All Chapters of For Blood Or Beast: Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Delia’s POV “You're getting really good at this Delia.” Marcus said and I grinned. “What can I say? I had a really good teacher.” I teased and was pleased to see a flush rise up his cheeks. “All I did was show you a few moves.” He said abashedly. I clicked my tongue “Oh come off it. You definitely did a lot more than that.” I insisted but he shook his head “No. I'm serious. All this progress was all you. And I gotta say, I'm impressed at how far you've come in such a short time.” I glanced at the bent out of shape straw man that had been my battering ram for the past nine days. I wasn't as good as Marcus was making me out to be. Not yet at least. But I worked hard and constantly to make sure I progressed. I could throw proper punches now and I had all but mastered a grounded fighting stance. It would take quite a while for me to get to the level where I could take on an opponent in hand to hand combat. I wondered if I would ever be able to fight wolves or even

Delia’s POVI stared unseeing at the ceiling, my mind numb, my thoughts far away. I’d been awake for some time now, but I just couldn’t generate enough will to get out of bed. I’d listened to the morning come and go without much interest in partaking of it. The maid had been by with my morning and then afternoon meals, leaving them outside my door. I let each meal pass without evening checking to see what she’d brought. Annalise had been over twice already, but I hadn’t bothered to answer her calls or knocks. I didn’t get up when Marcus came calling yet again either. Just like the other four days prior, I stayed put in wallowing in my self-induced semi-comatose state. Nothing was enough to make me generate enough will to leave that bed. Not my friends. Not the gnawing hunger in the pit of my stomach. Not the ache in my limbs from being in one place for so long. I wanted to stay so still that I could pass away if no one was noticing. I’d had quite enough of this meaningless existence.

Delia’s POVFour days later, I was still reeling from my last encounter with Graeme. I’d gone from sad and destitute, to furious. How dare he do these things to me? How dare he treat me like this? How dare he drive me crazy? And why, oh why couldn’t I stop thinking about him. I hated him so much at the moment but no matter how much I tried to, I couldn’t get him out of my head. He was there constantly, lingering at the back of my mind the entire day. My brain was firing erratically, trying to do the impossible task of finding something else to focus on. All was in vain. I had no peace at night either, for he would slip into my dreams unbidden, bringing passion and softness and all the good things of life. And when I woke, he would vanish, leaving me bereft all over again. Making a sound of disgust at myself, I got off my bed, unable to stand being crowded in my own head a second longer. I needed some sort of distraction, so I decided to take a walk and see if it would help. I thre

Graeme’s POVI stepped back. “Ramona.” A warning in my tone.Her smile widened, eyes glittering. “Ah, still so proper. Even now. Even after everything.”“There is no everything.” I snapped and she raised cocked her head, the gesture so familiar that it forced me to flash back. The memories slammed into me before I could block them — her mouth on mine, her body beneath me, the wild hunger that had once driven us both past reason. And the bitterness when I'd ended it, cold and final, for reasons she had never quite forgiven.She watched me intently, a lazy amusement coloring her gaze that I didn’t much appreciate. “Surely you don’t mean that. Is it that you’ve forgotten or that you don’t dare remember?”She purred stalking closer towards me. To my great embarrassment, I took several steps back before I caught myself. Her smile widened. My jaw clenched. “Is it someone who forces you to forget Graeme? Perhaps… a certain newly-turned mutt?” She said teasingly and my hands clenched into f

Graeme’s POVEverything was slowly coming together. I just needed a few more things to make it all align. After my talk with Oswald, I had gone into action, reaching out to the leaders of the other preternatural communities. I’d asked them about their relations with the vampires and subtly indicated at my dissatisfaction with our fanged preternaturals. Then, I suggested an alliance between shifters. One that might stand a chance at standing against any and all ‘opposing forces’ that might try to prey on us. I’d kept my missive vague deliberately, wanting enough plausible deniability to claim innocence just incase they were aligned with the vampires already. There was a delicate dance to be played here and if I wasn’t careful, Zachary might claim self defense and would finally have a reason to attack my pack openly with the full force of his clan behind him. A few odd vampires we could handle, but the entire clan would cost too many wolves than I was willing to spare.It was importa