[Rosalie’s POV]The rest of the day is spent easily alternating between enjoying the ocean and lounging on the beach. At the end of it, we grab a quick dinner on the boardwalk and head back to Diego’s condo, where we go our separate ways.By the time my head hits the pillow, I’m so exhausted from essentially playing all day that I fall straight to sleep, and when my eyes open again, the sun is already shining.Yawning, I sit up and sniff the air as the scent of bacon and eggs reaches me. Instantly, my stomach begins to rumble, urging me out of bed, and when I exit my room, I hear the sound of easy chatter.When I reach the kitchen, I find that Chanel and Anthrose, along with the kids, are already at the table, eating, while Diego stands by the stove, flipping some bacon on a pan.Turning, he meets my gaze, and for a moment I’m left utterly in shock over the sight of him doing something so normal. Honestly, since our reunion, I was seeing a lot of different sides of him that I never tr
[Rosalie’s POV]I shove my phone into my pocket and turn to Chanel to give her a smile.“Sorry,” I say, beginning to move. “Did you need something?”“Dress,” she says slowly as her gaze takes me in.“Dress.” I repeat in confusion. “What do you mean?”“You and I,” she continues, moving forward and grabbing my wrist so she can start to pull me behind her. “We are going to go dress shopping so we can find the perfect dresses for the midnight ball.”“Oh, right.”She was right. We did need dresses, but was it necessary to find the perfect one? We were only going to kidnap someone and then head out. But I knew, even if I said that, it wouldn’t sit well with Chanel.“What about the kids?” I ask instead, knowing that Geo would want to go with me. “What will they do while we shop?”“Spend time with Diego.” Chanel giggles. “I’m sure he’d appreciate having some time alone with his long-lost son.”Flinching, I don’t say anything.“Come on.” Chanel sighs after a long pause. “Don’t you dare start m
[Rosalie’s POV]I stare in disbelief as Diego continues to keep me pinned. Why was he here, and where the hell did Chanel go?‘A set up.’ Hana giggles. ‘They put one over on you.’Eyes widening, I feel a slight sense of betrayal, but I realize that even if Chanel did go along with this, it was because she thought it was for my own good. However, I couldn’t let myself get lost in a romance when there was something so important to be done.“I’m an adult and can wear what I want.” I say, gently touching Diego’s chest and pushing him so he moves. “And this is the dress I chose for myself.”As I speak, Diego’s gaze darkens, and I’m sure he wants to argue, but to my surprise, he remains silent.“Right,” he says, though it is clear that it hurts him. “You are an adult and are free to do what you want.”“Did you just,” I gasp, unable to believe what just happened. “Did you just agree with me?”“Is there a problem?”Biting back on the laugh that wants to escape, I simply shake my head before n
[Diego’s POV]I watch Rosalie as she disappears in the same direction that Annemarie went, wondering if this was the smartest of ideas. Although Annemarie and Bernard didn’t seem to find Rosalie to be much of a threat to whatever the fuck was going on between them, I knew if my sister was aware I was around, things would be different.“Fuck,” I growl, running a hand through my hair. “What is this woman planning?”Sighing, I get up and head in the direction of the bathrooms. When I reach, I extend my senses, finding that both Rosalie and Annemarie are, in fact, in the ladies room.Wondering what the hell I was even doing when I already had a perfect plan in place, I lean against the wall and wait until I hear a commotion from the bathroom, and when Rosalie appears, I move, grabbing her and steadying her as she does a beautiful job of pretending to be sick.“Oh,” she gasps, clinging to me. “I’m so glad you’re here.”As she speaks, Annemarie emerges from the restroom looking frantic, and
[Rosalie’s POV]When we return to Diego’s condo, Geo rushes toward me, throwing his arms around my leg and shooting Diego a glare.“That was a dirty trick.” He hisses, his gaze narrowing. “I knew you weren’t a good person.”At his words, Chanel lets out a laugh from her place on the couch, where she watches some drama with Giddeon.“You tell him, Geo.” She calls, giving me a wink. “He’s horrible to invade my time with your mother and make me come back here so that he could have her all to himself.”As she speaks, Diego’s gaze darkens, and he lets a low rumble of a growl escape him, but he doesn’t say a word; instead, he heads to the kitchen.“Oh,” Giddeon chirps, following Diego with his gaze. “Are you the chef this evening?”“Not for you.” Diego responds. “Only for my family.”“But I thought we were your family.” Giddeon pouts. “How could you be so mean to us?”“Could the both of you shut up?” Anthrose huffs from his place across from them. “What kind of example are you setting for t
[Rosalie’s POV]My body shivers, but it doesn’t attempt to pull free of Diego’s hold. Instead, it wants to feel it even more.Mayday, mayday. My head screams as I feel myself getting lost in the feel of Diego’s mouth moving against mine and his rough fingers caressing my throat and my chin.Pulling away, he brushes his thumb along my bottom lip while his breath comes in puffs. His dark eyes grow even darker, and before I can stop myself, I’m attacking, pressing myself against him, and pulling so that our mouths collide and the taste of blood erupts on my tongue.Oh Goddess, I missed this—the feel of him and the taste of him. I missed it so damn much.“Down, tigress.” Diego chuckles, separating us just as the scent of something burning reaches my nose. “We can’t go too far.”For a moment, I don’t speak, as my mind remains hazy and the need to only feel and reconnect consumes me. But when Diego’s hands brush my cheeks and gently pat them, I begin to come up for air.Eyes widening, I rea
[Diego’s POV]I keep my gaze fixed on Rosalie as she pretends to be extremely interested in the food in front of her. She looks adorable, flustered like that, with her cheeks bright pink and her hair hanging down to cover her face like curtains. Honestly, it is taking everything in me not to grab her and drag her to the bedroom right now.Keep it together, Diego. I tell myself silently as memories of Rosalie’s fantasies appear in my mind. Just a little bit longer, and you can get your revenge.I wasn’t certain if she did what she did intentionally or if she didn’t realize that I could feel and see everything through our connection, but I didn’t give a damn. I was feeling like a fiend, and my fix was sitting right there for the taking.“Anyone care to go for a swim after this?” Chanel asks, breaking the silence.“Me!” Landon immediately responds. “I want to go swimming!”“Atta boy,” she grins, shooting me a look that almost screams that she knows what is going through my mind. “What ab
[Rosalie’s POV]My body shakes, and waves of pleasure rush through me as Diego sucks in a breath, taking in my scent like it is the most delicious thing in the world.“Fuck, I’ve missed you.” He groans, using two fingers to open up my pussy lips. “So fucking much.”Groaning quietly, he runs his tongue along my swollen clit, causing a moan to escape me.“Did you miss me?” He continues, shoving a finger into me and hooking it.For a moment, I don’t speak as I try to make sense of what is happening. Was he really asking me such questions when we were together like this? I mean, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss him, but wouldn’t responding with a yes make it sound like I only missed the intimate moments when there was much more I missed? Even if our relationship had a lot of ups and downs, he was truly trying to atone for his sins there at the end.“Answer me, Rosalie.” Diego hisses when I remain silent.Gasping, I arch my back as he pushes his finger deeper into me. “Did you miss me?
[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.