[Araminta]
Once they recognize who they are facing, the rest of the young wolves scatter as if they had just been confronted with the scariest monster from their childhood nightmares. And I guess, in many ways, that’s exactly what they’re facing.
Channing is an impressive sight. At almost 6’5” tall with broad shoulders and muscles honed in battle, even in civilian clothes he cuts an impressive figure.
“I’m sorry about them,” he apologizes, removing a red silk handkerchief from his breast pocket. “Pups these days have no manners.”
[Parris] I had fallen asleep in my mate’s arms, nestled into his neck as he lifted me from the ground and his strong legs had carried me all the way back to the northern entrance. Or at least, that’s my best guess. Based on the shifting sunlight slowly dipping towards the horizon, that was hours ago. He’s gone now, I can tell, not just because his warmth has been replaced with cool sheets and his voice exchanged for the sound of a machine beeping, but because I cannot smell him anymore. Scent is important to wolves, even a mixed mutt wolf like me. A chair next to me creaks, and I turn my head slowly to see my father at my bedside. He is bent in half, his elbows dug into his knees as he holds his hands before him in prayer to the goddess, the words of an ancient incantation mumbled on his lips. Before meeting my mother, Harlem Abernathy had promised his life to the Moon Goddess, living as a monk at the Temple of the Sacred Moon on the East Coast. But then one day, as he was collect
[Hawthorne] “NO!!!” I wake up screaming, my body shaking and cold. “How the…?” So that wasn’t a dream. I am standing at the edge of a field completely naked. And Parris… “Ah, goddessdamn it!” I curse, finding my companion lying at my feet. His chest is rising and falling, so it’s clear that he’s still alive, but the slow, shallow movement tells me that he’s out cold. Whatever he did to strain himself drained him down to the barest embers of his inner strength. Usually, after something like that, a witch will need a day or two to recover. “Or a good tumbling,” the voice inside my head is back, louder than ever. “Oh for goddesssake, you know my name and you know I’m real, stop acting like I’m your imaginary friend.” A series of images blended with intense feelings dance through my mind and I’m swept up for a moment reliving a series of very dark, very violent memories. I shifted. Holy fuck, I shifted! Oh Goddess. I guess Parris was right. I am wolf enough to go into heat, wolf e
[Parris]Moving as quickly as possible, I keep an eye on the approaching horde.Wiping my brow, I look up to see that Hawthorne has made his way to the corner as well. He hadn’t even seen the threat, but somehow knew he needed to move quicker. It’s almost like we are any other mated pair, perfectly in sync.“Except that we aren’t mated,” Max reminds me sullenly. “He rejected us.”“Maybe that’ll change someday,” I try to cheer him up. “And he never said the words of rejection. Let’s not give up hope.”There’s a low ranking witch named Sorrel, who has been asking after me. She wants to date, but I’ve been waiting for Sparks like a fool. She isn’t our mate, but I’m witch enough that we’d probably zing. For all I know, she only wants to hang out because she’s never been with a wolf and sees me as a safe in between. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been used more as a curiosity than a possible partner. Sure, it’s degrading, but it’s better than being alone.I am so tired of being alone.W
[Parris] “I can’t be in heat. I’m not a wolf.”My mate is visibly shaken by my words. Through our weak bond I feel a swirl of emotions. He doesn’t want to be in heat, he doesn’t want to be a wolf. He doesn’t know what to do because was never trained to deal with this kind of situation.After working with him over the last four months, I have learned one very important thing about Hawthorne Sparks–he needs to feel like he’s in control. He doesn’t like to feel unprepared. But how can you be ready for something you didn’t realize could be possible?“Don’t worry, I won’t take advantage of you," I try to comfort him while keeping my distance. His body relaxes as he hears the honesty in my words. I have never once taken advantage of him. Even though we’ve been lovers when necessary, we were friends first and friendship is built on trust–especially when fighting side by side against overwhelming odds. We need to know that we have each other's back, always and without question. “I know,” H
[Hawthorne] My hands are shaking as I make my way out of my apartment down to the main boulevard and down towards the train. The sky is still dark, the first rays of sunlight yet to crest the horizon and I can’t help but stop for a moment to look up at the fading stars. It’s so rare that I make it out of my rooms, and almost never when it’s still dark. Since the hellsbane plague began spreading from wolf to wolf across the continent, and we took over Moon River City as our capital, very few civilians are allowed outside for more than a few hours at a time. It’s a harsh rule, but one instituted for everyone’s safety. There is a curfew that stretches from dusk until dawn, and I feel a thrill of excitement knowing that I am breaking that rule right now. Although I guess, since I’m on a mission from the coven mistress, it isn’t really breaking a rule. Nor is it going against protocol when I pull out a badge calling for the city train. In the defense against both the disease and the
[Parris] Sparks is cute when he’s blushing. He’s been avoiding me, I know he has. But now he’s standing outside my door as if nothing had happened between us out in the field. We had gotten close, intimately. I thought it was what he wanted, that he felt the pull between us too. But then when he woke up the next morning he didn’t even bother to reject me properly. He just ran off without an excuse, leaving me to find my own way home. Honestly, I’ve been angry with him for weeks. How could he just leave like that? We didn’t do anything wrong? Is it because I’m a mutt, a weird not quite wolf witch? Is it because I have hairy ears?He’s such a jerk. “I brought something for you,” Hawthorne reaches into his back pocket and my heart skips for a brief moment until I see what he has in his hands. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when he hands out the envelope stamped with the coven mistress’ seal, my spirits drop. Silly witch. What were you expecting? An engagement ring?Feeling