Kit's POV"Still beautiful," I murmured as I tilted my head down to kiss the back of her neck. A ripple of goosebumps pebbled across her back. Her heart was hammering, throbbing hard against my hands as I trailed them down her body to wrap around her waist.All lines of tension and nervousness slackened in her narrow shoulders. But even so, as she leaned back against me, she still said, "You don't have to lie to me."My first instinct was to tell her I wasn't lying. Sera was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. When she stepped away from me, slowly ridding herself of clothing on the way to the bedroom, I was in awe of her. I looked her up and down, fingers aching to feel that warm supple skin.I devoured the curve of her waist, the dimples around her hips, the softness of her stomach, and the teardrop shape of her breasts. The same body that nourished her daughter.The body that housed and protected her from harm. I stared at the claw marks along her back, jagged wou
Seraphina's POVA hot rush of euphoria welled inside of me. Coiling my belly. Expanding in my chest. The waves of my orgasm pulled me under, overwhelmed with the sensation of Kit's tongue and fingers playing my body. He knew how to touch me.He knew what my body needed.But even as I came down, I wasn't done. I needed more. I needed to feel him inside of me with a fervent passion. My body hungered for him. I thrashed underneath him as he continued to lick my swollen flesh, watching me with a cocky smugness that only turned up the flames. His fingers left my body and instantly, I ached with the desire to be full again."I-I need more," I panted, my hips bucking against his face as if I didn't just ride his tongue. "More?" he asked playfully, smacking a kiss against my thigh.His mouth felt wonderful. Every single time he kissed me, it didn't matter where, ignited a powerful heat under it. Like his kisses scorched me in the most delicious way. "Yes. More. Unless you
Kit's POVThe sunlight gleamed through the bedroom window, stirring me from a very satisfied sleep. Sera's soft body was wedged between my arms, naked warm skin pressed and plastered against mine. She felt perfect. Nuzzled into my chest, nose puffing hot breath across my neck. Red lovebites and teeth marks were already fading from my skin, but I wanted to wear them forever. The visual of Sera underneath me, squirming and panting about how I belonged to her swam through my head.I wanted her to claim me, choose me, and as I kissed her tangled, golden hair, I knew she had. I felt so fucking happy. A smile forever plastered on my face.My wolf wanted to come out and play last night, waiting for the opportunity for me to let my guard down so he could spring forward and claim her. But I wouldn't let it happen. Even now, he paced under my skin, anxious and irritated, but he'd have to deal.Right now, he can be content with how my scent was all over her. In her hair, along her skin
Seraphina's POV"Hey, Sera, do you mind trying this for me?" Kit asked from the kitchenette, trying his hand at cooking breakfast while I packed our bags for the short trip home. Part of me was already mourning the loss of not waking up to him anymore.It's only been two mornings, but I loved feeling the sun come through the curtains. It would bathe him with golden light, making him look more stunning than he usually did. I'd grown used to the feeling of his skin against mine.Curled up together under the comforter, surrounded by his smell. Earthy and musky and unabatedly Kit, I wished I could bottle it up and take it around to smell him whenever I wanted. It had a calming effect on me. Even when I had a nightmare last night, I woke up, buried my nose in his shoulder and he soothed me right back to sleep. I zipped up the bag and walked over to him, smelling what looked like fried potatoes, but it didn't smell remotely like hash. "Sure," I offered, parting my lip so he could
Seraphina's POVAs Kit and I drove back to the homestead, I still hadn't received my morning messages from Rosie. This was odd—nearly noon. Annie would be awake by now. Rosie would have taken Annika to work with her. I would have gotten a picture of Annie playing in Rosie's herb display.My hands began to tingle, and I had a sinking feeling in my gut.I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. Kit reached over to me, grasping my hand. Usually, his touch soothed me, but not today. I felt on edge. My magic hummed, as anxious as I was."Are you okay?" Kit asked, eyes on the road as we turned onto the dirt road that led to Rosie's extended driveway. My throat began to ache, and my voice was small. "Something is wrong."He could feel it too, his shoulders curling forward, bending his neck toward the road. His nostrils flared as if he was taking in every tiny piece of information he could. "Shit," he growled. "I smell blood.""Drive," my voice dropped. Tendrils of fe
Kit's POVI've never seen so much rage before. Violent.White-hot.Insurmountable rage.Sera stared up at me, mouth curled into a teeth-baring snarl. I could smell her blood dripping from her hand from how hard she struck the pillar. I knew when she calmed down, it would hurt like hell. Her eyes were bloodshot, glaring at me like daggers made of ice. She couldn't leave, not blinded by emotion. That would get Annika hurt. "Get out of my way!" Sera roared, slamming her hands against my chest violently. The force startled me and I stumbled backward, letting her keep walking.I could stop her in her tracks. Throw her over my shoulder and pin her into the earth, but that wouldn't solve this. It wouldn't make her see. She was surrounded by darkness, unseeing, imperceptive to her actions. She was all ice and brimstone. The only things she could feel were wrath and cold. She sidestepped me, running to the car with a vengeance. Her feet hit the ground, kicking up dirt and
TW: Mentions of domestic abuse and traumatic childbirthSeraphina's POVI didn't remember the drive to Kit's apartment. He was silent, breath puffing through his nose. Visibly angry, but trying to keep it under control for me. My gaze never left the kitty stuffy, eyeing the stains, thinking about all the ways to scrub out the blood and make it perfect again for Annie.Annie.Damn it.Tears streamed down my cheeks. Pain shot through my chest. Oh God, so much pain. I'd never imagined it. The only time I'd ever felt like this was when Annika was snatched from my arms moments after she was born.After I'd been in labor, alone in the dark for hours. I screamed, trying to claw out of my skin to get away from the torment, but I couldn't. I was trapped in my flesh, scared I'd die alone. But when I had fought my battle, seen through the war of childbirth, I had my daughter.And she was perfect.Only to have William barge into the room, and take her away from me. Midwives and doc
Kit's POVMonitors beeped. Nurses came in and out, greeting me as they did every morning. I had mornings and Levi had evenings. Neither of us wanted to leave Rosie alone for very long. She healed fast, but even so, Will's men had done a number on her. Beat her within an inch of her life.Her bruises were yellowing, lacerations becoming more shallow. The nurses would hang new bags of saline and nutrients to keep her alive. But Rosie still hadn't woken up since Sera and I found her. According to her doctor, they think she was like that all night. Hours unable to move. Alone.God, it made me sick to my stomach.It had been three weeks and Sera and I were almost out of time. Every morning, I woke up before her and left to go see Rosie. Sera knew where I was, but she never wanted to join me.I think she felt guilty for how she treated Rosie when we found her, strung out on rage, barely able to control her emotions. I knew Rosie wouldn't blame her for that, but Sera carrie
Seraphina's POVKit stepped inside my room, tossing his bag on top of my bed. My eyes gazed over his arms, the broadness of his shoulders. I ached with longing. A bead of heat flared between my thighs. I was hypersensitive to him, feeling his body heat flush through me.I missed him.I missed his arms around me.His mouth pressed against mine.I missed how he felt inside of me.Desire coiled in my belly. We had so much to talk about, but first I needed to have him. Reacquaint myself with his body. I needed to remind him just how badly I burned for him. Wetness gathered between my legs as my eyes raked down his back, the firm muscles bulging through the fabric.Despite how he claimed they didn't feed him on the packlands, he looked so much better than he did the night of the blood moon. Filled back out. Tall and strong, not gaunt at all. Of course, I'm sure that the boost of Alpha power helped.Kit always had power that buzzed beneath his skin, that called to mine, but n
Seraphina's POVWhen I saw Kit's truck pull into Rosie's driveway, I almost didn't believe it was him. We had spent so much time apart, that it felt surreal to see him again in the flesh. We spent weeks pulling on the bond whenever we thought about each other…which was all the time.He'd call me every night to say goodnight to Annika. She'd share with him her growing vocabulary and he told her he loved her. After I put her to bed, we'd talk until the early morning hours. About how Abe slept on Rosie's couch at night and spent the day reconnecting with his wife after years of being apart. How I helped Rosie care for the homestead and I somehow didn't kill any of her plants yet. I would also tell him about how much Annika loved feeding the chickens and would go so far as asking to feed the goats at Reiner Ranch.He never talked much about what was happening on the packlands, but he sounded exhausted. It was like I was his escape from all the complications of bureaucracy and clea
Kit's POVIt was good that Sera hadn't stayed. If the elders were this nasty when she wasn't here, I didn't want to think about how awful they'd be to her if she was. Weeks passed with council meeting after council meeting. They would try to hammer in ideologies that I didn't agree with. Not remotely. Old, outdated ways of thinking that benefited them, but not the pack. Frankly, it went through one ear and out the other. All the same bullshit.And in between those meetings, I had curious wolves who wanted to meet me. See their new Alpha face-to-face. Sniff me out to determine for themselves if I was safe. As was their right. I wasn't going to turn them away. I needed them to trust me. I needed them to understand that I served them, not the other way around. But it would take a lot of work to get to the level of trust we needed.I expected that. Thankfully, I had Xander with me as interim Alpha while all the dust settled. They trusted him. And he was proving to me how des
Seraphina's POVI felt closer to Kit than I ever had. Like a direct line between our minds had been connected. I couldn't get enough of pulling on the bond. Every time I did, Kit beamed at me. I pulled on it when we got out of the shower.When he dressed me.Even when I saw the mark in the mirror. I expected a scar. Something as jagged as William's bite. But it didn't look like that at all. The scar William left me with was gone. Altogether disappeared. Now, I was left with a light, silver indention of Kit's teeth. Not bruised. Not at all painful.It felt like a mark of love.My fingers brushed it and a spear of heat shot right through me. I wasn't expecting it. Kit pulled an ill-fitting shirt over his head and raised his split eyebrow at me. "Can you…feel that?""I can," he answered, a little smile on his lips full of ardor. Distant whispers flowed through one ear and out the other. Like the buzz of a radio. It would come and go. "Why do I keep hearing buzzing?""S
Kit's POVOne moment I had pulled a silver knife out of my side, overcome with the worse pain I'd ever felt in my life. Followed by darkness. Then, I awoke in Sera's arms. Her face mottled with tears. Eyes bloodshot. I didn't want her to cry over me.According to Xander, I was dead. I could hear it in the mind link. The chatter. The desperation. The uncertainty.The pack didn't know me. They hadn't seen me in over a decade and now I was just plopped into the role of their leader? Yeah. Like that'll go over well.Without Will's influence, they felt relieved, like a fresh gulp of air after being surrounded by smog. But, it was also overwhelming. After having a boot on your throat for so long, you miss it when it's gone.That's what this was.They missed the boot.Didn't know what life was like without it.Fuck, I had my work cut out for me. I gazed up at the moon, wondering what her plan was in all this. Frankly, it didn't matter right now. Right now, I needed to see Anni
Seraphina's POVI don't know how long I sat on that stage, my white dress stained with blood, holding Kit's body. My head throbbed from how hard I had been sobbing. I couldn't hear anything outside of the pounding of my heart. My breathing was loud in my ears.I didn't feel it when Xander stepped up onto the stage behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. No flinching. No reaction at all. My throat was choked with grief. Insurmountable pain I didn't know if I'd survive. I could feel my heart crack in my chest down the middle. William had cheated. It was obvious to me and obvious to the elders who were panicked and whispering to one another. It seemed like without an Alpha, the mind link had also shattered. There was no Alpha to anchor it.I hunched over his body, my tears running out. I prayed to the moon, to the earth, to the devils and the angels to bring Kit back. Whoever would listen. To take this pain away. To feel like a part of me wasn't splintered.My magic thru
Kit's POVThe shackles fell from my wrists onto the ground and I rubbed the raw red lines the wolfsbane left me with. Without them, the wolf instantly roared to life under my skin. My shoulders bunched and tensed, preparing myself for the fight ahead.This past month I spent nights thinking about Sera, missing her. Wishing I could hold her. Reunite her with Annika. Protect my girls.Abe would kick over his rations, telling me I needed my strength more than he did. He was right. I used those rations to fuel myself while I grasped onto the iron bars over my head and pulled myself up.I needed to stay as sharp as I could, even if I was starving.Staring over at Sera, and seeing her chained to that fucking rock pissed me off. I may not be as strong as I would have been before I was put down into that cell, but I was strong enough to win this. Seeing Sera hold her daughter again gave me the strength I needed to end this.Her gaze felt like cool water rushing over me as we looked
Seraphina's POVThe last month felt like torture. I spent my entire nights curled up on a filthy mattress, thinking of Kit's touch. Thinking of holding my daughter again. The anger inside kept me warm. I didn't know where Kit was, but I could feel him.The tether that bound us together only got stronger the more I missed him. I wanted to tug at it, hoping he could feel it when I reached out for him. But the bond wasn't solidified. He hadn't marked me. Every time I reached for the bond, it fell through my fingers. Visible and bodiless as smoke.I just wanted to tell him that I loved him. Show him how badly I missed him.My ring hummed with power as if it was filled to the brim, about to runneth over. I reached for the magic in my blood and the ring trembled. Close.But not enough to shatter the curse. I was still bound by it. The magic seared my flesh, with nowhere for it to go. My heart ached as Annie crossed my mind. How long was her hair now? A month is a long time fo
Kit's POVEven if I wasn't connected to the pack mind link anymore, I could practically feel how unnerved pack members were at my appearance. They knew there was likely only one reason I was here, and they were right.I was here to challenge my brother. And when my sudden reemergence was linked to their missing Luna Queen, it only made it feel that much more complicated. Wait until they figured out she was my mate. If I had marked her, it would have made my claim much more potent, but I wasn't going to concern myself with it now. I also tried not to worry about Sera facing off against my brother by herself.My stomach turned at the thought of her alone with her abuser.The beast under my skin growled, vibrating through my entire body. It sharpened my focus. Made me see the whole picture.Blood Moon packmates wouldn't be any help to her. They were suffering under Will's influence. It tainted them with hate and violence. The Alpha influence was meant to unify. Strengthen cor