JAMES POVI booked a hotel and sent Bryan back to the Packhouse to get a couple days’ worth of clothing for me. I didn’t want to have to travel back and forth, and I wanted this Investigation to be done as soon as possible so I was making myself available. I gave the hotel information to the Council to pass along to the Percontors and found out that Zoe had made her Beta, Danny, the representative for Cole. That man was slimy and I didn’t trust him one bit. I would have to really watch what was going on with him.The next morning, I was waiting out front for the two Percontors. Danny had also just arrived and was whining because the first thing on the agenda was a trip back to his Pack. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t have met up with us there, and he wasn’t receptive to Matthew’s explanation of equal opportunities for both representatives. Addie was right. The man was dense.The trip over to Hellroaring River Pack was a few hours southeast of where we were currently. We
When we entered the dungeon, we saw no one. All of the cells were empty. I stopped to look at the walls, looking for another room, something hidden. When the guard approached, I took a peek inside his head and found what I was looking for. I moved towards a tall bookcase and, feeling around the edge, found the switch. It swung forward, revealing a set of stairs leading down.“Is this where the dangerous criminals are kept?” Matthew sarcastically asked Zoe. I stifled a laugh. That guy wasn’t half bad.We descended into the rest of the dungeon and the smell got stronger. Leigh daintily kept her hand over her nose. The first cell had who I was looking for. Her red hair gave her away, but the rest of her was unrecognizable. She had been recently beaten again. “Jess?” I called over softly. “I’m Addie’s mate. I’m here to take you somewhere safe.”“You can’t! She’s a traitor to the pack. We have the right to punish her as we see fit!” Zoe threw herself at me. Matthew step
ADDIE’S POVI thought I would have three days to keep my promise to Bryan. I hadn’t moved out of the cot since I crawled into it, thirty-six hours ago. I slept fitfully, waking myself up screaming over my bad dreams. I had already had four meals delivered, all of which I had ignored. I was still dressed in the clothing I wore into the cell and I had not showered at all. I just didn’t feel like it. I was dozing off, blanket still over my head, when I heard the cell door open. I thought I had possibly gotten the days wrong; there was no way three days had passed. I was counting the meal deliveries to determine what time it was and I know they wouldn’t have skipped over me, even though I wasn’t eating.I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder and someone slowly peeled the blanket off from over my head. There was a woman who was standing there with a towel and some clean clothes I recognized as mine.“Luna, they want you upstairs in an hour. Let’s get you ready, shall we?”I shook m
James POVI looked at Addie and was worried. She seemed beaten. I haven’t known her very long, but she’s never acted like this, even when she was in the hospital after her escape. She had woken up and made a plan to get out, even in her weakened state. I wasn’t sure what to think.One of the guards sidled up to me. “Alpha, I just want you to know that your mate didn’t eat the at all while she was down here. She spent the entire time on her cot with the blanket over her head. She would fall asleep and wake herself up screaming.”I nodded my thanks at him, touched that he was concerned for my mate.I caught up to Addie and Matthew and helped Addie into the car. She felt thinner in my arms, even though it had only been thirty-six hours. I didn’t like it at all.“Do you want to stop for something to eat?” I offered as the car pulled out. “I know a restaurant that serves really good food and it’s on the way.” Matthew had caught my glance and he could tell I was worried.Addie sm
ADDIE POVI dozed off in the car, James’ hand providing relief for my splitting headache. I was barely coherent when he helped me out of the car and into the elevator of the hotel. I leaned against him, not paying attention until the bell dinged.When he opened the door to the room, I gasped. It was over the top ornate. There was even a piano in the middle of the room. James grinned at me and then picked me up and carried me into the room. I squealed. He sat me on the bed, and I turned towards him, lifting my arms for him to take off my sweater. I saw his eyes turn liquid black and I knew that Scout was barely below the surface. I licked my lips, looking deep into his eyes, teasing him. With a roar, Scout took over.I heard the sweater rip, and I felt a moment of regret; I really liked this sweater. My bra was unbuckled and tossed to the floor before he fumbled with the button on my jeans. I giggled a little; Scout wasn’t very dexterous with the small details like James wa
ADDIE POVI woke up feeling really good. The memory was still there, but it didn’t hurt as bad, if that makes any sense. I looked at James, sprawled on his back still asleep on the bed. He had dark circles under his eyes. I slipped out and let him sleep.I blasted myself with the hottest water the hotel had, scrubbing myself down with the sample sized scented soap that was provided in the bathroom. I used the entire bottle of the shampoo, carefully washing my hair, and then putting a dollop of conditioner on the ends when I got out of the shower. I finger combed my hair, hoping it would look okay. I then wrapped myself in one of the complimentary robes and went out to survey my shredded clothing.I literally had nothing to wear that wouldn’t overtly show something I didn’t want shown. Scout had shredded my jeans and panties and my sweater was ripped down the front. I tried piecing them back together to see if I could do something makeshift with them, but it wasn’t working. I
JAMES POVI woke up that morning, completely exhausted. Sometimes that happens when I use my gift for a long time. That, and Addie’s memories were exhausting. I couldn’t believe she had gone through all of that, and my heart ached for my mate.I woke up to piano playing. It was soft and beautiful, and I could feel the peace in Addie through our mate bond. I smiled and stretched. It was so worth my exhaustion if it could make her feel good.After breakfast we found ourselves lounging in bed again, her in her new tank top and a pair of undies. She looked so good I considered postponing my plans so I could see how good she tasted.“When are we going back?” she asked, idly twirling one of my hair strands around her finger. I pushed myself back so I could see her whole face.“A or B?” I asked.“What?” she was confused.“A or B? Or one or two, if you prefer numbers.” I couldn’t keep the sneaky grin off my face. “Ummm, B.” Addie decided and then raised one eyebrow at me. It was
ADDIE POVThe next few days were a whirlwind for me. There was so much I have never seen and never experienced before. I was trying to be as elegant and sophisticated as a Luna should be, but I couldn’t help squealing over the soft sand, the vast ocean, the palm trees, the tiny monkeys that ran right up to me; the list was endless.The Fiji Islands was a place that a lot of werewolves travel for vacation. Unlike the USA where werewolves live in secret and pretty much stay in their packs, the Fiji Islands celebrates shifters. The humans are the ones regulated to a few islands and the shifters run most of the territory. Our plane landed and we were immediately put on a little boat and taken to another island.“That is the human island,” the boat captain said, lip curling, looking at the island we just left. I looked at James for explanation and he just smiled at me.“Most of the Fiji Islands are predominately werewolves and shifters. They keep the humans regulated to just a coupl