Chapter 24 I shiver slightly as my body slowly comes to consciousness, my eyes scanning the room to see the sunshine falling in through the open window curtains. This morning, the bed felt colder than usual, and my hands search for the warmth Tate always brings. Worried, I turn around to face Tate's side of the bed, only to notice him gone and—judging by how cold his side of the bed is—he's been gone a while.Frowning, I slowly sit up, my body sore once again from spending the night with my mate. Wrapping the blanket around my naked body, I search for any clue that my mate might have left indicating his whereabouts when I spy the note folded neatly on his pillow.With a soft smile, I pick up the note and carefully unfold the paper to see Tate’s neat handwriting on display. The note tells me that Tate decided to go to the pack house to take care of some business and catch Rex for a check-up. Chris and Jack took Julia for the day, wanting to give me some time to rest and
Chapter 25 I feel numb as if there were no connection between my mind and body. I feel no emotion, no wave of energy from the pack link, and barely a hum from the mate bond. I am floating in a blissful sleep, or so I think with how the darkness envelops me. My body is numb, yes, but as I open my eyes I soon learn that I am tied down to an all too familiar bed that I thought I left behind months ago, my body naked once again."No!” I cry out in a despaired whimper, trying to free my limbs before anyone can walk in. I am back in the cottage I was once sentenced to as a Breeder about five months ago. This is the same cottage where the twins were forcefully conceived, and my life was a nightmare because of Sam for a full week. I was trapped with nowhere to go. The bed is still as comfortable as I remember it, but it holds so many horrible memories that disgust rushes through me in waves."Well, look who's up." I bristle as a voice I could never forget floats to my ear, and
Chapter 26 "I am." I smile despite the pain as Tate's voice reaches my ear, my heart soaring at the fact that my mate is here to save me. I turn my head to look at Sam, his face a ghostly white, and I smile smugly. He is in a world of pain for pissing off my mate and kidnapping me."Sam! Bloodsvain, they're here." I hear Ross's words of warning as he yells out to his nephew. I hear the Elder’s heavy steps from the hallway carrying him into the room, where he abruptly comes to a stop."Oh, Alpha Tate, how-" I hear a growl cutting off Ross’ sweet, fake greeting before the sound of flesh tearing apart and the smell of blood other than my own fills the air. Guess there will be an Elders position to fill soon."Look, Tate, I was just taking back what is mine," Sam says with fear lacing his voice. Holding his hands in surrender, Sam slowly backs away from the bed and away from me, with Doctor Freelan continuing his protective stance, just in case Sam tries anything stupid. T
Chapter 27 It took us forty-eight hours to return to our pack, despite Rex driving faster than the speed limit permitted to distance ourselves from Pine Paw. Tate wanted to keep driving all through the night, but Rex suggested we stay at a motel the first night because of the condition my body is in due to the wolfsbane. And so, with reluctance, Tate agreed to Rex’s suggestion. Settling into a comfortable room, I spent the night dozing in and out of sleep, not able to fully find the release of a deep slumber even with my battered and exhausted body. Every time I would fall asleep, I would find myself back in the cottage with Sam above my body that is chained to the familiar wooden bed. Each time that scene repeated itself, I would scream awake from the nightmare, waking Tate, who slept beside me and sending him into a panic state as he holds me close until my sobbing ends.After going through ten nightmares, Tate decided that it would be best to leave the motel and con
Chapter 28 I groan as harsh light reaches my eyes. My reaction to bury my face in the warm, solid body next to me is met by chuckling. Sometimes I feel more like a vampire with how much I hate the bright star when sleeping."Hey, beautiful, are you hungry?" Tate asks, one hand rubbing my back, the other in my hair."Yes," I mumble, snuggling closer to him and sighing happily, getting another chuckle. "Well, we should get up to get food." He says, smoothing my hair away from my face and kissing the top of my head."Do we have to?" I ask quietly, blinking my blurry, sleep-filled eyes at him with a yawn."You're adorable when you’re tired, you know that?" He muses, sending another kiss to my forehead and pulling me closer into his arms."So I've been told," I mumble and smile at another deep chuckle rumbling from my mate. It felt good seeing Tate relaxed and a little rested, with the dark circles under his eyes less noticeable."C'mon, baby girl. Let’s get
Chapter 29 I smile as I stare at myself in the mirror, my chestnut hair in loose curls, half of it shaped into a bow at the back, upper-half of my head. It’s been just over two—almost three—years since I returned home, and news about the fight at Pine Paw has spread all over the world. The Elders visited every single pack for three months, making sure everyone knew the new laws of Breeders being illegal. Many packs were abolished for breaking the laws. The last I heard about Pine Paw is that Sam’s younger brother Eric and his mate took over, freeing all the Breeders and reuniting them with their pups. All in all, my story is widely known now. I have a strong reputation of being a kind Luna but a brutal fighter when it comes to protecting my pack and family."Are you almost ready?" Eeva's voice fills my ears, and I turn to stare at my maid of honour, smiling at the look of awe on her face as Julia toddles around us in her lavender flower girl dress."Yes, is everyone he
Chapter 1 I sit in front of my mirror, my reflection staring back at me. My straight chestnut-coloured hair is piled on top of my head into a perfect bun, and the off-the-shoulder blush coloured top and high-waisted black lace skirt adorn my body, hopefully portraying me as a confident young she-wolf ready to take on her role in this pack.Last month, I had just turned sixteen, the age a wolf finds their role in their pack and—possibly—their mate. It is the time when all wolves are deemed “adults” in our community, when a she-wolf can choose to give up school and start a family with her mate if she so desires. In the eyes of the werewolf nation, any wolf aged sixteen who has shifted to their wolf form is able to take on responsibility in furthering the success of their pack, with their Alphas designating their roles at the pack meeting on the first day of each month. Since I had missed out on last month’s meeting due to my birthday being three days after the last pack
Chapter 2 As the pack territory slowly passes by, I decide to rest my eyes. Breeders are given an area on the far-west side of the territory where no one will be able to disturb them. That area is patrolled and guarded day and night. It will be a community I call home for however long my stay is, but deep down, I know I can never allow the cottage I will be living in to be my home. A prison, yes, but never my home.Hope slowly slips away the further I get from the pack house and the closer I get to the cottage where I’ll live for the next chapter of my life. At sixteen, I should be enjoying life as a carefree young adult, not being sentenced to life as a mother. I never wanted to raise pups just yet. I had a career in mind that I worked hard towards each and every day, but now it's all gone.Sighing, I decide to let the comfort of sleep take over. It would be too painful to keep looking out the window and only cause me to break down in front of the men who are probab