~Tia~*Phone Dings*N: HeyT: Who’s this?N: lol…..guessT: Or you could just tell me….N: I could, but that wouldn’t be as much fun….T: This may be fun to you, but not to me…..T: Who is this?N: Ok….ok….you twisted my arm……it’s NealT: How did you get my number?N: I have my waysOkay, this is weird. Why is Neal texting me? How did he get my number? I won’t lie; Neal texting me makes me feel some type of way. It’s almost as if I’m being unfaithful or something. I know how ridiculous that sounds since it’s just texts. I don’t feel that way about Neal at all, but it feels as if there is supposed to be something more there.N: Hello??T: Yes, I’m here.N: Are you not happy to hear from me?T: I mean…..a text wasn’t really necessary….who really uses their phones around hereN: True…lol….I just wanted to do something differentT: Well, it IS different….N: Let’s hang out…..T: Uh….now?Oh, Goddess! Is it me….did I cause this? I will admit that Neal and I had a few great conversations, b
~Tia~It’s cold. I feel the bed on my left and right, but the bed is empty. I guess that’s where the cold is from. I don’t think I can ever get used to being in a bed alone again. The body heat that I get from the twins is beyond comforting. I stretch and hop in the shower to get ready for the day. I’m actually going to go dress shopping today. Mom is at the clinic this morning. She said she would take an early shift so she could have the afternoon available for me. Lynn is going to go shopping with us. I’m beyond excited to spend this time with the girls and have this experience with my mom. I throw some exercise clothes on so I can hop into a training session this morning. I really have enjoyed training with others again. Surprisingly enough, I haven’t lost much skill over the years. I guess the bit of solo training I’ve been doing has kept me going. When I reach the training area, I start to stretch, waiting for training to start. I made sure to go to the second training. My mat
~Lincoln~The morning light shines through the curtains, and I try to cover my face. I really don’t want to get up right now. My mate’s scent surrounds me, and it is the best cocoon anyone could ask for. GGGEEEETTTTTT UUUUUUPPPPP!!!! I growl and throw a pillow across my mate, listening as it bounces off the wall. You know you missed me, right? Landon chuckles in the mindlink, and I silently roll my eyes. I throw the cover back and rise from the bed.Of course, Landon is already dressed for training, lacing up his shoes. I jump into the closet and get some shorts along with a T-shirt. I step out of the room, throwing my socks and shoes on while Landon kisses our mate. I stride over to do the same as Landon points to his wrist impatiently.I shake my head and follow my brother out of our room. Morning training, ugh! I like to sleep, and I love to sleep next to my mate. I hate getting up and leaving her in bed, but it’s what a leader does. Landon and I take turns leading training and d
“WHAT!? What do you mean?” I’m stunned, just stunned. I always thought they were fated; there was never a reason to think otherwise. I swallow the lump in my throat.“What happened, Dad?” He sighs again and runs a hand down his face.“When I was around 17, I went to a different territory and visited a friend of mine. At his pack, I was drawn to this beautiful girl. Her name was Naomi, and she was gorgeous. She was funny and fierce. I was able to get to know her a bit while I was visiting, and I had planned to return when I turned 18 to see if we were mates. About a week after the visit, I got a call from my friend’s father. Their school was attacked by a rogue. My friend and Naomi were killed, along with other students. I never went back to the pack, and I never felt a pull toward anyone else.”I can feel the pain in the link from Landon, and my feelings mirror his. That has to be painful, and the fact is that my dad never really knew if she was his mate or not. “I will say I did feel
~Adela~I swear they are too predictable. I, honestly, expected that to take more convincing, but no…..not for those two. Just the idea that I planned to meet with my sister was enough to set them off. I’m both parts glad and disgusted. I will no longer have to see her and pretend to care, yet they are so quick to save their precious mate.I sigh and pull my phone out, for probably the millionth time, just to be met with silence. Of course, there is no message. I’m not sure exactly what I’m waiting for, but I have nothing either way. It would be nice to hear from Neal, just so I knew that things were going how they should be. If Neal listened to me even a little, he should have made a move by now, and possibly it has been reciprocated. Maybe they catch them having sex or maybe just kissing. Is it wrong for me to hope for the sex? Ah, it doesn’t really matter, just as long as Neal has followed through as I told him to. It was so time-consuming to hold his hand last night and talk him
~Landon~I know…..I know…..I’m usually the level-headed one, but in this case……this instance……. I can’t believe that Tia would betray us like this. She never struck me as that person. I could have never thought that she would be someone I’d have to watch out for. And the fact that my brother wants to ‘talk to Tia’.....WTF?! I block my brother out of my mind as well as Tia. I just can’t deal with either of them right now. I take the traitor Neal and the car they came in back to the packhouse. I just want to have some time to myself before she comes with all her lies and excuses. The car ride is quiet, though I can’t say that I’m surprised. Neal says nothing, but he does sniffle here and there. A part of me was hoping that he would say something, declare his love, try to ask forgiveness…..anything! At this point, it wouldn’t take much for Goliath and me to rip his throat out. Of course, he did none of those things; he just stayed quiet in the backseat.We finally arrive at the packho
~Tia~I wanted so badly to comfort Lincoln, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I know that the situation at the dress store looks horrible at best, and he is fighting his urge to toss me aside. I’m amazed that I could convince him to just listen to me before making a decision. He is the impulsive one, yet it was Landon who lashed out without hearing my side. The walk to the room is agonizing. I don’t know what to say or what to do. My only plan is to tell the truth, but that doesn’t mean I will be believed. The truth sounds fishy at best, but it’s the only truth I have. I would never cheat on my mates for any reason, and I don’t even have an interest in Neal like that. I’m more interested in finding out what happened to make Neal think I wanted him.I walk into our room and stand in the middle. I don’t really want to sit down because I’m too anxious. Honestly, I may need to run; if I sit down, it would be hard to do. If anyone had asked me before, I would have said that my mates w
~Mark~*TAP**TAP**TAP**TAP*This is so damn annoying. Jenna has been sitting in the back of the office, staring at me since I’ve been here. When the twins left, I figured the door opening was the first meeting they wanted me to handle in their place after putting me in charge. I was very wrong; it was Jenna. She walked into the office, didn’t say a word, and sat in the back of the room. Jenna has been sitting there through 3 meetings, saying nothing. The tapping just started about 20 minutes ago. Jenna is tapping her nail on the back of her phone. It’s a bit annoying, but I’m more interested in what Jenna will do next. I continue to work, not looking or speaking to her. I make sure the patrol schedules are taken care of and factor in the specifics from my earlier meetings. I want to make sure the twins are set up with everything when they get back. A throat clears, causing me to look up. Jenna’s eyes are burning into me, but she says nothing. I look at her for a bit before retur
~Tia~I watch Aida’s red eyes get redder, if you can believe that. It’s almost as if they start to glow. She stands up and walks over to me. She reaches out to grab me just to fall forward. I turn to watch her try to get her balance. I’d laugh if this weren’t a pressing matter. “How are you here right now?”“Does it matter? I need you to focus right now.”“Since you aren’t actually here, I don’t have to do shit.” I tsk and shake my head.“I don’t have time for your teenage rebellion. I came to deliver a message.”“A message?! Unless you plan to tell me that you’re going to leave your lifeless body at my doorstep, there’s no message you have for me.” I shake my head.“Goddess, you are so pathetic.” Aida throws her head back and laughs.“Goddess?! As in Moon Goddess?! She’s no goddess of mine. How the hell could I follow someone who would ruin me like she did?! All I wanted was Lincoln. I prayed to her every night to make him my fated mate. When I realized he wasn’t my fated, I still pr
~Aida~That bitch has been prancing around here for days since she regained her magic. She’s constantly ogling my mate, and I don’t like it. I trust Ivan and have no doubt that I’m the only woman for him, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to pluck her eyes out of her head.I really can’t wait to get this entire situation over with. Ivan and I can move on with our lives, and she can go away forever. I’d tell Ivan to get rid of the bitch now, but I already know he won’t agree.The more I think about her, the more frustrated I get. I hate that she even showed up here. “You look like you’re thinking hard. I hope you aren’t thinking about how inferior you are to me.” I swallow thickly but don’t respond. I’m in one of the many sitting rooms, sitting in a huge armchair. She appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. “Cat got your tongue?” I sigh.“What do you want, Imogene?” She steps into the room and walks toward me. She sits on the coffee table in front
~Tia~“Mom’s recovering from everything, but we need to finalize our plan. We need to do as Mark suggested and go on the offense. I’m sick of them popping up whenever they feel like it and causing massive damage.”“I’m down with whatever the plan is. The witches here have us locked in so I can focus on the plan.” Mark is on the line, meeting over the phone. He doesn’t want to leave his pack, and we agree that it isn’t the best idea. Landon clears his throat.“Mark, we are going to have you stay right where you are. Your pack is covered with the witches and the royal warriors. We will engage them, but they may come your way in retaliation. You just be on guard and keep your pack safe.”“So, if we are going on the offensive, what’s the plan? We already agreed that bait isn’t the smartest,” Lynn elbows Devonte, causing him to grunt. I can’t be mad at him since he’s right, but I love how my bestie protects me. “Uh, I mean, bait isn’t the best way to go, so how are we going to get to them?
~Nikki~The silence is heavy, and it’s starting to feel awkward. I know this is a lot; hell, it’s a lot for me as well. I definitely didn’t wake up this morning expecting to be presented with an opportunity to wield magic and help save my family and pack. It’s a major undertaking, and I have to admit that I didn’t know much about magic in the first place.Lynn is the first to break the silence in the room. “I wonder if we should take an hour to think about things before coming back with a decision.”“I don’t know, beautiful. We really need to get a plan in place since we have no idea when they will be trying to attack.” Paul scoffs.“I don’t know what we’re thinking about. This isn’t going to happen.” I look at Paul, and for the first time, I’m disappointed in him. Don’t get me wrong, I understand where he’s coming from. He is my fated mate, and there’s a pull to take care of each other and keep each other safe. Right now, he’s acting like Stuart did in the past. He’s trying to dictat
~Nikki~I jolt upright, sweat dripping down my face. I look around, and I’m surrounded by darkness. I look to my right, and I see the lump in the bed. His breathing is heavy, and he is snoring lightly. I slowly lay back down, wondering what it was that woke me so forcefully. “That would be me.” I jolt forward again, looking around.At the end of the bed, a few feet away, I see her. My heart rate increases, and I can feel my breathing become erratic. What the hell is she doing here? I lean to the right with the thought of waking my mate until her voice stops me. “I wouldn’t do that. If you wake him, I may have to take more….preventative measures. You and I need to talk, and I don’t want interruptions.” I lean away from Paul, not wanting him hurt.I throw my blankets back and turn to the side of the bed. She cackles, and I can’t stand it. “What, exactly, do you plan to do? I’m not even really here. Me talking to you is a form of astral projection if you will. If Paul wakes, he can’t do
~Landon~Lincoln and I stand in the gym's doorway. Tia is on the ground, sweaty and delicious-looking. We both step toward her at the same time. Lynn kisses her on the cheek before standing up to leave. She pats our shoulders as she walks past us, leaving us alone with our mate.There’s an awkward silence in the room, but I don’t think any of us know how to begin this conversation. To be honest, I’m torn. I understand where Tia’s coming from, and I’d probably have the same mindset. I just don’t think it’s wise to risk herself like this when we can come up with another way.Tia takes her time getting to her feet, and she stretches once she does. I swear she could have me on my knees literally, and she wouldn’t have to do much. Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s everything I ever wanted in a mate. I’m so grateful she was called home for our ceremony; otherwise, we would have missed out. Lincoln was the first to speak.“Tia, I think we should talk about everything. I think tempers were
~Tia~I hit the punching bag again with a left uppercut, cross combo. I do it again and again before throwing some kicks in. My anger is off the charts, and this is the only thing I can think to do to calm down.How dare they act like I can’t help with this. We need to draw them out, so it makes sense to use something that they want badly…..someone…..me. I’m the Luna of this pack, and it’s my job to help them protect everyone. I’m fully capable of protecting myself and would have no trouble doing the job.I continue to hit and kick at the bag, letting my anger permeate through the room. They are the reason that my father is dead. One day, I’m going to have to explain to my child why his grandpa disappeared. They were so close, and Dad couldn’t wait until he was old enough to start to train. He told me all about how he was going to teach him everything he knew so he could be a powerful Alpha one day.My falling tears are making it hard for me to see what I’m doing. I’m starting to miss
~Landon~We are all in our office, ready to have yet another meeting. I don’t know that I’ve ever participated in so many meetings, but I guess there’s no reason to complain. I could have easily succumbed to the injuries from the battle, and I wouldn’t be a part of another meeting ever again.In defending our pack and trying to protect our mate and child, Lincoln and I got bitten by the vampires a few times. The bad part is that vampire bites are poisonous to werewolves. The good thing is that we have the necessary anti-venoms to help if we get bitten. Lincoln and I had to stay in the clinic for a while to get the venom out of our systems.We hated that we couldn’t be by our mate’s side as she dealt with the loss of her father. I may have hated the bastard before, but he’s grown on me lately. He became the father he always should have been to my mate and an amazing grandfather to our child. I hate that he lost his life the way he did and by his own child. I hate that Tia’s in so much
~Mark~I stretch and readjust in my chair. I swear I’ve been sitting here for days; at least, that’s what it feels like. I’m just happy to be alive so that I won’t complain too much. I’ve been stuck in the office trying to get some things together. We are tying up the loose ends from the battle and waiting to hear from the witches who are here to help keep us safe.My phone rings, and I answer, putting it on speaker. “Yes, my annoying sister?” Lynn clicks her tongue.“Don’t start with me, Mark. You’re lucky I don’t come out there and kick your ass for almost dying. Do that shit again, and I’ll bring your ass back just to kill you all over again.” I chuckle and roll my eyes.“But I didn’t die, though. Almost doesn’t count.”“I fucking swear, Mark!”“I love you too, my wonderful sister. How’s Tia?” Lynn sighs.“She’s better since the twins have gotten out of the clinic, but she’s hurting. She and Stuart had gotten so close lately.” I hate this for her. When I was there last, I saw how t