~Devonte~My head is throbbing. I don’t think I’ve ever felt pain like this before, and I swear I never want to again. I move my body and can hear beeping in the distance. That’s a really annoying sound, and I need to try to turn it off.I crack an eye open and see white. I close my eye and try to remember where I was last. I swear I had gone outside and was running in the woods. I open my eye, fully this time and look around. White walls. White walls are all around me. I open my other eye and take in the bright ass lights. I look to the side and see the machine the beeping belongs to. “D? Baby?”I turn to the voice and suck my breath in. “Sonya? Where am I?” She smiles and leans closer to me. She strokes the side of my head, running the pad of her thumb across my lips. My stomach twists at her touch, but I swallow that down.“You’re in the clinic at this, uh, shabby pack……Emerald Lake, I guess.” I close my eyes and think back. Yeah, that tracks. We brought a prisoner here and are sup
~Lynn~I sneak out of bed, careful not to wake Vonte. He’s been so sweet to me since Devonte was hospitalized. I didn’t expect to be as affected by his illness as I was. I can’t function when my mate’s future is in limbo. I don’t even know why I care since he hasn’t accepted me.I’ve already tried to come to terms with the fact that Devonte will never accept me. The thought of that brings me to tears, and I just can’t take it. When I get to that point, I take a step back and distract myself. I’m sure I don’t need to say how much that doesn’t work.I slink down the stairs and into the kitchen. It’s the middle of the night, and not many people are up. It’s so dark outside, making it darker inside with dim or no lights on. As I walk into the kitchen, I notice a refrigerator door open. There are three big refrigerators in the kitchen. We have a good-sized pack, so we need the space to keep the food.I try not to make a noise; then it hits me who’s in the fridge. I sit at the island and la
~Adela~I’ve been free for a few days, though I don’t know if that’s an accurate description. I’ve been without chains or cuffs, and I’ve been out of the cells. I was given a small cottage away from everyone else at the edge of the forest. I have two guards on me at all times, and I’ve been encouraged to stay out of the packhouse. Yeah, I’m not sure how accurate ‘free’ is.I don’t really care about that at this point. I hate the fact that I’m back in this pack, and I’m freaking out about my sister. Where the hell is Aida? It feels like her link, our twin bond, is blocked. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to block her from me. I can feel a loss, not being able to tap into our bond. I worry that something has happened to her, but I’m pretty sure I would have felt that loss if that were the case. I worry that she’s hurt somewhere or scared. The last time I saw her, she wasn’t that aware of her surroundings. Aida’s much too vulnerable to be out in the world alone. I have no idea ho
~Devonte~I spent extra time in the hospital while the doctor ran tests. There’s no explanation for what happened to me, and he can’t figure out what’s up with Abe. Sonya has been by my side this entire time, and I’m grateful. She’s showing me how attentive and loving she is, and I think that will be important if she’s mated to me.There’s a knock on the door, followed by the doctor walking in. “So, Gamma Lawson, I have your test results back.”“Please just call me Devonte. My oldest brother is Gamma Lawson.” The doctor smiles and nods at me before looking serious again.“All of your results came out negative. Everything looks good, and you look extremely healthy.”“Uh, well, that’s a good thing, right, D? That means you’re fine and can get out of here.” I just smile and take Sonya’s hand.“Ms. Sonya is right; you can go. I can’t tell you why you ended up here, nor can I tell you where your wolf is. I just don’t know.” I sigh. Maybe this place doesn’t have the most updated tools neede
~Sonya~I can’t wait to get out of this shithole and get back to the royal pack. I always hate having to come to these lower packhouses. They never have the proper accommodations, and I never understand that. Devonte resides in the castle; he’s the son of the Royal Gamma. Why would there not be better accommodations that match his status?Our path to the packhouse is littered with various people nodding and waving at Devonte as we go. He is always polite, waving back. I try to keep my disdain to myself. I can’t stand being around all of these, well…..commoners.Devonte pulls me up the back steps of the packhouse and leads me into the building. We enter through the dining room, and it’s rudimentary, to say the least. It isn’t dirty or anything, but you can tell they don’t really have much in the way of funds. I guess everyone can’t be the Royal family.We move through the kitchen and into a hallway. We turn to the left and move down the hallway a bit before we hit a staircase. I’m look
~Tia~I slowly walk over to my best friend, the pain evident in her demeanor. I’ve never seen her this hurt and upset, and I’ve seen her through a lot of things. Lynn dated some in high school and fell once or twice, but this is totally different. I can’t even say I understand how she feels because Lincoln only took a few hours to come around, and the pain in my ankle kept me from dwelling on his hesitation.Lynn is pacing back and forth, and I hang back a bit and watch her. After hearing about her conversation with Lincoln, I was tempted to march to the clinic and pull that idiot out of his bed. Who in their right mind doesn’t want Lynn? I’ve definitely been tempted to bounce that Sonya bitch right off my packlands, but my mates have reminded me that isn’t how a Luna behaves. Sometimes, being Luna is a big hindrance, especially when my bestie is hurting.I plop down in the grass and wait for Lynn to notice me. When she’s like this, it’s best not to crowd her. If you do, it makes her
~Adela~It’s been days since the run-in with my mom. I still can’t believe she put her hands on me. She didn’t even do that when I was a kid, so I don’t really know what to do with that. Daddy would never have let her touch me even if she wanted to. I miss having him around right now.I’ve been keeping to myself since then. I have a kitchen where I’m staying, and I’m constantly getting food at my doorstep. I’ve been going to the old house and out in the woods. I’ve been trying to find enough peace to connect with my sister. I thought maybe the memories from the old house would spark something. So far, I haven’t been able to reach her through our bond.I’m not going to lie; I’m scared. I haven’t been able to feel Aida, and I haven’t heard from her. I don’t know where she is. I wonder if I’d even feel it if she were hurt or dead. I wish I could talk to her... could see her. I need her right now; I need to know she’s okay.I’m walking through the woods to my usual spot. It’s quiet, and n
~Aida~I stir, feeling softness under me. I also feel something itchy surrounding me. I don’t know where I am or where I was. My eyes fly open, and I sit up, looking around. The room is dark, and it’s hard to make anything out. I haven’t seen or heard from Hazel in so long, and I’ve been missing my wolf abilities. I try to recall what had happened before. I remember running from the hospital and almost getting captured a few times. I found myself in a cave, and I remember sleeping there. A voice spoke to me, but it wasn’t Hazel. It led me out of the cave, and I remember a blue light, then darkness.I hear a squeak in the room and feel a slimy hand on my arm. I gasp and snatch my arm away. I can see a shadow, but that’s it. I’m getting scared because I don’t know what’s waiting for me in the dark. I could have been captured for all I know. I close my eyes and feel a hot breath get closer. It reeks of brimstone and sulfur, making me want to throw up. I feel a burning in my nostrils, and
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