I scoot my chair back, trying to come up with the best way to bolt from the room. “I can show you.” I turn to Eddison and watch him stand up behind his chair. He starts to strip his clothes, and I'm ready to fight. I just got pulled into some type of sex games. What a fucking idiot I am!
Before I can get up and run, Eddison changes on the spot. One minute, a man is standing there, and the next is a giant, dark gray wolf staring at me. When I say huge, I cannot stress just how big it is. If I had to guess, I'd say that it stands at 6 or 7 feet tall. What wolf has anyone ever seen that was that damn tall?
The crazy thing is my body isn't going through the typical fight or flight response. I'm actually pretty calm. There's a pull in me that is pushing me to get closer. This is the craziest thing, but I can't fight it. I stand up and slowly walk toward the massive wolf. I reach my hand out and watch the wolf slowly lower his head.
I let my hand touch the top of his head, and I'm pleasantly surprised. This wolf has the softest fur in the world. Now, I'm not one who can compare fur texture, but I don't think anyone would anticipate that the fur of a giant, scary creature would be so soft.
The wolf’s eyes close, and he pushes his head into my hand. I scratch his head through the fur, earning me a well-placed purr. I thought only feline’s purr, but I guess that was wrong. “His name is Jett.” I turn to Shawna, and she has a slight smile on her face.
“The wolf has a name?” Are we acting like the wolf is its own person or something? Is that really a thing?
“Yes, our wolves are a part of us. They are our other half. They have their own names and personalities.”
“What’s your wolf’s name?” Shawna’s smile grows as Jett’s purring continues.
“Her name is Sable. I… I have to say… she is so glad to have you here.” This is wild, to say the least. I have no idea what world I just stepped into, nor do I understand why I’m so comfortable. I should be running for my life at this point.
“So were you bitten by a wolf or something?” Shawna throws her head back and laughs. Jett lifts his head and rolls his eyes. His tongue hangs out of his mouth. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he understood what I said and finds it just as funny.
“Yes, he understood what you said, and no, no one was bitten. That isn’t how things work, though I know in the human world, that’s how this is portrayed. We are born this way. You are able to shift into your wolf at the age of 18, and your wolf consciousness comes to you between the ages of 13 and 16. You can communicate with your wolf and they can communicate with each other.” I pull my hand back and shake my head. This is a lot to come to terms with. I hear cracking and snapping, and when I look up, I see Eddison, not Jett. He quickly puts his clothes on and takes a seat.
“I know it’s a lot to learn, but we want you to understand what you really are.” I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly.
“What else is there?”
~Katarina~
GIRL!! I swear, Tatiana is so loud, even through the mind link. I often have to tell her to bring it down a few notches.
Titi…
Girl, I’m sorry, but I have tea and it’s pipping hot. I can’t help but laugh at how extra Tatiana is most of the time, but she’s my girl and has always been there for me.
I will meet you in the garden. Give me about 10 minutes. I close the mind link and put in my last hoop earring. I take a step back and look in the mirror, admiring my outfit. I usually dress simply, but I try to make it look good. I’m not really into designer brands, so I make it work in my favor.
Today, I opted for a dark denim-colored romper that buttons up the front and barely goes mid-thigh. It has a tie to it that I have in a loose bow. I paired it with flat, dark denim sandals with straps across the top of the foot and just around the big toe. I’m not big on jewelry, but I usually wear a white gold locket, hoop earrings, and a ring. I pretty much look the same as I did in high school, with the addition of tattoos.
Big, thick arms snake around my body, and lips press to my temple. I close my eyes and sigh in contentment. “Beautiful as ever.” I turn in his arms and press my lips to his jaw. Future Alpha King Jamison is my boyfr- no, he’s my fiancée. I know it’s crazy, and we really don’t get married in the werewolf world. He’s my fiancée because I’m his chosen mate, but I won’t let him mark me… not yet. I want us to wait until the Luna ceremony before we mark each other. Not only have I held off on him marking me, but we aren’t being intimate either.
I’m no prude, so let’s put that out there. I just want to be sure and my first time to be special. What could be more special than having my first time the night I’m made the official Luna? King isn’t my fated mate, but it’s fine. We figure my mate died young. I’ve been to a lot of mating balls and have found nothing. King has done the same and has had the same results. That’s another reason to hold off on the mating and marking; what if our fated mates come along? I don’t want that drama, so waiting is best. “You look handsome as always.” He truly does.
Many girls in this pack are jealous of me because of my relationship with King. Besides being next in line for Alpha, he’s a damn good-looking man. He’s 6’6, light-skinned, and ridiculously muscular. He keeps his hair cut short and tapered. He has dark brown eyes and long lashes. His lips aren’t that thick, but he sure can kiss. King and I started dating when I left high school, and it was crazy to me. He’s two years older than me and told me he’d had a crush on me for a while. We kept it casual at first until we decided to choose each other. “What are your plans for today, baby?”
“I think I will meet with Tatiana for a while, then go find your mom. We have more Luna training to get through.” We kiss each other a few times before King turns and walks out of my room. Did I mention he has a tight ass? He has a really tight ass.
I leave my room with the garden as my destination. Tatiana and I spend a lot of time here. The garden is a beautiful place that brings peace. I find Tatiana at our bench and wrap my arms around her as I walk up to her back. I kiss her on the cheek and sit next to her. “Girl, I thought you’d never get here.”
“What’s the tea?”
“Childe! Girl… wait until you hear this, girl.” I sigh internally, ready for her to get to the point. I clear my throat and wiggle my eyebrows. Tatiana blushes a bit. We’ve been friends long enough that she knows what that means. “I hear talk that he’s back… he’s been found.”
“Who the hell are you talking about?” Tatiana places her hands on both sides of my face.
“Aston is back.” The air rushes out of my lungs, and I slump in Tatiana’s arms, letting the darkness take over.
~King~“What's on the agenda today?” I lean back in the chair across from my father's desk. I cross my legs, letting my right ankle rest on my left knee. My dad will be stepping down soon, and when he does, he will pass the pack over to me. Katarina will be my Luna, and I can't wait for all of that to be the case.His office door opens, and Dominic walks into the room. He walks over to me, nodding to my dad before sitting in the seat next to me. Dominic will be taking over as the Beta when I get in place. We are both excited to carry this pack.“I wanted to give you two a heads-up.” The look on my dad's face tells me that whatever he wants to say to me is extremely serious. I'm starting to get nervous. I sit up straighter, letting my feet hit the floor. I feel Dominic shift next to me, but I keep my focus on my dad. I swallow, trying to keep my breaths even. “Eddison and Shawna have found him; they found Aston.” I'm on my feet before I can even register to move.“Where is he?! I have
~Katarina~“Mmm.” I turn my head toward the warmth next to me. I snuggle my head, but it isn't on anything soft. It's on a hard surface, but it smells so good. I blink my eyes open and am looking at a red polo shirt. I let my eyes travel up and am met by the soft brown eyes of King.“Hey, baby. How are you feeling?” I close my eyes again and let out a sigh.“What happened?”“You were in the garden with Tatiana, and you passed out. She told you some news.” My eyes pop open, and I turn my head to look at King. There's nothing but love and kindness in his eyes.“She told me that Aston is back.” King nods, and my heart clenches.“How do you feel about that?”“I don't know. I mean, I liked him in school. I liked him a lot, and the day he disappeared, we were supposed to go out.”“You were friends too, right?” I feel a smile grow on my face at the memories of Aston and me when we were younger.“We were. I loved our friendship.”“My dad told us that he's back, but he doesn't remember anythin
~King~I know what Dad said, but I just can't help myself. I've known Aston all our lives, and his being gone made everything feel off. I just need to lay eyes on him myself, and I think I'll be okay.I take a deep breath and knock on the door of the Beta house. I've wanted to come to see Aston since Dad told me he was back, and even more so after talking to Katarina. I don't really know what to expect, so I'm nervous.The seconds tick by with no response, which already adds to my anxiety. The door finally moves, not opening completely. Shawna peeks her head out of the door. When she sees that it's me, she quickly steps outside and pulls the door almost closed behind her. “Alp-” I quickly shake my head at her. I don't need any ridiculous formalities right now; we're family. Shawna nods and smiles. “King, how are you?”“I…I'm anxious, if I'm being honest. I know he needs rest and whatnot, but I'm aching to see him. I never thought I'd see him again, you know?” Shawna sighs and steps aw
~‘A’~There are hushed whispers as I open my eyes and look around. I'm in his room, but I don't feel uncomfortable. I hear a door open and close, along with footsteps coming up the stairs. A light knock on my door causes me to shift in bed. “Come in.” The door opens, and Shawna steps in the doorway.“How'd you sleep?” I sigh and stretch, sitting up in the bed.“I slept okay actually. I feel pretty good.” She smiles and nods.“Well, Eddison went into work today so it's just us.” I should have figured they had jobs. I can't keep them from that, even though I walked away from my job.“I'm sorry to keep you from working. You can leave me if you must.” Shawna smiles and walks over to the bed. She silently asks if she can sit, and I nod slightly. Shawna moves to sit at the edge of my bed.“Don't worry about me. My job is more flexible than most. Besides, there's nowhere else I want to be right now. I want to help you find yourself again, if possible.” Shawna takes a deep breath and lets it
~Katarina~It's been almost a week since Aston has been back at the pack, and it's been a bit awkward. The problem isn't because he's been weird with people. To be honest, not too many people have seen him. He's been keeping to his parents and the houseI have caught a glimpse of him once or twice, but it was always really quick. I haven't had a chance to talk to him or anything. King and I have discussed him, but it has always been in the context of being worried for him. King has been beyond eager to see him again, while I'm not sure how to feel.When I was in school, I always dreamed that Aston would be my fated mate. It was a dream that I had, and I really wanted it to come true. Aston was more than a friend to me; I would have been ecstatic if he had become mine.Of course, by the time I turned 18, he had been gone for two years. I guess that's why I'm nervous. What if I run into him and realize he's my fated mate? How do King and I handle that? Would we still be together? If Ast
~Katarina~I can honestly say that I've never really understood the true meaning of awkward until this moment... right now. Aston and I walk through the woods, and neither of us says a word. To be honest, I have no idea what to say to him.I don't want to say too much and stress him out. I also want to be able to talk to him and learn about this new Aston. Four years is a long time, and a lot can change. I'm sure I'm not the same Katarina that he knew before.We find ourselves in a clearing that has tree stumps that you can sit on. Aston takes a seat on one of the stumps, and I can't help but laugh. I quickly cover my mouth in a feeble attempt to silence my laugh. Aston looks at me with a frown on his face. "Did I do something wrong?” I clear my throat and quickly have a seat on a stump next to him,"No, no, it isn't anything like that.” He looks at me with questions in his eyes, and it takes me back to when we were growing up. He has no idea how familiar this is, and it tugs at my he
~Katarina~My plan was to go home, but I didn't want to do that. I don't really have an explanation for my aunt and uncle. I know that if they were to see me upset, I would have to explain things to them. I thought I'd go to King, but the same thing; I just don't have an explanation in me.Honestly, I don't even know what's wrong with me. I know that I'm in love with King. I have been so for a while. I don't know why I took off on Aston like that, and it saddens me. I would love nothing more than to have my friend back. “You look a little flustered there.” I whip around to find Dominic not too far from me. I look around and notice that I'm pretty close to the training area. I didn't even mean to come over this way, but here I am.“I'm okay. I'm just a bit tired.” Dominic looks me up and down, and it makes me uncomfortable. To be honest, Dominic has always made me feel that way. There's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way.“I just want to be sure that everything is okay
~Shawna~I don't know how long these witches have been hovering over my son, but I'm ready for it to be over. I want to trust them to be careful with him, and I'm sure they will be. I'm struggling right now, though. I'm struggling because I feel helpless.My son, my only child, disappeared for four years. I couldn't find him, and I couldn't take care of him. He was probably scared and in pain at some point. As his mother, it's my job to help him not be afraid. It's my job to make the hurt go away. I failed my son, and I refuse to fail him again.Aston lies on the couch, and the witches hover over his body. His eyes are closed, and I don't know if he's asleep or not. I just want them to be able to help him get better. I miss my boy.In sync, the witches lift their heads, and their hands drop to their sides. Ulva makes eye contact with us, and my breath hitches. “There's magic in him, but it's broken.” I’m not well-versed with witches or magic, so I have no idea what they mean.“What are
“BlackPaw Pack! I’m so glad to see you have survived and are supporting each other. You have done what a pack is meant to do. The traitors you had among you have been dealt with as have the poisonous Alpha family that was in charge for decades. You are free of the lies and need someone more honorable to be in charge. That being said, let me welcome your new ranked members to the stage so they can say their vows and take their rightful places.”“I, Aston Wiley, promise to protect and serve the BlackPaw Pack as Alpha. I promise to…”“I, Katarina Harris, promise to protect and serve the BlackPaw Pack as Luna. I promise to…”*Six Months Later*~Aston~It’s been six months since we’ve been sworn in as the ranked members of this pack in a ceremony that took place two weeks after the end of King. I took over as Alpha, with Katarina as my Luna. We made Dominic Beta, and Deacon agreed to be our Gamma. Before you get upset about Dominic, just hear me out.I’ve known Dominic all my life, and he w
~Aston~I blink, feeling like I’m losing my mind. That has to be the case because there’s no way this is real. I close my eyes and silently count to three before opening them again. Nothing has changed, and absolutely nothing is moving.I reach out to the wolf in front of me, but there’s no movement at all. I feel like I could tip the wolf over, and there’d be no stopping it from falling. I am miffed right now because this is something that should only exist in our wildest imagination. “ASTON!” I turn to find Katarina running toward me.Katarina’s hands are on my face, igniting sparks along my skin and shivers up and down my spine. “Did you do this?” I gesture to the frozen wolves around us.“Uh, yeah, I think so. I don’t know what it is or how.” I look around again while shaking my head. Damn! My girl has some nice ass powers. I think I’m a bit jealous, if I’m being honest. I thought my powers were cool, but now I see they were nothing.“How long do you think it lasts?” Katarina shak
~Katarina~Aston wastes no time running out of his room after being called out by King. I don’t want him to go, but I know this has to happen. I run after him, not wanting my mate to have to confront him on his own.King is standing outside, and Tatiana isn’t that far behind him. I have no idea who let that bitch out of the cells, but heads are going to roll. Aston rushes out in the field, stopping a few feet in front of King. I notice some wolves are coming out of the shadows, but it has me on edge. Some seem to be moving to the side where I’m standing close by Aston, and others are standing on the side that houses King and Tatiana. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but we have a serious loyalty issue. It looks like some pack members are still loyal to King, and that’s probably how he’s made it into the pack the last two times. It may even be how Tatiana is free right now.Speaking of Tatiana, her eyes haven’t left me since I got out here. She looks like she’s ready to
~Aston~I know this will get me some crazy looks, but I was so turned on when I watched Katarina end Chandra. I know how sick that sounds, but I can’t help it, and I refuse to lie. She was poised and confident and I was definitely responding to that.There wasn’t much to do once Chandra was dead. Topaz let us know that they found her lab and were going to raid it. I figured there would be no answers for me there, and Topaz promised to let us know if she found anything useful.She brought us back to packlands, and we are walking hand in hand to the packhouse. I want a nice hot shower, to talk with my dad, and time with my mate. It feels like we’ve been on the go for a while now without stopping. I know it’s due to all of the emotional upheaval we’ve been dealing with, but it’s still a lot.We walk into the dining room to have all eyes on us as we step through the door. Katarina snuggles against me, and I guide her to our table. Mom and Dad are already there and snuggled up together as
~Topaz~I didn’t know what to do while I waited to talk to Eddie. I walked the perimeter of the pack, making sure our wards were in place. I tweaked everything, making sure to keep the pack accessible for the proper individuals.I look at the time as my nerves set in. I’m scared, I can’t lie. I don’t know how this talk is going to go, and that scares me. I know that if I don’t give it a try, I will regret it for the rest of my life.I’ve tried to rehearse the words in my mind, but I changed them a bit each time. I really don’t know what to say, and I don’t know what he’s going to say. I know what I’m attempting to do, and I know that most will view it as the worst thing I can do. I get that, really I do. I just can’t help my heart right now. I have to know for sure that it’s really over between us.A sound behind me shakes me out of my thoughts. There’s a giggle that is filled with nothing but love and happiness. Something is telling me not to look at the scene behind me, but I’m comp
~Eddie~I follow Shawna home, letting the events of the day swirl around in my head. So much has happened in a short amount of time. The entire situation is crazy to me, but it’s also heartbreaking. I had no idea my best friend was capable of such evilness and selfishness. If it hadn’t been for him, my family wouldn’t have gone through the pain that they suffered. I don’t know if I could ever make it up to them, but I’m sure as shit going to try.Sparks on my cheek break me from my thoughts, and I look at my surroundings. We are standing in the middle of our bedroom, and I didn’t even realize we had walked this far. Shawna is standing in front of me, looking worried. “I’m fine, love. I’m just a bit lost in thought.”“You’re fine?! You’re not fine, Eddie. You’ve gone through something traumatic at the hands of someone you trusted.” I suck in a breath, not wanting my emotions to overwhelm me. “I know you, and I know what your thinking. It wasn’t your fault. You had no idea that Blake wa
~Eddie~We all make our way into the packhouse and my office. So much has gone on since I stepped foot on packlands; it’s hard to wrap my head around everything. Besides needing to talk to the kids, I want to put my hands on my mate.Her scent hits me before I can see her face. A blur comes at me, and my body hits the floor. Sloppy kisses break out all over my face and neck, but pain also erupts in my stomach at the same time. “Goddess! I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again!” I manage to roll my emotional mate on her side, and I secure her to my body. I take deep breaths, trying to ignore the pain I feel. “Eddie?! What is it? What’s wrong?” I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. There’s no need to worry anyone right now.“Dad? Is something wrong?” I open my eyes to Aston standing over us. There’s worry in his gaze, but I’m able to give him a stiff smile. He reaches his hand out, and I grab it, allowing him to help me up. Shawna is by my side, holding onto my arm. I walk over to the
~Katarina~I turn to see Tatiana glaring at me. I'm overwhelmed right now with everything: seeing that Aston is truly alive and okay, almost being snatched by King, and feeling the loss of my Alpha and Luna. With all of this, there's no fucking way that I'm going to deal with this bitch. I’m sorry, Hope, but I’m sick of this!I’m with you. This isn’t the same Titi we’ve been friends with all these years. Even if Hope hadn’t agreed, I’d be doing this anyway. It just feels better that we are on the same page.I balance on my feet and meet Tatiana head-on. Tatiana stops right in front of me, but I don’t move a muscle. “You always ruin everything! I fucking hate you!” All I can say is that the anger has accumulated, and it's come to a boiling point. My fist connects with her throat, causing her to bend over, sputtering and coughing.I crouch down in a fighting stance as I watch her try to suck in air. “Bring it bitch! It’s time to end this shit!” It doesn’t take long before Tatiana mirror
~King~The moment I saw my father kill Aston, I knew this was the time to get what was mine. I took off and shifted into Conan, letting him take over and take us back home. I don’t know what Dad’s plan is, but I plan to make moves before he can mess me up.It was beyond easy to get on to packlands. I already knew the routes and patrol groups. Some people are still loyal to my family and me, so letting me in wasn’t a huge issue.I have to say, Katarina made it easy for me. Conan caught her scent, though it pissed him off that it was mixed with that loser’s. We watched her pace back and forth for a while before I decided to go in.I shifted to my human form and put a pair of shorts on my body. I kept myself quiet and snuck up behind her. I grabbed her arm and turned her body toward me. The shock written all over her face didn’t deter me in the slightest. “King?!” I pull her body close to mine, making sure there’s no room between us. “Wh…what are you doing here?”“Seriously?” I look down