IvyOh, hell no.A tent?A fucking tent!?I shake my head furiously. "No, way. This isn't happening."Alpha Maurice furrows his brows at me. "Do you have a problem with this arrangement, Ivy?"I clear my throat, preparing to give him a speech. "Alpha Maurice, with all due respect, a tent isn't suitable for um...um...canoodling."Canoodling? Why the hell did I say that?Alpha Maurice raises an eyebrow at me. "And what, pray tell, would be suitable for canoodling?"I look at Ryder pleadingly, silently begging him to come up with something.Ryder takes a deep breath. "A private room, perhaps? A cabin or something?" he suggests.Alpha Maurice nods thoughtfully. "I see you are embarrassed, but it's a tradition to finish the mating ritual by mating where the whole pack is present."I look at Alpha Maurice incredulously. "Seriously? You want us to have sex in front of everyone?"Alpha Maurice nods again. "Yes, it's part of our traditions. It's a way for the pack to witness and acknowledge yo
RyderI can't believe this.I'm a freaking Alpha. I should be commanding Ivy, demanding her to submit under me. But here I am, indulging her some kind of sick fantasy.She is leaning back against the headboard, smirking as I'm standing here I'm front of her, about to take my clothes off."What are you waiting on? Take your clothes off!" Ivy teases me.I raise my eyebrows. "What? No music?"Ivy giggles, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Oh, you want some music, do you?"I grin. "If you want me to do a strip tease, music will set the mood."Ivy laughs, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, I wouldn't want to deprive you of that opportunity, Alpha."She reaches over to the nightstand and turns on the small speaker, selecting a playlist of seductive music.As the first notes begin to play, I start to unbutton my shirt, one by one. "You are a bad girl Ivy. I will punish you later for making me do this.""I am so scared," Ivy feigned a gasp.I chuckle, my heart lightening at her playful
IvyWhat is happening to me?And why isn't Ryder trying to help me? He got off me, but now he is staring at me with a stunned expression in his eyes.As the transformation continues, I feel my body changing in ways I could never have imagined. My skin tingles as vines start to grow around my arms and legs.At first, I am terrified by what is happening to me. But as the transformation reaches its peak, I start to feel a strange sense of peace wash over me. I feel connected to the earth in a way I never have before, and I can sense the life force of every plant and tree outside.I look up at Ryder, and for a moment, I see fear and confusion in his eyes. But then, his expression softens, and he reaches out to touch me. I feel a jolt of electricity run through my body as his fingers brush against my skin."Wow," he whispers, staring at me with wonder. "You're beautiful."Am I?I can't see myself yet. I lift my hand and hold it in front of my face.I look at my hand. My skin is now a pale
Ivy In the morning, I storm over to Alpha Maurice's den. I need answers about my past and I need them now. Alpha Maurice looks at me as if he has been expecting me. "Ivy, what's the good news? Did your wolf come out?" I take a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. "No, but something else came out." Alpha Maurice squints at me as if he is confused. "Something else?" "Yes! Leaves came out of my body, and I turned green!" I chirp. Alpha Maurice furrows his brows. "Strange, I thought your wolf would've overpowered your other side." "My other side?" "Yes, it seems that way. But that still leaves the question of who your parents are. I assume that's why you're here?" Alpha asks. I nod. "Yes, I need to know. Do you have any information about them?" Alpha Maurice leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers. "I do, but it's not something I can just tell you outright. There are some things that you need to understand first." I cross my arms, feeling frustrated. "What things
IvyThe next day, I pack my bags and prepare to move to Ryder's pack. My heart pounds with anticipation and my chest feels heavy with emotion. I am about to leave everything I've ever known behind for Ryder.Greta comes into my room to help me. I look st her with teary eyes. She raised me like her own, so it'll be especially hard to leave her.Greta wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace. "I'm going to miss you so much, Ivy," she says, her voice choked with emotion. "But I know this is what you want, what you need. And I support you all the way."I hug her back, tears streaming down my face. "Thank you for everything, Greta. You've been like a mother to me, and I'll always be grateful for that."Greta pulls back and cups my face in her hands, looking into my eyes. "You go out there and make a new home with Ryder. Build a life and a family. And never forget where you came from."I nod, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "I won't forget, Greta. I promise."Greta hesitates a
RyderI leave Ivy with Sarah then walk toward my mother's house.My thoughts are consumed with Ivy. I can't believe she turned out to be my mate. I won't have to search for her anymore. I can't wait to show her off at tonight's ceremony, but at the same time, I want to keep her all to myself.As I approach the house, I see my mother standing outside, talking with a few members of the pack. She turns and sees me, a smile spreading across her face. "Ryder! How good to see you, my son!" she exclaims, walking over to me and giving me a hug."It's good to see you too, Mom," I reply, returning her embrace. "I wanted to come see you before the ceremony tonight.""Of course, my dear," she says, pulling away and looking at me with a curious expression. "I've been dying to meet your little mate. Is Sarah helping her get dressed?""Yes," I say, feeling a pang of longing for Ivy."Good." My mother pats my arm. "Now, let's go inside and talk more about tonight's events."We settle down on the couc
IvyIn response, the demon lets out a bone-chilling laugh, shaking me to my core."It's probably a good idea to keep your people out of this, Alpha. We don't want anyone else to get hurt now, would we?" the demon says in a mocking tone. He has a deep and coarse voice.My heart races as I watch the exchange between Ryder and the demon. I can feel the tension and danger in the air, and I grip Ryder's hand tighter.I know I should stay back and let Ryder handle the situation, but I can't just run away with my tail tucked behind my back!Instead, I take a step forward, trying to summon up all the courage I have. "Who are you, and what do you want?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear that grips me. The demon turns its attention to me, and its blue eyes seem to burn brighter."Ah, the Luna. How lovely to see you again," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.See me again? What does he mean, again?"As for what I want, well, that's simple. I want what every demon wants
Ivy Lucia is still staring at me, not buying my answer, and I don't know what to tell her. "No, really. I have no idea who that was," I say it again. Lucia furrows her brow, looking like she's about to say something more, but then she seems to think better of it and nods. "Okay," she says, sounding skeptical but not pressing the matter further. Ryder turns to the rest of the pack. "Let's all head back to the packhouse. We need to tend to our injuries and regroup." The other pack members nod and start to make their way back, some limping or leaning on each other for support. As we start to walk back, Ryder turns to me. "So much for keeping your powers a secret, huh?" He chuckles. I give Ryder a playful punch on the arm. "Hey, it's not like I had a choice back there. I had to use my powers to save us." Ryder nods, a serious expression on his face. "I know, and you did an amazing job. But we need to be careful now. The rival packs might find out and come after us." I nod, understa