Two dark witches appeared from nowhere. They seemed to be the only people that were here of their own accord. They went from person to person, undoing the gold bracelets. As Arla’s was removed, she felt the welcome thrum and buzz of magic tingle her skin. She wished with all her might that she could end Alpha Anton, but the risk was too great.
Alpha Anton left and moved downstairs as another familiar face joined the witches on the balcony. Natasha. She sneered at Arla as she approached.
“Just when you thought you were somebody, you’re back here being a nobody.”
Natasha had been her childhood best friend, but had turned against her after Arla’s dad tried to save Natasha’s mother, and failed. They both lost a parent that day, but Natasha’s grief came in the form of nastiness. She had rejected Arla’s friendship beca
Arla is finally 18 and is nowhere near her mate. How do you think Lorenzo is coping?
Lorenzo sat on the bench seat overlooking Arla’s garden, with his head in his hands. The once vibrant and beautiful garden was now mostly shriveled and dying. Withering in the same manner he felt inside his chest. Felix came by every few days to tend it as best he could, and the packhouse gardeners helped, but without Arla’s magic touch, it failed to flourish as it once had. He felt her loss more and more each day, and now the day he’d been waiting for, five and a half years in the making, was finally here…and he was miserable. Her eighteenth birthday. She was supposed to be here with him. He’d had it planned out in his head for years. This was the day she would finally call him mate. Instead, he was alone, not knowing where she was. He didn’t know if she was safe, or if she was even alive. He f
Arla, Sadie and Victor were enjoying their morning walk outside together. It was the only time of day the witches were allowed outdoors, other than when they were being escorted to battle, and they all tried to make the most of it. “Do you think your mate is in this pack?” asked Sadie, looking around at the guard wolves. “Ugh, I seriously hope not,” replied Arla in disgust. “After we get out of here, I never want to see this place ever again.” “What if your mate is here, though?” she pressed. “My mate could be standing right next to me and I wouldn’t have a clue until I get my wolf back. I mean, I think I’d still feel the sparks if we touched and maybe feel a pull towards them, but I don’t have wolf senses at the moment, nor do I have my wolf to confirm it’s my
Back in the cabin, Arla could barely contain her nervous energy. Lewis had just given her the first real opportunity for escape since she’d been here, and she needed to think through every possibility before making a decision. This was her only chance and she couldn’t waste it. Sadie and Victor were sitting on her bed as she explained what had happened with Lewis in a whisper, not wanting any of the other witches to know. “What are you waiting for, Arla?” asked Sadie, whisper-squealing. “I can’t just take the bracelet off and shift,” she explained. “My wolf has been suppressed for so long now, it’s going to take her a while to gain her strength back.” She moved to sit with them on the bed. “There’s always the possibility that she won’t come back,” she added sa
“Arla! Oh Goddess! Are you ok?” Lorenzo knew he sounded pathetic and desperate, but he didn’t care. She was alive. Oh, how he’d missed her voice. Marcel jumped in his mind, turning frantic circles. “I’m ok. They put silver on me, I’ve only just got Maeve back.” “Who? Where are you? I’m coming to get you,” he demanded, rising from the floor and taking a seat on the end of his bed. “No, you can’t. It’s too dangerous. There are too many lives at stake here. I just need to know if I can come home, or if I need to go elsewhere–” He cut her off. “Home! It’s not even a question, Arla,” he said firmly. Why would she even ask that? He thought.
Maeve opened her eyes seconds later, finding herself in the packhouse foyer, and howled loudly, voicing her pleasure. Millie and Granny Elsie came rushing from the kitchen, overjoyed and shouting Arla’s name. Drew appeared next, hugging Maeve tightly and patting her fur. Maeve purred in delight. It had been so very long since she’d been touched, and to have Drew and Dusk so close helped forge their connection once again. Granny Elsie walked into the living room and returned holding a blanket. She held it in front of Maeve as she shifted back, and wrapped it around Arla’s naked body, leading her into the living room where Millie had rustled up some leggings and a t-shirt. She hugged and kissed them both, then flew out of the room at a rate of knots and straight into Drew’s waiting arms. He picked her u
Arla woke just before dinner, every thought and emotion flooding back as she was pulled from sleep and returned to consciousness. Alpha Lorenzo. Her mate. She needed to see him, needed to speak to him, needed to touch him. Needed to claim him. His scent was overpowering in the hallway, and she knew he had been here recently. She knocked on his door but received no response. Granny Elsie found her on the way downstairs and insisted she eat. She filled a plate for her and sat quietly while she satisfied her rumbling stomach. “Better?” Granny asked after Arla had polished off seconds. She nodded her head. Granny rose from her seat and hugged Arla from behind, kissing her cheek. “I’m so glad to have you back, dear. Please give him a chance to explain.”
Lorenzo ran his hands under her shirt and up and down the sides of her waist, goosebumps erupting across Arla’s flesh in the aftermath of the blissful feeling of the sparks. Arla began unbuttoning his shirt. The need to feel his skin was growing stronger, making her bolder. He bent his head, kissing and licking her neck until he reached a particular spot lower down that made her let out a moan of pleasure. He instantly knew that was where he would mark her. “Tell him to mark you,” purred Maeve. “Maeve, I can’t just blurt that out. I don’t even know what I’m doing.” “He needs to mark you. I don’t want to push you, but I am going to anyway. You need to complete the bond.”
“Drew! I need you. Lorenzo’s room. Something’s happened to him, he won’t wake up,” Arla mind-linked, feeling frantic. She shook him again, shouting his name, but he looked lifeless. She could barely make out the rise and fall of his chest. “Relax, he’s fine,” said Maeve airily, clearly unbothered. “He’s not fine, look at him! What’s wrong with him?” “He told you that an Alpha’s mark might make you weak or dizzy, but what he didn’t take into account was that you are also of Alpha blood. You are more powerful than him. He’s fine, he just needs time to adjust and recuperate. To sleep it off, if you will.” Arla stood, dumbfounded. She had been prepared to feel terrible after he marked her, but instead she felt absolutely amazing, while he had been knocked out cold.