(Tiernan’s P.O.V) After I left Siobhan in the woods to finish her meditation, I went back to the hotel and sat myself down at the bar. I needed a drink after how these last few days have played out, I wasn’t expecting her to be my mate. I wasn’t expecting her absolute disdain for the mate bond, and I know that the only reason why she mated with me, at first, was because of her heat. Our “hunt” had been an experiment to her, to see if it was something she would enjoy which is what BDSM is all about. Exploring your deepest desires in a safe and consensual way. I throw back my third glass of whiskey, knowing that human liquor won’t get me drunk until I’ve had at least ten more glasses, I wave to the bartender for another. “This seat taken?” I hear a male voice ask. I look over and it’s Anders, the vampire FBI agent that traveled here with Si. “Sure, go ahead,” I murmur, taking my drink from the bartender. “What’ll it be for you?” The bartender asks him. “I’l
(Tiernan’s P.O.V) Fuck my life. Like seriously, of course, Artemis would show up while I’m trying to woo my mate. Your grandfather wants to speak with you, Tiernan. I hear Artemis say in my head. If you couldn’t tell, I’m trying to woo my mate. Grandpa can wait another hour. Please, Artemis, just tell him to give me an hour. Pulling me in would cause unwanted attention right now. I beg my familiar. I will tell him, but he will only give you an hour. Not a second longer. He states, before flying off. “That was so weird. Literally, that bird was just sitting there staring at us not moving an inch!” Siobhan states creeped out by Artemis’s behavior. I think it’s time that we tell her. Steele whispers. I think so too, but not in the middle of the restaurant. When we are driving home, I will. “Kitten, I’m sorry to cut dinner short but we need to head back to the hotel. Patrick texted me and said he needed my opinion on something that couldn’t wait.” I lie. It
(Tiernan’s P.O.V) I’m pulled from my body, and I’m greeted by my grandfather’s dogs, the Hounds of Annwn greet me with playful yips and jump on me. “Hey guys, take me to grandpa, okay?” I ask as I give each hound a pat on the head. All three hounds nod their heads and start walking to the dais that his throne was sitting on, and I see my father standing in front of him. “Hey dad, gramps,” I call out from halfway down the hall. “Tiernan, my boy! Thank you for being here. I was just catching up with your dad about what’s been going on in the Human Realm.” My grandpa, Arawn, says before he comes down off the dais to embrace me. He’s in his human form because his normal form always creeps me out, my dad doesn’t mind but I saw him in his usual form—deer skull with branches for antlers with a human body—for the first time when I was five and it scared the shit out of me. Therefore, for me, he maintains his full human form when I visit. His human for
(Siobhan’s P.O.V) “Your grandfather was able to tell you?” I ask in surprise. “Yes. Just give me a minute, I need to take a piss. Not sure why, but every time I visit him when I come back to my body I need to piss.” He murmurs, getting off the bed and making his way into the bathroom. You may want to hide, Si. I don’t know what you mean Tala. After the toilet flushes and I hear the tap on the sink turn on, I hear Tiernan gasp and then growl in annoyance. He comes stomping back into the room and is a raging bull without the horns. “What the fuck did you do to my face?” He growls. “Well, Camilla had a new eyeshadow palette that she wanted to try out and you were visiting your grandfather. I didn’t think you would mind.” I say, shrugging my shoulders. While he was out of his body, the girls and I had gotten bored for the better part of two hours and decided that Tiernan needed a new look. Camilla did have a new eyeshadow palette that she wanted to swatch,
(Tiernan’s P.O.V) I couldn’t believe that she would say some bullshit like that about my abilities as an Alpha, I’m not used to this type of shit. I needed to get out of there, the room was stifling, and I honestly needed to get away from her. I think we need to reject her. I can’t do this; it hurts too much, and she doesn’t even want to be with us in the first place. Don’t you dare Ty! Tala wants us! That’s not enough Steele, Siobhan needs to want us too, and she doesn’t. Yeah, sure we mated outside of her heat cycle but that doesn’t mean anything. She doesn’t want us to mark her, she doesn’t want to mark us. Please, Tiernan. Don’t do this. We need her. I know we do buddy, but I can’t put myself through this anymore. I shut off my link to him, not wanting to listen to his arguments about why we need to keep our mate around when she obviously doesn’t want us. I was so caught up in my thoughts and conversation with Steele that I hadn’t realized I made it
(Siobhan’s P.O.V) By the time I got out of the hotel, he was gone. Serves you right! How could you say something so vile to him!? He takes great pride in being a good Alpha to his people and you just shit all over it.! I didn’t mean to say it! I was just frustrated! Well, thanks to your bitch move, Steele is blocking me out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they reject us after this despite how much pain we will all be in. I didn’t respond, I couldn’t. She was right because he had every right to reject us now. I had continuously pushed him away, telling him I didn’t want a mate and had every intention of rejecting him before leaving. I run back up to the suite and grab the keys to one of our cars and make my way to the packhouse. I get to the gates and that fucker Luther was at the gates again, I knew he was going to give me a hard time after my comment earlier this week about his dick size. “I’m here to see my family, Luther, so just let me through.” I lie bec
(Camilla’s P.O.V) After Siobhan left last night, I knew things weren’t going to go well between her and Tiernan, and I was proven right when she got back to the hotel and didn’t bother to close her door as she sobbed into the blankets. I laid down next to her, holding her, trying to soothe her but I knew, nothing and no one except her mate would be able to soothe this ache. This was the last thing we needed when we are trying to investigate these kidnappings, even though we had all of the information we needed to find these children, this was a wrench in the investigation that we didn’t need. I spent the night holding her as she cried, and when she did finally fall asleep, she was having nightmares. Artis came into the room at one point to see if I wanted to switch places so that I could sleep, but I declined. When the sunlight filtered into the room, I knew it was just the beginning of a very long day. A day that Siobhan wouldn’t be a part of, and neither would one of us
(Anders’s P.O.V) We pull up to the coven house of the High Priestess Winona and are greeted by a beautiful woman. Her hair is a beautiful chestnut brown, her eyes a beautiful shade of grey, and her body is long and lean, graceful. Artis, Preston, and I get out of the SUV as she comes down the stairs. “Hello, I’m High Priestess Winona it’s a pleasure to meet you agents, and welcome to the Coven of Crystal Rose.” She says. She reaches her hand out and shakes Artis and then Preston’s hand, when she reaches for mine, I feel like the world clicks into place. She smells fresh, like rain. Then it clicks in my brain…she’s my beloved. “Mate.” She whispers. I pull her into my chest and kiss the ever-loving shit out of her, and she tastes like hot tea on a rainy day. I could spend hours kissing her. Her tongue dances with mine in perfect harmony, I feel her hands making their way from my hips, up my back, and up into my hair. She angles her head to deepen