~Katarina~I swear I haven’t slept the past few days. I’ve barely eaten. The nightmare was so real, so fucking real. I really can’t believe that it was something that was fake, a figment of my overactive imagination.Aston has been trying to calm me since that night, but nothing has worked. I can’t pull myself out of this funk; the fear left when I woke up. No matter what, that dream continues to swirl around in my head.*Previous Dream*I run down the stairs of the packhouse, everyone in a frenzy. We’ve had a breach in security, and the pack members are running for safety. They had to have gotten in thanks to that witch. That fucking witch that should have already been taken care of. I push out the back door, running out onto the deck. I was right; that witch is standing in the middle of the field. Warriors are lining up, and pack members are running in fear. The witch throws energy beams out of her hands, and they land on the soft grass. The heat from the beams is scorching the gra
~Katarina~I look into Elder Nadia's pale green eyes, my heart thumping in my chest. Did she really just fangirl me? I mean, how would she even know that I’m a gold wolf? I’m in my human form, so she shouldn’t be able to tell.I turn my face to Aston’s; he looks equally confused as he looks at the Elder. Aston turns to look at me, and his eyes get big. He looks a bit bewildered, and maybe… I don’t know, scared? What’s wrong, Dreamboat?Uh, it’s your eyes.My eyes?Yeah, there’s a gold ring. I just looked at myself in the mirror, and I swear that was nothing wrong with my eyes. I turn back to the Elder and notice her hand stretched toward me. I hesitate briefly before taking her hand. She holds it tightly and gives it a shake before releasing me.“I’m sorry about my colleague. She gets like this when she’s excited. I guess I don’t need to ask the question; I mean you are that, right?” I look at Aston again, and he hunches his shoulders slightly. Even though I'm marked, I could still be
~Katarina~I’m at a loss, if I’m being honest. Nowhere in the history of our species have I ever heard or seen someone who could mindlink whoever they came across. It’s a valuable tool to have, there are so many uses. If you are working with an allied pack, it could make things so much easier.All eyes are on me, and I know why. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I launch into my dream, making sure I tell every detail. When I’m done, no one says anything. I know it’s a lot, which is why I’ve been so snowed the last few days. Elder Nadia clears her throat, catching our attention. “Uh, I think that’s a premonition, not a nightmare.”She’s right. That was a premonition.How do you know that, Hope?It’s a feeling that I had, and I asked the Goddess about it.You spoke to the Goddess?Uh, kind of. It’s a long story. “Is everything okay, babe?” I look at Aston and give him a small smile.“That was Hope. She says she got confirmation, and we do, indeed, get premonitions.”“She can
~Katarina~I say nothing, keeping my eyes on her while making sure no emotions show on my face. I just don’t understand it. We’ve been friends all our lives, and I never knew she could be like this with me. I feel foolish and betrayed. “Well? Can we talk?” I lean back in my seat and get comfortable.“There’s nothing stopping you. Say what you need to say.” Tatiana closes her eyes and shakes her head. She opens her eyes and looks at Aston before looking back at me.“I was hoping that we could speak privately.” I didn’t mean for it to happen, but a scoff escapes my lips.“Talk privately, like you attacked me privately?” I swear I see anger flash in her eyes, but it’s gone much too quickly. I’m almost certain that my dream was a premonition, so I’m not going to be caught off guard by her.“Please. I know I don’t deserve it, but please.” I swear her teeth are clenched as she talks to me, but I’m not completely sure. I look over to Aston to see his eyes glazed over. When they clear, he has
~Eddie~My body is thrown on a rickety bed. As I make contact, a cloud of dust floats up, causing me to go into a coughing fit. “I know you were awake.” That's a voice I'd known for most of my life. I don't care how old I get or how long I go without hearing it. It's a voice that has gotten me through some good and bad times. It's the voice I clung to when I didn't know if I could survive the day, let alone the hour. “I was going to get on Chandra. For a while there, I thought she went a bit too far with the magic.” I say nothing, and it isn’t just because I'm fucking pissed. I say nothing because what the fuck am I supposed to say?If you had asked me months ago what I thought about this man, I'd have said that Blake is more than the best friend a guy could have. I'd have said that he's a brother to me, and I would have been lost without him. I may not have survived without him. Now, today, I don't know who the fuck he is.He clears his throat, and I can feel his eyes on me. “Come on
~Shawna~My entire world is crashing down around me, and I don’t know how to make it right. I can’t feel my mate, and Sable can’t contact Jett. I’m sure that whatever happened, wolfsbane was involved. I can only hope that my mate is okay, but hoping is just not enough for me.I follow Katarina and Aston to see the body that was found. I should probably go home, but I know I would be useless against the emptiness that would be waiting for me. We have to sit for a while to allow the doctors to check him out. “How are you holding up?” I’m startled at the sound of Katarina’s voice. She’s standing over me, holding a paper cup in her hand. She holds it out to me, and I take it, breathing in the aroma of freshly ground coffee.“Thanks.” I sigh and grip the cup as tightly as I can, with it being made of paper. “I’m in a fog if I’m being honest. I really don’t know what to do right now.” Katarina is unable to respond because the doctors pick that moment to come out. We follow them back to the
~Topaz~All eyes turn to me as I walk through the door. Tensions are pretty high, but I guess that’s to be expected. I look past everyone to the man in the bed. It looks like someone did a number on him, and I feel bad about it. “I have a few witches coming here to put a protection spell over the pack. Hopefully, that will keep Chandra out.” I walk closer to the bed and feel the residual magic in the air. “This man was attacked with magic. I can do a quick spell to help him recover.”No one says anything, so I step forward and hold my hands over his body. I say a short chant and then pull my hands back. He won’t be better immediately, but he will have a better chance at survival.I turn to the woman staring at me as if she wants to ask a million and one questions. I walk over to her and close my eyes, trying to get a feel of her. It doesn’t take long, and I open my eyes to look at Aston. “She isn’t an impostor, in case you were wondering.” He nods, and I take a step back. “About the o
~Tatiana~I have no idea how long I’ve been pacing out here, but I’m getting tired of it. I’m outside of the clinic, waiting for Katarina to appear. I was told this is where she’s been for a while now, and I figured this was the best place to run into her.I honestly have no idea how to go about this. I made a spectacle out of confronting her. I’ve even done it in front of others. I don’t know how I’m meant to go back on that and try to be friends again. All I know is that this is what King wants, and he’s my fated mate. I can’t deny him.I’ve wondered how I ended up here, and I don’t really have an answer to that. Katarina has been my best friend all my life, but at some point, I grew to resent her. I’m not entirely sure when it happened; I just couldn’t keep sitting back and watching her get all the attention.Finding out King was my mate ended up being everything I wanted, and then he went after her. I want King to myself; I mean, he is my fated mate. If I do this, if I get close t
~Katarina~That… that… BITCH! That stupid ass bitch! I never thought I’d feel this way about my best friend- well, my former best friend. I never thought I’d refer to her like this, but here we are. She’s a first-class, grade-A bitch, and I never knew that before. I guess when you are friends with someone, you ignore the red flags. She’s trying to play us. I know that, Hope. Even if we hadn’t had that premonition, I would still know that. She makes her disdain for us too obvious. Hope retreats in my mind as I make my way to my home. I need a good shower and a change of clothes. I need to wrap my head around everything that’s going on, and I need to figure out my next step.Thankfully, my aunt and uncle aren’t home when I get there. I really didn’t want to run into them because I don’t know what to tell them. I jump in the shower, letting the hot water fall over me.Out of nowhere, warm hands start to touch my body as the sparks cause my core to heat up. “How are you here?” Aston’s ha
~Tatiana~I have no idea how long I’ve been pacing out here, but I’m getting tired of it. I’m outside of the clinic, waiting for Katarina to appear. I was told this is where she’s been for a while now, and I figured this was the best place to run into her.I honestly have no idea how to go about this. I made a spectacle out of confronting her. I’ve even done it in front of others. I don’t know how I’m meant to go back on that and try to be friends again. All I know is that this is what King wants, and he’s my fated mate. I can’t deny him.I’ve wondered how I ended up here, and I don’t really have an answer to that. Katarina has been my best friend all my life, but at some point, I grew to resent her. I’m not entirely sure when it happened; I just couldn’t keep sitting back and watching her get all the attention.Finding out King was my mate ended up being everything I wanted, and then he went after her. I want King to myself; I mean, he is my fated mate. If I do this, if I get close t
~Topaz~All eyes turn to me as I walk through the door. Tensions are pretty high, but I guess that’s to be expected. I look past everyone to the man in the bed. It looks like someone did a number on him, and I feel bad about it. “I have a few witches coming here to put a protection spell over the pack. Hopefully, that will keep Chandra out.” I walk closer to the bed and feel the residual magic in the air. “This man was attacked with magic. I can do a quick spell to help him recover.”No one says anything, so I step forward and hold my hands over his body. I say a short chant and then pull my hands back. He won’t be better immediately, but he will have a better chance at survival.I turn to the woman staring at me as if she wants to ask a million and one questions. I walk over to her and close my eyes, trying to get a feel of her. It doesn’t take long, and I open my eyes to look at Aston. “She isn’t an impostor, in case you were wondering.” He nods, and I take a step back. “About the o
~Shawna~My entire world is crashing down around me, and I don’t know how to make it right. I can’t feel my mate, and Sable can’t contact Jett. I’m sure that whatever happened, wolfsbane was involved. I can only hope that my mate is okay, but hoping is just not enough for me.I follow Katarina and Aston to see the body that was found. I should probably go home, but I know I would be useless against the emptiness that would be waiting for me. We have to sit for a while to allow the doctors to check him out. “How are you holding up?” I’m startled at the sound of Katarina’s voice. She’s standing over me, holding a paper cup in her hand. She holds it out to me, and I take it, breathing in the aroma of freshly ground coffee.“Thanks.” I sigh and grip the cup as tightly as I can, with it being made of paper. “I’m in a fog if I’m being honest. I really don’t know what to do right now.” Katarina is unable to respond because the doctors pick that moment to come out. We follow them back to the
~Eddie~My body is thrown on a rickety bed. As I make contact, a cloud of dust floats up, causing me to go into a coughing fit. “I know you were awake.” That's a voice I'd known for most of my life. I don't care how old I get or how long I go without hearing it. It's a voice that has gotten me through some good and bad times. It's the voice I clung to when I didn't know if I could survive the day, let alone the hour. “I was going to get on Chandra. For a while there, I thought she went a bit too far with the magic.” I say nothing, and it isn’t just because I'm fucking pissed. I say nothing because what the fuck am I supposed to say?If you had asked me months ago what I thought about this man, I'd have said that Blake is more than the best friend a guy could have. I'd have said that he's a brother to me, and I would have been lost without him. I may not have survived without him. Now, today, I don't know who the fuck he is.He clears his throat, and I can feel his eyes on me. “Come on
~Katarina~I say nothing, keeping my eyes on her while making sure no emotions show on my face. I just don’t understand it. We’ve been friends all our lives, and I never knew she could be like this with me. I feel foolish and betrayed. “Well? Can we talk?” I lean back in my seat and get comfortable.“There’s nothing stopping you. Say what you need to say.” Tatiana closes her eyes and shakes her head. She opens her eyes and looks at Aston before looking back at me.“I was hoping that we could speak privately.” I didn’t mean for it to happen, but a scoff escapes my lips.“Talk privately, like you attacked me privately?” I swear I see anger flash in her eyes, but it’s gone much too quickly. I’m almost certain that my dream was a premonition, so I’m not going to be caught off guard by her.“Please. I know I don’t deserve it, but please.” I swear her teeth are clenched as she talks to me, but I’m not completely sure. I look over to Aston to see his eyes glazed over. When they clear, he has
~Katarina~I’m at a loss, if I’m being honest. Nowhere in the history of our species have I ever heard or seen someone who could mindlink whoever they came across. It’s a valuable tool to have, there are so many uses. If you are working with an allied pack, it could make things so much easier.All eyes are on me, and I know why. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I launch into my dream, making sure I tell every detail. When I’m done, no one says anything. I know it’s a lot, which is why I’ve been so snowed the last few days. Elder Nadia clears her throat, catching our attention. “Uh, I think that’s a premonition, not a nightmare.”She’s right. That was a premonition.How do you know that, Hope?It’s a feeling that I had, and I asked the Goddess about it.You spoke to the Goddess?Uh, kind of. It’s a long story. “Is everything okay, babe?” I look at Aston and give him a small smile.“That was Hope. She says she got confirmation, and we do, indeed, get premonitions.”“She can
~Katarina~I look into Elder Nadia's pale green eyes, my heart thumping in my chest. Did she really just fangirl me? I mean, how would she even know that I’m a gold wolf? I’m in my human form, so she shouldn’t be able to tell.I turn my face to Aston’s; he looks equally confused as he looks at the Elder. Aston turns to look at me, and his eyes get big. He looks a bit bewildered, and maybe… I don’t know, scared? What’s wrong, Dreamboat?Uh, it’s your eyes.My eyes?Yeah, there’s a gold ring. I just looked at myself in the mirror, and I swear that was nothing wrong with my eyes. I turn back to the Elder and notice her hand stretched toward me. I hesitate briefly before taking her hand. She holds it tightly and gives it a shake before releasing me.“I’m sorry about my colleague. She gets like this when she’s excited. I guess I don’t need to ask the question; I mean you are that, right?” I look at Aston again, and he hunches his shoulders slightly. Even though I'm marked, I could still be
~Katarina~I swear I haven’t slept the past few days. I’ve barely eaten. The nightmare was so real, so fucking real. I really can’t believe that it was something that was fake, a figment of my overactive imagination.Aston has been trying to calm me since that night, but nothing has worked. I can’t pull myself out of this funk; the fear left when I woke up. No matter what, that dream continues to swirl around in my head.*Previous Dream*I run down the stairs of the packhouse, everyone in a frenzy. We’ve had a breach in security, and the pack members are running for safety. They had to have gotten in thanks to that witch. That fucking witch that should have already been taken care of. I push out the back door, running out onto the deck. I was right; that witch is standing in the middle of the field. Warriors are lining up, and pack members are running in fear. The witch throws energy beams out of her hands, and they land on the soft grass. The heat from the beams is scorching the gra