LOGINBack in the mansion, after a warm much-needed bath, Scarlett lay curled up beside Dylan on the bed. The aftereffect of the wolfsbane hadn't cleared off, and she still felt light headed. But after Hope examined her, she assured her and Dylan that it would fade completely in a few hours. Dylan didn't dare leave her side. From the moment they returned to the arena, him carrying her sweaty, shivering body, he had stayed beside her, like he was afraid she would disappear from his sight. He lay beside her, his hand wrapped snugly around her waist. "It was scary, you know," she whispered. "Hallucinating. Now I understand people who suffer from mental breakdown."Dylan kissed her hair and brushed it aside. "Do you want to talk about it?"She nodded, snuggling closer into him. "I don't even know how to talk about it. I still can't tell if I was actually inside my mind, or if it was just the wolfsbane messing with me.""What did you see?""A lot of things," she murmured. "A strange girl dre
In the real world, Dylan noticed something strange. Scarlett had gone totally still after writhing from the pain of the wolfsbane, and it looked like she was in a deep slumber. Then, a thick trail of blood started to leak out of her nostrils. The wave of panic he had managed to dispel came surging up again, and he shot out of his seat. "She's bleeding," he muttered, moving away from his seat. "She's fucking bleeding!"He stormed off, unable to keep watching. His hands were clenched tightly as he headed out of the arena, ignoring Jordan who called after him. When he had put a lot of distance between him and the dome, he stopped and exhaled, lifting his face to the sky. The breeze ruffled his hair, and it seemed to restore some sort of calm to his mind. Besides him, Jordan reached out tentatively and placed one hand on his shoulder. "I never thought something I did would turn around and hit me," Dylan murmured. "I never should have enforced this trial. Now my hands are tied, the
Dylan shot out of his seat, his hands curling into fists beside him. His gaze was pinned on the dome, watching as the wolfsbane began its excruciating effect. Beside him, Jordan watched quietly. Whispers went through the crowd, and a few shifters turned their faces away, unable to watch. Not Dylan though. His gaze never left the dome. His body had gone completely rigid, and he was on the verge of crossing over the barrier. His eyes flashed a deep gold, the sign of his wolf awakening. The sight of his woman in pain enraged his wolf, and he could feel it scratching at the edge of his mind, wanting to take over. When Scarlett let out another scream, he took a step forward. Jordan swiftly grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back, but he nearly lost his life because of it. Dylan whirled around with a vicious snarl, his eyes bleeding into black coals. His hand shot out, wrapping tight around Jordan's throat. A few of the shifters moved away in terror, caught between the screaming h
The second trial took place two days later, after Scarlett fully healed from the snake bite. Following what happened the last time, the pack members all gathered in front of the mansion that morning, to show their unwavering support and respect for her. Scarlett was touched. With Dylan beside her, she swore to prove herself as the right Luna for the pack, and in return, the pack members swore their loyalty to her. This was what she had always wanted. To be accepted and respected, not just as Dylan's wife, but as their future Luna too. That morning, as Dylan led her into the forest where the dome waited, she slipped her hand into his. "I know you don't want me to do this," she murmured. "If you had your way, you'd stop the trial."Dylan didn't reply immediately. He stopped and turned, taking her in his arms. He carefully brushed her hair aside, stroking one finger down her cheek. Then he smiled. "You're right. I don't want you doing this. But after seeing how excited you were whe
Scarlett got to the entrance of the pack without anyone stopping her. A few of the shifters did give her strange looks, but they merely bowed and went on with their day. Their respect for her after the first trial was clearly visible, and it only made her more adamant to complete it. She walked past the guards on duty, then paused when one called out a greeting to her. "Greetings, Lady Callahan.""Hello. I'm just taking a walk," she lied. "To get some air.""Do you need help?" the guard asked further. It was a harmless question, but it only made Scarlett feel worse. She was tired of everyone treating her like some weak creature. Without answering, she turned and walked in the other direction. It was almost noon, but the weather remained chilly. She shivered involuntarily and hugged her arms, but she didn't stop until she reached the northern border. If she stepped through it, she would no longer be under the protection of the pack. Before she crossed over the border, she stopp
Jordan and Caleb were seated together in the living room, discussing in low tones. Jordan lay across the couch, his head on Caleb's thighs, while Caleb softly caressed his hair. They both looked serious. "You know a war with Andromeda is imminent," Jordan was saying. "Three months have been wasted, yet the warriors haven't found Helgar and the others.""I know," Caleb murmured. "I think Dylan knows too. But no one wants to talk about it because it's better to think we have a chance of stopping them."He paused for a moment, then looked down at Jordan. "Are you scared?"Jordan gazed up at him and smiled. "No. Just worried.""About what?""Surviving. You, me, Dylan, Scarlett. Everyone else. I want us to survive this.""We will." Caleb said. "We definitely will.""But how can you be sure?" Jordan asked softly. "When the war begins, we're going to be separated, fighting beside Alpha Dylan and protecting Scarlett. I won't be there to protect you.""You know I can protect myself.""That's
When Sheba first heard that Dylan had married a human, she refused to believe it. She knew him, knew how much he despised the humans for being weak and inferior. He loathed their existence. So it came as a shock when Alpha Kingston of Red Claw pack told her Dylan had married a human and planned t
Under the cover of darkness, Tabitha crept out of her cottage and pulled on a cloak. The weather was chilly from the rain, and she shivered involuntarily. She was about to shut the door when her little sister's voice stopped her. "Where are you going, Tabi?"She whirled around, a soft gasp escapi
Those were the only words Dylan wanted to hear. He stepped away from her, unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. Then he reached for her. "Wait," she stopped him, palms pressed against his bare chest. God, he was ripped. Her fingers tingled as she stroked his pecs and rock-hard abs. "Keep tou
Dylan had always been bad at consoling a person who was hurting. Born and bred under intense training and cold brutality, he never showed emotion. He saw it as being weak, and he despised weakness. But Scarlett's sobs got to him, twisted into his heart like he had been stabbed, and punched a hole







