[No Regrets or Second Thoughts] SEBASTIAN I approached the late-twenties young woman sitting behind the desk and said, “Hello, I’m checking on a patient staying at your facility.” She jerked back in surprise as her saucer-like, slightly alarmed eyes met mine. I would guess she didn’t hear us enter. The girl clutched a hand over her chest, exhaling heavily and trying to control her thumping heart. “You startled me,” she murmured, her eyes darting over my left shoulder at Jack and Elliot. A look of uncertainty flashed in her eyes. “How may I help you?” “My apologies.” I pulled out my phone and showed her the photo of my father. “I believe you have this man staying as a patient... He is my father.” Her face and shoulders relaxed as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. “We do,” she answered when she was no longer panting. “As I told your friend back there, someone brought him in last night.” “The man who brought my father here, did he leave a name or phone number? Perhaps h
[Beating Hearts] MADELINE “Dimitri?!” I gasped, covering my mouth as tears defiled my cheeks. It was like I had been crying more and more these days. These tears, however, were tears of joy. I fixed my gaze on the man lying in the back seat of the truck, almost unrecognizable anymore. Where black and neatly trimmed hair had once flowed over his forehead, face, and cheeks to form a perfect frame around his eyes, now long silver strands framed the creases and furrows lining his face. A shadow of stubble on his chin. But there was no mistaking it; this was my mate. Words failed me. I couldn’t catch my breath as I staggered closer to get a better view of the man who had kept my heart beating all these years. He wasn’t conscious, but I saw the crinkles at the sides of Dimitri’s eyes deepen as a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Hmm,” he groaned. That was when I knew it was real. He was real. I wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming. This was my mate. In an instant, tears po
[Nausea]SIERRAThe weekend arrived with a barrage of inclement weather, anxiety, and a sinking feeling that all the efforts put into today were for naught. I kept track of the storm’s ferocity as it grew, deafening me in a sudden maelstrom of fury before it struck, and watched as its ragged edge—already pressing against the windows—intensified with each passing minute.White lightning snaked through the sky. Raindrops fell as if in slow motion, and more lightning continued, brighter than the midday sun. Next came a thumping, deafening, and terrifying crack. It pounded the earth and rattled the windows of nearby houses.In Mesopotamia, this type of weather wasn’t unusual. But why, of all days, did it have to be today? The day was finally set to exchange vows and officially become Sebastian’s wife and Luna. Then this happened.As if my nerves weren’t already on edge.“Wake up, Angel,” Sebastian whispered, nibbling on my ear. “It’s our big day today.”I groaned, pleading for five more m
[Good News]SEBASTIAN“That’s a bit much, won’t you say?” Sierra countered. “I had a small dizzy spell, probably because I hadn’t eaten yet. I see no need to call for a nurse.”I carried her back up the stairs and laid her down on the bed. “Angel, taking care of you is never a bit much,” I mumbled. “It’s my job to ensure you’re right as rain. No pun intended.”“And I appreciate it, believe me. But this is nothing. Once I have something to eat, I’ll be okay. I promise,” she murmured, her eyes following me as I went over to open the balcony doors.Upon opening the doors, I went to the bed and sat on the edge. I took her hand in mine, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. “I can’t help how much this worries me. You went through a change no other human had before. You were attacked and kidnapped. Now, you’re about to become my Luna and wife.”Her eyes softened. Sierra reached up and caressed my cheek. I leaned into her touch and kissed her palm. “You’re too good to me, you know tha
[Luna Ceremony] SIERRA The blood drained from his face, quickly changing to one of dismay and disapproval as he stepped away from me. His hands fell to his sides, clenching and unclenching into fists, his face devoid of any emotion. From his reaction, I would say he misunderstood what I wanted to say. When I said I couldn’t, that wasn’t me saying I couldn’t marry him or become his Luna. More than anything in this world, I wanted to be all that and more. “Sebastian.” I took a step toward him, almost tripping over the train of my dress. Sebastian shook his head and stepped back. “I’ll inform everyone the ceremony is off,” he mumbled under his breath, then turned and headed for the door. “Why would you do that?” I asked, taking a few more steps. I was within reach of him. Yet, when I reached out to touch him, he pulled away. “Tell me why I shouldn’t.” He glanced at me over his left shoulder, refusing to meet me head-on. I exhaled a breath, acknowledging where the problem stemmed f
We have completed Books 1 & 2 in the Ambersky Pack Series with one remaining story of the future Alpha and her mate. Continue scrolling to read the trilogy, Hunting The Hunter.> Book 3 -1-[Clubbing I]ARIELLA“You have got to be frickin’ kidding me,” I growled under my breath, glaring at my outfit in the mirror.I took a short spin to see what the rear looked like, which annoyed me even more. The back was much worse than the front. If I squirmed too much in this, my entire ass would be on display.“Oh, hell no! There is no way I am leaving the house dressed like this. I look like a hooker on the prowl!” I tugged on the hem, trying to pull it down a little lower. Try as I might, the elastic material seemed to have a mind of its own.“What’s taking you so long in there?” Abby, my best friend, and the person responsible for this outfit yelled from just outside the door. “It’s a simple dress. It shouldn’t take more than a minute?” Impatience and annoyance were heavy in her voice.
[Clubbing II] MALIK I was in a back room upstairs, working on making more wolfsbane silver-laced bullets. These bullets would pierce and kill any wolf on sight almost instantly. We had tons of guns and just as many hunters, so I wanted to make sure we had enough ammo to do enough damage to wipe out a small wolf pack. After making these, I would work on making some pellets that would contain magnesium and silver nitrate. On another table beside me, Aaron, my cousin, was making some metal beads. He said when detonated, it would disperse silver shrapnel, which could do some serious damage. Also on his table were grenades. Not your typical veteran’s grenade, although they worked the same way—pull the safety and toss. These grenades contained silver nitrate and wolfsbane gas, useful for providing cover. They would do more harm to the werewolves than to us. Going down the line was my other cousin, Brandon. He was making some canisters with silver nitrate, magnesium, and wolfsbane. The g
[Clubbing III] ARIELLA As soon as we entered the club, my nose tingled with every scent in the building, some more putrid than most. One scent that stood out most was the stench of desperation on some of these girls. It was even stronger than the alcohol and the sweat-drenched patrons grinding against one another on the dance floor. How could humans do this so often and not get sick of it? How could they do it and not realize the kinds of terrible consequences it caused? We had barely been here for ten minutes, and I was already on the verge of either punching someone in the face or emptying my stomach contents. I was making my way through the crowd when someone grabbed hold of my hand. “Hey gorgeous,” the man said. “Dance with me.” His hot breath carried the smell of beer and cigarettes, and he had the squinty eyes of someone close to intoxication. He took my hand in his and drew me flush against his chest while his other hand snaked around my waist. “You wanna dance with me, h