Lya The note Cody had passed to me outlined times I needed to be at the training grounds, which also happened to be times he knew Oliver had prior obligations that would keep him out of the packhouse and away from the grounds. Today, he was supposed to be at the school, overseeing how the high school students were doing with their own training. It seemed like this pack revolved around being prepared, which didn’t quite make sense seeing as so many people bragged about how there had been primarily peace for so long. I trudged over to the training grounds, taking as much time as I could spare. Rose had made sure to apologize before she started with riling Tala and me up so we could shift, but her words still bothered me. Maybe she was right. Maybe he hadn’t said something about me being his mate because he didn’t want me. Maybe he’d prefer someone who had had a good relationship with their wolf for their whole life. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough for him and he was just going to reje

Lya The book I had found on my bed was interesting, to say the least. It had been wrapped in an old cloth, and the warmth under my skin when I skimmed my hand over the cover confirmed it was embossed with silver. Given it seemed to be a book about werewolves, and we had a sensitivity to silver, that was a peculiar choice. I wondered if it was filled with information they didn’t want just anyone reading. I hadn’t gotten much into the book - just the introduction of the Wulver Pack, its location, and when it came into existence - when there was a knock on the door. I went over to open it, not at all surprised that Oliver was on the other side. 'Lya, mate!' Tala insisted. I just rolled my eyes at her. Ever since I had chastised her for not telling me Oliver was our mate, she had made a point of announcing it every time we saw him. It was getting annoying.'I get it, now leave me alone,' I growled, frustrated by her nagging. 'But mate! Mate is right there!' “Hi,” Oliver said with a

Lya I blinked my eyes open, praying to whatever was out there that it was morning. Sleep hadn't come easily, and I hoped with everything in me that it’d be early enough to start the day, but only moonlight seeped in from the windows. I reached across the bed for the familiar warmth I had relied on whenever I woke up the past few nights, but nothing was there. I sat up, looking around. It slowly hit me that I was alone. While I wished for that when I was awake, it was something I dreaded overnight. I understood exactly why. He was my mate, whether I wanted him or not, and a part of me would always need him. But I did want him. I wanted all of him. Even if I didn’t want to admit it to anyone just yet. I stumbled out of bed, following the smell of an incoming rainstorm down the hall. I opened the door, breathing in as his scent wafted toward me. “Ollie?” I asked hesitantly, hoping he wouldn’t turn me away for intruding. “Lya.” He said my name as a reverent whisper. He was

Lya I dragged myself out of the training ground. Three more hours of grueling work for the second day in a row had been tough. Yeah, I was pretty athletic, but this was a whole different ball game than kickboxing a couple times a week. “You’re better than I had thought,” Cody said with a pat on the back. “Whatever your cousins taught you was pretty good.” I smiled sheepishly. “I haven’t seen them in a few years at this point. Maybe if I ever see them again, I can kick their asses instead of them pulverizing me.” He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Whose side of your family were they on” “My dad’s,” I answered, a little confused by the question. “They made sure to stay in touch even after he hightailed it.” Cody nodded slowly, but made no attempts to loop me in on whatever he was thinking about. “Tomorrow, wolf form.” I looked up at him a little shocked. “I-I’m not sure how reliably I can shift…” I stuttered. He just shrugged. “Gotta figure it out sometime, kid.” He turned, walki

Lya Time at the pack passed in such an odd way. Things that would seem so small to others - like a spur of the moment lunch date with a stranger - were a huge deal, while monumental things came across as expected and ordinary. Maybe it was just how my brain processed things, not how pack life was different. Oliver and I didn’t get our run in the day before yesterday, and for that, I felt bad. Instead, we went over to his grandmother’s cottage so she could talk to my wolf. It was so interesting willingly letting Tala come forward and take control, while I just sat back and watched from the sidelines. All she wanted to know was how exactly silver affected Tala. Tala’s answer surprised me, too. Basically, it seemed like the silver just suppressed her presence, making my more human traits come forward. My scent, my senses, all the way down to silver just coming across as an allergic reaction, it was more humanesque. It hurt her significantly, but it didn’t shut her out like I thought f