Chapter 52 - Binding ZaneIt was like we were stuck inside some dream, in a strange world with magic and magical beings. Everyone talked so casually as if this wasn't some crazy concept, and maybe it wasn't to them, but I knew I was on edge.I watched everyone carefully as they debated why they were all here. It was for some academy that Balor wanted to build, allowing beings from all walks of life to join and train. It sounded like a crazy idea, but I was only half listening as I assessed every individual here. The one I kept finding myself returning to was a beast of a male. His dirty blonde hair, grey eyes, and a mean scar across his left eye were among the few things that made him intimidating. He had furs draped over his shoulders and a warrior look about him. But what really set me on edge was how unpredictable he looked. And not the Balor kind of unpredictable but the type who would mark you as an enemy without your knowledge and kill you in your sleep kind of unpredictable.
Chapter 53 - Family ColetteI stared down at the box in my hand. It was amazing how something so tiny could hold so much power within it. Inside was a ring that would give my brother the freedom he had yearned for, for over fifteen years—a chance to live again, free from fear and worry. But it also meant more than that. It meant that Thomas and I could be a family again. The reality of my dreams finally coming true had me in shambles. I was nervous beyond words. I sometimes thought this was some cruel dream and that I would wake up soon and still be locked away in that small room, bone thin and still under the torment of Carter Silver. Although small, the seed of doubt in my mind was still loud enough to make me second-guess myself. "Look at me, Little wolf," Zane whispered; his voice was soft but still as commanding as ever. I bit my lower lip, trying to will my heart to calm the hell down and for my mind to shut up. This was real, and everything would be okay from here on out.
Epilogue Colette Three months later "You sure you're ready for this?" Zane asked me as I adjusted my helmet for the third time. I curled my fingers around the handlebars of his motorcycle. The thought of being out there, speeding down the open road, made my heart race and my blood fill with adrenaline. "I'm ready," I said, flicking down my visor. Zane's eyes racked over my body as he drank me in. I was dressed in a leather jacket, a black Cami, and leather pants. I even surprised him with a shorter haircut, needing a change, a way to move past my past. That change came in the form of a bob haircut, new clothes, and a better, fearless attitude. I could tell the anticipation of getting to the mountain to show me how much he appreciated this new look was killing him. Which only made the thrill of this ride all the more exhilarating. I turned the key, and Zane sat behind me. His body pressed against mine as he pressed a couple of buttons. "This is the brake, and when taking off, go
PrologueScreams. Screams of fear and rage echo through the ringing of my ears as I watch my whole clan be slaughtered in front of me. The smell of death, mixed with the smell of smoke from the burning buildings, lodged itself down my throat and nose.My eyes burned from the smoke. My fingers trembled as I gripped the frozen tree branch for dear life. The pine needles were thick enough to conceal me, a hand covering my mouth to stop me from crying out.My was body too full of adrenaline and fear to feel the nip of the winter air against my rosy cheeks and exposed skin.The night sky slowly started to fade, and with it, so did the screams of the dying. I didn't move from that tree until the sun reached the centre of the sky until the fire died out and left only the ashes of my village in its wake. I was numb to the feeling of the snow as it cut into my bare feet. Numb to the pain of my frostbitten fingertips and bloodied palms as I walked through the carnage of the place I once cal
Chapter 1 - TroubleColette"Wake up," A quiet voice whispered in my ear, jolting me awake. I shot up from my cot, the springs poking my legs through the worn-out mattress. My hair was sticking to my sweat-covered face. My heart pounded against my chest.It always felt so real, as if I was back in my village with my family. I was forced to relive that nightmare again and again. For the last fifteen years, I had been sucked into that world. My subconscious making me watch my pack be ripped to ribbons over and over, forced to watch my mother die again and again.I stood from my cot, fighting the wave of nausea that rippled through me as I made my way to the toilet and sink that sat in the corner of my room. I turned the tap, letting the rusted water run until it became clear enough to wash my face. I was never one to complain about any situation. Especially not to anyone here. I knew my place; to speak out meant I would get punished. To have a voice meant I went without food or recei
Chapter 2 - Arrangements ColetteI snuck into the kitchen, grabbing myself an apple and some bread before heading back to my room to eat in secret. Too afraid of getting caught by Amelia to believe that Jacob ordering me there would protect me. With my stomach full and forever grateful for Jacobs's kindness. I snuck back upstairs to finish my duties, not trusting Gerald to task others with my chores. To my surprise, Gerald had kept to his word. A few girls were finishing up my rooms on the second level of the packhouse. They insisted that I do as Gerald had ordered, but I wouldn't say I liked the feeling of owing them for their help, so I pressed on staying and helping them clean up the kast floor of the day. Despite eating at lunch, when dinner time came around, I felt as though I hadn't eaten anything. It was odd to be finished working when everyone else was finished just as I arrived at the kitchen with Laura, a younger server who came two years ago from a neighbouring pack to
Chapter 3 - PaymentZaneI didn't want to be here. I didn't want to follow throught with a contract my parents had made years before they died before I killed them. or at least everyone though I did., I never told them any different. I had spent months trying to find a way out of this contract but Hayden, my Beta, my father's Beta. He insisted that there was no other way. To marry into the Silvermoon pack still gave me the territory to use. It also gave me the allegiances I needed if a war between neighbouring packs broke out. So I reluctantly agreed to come out tonight. Accept the invitation Carter Silver extended to me so I could get this over with. Sophia, the woman who should be a Luna of the Redmoon pack, attended with me. If I could have claimed her as my own, I would have. But the contract forbade it and thought I was one to throw caution to the wind. My beta begged me to consider otherwise.My wolf, Clay and I agreed that just because we had to marry some she-wolf and make
Chapter 4 - ShallowColetteNumb.All I felt was numb. I went from my family being ripped away from me. To being forced into a life of service. To now being sold with a lie attached to my name. I was blindsided, unsure what I did so wrong to be cursed with such a heartbreaking life. I hadn't had any time to grab my things, not that I had anything to bring before being forced to leave the Silvermoon pack. Forced to marry a man who had a reputation for brutality, and death followed him.The words from the she-wolf, Sophia, sank in as I sat in the car in silence.I wasn't wanted there, and I had a feeling Alpha Zane felt the same way. He didn't want me to be his wife, the Luna of his pack, any more than he wanted to even have to acknowledge me. And for some reason, it twisted my stomach a little, almost like the thought of him not wanting me hurt. I pushed the thought away, keeping my focus on hiding my scent and suppressing my wolf the way I was taught. But it felt harder to do so no