I wake and Kylar is gone. There’s a dry feeling on my tongue, I’m dehydrated. Even my eyes are itchy. I stay still, reluctant to face the day. To accept that I’m lying on an inflatable mattress in a tent, because my sons were stolen. I feel broken from the inside out. But lying here won’t find them either. I roll off the bedding and ease out of the tent. It’s still early morning and I stare at the grey light that surrounds me. The campsite feels as though it’s asleep. It’s quiet except for a soft call of birds. I can see half a dozen tents along with trailers and more quads and atvs that I can count.Everything is neatly organised, as though Midnight Forest has mobilised an entire army into the Forest. I feel a lump in my chest, they really have. They’ve called everyone in for my boys. I’m so incredibly grateful and frustrated at the same time. I can feel the connection between myself and the rest of the Pack. Fainter than it was yesterday. There is some relief in that. Yet I know
Kylar The last few days have been a nightmare that I can’t seem to wake up from. Every time I thought I was connecting with Ava and getting closer to her, she managed to pull further away. We were sat on the sofa in her childhood home, and I don’t know if she couldn’t sense it, but the whole house smelled like her. Even if the smell was faint, like the smell of old books in a library. The house was so familiar, even though I’d never been there before the trip. It was part of her. Part of what made her, just like Silver Stream and its current Alpha. There’s a connection there, a shared history that I know I can’t fight. She’s a grown woman, making her own choices. Even if it took everything I had not to jump across the coffee table and rip out Alpha Josh’s throat. How dare he ask her to be his Luna?! Couldn’t he sense that she belongs to me?Sabre was growling at him, and I felt his own Alpha rise against my own. Because no, I’ve not marked Ava. She hasn’t consented to that. But we
AvaEverything hurts. My mouth is dry, tongue scratching against the roof. My lungs are tight, every breath a struggle. I fight to open my eyes, but my head is pounding and I’m reluctant. I just want to curl up, burying beneath the covers and sleep. Am I in a bed?I frown as my eyes adjust. I peer out at the world. It’s grey, darker than I expected. But what did I expect? Where am I? I try to stretch out and realise that I can’t. Maybe that’s why my chest and lungs hurt so much. My arms are bound behind me, locked at the wrists and elbows. I struggle, trying to fight against the rising sense of panic. What has happened. Where am I? I feel sick, as though I’ve drunk too much tequila before falling into bed. I’ve never been so thirsty and my head feels as though someone is hitting it with drumsticks. I close my eyes again. I need to focus.Sore head, dehydration, memory loss, confusion....I go through my symptoms and feel the bile rise in my stomach again. I really am going to be si
Don’t panic, don’t panic. I’m stern with myself. Fighting against my own rapid breath. I can breathe, I remind myself and I close my eyes once more. Blocking out the world. I wish this was just a bad dream. But it’s not. I’ve felt like this before, when I was Banished from my pack. I breathe a little easier. That was worse. That felt so much worse, physically. As though my soul was pulled out of my chest. As though I was bleeding from a hundred different stab wounds. This doesn’t feel like that. I feel panic, I’m in pain. I’m under the affect of whatever drug they gave me and the dehydration. But I don’t feel as though the very essence of my soul has been splintered. Breathe, I remind myself. Separating someone from their Wolf. I’ve heard of it happening but pain usually kills both parties. I’m not in that kind of pain, and for the first time in my life, I feel grateful for the pain of Banishment. It gives me something to compare my current agony with. It’s not that. So Seren isn
I feel under pressure from the time that’s been slipping away. I know that I need to do something, but tactics aren’t my strong point. I’m a Doctor, not a battlefield officer. I know I could stand here all night, trying to decide what to do. There isn’t time for that, so I take the risk. I move forward, slipping down the rocks that border the edge of the pool beside the cave.I try to keep to the shadows, sticking close to the ground. I still can’t feel Seren and I can’t hear anyone else approaching. So I take my chance and sink down, I dive forward into the water. Wading carefully, trying not to splash until I’m deep enough so that I can sink under the surface, holding my breath.I straighten up, pushing my hair back from my face. My hands and wrists are stinging, but at least the open wounds are clean, or something like it. The water, from what I can see is clear. It’s fresh and it’s running so I cup my hands, taking a deep drink. Anything to take the edge of my dehydration.Then
I expected some kind of reaction from the other Wolves surrounding the pool. But there’s nothing. I landed after rolling off the male I dropped and remained crouched on the ground. Dry sticks tickling the underside of my belly. My breath was heavy and hard as I twisted and caught my balance. Nothing.I can hear the next male off towards my right, going further into the woods. As Seren I can hear the fright in my son’s voices more clearly over the waterfall. I can pick out Marie’s panicked shout.‘No one’s going to get hurt!’ The elder has a hand on each of my sons, shielding them from the dark haired woman with her body. Damn right they’re not. At least not my boys. I’m bounding, running across the ground in strides that feel like flying. I don’t remember crossing around the edge of the pool but it doesn’t matter. The dark-haired woman has her right hand outstretched to Marie, her gaze fixed on Kayce.‘He’s the oldest twin, you have to give him to me,’ she beckons, but gripped in her
I grip the boys tightly, then loosen one arm then the other. So that I can slip into the jacket. Thankfully the dark-haired woman is far taller than I am, and as I stand it covers my behind. Not that I can at this moment, but I would prefer not to display my naked ass to the entire pack. Or worse. Each twin reaches up, and I hold their little hands. ‘What is it Marie?’ I demand softly. Reining in all of my fury. Kylar stands between us, the rest of the pack fanning out behind him. I can see that they’re dragging the woman up. Luca and Kyle have a hold of her, they’ve stuffed her mouth with some kind of rag. She’s bleeding from the chest, kicking and trying to lash out as they drag her away. Kylar looks between the pair of us. He’s managed to pull on a pair of khaki pants that are hanging dangerously low off his hips. Wordless, Sasha approaches and passes a pair to me. I let go of my sons, long enough to drag them over my bare legs. He looks beyond angry as he keeps his gaze on Mari
I’m carrying Rowan and Kylar steps up beside me. He reaches down before swinging Kayce up into his arms. I can’t look at him, feeling my heart in my throat. My thoughts racing as I relive the experiences we’ve just been through. It’s shock, I remind myself. I’m in shock.I concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. My arms are tired and I’m aching all over, but I won’t let Rowan down. I can feel that he’s fallen asleep on my shoulder, and a quick look at Kayce and he has done the same to Kylar. The future Alpha feels my gaze and glances at me.I look away, rather than risk coming undone. We walk through the forest with part of the Pack behind us. I can hear Marie sniffling as she walks, escorted by some of the older men that I don't recognise by name yet. They’re all wearing stern faces. I heard Kylar giving orders, sending the rest of the party to scan the area for more bodies, or any evidence that might need to be collected.We walk a short while before a truck catche