SANTIAGO
“Don’t let me regret giving you this.” I breath into the crook of her neck. My teeth scrape along her mark and to my delight a shiver takes her body, my gatita, so responsive.
“I won’t.” She breathes and watches me with open eyes, leaning back against the desk. I study her face. The open book it was a week ago long gone, dark circles around her eyes that have turned a dull shade of brown and green, her cheeks hollow from the weight loss. It’s worth it though, she finally listens to me now, she dresses how I want her to dress and doesn’t whine or cry anymore whenever we have sex.
She’s finally becoming what I imagined her to be. Diego hates me for it however, hates what I have done to her, how I broke her down. The mutt hasn’t spoken to me since and it’s becoming more and more annoying.
I lean back in my chair, thinking. I do need to get her to eat more, become healthy of body again
ADRIANA Somehow, when I dress myself in the scandalous jumpsuit Santiago has picked for me, I find a bit of myself again when I look in the mirror. I lost a lot of weight but the fabric hugs every remaining curve, shows a great deal of my back, the burgundy color seems to make my eyes burn brighter and the tattoo on my back more vibrant. It’s like a reminder that somewhere between the wreckage there’s still the girl I used to be. When I rummage through the jewelry Santiago bought me I can’t help but chuckle when I spot the big and heavy golden chained bracelets. The irony just too much to ignore. They work great with the color of the jumpsuit and I finish up with a combo of golden and black necklaces, black strappy heels with golden heels and soles. Santiago watches me the entire time getting ready, the hunger in his eyes growing every second as he sees me work on myself. Fear for a repeat of what happened gnaws at me and prevents my confidenc
ADRIANA When everyone is back at the packhouse Santiago leads the way to the dining room. He has his arm wrapped around my waist the entire time, holding me close to him like he is scared to lose me to Farkas or Brjent. The sparks from where his hand touches my back take the edge of this meeting for me, soothing the nervousness that is brewing on my insides. I was dreading to be in one room with all of them, Johanna and Brjent being the only exception. He opens the door and reveals the transformed dining room. The rectangular table we normally dine at has been replaced by a big, round one made from salvaged mango wood and brushed steel. The chairs are still the same though, dark brown leather seats and brushed steel undercarriage. The table has already been set and all the plates have nametags, making sure everybody is seated in varied seats instead of next to one another. I internally cringe when I see I am seated between Sophia and Emerson, the only worse o
ADRIANA Johanna inches closer to me, concern mixing with the wariness in her eyes. “What do you mean with, he can’t cope with it?” Her eyes rake my body, lingering on every bruise and bite visible, putting one and one together. “Exactly what you think it means, but nothing I can’t cope with.” I tell her, my voice cold and hard, making it very clear that’s all I’m willing to discuss. Johanna and Brjent exchange a knowing glance with each other, like they expected this of the man who still lays unconsciously on the floor. Johanna reaches over and squeezes my arm softly, her eyes full of understanding. “I’m sorry you have to endure this, whenever he gets too much you have a place to rest at our pack.” Brjent nods behind her and I gratefully smile to them. “Thank you, it means a lot to me.” Emerson looks me over once more, seemingly unbothered by my small revelation about my relationship with Santiago. “I need you to explain what you mean with a powerful
SANTIAGOAdriana blossoms under the attention of the other council members, it’s wonderful to see and also a bit unsettling. It seems so easy for her to find her footing again, so easy to find a comfortable rhythm among this kind of company, especially now she knows they hold no grudges from what happened before.To say I’m relieved that it didn’t escalate in a full blown fight is an understatement.Diego has been happily chatting with Alexis the entire night. He is unbearably content with himself now she is willing to talk to him. It cost him a whole lot apologizing, crawling and practically begging, but when she finally gave in, he was so happy I couldn’t even be mad at him for his behavior.So now their bonding, talking about life here, talking about our pack, what they want for their humans. Something like jealousy courses through my body every time I hear Diego’s roaring laugh, I know I want that too, want that with Adri
ADRIANASantiago leads the both of us into the backyard and I am thankful for that. It’s a bit more secluded, I mean I’m not bothered by nudity, it’s a normal thing being a werewolf, but I just wasn’t feeling stripping down for half his pack.“I can’t wait to see that big puffy dog again.” Alexis grins, she’s been giddy the entire morning. More than happy with the chance to stretch her legs and feel the earth beneath her paws. I can’t help the smirk that creeps up on my face.Santiago catches me smirking. “What’s on your mind?” “Just something big and puffy.” I smirk, Alexis chokes out at that and I can’t hold my laughter anymore. Tears roll down my face and the shocked and questioning expression on Santiago’s face aren’t helping one bit. “What? What is it?” He asks, petting down his beard in case he has something stuck in there. “Nah, come on
SANTIAGO I skid to a halt when I arrive at the towns square. Poté and a large part of my warriors have already gathered and are waiting for me to give orders. Poté throws me a shirt and shorts and I quickly shift into my human form. “Listen up! My Mate and I stumbled upon the scent from rogues on the far right side of the mountain. I need Fernando, Jane, Reed, Jose, Maria and Zeke to scout the entire area.” I instruct the wolves in front of me while chucking on the clothes. “Yes Alpha.” They say in unison and dart off. “Poté, I need you to inform the council members and get them here. Gabriel, I want you to assemble a team to defend the packhouse. Daniel, you’re upping patrol. I want it quadrupled.” I bark commands to my warriors, dispatching them to certain area’s and tasks. Everybody knows the drill, having lived and survived many attacks back in Costa Rica, they work like a well oiled machine. And even though Adriana and I only caught a trace of a
XIMENA Adriana and I rush everybody inside the packhouse, she carefully handles the scared children and makes them feel comfortable when they enter the grand hallway. I like the change I am seeing in her, it’s like she freed herself of the shadow my brother had cast on her the last week. She was a hollow shell, a ghost of the girl she was before, but now, finally, I am seeing more and more of the woman I have seen during the Games. She closes the door and I push some buttons on the panel next to the door, activating a lockdown on the building. She meets my eyes, a shocked expression in them. “Did you see that? The way they moved through the street?” Her voice comes out more steadily than I expected, though her face gives away how she feels inside. She’s scared. “Yeah, I saw it. Where ever they’re from, they received extensive training. We should get everybody inside the conference room, it’s the most central and big enough to fit everyone.” I
SANTIAGOThe stench of rogues inching closer and closer to our border is nauseating, their putrid scent overruling everything. I can’t even smell the blossoming flowers in the bed next to me and my warriors.The audacity to come even as close as they are coming now is surprising, as is the control in how they move. They move like a solid unit instead of the chaotic and wild runs they normally do, it’s concerning to say the least. It has me and everyone around me on high alert.Brjent, Farkas and Emerson all stand beside me, all our eyes are trained on the edge of the forest. Sophia, Lilly and Johanna are working with the warriors in the village, on their way to protect vulnerable buildings like the packhouse and the hospital. I know I don’t need to worry about them, they are more than capable in handling themselves.The rogues remain in the shadow of the forest though, like they are waiting for someone, waiting for an okay.A mome