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
Ayla POV My stomach feels queasy, it has for most of the day. But I’m not letting it stop me from going to Micha’s father's party tonight, even though that is the reason for my nauseous belly, it’s not from nerves, it’s the excitement of what tonight will hold. My phone begins to ring, and I can’t help rolling my eyes when I see no caller ID blinking across my screen. Marcus had not stopped calling me since I left him, and no matter how many times I declined the call he just wouldn’t stop. I grab my phone off the dressing table and grind my teeth together as I answer the cheating rat. “Marcus, I don’t want to see you or hear from you, stop calling me!’ I hung up, not giving him a chance to talk. I didn’t want to hear his pathetic excuses as to why he had cheated. Maybe if he had fought this much for me before, our relationship would have worked, but he didn’t. He only wanted me so much now, because I didn’t want him. I threw my phone down onto the bed as I walked over to my wardr
Callan POV All the muscles in my body went tense as I soaked up the image of the pure beauty before me. My dream girl wore a tight red dress that clung to her beautiful body, letting me see all her curves. Micha placed his hand on her back and I felt a vortex of anger swirl inside of me. I didn’t like him being so close to her. In fact, I didn’t like anyone being close to her. “Ayla, this is Callan. He’s my other roommate.” “Hi, I just moved in with my parents, in the flat below you.” Her voice was like music, full of melody and warmth. I opened my mouth to respond to her but lost the words. I couldn’t believe it. It really was the girl from my dreams. Her light brown hair framed her beautiful face, it looked just as soft as I imagined it to be, her eyes locked onto mine, making my stomach somersault. I could see the purple flower swimming in the ocean that was the blue of her eyes. I felt mesmerised by her lips, the shapes they made as she spoke were so captivating, they l
Ayla POV I looked at the handsome man once again and felt my heart beat harder than it ever had before. He was the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on. His hair is dark brown, and it looks so soft I can picture myself running my fingers through it. His eyes were a deep, rich brown that made my knees turn to mush. His skin looked tanned, and his jaw had a dark stubble covering it, making him look roguish. You could tell that he took great care of his body, his shoulders are broad, and they look strong. He wore a white T-shirt with a brown leather jacket. I could see the T-shirt clinging to his body, hugging it and showing the outline of his defined muscles. I imagined myself running my tongue across his beautiful skin as I explored every inch of his body. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes connected with mine. It was like the world stood still, and it was only me and him. I could feel a surge inside myself and I knew this man was special, and I wanted him for mysel
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
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
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
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
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
Callan POV Deafening silence filled the room; the only sound I could hear was the rustling of Dr Whitelock’s shirt as he gently moved around Eric, meticulously checking his wounds, which were now healing fast, much to my relief. “You think he used a spell to replicate the mate bond?” Freya asked our mother, her eyes never leaving Eric, though, as she watched what the doctor was doing. “I am positive. I never really loved your father; it was more of an infatuation in the beginning. It was nothing like what I felt for Pedro. As soon as your grandfather found out about it, he insisted I accept him, telling me how blessed I was to be given a fated mate by the goddess herself, and that was when the feelings came, after I accepted him as my mate, but the feelings I had for him felt unnatural, like they had been planted inside my mind.” “So you and my dad were a thing?” Micha asked. Mum nodded her head, swallowing what seemed to be a large lump in her throat. “Then how did he end up bein
Callan POV A fresh swell of fury pulsed through me, racing through my veins, making my blood boil, and causing my skin to sizzle. Alister stood smiling at me while the stranger he called son began to pace in front of me. His hand flicked forward, sending the red spark that flickered across his fingers just a second ago toward me, but because Minister Robert had spent the last month training us how to defend against magical attacks, I expected that and slid to the left, letting the red spark skim past my body. I could feel the heat from it grazing against my fur, and the smell of burning plastic stung my nose. “Enough. No one will be fighting today. I just wanted to come and see how my pack was doing and to return something to you.” Alister interrupted. I didn’t take my eyes off Alister’s other son; the corner of his lip twitched into a half-smirk, and his eyes had an inner glow that screamed wickedness. I bolted toward him, crashing my large frame into his skinny one, sending him
Ayla POV The large man's hands gripped my arms firmly, but he didn’t squeeze as he pulled me away; he was quite delicate, which surprised me. We began our walk back toward the house, the smell of the wildflowers and the woodsy scent of the trees becoming fainter the closer we got, and as the trees began to thin out, replaced with the smell of freshly cut grass and roses. I glanced over my shoulder hoping to get a glimpse of Callan but instead saw the hulking black wolf I had met once before when Callan’s father had made him turn to stop him from hurting me. That ferocious beast flashed through my mind, but the fear I felt that night no longer accompanied the memories; now I felt awe when I gazed upon it. Callan’s wolf was enormous; his paws looked bigger than my head, and the muscles on his legs showed that Callan was powerful, but I had heard all about Callan’s father, and the fear that had been pushed deep down into my stomach because Callan had chased it all away by being with me,
Callan POV My stomach dropped as a chill ran up my spine, making goosebumps prickle across my skin. Alister was here, and so was Ayla. “Take Ayla to my mother and sister and get the beta to meet me outside the boundary wall.” “Yes, Alpha.” I stepped forward but felt a tug on my arm, stopping me from taking another step toward Alister. “No, Callan, don't go,” Ayla begged. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears; all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and make everything better for her, but the urge to keep her safe from Alister was stronger than my need to hold her. Not only did I have the elf to worry about, but Alister was also a threat to Ayla; he knew Ayla was my mate, and if he wanted to hurt me, he knew all he had to do was hurt Ayla, but I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe from both of them. I cupped her cheek and ran my thumb across her soft skin. “Ayla, I have to. He will kill everyone here if I don't stop him.” Her face paled; I nodded to the guard who had