Poor Callan, tormented by having his mate so close. Should he reject Ayla? Or do you think he should embrace the bond? Keep sharing the book and if the number of reads has increased and the book gets added to more libraries I will post two bonus chapters this weekend xoxo
Ayla POVI was gobsmacked. I never thought in my wildest dreams he had cheated on me with 8 other women, but the more I think about it, it did make sense. Before I moved in with him, he always worked late, and I was never allowed to just show up at his flat, now I know it’s because he was busy with those other women.“Ayla please, they didn’t mean anything to me.”I stood up and pushed the chair back, it scraped against the beautiful dark wooden floor loudly.“Marcus, I came tonight because I think it’s better to do this face-to-face. We are over. There is no chance for us. I don't want to see you again.”I grabbed my bag and swiftly walked out of the restaurant. It felt good to say that to Marcus, a weight had been lifted off my chest. I felt hands grabbing my arms and pulling me backwards, my feet wobbled as I was pushed back into the solid wall, hitting my head.“I can’t lose you, Ayla. Please, I'm begging you. I love you.”He leaned into me, his breath brushing against my face whi
Ayla POV “I’m sorry about Callan. He will pay for your boyfriend's car to get fixed.” Eric said, his voice clipped with irritation. “Ex-boyfriend and no, tell him not to worry. He deserves all that he gets.” Eric pulled away from me and looked at me, his face impassive, but his eyes seemed to be full of emotion. I had no loyalty to Marcus anymore, and I didn’t see why I should protect him. “He’s the reason I moved back home with my parents. I found him with another woman.” “Shit ouch. I’m sorry Ayla.” “Don’t be, I'm not. Since coming home, I’ve felt different, like this is where I’m supposed to be, but that’s stupid, right?” “No, not at all.” He answered. His face was softer now as he smiled at me. I looked at Eric, trying to figure him out. He was friendly and likeable, and he wanted to listen to what I had to say. He was also incredibly good-looking, he had to be too good to be true. I stopped by the front door and smiled at my kind new friend. “Thank you, Eric.”
Ayla POV I wished I could stay asleep, locked in my dreams with Callan, his strong hands running across my body making my skin sizzle from his touch, his fingers run through my hair as his lips press against mine, it feels so real, his skin feels so warm and firm as he pushes himself against me. But the man upstairs had different ideas. A loud bang startles me awake. The room is pitch black apart from the small streak of light that streams through the small gap in my curtains. I reached over to the bedside table and looked at my phone to see it was 3 am. I dropped back onto my pillow and closed my eyes, praying I could go back to that dream, when another thud boomed above me, shaking the pendant light above my bed, followed by another and another. I grabbed my pillow, smothering my face and wrapping it over my ears, hoping to block out the sounds of the noisy men upstairs. “You look nice, sweetheart,” Mum says as I walk out of my bedroom. It had taken me ages to decide on my outfit
Ayla POV I pull up outside the office building where I have the interview. As I get out and look up, my mouth becomes dry, and my muscles begin to quiver. “You can do this Ayla,” I whispered to myself as I made my way inside. “Hi, I’m here for an interview,” I say to a larger woman sitting behind the reception. The woman behind the desk has a headset on. I can hear her typing on the keyboard hidden from view. She holds her hand up, stopping me from saying another word, and points to an area that has chairs and sofas lined up with a few tables to fill the space. I walked over to one of the chairs, noticing that there were quite a few people here, all dressed in nice suits and all carrying a portfolio just like mine. “Ayla Thorne.” I stood up and smiled at the man shouting my name. I grabbed my bag and followed him down the small corridor into a room. “Hi, I’m Mike O'Connor. It's a pleasure to meet you.” He stands beside a desk holding his hand out for me to shake. I
Ayla POV I quickly ran home, my mind racing as I tried to comprehend what had happened. Time doesn’t just disappear. But the most beautiful sight I’d ever laid my eyes on dashed past me. Callan was jogging along the same path as me. He had a pair of black jogging pants on, but he was bare-chested, his muscles looked just as hulking and defined as I had imagined, his abs seemed to have abs and his arms looked so strong. His eyes locked onto mine as he jogged past, making my heart skip a beat, and I found myself turning to watch him run. His back looked muscular and toned, and I felt my heart race thinking of him and seeing him topless. As I turned back to the path, so I could get home, images of Callan flashed in my head, his well-defined muscles rippled with his movements. I felt a tug on my foot as it caught in a tree root that looped up from the ground. My body fell forward, but I was too slow to put my hands up to stop myself. My head hit the ground hard, sending a thumping pain t
Callan POV I wish I could just close my eyes and go to sleep, but I’m torn, my mind, my heart and my soul are in turmoil, and it is all because of her. I was so close to asking Ayla out last night after I saw her in the forest. If it wasn’t for her mentioning taking a bath, I would have, but then all I could picture was her delectable body all wet and soapy. My wolf is furious with me, but he can feel my hesitation in rejecting Ayla. I mean how can I? The thought of her with anyone else causes me so much pain that it would be better to end it all, but how can I make that decision for her when she doesn’t even know who I am, or what I am? “I’m glad you could join us this morning, son!” Alister shouted as I walked onto the training field with Micha. I hate it when he calls me son. I can feel the words scrape against my skin. “Good morning, Alister.” He insists everyone attends training at 6 am every morning, but with work and the fact that I loathe him, it’s not possible all the t
Callan POV Both Micha and Eric’s mouths dropped open, Micha sat back against the sofa, whilst Eric ran his fingers through his hair like I had just told him I had killed his grandmother. But having a fated mate was rare, very rare. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” I asked. “The girl from the other night?” Micha asked. “No.” I sneered, letting the disgust show in my words. I sat down on the chair opposite my two friends when Eric spoke. “Ayla.” Micha looked at Eric and then at me, his eyes going wide when I nodded my head. “Yes, it’s Ayla. She’s my mate. I had been dreaming of her for so long that I thought I was going crazy, but then she showed up, and I didn’t know what to do. I was going to reject her, but I can’t bring myself to do it.” “No, you can’t reject her, Cal. She is chosen for you by the goddess.” Micha practically shouted. “And what do you mean by dreaming of her?” Eric added. I leaned back against the chair and closed my eyes, but I could feel Micha and E
Ayla POV I’m walking down the dirt path in the forest beside the house, but everything seems different, the world seems different, the sun is shining through the leaves on the trees, and I can feel the warmth on my skin. My fingers graze against the top of the bluebells as I let my fingers trail across them, the petals feel like silk against my fingertips. I can hear the chirping of the crickets and the sweet song of a bird that makes my heart feel light. The small stream seems larger than I remember, like it’s swollen with a glass-like liquid that seems to sparkle as the sun hits it, not the brown murky water I saw when I jogged along it. I can hear the water rushing past me fast, it makes the air smell fresh and invigorating. As I inhale, I can feel my body filling with vitality. I see the dirt path split. One path leads off along the gushing stream, and the other deep into the forest. The last time I was here, this path didn’t have a fork in the road, it followed the stream. I did
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