BLAKE We had all expected to have some more time to get settled, go over strategy, and plan before shit hit the fan. But we should have all known better than to expect war to be predictable. While our warriors stayed at the neighboring Lune Nordique Pack, the alphas, including Alex, Tyce, and Alpha Antoine of the Lune Nordique Pack, with his mate Luna Marie, settled at the Bois Sombre Pack in their packhouse so we'd be able to get to the front lines as soon as the attack hit. And just like that, two days after we arrived, right before dawn, we got the alert that enemy troops were proceeding. We all sprinted out of bed, throwing our clothes off and turning to wolves as soon as our bare feet hit the ground outside, making our way past the border, hoping to meet them outside the territory and keep the pack safe. We advanced with the Bois Sombre Pack warriors at our heels, knowing the others should arrive shortly. While I was against it, Alex had made sure his own troops were stocked w
JASMINE It started as a normal Saturday. I woke up early and, once again, felt lost and alone without Blake next to me, his side of the bed far too cold and empty. Ever since we'd marked each other, being apart felt unnatural and wrong. We were so bound together now that, without him, I felt like half of a whole. I understood, logically, why he wouldn't let me go back up north with him, but my entire being longed for him. After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs for breakfast. But as soon as my foot stepped off the bottom step onto the main floor, I hunched over, the sensation of claws slicing through my skin overtaking me. I cried out, grabbing the stair railing so I wouldn't fall over, tears tumbling from my eyes. And I knew—Blake was hurt. His intense pain was being transferred to me. It pulsed through me again and I let out another cry. "Jasmine!" Luke came running down the stairs, helping me up. "It's Blake. Blake's hurt," I cried out as Luke helped walk me to the couc
BLAKE I groaned as I forced my heavy lids open, fluorescent lights above me, a small bed below me. I shifted, but that was a bad idea. My whole body was still sore, the blood pumping through my veins still scorching me. It somehow felt heavy as I breathed, as if something was blocking the air's passage. I gave a cough and blood trickled out of my mouth and onto my chin. Fuck! "Hey, you okay, bro?" A familiar voice said next to me, more raspy than usual, probably also in pain. I wiped at my chin, the red of the blood staining my arm. "I think so," I replied, turning my head to look at him, and familiar amber eyes stared back at me—Jasmine's beautiful eyes. But it wasn't her, although I desperately missed her and would have given anything for those brilliant amber eyes to have been hers. "Goddess, this wolfsbane shit blows," Tyce groaned out. "Yeah," I agreed, barely able to move because of it, thinking that all that suffering for all those years at Grey Wolf University and
JASMINE Once Luke was finally able to get in touch with one of the warriors, he came back. "Is there news?" I asked him, desperate with worry. "Do they know what happened to him?" "They're finding out and will get back to me. Jasmine, try not to worry," Luke sat down next to me on the couch. "How can I not worry?" "I know." He let out a sigh. "But you'd know if he were dead. Trust me, Jasmine. The fact that he's no longer feeling pain and you haven't sensed him losing his life, it means he's okay." "Okay," I let my voice trail, unconvinced, putting my hand on my belly for comfort. "Jasmine, you should to go to the clinic," Luke suddenly blurted out. "I mean, all that stress. It can't be good for…" his voice trailed. "You know?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. He looked down at the floor. "Yeah, Blake told me before he left." Then he looked toward my stomach and added, "Plus, you're kind of starting to show." I had mostly been sticking to baggy t-shirts lately, but that d
TYSONAfter my body was able to metabolize all the wolfsbane and finally heal properly, my brother and I started planning the memorial service we'd have to hold later that week. The final count for our pack was ten dead, which was a very good number considering, especially since we had never trained for battle with wolfsbane. The experience still traumatized me, and I was determined to follow through on my dedication to becoming tolerant. No more fucking around. Practically dying out on that battlefield was a huge wake-up call.The Wednesday following the battle, after all our warriors had a chance to recover, we boarded the chartered flight back to Alaska. A part of me was desperate to get back to Vermont and see Gigi again, but as alpha I knew it was my duty to visit all the families of the fallen warriors and give my condolences. Considering it was my idea to fight this battle, I knew it would be wrong to expect my dad and grandpa, or even my beta or gamma, to do that. No, it was t
GINGER My heart pounded in my chest as I read Tyce's DM to me over and over again. I kept wondering what it meant. I mean, duh, I knew what it meant. But what did it really mean? Was he just looking to fuck me or did he maybe want something more? Why did I do this to myself? Reading his message, it was clear as day he was only looking for one thing. But still, sometimes it just seemed… No, I had to stop over-analyzing. Plus, either way, it was going to end in disaster. While I would probably never have the opportunity to meet mine, Tyce had a mate out there, and he was going to eventually meet her. And if there was one thing that was very clear—getting involved with Tyce was going to get me hurt. He was not the type of guy you called a 'fuckboy' and just moved on from. No, he was the type of guy that could give you four orgasms in a matter of minutes, and, yes, could most likely literally make It so you couldn't walk straight for a week. I let out a deep breath and threw my phone a
TYSON Thankfully, it was just my dad this time. He was at least semi-rational. My grandfather, on the other hand, was a total nutcase. My dad was giving me an intense stare, his forearms flat on his desk, fingers intertwined. "So, care to explain why you had Trav load up a good chunk of our warriors and send them to the east coast for a battle that had nothing to do with us?" "I'm the alpha. I'm allowed to make decisions for the pack now. Technically, I don't have to run it by anyone." He let out a deep sigh. "Yes, but battles are a huge cost to our pack. We can't be making rash decisions." "Why do you assume the decision was rash?" I cut my dad off. "Tyce," he said in a very patronizing way. "What else am I supposed to assume when you don't even discuss this with your grandfather and me? We're the ones that have been running this pack while you're off fooling around with your porky skanks." "Don't call them that!" I bellowed, clenching my hands into fists. I'd always let my fa
JASMINE Tears welled up in my eyes from happiness as Blake stepped into the packhouse. I ran and jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs tightly around his body, attacking his mouth with mine. "Blake, I thought I lost you. I honestly thought I lost you." Tears ran down my cheeks as I choked out words between my kisses. I shoved my tongue into his mouth, wanting to taste him again desperately. "I'm still here, Misses Alpha," Blake whispered between kisses. "I'm home now. You don't have to worry anymore." He carried me up the stairs until we were in our bedroom, and he lowered me gently onto the bed. He crawled in and hovered over me, his piercing blue eyes staring into mine. I slid my hands under his shirt, feeling every groove of his well-defined torso, memorizing the structure of how each muscle felt under my fingertips. I moved my hands up his body, easing his shirt off him, wanting desperately to feel his whole naked body against mine, to reunite with him. "Well, this is a nice w