ConnorThe rogue attack created a buzz among the pack members. I felt their restless energy surging through the collective mind. It was good. We should never let our guard down. Just because peace reigned between the various packs didn’t mean it would last forever. Peace was a very fragile thing in our world. The slightest confrontation could set off a full-scale war. As packs grew in number, the need for territory increased, and our territory was significant, and the game was bountiful. My pack wasn’t one of the largest, but what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in strength.More pack members arrived while the omegas prepared the tables for the feast. The mouthwatering aroma of various dishes teased the senses. By the looks of it, my cooks had outdone themselves. There was more than enough food. I watched as a group of pups chased each other around the tables, squealing with laughter, and I wondered what our pups would look like. I imagined they would inherit Cassie’s stubbornnes
CassandraThere was an infernal buzzing in my mind that wouldn’t go away. I imagined that was what a hangover would feel like, even though I had never experienced one.Connor led me away to sit with Agnes and Joel. I only let him because I still couldn’t trust my legs. If I weren’t starving, I would have gone straight to bed.“You look pale, Cassie. Here, have some water.” Agnes held a glass to my lips, and I took it from her.“I’m fine, Mom,” I said, somewhat irritated, but gulped the water down, anyway. I still tasted Connor’s blood in my mouth and found it strangely sweet. It wasn’t as gross as I thought it would be. Who does that anyway? They’re not vampires.Joel leaned toward me. “It will get better. You will learn how to tune most of it out. Focus on someone you want to speak to. It’s like a phone connection.”Wow. That was the most words he’d spoken to me since he tried to give me the rundown on werewolves.Connor returned with plates stacked with food and took his place next
My wolf? Now? I was just about to have the best make-out session with Connor, and now she showed up.“You’ve got to be kidding me…”“This is wonderful. This is great news, Cassie.” He was grinning like a fool and I was just… damn!“But I can’t,” I moaned. “This is… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”Connor shook me by the shoulders. “Just let her speak to you.”As if that was so easy. This was insane. I shook him off and stomped to the living room and collapsed onto the couch. I’ve heard her voice before, but that was when I thought I was losing it and I ignored it…her. Now there was just silence. Right. Now you decide to shut up.Connor came over and sat next to me. “Cassie, just try to let her through. Look at me. Miles will help her.”He cupped my face, and I leaned into his palm, staring into his eyes. They changed from blue to red instantly.“You’re not going to shift, are you?” Panic flared in my chest. I was still not used to see him in wolf form.“No, I’m letting Miles cal
Connor“Is she ever going to come out of the bathroom?” Cassie was overreacting. It was unfortunate timing, but it wasn’t a disaster. I leaned my head against the bathroom door, hearing her sniffle. She was crying. “C’mon, Cassie. It’s not like I’ve never seen that before.”“Go away, Connor!” her muffled voice sounded through the door.‘We should have waited until her first shift. Like you said from the start. But nooo…. What happened to patience?’ He blamed me for Cassie getting her period, which was ridiculous.“How the hell can that be my fault? Her cycle’s got nothing to do with me.”‘You’re pushing her to go into heat.’“Rubbish.” I didn’t have time to argue with my frustrated wolf, so I pushed him far back into my mind. But just maybe he’s right. I needed advice. What if she went into heat? Every unmated male in the pack will be coming for her. I had to take precautions. Lock her up, if I must. Oh fuck! I had to stay away from her as well.‘That’s not what you said last night. Y
CassandraThis was awful. I thought I would die from embarrassment, basically fleeing from the pack house through the dark street and to make matters worse, Joel was awake and waiting for me in the living room.“Cassandra, a moment, please.” He blocked the stairs so that I couldn’t get past.“Joel, I am tired, and I don’t want to talk about it. Why are you even here waiting for me? Did Connor say something?” Oh, God, spare me.“Just listen to me for a second, Cassie,” he reached for my arm, but I evaded his grasp. “It’s important.”I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Fine! What is it?”“You need to stay away from Connor.”“What?” What the hell? Did Connor tell him that? Was he so disappointed that he didn’t want to see me anymore? Well, screw him!“Just for a while.” He tugged at his beard. “How to explain this…”I held up my hands in surrender. “No, no need to explain. I’m going to bed now.” I shoved past him and ran upstairs, slamming and locking the bedroom door behind me.***My head hu
It was peaceful among the trees. God knows, I needed quiet, needed to get my emotions under control. I didn’t want to be around Agnes and Joel for the screaming match that was sure to come after I had dropped the atom bomb. But for once, I was going to let my mother deal with her own shit.Joel wouldn’t hurt her. He wasn’t like Frank. How did I know? It was in the way he looked at her, like she had whipped him. He might be a giant of a man, but there was something soft inside. I felt sorry for going off at him, but maybe it had to be said. If only he had tried to find us, our lives would have been so much simpler. Finding a suitable space, I sat with my back against the bark of a large one. I didn’t know what kind of tree it was, didn’t care. But it felt good, sturdy, and I wished I could absorb its silent strength. The smell of damp earth calmed me, and I closed my eyes and listened to the birds chattering in the branches.‘We should go back. You heard what Father said.’ Sage prodde
AGNESI didn’t know how I could fix this. If it was even possible to do. Yes, yes, I know I should have told him, and it was unfair of me to expect my daughter to keep my secret—our secret.“Joel?” He wasn’t in our bedroom. With eyes closed, I leaned my forehead against the wall, hoping for a divine intervention. If such a thing existed. There was no way I could tell him everything. He wouldn’t understand. For Joel, everything was black and white, right or wrong. There were no gray areas.Mustering up the courage, I went downstairs and found him in the kitchen. He leaned on the counter and stared out of the window with his back facing me. The air crackled with tension as he stood there, his muscles taut like tightly coiled ropes, his knuckles gripping the edge with a white-knuckled intensity.I was reluctant to approach him. The years of being with Frank had conditioned me to expect the worst. Although Joel was a gentle soul, despite his rough appearance. And, while he swore he would
FRANKI was having the most satisfying dream. In my dream, I had my hands around that spoiled little bitch’s throat and I was laughing while I watched the life drain from her eyes. I didn’t want it to end, but a persistent voice kept calling to me.Slowly, I opened my eyes. Carmine, my right-hand man, stood next to my hospital bed. I’ve been in this goddamn place for a week. If the cleaners hadn’t shown up like they did, I could have died. That bitch did a real good number on me, split my skull. If I ever get my hands on her…“What do you want, Carmine?” My head was killing me. “Did you find the money?” That was my biggest concern. I had to deliver it to my boss, Mr. Rossi, the kingpin of Miami. If I didn’t, I was a dead man.Carmine shook his head. “No, Mr. Frank. We searched the whole place. Our men are still searching for your wife and stepdaughter.” He cracked his knuckles. “I interrogated the cleaners myself. But they knew nothing about the money. Don’t worry, boss, we cleaned up
JoelLater that afternoon, I went to the basement where we held Frank. Troy had the space dived into four small holding cells on the rare occasion we needed to hold someone. Mostly, there were no survivors left to be imprisoned. It was dark down there, just the way I liked it. As I walked down the steps, his fear filled my nostrils, and I drank it in with pleasure. I wanted more than just his fear. Connor forbade me from killing Frank. I didn’t object. Killing him would be too easy. After what he did to Agnes, he needed to suffer. She didn’t have to tell me what he did. What he left on her body told me everything she didn’t want to say.He whimpered when he saw me standing in front of the bars, pushing himself further into the corner. I didn’t say a word. Watching him being terrified, sitting in his own filth, gave me some measure of satisfaction.“What do you want?” His voice shook. “W-who are you?” He narrowed his eyes, peering into the darkness.“You’re him, aren’t you? Cassandra’s
Connor“Maybe Lyon fled the state,” Joel offered his opinion. “He probably heard you escaped and knowing we would come after him, he fled.”I didn’t think so. “There’s no way news of Rossi’s death reached him this fast, Joel. No, he’s waiting until we drop our defenses and then strike.”Eric, Joel and I were in my office discussing further strategies. So far, nothing has happened. We haven’t been attacked, but I still felt uneasy. I didn’t want the females and elderly out of the bunker before I was sure there was no danger. I’ve sent out my best trackers to search for the shifter and his pack. Did he even have a pack? I didn’t have enough information on them and that was biting me in the ass. If my father were here, he would be disappointed. Know your enemy. That was the first rule of war.This was all my fault. I had allowed the mate bond to distract me, among other things. My pride got in the way. I might as well be honest with myself. I wanted to prove I didn’t need outside help t
CassandraI must have been in shock, or maybe I still was. Connor's act of ripping that awful man's dick off as if it were nothing forever seared itself into my brain. The look on Connor’s face – it was like looking at a different person. Not a person, a demon.‘He deserved it,’ Sage reminded me, her voice harsh.I sat quietly next to Connor at the back of the SUV, letting him hold me, my mind numb.It wasn't until we were driving away, watching that place burn, that Frank even crossed my mind. Where was Agnes?I clutched Connor’s arm in a panic. “Connor! My mother! Where is she? Where’s Frank? We must find them. They…” My chest felt tight, couldn’t get enough oxygen in my lungs. I gasped, my vision blurring.Connor pulled me onto his lap, pressing my head against his shoulder. “Cassie, breathe. Your mother is safe. She’s safe.” He kept repeating those words until it got through to my brain. “She’s with Joel.”“What about Frank? Is he dead?” I hoped not, because I wanted to be the one
ConnorTwo men with their firearms drawn came running around the corner of the old warehouse when they heard the SUV pull in. Simultaneously, Cassie’s petrified screams pierced the stillness of the morning, and my soul almost left my body.Miles took control, fueled by Cassie’s urgent cries, ignoring the shouts and chaos around us as I let my warriors handle the men. Nothing could keep us from our mate. No doors, no men with guns. Miles burst through the steel doors as if they didn’t exist.Our eyes took in everything at once. Cassie lay on top of a crate, her yellow dress torn, wrist and ankles bound. Helpless and naked. The sight was like a knife twisting in my gut. There was a man behind her, pants down at his feet, his erect cock in hand.“What the fuck…” He stared at Miles with open-mouthed disbelief.Miles lowered his head, red eyes fixed on the man. The rumbling growl started deep down in his belly and grew in intensity as he padded towards him.‘I will rip that thing off.’ Mil
CassandraAll this time I held onto the hope that maybe Sage was right, Connor would come to save us. But now even that slight hope was fading, and I feel fear tightening its steely fingers around my mind. Sage stayed quiet as well, and her silence scared me even more.I didn’t trust Frank. When he took Agnes, I knew that glint in his eyes. He was going to hurt her. I just knew. And she was terrified. I smelled it, and it was nauseating. What if he killed her? I got increasingly scared as time went on.No, no, he wouldn’t. I tried to convince myself that Frank was much too much of a narcissist. He valued his own life more than anything, and he needed to bring that money back to his criminal boss. Our only hope was that the pack would come to save us. Yes, yes, I held onto that sliver of hope. It was only a matter of time. Right?Alone with four horrible men that discussed me like I was their next meal, I sat huddled in a corner, my hands and feet bound with steel wire they found lying
ConnorEver since we left Lyon’s place, Joel acted differently. He insisted on driving, but his hands trembled on the steering, his face set in stone, keeping his gaze fixed on the road. He didn’t answer me when I asked him what the matter was, but it seemed as if he were in pain.The gate swung open as we approached, and the guard at the gate acknowledged us briefly. “Ms. Agnes and some strangers are at your house, Beta Joel. I’ve alerted the gamma.”He had hardly finished talking when the SUV sped off, spraying dust and gravel all over. Neither of us spoke. The boy didn’t mention Cassie, and I was going out of my mind. So, this was why Joel said the pack needed us. But it wasn’t the pack. It was Agnes.There was a large man standing next to the parked car on the front lawn. When he saw us, he made a beeline for the house, but Joel was out of the SUV before you could blink.Joel grabbed the man and smashed him with overpowering force onto the car’s roof. Bones cracked along with the
Agnes“Make yourself decent,” Frank said with contempt in his voice as he pulled his pants up. “Get in the car. How far is this place, anyway?” He was impatient, as if it were my fault we wasted time.Slowly, I slid down from the hood of the car and pulled my skirt down, fixing what I could of my blouse. What was left of my panties lay in the dirt, trampled, like Frank had trampled all over me my whole fucking life and I had let him. I let him do this to me, and that was the ugly truth.Strange, but while he was busy raping me, I felt a strange calm come over me. it was like an outer-body experience, watching from outside myself while he rammed his dick into me. It happened while I thought of Joel. Joel, the only man I’ve ever loved. And I knew that this was the last time Frank would ever do this to me again, because I was done being his punching bag.“It’s not that far anymore.” I said with a voice I didn’t recognize. “Just follow that road until you come to an iron gate.” I pointed
“Joel?” I shouted through the mind link. “What the hell are you doing here?” He was so going to pay for not following my orders. I felt sick to my stomach, thinking Cassie was still in Lyon’s clutches.“No time to explain,” he growled. “I brought back-up.”Rossi tried to crawl away while I was busy arguing with Joel through our link, but I caught him and pinned him down. Miles let out a fierce roar that shook the building, and the sour stench of urine reached my nostrils. The man had pissed himself from fear.‘Let’s get this over with,’ Miles snarled. ‘We must find Cassie.’ He hovered over the sniveling man, ready to rip through his throat. But I stopped him. Rossi didn’t deserve a quick death.Seconds later, Joel and other unknown wolves burst through the double doors. The sounds of gunshots and anguished screams followed them.I glared at Joel, who bared his neck for me. “No use acting all submissive while you disobeyed my order, Beta.” He wasn't off the hook, and he needed to know
ConnorOn the way to Alpha Harald’s pack, Joel told me how he deducted that Agnes’ husband had gotten hold of them. I listened in silence, holding back my anger at his disobedience. Although I had to confess, I was angrier at myself. I blamed myself for putting Cassie and my pack in the position we were in. Joel did his duty as was expected of him. I couldn’t fault him for it, and I should thank him for what he did, getting the alphas to help.We cleaned up at Alpha Harald’s, washing the stench of death off, and got ready for our trip back. As promised, Alpha Harald’s helicopter was waiting for us.“You can’t be sure, though. It could be someone else.” I told Joel as we were waiting for take-off. The blades of the helicopter whirred overhead, the noise overwhelming, and the interior cramped. But it was our best option. Time wasn’t on our side.“You’re making assumptions based on your emotions.” I knew he was hellbent on finding Frank and making him sign the divorce papers. But then th