Do you think that Julio will take the bait?
ANGELHad I ever mentioned how epic my wolf was? Athena took charge and set things in motion that would give us the upper hand in all of this. I had to believe that we would all be okay in the end unless I wanted to break down yet again with fear of what could possibly lay ahead.Knowing that the Goddess Athena had created the blueprint of my Athena still blew my mind. She was a true warrior wolf. She had shared with me that this was the first life where she was able to have a family. There was only so much of life that one could live while fighting on the front lines. One thing that I knew with absolute certainty was that we would both appreciate each experience with our family and loved ones as they occurred. We would never take our lives for granted.“How’s it going?” I heard from behind me.I turned around and saw Jaxon. He was proudly supporting Sansa’s mark on his neck. Those two were absolutely perfect for each other. They certainly had a great future ahead of them. I would be f
GRANTNever had I thought that I would get to meet Sophia. Goddess, the resemblance between Angel and her was remarkable to witness side-by-side.There was such tenderness that she showed Angel, which only served to warm my heart. Paula was an amazing mother to Angel. Never once had she treated Angel any differently from Denny or Willow. Never once had she or Jesse made our girl feel like she was adopted. Angel was theirs from the moment that they first laid their eyes on her.It was great to witness how much Sophia loved Angel and vice versa. I knew that this was not the same as them living life together, but it was a blessing that I knew neither of them would take for granted.Knowing that the time to deal with Julio was drawing near had us all stressing out. My brother and I were attempting to keep our emotions in check because our mate did not need to feel what we felt.Gabriel and I were both terrified about the warning Sophia had given to her about her gut feeling that something
GABRIELOur asses were kicked into gear after we were informed that their trajectory would put them where we needed them in two days’ time. It was all coming down to the wire.I wished that we could just press a button, and then BOOM all of our enemies were blasted into smithereens. It sucked that reality was not that easy.We wasted no time in gathering our people together. Unfortunately, we had to do something that we did not particularly care to do but needed to ensure that we did not take traitors with us. Mom issued a command to our people and the other wolves, asking if they would ever betray Nightshade or our allies. Aunt Ziyah issued a snar for those who were not wolves.It reassured us when there were no other traitors in our midst. Everything would be ruined if Julio caught wind of what we were planning on doing. We needed to end him and his reign of fuckery.“I want to thank each and every one of you for aiding us today,” Angel said to the large crowd of those who will go to
ANGELI was doing everything in my power to focus on the calm that Athena was sending to me because everything would fail if I lost my composure.Honestly, a small part of me was terrified that I was about to face off against Julio because of what I had seen in that future. Even though logically I knew that it would not happen, I could still avidly remember every detail of that experience even if it had not happened to me in person – the pain of childbirth, the exhaustion of it all, the fear of what would happen next, and the pain of losing my son just like what had apparently happened with twelve of my daughters.However, the larger part of me was in the forefront. It was the part that would get justice for everyone that Julio and the Río de Fuego pack had ever harmed. It would not change the past, but he and they would pay for their sins.‘Are you ready for this?’ Athena asked me as I walked down the stairs, holding my mates’ hands, and hoping that it would not be the last time that
GRANTWhat did that bitch do to Angel? I did not see what had happened but did see something shoot out from her before my mate collapsed.She was unconscious. I pulled her onto my lap and rubbed her arms, trying to rouse her. Her skin was so fucking cold. What could have caused such an immediate reaction? Was it reversible? Perhaps killing the bitch would fix it. Why did that suggestion tug at me? I had no qualms killing to protect my mate.‘Ghost, are you there?’ I asked him.I was met with radio silence. I could feel him inside of me, but that was it. Perhaps whatever the bitch did to Angel affected my wolf.She was clearly breathing, but something was wrong with her. Not only was she ice cold like she was frozen, but there was something different. I just could not put my finger on what it was. I could not think past my fear. What if she never woke up? What if we lost her?“It’ll be okay,” I heard someone say and looked over to see Mom kneeling next to me.What was she doing here? Wh
ANGELThe fact of the matter was that nobody could outrun their past indefinitely. At one point or another, it would appear in front of you like a charging bull inside of a china shop, threatening to destroy everything within its wake.I had always prided myself on my strength. It had been hounded into me that I could overcome anything just as long as I fought hard enough and continued fighting no matter what. The reality was that it was much easier said than done when the time came to put that plan into action.Betrayal – the word itself stung, slicing into me like a silver dagger, serrating everything it touched. How had I been so blind to not have seen the snake before it struck me and tossed me into the lion’s den as if I was nothing but a raw steak.Who would have known that dealing with my past would have me dealing with a devil that dressed in designer suits and wielded his authority like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, threatening to obliterate all that it contacted with?I had once
ANGELI was given a writing prompt in the fourth grade, which made an impact still felt today. It was a single sentence.Who are you?That should have been easy to answer, but it was not. I remember sitting back in my seat and thinking about what made me who I was.My birth mother had only been in my life for ten weeks. Sadly, I did not know anything about her. The story that I had been told was that a group of vampires had rounded up humans to be sold at a feeding room as portable juice boxes in a variety of flavors from O- to AB+ and everything in between. My mother was a she-wolf with a gift that concealed us as humans until it did not. I was still young enough to be passed off as human, but she was not. Feeding room vampires did not stoop so low as to consume wolf-shifter blood. Their thoughts, not mine.Thankfully, Luna Elle and Alpha Kade were undercover at that feeding room and saved me.I was brought back to the Nightshade pack and my parents immediately adopted me. They said
GABRIELI was working on the final touches to my project for school that had been assigned over the summer. This one was for my leadership training program. It used to just be Alpha training, but it was changed to all leadership when the academic curriculum for the academies that were being designed years ago.My proposal was an exchange program where those within a future leadership position would spend a month shadowing someone from the same rank from another pack. Each pack’s structure was designed by the Alpha in charge. My proposal would immerse future leadership amongst different ways of doing things, potentially opening them up to important collaborations.I twirled the pen I had in my hand while I checked the time. It was well past eight, and I had not seen my brother since school let out.As if I had summoned him, Grant walked into the suite, slamming the door behind him. It was a good fucking thing that we lived at the packhouse instead of our parent’s home or else he would