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28
SERENA
“Serena…”
That rough, scratchy voice sends a wave of dread rushing through me. I grasp through the dark trying to find a way out of the cell, but my hands land on nothing but cold concrete walls.
“You can’t run from me…”
His voice again, hard and strained, like his throat is bleeding. Like he’s swallowed nails. I’m panting, frantically searching for a way out, but that voice just keeps getting closer. The voice of a monster. My fingernails scrape against the concrete walls as I desperately claw for an escape through the pitch black.
“Serena…”
I’m in full-blown panic mode when my hands land upon something fleshy. A figure pushes forward, dim light catching his face through the shadows. I see those eyes- so dark they’re almost black, completely devoid of any emotion, like they’re dead. The eyes of a monster. Hands wrap around my arms, pulling me with him into the darkness.
“No
C.J. PrimerThanks for bearing with me as I adjust to my new update schedule- I'm already feeling a lot less stressed when it comes to juggling everything in light of the current circumstances. I'm hoping to have a lot of double update days for you guys in the coming weeks once I get back on track with writing. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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Alpha Reid 29
REIDNow that our Denver allies are here, it’s like someone pressed the fast-forward button. Time is moving way too fast; every minute that passes, we’re marching closer and closer to war. Most of the time, I like being a leader. I’m good at it. In war time, though, it’s the toughest position to be in. I’m constantly second-guessing every choice, every decision. When lives hang in the balance, every angle has to be examined. Even one life lost is too great a cost.Casualties are a cruel inevitability of war. No matter how meticulously we plan our battle strategy, it’s simply impossible to protect everyone. Soldiers will fall, and with each one, a little part of me will die, too. The bonds in our squad and our packs run deep. Each individual loss is crippling to the whole.There are so many frustrating ‘unknowns’ when it comes to developing battle strategy, all of which have t
Alpha Reid 30
SERENAI felt it when he held me in his arms and consoled me after my nightmare, and I felt it when he kissed me in front of his pack without hesitation. I felt it when he told that little boy that I was his Luna. I felt it when I watched the way he spoke to his pack and when I saw how they looked at him with so much admiration and respect.I can feel it- I’m falling for Reid.I shouldn’t be surprised. Not only does the mate bond make me biologically predisposed to fall for him, but the man is so damn easy to fall for. He’s smart, kind, courageous, devastatingly handsome, impossibly sexy… he’s perfect; I can’t find a single flaw. Me, on the other hand… how am I supposed to ever measure up to that level of perfection?I allow myself to dwell on my self-doubts all the way to the squad complex, each adoring thought of Reid countered by a self-sabotaging one of my own. It&rsqu
Alpha Reid 31
SERENA“Hey gorgeous,” Reid drawls, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe of my bedroom.I look up from my spot on the edge of the bed- I’ve got one leg pulled into my chest and I just finished applying a second coat of bright red toenail polish. Painting my toes may seem like a silly thing to do, given the fact that we’re on the eve of a war, but little menial tasks like this help to distract my anxious mind.“Hey handsome,” I breathe, a smile instantly coming to my lips as I look up at him.He’s wearing a simple white t-shirt and my favorite pair of grey sweatpants, his dark hair a little tousled and messy- and damnit if I’m not getting a little hot just looking at him. Don’t get me wrong, the man looks slick in his usual slacks and dress shirt, but there’s just something so sexy about him when he’s relaxed like this rather than all buttoned up a
Alpha Reid 32
REID “What do you mean?” Serena giggles, but the way my dick’s pressing harder against her belly should be answer enough. Gotta love that shifter rebound rate; less than five minutes and I’m ready for round two. I know she’s ready, too- I could scent her arousal the entire time she was giving me that mind-melting blowjob. I didn’t think any feeling could compare to her pussy wrapped around my dick, until her mouth was. Fucking heaven. My dick twitches against Serena’s stomach and her lips form an ‘o’, her eyes widening in recognition as she gazes up at me. Now we’re on the same page. The look of surprise in her eyes quickly shifts to one of lustful desire, her wolf swirling silver in her irises as she sinks her teeth into her lower lip and drags her fingernails across my chest. Then she suddenly sits up, moving off of me to the other side of the couch and daring me with her eyes to make a move.
Alpha Reid 33
REID The light coming in through the window the next morning is uncomfortably bright, reflecting off of the blanket of snow covering the ground. It must’ve snowed all night- we got several inches, and it’s just cold enough outside for it to stick. The significance of the snow isn’t lost on me. It means that Astrid’s vision of the battle with the shadow pack was accurate; that it’s coming to fruition. We’re officially out of time. The mood is somber when we arrive at the Summervale packhouse for the council meeting. It’s our last sit-down with everyone before the battle starts, and it’s a packed house. All of the council members are attending- the alphas and betas of every pack- as well as the squad leaders and their mates, Chase, and the Denver alpha and beta. Lots of strong personalities in one room, yet nobody’s arguing for once. Not today. There are still a few more to arrive after Cy, Serena, and I get there, and w
Alpha Reid 34
Serena I can feel my pulse thrumming in my ears. Reid’s hand wraps around mine and I turn to look at him, my eyes wide and rimmed with fear. The gentle sparks from his touch do little to calm me. My mouth is dry, my heart hammers against my ribs. Nervous energy crackles through my veins, making my fingertips tingle and my head feel like it could float away. Ready or not, here they come. Reid yanks me in, arms encircling my body tightly. Grounding me when I need it most. He leans in closer, breath skating across my lips as his blue eyes search mine. Then he kisses me- softly at first, then building in persistence, like he’s trying to memorize the way my lips feel against his. Like it’s the last thing he’ll ever do. All around us, bones crack as our cohorts shift to their animal forms, readying themselves to take their positions. I just want to stay here and kiss Reid a little longer, pretend it’s only us and none of t
Alpha Reid 35
REID I’ve never enjoyed killing. It’s simply a means to an end; a necessary evil to keep my pack safe. As Alpha, it’s my duty to ensure my pack’s safety, and if that means taking the lives of those who threaten them, then so be it. It’s a burden I’ll gladly bear for the benefit of my people. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t come at a price. War is physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing, and no amount of preparation can truly prepare you for the sheer carnage of the battlefield. The smells, the sounds. The blood. The bodies that pile up underfoot. The awareness that some of them are from my own side, friends and allies we’ll be left to mourn if we emerge victorious, or soon join in death if we don’t. In order to focus and do what has to be done in battle, I have to turn off part of my humanity, in a sense. I tuck it away and let my wolf take over. I’m still there in the background, executing the strategy
Alpha Reid 36
SERENA “I don’t see why we can’t just walk up in there,” Theo grumbles. “Their boss is dead, what do they have to fight for?” “Now’s not the time to get cocky,” Reid warns, shooting Theo a look. “We need to stick to the plan.” Gray sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Reid’s right, we don’t want to take any chances. The most important thing is getting everybody out safely.” I nod emphatically in agreement as Reid slides his hand over mine, giving it a little squeeze. We’re gathered in the conference room at the complex, regrouping and getting ready to head out to the location where my sister and pack are being held. It’s about a forty-minute drive from here and if we leave soon, we’ll arrive before dusk. When Xavier drew his last breath up on that ridge, I let out a breath that I’d seemingly been holding for months. The shadow pack has felt like an iron fist around my throat since they crashed into m
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