Rose’s POVI felt the pain radiate everywhere from the region of my chest for the third time this week. Sometimes, Lycan Adam made me watch as he serviced another. More often than not it came as a surprise, waking me from sleep and just about destroying my wolf.The clock was ticking and, as usual, I had little to report.On a positive note, the Lycan King had no plans to make a move on Alpha Lewis’ territory until he had secured sovereignty over all the clans in his county. I doubted the Alpha would be interested to know he was intending to strip a rival pack of their monopoly on the growing of beets, yet I had to pad my meagre information out somehow.My lack of real progress was worrying. I didn’t want Willow suffering a fate worse than death. That bargain between the Alpha and me, could I count on him holding up his end even if I delivered? I was trying not to think like that. Yet it would hardly be good to provoke Lycan Adam into raiding the only county in the district which cou
Rose’s POVI knew Alpha Lewis wouldn’t come in person, but I didn’t expect to see Willow with Connor. For one thing, she was under age. The signs everywhere stated you had to be over twenty-one. Maybe they had faked her ID.“Is this wise?” I hissed, as he stood beside me at the bar.Lycan Adam had gone ahead to “personally prepare the scene”.My sister was looking all around in awe.“He ditched his ex for me,” she confided.Connor frowned. “I’ll explain later, and no, but I’m not the one in charge.”The bartender overheard.“Tonight you are,” she laughed. “Unless the little missy is a dominatrice, which I very much doubt.”I followed them to a corner sofa.“I don’t have long,” I said.“Rose, what are you wearing?”The strappy leather outfit left nothing to the imagination. I reddened.“Don’t even go there, Lolo.”“It’s good to see you, sis,” she said, sucking up vodka noisily through a straw.“And you shouldn’t be here. At all,” I said, wiping the happy grin from her face.“You said i
Rose’s POV Imagine my surprise as I went through the door only to see Alpha Lewis reclining on the bed. “Did you miss me?” he smirked. I wanted to hurl myself at him and pound my fists against his chest. His bare chest with the scorpion tattoo. “Where’s Lolo?” I demanded. “I want to see her.” “You’re in no position to make demands, Rosie.” His careless use of a name which had never been mine made me furious. But I needed to keep a cool head. “I’m not saying a word about what I know until I’m sure she’s safe.” “That does it. Bring the thumbscrews, Connor.” “You wouldn’t dare … ” Would he? I was probably dispensable now and would be even more so when I had told him my news. I began to back away, only to run into a solid wall of muscle. There was no comfort to be had there, just restraint. “Only joking, Rosie. I must say, you’re looking mighty fine. Fancy a tumble first?” I struggled, but the Beta was far too strong for me. “Don’t toy with her, Lew,” he said. “Rose isn’t the
Willow’s POVThat club was something else. I felt excited despite the cosplay outfit and it meant I got to see Rose again.It was a surprise to see her showing so much bare flesh. I was the one who flaunted myself when we visited that natural pool in the woods, just below the waterfall.I knew I shouldn’t have said anything because I didn’t want to embarrass her. The gown suited her so much more.I was already slightly tipsy, yet glad to play a part in rescuing my sister for a change. The Alpha had told me she needed “saving from herself”, whatever that meant.He couldn’t keep up with the lies. Did he think I was stupid? Most people did, especially boys. Well, who had the last laugh usually? Rose to the rescue. It was never really needed, but I let everyone think it. Feeling hurt about that eased my grief a little because, oddly, it reminded me of our mother. Mom would have probably smiled and said, “Never stop being you, my girl.”I like to think so anyway.When I saw the stunning w
Connor’s POVThe air of triumph didn’t last long. Lew hadn’t received the information he needed and was promised and all because Sarah had fallen ill. I suspected she had done it deliberately to get her own back on Willow. I hoped that would be the end of it. Endless tit for tat games helped no-one, as my own sisters had found out to their cost.May now had a permanent facial scar and Alice was so guilty she seldom wore make-up.And, in the end, Rose had proved stubborn, sticking out for some assurance her little sis was okay. Good for her.“The Omega mentioned a weakness, didn’t she? I wonder what it could be.”“We have to pull her out. It’s far too dangerous.”“Eager to claim your prize? You’ll have to wait a while longer, Con.”So he had been serious about that. My Rose. I wondered how she would take it.Then the Alpha told me what he suspected – no, knew for certain from one of her messages – about her being the Lycan’s fated mate.I was crushed, wanting to shrivel and die on the
Rose’s POVI didn’t see Nina for a whole week because the other kind of curse struck for us both. In my case it was a relief. Lycan Adam considered a menstruating female unclean and I was tempted to celebrate but restrained myself in case he was watching. Concealed cameras had once caught Nina out, she told me. How was I to know for sure my master hadn’t installed some in here, the so-called harem room?It was empty of anyone but me for the moment. I felt isolated, lonely and bored. If I asked nicely, maybe he would allow me to have a TV. He refused, of course, though granted me the temporary use of a cell phone, warning that I would be monitored.Rashly, I had told him I wanted to text my sister. I even gave him her real name. My hope was that she would show the coded messages to Alpha Lewis. We’d played around as kids and I was hoping she hadn’t forgotten how we’d given new meanings to nursery rhymes.“How much do you miss her?” he asked from just outside the open door, Adam’s idea
Rose’s POV “Is your sister still a child?” The demand came out of left field and shocked me to the core. Had Lycan Adam managed to decipher the hidden meaning behind our texts? Admittedly, we hadn’t been very subtle. But why challenge me now? Had someone else seen them? I tried not to panic as I finished lacing up my corset. I was becoming adept at this ever since Jane had left mysteriously to “take care of something”. “In some ways. Why?” “Humpty Dumpty? Seriously?” “He was an old guy who brought us provisions.” “Don’t tell me, he had an egg shaped head?” “Yes, Adam.” I’d been instructed to drop the “Master” unless we were in a play situation. “Reminiscing takes her mind off our situation. Neither one of us expected to be sold by our own father.” I couldn’t emphasise that point enough. If it made him a target it was no more than he deserved. After all, overcoming him would be easy and then Lycan Adam could retrieve what he had forked out and seriously plan where to strike ne
Rose’s POV I would have waited forever if necessary. I still didn’t trust this guy; Alphas were notorious users. Now that I was back in the fold, so to speak, he was capable of anything. Reneging on a verbal promise for a start. Thinking about it, he’d only implied he’d get someone to look out for her and later threatened to turn her into a whore. Well, I wasn’t in a position to ask for anything in writing, was I? “Over to you, Con.” I stifled a gasp as the Beta produced what I knew to be Willow’s cell phone from his pants pocket. No-one else would have a cover with a unicorn nuzzling up to a bear, would they? I knew it must be here somewhere but to have it about his person … He used it to place a call. “Luna, have the Omega come to the phone, as we discussed.” “You didn’t say please,” a familiar voice replied. “Oh, very well.” My heart leapt. “Tell my brother he has terrible timing.” I pretended to be astonished. “She’s still with Simone?” “That’s Luna Simone to you. And ye