GINGER That Friday, I received a text from Lucy to remind me of the plans she had to go to the nightclub. I quickly responded and agreed to go, sighing as I fell into my bed. Barely a minute after I relaxed, Paige stumbled into my room, closing the door behind her. "Gigi, I need your help," she cried out, collapsing onto the floor next to my bed. I got up quickly. "What happened? Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine, but…" her voice trailed. "What is it?" I asked, getting down on the floor next to her. "I think I'm in heat!" "Oh!" I exclaimed. "What does it feel like?" "Oh, Goddess, this is so embarrassing." She turned bright red. "But I'm so…" She lowered her voice until she was whispering. "Horny." I doubled over in laughter. "Where's Dylan?" "He's working until two. Goddess, I'm dying!" "And how did you want me to help?" I snickered. "I hope you weren't expecting me to take care of you on Dylan's behalf." She burst out laughing. "Holy Artemis, no! What the hell is wrong with y
GINGER "I'm so glad you made it!" Lucy shrieked as she pulled me against her in an embrace. When she pulled away, she looked me up and down and said, "Damn, you look hot, Gigi! If I weren't straight, I'd fuck you!" She stared down at my boobs "Can I feel them?" "Sure," I replied. I was actually kind of used to it. For some reason, women loved touching my boobs. I mean, they were kind of just out there. She poked two fingers into the top of them, the skin jiggling in response. "They're so squishy." I laughed at her reaction. She took my arm and pulled me toward the living room of the packhouse where a bunch of people were already pre-gaming. "Here, have a White Claw," she said, pulling a can out of a bucket filled with ice. I took it from her as some girls made room for me on the couch. As Lucy walked away to go who knows where another girl sitting on the couch next to me grabbed my attention. "Hi, I'm Erin. Nice to meet you." She put her hand out to me. "Hey, Gigi," I replied. I
GINGER I was waiting for some of the crowd to clear when I felt a presence behind me, and someone's hands slid down the sides of my torso to my hips, a shiver traveling up my spine in response. I turned around and was about to berate whoever decided to just grab me without asking first when I came face to face with Tyce, my heart skipping a beat in reaction. So, maybe he had forgiven me? Goddess, he looked good, especially with my buzz taking control of my hormones, my whole body relaxed and aroused, my inhibitions lowered. Before I could stop myself, I turned back around and ground my ass against his pelvis. He instantly fell into sync with my dance moves, but it somehow seemed more intimate than it ever had with previous dance partners. His body heat surrounded mine, his fingers grazed my thighs, hips, ass. Soon his hands were against the hem of my skirt, his fingers gripping the skin of my thighs, and his palms gliding against the fabric of my dress. I was practically moaning wit
TYSON Oof—I clutched at my stomach. This fucking girl! Goddess, she was so infuriating! She pissed me the fuck off! And yet… I might have been in love? No, I did not just think that. I definitely did not just think that. There was no fucking way I was in love with the most infuriating bitch I'd ever met. But, Goddess be damned, I'd be lying if I said that wasn't some of the hottest sex I'd ever had—if I said I didn't want to do it all over again. Was it possible to be addicted to a pussy? Everything about her was perfect. Okay, most of the time she really pissed me the fuck off. But then there were times that I saw a different side of her—a less prickly side. And, Goddess, her body, the way she smelled, the way she screamed my name, her amazingly gorgeous tits, her big, round ass, her tight little, wet pussy. I sighed to myself and got up off the floor, peeling off the condom that contained the evidence of what we'd just done. I found a paper towel roll in a cabinet under the c
GINGERThe next morning, I woke at noon to Paige bouncing on my bed, my head throbbing and my throat dry. Goddess, why did I do that again? Why did I overdo my drinking again when I promised myself not to? "Wakey, wakey!" she sang out."Goddess, can't you leave me alone?" I groaned."Did you forget we volunteered for the temple bake sale today? Those blondies aren't going to bake themselves. Heidi's already on her way to help."I groaned again."So, come on, how was last night? I've been dying to find out how it went and what you think of Lucy." She giggled.At the mention of the prior night, all my memories came rushing back to me of Tyce's fingers inside me, pushing me against the wall, fucking me on the floor, his vampire teeth, all the shots I took with Lucy and her friends, and Tyce driving me home. "Fuck!" I cried out."What?" Paige stared at me."Oh Goddess, oh Goddess, oh Goddess.""What?" Paige asked again."Fuck, fuck, fuck.""Oh my Goddess, Gigi, are you going to tell me or
GINGER Curiosity getting the better of me (and, okay, desperation for a ride), I agreed to meet Tyce after the service, telling my parents I'd meet them at home. I waited until my family left and most of the congregation dispersed as well, many sticking around later than usual to buy some baked goods. Once I made my way outside, I spotted Tyce sitting down on a bench. He stood as I approached. "Hey, I made it." I gave Tyce a small, closed-mouth smile. "Thanks for making it." He smiled widely in return, seeming genuinely happy to see me. "You wanted to talk?" He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I'd like to start over." "Start over?" I repeated, not sure what he meant, and definitely not what I'd been expecting him to say. "I'd like to get to know you, Gigi." "Why?" I eyed him suspiciously. "I don’t know. You seem cool." "What!" I doubled over in laughter. "All you do is make digs at me all the time. What was that you said last night? That you think I've had a train run
TYSON On Wednesday, I filled in for some trainers in the morning, followed by a run of the pack. I had to keep shifting back and forth between my forms since I wasn't able to mindlink with Blake's pack members, which got exhausting after a while. By lunchtime, I was more than relieved. As I entered the packhouse and made my way to the kitchen, I wiped some sweat from my forehead and let out a deep breath. I was pleased to see that Connie had left out my favorite for lunch—Texas beef chili. I quickly reheated it in the microwave and took a seat at the kitchen table, bringing over a bottle of hot sauce and pulling out my phone so I could look through my calendar. I smiled to myself as I noted my evening was empty of obligations and I'd finally have a chance to relax. I'd never worked so hard as an alpha before. Partially because of what I told Gigi—my whole family helped with running the pack, so it wasn't quite as much work. What I hadn't told Gigi, though, was that it was also beca
TYSON The next day, Blake rounded up his troops and we headed up north. We bused the chosen warriors and came up with a cover story that they were part of an intramural sports team that was going to compete in Quebec, just in case any questions got asked at the border. Blake and I took his car and rode together. Before I left, I got in touch with my brother to keep tabs on how he was doing with arranging a chartered flight with as many of our warriors as we could fit. While I told my brother not to worry about coming, he couldn’t help himself and jumped on the same flight with all of them. I smiled—my brother was a good guy, and I knew he'd always have my back. Although, I'd probably try to keep him in charge of the logistics rather than fighting on the front lines. He'd never been trained as well as I had. "Tyce, I really appreciate all your help, both this time around and when Jasmine was kidnapped. If your pack ever needs a favor, I'll have a flight chartered from the east coast
THERESA The excitement in the air was palpable. The whole pack had gathered on the airplane runway. This was the one part of the pack that was consistently plowed so that we’d continue to receive food and supplies throughout the harsh winters after we gave up on plowing everything else, especially the roads that lead to the main highway. It was how I was able to get back and forth from school during the holidays. Full moon runs were a long-time tradition of our pack’s and one of my favorite celebrations during the long, cold, sunless winters. Even when seasonal depression tried to sink its way into my bones and pull my spirit away, these runs tended to give me the adrenaline I needed to keep going. There was something magical about an entire community coming together to expel all their energy in the wilderness, and then subsequently feast together on the kill we’d contributed to the celebration. My heart was full of gratitude in knowing that no matter how tough things got, this pac
TYSON‘Twas several nights after the winter solstice (and one night after Christmas) when all through the packhouse, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. And thank the Goddess for that, because we weren’t really big fans of mice around here. At least I wasn’t. Although, I had come to warm up to rats… well, some very specific pet rats. Other than that, still wasn’t a big fan.But you know what I was a fan of? T&A, especially when that T&A was attached to my perfect, voluptuous, thick AF fiancée and mate. My mate that was very conspicuously missing from my bed. I had gotten used to having her warm body next to mine every night, and every inch of my skin was practically tingling with the loss of her. Because her family was very religious, it had been decided that we would stay in separate housing situations during the duration of our trip to her old pack. She at her parents’ home, and I at the packhouse of my ally, the Midnight Maple Pack.I knew she planned to go back to school
GINGER“Okay, I really thought the people out tonight wouldn’t be so… old,” Lucy said.I sighed but figured I should just make the best of it. Maybe once I got back to Alaska I could meet some friends that knew how to party for real. Not that there were many places to go out in the middle of nowhere where I lived. And it was so strictly conservative too. More so than the pack I’d grown up in, which was saying something.“Here, take these!” Lucy handed Paige and me fake IDs that, as usual, looked nothing like us. She then draped about a pound of penis necklaces on everyone.We all marched in, and everyone’s eyes instantly went to us. Lucy made a beeline for the bar and started ordering us drinks before anyone could protest. I followed her, excited to get my drink on. The bar was playing my favorite Mariah Carey Christmas song, and I was ready to start dancing.After we all had our drinks in hand, an older man with a grey beard asked, “What is this all about? A birthday?”I blinked a few
GINGERMy twin sister Paige finished twisting the last bit of my hair around her curling wand and sprayed it down with hairspray. "I miss this." She let out a deep sigh, sitting back on her heels, her body collapsing a bit. We had gathered on the floor of her bedroom while getting ready for the evening—the bedroom that wouldn’t be hers much longer. She would be the last to flee the coop, leaving our parents to an empty nest—something our mother couldn’t stop being melodramatic about. Her wedding was in a matter of days, which was the reason I had flown back to Vermont with my mate Tyce."It's not that much different from when I was in school," I replied, my stomach squeezing a bit, but needing to put a positive spin on our situation."Yeah, but you were at least home for the entire summer then. Now I'll probably only see you a week a year or something like that."Nonchalantly, I blurted, "Maybe the family can move to Alaska." At first, I meant it as an offhand remark that I knew wasn’t
NIKOLAI"Za zdarovye," Sasha and I toasted each other, and I took a gulp of the vodka. After piling our kill in a shed the pack had for exactly that, he invited me over to the beta wing of the packhouse to throw back a few."Not bad, eh?" he asked."Not bad," I replied.He gave my shoulder a shake. "Hey, Volkov, loosen up. Life's getting better. We're free now."I grunted.Sasha was my good friend going back to when we were pups. People had always remarked we could pass for brothers. They clearly lacked keen eyes. Sure, we both sported thick blond hair and tall frames—although I had at least a good ten centimeters on him—our facial shapes were much different. His was more rotund, and his cheeks constantly reddened with emotion.My features were far sharper, and hardened, and had become even more so in the past year. At times, I looked in the mirror, and I saw my late father staring back at me. His ghost haunted me from the beyond, shaping my features to mimic the forehead furrows, life
NIKOLAIForty. That's how many pack members were left in Severnaya Zvezda Pack, including me. A nice, even forty. Our pack had never been particularly large. As opposed to some packs in Russia and other post-Soviet states, where numbers could climb to ten thousand, ours had always maintained a balance of around a thousand. Now only scraps remained of what we had been.After months of coordinating with my late beta’s aunt, Julia Tikaani (née Yulia Vovchenko), we had finally arrived at her pack. When we first fled our war-torn home, we traveled in our wolf forms, carrying only what we could carry as we crossed into Moldova. From there, it took nearly three days by air to reach Alaska.We had left just about everything behind, and a sliver of hope remained.As generous as Luna Yulia’s invitation was, we couldn’t depend on her hospitality forever. Our pack needed stability—a place to truly call home. With my newly elected beta, Sasha, at my side—a man as ruthless in battle as I was—I set o
Author's Note: Several characters in this book are native Russian speakers. To avoid repetitive clarifications throughout the text, assume the following:If a conversation takes place between characters who are native Russian speakers, they are speaking in Russian unless otherwise stated.If a conversation includes one or more native English speakers, it is in English unless otherwise indicated.This approach allows for a more seamless reading experience while maintaining linguistic authenticity.***THERESAHalf-full. Between the two options, that’s the perspective I preferred. It’s not that bad things never happened—I was only mortal after all. But attitude was everything. And a good attitude was particularly important at that very moment as the crushing weight of a sandbag dug into my shoulders, snow crunched under my winter hiking boots, and wind cut at the exposed sliver of skin between my gaiter and hat. I climbed, each step more precarious than the last on the icy slope."Faster
TRIGGER WARNING: This final scene contains torture and is not recommended to the squeamish. It is not necessary to the plot of the book and was only added to give readers some satisfaction with tying up some loose ends. --- TYSON I picked up my ringing phone. "Sara caught the culprits," Trav said, not even bothering to say hello. "Damn," I replied. "She's already tortured them, but offered to let you finish them off. You know, for pack alliance reasons." "I have a feeling that allowing someone else to do the final deed is a gift of generosity in her eyes." I chuckled to myself. Trav's mate was something else. But I'd be damned if I didn't want to watch the motherfuckers that killed my grandfather take their final breaths. Before I hung up, I asked, "Can I bring Dad?" "Obviously that's still a bit of a touchy subject but…" his voice trailed. "But you know that Dad, more than anyone, would want to be the one that does it." I finished his sentence for him. Trav let out a breath.
*Three weeks later* GINGER "Goddess, it's been such a long week!" I flopped onto the bed after showering and throwing on some sweats on a Saturday night in late October. "Your alpha schedule is no joke," I griped to Tyce. "I'm ready to go to bed now." "Do you think you could stay awake for a little bit longer?" He came over and sat on the bed. "Because I have a surprise that just came today." "A surprise? Have I been so busy that I didn't even realize it's my birthday already?" I joked. "It's a 'just because' kind of surprise." "Goddess, stop, Tyce. I can't do all this sweetness. I need a dentist! I think I'm getting cavities." "Okay, the surprise isn't really for you. It's for Splinter anyway. Are you ready for me to bring it in?" "Well, if it's not for me, you should ask Splinter," I teased. "Splinter already said he's ready." "Okay, rat whisperer." Tyce gave me a cute little smile that made my stomach flip-flop. Fuck, why did he affect me so much? Even though we'd now bee