The gleaming black sports car pulled into the pack house's driveway, and Kasia's heart raced. She had not looked at Ethan since they left the city, which concerned Ethan. The prolonged contact soothed him, but this was unlike her. Ethan glanced at Kasia, her eyes wide with fear and confusion as she clung to the hand he held in hers. The adrenaline rush from their accident faded away, leaving her shaken and drained. He saved her life; there was no denying that. Something had snapped in her, and because of that, Kasia didn't want to leave his side. Ethan released his seatbelt, but Kasia didn't let go of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure her. His voice was low and soothing. "We need to go inside. You have to let go now." Kasia didn't respond; her mind was still stuck on the events that had unfolded and the danger she'd faced. She held onto his hand tighter, unable or unwilling to move away from him. "If you don't let go, I am going to think you like me after all."
Kasia wandered through the outskirts of the pack territory, her boots crunching on the gravel pathway. She shivered against the chill of the early morning air, drawing her jacket tighter around her. She had locked herself away after seeing the bruise on her neck from Ethan's love nip. After two days of locking herself away from embarrassment, Kasia snuck out of the pack house in the early hours of the morning before anyone was stirring. She couldn't sleep, waking up from another fevered dream of what could have happened if she stayed in the car. "I can't believe I kissed him. What the hell is wrong with me?" Kasia muttered to herself as she kicked a rock out of her way. Kasia's stomach churned with unease. Ever since Ethan saved her from that deadly fall at the amusement park, her mind has been in turmoil. She still didn't understand why he had caught her and prevented her death. Kasia didn't understand why she responded the way she did when she accidentally kissed him. It was
Upon entering the tea room, Kasia's eyes immediately locked on two unfamiliar women. Annoyance flared within her when she also spotted Miraya and Aimee seated with them. A pointed glare at Janet went unnoticed as she introduced the newcomers. "Kasia, meet Meranda and Deanna," Janet said. "Meranda is the mate of Alpha's Beta, and Deanna is the mate of Alpha's Delta." "It is a pleasure to meet you both," Kasia greeted them while ignoring Aimee and Miraya. Deanna, with honey-colored skin, exuded a relaxed demeanor. She had full lips, sharp cheekbones, and tightly curled chestnut hair, but a scar that ran from the bridge of her nose to her chin marred her appearance. Curiosity flickered in her chocolate-brown eyes, hinting at a keen interest in Kasia. Toned arms and wide shoulders revealed that she was trained in hand-to-hand combat, a fact not lost on Kasia. "You don't have to be so formal," Deanna said. "She definitely does," Meranda retorted. "When are you going to take anyt
Lily Bray stood in front of the mirror admiring herself. Her skin glowed from her previous run with the pups of the pack. Even though she was the daughter of the Alpha, she enjoyed helping out with the pups.'You should wear the red dress,' Dina, her wolf, suggested.'You're just being petty,' Lily replied as she looked at the dresses on her bed. The festive red would be the best choice since all her other dresses were too bright for the winter. She picked it up and looked at herself in the mirror.'No, I'm not. Matthew said we look nice in red. We should wear it! It's also one of the colors in his pack,' Dina added.Lily smiled at the thought of wearing the colors of the Grey Blood Pack. She, of course, was going to be their Luna after the mating ceremony. The very thought of it made her blush. Who would've thought that she would be mated to a future Alpha?'We deserve it, no matter our rank! Matthew doesn't care that we are an Omega, so we shouldn't care anymore either,' Dina sa
Lily stared in horror at her father. She couldn't make sense of what he was saying. Why would Matthew reject her? When they talked on the phone all day, he never mentioned it."You're joking," Lily said. "You have to be joking." Her father scowled at her because he disliked repeating himself. He paused for a moment to collect himself before saying, "This is no joke. You will be marrying Garrett Hunter."When Lily heard her father say those words, her heart sank. "I am his fated mate. We're meant to be together. Why would he want to reject me? There must be a mistake!""Lily, you're an omega. No respectable Alpha would want you as their Luna. We're saving you the agony of having to deal with your mate having a mistress," her mother explained, "and it's not like you won't have a mate.""It's what you deserve, Lily. Garrett is perfect for you," Brandy said smugly. Garrett? Garrett Hunter?? The disfigured, rejected brother of Matthew? This had to be some sort of joke. They couldn't
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Tiffany asked as she walked Lily out of her apartment. She didn't want to leave her in such a terrible situation."No, I need to do this alone," Lily answered with a weak smile. She couldn't get in contact with Matthew all night. Lily needed to speak with him. Whatever happened between her and Matthew, she would have to deal with it alone. Lily didn't want to get her too caught up in her family drama."Well, you know where my spare key is," Tiffany said."Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Matthew and I will elope, and everything will be fine," Lily said.Tiffany smiled slightly, but Lily noticed that her eyes looked somewhat sad. She had known Tiffany long enough to know that she was holding back. Before Lily could ask Tiffany what she was thinking, Lily's cab arrived.Tiffany hugged her again and said, "Keep me updated. You know my parents will accept you with open arms. They said the offer is still open if you want to join my
"Don't you think that is inappropriate?" Kenneth asked his Luna from the doorway of their bedroom. "Not at all. It is a joyous occasion," Mandy said as she applied burgundy lipstick and stood up. She brushed the wrinkles out of her blue sweater dress as she looked herself over in the mirror before approaching him with a slight smile. "You should change. That suit is so depressing.""The suit is proper attire for the custom. You shouldn't take this much glee in her suffering," Kenneth responded, causing Mandy to frown. Mandy scoffed and said, "Don't try to act like you care about the little brat now. Don't be a hypocrite. You could care less and this arrangement will benefit the both of us.""At least make it believable in front of the Hunters," Kenneth reasoned. Mandy rolled her eyes. Of course she would behave. What kind of idiot did he take her for?"Come. You wouldn't want to keep Lily waiting," Mandy said condescendingly. Again, Kenneth didn't respond and followed Mandy to
There were gasps and murmurs from the audience, as no female in history has willingly rejected their mate. It was such a scandalous affair as both sets of parents wanted to keep it hushed that Matthew had been cheating, which was partly why the rejection ceremony was happening. Lily wasn't having any of it. Appearances be damned. They wanted to embarrass her publicly, so she wanted everyone to know the truth."I… Matthew Hunter, the first-born son of Kenneth Hunter…accept your rejection," Matthew managed to say. As soon as the words left his mouth, he could feel their mate bond fully snap. Baldur howled in anguish within him as his bond with Dina snapped away even though he refused to accept the rejection. Lily fought the urge to collapse there on the stage. She welcomed the pain, embraced it as this was nothing compared to the anguish she felt over the betrayal. "I wish Matthew and Brandy well with their upcoming mating ceremony," Lily finally said. She turned to leave but was st