Ayla POV My stomach felt heavy still, my nightmare had unsettled me. I finished my coffee, washed my cup and left it to dry and quickly tidied away the mess from last night before getting ready for another day of trying not to stare at Callan and do some work. The work distracted me. As I was leaving the flat, Callan, Micha and Eric were all walking down the stairs from their penthouse, laughing and talking to one another. “Good morning sunshine. Why don’t you come with us to save your petrol?” Micha beamed. He was always so cheerful and happy. I glanced at Callan who was watching me closely. I felt my cheeks heat up so I quickly looked at Micha, needing to get away from his gaze. “It’s OK.” “Nonsense, it’s silly we all live in the same building, and we’re all going to the same office. Come on, I’ll carry your bag.” He grabbed my bag and swung it over his shoulder and began to prance down the stairs dramatically, making me laugh. “Are you sure?” I asked. “You know Micha is a
Ayla POV All the hairs on the back of my neck and arms prickled. I looked up again, but the office was empty. It was just me. I stood up and looked around, making sure no one was hiding and just playing a trick on me, but I was alone. “I’m just tired,” I told myself as I sat back down. The sound of metal scraping against metal made me shoot up from my chair, it sounded loud and so close to me that I knew it was not in my imagination. “Who’s there?” I asked, hoping it was just Micha messing with me, hazing the new girl. The room turned cold as my name was whispered again. This time it was in my ear, I felt the hot air from the person's breath. I spun around but no one was behind me. “Ayla, are you OK?” Eric asked. I hadn’t even heard the elevator doors opening or his footsteps as he stood behind me. “I thought that, have you just got back?” “Yes, what is it?” His brows furrowed together as he looked at me, causing deep wrinkles on his forehead. “I’m just tired. I had a bad d
Callan POV I can hear her giggles seeping through the floorboards, hearing her laughter fills me with a warmth I didn’t know existed, and knowing she is safe inside her flat fills me with relief, I would feel better if she was beside me, but that’s too soon. First I have to figure out a way of protecting her from Alister whilst figuring out how I take control of the pack. I look at my friends sitting opposite me waiting with anticipation at what I am about to tell them. “The other day when Minister Robert pulled me to one side and told me about Alister’s plans with Freya, he also told me it was time for me to take control of the pack. He has given me until the end of the month, and then he will take the pack from my dad. If I let him take the pack and give it to me, I would appear weak to other alphas and I can’t challenge him for it because he would fight to the death and I can’t lose my mum. What am I going to do?” “Well, when it rains it pours,” Eric said. “What about a pack
Callan POV I turned around and saw Ayla sitting up. Her top clings to her body and a light layer of sweat covers her skin, making it glisten in the moonlight that is shining through the window. “Ayla, I’m sorry I heard you screaming and thought you were in danger.” “I’m sorry I was having a bad dream. Thank you for coming to save me though.” “Are you OK?” I asked as I moved closer to her bed. “I am now. I’m sleepy. Will you stay with me, so I don’t get scared? I feel safe when you're near me.” She yawns as she lays back down. My heart pounds in my chest and a large smile fills my face hearing that I make her feel safe. “Of course.” A soft snore comes from the bed as a creak from the floorboard comes from the hallway outside her room. I quietly moved across the room and slipped out of her room. “What happened?” Micha asks. “The elf is definitely after Ayla. I found him standing over her stroking her face, he said he wants her,” I whispered, but I could hear the anger behind
Ayla POV I can feel his fingers trailing up my body through the duvet, but I can’t move. My body is frozen. The tall dark figure stands above me looking down as I lay paralysed. He runs his fingers down my hair, brushing it away from my face as he leans in closer. “You are quite remarkable.” He whispers as he leans closer to my face. I can’t make out any features other than his yellow glowing eyes, but they aren’t like normal eyes, they are slanted, like the eyes of a cat, beautiful and elegant, his iris and pupils seemed oval in shape. I feel pressure on the bed as he places his hands on either side of me, trapping me between my mattress and duvet. He tries to press his lips against mine, but I manage to turn my head, as his lips touch my cheek and a bitter chill runs through my body. He grabs my face, squeezing it and leans in once again. “No please no!” I cry. He backs away slightly, his eyes boring into mine. “You don’t have to be afraid of my Ayla, at least not yet anyway
Callan POV “I believe the girl he is after is a fated mate!” My body was cold as fear thundered down on me. My scalp prickled as the fear swelled inside my heart. Alister knew. He had found out Ayla was my mate. “So, is she Eric’s mate?” Alister asked. “What?” I asked, my fear now gone, now all I felt was rage heating my blood making it bubble beneath my skin. “Leon has told me how much you all dote on the girl, how you are at her beck and call, so one can only assume she is the mate of one of you. Eric isn’t here this morning, making me think she is his mate.” “No!” Micha placed his hand on my chest and pushed me back. I could see a sickening smile curling across his lips. “Yes, she is Eric’s mate, and we have sworn to help him protect her from the elf.” My chest began to vibrate as I suppressed the rage at everyone’s words and bit back the growl that was threatening to rip from my throat. Alister’s eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed together. *Shut the fuck up Callan.* Mi
Callan POV The garage had a few cars still parked inside but Ayla’s red Mini Cooper had gone. Time seemed to slow down knowing she wasn’t here. I needed to get to the office, so I could see her with my own eyes. I needed to know she was safe. I could smell her sweet scent in the elevator as it reached the seventh floor and the heaviness on my chest lifted. But something Micha said screamed at me, and as much as it was going to kill me, I was going to have to avoid Ayla as much as possible. I didn’t trust all of the wolves in my pack, which was sad, and what was sadder was that I couldn’t trust the wolves I worked with. Now that he knew Ayla was mated to one of us, he would have upped his game watching us and if he got the slightest suspicion we had lied about who Ayla really was to me, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. I stepped off the elevator and gave Ayla a small nod of my head, but I walked right past her, shutting my office door and locking out her scent. She stood up from her
Ayla POV The group of men dispersed from the desk and either sat down to do some work or left to go and manage one of the sites. Usually, Callan would stay in the office, but today it was Micha and Eric who stayed behind. I could see them both glancing over at me as the day went on. It felt like there was something they weren't telling me, that they were whispering among themselves. “What is up with you two?” I asked, not liking the tension that had built up in the room. Micha sat down in front of my desk and Eric came out of his office leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Nothing, why?” Micha asked. “I feel like I’ve grown a second head, and you don’t know how to tell me. Was it because of last night, did I wake you up as well?” Micha smiled and nodded his head whilst Eric moved out into the room and toward the coffee pot. “It’s fine Ayla, we were worried about you.” “I fixed the lock for you. I didn’t know where you had gone though. I
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
Ayla POV Fire covered my skin, burning me from the inside out. My body felt drained of all its energy after today, and the fight to keep my eyes open was like fighting against a cyclone, useless. I climbed into Callan’s bed, grabbing his pillow and pulling it close to my body so I could smell him. God, I was so needy, but his aftershave made me feel calmer; it made my body uncoil, and all my muscles felt relaxed instead of tense and sore. I curled my legs up as an icy chill began to creep over my burning limbs, making my body quiver. My lips began to tremble as my teeth began to clang together. I pulled the duvet up, spinning around so it wrapped around my body like a burrito. As the coldness dissipated from my body and Callan’s aftershave settled my anxiety from not being near him, I soon drifted off into a restless sleep. My dreams feel so real once again; I can almost taste the fresh air on my lips and feel the breeze against my face. I look around to see I’m standing in the cle