ElevenNora ConnollyNora couldn’t remember the last time that she was angry. Over the years, she had become numb to it. Maybe because she was angry all of the time. It was hard not to be when you had one, constant thought in your mind.My parents were killed. She did think about other things. But it was always there, in the back, where it shouldn’t have been. And for some strange reason, the universe thought that it was funny to pair her up with a werewolf. One of the monsters that had killed her parents in the first place.Although, was it?Maybe the universe had paired her up with a werewolf to keep her safe from the rogue wolf that wanted her dead. She had no idea. All she knew was that she was in The Stellarum, a place filled with them, and it was also the last place she thought she would be. She was also helplessly lost.“Need help finding your way?”Nora jumped at the sound of Aion’s voice. He stood behind her, his arms crossed over his chest. “Oh. Hi. Come to drag me back to
TwelveRoman EliotThere was something wrong.First, he was overwhelmed by fear. Panic. Emotions that he didn’t normally have, because as next in line to be alpha, he didn’t have the luxury of those emotions. Then there was a heaviness. Something he had never felt before, as if something was gone.His cell phone rang then, and Roman answered them. “Aion?”“They’re both gone.”Roman didn’t know how to answer that. “They’re both gone?” he asked. “Tell me that you’re not talking about Nora and Winter.”“Who the fuck else do you think that I’d be talking about?”Roman glanced around the room. The pack was still eating, talking, and laughing the way that all pack dinners were. They might not have all been related, but they were still family. They were all bound by their loyalty to each other. “I sent you to protect Nora. And you should have protected Winter too. How did this happen?”“When I took Nora back to her room, Winter wasn’t answering. I went in to check on her. And the room to the
ThirteenNora ConnollyShe was in a forest.More specifically, the forest where the attack on her parents had happened. And the campsite…the bright, orange tent that her dad had gotten. The fire that had long since burned out. The graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows her parents had gotten for s’mores were on the table, unopened.“What the hell?” Nora muttered.There was no way that she could be back at the campsite. She knew that. It had been years since that day had happened. But now, there was something off about it. This wasn’t a memory. In memories, you couldn’t feel things. You might remember the sensation of the pain, but you didn’t feel the wind against your face as you remembered because the wind wasn’t there.“Noraaaaa….” Someone was calling her name. It was a soft, female voice. “Noraaa….” She turned around, searching for the stranger that was calling her. There was something familiar about the voice, but she couldn’t pin point exactly where it was coming from. “He
FourteenRoman EliotShe was alive.She was in a room he had never seen before, but she was alive, and she wasn’t pushing him away as he wrapped her in my arms. He cupped her face in my hands and brushed back some her hair from her face. “Are you okay?” he asked.She looked up at me. “Is there anyone with you?”“There’s a bunch of people looking for you,” he said, “I meant to tell you. You can’t just go wandering around here. The buildings magic.”Nora pulled away from him. He hated that. He hated her not being in his arms. Hated how much distance there was between them even though she was right in front of him. They didn’t know each other yet. And so that mate connection was there, but not the way that it should have been.It was faint. And if he had found her sooner, that would have been completely different. But something had kept him from her. It made him angry every, single time he thought about that. “There’s magic in the building?” Nora asked.
FifteenNora Connolly “Who is this woman again?” Nora asked. “Glinda North,” Roman replied. The two of them had taken his black Bugatti to a tall, green building called The Emerald. It was a community of witches, who had been in the states as far back as the 1600s. “Right. She’s a socialite or something?” she said. Roman rolled his eyes. “She’s a socialite, yes, but she’s also one of the most powerful witches on the east coast. She’s been around for centuries.” She raised an eyebrow. “Witches are immortal?” “Not exactly. No, they just live long lives. Magic makes them heal faster and move quicker.” Nora blinked. “Magics weird.” “It goes by its own rules,” he said. He got out, and he went around to open the door for her.Nora looked up at him. “But…if I’m a witch, does that mean that I’ll live a life as long as hers?”Roman took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Those would all be go
SixteenRoman Eliot“Have you two fucked yet?” this came from Glinda as they walked to her apartment.He glanced over at Nora, who was blushing. He smirked. “No, we haven’t. But we’ve only known each other for two days, Glin. Why do you ask?”Glinda stopped walking and turned to look at her. “Because your girl is in a world of trouble. And she’s going to need all of the help that she could get. Isn’t sex how you make it so that she has werewolf powers, or whatever?”Roman sighed. “Glin, you’ve been friends with me for a while now. You know that’s not how it works. Mates only get werewolf powers after they have children. It’s not just about sex.”“Are you sure?” Glinda asked.“I’m positive,” he said, “besides, as long as she’s with me, Nora’s always going to be safe. I will always put her life before mine.” Nora glanced his way with a curious look on her face. “You barely know me.” “You have to be the only woman that doesn’t get how this works,” he said, “I am y
SeventeenNora Connolly She’d never been hit with that much force from anything before. It was like a gale force wind knocking her to the ground. She felt it when she hit the ground too, all through her body, so that when she picked herself up she ached a little. “Are you okay?” Roman asked, as he used his big, strong hands to help her stand. Nora was shaking. The wind had knocked her out, and Glinda stood looking at her like she was appraising her in a new light. Nora took a deep breath. “I’m bad, aren’t I?” Glinda made a face. “The building let you in.” “So?” said Roman, who was holding her close to his chest, she realized for the first time. “What does that mean?” “If you think just the loft is magical, The Emerald is made up of hundreds upon hundreds of rooms. All filled with witches and magical beings. The building knows when to protect itself so it’s strange that the building let you in, but the loft won’t.”
Eighteen Roman Eliot He didn’t tell Nora that he was worried. He didn’t want her to think that he was upset about her being a witch. And now that Glinda had confirmed that she wasn’t just a witch, she was something else, it made him worry. Worse, Glinda was the most powerful witch that he knew and she was sending him and his mate to a wizard. An off-brand warlock. Someone not born with magic, but who injected it into their blood. The magical equivalent of a drug dealer. But she had let him kiss her finally. And she was reading his thoughts. They were moving in the right direction. She trusted him, even though they barely knew each other. But everything inside of him was screaming that this was a bad idea. It had taken so long to get Nora and now there was someone trying to take her away from him again. “Are you okay?” Nora asked. He glanced over at her. “I’m fine. Why?” “Because,” said Nora, “we got to Mordred’s mansion ages ago, and it’s been almost ten minutes, and you