ArloIt’s well past sundown when I get home and I find Hilda sitting in the dark and staring out the window, with a cup of coffee forgotten in front of her. I wanted to get back to her earlier, but I kept being waylaid by one responsibility or another.“Arlo,” she says with a smile when she realizes I’m there. Her eyes look bruised and tired and I just know she’s kept gnawing at the so-called prophecy like a dog with a bone.“Whatever it is you’re about to say, the answer’s no,” I forestall her, pulling out the chair opposite her and sitting down. “We’ve discussed this, there’s nothing more to say. I love you. I won’t give you up. It’s a moot point.”One side of her mouth tilts up slightly, “As simple as that?” she asks. “Hilda, it is as simple as that. I won’t allow you to leave me. If you go, I’m going with you. And Tara is full of shit, I don’t believe she had a real vision!”Hilda sighs softly. “I have a confession to make,” she tells me, picking up her mug and blowing on it befor
CereliaI’m not sure why I allowed Hilda to talk me into this. Her arguments all seemed to make sense at the time, now I’m not so sure. Yes, Tara could probably help me advance my magical abilities. And I’ll be able to get a better sense of whether she’s up to something if I spend more time with her.It grates having to ask a favor from someone I don’t trust and I’m not sure how to even start the conversation. She’s sitting up in bed and looks at me calmly while I approach her.“I’ve been expecting you,” she tells me. “I can help you, if you’re willing to allow it. You don’t have to trust me in order to learn from me.” I bristle at her presumptuousness, even if she is right.“I hope you don’t think this proves anything about your ability to see the future,” I inform her in a low voice. “It’s not exactly a great deductive leap to make. I still think you’re faking and upsetting Hilda for no reason.”Tara looks crestfallen at my words. If she’s only half as good at practicing magic as sh
HildaArlo’s taste is spread all across the inside of my mouth. Coating my inner cheeks and tongue as I work him deeper down my throat. The sound of his moans and growls of desire spread heat from my core to every part of my body.Kneeling in front of him feels so right at this moment. I’m not usually the submissive type, although Arlo’s been able to make me beg right from the start. But tonight I want to revel in serving him.My thoughts have been careening back and forth wildly all day and I’m more than happy to hand control to my mate. My star-crossed lover, who doesn’t seem to feel a shred of the uncertainty I’ve been struggling with.Love him enough to set him free, or fight to stay by his side. It was never only my choice to make. We’ll face this the same way we’ve approached everything else so far. Together.“Hilda, if you keep that up I’m going to drown you in cum,” Arlo grunts, his hips pushing up from the chair, pushing his crown deeper into my throat and bumping against the
ArloHer pussy tries to suck on to my finger and keep it trapped inside, while she makes all the beautiful little noises that never fails to drive me wild. She’s like silk around my digit, her sweet liquor making it feel like I’m dipped into liquid silk.Her ass is still red and glowing. I would have stopped much sooner if she didn’t keep imploring me to continue. If she hadn’t been steadily pumping out moisture from between those slick, swollen pussy lips, I would have stopped regardless, but the proof of her enjoyment was clear to see.“Please Arlo,” she squirms on my lap, trying to force my finger deeper inside her. Pulling it out I go back to stroking her. Gently parting her folds so I could pet the sensitive interior. My index finger tracing circles around the nub of her clit. It’s already engorged and the slightest touch makes her shudder.“You said you want me to be in charge, love,” I tell her placidly, pressing down hard with the pad of my finger for a few seconds, before ret
CereliaTwo weeks of working with Tara has honed my skills far more than I could have ever foreseen. Judging by the expression I’ve caught on her face more than once, my rapid improvement shocked her too.I’m still drained and near collapse every night when I get to crawl into Soren’s arms for some well-deserved rest, but my magic is much stronger than it was before and I’m able to stop Tara’s attacks almost as quickly as she manages to launch them.The hour I spend with Hilda just after sunrise has become almost the only time we get to talk and I look forward to it. I’m not advancing quite so swiftly here. I can lunge away from a direct attack with reasonable speed and throw an almost decent punch. Sword training was a disaster and Hilda proclaimed it to be a waste of energy.“You have magic. That’s where your greatest strength lies. It’s going to take weeks to build up the kind of musculature you’ll need to properly wield a weapon and I’m really hoping we’ll be done with all this by
HildaI’ve never had a close female friend before. I was one of the boys until one day Soren looked at me in a way that set a whole flock of starlings into motion in my stomach. I still fought and trained the way I had before, but suddenly I wanted to look good while doing it.There are other female warriors I’m friendly with, but Cerelia is the first woman I’ve opened up to emotionally. The irony isn’t lost on me. “Look at us, moving past our issues and bonding,” I joke.Cerelia eyes me knowingly. “We did that a while ago, even if we haven’t stated it quite so unequivocally before. What are you avoiding?” she asks astutely. Maybe this is why I hung out with the boys. When it comes to emotions they’re as observant as a tree.“If you apply this kind of perceptiveness to your surroundings nobody will ever get the drop on you,” I inform her. Cerelia crosses her arms and continues to stare at me inquisitively.“I need a potion to keep me from conceiving,” I finally whisper, unable to bear
HildaTalking to Cerelia helps solidify what I want, but Arlo gets to have a say in this too and I’ll discuss it with him when the time is right. For now, I’m taking the potion. If he agrees, and we decide to take the risk, it will be the last time though. Which means I’m more motivated than ever to eradicate the mages.“I have an idea, but the final say has to rest with Cerelia,” I tell the war council that evening. The inner circle consists of Arlo, me, Cerelia, Soren, Percy and Nixie. Soren glances at me heavily, already unhappy with whatever I’m planning to propose.“I’ve seen a glimpse of what Cerelia is capable of now and that brought me the idea.” Turning to face her I say, “If this is going to place you in danger of burning out, or it seems like more than you can handle yet, you say no.”“I won’t know until you tell me what it is,” she responds when I keep staring at her. “I’m serious Cerelia,” I say emphatically. “If you’re not sure, we wait until you’re ready.” She nods, but
Cerelia“You’re sure about this?” I murmur, glancing at Hilda where she stands near the edge of the ley line, her arms crossed over her chest. She’s radiating confidence, but I know her well enough by now to see the tension in her clenched jaw and the way her fingers subtly flex.Hilda glances at me, her lips quirking in a faint smile. “I have to be, don’t I? Besides, we’ve got a solid plan and I trust you, Cerelia.”“Let’s hope your faith isn’t misplaced,” I say, exhaling to calm my racing heart. Soren steps closer, placing a comforting hand on my back. I can feel the warmth seeping into me, grounding my emotions. “She’s right. You’ve practiced for this. You’re ready,” he tells me with unflappable certainty.Before I can respond, King Arlo’s voice cuts through the quiet. “We won’t have much time before they get here. Everyone, to your positions.” His tone is sharp, but I catch the way his eyes linger on Hilda.We scatter to our designated spots. Percy and Nixie flank me, their stance
AshI find her by the big rock near the training ring, collapsed in a heap of dramatic despair, shoulders shaking, hair a tangled halo of misery.There is a shredded daisy chain beside her and something suspiciously sticky in her curls. Tara warned me not to interrupt Scarlett’s “serious thinking sessions,” but this isn’t that. This is obviously a full-blown emotional crisis.“Scarlett,” I say carefully, crouching beside her, “What happened?” She lifts her tear-streaked face and wails, “They took it!” I’m taken aback by her vehemence and wonder who’d be stupid enough to take something from Scarlett. “Who? And what did they take?”“My book! The one with all my drawings and the pack stories and the fancy leaf cover and the ribbon spine!” I’ve never seen or heard of this book before right now. “The... what now?”“You know, the important one!” She throws her arms out. “It had the story of when Mommy punched the warlock and when Daddy got stuck in the tree and when Mr. Tibbles was crowned!
ScarlettI’ve decided that Mr. Tibbles is turning six today. It’s a very big deal and he needs a special celebration.I told Mommy and she said, “That’s wonderful, sweetheart,” but I could see she wasn’t really listening. She had her head on Daddy’s chest and they were doing that annoying smile-staring thing again.I know exactly who would take me seriously. Ash.He’s been less frowny lately. That’s good, because he’s more fun when he’s not all moody and quiet like the sad statue in the garden. I find him reading a book in the sun.“Ash,” I say, tugging on his shirt. “There’s an emergency.” He blinks at me sleepily, before leaning up on his elbows. “Who’s dead?” he asks.“No one,” I say. “Yet. But Mr. Tibbles is turning six and there’s no party planned and that is basically a crime.” Ash raises an eyebrow. “Six?”“Yes,” I tell him. “In rabbit years. Which is different than our years. But he has no cake. No throne. No presents. We have to do something.”He stares at me for a long secon
TaraI’ve gone over the conversation in my head at least twenty times.Different versions, different openings. Some start with jokes. Some with apologies. One even started with "Please don't hate me." I think I’ll go with that one.Hilda is sitting on the back porch of the pack house, her feet kicked up on the railing, a mug of something steaming in her hand. The late morning sun is making her already glowing skin look unfairly radiant. She looks more relaxed than I’ve seen her in ages.And I’m about to ruin it. “Hilda, can we talk?” I ask as I sit beside her, tucking one leg beneath me.She nods without opening her eyes. “Sure. But if it’s about the cookies in the kitchen, Scarlett already called dibs on all of them. You’ll have to fight her if you want any.”I let out a soft laugh. “It’s not about the cookies, but I’m not crazy. Getting between Scarlett and anything sweet is suicidal.”Her eyes crack open and one brow lifts. “So what is it about?” I stare at her for a second, then b
CereliaIt’s still very early. Soren’s arm is slung lazily over my waist, his breath warm against the back of my neck, and for once everything is quiet. There are no spells humming through my bones. No humans to manipulate. No wolves to protect. Just warmth and peace in the arms of the man I love.And the deep, delicious ache in my muscles from a night spent in his arms. I close my eyes and sigh contentedly.And that’s when the knock comes. Three quick raps on the door. Then silence. Another two knocks, this time faster.Followed by, “I know you’re awake! I can hear you breathing!” Soren groans into my shoulder. “She’s back.”“I’m not going away,” Scarlett adds through the door. “And I’m very hungry.” I bite back a laugh and start to roll over, but Soren tightens his arm around me with a huff.“She’s our godchild, I have to let her in,” I tell him. “It’s too early,” he groans. I pat his hand before wriggling out of bed and pull on one of his shirts, which falls all the way to my knees
ArloI can’t keep my hands off her and I have no intention of trying to.The second we shut the door behind us, I pin her against it, mouth crashing down on hers with what feels like weeks of pent-up want. Hell, years of it. A lifetime of need. Even though I spent all night worshipping her just last night. I will never get enough of her.Hilda kisses me back like she’s starving.Her fingers dive into my hair, tugging just the way she knows drives me mad, and I groan, grinding against her, feeling her swell press into me. Our child, safe and warm in her body while I press her against the wall like a man possessed.“Arlo,” she pants, pulling back enough to look at me, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed. “We should get to the bed-”“I’ll carry you,” I growl, already sweeping her into my arms before she finishes the sentence. She squeals and laughs, smacking my shoulder. “Caveman.”“My caveman charm worked on you, didn’t it?” I ask cockily. “It worked once,” she says with a giggle.I dr
HildaThe clearing is glowing with golden lantern light, strung from tree to tree like stars caught in the branches. Music floats through the air, lively and cheerful, and the scent of roasted meat, baked bread, and spiced cider wraps around everything like a warm embrace.Laughter, chatter, music, love, and everyone I care about safe and sound. It’s perfect.Scarlett darts past me, her curls bouncing, a sticky bun in each hand and powdered sugar smudged across her cheek. She’s already danced with half the warriors here, been given three new hair ribbons, and convinced Nixie to teach her the “grown-up” steps to a waltz. The child is utterly spoiled and utterly adored. Just as she should be.My gaze drifts across the party, a small smile tugging at my lips.Nixie and Percy are twirling in the open space near the fire, laughing as Percy dips her dramatically, nearly dropping her before catching her again. She swats him playfully and he leans in to kiss her shoulder. They’re so in love i
TaraThe tea is barely warm, but I don’t care. It’s quiet in the cottage, and Ash is here, lounging on the couch like he owns the place, one long leg stretched out, the other bent so his arm can rest on his knee. He’s watching me sip my tea like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world.And he keeps leaning closer. I give him a mock glare. “Ash.” He brushes his nose against my cheek, kissing the corner of my mouth. “What?”“You know what.” His grin is wicked. “I’m just admiring you,” he protests, his innocent tone completely at odds with the glint in his eyes. “I swear, if you kiss me again, we won’t make it back to the party-”He kisses me again and I lose myself in him for several minutes before gathering the strength of will to pull back.“Ash,” I laugh, pushing lightly at his shoulder. “I’m serious! Hilda will drag us out of here naked if she has to. And I will never recover.”“Neither will she,” he mutters. “Which is why I’m being very responsible right now.” I snort. “Your d
AshAfter two days in Tara’s bed, I honestly wasn’t sure my legs still worked. They do, but just barely.We’ve both managed to stumble out into the daylight today, blinking and dazed like creatures dragged from some romantic fairy tale.Sore, hungry, and maybe a little too pleased with ourselves. Tara’s gone off to help Cerelia with decorations, and I’ve been assigned the incredibly noble task of carrying boxes of cider to the main clearing where Hilda’s preparing to throw what I’ve been assured will be a “respectably rowdy” victory celebration.The werewolves are happy. Relaxed. They laugh louder. Touch more freely – which is saying a lot. The tension that used to hum just beneath the surface is gone for now.They survived. And they’re still free to live as they choose. The human world blissfully unaware of their existence.I’m halfway through hauling the second crate of bottles when I hear the unmistakable patter of quick little footsteps, followed by an even quicker voice.“There y
TaraI’ve never felt anything like this.Not just the physical sensation of Ash’s hands and mouth on my skin, though even that alone would be enough to steal my breath. It’s the bond. The raw, unfiltered tether between us. Every touch he gives me, I feel twice. My own response and his.His hunger. His awe. His aching, consuming need. It rushes through me like fire laced with starlight.Every pass of his lips over my skin, every brush of his fingers, echoes back into my body in waves, dizzying and electric. I arch beneath him with a soft cry, overwhelmed, and he moans into my throat like he feels it too.Because he does. I glance up at him, his hair falling loose around his face, his pupils blown wide with desire, and my heart stutters.“Ash,” I whisper. “It’s too much. I feel everything you do-”“I know,” he murmurs, voice wrecked. “Gods, Tara, I know. It’s driving me mad and I don’t want it to stop.”He kisses down my stomach, his hands holding my thighs open like I’m something sacre