CLAIR I woke up today with gratitude for the precious privilege of being alive, being able to enjoy life, and loving the people around me. It was a beautiful spring day, but it was nothing short of ordinary. It was early morning, and the sun cast its glorious rays upon the garden outside of the pack house. The sight of our backyard made me realize how big my world was and how blessed I truly was. The ground was buzzing with male pups who tried to outdo each other, while the females, including my daughter, Catherine, tried to mess up their games. At eight years old, she reminded me of myself in many ways. She was a carbon copy of me, only her hair was straight and black. Something she got from her father. And just like when I was younger, she would always come running around with pastries to bribe the boys to let her join their games, and with her charm and wit, she would always get what she wanted. I shook my head as a smile graced my lips. I saw my little Catherine jump at the
CLAIR I stirred awake at the pleasure running through my body. A hand trailed on the skin of my thigh, and from the sparks emitted from the contact, I knew my mate was freely roaming his calloused palm all over my nakedness again, which he would always do once in a while. And I never complained. And I didn’t think I would ever complain. I raised my hand and coiled it in his hair, gripping it and letting him know I was already awake. His lips brushed against my stomach, and the hotness of his breath fanning against my skin and the intimacy of the act was enough for wetness to start pooling in my core. "Jake..." I moaned his name, my throat still dry from sleep. "Love, do you even sleep?" I asked him with a hoarse voice while my hand continued to caress his dark hair which seemed to grow thicker and darker with each year. He tilted his head and adjusted his body to be parallel to mine. We were lying on our sides, and with smiling eyes, he raised his hand to my face and brushed my che
What would you do if you had been saving yourself for your mate? Only for him to choose another Alpha Female right in your face? Reciprocate the act. Avenge. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Easier said than done. Because whenever he was around me, my body betrayed me. "Alia, do you trust me? Even just for tonight?" His voice came out low and rough that it sent shivers of pleasure direct to my core. I know I should not trust him. But my body and my mouth have a mind of their own. "I trust you, Gavin..." I whispered as I pressed my back to his naked chest. He took a deep breath and dipped his head into my neck, slowly brushing his lips against my burning skin. I angled my neck, giving him more access while a sultry moan escaped my throat when he started nibbling and sucking the soft spot on my neck. This was all wrong, but I don't want to be right this time. Just for tonight.
Jake - 14 yrs old Clair - 9 yrs old JAKE Her scent reached my nose even before I felt her presence. Twigs snapped as hurried little footsteps echoed around as she approached the place I was resting in. I turned my head in the direction of the noise just in time to see Little Clair emerge from the bushes with a small plastic bag that she immediately placed behind her back as soon as she saw me. Her round eyes widened in surprise as she realized that she was not alone in this place. "What are you doing here, princess? Hiding again from your mother?" I asked without taking my gaze away from her small, lovely face. A smirk formed on my lips as I waited for her response. She let out a little huff and continued to walk towards the boulder I was sitting on before slumping her small frame onto the space beside me. "How did you know that?" She raised her brow and tilted her head to look at me. "Did you follow me? And why are you here? This is my place. You're not allowed here." She con
JAKE "No, I don't need a Luna." There was a note of finality in my voice. She turned her full attention on me, a scowl forming on her small face. "Why? I always wanted to find my mate, Jake. How can you even say that? What if she finds you? Will you run away?" I smiled at her questions, but in a bigger picture, it would look like I was running away from my fate. "I just need to reject her, then we can both move on with our lives. It's that easy!" Her eyes widened again, jaw-dropping. It took her a few seconds before she started talking in a whisper that, if not for my werewolf hearing, I would not be able to pick up. "You can't do that. Mommy said mates are a gift from the Moon Goddess. And it will hurt her. It will hurt you too, you know." Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, I thought I was looking into the eyes of a grown woman who knows the depth of her statement. I cocked my head to the side and winked at her, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. I didn't like her going
CLAIR I turned the radio a notch higher and let myself get lost in the blasting music as I drove on the freeway. With my window down, I basked in the warmth of the sun against my skin, loving the feeling of the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair. I had been driving for five straight hours, and I still had two more hours to go before I reached my destination. Fourteen hours of driving were too much to bear, but I had no choice. My name is Absaline Clair Montrell. I am a shifter. I spent the last five years of my life living among humans, except for my werewolf uncle. Uncle Theodore found his mate, who happened to be a human, and decided to leave the pack life for her. And from what I witnessed, he has no problem living the human life. After my mother died from an attack while visiting her friend from another pack, my father decided he didn't want anything to do with me and sent me away. Maybe I reminded him of my mother. They said I had her blue sapphire ey
CLAIR I fidgeted with my fingers as I stood beside my truck, the one Uncle Theodore gave me. It was an old rusty-colored beat-up Wrangler truck, and I had been driving it since I was sixteen. Aaron volunteered to pick me up from the nearest train station, but I refused to leave my truck. I could have driven myself to the territory if I only knew the way to get there. But with the territory being surrounded by massive forests and mountains, the GPS was not working perfectly in that area, so that left me with no other option but to have Aaron pick me up and follow his car. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. I think I was scared. And I had no idea why. It must have been the realization that, after five years, I was finally coming back. Five years, five long years. I had been around humans for so long that it seemed I had forgotten how it was to live within the pack. How will they react once they see me? Will they accept me? Does anybody care at all? I let out a sarca
CLAIR "We are almost here. Get yourself ready." "What do you mean?" I looked at the view in front of us as we approached. Confusion was written all over my face. I turned to Aaron with a raised eyebrow. "This is not home as I remember. This is the packhouse, right? You and Dad live here now?" Aaron shook his head as he put the car to a full halt and unbuckled his seatbelt. "No. I stay here, but Dad lives alone in our house. But I will stay at home with you and Dad for a few days until you turn 18. I assumed I needed to teach you the basics of pack life first. But for now, hop off — we’re meeting Alpha Jake. He is expecting us." He said it nonchalantly as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He walked out of the car even before I could berate him for not telling me about this stopover. I sighed and slumped my back onto the seat before unbuckling my belt. Although there was nothing wrong with meeting the Alpha, I suddenly developed a sickening feeling in my stomach. I was