So you will stay away from Rosalie?”“Not a chance.” I chuckle. “Don’t you know that when someone tells me that I can’t do something, it just makes me want to do it even more?”Not bothering to say anything more, I start to move while Giddeon jumps up and follows me. It is only when we reach the elevator and are inside that he fixes his gaze on me.“What are you planning?” He asks. “Are you really going to go against Blue Moon?”I was. If Gil De’Evangeline thought th
[Ciaran’s POV]I lead my little mate through the bar and out toward the parking lot while everything in me screams to stop this and just leave her. However, unlike the first time we met, the bond feels so much stronger, and I can’t stop my wolf as it begs to have a taste of her. And frankly, this evening I wasn’t in the mood to be cautious, not when fate was continuing to bring her to me. However, there was something that didn’t make sense and that bugged the fuck out of me.She recognized me and my threat.Frowning, I reach my car and yank open the door to the backseat, and not wasting any time, I throw her inside and then climb in, slamming the door behind me. And once inside, I’m trapping her wrists between my hand, taking note of how fucking tiny they feel in my grasp. All I had to do was squeeze a little, and they would break.A human. I was mated to a fucking human. Me. Mated to such a weak being. What kind of fucking joke was this?“Why?” I grunt, trying to make sense of what w
[Chanel’s POV]My body buzzes with a delicious energy due to Anthrose marking me. Even though I’m exhausted from the ordeal that I’ve suffered through, I feel so invigorated that it leaves me stunned. However, by the looks of Anthrose and even Gil, who silently slumps to the side, I know that not all of us are going to be able to search for the artifacts needed to save Rosalie and Diego.“Anthrose,” I say quietly, letting him slump against me. “We should let Sam and the others find the artifacts.”“What are you saying?” Anthrose demands, jerking away. “How can we possibly…”He doesn’t finish his words before he is collapsing again, and I know that he isn’t going to fight me if I drag his ass out of here. But I know that even I won’t be able to do that, not when I needed to support Gil.“Are you able to walk?” I ask, deciding to not scold him for trying to act like he was fine. “Or should I…”“I can walk.” He assures me, slowly standing. “What about you?”“I’m fine,” I admit, joining h
[Anthrose’s POV]Joy rushes through me as the taste of blood explodes on my tongue. Goddess, it tastes so good, especially mixed with the fear that is trickling from the one that I’m slowly ripping limb from limb. It’s all I can taste, all I can feel, all I can focus on.That’s it. The darkness in me purrs. Kill. Kill everyone.Kill everyone. Right. I needed to kill everyone because they’re the ones who did this. This was their fault. They were the reason I was left with no other choice but to embrace the beast that I always kept in the shadows.Kill.The word repeats itself in my mind again and again until I feel hands wrapping around me, pulling at me, all of them attempting to stop me from killing the one beneath me.“Anthrose.”“Stop it.”“We need him alive.”Bullshit. We didn’t need this bastard alive! He deserved to die because he…The rest of my thought gets lost as a sweet scent slams into me, drawing my gaze to the single figure who lays on the ground clutching their abdomen.
[Chanel’s POV]I stare on, watching as Anthrose and the rest of his group surge forward, attacking the guards who were just sneering at me, and I can’t help but laugh at the difference in their demeanors.“Cowards,” I spit, sitting up and snapping my thumbs back into place. “Acting all high and mighty until actual danger appears.”As I speak, I grab the chains that are holding my ankles and begin to pull while ignoring the pain that shoots through me. Fuck, they were strong, but I was stronger. Soon enough, they begin to crack and then break apart, allowing me to finally get up and move to Gil’s side.“Just hang in there a bit longer, alright?” I tell him, clutching his cuff and starting to fight with it. “Then we will get you out of here and…”“No!” Gil gasps before breaking into a coughing fit. “We can’t just leave!”Frowning, I take in his words, trying to make sense of what it is that he is saying, but I don’t get to question him further before pain shoots through me and my body a
[Anthrose’s POV]The next morning we move out the minute the warm sun begins to paint the ground that we sleep on. After a quick breakfast, we head out with me leading the way since I’m the only one who can get a feel for the location that we are searching for.Together, we silently move across the island while keeping our senses alert in case of a surprise attack. However, the expected never happens, and by the time we are close to our destination, I can’t help but feel like all of this is too easy, and by the tension I feel from my companions, I know that they’re feeling the same.“Up ahead,” Sam murmurs, coming to my side. “I can see it.”Nodding, I take in the shining figure that I’m certain is the temple, noting the dark aura that radiates around it. Even from here I could tell that the things residing within were something the normal wolf wouldn’t want to approach, but given what we were fighting for, I wasn’t going to let it stop me.“Prepare yourselves.” I announce, letting my
[Anthrose’s POV]For the rest of the day, I search the island for a sign of where Chanel and Gil may be, but come up empty. And when my group can’t seem to move anymore, I have to call the search to a halt. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t continue to keep my connection with the earth, searching while dinner is made.It’s a silent ordeal, as I’m certain that the entire group is feeling the weight of what is at hand and what we may encounter when we find the ones we are searching for. I could only assume that a fight was waiting for us, and it was because of that that I even agreed to res.Sighing, I close my eyes and let myself slip deeper into a trance, searching until I feel something press against my consciousness that snaps me to alertness as hope flares through me along with a longing that I’ve never felt before.‘Chanel,’ I whisper, not daring to truly believe that I’m feeling what I am. ‘Is that you?’For a moment, all I’m met with is silence, causing me to believe that
[Anthrose’s POV]My body screams at me, begging me to stop, to take a break, but I can’t stop moving. Behind me, I can hear noises of complaint and exhaustion escaping my companions, making it clear that they’re feeling the same thing as me. However, I can’t stop moving; I won’t stop moving; just the thought of stopping makes me so damn anxious I want to fucking destroy something. I can’t stop the feeling that if I stop looking even for a second, Chanel will vanish completely.Shivering, I try not to think of a world where she doesn’t exist somewhere. Sure, it was one thing to keep my distance and allow her to live the life that she deserves, but to even think of her not being somewhere alive and happy damn near kills me.‘Chanel.’ I call to the darkness, hoping and praying that by some miracle she will respond to me. ‘Where are you? Why aren’t you answering me?’“Anthrose.”I immediately freeze as the voice reaches me, but I realize a moment too late that it wasn’t Chanel’s voice, it
[Chanel’s POV]I look around me, taking in the stone walls around me, noting how they’re cracking, allowing vines to grow through them while my intrusive thoughts try to get the better of me. They’re screaming things like what if this place were to collapse. What if you find yourself at a dead end? What if you run out of air? It’s irritating as fuck, and even though I keep telling them to shut up, they just won’t.“Hey,” I call to Tyson, who leads the way in hopes of distracting myself. “Are you certain that we are going in the right direction?”Since he was the one to choose our path and take the lead, I could only hope that he somehow could track the way out of this place, but what if he was just leading us deeper into this underground labyrinth?“Hey,” I repeat when he doesn’t respond to me. “I’m talking to you.”Frustration growing, I move forward and grab his shoulder, forcing him to turn and look at me, but I’m not met with the same gaze that I was used to. Instead, I’m met with
[Anthrose’s POV]We spend the rest of the day searching for any sign of Chanel or Tyson, but all we come up with is nothing. It’s almost like neither of them existed or were somehow spirited away from earth.“We should rest.” Henry, one of Ulrick’s warriors, suggests later that evening. “We will be useless in helping them if we are exhausted.”“Are you saying that this little bit of action exhausts you?” I demand. “If that's the case, you are more than welcome to rest, but I’m going to keep searching.”“But, sir…”“I said I was going to keep searching!” I growl, not giving two fucks if I came across as argumentative or defiant. “There’s no fucking way that I’m going to stop until I find her.”Even though only a couple of hours had passed, I couldn’t help but feel like days, even weeks, had already gone by without Chanel’s presence. It was fucking maddening, and I was beginning to feel like a crazy man. How the hell did I manage to stay away from her for so many years in the past?No.