Dakota Alone with Sara in the room, my headeservesdn't stop racing with guilt and fear. I had to find a way to escape this foolishness. Axton's muscles rippling beneath his shirt and how his light hazel eyes stared at me caused a burning desire between my legs. I shouldn't have such abominable feelings. My husband just died. He didn't deserve this. "Damn it," I groaned into my hands. My body was betraying me and the only way to push these feelings and keep myself in check was to leave this pack for good. I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sara sat beside me, lost in thought."What are you going to do?" Sara asked softly. "What else," I shrugged. "I can't do this to Marco."Sara's eyebrows twitched together and she tugged on her left ear. "But he's gone. You can't spend the rest of your life mourning him."My heart pounded with anger and I sat on the bed, wiping the sweat on my forehead. "Don't you dare tell me what to do? I'm not interested in having a mate. Not now, no
Dakota Standing before Axton, my heart raced. The hallway closed in around me and the scent of stale alcohol and cigarettes hung heavy in the air but my mating scent with Axton made it bearable. Other girls walked past, giving me the death glare.Axton stretched out his arm but I turned away. My body trembled with nervous energy, and sweat beaded on my forehead.His eyes, a swirling mix of desire and impatience narrowed and I could tell he was struggling to restrain his need for me. His smile was blended with a sensuous flame that made my courage crumble under the weight of his gaze.But I stood firm, refusing to give in to his charms. I'd never let my feelings for him cloud my judgment. This was all shades of wrong and sinful."What's the matter? Still, hate me?” “Definitely” I scoffed.His eyes twinkled like glassy volcanic rock and bore into me, revealing the raging beast of need within."Aren't you a stubborn little woman, Zina?" he said, his tone mildly condescending. "You know
AxtonWatching my mate flee my presence made my annoyance and impatience grow. The fact that she was a sight for sore eyes, a living work of art, yet rejecting me left a bitter taste in my mouth.There was more to her rejection. I could tell. Something was holding her back, but I couldn't figure out what. My heart went green with envy as I imagined another male in her life.I'd kill him with my bare hands. Thinking about it now, I wondered why she left her pack My fingers ached to touch her, to satisfy the longing in my heart. I sat in my van and stared listlessly outside the window. There was a burning desire to possess her and have her as mine, and it grew every second. But she was so stubborn and fearless with a maddening hint of arrogance.I wanted every part of her, from her ash blonde hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves, to her blue eyes that were clearer than the sea. And oh…her fucking curves. She was different from my pack girls, with their darker hair and skin
DakotaThe bell ringing echoed through the walls and I stirred, knowing all too well what that sound meant. Madame's voice cut through the buzz of excitement like a knife. "Get your lazy asses downstairs right now!" she screamed. "Tonight is the night!"I sat up and looked around the hall filled with chatter as the girls rushed to get ready with clothes and makeup scattered everywhere. Sara and I exchanged a look and my stomach rolled with dread. My eyes widened with curiosity, leaning in and watching as Olivia inserted something into her thigh. "What's that?" She showed me a small, plastic tube filled with a clear liquid with a thin needle at the end. "It's for vaginal cleansing."My mouth fell open. "Whoa, are you going to put that in there?""No silly," she laughed. The needle glinted in the light, and the sight of it made my stomach churn. "Well, we've got to protect ourselves.""Yuck," Sara said under her breath and she wrinkled her nose. I nudged her to stop.Olly walked in
Dakota It was way past midnight. My restless self couldn't sleep nor was my brain unable to shut off the racing thoughts that filled my head. My mind burned with the memory of that kiss with Axton. The taste of sweetness, like honey, still lingered on my tongue. I could feel the heat of his breath on my lips as if the kiss just happened moments ago. My mattress creaked with each movement and my body was awash with overlapping waves of pleasure. Quickly, I banished my thoughts and shifted my pillow, unable to find the right balance of comfort. The room was dimly lit with a single lamp on a nightstand casting a warm glow on Sara's sleeping face. The room was almost empty except for myself, Sara, and some other girls who weren't working that night. Sara was curled up in her bed, her breathing steady and rhythmic. The not-so-faint sound of laughter and chatter floated upstairs from the bar. Music seemed to grow louder, the beat pulsing through my body. I shut my eyes, trying to b
Dakota The guards forcefully dragged us into the dark, dreary room, slamming the metal doors shut behind us. My stomach rolled with fear and my skin tingled with sweat but I kept still. Sara was hyperventilating and I didn't want to worsen her fear.The dimly lit room cast shadows across the walls that moved and danced and the air was thick with the musty smell of dampness and neglect, making it hard to breathe. "D…D… Dakota, what are we going to do?" Sara stuttered with a hush. Her eyes were so wide, showing the whites and she gripped my hand so tightly. She was freaking out. "Those guards… are evil. They'll hurt us and dispose of our bodies in the forest." A pin of terror stabbed at my heart and my breaths burst in and out. This wasn't going to end well. Those guards were sexually starved men who wanted to have a taste of our bodies. Attempting to keep my voice light, I made Sara lean against me."Relax, Sara. I'll find a way out of here.""How?" Her voice rose an octave higher
AxtonEarlier, Elias and I sat in the van and I drove through the desolate desert, the headlights cutting through the pitch-black night like a knife, illuminating the endless expanse of sand and rock. Our eyes scanned the landscape for any signs of trouble. Ever since I killed Blake's son, I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not even for a second because Xavier was going to gloat about it. So tonight was one of the many nights I sacrificed sleep to guard the border. Elias sat beside me, his eyes focused on the road ahead. "We need to recruit more warriors, Axton," he broke the silence. "Our pack is no longer safe. The threats are growing, and we can't afford to be outnumbered.""Recruit more soldiers? We can't just bring in anyone. We need strong fighters, not children or weak omegas. Building a stronger fortress is the key, not diluting our ranks with the feeble."Elias's brow furrowed and he jerked his chin in agreement. "I understand your concerns, but our enemies are closing
Dakota My heart palpitations grew erratic and I broke into a nervous sweat. Pretending that Axton's question didn't shake my core, I shut my eyes and took deep, controlled breaths, trying to come up with an answer. The tension in the room was a massive elephant and Axton stared at me with a longing. Every time his gaze met mine, my heart turned over in response. This was the perfect time for me to tell him the truth about myself which I knew he wasn't going to take lightly, but somewhere in my heart was an unwillingness to expose myself to him. Standing too close for comfort, he ran his gaze across my body, lingering for a moment on my lips, before returning to initiate prolonged, intense eye contact. "Go on. Cat got your tongue?" he smirked, mocking me. "Do you want me or not?" His eyes saw right through me, making me exposed and vulnerable. I looked away, trying to gather my thoughts. A part of me wanted to ask him to reject me and be free of these confusing feelings, but a