[Second Mate II] SEBASTIAN About forty-five minutes after coiling my pain with a run, I returned to the packhouse to find Rory sitting on the step. His face showed worry, not anger, which I imagined he would prefer to feel toward me. “I’m not in the mood, Rory. Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself.” I knew how determined he could be, especially when the situation was urgent. Rory wasn’t the sort of person to keep his thoughts to himself, and considering what Sasha said, that made him even more persistent. With an urging tone and a frustrated countenance, he stated, “As your trusted beta and best friend, I advise you to listen to reason.” I pivoted on the balls of my feet and glared at him. “Since you want to pull rank. As your Alpha, I command you to stay out of this.” I walked past him and headed up the stairs. My chest heaved with anger, and my hands balled into fists, edging to punch him square in the jaw. Yet Rory still wouldn’t give up. “I’m afraid I can’t do that

[The Seer] SEBASTIAN Moon Goddess, what sort of twisted game was this? Not only did you give me a second mate, which I never wanted, but you gave me a weak human for a mate? How would she protect herself from danger? How could I even love a human who knew nothing of my world? It was like you were hoping I would lose her too. I screamed in my head. I had to leave the bar, and as much as Atticus screamed in my head to follow my mother’s orders and take her back to the pack. I needed to put as much distance between us as possible. For her sake and mine. These thoughts about wanting to kiss her among other things already invading my head. Her alluring beauty and hypnotic scent. It was all driving my senses crazy. Neither of us needed past mistakes haunting our lives. I, for one, didn’t need that kind of stress upon everything else going on in my life. She could easily find a human husband, have children, and live a long and happy life without me to bring the dreadful events of my past

[Werewolves Are Real II] SIERRA I was either losing my mind or I’d heard him incorrectly. I started pacing. If only to wrap my brain around what he said. It wasn’t working. This had to be some sort of prank. There was no way what he stated could be true. It couldn't be, could it? Werewolves were made-up bedtime stories told by parents to terrify their children into being good little boys and girls. "I'll admit, what I said sounds far-fetched, and had I not been one, I wouldn't have believed me either. But werewolves are real. We exist and have for centuries." "Listen, Sebastian," I turned to face him, "you seem like a decent enough guy. I don't know how much you had to drink last night or if you had been sniffing on something, but there is no way I'm going to believe a word you said—" "You don’t believe me, and that's understandable. On the occasion that you did right off the bat, that would've been cause for worry," he said as if it was the most natural thing to escape his lips

[Truths and Secrets] SIERRA Everything in my head urged me to push him away. Even the voices warned me it was perilous to want this man. Nonetheless, the longer we kissed, the more I craved. Kissing him was like an insatiable hunger I never knew I had. It was unlike anything I ever felt with Jensen and despite my fear, I refused to loosen my hold on him. Who knew kissing could arouse such carnal yearnings? Sebastian pushed me up against the wall, his hands and lips synchronized to electrify my body with sparks, making me want to fuse with his. How did I not know this sort of bliss existed in the world? Had my love for Jensen clouded my mind so much I didn’t know I deserved more? Pain gripped my temples unexpectedly, and I whimpered, which sounded more like a moan. As the pain coursed through my body, I winced, gripping Sebastian’s arms. Strangely enough, Sebastian's body heat seemed to amplify the throbbing in my head. I wanted to break free from his grip. The pain was unbearable

[First Failed Attempt] ZAIDEN My eyes glowed red with anger at my disability to capture the princess. I failed. I had one objective and I failed. How could I have allowed that to happen? I stormed through the walls of the Tudor-styled three-story castle, the clump of my footsteps echoing on the tiled flooring and bouncing off the wall-papered walls. As soon as I was inside, floor-to-ceiling doors slammed shut behind me, caging me inside a dark entryway—sophisticated and decorated in intricately designed woodwork. Priceless artifacts and paintings of those gone on before adorned the walls. For centuries, brick walls and sections of decorative siding made from wooden beams and white stucco held the structure together, while narrow, multi-paned windows grouped to reflect the castle’s medieval roots and allow enough light to enter the home. I stalked toward my father’s quarters. As I neared the door, a guard stepped in front of me, blocking my path from going further. His face remaine