**Content Warning - sexual abuse, profanity.** MELIA POV I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids wouldn’t budge; I couldn’t even groan out of annoyance. I wanted to roll over; my back was killing me. Even just wiggling my fingers or toes a bit would be sufficient for the moment. I couldn’t do anything but lie here in silence. I could feel that my shirt had ridden up a bit on my back. The exposed spot had almost gone numb from the freezing floor. So I had to assume that I was back in the basement. I just hoped that I wasn’t in the filthy, goddess-forsaken cage that kept me trapped when I first got here. *** A steel door slammed somewhere close by, making me jolt upright. I must’ve dozed off because I was now able to move my body and limbs. I finally opened my eyes, and I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision. Looking around, I could see that I wasn’t in a cage. In fact, there wasn’t a cage anywhere in this room, but what I saw was far worse. Three of Alexander’s goons were
ALPHA AUGUST POV It has been two months since we rescued Melia, but nothing has been the same. Athena was finally able to turn back into human form, but with any stress or anger, she was still shifting without control. Instead of keeping her locked in the bunker, I packed her and the girls up and moved us all down to my parent’s ranch temporarily. Lenny and Elenior are here with us. Thomas is taking care of things at the pack until we get back. I knew this wasn’t a permanent fix, but it was the best I could think of at the time. Emse and Baine weren’t too happy about the arrangement, but they had no clue what to do with Athena and her wolf. There was plenty of forest on the 100,000 acres of property my family owned for my girls to run themselves tired. Lenny and I kept close by so we could steer them away from any of the little towns or other rancher’s property they might have gotten a little too close to while they let their wolf run.Maisie still didn’t show any signs of having a w
ALPHA AUGUST POV James had to let me out of the truck. I wanted to erupt like a fucking volcano. With my Alpha aura rolling off me in waves I don't know if James would even make it back to the ranch with me in his truck. I didn't even wait for him to come to a complete stop. As soon as my feet hit the dirt, I took off running towards the woods, and once I was at the tree line, Bishop pushed through and took over seamlessly. He immediately stuck his nose up in the air to search for Athena, and almost instantly, he caught her scent, which sent a calming sensation down our spine. I didn't think she would be out here yet, but what the hell did I know? Apparently fucking nothing at this point.He took off running towards her scent and it didn't take us long to find her and Izzy practicing in the middle of the woods. Athena was without effort changing from human to wolf and wolf to human repeatedly. "The more you do it the easier it becomes." I heard Izzy yell out to her. "If only I could
MELIA POVI can hear my mom's voice when I open the screen door and step onto the porch, so I took off down the steps to find her. I want to ask her if she needs me to help her or Maggie this morning before I find something to get into with Aunt Sarah. When I round the big barn, I couldn't help but overhear what Alpha August was saying to my mother. "I have never heard of a wolf shifter losing their wolf and if she would start learning the ways of the pack and the duties she will have to fulfill maybe she could relax enough for her wolf to regain the strength she needs to come back. But if she doesn't get her shit together, I'm going to have no choice but to give the position to one of her sisters. I know that Maisie has really been invested in the politics and laws since David has been letting her intern, but Margot is the one showing all the potential leadership abilities. With her condition, I wasn't sure how possible it would be for her to step up, but she is improving every day,
ALPHA AUGUST POVWe searched for the ranch hand every day for two weeks. The community is devastated since he remains missing, but we didn’t know what else to do to find the boy. I thought about calling Alejandra’s tracking team but thought better of it. At least until I get back to the pack. They hadn't taken me up on the offer to come and visit the pack yet, and I don't want to push pack business into them if they're not interested. It did remind me of the weird picture they found that was taken of Melia. So I sent it to Thomas so he could get a jump start on figuring out where it came from but with Cici's murder and Melia's abductor still in the wind I'm not sure how he will find the time. Which is why I'm glad to finally be going home, for a few weeks anyways. Nikita's initiation day is almost here and while I have no choice but to be there I also think it will be a good learning experience for Melia. It's been five weeks since Melia got her wolf back, and things were finally gett
***12 YEAR OLD MELIA*** MELIA POV “Melia, honey are you almost ready to go.” My Aunt Rosalie called from the kitchen. “Almost Aunt Rosie, I can’t get my hair just right. It won’t straighten and it won’t curl, its just one big mess.” I sighed in defeat. “It looks fine honey, let me help you.” She cooed as she finger combed my hair back into a messy bun. “I just want Nana to like me.” I confessed. “Oh, honey, Nana loves you she just isn’t the best at showing it. Come now, Aunt Kiada and the rest of my fireflies are already ready and waiting in the car.” She gave me a quick hug then pulled me out of my bedroom door and down the steps. *** “We only have twenty minutes left fireflies how about some car karaoke?” Aunt Kiada looked over her shoulder at us from the passenger seat. “Please no karaoke mama, Margot sounds like a dying frog.” Vera teased as she stuck her tongue out at Maggie. “That’s not very nice Vera, apologize to your cousin.” “Sorry, not sorry Maggs.” Vera taunted
***PRESENT DAY***MELIA POVJust as I was about to implode, Kira's squeal ripped me out of the most amazing dream I had been having."Melia.""Now Melia."“Melia, I am not playing," Kira screamed at the top of her lungs as she made her way into my room."Get out. Go away," I grumbled.As she plopped down on my bed, I yanked the blanket and kicked her toward the floor.“YOU BITCH!” Kira flailed her arms around like a chicken. She was grabbing for anything that would save her, but it was too late. With a hard thud, she landed face-first onto the hardwood floor. "What in the goddess is going on in there?” Our mother hollered from the bedroom up the hall."Sorry mom, you know how clumsy Kira can be," I stuck my tongue out and crossed my eyes at Kira. "Melia spartan kicked me!" Kira shrieked like a siren."Melia!"I mouthed my name, mimicking my mother under my breath. “Girl, who are you sassing?" Mom warned. "I swear to the almighty herself, that woman has ears of a gosh darn bat." I
MELIA POV Rounding the corner, I saw Kira pouting at the breakfast table with our cousins Lily and Vera. I slid myself into a chair at the massive kitchen island, making sure I kept my back to the three of them. There was a huge bouquet of all different flavored muffins sitting in the middle of the island. I took two, one blueberry and one banana. I quickly devoured the first one and started on the second one when my cousin Matt snuck up behind me and ferociously started tickling me. Screaming, I sucked a big chunk of blueberry muffin down my windpipe. I coughed so hard I thought my lungs were going to burst. Once, I dislodged the muffin chunk and I tried regaining some of my composure. With everyone in the room trying not to hysterically laugh, my composure was a lost cause. Matt was, of course, bent over laughing, looking as if he was hyperventilating, so I punched him in the side, which abruptly ended not only his but all the laughter in the kitchen. “Damn, Mia”, Matt said