LOGIN“Alex,” Ryker seethes, “what the hell are you doing here?” This is the sort of situation that would have the old me reaching for a drink. And I can’t lie, the itch to down a couple of bottles of whiskey bites at me, but the thought of getting drunk and leaving Olivia in her state bites harder. Alex’s red-rimmed eyes flit between our group. “I—I feel bad about Ricklan.” “Fuck yes, you should feel bad,” Ryker snaps. “If you hadn’t gotten in our way, we could have killed Nester. We could have saved your people. Olivia’s dad would still be alive!” Alex clutches the rose closer to her chest, stepping back. “I didn’t think… I didn’t know…” She shuts her eyes, her throat working. “He promised me he was going to let you guys go.” “Yes, because the guy who enslaved an entire city is just the man you should trust.” Axel’s voice drips with surprising sarcasm. Even now, I assumed he’d be on her side. Her eyebrows crawl up. “It’s not—” “That simple?” Hunter finishes, tired eyes glaring at
We say we’ll take care of her, so that’s what we do. Hunter holds her up as the nurse examines her for wounds, and—thankfully—doesn't find anything but a few scratches. Talon helps her strip out of those bloody clothes as gently as possible. Axel relays the information the doctor needs about what happened, leaving out anything relating to Penwood for obvious reasons. And when the nurse walks her to the bathroom to help her wash off, I jump at the opportunity. I didn’t want to just sit around being useless. I want to show Olivia that I can be here for her no matter what happens, that she isn’t just someone I want when things are going good and we’re having fun. I take her from the nurse, ignoring the older woman's narrowed eyes. “This is a hospital,” the nurse informs me as I lead Olivia into the bathroom. “I hope you don’t intend to do anything funny in there.” I glare at her. What the fuck does she take me for? Even I’m not that much of an asshole. But looking at her is a mist
He’s dead.The doctors surround the car, trying to pull Alpha Rick out. They urge me to let go of him, but I don’t look at them. I don’t look at anyone except him.And he’s dead.Things happen around me, I think—a wheelchair is brought, a frantic argument breaks out with the doctors, Marjorie weeps in Dillon’s arms loud enough for me to notice.But why does it matter that the world is moving when he’s dead?It takes five doctors to pull Rick out of the car, partly because he’s heavy and partly because I’ve clutched him so tight.It takes five doctors to examine him in the wheelchair.It takes one doctor to check his pulse, then shake her head at her coworkers, panic and grief set in her eyes. But why should she feel sad? Did she know him?Was she aware he drank four lumps of sugar in his tea? That he wouldn’t eat a meal after 9:00 p.m. if I wasn’t the one who made it? That he always checked up on me in the middle of the night before he went to bed?Did she love him? Was she his daught
I freeze. Flight and fight are thrown out the window as I watch the bullet advance in what feels like slow motion. “NO!” Alpha Rick yells. His voice is the only thing loud enough to snap me out of my head. I turn to him, and I’m shocked to meet him running in front of me. The bullet misses me by an inch. It hits Alpha Rick instead. I scream as he goes down, crashing into the asphalt like a stone. “RICK!” I cry. I slide on my knees beside him, not caring as the ground scrapes my skin. I just need to make sure that he’s okay. But Rick has never looked less okay in his life. He’s slumped on his side, hand on the floor like he’ll never move it again. “No, no, no, Alpha Rick.” I shake him, tears stinging my eyes as my shaking becomes more aggressive. When that doesn’t work, I muster all the strength I have and roll him over. The bullet is lodged right in his chest. There’s no telling if it hit him in the heart, but enough blood seeps out of the wound to make me panic. “Alpha Rick
The sun rises behind Nester’s burning body. Monday. I have class today. Dillon is supposed to teach it. What is it? Sparring, I think? It’s difficult to remember as I watch a man curdle in orange flames. Nester Rist is swallowed by fire. Torrents of black smoke try to call my attention, but somehow, even now, I cannot focus on Nester. I focus on the one thing shining brighter than any sun. Me. My entire body glows gold—my eyes, my hair, my skin. I don't dare look down at myself, afraid of this version I don’t truly recognize. All I know is… I almost died. Life was seeping out of me fast. I was so close to eternal darkness, or maybe I would have gone to my mum, I don't know, but then gold pulled me back. Always, always gold. I finally raise my face away from myself, staring out at the crowd. No one moves, and for a second, I think we’re all frozen in time. Maybe I am dead. Maybe this is my hell. To look at them forever. But then I glance at my boys, and the life in their e
“Olivia, wake up.” I think it hard. I think it as a command. I think it as a plea. But Olivia doesn’t stir, her body a lifeless lump that Ricklan is screaming over. I should be scared of Nester, his mere presence stopping the riots. But as he makes his way over to us, I only feel the overwhelming need to punch him in the face. When he walks past me, I bark, “Why the hell is she still passed out if you’re awake?” The men holding me yank me back like I'm some wild animal, but Nester actually looks me in the eyes, sadness in his gaze. “I don’t know,” he says earnestly. My heart clenches as he goes over to her, looking down at her with thin lips and a paper-white face. If he wanted to kill her, he’d toss her in the fire right now. He could smash his foot into her head and end her. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t because he’s not lying. He has no hand in her being passed out. I think I might throw up. “Brother,” Ricklan calls desperately, running his fingers over Olivia’s
The door closes behind them, but the threat rings in my ears.*Trust me, human. I haven’t even begun with you.*All I wanted was to meet Talon, and the person who was meant to introduce me to him just walked out with the wolf that assaulted me.My chest constricts with panic. What if there is
This was a mistake.Someone pushes his girlfriend behind him, growling at me like my disgusting human genes will corrupt her.But his hatred doesn’t even match the one from the large, tattooed Lycan standing in front of me. We lock eyes.“Human.” He snarls, making goosebumps flare over my skin. W
Fuck, she smelt so good. “You’ve outdone yourself, Rye!” Clarissa shouts over the music. We grind in sync with other couples on the dancefloor. I control her hips, bucking against her ass with my hardened dick. But she’s not the one I want to sink my erection into. Olivia. It doesn’t make sen
“We’re here,” Dillon says brightly. He pushes open my dorm room door, and if I weren’t so tense, I might have admired my new space. There’s a small bed pushed to the wall, a sturdy-looking desk beside it, and a large window overlooking the whole setup. It’s nothing special, but I'm just grateful







