LOGINLincioln's POV"I have known Zahra for four years and loved her from afar for most of that time. We are friends. I'm close friends with her Alpha and his unit, including her brother, the future Beta of Blood Moon. Last autumn, Zahra was kidnapped by rogues and held prisoner for nearly six months. A few days after my ascension to Alpha, I received a call to say she had been rescued. I immediately rushed to Blood Moon to make sure she was alright and to support my friends."However, when I first saw her again after so long, only a few weeks away from turning eighteen, my wolf and I recognised her as our mate. As I am sure you can imagine, gentlemen, I was unable to leave my new mate under those circumstances while she recovered and tried to rebuild her life. Zahra was unaware of the bond as well, and my wolf was, let's say, reluctant to leave her before she knew."I pause briefly before continuing."We stayed in Blood Moon to support her recovery and help her reconnect with the people s
Lincoln's POVAfter yesterday's madness, today feels almost unnaturally calm. After Zahra's fight with the warriors, reviewing Shadow's security protocols with Isaac and the unit, and the endless discussions that followed, the quiet somehow feels more unsettling than the chaos did.I stand beside Zahra at the top of the pack house steps, my hand resting gently on her hip, her arm tucked around my waist, as we watch the small convoy of cars make its way up the drive towards us.My stomach churns with nerves. If this inspection goes badly, everything we've fought for over the last few days could come crashing down around us.Fuck.Everything is riding on this.Our unit stands off to one side, Sam and Holly positioned just behind and to my left."Relax, man. We've got this," Sam murmurs as the cars roll to a stop.Zahra gives my waist a reassuring squeeze, and some of the tension leaves my shoulders. We pull apart slightly, settling into a more formal stance to greet the council.Two men
Lincoln's POVThen there's a moan, and the bond flares with desire again. I tear my eyes away from Tobias's amber ones to see Xander kissing Zahra senseless. His fingers are threaded through her hair, his large hands engulfing her jaw as he tilts her head back.Fucking hell.Why is watching my mate kiss another man so fucking hot?Lex rumbles in my mind, his own desire thick and building fast."Goddess," Tobias groans beside me, still not removing his hand. I don't know why, but I don't want him to either.Zahra is panting when she pulls away, her chest heaving. I step closer, moving between her legs, and pull down the zip of her bra. It falls open, her breasts spilling free, and all three of us moan at once.She giggles, completely unselfconscious beneath our attention.I step back and Xander grabs her hips, tucks his fingers into the waistband of her shorts and lifts her slightly, sliding them down over her arse where she sits before pulling them off her legs in one swift motion.Sh
Lincoln's POVThe feeling in the pack is electric. Lex and I feel it thrumming through my body. Fuck, they feel invigorated. I have never, in all my life, felt the pack like this. Every wolf seems to be pulling in the same direction, their satisfaction, pride and renewed purpose flowing through the pack bond until it feels vibrant. It's... effervescent.I grin down at my beautiful mate. Despite the bruises and dirt, she looks resplendent. There's a bruise blossoming across her cheek, and the blood on her chin from her split lip has already healed, but the sight of it still makes my stomach burn with anger.Her joy and relief at having won the pack's respect is so gratifying to see.I lean down to kiss her again, and the joy spikes through the pack. I smile against her lips, wishing she could feel it as well."They like you," I murmur into her ear as they cheer and howl around us."I'm so fucking glad because I can't fight any more of them."She sounds exhausted, and I laugh, scooping
Tobias's POVThe next man hesitates before entering.Zahra points at him. "Don't think. Move."He obeys.She takes him down in seconds, but when he gets back to his feet, he rubs at his throat, still coughing from the choke. Instead of glaring at her, a grin slowly spreads across his face."Again sometime, Luna?""If you survive the new training programme."Laughter ripples around the field, but this time there isn't a trace of mockery behind it. Warriors exchange amused looks, a few rubbing bruised ribs or sore shoulders, and several actually nod.The fiftieth warrior falls with Zahra's legs locked around his throat. He taps her thigh, and she releases him before rolling onto her back in the dirt.For several seconds, she remains there staring up at the sky, her chest rising and falling with deep, laboured breaths. The whole field waits. No one calls out or laughs, and even the injured warriors around the edge seem to hold still as they watch her gather herself.Then Zahra sits up.H
Tobias's POVThe lead warrior feints towards her ribs. Zahra doesn't react, and the second man attacks from her right. She blocks his fist with her forearm, counters with two fast strikes to his chest and turns just in time to avoid the first warrior's elbow.A third man catches her shoulder from behind.Zahra drops instantly, but he keeps hold of her shirt. The fourth warrior closes around her waist while the fifth reaches for her legs. For one tense second, all five are on her.The pack roars.Lincoln's body locks beside me.Lex pushes so close to the surface that Lincoln's eyes flash black. Thor surges forwards with a snarl in the back of my mind.'They're touching our mate.'"Wait," I warn, although the word is as much for Thor as it is for Lincoln.Zahra disappears beneath the mass of bodies.Then a warrior screams.The pile breaks apart.Zahra has trapped the hand gripping her shoulder and bent two of his fingers backwards. She turns beneath his arm, tears herself free and drive
Tobias's POVTraining is interesting today, though I am not really paying attention to much. I focus on my opponents enough to avoid losing embarrassingly, and I pretend to watch the others, but my mind is still drowning in everything from last night. Marcus and Aiden’s muttering finally cuts throug
Tobias's POVThe inside of the hospital room is crowded.Nicholas, Aiden, Jasper, Max, Henry, Edwardo, Zach, Xander, Oscar, and Eliot are all squeezed around the bed. Every one of them reacts to my aura in the same way the wolves in the hallway did. They pull back a fraction, necks bared, instincti
Max's POVThe last seven days have been some of my worst. And that includes the day of the attack on Silver Dawn. Medus has barely sat still once, or stopped howling and whining. I have had the worst headache. And then there is my chest. It hurts. Actually, physically hurts not having Zahra near me
Thor's POVPain hits like a blade to the chest. Sharp, deep, wrong.The moment she turns her back, the moment Zanthe slams the bond shut, it feels like someone tears something out of me. Not cleanly. Not gently. Ripped.My human wavers. I feel him try to hold steady, but I cannot stay in his s







