Flashing multicolored lights flash through my eyes as I wake up with my head resting on Daniel's broad shoulder, his arm around my waist, it's so unexpected that I jump up, nearly bumping my head into his chin. He moves super-fast, with the reflexes his wolf provides, and I narrowly miss my head. I slide away from Daniel's arm as he clears his throat, sitting up straight in his seat and running a hand through his thick hair. Rather than talk about the uncomfortable moment, I turn and look out the window, which has ice trapped around the edges, to see that we're driving up the hillside overlooking the glittering sea between Wales and Ireland. I came to this place only once when I was fifteen on a school trip to see where the mating ceremony takes place and what we should expect from the future.If anywhere in this world made me believe in magic, this was it. A place that has been in my dreams for many years. For most wolves, this is where they will meet their wolves and begin their new
I trip over a small boulder, falling onto the path and hissing as I cut my hand. I look up as Lacey looks back, and then she laughs, knocking me to my knees as she continues past the line. Tears fill my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall, I stand up, seeing that the dress is now dirty with sand and mud, I lift my hand to see blood dripping from a large cut, running from the palm to the wrist. Sighing, I close my hand and let the blood drip onto the wet sand, as I know I need to continue down this path.It feels like forever when I reach the beach and look up to see Lacey waiting behind three other classmates, just as one of them enters the water. Four before my fate was decided. I'm tempted to take my shoes off and enjoy the feel of the cool sand under my bare feet, but I stick with my boots. I don't want to lose them. I walk along the beach, feeling so many eyes watching and judging me. I refuse to look at the men from the other side, knowing the new alpha will be there, and seeing
“That you're monsters,” I say, remembering well how he said he might feel if he lied.Her lips curve into a dazzling smile.“Lies are so easy to tell for those who live in fear, and your alpha lied, Mairin. We were never the monsters, but our lives are very different from where you came from. Here we don't have destined partners, we just mate with who we fall in love with. Wolves are free to date, explore, do whatever they want, and we accept new wolves into the pack only if they are rejected or lost. We respect loyalty, and we welcome those who are nothing to others.— Are there other rejected partners? I ask.His smile disappears.“I meet more than one wolf a week on this beach. All rejected and thrown overboard because their partner couldn't convince the wolf to kill them.“I had no idea,” I whisper.“To answer your question,” Henderson says, moving me a little in his arms, “I don't live here, but I'm called to the lighthouse to check on everyone who arrives. If you had lied to me
RAGNAR“She doesn't remember us.Henderson's statement hangs in the air, giving voice to our thoughts with great speed. Very sore. But it's been aching from the second Henderson found her, from the second she looked at us like we were strangers and didn't grow up together. Mairin is so different from the last time I saw her, when she was almost twelve and my biggest crush since I realized girls were interesting. It was the same for all of us... until she disappeared.And then we all realized that we had everything with her, and without her, we were nothing.And she doesn't remember.In my mind, I see her on the sofa by the lighthouse, wearing a silk dress that isn't torn, stained with her blood and soaked from the sea. Blood and salt water couldn't hide her scent from me, nor how broken she was could hide how beautiful she was. Her long blonde hair, her bright green eyes that reminded me of the dark green trees in our old house, and her long legs caught my attention right away.She is
The sweet, wolf woman doesn't quite match the unfriendly way she just called me a dog, and I'm a little taken aback. She has curly red hair that is in two braids that fall down to her belly with small wolf barrettes tying them together. She's wearing a short black top, black leather pants that are very tight, and she really has a sweet face. On his back are two daggers, but I can only see the sharp points on either side of his head. The woman arches an eyebrow at me, her green eyes showing me that she's not the least bit sweet. This is exactly why I was taught not to judge a book by its cover.“Mai, this is Seraphim Fall, our lead beta wolf, and I'd say she's not that rude, but she is,” Ragnar introduces us.“What kind of name is Mai?” she asks, tilting her head to the side and placing her hands on her hips. "Actually, who is she and why is she here?""Since when do I have to tell you anything?"“Since the fact none of you could live without me, that's why,” she counters with a smile
Most disturbing of all, some of them still have blood on them, and have clearly never been cleaned, and the smell coming off them is metallic enough that my senses squirm with disgust. God knows what he's doing with his wolf senses. Silas goes straight to the other side where the dirtiest weapons are and pushes them aside. The loud clatter of them on the floor makes me jump until he grabs two long, thin swords from the back. He takes them by the wrists and comes back to me, gently tapping one against my chest, not caring if I drop it when I fumble to pick it up. The sword, although smaller than his, is much heavier than it looks. But it's clean of blood. A little bonus. Silas storms out, not waiting for me or looking back once.I grab the sword and carry it back to the main training room where he returned. Silas returns to the middle of the room, where he pauses and waits for me, curving his hand to beckon me to his side. The whole move is overly sarcastic, and I wonder if he's going
Phim walks into the kitchen and smiles as he places his hands on the curve ofyour hips. She's wearing a shiny black dress that couldn't be covered in glitter anymore if she wanted to.Her long red hair is wavy, falling to the middle of her back, possibly longer even than my hair, and she has weird markings around her eyes that make her look really pretty and bring out her eyes. Phim looks at me, taking in my casual jeans and black T-shirt, and rolls his eyes with a small sigh.“No, you can't go to the party wearing that. No one is going to pay attention to you, and everyone needs to pay attention to you, especially when you're living here. We need to make a stand tonight,” she says, crossing her arms. “You desperately need a friend, and I'm not the type to have friends, but I'm here.“I didn't ask for a friend, and you don't have to feel sorry for me,” I reply, looking at her a little confused.“Your problem, you're stuck with me now,” she replies, waving her hand. “You don't seem to
“Oh, the top of the mountain is where most of the adult parties are held. It's not far.As I ponder whether it's going to be cold at the top of the mountain, she practically drags me off the steps, down a path towards a staircase where several people are already climbing. Two men with dark brown hair walk behind a group of three women, all close to my age, and all equally beautiful. They look at us for a brief second before turning their heads and whispering to each other. When I look at her, Phim just rolls his eyes."Expect it for the rest of the night." This pack is so gossipy, I swear,” she laughs. “It's like a giant family when someone's new here, everyone has to know about them, even more so if they start living with the alphas like you did.I blush at the attention because I've never been the center of attention in a good way, and I have no idea how to accept or deal with it. Phim just smiles kindly at me as we climb the stairs to the top and step out into the cool night at th