I swiped a few ice packs from the store and marched over to my room, throwing them down on the bed while I quickly stripped off the turtle neck blouse I'd worn this morning. Now only in my bra, I dropped down on the chair behind the dresser and looked in the mirror. Blood blanched out of my face. "Goddess..." The area around my neck was a sickening shade of red and purple. A clog formed at the back of my throat. This would never have happened if I was back at my coven... If things were different, if Hecate didn't decide to ruin my life--I would've probably been back home fending off bribes from my aunts to clean up the coven. Then they would've gotten guilty for making me clean up the damage from a party they'd thrown for me and volunteered to be test monkeys for my fashion projects. The lump at the back of my throat swole until I could feel my eyes sting. And it didn't help that I just kept feeling like everything will only get worse as time went on. My grey eyes watered and

Lan carried on in stony silence and neither of us said anything else for the rest of the drive. I think I must have slept off, because I jerked awake when the car lurched on something. Blinking open my groggy eyes, I looked into the darkness around me. We were slowing into a dirt path. My gaze fixated on the windscreen. I watched as he maneuvered the car down the rocky lane and into a really wide clearing. On the large space, numerous cabins were scattered around. While the rest parked at an isolated spot, Lan continued to go further down, riding up a low hill to get to a place with fewer trees. He came to a stop before a large cabin, killing the engine. He got out before me, going on to heft out the bags in the boot, including mine, then he proceeded to carry them up the narrow steps of the dark cabin. Getting out, I followed after him, climbing up the wooden steps that led to the small porch. Passing by a patio chair, I went in through the narrow entrance. Bright moonlight poured

The lycans below crouched, rearing to attack. While they were lean and toned, the bears were huge and robust, and despite myself, a part of me started to grow scared for them.But the fear vanished once a bear dropped down on all fours and attacked, surging forward with a bone-chilling roar. A huge lycan dashed at it with lethal speed, leaping on his hind legs to tackle it down, slicing a claw down its face. A roar of pain rose up from the bear even as excited cheers sounded. The cheers soon died down when a bear landed on another lycan, digging its teeth into his shoulder. When next it rose its mouth, it was bloody and contained a chunk of flesh. Nausea roiled in my stomach.Another lycan dove for the bear, knocking it off while throwing punches at it in rapid successions, large canines bared in a snarl. The bear clamped its teeth around a wrist and bit down hard, eliciting a loud howl.Two bears ganged up on a lycan. One tackling him to the ground

The next day I awoke on my narrow bed, my hands held up above my head: Lan sucking a spot on my neck. "You're awake," he murmured against my skin.I barely had time to think before he stripped me down to my waist, cupping a breast in his rough palm. Once he dipped his head down to close his hot mouth over a nipple, I rose off the bed as a surge of pleasure attacked me. I grew fully awake, my confusion melting away.My breathing picked up once he bit down on the bud and licked away the sting, groaning around my flesh, "Gods, Willow... Can't get enough of you."Shock jolted through me when the rest of my clothes came off. "Lan--""Shh," he said absently, slowly running a rough hand up my sides. "I want to see you."The intensity in his gaze robbed me of breath. Masculine sounds broke out of his chest as he slowly explored me, sliding his hands over my skin while my breaths shallowed. His eyes met mine the same time he started a slow trail up my inner

awaynext day, Lan was cold.As warriors trooped into the cabin to heft out hunting equipments, he turned to lock expressionless eyes on me just as I emerged from the room with my travel bag, back in my ugly grey gown.He said in a tone lacking of emotion, "Is that everything?"Something in me stung. I did not expect him to speak kindly to me in the presence of his men, and I knew if we were to continue what we had here in the castle, it'd be done behind closed doors, away from the eyes of his people. I'd be his dirty little secret. Something in my stomach twisted.I should have more self respect than to agree to be someone he would be ashamed to show in front of his people. I should. Sucking in a breath, I pasted a smile on my face and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."His jaw clenched imperceptibly.If I'd thought he was merely being cold to me due to his men being in the same vicinity as us, I was wrong. In the solace of his car, he didn't sp