***POV: Amara***I go in the house quietly. I think about getting in the shower, but I can quiet my mind long enough to get moving in that direction. As the days have passed, I have come to the realization that Trent was just comfortable for me. I wasn’t actually in love with him. There isn’t much there to love if I am honest with myself. I think I was trying to convince myself that there was more to him than is actually there. He did hurt me though. But what stung more was the betrayal. His lies about his feelings for me and yet he still fucked Heather. Who knows how long that has been going on and how many times. Frankly. They deserve each other.The feeling of loss that I have for the child I was carrying is still there, but the ache gets milder every day. I don’t think I will ever get over that completely. The life of that kid would have been a mess with Trent and I as it’s parents, that’s for sure. So why, if I can rationalize all of this, can my head not allow my heart to let Co

***POV:Violet***Time seems to be moving slower than ever right now. I am waiting for Cyrus in his apartment, anxious to know what happened with Alpha John. I hear the knob turn and I shoot up expectantly, only it isn’t Cyrus. Trent walks in, equally surprised to see me standing there.“What are you doing here?” We say to each other at the same time.He looks me up and own, with a mocking grin on his face. “Well haven’t you just made yourself at home here.”I defiantly stare back at him; I will not let him see any weakness. No need for him to know that at my core I am terrified of what he might be capable of doing. It’s not even totally his fault, but Alpha John’s reputation as a ruthless leader has definitely been cemented, and everyone knows that his only wish has been to root his legacy into his only living heir. Being in this private, enclosed space with him, only heightened that fear.“Cyrus will be back any minute.” I lie, I know he was going to the packhouse this morning, but I

***POV:Cole***We all gather around the large outdoor dining tables that my family has set up, with a fabulous spread put on by my mom and Imogen as usual. All of our closest neighbors, the Sanderson family and their remaining crew, the Thomas family, and the Hernandez family and remaining crew, were here. All in all, we were almost 40 all gathered together.We have gathered with everyone like this at least once a month once the dust settled on the end of the world. It helped us all to maintain outside contact, to trade, and just overall check on each other. One small step in maintaining a modicum of sanity and normalness amidst all the crazy.Amara sat across from me, although not by choice. With everyone gathered it really was like a small party, and everyone had selected their seats long before we had joined the table. Food started being passed around, chatter going in all sorts of different directions.Mr. Hernandez pulled out a piece of paper and was showing it to my father, and

Chapter 37***POV:Cole***The day was spent in the sun full of play, jet skis, water skiing, swimming, it was a full party. The Thomas family have music going from the boat, no one with any cares on this day. It was fun like we had not had in a long time. The liquor kept coming, everyone brought their own home brews to share. I am enjoying living in the moment for once and forgetting the bigger reality.As far as Amara and I, we spent the day casually hanging out with everyone but somehow finding our way back to each other over and over again. We were full of accidental touches and lingering gazes. I have now reached the point that I am almost frenzied. I have mental images invading my mind of ripping off that tiny excuse of a bathing suit Amara has on with my bare teeth. I want this woman so badly and I have no idea what I am going to do with all of this pent-up sexual frustration. I wonder if she is feeling any of it, the evil vixen. I wonder if she knows what she is doing to me, to

***POV: Cole***Last night was incredible. We stayed within her careful parameters and didn’t have sex, but we did so much. We spent the night in and out of the water, giving and taking of each other. I have never experienced a woman in this way. Amara is so unashamedly sexy, it’s like her body is speaking to mine on a primal level. I lay in my bed, recognizing that I should get up and make coffee, but enjoying laying there still smelling her on my skin. We had finished our evening of mutual worship in the outdoor shower by the barns and had taken a little more even after getting clean.I know last night she drank quite a bit. I know her inhibitions were lowered, but she knew what she was doing. I wonder how she will feel about it all in the light of day. If she ends up regretting last night, I am not sure how I will even go about processing that.I kick my legs over the side of the bed and propel myself towards the kitchen and the much-needed caffeine. I look forward to our morning c