Brandon woke up the next day with his back touching a mattress so soft he thought he was dreaming. It had been a while since he slept indoors. He was sure it was a trick his mind was playing on him.Bran was weighed down by several blankets to keep the cold away and as he peeled them off slowly, he noticed the scents of the items around the room reminded him of home. He hadn’t expected to stay in his human form, but after his drastic shift, it became difficult to switch back. Thorne had warned him not to interfere. But the thought of leaving a human in need felt wrong.He only had to think of Brianna lying alone in the woods and his protective instincts kicked in.Bran remembered visiting this human in her dreams repeatedly, giving him another reason to help.He could feel the sorrow and the pain she felt, and he wondered if he was empathetic towards her because he had felt the same feelings while growing up. While in school, he felt lost and alone, despite being among people he thou
Brandon couldn’t walk out of the cabin even if he wanted to. It had been a struggle to keep his wolf form, and he doubted he could even walk upright since he remembered crawling most of the way to get to the cabin.Every muscle in his body was tingling and his bones felt weak, making him wonder how he helped the woman the last few days when he couldn’t even move.Then he remembered he had been handling the Calabar beans without gloves and had been inhaling the fumes every time he brewed the tea.He heard Violet mention it was poisonous, and he did not heed her warnings about brewing the tea in an open area to have the least amount of contact with the poison.The effect on him had been gradual, given that he was also a werewolf whose body could heal itself. But over time, and with no sustenance to replenish the energy used to flush it out of his system, the poison stayed in his body longer.It was Brianna who figured out what was making him weak when he was unresponsive after two days
“Come, the food is ready.” Brutus was in charge of the barbecue and as he opened the cover for the grill, the glorious smell of roasting meat made Brandon’s stomach grumble.It had been days since he last ate. He doesn’t even know how long he’s had grilled meat and hearing the fat sizzling on the hot red coals made him salivate. The men around him laughed, but his attention was focused on the darkened slab of ribs Brutus took out, and seeing his hungry expression, the pack enforcer did not hesitate to give him the first serving. “Hmm…” Brandon closed his eyes as he savored the meat melting in his mouth. The sauce dripped down his fingers and he licked it off clean, not caring that people were watching.Slice after slice of meat appeared in front of him together with potatoes, cobs of corn, and several pieces of bread, and Bran gobbled them all up like the starving man that he was.“Save some for us,” Rick joked after seeing Brandon had stopped growling and slowing down. “I’m sorry,
“What do you think you’re doing?” Two arms grabbed Marina’s shoulder and shoved her against the tree. “Brandon was showing interest. Why did you run away?”“Brandon? He’s not interested in me.”“Of course, he is smitten, sweetheart. He followed you in here, didn’t he?”“What do you want me to do, poison him in the middle of his party?”“Didn’t know you had brains in there.” “Do you want me to get killed? There is no way you are getting out of Silvercreek without having the entire pack after you. They’re the golden kids right now. People are watching them.”“Better you than me, my little pet.” He said, kissing her cheek and making her shudder. “But you are right. We can’t have the entire cavalry after us.”“Do your job right and I might bestow upon you the pleasure I reserve for my princess. It’ll be shameful not to share my skills when I have a lot to offer.”Marina wanted to gag. Sleeping with Seth was not a gift, it was a curse. She would rather die than suffer in his hands ever ag
The next day, Brandon woke up early. He could feel the chill in the air, and for once, he was glad to be indoors when winter came upon them. He could not believe the seasons were changing so fast, and in a few months, snow would cover the entire state.The nights were cold enough that lighting up the fireplace to keep the entire cabin warm was acceptable, and he liked that. It made him remember the times they went on trips with their parents.Being so young, the twins did not know that they had been searching for a place to live every time they went on family camping trips. None of their memories during that time came back completely, but there were glimpses of happy times.Bran was a werewolf, thick with fur and full of body heat, and though his temperature ran high while in his wolf form, he was still half-human. And being human meant it was not enjoyable to sleep outdoors on the cold, wet ground. He could not understand why it was taking too long for him to regain his strength.
Seth and his men stopped at a clearing in the forest the locals called the grassland. It was a patch of forest fabled to be an evil place, where nothing but grass and weeds grew. The trees surrounded the area like they knew not to set foot inside the circle. Some folklore said the place was vacant because of the ancient witches who gathered in the area during the longest night of the year. During the winter solstice, when the moon was at its highest peak, it would shine its light upon the clearing. Covens would use this moment to fortify their spells by harnessing the energy of the moon.The witches would light bonfires inside the circle and dance around the fire naked while offering their sacrifices to the devil.It was a celebration that lasted from the moment the sun disappeared from the sky to the moment it appeared the next day. Nobody knew where they came from, but as soon as the moon retreated into the horizon, so did the witches. The area cleared out as if nothing had trans
Grayson tapped into the pack link and was met with silence. The only people who responded were the ones already in the clearing with him. Aiden, Rick, and Rob looked around as they held their positions.Around them, pack members had dropped like flies after being shot by tranquilizer darts. And just like Brandon, the medicine took effect immediately, reducing their chances of overpowering the Nightshade pack.Seth laughed even though Grayson still had his sharp claws digging into Seth’s neck. “It’s ten against four. I would say you should surrender.”Grayson growled. He warned everyone to be alert and watch their back for any sneak attacks, but they never expected the other pack to come more prepared.‘They’ve all been shot.’ Aiden reported.‘Are they dead?’ Grayson asked, to confirm the fate of his pack members.‘No,’ Aiden growled. Seeing the injections on the bodies made him hyper-aware. He opened his senses to the sounds of the forest, so he was prepared when one whizzed past his
Brianna finds herself waking up in an unfamiliar location. Gauzy curtains flutter in the breeze, bringing in the crisp mountain air as she comes to her senses. “Gray,” she sat up in bed, hoping the events were just another nightmare, but then she felt a collar on her neck. The thing dug into her skin when she tried to pull it apart.Bree snickered. A dog collar, really? They think this will keep me down?The minute her eyes opened, she felt something was different. An intrinsic knowledge that shifting into her wolf would be easier.Earlier, Grayson had given her the extra push needed to boost her confidence, making it easy to change. But when she initiated the shift into her wolf form, Bree realized the spikes digging into her neck, preventing her from completing the transformation. “Agghhh!” she screamed as the metal points pierced her skin. Bree fell on all fours and panted while her body returned to its original form, the skin on her neck healing rapidly.Her shoulders shook as
“Hey, Marg,” Bran and Marina enter the bar, followed by ten of their new friends. “Can you give my new friends their first drink and charge it on my tab.”Marg raised her brow. “Friends of yours?” She was suspicious. Since when did Brandon have friends the pack didn’t know about?She tried to catch Marina’s attention, but the younger woman escaped to the ladies’ room. Who were these people and why were there so many of them? Why did they come?Are they here for peace or to cause problems?These are just some of the questions she needed answered. However, it was not her place to confront the individuals involved.Marg sent a message to Grayson through the pack link to alert him of the newcomers. Ten werewolves on a motorcycle can mean anything, and she wanted to err on the side of caution.Several minutes later, Grayson and Brianna appear at the bar as if they came casually. Like they were out on a date and had come to the pub for drinks.The jukebox was blaring an old song about the
“Brandon! Get out of the way! A truck is coming.” She yells while pulling him toward the trees. But Brandon did not budge and kept his ground. He did not want to confront the creature lurking behind the shadows unless necessary.It was too late, Marina thought. When the truck hit the rock, the momentum would crumple the vehicle and them at the same time. She did not want to lose Bran to an accident they could have prevented, so she decided to stay with him. Better die together than cry because of his loss.‘It’s okay. It’s not a truck.’ He communicated through their link as the lights came closer, halting a couple of feet before the rock, the sound of machinery louder than before.His range to hear and see things around him was more enhanced than Marina’s because of his alpha blood. So he knew way before she did that it wasn’t a big vehicle that was approaching.“Need help there young werewolf?” A deep voice boomed behind the light and Marina’s eyes widened in fear as she scented at l
Inside the vehicle, Marina could not sit still. How did Seth know where she was, and how did he know she would be on a date with Brandon?Brandon asked her about a song and she said yes instead of telling him she’d heard it before. She could not focus. Seth just thanked her for luring Brandon away from the pack and threatened to kill him.Marina needed all her faculties to detect any coming danger, so she tuned Bran out, slid the windows down, and listened to the sounds outside.They were halfway to the border between Silvercreek and the next town when her fears finally manifested.She saw glimpses of a werewolf running alongside their car hidden behind the treeline. He was running so fast she could hear him grunting as he ran. Like in a horror film, the hair on her arms stood on end and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before they met this wolf in person.The action was easy to miss by a regular human, but since she had enhanced hearing and could see in the dark, she was su
Marina walked down the stairs, and Brandon couldn’t help but hold his breath. He always knew she was beautiful, but with minimal makeup and her hair down, she looked younger.The thick foundation, black eyeliner, and red lipstick she wore most of the time made her look more mature, hiding her soft, smooth skin. Having all that armor made him wonder what she wanted to hide under all that facade.“You look so—” Brandon hesitated. He had no words to describe her.“I need to change.” Marina felt conscious and retreated up the steps, but before she could reach the top, Bran’s arm shot out to stop her.“You don’t,” he said after pulling her to his chest, lifting her off the ground and making her feet dangle.His face was positioned right on top of the V of her neckline, and he gave her a naughty smile. “I like this view too.” His eyes lowered, and she covered her breasts with her hands.“Let me go. This is inappropriate.”“Okay, I will let you go if you promise not to change. I like your o
The answer was yes. She wanted to have sex with Bran, to risk the wrath of their alpha and his mate, to try her chance at happiness. If she would get exiled, why not for her happiness? But now was not the right time and place, not at the barracks, where it felt impersonal and hurried.‘Let’s go on a date first, like you suggested.’ Brandon groaned silently against her neck, but the rumble in his chest told her how disappointed he felt.‘Then we can do all this and more after the… third date?’‘Third date?’ He whined through their link, yet his hand never stopped moving.‘Isn’t that the norm?’‘How about I show you what I can do with my mouth now?’‘Oh…’ How was she supposed to say no when his hands alone brought her to her knees? ‘I have no doubt it’ll be—aghhh…good—aghhh… Brandon, don’t stop.’ Marina fused their lips and clutched his hair as the feeling in her core intensified. There was no sound anyone could hear, but Bran could feel what she did through their link. She was about t
The couple awoke in the dark at the same time, clothes covering their bodies, and sweat running down their backs. They were back at the barracks on the bed they slept in, arms wrapped around each other.The dream had been so real he felt the slickness when their naked bodies glided against each other. He was having an erotic dream about Marina and he wondered if he walked into her dream or if he dragged her into his.Bran looked into Marina’s eyes as she rubbed their legs together, noticing they were clouded. Was she still asleep? Should he wake her up?He sniffed the air and scented her arousal. It was a big possibility that they had just shared every part of his sexually charged dream.‘What were you dreaming about?’ He touched the tip of their noses together and asked through their link. Her answer would mean she was awake.Marina shook her head. She had to erase the image of Bran covering her with his naked body. The dream was too racy to be shared.‘You were there.’ He captured h
Bran was in the shadows listening to their conversation, so when Marina stepped out to head to the barracks, he surprised her by appearing out of nowhere.“Is that true?” He asked.“What is true?” Marina feigned ignorance.“That you were in love with him before?” She walked away before speaking.“It was a childhood crush. He was the only handsome guy in town, so it was only right that every girl in this area was infatuated with him.”“And now?”“Now…” She looked over at Bran and smirked. “I have to check my options. Let me look at your face and check if you’re handsome enough.”Bran grabbed her arm and pulled her to his chest. “Are looks really that important?” He asked while tipping up her chin. He wanted to stare into her eyes while she gave her answer.“Yes... No...”“Are you saying you’d settle because there’s no one else but me?” Marina raised her brow as if insulted.“I have standards.”“And I’m below that?” Brandon wasn’t vain. He had no delusions he was handsome but didn’t thi
“I wanted to take Marina out for a date. Where do you think we should go?” Bree gave Grayson a knowing look.The guys had their mouths hanging open. “Her?” One asked, then stopped when Marina glared at him, beating Bran to come to her rescue.“There’s a steakhouse a couple of towns over.”“Why would you go to a steakhouse when you have the best beef here at the ranch?” He jabbed the guy beside him.“Go to the Italian place in Greenville, they make handmade pasta,” Gran interjects.“Yes, that place is nice. It gave me an excuse to hold your gran close when we danced.”‘Don’t do it. I will never forgive you.’ Marina’s voice conveyed in his head.‘Why not? I want everyone to know you and I are dating.’‘Please don’t do this.’‘You are mine and they better know it.’“It is decided then. So Marina, will you go out with me?” Bran asks with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.“Go ahead.” Gran chides. “The man has spoken. Will you leave him hanging?” The dinner guests went silent, eager to hear
Marina ran from the kitchen. She didn’t mean to get overcome by lust, but whenever she was near Brandon, her brain was clouded with their nightly visits. In her dreams, Brandon called her beautiful and made her feel special, but they were just dreams that she conjured to feel less lonely. She chose Brandon because he was from out of town and knew nothing about her past.His eyes did not hold pity or disgust when he looked at her. She felt wanted when he said things that made her heart skip a beat.‘I’m beautiful,’ she smiled while lugging feed for the ducks and chickens on both shoulders.“Chick, chick, chick, chick, chickens!” Amelia called to her egg-laying pets. “Good morning! It’s time to come out.”“They missed you when you were gone.” “You think so?”“Of course, because I missed you a lot,” Marina said awkwardly.“So why didn’t you call me?”“I figured you were enjoying yourself so I left you alone. I wanted you to have some fun. Plus, I wanted you to think I was grown up enou