“It’s okay.” My mom tried to calm her. “I forget things all the time.” We both laughed and waited.Mrs. Sandlewood settled a little and chuckled along with us. “Oh. Well, some days are like that.” She laughed as she clicked a few times on her computer. “First thing. I forgot to give you this.” SHe handed me a piece of paper. “This is a list of things needed for your dorm. Blankets, sheets, daily life items people take for granted.” I nodded along. “On the back is a list of things Alpha Vince thinks the Alpha’s should bring to be easily identifiable.” I furrowed my brows. “What?” I flipped it over and read what seemed to be a checklist of superiority. “Louis Vuitton jewelry, or other name brand items. Luxury brand clothing only. Purses and other accessories should be above $10,000 in price, daily.” I looked up from the list and Mrs. Sandlewood was actually sweating. “Why?”“What in the goddess’ name is he trying to do? Even if a person is the Alpha, some packs can’t afford this.” My m
My mom nodded and looked at me. “You aren’t stupid with your money. But I want to make sure you have enough to do what you want.” She bit her lip as she thought about it. “How much is normally added?” I turned back to Mrs. Sandlewood.“Oh.” She clicked a few times on her computer and then nodded. “Beta’s or lower usually load between twenty-five to forty thousand dollars. But the Alphas usually load more.”“Why?” My mom kept counting things on her hands and I just laughed.“Well, they have access to a few specialize clubs on campus. Plus…” Mrs. Sandlewood trailed off.“What is it?” I prompted her to finish her thought.She lowered her voice and leaned in. “It really depends on the Alpha. Some blow through their money quickly at the clubs.”“You mentioned them. What are they?”“There are a few sports bars and one dance club. Only ranked wolves can get in. But Alpha’s have a VIP section and it costs more. The flashier ones spend their money there. Then the others, they are more respect
My mother shook her head in disgust. “All those students.” She couldn’t hold back her anger. “I’ll transfer you the money.” My father was about to hang up, but I had to stop him.“Daddy? Can you round it up to five million?”I could picture him throwing his head back, and his laughter rang through the phone. “Why?”“Because. I have a plan. I want to make a few investments. That way, I can pay back the pack and handle the rest of the cost for the next four years at university.”My father’s laughter grew even more. “Smart girl. I did the same thing.” I knew he was talking about his investments he made when I was a kid. Everyone thought he was just making just good decisions, but he knew how it would turn out. A second chance at life does that. But remembering everything is hard, and he took a few hits. But now, now it was my turn to use my first life to my benefit.“Yeah.” I smiled. “Ronnie will send it over right now.” “Thank you, daddy.”“You are welcome, pup. I love you.” “I lov
“This is the dorm room building. It’s co-op, so everyone will be in the same building. Instead of organizing us by gender, they organize us by year. But they do it backwards. First years are on the top floor.” Clint looked back and smiled. “The elevator has been out for…well I’ve been here for three years already and it was out for years before me.” He laughed. “The stairs are over here.” He brought us over to the main staircase and headed up. “What program are you in?” I followed him up the five flights of stairs.“I wanted to go into business, like most Alpha’s and Beta’s. Help strengthen the pack’s standing.” I nodded. “Yeah. A lot of packs fall into that line of thinking.” I tried to hedge my bet, but Clint laughed. “Yeah, you sound like my father.” He looked back at me with a smile as he turned to the last flight of stairs. “He pushed me into computer science. Said it was the new way to protect the pack, and potentially make money.”I reeled. “My father gave me the same push.”
“Why does she get everything?” Shannon screamed from downstairs and I had to muffle my laughter. She has been screaming since she got home. She found out that I was getting a dorm while she had to come home, like it would make that much of a difference. There was a knock on the door, and I got up to open it. Morgan stood there. “Amy, can you please come downstairs? I want to have a family meeting.” I nearly lost it right then, so I just nodded. He turned around, jaw clenched and headed downstairs towards his screaming daughter.I entered the room to find Shannon punching the couch cushion over and over. I snorted as I walked over to one of the chairs that framed the couch. Morgan shot me a glare, and I just raised my eyebrow at him. I sat down and waved my hand. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Morgan shot me another glared as he walked away. “I told you not to fucking touch me.” My mother’s snarl came from the kitchen.“I’m sorry. Please.” Morgan begged and honestly, it was pathe
“You act like I am some kind of disease.” Shannon shot to her feet.“To me, to Nix, you are.” I snarled. “I don’t think you understand. So let me break it down for you. You know how you feel about Brandon. How he’s yours?” I waited, staring at her face, and watched as the possessiveness took over.“Yes.” She bit out.“How you feel like no one ever should touch him, be near him, flirt with him? Right? Like you would kill anyone that tried to take him.” I stared at her again, waiting.“Yes.”“Well, I feel that way about my stuff. My room. My safe space. And you violated it to get laid.” I stood, and I could feel my anger rising. “You are weaker than me, lower than me, and an all around shitty fucking person. But you thought you had the right to MY stuff. You went into my room and used my things, the things I got from my mother, from my father, for myself. And you used them to trap a wolf that isn’t yours.” Nix came closer to the surface. I felt my eyes shift, my fur flowed down my arms,
Shannon and Morgan froze. “What did you say?” Shannon took a step towards me.“I said everyone now has ten thousand dollars on their card now.” I rolled my eyes. “So you can leave me alone.” “I want more.” Shannon stomped her foot.I laughed. “What?” I shook my head in disbelief.“I said I want more. I deserve more. If everyone else has ten thousand dollars, then I should have as much as you, one hundred thousand.”My mother burst out in laughter. “You have to be kidding. Why do you deserve more?” She stood and paced, almost prowl. “You are still acting like you are better than everyone else.”“Because I am.” Shannon shouted. “You’re not!” My mom shouted back. She turned on Morgan. “This is your fault. Do you not realize that? You spoiled her and made her believe that her status as your kid made her better than the rest of her pack. You have doomed her.”Morgan stood. “I have not.”“Yes, you have.” My mother countered. “You want to know how?” Morgan glared at my mother, but she just
“Mom, you really didn’t have to help me.” I looked back at her and she laughed.“Did you really think I was going to allow you to move into your dorm without me helping?” My mom carried a box up the steps. “I mean, kinda…” I laughed as I unlocked the room. I dropped the box in my hands and turned to look at her. “It’s just for a little while. It’s not like you won’t see me again.”My mother dropped her box on the bed and turned to me. “I don’t think that’s true.”“What? Mom, come on.” I shook my head but she grabbed my hands. “Listen to me. I don’t have power like a shaman or like your grandmother, but I have this feeling. Somehow, I know you won’t be coming home.”I stared at her, and I could see the pain behind her eyes. “I might not come home, but I will still see you. I’m not going to just up and leave you, mom.”She wiped at her eye. “You promise?”“Of course I do.” I grabbed her and hugged her. “What is really bothering you?”She pulled away and looked at my face. “I miss him.
Vince turned to look at Brandon. He looked at its stumpy fingers and shook his head. “Why would you bring up the brotherhood in front of the wench?”Wench? Is he trying to be a fucking pirate or something? Nix snorted and rolled her eyes. Vince is stupid.But I watched him. Something was off in the way he watched us. Ever since I ripped off his cheek. I think…I think he likes us, Megan. She snapped her head to mine and then gagged. Absolutely the fuck not. She shook her head. But Nix watched him. I think she is right, Megan. Everytime he says something, his eyes flick to us. He is looking for our reaction. She gagged again. No, you two have to be wrong. We ripped off half his face.I think…I think he likes us because of it. The thought made my stomach clench. Sick fuck. “Wench? Dad…common we all know she is going to be dead soon. So why does it matter?” Brandon snorted as he passed me, kicking out, but I jumped up and snarled. “I would watch your self Bran. She is feisty. She alr
I sat still. I knew I couldn’t run away without being caught, so I would sit, watch, and wait. I was going to hold back on any magic use until I was somewhere else. Since Rick said the forest was covered in magical traps, this was once I was out I would be safe. I just needed to get out first. Rick narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t going to come quietly, are you?” I just settled on the ground. I wasn’t stupid, but I wasn’t going to just fall in line, either. He chuckled and turned to Morgan. “Watch my son. Don’t let him get close to the wolf.” Morgan nodded, but Vince was already turning away. “Rick, come with me. You can carry me back here with our shit and the pup.” Rick’s eyes tightened again and then he nodded. He smiled. “Yeah. Poor thing has to survive another week.”He shifted and left the clearing while Morgan and Brandon glared at me. “Are you seriously still going after Amy’s mom?” Brandon sagged against a tree. “I mean, I get it. She’s hot. And the power of the women in tha
Vince yelled as he tossed me to the ground. Morgan kicked me as soon as I hit the dirt, chunks of grass and twigs flying, the swift kick to my stomach sending me into a tree. I yelped as my shoulder broke, along with a few ribs, but Vince just looked at me with surprise as a chunk of his face slowly knitted itself back together. I looked at him through hooded eyes, but I watched with satisfaction as his cheek slowly rebuilt itself. Blood poured from his left side of his face. The lip hung loose, cut adrift from the portion of his cheek. I ripped away. His teeth were visible, and the surprised look in his eyes made the slow healing a little easier to deal with. Brandon looked at his father with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” He went to move closer, but that was the moment I spat out the hunk of meat I had in my mouth, as if his blood was poison. Vince didn’t look away from me. I sat up and wretched, like I was going to vomit. His blood and bits of flesh clung to the inside of my mouth.
I heard them all shift and start after me. One after the other, I heard a growl and then charging feet. Even Rick, who knew I was going to be out here, was charging after me. Rick, fucking Rick.Why would he want me to see all of that? Megan’s words were ragged. She was waning, but Nix was pushing her body to the brink. I think he needed us to see that. Maybe this started as a couple of friends, and he thought they were joking. Or it was a what if, and then he fell in love with Shelly?Nix panted but hummed her agreement. I think it was probably in the middle. He thought they were just assholes joking around with the women they were using, and then he found his mate. But he didn’t want to let go of his friends. Until his pup came back branded. Megan finished, and Nix agreed.I feel bad for him. Her words made us stop. But Nix pushed on. This about it, you’re trying to stay loyal to your friends but faithful to you mate and you think that witchcraft is probably fake and then suddenl
Morgan shrugged. “You should have kept your pants on. You only had to keep it in your pants for a few years, and you can’t even do that.” Morgan leveled him with a look. You can blame Shannon all you want, but let’s not pretend she is the only one you’re fucking.Brandon glared at him for a minute before laughing. “True.” He sighed. “But Shannon was the only one Amy had to deal with.”Morgan level him with another look. “Again, it isn’t her fault you decided you wanted to drain Amy of her power. You could have chosen anyone else.”Brandon sighed. “True again, but she is so fucking strong.” He grabbed his dick. “And she is so fucking stuck up. I was going to enjoy draining her.” Rick laughed. Fucking laughed, but when he turned, I saw it. A flash of something in his eyes. He didn’t want to be here. What the fuck is going on here? Megan called back to us, but neither of us knew. “Shut the fuck up.” Vince called back and everyone quieted. “Verity. How fucking long now?”She sighed as s
The world blurred past us. The trees became blurred sticks as we wove in between. Bushes became wider obstacles that we jumped over. The animals, the birds, they knew something was happening, and they stayed quiet and out of the way. Megan passed the borders of the pack lands, she weaved between the border patrols that were following their routes, and others that were just out for friendly hunts. We finally slowed to a stop to catch our breath and to figure out where to go. She looked around. Nix receding back beside me and collapsing. Are you okay? I hurried to her side. Yeah. She huffed and sagged against me. I pushed too hard, that’s all.I cuddled her to my side, holding her up as she caught her breath, and I realized the sun had set. How long did it take us to run here? Nix huffed out a breath. Not long. Around two hours. Why?Why is the sun setting? I looked around and the woods were definitely darker. Megan looked up, and we saw it. She checked the sun, but there was nothi
I drove past the pack members that had lined the street. All of them were waving and bowing, giving my mother a farewell deserving of a luna, not just another pack member. But she has stepped up where Vince’s mate failed. My mom helped with the pups. She made sure they were taught properly. She fought for the females of this pack. And wolves never forgot their debts. I drove down block after block of our pack, saluting to my mother, who wasn’t even here to see it. I waved as I drove past the guards at the beginning of the land, and then we were out. My mother’s body double disappeared, and I called for the jet to get ready to take a flight to the coast and come back. “Who are we taking?”I laughed. “No one.” There was silence on the other end. “Take you families for a vacation to the coast if you like, my gift to you.” I looked at the dash. “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Get everyone to the hangar to leave and I’ll transfer you twenty thousand to have a nice weekend. Make s
We made it back to the house and my mother was ecstatic, dancing her way to my room. We shut the door, and she twirled. “Where do I go?” She turned to me and I just gave her a look. “I know I’m going to the cabin. I just mean how? Won’t the pack notice if I don’t leave?”I waved my hand. “I’ll use magic to pretend to drive you away and I’ll leave your car at the airport and run back. Just pack your essentials and we will go over.” I kissed her temple. “But let’s be quick.”“Why?” She sat on my bed and I pulled out black clothes. She just lifted her eyebrows. “What are you going to do? Rob a bank?” I laughed. “I need a shower and descenting spray.” I rummaged through my bathroom, but my mom stood and went into my closet. “What are you doing?”“I put the extra spray in here, foolish girl.” She came out with a bottle. “Now tell me why.”“Rick.” She just twirled her finger. “Rick what?” She handed me the bottle, and I put it on my counter. “When he told me to go home for the day. He to
Vince looked at me, then he turned to Morgan with a raised brow. “Well, then…” He sat back. “There isn’t much of a choice, is there?”Morgan turned to me. “Amy, you can’t be serious. I raised you. I was your dad.” My eyes flashed and Nix was in front in a second. “Repeat those words and I will call the Cath Báis for pure arrogance from you. You barely looked at us when we were a pup. You did everything and anything to take our mother’s time and attention from us. And when I finally shifted, you stole our bonding night.” Nix chuffed a warning call. “So think before you open your mouth again, beta. If you step on my father’s legacy and my mother’s hard work, then I will not hold back. I will rip you to shreds and reunite you with your mate.”Morgan paled. “Nix…I didn’t mean-”“You dodn’t mean to take credit for work you had no hand in. You didn’t raise me. You didn’t pay my way. You didn’t even house me. Amy bought the house. Amy’s money paid for everything for her and her mother. You