LUCY'S POV:It had been four days since the extremely awkward conversation with Seth and Jason. I had already known some things about me were different, but I hadn't questioned them too much, if at all. I was an Alpha female, living in slave quarters at my own pack house because I was convinced that's where I belonged.My father convinced me I was nothing, and that's precisely how I'd always seen myself.'I've been trying to tell you,' Nia interjects my thoughts.'I'm sorry, Nia. I know you gave me warnings. I wasn't hearing any of it at the time,' I spoke lightly back to her, knowing I had failed her.I felt and heard Nia sigh—not out of anger but out of understanding.I realized that her snappiness resulted from feeling pent-up frustrations about being away from Leon. I couldn't deny that the sparks I felt when Leon and I touched were intense. I had 100% recognized that he was my mate, and it was clearly drawing us together by force.Two puzzle pieces that were meant to be together
LUCY'S POV: He really just asked me that. Do I want my mate?I couldn't tell if Seth started being nice because he knew Leon was my mate or if my honesty and answering some of his questions had helped him open up to me.We were now standing on the porch before the giant mansion-like cabin.I was trying to find the right words to explain my feelings towards mates that would reveal less of what I hadn't said. The truth was, I didn't want a mate for far more than my dad killing my mom.Years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of different packs, especially Alphas, had caused trauma I hadn't even tried to deal with yet.Would anyone want me after they found out how many men had already had their way with me? It made my stomach flip and turn sour from the thought.'Tell him,' Nia encouraged. 'Are you crazy?' I scoffed. 'You told him you'd be honest with all his questions,' she retorted.She loved reminding me of this. She liked Seth and Dax. She trusted them, and I was
LUCY'S POV: I looked up at Seth, my eyebrows creased. Seth was only trying to be supportive, but he didn't need to touch me. And what was with that comment? "Was it Alpha Zeak?" Seth asked with malice and disgust in his tone.He asked about the Alpha of the Red Paw Pack as if he knew. He was only one of many to do whatever they pleased with me. I opened my mouth, ready to respond, but my mouth closed again before I looked down. I swallowed hard, feeling the lump forming in my throat.I'm not sure when Jason had arrived in the dining room. I flinched as his hand rested softly on my shoulder until I realized it was him. He looked at me with a sad smile, like he knew more about me than I wanted him to."Alpha Leander bought a slave from Zeak a year ago. That's when suspicions started. The young pup was terrified to speak, similar to you," Seth spoke again without me answering his question."Lucy, you didn't respond verbally for a week after we brought you back to our pack. Alpha had t
LUCY'S POV: It had been two weeks since the night Dax had lost control. It took Seth and me a few days to meet face-to-face and call a truce, and then we were back to sparring and training. I was inches away from beating Seth in a sparring match. In fact, I had a pretty good idea that Nia was holding back on Dax's behalf. I swear you'd think these two were mates, but she swears we're not his mate. Of course, he also doesn't smell like a mate, so I suppose that's settled. When I woke up after that insane night, I was shocked to find out that I had slept for almost 48 hours. Jason's relief when I woke up was endearing. He had been sitting by my bedside, reading as usual. I had noticed this about him. His nose was buried in a book if he wasn't whipping up something delicious. We spent most afternoons around a campfire on the pack patio. Seth and Jason shared stories of the pack, the Alpha, the twins, and other pack members. It felt nice. I could get closer to the pack without being
LEON'S POV:It had been a month or so since Lucy had gone missing. According to my dad, who I wasn't feeling very trusting towards, they had no sightings of her. To appease my insistent nagging, he eventually sent out a small party of warriors to look for her. He seemed completely unbothered by the entire thing. I guess that's what irritated me the most.Bandit had been quiet. I could feel him, and he spoke to me occasionally. I had to go for frequent runs to strengthen him, and I was no closer to understanding why this was happening to me.Sometimes, male wolves can go crazy when they don't find their mate as they age. The need to mate drives us; it's a part of who we are. As an Alpha, it's intense.I knew that if I didn't find my fated mate soon, I would need to take a chosen mate, or I risked losing Bandit forever. This was the only conclusion I could come up with, but I hadn't told anyone what was happening yet.I was sitting in our pack library, finally researching hybrids, when
LIAM'S POV:I was so convinced that Lucy was my mate. I guess it was all just a weird reaction to having a new pack member who was close to my family so suddenly, on top of knowing that she came from the Red Paw Pack as a slave.We had been investigating this pack for a while. My dad would buy slaves from other packs and basically set them free. Often, they stayed in our pack and lived a free life, but when he brought Rosie back, we knew something was wrong.This was the first slave he had bought from the Red Paw Pack.Slaves were known to live harder lives. Often forced into working very laborious jobs with no pay. On top of that, they were always malnourished and timid, but Rosie was different.She didn't speak for months. With a look of terror in her eyes, she would simply nod yes at every question.She was only 15. Just a few years younger than Lucy when Dad brought her home.Thankfully, an older mated couple had grown pups now and were happy to take her in. Dad made sure that she
LUCY'S POV:"Arrgggh" I groaned out loud as I stretched languishingly in my bed. Blinking my eyes a few times before staring up at the ceiling."Nia, pleeeeeease just heal the ache," I complained out loud.Seth had been kicking my ass the last two days after I finally beat him sparring. He was no longer going easy on the workouts.'Lucy, the soreness is a reminder of what it took to get stronger. I'm not healing that part of you,' she said, reminding me for the millionth time."UGH, why do you have to be so wise and stubborn," I spat back while rolling my body to the edge of the bed grudgingly. 'I'm you, and you are me, you know you need this as much as I do,' she replied dryly. Clearly sick of my whining."At least Seth will be gone for a while, so I can take a break. My body feels like it was run over by a semi," I respond, letting my legs fall off the edge of the bed. My feet hit the cold ground before I dragged my body to the door.I let the delicious smell lingering from the kit
When my eyes finally landed on Tricia, I felt some relief but also a flood of anxiety. It was definitely her.She was a few years older than me and while she looked the same, she had definitely grown up. Her features were the same but different and more mature. I'm sure it was the same for me. We hadn't seen each other in four years.Gamma Zev escorted her. I had thought she would have come with a warrior or two, so I'm guessing Leander's inner circle was the only person besides Tricia who knew about me being here. I took a mental note to ask Seth who all knew I was here when he got back.Once she got a bit closer to the cabin, I stood up from the porch swing."LUCY!" she hollered at me before she ran up to me and embraced me in a warm but extremely tight hug.I winced and she immediately pulled back and stared at me with a frown.I laughed a little before explaining. "I'm just sore, Beta Seth has been working me hard. I'll be good by tomorrow Trish."She blew air out through her par
Lucy:Leander said yes, of course. I knew that he would.Rosie was over the moon with excitement, and while I think we were all still shaken up about the crazy driver situation, this was a silver lining."Of course, Tallie and Maddel will have to agree. After all, they did adopt Rosie, and she is not an adult yet," Leander states.I couldn't tell what it was, but I didn't care too much for Rosie's adoptive mother, and I hadn't met her adoptive father yet."You're like a magnet for danger!" That's Trish.About time she shows up.Oh no. She doesn't have Saul.It's getting late. We've been here for longer, or the entire crash and chaos took more time than I had thought."Trishy, where is your mate?" I ask, staring at the cottage in hopes that Saul will come around the corner, but he doesn't.He went with Seth.Of course, he did. It makes sense, but I still can't help but feel bad. I keep feeling like everything is my fault. Anyone around me is put in danger left and right."Stop," Seth
Lucy:A gentle hum vibrated from my connection with Rosie before everything went black.Am I the only one who can hear her this way?"Hello?" I ask into the darkness.A blue light illuminates the darkness. I shield my eyes with my arm momentarily until the light dims, and I'm left sitting on a garden bench."You're okay," I hear Liam's voice.I jump, startled by his presence in my space.My space? Where am I?"What? How?" I ask, turning my body to face him fully now.Liam just smiles at me and pulls me onto his lap to straddle him."This doesn't-" I'm cut off by Liam's lips softly pressing against mine.He gently wraps his arms around me, pulling my body closer to his in the process. For a brief moment, I let myself go, bringing myself into this moment with Liam."Wait!" I pull away."This isn't real. You aren't real!" I say, tearing up again.I had a horrible feeling about Liam going on that mission.How do I get out of here? I need to find Liam. Real Liam.Dammit, Rosie, what did
Seth:'What do we do?' Leon links me.Lucy has been crying in his lap for at least five minutes now as we drive to Rosie's.Goddess, why did she have to live so far out of the way? A large spot on his shirt was soaked with her tears. He's been doing a great job soothing her, the best anyone could, but she's not being receptive like she normally is.I can tell even Leander is getting nervous. Lucy's mood seemed to sway anyone within 20 feet of her.'Maybe it's a good thing we're going to Rosies,' I link back.Honestly, I have no idea. I had never seen Lucy act this way.Liam's leaving broke her into pieces. At least a million of them."Lucy!" Leander speaks up before clearing his throat.I watch as she hiccups and clears her throat, wiping her tears as they continue to flow steadily down her cheeks."Liam has been on a lot of scouting missions. This is his specialty. He managed to make it to Kragen's facility, find you, and come home in one piece. He will be okay," Leander states, s
Lucy:'Lucy! Wait for us!' Liam links me, but Nia isn't listening.Neither am I.I gave Nia complete control; she needed this. We should have gone for a run first thing this morning.We're gaining on him. I can feel the strength running through our blood, supplying us with more energy.The sound of his heartbeat sounds like rocks beating relentlessly against a drum.He's scared.Good.'There he is!' I say, even though I know she can see him too.The sound of paws is now beating heavily against the dirt ground, echoing off the solid oak and maple tree trunks. Of course, he had headed straight towards the forest. Anyone trying to get away would run in this direction but an unanswered question pops into my head.Where is he running to?'Wait! Nia! Let him get away!' I shout as loud as I can.I feel her growl vibrate through our entire presence as she leaps over a fallen oak log, our paws nearly brushing against the bark.I force myself forward, shifting mid-air against her will. My body
Lucy:"We'll have to take a car to Rosie's," Seth says as we head out the front doors of the pack house.For the most part, everyone understood what I had explained to them earlier about the connections, but if there was one thing I was holding very close to me, it was Hecate telling me to trust my gut.I had a third sense for things. It wasn't my core gift, but it acted very close to it.At some point, I needed to get Seth alone to help me plan for my other mate's birthday.While the ceremony would be on their actual birthday, I had a small idea of what I wanted to do for them as my gift, and it wouldn't be able to be on their actual birthday.The typical black SUV pulled around with a driver I hadn't seen before. It wasn't their usual guy."Can I take the passenger seat?" I ask, feeling oddly uncomfortable with this new driver for some reason unknown to me at this moment.While it may seem odd to take the passenger seat with how I'm feeling, it's really not. The closer I am to this d
Savina:"What took you so long?" I hiss.They left me for dead; I just know it.My throat feels like sandpaper as I sit up in the cot I had been in for the last several days."Be thankful we came back for you at all," Kash says.I have no clue where we are. The room is dark, and they haven't let me leave since I got here.They lied to me. Lucy wasn't supposed to have her magic. It was supposed to be an easy task.Although my plan was never to take her out in a challenge, I was improvising.The goal was to separate her from her mate's bond so that if her magic ever came to fruition, she would not gain her full strength.Kash never told me why we were doing it. Some might think I was a fool for following his orders blindly, but I trusted him.I loved him.I never wanted Leon the way that I had made it seem. It was a means to an end."How could you say that, Kash?! I did what you asked of me!" I defend.His comment nearly shattered my heart into a million pieces."You are a fool, Savina!
Lucy:We had lunch and revisited the plan we had made with Zeak after getting blood samples. There were still many things to do at this point, and I wasn't sure which direction to take next.We decided to have lunch at the pack house cafeteria. I told my mates we needed to start being more present in the pack."This doesn't mean that Savina is a demi, does it?" Liam asks."No, there weren't enough markers. She was given a gift somehow. That means we're working against magic that we hardly know anything about," Theo explains.Nadia looks worried, even though she is trying to pretend otherwise."Are you not going to explain to me why you want my blood tested?" I ask Nadia for what has felt like the millionth time.I know she isn't being completely honest, but what I had said to Seth was true.I want to build her trust and guidance, but I don't want to push for answers because I know sometimes we just don't know what the answer really is.I gave Theo another sample of blood—a fresh one.
Lucy:"How did you think of that?" Seth asks as we walk to the city building.The air was cool, fresh, and crisp. The combined scent of pine and lilac lingered about the pack as it always had, but today, it was different.The rain the prior night had wafted the earthy scents further into civilization. I couldn't breathe in enough of it, and it relaxed my soul."Think of what, mate?" I asked. His question was random, as we had been walking for a few minutes now in silence."Doing a reverse Luna ceremony," he explains as if I should already know.I stop in my spot and look over at him, trying to gauge his emotions fully and independently.I hadn't considered that there was typically a Beta female, too, and being mated with Seth made it all the more complicated.He never mentioned me being a Luna or a Beta female, and I hadn't thought to ask either."It just made sense to ensure the pack is connected to me and has their full strength. This way, I'm not a Luna or a Beta female. I'm just m
Lucy:"Her position is next to us!" Seth speaks up.He's protective in a way that's different from my other mates. He knows I'm insecure about my place amongst others.Or... at least I was. I'm not anymore.My mom knew I was going to have power that was bordering on unimaginable and most certainly unreasonable.No one needed the kind of power I had, yet here I am.She knew I would gain strength one day, so that I wouldn't be able to be so easily cracked. I was starting to understand how the Fae functioned and understood themselves with their magic.It was different. I wasn't the same, and I would never be the same again.I didn't want to be."Calm down, that wasn't what I was saying," Leander starts.The longer he takes to explain whatever's on his mind, the more the room feels like it's losing oxygen. I'm having a hard time controlling my feelings, sitting here waiting."I need you all to start considering what the pack's impression will be when Lucy has marked both the Alpha's of thi