I shuddered as I thought about Alexis removing my mating mark and how I wanted to fight against it from happening. My neck still hurt, but so did ninety percent of my body. I nodded. "Let's do it." No use talking about it. I wanted it over with.Bernard placed his index finger against my temple.I prepared myself, tensing at the contact.Ran sat on the opposite side of the bed, preparing to hold me if needed. I felt good that he was there. I trusted that he wouldn't do something crazy if things went bad, like ripping out someone's throat to feed me…I felt a familiar buzz in my head. Oh no! It was the same insane bee buzzing sensation that the Elders gave me when they infiltrated my thoughts! It felt like a million flies in my ears. It made me want to run while slapping my head.I whimpered and remembered what I had learned from Paul. He had taught me to build a wall. It was with sadness that I built a mental wall, this time to separate myself from him.I imagined the wall going

How had Paul handled the eradication of our bond? Was he still chasing me?"What can you tell about Paul's plans? Have there been any changes?""The situation is critical. We will secure your Angel of Death immediately, and tonight you must speak with the Council of the Elders. They have been patient, but that patience will not extend much longer." Alexis left the kitchen.I had Sam bring down a change of clothes for BJ. Sam looked exhausted, and I felt bad for depending on her so much. "Thank you for being nanny to BJ. I know that's not what you signed on to do.""Nonsense," Sam said. "BJ is my family and I wouldn't have anyone but me watching her." Sam smiled mischievously. "Mr. Wolf is getting along well with her, don't you think?""Yes, I trust him with her, and that's saying a lot.""I feel better knowing that he cares about her."I looked at her in confusion."Well, you know…because." Sam's cheeks turned crimson. "Well, you and Alexis…""There is no me and Alexis, Sam. I

My friends showed up bright in early the next morning, all except for Tyler who was afraid that Paul would be able to track her to our location.The Ladies and I hugged each other and cried. They touched my face in misery at the sight of my healing injuries. They cuddled BJ and gripped Sam as if she was one of their long-lost sisters. I tried to give them time to rest after their long flight, but they were too anxious to tell me about all they had been through with Paul and his Wolfpack."In the beginning he was reasonable," Karen said. Her normally pressed hair was in a curly mass around her head, and she had shadows beneath her eyes that marred her normally perfect milk chocolate complexion.Karen described how he had tracked each of them down, bursting into their homes with his security, and sniffing out their belongings for any evidence that they had been with BJ or me."At first, he called the house searching for you and we talked for nearly an hour. He kept beating himself up

The sound of crashing waves awakened me. With a groan, I opened my eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight.BJ!I sat up quickly and looked around. The wet sand stuck to my legs and back. I jumped to my feet and looked around in desperation. A few yards away was a familiar beach house."Alexis!" I screamed. My eyes hurt as I searched the beach until I saw an unmoving figure on the rocks. I ran across the beach, and as I grew closer, I saw an unconscious man."Ran?"I crouched carefully beside him and patted his cheeks. He mumbled groggily and then his eyes flashed open. He had stubble on his usually clean-shaven face, and his lips were dry and cracked."Shit." He rubbed the back of his head. "What the…?" He looked around. "Where are we?"I shook my head, unsure of what to tell him. "We have to find Alexis."He stood on shaky legs. "I cracked my head…and I'm…thirsty." He seemed surprised at this, even more than waking up in daylight on a strange beach.I scanned the beach

On the rare occasions when I wanted to listen to music from my club days or dance those old tired line dances that now felt nostalgic, I would play "Cupid Shuffle" or R. Kelly's "Step in The Name of Love." I would dance, my body somehow remembering all the moves. Alexis laughed at me, I mean really gut-busting laughter, until I challenged him to dance.He took me up on the challenge, and I discovered that he moved like water! He was a natural-born dancer. The Cha-Cha Slide, Wobble, even things that I made up to throw him off, Alexis picked up with no trouble. Ran couldn't resist joining in, compelled by the beat of the music to forget, even to laugh for a while. We would all dance for what seemed like hours. Shyly, Ran even taught us how to clog, and no one made fun of him for knowing how to clog.They took me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to ballroom dance. We had nothing but time on our hands, so there was no reason not to learn and enjoy the various dances of their time