I don’t know if I fell asleep or was just hovering between the fuzzy comfort of Ezra wrapped around me. But I slowly came back to a clearer reality that was filled with relief. I squeezed him tightly and looked up at him. He was awake, his eyes penetrating over his stoic face. He silently brushed some of my tear-matted hair away from my face. “Can you fill me in, please?” I was surprised that wasn’t my first demand, but his presence distracted me in ways I didn’t know I needed. Now, I could focus on the future with a clearer head after I shed some of that heavy lingering weight of grief.____His calloused fingertips trailed over my back. “Not as bad as I’m sure you’re thinking.” He eyed me. “The werecats have not entered the packhouse. They are waiting for you.”I sat up a bit so I could fully see his face. “I’m not entirely sure why. Ceremony maybe, respect.” He shrugged. “They are staying on the lands, though, securing them for you.” “The other Alphas and Lunas?” I asked. They
I wanted so badly for that to be an easy yes. I knew beyond a doubt that I wanted what was best for him, and I was not his mate. Even if I had lost faith in The Goddess, it did not mean she had forsaken him. And what of his mate? What of her? Could I add any more terrible things to my list by denying her a mate? The thought of his destined mate met me with sadness and a hot jealousy. I bet she was fucking perfect. But that’s what he deserved. He deserved true, unrelenting happiness. But it wasn’t just because of the horrible things he went through; it was because of who he was. “What of your mate?” I asked. “I told you, we made sure we didn’t get one.” I sat up and turned his arm over, tracing the outlines of that mark he and his brothers shared. It felt cold at first but then sent a jolt through me. Ezra’s eyes widened. “Whose to say you’re not my true mate, anyway?” he asked. I snorted. “I don’t think The Moon Goddess thinks that highly of me.” “Why do you say that?” “I’m w
That night, we talked of everything and nothing. I was finally free. I didn’t have to hide. We didn’t have to sneak around. I wasn’t worried that someone would find us or checking to make sure I wasn’t late and where I should be. I felt freedom for the first time in years, and it was airy bliss.____The next morning it was Tia who timidly knocked on my door. I had awoken in Ezra’s arms after not knowing when I fell asleep. After he checked me twice and helped me walk to the bathroom, even though I felt better than fine, he finally agreed with me and gave me some space to get ready.I went to my closet and couldn’t find anything that I even remotely liked. It wasn’t just because of the memories these dated dresses held. I purposely chose the clothes that weren’t right for me, the ones that would swallow me or not fit me right. Just something a little off where I wouldn’t look good, but not wrong enough for people’s gazes to linger on me. Tia was bouncing up and down beside me. “W
The place was silent. Nova broke into a radiant smile, and the other werecats looked around in awe as if that power would come back. But I knew it wasn’t gone; it seeped deep into these lands. Ezra’s arm was around me, and he let out a long breath into my hair. “That was… amazing,” he whispered. “Terrifying, but amazing,” I swear he almost shuddered, but I knew it was out of worry, not terror. I motioned to the packhouse, but Nova shook her head. “The packhouse was not built by us, but there is something beneath that has belonged to our kind. I will wait until the other Alphas have left to investigate.”I ignored my curiosity for now, hoping she would share with me later. “As you wish.” ______“If you need more time, I will give you as long as you need,” I told Nolan, but I didn’t truly know if I could live up to that. “No,” He shook his head, sighing as he settled back into his father’s chair in his old office. “No, I need to do something. I don’t think I could process it right n
“He’s here,” I whispered to Ezra. “I’m going to find him.” I went to turn, but he grabbed my elbow, placing a palm on my face. He lowered his forehead to mine. “Go get him,” he said, placing a hungry kiss against my lips before letting me go.I turned from him, knowing that he had everything else covered, that he would not leave this packland either by me or contained by his brothers.This was what true partnership must be like. I smiled at that. Once this was over, to whatever end after the certain death I would inflict on Miles, I knew I had him and his support.I wasn’t doing it alone anymore.I let that knowledge of safety and trust wash over me as I sunk deep into that place I had learned as a child. As I descended deep into that well I let myself hear the voices that I spent so much time trying to suppress. Instinct and logic. Emotions can fuel you, but they do not decide your course—my dad told me, helping me up. She’s a natural - my mother’s worried yet proud face came into
End him - Aksala growled and retreated to the back of my mind, waiting. Her excited rage was palpable.I walked up to my father's desk that he had the nerve to sit at. My finger brushed the familiar polished wood and pain clawed at me. This was the last part, I silently promise my mother and father. Grief had no place here, not yet. I focused instead on the sheets of paper. They started out legible, numbers that might have been accounts, a list of names, but then scribbles drowned in black ink marred the rest of the pages. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of watching him even out of the corner of my eye. It was an insult to not even watch your opponent. But I didn’t see him as one, and he knew that.When I looked up, he wasn’t afraid anymore. He was staring at me with the disgust I should have worn for him. His eyes were black, skin pale and etched with those crawling inky veins. He looked and felt… wrong.“You cannot be this shocked to see me standing here,” I started. “I won’
He didn’t break eye contact, and I braced for the fight. Then, he ran so fast that he almost tripped over the carpet.Ready to hunt? - I asked Aksala.I’m craving blood - She growled in response.I shed any part of me that thought this might be a bit sadistic and was left with a blazing fury that yearned for this game. Ten seconds, Miles - I crooned through the link - Are you running, or are you hiding?I stood in the very same place I had knelt in my parent's blood. I had come back triumphant, the leader of the pack that had taken me.So much blood had been spilled on my pack, but I was more than willing to add to it. I flipped the dagger in my hand, cool and unrelenting. It was as part of me as anything now. Blood Moon would not die. I stalked out of the office, ready for justice that I already knew would taste so bitterly sweet.Even without that power, he had that drew me to him, I could have found him based on scent alone. But I wanted to play. I wanted him to feel as much
He left a trail of blood behind him. I almost wondered if he were trying to give up; it didn't matter; his death would not be easy. So, I followed him through the packhouse, my packhouse, until his footsteps stopped. I hunted him down the hall where Ezra and I had stood previously, it was the place I was that night when I found, but those memories were only fuel for my vengeance. I want you to know that you will be erased from history entirely. Everything you hoped to have achieved, everything you wanted, was for nothing. I’ll give you some time to process that. I studied the dust through the shut windows, and the room, and…. Was he really hiding behind a curtain? The only thing you’ll be remembered for is the color in this hall I’ll have matched to your blood. I mentally calculated the height and walked towards the curtain, sticking the dagger through the fabric and, hopefully, through his manhood. The pig-like squeal I elicited from him told me I hit at least one of the m