Freya’s scream was stolen by the darkness as the grip on her ankle dragged her into the cave. She tried to fight back, to resist this dreadful crawl but she was being hauled in too fast. She screamed again and her head hit the cave wall as she was yanked through a corner. She couldn’t see anymore, couldn’t lift a finger to fight back because her hands were still freaking tied at her back. She screamed in frustration and was suddenly hauled up the steep wall, hanging from her ankle. Her eyes adjusted and she felt her heart stutter as she came face to face with a creature from nightmares. Looking slightly feminine, the cave dweller was so pale she was translucent, her face alone the size of a dinner tray with green stringy hair trailing over her shoulder. Humanoid arms ended in what looked like long kelp and the creature fixed her with a rheumy gaze and yawned open her huge jaws. “What the fuck?!” Freya yelled and squirmed urgently, trying to kick out of the grip. “H-hangry.” The cre
12 years ago“My baby.” Mother’s urgent whisper woke her up from sleep. “Mother?” Her little voice whispered groggily before she was snatched up into her father’s arms. She squealed with joy which was silenced abruptly when her father’s hand slammed over her lips.“Hush Angel.” Father said and ran to the master bedroom.Freya‘s heart was suddenly pounding as he pulled on a latch and the floor opened. He started lowering her into the new hole but she grabbed onto him, holding on tight. “No!” She gasped. “I’m not going in there.” Mother burst into tears behind him and Father’s eyes hardened. “You have to, Pumpkin. Remember the last time we played hide and seek?” He asked her. Tears spilled over her cheeks but she nodded. “Good girl! I want you to get in there and close your eyes. I’ll come find you.” He whispered urgently. “I’m scared “ She whispered. She didn’t want to play hide and seek, she wanted to go back to sleep and wake up tomorrow morning like normal. “Anytime you feel sc
“No...” she whispered, her body awash with apprehension.“Mate!” Her wolf cried again and again, trying to leap out of her breast and launch herself at him. Her body was already half off the seat and on the dais, he also took a step forward, staring at her like he was thunderstruck. Freya wrestled control from her wolf and planted her ass back down, breathing hard. “What is this?” Her mind spun. “It must be a trick.”Yes! He must somehow be manipulating her into thinking she found her mate. She didn’t know how but the sneaky bastard was trying to weasel out of the sure death that awaited him. She blinked and his composure was back in place. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, he was instead staring at the female that just appeared at the end of the aisle. The music started and the bride walked down the aisle towards... her mate! Outrage brought her to her feet and her chest twisted painfully with some horrible emotion. “My mate! Mine!!!” Her wolf cried, rattling her cage and lethal cl
“You did what?!” Aremin asked her and chills ran down her spine. “You forgot your assignment.”“No I didn’t.” Freya replied. “Then tell me why.” He demanded. He was outwardly calm but she knew his tells. His left eye twitched as evidence of his fury and he spun the gold ring on his index repeatedly. He was very upset and that meant she was in danger. “Speak Freya, and you better have a damned good reason for fucking up the most important assignment I ever gave you.” He gritted out. She couldn’t kill him because he was her mate. As she stared at her master, her tongue was unable to form those words. Her palms sweated because she never kept a secret from him, not even one. This man had seen her totally naked, had been the one to pick up her pieces and put her back together when the trainings nearly took her life, he had tattooed the marks on her body, and he knew everything about her, down to the last meal she ate and how long it would take to come out of her system. For a while, sh
“What are you not telling me you huge bastard?” Fellin came after him. “I’m coming with you. You know it’s suicide to approach The Tower right?” “I’m not going to The Tower.” Riordan replied.“Then where?!” Fellin asked. “You said you were her target. Do you not know how dangerous it is for you to be out there?”He smirked, remembering her hair flicking as she threw a punch into his jaw. Underestimating her wasn’t part of his plan. She was powerful and fast and her reflexes were unmatched, a force to be reckoned with. His body thrummed with the thought of a rematch, coming face to face with her again and it shamed him. Winson’s killer had been right at his fingertips and he let her go. Worse, he had wrestled with the urge to take her hard on that sandy floor. “Does it look like I cannot handle myself?” He asked his beta. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying it won’t be bad to have some backup anyway.” Fellin persisted. “No. She is mine.” He growled. He hesitated in killing h
The doors opened to admit Riordan at the top of the dais and time in the room froze. In a dark shirt and dark pants tailored to show off his strong muscular physique, he was breaking everyone’s expectations of him wearing the customary mourning white clothes. He was the only person not wearing a mask, and also the only one without a date so one could say he was mourning in his own way. She watched him alight the stairs and nothing could have prepared her for the irresistible pull that drew her to him. She craved his touch on her skin, his scent in her lungs. It wasn’t hard to remember why she hated him but it was like he had seized control of her body from half a room away, pressing obscene urges into her mind despite her repulsion of him. She shook her head and fought against the pull so hard her body shook.“A drink, my lady?” A serving girl asked and offered her a tray.“Thank you.” She took one gratefully and sipped. It was a disappointment to realise she wasn’t prepared for thi
Freya jerked back into consciousness and immediately knew that something was wrong. Shackles chafed against her skin, holding her wrists and ankles bound securely and the bitter taste of failure settled on her tongue. Riordan sat in front of his desk, carefully turning a sheaf of papers. “You’re up.” He said and stood.“You should have killed me when you had the chance!” She hissed. “Why go to all the trouble?”He folded his arms in front of him and glared right back. “Do you remember Winson Savvey?” He asked her and her brow furrowed. “Should I?” She asked and she could tell her answer infuriated him by the muscle that ticked on his forehead. “Does the name not ring a bell?” He pressed. She suddenly remembered that his own surname was Savvey. “What business do I have to do with a relative of yours?” She asked. He suddenly grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall and she choked. “Do you not even have the decency to remember your murder victims?” He growled, his
The next time Riordan came in, Freya was ready. She dove from her perch above the door and tackled him to the ground, her claws scouring his chest in deep bloody lines. His beating heart was just beneath her, all she needed was her dagger thrust into the offending organ and her target would be eliminated. She called to the darkness and her eyes widened when the magic refused to unfurl into a weapon as usual. Her momentary shock cost her. He gripped her hands and flipped her over his head. She landed hard on her back and twisted to get away but he grabbed her ankle and dragged her closer, his huge body pinning her to the ground. Her claws sharpened and she raised them to rip out his throat but he caught her wrist and pinned them both above her head. She bucked and tried to throw him off or rip her wrists from his grip but even though he secured her with only one hand, it was impossible to get away. She cursed colourfully, damn werewolves and their inhuman strength! His fist suddenly