NATALIE.I want to believe him. I really do.He sits there looking at me earnestly as he makes these promises but I know it's not that easy.Not as he makes it out to be.I believe that he wants me. That he might even love me. But that doesn't erase the years and experiences he has had with Maya. It doesn't change the fact that he felt most comfortable with taking her as a mate.He chose her.And yes, I know he had no other alternative but still…It hits differently when you know that if there wasn't a mate bond, if there was nothing tying us together, Maya is the one he would have chosen. They would have been perfect together.And I don't know how to deal with that.Oh, why did he have to settle? Why didn't he just wait?The question surprises me this time, because of the anger I feel at it. The resentment.I… I resent him.That doesn't even make sense! It is not his fault, he had tried, he-“Natalie?” his voice breaks through my spiraling thoughts.“Hmm?”“Are you alright?”“Ye
NATALIE.“Fine then, which world did I go to?”“I don't know.”What?!“What?” I vocalize the thought. “What do you mean you don't know? You just said-”“I know what I said,” she says, interrupting me. “There are many worlds, most of them haven't been discovered yet, many of which have ties to this world. You could have visited one of them. I just can't tell which one.”“Well, why not?!”“Because you, Natalie, are different. You are something that has never been seen in this world. We have no idea what your powers are what they are capable of or where they come from. How can I begin to figure out where you have accessed or where you have gone?”“So, you can't help me with anything. Why are you here then?” I snap.“I can't help you with what you are, but I can teach you the basic methods of controlling yourself, and maybe, just maybe, we will be able to figure out a way to undo what you did to that idiotic boy,” she rants back.Wait, what? What idiotic boy?“What are you talking about
MAYA.It is the twittering of birds that finally pulls me out of unconsciousness.I look around, looking for Maya and I find her on a similarly made bamboo bed, unconscious.I try to get a sense of where I am and how we got here when the memories of the previous day flashes through my mind.FLASHBACK.“Step on it!” I scream at Tanya, my gaze still fixed on the mostroys things chasing us.“I am!” she screams at me.We had only just managed to sight the car, still bloody and injured when we had heard a blood curling roar.We didn't even try looking back to see what it was, our instincts pushing us to clamber into it, blood and pain forgotten.BANG.“Shit! Can you drive faster?” I demand.“Do you want to take the wheel?” she snaps back.I look down at her hands which are trembking from blood loss and exhaustion.The climb down was not an easy hike.BANG.“Dammit! What is that?!” she asks as she swerves away from a tree.“I can't see it, only an outline,” I say as I strain around to see t
DAMIEN.“I don't know, I don't want to risk Willow getting to you.”“Oh come on Damien,” Natalie begs as she drapes herself over my shoulder. “I am bored.”“You have training. And practice with Fredja.”“That is all I do. I want to see the world! I can't have left that place only to remain locked up here.”“You are not locked up,” I say as I turn to face her fully. “It is for your safety. We have already broken your tie to Willow, we have no idea how angry she is or what she has already planned. We can't risk it.”“What am I supposed to do in the meantime then?” she asks with a pout.“Hmm. What about a movie? Just you and I? I still owe you a fate, this can be it?”“What is a movie?” she asks in with a confused frown.“Oh my. There is a lot of things I still need to teach you. Come on,” I say as I gently pull her out of the study and head down the stairs.We walk past a couple of wolves who try to pretend they are not watching us before we arrive at one of the floors, located at the e
DAMIEN“Who is Tanya?” Natalie asks in the silence.“Tanya,” I start. “Tanya was Maya’s twin sister.”“Was?”“She had committed suicide after her mate died. Or at least, we thought she did.”“Oh, that is so sad. Wait, if she is dead, how come Lucas found her scent there?”“That is the question,” I say before turning back to Lucas. “Are you sure it was Tanya’s scent?” I ask.It will be so weird if it is.“We all grew up together, I know her scent. It was her.”So why hide? Why pretend to be dead all these years just so you can leave the pack? And why would Maya go along with this? What else is she hiding from me?“How did her mate die?” Natalie asks as we make our way to her quarters. “Maya, I mean.”We had stayed there to help with the wounded as much as possible, running around for supplies, and helping to hold people down in order for their bones to be set straight, and by the time we pleaded exhaustion, it was already late in the night.Thank the goddess for the witches, their pres
NATALIE.“What?!”His voice is filled with scandalized shock, it makes me giggle.“Our wolves’ names. Aren't you curious?” I ask.“I am,” he answers. “I just, I guess I didn't expect that you would- that you would want to do it. Now.”“Oh, no. Not now,” I exclaim. “I am just curious. I have always wanted to know my wolf’s name. About the… the other part, well, I wouldn't know how to start or go about it.”“Ah, yes. Well, what do you know?” he asks.“Not much. And I have a lot of questions,” I say.He gives a sort of flinch at the statement, making me stifle a giggle.Shouldn't I be the shy one here?“I am not saying we should do anything now,” I tell him. “But maybe we should be discussing it.”“Yes, definitely.”I wait a few more seconds, thinking he has something more to add.He doesn't.“So, what do you think?”“About what?”“About mating?”Has he gone dumb?“Um,” he says before closing his eyes in a bid to find his focus and then opening it after a few seconds. “I am going to be v
NATALIE.“What? What is it?” I ask them both.“Um, it's nothing. It is just…” Lucas starts.“Just what?” I ask. “Why did you decide to host a conference? It is not a difficult question, is it?”“No, it is not,” Damien says. “I just don't want you to be upset, when I tell you the answer. Can you promise that?” he asks as he takes my hands.“I promise,” I tell him.“Well, you see,” he starts. “When I had decided to have the mating ritual with Maya, we thought it would be a good idea to introduce her as the Luna through a conference.”“Ah, I see.”“Are you angry?” he asks.“No, no I am not.”And it is true. I am really not angry. Or sad. It is an understandable situation.“But what about now?” I ask. “The ritual didn't hold, you do not have a recognized Luna, what are you going to tell them?”“Well, we can still have that,” Lucas says. “The ritual. You are here now, the ritual can still hold.”Damien throws a quick glance my way at the statement. I don't know what he sees, but he turns
LUCAS.I figure that if I ignore the call, the person will stop and I can go back to sleep, but then I remember that the only ones who call the cell phones are the members outside the pack.The only one outside the pack is Maya.With a fast turn that makes my head dizzy, I reach for my phone.“Hello,” I say, voice groggy with sleep.“Hey, Lucas,” her familiar voice f>lyers through the phone.“Oh, thank the goddess. Maya. Are you okay? You are alive. Where are you? We will come get you.”“I am alright Luacs. I am safe.”“Where are you? We went searching for you, we found trails of blood and mayhem and what I am pretty sure is a car crash and then we were attacked. Maya, tell me, where are you? I need to see you and then beat you up for stressing me this much.”“Please, you couldn't beat me up even if I was tied up.”“Where are you, Maya?” I ask again. Why is she avoiding the question?“I can't tell you that.”“Maya-”“I know. And I am sorry. But I need to find the witch.”“That witch,