~Sonya~The week passed slowly, with me feeling like I was losing my mind. I couldn’t escape the voice no matter what I did. What was worse was my dad wasn’t even visiting. Since I said to him what I did, he’s been absent. I know that’s my fault, but I swear he picked the worst time to stay away. I haven’t been able to use him as a distraction.My trial starts today, and I’m not even nervous about it. I guess I’m so preoccupied with this voice that I haven’t given it a second thought. I can admit that I’m scared. I have no idea who the voice belongs to, and that terrifies me. It keeps saying they are coming for me, but who is ‘they’??I finish changing into the clothes that were given to me. These are the royals, so appearance is important. The trial won’t be like they have it in the human world. It’s the King, along with the Elders. There are no lawyers or anything like that. Evidence is presented, I say my piece, and then a decision is made. As one-sided as it sounds, it’s actually
~Lynn~I roll my eyes for probably the millionth time. “Don’t you two have an office to occupy?” I swear these two live to aggravate me. Vonte has been in my office flirting shamelessly for about an hour now. Devonte joined him at the half-hour mark and thought it would be fun to join in. Don’t get me wrong, I love flirting with my mates, but there’s a time and a place. I mean, they look good as hell. Devonte’s shirt is sticking to his muscular body because he has been training all morning. Vonte is just fine, no matter what he does or wears.A thought pops into my head in full force. My body heats up, and I feel a blush across my face. I swear I’m a big hypocrite! I distinctly remember going into their office strictly to seduce them. I still remember the fun we all had that day. We took turns and joined in together, spending a few hours in their office. I shake my head to get rid of the thought. That may all be, but I still reserve the right not to have it happen in mine. “Mmmmmm.” S
~Sonya~I lean back in the armchair and place my left leg over my right knee. I cross my fingers on my lap and look at the couple in front of me. I swear this chick is familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on how or why. The guy is sex wrapped up in a package that I would love nothing more than to pull apart. I have a feeling that if I were to try it, she’d rip my head off. “How do you even know about me anyway?”“Does that matter?” I smirk at Ivan.“It may not matter, but I sure am curious. What exactly do you think I can do for you?” It’s Ivan’s turn to sit back, and he does.“I was able to watch you work not so long ago. It was interesting how things played out, but you made a huge mistake not utilizing your opportunity to end everything.” I shrug my shoulders and inspect my nails.“A lot of things could have been done differently. I choose not to dwell on the past.” I put my feet on the floor and lean forward. “Tell me what you plan on having me do.”“I need a message delivere
~Jenna~I wipe my mouth with the hand towel I have next to me. I push the mat out of the way and lay down, letting my face touch the cold tile. Shit, this is the worst. I mean, it’s bad enough that it’s morning sickness, but the fact that I get it any time other than morning makes this worse.Sparks erupt on my lower back, and I can’t help the smile that grows on my face. The toilet is flushed, and I feel his warmth behind me. “You know, if anyone were to come in here, they would think we were crazy to be lying on the bathroom floor like this.” I chuckle.“Us being here is all your fault.” Mark scoffs.“How do you figure that?” I turn so I’m lying on my back. I look up at my handsome mate.“You put me in this position. One can’t get pregnant on their own.” Mark leans down and presses his lips to mine.“I don’t remember you complaining when we were creating this little bean. As a matter of fact, I clearly remember what you said…..”ohhh Mark”......” harder, baby”.....” faster, mmmmm”...
~Mark~I drop to the floor, darkness taking over briefly. I struggle to lift my head, sweat drenching my forehead and chest. My breathing is heavy and erratic. There’s something wrong with my mate, something very wrong. We have her, Alpha. We are on the way to the hospital.I struggle to get to my feet, my body feeling like a ton of bricks. Strong hands find their way under my arms, and I’m lifted in the air. My feet gently touch the ground, and my body glides. A burst of cool air hits me, causing me to lift my heavy head. I find myself outside, going in the direction of the hospital.The scent of disinfectant hits my nostrils, and I almost choke on its intensity. A door opens in front of me, and I’m placed on a soft surface. There are beeping machines in the background and bright lights above me. I look around the room, taking in the plain decor that makes up the hospital room I’m in. I shift on the bed, sparks flying around me. I look to my left and see her body. Her chest is rising
~Mark~I didn’t sleep well, Jenna’s words going over and over again in my head. I know we figured this would happen, but I didn’t expect my pack to be targeted. I thought they would go straight to Emerald Lake, and we would back them up when needed.I snuggled into Jenna as tightly as I could. I just needed her warmth next to me. I know that I was close to losing her, and I don’t know if I could survive that. The doctors requested to keep her overnight for observation. They wanted to make sure the baby wasn’t harmed.“You didn’t sleep much, did you?” My body jumps at the sound of her voice. I didn’t know she was awake.“No, not really. I almost lost you yesterday; almost lost you and our pup.” Jenna kisses me on the jaw a few times before pulling back to look at me.“I know you were worried; I get that. I can take care of myself, as you know, but I don’t like making you worry. Whatever you need me to do to keep you sane, I will do it.” My heart soars at this because she doesn’t have t
~Tia~We all sit in the office; everyone is silent. I’m sure everyone is lost in their thoughts. I’m sitting with Lincoln at his desk, and Landon is sitting at his own. Lynn is sitting on the couch between her mates. Vonte is taking the role of caregiver right now. He’s watching over his brother and his mate. Devonte looks confused and a bit down, while Lynn looks like a weight has been lifted.Never in a million years did I expect to see Sonya dead on our territory. I really never expected to see Sonya again. I have no idea how she made it onto our territory undetected. I have no idea how she died. I don’t even know if this is tied to this Ivan and Aida issue or not. I have no answers and have no idea what to do. “So….are we just going to sit here? I mean, are we really sad that Sonya is gone?” Vonte places a hand on Lynn’s thigh.“Lynn!” She turns to Devonte and shrugs her shoulder.“What? She came here and caused issues. I realize that you two had a thing and you were going to make
~Tia~I left the boys and started to walk. I have an idea of where Lynn disappeared, but I’m not in a rush to get there. The longer I take, the more calm she’ll be…..hopefully. I have no idea what got into Devonte, but she will definitely make him sorry that he said any of that.I walk through the packhouse, greeting people as I go. I’ve been widely accepted by the pack since the entire ordeal with my father, and it still feels weird at times. Many admitted that they never knew me but based their interactions with me on what others had to say about me. Many rumors have been floating around for years. I say nothing when these conversations come up. It isn’t that their reasoning makes things okay, but it’s more so what’s done is done. I just want to be a good Luna to the pack. I want us to prosper and enjoy life, so the sooner we can end this foolishness, the better.Grunting and cursing get louder as I walk through the woods. There’s a place in the woods where the three of us used to g
~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