I stretch as the morning light hits my face, feeling well-rested for the first time in what feels like ages, and jump, nearly falling off the bed, when I see the Alpha sitting near my feet, intently watching me. The corners of his mouth turn up slightly, nearly a smile.“Good morning,” he says, not moving. I shrink away from him, pulling the covers up to my chest as if their soft down filling will act as a shield from whatever he’s here for. He just continues to stare, and it’s too awkward to stay like this, so I stand up, grabbing a glass of juice he’s left on the side table beside a tray of fruit, eggs, and sausage. His eyes follow me.“Whose room is this?” I ask to break the silence. The faint smile on his face fades. “Your predecessor. You actually look quite like her asleep,” he says softly. There’s a longing in his tone. I want to get away from him, yet I also want to talk to him, know more about the girl whose ring I found, and maybe it’s just the good night’s sleep talking, bu
We walk through the grounds, past the fencing, and along a path into a quaint little town. The buildings are all brick just like the packhouse. The streets are immaculate and lined with well-trimmed trees. If you stumbled on it in your travels, you’d likely think it picturesque, a simple country place with kind down-home folks—but I know better of the things that lurk here. My heart sinks as we approach the town center and the stage the Alpha had them build comes into view. A crowd surrounds it. The Alpha stands on the platform looking out over them, down on them. I don’t see the girls, but I’ve got a sick feeling in my gut that I will soon. A row of stockades sits to Darius’—I mean the Alpha’s— left side. A mummer falls over the crowd as they notice me. Some begin to boo and jeer. Others just whisper about the beast from cell six. It seems I’ve earned myself quite the reputation. William stops at the base of a makeshift set of stairs up to the stage and directs me to ascend. The Al
By the time we ascend the stairs towards the Alpha’s quarters, it’s no longer shame I feel—it’s rage. So few things are sacred to our kind, and Darius tramples over them all with blatant indifference. Family, honor, unity, the purity of our wolf form—they mean nothing to him. He’s just another power-hungry asshole coasting on his birthright and inherited strength. He closes the door softly after we enter his home, suddenly kneeling beside me before even removing his coat. A feral growl slips from me, and I can’t help but snap at his hand as he reaches for the collar around my neck. He laughs. “Easy now, unless you want me to leave it on.” I’m surprised when he grabs hold of it undoing the clasp without gloves. His skin doesn’t burn. “Perks of being part vampire,” he comments, as if reading my mind. My anger is momentarily surpassed by the panic that he may actually be able to read my mind, invade what privacy I have left. “No, I can’t read your mind,” he again replies without me say
I tear through another blood sucker’s throat as my wolf is slammed to the floor. A dark elf smiles from the doorway, his purple eyes gleaming, bony fingers extended toward me. I feel my joints stretch as his spell threatens to rip me apart.This is it. This is how I die. I accept it. I can finally be with my sweet Amalea. I close my eyes, giving myself over to his power, and whisper thanks to the moon goddess—and then the pressure is gone. I open my eyes to see one of my fellow warriors eating the dark elf’s entrails.I lurch forward off the ground sinking my teeth into the nearest enemy I can find, before looking for more. Another day. Another battle. We’ve spent nearly a year trying to reclaim Cold Bay, but every time we push them back, they redouble their efforts.At this rate, we’ll never leave this goddess-forsaken frozen wasteland, unless it’s on a funeral pyre. Not that I care. Suicide by sacrifice. That’s what Marcus said when I left. I thought he’d command me to stay at first
I run through the night, arriving half frozen at the transport depot just as the sun breaches the snow line. I don’t want to stop, but it’s faster to go through the mountain than over it. The wolves at the gate scramble to let me in. “Beta,” one of them stammers, “has Cold Bay fallen? What are you doing here?” I try to get a handle on the rage still burning inside me and struggle to retake my human form, accepting the clothes offered to me. “The Bay stands. I need transport through the mountain now,” I say pushing past the men toward the train log. I angrily flip through the schedule, looking for the next transport. “The bucket won’t be back for at least a few hours. It’s on a supply run,” one of the warriors tells me, setting his hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you come on into the guard station? We’ll get you something to eat, you can fill us all in.” I jerk away from him, slamming the log down on the table. “I need to go now. Get me the radio.” He starts to question me, but wisel
Hurry up and wait. That’s the situation I’ve put myself in. When I saw my mate on that video, all I wanted to do was get to her as quickly as possible—fuck the consequences—but the trip here gave me time to think, painful as it was.Rash decisions made in the name of love rarely work out outside of fairy tales. This is reality. I can’t just run all the way to the Blood Moon pack house, waving howdy to pack border patrols as I go with an “oh, hey, just passing through to kill the Blood Moon Alpha! See ya later!” I might be willing to fight our entire species to get to my love, but I’d die doing it. What good would that do her?So here I am, waiting for preparations for the Alpha challenge to be complete, trying to formulate a plan through my rage. If—when—I beat Marcus, I can petition the council for her return from a position of power. I’ll get a copy of the video from Paul and show them just what Darius considers “punishment.” Even prisoners have rights. I don’t doubt more is going o
“Beta? Jackson breaks through the mind link waking me. “James? Where are you?” “I’m out at Amalea’s house,” I reply groggily. “What? You better get back fast! The fight is set to start in less than an hour! I've been looking everywhere for you.” Shit. I didn’t mean to sleep so long. I sit up, slip on my shoes, wrap the flower chain neatly around my wrist for luck, and head for town. I’m surprised by the turnout when I get there. Every member of the pack and then some seems to have gathered overnight. The streets are lined with cars, and there are people everywhere. It’s overwhelming after being so isolated in Cold Bay, almost suffocating, especially because people keep trying to talk to me. Whether wishing me luck, offering me guidance, or sarcastically saying their goodbyes, they just won’t leave me alone. I just want to get to the arena. As my anger rises, a path begins to part for me until I run into Jackson. “You’re clearly already in the right head space,” he laughs, “your ener
A moan slips from my lips as he sucks gently at my neck, the pressure of his body atop mine leading my mind to places I never thought it would go for him. I pull my hand from his hair, and push his shirt up, tracing the firm muscles of his abs. He pulls his teeth from my neck, hovering there, his lips just grazing the skin. I press closer to him, opening my legs more so that he can slip between them. He lifts his head and looks me in the eye when I do. I hate him. What am I doing? I lean forward off the bed, suddenly kissing him, tasting my coppery blood on his lips. He doesn’t kiss me back at first, seemingly surprised for a moment, before he does, deeply, his tongue mingling with mine. I feel him pull closer to me as his hand trails down my neck, and then lower, grazing my nipple, before sliding down to my hip. He grips it, his kiss growing hungry as I reach to undo his belt. He lifts himself slightly, letting me, as he breaks the kiss to pull my nightshirt over my head before smas
“You can stay in my room!” Anna chirps as we come to a stop in front of a neon pink door. She swings it open to reveal an equally pink room. “I decorated it myself! It was one of the first spells Laumae taught me. She says I have an artist’s heart,” she continues proudly.“My room is next door, and Thomas is across the hall. There’s an empty room next to his for you. I wouldn’t stay in here if I were you. It looks like a pink elephant puked up Pepto,” Eric adds laughing. Anna gives him a death glare. “It does not! You’re just jealous you couldn’t figure out how to change your room!”He goes quiet and kicks a stuffed animal at his feet. Anna continues to show me all her treasures and triumphs oblivious to the nerve she’s struck in her brother. He continues to sulk for a bit before Anna mentions the training grounds, and he perks back up, tales of his newfound prowess with the bow and arrow pouring out of him.I soak up every word they say. Every expression they make. The way the light
Showered and in dry, clean clothes I feel much more like myself, albeit a far weaker version of myself. How long will it take to regain my strength I wonder? If I regain it. You certainly don’t hear tales of great rogue alphas in our histories. Is that because there are none, or because rogues don’t write history books? Time will tell.I eye the bed in the corner of the room. It’s strange to feel tired. Sleep has always been more of an optional pleasure for me than a necessity, but right about now, I feel as if I could sleep for a century. That would be one way to pass the time.Making my way over to the bed, I collapse really more than lie down, relieved to be off my feet, but just as I settle in and close my eyes, the door opens. Becca leans against the door frame with her hip. She doesn’t say anything at first, just watches me with her head cocked to the side. I sit up.“What?” I ask, trying not to let my annoyance show. I am her guest after all.“Just debating joining you in bed
The cold collision of my skin against rock jars me back into consciousness as the council guards walk away from me, leaving me in the mud with nothing but the echoes of their laughter. I knew this could happen. I just never believed it would.I push up out of the muck, trying to get a sense of where they’ve dumped me. Even that’s a struggle. I’ve never felt so weak, even when I was transitioning. Death hurt less than this. It’s as if a piece of every cell in my body has been violently ripped from me. It’s so quiet, startlingly alone, after feeling so many connections for so long.It’s no wonder there are so few rogue alphas. The few that survive the pack bonds breaking likely end things themselves just to escape the isolation. That won’t be me. I’m stronger than this. I can come back from this.The terrain is rocky here, and there’s a chill on the breeze, but no sounds of civilization. I’m not near a town. Mountain peaks peek over the trees around me. The road the guards brought me he
“Wait! Slow down!” I call out breathlessly to my strange guide as I struggle through the brush after him. I don’t know how far we’ve gone, but it feels like miles. Whatever I was dosed with may have worn off, but my body still feels foreign, like it belongs to someone else. Someone weak and slow. It doesn’t help that I have no shoes, and I’m constantly struggling to keep the cloak my guide gave me tied around me, but it is better than being naked.I nearly topple backward when he doubles back and pops up beside me—he certainly isn’t slow. “Have you seen others like me come from the mountain? Werewolves I mean? Two boys and a girl?” I ask, trying to distract myself from the creeping realization that I’ve now followed a fae creature deep into their wood. I’ve followed the enemy.He answers without hesitation—with an elvish stream of gibberish. I can’t understand him. His tone seems friendly at least. The confused look on my face as I try to puzzle out what he means must be clear because
My visit to the capital has gone a little differently this round. No luxury cars and comfortable accommodations, that’s for sure. Just cold dark walls and distrust. Worse, they’ve given me a cellmate this time—fucking Darius. Two days now, and he hasn’t said a word. He just sits there brooding. He’s plotting, I’m sure. That bastard is always plotting. His plotting got us into this. At least the council seems to view this matter with slightly more urgency than Alicia’s dramatic performance. We’re set to stand before them today. I still don’t know how I’m going to get out of this. Fuck, I still don’t understand what happened. All I know is it’s Darius’ doing somehow, and he’s got to pay. Thankfully, I’m not doomed to spend another awkward afternoon stuck in my cell. An omega gives us our daily bread and Darius gets his blood bag before a council agent escorts us to the meeting chamber. No one is working this time. All eyes are on us, and the looks we are getting are more than disappro
I can’t sense her anymore, but she can’t be dead. I felt her through the blood bond, followed our love all the way to a huge oak tree in the Dark Wood, but I couldn’t find her, and as dawn broke, I felt her move away before I lost her completely. I don’t understand any of this. Having fae blood explains her ability to shift into other animals, but not why I can’t feel her now. I can smell she was here. There’s an itch in my mind—something I used to know. Something familiar about her abilities. What have I been forced to forget, and what does it have to do with Amalea? It would take a powerful witch to cast an enchantment like this. To erase something from reality? That’s not child’s play. It’s not something that would be done on a whim or could be done by just anyone. It would have a price. Clouds gather overhead, casting a gloom over the forest as it begins to rain. I don’t want to, but I need to leave. I won’t figure out anything just sitting under this tree. I’ve been here for ho
It’s soft. Where—where am I? I should be dead. I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy. I feel heavy, sleepy, distant from myself, like—I can’t think straight. My thoughts run from me, confuse me. Why is it soft? I can feel it all around me, against my skin, cradling me. Naked—I’m naked. Why? They hung me.I should be dead. It smells like soil, like earth, like home. Am I dead? Am I home? I have to open my eyes. Open. It takes all my strength, but slowly the world fades into view. Moss. The moss is soft. I’m below a tree, an oak tree.The realization sends a shot of sobering adrenaline through me, and my mind emerges from the haze—it’s not just any oak tree. It’s our oak tree! I’m laying at the tunnel entrance, but how did I get here? Who brought me here? Why am I naked? Why can’t I move?I try to wiggle my fingers, but they won’t budge, and my eyes flutter closed from the effort. My tears fall anyway. Who cares how I got here? I’m alive, and I’m home. I just need to sleep whatever
I can’t even look at her. I know if I do, I won’t be able to go through with this. Even if this isn’t a real execution. Fuck, even if she really does hate me—wants that asshole instead—she shouldn’t have to go through this. I can feel every step she takes. Her anger, confusion, hurt, fear, and now calm. She’s letting go. I just hope that I can bring her back.“The bag,” I manage, trying to keep my voice steady as I glance up at her—and that’s when I know. I feel it. A surge of defiance. I should have known her calm was just the eye of the storm. A smile plays across her perfect lips as she jumps off the platform before Jackson can put the bag over her head.She seems to fall in slow motion as I watch my world end. The council member will know. He’ll know she isn’t dead. He’ll know I tried to defy the council’s orders. They’ll kill her anyway, and me too maybe, if they don’t expel the pack from the alliance or both.I hear her bones snap, breaking me from my trance, but not at the end
I’ve had a lot of time to think—too much maybe. I wish that I had more time for so many things, but thinking isn’t one of them. The more I think about how I got here, about all the things that have been done to me, the angrier I get. Angry that I won’t get to do all the things I wanted in my life. That I won’t ever get to see my children again, to know if they’re alright, to see the people they’ll grow to be, to say goodbye. I’m angry that my own people put me here. That the leaders we chose to protect us built a system that uses us as fuel to create power for a few, for them. That I can’t do anything to change it, make it a better place for my children, for Liza, for everyone I love. That I’m letting them all down.“You didn’t eat your breakfast,” James muses beside me. I don’t need the mate bond to know he’s worried about me and that makes me even angrier. I hate him for putting his mark on me, for forcing fate on me, for being here right now instead of Darius.“I’m ready,” I repea