Dakota The bristles of a brush glided through my hair like gentle waves. Sara styled my hair, placing tiny jeweled pins in them. My heart gunned into overdrive, losing rhythm and making the rest of my body tremble. Meeting Axton's family was a big deal. I shouldn't be worried, considering that the chance of a future with him was bleak. But I was uncomfortable and beating myself up. "Stay still, Dakota. You're trembling." Sara's eyebrows drew together and her eyes bore through me with genuine concern. "What was I even thinking to agree to this? I'm setting myself up for heartbreak." I feared the consequences of this visit to the pack house and have played a thousand scenarios of how things would go bad. My greatest fear was Axton's reaction when he eventually finds out my true identity. It tore at my insides like a pack of wolves tearing at their prey. Maybe I was overreacting, maybe nothing was going to happen. "Stop," I said to Sara and got on my feet. Walking back and for

Dakota With pounding feet and layers of icy sweat, I raced down the staircase with a loud thud. The maids stood frozen in place, their eyes widening with interest when I rushed past them. "Wait!" Axton broke into a run, yelling at me. Ignoring him, I fled through the heavy front door. The sun shone brightly on my face, momentarily blinding me. The pain I felt now was even more intense than the day I was banished. I felt like I'd been struck by the lightning of doom and I didn't know how long I was going to recover from this heartbreak. I was so stupid to fall in love with Axton. So damn stupid. My feet raced past the artificial fountain. Blinded by hot tears, I kept running to god knows where. Terror choked my heart. Why did I ever think lying was the answer? I should have told Axton who I was to prevent this heartbreak. Yet, I told string after string of lies, and now they've caught up with me and come to bite me in the butt. I trapped Axton in a web of deceit that he

Dakota What do they say about shattered hopes? They leave behind broken dreams, a heaviness in the heart that lingers like a haunting shadow. Then from the fragments, one can rebuild a stronger and more resilient spirit. All of it was a bunch of crap. I felt empty, useless, and without any hope. All that was left was to crawl into a hole. Axton broke me. Did I blame him? Not one bit. The poor man was innocent. He gave my life meaning and made me laugh and live again. All that went right out the window. I couldn't go inside the cabin. The memories of Axton lingered in there and it hurt. My legs began moving on their own, trembling with every step. I walked some distance away from the cabin. The scorching sun beat down on me but it was the least of my worries. I began moving past several houses and areas I hadn't been to before. I had nothing to look forward to in the Desert Canines pack. Even if Axton let me stay, it would be very difficult to look past the pain and heartbrea

Axton Feeling like time was slowing down, I sat beside Elias in the rowdy casino, bright lights flashing from slot machines and other gaming tables. The noise was deafening as gamblers of legal age excitedly placed bets, babbling over one another. Despite shuffling my chips and receiving my card from my dealer, my mind was somewhere else. I couldn't stop thinking about Dakota. Whenever her face flashed in my memory, my stomach hardened with hurt and a painful tightness almost threatened to squeeze the air out of my throat, making it difficult for me to breathe. I missed her. So fucking much that it hurt. My heart ached for her, for the way her smile lit up a room, for the sound of her laughter, her intoxicating beauty, and curves more dangerous than any mountain road. Get it together, Axton! She's harmful and toxic, and I shouldn't be yearning for her touch. It's like a war within me, my mind telling me to stay away but my heart begging for her to come back. Why can't I jus

Dakota Sara and I froze like deer caught in hindsight. My heart raced with fear. The van felt suffocating and I struggled to catch my breath. Axton's piercing gaze locked onto mine, his eyes burning with a feverish intensity. My gaze fell to the ground as I couldn't bring myself to look at him. There was a tense silence around me as the guards watched the events unfold. Elias's eyes never left Sara's and Olivia looked guilty as hell. I narrowed my gaze at her, hoping that she had a very acceptable explanation as to why she involved Axton in this. Axton stretched out his hand to help bring me down from the van. I hesitated for a moment, feeling a sudden heat all over my body. It didn't help that my stupid wolf was jumping with excitement at our mate and the mating scent filled my nostrils. When his hand touched mine, I felt a jolt of electricity and quickly pulled away, jumping down on my own. Axton dropped his hand back to his side and stepped aside. There was no escap