She called back, taunting the giant male, and I just groaned. Nix, why are you doing this?“Because if he wants my name, he has to prove he’s worthy of it.” She chuffed out a laugh. “Any man that wants anything from me from now on has to work for it.” Thoughts of everything from my previous life flashed through my mind. Nix was right. I gave everything to Brandon, forgave everything, and he killed me and our baby.You’re right. Nix huffed another laugh. “I know.” We were distracted and the grey wolf dove out of the bushes for us. Nix rolled out of the way and was back up on her feet, sprinting away. She looked back and howled before rushing down the banks of a small river. She splashed across the water and was up over the other bank. She rushed through a lot of underbrush before diving under the roots of a tree. She huddled there, waiting. What are you doing?I’m waiting to see if this male is smart. If he is, he will find me. If not, he isn’t worth my time. Why?Because any male
He stumbled over his feet. “What?” He gave me a side look.“You act like I shouldn’t have noticed. We are wolves. We live through our nose,” Nix scoffed. “You are right, but no one has ever asked me directly.” “Why not?” We stopped and looked at him. “Why has no one ever questioned why a wolf has no scent?”He sat down and looked at me. “Probably because of my rank, or my size.”“What’s your rank?”He tilted his head. “I’m an alpha.”I nodded. “Alphas don’t scare me.”“I see that.” He huffed out a laugh. “But most people are. The sane ones, at least.” “Are you saying that I’m not sane?”His eyes widened a bit. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He started, but we just laughed. “Sure.” Nix looked up to the sky. “I have to go.”“Why?” He stepped in front of us, but we just walked around him.“I have to get back to class. I ran out of my last class rather quickly.” We started running, and Erubus ran after us. It turned into a game. We ran together, nipping and diving for each other. He t
He stared at me as he smirked. “I can only assume some of you have put it together. Yes, I am that Rowan. And yes, I am the king. But no, you don’t have to call me King. I would honestly prefer if you didn’t. In class, anyways.” He winked and turned to his computer. He turned on the projector, linked it and then turned back to us while everything finished starting up. “But there is one thing I have to do.” He released his aura, and it slammed into us. It was the first time I actually felt someone’s power enough that I had to fight to stay standing. He watched everyone drop to their knees, except me. I stood a fraction of a second too long. His eyes widened, and he pushed more power at me. I just winked back and got to my knees to keep up appearances. He gave a tiny nod in appreciation and walked the front of the classroom. “Since I am here for this class only. I do not want it to be known that I am here. For one thing, I do not want females throwing themselves at me, and second, I do
Rowan shook his head and made his way to the back of the class. “This isn’t my typical first class, but I feel like we have certain things that we should go over.” He slid on to his desk. “We as wolves have a hierarchy for a very simple reason. The strong protects the weak. The high rank you have, the more people you have to worry about.” He wiped his face. “Alphas have to know that there are better ways to get information, though.” A man named Steven chimed in. I snorted. “Okay. Tell me how you would have done it.”“What?” Steven turned to face me. “You said we have to know there are better ways. How would you have done it then? The alpha was in danger. We didn’t know how deep the betrayal went. Within a day, we had a rogue attack that was organized, that multiple rogues were working together like they were in a pack. Without the information I could gather, my father would have been dead, the pack over run and demoralized. As the attack targeted women and children. So what would y
I shut my computer and packed it away. Everyone else was doing the same. “Amy, can you hang back a minute?” Rowan called and I wanted to groan, but I just nodded and stayed in my seat. Everyone walked by me, and a few stopped by the side of my desk. “Amy?”I looked up and met the gamma from the beginning of the class, Steve. “Yeah?”“We just wanted to apologize for earlier today.” I was shocked. “What?”Steve just laughed. “We aren’t stupid enough to not realize that we spoke without knowing the full story. We judged you without knowing what you had to go through, or the decisions you had to make. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions and calling you those names.”The other two nodded. “We are sorry, too. We don’t honestly know what going into running a pack, but we know our alpha keeps us as safe as possible. And probably had to make some of the same decisions you have had to make, and we wouldn’t want anyone judging him.”I sat back and stuck out my hand. “I appreciate it.” They sh
I jolted back, and he raised his hands. “Sorry. What did you say?”“The included basic food plan was removed ten years ago.” I said it again. “Why are you confused? You work here.”“I don’t, actually. I volunteer here. Like I said, this is my hobby, and I enjoy this kind of thing. And it’s not like I have a pack or anyone other than the council to worry about.” He tossed out the words so carelessly, and I winced. “Does it bother you?” I asked, but he brushed me off. “I’m not privy to the interworkings of the school, so I didn’t know.” His eyes flashed, like his wolf was fighting for control. But I couldn’t make out the colour before it was gone. His human eyes were a stormy gray, and I felt my lower body clench. Nix was panting in my mind, and Megan, my sweet girl, was sitting back and watching the show. You two are foolish. Her words were quiet, but there was a tiny bite to them. That cooled my thoughts of the king. Megan lost her mate before she could enjoy the feelings, and that
I walked into the main cafeteria that doubled as a store and grabbed a basket. I took my time going through the store first. The mini fridge I brought should be down to temperature and needed to be stocked. I grabbed an array of drinks, water, sodas, chocolate milk. Then I moved on to snacks. I had already decided to turn the top shelf of my desk into a small pantry for shelf snacks. I grabbed crackers, chips, sweet cakes, and a few apples and bananas. I moved onto the cafeteria portion for food. I saw something that caught my eye and I rushed over. They had small refrigerated dinner boxes. Sushi and teriyaki chicken that looks absolutely delicious. I grabbed a few boxes. Some for tomorrow and a few for dinner tonight. I was starving. Shifting takes a lot of calories to do, and Nix is on edge. Protein would help with that. Once I was full, I headed to the cashier. I stood behind a few people and zoned out until something caught my ear. “I can’t believe you gave us ten thousand dolla
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Nina stepped closer to me. “Who are you to talk down to me?” She snarled in my face, but I couldn’t help the laugh.I raised my hands again with my basket hanging from one. “Listen, who I am isn’t your concern. But it just seems very convenient that you are taking credit for something that was supposed to be anonymous.”Nina stepped closer. “Just because Professor R stood up for you doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you. Professor R is a man. And like any man, his attention will drift, but let me make myself very clear, he’s mine. He might support you now, but he will come back to me.”I looked up, met her glare, and started laughing. “What the fuck does he have to do with you claiming to donate money?”She stepped closer. “I just want you to know that just because he stood up for you today doesn’t mean he will cover for you now.”I had to bend over; I was laughing so hard. “He knows who donated the money. As does Alpha Vince and Mrs. Sandlewood. Somethin
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