I forgot to post a bonus chapter yesterday so I will post an extra chapter tomorrow xoxo
Callan POV A heaviness settled in my stomach trying to pull me down, Micha turned to look at me, his eyes wide with disbelief at what Pedro had just told us. Alister had escaped his cell, and he would be coming for me and everything I loved. “We’re on our way back now!” I ground out, this morning just kept going from bad to worse. The forest around the pack house was swarming with wolves, all looking for the bastard I called father. I found myself scanning every inch of the wooded area hoping to find the son of a bitch. A guard opened the side gate, letting us inside the territory. As I walked past the guard I stopped as it occurred to me that maybe he had helped Alister escape. He could have slipped down into the dungeon and helped Alister out of his cell, then let him out of this very gate. The guard lowered his head, baring his neck to me. *Callan cool it.* Micha grunted. I felt myself being pushed gently on the back. I stepped past the guard, pulling back all the rage I had
Ayla POV “Hurry up Callan, we’re gonna be late!” Eric shouted, making me look over toward the house. I glance at my watch and see it’s only 5.20 am. Callan walks out of the house and his head snaps up and over to me. I duck down so he doesn’t see me, but it’s too late. “Ayla, what are you doing out here at this time?” He asked as he walked over the small wooden bridge toward me. “I had a bad dream and I like it here. It feels calm and peaceful.” “What happened to your head?” He gently lifts my head and looks at the small cut, those pleasant tingles ripple across my skin. “It was nothing. I banged it whilst I was asleep.” His eyes connect with mine and I feel my heart race, his rich brown eyes seem alive. “You should go inside, it’s not safe out here.” “Why?” I asked. “You don’t know who could be lurking around watching you.” I stand up to make my way inside when I notice his clothes, he has some jogging pants on and a vest that clings to his body, the muscles on his arms ar
Freya POV I can’t breathe, I feel like I have been smothered with a blanket of loose dirt. The more I move, the more it engulfs me, pushing me deeper into a deep pit with no way out, and my chest feels tight. Every time I try to suck in some air, the invisible bindings that are wrapped around my body pull tighter. Alison passed me a glass of water. The condensation from the ice runs down the glass. I lifted my hand to take the glass from my friend, noticing the slight tremble. The ice clangs against the glass as I lift it to my mouth. “What happened, Freya? I have never seen you like this?” She says as she sits down opposite me. Alison is a friend from college. She lives in the next town over, which is perfect. My father would never think to look for me here. In fact, he doesn’t even know Alison exists, which is exactly how I wanted it. As far as he’s concerned, I have no friends, I’m a loner who’s scared of her own shadow. “It’s my dad, we got into a huge fight.” “What about?”
Callan POV I waited for Rosie to say more, but the phone remained deathly silent. “Would anyone help Alister?” Rosie, like so many others, despised Alister. He was a narrow-minded man who thought of witches as fleas, but he had used the witches in the past. That’s how I know Rosie and her coven, so what's to say he isn’t using them once again? “Honestly, I don’t know Callan, my coven has cut all ties with your father, they aren’t too happy I’m helping you, but they know you're a good man, so they don’t say anything. Why, what’s wrong?” “It’s nothing. Look, can we talk tomorrow? I have some things I have to deal with.” “Sure.” I didn’t wait for pleasantries like goodbye. I hung up and immediately called Pedro, noticing a message from Eric saying he had Freya. At least I had one less thing to worry about. “He could have had the help of a witch,” I said as soon as Pedro answered. “I was thinking the same, we have 15 warriors missing as well, everyone your father favoured. I th
Callan POV “Are you busy tonight?” I asked. There was no chance I was leaving her alone, not after that mother fucker attacked her in her own home. “I’m free.” She answered with a smile. “Can I take you out? I have to make a quick stop if that’s OK. Then how about a movie and takeaway at mine, your choice.” She smiled at me, and it felt like the world stopped moving. “I would love that.” She whispered. “Good, sit down, I will go and get your work for you.” I placed my fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face, so I could gaze at it properly. I leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. She tasted so sweet and fresh, I went to pull away, but I felt her pulling my tie stopping me from moving, her fingers weaved through my hair making my chest vibrate with a satisfied growl. I felt her grip loosen, and she slowly pulled back, but I wanted more. I reluctantly stood up straight and quickly slipped out of my office to grab her work off the desk. I could see Micha in his office, he
Ayla POV I couldn't help looking around in awe at the magnificent house in front of me. It seems so grand. Red and green leaves climb up the walls and creep over the windows blanketing the enormous house. Three large arches run along the right side of me. Above the arches is a wall that has intricate shapes cut out of the stone, creating a lovely pattern on the ground from the light shining behind it, and I can just about make out a person walking back and forth behind the wall, leading me to believe it’s a balcony. The space between the arches is black, but I can see a soft glow coming from beautiful stained-glass windows on the opposite side of the arches. Besides the three beautiful arches, there is a large stone staircase that leads up to large perfectly shaped bushes with soft light illuminating the sculpted shrubbery. The ground floor windows are large, beside each window is a large bushy hedge. Callan was standing in front of a large arched door talking to an older woman who w
Ayla POVMy feet stumbled as I was pushed forward, but I managed to steady myself. The wolf that was once Callan stepped forward snarling, white pointed teeth that looked sharper than Freddie Krueger's claws flashed as his mouth pulled back and he bared his teeth, drool dripped from his mouth onto the floor beneath him, my body went cold with fear as my stomach clenched. I slowly stepped back, holding my trembling hands out in the hopes the beast before me would see me as no threat. The monstrous wolf stepped forward, changing into Callan in all his glory right before my eyes. “Ayla, I won't hurt you,” he whispered.“Stay away from me!” I cried, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears. I could feel a coldness slipping down my face, and taste the salty sting of the tears that leaked of their own will.Callan’s eyes flashed with pain as I teetered backwards until I felt the car on the back of my legs. I stumbled around the bonnet and jumped into the car as soon as I felt the handle ag
Callan POV The look of fear that swept across her beautiful face as she saw my true identity would haunt me until the day I die. Her eyes went wide, letting me see the terror swarming in them, her face went pale, and her body trembled. I could hear her breathing becoming heavy as she desperately tried to step away from me. The beast that I had tried to keep hidden from her was the thing that drove her away from me, and now I don’t know what I will do without her in my life. But watching her drive away leaving me in her rearview mirror was heartbreaking, it felt like Alister had just torn my bleeding heart from my chest whilst it still beat for her. *Micha, Ayla knows. She knows what I am and she ran.* Even saying it, even though it wasn’t aloud, hurt more than I could have imagined, this was it, I had lost my mate, the best part of me, the other half of my heart and soul, my reason for waking up every morning had just driven out of my life, and now I was lost, drowning in an ocean
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