The second that Jude opens the door to the stairwell, I know that heโs going to fuck this up for me. That shit-eating grin that comes onto his face tells me that he doesnโt understand whatโs going on here and heโs going to open his big fat mouth. Fang, you have to let me take over. I have to stop Jude. He will tell her about the bet and she wonโt have anything to do with us. I plead through the mindlink with my wolf. He wouldnโt do that in front of the girl the bet is about. Heโs not that much of an asshole. Fang replies. And then Jude opens his mouth and proves Fang wrong. โWell, good morning. Though, I think that the two of you may have had a better morning than the rest of us,โ I watch as his eyes move up and down Novaโs form and itโs all I can do to keep Fang from lunging towards his throat. And then he says the thing that puts the nail in my coffin. โGuess Iโll have to pony up and take over guard duty since you won
Fang is freaking the fuck out in my head, moving between whimpering as we watch the paramedics work on stabilizing Nova, pacing when we donโt understand their medical lingo, and growling whenever we get a whiff of that manโs scent. He lives here with Nova. I can tell that from the mixed scents in the house. Are they related? Is he her boyfriend? He looks too old for that and she seems smarter than that. Granted, I donโt really know her, so I donโt know what her type is other than me. Mates are made to be each otherโs โtype.โ Hence the big tits and amazing ass on Nova. Guess she likes tall, dominating, well-muscled guys.And this dude ainโt that.Jude and Jakobi, my head warrior, come and drag him out of the room. โFind out who the fuck he is,โ I growl at Jude, my voice much deeper from Fang being present with me. โHe lives here, there has to be some form of identification for him here.โโYes, Alpha,โ Jakobi says immediately.Jude looks at me and I know that he can
Itโs evening when my parents find me in Novaโs hospital room, carrying food and a duffel bag with a change of clothes and some toiletries. โThis is your mate? Our future Luna?โ My motherโs voice, though bleeding the sadness that she feels about Novaโs condition, also holds a hint of excitement. This is what sheโs wanted for me for a long time. And sheโs made no secret of the fact that she wants grandpups ASAP. I canโt help but smile, though itโs small and pained. I know that Nova is a rogue, but finding out how she became one, even the scant details that I have, make me feel oddly better. People are only rogues for bad reasons, usually things that they have done themselves. Violent crimes. Rape. Frequent assaults. But that isnโt Nova. And I donโt know how I could have thought that the Goddess would have mated me with someone like that. It made me judge her. It made me less than ecstatic that she was my mate. If I had immediately accepted
โWait. Youโre saying that Noah Martinโs mateโฆsheโs Novaโs mother?โ Dad asks. โIt appears so, Alpha,โ Dr. Fern replies, nodding towards the lab form still in my hands. Dad grabs it and looks it over as if it makes sense to him. Of course, it might. When Mom had her lymphoma scare, Dad had done a shit ton of research to figure out as much as he could to help her. Mom is a hybrid witch and werewolf. Her healing abilities arenโt the same as a typical werewolf. So when she started to have symptoms, like unexplained fevers and weight loss and weird bruising, it wasnโt something that we could just blow off. Luckily, with treatment, early detection, and her sped up healing abilities, she was able to heal quickly. Dad pulls out his phone and looks up a picture of Karmyn. When her picture pops up, his mouth flattens into a line and he turns his phone so that Mom can see who it is. When she sees it, she gasps. โWhat is it?โ I as
One week laterโฆ The sharp smell of astringent is the first thing that registers as the blackness starts to fade. I open my eyes, squinting even in the low lights. Iโm facing a bank of windows and can easily see that it seems to be the dead of night. I can see the moon shining in the sky, letting me know that Iโm high up in the floors of whatever building Iโm in. That doesnโt take long to figure out with the IV in my arm and the machine beeping along merrily beside me. The hospital. How the hell did I get here? Why am I here? Searching my memory, the last thing that I remember is reaching for my money in my room as I was trying to get away. Did Roy come home? Did he beat me? Based on the aches and pains in my body, as well as the pounding in my head, that seems likely. But how did I get to the hospital? Iโve never woken up in any place other than the room that I was beaten in.
The doctor comes in and checks Nova over. Sheโs healing well and her wolf has come back online. The doctor wanted her to eat something to give her wolf some energy, but Novaโs eyes were already heavy. โYou sleep. When you wake up, weโll make sure that you get some food in there,โ Dr. Fern tells her, a calm and fatherly tone to his words. โThanks, doctor,โ Nova says, her eyes already closing and a cute sleepy note in her voice. I canโt help but smile at her and I kiss her forehead as she drifts off to sleep. I follow Dr. Fern out of the room, wanting to make sure that I didnโt wake her up. Once the door is closed, I turn to the doctor. โAlright, how is she really?โ Dr. Fern allows me to look at her chart, as if I would really understand anything written here. โI told her the truth, Alpha. Our Luna is doing great. Her wolf appears to have almost completely healed all of her broken bones. The abdominal bruising that was concerning
Iโm pushing the hospital food around on my plate, trying to make it look like Iโve actually been eating something. I mean, I know I need to eat. I need to build up my strength and all, but holy shit is this stuff bad. Thereโs like no seasoning. Everything is the texture of mush. I didnโt know that it was possible to burn something and have it partially frozen at the same time. Unfortunately, Dr. Fern is going to be pissed if I donโt eat. He said that me getting strong is the only way that heโll let me out. And part of that is me eating my meals. Maybe I can order some food to my room? Pizza would definitely make me feel stronger. Iโm trying to figure out if I can stomach a few more bites or if I should just risk flushing it down the toilet when there is a knock on the door to my room. Confused, I call, โCome in.โ Itโs weird that someone would be knocking on my door. The nurses knock, but they come right in, not waiting. And Ivan, the only other per
The bastard managed to hold out a lot longer than I thought he would, but after finding out that heโs a beta blood, that makes sense. Heโs tougher than the typical wolf, able to heal damage faster and withstand more damage than the typical wolf. I have two advantages over him. One, Iโm an alpha, pissed off over the pain and suffering that this asshole has caused my mate her entire life. That is the other half of my soul and he damaged her just because he could. And there is very little a wolf wonโt do for their mate. Add to that the fact that I have an alphaโs strength and temper and Roy was in for a whole hell of a lot of pain. Two, those hot shots might heal all of the physical injuries that heโs experiencing from the torture that Iโm putting him through. But it does nothing to heal the mental damage. Thereโs only so much continuous pain that you can take before you start to crack. Iโm pretty sure that he was catatonic by the time that I lef
Weโre staying in the cabin we got each other for an anniversary present last year.While still with the rogues, Cody and I would comfort each other by saying that once we got free, weโd find each other, build a cabin in the woods, and stay there together for the rest of our lives.Itโs what I had been saving money for when Ivan and I found each other โ so that we could have the land and the house free and clear.Admittedly, the cabin we have nowโtwo stories, five bedrooms, a basement playroom for the kids, a pool, and a half basketball courtโis a far cry from what Cody and I would have managed on our own.Still, itโs nice to get away and return to what we always dreamed of.To bring our other mate and our children here with us.We come as often as we can โ for a week, for a long weekend.A little home away from home.We had the kitchen stocked and the whole place cleaned and ready, so there would be no interruptions.Which is good, because after all the teasing we did on the way here,
Checking my watch, I turn to our little girl."Do you know which one you want to wear, Lenita? Kiki and Harley are going to be here soon. And you donโt want to miss the petting zoo."My little princess is standing in front of her closet, arms crossed and her lower lip sticking out in a full pout."I wanna wear my pwincess dwess!""Chiquita (little one), weโve already talked about this. You canโt wear it to the fair, but you can wear it later," I say, pleading with her.Weโve been at it for twenty minutes, trying to get Elena ready to go out with Kamryn and Harley before a birthday party for one of her pre-school friends later today.The party is princess-themed, hence the dress sheโs insisting on wearing.Unfortunately for herโand us at this pointโif she wears the dress to the fair, itโs guaranteed to end up covered in dirt and food, ripped from a skinned knee, or chewed on by a goat at the petting zoo.So, she canโt wear it.Not that sheโs listening."I wanna wear my pwincess dwess,
5 years laterโฆ I wake up to an elbow in the gut. โWhat?โ I ask, bolting upright immediately. โWhatโs wrong?โ โItโs your turn,โ Nova murmurs, her voice heavy with sleep. Itโs only then that I hear one of the twins crying. Glancing at the alarm clock, I see that itโs just after 2:00 AM. Fuck. I roll out of bed, stumbling to the bedroom door and next door to the twinsโ room. โHey, buddy. Itโs okay. Dadaโs here,โ I call, my voice rough with sleep. In the glow of the nightlight, I see Ronan standing in his crib, crying, his nose impossibly snotty. His cheeks are bright red, and drool soaks the front of his pajamas. โDa! Da!โ he cries the second he sees me. โHey, Ronan. Are those teeth bugging you, bud?โ I ask, picking him up and pulling him to my shoulder. His skin is hotโheโs definitely running a low-grade fever. Both boys are teething hard right now, reacting just like human babies: colds, fevers, pain, the whole nine yards. His cries quiet the moment heโs in my arms, sniffli
โHoly shit, that was a long day,โ I say, falling onto the sofa next to my mates.Weโre in the first-floor common area with everyone in our leadership crewโminus Jakobi.He found his mate today. A she-wolf from a neighboring pack, second daughter of a delta. Maureen seems nice. We didnโt really get to talk to her much, thoughโJakobi whisked her off, and theyโve been... indisposed in his room ever since.We might see them tomorrow.Or in a couple of days.โFuck, yeah it was,โ Jude groans. โIโm just happy to be out of that monkey suit.โโI donโt know,โ Lucy murmurs, running her fingers down his jaw and pulling his attention. โI wouldnโt mind having you in it more often... and helping you out of it.โโWell, this was fun, guys, but my mate and I need to be getting to bed,โ Jude says as he stands and throws Lucy over his shoulder.Lucy squeals and props herself up on his back, waving at us. โSee you guys at breakfast!โโNot if I have anything to say about it!โ Jude calls from the hallway.
My mates and I are standing on a large floating platform in the center of the harbor. All the boats have been cleared for todayโs ceremony, and the entire pack has gathered along the shore to witness the official welcoming of their Luna and Lune. The platform is made of strong, transparent plastic, giving the illusion that weโre standing directly on the water. Flower petals and floating candles drift both on the surface and around the edges of the platform. A camera positioned at the far end captures the event and projects it onto screens placed throughout the crowd so everyone can see whatโs happening. Nova looks stunning in her midnight blue ball gown, her hair swept into a messy bun. Thin straps frame her exposed matemarks, and the dress is low-cut in both the front and back, revealing creamy swaths of skin. The bodice hugs her tightly, while the skirt flows freely into a long, lacy train that shimmers in the sunlight. Cody wears fitted pants and a tailored gunmetal gray vestโno
โI really donโt want to do this,โ I murmur, tugging at the hem of my skirt again.โGirl, if you donโt stop messing with that skirt, youโre going to unravel it. Stop it!โ Lucy punctuates the last word by smacking my hand.I stick my tongue out at her but stop fiddling. Honestly, I think the only reason Lucy isnโt as nervous as I am is because sheโs too busy managing me.At least, she doesnโt seem outwardly nervous.But I know her butterflies are causing a full-blown tornadoโjust like the one twisting in my own stomach.Weโre heading to the Hartwood Pack, where Lucy and Cody are from. Itโs been two weeks since we brought Cody home.Alpha Timothy was pissed when he realized we had โabsconded with one of his most valued packmates.โ He threatened to call down the Council of Alphas, press charges against our pack, and even force Ivan to step down as Alpha.All of that might have been intimidatingโif it hadnโt taken him four days to even realize Cody was gone. Add in the fact that the three
The second Ivan and Cody establish their matebond, a ripple of power, connection, and pleasure sweeps through all three of us. Bite howls in my mind, the sound echoed by two other wolvesโFang and Howl. Our bond is complete. The three of us are tied together, not only by fate, but by our marks. There is no oneโand nothingโbeyond the Goddess herself that could tear us apart. โHoly shit,โ Cody says. Ivan chuckles. โYou can say that again.โ โHoly shit,โ Cody and I both say at the same time. We all laugh at that. Looking at my mates, I canโt help the affection that thrums through my heart at the sight of them happy together. โLet me get you guys a towel,โ I say, slipping off the bed. โAnd the wet wipes,โ Ivan calls after me. I grab both from the bathroom and bring them back so Cody and Ivan can clean up. โThanks, Estrella,โ Cody says as Ivan leans forward to kiss the top of my head. I move to the head of the bed, watching them as they get themselves together. Ivan heads into the
I watch Codyโhis chest rising and falling as he catches his breath, eyes glazed over from orgasm. His shoulder-length black hair is fanned out across the bed, giving him a dark halo. His bronze-colored skin shines with sweat, and those chocolate brown eyes are begging for me to touch him.So beautiful. I mean, fucking gorgeous. Itโs why I called him lindo.Iโd thought hard about what nickname to give him. Novaโs was easy. Seeing her that first time at The Warren in the bunny costume, all timid and shyโshe reminded me of the little rabbit she was dressed as. Sheโll always be my little rabbit.But Cody and I didnโt have that kind of โmeet cute.โ Not even close. Still, I needed a name for him, something that felt right.It was Fang who suggested lindo. Clearly, our mate has Hispanic roots, and using that in his nickname felt like a way to honor that.Look at him, Fang says in my head, voice thick with awe. Spread out and waiting for us.Letโs not make him wait, I reply, and lean down to
Howl is going insane inside of me. He wants Ivan. I want Ivan. And weโre finally going to get him.I suck at Ivanโs skin, making a hickey in the spot where I want to put his matemarkโright next to Novaโs. One of his hands grips my hair, the other wraps around my back.โBedroom. Lube.โ The words come out strangled with need.Mate! Fuck mate! Bite mate! Make him ours! Howlโs words echo through my mind, getting lost in the frenzied need that pulses between us.Iโm working on it, Howl. Calm the fuck down so I can focus on him, I snap back.He smells so good. Feels even better. Fuck, Howl moans, and I know exactly what he means.I know Ivan wants us in the bedroom, but I canโt make myself move. Canโt stop touching him, kissing him, losing myself in him.Thank the Goddess for Nova.โCome on, boys,โ she says, grabbing both our hands. โLetโs get to the bedroom. I want to see the two of you laid out before me.โItโs her touch that finally breaks the trance. Her words remind me thereโs more t