Callan POV The whole drive to college, Freya didn't stop talking. I didn't mind, she distracted me from my own disturbing thoughts of violence and murder. I dropped her off, watching her as she joined her friends. She looked so happy when she was away from Alister, his abusiveness just a distant memory. Her smile was large and bright, and her rich dark eyes sparkled as she nodded her head and laughed with a young man who seemed to be a little too friendly for my liking. *I thought you had a job to get to.* she mocked. The corner of my lip curled up. *I'm going.* I replied as I started the car and headed in the direction of the new plot of land we had recently purchased. It was a big piece of land close to The Miner's, it sat on the border of the town. It had once been a field the old farmer would graze his cows on, but now it sat there empty. As I got out of my car, I noticed Eric standing with a group of people wearing yellow hi-vis vests and bucket hats. “Callan, this is the
Callan POV Driving toward the office felt wrong, everything inside me wanted to turn around and drive back home, back to that voice. But that was just irrational. Although that sweet melodic voice soothed my raging soul, hearing that man declaring his love for whoever the voice belonged to made me and my wolf want to go on a murderous rampage, starting with him. “Pull it together Callan!” I growled at myself as I pulled up in my parking spot in the car park across the road from the office building in the centre of town. The lobby of the office was busy. The building has 8 different companies that all work in this one building. My office was on the 7th floor. Luckily, we had the whole of the 7th floor to ourselves. As the elevator door slid open, and I stepped off, a couple of wolves from the pack scurried back into their desks, looking suspicious as I strode past them. I employed quite a few wolves from the pack, some worked on the sites labouring and some helped around the offic
Callan POV Last night was just as bad as the night before, my sleep was broken, disturbed by that name and who was sleeping below me. And when I did sleep my dreams were just as tortured. My dream girl, the girl I had dreamed of for as long as I could remember and tainted every woman I met, had vanished. Instead of seeing her beautiful smile or that sparkle in her eye, I was forced to search for that smell, but it was always out of my grasp, and all I could hear was that voice echoing in the distance, urging me to find her. The sound of Micha and Eric’s alarms going off is like a sweet relief to my ears. The night was finally over, I quickly dressed into my workout clothes, opting for some black joggers and a grey t-shirt. Then I headed to the kitchen and grabbed my water bottle and a protein shake for after the morning training. “I heard you ran into the elf again last night,” Micha says as he grabs his water bottle and a protein shake, shoving them into his bag. “That thing is ha
Callan POV Alister was good at hiding his emotions, or he just didn’t have any, but I saw his eyes widen ever so slightly, giving me the satisfaction of knowing I had pissed him off. It was one of the things that gave me immense joy. His footsteps thundered behind me and his foul stench of cheap whiskey drifted up my nose, making my stomach twist. Trust him to attack a man from behind. I spun around and saw him storming toward me, his strides wide and menacing and his face red, the vein at the side of his forehead throbbed, and I couldn’t stop the corner of my lip from curling up with satisfaction. “What did you say to me, you insolent little fuck!” “Boys, I need a word with you all once we have finished with training,” Pedro shouted. Alister's jaw clenched as he glared deeply into my eyes, waiting for me to back down. I pushed my shoulders back and stepped closer to the arsehole but Ron and Eric both stepped between us, defusing the situation. *Not now Callan.* Eric said, lo
Ayla POV The sun floods through the large windows in the living room of the flat and I can feel it warming my face. Small particles of dust float around in the streaks of light, but it looks so pretty and magical. I close my eyes, enjoying the warmth and thinking of that delectable smell I just can’t get out of my mind. “Do you fancy helping me out today?” Mum asked, startling me from my daydream. Since I walked through that front door a few days ago, all I have wanted to do is find out where that appetising smell is coming from, it seems to be everywhere, and it is driving me crazy, every time I get a whiff of it my mouth fills with saliva and I know that whatever it is going to be just as delicious as it smells. I asked Mum if she knew where the smell was coming from in the hopes she could help me out, but she insisted that it was all in my head and that she could not smell a thing. “What do you need help with?” I asked, happy about something to do. I had been applying for jo
Ayla POV “Iris, Ayla fancy seeing you both here,” Micha said as he approached our table. “We are present shopping for Wyatt, but I couldn’t find anything.” Mum smiled. “It looks like you bought plenty of stuff though.” He chuckled. “I was actually going to stop by and see you later. My old man is having a party tomorrow. You should come, and bring that friend of yours.” Micha added whilst giving me one of his boyish smiles I found irresistible. “Oh she would love to go, we were just talking about how she needs to get out more,” Mum answered. I glared at my mum, annoyed at how she just threw me under the bus in front of one of the most good-looking guys I had ever met, but something deep in my gut was telling me I should go to that party. That it was the right thing for me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, sending a chill down my spine. It felt like someone was watching me. I have been feeling that way a lot lately, but I think it was just because I had way too muc
Callan POV “So what is it?” Micha asked as he stood looking down at the spiral Graham and his team had discovered yesterday. “It’s a fairy circle,” Rosie answered. Rosie was someone we worked with occasionally but also a good friend of ours, plus she was a witch who had an extensive knowledge of all things supernatural. She walked back and forth looking at the stones, her long blonde hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun, tendrils ran down and blew gently in the breeze, and her skirt and blouse looked crinkled from a full day of sitting down in the office. “Someone has been here. When did you unearth it?” “Yesterday,” Eric answered. “What do you mean someone has been here?” I asked. Rosie turned to look at me, her deep blue eyes locked with mine in an intense gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly as I stared straight back into her eyes. I could hear her heartbeat quicken. Rosie was a beautiful woman, and normally I would have been flattered, but she has ruined women
Callan POV “Thank you for coming, boys,” Pedro said as he greeted us at the door. “Happy retirement old man!” Micha cheered, hugging his father. I had watched Micha and Eric with their fathers growing up and wondered why Alister was never like that with me, but I came to realise I didn’t need him. I had everything I needed already. I had my mother and sister and my two best friends. I didn’t need anyone else. “First round is on you!” Eric smiled, patting my back. I nodded my head and made my way to the bar to order the drinks. As I walked through the room, a few pack members stopped me to say hello, but my focus was off, it was like I could see their lips moving, but I couldn’t hear them, and all of my senses seemed to be amplified, I could smell every single person's perfume or aftershave, and my wolf just wouldn’t rest, his constant pacing in my head was causing me a killer headache, but it was like he was anticipating something tonight, something he was excited about. As I
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