“I know there was a druid close by Henry Gingham claimed he wanted to go speak to him. So, we know he was in the area then. Gad, I feel like we need a timeline or something. But if this guy wants blood, why not offer it up to him?” Kiera looked between the two alphas expectantly. They had the perfect lure, and someone who could get in contact with the druid, or someone connected to the druid. “I don’t like the sound of this Kiera, but tell us what your idea is?” Dean looked like he was about to shut down her idea before anyone could hear it. “It would have to be done carefully, but I believe we could do it. Look, the Elder is recovering, but do we know if the druid knows this? What if Oli finds out where the Elder was supposed to take me? Then we leave a message saying something along the lines that it’s too hot for him to move me. That the druid or whoever is in control must send someone one to get me? We can set up my old place in the neutral zone as the p
Oli looked at the text messages from Dean. James was sitting in their sitting room eating and talking all Nicey, Nicey with Dean. Now Oli needed to talk to Dr. Graves about finding a way to get Elder Evans to tell him how to contact the illegal blood seller. Elder Evans wasn’t making much sense right now. “Nurse, ma’am. Is there a way I could speak with Dr. Graves? I’ve got a request from my alpha about Elder Evans, but I need to ask him if it’s possible to fulfil the request.” “First, it’s Nurse Graves. If anyone can contact Dr. Graves, it’s me, dear. Now what can I tell him when I reach him?” That took Oli back. Either everyone in this place had the unfortunate last name of Graves, or this was Dr. Graves’ sister or mate. He would lean toward Dr. Graves’ mate. “Oh, uh, my alpha wants me to get information on who the Elder was supposed to contact and how. But I’m not sure how far I can push him right now. I would like some recommen
“Alright, so we send enforcers to the house so they can lie low first.” Dean was looking over a desk scattered with maps and papers. It was all old school way of planning, but they didn’t know if their electronics were being watched. “After we know for sure that there’s no one watching the house for Kiera to return there. We have someone leave a message for the blood dealer that he’ll be able to find a Lycan at that house again. I’ll be with the enforcers inside, and you’ll bring Kiera there.” James’ head was just inches from Dean’s as Kiera and Trisha watched in fascination. The planning completely wrapped the two alphas up in their planning that the two females sat there watching them and having their own conversation. “Is it me, or are they like Irish twins or something? They don’t just look similar, their facial expressions are similar. How did I never see that before this?” Trisha asked Kiera as they watched the two at work. “Right, the excuse
Trisha and Kiera watched James take several enforcers with him toward the cabin behind the Rocking Horse Tavern, where she lived for close to a year. She didn’t know if this would work, but they needed some way to find this druid. In the beginning, Kiera had to agree with Trisha. She couldn’t believe that the druid was the person who stole and sold the blood on the black market. But when Dean agreed with James on almost everything, and the little information, Kiera knew from their father while he was alive. It soon wasn’t that big of a leap to believing she was in danger. No, they were all in danger from this unfeeling monster. From making new Lycans, to creating werewolves, and of course killing people with the blood, this became horrifying. Blood magic, for the most part, was banned and what they could practice was carefully regulated. But there always was someone that broke the rules. Now they waited with Dean to hear from James that he had everyo
Dean held Kiera’s front door open for her and then followed her into the place she’d once lived. Why she didn’t know was all because of him. He’d moved her things into the packhouse. He didn’t even allow her to have her old place in his territory back. This showed her how serious he was about changing things. All the talk of mating, changing how and where she lived. Inserting himself back into her life. Never mind the hot too good to turn down sex. The change was so great in him she wasn’t sure how to come back from this. Now he claimed he was trying to protect her and his pack from this blood dealer. Not just his pack, but all shifters within the area, really. It was a noble thing, but was it something she could truly say surprised her about him? Yes, he played pranks, annoyed her, and made it hard for her to be around him. But he wasn’t a selfish person otherwise. He’d learned quickly that he needed to keep a focus on the pack, even if he was blin
“I knew I should have stopped you from drinking that night. It was all too much even for you, Kiera. Why did you drink that much in the first place?” Dean finally asked the one question he’d been struggling not to ask. “Really? You need to ask? I wasn’t sure if I should leave this area and if I did, I was trying to decide what I wanted to do once I was gone. Keep on living somewhere else, doing something else, or end it all.” That statement rang with a tone of stark truth, and everyone met her words with silence from everyone that heard it. A silence that telegraphed the horror, and guilt of those around as they realized how far everyone’s actions went and the effects, they had on this one person. “That’s over now. This isn’t your space anymore. Whatever hung from the ceiling isn’t here right now. Elder Evans can no longer campaign against you, and the pack knows the truth. I’m here, no magic to interfere with my feelings, and the fighting with James a
They were finally ready. It didn’t take long for everyone to get into place, but it still felt like it took too long. Dean and Kiera put their backs to the back door and waited. He kept Kiera talking about her time there when she was attacked to keep up the act in case the person listened to their conversation before; they entered to attack. “I just don’t know what was in here, and that’s the scariest thing about all of this. What did that happen? You said you thought I might have been hit by a tail and that’s why I didn’t hear someone land behind me. Are you sure about that?” “Look at it. We took pictures, measurements, and impressions. Then let experts look at them. So far, the information that came back is some kind of reptile.” “So a reptile shifter then? Because I doubt a mundane reptile would be that smart. I didn’t know that they even existed.” “Technically, if there are avian shifters, it’s not far off to believe there cou
While Dean struggled to claw the vine from around his throat, Kiera, too, like everyone else, fought. At seeing Dean struggling, Kiera couldn’t stop her transformation into her Lycan form. She hated others seeing her in this form. The fear she felt around her while she was in her Lycan form felt almost painful to her. Kiera hated feeling the negative emotions of those around her. Over time, she’d almost blocked others’ emotions from her. Right now, the aggression from those around her, the fighting, the anger, and the violence all did something to her. All she wanted to do now was save Dean from suffocating to death. Kiera tore through the vine with her teeth. The vines tasted wrong. Almost meaty. That’s when she saw the skeletal face on the lower body. Horrified, she spit out what vine still hung from her jaws in disgust. She needed to get this thing slowed to a stop. Her thoughts within her Lycan form were complex but simplified by images rather t