RuinI lied to Chloe Jane.Her father is 100% involved with the bullshit that’s going down in Chicago. Not only that, but the bounty on my head has been called off, and will be left off if I bring her back within a week.There’s no fucking way in hell I’m taking her back, not when I have a hunch that they’ll be using her for something. I can’t risk it, I just can’t.“It’s cozy here,” she says with a sigh, and I turn to look at her. She’s curled up on the couch I sleep on, drinking some tea while I’m busy tending to the fireplace. I can’t help but think how ironic it is that we’re living out her fantasy with her mate right now, even if she doesn’t know who I truly am.“Yeah, I could stay here forever and be pretty content,” I say, knowing that would never be in the cards for me. Not with the life I lead.“I was just thinking the same,” she says with a smile to her voice, and I don’t even have to turn to see she’s smiling. I don’t say anything after this, because lately I’ve found tha
Chloe JaneI don’t know why, but for the past week or so, I have been having the most vivid dreams in my negative landscape. Images and people I have never met, from babies right down to the elderly. Halo says it’s because I’ve gotten a peek at what my life could be like that it’s bled over to my dreams.It’s unnerving, though. I’m seeing things I haven’t been privy to in years, seeing faces and people even though I don’t know them./“What’s happening to me, Halo?”/ I ask her as I’m laying on the bed with my arm slung over my eyes. /“This doesn’t make any sense to me.”/Slowly, the darkness dissipates and Halo’s negative appearance comes into view. She’s sitting on her hind legs with her head tilted slightly to the side, a curious expression etched on her face./“I’ve told you before, Chloe Jane,”/ she starts. /“Your mind is conjuring up some vivid images now that you’ve had a sneak peek at what the world looks like. Have you tried to up your sights to twice a day?”//“No, I’ve been t
Chloe JaneInside, the cabin feels like a sanctuary from the world outside. The warmth from the fireplace battles the chill that sneaks in through the cracks in the old wood. Ruin leads me to the couch and sits down next to me, his body a solid presence that’s both comforting and unsettling.“Why do you do it?” I ask, turning my head towards where I think his face is. “Why do you keep pushing yourself so hard out there? You know we’re safe here, at least for now.”His silence stretches, and I can almost hear the cogs turning in his mind. Finally, he speaks, his voice a low rumble that resonates through the room. “It’s not just about us being safe right now, Chloe Jane. It’s about making sure we stay safe. And that means being prepared, always being one step ahead of those who might be after us,” he explains.I frown, struggling to understand his constant vigilance. “But doesn’t it ever get tiring? Always being on guard, always having to be the strong one?”He lets out a soft chuckle,
Ruin I’ve gone and done it. I’ve told her about what I did and how I’m responsible for her losing her sight and now she’s looking at me as if I’ve destroyed her entire world. A dagger to my heart would feel less painful. “I don’t… understand,” she says, shaking her head. “How are you responsible? What did… What did you do?” I swallow deeply and take a step back from her, dropping my hands from her face and breathing out a sigh. “I was young and cocky, thinking I didn’t need help when I barged inside. One of the men used your mother as a shield while holding a gun to her head, but he got too nervous and fired before the threat even left his lips.” The image has stayed with me to this day; the fear in their eyes as I showed them my true form because I thought I was more powerful than lesser wolf shifters. Then, the scream and the look of horror on the little girl’s face as she looked at me. She went blind because she, an innocent, saw my true form. Ryker has restricted my powers si
Chloe JaneI thought I was ready for answers, but nothing could have prepared me for this.As I retreat to my bedroom, my fingers tremble against the cold doorknob. The revelation, the shock, and now this heavy silence consume me, drowning me in a sea of confusion and pain. I close the door behind me; the click echoing in the room like the final word in a long and terrible argument. My back slides down against it, and I sit there on the floor, my knees drawn up to my chest.The darkness of the room doesn’t bother me. It’s been my constant companion since that fateful day. But tonight, it feels different. It’s heavier, suffocating, filled with the weight of truths I never wanted to know.Ruin’s words replay in my head, each one a hammer blow to the fragile construct of my world. Seeing his true form caused my blindness? How can I even begin to process this?Tears threaten to spill, but I hold them back. I’ve cried enough over the years, and tonight, I refuse to let the tears win. It’s
RuinWaking up with Chloe Jane in my arms is a feeling I’ve never known before. It’s like all the chaos and fear that’s been gnawing at my insides is silent for once. For the first time since this bloody mess started, I allow myself a moment of peace, just laying here, feeling her breathe against me.She’s curled up against me, her back pressed into my chest. My arm is draped over her, holding her close, and I can’t help but think that this is where she belongs, right here with me. The thought is both comforting and terrifying because I know how dangerous our world is. But right now, in this moment, I let myself forget all that. I just focus on her, on the softness of her skin, the gentle rise and fall of her chest.She shifts in her sleep, moving closer to me, her pert arse against my cock, and I feel a ripple of desire run through my body. Bloody hell, she’s irresistible. She whimpers softly, and then, to my utter surprise, she moans my name. It’s almost my undoing.“Fuck,” I say u
Chloe Jane“Finding meadows seems to be a specialty of yours,” I say as Ruin leads me away from the cabin. It’s a humid day outside, but Ruin says it’s incredibly overcast; the type where you know a storm is about to hit.“Well, I know what you like, dove, so that makes it easy for me,” he says, then he lifts my hand and kisses it. Something happened between us last night, something that’s made me be more bold with him and vice versa. During breakfast together, he would take every opportunity to caress my skin with his fingers. It’s almost as if he’s getting more comfortable with his feelings for me, and I know he feels something for me too. I could tell from the way he allowed me to touch him this morning and the way he didn’t stiffen up when I called him by his real name.“Alright, this seems to be it,” he says, and I can hear the gentle lapping of a body of water close by. “Give me a sec.”He lets go of my hand and I breathe in the hot air while listening to him move about. I can
RuinI hold her and in one swift motion, I spin us around so she’s beneath me. “My mark, dove … I want to claim you.”A tremble shoots through her body and I grit my teeth. She has no idea how much I really want her, how I’ve been holding back from this and honestly, it scares me just how much I want to lay claim to her supple body.She gasps, her arms tightening around my neck. “You … want to claim me? Right here?”I lean down and pepper kisses down her neck, gently biting down on her shoulder. “I’ve wanted to claim you since your first heat, and fuck me, it was difficult to hold back,” I say, then I lift up, frowning. “But only if you want it, too. I won’t force my mark on you, dove.”She bites her bottom lip and I draw my hand to her mouth, pulling that lip from between her teeth. “You can say no, Chloe Jane. You don’t have to do this just because I want it.”Then she shakes her head. “No, it’s not that … It’s just…” she trails off, tears slipping down the side of her face. “This i