(CASSY POV)I was clutching Teddy's shirt in the tent when the radio crackled with updates. My heart stopped when I heard Teddy was missing and he wasn't breathing.My entire body felt like it was about to ignite with a blazing fire. Panic surged, and I screamed as my body twisted and contorted. The pain was excruciating, every bone breaking and reshaping. My skin felt like it was being ripped apart, and I sobbed uncontrollably as the agony intensified.It felt like an eternity before the pain subsided. I stood on four legs, my new senses overwhelming me. The world was sharper, more vibrant. I could smell Teddy's scent strongly on the shirt I had clutched moments ago. I only thought I liked the way he smelled as a human. Smelling him as my wolf was intoxicating. Instinctively, I knew I had to find him. Without thinking, I ran, hoping my instincts would lead me in the right direction.I wish we hadn't been fighting and that I had paid more attention to the maps and overall plan. B
(CASSY POV)I marked him. Holy shit, I just marked him. I claimed him, just like I said I would, the very thing that started our fight and made him leave to begin with. My mate.I started to really panic, and a tear slipped down my cheek. He tried to reach up and clumsily wipe it away, asking, "Why you cryin', chérie?"When I just started to cry harder, he began to get concerned.He said, "Say it."I couldn't. Instead, I took his hand and made him touch the bite mark on his neck, still very fresh.His eyes widened. "Oh shit. Oh mon dieu," he exclaimed. He quickly grabbed my chin and turned my head both ways to confirm that I didn't have one as well. He leaned back, looking at me. His eyes were wide, and he wasn't blinking. I thought he was mad at me for doing it. The thought of losing him again broke something inside me.He tried to sit up, but the nearby healer shook her head. "No, no, you need to lay on your back. She brought you back by marking you, but that doesn't mean you'
I woke up in the middle of the night from the remnants of intense dreams. They had all taken place deep in what I guessed was the Bayou.My dreams had always been vivid, but lately, they had taken on a new level of clarity. It felt like I was really there, in places I'd never seen before. Were they even dreams? Maybe they were his memories, or glimpses of the future? I didn't know. I did know Leila, usually a constant presence in my mind, was strangely silent now.Leila had always been there, a guiding force. As I grew older, I often wondered if I was hearing Leila or my wolf. Now that I had my wolf, I realized Leila's voice was always more like my intuition. As this thought crossed my mind, Leila giggled softly, making me smile.This had always been my reality. Not many people knew about it because I felt strange living with our Goddess in my head. Others would beg to speak to her for weeks and never get a response. I always wondered why I was so special, why she chose me. Kae
(SKY POV) Kael wasn't in bed when I woke up. I started to panic immediately. Where the hell was he?I rolled over and felt the strangest sensation, like someone pushing on my stomach. Looking down, I fully expected one of the twins to be messing with me. They loved doing that.But there was nothing. Just me alone in the bed. Alone in the bed with the babies. Wait. It was the babies pushing from the inside.I could feel them!I looked up at the healer checking on Teddy, who was still asleep. She whispered, "They went to the office. Both guys are healed. I think this one is just sleeping off the emotional hangover if you know what I mean."I laughed softly. Oh, did I ever. I had a strange feeling he and I would have many conversations about the fun life that comes with loving a Monroe alpha. I would always win, though. I had three to deal with, while he only had one. But then again, that one was Cassy, so I may be wrong here. At least with three, they seemed to balance one another
(TEDDY POV)I opened my eyes in the weirdest place I've ever been, me. It was stepping into a bottle of champagne, all bubbly and glowing. A beautiful lady was swimming in a pond in front of me, her laughter echoing through the space. She looked up at me and giggled. "You shouldn't be here yet." In a split second, she was beside me, whispering, "Open your eyes."When I opened them again, I was in a mansion. The marble and stone walls around me were confusing... Was I dead or something? But then I noticed Cassy beside me, sobbing, and everything started to come back into focus. We were at the Monroe mansion, if I had to guess.Cassy showed me that she marked me. Holy shit. I'd walked away from her because I knew how serious she was when she made that comment. I had already decided that, as hard as it was going to be, after we got Kael back, I would restrict us to video chats and telephone calls only until she was closer to 18. So the Moon Goddess must have laughed at that plan
(SKY POV) "Well... I think he's a good kid, right? He seems to be so dedicated to her already," Missy remarked. Kael walked over to the bar, flipped himself up on it, and said, "Oh, he is... as long as he keeps his hands and teeth to himself until she's older, I won't cause problems..." I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Teddy was the best person I knew before meeting the Monroes. If there was literally anyone in this world that I would have picked for Cassy, he would have made it to the top of that list. I whispered, "Teddy literally saved me a few times. I don't think y'all understand what he's done for me throughout my life." Kael's eyes lit up. "Well, we got all day, and I'm not against story time." I glanced over at the twins, and they chimed in, "Hey, we are mature enough to handle it." Their enthusiasm was so cute. I was starting to understand just how much alpha energy was always around me. Even Cassy. I launched into the story. "Ceci knocked me out, my nose po
(SKY POV)Watching them try to establish the mental link was cute as hell. Being far more experienced, Teddy tried everything he could to make it happen. They jumped around, playfully nipping at each other, rolling in the grass as they tumbled over one another. Teddy would stop occasionally, lowering his head and making direct eye contact with Cassy, trying to communicate through their bond. He nudged her gently, pawed at the ground by her feet, and even lay down in front of her, belly up, to show his submission and trust. I realized just how easy it was for him to submit to her. I know it was pack dynamics at play more than anything since he was a Beta, but it was still fascinating to watch. The constant alpha-level energy around me now was normal to me. Their intensity was just a part of who they all were. I'd accepted that long ago, but being around other people I know well who aren't alphas really makes it clear to me. Cassy followed his lead, but I could see her fr
(CASSY POV) His wolf... wow. He was so dark, almost black, but what struck me the most were his bright, shining green eyes.The same eyes I had fallen for in his human form. Seeing him like this was mesmerizing. I realized then that I was already so much in love with him. It was unreal. It felt like a force of nature, something inevitable and unstoppable.It felt like fate.We tried and tried to connect mentally, but it just wasn't happening. I had always heard that establishing a mental link with someone you loved was supposed to be easy, like flipping a switch. Even when I was younger and less experienced, it had been straightforward with the Monroe pack members. It was just another sign that I had the alpha blood that everyone wanted to deny. Struggling like this with Teddy was really upsetting. I could feel his frustration mirroring mine, his efforts to soothe me only making me more desperate for the connection.Determined to keep trying, we headed down to the river. Teddy