All Chapters of Midnight Bride: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

After we shift back into our wolf forms, we head outside of the cave and tilt our heads back to smell the air. Nothing came around the cave last night, thankfully, and now we have to depart from here before they find us. Though I don’t hear them right this second, I know the hunt for us has only begun.They will keep coming until they find us.Valeria looks over at me, her dark fur framing her bright blue eyes, which makes my heart thud even harder. She hears it, but seems to dismiss the uptick in beats. Hopefully, she thinks it’s only nerves.I motion with my head for us to head further down the river. She follows behind me, but doesn’t go far from my left flank. After several minutes of walking, she nudges my side with her nose, and I turn to see what the issue is.In all the commotion of my random thoughts, we had passed by a bear and her cub, which were several feet away, playing. They never stop to even look at us, but continue on with their game. An image of Valeria playing with

As Kendric grips me by my waist, I’m not sure what’s going on. He still hasn’t responded, and it’s been several minutes since I asked him what is going on. For him to look so shaken up, I don’t know what that dhampir has done.He inhales a deep breath, his chest pushing against my bare legs. “You don’t understand.”“Of course, I don’t understand. Not when you aren’t speaking to me. You have to tell me what went on back then. Why did he call you his master’s mad dog?”The term isn’t something I’m familiar with, but I’ve also lived a very secluded life. Kendric had his suspicions about what Micah was really doing, so maybe this was all tied into his thoughts.“That is what Micah called me.”The words send a chill down my spine. “But Micah is dead.”He nods, his head gently moving across my stomach, then turns his head to look up at me with unshed tears lining his eyes. “I told you I thought there was someone else behind this, didn’t I? Everything is like a blur right now and I don’t kno

I’m not even sure what hurts, but I start checking her for injuries. “What hurts? What happened? Did you bump a branch? Do you have a splinter? What happened while you were outside? Please tell me, baby.”There isn’t anyone outside, so I know she didn’t get attacked.Finally, she looks up at me and pats at her chest. “I don’t understand much, but being away from you makes me miserable. My wolf can’t stand it, and neither can I. Why does it hurt so much?”That simple explanation brings me joy, because it means her wolf longs for me just as I long for her. It means we’re on the same page, though we haven’t completed the bond yet. “I won’t push you to complete the mating bond, but that pain you’re feeling is because it’s not complete. Staying close will help until you feel comfortable enough to complete it.”She nods and steps into my warm, waiting arms. Her scent instantly envelops me. It’s sweet, wild, like a rain-soaked forest and I can feel the pull between us humming stronger with e

Kendric starts toward the door, his movements stiff, too measured, as if each step is being forced through thick resistance. Something in the air shifts with him, subtle but undeniable, like the room just lost a degree of warmth.My eyes track him, unease crawling beneath my skin like cold fingers trailing along my spine.Ever since I asked about the “mad dog,” his answer has lingered. It was half-formed, evasive. He gave me just enough to silence the moment, but not the truth. Not the part that matters.He reaches the door again, his hand hovering over the knob, knuckles pale with tension. He still hasn’t looked back. Hasn’t reached for my hand. Not even a glance. Like he's already halfway gone.Something is definitely wrong. I can feel it in my gut, in the silence pressing at my ears like static.“Kendric,” I say, voice sharper now, edged with fear that I didn’t mean to show. “What are you hiding?”The question hangs heavy between us, thickening the air. He freezes, but not fully, j

The room is dark, but the worst part is the blindfold covering my eyes. I can smell everything, including the blood that is leaking down my back in droves. By now, it’s probably coating the floor beneath me, making puddles.When I shift my body, I can feel something wet and sticky beneath me, confirming just that.The man cackles behind me as he readies his whip again. It’s not the first time that I have suffered from such abuse, though I had hoped those days were behind me.This is nothing. I will have to make it through.“Scream for us, darling. The boss needs to hear those pretty, shrill screams. One more should do the trick.”He cracks the whip again, tearing flesh from bone as it connects with my skin. The scream tears free from my lungs and then I quieten as I slouch forward. My head rests on the concrete flooring, which smells horrid.I can feel myself giving up. Too much more of this, and I may finally die.Suddenly, I hear someone telling him it’s enough and to stop. I have n