“Hey.” He looked at the girls and back at me. “You said you had food…so I brought drinks.”“Holy shit.” Micca repeated as she grabbed Wendy’s hand. “Please tell me we aren’t hanging out with our fucking king.” His voice was barely above a whisper.I dropped my head down and shook it. “Yes, Micca. We will hang out with him.” I gestured for him to come in, and he walked into the kitchen. He slid the beer into the fridge and fidgeted for a few minutes before coming back into the living room and handing me one beer. “What have you covered?” He dropped onto the loveseat next to me and the girls kind of stood around before I laughed. I sealed the apartment and cracked the beer. “Sit down.” I pointed to the couch and chair surrounding my new coffee table. Everyone sat except Micca. “What?” I looked up at her and she shook her head, staring between Rowan and me.“Is it okay if I grab a beer?” Her voice was breathy and confused.Rowan smiled. “Of course.”She looked around. “I’m sorry but if
“He tried to trap your mother and you as sex slaves?” Rowan’s voice was dark.I just nodded. “My mother would never have touched another wolf if it was an option. It was the threat of me becoming a slave that pushed her to marry Morgan, and how he kept her under his thumb the entire time.”“She did it to keep you safe,” Wendy whispered and I could see a single tear slip down her cheek.“She is a good mom.” I nodded. “But that isn’t why I brought it up.” I looked at Toya. “I brought this up because I want you to see the men we have to face. The kind of men we will have to fight.”“Fight?” Hanna tugged at her hair. I looked at Rowan, and he cleared his throat. “How many of you know about the attacks from when you were babies? The ones that killed my father?” Everyone around the room nodded. “We all do.” Toya answered. “My father taught me as a part of my training.”Rowan nodded. “There are a few of us, the newer Alpha’s like Amy’s father, that believed that the attacks were a lot less
“War?” Everyone froze. Rowan’s hand tightened at my waist and I wanted to shiver, but I nodded. “War.” “How do you know?” Toya leaned closer. Everyone had finally settled in and forgotten that the king of our kind was sitting next to me. “Has the goddess ever spoke to you?” I looked at her. “The goddess? Like the moon goddess?” Micca nearly fell from her seat, but I just nodded.“Some of us are blessed to communicate with our goddess. Some get feelings, guided by her hand. Shamans get visions.” Rowan looked at me, and I could see the question in his eyes. But I knew it wasn’t time. I shook my head slightly, and he refocused on Toya. “Some others are gifted from the goddess herself. Lycans, when they come of age, are visited by the goddess.”“Visited how?” Wendy was almost enthralled.“When my father died, and I inherited the throne, and when I came of age, the Goddess visited me in my dreams.”“How do you know it wasn’t just a dream?” Hanna asked.I could feel my forehead burn and
“On goddess. What happened?” Wendy covered her mouth. I closed my eyes, remembering the scene. “He dropped to his knees, and howled. It was the most heartbreaking noise I have ever heard. Then in seconds, his eyes changed from the crystal green they were to blood red. His face half shifted, and with the last remaining shred of humanity he had, instead of attacking us, he took off into the forest.”“He went rabid that quickly?” Micca’s mouth dropped open.“It isn’t a slow process.” Rowan clasped his hands and leaned on his knees. “It’s like the human soul is ripped from the wolves. Leaving the beast alone with the pain and having no way to work through it.” I nodded. “There has been only one rabid wolf in history that has come back from it.” I remembered my father told me the story of the wolf after I watched the man go rabid. “It was a she-wolf that had been betrayed by her mate. He killed their pup because it was a girl and he wanted a boy. She went rabid and stayed in the wild for
I was frozen in my spot when he pulled away. My eyes snapped open and I could see his self-assured smile as he turned away with his meal. If I could die right this second, I would. Well, well, well. Nix’s voice was amused. I thought you said you weren’t interested in him?Amy, are you okay? Megan’s soft question caught me off guard.Why wouldn’t she be? Nix was just as confused as I was.Megan came closer and started to rub her side against the wall in my mind. Because… She started. She didn’t want to like Rowan because of us. We are waiting for your mate, Nix. You, yourself, are interested in Erubus. Falling for a man, specifically our king, would be hard. Knowing he will be selecting a queen, or finding his mate, is even worse. Megan paused. No matter what happens, Rowan isn’t for her and she knows it. Nix was quiet. I didn’t think of that. I felt her following Megan, pressing herself against the wall. If Rowan is who you want, I would give his wolf a shot. He is the king, so he
I looked up, surprised when I found everyone’s eyes on me. “Sorry, my mom is heading this way.”Toya stood and collected all the garbage and brought it into the kitchen. “Let’s go ladies.” Toya called as she dumped everything in to the trash.“What?” Wendy called out as she stood.Toya stepped out of the kitchen and looked back at me. “I don’t know how long we have, but Amy is about to have a very hysterical woman who lost her mate in her hands.” Toya gave a soft smile. “She gets to explain to her devastated mother that her dad is still alive and then she is going to have a very livid luna on her hands.” “Oh fuck.” Hanna jumped up. “No offense Amy, I don’t have the ability to deal with a distraught luna that might rampage at any moment.”I just nodded. “Yeah. It won’t be pretty.” I stood and smiled. “Honestly, it’s fine. We can work out all the details tomorrow about training and figure out a time that works for everyone.” I looked around as everyone stood. “Can you all meet me in th
The knock on the door has the two of us jumping apart. I stared up at him with wide eyes. What the fuck was that? Was he toying with me now? I shook my head to clear the muddled thoughts racing through my mind. I needed to take a few steps back, but the counter was behind me. I wanted to push him away, but I knew if I touched him, I would fall apart. I would jump into his arms and I would allow him to walk over my heart like I did with Brandon.He isn’t him. Megan’s soft voice countered my inner thoughts. He is nice, and just, and-And not mine. I stopped her. If I allow myself to think about him in any other way, I think I will shatter this time. He might not be Brandon, but I never really liked him as a person. I loved him as my mate because we were destined to be together. As the moon goddess intended, but I never viewed him as a friend, a partner. Someone I could grow with. I felt the burn of tears. I can see that with Rowan. Then why not? Nix’s voice was softer than I had ever h
Her sobs were ragged, but it was the screams that broke me. We crumpled to the floor as she screamed her pain, and all I could do was hold her and allow her to release it. She wouldn’t listen to me until she did. It wasn’t until I heard the door shut that I realized Rowan had left.I grabbed her around her shoulders, and under her legs and I picked her up. I carried her to my bedroom and laid her on my bed. And then I did the only thing I could. I pulled the phone out of the lockbox and I dialed my father. It was late, but I could only hope he would answer. I slid in behind my mother and I waited for the ringing to stop. I closed my eyes in defeat when the call went unanswered and his voice played in my ear. “Hi, you have reached Alpha Gavin Maclean. I’m currently busy, but I will get back to you.” My mothers screamed again as she heard my father’s voice. “He’s gone.” Her scream shook the sliding glass door. I hung up the phone and called back. “I told you he was gone, baby.” She g
The guard was pacing, nervous. He kept glancing back at me and muttering to himself. That put me on edge. Why does he keep looking back here? Nix stood and started to pace. I don’t know. But it’s not good. I moved to the clearing, checking on my magic. I had been funneling all of mine and Nix’s extra energy into our well. Building it until our flame turned into a giant bonfire. The magic was burning bright, and it took effort to keep it contained, my like my aura. How are you doing? Megan called back to me. We are ready. I shot back. I had been studying the book for days until I figured I could use a reversal rune to block the drain of our power. It will actually pull power from those chasing us and feed it into our bodies until we remove the rune. I had carved the rune into Nix and myself. Megan, I left for last. The door slammed open and Brandon strolled in. I wanted to recoil from the look on his face; it was so vicious. But I would never hide or cower from this man. “Looky l
But Megan ignored him. He stood and crowded the bars, drawing in more air and her scent. “Fuck.” Then he turned and spun away. “I’ll be back with your next meal.” He walked to the door, grabbed a tray he had left there, and came back. He pushed the food through the tray slot at the bottom of the door. Megan popped up. She walked over slowly, watching Vince. She stopped short of his hands. Then she pawed the food tray the rest of the way to her. We walked Vince’s eyes almost completely disappear into his pupils before his wolf took over. His eyes flashed to a soft chocolate brown, and there was a deep rumbling in his chest. “You smell good.”Megan rolled her eyes and sniffed the food. Each item had to be sniffed, tasted and then we had to wait for any reactions. But as soon as Megan sniffed the meat, she pulled back and swatted the tray against the bars. Vince’s wolf watched her, and then he smirked. “Smart girl. Most don’t notice the silver.” Megan let out a low growl before she tu
There was a bang, and a door slammed open. “Alpha.” The guard at the door called, and instantly we were all on guard. “Leave us.” He motioned for the wolf to leave, and he strolled down to my cell. “Hello.” He watched me with hooded eyes. “Still vicious?” Megan growled, causing Vince to chuckle. “I find it interesting that you aren’t afraid of me.” We barked out a laugh. “Why would I be afraid of you?”Vince froze. “You speak?” Megan rolled her eyes and turned out back on him. “Stupid male.” She tossed her head, glaring at him over her back. He chuckled, then turned back to the door. He grabbed the chair there and pulled it over in front of my cell. “Well, you kept your mouth shut the first day we met. I assumed you were mute.” I huffed out a sigh. “I nearly bit half of your face off. My mouth was very much open.”He threw his head back and started laughed. “You did. I will give you that.” Vince leaned closer to the bars and Megan lifted her lip. “You don’t like me, do you?”“Sho
“You are going to let me die here?” Megan let her words sound incredulous. Rick walked to the bars. “I don’t want you to die. But I have no way of getting you out of here without being seen or found out. If I could save you and only lose my own life, I would do it. You don’t deserve to be here…”“But?” Megan cut in. “But I have a pup and a mate who would be executed if I went against Vince.” He grabbed the bar and I heard the sizzle of his skin against the silver. “I can’t risk them. I hope you and Amy will understand that.” He pulled back and turned away. “Wait!” Megan called after him.He turned. “The guard is coming back in a minute. Be quick.”“Will you come back to speak with me?” She tried to get close. “I have so many questions.”Rick looked back to the door. “I can try. But Rick doesn’t like random people coming in here.”“Then why did you come in now?” Megan pushed. “Because…” His shoulders sagged. “Because I felt like a monster and I felt like I neede3d to explain. If I
He knows. Nix’s words were soft, her eyes fully focused on the man in front of us. What are you talking about? Megan turned back to us. He’s scum.Nix shook her head. Look at him, Megan. Truly look, and push away your hatred towards Brandon, Vince, and well, all the male population. Megan snorted but turned back.What am I looking for? Megan sighed, but focused. I stepped closer, trying to see what she was seeing.Nix was focused on Rick. Look at his skin. He is sweating, he’s pale, but his eyes are focused. His hand… She trailed off.He’s clutching at his neck. Megan tensed beside me. “What happened first, Rick?”He turned his haunted eyes back to us. “What?”Megan sighed as she crept closer. “What came first? You working with Vince? Or Abby getting branded?”“Does it matter?” He slammed back against the wall and dropped to his ass. “It changes nothing.”“It matters.” She growled. “It matters to me, and I know it will matter to Amy.” “Why?” He dropped his head into his hands. “It
I waited until Vince pulled out the needle and I jumped up, growling. I let my hackles rise and I lunged for Vince, but he danced back and slammed the door shut. His chuckle was infuriating, and I lunged, hitting the bars on purpose. I yelped and jumped back from the searing pain of silver. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Everything is silver in here.” Vince wagged the key in front of me. “You will just have to be a good girl to get let out.” I nearly gagged, but I lunged again, testing how hard the bars were. They bent a little, making every man jump back. I yelped again and slid against the ground, showing the burns to Vince. “Stop!” I pulled away, slowly, weakly, growling softly to show I hadn’t given up yet. Nix rolled on the ground. You are really selling this, Amy. Vince is eating this up for sure. Megan shook her head. But don’t push it too far. A wolf cornered would fight, but a weaker wolf would stay away from the silver after this. I nodded. Oh, I know. That was the l
Nix and Megan pressed against my side. What are you saying? It’s poisoned…poisoned how? Nix leaned in, trying to see it closer, but we were stuck where we were. The power that their traps were pulling from me it was transferred to this rune. The quickening. It says it right in the name. It converts your power into physical strength and speed. Like I was doing with our power, but this is for a person who doesn’t have magic. Okay…I don’t know what’s wrong still. Megan leaned against the barrier and I laughed. Do you see the line that cuts through the rune? Both of my wolves focused on the rune that was bobbing in and out of our line of sight as he ran. Yeah. Nix finally said. The part that looks infected?Yes. That’s exactly what it is. A poisoning. It breaks the limits on the rune and pushes power into the person. Normally, the person will hit a wall. The wall being that their physical body can’t go any faster or it hurt them, it will break down their bodies. Like poison.So you’re
I heard a chuckle and then a soft whispered. “Slepta noir sha dineh por clotin.” Then the world went dark. Amy, stay awake. Nix called me, but I couldn’t move. Everything was heavy. I felt like I was snuggled under the best blanket in a dark room. Amy! Megan called after me, but I was snuggled deep into slumber. A few more minutes, guys. I called back to my wolves. I heard them both growl. What is the point of having magic if we fall victim to it? Nix growled, but Megan just sighed. It wasn’t an attack, like Verity said it was a gentle spell to put her to sleep. We are still awake, and if anything happens, I’m sure we can force her awake. But there is a bright side.What’s that? Nix sounded doubtful, but open to listening.Amy will be rested and fully recharged. Then we can figure out what the actual fuck happened. Like, how did Rick catch us?I felt my wolves settled near me. And I rolled to touch them. I wanted to wake up. This seemed like something important. Something was wro
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