Conan
I stared at the robots before me that had halted, before looking at Brad, Trina and a strange lady in a snowy pack uniform.She had to be the one controlling these beasts.She stepped forward with a devious smile on her face.“You were the one who put my sister in a body bag,” she laughed. “You beat her so much she could not survive, so she succumbed to her wounds. That was my younger sister. I am going to make sure these machines deal so much damage to you, you wouldn’t even feel your jaw by the time they dislocate your body parts with punches.”I yawned. “You show up at my doorstep intending to have a war with me. I think we should start this war before arguing over who is stronger and who is not.”She laughed. “A feisty man I see. Very well. Let’s see how feisty you will be by the time they are done with you.”She pushed a button as the robots all turned to me.I counted at least twenty robots. The lastConanI had won the fight between Brad and I. The fight which had spanned over years and decades and finally came up victorious.He returned to his human self as I did the same. I looked around to see the grounds which had been broken and filled with blood and machines.“All of this just to take me down,” I chuckled as he slowly healed and sat up, but he was too tired to do anything.“Don’t flatter yourself,” he coughed up a tooth. “It was for an entire country.”“And yet I took down your entire army single-handedly.”He growled at me. “Who are you? What kind of monster are you?”“The monster that you created, Brad!” I yelled in anger. “I used to have a home, a family, a mother and a father who loved me. I used to have a brother I thought was my better half but he turned out to be a monster.”Suddenly he got the hint of what I was saying as his eyes widened. “Yes Brad, we are both siblings. You were supposed to be my brother, my friend and the one who would watch my back. Instead you
Jade I stepped into the bustling grand hall, my heels clicking against the marble floors. All around me were crowds of people dressed in their finest clothes, mingling and laughing as they awaited the start of the mating ceremony. As soon as I entered, the lively chatter softened to hushed murmurs. All eyes turned to look at me, raking up and down my body judgmentally. I tugged self-consciously at the neckline of my dress, the fabric straining tight across my chest. I felt entirely too exposed in the slinky, low-cut number that Brad had picked out for me, but I had worn it just for him, wanting to look perfect tonight. I felt my cheeks burn as the whispering continued. I didn't understand the sudden attention on me. Had Brad announced something I didn't know about? Were the marks he'd left on my neck last night still visible despite the layers of concealer I had carefully applied? Was I late? Flustered, I searched the sea of faces for my golden-haired alpha. Tonight was the night B
Jade Six Years Later "Be good at school today," I said, planting kisses on my triplets' cheeks as they headed out the door. Natasha, Nathan, and Natalia - my entire world bundled up in those three little troublemakers. They were the spitting image of their father, Brad, with his golden hair and emerald eyes. But I had long since moved past him and loved my children unconditionally. After bidding them farewell, I grabbed my things and headed out. Another day at the clinic awaited me. Over the past six years I had built myself up from nothing, becoming a successful wolf doctor with clients from packs all over. I slid into the backseat of the sleek town car as my driver, Mark, held the door open. "Good morning Dr. Jade," he greeted me cheerfully. "Ready for another day of saving furry lives?" I chuckled. "As ready as I'll ever be." As we drove, I gave my friend Helene a quick call. "Hey girl, can you pick up the triplets after school today? I have a packed schedule and don't know w
Jade I sank to my knees sobbing while Helena screamed at me, her face red. "You did what? I can't believe you got a threat like that and didn't go to the police! What if you had been attacked? That's it, we're calling them right now." Helena grabbed her purse, rifling for her phone. Just then the house phone rang, startling us both. Helena picked it up cautiously. "Hello?" A garbled, robotic voice came through the speakers. "Put it on speakerphone. Now." With shaking hands, Helena hit the speaker button. "Who is this?" she demanded. "You may call me Mr. N," the voice said. "And I'd advise against calling the police if you want the children to remain unharmed." Helena and I exchanged horrified looks. This was the kidnapper! "What do you want?" Helena cried. "We'll give you anything, just don't hurt the kids!" The voice laughed coldly. "I'm not speaking to you. Put Jade on, now." I felt sick. This creep knew both of us. How long had he been watching us? "Please," I begged tea
Jade The drive to the Nightingale pack lands felt surreal, like I was traveling back in time. The last time I had been here, I was a naive teenager madly in love with the Alpha's son. Now I was a grown woman and mother of three, only returning under ominous circumstances. Helena insisted on coming with me, despite my protests. "You're not doing this alone," she said firmly as she loaded the last of my things into her SUV. "I'll help you get settled, and be right here if that bastard Brad tries anything." I smiled weakly, appreciating her protectiveness even if it complicated things. We rode in tense silence, the weight of what I had to do pressing down on me. Helena kept shooting me worried glances. "I really don't like this, Jade," she finally said as we passed the 'Welcome to Nightingale Territory' sign. "We can still turn around and call the cops." I shook my head, even as my heart tightened. "You heard him. I don't have a choice if I want to see the kids again." Helena curse
JadeI stared up at the hulky man looming over me. Conan was a mountain of muscle and authority, his tall frame casting me in shadow. Golden eyes glinted from behind a black leather mask covering the lower half of his rugged face. Those piercing eyes were fixed on me now, hard and assessing. I suppressed a shudder under that intense gaze. Of all the easygoing wolves in Alpha Bradley's pack, only Conan seemed to exude true menace. He was the enforcer, swift and merciless to any threat. Every instinct warned me to avoid him at all costs. Yet here I was, trapped and exposed."Well?" Conan's voice rumbled deep in his chest. "Explain yourself."I scrambled desperately for some excuse, some logical reason for the suspicious messages he glimpsed on my phone screen. But under pressure, nothing remotely convincing came to mind. After a tense silence, Conan crossed his massive arms. "Since you seem unwilling to explain, I have no choice but to r
JadeTaking a deep, shaky breath, I broke into fresh tears. Conan stared at me dumbfounded for a moment, then cursed under his breath as he scrambled to grab tissues from the box on his desk. I cried loudly and messily, blowing my nose with heart-wrenching sobs. Black streaks of mascara ran down my cheeks as I wept into the tissues, no doubt looking like a distraught mess, but it was necessary for my act. "You see," I started, dabbing my eyes as my voice quivered emotionally, "Brad and I dated about six years ago, back when we were teenagers. He was...my everything."I launched into a bittersweet flashback, wanting to show Conan our supposed history instead of just telling it in boring summary. I described my lonely childhood growing up in the local orphanage after my parents died - shy, bullied and friendless with only books for company. Meanwhile, Brad was the golden boy at our high school - devastatingly handsome, star athlete, crazy popular, and
JadeI let out a heavy sigh as I sank down onto the lumpy mattress in my dingy temporary apartment. What a mess this day had turned into. Reaching for my burner phone, I quickly typed out an update to Mr. N. 'Minor complication. The beta, Conan, saw a suspicious message on my phone. I spun him a story about wanting revenge on Brad for breaking my heart years ago. He seems to buy it for now, but will be keeping close tabs on me. I'll be careful.'I stared at the blinking cursor, hesitating. Should I mention Conan's absurd contract demanding I provide free medical services to the pack? No, best to keep some cards close to my chest. It's better if he doesn't know all about Conan. Yes. I deleted the message and hit the phone in the bedside drawer. Next I called Helena, needing to hear her cheerful voice after the stressful events of the day."Hey girl, how are you holding up?" she asked gently when she picked up.I flopped bac