Hi Friends! I know I'm leaving you on a bit of a cliffy. I won't be able to update over the weekend. I'm finishing my comprehensive exams for my Doctorate. I promise new chapters on Monday! Thank you for understanding. And most of all, thank you for reading! -JNS <3
Emmy POV I can’t think straight with my entire body buzzing and zapping with electric energy. Every touch, every caress, from Vincenzo is like a match being struck. A fire igniting deep within my core, pulling me to him. I want him, body, mind, heart, and soul. And he is willing to give me everything and more. It’s as if he realizes how blind he has been. The last few weeks, we have been doing this weird tango. We embrace each other, just to pull away. I chase him around the dance floor, then he holds me tightly in his arms, just to drop me as soon as the music ends. And yet, he admits to always wanting me. Why is he telling me this now? Why are you so cruel with your timing, Moon Goddess? He wants me…forever. He accepts me as his fated mate. My wolf is clawing at my head, forcing me to kiss him and accept him as well. Every nerve and fiber in my being wants him. But we will lose everything. He will lose his sister if I do this. I refuse to let
Lucas POV And just like that…they are gone. I stare at the opening beyond the border, where Bram held Emmy, Viviana, and Daphne. Pained groans from Vincenzo overtake the stillness of the forest. I should check to see if he is okay, but I can’t move. They were just there. I let her go. I let Emmy go, believing the twisted, psychopath’s words that my sister and…my mate…would be returned. He said he would let them go. I saw the fear and hurt in Emmy’s eyes when Bram went back on his word. I saw the pain when he claimed her as his own. I turn and see Renz on his knees, struggling to hold his wolf back. His green eyes now glow radiantly as he slowly loses the internal battle. I heard the same word leave his mouth the very moment I spoke it. Mate. How is this possible? I don’t give myself time to ponder. My mate, Viviana, my Sunshine, has been taken by Bram. I saw the fear in my Sunshine’s eyes when he didn’t let her, or Daphne go. I reached for her
Vincenzo POV “Come, my Topolina! We can run away and be free of this madness. The Moon Goddess has granted us this chance for true happiness.” I reach my hand out to Emerald. She is sitting in a dark room, locked away. I’ve been able to find her- finally. She’s wearing a white dress, made of simple cotton and lace. It almost looks like a long nightgown. Her hair is longer and in a single braid. “Vincenzo? Is it really you? You’ve come for me. I thought you’d forget about me,” she says with tears of disbelief in her eyes. I walk over to her, kneeling in front of her, and taking her soft hands in mine. “I will always find you. You’re mine.” I cup her face in my hands, pressing my forehead to hers. I inhale her beautiful scent- oranges, sugar, and freshly baked dough. My mouth waters as my lips approach hers. She softly runs her fingers along my hands and forearms. My body comes to life as I feel those pleasurable zaps of electricity. “Mmm…I wish you h
Emmy POV I feel the soft, satin bedding wrapped around me. I pull the blankets tighter around me and nuzzle into the pillow, taking a deep inhale. I continue taking deep breaths, waiting for the mouth-watering aroma of coffee, sugar, and chocolate. Tiramisu, my favorite. I take another deep breath, hoping this will be the one that fills my nose with that perfect scent. Instead, all I can smell is pepper, lemon, and charred wood. It’s not a terrible smell, but it’s not what I want. I squeeze my eyes shut, searching for his perfect scent. As I pull the pillow closer to my body, it rubs against my cheek and neck, and a sharp pain radiates down my neck, to my chest. I suck in a deep breath and clutch my neck. “Vincenzo!” I scream for him as I start to remember everything that happened. “No, no, no. Please…” Tears trickle down my face as I sit up and look to the ceiling, pleading with the Moon Goddess to forgive me and take away the pain in my chest. “Aw, come on now, m
Emmy POV As soon as I wake up, I rush out of bed and make a mad dash into the bathroom. I lock the door behind me and exhale with my back pressed against the door. I’ve managed to avoid Bram in the mornings for an entire week. I wake up before him and stay in the bathroom until I hear him leave the room and then I don one of the many red dresses he insists I wear. Each day has been more of the same. After spending the better part of the morning hiding in the ensuite bathroom, I shuttle into the room where Daphne and Viviana are staying. Fortunately, Bram has been true to his word, and neither of them have been harmed. Daphne has been too scared to leave the room, frightened that she will run into Chaz. We have been eating our meals in this room as well, but our appetites haven’t exactly been high. “We can’t keep on like this, Emmy,” Viviana mumbles, tossing a piece of dry toast onto the tray of food. “Eating scraps and staying locked in this room will kill us slowly,” she
Bram POV I am truly beginning to love the way Emerald looks when she is scared. I can almost taste the fear, which adds to the sweetness of her tantalizing scent of oranges and cream. I see her fear intensify as the click of the lock registers in her ears. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. I spin us around, pinning her against the door. She brings her arms between us, trying to create space. I grab both her wrists in one hand and bring them up over her head as I twist my other hand into her long, wavy hair. I let the silence continue as the room fills with the sounds of her ragged breaths and whimpers. I feel my lower region roar to life. “Are you ready to listen, my dear? I feel I’ve been extremely patient with you this week. You’ve been allowed to spend each day in that room, away from me. I have let you sleep in peace. All I have asked is for your respect. Am I asking for too much?” I say calmly. “You’re implying that you’re wort
Bram POV (Flashback 31 years ago) “You thinking this full moon festival will bring us any luck in finding our mates, Bron?” I ask my best friend and Alpha, Bronson. We are on our way to a pack in the Middle East to strike a new alliance and enjoy their full moon festival. We are both twenty years old, so we have been searching for our fated mates for two years. We have had no luck in our pack, or in any of the neighboring packs. “We have as good a chance as any, I suppose. This alliance will definitely expand our network even further,” Bronson commented with his trademark smirk. He loves making new alliances. We have an alliance with packs from almost every country. He took over as Alpha of the Veritas Pack two years ago, and in that time, the size of our pack and region has tripled, and the number of alliances we have has more than doubled. Bronson truly is an Alpha among Alphas. He’s fair, protective, and smart. I couldn’t be prouder to be his Beta.
Emmy POV Sympathy for the devil. I know what his game is. I know Bram is a master at manipulation and I refuse to fall victim to his mind games. The only problem is, I am falling. I feel my grip on reality slowly slipping; I need to get out of here. Each passing day, I feel a pull to him becoming stronger and it’s taking all my energy to fight it. Bram is the true embodiment of a predator. He identifies his target, his prey, and he stalks it for hours, days, and weeks, until the animal surrenders itself to him, begging to be put out of its misery. Bram makes them believe that he is the answer to their salvation. I now understand how he has acquired a secret army of wolves over the years. None of them had a choice. None of us do. He will always find a way to wear you down. He found my weakness- my love and respect for my father- and he tried to take it away. How could my father do that? How could he and my mother promise to reject their fated mates, only t