VALERIE “What do you mean?” The fear and anger clenched so tightly in my chest, it felt like a rib would break. Stay? He was all I had and now we were being separated? I had just lost Ava. I was going to lose Xavier, too? “You can’t stay! I don’t want to leave you!” Tears pricked at my eyes—tears of rage this time. Not anger, not pain. Rage. Because it was just so unfair. After everything, it was just so unfair to lose them both. “No! I just lost Ava, I won’t lose you too!” Again, he kissed me, and again I could do nothing but kiss him back. It was the feeling of air in your lungs after a long time under water, and I loved breathing Xavier in. I loved the sweet warmth of his kiss, the softness of his lips. But I hated the way it quenched the fire in me. The way I felt…a little less angry. “Lucas will protect you,” he said as we broke apart, gently leaning his forehead against mine. I could hardly breathe. The tears burned like acid on my cheeks. I shook my head, pulling away f
XAVIERI watched Valerie’s sleeping face, her cheeks peppered pink from the warmth of the bed. My body was still on fire, long after the crisp of night swept into the old house and flushed out all the heat.The mark on Valerie’s neck glowed, red and angry in the dim light of an impending dawn. One single bite, not deep enough to break flesh, but deep enough to bruise it. Deep enough to leave the impression of every tooth. Beneath it, the soft red petals of kiss-marks peppered down her body, vanishing beneath the blankets. I shouldn’t have given in to my desires; she needed her rest, and I needed my focus. But I did not expect the way my body would react once I was biting down on her elegant neck.And I did not expect the way her body reacted to my bite. How potent her pheromones became once she was marked.I was not strong enough to deny her after that.I had kissed every inch of her until she begged me to take her, and I could not remember much else beyond the sound of her cry in the
VALERIE Xavier led us to the sentry post before the sun had fully risen in the sky. The horizon was a brilliant lavender, the air crisp and chilly. There were no guards around, and carnage spilled upon the grass. Blood, fur, weapons and signs of struggle in the dirt. I supposed there would be a lot of violence from this moment forward. That this would not be the last puddle of blood I saw. I just hoped, with all my heart, that none of it would belong to Xavier. Distantly, Lucas stood beside the cab of a black sedan, patiently staring down the sunrise. We had but a moment to say our goodbyes, and I was afraid to start. The sooner I began, the sooner it would be over with. And I might never see Xavier again. When the time came, when I heard his voice whisper my name, “Valerie.” I did not hesitate. I threw my arms around Xavier and clutched onto him with all the strength in me. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to leave him here, but I knew I would only be a liability. Besides, h
VALERIE Heat surged in my belly. Bright lights wavered in and out of focus as I blinked through the haze of mist. I saw bare flesh, carnal muscles, and handsome faces. A trio of beasts tangled around me. Their fingers trailed down my naked body, sending coarse chills down my spine. “How do you feel, Valerie?” One held my hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss against my knuckles. I wanted to speak. But the only sound I could make was a moan. The one behind me chuckled. “She’s in heat.” His laughter was soft, and his body felt warm. “Let me help you,” he purred in my ear. He tilted my head up and brushed a feather-light kiss against the corner of my mouth. “You want to play rough, or gentle?” he grinned, asking against my lips. “Don’t be so selfish with her, Lucas.” said another. He towered over me. His fingers dented into my skin. He pulled my leg up as he bent down, his lips brushing kisses against my thigh. I recoiled. But he gripped my ankle and nipped at my skin as a warn. “Ther
VALERIE None of us had seen the Alpha. His name was one that was tossed around constantly, almost like a fictional character from a fairytale, or a celebrity always causing waves. The Aunts spoke about him often—but their stories and gossip about the Alpha were flung around for the sake of entertainment and nothing more. No one ever seriously expected to meet him. They said he was young. They said he was smart and handsome. They said that he would be mated this year. Last I’d heard them speak of the Alpha, the aunts mentioned that he was betrothed to the princess of the northern Eclipse pack. Thinking about it, their engagement should have been just on the horizon. The Alpha wasn’t only a celebrity to the Aunts, but also a tool they used to keep us in line. “You should be happy to live such comfortable lives,” they would remind us. “Be grateful to the Alpha for his generosity.” It was a silly thing, to be grateful for the lives we had been fated with. But the aunts had a point; t
VALERIE Certified virgin slaves were a rare commodity, because it was difficult to ensure a girl was intact. Werewolves didn’t know much about human anatomy, and they didn’t care to invest the time into checking each and every one of us. But the girls at this particular shop were extracted from The Cell—a place where underage humans were imprisoned until they reached the ripe age of sixteen. For most of us, there was no chance to ruin ourselves. In fact, for most of us, it had been a decade since we saw a human boy in person. I was brought to The Cell at thirteen-years-old. They stuck me in that place for three years, before I was transported here, to Lockheart Botique—a small slave emporium in the market district. Sixteen was not the age of purchase for a slave, but rather, the age where we first began our lessons. We were taught how to provide for our masters, how to please them, and how to act as good service for the rest of our lives. The aunts wanted us well-prepared before we
VALERIE I couldn’t breathe. I hadn’t expected the Alpha to address me directly. No one addressed slaves directly. We were property and doing so was about the equivalent of speaking to vase or a painting on the wall. We were expensive, but not valuable. We were disposable. We weren’t people, but things. What had your parents done? I wished I knew. I wished I could formulate any kind of proper response, but my blood was in my face and my heart was in my throat, and words were not something I could choke out when the Alpha’s eyes bore into me like this. I wish I knew what my parents had done. I wish I could absolve myself of the anger and suspicion. I almost wished they were guilty of some heinous crime, so my heart would stop beating with vengeance at the mention of them. I didn’t know how to answer. I felt a slap on the back of my chair, and a whoosh of air—like it had been whipped with a twisted rag. “The Alpha asked you a question!” Aunt Rita snipped. The aunts loved to threat
VALERIE I gulped. One of the Alpha’s men came forward and offered a hand to help me from my chair. I wobbled as I stood, my legs numb and weak beneath me. The moment they had the coin in their hands, the mood in the shop shifted dramatically. Smiles blossomed over their faces and they looked to one another giddily. “How generous of you, my Alpha. You are correct—she is quite a unique girl. Won’t find another like her. Please do enjoy!” Aunt Rita, who just a moment ago looked like she was going to faint, was suddenly revitalized. She fluttered in front of him and gestured back toward a large display of “tools” used to keep slaves in line. Things like collars, cuffs, whips and a variety of toys—some I knew the purpose of and others that were simply question-marks on the wall. I shivered at the thought of any of those items being used on me. The Alpha’s gaze flickered back to me. There was a slight tilt to his lips—the slightest twitch of a smirk as he said, “No need, thank you.” M