ADDIE POVThe biggest guy reached down and hauled me to my feet like I weighed nothing. My legs almost buckled but he tossed me against the car and I leaned against it. I could feel the silver weakening me and Talia and I was fighting the effects of it. “You’ve grown up,” the woman said to me, moving into my line of vision. “You look like your mom.”I looked at her, disbelieving. “Helena?” Standing in front of me was the Omega that my father had given the Alpha command to. The woman that betrayed my sister and me the second the command was lifted due to his death. I snarled and lunged at her.The first man poked me with the cattle prod again and I went down in a heap. “Quit doing that, you son of a bitch,” I growled at him. He chuckled.“Feisty,” he said. He grabbed my hair and started walking into the cabin, dragging me with him. “Get rid of the car,” he told one of the other men. I saw him walk over to Beckman’s body and take the keys from his coat pocket. I tripped go
ADDIE POVI watched the Hunter warily. He walked over to where I was chained and ignored me on the floor, unlocking the chains from the wall. “Up you go,” he said, pulling up the chain and forcing me to my feet.I gritted my teeth against the pain and scrambled up. He jerked the chains, not unkindly, but definitely uncaring. I refused to scream.“I hate werewolves. Always thinking that they’re better than the humans because they have the ability to shift. You know what your kind doesn’t realize? That wolves are dogs. Wild dogs. You shift into something without an ability to think or to feel and that’s feral. I don’t know why there’s any pride in that.”He pulled me over to the table and fastened one of the chains to the table leg. He went around to the other side of the table and pulled on the chain, forcing me up on the table and laying on my back with my arms spread wide. “But every once and again, there is a werewolf that is better than the humans. And it has nothing t
JAMES POVWe burst through the front door and were confronted. I skidded to a stop.“Jacob Sawyer,” I acknowledged the Hunter in front of me. He looked surprised to see me.“James Adler. I didn’t know you consorted with this sort.” He stood in front of me, looking relaxed, but I knew better. This Hunter has been credited with thousands of kills of my kind. He was strong and ruthless, and he had a serious hatred for anything supernatural, though he wasn’t above using them if they would help meet his needs.I could see my warriors spreading wider around me, Toby flanking me to my left. I knew Bruce had slipped out the door behind me, probably to see if he could get to Addie another way.Just then an earsplitting scream came from the floor below us. It was like a knife through my heart, and I grimaced.Jacob looked at me with interest. “I misjudged you, James. I thought you were someone to be admired, a savvy businessman. But I see now. I don’t know how I missed it. You’re o
JAMES POVWe got Addie back to the hotel. Toby had called ahead and made arrangements for the penthouse and then found us all clothing to put on while we were driving. Watching Bruce put on pants while driving eighty miles per hour on the highway wasn’t for the faint of heart, but I knew showing up to the valet completely naked wasn’t a good idea. It was bad enough that Addie was just wrapped in a blanket.I should have given Toby more credit. Bruce pulled into the parking garage and the person Toby was on the phone with opened the private elevator and sent it up to the penthouse. A concierge was there with a key to let us in.Bruce excused himself to go wait on the roof for Dr. Joanna to arrive via helicopter. I lay Addie on the bed, her clear eyes looking up at me completely trusting. I removed the now dry towels and wet two more, laying them on her. She quietly thanked me.Dr. Joanna was with her for a long time. I waited outside the room with Toby, not sure I could contro
ADDIE POVJames came storming into the room and slammed the door behind him. I turned to look at him.“What are you doing up?” James asked, rushing to me.“I’m feeling better and would like to go home,” I said, smiling. “I thought if I showed you I was fine you’d be more inclined to take me.”He walked over and kissed my head. “I will gladly take you home, little pup. But there’s something we have to do first.”I looked at him. I could feel the fear and anger radiating from him. “What is it?”He sighed deeply and then pulled me on to his lap. “The witch burned Runes into your torso,” he said. “We have to change those Runes so no one can ever use them to take your gift from you.”I stilled. “How do we do that?” I think I knew, and I wasn’t thrilled about it.He looked at me with a look of anguish. I took a deep breath. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s get on with it, then. I don’t want to have to sit and think about it.”James took my hands in his. “I wish there was another way.”
JAMES POVAfter Elder Jackson was done with Addie, I walked him down to the lobby. “You have a brave mate,” he said to me as he climbed into his car. I nodded. Yes, I did. And I needed to take care of a few things so that nothing would ruin what I had with her. I hailed a car and driver and gave directions to my office. I called Alice and let her know I was coming. Alice runs my offices and acts on my behalf when I’m with the Pack. She had a few things she needed my signature for and, since I was in the city, I was running by to sign them. I had also told Vanessa that I would arrange for her to get a job at the company and to stay in one of the company apartments. I wanted to arrange this with Alice personally.My phone rang as I was stepping in the elevator to go up to the top floor.“Hey Toby,” I answered, caller ID telling me who it was.“You’re a f^cking idiot, James. You should have stayed here with Addie.”I felt a cold trickle down my back. “Is she okay?” I asked
ADDIE POVI fell asleep on the ride in and woke up when we got to the Packhouse. James reached into the back the SUV to help me out and I snuggled into his arms, letting him lift me. I really wasn’t in too much pain, but I liked the extra attention I was getting from him so, I admit it, I played it a little bit.The Omegas that gathered in the foyer to say hello to us when we arrived looked shocked to see me. I was a little affronted until I caught sight of myself in a mirror. And then I realized I looked bad.James tried to get me to go up to our room and rest, but I had just woken up and I wanted something to eat. I slipped into the kitchen and shooed Sophie out when she wouldn’t stop wringing her hands and telling me she could make whatever I wanted. James leaned against the counter and watched me whip up a pan of caramel with amusement.“What are you going to do with that?” he asked. I smirked at him and didn’t answer, reaching for a bowl of fruit.I sliced up mangos, appl
ADDIE POVEmily threw herself into planning my Luna ceremony with everything she had. I tried to help out a little and give my opinion when asked, but I honestly didn’t care about a lot of things. When she came to me to ask me which shade of light blue I wanted the napkins to be, I plastered a fake smile on my face and randomly pointed at one swatch. It all looked the same to me, but by the look on her face, I realized I picked wrong.I decided honesty was the best policy.“Um, Emily? Can I talk to you?”She looked up from her stack of binders that she had organized the different caterers and event rentals into. “Sure, what’s up?” Her smile was faltering. I knew she expected the worst from the look on my face.“I don’t know how to say this without it coming across as incredibly ungrateful. So, please hear me out. I’m going to say it and if you want to hate me after, that’s okay. I probably deserve it.”She looked apprehensive. “You promise not to use your gift on me?”I put