~Tia~I felt a little pinch, which morphed into a sharp pain. I tried to block it out to help my mates, but I couldn’t get past it. When I stood up, I felt liquid between my legs. My water broke, but there was also blood. My fear heightened, and my heartbeat increased. I called out to my mom, but she wasn’t the one to grab me.My body is moving fast, and I’m secure against a warm body. I look up, and I shut my eyes quickly. I have to be hallucinating. I thought the scent was familiar, but I figured the pain was messing with my head. I open my eyes again, and he looks at me quickly, giving me a small smile. OMG! How is Stuart here right now? I turn my head to look where we are headed. For all I know, he will throw me in the woods somewhere and end my existence. He blames me for his unhappiness. He blames me for not being able to live life with his fated mate. He has hated me all my life, and I’m sure he’d take the opportunity to end me if it presented itself. We are actually going to
~Tia~All eyes are on me, and my mates look pissed. I can’t believe it myself; I asked for my ‘father.’ I can’t remember the last time I ever considered Stuart as my father. He was horrible to me my entire life, and it made a lasting impression. I just can’t explain what’s so different now. I mean, I know, but I don’t really get it. Love, what are you saying?Did you just call him ‘dad?’ I sigh, knowing this explanation will take a lot more than the words I’m about to say. This is going to be a conversation that I know they were going to want to have later. I need to talk to him. Just…..please….. I watch my dad make his way from the door to the side of my bed. They took the baby for tests, and I want to get this out before they bring the baby back. “I want to talk to my dad, if that’s okay.” My mates look like they want to protest, and Paul looks confused. The only person who seems okay with this is my mom. “Let’s give them some space, though there’s news that everyone should know.
~Nikki~The silence is overwhelming, but I’m finding it hard to concentrate. This is a somber moment, yet all I can think about is my mate’s scent. He smells of pine and freshly cut grass. His scent fills the room and makes my mind fuzzy. I’ve already blocked Aluma; she’s been screaming out for him since the ceremony.I want nothing more than to claim him right here, right now. I have to keep reminding myself that now isn’t the time. Tia just got out of surgery and gave birth to my grandpup; everyone is trying to clear their minds and get back acclimated. As badly as I want to claim my mate, and I do, I have to wait until it’s acceptable.“I don’t know how to feel. How did it happen?”“We aren’t completely sure, Landon. We went to talk to her about this Imogene situation-”“Why would you talk to our mom about Imogene?”“I think it was your mom who sent her. She was constantly texting and calling. I was able to put eyes on her phone a few times and I saw her name. All we know is someon
~Nikki~The sparks, there are no words for the intensity, what they do to my body. Every cell has become alive, and I can feel the kiss down to my toes. I can feel the heat pool in my center, and I know that my juices aren’t far behind.Paul wraps me up, pulling me up his body. I wrap my legs around his waist and cross my ankles behind his back. I pull back and look at Paul, both of us breathing heavily. “My house is too fucking far.” I giggle a bit.“I have a room at the packhouse, reme-” I can’t even finish my sentence before Paul whisks me away to the packhouse. He spins us so fast that I had to grab his neck to keep upright. We bust through the backdoor of the packhouse and barrel through the dining room and kitchen. I swear I hear a few gasps and mumbles as we go, but I don’t care.The stairs are a blur, and I hold on tighter so I don’t fall out of his arms. I lose track of the number of stairs we travel up, but I refocus when I hear a door slam open. I look around, and we’re in
~Paul~“So you spoke to the Moon Goddess herself?” Nikki is wrapped in my arms, and I’m kissing her up and down her face. The feeling of contentment I have is beyond words. “I did. She was the one who told me that we were fated mates.” Nikki told me this before, but I just wanted to clarify. It’s amazing that she was able to speak to the Goddess. “And why couldn’t we feel the bond?” I kiss each of Nikki’s fingers, loving the giggle it elicits.“I told you all of this already, haven’t I?” I nuzzle Nikki’s neck, trying to keep my desire in check. I swear I can’t get enough of her. If this is how our future will be, I’m more than happy to live it. “Tell me again.” My voice is muffled as I speak into Nikki’s neck. “She said that she tampered with the bond. You and I have been through a lot when it comes to love, and she wanted us to explore our feelings for each other and not reject the bond. She wanted to give us the chance to not miss out on each other.” I maneuver myself so Nikki i
Three Months Later~Nikki~I’m at the kitchen sink, rinsing a pan out along with a few other items. There’s a window in front of me, and my mate is on full display. He’s standing at the grill, and I must say he looks delicious. He’s wearing a ribbed tank top that hugs every muscle in his chest and torso. I watch his muscles flex as he seasons the meat and flips it over. My hands have stopped moving, and my mind has turned to mush. Paul looks up, catching my eye. He’s caught me ogling him like he usually does. He flexes his muscles a bit and blows me a kiss. I can feel my cheeks heat up, and I refocus on what I was doing. His chuckle irritates me, but in a good way.“And then, Im-a-bitch,-”“Seriously Lynn?! Must you refer to her like that?”“What would you rather I say?” I walk out, chuckling at the back and forth. That child is such a mess, but I love her. I hand Paul the items I was rinsing and kiss him on the cheek. He turns his face to capture my lips, and a simple kiss turns into
~Adela~Has it been hours or days? When was the last time I ate? Is Aida still missing? Am I back in my cell? “WHERE IS SHE?!” I focus on the swoosh in the air, knowing that means that my body is about to be racked with pain. No matter how prepared I am for the hit, my body shakes when it makes contact. I grit my teeth and bite the inside of my cheek to keep the sound from escaping. I won’t give them the satisfaction of hearing me scream.“Keep at her! She will confess at some point. There’s no way her sister is gone, and she knows nothing.” I hear footsteps retreating, and a door closes. The swooshes continue, followed by a sharp pain. I just try to focus on anything and everything that isn’t tied to the pain I’m feeling right now.How did I get to this place? How did my world blow up the way it has? I lost my pack, my dad, and my sister. Goddess, I lost my sister in more ways than one. Where is Aida? Why did she leave me? I don’t know what’s left for me or if anything will get better
~Aida~I’ve been running and hiding. I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing, but I had to listen to the voice. I had to follow what it said; a desire stirred in me that I couldn’t ignore.This voice wasn’t the same as the one before. The voice was different, sounded different. I don’t even know where the other voice came from. I just remember that when I first heard it, I freaked out because I knew it wasn’t Hazel, my wolf. Once that other voice came in, I no longer heard from Hazel. It’s almost like Hazel was pushed out to make room. I could still feel my wolf but couldn’t communicate with her anymore.Not long after being captured and sent to that hospital, I no longer heard the voice. I kept calling out to it, but I never got an answer. I didn’t hear from Hazel either, and I was so lonely. I know that Adela came every day to talk to me, but I was so down that I couldn’t focus; I didn’t hear her.I do remember talking to her once. I had been taking meds at the hospital, and