RIDER It's a small jerk, then another and then the sound of sputtering that pulls me from my reverie and to her side. I lift my mate, helping her to sit forward as she coughs up water swallowed from having gone under. Halie immediately wraps her arms around my neck, shivering, pressing her mouth to mine and I return her kiss in fervor. Maybe she didn't think I'd make it while I was losing hope that she'll remain alive. Halie pulled back, staring into my face for a while, tears streamed down her cheeks, lips trembling and I pulled her closer, squeezing her against my chest. She didn't need to say anything. I already knew and understood. "You actually came," she whispers. "For me. " "I promised I'll always find you, didn't I?" "That's so corny. " Halie chuckles against me and I soak everything up, determined not to let these memories slip. I decided here and then that I was going to do better, be better for her. Believe in her. "Erhem, " Someone coughs from behind me, and Halie pe
RIDER I can't move. I think I might have broken every bone in my body, plus the additional ones that were broken prior to embarking on this adventure. Now that I had the time, I felt every radiation of f**king pain soaring through my body. "Hey, " Halie whispers, her face contorted in concern as he held onto me. "You're going to be okay. There's so much blood" She chuckles nervously. "So much blood but you're going to be okay, I promise. " 'Okay' I told her, even if she couldn't hear me. But I trusted her. I can hear Veron, thank goddess he was still breathing, Quinn still in enough shape to make jokes. I can almost smile at the thought. I can't believe we actually won a f**king war, killed Ragna. I killed a Red Devil. Yeah I was never going to live this one down. Something cold slips into my veins, my eyes opening momentarily finding Halie still beside me. She glances up with a smile, her eyes moving back to whatever she was doing. Her small hands skim my fur, chest relaxing as sh
I was still pissed that Rider took his ex along but I knew he didn't do it on purpose. It's not like he could send her back. Besides the whole fact that I can't even think straight, Moi is dead and in the heat of things, Rider decides to admit that he loves me. Now, his pregnant ex tags along. I've been avoiding him for days now ever since we started the journey back to his pack. It's not that I dont love him, I do, but I'm confused as to where we go from here. If Gale hadn't rotted me out, I had agreed to leave Rider be. The guilt still gnaws at me, especially after what we shared last night and some part of me thinks it would be the right thing to do. Especially with a baby on the way. Sam would only continue to be petty and would likely require Rider for everything, even lifting a cup of water. I walk around checking on the pack members, smiling at the little kids. They were all so terrified. I had eavesdropped on some of their conversation a little earlier, hearing someone ment
RIDER I watched as Halie left, feeling the longing in her heart to stay. I wanted her to stay but she couldn't. With Jax gone, my father and the new Alpha would try to keep both her and Moi in holding. It had to be something special why an Alpha of all ranks chose a human for a mate. I haven't even divulged that she was my mate. But I wasn't gonna wait around for either secs to accept it. I only stayed to ensure there was no abuse of the Red Devil pack members. I was standing behind Halie's oath to give them safe passage. Which is what the argument between us is. "We rebuilt most of the destroyed buildings, men are working on the fences to get them up again. " Oliver explains. He is just as exhausted as I am at our Alpha's stubbornness. He might have been his father-in-law, but I swear Oliver rolls his eyes and mutters beneath his breath 'If it wasn't for Allison and the pup'. No one wants to deal with either of them. Neither my father or the current Alpha and the fact that I was
RIDER I hurried home, running through the living area and headed for my room grabbing my travel bag. I hadn't seen Halie since she left, haven't heard from her, wouldn't even know who to ask. But I had promised that we'd only be apart temporarily and I meant it. 'You're leaving!!' Quinn's voice screams in my head. 'When were you planning on telling me this?' 'Hopefully before you had the chance of screaming my ear off' I responded in the link. 'I give up my position too' Oliver says joining the conversation. I pause, grabbing a shirt and then two more. I wasn't sure how long I'd get to stay with her- not that I was hurrying, but I couldn't put off going to find Jax either. The asshole hadn't left a clue about his whereabouts and I pray to Selene that he hasn't gone Berserker either, but I'm almost sure he might have said something to Moi about where he might be. And that's what I'm counting on. 'No you can't' I reply to Oliver. 'What? You just walked away from yours'. 'I'm thi
Cascade Falls was where my best friend, that was busy searching her over run closet for a flashlight grew up, and our current place of residence for the next eight weeks. Current because this was NOT where I pictured spending the two best months, aka free days of summer three months ago. I had pictured a beach somewhere, hiding the sun, maybe skinny dipping, being harassed by some guy before turning him down -again. Instead, I got a mock up of what would be considered abandoned Texas only it has trees, people didn't hail each other with "howdy folks" or wore hats and cow boy boots, wheeling guns. But in my opinion maybe if they had, it'd have made this town plenty interesting. I sighed again. So much for a great summer! My body flipped back into the queen size bed with a thud, the mattress hugging my body with so much softnesss, I swore I fell in a cotton candy cloud. "Yes!" Shouted Moi waving the poor flashlight in her hand triumphantly. I instantly felt sad. I had hoped she would
The mutt-wolf-thing stared at me slobbering, water draining from his mouth like a water fall. Ewww! Why the hell was his mouth watering like that! Halie, focus! I reminded myself. It stared, his eyes still connected with mine tracking my every move. With every breath I took, I inched away, I couldn't be eaten tonight. I'd just gotten to Cascade Falls two day now, I wasn't that weak to not survive a dumb story. Pft, how the hell did I know that whatever it was, was actually real? Could be a disgusting guy in costume. Just saying, this world was filled with creeps with weird habits. My hand reached back, crunching a leaf behind me, causing the slobbering beast to charge forward, so close I thought there was no way he'd be able to brake in time before not slamming into me. Within those few minutes I saw my own death announcement headline. Girl found dead, squashed against a tree, perpetrator still at large. My eyes tightened close, bracing for the impending impact as I heard skidding
The music down stairs blasted, our bed shaking vigorously as if we were in the middle of an earthquake. Moi laid against the bed, pillows covering her head to keep the noise out. Her brother actually kept the party. It wasn't a surprise, but I knew she'd get pulled into his punishment. If anything Lorenzo never accepted being wrong. "Okay, that's it!" I exclaimed jumping from the bed fed up with the noise. Moi's blue head peaked from below the pillows. "Where you going?" "Downstairs to give that prick of your brother a piece of my mind!" I replied stomping towards the door. "He's absolutely inconsiderate. " "Wait, Halie, no! " I waved her off moving through the door into the sea of jirating young adults that were too busy partying the night away. Bodies moved seductively as I dug my feet into the ground desperate to get through the crowd and find the asshole. The kitchen was less packed but after glancing around a few times, I knew he wasn't there either. I rolled my eyes thinkin