Jackson POV My brother met my Beta Carter and me just outside Lucian's border; I didn't want to be here for too long; Lucian and I have never agreed on anything. He is a pathetic Alpha, and his views regarding she-wolfs are outdated, bordering on slavery for all females except his precious Luna, who I am yet to meet. Leon growls when I approach him, saying, “About fucking time you showed up, Jackson.” “You could have gone in without me, Leon; you didn't have to wait.” “Not a chance in hell I am not listening to that stupid prick by myself.” We are surrounded by his warriors as soon as we enter Lucian's border. I laugh and mind link Leon, “Something has got him riled up. Has he never put on a show of strength like this before?” “Pretty piss poor one at that we could take these pricks out with our hands tied behind our backs.” I laugh. Leon already knows I will fade into the background and leave the talking up to him. That way, I can observe everyone in the room without them
Layla POVI don't have a destination in mind when I leave the hospital; Lea’s voice enters my mind. It's obvious she is pissed off at me when she says,“You should not have walked out on our mother, Layla.”Rolling my eyes at her, I don't answer. She growls deep in my head before moving to the back of my mind.Lea is correct, but I always need time to process new information. Rushing into things has never been my style, and if I get too angry with no outlet, I usually cry like a baby.When I reach the stream behind Nathan's parent's cottage, I remove my sneakers and put my feet in the water. It is so peaceful here; the animals playing in the woods and the water from the waterfall are the only sounds that reach my ears.I need to put my big girl panties on and take control of my life; the first thing on the agenda is to get my mother and Alec out of that hospital; keeping a little boy locked in one room is cruel. I pick my shoes up and make my way to Marian’s house.Diana is smiling as
Sasha POV Dating Jacob was the best thing I could ever have done. Like most unmated male wolfs, he always thought with his dick. Because of Jacob, I have met most of the scouts from surrounding packs, so I can enter many territories without being stopped. On the odd occasion, I get questioned, it is easy to manipulate the situation. I am an incredible lay, good-looking, and with a great body. The small head always clouds their judgment. I followed Drew once the attack was over. When I saw Amy was still alive, I was irritated but willing to let it go as she is a nobody, it irked me a bit that Drew seemed interested, but again I am adaptable and set my sights higher. Nathan will do; he is good-looking enough, and being an Alpha definitely adds to his appeal. Winding my way through the trees, I pick up the scent of wolves; I slow down as a male-female and pup approach Nathan’s border. It isn't long before Nathan and Drew come; Drew leads the female away. The male doesn't get to say any
Nathan POVI have doubled the patrol around our territory and sent my scouts further afield, so we are warned when Nicole's mate turns up. He is coming; there is no doubt in my mind. I can't fault him for wanting to find his family; I would move heaven and hell to find Layla if someone took her. I rub her back as I say,“Layla, sweetheart, wake up.”She moans, moving closer to me,“It's too early, Nathan; come back to bed.”I would love to crawl back into bed with her, but trying to stop Neo from claiming her is torture. I shake her again. My voice is rougher than I intended when I say,“Layla, you need to get up; I only have a couple of days to show you everything you need to know before Jackson attacks.”She sits up, rubbing her eyes, “I’m awake. Just let me have a shower, and I am all yours.”I groan. My eyes travel along Layla’s body; not yet, you aren't, but you soon will be. Neo’s laugh fills my mind; Layla thinks I’m bad. If she knew what Neo wanted to do to her, she would run
Maree POV“I am not coming with you, Lucian.”The muscle in his jaw pulses as he growls,“You have no choice, Maree; Isaac is our son.”“Isaac is not my son Lucian; he is your son. There is no need for me to go with you.”He growls, grabbing me by my arm and pulling me roughly against him as he sneers,“Just remember you are fucking dispensable, Maree; if you don't come, I will reject you, and you can get the fuck off my territory.”He laughs as he cups my face in his hand and slaps my cheek repeatably; it doesn't hurt; he means it as a warning. He moves his hand, gripping me under the chin, forcing me to look up at him as he sneers,“You have one week to pack your shit; if you are not ready, I will drag you out of this fucking house by your hair and throw you in the fucking car myself.”I sit in his office and bow my head, hiding the tears pooling in my eyes; my body trembles with fear; my life is falling apart. It's not fair; Lucian has never treated me like this. He can't find out
Sasha POV The shock on Isaac's face is the reaction I was hoping for; I let my shirt slip off my shoulder, exposing more of my scar, and clutch at his chest. “Please help me, Isaac.” He runs his hand through his greasy black hair before he sits next to me, asking, “Does anyone else know your Michaels daughter Sasha?” “No, Michael said he would kill me if I told anyone.” “What about Layla?” My voice trembles with fear as I say, “She treated me like her personal slave Isaac; the lies she told about me caused everyone in our pack to hate me.” He looked puzzled, frowning at me, and asked, “Then why not leave her where she is and let her suffer? Why should we help her?” I whimper and whisper, “I thought you loved me?” “I do, Sasha, but we can claim this territory as ours.” I smother the growl that rises from my chest, gritting my teeth. Losing my temper won't get me anywhere, so I cover my face with my hands and sob loudly. Isaac moves closer to me, and I sink into his arms a
Jackson POV Jace growls when we lose Nicole's scent again, it feels like I have been running around in circles for days. My head feels like it will explode; controlling my temper is impossible. Where the fuck has the mutt taken my family? It would have damn near killed Nicole if she had to carry Alec all this way. Kyle’s voice enters my head, “We have something over here, Alpha.” I shift, running to his location; he is bent over, looking at something on the ground. As I get closer, the scent of Nicole's blood fills my nose. Jace knocks Kyle out of the way. His fur bristles as he growls; I take back control before he attacks Kyle and shift back into my human form. The ground has been disturbed, showing signs of another struggle. Fear for my mate and pup gnaws at my insides, causing a knot to form in my gut. The only thing that keeps me sane is the blood on the forest floor is fresh, and it's a small amount. Jace settles back down again as Kyle motions me to his side; he has found N
Layla POV Nathan and I have not been able to spend any time alone since he started preparations for Jackson's attack. Lea's voice has been grumbling in my head all morning. “We should just mark him and be done with it, Layla.” “No, Lea, he can't afford any distractions right now.” She snorts, rolling her eyes as she recedes to the back of my mind. I understand her frustration. Nathan's scent makes my mouth water; the thought of not having him beside me is terrifying. I just want all this over and done with so we can start our life together, the idea of having a pup of my own has never been something I had thought about before I met Nathan, but now I cant wait to have a family with him. I won't lie; I am still angry about not fighting alongside him, but mom has assured me she will be able to stop Jackson from attacking us. My heart starts to race; my breathing quickens; fear consumes me. I know it because I am scared that I will lose Nathan. I whisper a little prayer to the moon-g