“You remembered your swimsuit, right?” Levi asked as he turned on the small side-street leading to the cabin.
Doriane nodded eagerly. “Yes.”
“Good. We don’t have much time before dinner, but I can show you the lake and the canoe if you want.”
Doriane tugged at the shorts resting just above mid-thigh and tried to stretch them further down to cover more of her scarred skin. The swimsuit covered her stomach and her shorts covered more of her legs than the clothing she had been forced to wear in the past, but she still felt like she had much too little clothes on. She would hate the revealing clothing she was forced to wear at Oliver’s. When she lived with her parents, they didn’t give her anything nice, but she was at least allowed to wear clothes that covered her. With the revealing clothes, her scars were painfully obvious. She hated looking at the puckered skin that ruined the body. She felt incredibly exposed and vulnerable with the marks on display. Levi’s bright smile appeared before her. His bare feet carried him on the sand as he made his way over to Doriane’s chair. He approached her, his eyes sticking to hers, and he stretched his hand out. She felt her pulse quicken, this time in anticipation. She had noticed t
Levi tightened his arms around Doriane as if she would disappear. He wanted this moment to last forever. He wanted to always cherish the feel of her against him, unafraid and willing. He wanted to brand the way her lips felt against his in his mind forever. His lips fell against hers once more, unable to withstand the temptation. They were soft and unsure as if testing him once again. Levi knew he got carried away last time and held himself back to keep their kiss gentle and chaste. Doriane responded to him and pressed against him again as if wanting more. The familiar incorrigible wildness rose in him again, his wolf pushing to take over their moment. He had to stop now before he couldn’t. Reluctantly, Levi released her lips and took a small step back. He held her motionless between his arms and took some deep breaths, reeling back in his beast who wanted to go much farther than she was ready for. “Levi?” Doriane’s voice was uneasy and confused. Goodness, she must be thinking h
She didn’t think she could ever get over it. Levi was once again washing dishes after the meal he prepared for both of them. She insisted on at least doing the dishes this time. He had cooked again, after all. But he had only taken their plates and placed a small, heart-stopping kiss to her forehead before cleaning at the sink. She instead stared at him, unashamed at her blatant staring. Since Levi had marked her, she has felt unnaturally drawn to him. She was getting very comfortable before, but now she felt she could barely move anywhere without the overwhelming desire to know where he was. It both terrified and enthralled her. She smiled at the memory of his marking. To say she was surprised the moment was so comfortable and mind-blowing was an understatement. She had never felt so comfortable and light in her life. It had felt beyond amazing. If she could sum up pure bliss in one moment, that would be it. His canines were sharp at first and easily glided through her skin l
Levi couldn’t keep the content smile that covered his face at the sight of his mate sleeping soundly in his arms. That was definitely the best night sleep he’s had since finding Doriane. And he knew it was all because she allowed him to hold her all night. This was turning out to be the best week of his life. He looked down at the mark that connected her shoulder and neck, feeling a sense of pride bloom in his chest. Not for himself, but for his mate. She had been fighting a lot of demons to be comfortable enough to allow him to mark her. And Levi felt surprised by her decision. He still couldn’t believe the progress they’ve made together yesterday. Levi carefully removed his arms from around her and slipped his legs out from under hers. She stirred slightly at his movements, but seemed to remain asleep. He slipped the covers off and swung his legs off the side of the bed, reaching for his phone. Levi’s heart stuttered when he saw he had fourteen missed calls. They were all fr
Levi felt determined as he and Landon directed their course of action. They had found and confirmed where Oliver was staying. The large house was bought by Peter Arroyo and given to him. It isn’t far from the gas station Laurence found Doriane at, so that made their plan even more believable. He briefed Ronan about their attack and heard Ronan’s confirmation before saying he would alert the fighters they needed. Levi had never been more grateful to have a loyal pack. Levi ran out of his office and straight to his living room to alert his father before he was planning on spending a few minutes reassuring Doriane of what was going to happen."We’re leaving in ten minutes. Be ready," Levi told his father, barely poking his head in the doorway before turning back to the hallway. He had a mate to see before he left."Levi, wait." Levi reversed his steps and poked his head back in the door. His father was resting on a sofa, his phone clutched in his hands and his eyes glued to his son.
“I want her out ASAP and I want her safe, is that clear?” Levi shouted through the speaker of his phone, talking to his other pack members who were racing with him to Oliver’s address. Levi heard the determination in his pack as they positively responded. Even Doctor Ackerman was quick to respond. “Is there a ‘plan B’ if this raid doesn’t work?” The rev of Laurence’s truck in the background was a confirmation he was racing to meet them at Oliver’s at the same time. Laurence called back shortly after Levi’s explanation to Landon from his business meeting. Despite being an hour away, his determination put him a little further behind than the others. Regardless of the time and distance, Laurence promised to meet them there on time.Levi bet Laurence seriously underestimated how fast Landon was driving there, but let him believe it anyway. “It’s going to work,” Levi stated confidently. “We have confirmation that this is Oliver’s place and this is where she is. Do whatever you have to d
Fear and confusion spiked through Doriane when she woke again. Tight plastic bands of zip-ties held her firmly in a chair, restraining all four limbs. She didn’t recognize the room she was in now. It looked like a dark, empty bedroom. Just four walls and a door to her left. It made Doriane feel uncomfortable. The single door banged open. “Ah, Doriane,” Oliver shouted. “You’re back. How sweet.” Doriane gulped at the sound of his voice. Just his voice had memories threatening to overtake her and fear ran through her veins. “It’s good to know you missed me. It’s a good thing Lincoln is such a good friend and was able to bring you back once he realized you belonged to me.” Doriane remembered the two men coming into her room. When she refused to go with them, they dragged her unwillingly out the back door and threw her in the car. After that, she couldn’t remember anything. Next thing she knows, she’s waking up, tied in a room. Oliver closed the distance between them quickly and g
Levi saw his cabin in the distance again and shifted back, retracting from his wolf body. His limbs felt thoroughly exhausted and his shaking legs carried him to the entrance of his house. It felt good to run his animal raw. Although fear and uncertainty still coursed through his veins, he felt a little more in control with his wolf so exhausted.
Thank you so much for reading "Worth Fighting For"! Doriane's and Levi's story continues on, but the focus shifts from Doriane and Levi's relationship to Landon and Brooklyn's relationship. Here is a little preview for those of you wanting more!Almost ten years ago, Landon watched his mate be killed right before his eyes. It changed him. After being hard and controlling for years, he has finally learned how to deal with the fact that she was gone. Forever. That is until he goes undercover into Washington. Peter and Oliver Arroyo have a connection to their dad's business in Washington and after they almost killed Doriane and Levi, Landon wants revenge.Brooklyn Eversteen almost died ten years ago. She vividly remembers the beckoning golden eyes that saved her, but she never saw him again. While she barely escaped with her life, her mother was not so lucky and she was instantly swamped with de
Doriane couldn't hold back the smile that crawled on her face at the sight of their home. The small cabin looked just like she last saw it. The large windows overlooked the living room, but this time the curtains were drawn, blocking the inside from view.It felt good to be back.“Stay here,” Levi commanded as he jumped out of the truck.
The persistent beeping seemed to coax Doriane from her sleep. She felt something heavy on her lap, but could also tell she was covered with more than one blanket. She wasn’t sure where she was, but it sure was loud. The beeping continued and Doriane’s eyes fluttered open. The li
“Levi!” Laurence’s frantic voice carried through the night, alerting Levi of his hustled presence. Landon thanked the EMT’s working on Levi’s burns as Laurence sprinted to them, clearly out of breath. “They found her. They found Doriane.”
Levi felt his heart was going to pop out of his chest.He gripped his mate with all the strength he had, which was admittedly not much. His back was blistering with pain as he felt the after-effect of the blast on his body. He was grateful his wolf was focused on healing him, but it would take at least an hour for the pain to start to subside. Instead, Levi turned his attention to his mate. D
Loud shouts and banging downstairs knocked Doriane out of her silent panic. She could hear loud voices under her feet yelling at each other as the floorboards vibrated from the ruckus. Doriane closed her eyes and silently wished
Levi jumped out of the truck before Landon even had the vehicle in park. He quickly rounded to the bed of the truck and lifted the bottom, seeing the guns laying underneath.The brothers grew up in the woods, doing anything and everything you could learn to love in the great outdoors.
“Get up,” one of the guards demanded, barging into the room. Doriane jumped as his boisterous announcement caused fear to spike through her. She hadn’t seen her usual guards, Patrick and Anthony, and wondered why Oliver was using different men now. She sat straight in her chair as he came closer, his hand enclosing around her upper arm. She grimaced as he forgot about her zip ties and yanked her flesh hard against the plastic res
Levi saw his cabin in the distance again and shifted back, retracting from his wolf body. His limbs felt thoroughly exhausted and his shaking legs carried him to the entrance of his house. It felt good to run his animal raw. Although fear and uncertainty still coursed through his veins, he felt a little more in control with his wolf so exhausted.