Two IVs were attached to my arm. I glanced up at the bags. One looked to be some basic hydration solution, while the other had a dark purple color—likely some healing potion a fae had cooked up. Careful not to hurt myself, I tugged both tubes out of my arm. I hated seeing those things protruding from me. I could only imagine how I looked with tubes and wires covering my sweaty body as I moaned in my sleep. I despised looking weak. Feeling better than I had since taking that sip of wine, I decided it would be fine to try to look more like myself.
Easing up onto the pillows behind me, I glanced around at the familiar surroundings. I was at my family’s home. Outside the window, the massive forest of the Eastern Wilds stretched beyond my father’s property. The Eleventh Pack’s land wasn’t huge like some of the other packs’, but it was still beautiful. I was glad I was here rather than at a hospital or operative clinic.
A few bottles of water stood on the nightstand next to my bed. Greedily, I snatched one. The room-temperature water was a heavenly elixir sliding down my parched throat. The IV had kept me from dying of dehydration, but nothing was better than a drink of water when you were thirsty.
After drinking my fill, I realized I wasn’t entirely back to normal yet. The healers had fixed me fairly rapidly, and all the painful need from being forced into heat had vanished. My vagina had actually ached to be filled, and not in a good way. The residual effects were still in my body, though. An insistent desire still pulsed through me, and wetness pooled between my legs.
Maybe if I got myself off, the orgasm would flush the rest of the stuff from my system. Gods, I could barely think with the lust coiled in my belly. I’d need to be in full control of my body if I were to face the meetings, inquiries, maybe even reprimands that were par for the course after a failed operation.
I slid a hand under the covers, then under the waistband of my panties. A breath shuddered past me as my fingers slipped across the wet folds of my pussy. Glancing at the door to make sure no one was coming in, I closed my eyes and slid the tip of my middle finger across my clit.
Unbidden, a memory flooded my mind of Wyatt cradling my body. The scent of him, the taste of his skin, the rippling muscles of his body underneath my caresses. I was dripping wet at the mere thought. As I slid a finger inside myself, a moan escaped my lips. The sound of Wyatt’s voice, deep and sexy as he’d been trying to calm me down, sent me into a frenzy. My hand worked furiously between my legs as a thousand fantasies played out in my mind.
I imagined us in that parking lot, but instead of waiting for help, Wyatt gave in to my begging. Gave me what I was desperate to have. A second finger slipped into my pussy as I thought of him ripping my dress open, my breasts free and aching for the touch of his hands and lips. He would slip his tongue over my nipples as I feverishly tugged at his zipper until his thick cock was finally in my hands.
It was wrong—no, it was beyond wrong—to think about this, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. The drug or potion that lion shifter had given me was still messing with my head, and all I could do was ride it out.
I rubbed at my clit with my free hand as the other continued to work in and out of me. My breaths left me in short, shallow gasps. The next image that flashed through my mind was Wyatt’s hard and defined muscles coated in a sheen of sweat, strong hands clutching my hips as he fucked me. His cock slipped deep into me, all the way to his balls, and it was like I was complete. Whole. After twenty-three years of life, this moment was the most intense I’d ever had. The sensation of Wyatt filling me should have been awful to imagine. Instead, I released a contented sigh and thought about how good it would feel to reach up and play with my nipples while he took me.
For a few brief seconds, I wished it wasn’t a fantasy. If imagining it made me feel this way, what would the real thing be like?
Before I could dive into that thought, a violent tremor shot through me. An explosion of rapture was building deep inside me, like I was being lifted high into the air, rising and preparing to crash down into ecstasy.
In my fantasy, Wyatt started fucking me faster, almost like his life depended on making me come. Sweat dripped from his brow onto my stomach, and I slid my fingers through it before cupping my breasts.
Then, like a bomb going off in my mind and body, pleasure surged from my pelvis, up my chest, and across my whole body. I kept pressing my fingers into myself, riding the wave. For a moment, I thought it would never end, but then it tapered and ebbed, leaving me a gasping and shivering puddle on my bed.
There was one last image of Wyatt, groaning and slamming his hips into me as his own orgasm struck. Smiling, I watched it in my mind’s eye. The smile faded as quickly as it had come. My eyes snapped open, and I looked around, an immense and immediate guilt tinged with disgusted horror descending on me.
Sitting up, I took a deep breath and shivered. My skin crawled from my fantasy of the person who was my biggest nemesis, the one man who always managed to get under my skin.
He did more than get under my skin a moment before, I thought, then winced at my lame joke.
The worst part was that Wyatt was an inherently gorgeous man. Any other woman would be drooling and tripping over herself to get him to so much as look at her. That was not something I could ever imagine myself doing. We had too much history, too much baggage. No. I needed to forget I’d ever slipped and had those thoughts.
I blamed the drug. It had messed with my head and forced me into heat. If a fat, tottering old man with one leg and fungus on his face had found me instead of Wyatt, I’d have been all over him as well. It had nothing to do with Wyatt himself. That made sense, and it’s what I told myself. What I repeated over and over, swearing I’d never have another unholy thought about Wyatt until the day I died.Once I was mostly under control, I checked my nightstand and found my phone plugged in and ready. When I checked the home screen, I had to blink and double-check, then triple-check the date. I’d been out for three days? Holy shit. If that was true, then my mating ceremony was the next day.I sagged back onto my pillows. Jayson and I had finally picked a date a few weeks before, but it might have been postponed due to my accident. I had a very faint memory of him being at the parking lot where Wyatt had found me. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember if that had been real or part of some fe
I could cut the tension in the air with a knife, but I couldn’t stop myself. I hated relying on anyone or asking for help. The fact that Wyatt, of all people, had found me and called for help stuck in my craw and made it impossible for me not to try knocking him down a notch or two. My anger wasn’t even directed at him, really, but at myself for having fantasized about him.Kolton rolled his eyes. “I took Wyatt on a run, then came by to check on you. Chill the hell out.”“On a run?” I asked. “Now unofficial pack members go on runs?”“Oh, stop. Both of you,” Dad said. “Can’t we all just be happy that Kira is okay?”“Right,” Kolton said. “I mean, shouldn’t you simply be happy that Wyatt saved your life?”I scoffed at him. “Zoe saved my life, not Wyatt.”“Uh, well…” Zoe cleared her throat. “I wouldn’t have really known anything was wrong if Wyatt hadn’t called Jayson. Then Jayson called me a few seconds later and demanded I get him there fast. You would have bled out and died. So, um, Wy
The unrest between the packs did not inspire confidence. Dad was right when he said there was no way the Eleventh Pack could defend against a full attack by something like the Fourth or Fifth packs, or gods forbid, the First Pack. That thought sent a shiver of fear through me. I would do whatever was necessary to make sure we were strong enough to fend off an attack.“Kira, sweetie, do you want to go practice on your hair and makeup for tomorrow?” Mom asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.“Yeah,” Zoe said with a smile. “I’ve got some ideas. When I’m done with you, Jayson will want to rip your clothes off.”Dad grimaced and walked away. “My cue to leave,” he said over his shoulder.“Sure,” I said. “Let’s give it a shot.”I followed my mother and Zoe back into my room. I wasn’t excited about the mating ceremony at all. Jayson was fine, but not who I’d have chosen for myself—not by a long shot. All I could do was put the worry out of my mind and let Mom and Zoe fuss over me. Tomorrow wou
His parents, however, were adamant that he needed to finish his education in the Eastern Wilds and stay close to home. They wanted him ready and willing to take over as pack alpha. I thought that was dumb. Kolton and Kira had no autonomy to do as they liked. Their parents were treating them like little kids.Kolton slapped his book closed and rubbed his eyes. “Okay, I need a break. I’m going to go cross-eyed if I study anymore. Want a snack or something?”I stood and stretched. “Yeah. Then I need to check on some stuff with some of my guys. I’ve been here for days. I should make sure they’re good.”I was a lone wolf, but over the years, I’d grouped up with a small group of guys. We were all the same—guys who’d lost their packs in some way and were now on their own. I was the de facto leader of the group, but Kolton’s parents had taken us in a long time ago. Back in the day, that had been a minor scandal, but we’d done our best to prove we were worth it. Most shifters looked down on lo
Zoe held up a hand to stop Kolton. “Now I will admit, if you think too long about some of the stuff that happens, it is awful. I mean…I don’t like watching people die, but they all signed up for it, and it’s more of a cultural thing. In the past, wolf shifters went through similar trials to find their mate, and lots of them died. It’s part of why you all do the blood test thing now. It’s a show, and that’s that. Watch it or don’t. I, on the other hand, love the drama. It’s sort of romantic. A bunch of rejected alphas competing to win the heart of a rejected female. The whole thing where the Moon Goddess comes and blesses their new union at the end.” Zoe sighed and smiled, her eyes glassy. “It’s dreamy. And honestly, if I knew I was going to find a lifelong partner, I’d think long and hard about taking part in the dangerous missions and tasks they go through. It’s exciting to watch.”Kolton laughed and shook his head. “Okay. You do you. I’m gonna grab something to eat.”He was gone bef
Nervously, I smoothed my dress for the hundredth time. The color was a deep crimson, almost the color of blood. Zoe had picked it out for me. It was the second dress she’d chosen. The first had been a bright white dress with lots of tulle and satin. I’d gaped at it in horror. It took nearly an hour to explain to her that white dresses were only worn at human and fae weddings. Shifters—wolves at least—never wore white for weddings. There was no reason behind it; it was simply tradition. Red, violet, and other dark colors were used for these ceremonies. I’d never seen Zoe as confused as when I’d explained that to her.Honestly, I understood where she was coming from. The entire thing was confusing even to me. Official mating ceremonies weren’t necessary per se. It was a show, a public display of what was supposed to have already taken place in the heart. Fated mates were so intrinsic and sacred that the Moon Goddess Heline herself sanctioned them. The only thing Jayson and I had to do t
He’d drugged my wine as seamlessly as a human magician made a coin vanish.I gritted my teeth and forced myself to focus on what was important: my ceremony. When I looked at Jayson, I almost faltered. He didn’t have the customary runes and symbols painted on his face. I kept walking but wondered why. Maybe the Ninth Pack wasn’t as traditional as others. Still, he was dressed in some of the nicest clothes I’d ever seen, and as I approached, he stepped forward to face me. My worries quickly faded.We stood facing each other for several awkward seconds. Traditionally, the male mate spoke first, but Jayson was looking around, almost as if he was uncomfortable. Had I ever attended a Ninth Pack mating ceremony? Did they do things differently? Maybe.Inwardly rolling my eyes, I decided to take the reins and get things started. I was sure the goddess would overlook such a small change to protocol.Pulling my shoulders back and lifting my chin, I began. “I, Kira Lana Durst, bring myself to bes
Steadying my legs, I lunged forward, grabbing Jayson’s sleeve and tugging him around, making him look at me.“Jayson? Please, we can fix this. Don’t do this. It wasn’t my fault. Please.” The last word came out like a pitiful whine. I was ashamed of the way I was begging, but I couldn’t stop myself.Jayson’s lip curled up in disgust. “Don’t touch me, you filthy whore.”He yanked his hand from my grip and vanished into the forest. His words slammed into me. All I’d ever tried to do was bring pride to my family and pack. Being rejected like this, in public, was almost more than I could take. Some of my packmates were still shouting at the Ninth Pack, but everyone was moving away into the surrounding woods. I was left in the clearing, disgraced and on my knees. Humiliation cascaded over me, followed by shame, horror, and a sick feeling swelling within me.A pair of eyes caught my attention. Striking green and incredibly intense. Wyatt. Pity and hurt radiated from his gaze. Pity for me.It