Explosive is correct, dear Octavia.
OCTAVIA.“None, sweetheart. No matter what happened outside of the pack, I knew better than to allow it to happen inside of the pack. I never wanted my mate to be put in a position where she would be faced with anyone that I’d slept with. That’s precisely all it was. It was merely sex. There were no feelings attached to it, no connection between us. My heart and soul were two things that I had sworn to only ever belong to my mate.”It was because of the last part, that I fully opened my end of the bond and flooded it with what I was feeling. Happiness. Awe. And a very strong possessiveness that’s depth surprised even me.It didn’t matter what came before because we would make our own present, which would then become our own past to override every past that came before me.He sucked in a sharp breath when he felt it all. It took him a moment to sort through it all before opening up just like I had done. He was overwhelmed, at peace, and had never been this happy before. All of that was
OCTAVIA.Blood Lake was the only home that I had ever known, so it was safe to say that I was worried about leaving it. It wasn’t because I wanted to remain within the confines of the past six years or anything. No, I was worried about what it would be like at Roman’s pack. What his pack would think about me being their Luna. Failing or disappointing him was the last thing that I wanted.Not only was Roman an Alpha but was also one of two Regents in the states. Behind the Werewolf Council, Regents held the highest power for our kind. The Council always came first, but Regents were a close second.Roman needed a strong mate, someone who could complement him in all ways.Could that possibly be me? I felt so damn weak that it was almost laughable. Could I train to become strong? Physically, emotionally, and mentally. Was it possible? I supposed that there was no way to know for sure until I did it. It would be a challenge, but one that I would give everything that I had within me.I watc
OCTAVIA.I was frozen in place as his eyes slowly trailed over my entire body from head to toe and back again. The heated look within his darkened eyes had heat pooling in my stomach, something that I had never felt before.He swallowed hard and shut his eyes as if he was doing everything in his power to remain in control of himself. That thought was both thrilling and nerve-wracking at the same exact time.I quickly slipped into the closet, tossing on a pair of sleep pants and a tank top since it had been warmer than I was used to. Then I took a steadying breath and walked over towards the bed. My eyes kept wanting to stray towards the man who was only wearing a pair of shorts.This man was far too handsome for his own good.There were plenty of tattoos on his arms, chest, and legs. It seemed like more of his body was inked up than wasn’t inked up. Since his skin tone was naturally darker, the ink was metallic, white, and gold to make it stand out.“What are you doing over there?” I a
OCTAVIA.My lips still tingled from our kiss. It amazed me with how right it felt.I had been worried that he might find the trip to my parents’ cherry blossom tree to be lame. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all.I could feel, hear, and see his sincerity as he opened up to me. I was swept away by all the emotions that it invoked so that I didn’t stop myself from responding to a desire that sang out in me. It wanted to connect with him on a deeper level, like the one that he just connected with us through his beautiful words and promises.I had never kissed anyone before, so I was hesitant and unsure about what to do. Thankfully, he helped to take control of the kiss and let me tell you that it was completely mind-blowing. Who would have thought that it would be so good?What was even more surprising was his body’s natural reaction to the experience. I had not seen it but certainly felt it. It was no small weapon that he wielded, that was for certain.My hand remained in his as we
ROMAN.Octavia’s insights into her fellow pack members were extremely useful because it gave us a good look at the type of people that they were.We couldn’t be too careful when selecting people to join Blazing Fire because we had to protect our pack members but were also held as role models in the South. Simply put, our pack members represented our pack, so their actions fell back on us.I underestimated how many of the pack members here would be just as messed up as their leadership was. It didn’t matter whether their actions had been greenlit by their leadership, because they still chose to act the way that they did, still chose to commit the crimes that they committed.It seemed that one of the most popular crimes being committed in Blood Lake was assault – sexual assault to be more precise. That was a very serious matter that carried a hefty punishment.Fifty lashes with a cat-o'-nine-tails whip that was coated in wolfsbane. It was meant to act as a permanent reminder of their cri
OCTAVIA.Farah came in after we were done eating and checked me over, informing me that I was healing better than expected. It was mentioned that she wanted to keep me for another day but felt comfortable releasing me from the hospital after that.Was it lame that I wanted to stay here because it was far more comfort than I’d experienced in the past six years combined? Goddess, it was definitely lame.No sooner than I thought about not wanting to go back to my room did Roman tell me that a room right beside his would be prepared for me. He made certain to mention that he could have an extra place set up for him IF I wanted him to stay in the room with me, just like he had done here last night.My heart warmed up because of his offer. I cleared my throat and nodded, thankful that he was willing to do it. I had spent so long feeling afraid and unsafe. It was nice to have a bit of change after everything that had happened.I was, in all honesty, still struggling over all the changes that