~Tate’s Point of View~“Shit! Who are those fucking people,” I whisper, as I see a literal troop of at least half a dozen males come running out of the school. They’re moving toward the hut we were just in, and it's obvious they’re looking for something. Something we have.*I don’t like this, they’re not Shadows…but wait do you feel like a weird buzz? Like there’s a mind-link connection not too far off,* Megan says, over mind-link. I do, but it could be someone on the road. There are several nearby. These people though… they’re clearly organized, some even have tactical equipment on.My basic instincts are to shield Megan, get her the hell out of here. She’s a female and therefore needs protection. But I know better, if anyone can handle her own it's Megan. We’ve had real fights several times and while I’ve won, they were all close. When she’s in a real fight for her life, there’s a different kind of fire inside her and that used to turn me on to no end.But even together, we’d be gro
~Luke’s Point of View~Harlow says nothing on the ride home from the school, and I don’t know what to make of it. The entire night was a clusterfuck that quite frankly the Beta should be embarrassed by. The fact that I felt the tingle in my mind of other Shadows in the vicinity only leaves me with a hundred questions I can’t get answered right now. Were they watching, if so for what? The entire reason the pack went in was because there was no one in the area. Supposedly.They had to have come in at the last minute. Meaning with the help of a witch or a vampire. Neither of which I smelled. Could have blocked their scents but why would they need to?Godfrey made clear that my mission here was extremely “need to know.” Very few people even know about me outside of those I deal with directly. Fewer know about my “other half,” they just know me as a normal wolf. So if other Shadows that aren’t privy to my mission catch me out and about… I’m not sure what to say. That wasn’t covered at all
~Harlow’s Point of View~Tears soak the blanket I’m holding over my face as I hear Luke getting dressed. I’m terrible at hiding my emotions, always have been. Crying in front of my bullies is the worst… or so I thought. No, this is gut wrenching.How could I possibly give him up? His heat, his intensity, his touch? He’s done nothing wrong!“Harlow I just…” Luke says, as he shrugs on his coat. I peek just my eyes out of the blanket and while I know this is what has to happen it's impossible.“Go Luke. Please? This was just a mistake okay? I’m a silly girl who just needed to get laid and I have now so I’m good. I come with more baggage and issues than you deserve. It can’t ever be more and we both know it. You were just a cute face and a great cock, that’s all. You won’t be a real boyfriend to me, a father to my baby. So just go,” I say, then pull the blanket back over my head. It's a low blow, especially since he’s hardly had much time to sit with the whole baby thing. Literally no tim
~Harlow’s Point of View~Suddenly all I can think about is getting to headquarters, getting answers from River or someone. And I have to come clean, I have to--No. No, no. The bar! I need to go by the bar and demand answers. That's my first priority.“And you? You’re Harlow,” the giant mountain of a male shouts, making me jerk upright in full attention. Because well, he sounds like he should have a whistle and be yelling at me to do push ups. The few close by practically part in unison as he stalks toward me. I gulp and push myself off the table and to my feet.“Uhm, yes,” I say, tentatively. “In private, now,” he snaps, making me jump. Out of nowhere, Penelope seems to appear, and I swear she hadn’t been there before.“I’ll go with you. Because… of course you’ll need someone you know with you,” she mumbles, but she brushes past the guy without any fear. I look up to see Beta Ryan only a few steps away, clearly fuming.Penelope leads us to the far side of the packhouse and away from
~Harlow’s Point of View~~A Week Later~Sweat prickles my entire body, making me thrash around. I know I’m dreaming, but I just can’t seem to wake up. There’s a fire and all I want to do is get away from the intensity of the heat, but I can’t budge. My mind says it isn’t real, but the urgency my body feels says otherwise. A male figure calls out to me from the shadows, and he’s familiar. I yell for him, and when I feel his hands on me, I search for his face. Suddenly my legs are free, then the air is cleaner. I cough to rid my lungs of the smoke but it burns so bad. “Daddy,” I cry out, as I’m put down on the hard ground. The jolt of it makes me choke, and when I draw a deep inhale, it doesn’t burn because the air out here is clean.My body jerks upright as I continue to try and gasp, and get all the air I can. My eyes dart around my bedroom, in the familiar Dark Thunder packhouse. There’s only a faint light from outside as the sun is still trying to rise. I close my eyes and hold my
~Anna’s Point of View~What in the stupid human is this little girl doing?I scowl as I watch the little redheaded Harlow from high on a tree branch. She makes pretty dumb decisions, and if not for her looks I’m not entirely sure what Luke sees in her. But I truly don’t take him to be that shallow of a male. There has to be more to this story.I teleport from place to place around the forest as I follow her, trying to keep my distance but also never letting her out of my sight. Babysitting is so not my thing, but Shane insisted Luke was far too close to her and needed to cool off.That won’t last. It’s obvious the male is bat shit crazy for her. A little red riding hood wolf basically. How fucking charming. I could kill the council for pulling me off my overseas mission for this backwoods nonsense. But I’m here, so I’m doing this.My body freezes when Harlow looks around, having heard the wind blowing some leaves and making a rustling sound. It wasn’t me! I’m too good at this.When I r
~Two Nights Later~~Harlow’s Point of View~“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” I whisper, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. “Well she’s already on her way, and not someone I’d care to piss off so looks like we’re doing it,” Lilly says, putting her hands on her hips and looming over me.All three of her mates are around their house, and three of their children are on patrols outside. It seems with the Blacks, being a Shadow is a family affair. So I’m perfectly safe here, nothing to worry about. It’s totally normal to invite a vampire and a warlock over for a chit chat. A vamp that’s… how old? Two thousand years?? Fuck, what does that even mean? I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it.“She’s very tame about blood due to her age, she’s well adjusted. But she’ll need to taste you. You should be aware that will allow Diana to have a blood bond with you. It’s almost like a signal, she can find you. Just a few drops it wouldn’t be that obvious, but the more frequently she does it,
~Harlow’s Point of View~My eyes wander between Diana and Ben, waiting for them to ask who the father of the baby is, and why he isn’t here. But Diana is busy, fumbling in her bag and finding a book then flipping through it.“Ahh! Hmmhmm,” she says, after a quick read.“Hit the lights and set the mood so Ben can begin his spell,” she says, but doesn’t look up. Skylar does as she asked but thankfully leaves a light in the kitchen for me to have some vision. I draw a deep inhale and catch the various herbs she’s placed around me. And honestly, they are relaxing. I wait patiently while she fastens her hair back and adjusts her dress. “Okay, I’m going to levitate over you, so you can watch my eyes, don’t freak out. I won’t fall on you. Once you’re deep in the trance I’ll go back to my seat. I’m going to work to get you there, but once you are, Ben is going to be able to kind of follow along with you, see what you see. Though it won’t be as vivid, he’ll sort of share in your experience. T
~Rowan’s Point of View~“A word before ya go,” my father bellows, and I cringe though I don’t show it. I turn back to Harlow who looks petrified, but trying to hold it together. I hate to leave her, even for a second. “Go ahead, I’ll use the bathroom,” she offers, and I point toward a powder room several doors down.“Wait right here for me, I won’t be long,” I whisper, though I know even in his office behind his desk my dad heard it. I reluctantly watch her go, then partially close his door. Though I’m still standing across the room from him, there’s no way I’m leaving this spot. “Say what you want to say,” I tell him. He’ll give me warnings, tell me whatever. It won’t matter. I cross my arms.He slowly taps his finger on his desk, the way he always does when he’s making a point or wants to seem intimidating.“Don’t let this mate business cloud your head boy. You still have a very active assignment ya seem to have forgotten,” he says, and I ball my right hand into a fist and count t
~Harlow’s Point of View~“I’ve just never seen so many different flowers,” I gush, reaching for another that smells divine. Hope has awakened more in me than I ever knew possible, and I haven’t even shifted yet. Everything is stronger, brighter. Louder.And of course…*Hmmm look at mate, so sexy,* Hope coos, as I watch Rowan bend over to tie his shoe. Such a simple act, simple and normal. But every damn hormone in my body wants me to rush him, knock him on the ground and mount him like a fucking animal.*Well, it IS a good idea,* Hope chirps. I blow her off, and look down at my feet. I probably should get some clothes, though I already love smelling like him. It’s hard to convince my mind I’m really free of that warlock freak. Rowan has told me he was killed by the Shadows, but he’s still haunting my dreams. Not only that, Caden is still out there somewhere. Even though I know he would be suicidal to try and come after me, it’s more than that. I think about those other girls, sold of
~Two Days Later~~Luc’s Point of View~“I want to know everything, starting with when you became Alpha of Harlow’s pack,” I say, dangling a huge bag of food in front of Otis. He’s all too desperate for normal greasy fare, his wolf sick of hunting for fish and other ocean creatures. The waft of cheeseburgers even catches my interest. I’d bought a dozen of them along with other things. It’s still a rare treat for me, getting used to how food is now.“How fucking long do I have to stay here,” he whines, falling in front of a fire. “Not sure yet. But telling me about Harlow’s family and past will go a long way,” I say, though I have no idea if it's the truth. As far as he’s concerned it is and that’s good enough.I reach in the bag for a cheeseburger and tease him with it. He sighs and nods, snatching it from my hand. I help myself to one as well, and give him a minute to eat.Chance gave me a recording device and even showed me how to use it. I can’t trust this male at all, and Harlow d
~Hope’s Point of View~*I am a total badass! I survived a bomb,* I shout, victorious.*Uhm I survived it, you weren’t even here yet hellooo. I’ve been waiting a very long time already,* my human whines.I scoff and demand that she size up these males. They’re not even shifters! Wait, my mate is not a shifter?? What is the Goddess doing to me?! Did the human know about this??*To US! We’re one person in case you haven’t noticed! And no, I met him the same time as you,* my human complains. I scoff!Our head and eyes fall to the floor, and I’m immediately furious.*Hold your head high I said! Show no fear or they’ll eat us for dinner,* I snap, letting her know the deal. If I can’t shift I’m damn well going to make sure she knows I’m here and in control! I refuse to be stuck inside the body of a push over, that’s not how this is going to work.My human sighs and forces our head up, demanding answers from these weird males. When she baits them, I couldn’t be more proud! Our mate speaks up
~Rowan’s Point of View~I stare down at the three warlocks we use when we need serious magic, more than fairies are capable of pulling off. It pains me to admit that; our family prides itself on moving mountains to get jobs done. But even we have our limitations.“We’re out of time,” I snarl, impatient. My brothers and I wait on a large boat right where the forcefield over Hans’ home begins. There are others from our clan here as well, and six of my cousins. Thirty men in total are ready to go. Half will go in the house and half will fight guards outside of it. One is going to stay on the boat and watch for Shadows, since they could be anywhere. Of course Hans lives right on the water, only the best. “Just got word from the fight, it's starting and he’s there. Front and center with at least a dozen guards,” Declan says, as we all breathe a collective sigh of relief.When we all hear the distinct sound of a low sizzle fizz out, we waste no time. I quickly eye the spot in the yard abou
~Luke’s Point of View~“So am I supposed to win or not,” I whine, annoyed with Godfrey. He sure talks a lot for someone who doesn’t actually say much. Doesn’t help that he’s the last person I want in my face right now.“The first few fighters you’re going to crush but leave alive,” he says, annoyed. He’s probably repeated himself a few times but I shake it off. My entire being is literally buzzing and it’s not from the already half drunk and rowdy crowd surrounding me. I’ve drank more human blood in the last few hours than I’ve probably had in weeks combined. And it's been directly from the source, no bagged bullshit. But that’s not going to matter to the vampire side of my brain in a fight. When the frenzy most certainly comes.If I’m under attack and blood is in the air, I’m going to want it. I haven’t had a real fight since before my punishment; the training I’ve had with the Shadows hasn’t been true life or death. Not only that, I’ve been told that the male who has Harlow is going
~Harlow’s Point of View~“This way dear Roos,” Sir says, as he leads me down a weird hallway I haven’t seen before. But that’s hardly saying much when his house is its own town. I tune him out, and the fact that the house is too quiet. I literally haven’t seen another female or child. Though it is late, maybe it's past their bedtime.But that’s just even more worrisome. Good things don’t happen behind closed doors after ten at night. Not in this house. As we walk, I think about what the doctor had said. I can only pray Sir will actually take his advice.The doctor told Sir that I could potentially go into labor any day, praise my lucky stars he wasn’t a shifter doctor. So he’s guessing. His guessing is what might hopefully buy me more time. “She-wolves are only generally in labor four months or less so she won’t go the full nine months a human would. You need to use great caution with her, you don’t want to trigger an early labor. The animals are much better at knowing when it's time
~Rowan’s Point of View~“Fuck, it’s too many,” I say, looking through the binoculars at the compound of Hans Hendricks. King perv and utterly nasty bastard. Killing him will be an absolute joy, and my entire body practically salivates thinking about it.The kind of fairy I am, draws its energy and its strength on taking lives. Not just any lives though, the worse the better. And since we crave it, we absolutely need it to survive, my family decided long ago to cash in on it.Soul devourers, for hire.“Da’s on his way,” Colin whispers, and I groan.“There’s no avoiding it,” Declan says, already knowing my thoughts.Dad’s gonna come in here, fire blazing and just level the entire place. It’s obviously full of kids, and revenge or not we can’t have that. While most would believe by our reputation we don’t care about hurting innocents, we do. Most of us.“What’s that,” I question, pointing at something far off in the distance. It was a light, barely visible for a moment, but I saw it. “R
~Harlow’s Point of View~“Ouch,” I snap, as a female hits my fingers with a ruler. A damned ruler! What am I five and getting into the cookie jar?“Don’t you dare talk back. If you do that to daddy, you’ll pay dearly. He’ll make sure you can’t walk for a week. I’ve never seen him baby someone THIS much,” she huffs, practically in a hiss.I press my lips into a tight line as I feel Bunny kick. She’s given me so much strength, and I know everything I do for the rest of my days is for her. So I can’t be stupid here. Not until I know what I’m fully up against.And I’ll be DAMNED if I call that fat penguin freak daddy. Even for all his weird kinks, that's something I could never see Luke demanding. Ick!I’ll be further damned if I’m going to have my baby here. This house is gorgeous but it feels almost like a funeral home. I visited one once when I was briefly homed with a human family, and it was absolutely the creepiest place ever. A crypt outside with mummies would be less intimidating.