EzekielRhea’s eyes widened in shock when she heard her mother’s name. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe she had heard it somewhere before? She stared at the ground, confusion and shock warring on her face. Part of me wanted to go to her, to help her, but the rest of me was still angry. After all she’d done to hurt Anastasia, she didn’t deserve my comfort, right?Part of me still needed her desperately, needed her to be okay, to be with me. I was able to ignore it for the most part, but seeing her look like this, so scared and confused, hurt me more than I’d care to admit. I pried my eyes away from her, focusing instead on Anastasia.At that moment, my warriors returned. My gaze snapped to the open door where the two of them stood. They entered the room, sweat pouring down their faces but looking proud of themselves. They must have found something. That same part of me hoped it would prove Rhea’s innocence.“What is the meaning of this?” Alpha Angus asked.“Sir, we found traces o
RheaFinally, finally, the truth about Anastasia was revealed. Everyone knew how horrible she was, and that she tried to kill me. I couldn’t believe she’d been banished, though. That was almost too good to be true. I’d never have to see her again around here. I’d never been happier about anything in my life.I sat in my room, the twins with me. They both sat on my bed while I sat in my desk chair. “So, Rhea, how do you feel?” Gerard asked.“Vindicated,” I replied. “Good,” Dylan said. “You deserve this win.”“Thank you,” I said, not entirely sure I meant it. The gratitude was real, but I wasn’t sure if I truly deserved it.Something kept bothering me as we sat and talked. Veronica was my mother. Why had the monster called me by my mother’s name? Both of my parents were dead, and Alpha Angus knew them. Surely, he could tell me something about them. I had to know.“Rhea? What’s going on up in your head?” Gerard asked.“I’ll be right back,” I said. “Come with m
Lionel Everything hurt. My body hurt, my mind hurt and I felt like my soul hurt as well. They were all separate pains swirling around, keeping me in constant discomfort. I had never been this close to hating myself before, but this time I deserved it.After everything I had done to Rhea, I deserved all the hate I could throw at myself. I remembered how she begged me to believe her, how she felt certain that I, of all people, would believe her but I didn’t. Now it all seemed so obvious.Of course, Anastasia had been lying. I didn’t want to think she would go so far as to gather a bunch of rogues to kill Rhea but I should have known better. At the very least I should have known Rhea better, enough to know she wouldn’t hurt Anastaisa like that. That wasn’t the kind of person Rhea was. I continued cursing myself for trusting Anastasia’s lies over my own mate. When I walked into the living room I could tell that Ezekiel felt the same. Rhea had actively shut us both out since t
RheaI wanted to reach out to them. It pained me to see my mates hurting so much but I wasn’t sure I was ready to forgive them. My mind and my heart were full. I was still terribly hurt by what they had done and their betrayal.But also now I was thinking about my parents. I was thinking about everything that Alpha Angus had said—I couldn’t get over it. I felt certain that this monster wolf was connected to my parents and their deaths. If It wasn’t Adonis, then the monster wolf had to be someone who was connected to him.I couldn’t let it go. I couldn’t focus on the boys until I got more answers about what was going on. I couldn’t deal with my emotions about them until I figured out how I was feeling about my parents. Alpha Angus had already told me everything that he knew. There was only one other person I knew I could find who might have more answers. That was where I would start. I forced myself to smile at Lionel and Zek, though I knew it was weaker than what they want
EzekielRhea stood in front of us, that apology having just left her lips. She held herself like she was afraid she’d fall apart if she didn’t. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, and she looked down, her hair falling in front of her face. It was almost like she was afraid to look at us, afraid of what we might think or say.I hated seeing it. I wanted to run up to her and hold her tight, hold her together, so she didn’t have to do it herself. I held back, though, realizing she probably needed a bit of space right now.Footsteps behind me indicate Dylan and Gerard have entered the despite, despite my telling them to stay in their room. I thought I had locked the door behind me, but I guess I hadn’t. Now, all four of us stand in Rhea’s doorway, watching her every movement. “You shouldn’t have to be sorry,” I said instead, stepping forward. “We’re the ones that should say sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t believe you. I trusted Anastasia over you, and I shouldn’t have. Yo
RheaThe boys stood there, unsure of what I was asking them. I knew what I wanted, and I knew they would give it to me. I just had to make them understand.“Are . . . are you sure?” Ezekiel asked. “You’ve had a rough night, maybe we shouldn’t—”“I want to forget,” I repeated, “and you can help me do that.”“Okay, okay,” Lionel said, raising his hands in surrender. “Just lay down, and we’ll get you to sleep. We’ll make sure you don’t have any dreams, either.”“No, that’s not what I mean!” I exclaimed, frustrated. Why weren’t they getting it? Did I really have to spell it out for them?I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it to the side. The boys all stopped and stared as I shucked off my jeans. I stood there in my underwear, hoping they understood. Judging by the lumps now in all of their pants and the blush creeping up their necks, they did.“I want you to help me forget,” I said a third time, looking directly at Ezekiel. “This is my wish. Can you do that?”
RheaI woke up and felt better than I had in a long time. I stretched and felt a little bit achy from all the physical activity, but it was a good burn in my muscles. I turned to see that Lionel and Zek were still naked and asleep next to me.My cheeks burned and I felt the instinct to cover up. I knew it was silly and foolish. They were my mates. I had slept with them so many times before but it felt different this time. I felt… awkward. I felt like I wasn’t sure I could be myself around them since I had been so open and vulnerable the night before. The previous night helped a lot with my anger and worries about Lionel and Zek but I wasn’t completely over everything. I didn’t feel completely secure yet—about anything. I got up quietly, headed for the closet, and got dressed. I felt a little shaky as I started to think about the monster and all the things still weighing heavily on my mind. I took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. I tried to remind myself they were still
RheaThe boys had been spreading the word for days. They sent information around to different packs and asked about the monster and Adonis. Adonis seemed to be an elusive mystery. No one really seemed to know anything about him. Several people had heard the name but no one knew anything else about him.It was like whispers of his name were all there were.I started to get concerned and a little discouraged. Perhaps this man had disappeared like my mother or died. My mind wandered through so many different scenarios about what could have happened and why he’d be impossible to find.Of course, there was the obvious—all I had was one simple name. I didn’t know his pack, his last time, or the type of wolf. I had no idea where he was originally, only the location where my mother ended up and sent the letter from.I groaned in frustration thinking about how little information I had. The task of finding the right Adonis seemed impossible. But the monster… the monster theoretica