RICARDO It's almost two in the morning when I get home, and I'm exhausted. There's still chatter coming from the kitchen and I find my mother and Ianthe there, having coffee. "How is Gianni? His mother called to say he was in the hospital." My mother gets up from her chair, concern and horror in her eyes. If she was to lose another person close to her, I don't know if she will be able to come back from that. "He's stable, for now." I run my hand through my hair in frustration. "They put him in an induced coma to speed up his recovery." "Do they know what happened to him?" Ianthe asks. "Either drugs or poison, they're running tests to see what is in his system." "It's really weird that people close to us are dying, Ricky." My mother says softly and she's right. Ianthe was right too, that this has nothing to do with her and everything to do with me. Miriam's words about a better Alpha keeps on reverberating through my mind. The question is, are they trying to dethrone me? Make m

IANTHE I jump out of the car before Randall has a chance to properly brake, air whooshing in my ears. From a distance I hear everyone shouting, but I don't stop to listen, my instinct going to the driver's side of the crumpled up vehicle by the side of the road. My wolf's listening picks up the sound of loud moaning until one of the doors are kicked off, but it's Harry that exits and not the man I hope. The ache is still distinct in my chest, but not as prominent as back at the house. "Ricardo!" I shout anxiously as I reach his side and reach my hand inside to touch his battered-up face. His head is slung back on the headrest, his eyes closed and a ton of tiny cuts covers his skin, most likely from the shattered windshield. I'm pushed back by strong arms and I would've protested if I didn't see Randall and Mark trying to get his door open. Thank the Goddess for their wolf strength because they manage to rip the door off and pull his lifeless body unto the asphalt. I shove past t

IANTHE My hand is gripped tightly in Ricardo's as we make our way to the funeral of The Wisher. "Are you sure it's a good idea that I come?" I ask for what must be the seventh time. His thumb strokes languidly over the back of my hand, those greys looking like they're melting as he takes in my face. "I want you by my side." His sure voice sends tingles down my spine. I know as soon as we get out of the car, his hand will no longer hold mine in the public. My birthday has never been so slow to arrive as it does this year. There's something different to Ricardo today. I know he went out early this morning, at first I thought he went to take Daemon out for his daily run, but when he returned he smelled like a woman's perfume. I found it odd, but I didn't feel jealous. I instinctively know he only has eyes for me. Now he seems lighter somehow, the lines between his eyebrows that were permanently scowling smoothed out. I can't believe I almost lost him just yesterday. I'm still tha

RICARDO Daemon is scratching at my collarbone to get out and get loose. He wants to be let free to terrorize the very town that we laid our lives on the line for. All we ever did was keep this town safe, protected from unwanted terrors. Now the very town I fought so hard for is stabbing me in the back. I don't know who I can trust anymore. If Ianthe says something is up with Gus, then something is up with Gus. And I went and jeopordized it all when I told the council she was a White Wolf. How stupid could I be? I thought we all had the same endgame in mind. I guess I was wrong. The joke's on me. I smell Harry way before I see him. "Care to tell me why I had to run all the way to the other side of the town?" There's a slight complaint in his voice, but next thing he knows, my hand is around his neck, and I'm jacking him up a tree. His hand grabs mine, but I'm way stronger than him, even more so now that I have Ianthe. There's a question and a slight sign of fear as my hand tight

IANTHE I'm restless. I've watched too many movies where I didn't even know what was going on. I've tried reading up on investing, but to be honest it doesn't even interest me anymore. I'm used to being alone and bored, but now I know what it's like to have friends and company and most importantly, having someone to call my own. Only that someone has done his best to avoid me. I still sleep in his bed every single night, waiting like a dutiful wife, but lately he's been spending all his time in his home office or he's out somewhere with Harry and Colt. I'm craving his attention, even if it's just him holding me to his hard body at night. Maybe he's having an affair. But does it even qualify as an affair if we're not mated yet? I turn eighteen in two weeks. I'm both nervous and excited. What if something happens and we don't end up being mated? My life has surely not been easy, I lose important people all the time. What if I lose him? But what if I don't? What if we