A protective lie. I hear Lance screaming for me as he runs towards me. Whoever fired the bullets has been tackled to the ground and restrained already. I’m in too much pain and covered in too much blood to make out who it is. I am struggling to focus on the scene in front of me. My eyes become blurry.“Aida…Aida stay with me!” Lance shouts as he cups my face. His voice seems far away. I resort to lip reading to make out what he is saying to me. “Axel….not me, Axel.” I croak out with the little strength I have left. Axel was still on top of me, suffocating my lungs, preventing me from taking deep breaths of oxygen. “Aida…..” Lance starts to gently tap my face to keep me awake but he is pulled off me so that medical help can attend to Axel and myself. Once Axel is removed from on top of me I take a deep breath of air to refill my lungs. Someone touches my bullet wound and the excruciating pain forces me to let out a high pitched scream. “She’s got one…” Someone says. “He’s got five

Trying to understand. I am covered in a large hoodie by his mother, donated by a lycan male. Lance doesn’t want me naked in front of other males and she is just as aware of this as I am. The crowd disperses and everyone goes back to their beds. His grip on my hips is strong as he walks me to his apartment. We are followed by Ricardo, Lorrel, Mav, Blake and Tucker. He growls as they enter his apartment, he wanted to claim me again through sex. “Knock it off Lance!” Lorrel orders at her son. “This is important!” She continues to glare at him. Her demeanour warming only as she turns to me. “Aida dear, would you put some clothes on and then come back out?” “Of course!” I do as requested by the Queen Lycan, keen to cover myself as well. Lance follows me into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He pulls me gently as he sits down on the end of the bed. He places me on top of him, straddling him. He fists my hair, pulling my head back before running his tongue along my neck and ja

A big step. On my mission and aware of the little time I have before Lance comes after me, I enter the pack house block tower and make my way to the lift. As her apartment door opens from my knock, I am greeted by Mav’s shocked face, along with another on-watch guard. “Oh good you’re here. This will make it easier when Lance reprimands me. At least you were watching me.” I push past him, not giving him a chance to turn me away. Nadine isn’t in the main room, I hear her baby suckling in the bedroom and give her time. I make myself comfortable on her sofa, waiting her out. She would have heard my arrival, but it was important that she feeds her baby. After around twenty minutes and some uncomfortable movements from Mav, who was trying to block out Lance’s mind-link, she walks out of the bedroom. Gaunt and ghost like. It’s true what they say about losing a mate. She walks into the kitchen and flicks the kettle on.“Tea?” She asks which results in a laugh from me. “No thank you!” I resp

Emotions running high. I’m not sure how I got back to the palace. But I was sitting at the dining room table, with a chicken broth soup placed in front of me. Someone had put a blanket around my shoulders and was rubbing my back for comfort. The rich plum and toffee scent was telling me it was Lance, and when I turned to look at his face I see him talking to me. “Try and eat something angel, it will make you feel better.” I nod, he’s right, I need to eat something. As I lift the spoon to my mouth, I look up to see Ricardo and Lorrel arguing in the kitchen. Mav and Tucker are standing by the door looking at me. The arguing continues until I just can’t take it anymore. “Please don’t kill her?” I ask out loud to the King. “Aida…” Lance starts to explain how it must be so. “No, please?”“Why?” Ricardo walks over to me, his footsteps loud and heavy. “You’ve taken away the link. Please don’t take her away from her child.” My eyes start to water. “Aida…” He stops in front of me and

An intense heat. “What is today?” Ricardo presses for more information. “My Mum’s birthday!” I silently respond, he nods in acknowledgment. “This is the first time away from Caleb! Usually he would keep me busy for the day, keep my mind of it, make it not such a depressing day!”“Again, if you don’t vocalise that to Lance, he won’t know.” After a pause he continues to talk. “Father died in August. It was an incredibly hot day, sticky. It was Lance that was with him and every year I can tell he starts to struggle not because it is another August gone, but if it’s a hot day it acts like a trigger for him. A memory he can’t seem to move on from.” I didn’t know this, Lance had never told me he still struggled. That’s the thing with grief, it was personal and everyone managed it differently. “Everyone mourns differently Aida and I’m saddened that we have experienced a similar grief but in such different times in our lives. You were just too young. But the moon goddess has paired you