LOGINTimothy's POVI wake up to the smell of coffee and bacon.For a second, I forget everything. Then the pack bonds hit me like a wave. Eight hundred voices, eight hundred emotions, all demanding attention.I groan and press my face into the pillow."Still bad?" Penelope asks. She's sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a coffee cup."Less overwhelming than yesterday," I admit. "But still there. Like white noise I can't turn off.""Ethan says it takes a few days to learn how to filter properly," Penelope says as she hands me the coffee. "Drink this. You have a big day ahead."Right, the pack address. My first official act as Alpha.I sit up carefully. My body aches but the worst injuries have healed overnight. Wolf healing is faster for Alphas, apparently."What time is it?" I ask."Nine," Penelope says. "Pack meeting is at noon. Elena sent a message this morning. Everyone's required to attend.""How many people are we expecting?" I ask, sipping the coffee."Maybe six hundred," Penelop
Penelope pov Ethan and I help Timothy to the car. He's barely conscious, mumbling incoherently."Too many voices," he gasps. "Can't think.""It's okay," I tell him. "Just breathe. We'll get you somewhere safe."We load him into the back seat. I climb in next to him, pulling his head into my lap."Where to?" Ethan asks from the driver's seat."The cabin," I say. "It's the safest place right now."Ethan nods and starts driving. My parents and Isla pile into Isla's car behind us.Timothy is shaking in my lap. His eyes are closed but I can tell he's not sleeping. The pack bonds are overwhelming him."Talk to me," I say, stroking his hair. "Tell me what you're feeling.""Everything," Timothy gasps. "Everyone. Their fear, their anger, their relief. It's too much. Too loud.""Can you block it out?" I ask."Don't know how," he admits. "Never taught me this part."Because Marcus never expected Timothy to win. Never prepared him for actually being Alpha."Okay," I say. "Let's figure it out tog
Penelope's POVThe moon bell rings and I stop breathing.Timothy's shift is beautiful and terrible at the same time. His body contorts, bones snapping into new positions. Black fur ripples across his skin.When he's done, his wolf is magnificent. Jet black with silver tips, lean and powerful. His amber eyes find mine across the circle for just a second.Then Marcus shifts."Oh god," my mother whispers next to me.Marcus's wolf is a monster. Easily twice Timothy's size, covered in battle scars. His eyes are cold and empty.They circle each other. I grip my mother's hand so hard my knuckles turn white.Marcus lunges first. Timothy dodges but barely. Marcus's jaws snap closed inches from his throat."He's too slow," someone behind me mutters."Shut up," Isla hisses at them.Marcus attacks again. This time his claws rake Timothy's side. Blood blooms red against black fur.My heart stops. "No.""First blood to Marcus," a Frostfang supporter calls out. "This will be over quickly."I want to
Timothy pov I keep moving, staying just out of reach. Every time he lunges, I dodge. Every time he overextends, I dart in for a quick strike.Bite his leg. Slash his side. Small wounds, but they add up. Death by a thousand cuts.He's breathing harder now, his tongue lolling. His movements are getting slower, more predictable.Good, Penelope's voice echoes in my memory. Patience wins fights. Not rage.Ten minutes in, my father is bleeding from a dozen places. His beautiful fur is matted with blood and dirt.But I'm not much better. My shoulder is torn open. Two ribs are definitely cracked, cuts cover my body.We're both tired. Both hurt. But only one of us is desperate.You can't keep this up forever, my father pants through the link. Eventually you'll make a mistake.Maybe, I agree. But you'll make one first.He snarls and comes at me again. Slower this time, more careful.We clash in the center of the circle. Snapping jaws, scrambling paws, fighting for position. His greater mass dr
Timothy's POVThe shift hurts more than usual.My bones crack and reform. My skin splits as fur pushes through. My face elongates into a muzzle, teeth sharpening to points.It takes maybe thirty seconds, but it feels longer with everyone watching.When it's done, I'm standing on four legs. My wolf form is big, solid black with silver-tipped fur. Kael is awake and ready, his consciousness merging with mine.Finally, he growls in my head. Time to end this.Across the circle, my father shifts too. His transformation is faster, smoother with years of practice.His wolf is massive. At least fifty pounds heavier than mine, with thick muscle and a scarred muzzle. Dark gray fur covers his body, nearly black in places. His eyes are cold amber.We circle each other slowly. The crowd is silent except for breathing and the wind in the trees.My father moves first. He lunges forward, testing my reflexes.I dodge left, feeling his jaws snap closed inches from my shoulder. The crowd gasps.Too slow,
Penelope pov “I’ve got you,” he says against my skin. “I’m right here.”He slides my panties down my legs, fingers brushing the insides of my thighs until I’m trembling. Then he settles between them, the weight of him perfect. I feel him hard against me, hot and heavy. He rubs the head of his cock through my wetness, once, twice, coating himself.“Look at me, Penelope,” he whispers.I do, as he pushes in slow- so slow I feel every inch stretching me open. My breath catches; it’s almost too much.“Oh… oh god,” I cry out, soft and broken. He’s so deep it feels like he’s touching my heart.He stills, buried to the hilt, forehead pressed to mine.“You feel that?” he murmurs. “That’s me loving you. All of me inside all of you.”I nod, tears slipping into my hair. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”He starts to move. Long, slow strokes that drag over every sensitive place inside me. Each thrust is deliberate, like he’s trying to brand himself into my soul. My legs wrap around his waist, heel
Timothy's POVThe captains' meeting before the game is mandatory, but seeing Penelope walk into the conference room still hits me like a freight train. She's flanked by Liam and one of their other players, looking every inch the star athlete she's become.Her blonde hair is pulled back in a sleek p
Penelope's POVWalking into Frostfang Arena as a visiting player once again feels like entering a war zone. The fifteen thousand seats are packed, and most of the crowd is here to watch me fail. A few weeks ago, Bloodfang won the games against Frostfang, but it was cancelled saying we needed to rep
Penelope's POVAfter three weeks of thoughtful courtship, Liam finally asks the question I've been dreading and anticipating in equal measure.We're walking along the campus lake, autumn leaves crunching underfoot, when he stops and turns to face me. The late afternoon sun catches the flecks in his
Penelope's POV"If that's why I can't let go completely." I look down at my feet, scuffing through the fallen leaves with the toe of my shoe."Maybe I need to know what else is out there before I can appreciate what we have."The suggestion is loaded with implications neither of us wants to examine