Quinn POVMy body felt like I was on autopilot as I got discharged from the pack hospital and headed home. I continued to reach out for my bond but got nothing in return. The silence was maddening. I felt Seline whimper and pace in my head, also feeling uneasy at our missing bond. ‘We will find him, Seline.’ I tried to soothe her. All she was able to respond with was a whimper and cry. The sound made my heart sink into my stomach. After we got back to the pack house, Kat had put a shield up around the property adding an extra layer of protection. Thomas and my mother were in his office finalizing the plans for the alliance ceremony with Anna’s beta, Aaron. The ceremony was planned to happen tomorrow. My father was speaking to Ryan to fill him in the best he could about what was happening. It was decided that my family would stay in the guest house on the back side of the property while Rachel and Frederick stayed in one of the guest rooms. Elan was working heavily with Sam on a task
Anna POV18 Years Ago:Alpha Deccan was one of the most powerful alliances my pack had. Up until this point I never had to worry about any problems with him. My father always had a great relationship so that passed it down to me. I wasn’t worried about the alpha meeting with all of the surrounding alphas until it dawned on me, Rowan was Deccan’s brother. They had an estranged relationship due to drug trafficking; However, blood was blood.I remember when I was a young girl that my father had stressed to me to never be on Deccan’s bad side as his power was unlike any other werewolf. He was known to be able to demolish his enemies in minutes with no effort at all. His mate was a powerful witch. When she died it had weakened his human form but strengthened his wolf. Every time he shifted; he risked not being able to transition back to his human form as it fueled his wolf’s power.Anxiety and worry filled me as Dean took a seat in the row in front of me. I didn’t want to cause any more is
Quinn POVThe next morning, I was plagued with anxiety. After a restless sleep last night, the last thing I am prepared for is standing in front of both packs with their curious stares. I groan as I get out of the comfort of my bed and try to find something presentable. I decided jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt and boots will do.Walking out of my bedroom I am met with the beaming smile of Ryan with his trusty dinosaur friend Charles in his hand. I brought him in for a hug. I breathe in his scent which is both familiar and reassuring. However, I can’t help but feel an ache in my chest for the one scent I crave and need. “Hey buddy, how did you sleep?” I let go of him and started heading down the stairs where everyone was waiting for me already. Ryan shrugged. The action seemed a little off. “You, okay?” I turned to face him with a concerned look. “You look sad…and I don’t like it.” he looked down at his shuffling feet. He was too observant sometimes. I wrapped my arms around him
QUINN POVI quickly shifted into my wolf not caring that I shredded my clothes in the process. I let Seline drive while I went to the back of my mind, terror mixed with anger seeped into my soul. I hated how much Thomas looked like his father and in turn how much I looked like Thomas. It made me want to try to wash a phantom stain that was in my DNA. ‘Don’t think like that’ Seline scolded. ‘You are nothing like that man and neither is Thomas.’ I didn’t respond. Unsure what to say. I couldn’t help how I felt. Meeting Rowan gave me an insecurity that I couldn’t fathom. I felt the wind blow through my fur and the soft soil beneath my paws. Shifting had soothed a little bit of my rage. He knew where Derek was, and I refused to live any life without my mate. Seline got us to the packhouse in record time where several pack members and my parents were talking. “We need to talk.” I sent the mind link to my mother. Thomas must have seen me coming and brought outside a robe. A concerned look
Quinn POVRachel and Mandy jolted awake at my scream. “No! No! No! No!” I cried! They were going to kill him. I felt the sapphire necklace warm. That was odd. It felt like my power was feeding into the stone. Kat and Thomas ran into the living room, both in their pajamas. Circling the couch, Kat kneeled in front of me and placed her hands on my cheeks. Warmth spread through her palms while her eyes glowed red. Her power soothed some of my agony. She looked up at Thomas with a concerned look. “She saw Derek. He was being tortured by…” She paused, a concerned look on her face. “Your mother.” She let go of my cheeks but remained kneeling in front of me. “I’ll kill that son of a bitch for hurting my boy!” Sam roared, over hearing what Kat said as he entered the room in only his gym shorts. His eyes flashed to those of his wolf, fighting the urge not to shift. Thomas placed his hands on his Beta’s shoulders. “Calm down Sam.”“I’ve been pretty damn calm Thomas! And now I hear he’s bei
—Quinn POVBy morning, the trackers were able to narrow down where Derek was. Now it was time for me, Fred, Elan, and Rachel to rescue my mate while Sam, Kat, and Mandy would be on standby if anything were to happen. Thomas would stay at the pack house with my parents and would work on a battle plan and arrange a meeting with all the surrounding pack leaders.After I woke up screaming, I wasn’t able to go back to sleep. I felt sluggish and a little feverish. I chalked it down to stress and no sleep. Serina was quieter than usual. Even she seemed sluggish and lethargic. As I followed Fred, Rachel, and Elan out the door, my mother stopped me.“Quinn, honey?” I turned to face her. A worried expression took over her beautiful face. She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my body, squeezing tight. “Please be careful.” She kissed my temple. I gave her a quick nod. “I will be fine mom. I love you.”Saving our shifter strength, we stayed in our human forms as we walked to the moun
——Derek POV I could smell her scent on them. Although I knew they hadn’t done anything WITH her, the thought of my mate’s scent on anyone else but me made me almost feral. Even with the mating and marking not fully complete, I had a suspicion that with her power, I was also affected by her heat. Fred and Rachel helped me through the cave and out to the wooded area. The fresh air filled my nostrils, finally allowing me to take a real breath. Rachel left me with Fred as she went to grab a bag. The inside showed lots of first aid items. Quickly the pair worked in sync as they quickly banged my wounds and gave me some water. My insides still felt raw and on fire from the wolfsbane. The water did little to soothe the pain, but my body welcomes the much needed hydration. As I tried to stand, my world began to spin. “Woah, man, easy there.” Fred said as he wrapped an arm around my waist. “Quinn…” I croaked out. I knew she needed me like I needed her. I couldn’t help but want them to
Quinn POVI woke up blissfully sore. I felt a sense of fulfillment and completeness after I marked my mate. After three more rounds of intense sex, Derek and I crashed from exhaustion and the heat finally subsided. In the middle of the night, I had gone down to the kitchen where Kat had brewed a tea with healing elements for Derek’s injuries. Derek had been less than impressed when I woke him up to drink the concoction which he described tasted like “bark mixed with soil, and Gollum's asshole.”I pressed the button to move the protective shutters up around the packhouse. Just as I was climbing back into bed to snuggle up against my sleeping mate, my mother mind-linked me. ‘Quinn sweetie, I need you and Derek to come out of the pack house. There’s something you need to see.’Derek woke up, startled by the mind link that went to both of us. ‘Ok, we will be right down.’ Derek looked at me with a quizzical look. I just shrugged. “Good morning, beautiful.” A lazy smile spread on Derek’