Helen POVWhen Randy said he knew where he was going, I trusted that, but this seemed a bit more extreme than I was anticipating. We round the corner of another dark tunnel, leading to a set of half-lit torches nailed into the rock wall.“What is this place?” I groaned, shivering.Thankfully, randy had given me his shirt to wear, but with my blood soaking into the fabric and the fact he has seen me very naked today already, I wondered if the kind notion was worth it.I held onto his shirt methodically, watching as he pressed into the rock wall and it shuddered, the door opening in recoil. It moved so easily but looked just like any other tunnel wall. I hid my amazement, walking into a bunker of sorts in this vast cave system.“This is our safe haven for now,” Randy said, moving into a kitchen set up on the far wall. “It’s no Vegas, and it’s not the wizard hideout in the pines, but it’s not bad.”I took a careful step back. Randy has always been nice to me, and his loyal to Justin is c
Helen POVThe Alpha and his beta talked through what feels like ages. I couldn’t sleep, only catching little mentions here and there as they caught up their timelines together.Randy foresaw the attacks, and Justin explained why we ran away when we did, and what led to our inevitable capture. My body cringed when he spoke of the wizards and the woman who had tried to seduce him, holding my necklace in temptation.They wanted to pounce on us then, to set us against each other, and while I false my appearance as peacefully asleep, Justin speaks over the sight of me so wounded in the misinterpretation of what I saw that day.“She was so hurt. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but I saw it, Randy.” Justin’s voice is muffled and distressed. “I stay at Lone Wolf Estate and she gets hurt. We leave the Estate, and she gets hurt more.”“It isn’t your fault as her mate, it’s your father’s doing, Justin. He was never going to pass the title down to you, not unless you became a weak Lycan. Somehow th
Justin POVI’m thankful Randy had a makeshift shower set up with a pipe and the cave springs set up, but I don’t think he’s very pleased with having to share this confined space with my rambunctious mate and myself.He brough enough clean clothes, though, so I slipped into some pants and helped my mate into a tee shirt meant for me, her frame healed all over and his eyes pressed hard together while she slept. I had exhausted her earlier, and for good reason.Randy offered me a bottle of something, alcohol probably but it was about the taste for me, and we sat at the table where he had a hard time looking me in the eyes.“Sorry about that,” I breathed, sipping the drink with amusement. “I really didn’t want to do that with you present but—” My voice fell with his look. He understood why it happened.“She’s healed now, and she knows better than to do anything stupid to be your martyr,” Randy said, tipping his eyes toward my slumbering Helen. “I recognize why you had to do it. I didn’t e
Helen POVJustin and Randy hardly ever left the safety of the cave unless it was for food. They took turns leaving back and forth. Justin refused to let me try, ushering me to rest and enlisting my help to cook; these two would be stuck eating raw pheasant every night if it weren’t for me.I worked in the small kitchen, preparing the dinner that sat before me. The two men had fallen asleep by now, exhausted from their hunt where they only returned with one kill. It wasn’t bad though; it would feed us for tonight.The kitchen was small and confided, my hands careful to put the fresh pork over the open flame when I turned too fast, tripping over my own feet. I managed to put down the pork meat over the fire without breaking the glass pan, but I still hit the floor.My head hit the countertop first, though. Darkness welcomed my return.When I came two, the cave was filling with a thick smoke. I knocked the pork off the burned as I stood, the meat dark and charred all over. The disappoint
Helen POVMy grandmother’s face is beautifully cascaded in a gold shine. She is an angel, literally and physically, but she looks like one right now, floating inches from my face.I reached out, wanting to take her hand, but it moved right through the illusion. My heart sank knowing I couldn’t reach her, not even in my dreams.Everything turned quickly, sending me to the floor of my parent’s kitchen scrubbing the floors and working on my blistered knees. I could see how small I looked then, how pathetically easy of a target I was to my relatives, but it still hurt, nonetheless.“You are cruel!” my nana’s voice carried through our home. “You don’t see it yet, but I do! I see how you treat my granddaughter! She will make you rue your behavior one day.”“The maid child? Please, Gertrude,” my mother’s voice heckled, “what a joke this is! She is a pathetic little runt. You should be happy that I’m even considering keeping her in this house!”I scrubbed the floor harder at that casual threa
Helen POVI followed my mate to the clearing of the field just outside my father’s pack. We were watching specifically for the Alpha King on visit, or that horrible Scott hanging out near my parents.It’s hard to accept that they loved him more than me, their own flesh and blood. It never mattered, though. When they saw us as fated mates, they saw Scott as their son, and Diana as his wife.Fuck what the moon goddess intended, I guess.Justin’s Lycan is calm, which is nice to see in a moment like this. We peer across the valley, watching Randy’s wolf stalk slowly in place, waiting for a sight of my father to come into view. The last few times we have been on look-out have been unsuccessful.My father had bunkered himself into the house. When he leaves, that will be when we strike.Justin’s Lycan leaned into my wolf’s neck, running his claws through my thick, matted fur. Being a Snow White now, I was scared of drawing too much attention, but more so afraid of the respect this coat would
Helen POVI swallowed his words and looked around me at the confused, disappointed looking crowd. He was right after all. They were happy to see Scott be taken down by a female wolf, by a pure coated wolf, but just not as me.They despised me no matter my victories.“Justin,” I said, watching my mate join the other wolves in the square. “I think I’ve made my point here today. They can still think of me as a mutt, as ugly and a reject,” I groaned, those words still stinging even if they weren’t true anymore. “This pack doesn’t deserve me as their Luna.”A light whisper traveled through the crowed right then. I watched their faces change, their eyes brighten, like I told them all I was giving out free cash in the town square.“Luna Helen!”It started with one shout, then another. It was roaring through the mountain tops not, screaming and cheering and fucking pride. Moon goddess, pride has been so scarce to me before.Randy looked to his Alpha, the two of them shrugging before coming up
Helen POV“Where is my real mother, then?”“Probably taking it from a pack of rogues, useless slut,” Kelley muttered, the sight of this woman I thought had been my mother for so long suddenly vanishing at once; it was hard to accept. “It’s the same fate you should be looking forward to, once this lousy Lycan get’s tired of your weakness.”Justin had done well keeping himself tamed but not anymore. He took it upon himself to charge my mother, who had seemingly looked spooked by his approaching presence, his claws slashing out a slap against her cheek.She fell at his feet but wouldn’t stop anytime soon. She laughed at the sight of me. The gall of this woman was unbelievable.“I bet she can’t even put out right,” my mother taunted. “She may look better now, but she will always be that ugly, raggedy reject.”Scott stood up at last, his wolf healing him slowly. He joined into the torment.“Tell me, Helen, do you even know how to mate properly? You probably just sit there and let that Lyca