Micha POV Silence filled the room as the curling wisps of scarlet mist rose from the vial in Rosie’s hand. I glanced across the room at Cora; her mouth was open, and her deep, shallow breaths made her chest rise rapidly. I turned to look at my dad; his eyes were locked onto Cora, watching her carefully, but I could see the rage ticking in his jaw as he clenched it. Callan sat beside Ayla; he had his arm wrapped around her protectively, and I could see the way he kept glaring at Rosie; his back was rigid, and I knew Callan better than I knew myself; he wasn’t just worried about finding out we had all been lied to our entire lives and that Cora had been under a spell created by his father so he could take over our pack; something else was going on with him. Ayla gave him a small nudge, making him look down lovingly into her eyes. I never thought I would see the day of Callan truly happy, but Ayla made him smile without even trying. She made him happier than I had ever seen before, and
Freya POV I can feel my heart pounding against my chest, my stomach is churning like there’s no tomorrow, and my hands won't stop trembling. Sickly saliva keeps flooding my mouth, so I swallow it back down, refusing to let my nerves get the best of me. The smell of mildew is drowned out by Eric’s scent, which is driving me wild; I can see why Callan is always sniffing Ayla now. An awkward silence fills the room; I keep opening my mouth to say something, but I quickly close it, afraid my words will come out all jumbled. It’s just me and Eric now. Doctor Whitelock left Eric in my care 30 minutes ago, and all I have been able to say since then is erm, when Eric asked me how I was after my father arranged to have me beaten to a pulp. I still have nightmares of that day; faceless people haunt my every thought. Well, that is until Eric is close by; he chases away all my fears. “Freya, I will be okay if you want to go and check on your mum.” His words seem to snap me out of my own mortify
Ayla POV The sound of timber creaking around me created an eerie atmosphere in the room; it sounded like unseen people were moving all around me. The wind outside gently rattled the windowpane, and a very soft whistle emitted from the window area. Pedro's rage suffocated the large room, taking away all the oxygen and filling it with a heat that burnt my lungs as I inhaled. The rage that burnt in his eyes made me shrink back into the sofa, afraid his fury would be unleashed at any moment, but I knew Callan would never let any harm come to me, even though I hadn’t known Callan for very long. I felt like I had known him my whole life and in the life before this one. Just looking at him made me feel safe; I could feel his arms wrapping around me even though he was standing across the room comforting his mother. Cora looked up at the sound of the door slamming against the wall, and the look in her eyes as she realised Pedro had left the room made my heart jerk; I could literally see her h
Ayla POV “Alister went to your parent's flat looking for you; that's how Eric got hurt. If you had been there, he would have killed you, Ayla. I can’t live in a world without you.” His voice cracked. I leaned back so I could see Callan. His deep, rich eyes glistened with the tears he was holding in, and my heart wept to see this beautiful man looking so sorrowful. “Callan, nothing is going to happen to me. I will stay with you until we get this all sorted out.” “Really?” He asked, a tear slipped from his eye and rolled down his cheek. “Yes, if it will take one worry away from you, then yes, I will stay here until your father and Runduc are no longer a threat.” His lips captured mine, and his tongue pushed into my mouth, sweeping across mine and sending my mind into an explosion of excitement. His hand ran up my back, sending a shiver through my body. “We need to keep your parents away from the flat; Alister will use them to get to you. Micha knows someone who can extend their c
Callan POV I strolled down the stairs of the pack house with a bounce in my step and the biggest smile on my face. I had never felt so positive about life as I did right now. The pack house no longer felt like a prison of my torment; the halls were no longer filled with memories of my father chasing me down them, and the rooms no longer held the memories of the beatings he would rain down on me for just being alive. Ayla had changed that; she had given me the greatest memory that I will forever cherish, and it was here, in this house I was once afraid of roaming. Now the house felt warm and full of love; the walls didn’t echo the reminiscence of a bad childhood; now they reflected her love and her kindness. The halls didn’t seem gloomy and obsessive; now they were bright and full of life. Not only did it feel like home now, but Ayla had agreed she would stay here until her life was no longer in danger, and the thought of spending every waking moment with her filled me with immense jo
Callan POV I wrap a towel around my waist and walk down the hallway back to my room and my sleeping mate. Fuck, I loved saying that, my mate. Today felt exciting, even though I had two powerful enemies threatening to take my mate away from me for their own selfish reasons. The day held promise and hope; my future was now something I could see, and I would be damned if I was going to let Alister or Runduc take Ayla from me because that’s what she was—my future. Her sweet voice swirled around inside my head, making my heart hammer against my chest, and my stomach flipped with excitement, and I knew that no matter what was thrown my way, nothing could take away how she made me feel, how I finally felt alive. *Callan, where are you?* “I’m here,” I answer as I walk into my old bedroom, closing the door behind myself. Ayla sits up, letting the duvet drop, revealing her beautiful body. Desire stirs seeing her ample breasts so perky as the cold air hits her nipples. “What time is it?” sh
Callan POV “MATE!” A chill ran down my spine and all the hairs on my arm stood on end as the word ripped through the room. Micha turned to face me; his mouth had dropped open in disbelief, and his brows were raised high up on his forehead, creating a cascade of wrinkles. He stood up, pushing his chair back, making a loud squeaking noise as it slid against the floor; the whispers about Ayla had stopped now; the room was so silent I could hear Ayla’s heart beating fast. All eyes were now on Thomas, a pack warrior who had a reputation much like Micha’s. But I didn’t look at Thomas; instead, I looked toward the woman standing like a deer in headlights, shocked to see it was Alice, a timid she-wolf who had only just started working in the kitchen this week. Alice had just moved back into the pack house after losing her job and her home in town; Alister refused to help her because he thought she was a weak link in his pack, but I wouldn’t let any of my pack suffer. As soon as Alister left
Callan POV “That’s ok, Callan. I could see the way they were looking at me before, and their confusion was overwhelming.” My brow furrowed; the pack’s confusion was overwhelming for Ayla. “I could sense it.” She answered. “You really don’t mind if I tell the pack?” She smiled up at me, making my heart flutter. “No, I don’t feel afraid anymore. Ever since you gave me this, and I’ve been able to feel you. I feel like I could conquer the world.” My lips curled up as she placed her fingers against my mark on her neck, and a shudder ran down her spine. Seeing it on her beautiful skin made pride swell inside my chest. “We will tell them tonight. I will call a pack meeting.” She nodded her head and leaned against me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, holding her close to my side. She weaved her fingers through the hand that was resting over her shoulder, and we made the rest of the journey back to her parent's flat in blissful silence; there was no need to fill the quiet with w
Callan POV I stand on the stage looking out toward my pack. Minister Robert stands in front of me; his long red robe brushes against the floor of the stage. I can hear the silence of the night; not a single sound can be heard apart from the pounding of my heart in my ears. The smell of pine trees fills the night air; it mixes with the smell of perfume and aftershave of the pack, all watching this monumental moment in our pack's history. “Does anyone here challenge Callan Carmichael for his title as alpha?” Minister Robert shouted, piercing the silence with his booming voice. I found myself holding my breath as I waited to see if anyone accepted the challenge; silence swirled around me as my heart pounded in my chest. “Please kneel, Alpha.” Minister Robert demanded. The muscles in my body relaxed; my pack wanted me as their alpha; no one challenged my title. I dropped down onto my knees. Minister Robert took the wolf dagger out from his belt rope and sliced the palm of his han
Ayla POV Everything feels surreal; the only time I know reality from illusion is when Callan touches me. His fingers brushing against my skin makes everything snap back into place. The world stops morphing into one of fantasy and becomes the world I know. His touch calms the chaotic affliction that is consuming my body and my soul. I can feel him trying to reach me through our bond; it feels like a constant pounding on my brain, like I have a door inside my head and he is knocking on it desperate to get in, but if I let him in, if he finds out the truth, how my body feels like it’s going to implode at any given moment taking me and everything around me, he won’t go through with his alpha ceremony, and even though it was only a dream, I can’t shake the warning of the lady who called herself Selene, the goddess of the moon. It wasn’t that long ago I thought I was dreaming of Duscellis and Runduc, and how very wrong I was about that. The nurse Callan has asked to stay with me is sitti
Callan POV “Ayla, you need me.” I protest as I slip my shirt on. Ayla had been awake for most of the day, but I wasn’t convinced she was actually any better. She had eaten quite a lot today, which was something she hadn’t done for the last few days, but her skin still looked a little flushed, and her temperature only seemed to settle when I was touching her; standing close to her, I could feel the heat emitting from her body; it was like standing next to a radiator on a cold winter's morning, but she was insistent she was fine, stubbornly insistent. I had tried to feel her through our bond, hoping to see if I could feel what she was feeling, but she had somehow locked it up again. She was sitting on the bed watching me, her breath caught in her throat as her gaze followed my hands as I buttoned up my shirt. “No, your pack needs you, Callan. I promise I will be ok.” “Knock knock, are you ready?” Micha asked as he stuck his head into the room. “Almost,” I answered. “You look bett
Callan POV The sound of our footsteps bounces off the stone floor and echoes up in the high ceiling of the hallway that wraps around the courtyard where the ancient tree stands. Ayla’s excitement bubbles inside my chest; I can feel a strange energy surrounding her; it feels like static, all the hairs on my arm are standing on end, and the energy is radiating from her across the space, filling every crevice of the narrow hallway. I open the door, holding it as she walks through; she glances up and smiles at me, but her eyes make my breath catch in my throat; they are ablaze, bright purple lights shine out from her eyes, but she looks so ethereal. I watch as she walks across the courtyard; her footsteps are light and make a soft padding noise on the stone floor, her hips sway so seductively, I feel entranced by them and her curvaceous ass; her hand is outstretched toward the tree, and as she passes by the beautiful violets my mother planted, I watch in awe as they all seem to bend towa
Ayla POV My head is buzzing; all I can hear is a low humming noise, but the sound is deep and resonates in my bones, making my body feel like it’s shaking. My body feels like someone has replaced my blood with acid, and my skin itches so bad, it feels like I have insects crawling just beneath the surface. I’ve not left Callan’s bedroom for the last couple of days; I can see the worry in his eyes every time he comes to check on me, but he has more important things to worry about than a stupid virus that will be over soon. Callan’s touch and sleep seem to be the only release I get from the pain, but I don’t want Callan to drop everything just so he can stay with me. Lately, my dreams have become demented; as soon as I close my eyes, all I see is women being hunted by Runduc, pain and brutish force inflicted upon these innocent women that I feel so connected to. I can feel their torment and pain as if it were my own, and the people I love lay slaughtered by his feet. I hear their scream
Callan POV “He's bullshitting!” Micha growled as he paced the floor of my office. The air in the room felt thick; I could feel Micha’s fury and Eric’s outrage smothering me. If it wasn’t for Ayla’s scent, which seemed to surpass all the other scents in the room, I would have lost my shit an hour ago when Micha demanded we speak. “And what if he’s not?” “He is.” He growled. “What if he can help me protect Ayla?” Micha stopped pacing now and turned to glare at me. His jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. “I will help you protect Ayla and Eric will; you have a pack out there willing to protect their Luna. We don’t need some fucking nut job who we don’t even know.” “He’s right, Callan. Rosie and her coven are helping us; we don’t need someone like him.” Eric agreed. Ayla stood up from the sofa in the room and made her way over to me; the sound of the denim of her jeans brushing against her legs got closer along with her intoxicating scent, which was already chasing away the migra
Callan POV The smell of food still lingered in the air from dinner; all of the tables had been pushed aside, and benches had been set out in rows facing the front of the banquet hall, where I sat waiting with Ayla. I must admit it felt fucking amazing having her sitting beside me like this; my Luna was taking her place. The large chandeliers above us cast a bright white light into the room, but there was an unnatural chill in the air, even though I was happy to finally be getting rid of Alister, a giant ball of dread coiled in my stomach. Minister Robert stood in front of me, ready to address the pack, and sitting to my right were Micha, Eric, and Freya. My mother sat at the very front on the benches, blending in with the pack; she had her hands folded in front of her, resting on her lap; she had a grim twist to her mouth, and every time she answered Ron, who was sitting beside her, she responded with a slow nod. Not once did she speak; she just slowly nodded her head as if she was o
Ayla POV The sound of birds singing outside drifts through the open window, which allows a cool breeze to flow through the room. Callan's skin feels warm beneath my cheek as I lay on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating. “Good morning, beautiful.” He grumbles; his fingers brush through my hair. His arm tightens around my body as he holds me close against him. “Good morning,” “How are you feeling today?” He asks. His hand travels down my back, his fingers trailing up and down my spine; sparks of excitement flick across my skin. “I feel better.” And I did; lying like this with Callan made me feel good, amazing even. My skin didn’t feel like it was on fire, and I no longer felt lightheaded. I felt full of energy. Callan gently sat up, pulling me up with him. “I have to go to training; are you sure you're ok?” “I’m fine. I need a shower, though; is that ok?” His eyes flashed black, and I felt my lips curling up. “You make this so hard.” He grumbled. Callan
Ayla POV Callan’s aftershave wrapped around me in a cocoon of safety; tingles ran across my lips as I felt him pressing his lips against mine. My eyes fluttered open, relieved at seeing his handsome face hovering above me, safe and untouched by Runduc. As I swung my legs out of the bed, it felt like my brain was spinning around inside my skull. I stood up wanting to get some of the food Callan had brought me, but the floor felt strange; my feet felt so heavy, like I had two bricks connected to my legs, which felt like two strands of spaghetti. My knees buckled, but thankfully I fell back onto the soft mattress, but that worry that was etched into Callan’s eyes earlier today hit me hard in my head like a train had crashed into my brain, my throat felt tight, and my chest began to burn. I didn’t want Callan to worry; he already carried the weight of the world on his shoulders because of me, and I didn’t want to burden him more than I already had, but as I leaned down to give him a kiss