FlashbackCoraI havenโt gone to see Theo in three days. My heart physically hurts being separated from him right now, but I have to think of his safety over my desire to be around him. I had Alexis go out to meet him once to warn him that itโs too dangerous for us to be around each other right now. Lilith watches me like a hawk and I know that other teachers are as well, but I try not to let it phase me. I continue to perform to the best of my ability, and coven tryouts are approaching quickly.Butโฆ thereโs one issue now.I donโt want to be in a coven anymore.During our separation I have been researching werewolves to see if I could picture being with him forever. My body yearns to be with Theo, and I can still practice magic, even if Iโm on my own. Alexis and I have actually been daydreaming about starting something on our own. And, if Iโm honest, the thought of doing something with my best friend and staying with my mate thrills me more than any coven could.I need to see him agai
FlashbackCoraWhen I got back to my dorm, my heart felt full, and I was excited. Things are falling into place. Iโm still doing well with my studies, so none of the teachers are on my case and I know Iโll soon be with the one that my heart longs for more than any other.Alexis smiles at me when I come into the room, and I tell her all about the night. Iโm hopeful Iโll get to meet with the Alpha soon and that heโll agree to at least meet Alexis. Then, as soon as graduation comes, weโll leave this place and go where I- or well, we belong.The next day couldnโt come fast enough. As soon as classes were over, I was back in the woods, ready to meet Theo. Alexis rushes behind me and calls out, โIโm coming with you!โI let out a laugh as we take off flying. When we get to the clearing, Iโm surprised to see him with two other men. My eyebrows furrow and I say, โTheo?โHe walks to me and his eyes flicker to Alexis and I can see a flash of nervousness in them. He takes my hand and turns to face
FlashbackCoraAlexis became completely smitten with Luka. And I donโt blame her. He was funny, handsome, and charming, and the four of us spent a ton of time together. We couldn't resist Theo and Luka, and the two of us started sneaking away any chance we got, and she was completely enamored with him.Weโre only a couple of days away from graduation and honestly, at this point I expect that sheโs going to move in with him and as soon as he marks and mates with her, then sheโll be the Beta Female of the pack. Itโs a heavy title, but I know she can handle anything that gets thrown at her well.As time dwindles down and gets closer to our move in day, the both of us seem to become more carefree and excited as our new reality is about to begin.After class, she tugs on my arm and says, โCome on, letโs get going.โBut I hear Lilith call our names, โCora Lee and Alexis Fairhart come here now.โWe both turn and walk over to Lilith and I say, โYes maโam?โShe looks at me with narrowed eyes an
PresentPenelopeCoraโs story has been riveting and itโs hard to think straight from it. Tears pour down her cheeks like she relived the entire thing and wasnโt just speaking about a memory.I grab her hand in an effort to comfort her as I say, โIโm so sorry, Cora.โShe looks up at me and swallows as she blinks the tears away and says, โYeah, well, life is cruel.โI press my lips together and nod, โYeah, it can be. Butโฆ what happened after that? You said that was a few hundred years agoโฆ how is that possible?โCora breathes out, โWell, Levi brought me to safety until the battle was over. The pack lost almost everything and discovered that some of my teachers were behind it. When we went back to check on things, Beta Luka ended up becoming the Alpha because Alpha Matthew died in battle and Alexis became his Luna. He promised to help us find a place to hide but said we couldnโt stay on the backgrounds because he was confident that the reason we were attacked is that they were upset over
PenelopeA laugh bubbles out of me from Donovanโs reaction about Cora. He shakes his head as he says, โWait, sheโs seriously related to you? And how? You said sheโs many greats, so that means sheโd be so old she should be dead, right?โI nod as I try to stop laughing and he grumbles, โItโs not that funny.โMy lips press together to contain my laugh and I bring my hand up to his face and caress his cheek as I say, โOf course not, baby. Iโm sorry. But yes, sheโs really related to me. And technically, yeah, she should be dead. Itโs kind of complicated. I think itโs one of the reasons sheโs in hiding, if Iโm being honest.โโWell, letโs ask her why sheโs in hiding.โ He gets up to leave the room, but I grab his arm and say, โShe needs time to herself right now. Iโm the first person sheโs told her story to in a while and she needs to process that right now.โHe breathes out as he sits back down in front of me. He asks, โSo, what did you learn?โI shrug, โI donโt want to go into too much detai
PenelopeLast night was the worst night sleep I have had since getting pregnant.I was up constantly getting sick and I donโt know if itโs from me being sick or if itโs from Amelia, but regardless of who it is, Iโm still experiencing it!I sit at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and I rub my temples. Iโve never felt so lousy in my life!Cora comes into the room and looks over at me sympathetically and asks, โRough night?โI nod my head and she purses her lips and says, โIโm sorry, but I have some good news for you.โI murmur, โWhatโs that?โโSome of my friends in medicine are willing to meet today and help you out. Theyโll run some tests, make sure the baby is doing good, and make sure that youโre in good health as well.โI grin, โThatโs incredible, Cora, thank you so much.โShe shrugs, โItโs whatโs needed, dear, no need to thank me.โI ask, โWill there be an ultrasound? Iโd love to check on the baby.โShe nods her head in confirmation and I squeal happily as Donovan walks into the
PenelopeDonovan eventually stopped fighting to leave the bathroom, and we stayed put until we were sure the coast was clear. I'm grateful that he's gone, and we had no altercations, but Donovan is pissed with me. He wanted to confront him; he wanted to take him by surprise and get the revenge he desires. But quite frankly, I donโt care. What did he plan to do? Kill him in the middle of this human town where he would be sure to get in trouble for it?I know that Xavier committed some unspeakable and heinous acts against us, but it doesnโt matter! He has me and our child to think about and all he can focus on is revenge.Weโre quiet the entire drive home with Cora. She tries to make small talk with us, but Donovan doesnโt respond much to her words and I give short answers. Eventually she stops trying, but once we get home and we all get out of the car, she says, โOkay, what the hell is going on between the two of you? Today was a happy day! You found out the sex of the baby, you went fo
PenelopeI wake up in the middle of the night and Iโm taken aback by thisโฆ need I have to be with Donovan.Honestly, itโs been a while since weโve been intimate. So much other stuff has been going on that it just hasnโt been a thought. But I woke up from an incredibly vivid dirty dream and now all I can think about it him and how desperately I need him to be inside of me.Heโs in a deep sleep, but I can feel his length hardening from behind me and I know itโs his subconscious or his wolf being able to smell my arousal. I quickly get out of bed and strip before deciding to get underneath the covers to surprise him. I pull his boxers below his length and my mouth waters as I see him in all of his glory. I lick from the base all the way up to the tip and I hear his breathing get heavier from that little bit of a tease.I wrap my mouth around his tip and suck him deep into my throat. As I slowly move down to his base, his hand suddenly clenches onto the back of my head as he groans, โPen!
15 years since Violet was born. Penelope The years have been good to us. I have seen so much of the world and felt more free than I ever could've imagined. It's just the three of us, we never had another kid. We talked about it... more than once, but ultimately we were fearful of how it could affect our safety. Nothing was worth the chance of putting Violet in even more danger than she already is. I lie in bed with Donovan snuggled up beside me. Uneasiness churns in my stomach and I know that something is going on that we don't know yet. Call it my 6th sense or mother's intuition, I just know something's off. Donovan kisses my head and mumbles, "Turn off your thoughts, Pen. Everything is fine."I let out a breath, hoping that he's right. He pushes himself up and looks me in the eye as he asks, "We're fine, we're safe, we'll be at Cora's in the morning."We haven't seen Cora for over 6 months now. We've been in Asia for the last half of the year and although we have enjoyed our tra
Five years later.PenelopeI sit across from Amelia at the table as we each sip on our coffee and watch our girls play together. A few months after I had Violet, Amelia had a little girl that they named Magnolia. It's fun watching our daughters play together, but the interesting thing is how similar they look to me and Amelia.Violet looks almost exactly like me except that her hair was curly like her dad's and her blue eyes had a green circle around the pupil. Magnolia looks just like Amelia, with her blonde hair and jade green eyes. The two of them together like this makes me wonder how mine and Amelia's childhood could've been different if our mom hadn't put me in the Academy and if our dad hadn't been a monster.Amelia brings the cup to her lips before setting it down and asking, "So, where are you headed this time?"Donovan, Violet, and I are constantly moving around. The longest we stay at a place is 1 month before we're going somewhere new. Traveling has become one of my favori
PenelopeI hate waiting. I know that Cora and Donovan are both safe and they are working out a way to get him home, but itโs hard not to feel anxious about the entire thing. Itโs been five days. Itโs weird getting used to taking care of a newborn and going through this healing process on my own. But because Iโm a werewolf, I heal faster than a human would, so I mean, thatโs a good thing.Itโs harder getting used to take care of a baby. Iโve never been around them much so tending to all of her needs all of the time is very taxing, physically, mentally, and emotionally! Add in all of the drama with Donovan and itโs surprising I havenโt had a complete mental break down from all of the stress.I breathe out as I cook dinner, eager to hear if there was any progress today. I need them back homeโฆ itโs hard not to feel depressed when all I have is myself and my racing thoughts.Thereโs a loud bang and for a moment, I freeze. Is someone breaking in?I think of the fastest way to get to Violet
PenelopeDonovanโs okay? Heโs okay!The smile on my face hurts my cheeks, but I donโt care because I could cry from relief. Heโs okay. I canโt believe heโs okay and away from Xavier.But then Cora pops my bubble as she says, โYou have to stay here, Penelope.โMy eyebrows knit together as I question, โWhat are you talking about? I need to go see him. Heโs my mate.โโI know that and trust me, Penelope, he wants to see you and Violet more than anything else in this world, but you wonโt be going to see him right now.โI cross my arms defiantly as I ask, โAnd why not?โShe breathes out, exasperated with my attitude, before saying, โBecause Iโm trying to keep you safe and Donovan specifically requested for you not to come.โHer words hurt and I canโt help the pain I felt in my heart from hearing that my mate didnโt want me. Instantly, Coraโs eyes soften and she says, โI didnโt mean it like that, Penelope. Xavier let Donovan go. Donovan knows he must have a tracker on him or something! Why el
DonovanHatred fuels my blood.Anger fills my mind.All I can think of is how to get out of here and end Xavier's life.I donโt know how long Iโve been here. Xavier is strong, and he is growing more powerful. He brought me back to the Moon Stone pack lands and I know now that he plans to rebuild here and to become an Alpha. But right now, there are days that go by that no one is coming to check on me. Iโm learning their patterns and when theyโre vulnerable. I need to get home and I would do anything to make sure that I can escape Xavierโs clutches.When I leave here, I canโt go straight to Coraโs, even though I want to see Penelope more than anything in the world. No, I need to go somewhere else. Perhaps to the Renegade Pack. I need to make sure that there is no tracker on me so that I donโt put Penelope and our daughter in danger.I think one of the big reasons that Xavier isnโt worried about me being watched at all times is because he already has a plan in motion. He knows that I wo
PenelopeItโs been two weeks since Cora came home and Donovan never returned. Life feels like it has lost all meaning without Donovan around.I feel like my baby bump doubled and size and like Violet is moving around more. I think that sheโs antsy because she knows that her daddy isnโt home. Or maybe Iโm crazy and this is normal for this point in a pregnancy.Cora caters to me constantly. Honestly, sheโs going a bit overboard and Iโve tried to get her to settle down, but I think that the guilt is eating her alive and sheโs doing the best that she can to get through everything. I still have roughly a month left to get through this pregnancy. That means that Donovan has no help coming for him for over a month. Heโll have to figure out how to escape alone or heโll have to hold on until I get there.Cora sets a cup of tea down beside me, and she watches me. I can feel her eyes on me and she sighs, โHe wouldnโt want you to come after him.โI bite my tongue so hard that tears prickle in my
DonovanMy ears ring from the sound of the cars crashing together. As our car spins out, Cora wakes up and screams. I grit my teeth together as I try to figure out what just happened. Before even getting out of the car to investigate, I know in my gut that this crash was intentional.My wolf is on high alert, knowing that the threat is somewhere we can't see. I huff as I turn to look at Cora and say, โWhen I get out of the car, I want you to drive off. Head home as fast as you can and make sure no one is following you.โShe looks disoriented, but she nods her head and says, โOkay.โI breathe out, trying to steady myself before getting out where I know for a fact that I will be attacked. I open the door and as the dust from the wreck clears; I watch as I see Xavier appear across from me. He stands tall with his arms crossed as he smirks at me. I shut the door behind me and turn my head to the side as I say to Cora, โGo! And keep her safe.โTo my relief, Cora doesnโt hesitate to drive of
PenelopeI didn't realize how incredibly boring it would be to be completely by myself. Thereโs nothing to do. Iโve already cleaned everything, Iโve tended to the garden, Iโve cooked dinner, Iโve scoured the internet for ideas for Violetโs nursery, and now Iโm just sitting on the couch, bored.I tried to read a book but I find myself unable to focus. My wolf feels anxious, which is an odd behavior for her. I would let her go out for a run, but Iโm pretty sure Donovan would have my head if he knew I went running without him to protect me.I breathe out as I lay my head back. I wish he would call me or mind link me. I would try to link him, but I donโt want to distract him in case he is in danger. Eventuallyโฆ I fall asleep. I donโt know how long Iโve been asleep, but when I wake up, itโs from the back door slamming shut. I jump and Iโm wide awake and ready to attack until I hear Coraโs voice yell, โPenelope! Are you okay?โI rush towards her and I say, โIโm fine.โ I notice a cut on her
DonovanIt was only a one-day trip to get to the White Fang Pack. Cora and I sit on the outskirts of it and observe to see how hard it would be to break inside. The patrol here sucks. Theyโre slow, they talk a lot, they are never quiet enough to listen to their surroundings to see if a threat could be present, and they leave their post without waiting for someone to take their place. Itโs like theyโre begging for someone to attack their pack and take advantage of their vulnerabilities.I grind my teeth in frustration. If my pack was like this, then I could understand how we were overthrown. My pack was ready. We just couldnโt handle how powerful the threat was. But this packโฆ I feel like I could overthrow them by myself. I wouldnโt. Thatโs not the kind of man I am and I donโt want to draw attention to myself. I know that Xavier is still out looking for me and because of that, I need to stay down low as long as possible. Cora asks, โWhat do you think?โโI think I could easily get you