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
Ayla POV I couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding after that dream. Even whilst showering, I could feel dread coiling up inside my stomach. “Good morning flower.” My dad smiled as I walked into the kitchen. I grabbed his toast off his plate and took a bite. “Morning Dad.” “Do you have any plans for today?” He asked. I grabbed a cup and poured myself some coffee and shook my head. “I have something getting delivered today and your mum can’t see what it is. Could you wait in for them?” I didn’t mind waiting in to help my dad out, it was my parent's wedding anniversary soon and my mum was a notorious snoop. “Sure, is it anniversary presents?” I asked. He looked at me, his eyes squinted together, and a playful smile filled his face. “She asked me to find out what you got her.” “I bet she did the little sneak. I know you are on my side though, so I will tell you this, it’s not what she is thinking, it's tickets.” “Oh fancy.” I teased. My back pocket began to vibrate, I pulled
Ayla POV “Because Ayla, you are my mate. I would die for you.” A warmth spread through my chest, and my heart drummed wildly as Callan spoke. I searched his eyes, trying to see if he was joking, but all I saw was love and truth. He really would die for me. Thinking of Callan dying caused a sharp pain right through my heart. I never wanted any harm to come to Callan, literally or figuratively. “I like you too, Callan.” He chuckled and shook his head. He let go of me, letting his hand slide down my arm and clasped my hand so he could lead me up the stairs. “Let’s talk up here.” I relished the tingles that ran up my arm from his touch; I loved how he affected my body. As we walked into the penthouse, his mother stood up from the couch; her eyes went down seeing us holding hands, and her lips curled up into a bright smile that made my heart feel light. “Your sister is waiting for me; we are going to go back to the pack house to take care of things. But you will have to come back t
Callan POV Ron stumbled out of the pack house and collapsed onto the floor with a clamorous thud. Eric was already halfway across the garden before I could register what was happening, shifting back to his human form as he reached his father's side. “I need the doctor!” Eric screamed, his voice thick with panic. I bolted toward Eric and Ron, pushing my wolf back so I could help one of the men who treated me as his own. A deep gash oozed blood on the back of Ron’s head; the air smelled like copper and sweat. “I’m here; let’s get him inside.” Doctor Whitelock said as he ran past us into the pack house carrying his black medical bag with him. Eric gently picked his father up and carried him inside, placing him down on the sofa in the common room that the whole pack used. The doctor pushed Eric aside as he examined Ron’s head wound. “Will you be OK if I go and see what happened in the cells?” I asked, not wanting to leave Eric and Ron, but knowing something terrible had to have h
Callan POV *Rogues at the pack house!* Eric screams through the mind link. I look at Ayla, who is watching me. Her eyes sparkle as they catch the light that streams through the large stained glass window that floods the hallway with colour; her lips are pressed tightly together, and I can see the tension in her shoulders. I want to stay here with Ayla more than anything, but my pack needs me, and I refuse to let them down the way Alister did. “I have to go; can we talk again later?” She begins to shake her head whilst stepping back away from me; my chest starts to tighten, and my heart feels heavy. “Callan, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I nod my head as I step back, putting more space between us as I reel from her words; her eyes narrow and her brow pulled down, but I turn before she can utter another devastating word and head down the stairs and toward the forest. As soon as I’m hidden by the cover of the trees, I let my wolf burst forward, letting him take control. His ra
Ayla POV The man was lanky, but his shoulders were broad. He stepped closer, allowing me to smell the mouldy smell that seemed to surround him. He reached for my arm, grabbing it and squeezing it tight, making me cry out. “Get off me!” I cried. I snatched my arm back and out of his vice-like grip and slapped him across the face, feeling the sting across my palm as it connected with his cheek. The lanky man’s lips twitched, making my blood run cold. I slowly stepped back as his body began to shake, his legs bent backwards, making him fall to the ground. I could hear the echo of his bones as they snapped all around me. His face stretched, and as the skin pulled tight clumps of fur began to grow, covering a large snout. His hands dug into the mud beneath him, and as his hand clenched, his fingers disappeared and a large paw took its place. The man’s body twitched and jerked, his clothes shredded around him, and he was replaced with a dull grey and brown fur that seemed to stick toge
Ayla POV “I have to go; can we talk again later?” His voice makes my stomach flutter, and I’m finding it hard to resist him, but I still need time to think about this. I’ve just had an overload of information dumped on me, and I’m finding it hard to wrap my head around everything. I mean, how the hell can I be a nymph, although my dreams do kind of make sense now, or should I say the visitations I received regularly? And not only is Callan a werewolf, but he’s an Alpha; his friends and family are all werewolves, as are probably most of the people I work with, but again, it makes sense why I always felt like an outsider. Then there’s the fact I have an evil elf wanting to drain me of my blood all so he can free his evil imps from some prison realm, and because of that, Callan was seriously hurt; if he wasn’t found by Micha and Eric, then he would have died, and I couldn’t live in a world without Callan. Maybe it’s better that he stays away from me completely; then at least that way h
Callan POV All I can remember from Runduc’s attack is the searing pain that ripped through my side as his sword pierced my skin. And then nothing. Nothing until I felt her touch. It pushed warmth into my body and pulled me back from the brink of nothingness. Her voice called out to me in the darkness, guiding me home. I forced my eyes to open so I could see the face of the angel that had pulled me back from the oblivion that was going to engulf me, but all I saw was worry etched into her beautiful eyes as I briefly gained consciousness. I didn’t know how long I had been outside close to my demise, but I was eternally thankful that I had friends like Micha and Eric. It was them that found me. My room feels cold, but Ayla’s galvanising scent drifts toward me, igniting the fire that burns deeply for her. My bedroom door is wide open, so I have the perfect view of Ayla sitting on the sofa, but the distance between us feels like a chasm filled with falsity and trepidity. “What are you d
Ayla POV I scurried out of his room, leaving the door open so I could keep an eye on him or hear him if he called me. I just couldn’t be around him at the moment. My mind was working overtime; every time I saw his chiselled abs or firm pecs, I couldn’t think of anything other than running my tongue across every inch of his skin. I sat on the sofa, but I kept glancing back into the room. Callan was still sitting up against the pillow I had placed behind his back, his eyes were locked on me. I reached into my pocket, pulling out the card that Rosie had given me, and put her number into my phone before calling her. “Hello.” “Hi Rosie, it's Ayla. Are you free to talk?” “I am indeed. What would you like to know?” She sounded so cheery and preppy, I could picture her full red lips smiling as she spoke to me. “What am I? I always knew I was different, but I just thought I was an empath, just more tuned into people's feelings.” “You are a nymph, the last nymph, to be exact.” “How? Wo
Ayla POV “I’m what?” I asked. “The last nymph, that is why Runduc is after you, he wants you so he can harness your power. If he succeeds he will use it to bring his elves back from Dearrotara, the dark realm they were imprisoned in and if he does that, war will soon be on our doorstep, and every supernatural creature will be killed so they will be the supreme beings on this earth and once they have killed us all they will enslave mankind and turn our world into their new utopia, destroying life as we know it.” “That’s ridiculous.” “Ayla?” Callan’s voice made me stop talking. All the muscles in my back went stiff, I was unsure what to do. I turned to look at him but he looked so weak still, his cheeks had more colour to them and his skin wasn’t as pale as he was this morning but it broke my heart to see him that way. I stepped closer to the bed and leaned down so I was closer to his face. I placed my hand against his chest and felt those sparks run up my arm. “Yes it’s me,
Ayla POV My eyes snapped away from the man poking Callan’s side to Micha and Eric, who were both looking back at me. Micha’s lips pressed together and Eric held his arm across his stomach, holding his elbow with one hand whilst the other made a fist that covered his mouth. “What do you mean?” I asked. Micha took a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks as he let it out. “Runduc, the man you have been dreaming of isn’t just a dream, Ayla, but an ancient elf, who for some reason is after you. Callan has already scared him away once before but-” “What do you mean Callan scared him away once before?” “The night you thought you had a nightmare and Callan stayed with you. It wasn’t a nightmare. That was real Ayla. Callan has been doing everything he can to protect you.” Eric answered. My head began to spin, I leaned back perching myself against the windowsill while trying to piece together what Micha and Eric had just said. “You mean that Runduc isn’t just in my head. When he a