Garrett ignored the doorbell. He would not be denied this, but then the doorbell sounded again. It shattered the moment, its persistent chime echoing through the villa and brought Lily back to her senses. Garrett released Lily, who was quick to jump up to fix her dress to cover herself. Shyness was now kicking in and she said timidly, "Uh, I think you should get that. It might be Adam." Garrett nodded, noting the awkward energy now. "I'll go find out," he said. He moved through the dimly lit hallway, the plush carpet under his feet muffling his footsteps. Garrett cursed the entire time swearing to beat whoever was at his door senseless for running the moment between he and Lily. As he reached the front door, a sense of unease prickled at his senses, his instincts on high alert. With a flick of his hand, Garrett swung the door open, revealing a familiar face standing before him. Brandy, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, stood there with an insincere smile on her li
"Thank you," Tiffany said with a smile, expressing her gratitude to the waitress who had just served her a steaming mug of tea. Sitting in the cozy cafe, she gazed out of the window, taking a moment to collect herself before revealing her recent return from her parents' home to Lily. It had been a few days since Christmas, but Tiffany had chosen to wait before meeting up with Lily. She wanted some time to settle back into her own space and gather her thoughts before broaching the topic. Uncertain of what to expect, she had even considered various scenarios, including the need for emotional support or the possibility of whisking Lily away to her family for her own well-being. "Tiffany!" Lily's voice echoed through the cafe as she entered. A smile brightened Tiffany's face, and Lily rushed over to her, enveloping her in a warm, tight hug. "It's so good to see you again! How was Christmas?" "You know it's always the same every time I go," Tiffany replied as Lily settled into the
"You should not avoid Lily," Adam said firmly as he parked the car in one of the reserved parking spaces near the elevator. "You'll confuse her." Sitting in the passenger seat, Garrett raised an eyebrow at Adam's comment. "That's none of your concern," he responded coolly, his gaze fixed on the elevator. He waited for Adam to open the car door for him, a subtle display of their positions within their organization and hierarchy as Garrett was annoyed that Adam was scolding him about his behavior again. "It is when she is my responsibility to protect as well," Adam insisted. "She is young and inexperienced. Perhaps you need to talk her through the process instead of letting her stumble through it. She has enough to deal with. This shouldn't be complicated too." Garrett sighed, realizing Adam had a point. A lot of crucial information her parents neglected to teach her all because she was an Omega. While she seemed to be adapting well with his mother's guidance, she lacked the nec
Lily suddenly thought of Tiffany. She had rushed ahead to talk to Garrett and Adam and forgot to bring Tiffany over. Lily turned and waved her over, "This is my good friend and classmate Tiffany Fizsefa." Tiffany approached and maintained her composure as she noticed how Lily was practically glowing and standing very close to Garrett. She had assumed that Adam was Garrett, but when Lily continued to fawn over the disfigured man next to Adam, Tiffany was horrified. The rumors were true. This man's face was far worse than she expected. Tiffany quickly gave herself a pep talk. 'She has to really like this man. Okay, Tiffany. Keep it together. This is your best friend's lover. She likes it, you love it.' "Fizsefa," Garrett repeated. "Fizsefa as in the Fizsefas of the Moon Shine Pride?" Tiffany's heart sank for a moment as she realized the connection. "Oh hell, please tell me my brother hasn't gotten into trouble again?" Tiffany questioned. Her brother was always getting in tro
"Maybe I should have let Lily wait with me," Tiffany muttered to herself. She nervously fidgeted in the lobby as she looked over her resume again and the monologue that she had prepared to show her acting capabilities. Tiffany looked up when the door open just to see someone bring in coffee for the receptionist. She scanned the room again to see if there was anyone additional that had entered, but it was still her and the receptionist. 'What is taking so long? It's been thirty minutes. Should I just go home? Did they already fill the position and just didn't call me?' Tiffany wondered. Tiffany had spent hours preparing, rehearsing potential answers to anticipated questions. The opportunity to secure a promising job had filled her with a mix of excitement and anxiety. 'You got this Tiffany. Don't psych yourself out,' Trixie, her cat, purred within her before going dormant again. 'Trixie! Thank you,' Tiffany said in surprise and couldn't help but smile. Unlike werewolve
After seeing Tiffany off, Lily didn't know what to do with herself. She walked to the local shopping center and decided to go shopping for some new clothes. Lily found herself in the lingerie section, blushing at the thought of Garrett peeling it off her. 'Should I buy this? I have become such a pervert,' Lily thought. 'Buy it,' Dina encouraged her. 'Maybe that will get him out of avoiding me if you walked into his room with something lacey on.' Lily bought three different lingerie sets and a dress before spending the rest of the afternoon in the bookstore. Garrett had called her asking where she was so he could pick her up. And about ten minutes later, Garrett's car arrived but Garrett was not there. It was only Adam. "Hello Luna," Adam greeted her as he got out the car and opened the passenger door for her. "Hi Adam. Where is Garrett?" Lily asked. "His meeting was running over. He wanted to make sure that you had enough time to get home and prepare for the premiere
"That's… that's awful," Lily said covering her mouth in horror. "Wait, was that the cruise ship massacre? Were humans the cause of it?" "Yes, unfortunately. We couldn't determine if it was typical liquor antics or if hunters were involved," Adam answered. Hunters were humans that knew about the supernatural and decided to hunt them down. Many disasters in the world were due to them covering up their crimes. "Alpha Jack searched and searched for the cause. It didn't seem like extremists were involved, but Alpha Jack never shook the feeling that there were," Adam continued solemnly. Matthew had mentioned having another sibling that died, but Lily had just assumed that it was a pup that had died of natural causes. "Why did no one ever speak of this? I didn't even know that he had a twin or simply a brother that passed away?" Lily asked. "Alpha Jack does not believe in releasing information that would make him or his pack vulnerable. He forced his entire pack to never speak
Lily found herself alone with Alpha Jack in the private corner of the opera box as Garrett went to get champagne. The air grew tense as their eyes met, and a sense of unease settled upon her. Alpha Jack's dominant presence loomed over her, causing her to instinctively lower her gaze. "I thought it was amazing. You don't really see many shows that can keep you on your toes during the first episode like that. I mean…" Lily started to break the tension by talking about the show when Alpha Jack interrupted her. "Why hasn't Garrett marked you yet?" Alpha Jack's voice boomed, his tone demanding an explanation. He had noticed the hickey on her neck, but the family crest was not there as it would be once she was marked. Lily's heart pounded in her chest, her insecurity rising to the surface. She gathered her courage and spoke softly, "We've decided to wait until spring. I wanted to give Garrett the opportunity to find his fated mate, as he deserves. I wouldn't want to rob him of the ch
"No, I know who you are," Amdis said firmly. "You are my mate. I would recognize you anywhere." The sincerity in his words made her heart skip a beat. Kasia's heart thundered in her chest, its pulse thudding through her veins as if attempting to escape her very being. The room itself seemed to press in on her from all sides, suffocating her. "What are you talking about?" she asked. The crackle of thunder from outside caused her to jump in surprise. Her mind reeled as she struggled to process his claim. How could this be? Alpha King Ethan was her mate; there was no doubt in her mind about that. Panic bubbled up inside her, and she fought to maintain control over her emotions. "I keep telling you that you're wrong. You have me confused with someone else. I don't know how many times I must tell you this," she said firmly, trying to mask the fear in her voice. "My mate is Alpha King Ethan, not you." The mere mention of Ethan's name caused Amdis' features to contort into a frown
Kasia awoke with a start, her heart pounding. Her body felt cocooned in silk, the fabric clinging to her like an unwelcome lover. As she tried to make sense of her surroundings, memories of Amdis, the vampire who had taken her away, flooded back. She glanced down at herself, noticing for the first time that she wore nothing but a sheer camisole. Anger flared within her, and she clenched her fists, cursing silently. "Who does he think he is?" Kasia muttered under her breath as she threw off the silk sheets and slid out of bed. For a moment, she considered tearing the offensive garment from her body, but practicality won out. She needed to find a way out of this place, and she couldn't do that naked. The room was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the ornate furnishings. Kasia's instincts kicked in, and she moved cautiously towards the window, scanning the room for any potential threats. As her eyes adjusted to the fading light, she realized tha
'Go back there and rip her throat out!' Deva snarled. 'No, he made his decision. We will not fight over him,' Kasia responded as she continued walking away. How could he have done this to her? She should've known better. This was all just part of the plan. He just wanted her close because she is a blessed blood. That's all it was. "Kasia, stop!" Lily said, grabbing her wrist. "Calm down. It's not what you think it is." "I saw what I saw. He was with that b****! I know what I saw," Kasia growled. "That's not what I saw," Lily responded, causing Kasia to squint at her. "What do you mean that's not what you saw? He was humping Aimee," Kasia retorted. "Yes, but when I first saw them, she looked a lot like you," Lily explained. "That…that doesn't make any sense," Kasia said. "How could Aimee have gotten to him so fast? We had just seen her. I don't know. I think something else is going on," Lily argued. "It doesn't matter," Kasia replied, her voice strained. She tried to
'You didn't have to be so mean,' Kasia scolded Deva. 'And he didn't have to have females all over him like he doesn't have a mate for WEEKS,' Deva growled back. Kasia watched as Ethan walked away and sighed. She regretted being coy with him. Perhaps he would have been able to tell her what he needed to say before he got pulled away. The mood was ruined, and Kasia didn't feel like dancing anymore. She moved away from the stage where the live music was playing. "This is only temporary," Lily said, surprising Kasia as she looped arms with her. "Let's get something to eat. Have you ever had fairy pastries before?" "That's a thing?!" Kasia asked, causing Lily to laugh. Lily and Kasia sampled mouthwatering dishes at one of the many food stalls. The scent of spiced meats and vegetables filled the air, mingling with laughter and chatter from the crowd. Kasia's hazel eyes twinkled with delight as she savored a bite of grilled meat skewer, not caring what she was eating because it was
The sun blazed high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the city as the Summer Solstice festival commenced. Colorful banners and streamers adorned the buildings, while stalls lined the bustling streets, offering food, games, and trinkets to the celebrating crowd. Laughter and lively music filled the air, setting a jovial atmosphere that reached every corner of the city. At the heart of it all, Ethan scanned the festive scene before him. "Relax, Ethan," Garrett encouraged with a knowing smile. "This isn't something you haven't hosted before." Ethan let out a strained chuckle, doing his best to maintain a calm facade. "Easier said than done," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Kasia, who had been avoiding him for days. The uncertainty gnawed at him. "You're still worrying about Kasia, aren't you? Lily says she has been super busy with Kasia to get her prepared for today. She's not avoiding you on purpose," Garrett stated. "She
"Are you sure about telling him now before finding out anything else?" As they neared the door, Lana asked nervously. "We haven't even done any research on the paperwork." "Positive," Janet replied, her voice steady. "We need to tell Alpha Ethan what we found immediately, so we can figure out our next moves." Deanna nodded in agreement as they stopped in front of the heavy wooden door. With a deep breath, Lana knocked firmly, and after a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Ethan seated behind his desk and the pack doctor, Brian, with him. "Come in," Ethan said calmly. "I am happy to see that we didn't have casualties." "Thanks to Lana. She was right about those traps," Deanna said as she entered the room, followed by Janet and Lana. "We have a report on the base we found." "Go on," Ethan prompted. "What did you find out?" "Not much. The base was pretty much destroyed," Deanna answered. "What do you mean?" Ethan asked. "It's not just us that have a problem with th
The moon cast an eerie glow on the ground as Deanna, Janet, Lana, and a few warriors made their way through the dense forest. The air was thick with tension, and Lana led them with quiet determination. Sweat beaded on her brow, but she focused on the task at hand. "Remember," she whispered to the others, "the closer we get to the hunters' base, the more traps there'll be. Stay alert." An impatient warrior, his face contorted in frustration, grumbled under his breath. He'd grown tired of following Lana's slow pace, and he decided to speed forward. Lana's hazel eyes flashed a warning, and she called out to him. "Don't! You don't know where the traps are." But her words fell on deaf ears. Just as the warrior was about to step into a well-hidden pit filled with sharp spikes, Lana lunged at him, pushing him aside. In doing so, her arm grazed one of the silver-tipped spikes, and she winced, silver oozing from the wound. "Idiot!" Lana hissed as she clutched her injured arm. "You could
Milo frowned, confusion etched on his features. "How is that possible? You don't smell like a human anymore." "Long story," Kasia replied, glancing away from him and out the window at the blurred city lights. She felt exposed and vulnerable under his scrutiny. "Hey, I've got time," Milo said, leaning back in his seat with a casual air. He studied Kasia intently for a moment before asking, "Where are you headed?" Lily chimed in, her voice soft and hesitant. "We were going to grab dinner. You're welcome to join us if you'd like." Kasia shook her head, dismissing the suggestion. "That would compromise your cover, Milo. We can't risk it." "About that," Milo began with a smirk. He reached up and removed his contacts, revealing striking gold eyes that burned with intensity. Next, he pulled off his blond wig, displaying his true hair color—black, cropped short, and messy. Kasia blinked in surprise at the transformation. Finally, Milo took a cloth and wiped his face clean of make
"Come on, let's try this store," Lily suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she pulled Kasia into a boutique overflowing with colorful garments. Kasia couldn't help but smile as she browsed the racks, selecting pieces she'd never dreamed of wearing before. The normalcy of the moment brought a sense of comfort, something that had been sorely lacking in her life since her parents' deaths. "I've never really had the chance to do normal things like this, you know?" Kasia confided in Lily as they sat down on a plush bench, laden with clothes to try on. "Ever since my parents died, it's just been... surviving, and then I joined them, but I still felt like I was struggling. I don't know why I am talking about this now." Lily's face softened, her gaze full of understanding. "I'm so sorry, Kasia. What happened to your parents?" Kasia took a deep breath, feeling the familiar ache in her chest. "We were foragers, living off the land. One day, Lana and I went out to gather sup