[The Perfect Luna]JASPER>Blood trickled from my broken knuckles as I glared at the man dangling from a chain on the ceiling. His eyes were swollen shut and his nose looked like a rotten tomato. A metal collar was clasped around his neck. His skin was raw and his blood had soaked the rags covering his body. Despite being tortured for over twenty-four hours, he refused to give me the answers I needed, and my patience was running thin.I tugged on his hair to raise his face to meet mine and my other hand connected with the man’s jaw in a backhanded slap, causing him to bite his tongue.“All this can end here and now. Just tell me what I need to know,” I snarled, my voice dripping with venom.The man spat at me and laughed; a maniacal cackle tinged with desperation.Fueled by rage, I tightened the chain around his neck until he was forced to struggle for air. He gasped for breath in between painful whimpers as I increased the pressure on his throat. Soon, blood tric

[Strange Pains II] MALIK The receptionist, a leggy, raven-haired woman with a pixie cut, pulled a card from her drawer, and jotted down the words as she spoke. “Monday at eight a.m., you have a CT scan with Dr. Sykora.” She slid the card across the desk. “Just in case you can’t make it, call us and we’ll reschedule.” She smiled and turned her attention to the couple waiting behind me. I cleared my throat and ran a nervous hand through my hair as I leaned in to thank the receptionist. “Thank you so much,” I said with a shaky smile, trying to keep my nerves at bay. The receptionist nodded and returned her attention to the next awaiting patient, barely sparing me another glance. I took a deep breath and headed for the door, feeling more than just a little relieved that this first hurdle was over. As I stepped outside into the warm afternoon sun, I took a deep breath of fresh air. My heart raced as thoughts swirled through my mind: Would Monday be the day they figured out what was wro

[Battle Plans] ARIELLA “I said go away!” I snapped. “Tell Alpha Jasper I’m not hungry, so he can dine without me.” “Miss, please,” she begged. “You won’t want to make the Alpha angry, do you?” The woman’s voice was soft and pleading, but I wasn’t in the mood to listen. All I wanted was to be left alone. “I don’t care if he’s angry,” I said. “I’m not going.” “Miss, the Alpha said this is no longer a request,” she added. I stalked to the door and yanked it open, glaring at the petite omega. “Listen to me and listen carefully. I do not care if your Alpha gets angry or not. Nor do I care if he kills me. Matter-of-fact, tell your Alpha I say to go to hell.” The words came out venomous, surprising even to me. It wasn’t until the door slammed shut that I realized how they must have sounded. There was a sudden commotion outside my room and I knew Alpha Jasper had been informed of my defiance. A moment later, he barged into my room without so much as a knock on the door, his face dark

Book 3 -19-[Jasper’s Downfall]ARIELLANervous, I paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, gnawing at my fingernails, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. Was it effective? I’d have to say no. No matter how many times I sit or tell myself to relax, my nerves tense up and I break out in a cold sweat.“Ariella, I understand you’re nervous. We all are, but you’ve got to take a breath. You’re making me nervous just looking at you,” Declan said, running a hand through his unkempt hair.That made me laugh. I stopped pacing and faced him. Leaning against the wall, I released a deep breath and plastered on a smile. “I’m sorry,” I apologized with a downcast glance.He stared at me with those kind brown eyes of his, waiting for my nerves to subside. But they never did—not fully, anyway. “Please try not to worry,” he whispered.I nodded, and gripped my hands tightly together, trying but failing to relax. “Trying,” I whispered back. “Talk to me, then. Tell me why doing this is so important to

[Saving Her] SIERRA I awoke in a daze, dressed in Sebastian’s shirt and lying in our bed. I sat up, disoriented, and emptied of feeling, the hollow pang of loss resonating deep within me. The room was dark and quiet, the only sound coming from the rustle of the sheets I moved on. Instinct made me reach out to my left, which was my mate’s side, and I felt an ache deep in my chest I knew only too well. “Angel?” Sebastian’s voice echoed through the mind-link. I smiled, feeling giddy inside. “We’re ready to set out for the Whitewater pack.” I replied, “Just woke up.” My heart stuttered a beat. The time was finally here. “‘Kay, I’ll grab a quick shower and be down in ten.” “Okay, Angel. Katherine left you a plate in the microwave for breakfast. See you soon.” I leaped from the bed onto the wooden floor and slowly stood. I shuffled quickly into the ensuite master bathroom. The warm mist filled the room with steam, and I stepped into the glass-walled stall. My mind wandered to my d