The drive back to the training complex took longer than I would have liked. While Trevor was resting his hand on my thigh and rubbing his thumb up and down, I had a few minutes for my shifter healing to start working through the alcohol I had consumed. By the time we arrived, my buzz was significantly less, and the fog from my lust was wearing down slightly. My confidence wavered and I started thinking of a way to back out of this without completely embarrassing myself or offending Trevor. It’s not his fault that I said yes and then had doubts. We pulled in close to the building where the guys bunk and my heart started racing. I hadn’t come up with a good enough excuse yet and I’m running out of time. While I sat there in a panic, Trevor came around and opened the door for me. He was being such a gentleman. Taking his hand as I climbed out of the car, our eyes suddenly locked. As soon as I was standing, he wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me in close. “Don’t be n
Since Trevor and I hadn’t really talked much before and never ran in the same crowds, I didn’t have his phone number. I saw him plenty during the week at trainings and around the complex, but I wasn’t sure where to find him over the weekends. I knew I could have used the mind-link to reach out but dropping in on him like that just felt wrong considering the circumstances and the nature of the conversation I wanted to have. I thought it was important to have this conversation in person, and I didn’t want to come across as desperate either. I did my best to remain patient in hopes of running into him casually, but it was Sunday night now, and I hadn’t seen him since I left his room on Saturday morning. Maybe he went home to see his family for a day or two. If that’s the case, he should be back already, or headed back soon. Everywhere I went, I felt like people were staring at me and whispering about the rumors that were circulating. I’d heard a few of them. One said that Brent w
*Back to Present Day*(A week after the prologue) After more than a year of carefully cultivating my reputation, I was happy with where I landed. The men in the pack respected me and treated me well. They knew that if they wanted to use my services, they needed to follow my rules and expectations. As much as I wanted to help men who were struggling or in a bad place, I did not tolerate disrespect. There were a few men I had to put on my blacklist, but the others quickly learned from their mistakes and helped to spread the word on how to stay on my good side. The women in the pack were a different story. They didn’t like me or trust me. I often caught them whispering to each other when I was around, but it was easy enough for me to ignore them. People can be ignorant and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not worth my time and effort to try and change their minds. They knew that I didn’t sleep with mated wolves, but they still looked at me like I was trying to take their
Broken Warriors?!?! Is that what she thinks of all these men? Men like my father? That they are broken. I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything and I can taste the coppery tang of my own blood. I can’t believe Jill just said that, especially to me. I made it clear and explained to her in great detail from the beginning how I witnessed the way it helped my father to cope, and I knew that it could help other warriors as well. I always knew she disagreed with my choices, but I thought she at least understood them. If I didn’t have another purpose in the pack, maybe this is what I was made for. I’ve already been hurt enough that I’ve learned how to keep my emotions out of it, and I’ve seen the way it has helped so many warriors clear their heads and move forward with their lives. Yes, there was the occasional jerk that couldn't be helped by what I offered, but most of the men I serviced showed vast improvement after a night with me. All through dinner I was stewing over Ji
Jill wasn’t kidding when she said the dress she designed was perfect for me. She created the most stunning gown I’ve ever seen in my life and when I tried it on, it fit me like a glove, as if she’d had me there for fittings every step of the way. She’s too good to me, and I don’t deserve a friend like her. My dress was a glittery gold fabric that sparkled like diamonds. It had a sweetheart neckline with a swath of fabric that draped over my right shoulder. The fabric disappeared behind a small gold belt at the waist, and there was a high slit that went to the top of my left thigh. The hem line hit the floor perfectly in the front, and began to pool around the sides, and became a train in the back. The night of the Blue Moon Ball had arrived, and Jill and I agreed to face it together. She was starting to feel disheartened because she had attended every ball since she turned 18, and she still hadn’t found her mate. I, on the other hand, was terrified because I had never attended
“Mate.” It was the most sensual sound I had ever heard, and the desire was evident in his voice. I hadn’t even seen his face yet, and I was already falling hard for this man, but I was terrified to turn around. What if this was an elaborate ruse to set me up for humiliation? What if he takes one look at me and is disgusted, or worse, he has already chosen a mate and plans to reject me. Images of Brent flash in my mind. That’s exactly what we planned to do. I’ve barely begun to experience the mate bond, and I can already understand why it was so hard for Brent to resist. As much as I dislike Heidi, suddenly I feel like I can empathize with her as I imagine my mate rejecting me for another. The thought sends a sharp pain to my chest, and I stumble forward, but large warm hands reach out to steady me. My skin exploded with pleasurable tingles that made my lower abdomen tighten. This is obviously not a joke or a trick. You can’t fake the effects of the mate bond. He doesn’t sa
I walk into the room and don’t bother to turn the lights on. My heightened senses allow me to see just fine in the dark, and even though I know his sight is just as good in the dark, there’s something comforting about it that makes me feel like I can hide. Atticus closes the door and takes two steps into the room before he stops and just stares at me. There’s a soft glow from the moonlight streaming in through the window. His face is still the perfect mask of indifference, but there is a hint of softness in his eyes again. After a few more moments of silence, Atticus sighs. “Do you mind explaining what that wolf downstairs was talking about?” My heart was racing, and my mouth felt sticky and dry. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I did my best to explain how I ended up with this reputation. “After having my heart broken by Brent and allowing myself to naively be used by other men in the pack, I inadvertently developed a reputation.” I cringe a little from embarrassment as I f
The bar was fairly crowded for a Thursday night. I kept my makeup light, and I wore a black bodycon dress that ended mid-thigh and had an open back with several straps that crisscrossed over each other. I figured black was appropriate since I was mourning the loss of my mate. He wasn’t dead, but with the way my heart was shattered, he might as well have been.My look tonight wasn’t nearly as put together as I would usually fix myself up for a night out, but tonight I wasn’t paying attention to anyone. I was drowning in my sorrows with alcohol and waiting to see if anyone noticed me and approached me to offer any sort of comfort. They had to have all heard what had happened by now.In the back of my mind, I think I knew that sex wouldn’t fix this. In fact, sex is what got me into this mess in the first place, but old habits die hard, and I already lost my fated mate. How much more could I possibly screw things up at this point?I sat alone at the bar and kept the shots of whiske