Lucy worked in a bakery before and after school, her foster parents paid for her clothes and phone, but she had to pay her car insurance and save for when she left this town. Axel worked across the street at the auto body shop. So he'd come over for coffee before his shift started after school. Sometimes Lucy wondered if he was checking to make sure Astrid was in check. She liked to lash out when Lucy was under any stress or anxiety. Axel would make Lucy train; the stronger she was physically and mentally, the better Astrid would stay in her mind and not come forward even a bit. Even though Lucy was small, she was fast and cunning. Lucy often wondered what would have happened to her if Axel had never found her in the woods that day.
(FLASHBACK)
Lucy POV
After the social worker told me she had found my family, I was so happy, finally someone to love me. I couldn't wait to meet them, but when the social worker called and said they didn't want me. Everything went black. I woke up naked with a football jersey draped over me in the woods, covered in blood. Axel was sitting with his hands over his face like he was stressed out. When I asked him what happened, he looked afraid to tell me.
"Ax, what am I doing out here? How did I get here? What's going on???""Luc, I don't know if I should tell you.... you aren't stable enough; I'm afraid Astrid will come out again.""Ax, I'm ok. You can tell me I can handle it."Axel began to tell me what the social worker had said, then bits and pieces of the afternoon started to come back blurry. After hanging up the phone, I ran outside and shifted only for the second time since I got my wolf. I ran through the woods eating small animals and burning off my pain with the run. Then it came back like a ton of bricks, the hiker.....
"I I I killed a hiker..... Astrid killed the hiker. I'm a murderer."
"Luc, breathe, keep her under control ok; remember it happens. You didn't mean it. Astrid was in control. Lucy Bennet would never hurt anyone ever."(END FLASHBACK)when Lucy was at the bakery, she was at peace. She would come up with so many desserts, pie, eclairs, turnovers, fancy bread. She'd worked there since she was 14, so the owners gave her free rein to bake whatever she thought people would want, and the town loved it. For a small city, they sure did well selling out each day. Lucy always made sure they had blueberry scones with cream cheese icing; those were Axel's favourite. The typical day before starting his shift, he came over for a 16oz triple latte, made breve with cream instead of milk and his blueberry scone. Axel never brought girls into the bakery he only came in to visit Lucy. So when he walked in with the most beautiful brunette Lucy had ever seen, she was shocked and a little in awe of this perfect girl, she thought she knew everyone from school so who is this?
"Lucy, I want you to meet Ellen, my sister, Ellen, this is Lucy!" Lucy's mouth dropped open. You could fit a textbook in it. "Lucy, it's so lovely to meet you!! Axel has told me so much about you." Lucy, still speechless, just stared at her. Axel clears his throat "hehem Earth to Lucy?""Oh, hi! Oh wow! It's great to meet you too. When.... how..... where did you come from?"Ellen and Axel both start laughing. "Well, I didn't want to tell you Axel began until I knew for sure, but it was my foster parents who looked into officially adopting me. They found out about Ellen and contacted her. She just got in last night! Ellen and I are twins. When our mother died during childbirth, they thought it would be easier to find us homes separately. Since there was no father around, we don't even know who he is.""WOW! Lucy gasped; that's a lot. So are you sticking around, or are you heading back to where did you come from?"
"I still have school to finish, but I want to stay the week and get to know Axel a bit better. What time do you finish? Maybe we can grab some dinner.""oh, I usually work late, like 10 pm, so perhaps rain check." Just then, Fran, the owner, walked by and interrupted their conversation.
"Lucy dear, why don't you take the night off to spend time being a teenager? You are always here. I can handle closing tonight!" Fran urged.
"Alright, could I meet you guys at Olivia's around 6? I have some dough that's still rising for breakfast that I need to proof."
"Sounds excellent! See you later, Luc!"
As they walked out the door. Lucy was worried something didn't add up. Ellen didn't answer any of her questions. They were so vague..... she could feel Astrid stirring in her mind. She doesn't have a wolf. She can't be his twin..... Astrid said wearily. How can you tell Lucy shot back? Lucy was always hostile towards Astrid after the incident. Astrid because I can tell. I'm stronger than most wolves. That's why you can't hold me back. Why are you just telling me this now, Lucy wined. You'll know soon enough. Astrid said vaguely.
Axel grew up in a small town adopted by human parents when his mother died during childbirth. He never needed to look for his birth father because his foster parents were all he needed. Kade and Laurel treated Axel like the son they always wanted. He was given everything a boy could want. When Axel shifted for the first time, he had no idea what was happing to him. His body got really hot and itchy. He had this pounding headache for days. They lived on the forest side of town, so he decided to take a walk and get some fresh air, maybe take a swim in the river if that helped cool his aching itchy body.He stumbled over rocks and tree roots, the smell of the trees becoming stronger, and he could hear everything. The wind in the trees, the heartbeats of rabbits running and the rushing river seemed to be so loud he covered his ears. He did his best to breathe through the pain he felt all over his body. He laid on the ground next to the river, waiting for the pain to s
LUCY I sat on the terrace of our bedroom, waiting for Killian to wake up. I knew he'd be up soon for training. Axel and I had stayed out so late. Killian had been asleep when I came in. I was lost in thought, looking at the building I had destroyed with my outburst only a few months earlier. Almost rebuilt, but never the same. My mind wandered to everything that has happened in the last few months—snuggled up in a blanket with my coffee. I felt a strange sensation overwhelming my body. Was my heat coming on? KILLIAN I woke up choking on smoke. I rolled over to see if Lucy had come back. She wasn't in bed. I stumbled through the smoke, wondering what time it was. I tried mind-linking Lucy to see if she was still with Axel. She didn't answer me. I thought for a minute maybe she was in the shower. Where was this smoke coming from? I looked up to see her coffee cup on the ground outside, her blanket wrapped around her tightly. She was on the deck trapped. I
LUCY Having my mother in my pack was weird. My memories of her are so different from the women before me. We are sitting in the gardening drinking coffee and talking about our lives. I can feel her trauma in her emotions. The things she hides and pretends didn't happen. I searched her mind when we first found her to see what she had experienced. They tried to recreate Astrid. She had so many children taken from her, experimented on and killed when they were not blessed wolves. How she hides all that pain, ill never know. She keeps the wall up high. Hidden from Lanie, for being an older sister is very oblivious to real life. The struggles we have faced and the hardships ahead. All she sees is Axel and her family. That's all she has ever wanted. I, on the other hand, have never felt more alone. Killian is great. I do love him, but he can't fill the void I feel. The never-ending emptiness. He does complete me in some ways, but in other ways, I don't know if I will ever be able
ELLEN I watched as Lanie and her mother reconnected after 15 years. Lanie had been through so much. I secretly hoped maybe my mother wasn't dead but just captured as well. However, I knew better. Axel was recovering well. Maddox had joined me at some point in the night and was sleeping on my lap, both of my legs were asleep, and I really had to pee when Lucy came to visit. I waited by his bedside for him to wake up so Lanie and her mother could have more time together and Axel wouldn't wake up alone. The brother I had always wanted. He was better than I dreamed of funny, kind, fierce. I hated the thought of him leaving to be the Alpha of the Mountain Moon pack, but I knew it was his destiny, and he would make an incredible Alpha. "Hey, how's he doing?" Lucy asked as she slumped into the chair beside me. "No change, but the doc said that's normal, and the poison is out of his system. It was just such a large amount. Liam is still asleep and can't h
ASTRID When I saw the vile creature cut Killains throat, to say I was pissed was an understatement. I shoved Lucy back and took control of this rescue and murder, whichever I decided came first. Mad ox put the coward who ordered Killian's death into the cell next to us while I healed Killian. Lucy was too sweet to witness this, so I blocked her out. What I was about to do, I didn't want her living with it for the rest of her life. "Ah, Alpha Silver, or should I say spinless serpent, I don't know how the mood Goddess gave you paws instead of scales." "Who are you? a hybrid? a witch? how do you move so fast, and how did you heal that mutt?" I reached my hand out with my claws extended and dug them into his neck, drawing blood. " I am Astrid Bennet. You kidnapped my mother and tried to kill my mate normally; my human is sweet, loving and forgiving; however, she is grieving the loss of her mate, so I had to shove her out—I am not sweet,
AXEL I could not keep Astrid back any longer. Before I could tighten my grip, she had ripped both vamps hearts out and busted open the cellar doors. She grabbed the beta both hands on either side of his face. I couldn't see what was happening because Astrid had her back to me, but then I heard the blood curtailing scream come from the betas mouth. His eyes turned white, and he started shaking. She threw him to the side and ran to Killian placing her hands on his neck. There was a flash of light, and Alpha silver tried to escape, but Maddox grabbed him and broke both his legs and wrists. He wouldn't be going anywhere. "Throw him in the other cell. I want to have some alone time with this monster." Astrid's voice was eerily calm and so creepy. Lucy was defiantly locked out. "Yes, Luna!" Maddox complied "Axel! Ellen! Find my mother." She screamed. After a few minutes, Killian's neck was healed completely. He was still covered in b