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• SEVENTEEN • The Wolf Ascends
Last Updated:
2025-04-04 23:50:56
Lorea AsheWhat do you think of the extreme differences between Daniel’s smooth shift and the flashback to Henry’s traumatic first one? Anybody else catch some feels about that one?
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Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • EIGHTEEN • Blood Moon Run
Donna hummed a wordless tune, which sounded like a well-practiced lullaby, as she kneeled over her grandson, and Henry's whimpers began to subside. Daniel gently fed his power into Henry this time, going at his pace to assist rather than insist. As Henry's little human body began to weaken in exhaustion, it allowed the wolf to come up smoothly until finally, a dark brown wolf, with lighter markings on its belly and inside legs, was now lying on its side, panting. It blinked a few times, then rolled up onto its feet and looked around in wonder.Henry's wolf wasn't a pup, but Daniel could identify it as a juvenile, a little smaller and lankier, with not as much muscle mass as the adult wolves. Daniel had never seen a werewolf so young, so he wasn't sure what to expect.Donna sat back in the dirt and put her face in her hands as she cried, not just for the rendering scene, but for the adrenaline that left her wrung out. Henry cautiously approached her and nuzzled her cheek with a small li
Last Updated : 2025-04-05Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • NINETEEN • Breaking the Pattern
Samantha received the box and looked at it as she shut the door. Richard Covington. She set it in his study while she cursed herself for not putting sunglasses on before she opened the door. The deliveryman's warning echoed in her ears.She knew he was right. She knew the pattern of abuse and how it escalated. At least when it happened to somebody else. Being in and living the situation makes it difficult to see. The chance for real change, from either party, was very slim once those patterns were established.She knew right now, she needed that change to keep from getting sucked into the vortex of misery. Her heart and body were bruised in ways she’d never felt before. If this wasn’t their breaking point, which it seemed to be with his continued absence and silence, then what would be? She pulled out her laptop and went back to the island in the kitchen. As she waited for it to boot up, she nervously chewed her bottom lip.Am I doing this? I know I should, I know I need to, but is thi
Last Updated : 2025-04-05Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TWENTY • Traitor
Tuesday morning, Samantha could see some improvement around her eye. The swelling had been gone for a couple of days now, and she noticed a slight lightening in the bruised area. She still felt like a recluse holed up away from the world in her own home, and she was beginning to run low on a few items.She thought about her dilemma and then opened up the website for the grocery store. It felt odd doing the shopping online, but not as difficult as going in person and being stared at with judgmental, or worse, sympathetic looks. She always spurned the idea of having someone else shop for her, but today, she was grateful.She loaded up her virtual cart and paid for everything. The store sent her a notification stating it would be ready by eleven. That gave her a couple of hours, so she took her time getting ready, trying to find a way to style her hair to minimize the appearance of the bruise.She picked up her groceries and gave the young man who loaded her up a cash tip in appreciation,
Last Updated : 2025-04-06Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TWENTY-ONE • Give an Inch, Lose a Mile
She knew she shouldn't give him an inch, but she also knew she couldn't legally, or physically, force him to leave. A small part of her was relieved at not having to fight it."I wanted to let you know I took a few days from work," he told her. "The new company, their guys came back yesterday, so they can do without me for a little while." Samantha nodded. This all started because she wanted him home. Now he was home, and she didn't know how to feel about it."There's going to be a few changes, Richard," she said sternly. "To begin with, I've moved all of your things down to the guest room." His face darkened as he began to protest, but he knew it was too soon, so he accepted the arrangement peacefully."Okay, if that's what you need," he assented. "Anything else?""I don't know, yet," she said testily. "I just need some space, okay?"Richard left the kitchen and took in the state of the guest room, now his room. The sight frustrated him, and he was irritated at being ‘moved’ down here
Last Updated : 2025-04-06Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TWENTY-TWO • In the Wrong Bed
Samantha slowly woke to a peace and comfort she hadn’t felt in a long time and smiled slightly as she snuggled back into the warmth surrounding her. When she opened her eyes and realized she was looking at the guest room bedroom curtains, she tried to sit up in alarm, but felt that warmth behind her tighten, not allowing her to move.She pushed back and turned, seeing Richard lying in bed next to her with his bare chest and arm over the blanket. Her sudden movement roused him from his slumber, and he looked at her in confusion.“Are you okay?” he asked sincerely.Samanatha’s heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to recap what happened last night. The pizza and the movie came back to her, and she vaguely remembered rolling into his open arms. It was like her heart was breaking all over again as she felt his warmth and tenderness envelope her after having it withheld for so long. She slipped out of bed.“Babe, where are you going?” Richard asked again as he sat up. “Are you okay?
Last Updated : 2025-04-07Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TWENTY-THREE • Beneath the Waterfall
Richard left Samantha in the car while he stepped into her favorite patisserie. She became excited because this place had the best donuts and bagels in town. He came back out with a cinnamon chai latte for her, a black coffee for him, and a small bag of chocolate-filled beignets. “Oh my gosh!” Samantha almost squealed in delight. “I’d forgotten it was beignet season!” The patisserie served a variety of cultural foods throughout the year, and in celebration of Mardi Gras and Lent, they served beignets.“Yeah, people at the office were talking about them a few weeks ago. I meant to get you some sooner, but it slipped my mind,” Richard said, watching her savor the aroma of fried dough, chocolate, and powdered sugar.Samantha’s eyes shone with excitement, anxious to get home and dig into the bag. But, instead of heading home, Richard took the car onto the highway and headed south.“Where are we going?” Samantha asked, a flicker of apprehension in her eyes. She hadn’t agreed to anything ot
Last Updated : 2025-04-07Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • AUTHOR'S INTERMISSION • Self Care
Before we go further with the story, I just want to check in and reiterate the sensitive and triggering content in the book. We've seen the shocking moment of the physical and verbal abuse in Chapter One and we're exploring the effects of trauma and manipulation and Samantha's courage to try to heal while still staying true to her empathic nature. The story of Richard and Smantha, while fictional characters and settings, the themes are very real. Some of these chapters have been difficult, yet therapeutic, to write and I hope for those of you who have experienced situations that echo Samantha's can also move forward in healing. The shame and guilt is not your own and no matter the isolation you feel, you're never truly alone. Someone, whether strangers, friends or acquaintances, or like minded people on message boards, genuinely care.This story wasn't created to exploit the tragedy of these relationships, but to inform and empower, that it's okay to not get it right the first time, a
Last Updated : 2025-04-08Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • • TWENTY-FOUR • It Wasn't Love <Mature Content>
On their way home, they stopped at a small roadside cafe popular with bikers and sightseers for lunch. Richard arranged for seating outside without being asked, and Samantha could leave her sunglasses on. She was tired of hiding behind them and couldn’t wait for the day she wouldn’t have to.She held more than a little resentment towards Richard because of it, but shut down those thoughts before they festered, trying not to let acrimony taint the enjoyable morning they’d had together. She couldn’t call it peaceful, because inside, she was anything but, yet she could still enjoy the pleasantness between them.They ordered artisanal sandwiches with local meats; hers was a lightly fried trout, and his was thick-sliced, farm-raised bacon, with mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, and potato salad. She made a mental note to come back here again. “Anywhere else you would like to go today?” he asked once they settled back in the car.“No, not that I can think of,” Samantha said gently. “This was
Last Updated : 2025-04-08
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Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Six
A giddy feeling welled up in Samantha. Daniel texted her back. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face when she read his last text.Goodnight, Samantha.He was appreciative of the meal she bought. And he asked if she got home safely. Richard didn’t even care if she was gone, as long as she was here when he was.She felt better for setting an appointment to discuss security options for her home. But it also meant he was going to need to come by to figure out what she needed.She wasn’t ready for that yet, hence why she set a meetup for Tuesday. She inherently knew she could trust him. He had already proven that her safety was a priority for him, whether it stemmed from his profession or because he cared about her, she didn’t know.
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Five
When they returned to the hotel, it was pushing nine. Thomas retreated immediately, grumbling about being up before everyone else this morning.Thomas is getting a little cranky, Daniel thought aimlessly. He poured himself an Irish whiskey.His wolf is cranky, Daniel’s wolf commented. All of their wolves are getting restless.I’ll take everyone up for a run at Blue Ridge on Saturday, Daniel promised. Why aren’t you cranky, then? Daniel heard a coughing chuckle from his wolf at the question.
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Four
Samantha returned home and retreated to her bedroom. She still wasn’t ready to be in the living room, and she didn’t want to be downstairs when, or if, Richard came home tonight.It was ironic that just a few short weeks ago, his absence upset her, and now, the thought of his presence was almost too much to bear.She ran a hot bath. It was still early in the day, but she hoped the heat and some essential oils would relieve the knots of tension embedded in her back and shoulders, and she thought about her meeting with Mandy. It didn’t go how she expected.What did you expect? The silent, sarcastic voice mocked her. She didn’t have an answer to that. She just knew now that she had some big decisions to make.Mandy laid out a few options. Talk to a psychiatrist. File a restraining order. Petition for Divorce from Bed and Board. All of it was so detailed and were huge steps. It felt like overreacting. He had already left and had a chance to calm down. That moment last night was on both of
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Three
Richard couldn’t pinpoint when his fascination with Mari began. Once she began dating Nate, she became a natural addition to their friendship dynamic.He does remember their first night, though, when they crossed that line of friendship into… whatever this was. It wasn’t love. Neither one of them was going to leave their marriages. But it was fun, raw, and dirty, and the taboo of it all appealed to their mutual need for adrenaline and danger.He got her a job in the marketing department with his brother around three years ago. She excelled very quickly and had a great eye for detail. Almost two years ago now, she was working late on a project he was overseeing. Once she had his final approval on it, they went out for drinks afterwards to celebrate.After the long night and the glowing feeling of s
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-Two
Edward could see where Daniel was going with the proposed changes, but he had to admit, in his situation, he would have pushed for the same thing. He knew Richard wasn’t going to take it well, but he did what he could to make sure Richard didn’t lose his stake in the company completely out of his own idiocy.He called him on the way home, the first time going to voicemail, so he called a second time. Richard answered the phone in irritation.“Uncle Eddie, what do you need?” He asked.“It’s not what I need, it’s what you wanted,” Edward snapped. “You asked me to do you a favor, and I’m doing that favor.”“Can this wait until tomorrow?” Richard asked, sounding repentant but distracted.
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty-One
“We have a few things to discuss, I was hoping to inform the other shareholders of, and we will need a vote on some changes.“First of all, we’re announcing that Lucas Dunn, our COO, is now a twenty-percent shareholder. That leaves me, and Clearfork Securities at an even fifty,” Daniel explained.Daniel noticed as Edward nodded his head, and then he continued.“You’ll find the breakdown and relevant transference information on page one of your folder. The more important matter, however, is to generate the new bylaws and shareholder agreements to accommodate the acquisition. I was hoping your nephew would be present to weigh in on this, but since he is not, we’ll proceed without him.”
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Fifty
“Tell me you have some good news, Thomas,” Daniel said, looking over his CFO. “What have you found?”“Honestly, nothing yet,” Thomas shook his head. “Sorry, but I can’t seem to make any connection to either Merrick or Roble.”“How are we on background checks?” Daniel asked.“They’re starting to trickle in, but so far, the worst I’ve seen is an open container violation.”Daniel’s jaw ticked. He felt the pressure of time bearing down, making him restless.Thomas is a good hunter, his wolf said out of nowhere. Daniel drew his eyebrows down. It was right. Thomas was a good hunter. He was always patient and thorough. Sometimes his style reminded Daniel of a cat.He could crouch motionless for hours if he needed to. He could wait there, taking everything in. He’ll find something eventually.Daniel opened his mouth to speak when the men heard two sets of footsteps approaching. Daniel raised an eyebrow and looked at the others. Their expressions mirrored his.Paige knocked on the door a little
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Forty-Nine
Paige walked calmly to her desk, which was set up directly in front of Lucas’s office. She opened her top drawer and reviewed its contents - a couple of loose paperclips, pens, and a used notepad.A man in light gray slacks and a cream shirt with his sleeves rolled up approached her as she took out the pen and notepad.“Good afternoon,” he smiled. He had light brown eyes with flecks of green. They were just a shade too dark to be considered hazel. She sat up straighter.“Good afternoon,” she returned, keeping her face in a professional mask.“I was wondering if Mr. Dunn was in his office?” he asked.“He’s not,” Paige replied. “He is preparing for a meeting toni
Worthless No More • Alpha's Treasure • Chapter Forty-Eight
Daniel let the events of the morning wash over him, and let the stress and sweat disappear down the drain just like his shampoo and soap.Instead, he focused on his incredible luck at running into her today. Samantha. He had a name to the face. It made her more real, more concrete. Instead of being plagued by visions of an ethereal beauty with haunted eyes, he now had memories of her voice, emotions, mannerisms, and the feel of her hand in his.He waited for her inconspicuously. Since they’d come from the park, he didn’t know where she’d left her car. When she left the lawyer’s, he didn’t see the confident square of her shoulders indicating someone was taking back the power to reclaim their life. He saw worry and hesitant insecurity, causing him to worry.Which caused him to worry.
