Glenda’s POVMate.The words echoed through me as I let Matt kiss me as if he wanted to steal all the breath from my lungs. Mate had been such a distant idea for me for so long, like the faintest star in the sky, but I remembered how bright the idea had been when I was a little girl watching the way my parents loved each other with everything they were.After Dan, Midnight, Larry’s, and all the memories that I shoved to a deep dark corner in my mind, I had never thought that I would find such a person, let alone like this. Even if I were to find my mate, I was sure that everything that had happened to me, every scar and trauma would make them reject me, yet here he was, kissing me so desperately.Matt was my mate. Had he always known? Why hadn’t he said anything?Would I have believed him if he had?I couldn’t resist. I didn’t want to fight. After everything that had happened tonight, I just wanted to be safe. I couldn’t remember feeling as safe as I had with Matt.Mate, Alyssa said a

We got back to Mordecai’s estate quickly. He’d updated it more than I had realized the last time I’d been there to include a pool as well as a view of the coast. Renda had remained sleeping for the entire ride. The bruises on her face looked to be healing more quickly than I thought they would. I supposed her wolf was much stronger now than it had been before. I lifted her out of the car and into my arms, following Mordecai into the house.“You can stay in your old room,” he said with a glint of humor in his eyes. “I think all the action figures are still there too.”My face heated and I scowled at him, “How kind of you.”He laughed and shrugged out of his jacket as a butler I vaguely remembered showed up and led me down the hall to my old room at Mordecai’s house.True to his words, it looked just as it had when I’d last stayed in it. It seemed like it had been a lifetime ago. I carried her to the bathroom to clean her up as much as possible and change her into something more comfort

Emoni’s POVI woke up just a few hours after I had gone to sleep. From the darkness outside the window, it was sometime around midnight. I got out of bed and walked out of the room. Matt had been kind enough to move my father and Grayson to another room and establish Warhammer Guard around us.I was grateful for the security but troubled by the company.Demi growled. I could feel her pacing and upset in the back of my mind.Males are so fickle. He should be proud that we are his mate. We are strong, capable… How dare he not take the hint given!I almost laughed at her indignation. To be fair, the hint I had given him could have been taken any number of ways and the night had been too wild for any of us to have our full faculties.Telling a man we should talk more when we had a chance, in private, preferably away from my father was probably a bit too subtle.I didn’t know what Grayson had been through while serving Teagan and her daughter. I didn’t even know if it had been willing or s

Matt’s POVShe looked up at me. Her jaw dropped open at the frustration in his voice.“Until then, let’s hope we don’t continue like this,” I sighed, “I swear, the next thing we know, we’ll be walking in on Mordecai.”She grimaced, “I don’t think I would enjoy that.”I lifted an eyebrow and her face reddened. She looked away, “Well, I meant…”“You said what you meant,” I smirked. “I’ll be sure to… arrange more voyeuristic opportunities for us in the future.”She went to the door, “I’m going to change clothes.”“Let me know if you need help.”She looked back at me, “Help?”“Your shoulder. Isn’t it still tense?”Her eyes widened. She had likely forgotten about it. She nodded.“I’ll… try to find something easy to put on.”It wasn’t warm out, but there might be a button-up sweater somewhere in her closet. As soon as I changed, I went to find her.I knocked on the door and she opened it, grimacing up at me."Too much?"She nodded and stepped aside and I realized she hadn't even been able t

I reached the end of the corridor where a heavy locked door stood.“I need keys!” I cried back down the hallway.The guards came up behind me as Matt pulled me back. One of them shot the lock on the door and the door swung open. The damp scent of the basement gushed out along with Angelia’s scent and I ran in.My stomach roiled, memories I didn’t want to think about surfaced, but I ignored them.I smelled old water and molded bread. The stench of unwashed bodies, but I couldn’t focus on that.Angelia was here.I’d found her.Across the room, she lay on a dirty mattress on the ground, unmoving and unspeaking. I ran towards her as Alyssa tried to reach out to her and lifted her into my arms. She didn’t move. Her eyes stared out into nothing as if she would never speak again. She’d grown frail and thin since the last time I saw her. Her cheeks were drawn into her face and her eyes were a bit sunken. Her hair seemed dull and lifeless, but there was no mistaking her.“Angelia, say somethin