He caught me with a happy laugh. "I wanted to surprise you. I want you here as much as possible, babe. I promise that I will do better…with everything."We kissed until Sam cleared her throat."I'm going to get BJ settled." Sam had BJ propped up on her hip, and BJ was happy to follow her "Mimi" to whatever adventure the new house was sure to hold.Tyler and Jason excused themselves to finish getting the lodge prepared for the ceremony.I wasn't exactly sure what would happen, but Paul assured me that becoming Lupa was like becoming mated and our beasts would take over.I had hoped that Paul and I would break in the new bedroom since I knew the approaching full moon made him horny, but he said we would save that for after the ceremony.I couldn't wait!After the ceremony, I would change and run with the Pack, and our beasts would fuck in a way that no humans could.It always involved blood, claws, and teeth.~*~Tyler and Jason were already at the lodge orchestrating the f
Sasha stopped in front of the raised stand and placed her hands on her hips. Long black hair ran down her back in inky black curls. She was barefoot and dressed in a simple dress that accentuated her curves. Her dark eyes flashed with determination as she stared at Paul."She's not Pack," Sasha said. "She can never be Pack because she represents all that we fight against. She is one of them!"The noise of the crowd grew. Jason and Tyler moved forward, but Paul raised his hand to stop them. His eyes never left Sasha, and neither did mine. I stiffened, barely registering the Wolfpack or Paul as I focused on Sasha. She had danced naked with my husband, had grabbed him and kept him from saying goodbye to me during Ran's ceremony. She now seemed intent on stopping the ceremony. What was really going on here?"Kim is not our enemy," Paul said. "She is nothing like the Neratomay. She doesn't have their memories, and she's not led by their instincts.""You are blind because you are mat
I narrowed my eyes. "Bitch, I don't give a fuck about any of that. I'm here about you and Paul." My eyes began to burn. This didn't seem possible. "I want answers."Sasha smirked. "You want to know how good it was? Well, like I said, Paul came back for seconds."My teeth dropped and I balled my hands into fists.Tyler gripped one of my wrists. "Kim…"I looked past Tyler but didn't move forward. "How long has this been going on?" My voice that sounded nothing like my own but that of all of my demons.Sasha didn't flinch. Her golden eyes and shaggy hair let me know that she was close to changing. "It just started. But I don't intend for it to end. Paul and I belong! We match in ways that you will never be able to.""You trifling, bitch!" I charged forward, but Tobias, Jason, and Tyler held me back.Tyler leaned in toward my ear. "Kim, it's not worth it. If you start, it won't end!""Did you know?" I asked Tyler."I'm sorry," Tyler said, "but I didn't know. I swear I didn't know.
No one bothered me for the next few days. Ran handled our meetings, and beyond him and the Ladies I kept myself blocked from everyone but Sam and BJ.Despite my anger, the bond I shared with Paul made it difficult not to feel the pain of our separation. Bonds were made to keep cold-ass Vampires from killing each other. It worked the same for a husband and wife working through infidelity.I had always been a judgmental, opinionated person. I criticized women for taking back their cheating, abusive husbands. I cat-called the television set when a woman cried over a man whom I didn't think deserved mercy. I thought women who couldn't make the hard decisions were weak. Wasn't there strength in denying yourself the pleasure of being with a man that you desired?I thought I was strong, but the pain of losing someone so integral to your life was something that knocked me to my knees. I had a hole in my soul that Paul was supposed to fill, and it was everything warm and calm and loving. All
After the feeding, I returned home to the house that Paul and I had made into a home. I had sent BJ and Sam ahead of me, and they were in the family room playing. BJ ran to me and flung herself against my legs as if sensing that things might never be the same again.I picked her up, held her in my arms, and kissed her all over her face until she begged to be put down. I looked at Sam who seemed happy to be back home but still sad about what I was trying to deal with."I'm going to call him," I said.Sam nodded. "I think it's a good idea." She hadn't asked permission to throw in her two cents and had flat out stated, on a number of occasions, that she was disappointed in Paul and his inability to keep his penis in his pants. It hadn't helped that I wanted to defend him. I wasn't much different from him and he had forgiven me time and time again.I went out to the backyard so that I could open our link and speak to him privately, but BJ wanted to come with me. I allowed it, but then
"God no. The loser will be required to do whatever the winner asks. You can have her join the Omegas in Europe.""You're that sure that I will win?""Yes. Absolutely. You have the Vampire's strength and speed as well as the creature's ability to hybrid.""And what if they won't allow me to use my Vampire powers?"His mouth formed a grim line. "Your powers are an asset to your role as Lupa. They can't deny any of your abilities.""Are we truly mated?" I wasn't referring to our Vampire bond. I was talking about the Werewolf mating. I could still feel the bite on the back of my neck. I felt my connection to Paul through it. It didn't hurt, but it was a tangible thing. Nerves had clustered there, and Paul had explained that other Werewolves could smell our mating because of it.He put his hand on my shoulders, and this time I didn't pull back. "Never doubt our mating. It is real. I don't understand why the hybrid reached out to hers, but we are husband and wife and my Wolf has mated
Maybe…maybe that's not a bad thing, Alexis. Maybe there should be some checks and balances.I suppose there is a chance that inbred, uneducated Supernaturals with no concept of what it entails to manage the entire world could do better than those that have been secretly maintaining it for centuries. Or there could be chaos.I closed my eyes. Did you choose the devil you knew or the devil you didn't? I couldn't wait to corner Paul about this information. My eyes narrowed. I knew Paul hated the Neratomay, but this?Alexis, I have to go. I need to talk to Paul.I forbid it, he replied. I forbid you to mention anything we have discussed. You are not to discuss it with anyone but me.My mouth opened and closed in surprise. But—No arguments! It is for the safety of the Neratomay that I demand this. I am your Elder, and you cannot defy me.He was right. Though Alexis had the power to control my will, he didn't always exercise it. My shoulders sank. But I'm the only one who can talk Pa
Paul came home every night to sleep beside me, even when I was already dead to the world. Sometimes before I fell asleep, I would stare at him, asking him silent questions about the Alliance and the Wolfpack—his Wolf army. He thought my stare was more accusation about She-bitch, but it wasn't. I couldn't do more than give him a constipated look as I tried to find a way to speak to him about his plans.It didn't help matters that I wasn't allowed around the Werewolves until the battle. He was afraid my presence would spark a revolt. They had agreed to honor the winner of the battle, but that agreement hadn't included a Vampire walking around in their midst beforehand. Knowing that Sasha was there gaining supporters, maybe even tempting Paul, ate away at me. I wanted to know if he had seen her, if they talked, if he felt something for her…But I didn't ask. His answers would not have made me feel better. I would win this battle, and I would send Sasha's ass to Siberia. If I had anythin