Ayla POV The room was large but it felt so warm and cosy. The smell of fresh paint vexed my senses, but Callan’s aftershave helped keep the sting away. The walls were a light greenish-brown colour that reminded me of a mushroom, or the forest. Dark wooden beams ran across the ceiling, and a large stone fireplace took pride in the centre of the room. The mantle sat high above a large wood-burning stove, almost as tall as Callan, and I could just make out the pictures that sat proudly on top of it. “Freya is ok; she’s already beginning to heal.” Callan’s mother said. She strolled toward Callan, her heels clicking against the dark wooden floor, making the sound bounce around the large and barren room, she kissed him tenderly on his cheek before turning to me. She placed her hand on my arm and gave me a loving smile, her eyes looked red and swollen and her skin looked splotchy. “What happened?” “Rogues!” Eric growled. The growl that came from Eric sounded so primal and feral that m
Eric POV Now… The door to the living room opened, and Callan walked back in after taking Ayla to his old bedroom. Even though he was beside himself with Freya being attacked, I could tell that having Ayla here made him happy, and he deserved some happiness after a lifetime of abuse. He could concentrate fully on Freya knowing Ayla was safe because this part of the pack house was for the high-ranking members of the pack; no members of the pack were allowed in this part of the house unless invited, meaning we had total privacy and no one would disturb Ayla. Cora had just had the room redecorated, removing all traces of Alister. The furniture had been dumped and new furniture was arriving soon, meaning we only had the floor to pace whilst we waited, but I didn’t mind; moving helped my mind from slipping back to that dreadful moment of finding Freya beaten and bloodied on the forest floor. Callan cleared his throat, making my legs stop moving to look at him. “Do we know what happened
Ayla POV I felt paralysed; fear had taken hold of my body, and I was unable to move. The room was dark, so dark I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face, but I could see his eyes; they peered out from the darkness burning into my soul. His raspy breathing echoed all around me, and my heart pounded hard against my chest. I could hear the sound of his bones creaking as he stepped out of the darkness, the ceiling stretched up or I shrunk in size, because Runduc looked like a giant now; his face was gaunt and his skin a deathly white, but his eyes glowed brightly, like searchlights seeking me out. His bony fingers reached out toward me; they moved like vines as they weaved their way toward me. All I could do was watch as his vine-like fingers coiled around my feet, tightening as they moved up my body, engulfing me. “Hey, it’s ok. It was just a bad dream. I’m here.” As I jumped up, I felt his arms wrapping around me. I had never felt as safe as I did in his arms in my entire life
Ayla POV “Marcus, what are you doing here?” My stomach felt like it was plummeting to the earth; chills ran down my spine as Marcus emerged from the shadows; the darkness seemed to shroud him, and the air in the garage felt cold, making goosebumps ripple across my skin. His usual perfect hair was dishevelled, and his bright blue eyes looked dark and demented; large dark circles encased his eyes, making them look sunken into his face; his smooth, clean-shaven jaw was coated with a dark beard that looked scraggly and unkempt; and his expensive clothes that he took great pride in keeping pristine looked wrinkled with ketchup and gravy stains down his front. If I saw him down the street and I didn’t know how vein he was, I would have thought he had been sleeping in them for a few days. A sour taste filled my mouth as my eyes darted around the garage and the dread of knowing we were alone hit me. “Ayla, I miss you; please come back.” I had never been afraid of Marcus, but right no
Micha’s POV The penthouse is eerily quiet without Callan or Eric; growing up in a pack, I was used to being surrounded by people, and as soon as Ayla becomes Luna, I will move back into the pack house and say goodbye to this sweet bachelor pad and the quiet life I was still unaccustomed to. Waking up every morning without the hustle and bustle of the pack getting ready for the day was still taking some getting used to, but I will miss the peace of not being needed and my late-night booty calls. *I’m almost there.* Callan informs me just as the toaster pops up, filling the penthouse with the first sound I've heard all morning other than myself. I grab my toast and shove it into my mouth while grabbing my phone, keys, and wallet and shove them into my pocket. The door below me slams shut, and I know Ayla has just left for work. *Ayla is on the move; I’m right behind her though.* *Thank you, Micha.* I bounce down the steps, chewing on the toast, when the bottom door opens and Mr
Ayla POV I hated feeling so needy as I watched Callan leave the room, but I needed him more than I needed my next breath. The front door clicked shut, and as soon as I was alone, the walls around me began to close in. My breathing became laboured as all the air began to leave the room, and I found myself hyperventilating, desperately trying to suck air into my mouth. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and began to count to 10 slowly in my head, but I became distracted by the mouthwatering smell of Callan’s aftershave that filled the air in his bedroom. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now the smell was overpowering and so calming. I knew I was safe in here, but I couldn’t help but feel safer when Callan was with me, when his hand was touching mine or when his arms were wrapped around me, shielding me from the world, his touch seemed to calm all the raging storms that flurried around inside my head. When my eyes fluttered open, they landed on his T-shirt, which was lying on the f
Ayla POV Callan leaned over me, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. This kiss was harder than before; it made my head spin and my heart race. He pulled me up off the bed and abruptly pulled his lips away from mine; my chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. His lips curled up into a sulty smile as he ran his hand up my arms, sending pleasant shivers through me as he skilfully slipped his T-shirt up and over my head. “You are so beautiful.” He whispered as he cupped my cheek and tilted my head to the side, his lips pressed against my neck, and Callan moved down, leaving a trail of soft kisses and small explosions of pleasure. I let my head roll to the side as I bit down on my lip again to stop my moan. His hand grazed across my cheek, his thumb gently tugging on my lip, freeing it from my teeth. I opened my eyes to find his rich brown eyes staring into mine. “I want to hear every moan you have for me.” He grunted before kissing my lips hard. My head began to spin, but I di
Callan POV This was supposed to be a moment in time that I would cherish for the rest of my life. I had a true mate, chosen by the moon goddess herself, and she wanted to be mine just as much as I wanted her. She chose to entwine her life with mine, making me feel complete; she had chosen to stay with me until our hearts beat as one for the last time, and I couldn’t have been happier. I had spent hours picturing the moment when I finally got to place my mark on Ayla’s neck; even when I tried to fight against our bond, I still couldn’t stop the fantasies of the moment I officially made her mine. This was supposed to be special. A magical moment when our souls connected as one. This is supposed to be one of the most memorable moments of our lives, but I never thought it would be memorable for this reason. She let out a chilling scream as my teeth pierced her neck. Her body went limp, and her head rolled forward, resting against my shoulder. “Ayla! AYLA!” I shouted, shaking her slightl
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
Callan POV “How old is the house?” Ayla asked as she walked around the banquet hall looking at the carvings in the wooden beams that ran up the walls. “My pack has owned the land since the 14th century; over the years, more and more has been added to it, and renovations to preserve the building have brought it into the 21st century. This part of the building dates back to the Tudor period. Each Alpha has added to the house over the centuries, making it what it is today.” She ran her hands across the dark wood, intrigue filling her eyes as she leaned in closer to admire the craftsmanship. “And through here is my favourite part of the house.” She walked toward me, but her head rolled back to admire the beautiful arched beams that created a stunning masterpiece above us. “What’s up there?” She asked, pointing up to the balcony that ran across the room. “That is where the Alpha would stand and address his pack; it has a hidden door that leads to the Alpha’s quarters.” “Really? Ar
Callan POV “Ayla, you don’t know how happy I am that you accepted Callan.” Freya squealed as she threw the car door open. Ayla looked at me and smiled as she took her seatbelt off and climbed out of the car. Freya threw her arms around Ayla, and Ayla wrapped her arms around my sister in a loving embrace that made my heart feel full. “Welcome to the family, sunshine.” Micha winked; he threw his arm over Ayla’s shoulder and began to walk with her toward the house; my chest buzzed as a growl rumbled in my throat. “Callan, enough!” My mother scolded as she scooped her arm through Ayla’s and led her inside, followed by the entourage that had come to greet my new mate. “Your room is getting redecorated at the moment, sweetheart, but Callan’s old room should be comfortable enough,” I could hear her saying as the door closed behind them all. I grabbed Ayla’s bag from the boot of the car, but I couldn’t help the wide smile that filled my face. My family had fully accepted Ayla, and I c
Callan POV Driving back home to the pack house felt different now that Ayla was sitting next to me; that feeling of impending doom had vanished; now I felt light; I could literally feel Alister’s iron fist unclasping from around my throat. The sun was still low in the sky, but it warmed my skin as it shone through the car windows. I turned toward Ayla, admiring how her hair glistened as the sun shone on her, golden streaks illuminated like slivers of silky ribbon. She looked so beautiful and so pure. When I looked at Ayla, all my problems seemed to fade away, and when she touched me, all my troubles vanished, and only her beauty remained. The feeling of dread raced through my mind, and I couldn’t have felt happier about it; feeling her emotions as if they were my own created a fullness in my heart. All that was left to do now was for Ayla to mark me and complete the bond; then I would be able to hear her sweet voice in my mind and find her wherever she went. But I wasn’t entirely sur
Ayla POV Callan’s voice was like velvet. I never thought of a man’s voice as being soothing, but his voice was just that; just one word from him and my whole body uncoiled, and his touch ignited a wildfire of warmth that smouldered throughout my body. Every nerve felt like it had been caressed with pure ecstasy. “I saw Queen Duscellis; she said I have to save the nymphs.” His arms around me loosened, but they remained wrapped around me, which I was glad of. I enjoyed being tangled up in Callan. “Queen Duscellis?” He asked. His brows pulled together, making his forehead furrow, and the urge to protect myself suddenly overwhelmed my thoughts, but Queen Duscellis wasn’t a threat to me. I quickly shook those thoughts out of my head and looked up into Callan’s eyes. “She is the queen of the dryads. She told me I would come into my power now and that Runduc would feel it. She said wolves and nymphs have always protected each other and that you are my protector. She told me that she
Ayla POV Excruciating pain shot through my neck, burning my skin and seeping into my veins. With every pump of my heart, it felt like acid moving through my body, scalding my body from the inside. My skin felt itchy, and all I wanted to do was scratch until I was a bloody mess and free from the painful prickle. I squeezed my eyes closed, silently praying for the pain to ease when suddenly I felt nothing. My body felt weightless, like I was floating above the world. I opened my eyes so I could look at Callan and reassure him I was ok; his voice sounded panicked. As my eyes blinked open, I glanced around confused. I was standing in front of the tree, the mystical tree with the twisted trunk in the forest beside the flats. The grass felt soft beneath my bare feet, and I could feel a soft breeze brushing against my skin, bringing with it the sweet scent of flowers. Above me, I could hear the wind blowing through the large leaves of the magnificent tree, creating a soft rustle that mad