The air in the woods feels thicker tonight. Lowell moves cautiously, keeping his footsteps silent against the crunch of dried leaves. Every sound seems louder, every shadow a threat. He’s too familiar with this game of cat and mouse, and Marco never plays fair.But then it hits him.A scent. Soft at first, like a whisper in the breeze. But it grows stronger, weaving through the air like an invisible thread, wrapping around him, pulling him in.“What the hell…” Lowell stops dead, his chest tightening.It’s her. Nana.He knows it instantly, the scent as unmistakable as her voice. Sweet, warm, with that subtle hint of wildness he’s always associated with her. But there’s something different now, something more… potent.And then it clicks.Heat.“Fuck,” Lowell mutters, his fists clenching. His body reacts before his mind can catch up, a surge of raw, primal need coursing through him. His heart races, his blood feels like fire in his veins. He knows he should move, should keep going, but h
Lowell prowls through the dense forest, his sharp claws digging into the damp soil with every step. His senses are on edge, his entire body taut with a restless energy he can’t shake. For three days, the sweet, maddening scent has clung to him like a second skin, invading every thought, every breath. It’s Nana—her heat—reaching him through their bond, pulling at his primal instincts like a fucking leash.“Fuck,” he growls, slamming his fist into a tree trunk. The bark shatters under the impact, scattering shards of wood everywhere. He’s losing it. The beast inside him claws at his control, demanding he follow the scent, find her, claim her.But he can’t.“She told you to stay the fuck away,” he mutters to himself, pacing like a caged animal. “You’re not gonna ruin her life more than it already is.”His nose twitches, catching the faintest trace of her again. It’s faint but enough to stir a fire deep in his gut. Lowell growls low in his throat, shaking his head like it’ll help him bloc
Lowell leans against the tree, wiping sweat off his brow. His entire body burns with heat and pain emanating from within; his muscles ache as though they have been at war for days. At intervals, fever descends and leaves him weak and lightheaded. He grits his teeth against the agony, determined that he will not let his body betray him any longer."For three fucking days," he mutters, dragging his palm down his face. His claws have extended into the line of an uncomfortable scratch on his skin, and he does not really care. The beast stirs restlessly within him, back and forth pacing, snarling, commanding that its will be done. Nana now seems even more strongly connected to him, like an iron chain tightening across his chest. She is in pain, he knows; he can feel it, the faint laceration of her pain reverberating through him.He kicks at a rock, sending it skidded across the forest floor. "Damn it, Nana," he growls in a low, rasping tone. He doesn't even know now if he's mad at her or m
Through the woods Lowell stumbles, breath ragged as the fever claws at his skin, but now it’s the scent that pulls him forward. It hits him like a freight train, sharp and intoxicating. Nana. Her scent: etched into the air, wrapping around him, drawing him in, pulling him onward with a strength he cannot fight against. Fuck it, it can’t be ignored anymore. It’s like the bond that suffocates him. Ever since leaving, it’s been tugging and pulling away, but this… this is different. He stops for a moment and puts a hand on a nearby tree to steady himself. The trees sway with the feeling, and the ache in his chest is unbearable. He’s got to get to her.Taking in a breath, he pushes upright, ignoring the tremors in his legs and the dizziness that feels like it will take him under any second. He can’t afford to stop. Not now. Not when she needs him. Out there, she must be feeling everything—his pain, his desperation—and it burns worse than any wound ever could.The agony in Lowell’s body
Lowell’s breath comes in ragged gasps as he stumbles away from the last group of Marco’s warriors. His body aches, bruises and scratches covering him, but he’s still alive. Barely. The fever clings to his skin, sweat dripping down his back, making it hard to see straight, but the pain in his side is the least of his concerns right now.He pushes himself forward, leaning against a tree for support. The world around him spins, the smell of blood thick in the air. His own blood, mixed with the stench of the forest. He feels the weight of every injury, but there’s something stronger pulling him forward.Nana. That pull is still there, sharp and insistent. The bond between them feels like a chain around his chest, pulling him towards her even though every instinct screams at him to turn the hell around and run far away. “Fuck, what the hell am I supposed to do?”He forces himself to move, taking a step, then another. Each one feels like eternity, his mind racing, thoughts tangled in a me
Marco perceives a very sweet scent, something so intoxicating it sends heat straight to his loins. His skin prickles, his muscles tense, and his pulse hammers like a war drum.Melissa is curled up beside him, her breath warm against his chest, but this—this fire coursing through his veins—isn’t from her. No, this scent, this unbearable pull, is from someone else."Nana..." he mutters, his eyes snapping open."What the fuck?" He hasn’t felt this connection in a long time. It’s supposed to be gone. The bond has faded, hasn’t it? Then why can he smell her now? Why can he feel her need clawing at his insides like a goddamn beast?He squeezes his eyes shut, his jaw clenching. He doesn’t want this. Doesn’t want to feel like this for someone who isn’t his anymore. But his cock is already betraying him, hardening at the mere thought of her. He swallows, running a rough hand through his hair.“Fuck it,” he growls, throwing the blanket off. His body is already moving before his brain catches up
The smell is like a kick to Marco’s stomach. Not hers. As anger surges through his body, his fingers tighten at his sides, the nails pressing into his palms. The difficulty is that he doesn’t have that fragrance. The fucking issue is that. Nana moves on the bed, her skin drenched in perspiration and her breath labored. She appears to be entirely destroyed by the heat. Marco, however, is unconcerned. He is unable to. She smells like another man, so no. He stands above her, his jaw clenched. “You were touched by who the hell?” His tone makes her wince, and she blinks up at him with glassy eyes. “I—” He’d rather not hear it. It doesn’t really matter what reason she has or what nonsense justification she is going to give. His wolf has already clawing at the surface, demanding blood, demanding that he rip apart whoever dared to leave their scent on her.But there’s something else beneath the fury.Something raw.Something that makes his throat tighten.Marco’s teeth clench
Nana walks towards the door, frantic. Unable to deal with the rising panic, she can feel the stickiness of her clothes on her skin, water dripping out after Marco had thrown her into the shower, fully dressed and cold. She was just waking from the shock from the cold water when a loud ear-piercing sound vibrated in the room, and she darted out of the bathroom.She surveys everything rapidly before she locates a familiar towering figure within the darkness of the room. Although the light passing through can be deemed as dim, she easily spots him. Her heart races within her chest as she tries to take her mate- Lowell in.And a sharp gasp escapes from her lips.Marco lies in front of him, the ground covered in blood from hitting his head, his body vibrating. The smell of blood intensified but Nana paid it no attention. Every chance Nana gets it is directly aimed at Lowell since he is exuding unimaginable amounts of anger. His red eyes light in the dark, crisp and challenging.“Mate,” Low
Nana walks towards the door, frantic. Unable to deal with the rising panic, she can feel the stickiness of her clothes on her skin, water dripping out after Marco had thrown her into the shower, fully dressed and cold. She was just waking from the shock from the cold water when a loud ear-piercing sound vibrated in the room, and she darted out of the bathroom.She surveys everything rapidly before she locates a familiar towering figure within the darkness of the room. Although the light passing through can be deemed as dim, she easily spots him. Her heart races within her chest as she tries to take her mate- Lowell in.And a sharp gasp escapes from her lips.Marco lies in front of him, the ground covered in blood from hitting his head, his body vibrating. The smell of blood intensified but Nana paid it no attention. Every chance Nana gets it is directly aimed at Lowell since he is exuding unimaginable amounts of anger. His red eyes light in the dark, crisp and challenging.“Mate,” Low
The smell is like a kick to Marco’s stomach. Not hers. As anger surges through his body, his fingers tighten at his sides, the nails pressing into his palms. The difficulty is that he doesn’t have that fragrance. The fucking issue is that. Nana moves on the bed, her skin drenched in perspiration and her breath labored. She appears to be entirely destroyed by the heat. Marco, however, is unconcerned. He is unable to. She smells like another man, so no. He stands above her, his jaw clenched. “You were touched by who the hell?” His tone makes her wince, and she blinks up at him with glassy eyes. “I—” He’d rather not hear it. It doesn’t really matter what reason she has or what nonsense justification she is going to give. His wolf has already clawing at the surface, demanding blood, demanding that he rip apart whoever dared to leave their scent on her.But there’s something else beneath the fury.Something raw.Something that makes his throat tighten.Marco’s teeth clench
Marco perceives a very sweet scent, something so intoxicating it sends heat straight to his loins. His skin prickles, his muscles tense, and his pulse hammers like a war drum.Melissa is curled up beside him, her breath warm against his chest, but this—this fire coursing through his veins—isn’t from her. No, this scent, this unbearable pull, is from someone else."Nana..." he mutters, his eyes snapping open."What the fuck?" He hasn’t felt this connection in a long time. It’s supposed to be gone. The bond has faded, hasn’t it? Then why can he smell her now? Why can he feel her need clawing at his insides like a goddamn beast?He squeezes his eyes shut, his jaw clenching. He doesn’t want this. Doesn’t want to feel like this for someone who isn’t his anymore. But his cock is already betraying him, hardening at the mere thought of her. He swallows, running a rough hand through his hair.“Fuck it,” he growls, throwing the blanket off. His body is already moving before his brain catches up
Lowell’s breath comes in ragged gasps as he stumbles away from the last group of Marco’s warriors. His body aches, bruises and scratches covering him, but he’s still alive. Barely. The fever clings to his skin, sweat dripping down his back, making it hard to see straight, but the pain in his side is the least of his concerns right now.He pushes himself forward, leaning against a tree for support. The world around him spins, the smell of blood thick in the air. His own blood, mixed with the stench of the forest. He feels the weight of every injury, but there’s something stronger pulling him forward.Nana. That pull is still there, sharp and insistent. The bond between them feels like a chain around his chest, pulling him towards her even though every instinct screams at him to turn the hell around and run far away. “Fuck, what the hell am I supposed to do?”He forces himself to move, taking a step, then another. Each one feels like eternity, his mind racing, thoughts tangled in a me
Through the woods Lowell stumbles, breath ragged as the fever claws at his skin, but now it’s the scent that pulls him forward. It hits him like a freight train, sharp and intoxicating. Nana. Her scent: etched into the air, wrapping around him, drawing him in, pulling him onward with a strength he cannot fight against. Fuck it, it can’t be ignored anymore. It’s like the bond that suffocates him. Ever since leaving, it’s been tugging and pulling away, but this… this is different. He stops for a moment and puts a hand on a nearby tree to steady himself. The trees sway with the feeling, and the ache in his chest is unbearable. He’s got to get to her.Taking in a breath, he pushes upright, ignoring the tremors in his legs and the dizziness that feels like it will take him under any second. He can’t afford to stop. Not now. Not when she needs him. Out there, she must be feeling everything—his pain, his desperation—and it burns worse than any wound ever could.The agony in Lowell’s body
Lowell leans against the tree, wiping sweat off his brow. His entire body burns with heat and pain emanating from within; his muscles ache as though they have been at war for days. At intervals, fever descends and leaves him weak and lightheaded. He grits his teeth against the agony, determined that he will not let his body betray him any longer."For three fucking days," he mutters, dragging his palm down his face. His claws have extended into the line of an uncomfortable scratch on his skin, and he does not really care. The beast stirs restlessly within him, back and forth pacing, snarling, commanding that its will be done. Nana now seems even more strongly connected to him, like an iron chain tightening across his chest. She is in pain, he knows; he can feel it, the faint laceration of her pain reverberating through him.He kicks at a rock, sending it skidded across the forest floor. "Damn it, Nana," he growls in a low, rasping tone. He doesn't even know now if he's mad at her or m
Lowell prowls through the dense forest, his sharp claws digging into the damp soil with every step. His senses are on edge, his entire body taut with a restless energy he can’t shake. For three days, the sweet, maddening scent has clung to him like a second skin, invading every thought, every breath. It’s Nana—her heat—reaching him through their bond, pulling at his primal instincts like a fucking leash.“Fuck,” he growls, slamming his fist into a tree trunk. The bark shatters under the impact, scattering shards of wood everywhere. He’s losing it. The beast inside him claws at his control, demanding he follow the scent, find her, claim her.But he can’t.“She told you to stay the fuck away,” he mutters to himself, pacing like a caged animal. “You’re not gonna ruin her life more than it already is.”His nose twitches, catching the faintest trace of her again. It’s faint but enough to stir a fire deep in his gut. Lowell growls low in his throat, shaking his head like it’ll help him bloc
The air in the woods feels thicker tonight. Lowell moves cautiously, keeping his footsteps silent against the crunch of dried leaves. Every sound seems louder, every shadow a threat. He’s too familiar with this game of cat and mouse, and Marco never plays fair.But then it hits him.A scent. Soft at first, like a whisper in the breeze. But it grows stronger, weaving through the air like an invisible thread, wrapping around him, pulling him in.“What the hell…” Lowell stops dead, his chest tightening.It’s her. Nana.He knows it instantly, the scent as unmistakable as her voice. Sweet, warm, with that subtle hint of wildness he’s always associated with her. But there’s something different now, something more… potent.And then it clicks.Heat.“Fuck,” Lowell mutters, his fists clenching. His body reacts before his mind can catch up, a surge of raw, primal need coursing through him. His heart races, his blood feels like fire in his veins. He knows he should move, should keep going, but h
Lowell’s footsteps crunch against the dry leaves, every sound amplified by the oppressive silence of the woods. He moves carefully, his ears straining for any hint of pursuit. Marco’s men aren’t far—he can hear the faint voices and the occasional bark of orders. He doesn’t dare stop.Nana’s last words echo in his head like a haunting melody: “Run, Lowell. Don’t look back. Find peace.”Peace? He thinks bitterly. There’s no peace for a man like him. Not now, not when everything feels so fucking wrong, well he’s life has been a mess since the betrayal of his uncle.The clothes Nana gave him scratch against his skin. They don’t fit right—too loose in some places, too tight in others—but he’s grateful for them. They’re the only thing keeping him from being recognized outright. His Lycan form would give him away in a heartbeat, and even in his human form, Marco and Stephen know his face. He tugs the hood lower over his eyes, cursing under his breath.“Damn it, Nana,” he mutters. “Why’d you