Oliver I ignored Dr. Whitledge’s request to know where his patient was. He was a smart man, he could figure it out. What was the point of sitting and relaxing in a hospital bed when she could easily do the same thing at home? I had no intentions of letting her out of my sight anytime, either. It was a noble effort, but Lya only lasted all of a half hour before she passed out, slumped over on my shoulder. The firepit was still burning, though, and the Woodford was still being passed around. I had watched her closely before she fell asleep. There was a dam that was going to break, and I wanted as much warning as I could get. She was handling things alarmingly well for now - too well. The only person she truly strayed away from talking to was Liam. I had to wonder if she even realized who he was. My eyes danced back and forth between them, picking out their similarities. They had the same wild mess of red curly hair, freckles, and features, the same eyes that seemed to change colors w
Lya Apparently, the pack had a morgue. I shouldn’t have been surprised by this, but I was. Also apparently, the pack had brought all the rogue bodies back, as well as pack members. This didn’t surprise me. Oliver claimed it was because they died fighting with and for a pack, so they should be treated in death as one. “I don’t understand your mentality toward rogues,” I mumbled. Danica had filled me in on the way most packs treated rogues, and with what happened to Oliver’s father, I was genuinely shocked he did not feel the same. “People should be treated as individuals,” he stated, offering no further clarity. Getting to the morgue had taken forever because people kept stopping us to thank me, congratulate me, praise me. And I didn’t deserve any of it.I had been the catalyst. And now I was being rewarded for starting a war. My eyes scanned the room, expressionless eyes staring into the abyss of nothingness that now consumed them. A lump rose in my throat, hating that so
Oliver In the couple hours that had passed, the entire crew had filtered onto the patio. Trevor and Brandon had ensured everyone - aside from Allyssa and Maggie - always had a beer in hand. Every one of Lya’s questions got answered, and she had given up trying to pass off her newfound alpha title. Her grand plan that someone should just challenge her and she would just concede before the first punch was thrown was laughed off. It was a well known fact that the alphas who had leadership thrust upon them were the ones who upheld the title the best. Lya reached over, grabbing another beer. “So the Beta I choose - do they have to have Wulver blood?” “No,” Cody said. “In fact, there are only a few families left that have Wulver blood at all. I don’t.” “But,” Gregory added, “the alpha always somehow does. When our previous alpha fell, it was between your father and I who would take up the gamut.” “Why didn’t it go to you?” she asked. Gregory offered a rare smile down at Allyssa, w
To all my faithful readers, Mate bonds, plot holes, and unfinished story lines. Oh my! Thank you all so, so much for your commitment to this story, even when life got in the way and updating was not regular. It was such an adventure to write, and I am excited to say the adventure continues in the sequel, "Chase." Your favorite side characters will be pulled to the forefront as the beginning of the war the hunters alluded to takes hold. Mate bonds aren't what everyone wants, and they can prove to be quite the hinderance - especially when they fail to see that the universe has a bigger plan than just their destined lover. No one likes to admit they can be the difference between life and death, etiher. No one truly loves change, but sometimes it's necessary to chase after it. ********* ********* Time passes, things change, and everyone moves on. It’s easy to feel left behind. I always feel left behind. Left behind and forgotten. All my life, I’ve wanted for someone to reac
I run. It’s just who I am. Whenever things get tough, I bail. Every new situation I find myself in, I have an exit strategy. Because I know what could happen if I don’t. Things are about to get bad, and I don’t understand how or why. I’m in a new place, with no pre-existing connections. I’ve developed a life for myself where no one could suspect a thing out of the ordinary. I fit in - or at least try to. But here I am, ready to run. Let’s just hope I do so in time. *** I didn’t ask to be in these shoes. In fact, I was thoroughly looking forward to a life of little more than personal responsibility. I never saw my future tied to this place, no matter how much this place is a part of me. The position was thrust upon me, though, and with no one else left to step up, I had no choice. At the end of the day, I do love it here. These are my people - my family - and this is my home. I couldn’t turn my back, even if I wanted to. That’s a type of betrayal I would never be able to stoma
Lya I looked up at the sky peaking through the branches. Stars twinkled, and what little light from the half moon that made it through the foliage cast a soft glow on the forest floor. This little home I’ve found was an interesting place. We were surrounded by prairies and farmland for hundreds of miles, but the Buffalo Ridge along the Big Sioux River had rolling hills, forest, and a sense of mystery. It was a little taste of home, even if it was just a few miles worth. Just a couple miles east or west and you’d be back to the neverending open spaces until you hit a mountain range. You’d have to follow the river north or south to stick with this little haven. A tear trickled out of the corner of one eye as I begged and bartered in my head with whatever higher power was out there for just a little more time. This latest implosion of my life snuck up on me just a little too fast, and I wasn’t ready for how quickly I needed to get out. Unsurprisingly, nothing answered. Even though
Oliver I blinked sleep out of my eyes as I rolled over in bed, grabbing for my phone that would not stop ringing. One missed call isn’t such a huge deal - repeated calls in the middle of the night start to become worrisome. The caller ID showed a name from the past - someone I hadn’t spoken to in a very long time. He was one of us, but very much on the periphery, really only calling when he needed help. Against my better judgment, I accepted the call. “What?” I barked out. “Good evening to you, too.” He was much too perky for this time of night. “It’s 3 am. Not my definition of evening anymore.” He chuckled. “Well someone isn’t having much fun with their life, then.” I groaned, ready to end the call. “What do you need?” There was a pause, and I could tell the upbeat demeanor vanished. “I need to report a rogue.” That caused me to sit up. Rogues weren’t uncommon - hell, my own brother would now be considered a rogue - but ones worth reporting were. Rogues worth rep
Lya I came to in a familiar place - exactly the opposite of what I hoped. We needed to be far, far away from here. Curled up in front of Trevor’s apartment door was not that. I heard footsteps down the hall, but I didn’t even have the mental fortitude to move. Maybe I could just be arrested and sentenced to death. That’d be one way to be rid of this parasite. 'I’m not a parasite.' That damn voice. 'Go away,' I retorted. 'No.' Great. The footsteps got closer. I would sure be a sight - a naked little girl covered in blood just curled up on the floor. This would definitely get some attention. Why couldn’t I move? Trevor rounded the corner. He was the only person I wanted to see, and the last at the same time. I stared at his shoes as he came to stand in front of me. “Oh, Lya…” he sighed. I offered no response. He helped me stand up, unlocked the door, and guided me inside. I stumbled across the apartment to flop down at the kitchen table. I didn’t want to sit anywhere wh