In the days after my first change, I felt like a new person. My skin felt foreign, but somehow more comfortable. I loved being in wolf form, but changing was still hard for me. Even though the run through the woods felt amazing I decided I would only practice in my room for awhile, afraid of what the triplets might say. My weight and curves apparently transitioned into wolf form as well. The brotherโs seemed overly preoccupied though, and aside from showing up randomly to sit wherever I was, they were staying out of my way. They were planning the homecoming dance, and it seemed to be a big deal. I was enjoying the reprieve from their abuses and tried to ignore them as much as I could. I was spending a good bit of my time reading, singing in the woods, far away from the brothers, and with Lily. She, apparently, was beyond excited about the dance. โI absolutely canโt wait. I have no idea what Iโm going to
I slumped down on the steps outside, trying to piece my thoughts together before I headed home. How could they do this to me? Did they really hate me that much.The door opened behind me and I heard 3 sets of footsteps. I didnโt look back, not caring who it was or what they were going to say.Warm bodies sat down around me. I finally looked up to see the triplets. I scowled, anger welling up inside of me. โGo away.โ All I could do was whisper.Cheney was in front of me, and I saw him lower his head. โWeโre sorry. We thought it would be funny, but we were wrong.โI could feel Nicholas nod beside me. I looked at Brian who was standing a little away from us. He was just starting at his feet.โI donโt believe you.โ I looked back down, wishing they would just disappear. โLet us make it up to you. Weโll drive you home.โ Cheney actually looked a little concerned, but I wasnโt sure I believed it. 
I watch as Cleo leaves the clearing, and wonder what I should do. I donโt know if I should speak to him, or try to sneak away.Brian decides for me, turning slightly in my direction and saying, โYou donโt have to hide now.โ A little embarrassed at witnessing such a private moment, I take a few tentative steps forward.โIโm sorry.โ I say quietly. And then feel stupid because he shouldnโt be able to hear me. But he answers before I can do anything else. โI hear youโฆ and donโt be sorry. I should have done that a long time ago.โHe gathers the rest of his things and then goes to sit on a small bench beside the water. I follow and sit beside him. โYou can hear me? Why?โ Iโm only slightly surprised, but want answers anyway.He doesnโt have any for me. โI donโt know. I donโt really care, but I appreciate it. Your voice is lovely.โ I blush a little, and he looks at me and laughs.โDonโt get too exci
I watch Cheney, wearily, as he wipes the coffee from his skin. He pulls his shirt over his head, using it to help dry himself off. He pauses and looks up, catching me watching him.I blush a bit and duck my head, not knowing what to say. This isnโt something I was prepared for, I donโt know how to act around this version of Cheney. โYou ok?โ He asks softly, using a tone Iโve never heard from him before.โYeah, no harm done.โ My voice is a whisper, so I clear my throat. โIโm just a bit confused. What exactly happened out there?โ I look back up at him, hoping that this question doesnโt bring back the cold, cruel Cheney Iโm used to.He laughs softly, leaning up against the back wall and crossing his arms across his broad, tan chest. โMags was trying to convince me to get back together with her. You came up at the right time, so I tried to show her I was over her.โHe trails off a bit, not meeting my eyes. โI guess she
Back in the woods, Nicholas watches Beryl leave, his head flooding with thoughts and emotions. When sheโs out of sight and earshot, he turns his heated glare on Brian, who looks mildly back at him, prepared to read his brotherโs lips, knowing neither of them care enough to learn to sign.โWhat the hell, Brian? Whatโs going on out here?โ Heโs vague but almost frantic, and doesnโt really know why heโs so upset. But the moment he had seen Brian and Beryl sitting together, laughing in that clearing, he had become uncontrollably furious.He storms over to the bench where Brian is sitting, and uses his height to loom over him. Brian, used to Nicholasโ domineering behavior, reclines, propping his feet on the bench where Beryl was sitting moments before.Brian sighs, knowing what is coming next. Heโs seen his brother struggle with his feelings for Beryl for weeks now, and hadnโt said anything to him, yet. Maybe he should now, he t
I felt as though I should be more concerned about the confrontation between Brian, the brothers, and I, but I couldnโt find it within myself to care much. Something within me had changed, and I was growing more confident, more willful. I was growing into my wolf. Today I was spending the day with Lily, and I was looking forward to a day without the overwhelming testosterone of the brothers. I arrived at Lilyโs house in high spirits.โHi!โ She greeted me with a huge smile on her face. I knew from the look that she had something in mind, but didnโt mind. โHey! How are you today? Are we still on for movies and popcorn?โโWellโฆ I had another idea I wanted to run by you.โ She looked a little sheepish now, hesitant to tell me what her idea was.โWhat is it?โ I rolled my eyes and laughed at her, thinking it probably had something to do with the triplets. Most of her crazy ideas had something to do with them, she was near obsessed with them.โI was thinking, maybe, if you didnโt mind, that w
The joy that the hockey game brought me held over for the next few days. I was in higher spirits than Iโd been in a long time.Bouncing down to breakfast one morning, I was singing to myself, and was caught off guard by Armandโs sudden presence in front of me.โOh! Hi! I didnโt see yo there. How are you?โ Armand hadnโt been around the mansion much lately. I had heard rumors that he had been seeing someone new, and that the tension with the vampires had increased some, causing him to be gone more.โGood morning Beryl. Iโm well, thank you. And you?โ He seemed distracted, not really looking at me, but off into the distance, contemplative.โIโm great. Ready for a good day!โ I couldnโt keep the joy from leaking out. He chuckled a bit at my exuberance. He looked at me fully now.โIโm glad to hear it. Just be careful when youโre off the grounds for awhile. Things are unsettling lately, and Iโd like to know youโre sa
NicholasI could tell that all three of us felt it when her collar bone broke, and then again when they knocked her out. The rage roaring through my mind was almost as loud as the roar that erupted from me as I felt her pass out.I was in the middle of a death match with two heavily built vampires, and could see that Cheney and Brian where in the same shape. My rage took over and in a moment of blind fury, I reached out and crushed the windpipe of one of my assailants.I could see to my right that Cheney was dispatching with his combatants as well, โCheney, can you get to her?โ I shouted over the chaos whirling around me.โIโm trying! Damn it, they just keep coming!โ He roared back at me, throwing panicked glances over his shoulder in Berylโs direction.โBrian??โ I couldnโt see him, but could sense him behind me somewhere. โIโm covered up! Theyโre fucking everywhere! Where is the rest of the guard?โ He yelled b
Nicholas:We watched impatiently as our father broke one vampire after another, getting bits and pieces of information from each of them.We knew theyโd taken her to a farmhouse on the edge of the city, we just werenโt sure how many were holding her and which direction theyโd gone.We also didnโt know who had called the rear guard away from their posts. Theyโd been called away with the correct code words, which could have only come from someone close to us. But right now, rescuing Beryl was the main priority.Finally, after what seemed like forever, our father turned to us. โSheโs to the east in an old abandoned farmhouse. There are animals still on the property, so look for livestock. There should be about five of the holding her for now, but they will be moving her soon, so you must hurry.โโTake ten men, just to be sure, but bring her back unharmed.โ He had apparently not heard that she had already be hurt.
Beryl:The air in the room felt thick with tension as I lay on the examination table, the cold surface sending shivers through my body. Dr. Matthias and Elara stood on either side of me, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.Something was wrong, and we hadn’t figured out what yet. A tremble ran through me. I was both cold and stressed. Elara noticed my shiver, and moved to cover me with an extra blanket. She propped me up on another pillow, trying to help make me as confortable as possible.I let out a soft sigh, trying to ease the discomfort that had become a
While I had been asleep, they had decided to plan an all out attack on the vampires and the dissenting pack. The plan was to hit them soon, before they had a chance to move too far away from their current encampment.The overall consensus was that we were ready to go now, so they had decided to gather our forces and proceed with the attack the very next day. With Amy under heavy guard, and unable to use her magic to bolster their forces, they would be weakened and unready to withstand this kind of assault.My mates were invigorated, ready for the battle, but I was wary and t
The plan to surprise and trap Amy, the vampires, and the dissenting pack was a simple one. We finally had the advantage, and were going to use it to the best of our abilities. Our numbers were larger than they had been in years, and we were finally ready to be done and over this distress in our lives.One group would be with me, my mates, and a large guard, waiting for the vampires and werewolves who would attempt to rescue Amy. I would be ready to use my light magic if Amy tried to use her dark magic.At the same time, one group would travel to where the prisoner had told u
Beryl:After our sweet moment, my mates were able to tell me what was going on with the prisoner, and we headed to the dungeons together. Nicholas and I walked hand in hand, and he kept glancing down at me as if I might fade away into the night.As we approached the dungeon, I could feel the dark magic at work. When I entered the cell that held the prisoner, I could tell that he was connected to the darkness in a much stronger way than Nicholas had been. It would take much more than a touch to release him.
Beryl:I knew that Nicholas didn’t know about my little library escape area, so that’s where I headed. I had to gather myself and think. Was that really my mate? How could he hurt me like that? There were so many thoughts running through my mind.As I settled myself into the comfort of my tiny secret corner of the library, weeks of habit took over and I began to drift off to sleep. It was as though the moon goddess was beckoning me to her.“Beryl, my dear...&rdqu
Beryl:I had gone in search of Nicholas, wanting to finally put to rest whatever it was that had come between us. The baby was going to be here soon, and I didn’t want whatever this was to dampen the happiness of our impending child.As I had wandered the grounds looking for him, I had run into one of the dissenting pack members who had lingered after another discussion with Armand and Solomon. He looked at me, with a smirk and asked if I was alright.“Yes, I’m fine thank you
Armand:The echoes of the past had lingered in my heart for far too long. Amy's betrayal had wounded me deeply, and the scars it left seemed permanent, but Seraphina’s presence had been a balm on the pain I felt.One evening after a long day, she and I found ourselves alone on the moonlit terrace outside my study, the distant stars overhead like watchful sentinels. Seraphina was quiet and her eyes held a gentle understanding as she watched me."Armand," she began softly, "I can see the w
The tensions in our world had reached a breaking point, and it was clear that we needed a united front against the looming threats. The meeting between the packs had reconvened, the weight of our discussions heavy in the air.Solomon stood beside Armand, showing how united the two of our packs had become. The two of them exchanging solemn glances as the other leaders filled in around them.They had just been deep in conversation, discussing the logistics of our alliance and the potential for peace among our kind. They had hopes of finally coming to terms with the other packs today.The dissenting pack was a problem. Their desire to mate Nicholas to one of their females had faded away into the background, or at least I had assumed it had, since I hadnโt heard anything else about it.Armand's voice resonated through the chamber as he addressed the assembled alphas and their representatives. "I understand that this arrangement is new and uncharted territory for all of us. But I believe t
The distance between Nicholas and I grew with every passing day, but I didnโt understand why. I could see the frustration in Nicholas's eyes, and it weighed heavily on my heart, and even though I asked him time and again what I could do, he just pushed me further away.I thought that it was to do with the fact that I was continuing the magic lessons, but one evening, I overheard a conversation between him and his brothers.Cheney and Brian had cornered Nicholas, their voices determined yet gentle. Cheney spoke up, "Nicholas, we can all see that this situation is tearing you apart."Brian added, "But Beryl's never wavered in her love for us. We need to trust her."Nicholas's shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy sigh. "I know, but it's hard. I feel like I'm losing her."Cheney placed a reassuring hand on Nicholas's shoulder. "You're not losing her, brother. We're just facing a challenge together. We should talk to her, communicate our feelings."It seemed like he had taken their wo