Dr. Hope Stevens is a dedicated trauma surgeon in the quiet mountain town of Black Hollow. Her entire existence is rooted in logic and science. But when she is taken against her will to tend to rapidly healing wounds of the most attractive man she has ever seen, her world shatters. That man is Malakar Greycloud, the feared and respected Alpha of the Eclipseborn Pack. A ruthless yet fiercely loyal wolf who never expected to find his fated mate in a human that doesn't even believe in the existence of his kind. The pull between the however, is undeniable, raw and dangerous. As Hope is thrust into his world, his pack is anything but welcoming. All they see when they look at her is a weak outsider that puts them at risk. The pack elders insist that Malakar reject her, but his wolf refuses. She belongs to him, and he belongs to her. When Hope looks into his primal eyes and sees the rage that lingers just beneath the surface, she wonders if she can love both sides of him. The strong yet gentle man and the murderous beast that has killed. She can't help but wonder if she's falling for a monster. With a rival pack closing in and a mysterious Hunter tracking their every move, Hope has a decision to make. Will she turn her back on Malakar, or will she step into the darkness with the man who has claimed her soul? Malakar faces his own battle: proving to his pack that Hope is not their greatest weakness, but perhaps their greatest strength.
Lihat lebih banyakHope's POV.
"Try and get some sleep, Hope."
"You can count on it." I wave over my shoulder at Dr. Moore as I rush over to the parking lot. It's pouring with rain and everything is shrouded in a thick, grey blanket of mist. I'm soaked down to my skin by the time I make it to my car.
I've just finished a grueling twelve hour shift as a trauma surgeon at the Black Hollow Medical Center, and I'm dead on my feet. I cannot wait to get back to my apartment, curl up under the covers and sleep.
I'm just about to open my car door when I feel something slip over my head and I'm surrounded by pitch black darkness. A pair of hands close around my arms and it feels like they've been placed in a vice-grip. I try my best to struggle, but the hands have got such a tight grasp on me that it's useless. I barely move. The strong hands move down my arms to my own and they tie a rope around my wrists. The rough, slightly bumpy texture immediately digs into my skin.
"You're coming with us, Doctor." A dangerously raspy voice whispers into my ear.
I'm thrown onto the backseat of a vehicle. I hear two doors being slammed shut and then we speed out of the hospital parking lot with screeching tyres. The vehicle has an awful, musty smell to it. It smells so much like wet dog that I wonder if there might be one in the backseat with me.
I can hear two voices whispering in the front seat. It sounds like they're having a heated argument, even though their voices are low.
"This is a huge mistake, Talon! Malakar is going to kill us both!"
"Malakar won't be around to kill anyone if we don't get him some help! So, shutup and drive!"
I start to panic. I can feel my heart pounding away in my chest. My lungs burn as my breathing becomes more and more rapid. I'm hyperventilating. I think I might be having a full-on panic attack.
Talon? Malakar? What kind of names are those? Malakar is dying from some sort of wound, but he might also kill my two captors? What the hell is going on? Where the hell are they taking me? I have an awful, dreadful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I need to get out of here.
I struggle against the rope around my wrists, but all I manage to do is make it dig deeper into my skin. My breathing grows even more rapid and my chest feels tight. I struggle for air and gasp.
"You better calm her down, Talon. She won't be any use to us if she passes out before we even get there."
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. It's warm to the touch. Warmer than it should be. The person the hand belongs to, Talon, must be running a massive fever.
"Calm down, Doc. We're not going to hurt you. We just need your help." "Just try to relax."
"Relax! Relax! Let's see how calm you are when someone pulls a bag over your head and drags you into the unknown!" The words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them.
I hear a soft chuckle coming from Talon and he takes his hand away from my shoulder. I'm not sure if it's because of my little outburst, or the gentle, reassureing tone in Talon's voice, but I do feel a little bit calmer. My heart rate and my breathing both start to slow done.
After driving for what feels like hours, the vehicle finally screeches to a stop. Two doors open and then slam shut again. The back door opens and Talon pulls me out of the vehicle again. I still can't see a damn thing, but I know that we must be in the forest somewhere. I can smell the scent of the trees and I can hear the rushing of the river.
Talon ushers me forward gently. I stumble and trip over seemingly nothing. "Can't we just take this damn bag off already? Or do you want me to break my neck before I get to your injured friend?"
I feel a strong tug on my arm and we stop. A jolt of fear shoots through my heart and it falls into my stomach. Maybe I just pissed him off. Then, the bag is pulled from my head and I have to blink a few times to adjust my eyes to the bright light.
I'm shocked by what I see when I finally manage to open them again. I'm in the middle of a very large camp. Multiple tents are pitched up all over the place, and a lot of people are moving around, staring at me with wary, suspicious eyes. These people aren't just camping out, they actually live here. But why? Why would anyone want to live like this? In the middle of nowhere, like savages?
"Come on, Doc. We don't have time to waste." Talon pushes me from behind again.
I jerk my head around to face him and I have to stop myself from gaping. Talon is tall, like really, really tall. And he's massive. His hair is dark and his eyes feel like their staring right into my soul. He has a very primal look about him. I gulp and allow him to lead me in the direction of what looks like a medical tent. I'm not entirely sure if I'm totally terrified or totally arroused by Talon.
Two more large men are standing watch in front of the medical tent. They share a look with Talon as they hold the flaps open for us to enter.
I freeze in my tracks immediately. My breath catches in my throat and I almost choke on it. I blink my eyes once again, not because of the bright light this time, but because I can't believe that what I'm seeing is actually real.
Lucian's POV.The mist curls around our feet as my wolves and I start heading back to our own territory through the forest. I hear quiet, but urgent footsteps approaching us from behind. It's her. Velara. My mother. She's rushing towards us with an anxious look on her face."Lucian. Please wait?"I stop, barely turning my head in her direction. My wolves halt beside me. Twitching with irritation."What is it now, lady? Have you come to scold us again?"My wolves cackle. She doesn't look happy. Her cheeks flush with color. She raises her chin defiantly."No. Could I have a moment... Alone?"I raise my eyebrows at her, amused. Then I gesture to the rest of my wolves to leave us alone. They hesitate for a second, but retreat into the trees reluctantly."Fine. Let's hear whatever excuse you rehearsed. I could do with a little entertainment before I go after the big bad hunters with your son." I keep my tone cool. Void of any real emotion."Do you even know who I am?" She asks quietly."Su
Malakar's POV.I reluctantly leave Hope in bed, alone. The sun has just begun to peak over the horizon. For once, the skies are clear, and it isn't raining.I'm still trying to wrap my head around the events of yesterday. I was sure that I would never see Hope again. Not after the falling out we had in her apartment. The look of utter disappointment in her eyes that night was almost more than I could take. I was so sure that she was done with me. With us.But then she showed up here, and I felt like I was dreaming. She chose to come here. She wanted to. She wanted to see me again. The pack loved her, but I knew that they would. How could they not? She's wonderful. I wasn't at all surprised by my mother's attitude towards her, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't hoping that she would at least treat Hope with a little more decency.Luckily, Hope isn't easily fazed by others. She handled my mother even better than I would have. I was so proud of my mate in that moment. I'm sure
Malachai's POV.Candlelight flickers against the cracked stone walls of the ruined cathedral that I call home, for now. Rain pounds the broken stained-glass windows. I'm standing by the altar, sharpening my silver blade. Sarah enters. She's soaked from the rain outside. Her voice is low."I found her.""Where?" I ask without looking up."With them." She pauses for a second. "With him."My hand pauses on the blade. I let it linger for a second. Then I resume my sharpening."Go on."Sarah hesitates before answering me again. She looks around the empty cathedral like she's looking for someone to help her deliver the bad news."She spent the day with his pack. She didn't come back last night." She sounds nervous.My blade screeches against the stone as it stops."She slept with him?" My voice raises slightly."Yes." She answers quietly.I turn towards her slowly. Fury simmering beneath my cold eyes."Then she's made her choice." I can't help but feel a little disappointed, and disgusted w
Hope's POV.The soft hum of laughter and excited conversation slowly fades away as Malakar leads me back to his tent. The atmosphere inside is cozy and welcoming. The light from the fire burning just outside the entrance casts warm shadows across the space. Malakar invites me to sit down on the bed next to him. It's a real bed, with a frame and everything, not just a cot or a stretcher like I expected. It's soft and comfy. Malakar sits next to me, leaving only a few inches of space between us."You look tired." His eyes are soft, and so is his voice."I feel it too. I haven't been getting much sleep lately. Too much on my mind.""I'm sorry, Hope." He searches my face with wary eyes.I smile up at him. "Don't be. I'm not."The expression in his eyes warms again. "You handled today better than I could have hoped. The pack loves you.""They were all wonderful. I like them all. Especially your sister. It feels like we've been friends all our lives.""You really made an impression on Morga
Hope's POV.Morgana practically bounces in place. Her black curls bouncing with her."Oh, finally. I was beginning to think that my baby brother had scared you off forever. You're even prettier than I pictured, and I pictured glorious!"She throws her arms around my neck again and hugs me. I blink, surprised by the hug and the warmth in her tone. Malakar is rubbing the back of his neck. He looks a little embarrassed. It's quite adorable, actually."Thanks. I uh... I wasn't sure what kind of welcome to expect if I'm being completely honest."Morgana grins at me and links her arm through mine without any hesitation. Like we've been best friends all our lives."Pfft, please. You're our alpha's mate. That makes you pack already. And, he's my brother, so that makes you family. I'm so glad that you're not some stuck-up academic Hope. I was worried that you'd have some clinical detachment."I laugh a little awkwardly. I wish I could tell what Malakar was thinking right now."Believe me, I'm
Hope's POV.What the hell am I doing?I am a doctor. A woman of science. Not some heroine in a supernatural romance novel. And yet, here I am, trudging through the misty forest again, guided only by this strange pull in my chest that has no medical explanation.A connection. A bond. To him. Malakar. Alpha werewolf, who I'm supposedly mated to by fate. The phrase alone should send me running back to my carefully constructed life, but instead I find myself running after him again, even after everything that's happened. Maybe I'm the one that should have my head examined by one of the doctors in the psychiatric wing.Werewolves are real. That's still hard to say, even in my own head. Malakar is real and so is this strange magnetic force tying me to him. And the hunter, Malachai, looked me in the eye and told me that Malakar was a monster. That I was in danger. That he saved people from creatures like Malakar. But for some strange reason, I don't feel like my life is in danger when I'm ar
Lucian's POV."Well, well, well. If it isn't my least favorite alpha and his annoying little beta brigade." "Hello, Talon. I thought I smelled desperation in the air."Malakar shoots out an arm to keep Talon from charging me. I smirk at both of them. I would actually love it if Talon tried me. I would love nothing more than to end his sad little existence on this planet."So, is this a social call, Malakar, or did you all just come here to admire what a real alpha looks like?""Give it a rest, Lucian. You've proven that you're the funniest wolf around. You've also proven that noise doesn't necessarily mean wisdom. We didn't come here to be entertained."I stare at Malakar with a mixture of disdain and appreciation for his sharp tongue. The air carries the quiet hum of the forest as well as the mounting tension between us. Malakar waits calmly for me to respond. I watch him with my usual swagger as I try to figure out why he's here."Then why did you come here, Malakar? Did you come to
Velara's POV."Gramma!""Hello, my sweet babies. How are you?"My heart leaps with joy at the sight of my beautiful grandchildren, Gemima and Gerhard. They have a way of always brightening up my day without even trying to. They both run towards me, as fast as a three-and- four-year-old can, and throw their tiny arms around my neck as soon as they reach me."How are the two of you doing?""We're good, Gramma. Mom says that she's going to take us berry-picking today."They're so excited that they talk over each other and I have to strain my ears so that I can make out what it is that they're trying to say. Both of them are grinning from ear to ear and their eyes have a magical sparkle in them. The kind you can only have when you're still a child, and you still believe that the world is a magical place filled with only good things."Oh, I see. That sounds wonderful!""Will you come with us, Gramma? Will you? Please, please, please?"I can't help but chuckle a little at the pure excitemen
Malakar's POV."I think you should leave now, Malakar."Hope walks over to her apartment door and holds it open for me to leave. Her face is empty. Void of any legible expression, but her eyes are dancing with a mixture of negative emotions. Anger, fear, surprise, and disappointment. These are not emotions that I want her to associate with me."Hope, please?"I lost control of myself for a second. When I heard that the hunter had sought out Hope, that he had approached her, and that he intended on doing so again, I just lost it. I desperately want to explain myself to her. I want to tell her that I didn't mean it like that. That the only thing I care about is her safety. I want to tell her that I want to rip his face off for even breathing the same air as her, but Hope looks completely closed off to me right now, and I think that my desire to be violent will only make matters worse."Just go, please?"She's not demanding that I leave. Instead, she's pleading with me to leave her alone
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