I love playing around with Mila’s internal conflict with the one she loves and the one she is bonded with. With that being said, next chapter is steamy so skip if that’s not what you’re about.
MILA**Sexual Intimacy Ahead**What the fuck Rayne? It was more like an impulse than a reaction, and the fact that I pushed him that far away surprised me. I spent half the time being present in the now and keeping Rayne from replaying memories of Tyler in my head that I was sure it was all her. I got no response from Rayne but I felt her irritation. Laughter took my attention as I looked over the edge of the bed to see Gabe smiling up at me.“Gabe, I’m so sorry,” I said, helping him back to the bed. “I don’t know why I did that. You kissed my neck… I don’t know… there was a shock and…”Gabe gently grabbed my hands. “Hey, it’s okay. Maybe I was going a bit too fast, yeah?”He wasn’t about being too fast. Actually it wasn’t fast enough. My body felt like it was burning with desire, so I needed–no–wanted him. Mate, Rayne said repeatedly in my head. I grabbed my hair in frustration, trying to silence her. Gabe touched my arm, bringing my focus back to him.“Mila, are you okay?” Gabe as
ARI“That fucking low-class bitch!” I seethed, trying to hold on to my composure as I replayed the hallway showdown between Luna Emily, Mila, Gabe and Tyler in my mind. Seeing Gabe, my mate, protect Mila was a travesty. I had to cover my mouth to keep from growling out loud. Serena was just as pissed, but there was nothing we could do right now. I had to find a way to get rid of Mila for good. Gabe would completely see me with her out of the way, and he was mine. Hell, I was feeling selfish; I wouldn’t mind having Tyler too.For now, I had to watch Gabe hovering around Mila like a moth to a flame. I wondered if he knew how painful it was to watch him with her. To feel pain whenever he touched her in an intimate way. I knew the moment they were together I was in the worst pain. It felt like there were knives twisting in my heart. Even the thought of it had me subconsciously touching the mark on my neck.The only thing keeping me from going insane were the inhibitor pills I had stolen fr
TYLERI stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the green and gold ceremonial attire that has been passed down generations. The Alpha markings on the sleeves represented our pack’s heritage. The Alpha’s Ceremony came faster than I thought, and I could only think of what Ari told me. I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty for her. She was my brother’s mate but he wanted Mila, who was intended for me but all I could think of was Mila. Rejecting Mila had been the hardest thing I’d ever done. Just thinking about the pain I woke up to the day after gave me chills. Yet, the bond between us refused to let go, making it impossible to stay away from her too long. Seeing her with Gabe was like a punch to the stomach every time. Now knowing Ari felt the same thing, I knew she had her sights on making things worse for Mila.When Ari brought up Mila being my mate, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Of course, she would figure it out, but now I was wondering who else could see it. If my mom found out,
ARII stood in front of the full-length mirror while my makeup artist put on the finishing touches. Yesterday was a celebration for Tyler finally becoming the Alpha. The ceremony was huge and, quite frankly, very boring and formal. Luna Emily suggested a party just for the “young folks” today. I couldn’t wait to get away from my parents and actually have a good time. “Now, make sure a lot of your friends see what you’re wearing,” my stepmom said, moving around me. “The more exposure for your brand, the more exposure…“...for my father’s line,” I finished for her, rolling my eyes. “Your line,” she corrected, her voice dripping with forced sweetness. Bullshit. My father always used me to promote his brand, disguising it as mine. I heard the music blasting from the party outside and I was ready to go.“Come on, Francesca. I know the deal. I can sell this in my sleep.”My stepmom floated around me, making sure everything was in place, while I noticed Amber sulking in the corner. Jealousy
MILAIt was amazing how people were crammed into this house. I figured it would be like this after witnessing a parade of fancy cars dropping people off. I could barely get through the halls without bumping into someone. Halfway through the night, I felt eyes on me, heard whispers and saw people pointing at me. My stomach twisted with unease until I caught a scent of him. Tyler. Rayne moved through me every time I felt him near. She kept urging me to find him to be near his presence, but I had other plans. I pulled out my phone and sent Gabe another text, wishing he was here.Gabe: Getting the ole “responsibility of a Beta” talk. I’d rather be with you.I sighed, longing for his presence to drown out the judgemental stares from everyone at the party.Mila: At least you get to travel. How’s the White Fangs Pack? Any cute boys looking for a mate?Gabe: As a matter of fact, there’s one and he can’t stop thinking of you. Mila: Oh really? Well tell him I’m taken, but he can be my second
MILA“Jenna…” I stammered, my voice trailing off in confusion.What the hell was she saying? Was that even possible? My heart pounded as the noise from outside briefly drew our attention. Jenna pulled something out of her purse and handed it to me. It was a torn picture of my mom holding a man’s hand. She didn’t look happy but I could clearly see a wedding ring on her finger–different from the one I wore around my neck. I examined it and noticed the year written on the back.“I found this picture in my mom’s things when she used to work at the Mora’s residence,” Jenna said with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “I don’t know why it was there, but if you asked me, that seems pretty weird, right?”Fuck yeah, it did, but what could we do about it? It was just a picture dated a year before I was born. Not something that said my parents were actually murdered. The official story was that they died in an electrical fire on a boat, a fire so bad that nothing was salvageable.“Jenna, it’s ju
TYLERAri was the most conniving, manipulative person I knew, and I loved it. I’ve never known someone who could always find a way to get people to do what she wanted. Her ability to twist situations to her will was mesmerizing. The moment I saw Mila walking over, I knew this was what Ari was planning for. A part of me just hoped it wasn’t crazy. “You’ve been working so hard,” Ari said, placing her hands on Mila’s shoulders, while glancing at me. The mischievous look on her eyes was a clear signal of her intentions. “So, how about you take a break and play a game with us?”“What kind of game?” Mila asked, her gaze drifting from Ari’s to me, uncertainty plain on her face.Declan perked his ass up like he won a prize or something. Simping mutt. Not that I was any better. Even after rejecting her and taking it back, the bond between us felt even stronger. She was only inches away, and I sat there spellbound by the way her lips moved when she spoke, wishing I could capture her words with
TYLER Mila laughed nervously. “Maybe we could play the version with Truth instead? I can start–” “Dare or drink?” Ari asked again, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her hands under her chin. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, clearly relishing the moment. “I think she’s had enough to drink,” I felt myself say, trying to defuse the situation. Mila looked so uncomfortable, and Declan was pacing inside my head. “Come on, now, Tyler,” Ari said, standing up and facing me. “The girl joined the game just like everyone else. It’s time for her to play by the rules.” “It’s no fun when the girl is sloppy drunk,” I argued. “And she’s about as sloppy as a girl can get.” I didn’t expect people to laugh at something as stupid as that statement, but they did, and Mila looked even more embarrassed than before. I was making things worse. “You’re fucking this up,” Declan grumbled. “Just shut up. I know,” I said back. “That’s okay,” Ari said, picking up the empty tray. “We’re out of
MILAI stared at the elegant gold printed acrylic invitation with a velvet black pocket adorned with a circular crest and thought how tacky. I walked towards the entrance where VIP guests stopped on the makeshift red carpet, cameras flashing. I bypassed it all, wanting to get this day over with. I had one goal and that was to get Amira back on my team. Deveaux fancied her and he loved her and I used it, I would be one step closer to being better than Arianna.I walked over to the bouncer when I noticed Randall and Leo having a very tense conversation.“Come on, Randall, just this once,” Leo said, gesturing towards the entrance. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I deserve to be in there.”Randall scoffed, adjusting the cufflinks of his designer jacket. “Deserve? You don’t get it, do you? That place isn’t for people like you. You don’t walk into a room like that unless you belong there–and you, Leo, don’t.”Leo gritted his teeth. “I’ve worked for this. I’ve done the dirty jobs, handle
GABEEarlier that dayI had finally caught up with Frederick, tracking his movement any time he got close to my pack. I needed to find him for Mila. Figure out why he thought she was dead and why he would run away.Hopefully, I could convince him to come back to the packhouse to clean up. Then I can arrange a meeting with Mila. Honestly, I just wanted to see her again. Anytime I had business at the Aliz building, which wasn’t a lot, I would catch glimpses of her and her scent would torment me. A torment I deserved no doubt. But maybe this could happen.I had just stepped inside a roadside diner not too far from the pack’s borderline, when I spotted them. Frederick was sitting in a booth, talking with my mother. In daylight he looked vastly different. His dark curly hair was littered with streaks of silver, his brown eyes–so much like Mila’s–were dull and distant. My mother stopped talking the moment she saw me and almost shot out of her seat.“Gabriel, what are you–what are you doing
MILAI leaned back in my chair, tapping a pen against my chin as I studied the sketches laid out before me. The designs were flawless, innovative–exactly what will impress Deveaux. Yet, none of it would matter if I didn’t have the right model to bring them to life. Good thing, I had the perfect person.“We have a problem.” Camila rushed into the room, tapping away on her tablet.“You say that like it’s something new.”Camila laid the tablet in front of me. The screen cycled through different news outlets of my past work with many models.“Why are you showing me pictures of my past work?”“Because of this, Amira backed out and now.”Camila tapped the screen and pictures of Amira and Arianna popped up everywhere. She was working with Arianna now.I dropped the pen onto my desk, looking at Camila. “What?”“The contract we sent failed through.” Camil crossed her arms, a mix of frustration and concern in her eyes. “Word got to her that you once chose Zuri over her a few years back. Amira
ARII could see everyone’s eyes on me. Once Tyler left, Emily moved us to the Alpha’s office. Troy sat in the chair with Emily standing behind him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she looked between us.I sat in one of the chairs as Gabe stood by the door, his jaw set tight, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the window. I knew this moment would come, I was hoping for it. Maybe his parents could talk some sense into him.“Gabriel,” Emily finally broke the silence, her voice carefully controlled but trembling at the edges, “surely this is something we can talk through? Divorce is… drastic. Unnecessary.”My heart pounded in my chest. “Yes,” I added quickly, stepping closer to Gabe. One look from him made me stop. “We can fix this. I can fix this. Gabe, please.”His expression was blank. He didn’t flinch or soften. “No, Arianna. This isn’t something to fix. It’s over. My decision is final.”Final.The word echoed in my mind,
TYLERI played with the egg yolks on my plates, the fork scraping softly against the porcelain. My appetite had long since disappeared, replaced by a gnawing ache in my chest that had nothing to do with hunger. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Mila out of my head. The heat of her skin against mine, the way she compelled me to bid her every command, the way her touch trembled with a desperation neither of us could name–a fire that burned between us but never seemed to satisfy her. I knew it was because of her bond with Gabe. It was always him.Even with me, she was still tethered to him. But if she kept coming to me instead of him, didn’t that mean something? I clung to that shred of hope like a fool, convincing myself that maybe–just maybe–she was waiting for me to prove I was the better choice.Then her words came back, slicing through my fantasy.“If I ever become someone’s Luna… it will be with someone who doesn’t cover up other people’s messes.”My jaw tightened. The mem
MILAThe sweet scent of sweat and sex hung heavy in the air, mixing with the faint, lingering traces of pine and earth drifting through the open window. The warm breeze did nothing to cool the fire raging beneath my skin. If anything, it only stoked it.A muffled sound pulled me back to the moment. I glanced down to see Tyler shifting beneath me, his wrists tugging against the bindings securing him to the chair and the gag in his mouth. Right. I had come here, needing a release. How long have we’ve been at this? I wondered. I straddled him, my skin slick with perspiration, but the fire in my veins refused to die down. My heat clawed at my insides, demanding more. “It won’t stop until he accepts our rejection,” Rayne voiced inside my head, edged with frustration. “You know this.”I bit back a growl. I knew. Goddess, I knew. Fucking Gabe. Even thinking his name made my chest tighten with something that was equal parts anger and longing. My body burned for his touch, for his scent, for
MILAA sharp beep woke me up in the middle of the night. One of the many computers I’ve been watching lit up. The motion detector feed from the cemetery flickered to life. I watched the screen until a scrappy figure moved towards the tombstone. The shape was unmistakable.Him.“Got you.”I geared up before leaving, making sure I had everything to keep my presence concealed. Couldn’t have Zeke or Tom or any of the patrols knowing I was there. Then there was Gabe. I hadn’t seen him since that day. I shook my head. No time to think of him.Moments later, I found myself at the cemetery, moving towards my faux grave. Just as I hope there he was, blending with the shadows before settling on the two graves.Frederick.The man who cradled me as a child. Who once carried me on his shoulders, feeding me cotton candy. The man who mourned a fake daughter as I did a fake father. The necklace around his neck glowed as he placed more flowers on the grave.Flowers for his mate.Flowers for me.The ac
GABEI leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. The shit that happened a few weeks ago burned into my memory as I watched Arianna beat Mirabella senselessly, and Gregory standing there with a cruel smile. My jaw tightened. I had the evidence–proof of their true nature. But what now? Exposing them would definitely bring a fallout, but the thought of protecting Mila outweighed the risks. With a deep breath, I clicked send, forwarding the video to Mila. The ball was in her court now. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. He expected more paperwork, another demand that Gregory had over the transition of the company. With the recent investigation over Alpha Frank’s dealings the board made an unanimous vote to make me the face of the company. Though I knew Gregory needed a safety net to place all his holdings with me and keep the council from seizing it. The door opened and Laura walked in. Her eyes scanned the room before settling on me with a knowing look.“Laura,
TYLERI swear I could feel the coldness from Arianna’s stare from the other side of the room. She leaned into Randall, whispering something before casting another glance my way. A knot in my stomach. Were they plotting something against Mila? I needed to stop them before they had a chance.“Right, Tyler?”Mila’s voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked, realizing I had completely turned out of the conversation. Desperate to cover my distraction, I said the first thing that came to mind.“Of course, anything you say.”Laughter rippled through the press around us, an inside joke I wasn’t in on. I turned to Mila, silently asking for an explanation.“I told them you’d say exactly that if you weren’t listening and that’s how I get my way,” she said with a knowing smile.I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. “Caught me. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”“I bet,” one of the press members said. “I hear you’re in for some serious competition now that your brother is taking over the Mora company