AMELIA I smoothed my blue dress as the car pulled over at the front of the pack house. I suddenly became nervous. Ryden and I waited for Ren’s parents to get out of the vehicle. Their details helped them out as we approached. “Oba, Oji.” I bowed my head in respect to our guests for tonight. Ren welcomed his parents as well. “Mr. and Mrs. Raito, please, welcome to our pack.” Ryden in his fancy well-tailored suit shook their hands and led them to the entrance hall with me by his side. He initially planned a dinner at the restaurant, but I suggested that it would be great to be done at the pack house so they could meet everyone, and the pack could join at the dining table. I wanted to make a good impression, especially when Ryden’s name was on the line, the pack, and the Corporation. I even stressed about the five-course menu but everyone had been very helpful in making this dinner possible. The dinner started smoothly. Our people dressed accordingly, which impressed me, and how th
RYDEN “I wanna kill those smoking monsters as much as you do, Ryden.” Alpha Michael from Las Vegas grunted in anger. His face contorted on the live Zoom. “So if you have any clue how to kill it, now is the time to share it with us. I’ve already lost three men. The last one that happened was two days ago. So you understand my frustration.” “To easily kill that thing we called wraith is when it possessed a body. It can be killed by silver bullets, by killing the host.” “Possessed? So it can be expelled by exorcism?” Alpha Grady asked. “If you know how to lock it up, it could work, but I have to relay that question to an expert. The only thing that’s risky about exorcism is it would only find a new host and take more lives.” “Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed, distraught. “What do you say, Califf?” “I’ll go with Ryden. We should kill it when we get a chance before it takes more lives,” Califf replied. “Me, too,” Knight seconded. Shadow appeared beside Califf. “If you get hurt by tha
RYDEN “Guston.” Case seemed to know that name. “Yes. He thought I was responsible for killing his friends. I handled it. It’s settled, but Guston suspects that I might know something about what’s going on. He wants to work with us and help kill this thing.”“Do you trust him?” Califf asked me. “No. There’s something in his eyes that I can’t explain, but my gut tells me we could use some help. I told him to give him updates once I talk to you guys. You can decide. I just don’t want to go behind your back.” “It’s because he killed many of our kind for money,” Case said that haunted me. “Why did you say that, Case?” Knight asked him. “Remember the rogues of Roadside Pack? He’s one of them. He’s started a new pack and became an alpha who just moved over a year ago near Ryden’s territory.” “Huh. I didn’t even know about it.” I nodded. “That’s why I never heard of him until recently. His guy feared him and spoke highly of him at the same time.” “Just be careful. Tell him to stand b
AMELIA “Hey. What brought you here?” Emil asked. I didn’t even know he worked at the bar. I chose to get some air rather than get mad and punch a wall. That was how I ended up here at the bar near the police station. “Hi.” I slid on the stool. A bit surprised he still talked to me after what happened. “Are you even legal to drink?” “I’m twenty-three, luna,” he whispered the word luna. “And I don’t know you’re legal to get a beer.” I scoffed, knowing he’d even seen me drink wine and champagne. I guessed I wasn’t thinking straight. I wanted to get away from Ryden before I could say something that could hurt both of us. “Just club soda with syrup and berries extract. I ditched the rum. Try it, it’s on the house.” He placed down a tall glass before me with mint leaves and a tiny umbrella. “Why is it blue?” “A chemical reaction?” He wasn’t even sure, and he may have seen something on my face. He added, “I’m not trying to poison you, Amelia. Trust me, it’s good.” “Thanks.” I picked
RYDEN “One question at a time!” I was already pissed at Amelia, and she almost got killed, and now this. I stared at terrified men and women who couldn’t follow simple orders. Eliza raised a hand. “Alpha, do we have to stay home?” “I don’t know, Eliza. It feels drastic. You can’t keep you locked up in the house when I don’t know how to find this thing. We’ve been working on this threat for weeks now, but we haven’t figured out how it appears, how it finds its target, and when it goes killing spree. You can all do the same routine, go to school and your job as usual, but be mindful. Don’t stay outside in the dark.” They nodded, but I could still feel their minds reeling with unanswered questions. “I know you all have a lot of questions and you’re scared. So do I. I know It’s hard to deal with something we don’t know what it is. And I know you want to help, and I appreciate it, but not until we figure out what we’re dealing with here. In the meantime, let me and our allies work on
AMELIA “Yes, yes. Don’t stop.” My pulse went haywire. My lips went dry. My breasts were heavy as he pumped his finger in and out of me in my panties. I could feel how wet I was, it made an obscene sound. “Do you want my cock inside you?” When quickened his pace, and pressed his thumb against my clit, my head fall back against the backrest of the couch and my thighs widened, my knees weakening. “Yes, please?” My nipples started to ache as he pulled his hand into my panties. I looked at his finger. It was wet from my arousal. He knew I was watching him. He unapologetically shoved it in his mouth and licked it clean. I felt my skin turn hot, and my eyes almost glowed. I even found it hard to breathe, so I pulled my shirt off my head and took off my panties. I watched him unbutton his pants, then unzipped it and pulled down his ankles. His rigid cock freed and sprung before me. I nervously moistened my lips. Then he sat on the couch, pulled his jeans off his feet and spread his thig
RYDEN “Ryden!” Amelia called my name. I was screaming in pain in my head in my own blood with the blackness almost taking over me while I was buried under dead werewolves, wounded and bleeding. Her voice was shaking as she kept calling my name, trying to pull away charred animals on top of me. I already shifted back and begun to succumb to the wounds I obtained, and I was losing a lot of blood. Though I got used to smelling blood, the smell of burning flesh was repugnant and horrible. “I’m fine, Amelia.” I wasn’t. I knew the cuts were bad. I was more worried about her. We were caught off guard. And here I thought my territory was safe. Undeniably, I was targeted. Those rogues were coming after me, and not Amelia, but they didn’t see it coming. They weren’t aware of who Amelia was. “Ryden! Baby, oh, Goddess.” She cupped my face and checked for the injuries. “I’m good.” “No, you’re not!” Her voice cracked as she stared at my face and the wounds on my shoulders and legs. “I’ll sh
LUCIUS“He has a huge territory and depends on the human security system?” Eann complained as he watched the unguarded ground. “Is he nuts?”“Don’t say the obvious.” I groaned as I studied the weak spots of Ryden Braxton’s land on the map in my hand.“Maybe we should just let him get killed then we take Amelia with us.”I narrowed at him and growled. “What in the words I said this needs to happen you didn’t fucking understand? Do you know how she would feel losing a mate?”Drak sighed deeply beside me.I turned my head at him, throwing him the same glare. “Is there something you wanna fucking say to my face?”He shook his head. “We’ve been tracking this asshole for days, and he’s always got away. He’s more slippery than the legions. We have no clue what he’s planning next. How about we go and talk to his boss?”“And then do what?” Eann asked him.“He will deny any connections to his fucking guy and clean his hands like every rich asshole does. Then Douglas will know we’re after him.”
RYDEN “Oh, so the Avengers have arrived.” Amelia looked at everyone, including Zarah, on the dining table. I took another slice of the steak and shoved it into my mouth, and I felt her gaze on me. “I’m starving. I wasn’t aware lying there like dead could starve me this much.” “Your body was recuperating, and you were lying there without food for three days. What do you expect?” Zarah said, grabbing some roasted asparagus. “Easy, Ryden. It would be too awful to die from choking. Headline: Alpha Ryden has lost his life to steak.” She did a little drama with her fingers. “Let him eat, Amelia. He needs the three-day meal he missed.” Sebastien watched me while he sipped his wine. “What matters is he made a full recovery.” “Thanks, Alpha King. Once this matter is over, we’ll be out of your hair.” “I’m not kicking you out. Take your time, Ryden. Your presence here takes Zarah away from her work. She has spent a lot of time here with me for the past three days.” “You make me look bad,
AMELIA “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked me, his voice soft as butter. “How are you feeling? Really.” “Aside from starving, I’m feeling good. I got a better idea to feed my hunger.” I got a better idea, too. I had no doubt he wanted me. I could see it in his eyes and feel it in his touch. His lips were a thread to mine when I pressed my finger against his own. “Ryden, you almost died. Whatever you are hungry for right now, that can wait.” He groaned as he dramatically pulled away from me and lay back on the bed. “I just missed you, ladybug.” “So do I. I was so worried about you, Ryden. I thought you wouldn’t going to make it. Rest your body. We’ll do it once you’re completely healed.” “Zarah told me that she has to make you sleep.” “Make me? What’s that supposed to mean?” She stared down at me, reading my face. “You wouldn’t leave my bed. She magically put you asleep like Sleeping Beauty. On the other thought, she did the right thing.” He traced his thumb on my
RYDEN I cracked my eyes open to an unfamiliar room, yet I knew where I was as the smell of sage and spices assaulted my nostrils. “Well, welcome back to the world of living.” I tried to clear my throat but I was so parched. “Zarah.” “You’re alive. You should thank the goddess and your annoying stubborn mate.” I turned my head at her. She looked stubborn as well. Her arms crossed over her chest. “How long I’ve been out?” “It doesn’t matter.” “How’s everyone?” I propped my elbows so I could get up She shook her head in annoyance and pressed the button. “You’re not going anywhere, Ryden. The next time you get injured, I won’t be coming to heal your sorry ass.” “Thank you.” I accepted the glass of water she offered and took a sip from it. “Where’s Amelia?” “Sleeping. Resting. She’d been up for more than a day since they brought you here. If I didn’t let her sleep, she would still be here watching you until you wake up.” “You mean you put her to sleep.” I chuckled. I knew how Am
AMELIA “Why he hasn’t woken up? It’s been eighteen hours, Zarah.” I watched Ryden still unconscious in bed. The portal took us to Italy, where there was an infirmary, and where Zarah had a den and conducted her magic. “You should rest and get some sleep. He needs you when he wakes up, Amelia. I will take care of him. You have my word.” I shook my head stubbornly. “I can’t sleep. I can’t rest. I can’t breathe until I know he’s okay and will wake up soon.” “Now you sound like a wife and a luna. He’s recuperating right now. He has internal bleeding. A lobe of his left lung is punctured. He should be dead by now if he wasn’t strong enough that he still chose to find you instead of getting treatment. You owe him that much, Amelia. Now go and rest.” I blew a breath. I was beyond exhausted. I was even surprised I hadn’t fallen to the ground, and I had barely eaten since we got here. “Maybe I should call my mom.” I pressed my lips on his forehead. He was warm which was a good sign. “N
RYDEN I wasn’t healing fast. I was losing my strength quickly. I knew I had broken bones, and something wrong inside me that made me difficult to breathe. I was even surprised I was still able to shift earlier. I could barely stand but Amelia was still out there, waiting for my help. The moment my pack managed to escape into the woods, I felt relieved. I knew they could make it out even if they scattered everywhere. We could regroup later once Amelia was safe. “Ryden!” I was still in wolf form when someone called my name. Zeph jumped off the tree and dropped some clothes for me. “Thank Goddess, you’re okay.” I quickly shifted back. My bones were cracking, and I instantly felt a couple of broken bones. “I’m not okay, Zeph. They have your sister. Goddess, why did she have to be—? Fuck!” I couldn’t even breathe without struggling. “What’s wrong?” He looked at my chest. The bruises were getting worse, turning purple quickly. “Oh, shit.” “Yup.” I tried to move my shoulder back, but
AMELIA They’d been fighting for half an hour now. They were both bloody, and breathing hard, but none of them wanted to give up. There was something weird going on with Alec. He came prepared. For a man in his fifties, probably twice in human age, he was strong, like he was on steroids. “This is taking too long.” Zeph became more anxious, constantly sighing when Ryden received another kick in the chest. Our pack just gasped, hearing that crack, surely he just got another broken bone. “That’s not good.” My heart bled, and couldn’t compensate for pumping so hard as Ryden fell to the ground. “He’s taking a lot of punches and kicks, why isn’t he even trying hard to fight back, Amelia?” I narrowed my eyes at Theia. “I don’t know, but Alec seems on magic steroids.” “Yes. He has something going on in him,” Ren agreed. I hadn’t told him the sword was gone. I stared at Walker with my jaw clenched as he watched the fight. That son of a bitch. He seemed to grind his jaw hard every time R
AMELIA “Can we talk?” “Nope. I’m done talking, and we have nothing to talk about. You made it pretty clear. The only decisions matter are yours, and you chose not to involve me. I respect an alpha’s decision.” “Amelia, that’s not—” “That’s not what, Ryden?” I glared at him. “I came here only to help heal my brother, but I put my plans, my life on hold for you because you’re my mate, and I would do everything in a heartbeat for you, but right now, after what you did? I don’t think I will risk my life for you again. You’re not the mate I risked my life for, the man I married, and the alpha I swore my loyalty to.” I didn’t want to say some shits that I would regret later. I went into his closet and grabbed my backpack. “What are you doing?” I heard the panic in his voice behind me. “I can’t watch you get yourself killed. I don’t want to lie about my feelings for you.” I felt his grip on my arm, forcing me to face him. “You’re leaving me?” “I’m leaving, yes.” I met his gaze, makin
RYDEN “If you’re so suicidal to fight Alec tomorrow why didn’t you just slash their throats when you got the chance?” she said harshly. Her gaze grew serious. I groaned in exasperation. “I have plans, Amelia. Don’t worry, it will work.” “And what is it?” She glared at me before getting into the passenger’s seat. “You’re acting out of anger. You’re illogical.” “I can’t tell you right now.” I joined her back in the car. She shook her head in disappointment. “Because you don’t trust me enough to share your plan with me. You don’t see me as the Luna of the pack. You don’t see me as your equal. Why am I wasting my time here with you if I can’t be useful?” “That’s not true.” My voice was low and urgent, eyes still blazing with fury. “That’s the truth, Ryden!” She wiped her face and looked outside the window. “Don’t talk to me.” Amelia was fuming in her seat. She hadn’t said a word, but working in her truckload of anger not to light this car to flames. She had no idea what betrayals
RYDEN “I’m sure you know what’s taste of vengeance is like, Alec. And I’m not here to threaten you. I want that man before sunset today or I will find a way to cut his head off and give it to you as a present.” He snorted, shaking his head. “You think you’re so brave and smart, Ryden, but you’re not.” “I know I’m neither of those, but when people come to me and hurt the people I care about, I don’t need to be smart or to be brave. I do what’s necessary.” “Yet, you haven’t found the people responsible for the attack on your pack house. You’re too busy finding the, what do you call it, wraiths? Yes, I know every plan you make. I know everything about you, especially that woman you call mate. I know her secret, too.” I didn’t have to listen or react. He’d already anticipated I would be pissed off. I stayed calm as if he wasn’t trying to intimidate us both. “Then you should be very careful.” “You should be, Ryden. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it already, and you would