I stand in front of the door of my childhood home, memories rushing back to me. It’s always hard to come here because, growing up, this house was just not warm. There was love here, not love that included me. My mom loved me as much as any mom could love their child, but that love tended to be stifled by my dad. He only had eyes for my sisters and often tried to keep my mom from focusing on me. She did what she could whenever she was able, but there were many times that she had to pretend as if. She had to pretend as if my pain wasn’t important, as if my feelings didn’t matter, as if I was less than a member of this family. If I hadn’t had Mark and Lynn, along with their parents, I’m not sure how I would have gotten through. When my mom couldn’t be a mom to me, I would go to their home. I was like the second daughter to them, their third child. I loved every moment that I spent in that house and the love that they showed me. I’m sure many would wonder why I didn’t just move into the
~Aida~I swear training lasted forever today. I really just wanted to be home so I could fine-tune things. I have a lot to do, and I need the time to make sure I get it right. As much as I wanted to be home, missing practice is never an option when it comes to Daddy. We had to train every day unless we were sick. Since we are wolves, getting sick really doesn’t happen.As soon as training was over, I grabbed my bag and headed home. Adela tried to mind-link me, but I’ve been blocking her out. I can only deal with so much, and right now, I don’t have the capacity to deal with her. “I know, I know. We will have things finalized soon, I promise.” I shake my head and find my way home. I step to the front door and turn the knob. The door opens, and I’m shocked at what is in front of me. Mom and Portia are standing at the door. Portia has her hand out as if she were about to open the door. I look at both of them and notice that Mom has a bag in her hand. I’m not aware of any trips that Mom
~Landon~Tia left a while ago to sit with her mom. While her mom staying here isn’t an issue, Lincoln and I are aware that there is something going on that Tia hasn’t told us. I don’t want to pry, and I’m sure Tia will tell us everything when she’s ready. I just want to make sure we are prepared for the consequences of her mom staying with us.Lincoln left a bit ago to speak to some of the warriors while I’m toiling away in the office. Anyone who thinks being Alpha is all glitz and glamour has no idea what this job really entails. It takes a lot to make sure those around you are safe and healthy. My pack members will be relying on my brother and me to take care of all of their needs. That is a tall order, and it’s an extremely important job to have. The door slams open with a loud bang. I look up to see a furious Stuart in the doorway. He must have been training because there is sweat all over his face, and his shirt is sticking to his body. He has his legs spread, and his hands are
~Tia~This was unexpected, yet very expected. I told Mom to stay upstairs and let me handle things, but she could feel the fury and tension through the bond. I had a feeling that she would end up following me downstairs, but I knew, deep down, I wouldn’t be able to hold her back. Mom comes to stand next to me, and I gently place my hand on her back. I don’t want her to think she has to succumb to his demands, nor do I want her to feel threatened. Mom steps forward a bit, and Dad turns to face her.“Let’s go, Nikki. You need to come home.”“I’m staying here, Stuart. We need a break from each other for a while.” I can see my dad’s face scrunch up and the veins in his neck pop out. “COME HOME, NOW!” Dad’s eyes are black, and his voice drops a few octaves and takes a husky tone. Dad’s wolf, Caesar, is in front now. I can hear my mom whimper. I step forward and look at her, noticing her eyes have gone black as well. Caesar is reaching for mom’s wolf, and if he succeeds, she will go home
~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
6 Months Later~Paul~It’s been six long months, and Nikki still hasn’t woken up. Owlyn has been here and tried to get a response from her. Nothing has worked because she says it has nothing to do with magic. The doctors don’t have an answer, and I’m just lost without her.I knew she shouldn’t have volunteered. I felt in my heart that it wasn’t the right choice, but what could I do? I love her with everything I have, and I couldn’t tell her not to do what her heart said was the right thing.I run my hands through my hair and then over my face. I haven’t left her side in six months, and I’m beyond tired of seeing these walls. My sons have tried to get me to leave, and so has Tia. I refuse them because this is where I’m meant to be. As long as my heart is here, I will be here. Tia has been here often and has brought our grandchild, but besides those visits, it’s just been Nikki and me. I refuse to believe that I finally found my fated mate just to lose her so quickly.I put my head in m
~Devonte~The pain in my heart is all-consuming. I want the pain to stop, but I don’t know how to make that happen. I curl up tighter, hoping that the pressure will help with the pain. It’s all too much, and I don’t know what to do to make it better.Abe has gone silent, and I’m not surprised. He’s been struggling the most, and I have no words to soothe him. I wish I could wake up yesterday when things were what they were. I’d give anything to go back.“BROTHER?! BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU?!” I curl up tighter as if that’s going to keep me from being found. I don’t think I can handle the words and emotions that will surely follow my brother. I can’t take what that would mean.His thudding footsteps get closer and closer. I know I can’t hide myself; there’s no way to become invisible. I can’t keep this from happening. I hold my breath, waiting for the inevitable. “D, I found you. I’ve been looking everywhere. Our mate, she needs us. She needs you.” I’m trying to block out his words, but I’m
~Third Person~Everything seemed to happen all at once. Andricia is thrown against a tree trunk and curls up with a whimper. The pain is too much, causing Andricia to shift back into Tia. The twins witness this, and all restraint is lost. They shift and run at Imogene, who quickly wraps them up in blue light.Nikki hasn’t taken her eyes off Imogene, so she’s ready to interfere. As she shoots her light at Imogene, it strikes her in the stomach. Imogene is taken off guard and loses her grip on the twins. They fall to the ground and falter as they try to get on their feet. Eventually, they gain their footing and try to attack Imogene again.Imogene defends herself, reduced to hand-to-hand combat with the edge of magic. She repeatedly strikes the wolves as they throw themselves at her. They are taking a lot of punishment, but they refuse to stop. Their only goal is to defend their love, though they’d rather take the time to see about her.The group is joined by vampires and rogues alike.
~Jenna~I scramble backward, making sure my back is flush against the tree trunk. I try to quiet my breathing, but it's proving to be a task. I search around me, but there’s only darkness. The night air is still filled with the sounds of a battle, but I can’t see what’s going on.“Ughhhhh.” I slap my hand over my mouth in an attempt to stay quiet. I look down and see the bright red blood. I shut my eyes tight and try to think about anything else. If I freak out right now, I won’t be able to get back to safety.Every inch of my body hurts, but I can’t think about that now. I need to get out of here and make it back to the packhouse. I struggle to my feet, using only my right arm. My left just hangs against my body. Every twist and turn of my body brings a wave of excruciating pain, but I have to ignore it right now.I finally get to my feet and stand against the tree trunk. My breathing is erratic, and my chest is heaving up and down. “Where’d she go? I don’t see her.”“Sniff her out.”
~Aida~I’m applying pressure to my sister’s neck, and I feel her body giving in. This is so easy it’s pathetic. I would have thought that she would have trained during my absence. She had to know that I would return, and with my return would come the fight for her life. I guess having a brain doesn’t guarantee that you’ll use it.Portia’s body slumps to the ground, and her breathing gets heavier. I swear she’ll be dead in a minute. While part of me is rejoicing, the other part of me feels that she’d be getting off too easily. She’s the cause of all my problems, even the cause of Adela’s death. I may have administered the final blow, but it wouldn’t have come to that if she hadn’t disrupted our plans.Portia completely falls under, and I let her go with a thud on the ground. I get to my feet and walk around her limp body. Her breathing is shallow, so I know I can still play around with her before I kill her. I just need to figure out what games will be fun to engage in.I walk around h
~Ivan~One of the twins lunges at me, and I step out of the way. The other twin moves toward me, causing me to dodge slightly. This can’t be how they expect to beat me. If things continue this way, I’m going to win without breaking a sweat.I don’t want to spend a lot of time with these two. I need to go find Aida and so help anyone who has tried to put their hands on her. No one will hurt my love and live to tell the tale. I’d scorch the Earth before I let anyone hurt her.These imbeciles are staring at me but have stopped lunging. I guess they realize that it’s useless. It doesn’t matter what they do to me, they won’t win. I’m a vampire, so my natural state is on a different level. On top of that, I’ve been around for a long time. There isn’t much that I haven’t seen before, so they are hard-pressed to find something new to throw at me. “We’re wasting time, boys. I have more pressing matters.” I flip two fingers in the air back and forth. I hear reinforcements moving in. “Let me jus
~Lynn~I reach into the vampire’s chest and pull out its heart. My hand is covered in blood, but it’s as black as tar. There’s a stench to it; it smells like it’s rotting. I guess that makes sense because vampires aren't like the rest of us. They are the undead.I look to my left and can make out Abe in the distance. He’s ripping the head off of a vampire. Another vampire has climbed on his back, but he shakes him off. I look to my right, and Mace has the leg of a vampire in his mouth, and he shakes him like a rag doll. I duck quickly, missing the clothesline that was intended for me. I look behind myself and kick out, catching the perpetrator in the stomach. I wind the rope around my fist and throw a punch. The rope, mixed with the strength of my punch, causes my hand to literally push a chunk of her arm onto the ground. I follow up with a round kick and straddle her body as soon as it hits the ground. I rain a combination of punches on her body before ripping her throat out.I’m tir
~Jenna~I’m herding those who can’t fight into the safe rooms. We have entry points on both ends of the pack, but I’m only worried about those on this end where the packhouse is. Elderly pack members, as well as children, have been running here in droves. The sooner we get them to safety, the better off we will all be.I take one last look around and turn to the opening that will lead to the underground tunnels. It isn’t a long walk from the tunnels to the rooms; we wanted to make sure everyone would have a chance to get to safety. Once I get inside, the doors will be locked, and we will wait for word that everything is over.Crying sounds behind me, causing me to whip around. A pregnant woman with a toddler is running toward where I’m standing. A few warriors rushed out to her, working overtime to keep the vampires back.I watch the woman run forward with her baby’s hand in hers. She trips, and her knees hit the ground, causing her to lose her grip on her child. She cries out and cra
~Mark~I’ve been on alert all evening. I know tonight is the night, but I have no idea when. It’s just a guess, but we expect an attack on this pack. It isn’t that I’ve done anything to Aida, but her enemy is my best friend, and my mate has gone after her obsession. It seems they are trying to hurt Tia in any way they can, and that would include attacking this pack.I haven’t been Alpha that long, and I’ve only had my fated mate a bit longer than that. I have a baby coming and I like my life right now. I don’t want to lose anything right now, but this battle could have me lose it all.I clean off my desk and put files in the filing cabinet. I think the best thing right now is to have time with my mate. I want her to know how much she’s loved, just in case. I close the office door behind me and turn to head up the stairs. Alpha, we have a breach! My heart begins to thump in my chest as the seriousness of the situation grabs me. I take a deep breath and let it out. Hey, beautiful. Wher