I say goodbye to Cherie and walk towards my car, ready to get my day started. To say that I didn’t expect Luka showing up with Inessa is an understatement, but the girl seems to have it in her head that I am her protector now.She’s had a bad feeling about Vicente and his plans for her, and although I feel the exact same way, I cannot go back on my agreement with him. Things with Vicente and his pack are fragile like a bomb, so I have to tread carefully with this.Inessa will be the one to pave the way to peace; she needs to learn that.You’d think I’d be floating on a high after my evening with Cherie and our breakthrough, but no. As much as I loved everything about last night, I need my wits about me today. I’m making sure everything is ready for our departure next Friday and there’s a meeting with Elias Reyes today.We’re discussing him being integrated into the pack as Viktor’s mate.Viktor is as apprehensive as anything about his mate bond with Elias, but it’s something you’d exp
My stomach is coiled tight with nerves as I watch the gates to the BloodCrest estate swing open. I haven’t seen Creed in almost four days but last night he asked me if I still want to help out with the New Moon Festival preparations.Stupid me who has missed him even though he called me often, obviously jumped at the opportunity to be close to him again. Now I don’t know if I should have said I was busy or made up an excuse; not that he would have believed me, though.“Why are you so stressed out?” he asks with a smile in his tone. “I’m not the Alpha of a rabid pack, you know.”“It’s not that!” I exclaim, and it sounds more like a squeak. “I’m just… nervous, okay? All your family members will be there, and some will probably look at me like I’m an outsider.”Creed brings the car to a stop in front of the mansion, unclips his seatbelt, and then turns to me. “An outsider? My pack knows I’m bringing my mate here today. They’re more than excited to meet you, Cherie,” he says as if I didn’
Creed“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Uncle Nikolai’s sarcastic voice comes from behind me and I turn around to face him. “Shit, not even Kira could make me feel as old as you make me feel, and I’m Kai’s youngest fucking brother.”I laugh as he says this, and catch Cherie’s wide eyes on the other side of the living room. “I’m guessing my father spoke to you about the ceremony.”Uncle Nikolai nods and claps me on the back. “He has, and I would say congratulations if it didn’t age me fifty years,” he grumbles and pulls me into an embrace. “Your mother would be proud, Creed.”It’s not the first time I’m hearing someone say this, and knowing how close my Uncle Nikolai was to my mother, it warms my heart. “Thank you, Uncle Nikolai,” I say and he breaks off the embrace.He gives me a genuine smile and sighs. “Ah, it truly feels like the newer generation of Volkov Wolves are taking over, and thank fuck for that.”I chuckle and shake my head. “Done with it all?”“Every fucking inch of it, no o
“I swear to the fucking Gods, if you cry, I am not doing leaving the city,” Creed’s voice echoes through my thoughts and I smile even as my bottom lip trembles. It’s only been two whole days without him; calls and texts just don’t cut it! Who would have thought I’d get this attached to him in such a short space of time? I hope the next few days pass quickly because I miss him so much!Sighing, I throw the blanket over my head and groan just as my bedroom door opens… Then I groan again because I know who is standing there watching me with judgy eyes.“Were you about to leave me waiting for you at the gym?” Luka’s accusatory voice sounds and I poke my head from under the covers. He’s standing there with his arms crossed, peering down at me with his eyebrow raised.I promised to train with him today, just to get out of the penthouse, but now I’m regretting it. Ugh, I just wanna stew in my own sadness and stay here until bergamot and vanilla pulls me back into the land of the living.“I
CreedDay three at the New Moon Festival and a freak thunderstorm fried the cell phone towers. We decided to stick it out even though we couldn’t contact our pack members back home, but then on the fifth day it rained non-stop even though sunny skies were predicted, so we decided to end it early.Long story short, my first New Moon Festival was a disaster.Pack Elders will see this and say the Gods have cursed my reign. They won’t allow their packs back here if I am still Alpha of the BloodCrest pack. How could I not have thought of a backup to all of this? I know my father would have…Viktor claps me on my back just as we enter the city. “Don’t look so glum. Everything that happened was naturally occurring events.”That’s even worse.“And now other packs will see it as the Gods being against me as Alpha,” I say, knowing how rumors spread. “I never should have done it this year; everything is a fucking mess now.”He doesn’t try to change my mind, instead, he sighs and continues drivin
CreedIt’s been two hours since I arrived home, and my anger is simmering below the surface. Something is telling me that the lightning storm was to get me to come home since it happened when she was taken, and because I didn’t listen, Cherie is in terrible fucking danger.I watch as my father paces the floor, one hand balled in a fist and the other holding his cell phone. “For fuck’s sake, Bastien, these are packs under you! Tell me where they’ve taken her!”After some digging, my father found out the truth about the three men and the packs they were under. It’s Silent Shadows territory, and we cannot cross it even if they have Cherie with them.Alpha Bastien lets out a sigh on the other end. “You know I cannot do that, Kai, even if I wanted to. The packs who came to me wanted revenge on a packless wolf who fought under your banner and won through illegal means - I had to give it to them.”My father stifles a growl and tries to control his temper. “That girl was deceived by the peopl
Alpha Kai threw his leather jacket around my body before we got out of the SUV and Creed carried me up to the mansion at the Volkov estate. The chilly night air hit my skin, and I shivered as he held me, consciously aware of the eyes on us as we walked inside.“We have them in the basement,” I hear Luka standing somewhere behind us. “I’ll keep watch until you decide what you want to do with them.”“I’ll fucking prolong the pain Cherie had to endure,” Creed growls. The timbre of his voice sends a shiver up my spine and I am once again reminded that my mate is a powerful Alpha. The fury exuding from Creed tonight reminded me of when we faced off in the octagon, but he wasn’t quite as unhinged as he was back then. Calm anger simmered beneath his surface, but I knew he would never take it out on me.We enter his bedroom and he walks towards the bathroom, placing me down on the cold tiled floor before turning the taps on the shower. After regulating the temperature, he strips off his bloo
Cherie is fast asleep in my arms. Her breathing is even and calm, no nightmares from what I could tell. She’s peaceful for the most part and there’s even a small smile on her face.Last night the worst possible thing happened to her, and luckily I got there on time. I am still burning with rage and wish I could just unleash it all, but what would it help? Cherie needs me here, she doesn’t need my anger.I pull her closer to me and press my lips against her forehead, inhaling her sweet scent. I admitted my true feelings last night as well, and although I would have loved to hear her say it back to me, I know it would just be her responding due to being overwhelmed. I can wait for her to respond in kind; she is worth the wait. /“Creed,”/ my father’s voice comes through the mind link. /“There is something we need to discuss with both you and Cherie when you’re awake. Let me know when you’re ready.”/I frown at the urgency in his tone. /“What is this about? It sounds serious.”/My fathe