“Shaylin, I would like to introduce you to Alpha Ivan and Luna Renee Thunderridge of the Nightblade pack,” Corin said when Shaylin reached the last step as she descended down to the ballroom, as gracefully as she could. Just as she was about to step down on the safe ground, her heel got caught in the loose thread of the woven carpet that adorned the staircase. Out of all fucking time in the world, it took the very moment she started stumbling forward to finally lock eyes with the one she was looking for; the same one who was at her side in an unnatural speed to steady her flustered self before she fell, and the same one who breathed out incredulously the very last thing she would expect to hear from a werewolf directed at her. “Mate…”, that gorgeous stranger said. Damian caught Shay in the very last moment before it got really awkward for her. His left hand gently welcomed her skin just under her exposed right collarbone, and his right arm around her backside support
“This is obviously a mistake, it has to be!” Theodore breathed out, trying to control his surfacing anger. “My kind does not intertwine with lower species in this way, and even if we did, you cannot surely expect my granddaughter to leave the coven only to join some werewolf pack!! By our laws and considering her position and lineage, a male, if the latter is not a part of our coven, would have to join her here,” Theodore delivered a low blow, not quite choosing his words that drew a warning growl out of almost every member of the werewolf delegation, ready to feed him his own tongue. Only Ivan and Damian, both turning toward the rude intrusion, remained silent watching Theodore’s every move under their eyebrows, like two wolves stalking their prey. One would get very worried seeing two walking mountains looking at them like that, but Theodore really believed himself to be above all other species. Puffing his chest up to cover his initial outbreak and remaining seemingly unbothered w
Not expecting that to be his first question, Shaylin stuttered out of surprise: “W-what?” “Elder Harkenfield called you a Desiderium a few minutes ago,” he explained but then his eyes suddenly became larger than two saucers: “Oh my Goddess, I am so sorry. Was that a rude thing to ask?” It took Shaylin a second to regroup her thoughts that turned to mush ever since she first locked eyes with this handsome stranger, but when she finally realised what he was asking she laughed wholeheartedly, making Damian’s heart and wolf inside his mind swell with joy to call this divine woman their own. A silent oath had been made in Damian’s and Isyr’s shared mind at that very moment, that they would live the rest of their lives doing everything in their power to make her laugh like that every day, whole day. Even if it was her laughing at them, or her laughing with them, this had suddenly become a new reason to live. Still cackling slightly, Shaylin explained: “No! No, for he
Shaylin spun around at the warning and saw Renee raising her hand in an attempt to slap her. With an ease she deflected the Luna's incoming blow and in return slapped her across the face, making Renee perform an admirable pirouette even a prima ballerina would not take shame on, falling on all four with a loud thud; a few strands of her hair getting loose and fall over her face from the low chignon she chose for the occasion. If the slap itself was not enough to make the Luna go even more mad with fury, disrupting her carefully chosen and meticulously implemented look for the evening would surely do it; that is just how shallow Renee was. A menacing growl echoed through the ballroom, making everyone’s jaw drop while staring at the scene in front of them - unsure whether to run and hide or stretch their necks even further for a better view. Ivan, now visibly fuming, stomped over from where he stood with his warriors flanking him, ready to deliver justice for his wronged Luna.“What is
When Shaylin realised she won’t get out of her predicament by staying pertinacious in her resolve not to apologise, a Tug of war game came to mind; the best way to defeat the opposing team is to let them believe they have already won. Hauling the rope with almost everything you got, almost, makes the opponents raise the stakes and pull even harder, but when they do...releasing the rope in just the right moment will send the opponents tumbling down like bowling pins, letting you drag them into their demise like squirming maggots through the mud.“Fine.” Shay did her best to dismiss Theodore, raising both hands in a fake surrender and almost enjoying the mistaken glee that ignited Theo’s face. His white hair with only a few remnant strands of black that stood there as a spiteful reminder of time flying by with no intention to ever back-track, and his white flawlessly trimmed beard, made him look almost docile. He was your typical polished gentleman in his early eighties, although to anyo
Shay wanted to turn back and tell that arrogant bastard where to shove it, but Damian beat her to it. Not being able to hold back any longer, he smashed Noah against one of the arbored walls, tree roots digging under Noah’s shoulder blades in a very unpleasant way. Getting into Noah’s face, Damian gritted out his warning, barely containing himself not to bite into this insolent idiot’s jugular and feed those trees a more potent elixir than water.“Back off, Noah. Back off now, before you regret coming here tonight in the first place. If you even look at my mate one more time…one more word from you directed at her, and I will let Isyr finish what those rogues started a year ago, so help me Goddess. I do not know what came over you tonight, but keep going at it, and I promise I will hurt you so bad that not even your werewolf healing will be able to kick in for weeks, and I will strip you of your title right after that. So tell me…will you try your luck with me some more tonight?” Damia
“Look Shaylin,” Damian sighed and Shaylin’s heart instantly sank to the pits of deepest despair assuming he was going to reject her…why else would he start with “look, Shaylin”, right? But one word in particular caught her attention as he continued talking. “I’m not going to lie…my position as head warrior and training the pack members were two of the most important things to me…stuff that kept me going each day without finding my mate for so long. My home, my friends and my entire way of life in that pack was what mattered most as I had nothing more dear than that to give myself to.”Shaylin, who had been listening to Damian as they swayed on the dance floor, suddenly froze on the spot. “Wait…what do you mean by ‘were’?” Shaylin asked him.“That is exactly what I mean. They were…but now you are.” Damian whispered gently, raising her chin with his hand to look at him. He wanted her to look him in the eyes and both see and feel the emotions behind his words as well as the entire worl
She couldn’t believe she was doing this with all those people just there, in the ballroom down a flight of stairs. Ever since she laid eyes on him, the only thing she could think about was feeling those plump lips against her own. When they danced, her body was pressing into him of its own accord, not really asking permission or bothering itself with who would notice; and she did not mind that at all. Without doing much besides looking at her like that, he made her feel wanted like she had not felt in a long time.The sensations that ran up the length of her body were driving her crazy. He was everywhere at the same time; his lips kissing her just below her jawline, his right hand playing with her already eager breasts, his left hand on her lower back pressing her into him. He kept attacking her body like a madman, never lingering too much on the same spot, spreading the flames over her skin like fire spreading through a dry savanna, advancing slowly but mercilessly to wherever it coul
Shaylin did not waste time in responding to the urgency of his kiss as despair mixed with longing so vast clawed at her soul and set the fire ablaze in the pit of her belly, all at the same time, and she kissed him back with the same fervour he surrendered to her with.They were both out of breath in the matter of seconds, and Damian broke off first, smiling as he leaned against her forehead. He had to think of blood splattered across one of his training arenas, anything horrible enough, to calm down the growing beast in his pants. Even Isyr seemed to momentarily forget their quarrel as all of a sudden he was standing in full attention in their shared mind, begging him to continue. But as much as Damian would have liked to ravish his mate on the hood of her car right then and there, he wanted their first time to be special. He was a gentleman like that, and he was gonna make their first time something to remember if he can help it, even if it earned him blue balls before it happened.
Playfully snatching the keys from Shaylin before she could take back her offer, Damian jumped in the Mustang surprisingly fast given it resembled trying to fit a full grown bear in a cartwheel. Wearing a huge boyish grin on his face, Damian put the keys into the ignition and the car quickly hummed in appreciation, as if answering Damian’s command. This car was a dream car for him but until this moment he had no need for something that could carry more than himself and his paws were perfectly capable to take him anywhere he needed to go; it’s not like he ventured out of the boundaries of Nightblade pack’s territory much anyway. Putting the car in drive he slowly made his way away from the pack house. Damian urged himself not to check the rearview mirror as if he was driving away from something he will never go back to; this was not a goodbye, Damian promised himself. This was ‘so long’. Listening to the purr of the engine was almost therapeutic and he wished the times were diff
“And you think Ivan would believe you, Hendric?” Renee found her voice and scoffed. “You actually think he would believe you, of all people, a brother of the one person he hates probably as much as I do just because she hit his precious mate?” The evil glare returned to Renee’s face expression, and she tilted her head with an amused smile. Drawing her index along Hendrics exposed collarbone, deliciously framed with toned pectorals, she made a tsk-tsk sound and threw her head back in a bone-chilling laughter.“I did not know you were capable of such humour Hendric…Don’t you get it by now? Ivan does whatever I want him to do, no questions asked; I just need to whimper and present him with my best doe-eyed look, and he is good to go. There is no way in hell he would ever believe I was unfaithful to him, you know, least of all with you. But,” her face suddenly darkened, “that brings me to your whore sister,” Renee gritted through her teeth as her laughter turned into a growl. “What is yo
Hendric’s POVA steady, deep-throated rumble of Hendric’s Harley “Elle”, as he named it, on the ride back to Fairglen, the Amber Coven’s village and sanctuary, was nothing but a white noise in his ears; he did not enjoy that low purring of hers this time. To Hendric it seemed as if the world had stopped spinning for a while or he himself was the one stuck in some kind of limbo, a living mire of guilt that suddenly enveloped him and began to mercilessly drag him down, so much that he felt dizzy. He rode his metal pet in body, but his mind was entirely elsewhere.Hendric drove off right after shaking hands with Damian, not wanting to risk either him or Shay getting even more awkward with thank you’s for him offering Damian hospitality and safety within their village until all the mess is sorted out. His offer surprised even himself, but thinking about it as he rode home like hell itself was after him, how could he not offer it? Realising that all these past years he was pushing away th
Hendric’s POVHendric’s brown leather boots connected with the gravel covering the driveway leading to the packhouse right at the exact same moment when his Harley fell silent with a deep grumble, leaving only the sound of wind rustling the leaves in the last rays of sunlight before the dusk took over the skies. Not even the birds chirped in the canopies of the trees, and Hendric deemed it strange.Taking down his helmet, once again he could not stop the snicker of disapproval that spread across his face as he took in the modern pack house villa and the parking area in front of it. To say it was the state of art would be understatement. By now he knew Renee enough to know that all the high-end details on the pack house were most probably carefully chosen by none other than herself, probably by the only criterion she deemed worthy: the most expensive choice was always the right choice. The enviable vehicle fleet in the driveway on the other hand, was Ivan’s pride and joy.Renee had a g
Shaylin’s POV Shaylin looked at Damian who stood there motionless, looking into the direction where Ivan and Renee left, entirely still and quiet. “Wait, Hendric. I will wait for him outside to get his things. I can’t stand being here for a second longer…just give me a sec and then let’s go.” “Damian?” Shaylin called to her hiraeth, but it seemed he was lost in thought as there was no reaction. She tried again as she gently placed her hand onto his arm, “Damian?” “Yes, sorry,” he immediately turned around, and took her hands into his, “I was…I don’t know what I was doing. Did you say something?” Damian said, swallowing hard, looking into their intertwined fingers like they were the only threads of life force keeping him attached to his sanity right now. For a wolf to lose his pack, to be cast out just like that…it could be mind shattering; for some of lower rank, even lethal. “You need to get your things, Damian. I will wait for you outside. Is that ok? Or do you need me t
Cain’s POVCain looked at the audience around the foyer and he didn’t like it in the slightest.“Everyone who is not of the Gamma rank or above, please leave. Also no one is to mention anything to anyone until we have had the opportunity to speak to Charlotte’s family. They have surely felt the bond with her break, but they do not know the details…much like no one here knows exactly what happened and how, and until we have the opportunity to determine all the facts, you will all return to your homes or to your assignments, and grieve the loss of our packmember in privacy as you see fit. Everyone will be notified of the hour of the parting ceremony via mindlink. Now go.”Cain watched as everyone rushed to obey his command as some pulled back to their own rooms in the packhouse and others set to get out of the entryway; some made effort to say goodbye to Damian and some barred their necks to their Alpha and Luna, pretending Damian is not even there. Suddenly Cain’s mind acknowledged the
Neoma’s POV“Ivan, what have you done?!!” Cain’s equal parts bewildered and enraged voice broke the dangerous silence, one that you can feel crawling through your insides; it came almost as a relief to hear anybody speak at that point. Everyone else seemed like they lost their voices and were entirely thrown off their feet, unsure of what to do or how to even react; Ivan was the Alpha everyone respected, but Damian was loved by all and was such a vital part of the pack.“Do you question your Alpha, Beta Cain?!!” Ivan turned on his blood and his subordinate, concentrating all the blind rage he felt into his words, poisoning them. “This traitor,” he spat the word and pointed his finger at Damian, not even looking at him as he continued, “has chosen where his loyalty lies and it’s not with the loving pack that gave him family and meaning to his miserable life. If you do not agree, Beta, you have three options: challenge me and take the pack, leave alongside with him or shut the fuck up.
“WHO DARED LAYING A HAND ON MY MATE?!” Damian roared as he came barging in through the front door and rushed up the stairs. Grabbing the man nearest to Shaylin around the throat and squeezing with all the eagerness of a wounded beast, he made the guy turn blue within seconds.“Damian, stand down, now! My men were following orders given directly by me.”“And your orders were for them to hurt my mate?! Have you lost your f*cking mind?! You have some serious explaining to do, Ivan!” Damian was seconds away from losing it, his grip tightening around the man's throat whose face now reached a shade of greyish blue. Damian’s strong hands held Butterfinger’s neck like claws threatening to pierce his neck right then and there, thick black fur starting to rise from his skin.“Put him down, Damian! That is an order!!” Ivan was by his head warrior in a matter of seconds, snarling straight into his face. “Look around, if you will. Your mate stands accused of killing poor Charlotte here.”Damian lo