The door swung open, and I was attacked by a thousand different emotions. All of them are unwanted at this time. I don’t want to look at the splash of blood across his brow and worry he’s been injured. Why he has thick. angry silver lines down his throat, heading down into his thick black clothing and armour. He doesn’t deserve the sympathetic lurches of my heart. I don’t want to see his blue eyes mix with green the instant we reconnect. It’s not fair. He’s my weakness, not a strength. He’s a liar, a cheat. Humiliation mixed with pure anger causes my irises to flare with silver. every muscle tensed with hesitation.But our bond is pulsing with concrete, unmistakable need. “Don’t hurt who?” Ayr asks, his voice just as dark and rich as I remembered. The same dark tone he swore he loved me with. “You’re here to see Fenton?” “I know this isn’t a good time, but I need to ask Alpha Fenton some questions-” “Are you for real?” Marcus interrupts, “we’re in the middle of a fucking battle!
/Have you lost your fucking mind?/ Marcus asks but I don’t answer, just continue to tenderly bind my darling. I stood up after tying the last binding with my own stomach painfully knotted. If I leave it too loose, I know she’ll just take off like a firework. Too tight, I’ll just hate myself even more than I do already. I finally have an opportunity to explain myself, I won’t lose it. Her white shirt and bare stomach are coated in mud. Her gorgeous thighs too, but I try not to look. The seething resentment coming off her makes my wolf wince. But I don’t blame her. Not for a second. This battle has been won. Volare triumphs, Fenton is dead. It barely registers. The sounds of celebration and whooping ricochet around me but the mud-covered siren in front of me takes over everything. Fenton can choose a new Alpha, and the instant they do I’ll be back over here with my Betas to make sure they understand attacking Volare is no longer an option. I usually hate bloodshed. But not today.
“There’s only been you. There will only ever be you.” On his knees. Throwing himself at my mercy. I don't even know if that's what I want.My temporarily incapacitated wolf used to fire happy bliss when I thought of Ayr. But that was before. Now l, he has dried blood across his forehead. His beautiful neck and shoulders are so scarred. I can’t stop my eyes from raking over each ridge. Which means my lips are thin, not because I’m angry but because I’m fighting the urge to run my lips over his wounds. Because I love him. I wish I didn’t. I wish I were stronger, but I love him. There is just something undeniable about the way he makes me feel.I just don't know if he’s telling the truth. “Cass…” he starts but instead of speaking he holds out his powerful hand. If I want, I can place mine in it. I can reassure him everything will be okay. But it won’t. Dominic was a traitor. Robyn was clearly lying about something. Everybody lies. I only rode with Marcus to piss Ayr off. He tried t
Just walking together, my hand in his is leaving me dizzy. He’s holding on a touch too tight. I don’t complain. It's still all a bit surreal.Guiding me wordlessly through the crowd, around a huge bonfire. In the back streets, I vaguely hear Marcus shouting for everyone to get their party going. Tonight was going to be a night for Volare to remember.I doubt Ayr heard much, either. Everything about him was so stiff and tense. He's worrying about me. With his shirt still ripped open, his scars were fully visible. Up close, they look so raw, never to fully heal. I hate Elle so much for so many reasons. Thanks to my wolf, I know now this is about more than me. That I’m dealing with something more cunning than just a resentful sister. But the human, hopeful side of me wonders if maybe Ayr was right. What if we are stronger together than apart?Next time I shift, when my wolf recovers from her wolfsbane, I’ll have so many more questions. Mainly because I have a sneaking suspicion the me
There is barely any time I spend in her presence where Cass doesn’t do something to surprise me. I know it’s a truce. I know she still hasn’t said she loves me. It’s clear I’m a million miles from being trusted, too. But she’s still here. So there is a chance. Without looking back, I make my way back to the packhouse. I need a shower. To scrub the filth and blood from my face, to look somewhat decent. Like the alpha I’m meant to be. Though it’s impossible to lie and say I didn’t absolutely adore the look of Cass covered in mud. It makes me want to chase her in the woods. Goddess, she’d make it such a challenge. Getting her to concede, to win the sweetest prize, would be exquisite. The way she tricked her way out of the prison ground. Using my horse like a crazed circus act. In the moment I was exasperated. Now I just add that kind of impulse to reasons why I find her so fascinating.Her coconut scent cuts through the boring, blandness of everything around me. It’s only when she’s
His eyes widened, his beer frozen mid swig. “Two? I guess you’re counting today as one. Wrongly, I might add. But two?”“Today was absolutely a kidnapping attempt. Rope, blindfold, taken against my will? Wolfsbane! What else could you call it?” “A rescue! I got you out of Fenton without being seen?”“Only to shout my name out to your entire pack?” I counter, taking a deep drink of the delicious beer, before panicking I’d covered my nose in froth. I’m trying to keep my tentative grip on the upper hand here.Ayr grinned and pointed at me, his finger waving. “Ah, but you’re in Volare now. Huge difference.”“So you seriously think nobody will find out I’m here?”"If you didn’t care, then I could finally shout it out,” he answers calmly, and I realise he hasn’t taken a bite of his food. He’s just watching me. “You look beautiful, by the way. I should have said earlier but…”I, however, am starving. My wolf hunted when shifted. Unfortunately, in my human form it’s been hard going. I start
I turned my mindlink off. There was absolutely no doubt my Betas were having a full conference about this situation.Everything I chewed felt like cardboard. I’m playing the part of a normal, civilised man. But with every secret dropped, each turn in conversation felt like it could be the one to make Cass realise she’s done with me. All it would take is for her to look me in the eye and declare she rejects our mate bond, and that would be it. Slowly though, not entirely fuelled by the foaming beer and food, I started to relax. The hope I’d felt when we kissed burned brighter.Throughout the meal, Cass’s eyes were gently flickering with shards of silver. Her smile is softening. She was even comfortable enough to lean on Raphael a little when she laughed. That matters. They’re my only family. She’d be amazing for Volare if she wanted that. But her heart lies with Kallio right now. After hearing what her wolf has revealed, it’s no wonder. Generations of facing up to and regularly losin
We might be underground, in a cave filled with lanterns, but the very air around me seemed to fizz and crackle. Cass, my mate, the one I thought was lost to me for good, is threatening my sanity once again. “She was between my legs,” refusing to lie, even if the warning alarm in my head is firing on all cylinders. “Oh. Like this?” and slowly dropped down to her knees. I’d call her a good girl, but I think she’d bite a testicle clean off. Is this still a truce, or is she testing how it feels to touch me again after everything? Either way, she’s calling the shots. I’m just trying not to explode. “Do you think she wanted to do this?” and opened her mouth and placed the swollen head of my cock straight in her mouth. Her blazing eyes watched me, completely connected. Then, slowly allowed her tongue to swirl and torture me. I roughly unpin her hair, I needed to feel something of her in my hand. Then she gave my cock a lethally hard suck, taking another couple of inches down and I swe