JASMINE We took more sips of our wine and Luke topped up our glasses some more. He spoke again. “Look, Jasmine, I know I made a huge mistake four years ago. I should never have started such a serious relationship. To be fair, at the time I didn’t think it would ever get this serious. For years we told ourselves that we would just break up with each other if we were mated to others.” “That’s not true! At least not for Lucy. All I ever heard from her was how much she loves you and how you’re meant to be together and that you’re going to be chosen mates.” He shook his head. I could sense a feeling of deep regret. “Lucy’s very resolute. When she puts her mind to something, she won’t stop until she gets it. Once I found out we weren’t mates, I tried to encourage her to consider us ending things, but she wouldn’t hear of it. I eventually gave in. I was in too deep to fight it anyway. It’s hard to justify ending something tangible for something theoretical.” I sipped my wine in understand
JASMINE Blake climbed into the driver’s seat. I looked over at him, watching his eyes scan my body. “Damn, you smell like a bar. How much booze did Luke give you?” he questioned as he started the car. “We shared three bottles of wine.” “It’s like he was trying to get you as drunk as possible so he could get in your pants.” “I don’t think so,” I groaned. “You sound like you were hoping he’d get in your pants.” “Mm,” I responded noncommittally. He pulled out of the packhouse lot and drove down the dark and quiet streets. “Are you sure you want to go home in that state? You’re really drunk right now and there’s no question that your parents will be able to smell it on you.” “Oh Goddess, my mom is going to claw me,” I moaned. “Claw you?” “She slapped me this morning because I told her I drank at the party lake last night. And she told me she’d use her claws next time. I am so screwed.” He burst out laughing. “You know, I did get an official complaint today that the lake wasn’t b
JASMINE On Monday, after temple, I was once again working the late shift at the café. Reena had opened, so she left as soon as I walked in at ten o’clock. Just Valerie and I were working together, which was a relief. After everything that happened this past weekend, I was not ready to face Lucy yet. “So, major hangover on Saturday?” Valerie eyed me suspiciously when I walked in. “Yeah, major. I was out all night celebrating my birthday on Friday night.” “If you were Lucy, I’d maybe believe you. But even Lucy’s never called out hungover before.” “There’s a first time for everything!” I shrugged. “Hmm, ok. I’m going to pretend to believe you since you’ve never called out before and you’re one of my best employees. But don’t let it happen again.” After doing some cleaning, I pulled out my textbook to get some reading in before the lunch rush. But I found that I had trouble concentrating, rereading the same words over and over again. After a while, I closed my textbook, giving up.
BLAKE Luke and I were in the packhouse office one morning, meeting with the pack accountant and office manager, when, suddenly, Luke and I received a mindlink from Mike, one of the high-ranking warriors on patrol. “Alpha, Beta, we found the scents of a stranger pack in the northern border. Could be a sign of casing since it’s not the scent of any neighboring packs.” I mindlinked Mike and Luke, “Thank you, Mike, we’ll be by your patrol station in an hour so we can discuss in more detail.” Being able to mindlink in human form was one surprisingly useful perk of being an alpha. “Ok, Alpha,” he replied. Luke looked at me. “Well, that sucks.” “Yes, yes it does,” I replied. We spent the next hour continuing our conversation about fund allocation. The accountant and office manager were both competent, having survived my father who would never have put up with anything less than, so the conversation didn’t take any longer than that. As soon as we were done, Luke and I headed outside and
JASMINE On Friday, I woke up feeling very hot and aroused. I knew that I had been having an erotic dream, but I couldn’t recall what it was about. I kicked the blankets off me, feeling the cool air on the sweat that was covering my body. I rubbed my thighs together, discovering an unbearable swelling between my legs and a strong desire to have something inside me. I looked at the time and saw it was ten o’clock. I had slept longer than usual, and my parents had already left for work. I opened my bedside drawer where the unopened shopping bag Blake had left for me lay. As I was about to reach for it, I saw a text come through. I reached for my phone instead. I was surprised to see it was from Luke. It read, 'I need to talk to you. Can I come see you now?' A warm shiver traveled up the entirety of my body at the thought. I couldn’t help imagining him in my bed, completely naked, his hands exploring every untouched part of me, his skin brushing against mine, gliding against me, relievi
LUKE I hopped in my car, desperate to get home and rub one out. The visit with Jasmine did not go as planned at all. I hadn’t intended to do any of the things we did. All I’d wanted was to explain how heat works to her, assuming she didn’t know, so she’d be prepared. After my talk with Blake, I became worried, knowing Jasmine had been raised so conservatively. I had assumed that everyone knew about heat, but something told me that Jasmine might not, at least not how it affected unmated men. And while I knew how it affected men, having sensed it before unwittingly, I, myself, hadn’t known what actually brought it on. Fuck, why did I allow things to escalate so much? After she grabbed me into a kiss, I surrendered, all my senses overwhelmed. I reprimanded myself—what was I thinking anyway, going to her house when she was in heat? Why had I thought it would go any other way? But I couldn’t lie to myself. She tasted absolutely delicious. Kissing her was even better than I imagined. I co
JASMINE The day after Luke came over, I could tell that my heat had eased. I no longer felt the same intense swelling between my legs. I still desired Luke, but it was not the same desperation I had felt the morning prior. It was dark outside when I woke. After I shut off my alarm, I lay in my bed with my eyes closed, reliving everything that had happened the day before, recalling Luke’s naked body and how he made me orgasm for the first time in my life. After imagining what it would be like to be with someone for so long, the actual encounter turned out better than my imagination. I reminisced about the feeling of Luke pressed against my body, his hands on my bare skin, and the sensation of sparks between my legs. My thighs were tingling in memory of the encounter—I could still feel his fingers inside me. He knew what he was doing. And then another thought came to my mind. After hearing Lucy talk about how good Luke was in bed, I could now confirm that she had not just been talking—
LUKE I was in the pack office with Blake, deep in discussion about training, when the mindlink from Jasmine came through. I knew I’d fucked up. But maybe I could fix things. I wasn’t sure how, but I would try. “Who were you mindlinking with?” Blake asked. “Jasmine,” I replied. “Sorry, man, I really have to go.” “What happened?” he asked. “She’s stuck in her wolf form. I have to find her a change of clothes so she can shift back.” “Why doesn’t she have her clothes?” he looked concerned. “She had a panic attack.” “Is she okay? Do you need my help?” “No, let me handle it,” I replied. I was becoming annoyed with his concern for my mate. I didn’t trust at all that he had good intentions with her either, especially after his comment at the temple service. Moreover, what was he doing discussing heat with her? I jumped into my car and drove to my sister Lauren’s house. Peyton had had her baby a couple days after the alpha ceremony, so I didn’t want to bother her, knowing she was preo
ALEXANDER Well, that was an interesting way to meet my mate, to say the least. It almost wasn’t surprising when it happened. Okay, it was very unexpected and shocking, but I’m also one of those people who attracts drama and crazy situations. Needless to say, it is never a dull day in my life, and I never run out of stories to tell at parties. So, it was almost expected that I wouldn’t meet my mate the normal way. Most people meet their mates at a party or a café, they lock eyes from across a room, they go to the same park one day. You get the picture—there are hundreds of normal ways to meet a mate. Of course, I’m the one that meets my mate at my father’s murder scene, my mate being the number one and only suspect. If it weren’t so disturbing, I’d laugh about it. The Moon Goddess clearly has a sick sense of humor. Granted, my father was not exactly in the running for father or, heck, person of the year. But I’m not quite sure what crime he committed that deserved murder. Okay, okay,
BLAKE One afternoon, well into September, a mindlink for Luke and me came in while we were in the office together. “I smell a rogue in my patrol area.” Jack’s voice said in our minds. Luke and I both looked up at each other and instantly got to our feet. “Be right there,” I mindlinked Jack back. We both rushed outside, quickly shifted into our wolf forms, and sprinted over. When we got to him, Jack led the group in tracking the scent, inhaling the unpleasant aroma that had clung to the dirt and ferns just outside our territory. Rogues usually weren’t a big problem. It was just a matter of making it clear to them that this was pack land and that they should move away from the area. Every once in a while, we’d encounter a problematic rogue, one that had spent so much time in its wolf form that it became feral and refused to shift, occasionally attacking us. Those rogues were dealt with differently. But hopefully, this would just be the standard, run-of-the-mill, confused rogue. We fo
TALIA Upon finally succeeding in taking every last penny from me, Madam Coco came through and handed me a box with four darts inside. I’d deliberated on it for a while but eventually concluded that the darts were a much more efficient tool for infiltration and worth the extra cost. I didn’t even bother thanking her or saying goodbye, relieved that I’d never have to smell the disgusting mix of old lady perfume and cigarettes, or hear her raspy smoker’s voice, again. A few days later, on a warm Thursday in mid-August, Hugo drove me to his pack. We stopped at the entrance and exited the car, then we were brought to a small room. The werewolves who escorted us there wrinkled their noses at the sight of me, and I realized it must be my rogue smell. I let out a deep sigh. When we were waiting alone, I asked Hugo, “Is the smell really that bad?” He rubbed the back of his neck and said, “No, they’re exaggerating. It’s just a little unpleasant.” I nodded and wondered if he was just being po
TALIA The following day, Madam Coco summoned me to her office. As soon as I entered, I was met with the familiar scent of old lady perfume and cigarettes, the smell now more nauseating than it ever had been in the past. I tried not to breathe it in too much, becoming enraged with each breath. I forced myself to stay calm, digging my nails into my palms, barely able to look at her. She was a tiny woman, petite and always sporing a tan—her skin taking on a leathery appearance from spending so much time in tanning beds over the years. I wasn't sure of her exact age. If I had to guess—I'd say late fifties or early sixties. She gestured to a chair in front of her desk, barely looking up at me, flipping her long, platinum blonde hair behind her shoulders as I entered. I took a seat. She casually played with thick rings on her fingers. She loved jewelry and was always draped in it. Bought using my mom’s body and desperation. After dragging the silence out for far too long, she said, “Tali
Thank you for reading Wolfbane. This now begins book 2 of the series, Wolfblood, which introduces some new characters and also continues Jasmine and Blake's story. Please note that this book is quite a bit darker than the first one, and contains some triggers, but I hope you will enjoy it anyway! Happy reading!*** TALIA Dead. Killed in cold blood. The only person in the world I loved was taken from me, her heart ripped from her chest, leaving a gaping hole behind. The red splatter staining the wall of the bedroom indicated it had subsequently been thrown as if it were nothing more than a rotten fruit. Even through the acrid smell of blood, I could still smell him. He was the one who did it. He came almost every week, sometimes several times a week, going back years. In fact, I could not recall a time when he did not exist in my consciousness. He had always been obsessed with my mother. Now his smell invaded her bedroom; he couldn’t have left long ago as his rancid stench lingered,
JASMINE After getting home Saturday morning, I rushed to take a shower and change into new clothes. I was extremely late for work, having completely forgotten about my shift that day. I checked my phone as soon as I walked through the door of my house to find frantic messages from Valerie. I was supposed to be there at seven thirty and I ended up walking in at eleven to come face-to-face with Lucy. “Looks like Perfect Jasmine finally decided to grace us with her presence,” Lucy taunted me as I walked past her to drop my stuff off in the back and throw on an apron. “Where have you been?” Valerie asked, coming over to me. “Sorry. Late night,” I replied. “Got stuck far away because of the blizzard.” “Far away?” Valerie raised her eyebrow at me. “Never mind, you can tell me later. We have a line of customers. Get to work.” I went up front, taking my place to prepare orders as they came in, trying my best to avoid interaction with Lucy. I noted that she now had a proper baby bump, ver
BLAKE It was an amazing night. We had round two and round three after the first round, barely sleeping. Then, the next morning, after we woke, we had round four. I was practically singing as I drove Jasmine home and dropped her at her parents' house. I snuck into the packhouse and quickly showered and got dressed. Then I made my way downstairs to the office where Luke was already at his desk, concentrated on his laptop. "What's up, what's up!" I said as I walked in, a big smile on my face. "You're in an oddly good mood this morning," Luke looked up at me. "Too much coffee. Maybe I should get some more," I said, getting up and heading to the kitchen. I quickly poured myself a mug. "Good morning, Connie!" I shouted, looking over at her preparing some food. "Good morning, Alpha," she looked at me oddly. "Would you like me to make you some breakfast?" "Yes, that would be great!" I smiled, taking my mug and heading back to
JASMINE After Blake paid and signed the check, he took my hand and led me to a bank of elevators. I was surprised we managed not to break into a run as we made our way to our destination. As soon as we stepped inside the empty elevator and the door shut behind us, his mouth crashed against mine, kissing me urgently, nibbling on my lip, taking my tongue into his mouth. His large hands slid down my back until they found and cupped my ass. He swallowed the needy whimper that escaped my lips and I jumped into his arms. My thighs instantly found his hips, and he easily supported me when I wrapped my legs around him. My back collided with the wall as he pressed his whole body against mine. We were both desperate to be as close to each other as possible. I lost myself in the kiss, aroused with anticipation, fireworks exploding behind my eyes. My thighs were burning, my panties so wet I was sure Blake could feel it through my dress as his erection throbbed against me. The apex of my inner th
JASMINE Blake’s scent entered my nose. I turned to see him sitting down next to me. “Hey,” he said. “Hey,” I replied, looking at him. “Nice speech.” “Thanks.” “Sorry again about your dad,” I said, feeling emotional, touching his leg. “Thanks.” He looked down at his hands. “I see you recovered finally.” “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to text you, but I got caught up in pack duty stuff. I had to visit all the families of the fallen warriors and meet with the priest. It’s honestly been a lot.” He sighed. We sat silently together for a bit and then he spoke again. “Do you want to do something tonight?” “Like what?” “Just hang out. I’ve missed you. I’d like to spend some time with you.” “You know how my parents are.” “One second,” he said, getting up and walking toward my parents. I stood up, shocked by him approaching them so suddenly. I watched as he shook my father’s hand and spoke with him. After about a minute, he returned. “You’re a free woman. Let’s go!” “What did you say to h