ZoeLeah looks stunning. Her wild blonde curls hang loose around her shoulders and she’s wearing a simple, long, white silk dress with just one thin gold bracelet on her wrist that I know Rex bought her for her birthday. Today will not be fancy, just a BBQ and buffet outside in the packhouse gardens with close friends and family, but try as Leah and Rex might, they could not convince Marie to do a casual dress code. Agreeing to no ties for the men was about as far as she would stretch, and secretly, I think Leah is happy now that they let Marie get her way.“You’re glowing,” Leah whispers with a cheeky wink as I kneel to help do the straps on her gold strappy shoes.“Quiet you. That’s how rumours start.” She chuckles and pulls me into a long hug as I stand up straight again, pushing my wavy hair back from my shoulders.“Must be all the hot alpha sex. I’m so happy for you two.” She squeezes my hand and grins. “It would have been so hard to keep all this a secret from you. I would neve
BlakeThere’s absolute silence as Leah flounces into the room and perches herself on the edge of Cooper’s desk, a glass of champagne still dangling from her fingertips. Where Hayley looks furious, Leah’s eyes dance with curiosity.“Come on, out with it,” she repeats when nobody says a word. Zoe shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Reaching out to wrap an arm around her shoulder, I pull her closer to me. She lifts her beautiful pale grey eyes to mine, and I nod encouragingly. She has nothing to worry about here.“I marked Blake.”Okay, so we’re starting at the end first. Hayley’s eyes widen as Zoe confirms what she immediately suspected. Leah’s head swivels back and forth between Zoe and Hayley, not truly believing what she’s hearing.“How? I tried, and it didn’t work!” She looks so annoyed about it that I can’t help laughing. Rex groans and puts a hand over his face. “What? I did. And nothing.”“That’s because you’re not a shifter,” Zoe whispers, and Hayley turns, grabbing both her arms
Blake As I emerge from the sea, feeling calm and refreshed, my eyes immediately search for my mate. She’s lying back on a sun lounger, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses on, but I can tell through the bond that she’s watching me and that she’s enjoying the view. The sand is hot under my feet and the sun is warm on my back as I stride across the beach toward her. Her skin is glowing with the slight tan she’s picked up, and her bright white bikini shows it off to perfection. With her long legs stretched out in front of her and a cocktail in one hand, she looks like the poster girl for holiday relaxation. Her phone buzzes and she flips it over where she had it face down on the table beside her and laughs. “It’s Max again,” she murmurs against my lips as I lean over her, watching intently as drops of water fall from my hair and drip down her breasts and toned stomach. Maybe I’ll lick them off. She tips my chin up to drag my attention away from her tight little body to her face. She’s spe
Blake POVPressing my shaking fingers to the cool glass of my office window, I stare out at the inky sky. The moon is full and bright, rising high and bathing the land below in silver shards of light. The sounds of laughter and music filter in on the breeze. Everyone else is celebrating. They’re excited for the pack run, where all the wolves in my territory gather to run free through the secluded forest that is our home. It’s a chance to reconnect with friends and with nature, to feel free and go wild, and enjoy what we are.Normally, I live for this night. No matter how busy I am, I make sure I get home to join in and bond with the wolves I don’t always get to see day to day.But not tonight. Or for the last 6 months, if I’m honest with myself. And as the Alpha of this pack, that’s not a good thing. And as the Alpha over all the packs in the region, it’s a distinctly bad thing.I rub my sweaty palm across the back of my neck and try to calm my racing heart. Adrenaline courses through
Zoe POVSliding out of the red vinyl booth with an enormous sigh, I rub a hand over my belly and groan. It's so swollen I can barely breathe. I drop the receipt back onto the table, along with a few notes from my pocket, and stretch. My aching muscles protest. They had been hoping they could finally give up for the evening and rest at last, but we still have to make it back home. “Earl, what are you trying to do to me?!” I moan while flashing him a big grin as he comes out of the kitchen to stand at the counter. He rests his large hands flat on the pale grey surface as he admires his handiwork. This man loves nothing more than to fill people to bursting. I was on my way back from a call out to assist with a foaling mare when the flashing lights of Earl’s diner called out to my rumbling stomach and lured me in. Dinner and two pieces of pie later, I’m thinking I would have been better off with the boring sandwich I had originally planned to inhale before falling into bed. I'm so full I
Blake POVMy wolf gradually calms down the further I get away from the packhouse, whereas really, with the pack run going on without us, he should be itching to get back and run alongside his friends. I try not to dwell on what that might mean as I drive, turning the radio up and enjoying a rare moment of solitude. Being Alpha of a pack of rowdy wolves, and living in the main packhouse, means I am never truly alone. And since taking over as the head Alpha for the region, things have gotten significantly more hectic. With ten packs under my watch, there is always something that needs to be done.I love it. It’s what I wanted. I worked so hard to get that position and I remember the satisfaction I felt when I found out that the council had chosen me. But there is always a price to pay for success, and that price is privacy. Even when I’m locked in my office or my living quarters, there is always someone or something waiting for me. Work to be finished. I haven’t had a day off since I st
Blake POVEven though I know she’s not here, I can’t help scanning the aisles of the store as I enter, searching for her. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I can hear my blood rushing in my ears. Her smell is setting my body on fire. Every cell is tingling in anticipation of meeting her, and the hair is standing up on the back of my neck.I shake out my hands, trying to ease some of the tension firing through me. She’s not here, I repeat to myself, and if I don’t calm down, I’ll miss something that might tell me who or where she is. When I reach the counter, the kid still has his wide eyes fixed firmly on me and his fingers grip the counter tightly. If he has an alarm under there, I'd say he's about two seconds away from pressing it. I must be throwing out some angry alpha vibes to be making him so nervous so I try to reign in my emotions as best I can. Using one hand, I smooth down the front of my shirt, drawing his attention to the expensive suit I’m wearing and the watch on my
Zoe POV My mind races as I run through all my options. There aren’t many. Maybe because I’m driving his jeep, I try to think about what my brother would do. He wouldn’t just meekly wait to see what the creepy driver wants, that’s for sure. But I’m no fighter. I need to get myself somewhere safe, but my nearest neighbours are too far away to run for it. Fuck it. With only a half-baked idea in the back of my head, I press my foot to the floor, grateful for the sudden acceleration driving a manual allows, and take off, bouncing over the pothole-filled laneway. I have no elaborate plan other than to get inside, lock the door, and call the police. And pray that they happen to be nearby. A quick glance in my mirror tells me I’ve caught whoever it is off guard. Any lingering hope I had that this is a customer and that they’re going to think I’m nuts for driving like a crazy woman is dashed when I see them pick speed. I’ve extended the distance between us. Not by much, but hopefully, it’s