Ari’s POV I woke up in a haze. I didn’t recognize my surroundings and I couldn’t see Ares, but I could smell him. I was laying in a soft white bed. It smelled faintly of him, but the scent was strange. It wasn’t quite all of Ares’ scent. It was different, faded. The bed was so comfortable, that I didn’t really care where I was at the moment, which isn’t really like me. I didn’t know what was going on and that scared me. “Shit, she’s waking up….how do I know? I can sense she’s scared! Mate bond dumbass! I’ll call you later. I have to let you go!” I heard Ares say to someone, apparently on the phone. Sienna instantly grew jealous. That wasn’t like her. Why was she being so territorial? “Hey princess…” Ares came up next to me beside the bed and grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it. “Ares? Is that really you?” My vision is blurry and I am still burning up all over but I instantly feel the tingles and shocks graze my skin when he touches me. His scent

Ari’s POV I can’t believe he can show past projections! We weren’t even touching! Father always had to touch the person he was passing the projection to, but I guess because we are mates, the mate bond must connect us on a deeper level that he doesn’t need to touch me! I got so caught up in my own shock and amazement that I didn’t realize Ares was not saying anything, and he looked like he was…shaking? I could barely tell but he was. “Ares?” I call to him in a calm, mellow voice. He doesn’t move or even look at me for that matter. My body was on fire! Every now and then I would get these jolts and aches that made me feel like vomiting while being kicked in the guts, but I made it through them. Sienna was whimpering for Eros and seemed wiped out. She barely spoke to me. After Ares didn’t respond, I call for him louder, “ARES? Baby?” He still wasn’t responding. He felt, lost. Our bond was so strong, I felt his fear. I had to go to him! I

Anika’s POV Oh, my goddess! I cannot believe I have finally found my mate! He is SO GORGEOUS! I probably looked like a lost puppy, drooling all over myself staring into his eyes, like the last meal I ate was - never and he was a big juicy piece of steak! Eventually, my friends snapped me out of my daze and I couldn’t have been happier to realize that my mate is the beta of Ares’s pack - the Freedom Ridge Pack! Granted, our pack has never been on the friendliest of terms with the Freedom Ridge pack; the pack is now under “new management” with Ares’s father being murdered and all, so maybe under Ares’s control, things will be better, right? I feel bad for the guy. That totally sucks! You go to your first Mating Ball and Claiming and your dad gets killed...that's a tough break! My heart ached for Ari and Ares having to go through all of that. I’m so excited to see the pack though! It is every she-wolf’s dream to meet their mate and then be swept off to their new pack to

Anika’s POV I woke up when I felt the car come to a stop. I yawned and stretched, looking around for Alec. He was pumping gas. We stopped for gas. Then I looked at the clock. We had been driving for 3 hours. It was the middle of the night, or the wee hours of the morning, whichever way you want to see it. Shockingly enough, when I sat back up, I felt rested. How well did I actually rest? Why was I so refreshed with just a few hours of sleep? Was this a part of the mate pull? I would ask Alec whenever he got back in the car. I was still frustrated with Alec, but I know I’ll get over it. Right now, I needed to get to know Alec better, and I needed to be sure we were actually going to get to Ari. Until I saw her with my own eyes, I was still going to have my guard up a little. Alec was sooo amazing even pumping gas! Those muscles, that jawline, and THOSE EYES. His eyes for a green I couldn’t comprehend. They were a bright pastel green when he seemed calm

Ares’s POV We’ve been mating for what seems like days. Eros won’t let me release her so we can finally sleep. He doesn’t smell her with pup yet. I’m exhausted, but Eros keeps surging me with more and more energy. Ari is exhausted in every way imaginable. Alec is on his way and should be here within the hour. I had the whole place locked down with the retractable windows and doors covering the place. When I raise one of the retractable doors to let Alec in, Ari’s scent will explode in the area. I trust Alec. He’s bringing his mate, so he should be pre-occupied himself. I’m just worried about how much of her scent will get out and that it will be strong enough, even in that short period of time I open the door, to attract her father’s wolves on patrol. If they pick up her scent, we are as good as screwed. The full force of his pack will come down on us to retrieve her. I can’t let that happen. Think Ares, THINK dammit! ‘Tell them to get a hotel room in the