ZACK
Watching Isabella and the rest leave, I pulled out the switchblade left behind by the rogue. It had an insignia of a one-eyed werewolf carved on the side. This may give me a clue about where this rogue was from. I returned to the pack house to check on Alaia and saw Mary pacing back and forth by the steps. Occasionally, she would look up the steps.
"Um, are you okay?" I asked, making her jump at my voice.
"Oh, Alpha Zack. How are you this evening?" She said with a bow and continued to look down at the floor.
I didn’t respond right away. Usually, silence can reveal a lot about a person. After a few awkward moments, Mary glanced up at me, then back down. Yep, she was hiding something.
ZACK **PRESENT** I reached the top floor and used my werewolf senses to sniff out which room she was in. I mentally prepared myself for whatever was on the other side. I wasn’t sure what I would do if she were up to no good. What more could I do? I took the one thing that made her evil, and yet I still feel it wasn’t enough. I took a deep breath and opened the door. The room was empty. I looked around for anything suspicious and only found a black box on the floor. Before I could inspect it, Alaia appeared from the bathroom. She stopped in her tracks and looked at me. "What do you want, brother?" she asked. A towel was in her hands, and I could faintly smell blood.
ALAIAIt took everything in my power to control my anger toward my brother. It subsided for a moment when he called me ‘Lia.’ Only a little. It’s been a while since I heard that nickname. Aside from that, he was very good at getting in my way, almost like a sport for him. I walked back into the bathroom to clean my mess before Isaiah came back.I was watching the events unfold in the bathroom mirror moments before. With a bit of blood magic and Zira’s choker, I kept her from shifting. Unfortunately, I didn’t account for her werewolf being as strong as she was. I could see the glow of my necklace slowly diminishing as I tried to hold onto the magic.Every attempt her werewolf made to break through made me a bit weaker. There were a few close moments when I thought the
ALAIA I blinked a few times before looking away. I decided the cup of water in front of me was more interesting as I cleared my throat. "You are invading my personal space, so everything is fair game." "I hope that goes both ways," he said with a smile. Mirja returned to drop off his drinks, and he slid one my way. "Take your time with that sweetheart. Might be a bit strong for ya." I stared at him and took the shot in one gulp. It burned like hell, and I instantly regretted it, but I composed myself, not wanting to look inexperienced. "It’s Alaia, not sweetheart," I said when I could breathe. The shot was disgusting, and my mouth had a slight tingling sensation. He laughed softly, and I w
ISAIAH I slowly opened my eyes, and instantly, my favorite cinnamon and apple scent filled my lungs. Then, I remembered I had found my mate yesterday. She was lying right next to me, sound asleep. I couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to find her so early. I expected at least five to ten more years, but this was truly a blessing. Having a Luna only makes the pack stronger, making me a stronger Alpha. Goddess, I sound like my mother, I thought, rolling my eyes. That would make her day. But, knowing we’re not the biggest pack in the world, I want to make sure we can hold our own, and Alaia could be the key. As I stared at my sleeping beauty, I couldn’t help but think abou
ZACK After the night of dealing with rogues and the confrontation with Alaia, I barely slept. I kept thinking she had something to do with it. That rogue used magic to get away. Unless he was a hybrid, he had to have help from a witch, but Alaia had no powers. All of this couldn’t have been just a coincidence. It seemed like the light came through the window when I closed my eyes, disturbing my nonexistent sleep. I sat up in bed, clearly frustrated from the lack of sleep. I looked at the time, and it was only seven. Though I didn’t get much sleep, this was usually late. I’m up at five thirty every day and training. How could I have overslept? I would never know. I took a shower and decided to go for a run. With the details of last night running through my head, I let my werewolf, Alexi, take over and guide us through
ISAIAH I froze momentarily when I saw Zack pull Zira into a hug. Then, a growl escaped my lips. I saw them look our way, but we moved before they could see us. “What was that?” Hunter asked. “It was nothing. Let’s go back to the office,” I snapped. Why the hell am I mad? She could hug anyone she wanted. Even if it’s that obnoxious oaf of an Alpha. “You do know I can feel your true thoughts,” Devon said. “I was worried, and she was crying,” I said. “Sure, you were,” Devon scoffed. I ignored him as we made our way back to the pack house. On the way, I mind-link Delta Chris and Gamma Jace to meet us there. They were waiting by the door as we entered my office. Standing by the window was- “Father.” “Alpha Jack,” the others bowed. He glared at all of us, but I knew from his aura he wasn’t that mad. Though I can guess what it was all about. Like I said before, we never really experience attacks from rogues or neighboring packs, so- “Why am I just now hear
ALAIA I woke up feeling cold as I stretched my hands to an empty space beside me. Isaiah was gone. I shot up to a sitting position, looking around the room for his presence. Why did he leave? Where did he go? “He’s an Alpha. He’s probably training. Though I would know for sure if you weren’t blocking me from his werewolf,” Elaine growled. A sense of relief washed over me as I turned to see it was eight in the morning. Of course, he’s training. So, there was no need to worry. As for Elaine... “Who knows what you might say if I let you talk? Unfortunately, we’re not best friends,” I replied, remembering that I had blocked Elaine from Devon when I found out Isaiah was my mate. “What is there to say? That the Moon Goddess paired them with a maniac. Do you have some plans I don’t know about?” Elaine questioned me. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Just be a good little she-wolf, and let me work my magic for the both of us.” “Your magic is never good. You only use it to hurt ot
ALAIA I could feel him on my heels, and I turned in my doorway to block him from coming in. “I don’t need a lecture right now, Zack.” He looked at me with a bit of confusion and shrugged it off. “You’re a grown woman. I do not care about your night festivities. I came to see if you’ll be leaving with me today.” Was he freaking serious? After last night, I couldn’t believe he thought I would want to return with him. But he must have seen the surprise on my face because he just sighed. “If you really think you’re ready for this, then I can’t stop you, but I want you to really think about this, Alaia. There are always consequences for everything you do. Since you’re mated to an Alpha, there’s not much I can do if-” I couldn’t let him finish that sentence. I knew where he was going with it. “I don’t need you trying to save me, Zack. I can take care of myself.” Besides, this time was going to be different. This time, I’m Maria, and unlike her, I am strong enough to never