Mark
“That was too close.”
“To what, the truth?” Deidre scorned in response as we headed down the hallway.
“He’s going to find out!”
“Until then, I don’t see the point in worrying about it.”
“Why aren’t you more concerned about this?”
“Because I’ve had more than eighteen years to be concerned about it, Mark.” She turned, her eyes fierce and hands on her hips. “Do us both a favor and stop pretending like you care now.”
It felt like a blow in the gut. The Luna infuriated me to no end. As if thinking she won, she smirked, and turning on her h
I didn’t know what Alpha Jason needed to say to me, but whatever it was, I hoped it was quick. I needed to be downstairs in 30 minutes for my ride to Justin’s hotel.I knocked on the large oak door.“Come in.”Alpha Jason was sitting behind his desk, scribbling furiously in a notepad. That was one thing I was always amused by about our Alpha--that is, if you could be amused at an Alpha… for all of the technology that our pack had--security cameras in our buildings, border security at the official entry points to pack territory, an incredible training facility with the latest technology and kinesthetic physical tracking systems for our guards and athletes… ALL of that, and Alpha Jason preferred
KiraThe air was electric between the two of us. I looked straight into those golden eyes and set down my glass.“I see you came dressed for the occasion.”His breath was hot on the back my neck, the words too low for anyone but me. He made a gesture to the bartender, asking him to put my drinks on the tab for his room.His hand took mine and engulfed it, leading me across the lobby towards a set of gilded elevators. My heels clicked across the marble floor of the lobby. The hotel receptionist gave me a scathing look from across the desk.“You look like you fit in here.” His voice was low, a husky rumble deep within his chest. I still hadn’t said a word, but flushed as his eyes drank me in from head to foot. I w
JasmineThe wind whipped through the ends of my hair as we sped down the road on Ethan’s bike. Perrin’s body was warm and solid. I wrapped my arms tighter around his waist as he revved the bike up a narrow road a short distance from the infirmary.“Where are we going?” I almost had to shout through my helmet and into his ear. The air whipping past us was cool.I wasn’t one good with directions from the start, but he was taking me down a few roads I had never explored. Where were we going to find privacy to do what I hoped he meant in twenty minutes?“We’re almost there!” he chimed back.He navigated the road and motorcycle expertly, as if this really was his vehicle and not Ethan’s.
PerrinI dropped Jaz back off behind the infirmary at the staff door. She still looked half dazed from our time up in the woods. To be honest, I probably looked just as sheepish. But I’m glad I got to see her if only for a little while. And if only from behind.A smile stretches across my lips as I sped off on Ethan’s bike into the twilight.**I check my watch as I dash inside my room. The burial ceremony starts at 8:00. And Goddess knows I can’t be late for that. It wouldn’t just look bad on me, but to my father and my entire pack--especially with the higher pack families of the challengers being invited as well.I pull on black pants and button on a black dress shirt. It’s a warm evening and my blood is still warm
Leila Perrin orients me to a chair next to my father. He then walks over and places himself next to Deidre on Marks’ other side. The physical space is welcome. Between the barrage of camera flashes that just assaulted us on the platform, I’m seeing blurred spots in my vision. I can only imagine what’s going to be posted tomorrow. But of course, it’s probably going to help Perrin’s cause. With Jasmine. Ugh. My head begins to swim. How did I get that so messed up? I start returning to conversations in my head as the rest of the crowd assembles into place. I don’t really want to talk to anyone right now as I’m going over things in my head. Had Perrin or Kira actually said they were dating each
Jasmine I drop my bag onto a break room chair, heading for the hot water dispenser. Tea. Tea sounded like absolute heaven. I throw a bag of Earl Gray into an empty styrofoam cup and pump hot water into the dispenser. The smell of my brew shot swiftly through the room. I happily inhaled and sipped, despite the searing heat spilling down my throat. It had been a long 24 hours, but I was thrilled with what I had been able to accomplish. I had checked in with Naineeve periodically throughout the evening for some healer-to-healer advice, wanting to impress Danielle and Irene, the Ascended who had been monitoring us yellows all evening. Overall I think I had done pretty well. I touch the teacup to my lips, testing the temperature of my tea. P
Kira I crawl into my uber shortly before midnight. Well, stumbled. Whatever. The doorman helps me into the back of the car. “To the packhouse?” Inquires the driver. “Yuppersss.” Shit. My speech is a lot more slurred than I thought. How many drinks had I actually had? ** Five hours earlier “What a beautiful suite…” “My father wanted nothing but the best.” “Looks like he got it.” My heels click softly on the marble rug. “Would you like a drink?” Justin’s piercing gaze warms my skin, even though I’m still flush from our encounter in the ele
PerrinI was thrilled to just get back to the Lodge and keep up training.It was only 6:00am but I felt good. I was ready to go. Throwing on my workout gear, I laced my shoes and tied them three times over. One of the first times Ethan had ever beat me in the Lodge was when we were eleven. And it was mostly because I had tripped over my own shoelace.Well, that’s my version. Ethan will tell you it’s because his hit on my flank threw me off balance.Ethan’s beaten me since then, but I couldn’t offer excuses for why in any of those instances. Not since I started triple-lacing my shoes.I headed downstairs, grabbing a quick cup of coffee from Dina before I set out back to jog the few miles to the Lodge.
EPILOGUEMarge shuffled through the archive, her shoes making the only sound in the quiet stone building, echoing all the same through the high vaulted ceiling of the church building above. She raised a gnarled hand to the shelf and deposited the book after two tries, her hands shaking slightly with the cold. There were only a few books to return tonight. Far fewer than there had been when Leila had been here.So why had she waited until this late in the evening to do it? She just shrugged and pushed on, the slow creaking of the cart’s wheels punctuating the silence, her old watch on her pale wrist noting the time; 1:45 a.m.She really had no business being there so late. But she had gotten caught up in one of her research projects, spread out across her circulation desk and totally lost in thought until the rumble of her empty sto
Perrin“How long is it going to take?”I sat on Lo’s bed as she shoved clothes into her suitcase. “Maybe a week? I’m not sure.”“Why don’t you just leave all of that stuff here?” I pointed at the suitcase. “It’s not like you’re not going to bring it back.”She heaved a heavy sigh, full of fake exasperation. “I still have to pack it to move it down the hall. It’s just easier if I do it all at once.”“Nah. Let’s just throw it all in some garbage bags and unpack later.”She laughed. “Hand me those shoes?”I strode over and picked a pair
Perrin “Because I never want to create a monster like my father.” Silence hung in the room. I digested each word, the implications of it. “But you’re not…” I said, more for myself than for her. “No, I’m not. He never got his hands on me. My little brother made sure of that.” And even though she spoke in a viscous, quipping way; there was a hint of something grateful in her tone. “So he won’t be anything like him!” I said, assuring myself more than anything. “Does it matter?” She snapped, regaining her typical composure. “If my father’s insane lust for power is hereditary, then it’s best that the blood line ends with me. At least my brother won’t be breeding any offspring considering he’s gay–” sh
Perrin I glanced at my phone, then at Lo. We had made love for several hours, refusing to stop until we had our fill of each other. But each time hadn’t felt like enough, leaving us drained and happy but wanting more. After one particularly hot session in the middle of my bed involving whipped cream, I pulled her close to me, blissfully peaceful with her cradled in my arms. I felt her stomach growl against my hands. And apparently hungry. I swept my mouth to her ear and felt her shiver against me, goosebumps appearing up and down her body. I fought the impulse to warm her with every inch of mine. “Do you want me to get you a snack?” I said, and waved the small can of whipped cream in front of her face so she could see. She hummed lazily in my
PerrinAnd it had happened like that.I recalled the broad strokes for my friends.“You what?” Ethan said, shocked and nearly angry. “You can’t make that kind of promise!”Justin shook his head sagely. “That’s free reign, Perrin. And a dangerous move, backing out of every challenge. It puts you at a huge disadvantage if anyone trespasses on your territory.”“Or attacks on your land,” Ethan said.“Or poses a border dispute,” said Kira.“How will you expand?” Ethan asked, c
PerrinI tried to cover the nail marks she had left on my shoulder with a spare set of scrubs from Deidre’s office. It was no use. The scrubs were too small, tugging comically at my shoulders and Lo’s pink cheeks and ruffled hair couldn’t be fixed.We had retreated long enough to ourselves, and I pulled us back into the world of the living and down the hall, walking hand in hand as we rejoined our friends.Ethan smirked when he saw us. “Nice.”Kira rolled her eyes, glancing at her imaginary watch. “Couldn’t you two wait?”“At least get a shirt,” Ethan added, eyeing my bare chest. I had ditched the scrubs, unable to get them over my chest.
PerrinWe didn’t talk as much, even though that had been the plan.I had taken one of the chairs opposite Deidre’s desk, hoping to keep my brain thinking platonically for as long as possible. But part of me was still in shock. I could smell the smell of her coconut shampoo. See the glimmer of her earrings in the desk lap. And I had felt the tips of her fingernails as I held her hand; the short ones that she chewed on when she was reading and lost in thought.But I knew it was definitely her the moment I felt my head slightly dizzy with the draft of warm honeysuckle, intoxicatingly perfect.I wasn’t shy, needing to have her by my side. I pulled her easily into my lap, and she didn’t protest, as if still quite unsure that all of this was really happening either. She swun
PerrinAs soon as Mark dismissed the crowd, the crowd had begun to descend from the stands in droves. It hadn’t taken long for Lo to find me, fighting the current and pushing her way against the flow of teaming bodies and up to the platform.I sensed her, long before she ran up the platform stairs, Justin hot on her heels. I dove past my father, darted behind Mark and ran to meet her, not caring for any protocol or public indecency. I needed her.Her scent hit me first. It made my blood sing and my heart beat so fast I thought it would stop.And then there she was. The sight of my home and my heart, running and slipping across the wet platform towards me.My weight almost buckled beneath me, the unexpected reality of seeing her here st
Justin The arena was packed. I could hear an excited roar from the crowd from behind the Lodge, drifting over the top of the massive building and floating through the chill evening air. Lo parked illegally in front of the entrance to the building. Now was not the time to point it out. A series of battered and limp-hanging banners and signs showed the way around to the back. It had rained today, apparently, and we made progress towards the arena as quickly as we could, sludging through mud and the trampled pathway. A stadium had been erected, filled to the brim with stands of onlookers, cheering and applauding in a range of darkened colors, soaked from the rain. Despite the bad weather, it hadn’t dampened their spirits. The crowd had been here all night, awaiting the results. Colored tents for each challenging pack were spaced ou