《The Millennium Wolves》


 book 1: Chapter: 01

    book 1: Chapter: 01


    All I could see was sex.


    Everywhere I turned, there were bodies shuddering. Limbs shifting. Mouths moaning


    I ran through a forest, panting, trying to escape the carnal phantoms around me, which seemed to be


    summoning me. Saying, join us.


    But the deeper into the woods I ran, the darker and more alive the forest became


    Some trees swayed like lovers. Others, with gnarled roots and spindly branches, looked like predators.


    Closing in on me. Chasing after me.


    Something out there in the dark was chasing me. Something inhuman.


    And now the mouths weren¡¯t moaning. They were screaming Grotesque orgies everywhere turning


    violent. Bloody. Life-threatening.


    Any second now, the darkness was going to catch me.


    The sex was going to strangle me.


    As I felt a root snake its way around my leg, I tripped and fell down a gaping hole at the center of the


    forest. But it wasn¡¯t a hole.


    It was a mouth. With sharp teeth and a ck tongue, licking its lips, about to swallow me whole.


    I tried to scream but I had no voice.


    I fell.


    Farther


    Deeper.


    Until I was one with the violent, sexual madnesspletely consumed.


    I blinked. What the hell was I drawing?


    Sitting by the riverbank, sketchbook in hand, I looked down, disbelieving, at my own work. I had drawn


    a most disturbing¡­and sexual vision


    That could mean only one thing: the Haze wasing But before I gave the haze or my drawing


    another thought, the sound of nearby giggling distracted me. I turned to see a group of girls,


    surrounding him.


    Aiden Norwood


    I¡¯d never seen him here before. Not at the riverbank where I go to draw and clear my mind. You don¡¯t


    find a lot of our kind hanging out around here.


    Why? I don¡¯t know.


    Maybe it¡¯s the calm when we¡¯re always


    expected to be wild. Maybe it¡¯s the water when every one of us burns with a fire within. Or maybe it¡¯s


    just a spot I¡¯ve only ever thought of as my own.


    A secret ce where I¡¯m not one of the pack. Where I¡¯m just me, Sienna Mercer, a neen-year-old


    red-headed self-taught artist. A seemingly normal girl.


    The Alpha walked toward the water, ignoring the gaggle of girls following him. He looked like he wanted


    to be left alone. It made me curious. It made me want to draw him.


    Sure, I knew it was a risk to draw the Alpha. But how could I resist? I began to outline him. Towering at


    six feet


    five, with disheveled jet ck hair and golden-green eyes that seemed to change color every time he


    turned his head, Aiden was the definition of mouth-watering,


    I was just beginning to work on those eyes when he turned his head and sniffed.


    I froze, mid-pen stroke. If he were to see me now, if he were to see what I was drawing¡­


    But then, to my relief, he looked back out at the water, bing lost again in some dark reverie. Even


    surrounded by others, the Alpha looked alone. So I drew him alone.


    A


    I¡¯d always watched him from afar. I¡¯d never been this close. But now I could see how his biceps bulged


    from his shirt, how his spine curved to amodate his transformation.


    How quickly he could shift, I imagined. Bent over, eyes searching like a feral animal¡¯s, he seemed, in


    this instance, already halfway there.


    A man, yes. But even more so, a werewolf.


    His beauty reminded me that the Haze was fast approaching. It was the time of year when every


    werewolf from the age of sixteen and older goes mad with lust, the season where everyone¡ªand I


    mean everyone¨Cfucks like crazy.


    Once or twice a year, this unpredictable hunger, this physical need would infect all of us in the pack


    Those who didn¡¯t have mates found a temporary partner instead and fooled around to their heart¡¯s


    content.


    In other words, there was no one in the Pack older than sixteen who was a virgin.


    Looking at Aiden now, I wondered if the rumors swirling around him were true.


    If that was one of the reasons he was here, ignoring the girls, brooding by the riverbank.


    Some said it¡¯d been months since Aiden had taken any women to bed, that he was distancing himself


    from everyone.


    Why? A secret mate? No, the Pack gossips would¡¯ve sniffed her out by now.


    Then what was it? What was toe of our beloved Alpha if he had no partner when the Haze struck?


    It¡®s none of your business, I chided myself. What did it matter to me who Aiden screwed?


    He was ten years older, and like most werewolves, only interested in someone his own age.


    To Aiden Norwood, the Alpha of the secondrgest pack in the United States, I didn¡¯t exist. Putting


    aside my school-girl crush, I knew I was better off that way.


    Michelle, my best friend, was dead-set on finding me a fuck-buddy. She¡¯d already paired up in


    advance, as wasmon among unmated wolves before the Haze.


    Trying to set me up with three of her brother¡¯s friends, all who seemed perfectl decent and who¡¯d been


    blunt that they thought me fit for a good time in the sack, Michelle couldn¡¯t understand why I¡¯d turned


    each of them down.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I could almost hear Michelle¡¯s voice reverberating in my head.


    ¡°Why are you always so damn picky, girl?¡± Because the truth was, I had a secret.


    At the age of neen, I was the only virgin she-wolf in our whole pack. I¡¯d been through three


    seasons, and no matter how sex-crazed I became, I had never given into my carnal desires.


    I know. Very un-wolfy of me to care about ¡°feelings¡± and ¡°first times,¡± but I cherished mine.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was a prude. In our society, there was no such thing. But, unlike most girls, I refused to


    settle until I found my mate.


    I was going to find him.


    I was saving my virginity for him.


    Whoever he might be.


    I continued to sketch the Alpha when I looked up and saw, to my surprise and sudden dread, he wasn¡¯t


    there.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± I heard a low voice beside me. ¡°But the eyes could use a little work.¡± I turned to see,


    standing right next to me, looking down at my sketch¡­


    Aiden.


    Fucking


    Norwood.


    Before I could catch my breath, he looked


    Gvw von un up and our eyes met. I tensed, realizing I was making direct eye contact, and immediately


    looked away


    No one in their right mind dared to look the Alpha in the eyes.


    It could only mean one of two things: You were challenging the Alpha¡¯s dominance AKA a death wish.


    Or, you were inviting the Alpha to sex


    Since I didn¡¯t intend to do either, my only option was to look away before it was toote and pray he


    didn¡¯t misinterpret the meaning of my nce.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± I said quietly, just to be on the safe side. ¡°You took me by surprise.¡±


    ¡°I apologize,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±


    That voice. Even saying the most polite words imaginable, they sounded loaded with menace. Like at


    any second, he might rip your throat out with his bare human-form teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°Really. I don¡¯t bite¡­most of the time.¡±


    I was so close I could reach out and touch his rippling muscles and golden skin. I lifted my eyes and


    chanced a look.


    A brutal, jagged face that shouldn¡¯t be handsome, but was. Thick eyebrows that looked coarse to the


    touch, like a hint of his werewolf form


    And a nose, even though slightly crooked no doubt broken in some past scuffle-that couldn¡¯t interfere


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    with his so-sexy-it-hurts looks.


    The Alpha took a step closer as if to test me. I could feel every hair on my body rise in trepidation. Or¡­


    was it temptation?


    ¡°Next time you draw me,¡± Aiden said, e closer.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­okay,¡± I sputtered like an idiot.


    And then, just as quickly as he¡¯d appeared, Aiden Norwood turned and took off, leaving me by the river,


    alone. I sighed, feeling every muscle in my body ease.


    It wasn¡¯t an everyday eventcha to see the Alpha out of the Pack House, the headquarters for all pack


    business. Mostly, we saw the Alpha at gatherings or balls. Always something formal.


    What had happened here today was rare,


    I could already see, from the jealous looks of Aiden¡¯s adoring fans who had followed him here, only to


    be ignored, that this could quickly spiral out of control.


    Even a whiff of interaction with a female, especially a youngmoner like myself, would be enough to


    send the horniest bitches into a frenzy, tearing down the Pack House¡¯s walls just for a taste of him.


    An event of that magnitude was sure to stress the Alpha out. And a stressed alpha meant a


    dysfunctional alpha, which meant a dysfunctional pack¡­you get the picture.


    No one wanted that.


    I decided, with the little light that was left of the day, I would finish drawing to clear my mind. Just me


    and the river in peace.


    But all I could see were Aiden Norwood¡¯s eyes.


    And how very wrong I had drawn them. The Alpha was right. I could do better.


    If I could just get¡­closer. But when would I ever be this close again?


    I didn¡¯t know then what I know now. That within a few hours the Haze was about to begin.


    That I was about to be a sex-crazed beast. And that Aiden Norwood, the Alpha of the East Coast


    Pack, was going to y a very prominent role in my sexual awakening¡­ It was enough to make a girl


    howl.

 Book 1: Chapter: 02

    Book 1: Chapter: 02


    Mom Dear Sienna. Where are you? Sienna Mom, how many times do I have to tell you Sienna You


    don¡®t need to start msgs with dear Mom But it¡®s more special that way! Like a letter just for you. way


    Sienna Mom Hurry home! Mom Your sister is here. Mom She brought Jeremy. Mom You know what


    that means... Mom FRESH GOSSIP Sienna ...cool? Sienna I¡®ll be back soon Mom Great. Love, Mom.


    Sienna You don¡®t get to decide when and where the Haze hits you.


    Driving? Better pull over fast or you¡®ll cause a fifty¨Ccar pileup


    At work? Punch the clock and run for the hills or you and your boss may be a lot m ore than


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    colleagues.


    As I sat down to dinner, I prayed it wouldn¡®t hit me while I was with my family¡ª the worst possible


    ce, in my mind. As I helped set the table and served a te


    of homemadesagna to Selene, I eyed the back door, in case I had to make an impro mptu escape.


    I sat down to eat with the whole family, who were already in the middle of a lively conver sation.


    ¡°What is it, Jeremy?¡± my mom said, nodding to my sister¡®s mate. ¡°You¡®ve barely said a word since you


    walked in. How¡®s work?¡±


    ¡°You don¡®t have to answer that, counselor,¡± Selene said, shooting Mom an amused r e.


    ¡°Well¡±¡ªJeremyughed¡ª


    ¡°if you¡®re asking for gossip about our leadership, Melissa, you know I can¡®t divulge that k ind of


    information.¡®


    ¡°Not even a nod to confirm or deny?¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Selene said. ¡°He¡®s the Pack¡®s headwyer. His job is to keep their secrets.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mom sighed. ¡°I don¡®t need to know anything of consequence. Just a little chatter


    . Like... is it true that our Alpha and Jocelyn are no longer an item and now she¡®s dating his beta,


    Josh?¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Selene and I said in unison.


    Jeremy grinned. ¡°I plead the fifth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re no fun, any of you.¡±


    The woman acted more like a teenager than both of her daughtersbined. But we lo ved her more


    for it. Most of the time.


    ¡°You could ask me about my work, you know,¡± Selene said.


    ¡°I did, didn¡®t I?¡± she asked through a mouthful ofsagna. ¡°I¡®m sure I did.¡±


    Selene rolled her eyes. Mom had always wanted Selene to pursue a more stable career . Fashion, my


    mother thought, wasn¡®t an upation. It was a hobby.


    ¡°One day, something¡®s in, the next something¡®s out,¡± she would say. ¡°That¡®s true with clo thes and the


    whole industry, Selene! Think long¨Cterm.¡±


    Well, now Selene had seeded, proving years of mother¡®s advice wrong, and was acti vely working


    at one of the top fashion design firms in the city.


    But Selene always let


    Mom¡®s insults roll right off her shoulders. On every level, she was the prettier, smarter, more sessful


    version of me.


    Whenever I said this out loud, which I did


    ¨Coften¨CSelene would shove me gently and just say, ¡°You¡®re still young, Si. Give it time.¡±


    But when it came to my dreams, to my future career as the world¡®s greatest artist, I¡®d ne ver been


    patient. One day I was going to open my own gallery


    One day soon, I promised myself. I didn¡®t care what Mom said. Selene had proven that she wasn¡®t right


    about everything.


    ¡°That¡®s all right, Mom,¡± Selene said, changing the subject. ¡°Gossip¡®s more interesting an yway.


    Speaking of which....¡±


    Selene¡®s eyes flicked to me. I gave her a silent head shake. Dont.


    ¡°Any idea who might be your partner for the season, Si?¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, yes,¡± Mom said, turning to me. ¡°What, or should I say, who is on the menu this year?¡±


    ¡°A she¨Cwolf never reveals her secrets,¡± I said, ying coy.


    For a second, my family actually seemed like they would move on.


    I had a way of doing that¡ª steering conversations, taking control, keeping the attention on anyone but


    me. Althoug h I was the youngest, I had always had that authoritative ability.


    But my mother caught herself.


    ¡°There she goes again,¡± Mom said, shaking her head. ¡°Our little dominant always makin g us submit to


    her whims. C¡®mon, Si.


    Tell us. Is there a boy?¡±


    ¡°Some of us like to keep our private lives private, Mom,¡± I said.


    Mom shrugged. ¡°There¡®s nothing to hide. G I know your father is certainly looking forwar d to this year¡®s


    Haze, aren¡®t you, darling?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m counting the seconds,¡± Dad said, holding up his ss of wine, smiling mischievousl y


    ¡°Guys. PLEASE. So gross.¡±


    It was gross, sure. But that wasn¡®t the reason it bothered me so much. My mom had always been a


    sexually liberated creature. No, what I didn¡®t like was the lying.


    When I said my virginity was my secret, I meant it. Not even my mom knew.


    Which was weird because we had always been so open with each other about everythin g. She¡®d never


    kept the truth from me.


    Not about how she met Dad, who was a human. Not about how the two of them had thei r one and only


    daughter, Selene. And certainly not about how they found me.


    They¡®re not actually my biological parents.


    I was discovered in an abandoned carriage outside the hospital where my mom worked. Not that it


    mattered, Mom had always said.


    I was about to change the subject to anything, anything other than the Haze when it hap pened.


    I froze. A slow, pulsing molten heat ignited within my core, making my body feel as if it were on fire.


    Breathing became impossible, sweat covered every inch of my skin, and before I could resist, the seam


    of my jeans pressed tight into my groin.


    I quivered with sudden, unbearable longing.


    FUCK


    A harsh gasp left my mouth before I could stop it, and when I opened my eyes, which I c ouldn¡®t


    remember closing, I saw that everyone else in the dining room had the same rea ction as me.


    No, no, no


    Not here.


    Not around family


    The way my sister stared at Jeremy. The way my mom rose out of her seat, leaning tow ards my dad.


    I couldn¡®t bear it. I ran from the room as fast as my feet could take me.


    The kitchen.


    The hallway.


    The front door.


    ) And out into the cool night where I copsed upon my knees.


    The Haze crawled through my body like a venomous snake. My nipples hardened and my stomach


    shuddered, tightening with sexual need


    My throat was clogged and I fought to breathe. Even in the windy night, my clothes stuc k to my skin. I


    wanted them off.


    I wanted someone¡®s hands on my breasts, my belly, on my sex...


    Oh, God. The Haze had never been this strong


    It was probably an umtion of every sexual need and frustration I¡®d repressed thro ughout the past


    three Seasons.


    I should¡®ve expected that. Of course, this was going to happen. What had I been thinkin g? I wasn¡®t.


    And now I was paying the price.


    I looked behind me at my home, a ce where I¡®d normally find safety andfort. But not right now.


    No way. My parents were probably already making the most of the Haze.


    The idea of


    Selene and Jeremy wasn¡®t much better. But they acted more like people, less like wolve s respecting


    boundaries, privacy, societal norms.


    They¡®d probably make it back to their apartment downtown before they finally acted upo n the urge.


    I put them all out of my mind and ran for the trail toward the woods.


    I passed humans, totally oblivious, minding their own business, and some wolves who w ere, like me,


    in the first stage of the Haze and trying to catch their bearings.


    Easier for them. They weren¡®t virgins. They¡®d had lots of sex during past seasons. Not me. I was hazed


    out of my goddamned mind.


    At the entrance of the woods, I stripped. I didn¡¯t care if someone saw me. I needed to sh ift.


    Right here.


    Right now.


    Normally, I was inplete control when I shifted, but not when the Haze was taking ov er. No. I


    couldn¡®t stay in this human form any longer


    I closed my eyes and felt the bliss of shifting.


    Usually, I would feel every bit of the change: the limbs stretching, the muscles tensing, the body


    growing tall, the red fur, matching my human hair, that sprouted from my skin. Covering me whole.


    But not now. Now, I felt nothing but the


    Haze.


    I breathed and my voice was a growl. My fingers, now charcoal¨C ck ws. Through the eyes of a


    wolf, everything was more aggressive, more violent.


    Especially now. When the Haze was just beginning


    Now in my full wolf shape, I raced deep into the woods.


    The cold wind blew over my fur, the hard ground was moist under my paws, and the sce nts of the


    woods filled my nose.


    Howls resounded in the woods. The unmated kind. The kind who were looking for a part ner.


    I cursed inwardly. In my Haze, I¡®d forgotten to think of the implications,


    Going into the woods at the beginning of the season was like begging to be fucked. The se woods were


    like a college bar. All thirst and stupid impulses.


    Any second now, a wolf was going to get a sniff of my scent and recognize I had no attachment. They


    would stalk me until I i yielded. M ore than one, I was sure of it.


    A game, a challenge, for who could win the unpartnered she¨Cwolf first.


    Even if my body begged to differ, I wouldn¡®t give in so easily. These wolves could have as much sex as


    they wan ted. I wasn¡®t judging.


    But I was waiting


    Waiting for that moment, that instant, that sudden indescribable look of recognition when two weres


    make eye contact and know that they¡®re mates for life.


    I couldn¡®t wait for that to happen to me.


    But out here in the woods at the start of the Haze? It was unlikely, to say the least.


    I became hyper¨Caware of the male wolves, their every movement, their scent.


    I ran brazenly, releasing pheromones into the air, luring them closer. And soon I knew th ey would have


    me cornered.


    Five of them. All hungry male wolves.


    My body liked it. Oh, did it ever.


    For a second, I wondered if this would be the year.


    Would I finally cave? Would I give into these five males, taking them all at once? Would I finally lose my


    virginity, right here, right now in the middle of the forest?


    As the Haze took over and all my desires to wait for my mate began to melt away, I asked myself, what


    was stoppin g me? Honestly? I wanted it.


    Or did I?

 Book 1: Chapter: 03

    Book 1: Chapter: 03


    Book 1: Chapter: 03


    Sienna


    Never in my life had I wanted to fuck so badly.


    I didn¡®t just scent the five wolves surrounding me now. I could see them.


    Arge blond wolf, a strange sight if you didn¡®t know he was a blond in human form, rounded a tree,


    slowly stalking toward me. He was big, but that di dn¡®t make him a dominant.


    His eyes, like most wolves, were a bright gold. I was an exception; my eyes were as icy blue in wolf as


    in human form.


    From the appreciative look the blond wolf gave me, he recognized their uniqueness as well.


    I saw the four others circle around me, making me feel ustrophobic. One came so clo se I could feel


    his nose on my butt, sniffing my stimtion.


    The two to my right were snarling with unhidden lust, the one to my left licking his lips, a nd the big


    blond in front of me crouched down in anticipation, ready to pounce.


    Most werewolves prefer having sex in human form, but these five were Hazed and want ed it now.


    I was about to close my eyes and give into this violent, animalistic orgy.


    My body moaned as the wolf behind me licked my hind leg. I wanted these males to tast e me, to fuck


    me into oblivion...until I remembered her face.


    Emily¡®s face.


    Only a sh and it was enough. Like a bucket of freezing water spilled all over my body, I snapped out


    of my Haze. It was only a dull heat deep in my core now.


    I had control.


    I growled as loud as I could, making sure these wolves knew I wasn¡®t interested. But


    ¨Ctypical males¡ªthey didn¡®t like following orders. They kept on licking and moving closer.


    Tired of this shit, I growled again. The ki UNLIMITED of growl that said, ¡°Lay a paw on me, and I¡®ll


    make sure you lose it.¡±


    The blond wolf before me could see from my expression. I wasn¡®t fucking around. He


    1. nr. The thronurnn tomonidan


    turned away. The three wolves to my sides realized it a secondter and backed off.


    The only one who seemed to have a problem reading or rather scenting¨C signals was the one behind


    me. The one who¡®d gotten a good whiff. He leaned forward again.


    That¡®s it, I thought


    I turned around lightning fast and sank my sharp teeth into his neck. I mped down ha rd, making him


    bleed.


    He yelped in pain, struggling to back away, but I didn¡®t let go. This wolf would learn his lesson today.


    Only when I felt I was about to tear his jugr did I release him. The wolf didn¡®t stop to s tare.


    He knew who was in charge now, turning and hightailing it out of there. When I looked b ack, the other


    four were gone.


    Satisfied, I ran farther into the woods. I could scent the sex in the air.


    My Haze began to creep


    back up, and I kept running, trying to repress it. I couldn¡®t let it out. Not again.


    When I returned to the spot where I¡®d ditched my clothes, I shifted.


    This


    time, I felt every excruciating detail, the bones thinning, the neck turning slender, the hin d legs


    stretching, the arms folding and unfolding


    Then it was over and I was human again, UN


    I took a breath, catching my bearings, standing there, naked as the day I was made. Th anking Emily


    foring to my aid...as painful as that memory was.


    I wasn¡®t about to go there. Not now. No, what mattered was I¡®d resisted.


    My virginity was intact. Saved for the were who I would call my mate. Even if the Haze was just


    beginning..


    ¡°God,¡± I heaved out and quickly put on my clothes.


    Selene Coast is clear, sis.


    Selene Kind of surprised how short it was tbh, from what I could hear.


    Sienna Ew


    Sienna


    Selene You¡®re such a square. I¡®m d mom and dad still...


    Sienna You didn¡®t go home?


    Selene Leaving now.


    Selene You find your partner tonite?


    Sienna None of your business


    Selene I have a feeling you¡®re gonna meet your mate this season


    Selene call it a she¨Cwolf¡®s instinct


    Sienna Doubt it


    Selene always had a way of seeing the future. Some sort of animal sixth sense thing. But I didn¡®t see


    how this future could be possible.


    Me finding my mate? I¡®d been out all night and hadn¡®t found a single wolf who fit the description. There


    was still time, of course. A whole season. When I arrived home my parents had already scratched their


    itch for the night.


    My father was sitting in the living room, watching the local news, while Mom was foldingundry


    ¡°You barely got to eat, huh?¡± Dad asked.


    1 ¡°I¡®m fine,¡± I said, heading for the stairs.


    ¡°She got her fill, I bet,¡± Mom smirked.


    ¡°Disgusting, Mom.¡±


    Again, I felt a twinge of guilt for not telling my mother the truth. About my virginity.


    About everything. But I shook it off.


    ¡°Why did Selene and Jeremy rush off? They just got here.¡±


    ¡°An urgent meeting at the Pack House,¡± Mom said. ¡°Makes you curious, doesn¡®t it?¡±


    I thought again of the Alpha, who I¡®d met by the riverbank. How dark and glowering his e yes had been.


    What was going on that they needed to involve Jeremy, the pack¡®swye r?


    ¡°I wonder, I wonder,¡± my mom said, eyes twinkling. ¡°Do you think the stories are true? A bout the


    Alpha¡®s love life? That would exin why he¡®s been so remote.¡±


    ¡°Mom. Stop meddling in other people¡®s lives.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but it¡®s so fun. You should try it sometime.¡±


    With Aiden Norwood, I had to admit the urge to gossip, to meddle, to know everything th ere was to


    know made my imagination run wild. The very thought of him made the Haze rise up again. Blushing, I


    headed up the stairs.


    ¡°I¡®m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°Sweet dreams, my dear,¡± Mom called out. ¡°Hope they¡®re extra sweet...if you catch my


    drift.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and couldn¡®t help butugh. But when I locked the door, turned off the lights, and


    copsed onto my bed, all I could imagine was Aiden Norwood.


    This was torture. Falling asleep, I prayed I would never have to see the Alpha again.


    ***


    Michelle OMG. did you hear...


    Sienna Hear what?


    Sienna ?????


    Sienna You can¡®t send a text like that and not follow up


    Sienna MICHELLE


    Sienna HELLO???


    Michelle alpha¡®s inviting ppl to the pack house


    Sienna


    Sienna No way


    Sienna But there¡®s no ball or anything Michelle


    its a lottery!!!


    Michelle invitations are already out Sienna Oh, so like 5 fams get to go that¡®s


    Michelle u never know...


    I rolled over in my sheets, clicking off my phone. Michelle was absolutely obsessed with being in on the


    scoop. That said, her brand of news was more tabloid than anything


    This? This was one of those articles you didn¡®t even read, just scanned over as you cont inued to sip


    your coffee and put off going to work or school.


    Who cared that the Alpha was having some random families invited to the Pack House?


    Sure, it was out of the ordinary, but it was just a way for the leadership to show they car ed about


    everyone in the pack.


    It was politics, I figured. That was it.


    Nothing worthy of a 7 AM text.


    Awesome, I thought. Now I couldn¡®t get back to sleep even if I tried. Michelle just had to bring up the


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Alpha.


    Aiden and the Haze¡ªnot a goodbo.


    I got up and made my way downstairs, surprised to see Selene, Jeremy, Mom, and Dad gathered


    around the kitchen table, all looking at something.


    ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± I asked, rubbing my UN eyes, still groggy.


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Selene said. ¡°Just standing here with our jaws on the floor for the fun of it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Come look, dummy!¡±


    I walked over, looked at the center of the table, and stopped in my tracks.


    No way.


    It couldn¡®t be.


    This must be a prank.


    It was an invitation to the Pack House.


    ¡°Why...why us?¡± was all I could manage.


    ¡°You know how it works,¡± Selene said. ¡°It¡®s a lottery. That or...Jeremy rigged it.¡±


    ¡°I would never,¡± Jeremy said with augh.


    An irrational idea urred to me then. A silly suspicion that couldn¡®t possibly be true. B ut that, for just


    an instant, felt so real it had to be.


    What if, I wondered...What if Aiden Norwood rigged the lottery just to see me again?


    Come on. Who was I kidding? There was no way the Alpha even remembered me, let al one went to


    these lengths.


    I was just some girl he¡®d caught drawing him...right?


    But when I looked at Jeremy, there was something I couldn¡®t read in his expression. So mething


    suspicious. Like this was rted to me somehow.


    But how?


    I didn¡®t have time to overanalyze Jeremy¡®s look because my mom grabbed me and Sele ne by the


    shoulders, bursting with excitement


    ¡°Can you believe it? A private audience with the Alpha!¡±


    ¡°Not quite private,¡± Jeremy reminded. ¡°There are a few other familiesing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡®s the difference! This is going to be so much fun. Who knows how hot things might get,¡± she


    dered fanning herself with the invitation


    Fun? Was my entire family nuts? No, it wasn¡®t going to be fun.


    We had just begun the


    Haze, and while my parents and sister had a partner to, ahem, you¨Cknow¨C what with, I didn¡®t.


    A fact that would be obvious to every unmated male werewolf within my scent¡®s radar.


    I wasn¡®t anti¨C sex. I was all about it if I could find my mate. But to think I would find him at the Pack Ho


    use of all ces? Please. A hazed virgin she¨Cwolf can only take so much.


    I didn¡®t know about the other families who were attending the dinner party, but I did kno w about one


    person in attendance who was unmated and very much on the prowl.


    I gulped. This was going to be a disaster.

 Book 1: Chapter: 04

    Book 1: Chapter: 04


    Aiden


    Parties. God, did I hate parties. Don¡®t get me wrong. I knew how important they were. Gi ving the Pack


    a chance to meet their leader? To know and respect and fear their Alpha?


    It was essential.


    But, normally, we had to worry about only two events per year. The Yule Ball and the Su mmer Solstice.


    This dinner was my beta Josh¡®s idea.


    And, while I loved the blond spiky-haired bastard, thest thing I was in the mood for was extra party


    nning.


    ¡°So do we want the raised


    tform or not?¡± Josh asked, pacing, looking over his clipboard. ¡°On one hand, giving y ou a seat


    above themoners will further cement your superiority. On the other, being level with them, will


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    make your more rta¡ª¡±


    ¡°Josh, please,¡± I growled, shaking my head. ¡°Can we talk about anything other than seat ing


    arrangements?¡±


    Josh stopped, put down the clipboard, and looked me squarely in the eye.


    He was probably the only werewolf in the whole pack who had balls enough to make dir ect eye contact


    with his Alpha.


    But that was because, when Josh gave me a look, it wasn¡®t as a challenger.


    It was as my best friend. I knew the difference.


    ¡°Normally, you want to go over every single detail.¡±


    It was true. I sweat the details. I wasn¡®t a micro¨Cmanager, but if you¡®re the Alpha, you have to be


    decisive at all times. About everything


    But right now?


    ¡°I¡®m just not feeling it, Josh,¡± I said. ¡°That all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡®s just... I think tonight will be good for you. For the morale of the pack. And , who knows,


    maybe for some luckydy¡­¡± He grinned mischievously.


    ¡°You¡®re ying matchmaker on me, really? Or was that Jocelyn¡®s idea?¡±


    I noticed Josh¡®s body stiffen at the mention of his current partner. She¡®d been mine the previous


    Season, but there were no hard feelings. We were both adults.


    And Eskimo brothers, I supposed.


    Josh sat down across from me, and I knew from the crossed arms, I was in for one of hi s trademark


    ¡°pep talks.¡± Great.


    ¡°Look, Aiden,¡± he said, waving his arms animatedly. ¡°I know you¡®ve been through a lot tely, man. The


    East Coast Pack has faced a lot of challenges the past few months. Now you¡®re in another Season with


    no mate. Hell, you haven¡®t even picked a partner to shac k up with.¡±


    I felt my lip curl. Josh must have noticed because he looked down and quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°The point is,¡± Josh continued,


    ¡°you haven¡®t been yourselftely. I¡®m saying this not just as your beta but as your friend, man. I¡®m


    worried about you. If you don¡®t find a mate soon¡­if your love life¡®s off¨C bnce, then¡ª¡±


    I looked aside. Josh was right to be worried.


    When alphas didn¡®t have a partner during the Haze¡ªeven just a reliable fuck¨C buddy their leadership


    suffered.


    But eventually, all alphas had to find their


    mate or else their powers would slowly weaken and they¡®d be reced by a stronger alpha.


    But Josh didn¡®t know everything.


    I had a secret worth keeping this Season. A reason to wait.


    ¡°Your concern is noted, Josh,¡± I said, turning back to


    him. ¡°But don¡®t butt your nose into my private life, understand? I¡®m speaking now as you r Alpha.¡±


    Now, I stared Josh down. There was palpable tension between us. For a second, his ga ze lingered.


    And not just as my friend.


    Did he dare challenge my dominance?


    But, finally, Josh looked down and nodded.


    ¡°Of course, my Alpha,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, already feeling better.


    I stood up and stepped around the table to consider Josh¡®s clipboard, taking a look at th e seating


    arrangements, an idea beginning to take form.


    ¡°If we¡®re talking details, there is one small adjustment I¡®d like to make.¡±


    Sienna Okay guys.


    Sienna Confession time


    Michelle u got invited to the pack house, everybody knows


    Sienna What??? How???


    Michelle sorry, babe. u know i can¡®t keep a secret


    Sienna You are the worst, Michelle,


    Sienna WHAAAATTT?!?


    Michelle Michelle congrats girl! (totes saw iting)


    Sienna So happy for you, Mia!!! Erica yay mia!


    Erica why am i the only one ever with no news


    Mia but. si. u better send us updates tonite.


    Michelle especially if it¡®s about our sexy alpha...


    Sienna


    No promises


    Sienna


    I know I should have probably been distracted with the event at the pack house tonight, but all I could


    think about was Mia and Harry. I couldn¡®t believe it.


    Mia mated with Harry¨Cfucking¨CMilton.


    For years, the two had been best friends. One hundred percent tonic.


    The fact that now, all of a sudden, the two were not only hooking up...but actually mated ?


    It was almost unheard of.


    I Usually mates knew the first time they


    looked into each other¡®s eyes. They recognized the connection on some deeper, animal level.


    This was true of my parents, of Jeremy and Selene, of almost everyone I knew.


    Even people who turned out to be mates after years of being lovers were moremon than what had


    happened to Mia and Harry Lucky bitch, I thought.


    I admit I was a little jealous. It was a dream, finding a mate who already knew everythin g about you,


    who you trusted. It sounded so beautifully simple.


    Unlike my no¨Csex, no¨Cmate, all¨Chaze situation.


    I opened my closet and searched for something to wear to the dinner. I didn¡®t have anyt hing nearly


    elegant enough.


    A knock at my bedroom door grabbed my attention


    ¡°I knew you were hopeless, Sis,¡± Selene said, stepping inside. ¡°Which is why I came prepared...¡±


    In her hands was a beautiful evening dress, made of light green silk, so long it seemed to never end. I


    only needed a nce to know it was p erfect


    ¡°How did you¡­¡± I stated.


    ¡°I bought it for a ball two years ago, but with myplexion? It just didn¡®t work. I never even wore it. So


    I saved it for a rainy day.¡±


    I could see why it wouldn¡®t have worked. Selene was a tinum blonde. Green called for red hair. Like


    mine.


    ¡°Well,¡± Selene pushed, ¡°are you going to stare all day or try it on?¡±


    I didn¡®t hesitate. Never shy about being naked around my sister, I stripped my clothes off and slipped


    into the dress. It felt like it had been made for me.


    Even though


    Selene and I were different sizes. She was tall and waifish, whereas I was more curvac eous.


    So how was it that this dress made me look as if my body was poured into it?


    ¡°I tailored it, just for you,¡± Selene said, winking, as if reading my mind.


    I took a look in the mirror and couldn¡®t believe the reflection that stared back at me.


    The dress ended gracefully at my ankles, with


    the generously open back tapering just above my butt and the front entuating my cleavage


    I was right about the color. My red hair and bright blue eyes made the green positively p op.


    ¡°Dad¡®s going to have a heart attack.¡± Seleneughed. ¡°You look amazing. But...¡±


    Yeah. I could see what Selene was saying. The dress was undeniably sexy. But right no w, I didn¡®t care.


    Nothing had ever felt more right in the world.


    ¡°It¡®s perfect,¡± I said.


    Selene beamed and gave me a hug.


    ¡°C¡®mon, let¡®s show Mom.¡±


    It didn¡®t take long for both Mom and Dad to have their predictable reactions,


    ¡°You. Look. DELECTABLE!¡± Mom said.


    I grimaced. That word choice could not be worse.


    ¡°Uh, yes,¡± Dad said, looking anywhere but at me directly. ¡°Very...beautiful. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡®s all right, Dad.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°You know,¡± Mom said, stepping toward me, ¡°looking at you in this, I can almost forget f or a second


    that you¡®re only neen. It makes me wonder...if a certain Alpha would feel the same.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°This is just a chance for locals to meet their leadership.


    Can we move on?¡±


    Again, my conversational sway over the family seemed to be working.


    They were already asking Selene what she would be wearing. But then my mother G sh ook it off,


    remembering her favorite ton gossip.


    ¡°Sienna,¡± she said, ¡°your meddling mother did hear a little rumor, though. That the reaso n our beloved


    Alpha is inviting all these strangers into his Pack House? It¡®s to find himse lf a lover for the season.¡±


    And just like that my happy bubble burst.


    Thest thing in the world I needed was Aiden Norwood looking for a lover tonight and settling on me.


    Especially after our chance meeting by the riverbank.


    I wasn¡®t going to be any wolf¡®s side piece, alpha or not. I wanted a lifetime mate.


    I scowled at my mother. ¡°Really, Mom? Just for once, could you not¡ª¡±.


    ¡°I¡®m just saying!¡± she said, hands up, defensive. ¡°He doesn¡®t have a partner for this Season. Is it so


    wrong to fantasize a little, Sienna?¡±


    Yes, Mom. It was wrong. And it wasn¡®t a fantasy. The idea of me and the Alpha was ridi culous. We¡®d


    already made eye contact, and nothing had happened. So there was no w ay he was my mate. If


    anything, he just wanted to


    FUCK. Now, I was thinking about us fucking


    Just the idea alone was enough to spark my haze again. It had been dormant until now, exactly as I¡®d


    hoped to keep it for the whole evening.


    I couldn¡®t show up to a Pack House full of Scanned with CamScanner


    hungry wolves like... like this.


    ¡°I need to go change,¡± I stammered, turning and running out of the room.


    ¡°Wait, Sienna,¡± my mom called after me. ¡°I was just teasing!¡±


    I ran into my room and mmed the door, trying to take off the dress. But it was so tight . And I needed


    to be unzipped.


    And


    And¡ª


    ¡°Sienna.¡± I heard Selene¡®s voice on the other side of the door. ¡°Don¡®t let Mom get into yo ur head. Just


    be yourself. It¡®s going to be great. Like you said, it¡®s perfect. Right?¡±


    ¡°...right.¡± I said, calming my breathing. ¡°Thanks, Selene.¡±


    I grabbed a shawl, to cover my shoulders at the very least and minimize the dress¡®s sexi ness.


    I only hoped that by the time we arrived at the Pack House the Haze would be subsiding


    ...


    As we drove up to the enormous mansion,


    far from the activity of our town, the sole source of illumination in the quiet countryside, and my family


    chatted busily, buzzing with excitement, it happened again.


    The Haze pulsed and prodded and prated every corner of my being. As if it knew, ju st from the


    seeing the Pack House, that what awaited within...was worth waking up for.


    Please don¡®t do this, I begged my body Please not here. Not now.


    But as I was about to discover, my body had other ns...

 Book 1: Chapter: 05

    Book 1: Chapter: 05


    Sienna I don¡®t think I can do this


    Sienna I can¡®t go inside


    Sienna I¡®m losing it, Michelle


    Michelle ?!?


    Michelle u serious bitch?


    Michelle everyone and their mother would KILL to get inside the pack house


    Michelle whats wrong?


    Sienna This dress is overkill


    Michelle


    Sienna And with the Haze...


    Michelle gurl stop. youre so fcking hot. go in there and have fun


    Michelle u may even find a partner for the season!


    Michelle what¡®s the worst that can happen?


    Sienna


    The worst that could happen? Oh, Michelle. You have no idea, I thought.


    We had just parked and were making our way toward the towering front doors of the Pack H ouse.


    Everyone was dressed to the nines. With every step, I could feel my doom approaching


    I wanted to turn around and sprint home.


    Yes, even in heels. I was that desperate.


    ¡°Oh, this will be so good for


    our standing in the Pack,¡± Mom said, oblivious. ¡°I can¡®t wait to meet the Alpha. I swear if I were a few


    years younger...¡±


    ¡°Mom, please.¡± I begged. ¡°Stop.¡±


    Luckily, my mom quickly became distracted again and I didn¡®t have to exin why I nee ded her to shut


    up so badly.


    The Haze was doing a number on me right now. All day, I¡®d tried to repress it, but now... Now the Haze


    decided it was a good time to try and take ahold of my body.


    Just as we were attending the dinner party. Please, I once again begged my heating bo dy. I don¡®t have


    time for this.


    Fuck you, my body snapped back. Ugh, I was having conversations with my body now. I t was just


    wrong. Damn Haze.


    A human receptionist greeted us and led us into the dining hall.


    Chandeliers, old portraits of former Alphas, and a dozen tables, set with silver cutlery fit for royalty. Not


    a bunch ofmoners like


    1. us.


    When we sat down, I noticed our table was closest to the Alpha¡®s table.


    Coincidence? I remembered Jeremy¡®s strange lingering look when he¡®d brought the invit ation to our


    home.


    But I disregarded it. Yes. It was a coincidence. It had to be.


    From my seat, I finally had a good vantage point to judge the otherdies in attendance.


    I was definitely not the best¨C looking, that much was for sure. There were other young women, about


    the Alpha¡®s age, in theirte twenties, who were simply exquisite.


    With their long, slender legs, their full, pouting lips, and sparkling golden eyes, I knew th ere was no


    way I couldpare.


    I was curvy, my fire¨C red hair fell wildly across my back, and my icy blue eyes were less...traditional I


    guess.


    But what Icked in sophistication, I know I made up for in raw intensity.


    Nobody in that room burned brighter. For better or worse.


    ¡°...what is a girl like that even doing here?¡± I heard one of the women whisper to her frie nds. They


    snickered.


    Catty bitches.


    It wasn¡®t like they were royalty either. They just clearly thought of themselves that way.


    I knew exactly what I was, and it wasn¡®t some she¨C wolf on her hands and knees, begging to be ridden


    by an important Pack House wolf.


    I actually stood for something.


    Somewhere out there was a mate worth waiting for. Someone who would look into my eyes and really


    see me. Someone who, upon first sight, would love me. And I, him.


    Here in the Pack House? There was nothing to see.


    I¡®d almost considered leaving right then and there when I noticed one of the boys at ano ther table


    eying my cleavage. I couldn¡®t exin why, but I was ttered.


    Just then, a woman strutted through the door, and the boy¡®s eyes flicked to her immedia telly


    Everyone, even the women, stared at her. Tan, tall, with a swan¨C like neck, she wore her red gown with


    the grace of a queen, not a werewolf.


    ¡°That¡®s her!¡± Selene whispered. ¡°That¡®s Jocelyn, Aiden Norwood¡®s ex. And there¡®s her n ew man.


    Beside Jocelyn was a blond spiky¨C haired hunk everyone knew. He was the Alpha¡®s Beta, his number


    two. Josh Daniels. H e kissed her on the cheek and took his seat next to the Alpha.


    I wondered if he and Aiden could still be friends since Josh was dating Jocelyn now.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The thought didn¡®t linger long because, the next thing I knew, Selene and Jeremy were taking me by


    the h and and leading me over.


    What?!


    Why?!


    I hadn¡®t asked to be introduced to anyone.


    ¡°Jocelyn, you¡®re looking radiant as always,¡± Selene cooed.


    ¡°Oh. Selene, vou tter me. You look


    absolutely stunning in that dress,¡± replied Jocelyn. ¡°And who¡®s this gorgeous girl? Your s ister?¡±


    Jocelyn grabbed my hand, and I suddenly felt full of the warmest, most healing energy i maginable. So


    much so that even my Haze was tempered


    ¡°It¡®s good to meet you.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡®m Jocelyn.¡±


    ¡°Sienna,¡± I managed.


    I knew, from that touch, that Jocelyn must be a Healer. Despite her beauty, she was twi ce as nice as


    most of the girls in here.


    But before we could continue speaking, we were interrupted by gasps all around.


    I turned to see the life of the party, Mr. Aiden Norwood, Alpha of the East Coast Pack, e nter the dining


    hall.


    He wore an expensive tux with a dark green tie, which made the green in his golden eye s all the more


    evident.


    His raven hair was tousled, like he¡®d just gotten out of bed. His jaw was clenched in an a ggressive


    grin.


    I had to admit... the sight of him alone was enough to make a girl wet.


    ¡°Wee, my pack members,¡± he said, unable to conceal a bit of the snarl in his throat.


    ¡°Dinner will begin shortly, so please take a seat.¡±


    Although his statement was simple, gentleman¨C like even, I felt a threatening undercurrentced within


    every word. It made me tense. It made me hunger.


    It made the Haze rise within from its temporary slumber.


    With a lopsided grin, the Alpha turned toward his seat. I couldn¡®t take it.


    res trailed down my body, colliding between my thighs. My throat dried, my cheeks fl ushed with


    renewed heat, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from gasping.


    Get a grip! I screamed inside my head. You¡®re not going to lose it in front of everyone, understood?


    Aiden sat down beside Josh and Jocelyn and, to my surprise, chatted warmly with both of them.


    So the rumors weren¡®t true. That was not what tortured him. Then what? .


    I knew a thing or two about torture right now. The Haze was quietly tearing me apart.


    During the Season, it wasmon knowledge that an unmated werewolf could scent o ut if someone


    nearby was Hazing.


    If I wasn¡®t careful, if I let my Haze take over, those unmated men would start to scent m e.


    Anything but that, I mentally begged. I can¡®t bear the humiliation.


    Being Hazed in public was like giving the world an invitation to screw your brains out.


    As the first course was served, the unmated werewolf who served our table took a sniff of me, and his


    eyes lit up, which meant I¡®d started giving off the Haze scent.


    Face ame, I narrowed my eyes in warning and held his gaze, showing him I wasn¡®t int erested


    He was cute, don¡®t get me wrong, but I wasn¡®t saving myself for some waiter at a dinner party.


    He backed off at once¡ªsmart guy¡ª distancing himself from me.


    I was about to let out a sigh of relief when I felt someone¡®s eyes on me.


    I didn¡®t dare look up.


    That gaze, wherever it wasing from, had a powerful pull.


    It seemed to be intensifying the Haze, magnifying it. Making me burn even hotter, if that was possible.


    I squeaked, unable to bear it. My panties were suddenly damp, and my stomach clench ed, making


    every other muscle in my body tense as well.


    ¡°Aren¡®t you going to eat?¡±


    I almost jumped when Mom spoke. I turned to give her a strained smile and nodded, grit ting my teeth.


    ¡°In a minute.¡±


    Mom, oblivious to my pain, shrugged and took a bite of her salmon. It looked delicious, but my hunger


    was fixated on something other than food.


    The eyes were still on me. I could feel it. And, worse, now I could feel others eyeing me as well.


    My scent was wafting all over the hall, drawing every unmated wolf¡®s attention, demandi ng to be


    eased.


    I had no choice.


    I had to get out.


    Now.


    I stood up and murmured a strained ¡°excuse me,¡± leaving my shawl on the table, and walked as fast as


    I could out o f that damn dining room.


    I knew it went against the rules to excuse oneself in the middle of the meal, especially in the pr esence


    of the Alpha. It was akin to an insult to His Royal Highness.


    I didn¡®t give a shit.


    I practically sprinted to the restroom. Thankfully, it was empty. I locked the stall door and leaned on its


    wall, breathing heavily.


    The slimyer of silk that covered me was too much. My panties were too much. Everyt hing was too


    much.


    Before I could stop myself, I pulled the hem of the dress up to my waist. I slid my hand under my panti


    es, and at the touch of my finger on my clit, I almost exploded.


    I started massaging, and I couldn¡®t stop. The heat was everywhere. Inside and out, cons uming me.


    I¡®d


    masturbated many times before this. It was the only way to get through every Haze with out losing my


    mind. But I¡®d always done it in the privacy of my bedroom.


    Never around so many hungry wolves.


    Never in the bathroom of the goddamn Pack House.


    I couldn¡®t hold in the moan that escaped my mouth at the touch of my wet lips.


    The tension, the need, the fire, it was agonizing. I was going to explode¡ª for real this time.


    But then I heard it. The door to the restroom opened, and footsteps echoed off the tiled f loor. Not the


    sharp click of women¡®s heels. The t, low thud of...men¡¯s dress shoes.


    I froze, and my heart mmed in my chest.


    Just when I was about to yell at whoever had decided to enter the restroom and tell the m to leave me


    the fuck alone, a deep, gravelly voice beat me to the punch.


    ¡°I can scent your arousal, woman.¡±


    My breathing stopped. Oh. Fuck. The Alpha was standing right outside my stall.

 Book 1: Chapter: 06

    Book 1: Chapter: 06


    Sienna


    Ile scented me in the ballroom He scente GRATTER my ze and followed me here


    But could Arden Norwood scent that, right now, three feet away, only separated by a Mumsy metal


    door, I was sitting with my panties around my ankles, my fingers inside me, this close to orgasming?


    ¡°The Haze can hit you in the most unpredictable of ces,¡± he growled. But there was a casual


    amusement in his tone that infuriated me


    Before I could stop myself, I snapped at him. ¡°Your point?¡±


    Oh boy, no one talked to the Alpha that way What did I have, a death wish?


    I slowly pulled my fingers out. My body moaned in frustration, but my mind¡ªthank God it suill worked


    was taking over.


    As I bent over to pull up my panties, Aiden whispered, and it was as if there were no door between us,


    ¡°Well, woman? Why aren¡¯t you taking care of it But he wasn¡¯t asking


    Ile wasmanding


    A pure Alpha male in his prime, ordering one of his lower-ranked members to get in line Calling me


    ¡°woman¡± like I had no name Condescending Judging.


    I shot up straight, readjusting my dress, unable to control my temper.


    ¡°What gives you the right to talk to me that way?¡± I seethed. ¡°Toe into a women¡¯s bathroom, telling


    me how I shouldpose myself? Who the hell do you think you are?!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have a chance to second-guess myself, to regret my words, or to beg forgiveness because,


    next thing I knew, the door burst open


    And there he stood.


    Aiden Norwood, in all of his glory, both terrifying and beautiful. He stared, golden-green eyes zing,


    his entire demeanor reeking of aggression,


    Thank God I¡¯d pulled my panties up in time, or who knows what would have happened.


    ¡°Who do I think I am?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you need reminding?¡±


    Now, as I scented him, I realized the Alpha wasn¡¯t just provoked to anger. He was Hazed.


    The questions rattled through my brain, but there was no time to answer them. Because his Haze


    made mine reemerge with sudden unbearable, pulsing intensity


    Soon my anger was melting away from the sheer heat of it


    Ovee. Wanting, begging, needing him toe closer


    As if he could read my Hazed mind, he did so, stepping into the stall. My heart threatened to split my


    chest open, and my legs turned wobbly.


    ¡°W-w-what are you doing?¡± I spluttered


    ¡°You know who I am,¡± he said, taking another


    ¡°You¡¯re the ..the Alpha.¡±


    ¡°My name.¡±


    Did I dare? No one was supposed to utter that name other than his closest advisors and sexual


    partners.


    No. I shook my head, refusing to give in. Forcing my Haze to resist. No.


    I tried to sidestep him out of the stall, and he put up a hand, blocking me.


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± he asked.


    I tried to push his hand away, and he grabbed my wrist.


    I should¡¯ve been afraid. I should¡¯ve been terrified, being cornered by a werewolf-by the Alpha, no less-


    in a bathroom stall. G


    But, in truth, I didn¡¯t think Aiden Norwood intended to force me to do anything against my will. I think he


    could sense my Haze¡¯s absolute need for him.


    He wanted to know why I was resisting when no girl had ever resisted him before


    * Please let me go,¡± I said, voice trembling


    ¡°You dare give your Alpha orders***


    ¡°I said please, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my own audacity


    For the first time, I could see his face up close. Torment swam within those goldengreen eyes. It


    seemed he was really considering my request. But that was when his nostrils pricked


    He brought my fingers¡ªthe same fingers that had just been inside me up to his nose. As he took in


    their scent, I felt his Haze throb within him


    ¡°You were¡­¡± he began.


    ¡°Trying to take care of it. Like you said.¡±


    ¡°Why, when a man can do so much more?¡± he said in a husky whisper. The implication alone made my


    eyes roll back. I couldn¡¯t help myself


    I moaned.


    That was all it took


    One secondter, the Alpha had me pinned against the wall of the bathroom stall. My legs left the floor


    and wrapped around his torso,


    He pressed me closer, and I felt the swell of his bulge.


    A hot wave of brutal arousal washed over me. This was the first time a man had touched me this way. I


    felt dizzy and insane and not myself


    Then he pressed his lips to my neck, and instead of kissing me, he licked. Every glistening drop of


    perspiration he devoured.


    It was too much to take.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡­.¡±had entrapped both of us.


    I felt his bulge press against my damp underwear, and I groaned in pleasure, in pain, in everything in


    between, my mind blurry with nothing but sex


    His hands. God, his hands. They left my wrists, snaked under my dress, and grabbed my bare ass.


    Every inch of his big, warm, calloused hands felt like they belonged there.


    Before I knew what I was doing, my lower body started thrusting against his, making him growl.


    My arms wrapped around his neck. I needed to touch him, to hold him, to press every part of myself


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    against him.


    I wanted him like I¡¯ve never wanted anything in the world before. w


    And then I saw it on his lips: a smirk. A knowing nce that seemed to say, I knew I could get you. The


    self-satisfaction, the smugness¡­ it broke the spell, all right.


    Blinded with anger and disgust, I snarled and squirmed out of his arms. The Haze was still on, but my


    mind had finally cleared. I could think again


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, woman?¡± he growled, amused.


    Woman. Again, making me just another nobody he could fuck and dispose of.


    ¡°Let go,¡± I said between clenched teeth. ¡°I mean it this time.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that?¡±


    Again, he thrust his throbbing member beneath me. I had to resist the urge to gasp.


    Aiden Norwood, the Alpha of East Coast Pack, was having a hot dry-hump with me, Sienna Mercer,


    here in a Pack House bathroom stall.


    How could I have lost myself like this? For three years of Hazes, I¡¯d been able to control myself. To


    hold my own and refuse every temptation. Until now.


    llow could I havepsed, and with the Alpha of all people?


    Part of me wondered why I couldn¡¯t just enjoy it. But another part, a smarter part, knew the reason.


    This man was not my mate,


    Of that, I was certain


    ¡°I know you¡¯re the Alpha,¡± I snarled. ¡°I know I am supposed to submit. But,¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± He smiled. ¡°I know. That¡¯s what I like.¡±


    I frowned. This was a surprise. Even more surprising was that, a momentter, he actuallyplied.


    He let me down and swung open the door, gesturing as if to say, off you go.


    But his eyes said something entirely different. They seemed to say, this is just beginning


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to interpret the meaning. I had been granted an escape and intended to take


    I owering my eyes, and assuming a submissive posture, to show my respect for his willingness to


    cooperate, I straightened my dress and hurried out of the bathroom


    As the door swung shut, I could still feel Aiden Norwood¡¯s golden¨Cgreen eyes boring into my back


    What the hell had just happened?


    When I returned to my seat, I noticed some eyes following me with muted suspicion


    The fact that I had fled the dining hall and the Alpha had followed a few minutester clearly hadn¡¯t


    gone unnoticed.


    My mom was the first to eye me up and down,


    ¡°Did something just¡­honey, your hair¡ª.¡±


    Shir! With my eyes to the ground, I hadn¡¯t had a chance to consider my reflection and make sure I


    looked. I don¡¯t know. Composed? Not like I¡¯d just been dry-humping the Alpha?


    Self-consciously tucking strands of hair


    Self-consciously fucking strands of hair behind my cars and staring down at my te, I tried to force my


    mother to move on


    But I knew that if I could still scent the Alpha on me, my mother probably could too.


    ¡°Can we please just eat in silence?¡±


    Aller a second, thankfully, Mom did so, leaving me alone


    And soon the room was back to a boisterous ambience, where I could fade into the background and


    pretend like nothing had just happened


    When Aiden returned to the room, nobody paid me any notice


    Maybe, I thought, I would get away from this Pack House with both my reputation and body unscathed.


    Maybe..


    When the dinner was done and we had concluded with some of the formalities, including the one where


    families meet the Alpha and his Beta individually, which I avoided at all costs, our family made its way


    to the exit


    I was almost out of there scot-free


    Which is when I realized I¡¯d left my shawl in the dining hall. Damnit!


    ¡°Guys, I forgot something I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said to them. ¡°Go ahead and start the car.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, sweetie,¡± my dad said.


    He, my mom, Selene, and Jeremy stepped outside as I ran back to grab my shawl.


    I was scared out of my mind that Aiden Norwood would still be in the hall, that I would have to meet him


    one-on-one again.


    But to my surprise, the room was deserted.


    I grabbed my shawl and made my way back to the front doors of the Pack House.


    The hallway leading outside was empty now. I could hear some of the families, on the other side of the


    door. chatting amongst themselves,


    My fingers had touched the handle of the door when I felt it. A looming presence directly behind me. A


    scent I recognized


    No, no, no


    ¡°Before you go.¡± Aiden Norwood whispered into my car, ¡°I have something for you.¡¯ Feeling his hot


    breath on my neck made me shiver with both delight and disgust.


    ¡°I told you,¡± I said, about to turn, ¡°I¡¯m not


    But before I could say another word, the Alpha brought his mouth to the crook of my neck and


    shoulder. And, before I could stop him, he did it


    He bit me


    The kind of bite that would take months to fade


    The kind of bite that made it obvious to every werewolf in the world exactly who it was I belonged to.


    The kind of bite that said I was


    The kind of bite that would take months to fade


    The kind of bite that made it obvious to every werewolf in the world exactly who it was 1 belonged to.


    The kind of bite that said I was his


    Aiden Norwood had just marked me.


    You¡¯re mine for the Season,¡± he whispered. ¡°Another man touches you and I¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    Then he turned and left me there at the entrance to the Pack House,


    I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to make love to him or kill him.


    One of those was going to happen, that was for sure.

 Book 1: Chapter: 07

    Book 1: Chapter: 07


    FOUR YEARS AGO...


    Sienna


    When somebody smiles in public, all by themselves, for no apparent reason, without a c are in the


    world, that can mean only one thing: they¡®re in love.


    That was what I saw when I looked at Emily, my best friend, sitting by the bus stop, waiti ng for me,


    kicking her shoes absentmindedly. A big goofy grin on her face.


    ¡°Em!¡± I yelled out, waving.


    She turned, shaken from her daydream, and got to her feet. She smiled at me, but it was a different


    smile. A more subdued, familiar smile.


    Not even close to the radiance of the she kept to herself.


    ¡°Hey, Si,¡± she said, giving me a quick hug. ¡°So what¡®s on the agenda for today?¡±


    ¡°A new gallery I¡®ve been dying to check out. C¡®mon!¡®


    I figured I¡®d interrogate her on the way. Give her a second to catch her bearings first. After all, love was


    not much of a priority in my life these days.


    I was only fifteen years old. The Haze wouldn¡® start for another year. Nothing in the world could wo rry


    me now.


    But that didn¡® mean I wasn¡®t curious. As we made our way through a scenic shortcut in t he middle of


    the town, I found I couldn¡®t contain myself any longer.


    ¡°So,¡± I said, looking at Emily, ¡°you have something to share, Em?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emily said too quickly. ¡°I...don¡®t know what you¡®re talking about.¡±


    Hardly convincing. Her red cheeks and darting eyes betrayed whatever secret she was hiding


    ¡°C¡®mon, Em,¡± I said, nudging her. ¡°It¡®s just me. You know you can tell me anything.


    Emily sighed, eyes to the ground, kicking a pine cone. But I could tell she was going to c ave. We were


    best friends. We never kept secrets. Why would Emily start now?


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°You swear not to tell anyone?¡±


    ¡°On my life.¡±


    ) And I meant il. Emily¡®s eyes finally met mine,


    and I saw a hint of that radiant smile sneak up in the corners of her mouth. She could hardly contain


    herself.


    ¡°Remember how I told you I wanted to sleep with someone before we start Hazing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°So it¡®s less of a shock, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. Well... I think I might have... met someone.¡± I stopped, jaw dropping, grabbing Emily¡®s arm.


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡±I eximed. ¡°WHAT? When? How? Who? I want details.¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll tell you everything, Si.¡± Emilyughed. ¡°One thing at a time.¡®


    I¡®d known, from that look on Emily¡®s face earlier, that there was someone. But I never w ould have


    expected it to be...that kind of someone. The kind you lose your virginity to. ¡°Just tell me one thing,¡± I


    said, growing serious. ¡°Are you sure he¡®s the right one?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emily admitted. ¡°But he¡®s older. More experienced, which I like. Because that mea ns at least one


    of us will know what we¡®re doing


    We giggled for a second and kept walking. But I had so many questions.


    ¡°Wait. How much older, Em?¡±


    ¡°Ten years?¡±


    ¡°Woah. You weren¡®t kidding.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡®t matter. He¡®s tall and handsome and so confident, my God. When I talk, it¡® s like he really


    listens. With such... intensity.


    And I could see from the look in Emily¡®s eyes, from the smile on her face, that she was ri ght. His age


    didn¡®t matter one bit.


    My friend was falling in love.


    And I was gonna be there for her.


    I grabbed her hand. ¡°I¡®m so happy for you, Em.¡±


    ¡°I mean, we¡®ll see,¡± she said. ¡°Who knows if he¡®even wants the same.¡±


    ¡°Look at you, Em,¡± I said, shoving her arm yfully. ¡°How can he resist?¡±


    ¡°You dominants,¡± she said, rolling her eyes.


    And now we were bothughing, hand in hand, on our way to wherever the afternoon would take us,


    our ns to see the gallery long forgotten.


    The two of us were unstoppable. Together, we¡®d make our mark on the world.


    ***


    I woke up with a start, head still cloudy with memories. My hand immediately shot to my neck, swollen


    and bruised.


    Shit. Emily may have been a dream, but this mark wasn¡®t. This was a fucking nightmare.


    A torrent of texts lit up my phone as it started vibrating like crazy. Michelle


    girl!


    Michelle answer your damn phone already!


    Scanned with CamScanner


    Sienna Ughh Michelle, it¡®s so early


    Sienna What is it?


    Michelle u have some exining to do


    Sienna


    ???


    Michelle get ur ass to winston¡®s


    FIL


    Michelle we¡®ll all be there


    Michelle


    I rolled over in bed, groaning. Thest thing I wanted to do was face an interrogation from my friends.


    Afterst night, after being marked by the Alpha¡­


    Oh God. How was I going to cover it?!


    When I took a look in the mirror, the sight alone was enough to make me gasp.


    The bite was a massive, bruised blue spot across my neck, bigger than any bite I¡®d ever seen before


    It didn¡®t hurt. In fact, it almost tingled with a carnal sensation. Every time I touched it, I could feel Aiden


    Norwood¡®s teeth again.


    I shook off the feeling and started getting dressed. I grabbed thergest scarf I could fin d and wrapped


    it around my neck.


    At the very least, seeing Michelle and the girls would get the Alpha off my mind.


    EU


    A distraction was exactly what I needed right now.


    ***


    When I arrived at Winston¡®s, our group¡®s go¨Cto brunch ce, I saw that the entire crew was already


    assembled.


    Michelle, who had a new partner every


    Haze, was chatting to the girls about hertest conquest. Right now, I think the lucky gu y was...


    Ralph?


    Russell?


    No, Ross. That was it. Hard to keep them all straight when it came to Michelle,


    Don¡®t get me wrong. It wasn¡®t like Michelle was a floozy


    She just was incrediblyfortable with her sexuality and didn¡®t let anyone tell her what she could or


    couldn¡®t do.


    It was Michelle who had tried to set me up with three of her friends and Michelle who kept the


    grapevine flowing with gossip.


    ¡°There she is!¡± Michelle eximed when I walked in.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± I said, sitting down, self¨Cconsciously adjusting my scarf.


    I had managed to sneak out of the Pack House without anyone noticingst night and intended to keep


    the Alpha¡®s mark a secret as long as I could.


    Before they could start grilling me about the event, I noticed Mia. She was positively glowing. I grabbed


    her han ds.


    ¡°Mia, I am so so SO happy for you and Harry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Si.¡± She grinned. ¡°I can hardly believe it¡®s real. One second you¡®re best friends, the next...¡®


    ¡°You¡®re jumping each other¡®s bones,¡± Michelle teased, jabbing Mia¡¯s ribs.


    Mia started thrusting her hips, miming sex in the middle of the diner. ¡°Damn straight!¡±


    ¡°So when¡®s the mating ceremony? Do you have a location picked out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A few months. I¡®m not really worried about it. Harry¡®s family has an ass¨C load of properties. The perks


    of mating with a real estate mogul¡®s son,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± I said,ughing.


    ¡°Yeah, must be nice,¡± Erica said, notughing at all.


    Erica was never good at hiding her bitterness. Another season with no partner seemed t o be making


    her more sexually frustrated than usual.


    We all tried to ignore it, knowing this was just the effect of the Haze. Usually, Erica was the sweetest


    girl in the world.


    It wasn¡®t easy being alone during the Haze,


    I could attest. But now I had even bigger problems. And it seemed Michelle was about to suss them


    out.


    ¡°All right,¡± Michelle said, taking over the conversation. ¡°We¡®ve avoided the subject long e nough.


    C¡®mon, Sienna. Talk to us.¡±


    ¡°It was..¡± I started, trying to figure out my best deflection strategy. ¡°Fine. Not all that diffe rent from the


    Yule Ball or Summer Solstice. Just less people. A bit more intimate.¡± ¡°Intimate, huh?¡± Michelle asked,


    grinning.


    I didn¡®t like the knowing look in her eyes. But it wasn¡®t like she could know. Nobody did. Nobody had se


    en the Alpha mark me. I was sure of it.


    <


    <


    ¡°Yeah. My family got some face¨Ctime with the Pack House leadership. It was good for our standing.


    That¡®s all.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not what Michelle said¡­ ¡± Erica snipped


    ¡°What?¡± I turned to Michelle.


    ¡°Damn it, Erica,¡± Michelle scoffed. ¡°Couldn¡®t you just keep your mouth shut and let Sienna tell us for


    herself?¡±


    ¡°Tell you WHAT?!¡±


    I didn¡®t realize that I was yelling until the whole diner went quiet and turned to look at us. I wasn¡®t mad. I


    was enraged. How could this happen? How could anyone know?


    ¡°Sienna,¡± Michelle said softly. ¡°It¡®s not a big deal. We heard that you and the Alpha might have had a


    little moment, that¡®s all. Some people saw you two leaving the dining hall around the same time and.... I


    was so hot with rage that I had to loosen my scarf, and as I did, I saw Michelle¡®s eyes go wide.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°What¡®s that?¡±


    Shit! How could I have been so stupid?


    I should have never left my room for the remainder of the Haze. Going out in public with this massive,


    ugly mark on my neck?


    I might as well have worn a sign that said, ¡°I¡®m screwed, thanks for asking.¡±


    The worst part was, while I was marked like this, most male wolves would avoid me. That meant


    another season without finding my real mate.


    Another Haze with no one to call my own. With one bite, Aiden had taken that all away from me


    Realizing I couldn¡®t keep the jig up for long, I sighed and slowly unwrapped my scarf. W hen the girls


    saw it, they all gasped and put their hands to their mouths.


    ¡°That¡®s not...¡± Michelle started, disbelieving


    ¡°Yup,¡± I said. ¡°The Alpha marked mest night. I¡®m his for the Season. Lucky me, right?¡±


    Thisst part I said dripping with sarcasm. But I could tell from the expression on Erica¡®s face that it


    was not appreciated. She scowled.


    ¡°You could be more thankful,¡± Erica said. ¡°Getting marked by the Alpha of all people?


    That¡®s a big deal, Si.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just,¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding, this is AMAZING!¡± Michelle eximed.


    ¡°Dammit, Sienna, always trying to one¨Cup me!¡± Mia teased.


    I sighed, unsure how to exin this.


    The problem was none of the girls knew my secret. Nobody knew I was still a virgin, So how could I


    frame this in a way they¡®d understand?


    ¡°He didn¡®t ask,¡± I said. ¡°He just...bit me. Like I was his property, and that was that.¡±


    ¡°Si,¡± Michelle said, shaking her head. ¡°I know you like to make your own rules. But, man , I would kill for


    a chance to fuck the Alpha. You kidding? I¡®d do whatever he wanted. Be sides, now that


    he¡®s marked you, it¡®s not like you have a choice, right? There¡®s no one either of you can sleep with for


    the rest of the season.¡±


    And now I could see that, despite Michelle being paired with Ross for the Haze, there was some


    jealousy in her eyes. Mostly for the status, I figured.


    Nobody, not Michelle, not Mia, not Erica, would understand.


    I was about to try to find a way to change the subject when I received a text that made e verything even


    worse.


    If that was possible.


    Selene Guess what just arrived in the mail, sis.


    Selene An invitation from the Alpha addressed to YOU. Selene I told mom to leave it, but you know


    she¡®s so nosy


    Sienna What is it?


    Sienna What does he want?


    Selene Si¡­


    Selene He wants you to move in with him.


    I couldn¡®t take it.


    Before I knew what was happening, I jumped to my feet and ran from the diner without saying goodbye


    to my friends.


    Even the cool air outside couldn¡¯t temper the rage building up inside me.


    First, he¡¯d marked me without my permission. He took away any hope I had to find my one true mate.


    Then, he summoned me like I was his pet. The world was turning upside down, and only I seemed to


    be able to see straight.


    For a second, I thought I might shift right then and there. Split my clothes open in the middle of a busy


    intersection. Bing my most animal, violent self.


    That was how badly I wanted to hurt him.


    I could picture my fangs tearing his throat out.


    But just as I began to shift, as I saw the hairs beginning to sprout on my hands, my nails elongating, my


    spine bending, I stopped myself.


    No.


    I was going to confront Aiden Norwood face to face in his Pack House and put a stop to this once and


    for all. He was the Alpha, yes, Scanned with CamScanner this once and for all. He was the Alpha, yes,


    but that was no excuse.


    The Alpha was about to find out exactly who he was messing with.


    Scanned with CamScanner

 Book 1: Chapter: 8

    Book 1: Chapter: 8


    Sienna


    , I marched straight to the Pack House, where


    I was sure to find Aiden. When I reached the entrance gate, I stopped to sniff the air.


    Everything smelled of werewolves and humans, of vegetation and stinky vehicles. I scowled. I smelled


    everything except the one scent I was after. His scent.


    Was it possible that marked females couldn¡¯t scent? Wouldn¡¯t that be a nice cherry on top of the


    already chauvinistic werewolf world.


    The guard gave me a suspicious nce, so I stered on a feminine smile and sauntered over.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said silkily, ¡°is Mr. ¨C Norwood here?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯d like to see him.¡±


    Usually my conversational sway, my most effective dominant trait, would have done the trick. But this


    guard seemed like he¡¯d , been trained to resist it.


    ¡°Have you made an appointment?¡± he asked in a condescending tone. ¡°A lot of young girls want to see


    Mr. Norwood.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have time for this. ¡°You¡¯re going to let me in,¡± I growled. ¡°Now.¡±


    As my expression darkened, I allowed one of my fingers to shift into a long ck w.


    I didn¡¯t need to threaten him. The guard knew exactly what he was dealing with.


    Fumbling to produce his keycard, the guard swiped open the gate.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, my hand returning to its human form.


    And with that, I passed him, entering the premises of the Pack House.


    I stormed through the front doors with a new rage burning inside of me, my wolf eyes glowing blue


    within my human form.


    Aiden would know he¡¯d marked the wrong woman.


    The crowd parted as I headed for the stairs. Before climbing the steps, I paused and sniffed for him


    again.


    The first scent to hit me was the sterile odor of the room then the scents of the other werewolves and


    humans.


    I let out a frustrated growl until, suddenly, a whiff of woody essence, grassy aroma, and citrus cocktail


    hit me.


    The fragrance was hypnotizing. It pricked my skin and made my mouth water, but I shook off these


    aromatic charms.


    Aiden Norwood thought he could order me around like a slobbering fan girl because he was the Alpha.


    He couldn¡¯t have been more wrong


    I followed the scent to the third floor, where I came to arge oak door. I heard muffled voices on the


    other side. I put my ear to the door. I had found him. The Alpha.


    Aiden


    I leaned back in my chair as Josh paced across the room, working himself up for some kind of grand


    discourse.


    I was only half-paying attention. Something else had spiked my senses.


    Jocelyn, Nelson, and Rhys looked on in silence. They knew better than to interrupt Josh when he was


    about to get on a roll.


    ¡°Josh, spit it out,¡± I snarled.


    ¡°Aiden,¡± he started, leaning in on my desk, ¡°We¡¯re worried about you, and it¡¯s not just us. Other


    members of the pack are starting to notice. It¡¯s not just rumors and gossip now. People are questioning


    your ability to lead. They think you¡¯repromised. A pack can¡¯t function when its members start


    questioning their alpha.¡±


    I stirred in my seat, flexing my muscles in case he had forgotten my strength. ¡°Josh, there¡¯s no reason


    to be concerned. I found someone.¡±


    ¡°You marked some neen-year-old you hardly know. How am I not supposed to be concerned after


    that? You should be looking for your mate, not fooling around with some teenager with a crush.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her either,¡± interrupted Jocelyn. ¡°It¡¯s not fair for you to judge her.¡± Josh red at


    Jocelyn, pursing his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to put the girl on trial. I¡¯m just saying the future of this Pack is


    bigger than any of us.¡±


    ¡°Aiden would do anything for the Pack. Are you questioning his leadership?¡± asked Rhys, bing


    defensive.


    As always, Jocelyn was quick to calm everyone. ¡°I doubt Josh meant to call anyone¡¯s loyalty into


    question, but he does bring up an important point. Aiden, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°That mncholy is behind me now, I promise.


    I debated telling them the truth, but it might still be too early. I couldn¡¯t afford to let it slip into the open.


    But I knew Josh, and I couldn¡¯t keep giving him the runaround. ¡°All I want is for you to be honest with


    us,¡± Josh replied. ¡°What¡¯s going on with youtely?¡¯


    Before I could answer, a splintering crash ripped through the air and the office door flew open.


    Sienna


    With my wolf in full control, I tore into the room. Twenty paces away, behind a massive desk, sat the


    man I¡¯de to see. He wasn¡¯t alone, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes had snapped to me, including Aiden¡¯s, which were looking gorgeous as ever.


    Despite my entrance, he seemed shockingly unsurprised by my arrival. He must have scented me the


    moment I walked through the


    Pack House doors.


    My rage had finally reached its boiling point, and I let loose a ferocious howl that shook the room.


    ¡°You,¡± I snarled, baring my teeth and holding his gaze, challenging him.


    Aiden¡¯s eyes narrowed as he rose and walked from behind the desk to face me.


    ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d show up,¡± he said. ¡°Sooner than I predicted. I¡¯m ttered.¡± If I were fully


    shifted, my fur would¡¯ve risen at his arrogance. ¡°ttered? Is that what you think this is? That I¡¯m here


    for you?¡± I growled, not breaking eye contact.


    ¡°Why else would you be here? In my office? Surrounded by my leadership?¡±


    ¡°To show you,¡± I spat, ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you.¡±


    Now, Aiden cocked an eyebrow, taking a slow step forward. ¡°No?¡± he said. ¡°Maybe you should be.¡±


    I felt a tremor of unease go down my spine. The man¡¯s eyes were intoxicating. But his growl was that of


    a carnivorous predator. I would not be his prey.


    ¡°You may be the Alpha,¡± I said slowly, ¡°but I don¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    ¡°That mark on your neck says otherwise.¡±


    I¡¯d had enough of his games. Alpha or not, no one talked to me like that and got away with it.


    My ws shed out at his neck, but he caught my wrists before I could sink them into his neck


    I was about to throw a knee when he spun me around and pinned me to his desk.


    His hips pressed against me while one hand restrained both of mine and the other held my jaw shut


    ¡°Out,¡± he snapped, and for a second, I thought he meant me until I heard footsteps and remembered


    that there were other people in the room.


    Now we werepletely alone.


    He leaned in so I could feel the heat of his breath on my neck. ¡°Rein in your wolf,¡± he ordered.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to relent and growled through my teeth. He grabbed me harder and pressed himself into


    me, making my Haze ze to life.


    LITY


    ¡°Woman,¡± he murmured, hovering his lips over the mark he¡¯d given me. ¡°I told you you were mine, and


    I meant it. ept it, give


    1. in. ¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I growled again, but this time with less conviction.


    He could sense my Haze taking over and stretched out a finger, teasing my lower lip.


    A soft gasp escaped my mouth. My eyes fluttered closed as his fingertip danced across my wet lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± he began again, engulfing my mark with his mouth, making my abdomen contract,


    hardening my nipples, setting me ame.


    Before I knew it, my wolf had retreated and all that was left was the Haze and its carnal demands.


    Damn him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you,¡± he said, taking his lips from my hot skin, ¡°but don¡¯t ever challenge me publicly


    again.¡±


    ¡°-But challenging you in private is fine?¡± I mumbled out, fighting the tremors that tore through me as the


    growing bulge in his pants rubbed against my aching sex.


    He chuckled, the sound intoxicating and the heaving of his chest sending shivers through my body.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m counting on it,¡± he said, his voice stroking me in all sorts of ces. ¡°That¡¯s why I marked you.¡±


    ¡°So, this is just a game to you?¡± I shot back, trying to break free of his hold.


    ¡°Are you not having fun?¡± he teased, nting a warm kiss on my neck.


    Of course! What a fool I was to think he may actually be interested in me when the reality was I was


    nothing more than a new challenge.


    Another submissive female for him to dominate then brag about to his boys.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t about to be his fun little diversion for the Season.


    The Haze that had red to life moments ago faded as violently as it hade. If he wanted a chase,


    he would get one.


    From here on out, it was my mission to make


    Aiden Norwood the most sexually frustrated werewolf in all of North America.


    ¡°No, as a matter of fact, I¡¯m not,¡± I said stiffly. ¡°Let go of me.¡± He pressed himself closer. ¡°Are you going


    to move in with me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± What an asshole. Heughed again, except this time it made me want to punch his face in. ¡°I


    thought not.


    It appears I¡¯ll have to catch you first.¡±


    ¡°At least one of us is amused,¡± I replied. ¡°Now get off of me. I won¡¯t say please again. ¡°As you wish,¡± he


    said, easing the pressure on my body, ¡°but sooner orter, the Haze will hit you again and you¡¯ll crave


    my touch like never before.¡±


    I got up and pushed him out of the way. A slight smirk on his face taunted me. ¡°You can try to catch me,


    Alpha, but don¡¯t expect to seed.


    He watched me go, but before I reached the door, he called out in a low, rumbling tone, ¡°Sienna.¡±


    I turned. I¡¯d never heard him say my name before. ¡°Call me Aiden.¡±


    I made eye contact with him once more. His eyes looked more gold and less green than I¡¯d ever seen


    them. But I wouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction.


    I turned and walked out the door, hearing him taunt me as I left.


    ¡°The chase is on¡­¡±

 Book 1: Chapter: 9

    Book 1: Chapter: 9


    Sienna


    When I got home, my mother was beaming. ¡°Selene told me you made a little visit to the Pack House


    today to see somebody special.¡±


    Yeah, he certainly was special. A special kind of repulsive. If only she knew what an arrogant asshole


    Aiden was.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t believe everything Selene says,¡± I replied, making a break for my room, but I wasn¡¯t


    quick enough.


    ¡°What¡¯s that on your neck?¡± my mom called out.


    Shit, I hadpletely forgotten to cover up beforeing home. ¡°I¡­uh¡­¡¯


    ¡°Oh,e on, honey. I¡¯m your mother. I know everything.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Michelle opened her fat mouth, didn¡¯t she?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me Michelle. I would¡¯ve rather heard it from my own daughter, but someone is so secretive


    these days,¡± she scolded. ¡°Anything else you¡¯d like to share?¡± I nced at my mother, hating myself a


    little


    bit


    She just wanted to be close with me, to know what was happening in my world. It was in her blood to


    be open about everything, Selene had inherited that 100 percent.


    But me? As I was adopted, I had a few traits that werepletely and totally my own.


    This included my red hair, my keeping of secrets, and, of course, my not-so-subtle sway over people.


    When I thought about these differences between my mother and me, my heart ached a little bit.


    Who had made me this way? My mystery parents were out there somewhere.


    I wondered if they were simrly red-headed. Were they also secretive? Most importantly, were they,


    like me, uniquely powerful?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to share,¡± I lied, putting aside all these scattered thoughts.


    I was not about to spill the beans that I was Aiden Norwood¡¯s ¡°challenge¡± for the Season


    Besides, enough people had seen me barge into the Pack House half-shifted that she probably had a


    good idea of what had gone on.


    ¡°Why are you so grumpy? You should be beaming. Not just anybody gets marked by the Alpha, let


    alone has a chance to, well, you know,¡± she said, winking.


    ¡°Ew, gross,¡± I spat out.


    ¡°Sienna, I don¡¯t understand. He¡¯s unbelievably gorgeous. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°So why don¡¯t you go have sex with him?¡± I retorted, pushing past her and mming the front door


    behind me.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I needed to get away from everyone before I exploded. They only knew the Aiden Norwood from their


    fantasies, the one they saw from a distance.


    None of them knew him like I did. The self-absorbed Alpha who marked girls for the fun of it.


    Not to mention this stupid Haze that made me melt whenever he came close.


    I wanted to turn back time and never go to that dumb dinner. My life had been so much easier, my


    secret so much safer.


    In times like these I would retreat to the river to clear my head, but that was one more ce that Aiden


    had ruined for me.


    I had only one refuge left to turn to: the little art gallery uptown that I¡¯d discovered with Emily during one


    of our walks.


    The outside was nothing more than an old metal door with ky blue paint. You¡¯d pass right by if you


    weren¡¯t looking for it.


    I ran there as fast as my legs could carry me.


    ***


    I copsed on the gallery¡¯s red leather bench, exhausted. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my


    breath. I¡¯d started to take off my coat when my pocket vibrated.


    Michelle hey! are u okay?


    Michelle


    ur mom says u ran out of the house upset


    Sienna Yeah, I¡¯m fine


    Michelle are u though? u were moody at brunch


    Michelle there¡¯s something ur not telling me Michelle it¡¯s about aiden isn¡¯t it?


    Sienna I told you don¡¯t want to talk about it


    Sienna My mom was asking me all these questions


    Sienna I needed to get out of there Michelle si, what¡¯s really going on?


    Michelle u can tell me


    Sienna I¡¯ll be better tomorrow promise


    Sienna Just need to clear my head Michelle where ru?


    Sienna I went for a walk uptown


    Michelle lets meet up and talk


    Sienna I kind of want to be alone right now


    Michelle txt me when u get home, k?


    Sienna Sure


    Michelle I¡¯m here for u, bitch xoxo


    Michelle meant well, but she was too boy-crazed to understand. That was why I¡¯d always liked having


    Emily to turn to.


    I could tell her anything, and she would just. listen. I never felt like I was being judged when I talked to


    her.


    The art on the wall was an assortment of mixed media coges. Some were cityscapes while others


    were abstract portraits of everyday people.


    One in particr perfectly encapsted my current emotions. It was a lithograph of a young girl in her


    Sunday best.


    She had a far-off look in her eyes that spoke to me, and a mess of trash and found objects, which the


    artist had glued to the canvas, spewed from her head.


    The door opened behind me, and I felt a cool rush of air hit my skin. The hair on the nape of my neck


    stood up.


    ¡°What a hidden gem,¡± said a familiar voice.


    I turned to see Jocelyn, still as radiant as she¡¯d been at the Pack House dinner. She had swapped her


    gown and heels for jeans and a chic winter coat.


    I wondered if she¡¯d been wearing that when I burst in to confront Aiden. I¡¯d been too enraged to notice.


    Her wavy brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, and the crisp autumn air tinted her strong cheeks


    a subtle pink that ented her cherry lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised,¡± she said, taking a seat next to me on the bench. ¡°Tracking down wolves is


    part of my job.¡±


    ¡°You were looking for me?¡± I asked, not sure what anyone like Jocelyn would want with someone like


    me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be a very good Healer if I didn¡¯t think you needed someone to talk to after what just


    happened.¡±


    She smiled a beautiful, breathtaking smile that immediately put me at ease. She wasn¡¯t here to judge


    me. She was here to listen.


    ¡°What did he tell you?¡± I asked, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°Aiden didn¡¯t tell me anything. Even if he had, it would only be his version.¡±


    She paused, waiting for me to say something, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready to trust herpletely.


    After all, she was Aiden¡¯s former lover and still one of his trusted advisors.


    ¡°You¡¯re leading him by a leash, something no woman has ever seeded in doing.¡± I blinked. ¡°A


    leash?¡±


    Her chuckle intensified. ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡±


    I paused. ¡°Know what?¡±


    She grinned mischievously now, which was out of ce on her usuallypassionate face.


    ¡°Everyone is talking about you,¡± she went on. ¡°You¡¯re the first woman to challenge the Alpha¡¯s Haze.¡±


    What did she mean by ¡°the first¡±? Surely, if someone like me could get him worked up, he must have


    been going insane with a woman like Jocelyn.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone Hazed in the Season?¡± I asked. ¡°How could this be his first time?¡± Jocelyn¡¯s grin


    widened. ¡°Most werewolf rules don¡¯t apply to alphas. I¡¯ve healed a few over the years, and I can tell


    you¡­during the Season? Alphas tend to be unaffected by the Haze. They have an iron grip on it, and


    even if they didn¡¯t, the women they mark almost usually relieve their Haze before it gets critical...


    Usually.¡±


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is I¡¯m the first woman to deny him and now he¡¯s feeling¡­ frustrated?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve be a bit of a legend among the inner circle. After that performance


    in his office? Josh and the rest of the leadership can¡¯t wait to meet you properly. But,¡± she continued,


    her face sobering, ¡°you can¡¯t avoid Aiden¡¯s bed forever.¡± ¨C ¡°Why not?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because his Haze will eventually reach a point where he can no longer control it, and when his grip


    slips, well¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to borate. Aiden would hunt me down until he got his release.


    I shuddered at the realization that I had lost all agency over my body the second that bastard sank his


    teeth into my neck.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have marked me,¡± I said irately. ¡°He should¡¯ve gotten to know me first and asked for my


    consent.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, he usually does get to know his partners first,¡± replied Jocelyn. ¡°But you must have really


    done a number on his senses.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± My eyes widened with disbelief. ¡°So why was this season the exception? Was he bored of


    women rolling over for him whenever he pleased?¡±


    I saw a tinge of hurt in Jocelyn¡¯s eyes and immediately regretted what I¡¯d said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean


    it like that. I¡¯m just¡­ ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I know you didn¡¯t mean it as an insult. Being with the Alpha is a lot to handle, especially


    now. Aiden hasn¡¯t been himself for the past few months. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about it,¡± Jocelyn said.


    ¡°Yeah, my mom is the town gossip,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°The Alpha has a lot on his te. And until he¡¯s mated, his strength, and our pack¡¯s strength, will


    continue to falter.¡±


    ¡°But Aiden and I aren¡¯t mates,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Maybe, but he still has a Haze that needs to be tempered. It¡¯s fun to watch him squirm, I know, but


    think of the Pack.¡±


    ¡°Is that really my responsibility?¡± I asked, skeptical


    ¡°I had to ask myself the same question, Sienna. That¡¯s for you to decide. I can tell you this. I love my


    Alpha, and I only want what¡¯s good for him. He¡¯s a good man. You¡¯ll see it if you give him a chance to


    prove it.¡¯


    This conversation hadn¡¯t gone the way I expected, but I could tell that Jocelyn was sincere in her


    concern for Aiden.


    Still, it didn¡¯t excuse his attitude and what he¡¯d said to me in his office.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it, but he has to meet me halfway. He has to respect me.¡± ¡°Let me talk to him,¡± answered


    Jocelyn. ¡°He¡¯ll shape up if he knows what¡¯s good for him. I have a feeling that you¡¯re different, Sienna.


    And before I knew it, Jocelyn had her arms wrapped around me in a reassuring embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around,¡± she said, getting to her feet.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    When Jocelyn left, I still felt warm inside. Her healing touch really did do wonders.


    If a woman like that could be Aiden¡¯s lover, he couldn¡¯t be all bad.


    I wasn¡¯t going to forgive him, not yet, but I did understand the reality of my situation, and if I had to go


    through with it, I might G well make an effort to get to know him.


    My phone vibrated again. This time it was my mother.


    Mom


    Sienna, you need toe home right now! It¡¯s an emergency.


    Sienna What happened? Is dad okay?


    Mom Dad¡¯s fine, but get home quick


    Sienna Okay, I¡¯m uptown Mom See you soon!


    My mom didn¡¯t call something an emergency unless it was serious. So I decided to cab home.


    As we pulled up to my house, I noticed a ck Audi parked outside. I had never seen it before and


    wondered who it might belong


    My heart was racing as I ran to the front door and threw it open. ¡°Mom? Mom? I¡¯m home. Where are


    you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in here!¡± she called from the living room, quite calm and pleasant.


    Something wasn¡¯t right. I sniffed the air, and a woodsy musk pierced my nostrils, making a heat re


    between my legs.


    I turned the corner and, sure enough, sitting on the couch enjoying a cup of tea was none other than


    Aiden Norwood.

 Book 1: Chapter: 10

    Book 1: Chapter: 10


    Sienna


    , ¡°I thought you said it was an emergency,¡± I said, shooting daggers at my mother.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°What and spoil the surprise? I was just showing Mr. Norwood some of your baby photos. Wasn¡®t she


    adorable?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even then, you could tell she¡®d grow up to be a strong, beautiful woman,¡± he replie d, casting his


    mesmerizing, gold¨Cstreaked green eyes in my direction. ¡°This tea is delicious, Mrs. Mercer.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me, Melissa,¡± she replied with a giggle.


    I wanted to throw up. My own mother was more smitten with my partner than I was.


    I bet she thought that I would mate with Aiden by the end of the Season, but I¡®d looked into his eyes


    plenty of times now, and the recogniti on had never urred.


    He was just using me, after all.


    ¡°How was Uptown?¡± he asked, shing a devilishly handsome grin.


    Why did he care? Did he know about Jocelyn?


    ¡°It was okay,¡± I replied, trying not to let his looks get the best of me.


    It didn¡®t help that his shirt gripped every inch of his broad chest and bulging arms or that his jeans fit


    snugly around his powerful, defined legs.


    From his roguish smile, I could tell that he knew I was fighting to keep my Haze from r ing up


    ¡°I


    don¡®t think I¡®ve seen you with your hair up before. It suits you, especially with that mark you have.¡±


    I hadpletely forgotten that I¡®d pulled my hair into a loose ponytail when I got to the g allery. Frizzy,


    windswept strands were everywhere. Dried sweat clung to my temples.


    I looked messy and hideous, and he knew it. And of course the arrogant bastard would admire his own


    handiwork.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked, not caring for formalities. I think that after this afternoon it was


    pointless to try and act civil.


    ¡°I¡®m a man on a mission,¡± he said, amused. ¡°I want to learn more about you and your fa mily. I realized


    this afternoon that we hardly know each other.¡±


    Of course we don¡®t. You marked me out of nowhere.


    Still, this change in tact made me think that Jocelyn had ryed my message that he¡®d better shape


    up. That was fast, I thought.


    I folded my arms and gave him an annoyed look. ¡°And what would that ¡®task¡® be?¡±


    With wide eyes, I watched as he rose and took my hand. ¡°Sienna, would you care to join me for dinner


    this evening?¡±


    The asshole was wooing me, and dammit, it was working


    So polite all of a sudden. Probably on ount of my mom¡®s presence. She looked like s he could¡®ve


    died right there and gone to heaven.


    My cheeks flushed, and my heart beat so loudly he probably heard it. I was charmed. D eeply charmed.


    Maybe Jocelyn was right about him.


    Maybe Aiden Norwood deserved a chance.


    ¡°I¡®m not dressed for the asion,¡± I said, trying to protest.


    ¡°Neither am I,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°We¡®ll take care of that. Shall we?¡±


    Maybe we shall, I thought. But I made him wait for it. I wasn¡®t about to give in that easily. Finally, I


    nodded my head.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. Then, thinking I better hedge my bets, ¡°This time.¡±


    Aidenughed and shook his head, amused by my continued restraint. Without another word, he


    ushered me outside into his car and we were off.


    I knew I wasn¡®t supposed to let the Alpha catch me. But, so far he¡®d been polite, calm, g entleman¨Clike


    even. Why run when no one was chasing you?


    The drive was quiet and quick. Aiden pulled up to a boutique, and we went inside.


    I was still on guard, but finding it easier every second to be around him.


    The saleswoman shed an infatuated smile. ¡°What can I help you with, Mr. Norwood?¡± she chirped.


    The two of us locked eyes, and her smile immediately shifted to a glower.


    I guess someone wanted Mr. Norwood to herself.


    Twenty minutes ago I would have let her have him, but I felt strangely possessive for a s econd. Before


    I could stop myself, my lip curled into a snarl.


    The saleswoman quickly looked away. I blinked. What was wrong with me? The alpha w asn¡®t worth


    getting worked up over. Get a grip, Sienna!


    ¡°Will you help me find something?¡± I asked her, trying to send a peace offering.


    She nodded curtly and led me to a row of beautiful silky pieces.


    I chose a navy dress and went to the changing room. The dress was skin¨C tight, highlighting all my


    assets andplementing my ivory skin.


    The saleswoman pushed a pair of white pumps under the curtain. They fit perfectly. I let down my hair


    and ran my fingers through it until everything was tamed.


    I took onest look at myself in the mirror before stepping out. I looked damn good.


    Aiden¡®s eyes couldn¡®t seem to move away. His heated stare scanned my body from head to toe,


    lingering on my hips and chest for a second too long second too long


    ¡°You look...breathtaking,¡± he said, eyes glinting


    My Haze, thank God, was under control for once. Not that I can understand why. We¡®d n ever shared


    such a one¨Con¨Cone moment like this before.


    It should have been zing. But instead, I found myself blushing and looking away. It w asn¡®t hot. It


    was just weirdly...nice. Almost cute.


    That was when I noticed that Aiden had also changed.


    He wore fitted blue cks that left little to the imagination and a cored white shirt tailored to


    perfection. The man was devastatingly handsome.


    After he paid for the dress and heels, we were back in the car, driving toward downtown


    .


    We parked in front of the hottest restaurant in the city, and after opening my door, he le d me inside


    with one hand on the small of my back.


    The moment we stepped through the door, everyone¡®s eyes snapped to us.


    Some were shocked, some envious, but I really didn¡®t care. I was enjoying the evening so much there


    was nothing that could have distra cted me.


    The hostess led us to an intimate table in the far corner, away from the prying eyes of th e other


    patrons.


    We sat across from each other, and my body tensed as Aiden leaned closer. ¡°Is this so bad?¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°That depends,¡± I said, and he raised an eyebrow, ¡°on how good the food is.¡±


    We bothughed now. And I realized how much I had to learn about the Alpha. I¡®d never thought him


    capable of such easy¨C going warmth. He was a leader. A man to be feared. Not... this.


    Just then, Aiden reached for my hand.


    I flinched for a second. But then I let him take it


    We both were on autopilot, it seemed like. There were no words, no clear motives or ag endas to


    define what happened next.


    Aiden brought my hand up to his soft lips and kissed the back of it.


    I sucked in a breath of shock, as his kiss made the Haze erupt, spreading through my body, making my


    skin taut with anticip ation, swelling my sex, dampening my panties.


    He looked up through hisshes, eyes swarming with surprise and unhidden hunger, his Haze sparking


    with my own.


    Neither of us had meant for this to happen. But it was happening. And now I didn¡®t know if we¡®d be able


    to stop it.


    ¡°Sienna, you¡¯re..¡±


    ¨C ¡°I know,¡± I breathed, licking my lips. ¡°You are too¡­Mr. Norwood.¡±


    ¡°Aiden,¡± he growled in hunger, ¡°call me Aiden.


    ¡°Aiden.¡± I tasted his name in my mouth, closing my eyes and gasping. ¡°Oh God, Aiden. I feel so hot.¡±


    He growled stronger this time. ¡°Keep that up and we won¡®t make it past the first course.¡±


    That sounded fine to me, but something inside my head kept nagging me, poking, trying to snap me out


    of my Haze.


    ) This was not a normal haze. No, it was like I barely recognized myself right now.


    With one kiss to my hand, Aiden has erased everything I thought of as myself. My past. My desires. My


    fears.


    They were all gone. I was mesmerized.


    A part of me knew this was wrong, but I didn¡®t want it to stop. I didn¡®t want to interrupt th e tension that


    was building inside me as I scented this mouth¨Cwatering man.


    We barely acknowledged the waiter who came to take our orders. Aiden ordered somet hing fancy, but


    the only course I wanted to taste wasn¡®t on their menu.


    It was seated across from me.


    Stop! Emily¡®s voice was back again. Stop, Sienna! Save yourself for your mate!


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡®s sake, shut up!¡± I said aloud, not meaning to.


    Aiden gave me a questioning look. ¡°Are you going crazy?¡±


    ¡± You make me go crazy,¡± I answered seductively, one set of lips parting, the other clen ching


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he said, eyes zing. ¡°I thought you wanted to be chased.¡±


    Wait, he thought I wanted to be chased? Is that what he¡®d taken away from our convers ation?


    Before I could protest, his hand curled around my wrist and raised my hand to his face. Everything in


    my head scattered to the wind.


    ¡°Your skin is so soft,¡± he murmured, kissing my palm. ¡°So silky and soft. I want to put my tongue on


    every inch of your body.¡®


    My face flushed, and I moaned as he slipped one of my fingers into his mouth.


    Something is wrong! Stop it!


    How could anything be wrong?


    ¡°Sienna.¡± The sound of my name made me jump. ¡°I can¡®t wait. I want you now.¡¯


    Looking into his eyes, I wanted him too. I didn¡®t care where or how, but I wanted every i nch of him.


    ¡°Take me.¡±


    In an instant I was yanked from my seat and stumbling into a dimly lit back room.


    Spreading my legs, he wrapped his strong hands under my thighs and pinned me to the wall. His


    mouth massaged my mark.


    I had never been kissed on the lips before in my life. But these past few days, my neck had been


    getting more than enough action to make up for that.


    I moaned in pleasure as one of Aiden¡®s hands slid between my legs, his fingertips teasi ng my inner


    thigh.


    He inched closer and closer until I was ready to scream. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± I gr oaned, my


    legs trembling.


    His fingers pressed against my wet panties, and a wave of pleasure blurred my vision.


    I¡®d touched myself there countless times. But it was nothing like feeling a man¡®s hands, Aiden¡®s han ds,


    on me.


    I fell under the strongest Haze I had ever experienced when the voice came back, crying out in my


    mind.


    Remember your vow!


    I snapped from my Haze


    like someoneing out of a trance. The pleasure I felt was transformed into sheer terr or as I pushed


    Aiden off me and bolted out the door,


    I flew from the city to the woods, tearing right through the beautiful dress that Aiden bought me, shifting


    into wolf form.


    Once I was on four legs, everything became instinctual. And right now my instincts were telling me to


    run


    I reached the woods and kept going for what felt like miles. I stopped to rest when I reac hed a clearing


    in the trees, but my respite was short¨Clived.


    A gust of wind brought a familiar scent to my nose.


    It was Aiden, and he was headed straight for me.

 Book 1: Chapter: 11

    Book 1: Chapter: 11


    Sienna


    From the opposite end of the clearing, another wolf burst through the trees. He was huge, the biggest


    wolf I had ever seen, and his golden-hazel eyes were G locked on me.


    I snarled, baring my teeth. I didn¡¯t care if I incurred his wrath. He wasn¡¯t going to have me.


    He was unfazed by my disy and stalked closer, trying to make me cower with his enormity.


    But the fear that gripped me had nothing to do with his mass or my safety. It had everything to do with


    the way he could control me now that I was marked.


    I remembered my friends talking about it during our first Haze, but I had obviously never experienced it


    myself.


    During the Season, a marked female could be Hazed unnaturally by her marking male. All it took was a


    special touch, and he could make his female lover as Hazed as he is.


    The second Aiden kissed my hand in the restaurant, that was what had happened. I saw it in his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t care about the chase or winning me over fairly. He was just trying to fuck.


    Typical alpha.


    Maybe that was all the whole date was. A chance to have me at my most defenseless. A chance to


    release his tension so he could go back to his Alpha responsibilities.


    Emily¡¯s voice had been strong enough to snap me out of the Haze this time, but what about next time?


    How could I escape his bed if he had this much power over me?


    Aiden ventured closer, forgetting that I wasn¡¯t one of his tame she-wolves.


    I didn¡¯t know my full power yet, but I knew I didn¡¯t want him any closer.


    I growled deep in my wolf¡¯s chest. Back off, bastard. Back the fuck off.


    I tensed my muscles, waiting for him to pounce.


    We locked eyes, neither of us backing down.


    Suddenly, our ears perked with the sound of paws trampling the forest floor.


    A massive, blond wolf bounded from the treeline behind Aiden with a pack of four wolves close behind.


    It was Josh, and he looked tense. Something was off. What were they doing here?


    Josh¡¯s wolf red at Aiden. I was surprised that neither of us scented them, but then again, we were


    focused on each other¡¯s scents.


    Whatever it was, it must have been important because, at first, Aiden was furious at the sight of his


    subordinate.


    But within seconds, he was circling around his Pack, rallying them andmunicating through growls


    and charged looks. He was a natural leader. I wanted to find out more. Was this about me?


    But at the same time, I wasn¡¯t going to hang around to find out if Aiden was still Hazed. I saw my


    opportunity to escape and fled into the woods.


    As thest rays of sun faded through the trees, a shimmering figure caught my eye as I ran.


    Being in wolf form made my vision much keener than when I was human, sol stopped in my tracks and


    could see with great rity a woman with pearly white skin and nebulous eyes of electric purple, blue,


    and gray


    Her hair was pitch ck and fell down her back in angelic waves.


    It took me a moment to realize that, while Twas staring at her, she was staring right back at me. Her


    porcin face was mesmerizing


    I thought Jocelyn was gorgeous, but this woman surpassed her without question.


    Her features and symmetry were formed with such perfection that she must be some supernatural,


    immortal being that came down to Earth.


    Despite her otherworldly beauty, her attire was oddly pedestrian.


    She wore loose-fitting, te hiking pants with matchingbat boots. Her top was a simple gray tee


    with a faded denim jacket thrown over it.


    I thought that perhaps she was a trekker, but she didn¡¯t have a pack or any other gear on her.


    What¡¯s more, there was no fear in her eyes when she looked at me. She wasn¡¯t a werewolf, I could tell


    that immediately, but she didn¡¯t scent like a human either.


    Who was this woman?


    Suddenly, the whole forest went quiet, and a droning tone began to echo in my ears. I shook my head,


    but it didn¡¯t stop the noise.


    I locked eyes again with the bewitching woman. My headache as if it was about to split open.


    I howled and thought I could hear a child screaming in unison.


    My pupils dted, and two shadows hovered over me. I couldn¡¯t tell whether they were reaching out to


    me or trying to harm me, but in an instant, they were gone.


    I looked back to the woman just as she also disappeared into the night, slowly bing invisible like a


    spectre.


    The ringing in my ears stopped, and the sounds of the forest came flooding back. The moon was now


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ascending to its nocturnal throne, and the sounds of the forest settled into their evening ¨¦tudes.


    I cautiously trotted over to where the woman had stood and could find no trace of her.


    I stuck my snout in the air, but all I could smell was the damp musk of the woods and the usual


    creatures that inhabited them.


    Had I really seen someone, or was my mind ying tricks on me?


    If she was real, what did she want with me? Why would she expose herself then simply disappear?


    None of it made sense.


    I shuddered to think what would have happened if Josh and the other wolves hadn¡¯t shown up or if they


    had arrived a few minutester.


    The whole night reminded me how little I knew about partnering and the rules that govern a she-wolf


    once she¡¯s marked.


    I had only known the Haze for three seasons while Aiden was an experienced lover who knew all the


    tricks.


    And on top of it all, he was an alpha, so his powers were stronger than the typical male.


    If I was going to stand any chance against him, I needed to figure out a way to keep him off me while


    we got to know each other.


    None of this helped me with the fact that I was saving myself for my mate, and Aiden was the furthest


    thing from a mate I could imagine.


    What was the point of having an alpha if he couldn¡¯t remain in power on his own?


    It all sounded a bit dramatic to me, like an borate excuse to sleep around the Pack until he ¡°decided


    that he¡¯d found his mate.


    I wished I could fight my wolf nature and never have another Haze. It was what had driven Emily to do


    what she did.


    I would never want to be human, but during the Season, I was envious of their unaffected state.


    Human women didn¡¯t have to put up with this bullshit. They didn¡¯t have to submit to being marked and


    tricked into sleeping with someone, lover or not. They never lost control of themselves.


    The howl of fellow wolves shook me from my thoughts. Even though I was paired, it still wasn¡¯t safe for


    me to be in such a remote part of the forest alone.


    Only the most desperate, unpaired males were out prowling thiste at night.


    I could handle myself. I had literally just challenged the Alpha, but I knew I would be in trouble if more


    than one appeared looking for satisfaction.


    Last time I¡¯d gotten lucky. I couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.


    I sprinted back into the woods, toward home.


    I was almost to the forest¡¯s edge when it urred to me that I had ripped off the dress Aiden had


    bought me and discarded it somewhere along the road.


    In other words, I would be naked when I shifted back


    It wasn¡¯t exactly taboo to go around town in wolf form, but it wasn¡¯t encouraged either.


    I had never done it before, but after stopping into the Pack House half-shifted earlier in the day, I


    figured I could handle a few disapproving nces.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t my nature to attract attention, so I took back roads and kept to the shadows until I got to


    my street.


    As I neared my street corner, the streetmps began to pulse, and my vision blurred again. I became


    disoriented, all my senses dulled. What did that woman do to me?


    I tried to bound over the fence to our backyard, but I caught my hind legs in a t andnded with a


    heavy thud. I looked up to see a shadowy figure approaching me.


    As I neared my street corner, the streetmps began to pulse, and my vision blurred again. I became


    disoriented, all my senses dulled. What did that woman do to me?


    I tried to bound over the fence to our backyard, but I caught my hind legs in a t andnded with a


    heavy thud. I looked up to see a shadowy figure approaching me.


    I ran to the back door and scratched helplessly, my paws unable to work the knob, no time to shift back


    to human form.


    I was cornered, with nowhere to run. I wanted to howl, to w, to fight back, but I was frozen in fear.

 Book 1: Chapter: 12 Sienna

    Book 1: Chapter: 12 Sienna


    I felt like such a cowering bitch, but my mind was fried from the woods.


    I felt like I¡¯d been drugged and whatever my attacker was about to do, I was powerless to stop it.


    The shadow reached down and began to engulf me, but I stopped fighting back as I felt a familiar


    embrace.


    ¡°Sienna,¡± my dad¡¯s voice whispered softly. ¡°Calm down, sweetheart. Here, I brought you a robe. Let¡¯s


    get you inside.¡±


    His fingers ran through my fur, and everything started to feel normal again. He ced the robe over my


    shivering wolf form, and I shifted, copsing into his arms.


    ¡°What happened? Were you attacked?¡± he asked, concerned.


    Was I? I honestly wasn¡¯t sure, but it felt like my mind had just waged some kind of war.


    I wondered if this had something to do with Aiden running off with his pack. They must have been


    connected. I couldn¡¯t think about it too hard right now, or I¡¯d probably pass out.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Dad. I just need some rest. It¡¯s been a long, weird night,¡± I replied.


    Aiden


    My office was starting to feel like a prison cell. I was more restless than ever before, but I couldn¡¯t run


    off without someone noticing


    Josh and I had been to the spot where the patrol had lost the roamer¡¯s scent, but I was unable to


    uncover any clues as to where it had gone.


    I admit that it didn¡¯t look good for me toe up empty-handed, but the only alternative was lying to


    Josh and the four soldiers, and I was already doing more of that than I¡¯d like.


    It wasn¡¯t abnormal to have a stranger cross into Pack territory, but the inexplicable scent and


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    subsequent disappearance had everyone who knew about it rattled.


    So far it was just me, Josh, Jocelyn, Nelson, Rhys, and the four soldiers.


    I made thest group vow their silence until we could figure out who this intruder was and where it was


    heading.


    To be cautious, I dispatched small details of guards to any ce or person that I thought was important.


    Whatever it was, we would be ready when it surfaced, and hopefully we¡¯d be powerful enough to


    confront it.


    When we were alone, Josh folded his arms indignantly. ¡°Well?¡± he asked. ¡°Are we just going to sit here


    in the Pack House and wait?¡±


    ¡°What else would you suggest? I can¡¯t send everyonebing through the woods if they don¡¯t know


    what they¡¯re looking for. We don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Well, whose fault is that?¡± mumbled Josh as he began to pace his usual path in my office.


    ¡°Yours, technically,¡± I replied, dryly. ¡°It falls on the Beta to keep our borders secure.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to remind me what my job is. I did exactly what I was supposed to. When it was clear


    we were dealing with something new, I went to find you. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s forgetting his duties.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking in circles and say what¡¯s on your mind,¡± I said, growing impatient.


    ¡°You¡¯repromised, Aiden. An alpha at full strength would have been able to track the roamer.¡± Here


    we go again. His persistence was beginning to wear on me.


    ¡°You said yourself we don¡¯t know what we¡®re dealing with,¡± I replied. ¡°If it¡¯s powerful enough to mask its


    scent, of course it makes my powers look diminished byparison. Or is this still about Sienna?¡±


    ¡°I lost control of my Haze. It was temporary.¡±


    ¡°My point exactly. You lost control. That¡¯s never happened to you before. If what you told us is true, why


    aren¡¯t you honest with her? You¡¯re wasting her time and yours. If you let things carry on like this, one of


    you is going to get hurt. You need to be at your strongest now more than ever. I¡¯m not just saying this


    for the sake of the Pack, Aiden.


    I¡¯m speaking as your friend.¡±


    ¡°I hear your concern, but I¡¯m going to do it my way.¡±


    Josh let out a growl and mmed his fist against my desk. ¡°Damn it, Aiden, we could be under attack


    right now, and all you care about is some girl. A girl who¡¯s refusing your advances so far.¡±


    ¡°Careful, Josh.¡±


    ¡°The point is, Aiden,¡± Josh fumed, ¡°we were this close tonight to uncovering something new. I know you


    scented what Iscented. Not human. And not werewolves.


    So if it is something new, what are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? Does it even have


    weaknesses? I feel like you¡¯re not taking this threat seriously enough.¡± I was just as concerned as


    Josh, but I couldn¡¯t show it. A gulf of power still sat between us.


    For a moment, I thought of what my brother Aaron would have done. If he were here. A tinge of pain


    surged through me, and I pushed aside that memory.


    There was no time to think of the past when the present was this dangerous.


    ¡°The thought of this roamer being something new crossed my mind, but there is nothing to do except


    wait. Whatever it is, thest thing I want is to make it feel threatened. If it is peaceful, want it to stay that


    way. Like you said, w have no idea what this roamer¡¯s powers could be.¡±


    ¡°And if it hasn¡¯te here on peaceful business?¡±


    ¡°It would have attacked us by now if that weren¡¯t the case. It likely masked its scent to avoid


    confrontation.¡±


    ¡°Or it¡¯s preparing for a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of your theories, Josh. Go check on the patrols and let me know if you hear any new


    intelligence.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Alpha. Remember, you have a job outside of getting this girl to sleep with you.¡±


    I offered no reply, dismissing Josh with a simple nod. He was right to be concerned, though. Ever since


    I¡¯d marked Sienna, my head was clouded with desire.


    I had never denied my Haze this long, nor had it ever been as strong as it was when I was near her.


    Perhaps if I spent a few days away, I could rebnce myself. This roamer was a wee distraction.


    Sienna


    I was sitting alone in the dark when! heard a knock on my door. I sat up and removed the headphones


    from my ears. ¡°Come in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good, I thought you might have already fallen asleep,¡± said my father, gently closing the door behind


    him. ¡°Do you mind if I take a seat?¡± he asked, pointing to my bed.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I replied.


    He used to be quite trim when my parents met-my mom had showed me pictures -but growing older,


    marriage, and two daughters had added a few pounds to his frame.


    When he plopped down beside me, my mattress wheezed under the new load.


    ¡°I wanted to talk about earlier tonight,¡± he began, shifting his gaze between the floor and my face.


    ¡°I know your mother is excited that you¡¯ve partnered with the Alpha for the Season.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the understatement of the


    ¡°That¡¯s the understatement of the century.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said chuckling, ¡°she isn¡¯t very discreet, is she?¡± There was a brief silence before he


    continued. ¡°Your mother told me about how you ran out of the house earlier today, and¡­well, I thought


    you might need someone to talk to about everything that¡¯s been going on.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡± ¡°Now, I know I¡¯m not a werewolf, and I can¡¯t understand exactly what you¡¯re going through, but


    I¡¯ve been around long enough to know that showing up to the house in wolf form isn¡¯t normal. Do you


    want to talk about what happened tonight?¡±


    Out of all the people in my life, thest one I expected to pour my heart out to was my dad, but he was


    right. My head was a mess, and I needed to let some of it out.


    I picked at myforter, not sure how to start.


    ¡°Something happened at dinner tonight that, well¡­it feels like now that I¡¯ve been marked by the alpha,


    everyone has these expectations. Whether it¡¯s Mom or my friends or members of the Pack, whom I


    don¡¯t even know, they all want something, and no one has cared to ask me what I want.¡±


    My voice started to shake, and I could feel the tears building in my eyes.¡±I feel like I¡¯m losing control,


    and I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Finally saying it aloud came as such a release, like a thousand-pound weight was lifted off my chest.


    The tears burst from my eyes and went streaming down my cheeks. My father pulled me close and let


    my face drip all over his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said, rubbing my back. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine to feel the way you do.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± I choked


    out. ¡°I¡¯m a dominant. Dominants don¡¯t let stupid things like this get to them.¡±


    I didn¡¯t usually call myself that.


    I knew, deep down, that it was true, that I had a dominant streak that was unable to be tamed. It was


    the reason I¡¯d been so sessful at resisting the Alpha¡¯s advances so far.


    But saying it out loud almost made it less real. Like it cheapened the truth.


    Perhaps I was just fooling myself and my nature was to be yet another submissive shewolf who did as


    she was told.


    But then my dad put a hand under my chin and forced my eyes to meet his.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think what you¡¯re feeling is stupid, Sienna,¡± he said. ¡°And dominant or not, everyone has a


    heart.¡±


    The nice part about having a human dad was that he was much more sentimental than Mom and


    Selene, or any werewolf for that matter.


    Normally, we wolves would look down on this as a sign of weakness, but at the moment, I was happy to


    have him there.


    ¡°You know, when we first brought you home, I could tell right away that you were special. You had this


    confidence about everything you did, even as a baby. Watching you grow up, I¡¯ve seen that confidence


    manifest in everything from how you carry yourself to your art. Having a cry doesn¡¯t take that away from


    you, Sienna. You¡¯re still the strongest werewolf I know.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think that if you¡¯d seen what happened tonight.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to share?¡±


    ¡°All that matters is that I made a fool of myself. I never want to see him again. I wish he¡¯d never marked


    me, Dad. I wish he had just left me alone.¡± A fresh round of tears poured from my eyes.


    ¡°Did you ever think that maybe he couldn¡¯t leave you alone? That maybe he saw the same beautiful,


    powerful woman I do and was so ovee with emotion that he had no choice but to mark you?¡±


    ¡°You have to say something like that. You¡®re my dad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Sienna. You¡¯re not a coward, so don¡¯t let him turn you into one. Like your mother says, he


    could have any woman in the Pack, but he chose you. Remember that. You don¡¯t need him. He needs


    you.¡±


    The sh of headlights flooded through my windows as a car pulled into the driveway. My dad and I


    looked outside to see Selene stepping out of her car.


    We weren¡¯t expecting her, and she seldom dropped in unannounced like this. We both went downstairs


    to greet her.


    My dad opened the door before she had a chance to knock and wrapped her up in a big hug that only


    dads know how to give.


    ¡°To what do we owe this pleasure?¡± asked Dad, opening the front door wider. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Selene was in her pajamas and had a duffel bag in tow. It was apparent she¡¯d left her ce in a hurry.


    ¡°Jeremy got a call from the Pack House and had to go into work. It¡¯s something big. He didn¡¯t give me


    any details, other than it involved a breach at the border. Thest time this happened, the Pack went


    into lockdown. Sorry for showing up unannounced like this, but I knew I¡¯d feel safer over here than


    alone in the apartment.¡±


    Breach at the border? Lockdown? This had to be something serious.


    The Alpha only put the Pack in lockdown when there was a serious threat and he had to impose martial


    Did Aiden not care about my safety?


    I guess I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that I was only a piece of meat to him, and a disposable one at


    that, apparently. Asshole.


    The mysterious woman from the clearing still swam around my head. Could she have anything to do


    with this?


    For a moment I thought I should tell Aiden


    I guess I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that I was only a piece of meat to him, and a disposable one at


    that, apparently. Asshole.


    The mysterious woman from the clearing still swam around my head. Could she have anything to do


    with this?


    For a moment I thought I should tell Aiden what I¡¯d seen, but if he didn¡¯t think it was necessary to keep


    me informed, I would keep him in the dark too.


    Besides, the prospect of seeing him, especially after what happened tonight, rattled me.


    I wasn¡¯t about to make the first move. If he wanted to talk, he¡¯d have toe find me.

 Book 1: Chapter: 13

    Book 1: Chapter: 13


    Sienna


    Michelle sooo sienna, what were u up 2st night?


    Mia Yeah, anything exciting????


    Erica


    We promise not to tell


    Michelle


    SIENNNAAAA


    Michelle


    Erica If you don¡¯t say something we¡¯ll juste over


    Erica Grabbing my keys¡­


    I¡¯ll bring the booze!


    Michelle iing in 5!


    Sienna OK! What do you want to know?


    Michelle EV RY THING


    Sienna He picked me up and bought me a dress


    Sienna We went to dinner downtown


    Sienna Then I went home


    Mia


    Erica


    Erica Getting in the car¡­


    Sienna I gave you what you wanted, bitch


    Mia


    Nah, you¡¯re holding out


    Mia Something about you getting dirty in a supply closet???


    Erica


    I hadn¡¯t heard that part!


    Sienna Look, we may have fooled around a little but it wasn¡¯t anything special


    Michelle mamma wants details!


    Michelle does he taste as good as he looks?


    Mia


    Sienna Ew. STOP


    Erica How big? ?? ?


    Sienna


    I¡¯m serious. Cut it out


    Erica Hazed, unpartnered shewolf over here @


    Erica I¡¯d dly take him off your hands Michelle girl, whats wrong?


    Sienna


    Sienna Nothing, just don¡¯t like you turning my life into your personal soap opera


    Michelle sorry, we thought you¡¯d be more excited Mia What are you doing right now?


    Sienna I¡¯m painting at home


    Mia Come meet us at Winstons, bitch!


    Sienna I¡¯m not really in the mood


    Mia


    Mia I need your artist¡¯s eye Erica Mia EXACTLY!


    Sienna Fine, but please no more questions


    Mia


    Promise!


    Erica


    Promise!


    Michelle


    ¡­promise 63


    Sienna


    Winston¡¯s was packed as usual. Even though no one batted an eye when I walked in, I still felt like


    everyone was watching me.


    At first, I was confused as to how the girls knew about my date, but of course they knew.


    You didn¡¯t go downtown with the Alpha and not have anyone take notice. I was so embarrassed,


    reyingst night¡¯s events in my head


    There were definitely a few staff members who¡¯d seen him slide my finger into his mouth, and I knew


    we weren¡¯t discreet in our flight to the back room.


    I shuddered to think what my mother had heard. Thankfully, she was still at work and wouldn¡¯t be back


    untilter tonight.


    The girls were crowded around our usual table with stacks of bridal magazines and Mia¡¯sptop


    Mating Ceremonies were like human weddings, but even more important because wolves mated for


    life.


    Mia¡¯s family was huge, so she had plenty of exposure to mating ceremonies, which I thought would


    make nning her own an easy affair


    From the looks of things, however, she was lost in the abyss of nning.


    Ketchup and mustard smudges dotted the magazines, and some pages were torn and fanned out like


    paint swatches.


    Mia and Erica were on their phones looking up arrangements and ce settings, shing their finds at


    Mia, who only nced at their phones and nodded.


    Her caramel hair was unconditioned and pulled back into azy ponytail.


    Mia always took great care of her hair, so its disheveled state was a clear indicator of how stressed she


    was.


    ¡°There¡¯s our coy vixen,¡± squealed Michelle with a devious grin. ¡°Erica, scoot over.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re


    here,¡± said Mia, grabbing her head. ¡°I¡¯m totally overwhelmed. We need someone who knows what


    they¡¯re doing.¡±


    Mia¡¯s tastes were, how do I put this nicely, a bit on the gaudy side.


    I looked at the color schemes she had pulled up on herputer and did my best to point her in the


    right direction.


    She was originally looking at warm colors, which I thought would be out of ce for a winter mating


    ceremony, so, after much cajoling, I got her to settle on lc, periwinkle, and teal.


    Michelle protested because she didn¡¯t think she looked good in those colors, but I reminded her that it


    wasn¡¯t her decision and that she looked good in whatever color she wore, which Erica and Mia backed


    up, so El everyone came away happy.


    Helping Mia made me think about my own ceremony and how long it would be until I found my mate.


    Not everyone was as lucky as Mia and Harry


    I fantasized that I would find my mate while strolling through some museum or somewhere in a park


    I suppose that was where I¡¯d met Aiden, but after his behaviorst night, I¡¯d rather just forget him. The


    thought of him right now made me want to vomit.


    ¡°Honestly, Si, I don¡¯t think we would have aplished anything if you hadn¡¯t shown up,¡± said Mia,


    mentally exhausted and stress eating French fries


    ¡°Who knew mating ceremonies were so much work?


    ¡°At least you have one to n,¡± bemoaned Erica. ¡°Why can¡¯t one of my guy friends suddenly fall in love


    with me?¡±


    ¡°I never really had guy friends. I wonder why¡­¡± Mia thought aloud.


    ¡°Because you fucked all of your guy friends,¡± replied Erica


    ¡°I did not,¡± Mia protested.


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± we all shot back in unison.


    ¡°That fast life is behind me,¡± said Mia, turning up her nose in mock refinement. ¡°I¡¯m a mated woman


    now.¡±


    We allughed because, even before we started to get our Haze, Mia would go to parties with older


    guys, looking for men with whom she could make lots of ¡°cute babies.¡±


    ¡°Si,e out with us tonight,¡± begged Michelle. ¡°We¡¯re celebrating Mia¡¯s impending mate-rimony


    Erica¡¯s brother said he can get us into this hot new club. It¡¯s called Lupine It will be just us girls.¡±


    The lockdown had been called off, sure. But I was still drained from the previous day and didn¡¯t feel like


    being around people or packed in a dark sweaty room with music so loud I couldn¡¯t hear myself think.


    I needed to be alone and paint. I appreciated the gesture and knew that Michelle meant well, but it


    didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Maybe another night,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want toe? Do you have another date with Mr. Alpha?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    ¡°Tired from a long night of banging in the back of restaurants?¡± Michelle shot back. I could tell by the


    look she gave me that she wasn¡¯t teasing anymore and was actually starting to get upset.


    Michelle, we didn¡¯t have sex. How many times do I have to tell you that?¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your deal, Sienna? Why don¡¯t you want toe?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you drop it?


    ¡°We¡¯re your friends, and we barely see you anymore. You¡¯re dating the hottest wolf in existence and tell


    us nothing about it. Are you embarrassed by us because we¡¯re not as cool as all of Aiden¡¯s friends from


    the Pack House?


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all, Michelle,¡± I replied, trying to keep her from making a scene, which she knew I


    hated. ¡°I¡¯m just not feeling up to it.¡±


    The words had barely left my lips when my phone buzzed on the table.


    I picked it up and cringed. I didn¡¯t want to prove Michelle right, but at the same time, I wanted to know


    what the hell was going on.


    ¡°Is that him?¡± asked Michelle.


    ¡°Yes, do you mind if I


    ¡°Take it,¡± she said, coldly muddling her milkshake with a spoon


    I got up and walked to the counter, where there was an empty stool, then swiped open my phone


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Aiden Hey, aboutst night. I¡¯m sorry Josh interrupted.


    Aiden


    Did you get home okay? You just took off.


    Sienna Oh, you actually care?


    Aiden Do you think I don¡¯t?


    Sienna I think you¡¯re just trying to fuck me Aiden I may have let my haze get out of hand.


    Aiden It won¡¯t happen again.


    Sienna You¡¯re right. It won¡¯t


    Aiden Sienna, I¡¯m sorry


    Aiden In my defense, you seemed pretty into it.


    Sienna


    It was out of my control


    Sienna You weren¡¯t the only one with Haze issues Aiden I think you knew what you were doing. Sienna


    And I thought you were a gentleman, not a fuckboy


    Aiden


    How can I make it up to you?


    Sienna Show me that I¡¯m more than just trophy


    Aiden


    Whatever you want.


    Aiden


    Name it.


    Sienna Tell me what¡¯s going on with the border breach


    Sienna Why did you suddenly call everyone to the Pack House?


    Aiden How did you hear about that?


    Sienna


    It doesn¡¯t matter. If I¡¯m more than ay you¡¯ll tell me


    Aiden It¡¯splicated.


    Aiden I want to tell you more, really


    Sienna Then at least tell me this much


    Sienna: Was I in dangerst night?


    Aiden I¡¯d never let anything hurt you.


    Sienna That¡¯s not what I asked Sienna: Was I in danger?


    Aiden I don¡¯t know.


    Aiden Honest.


    Sienna Bye, Aiden


    I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d ever found him attractive.


    I mean, sure, he had the most delicious body I¡¯d everid eyes on, but if it wasn¡¯t for this annoying


    Haze, I¡¯d be too repulsed by his behavior to ever want him on me again.


    I still shuddered to think what would have happened had Josh not shown up. I was probably in more


    danger with Aiden there then after he left


    I definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell him anything about the disappearing woman now either.


    He was an ass, and I needed to blow off some steam


    Even though he¡¯d marked me, I wasn¡¯t his I definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell him anything about the


    disappearing woman now either. He was an ass, and I needed to blow off some steam


    Even though he¡¯d marked me, I wasn¡¯t his property. Tonight I was going to reim everything he had


    tried to take from me.


    Michelle,¡± I called out, ¡°let¡¯s get filthy.¡±

 Book 1: Chapter: 14

    Book 1: Chapter: 14


    Sienna


    I wore my brand-new red and ck tartan mini skirt with high-heeled ck leather boots, ck tights,


    and a crop top with a ck leather jacket on top.


    I painted my nails to match the red color of my skirt and blew out my hair into messyyers that fell


    down my back and shoulders like a copper waterfall.


    I winged my eyeliner and applied volumizing mascara and burgundy lipstick. To finish, I put in my


    favorite ear cuff and silver studs along with matching rings.


    I looked punk and hot, and I loved it.


    When the girls picked me up, they showered me withpliments.


    Michelle even said that I was sexy enough to bite, which to werewolves was the bestpliment you


    could receive.


    Like Michelle said at Winston¡¯s, Lupine had only been open a few weeks, but all the hype surrounding it


    meant that every night of the week there were long lines of people waiting to get in Erica, however, had


    snagged us VIP passes one of her brothers had connections with every bouncer downtown, including


    Lupine¡¯s ¡ªand we got inside without having to wait.


    I always felt a little guilty skipping the line like that, especially when the people waiting scowled at you


    with envy, but tonight I didn¡¯t care.


    I was there to let loose and forget about the stupid werewolf that had put this mark on my neck


    The entrance of the club had a low ceiling that made it feel like you were entering a cave.


    To the left was the bar, backlit with LEDs that strobed with the music in soothing patterns.


    To the right was the coat check, where we left our jackets, and a staircase leading to the mezzanine


    that overlooked the dance floor.


    It was circr in shape and opened up into an atrium, whererge cages hung from the beams housing


    beautiful dancers who writhed beams, housing beautiful dancers who writhed sensually to the music


    Humans and werewolves mingled at the massive bar as everyone jostled to order their drinks


    I eyed the dance floor, which was packed with grinding bodies and twisting arms.


    The DJ mixed house tracks from his perch overlooking the crowd, asionally inciting the patrons to


    make more noise.


    Michelle pushed her way to the bar and ordered a round of vodka shots.


    ¡°Do you think we should get more since we¡¯re here?¡± she shouted over the music


    We had already started drinking in the cab, but Michelle was never one to pace herself.


    ¡°Two rounds at least,¡± replied Mia. ¡°I am off the market now! You hear that, boys? You have no shot


    with this jelly,¡± she said, shaking her booty We took the shots at the bar before finding.


    We took the shots at the bar before finding a standing table to huddle around with our fishbowl full of


    blue curacao, gin, tequ, rum, and vodka.


    Counting down together, we each took a straw and sucked for as long as we could manage.


    Michelle and Isted the longest, but I beat her. She considered herself the party girl of our group, so it


    was quite the hit to her ego.


    ¡°Tomorrow is going to suck.¡± Erica giggled. ¡°I¡¯m such a lightweight.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get on the dance floor while you can still stand,¡± I yelled, which was out of character for me


    because I was, by no means, a good dancer.


    The only thing I was good at in life was painting but I had enough rhythm to move my feet and hips to


    the beat.


    We pushed our way to the middle of the floor and started to unt our stuff.


    Men began approaching us and flirting with Erica, which was okay, since she wasn¡¯t morbod or moted


    but in mu currica man


    Erica, which was okay, since she wasn t marked or mated, but to my surprise, menu were hitting on me


    too.


    They either didn¡¯t recognize me or they didn¡¯t care that I had the Alpha¡¯s mark on the base of my neck


    Considering recent events with Aiden, I concluded beyond a shadow of a doubt that men were pigs and


    willing to risk anything, including their lives, if it meant gettingid,


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I shouted over the music at Mia after I shooed another man away.


    ¡°I¡¯m marked just like you are, so why are guys still hitting on me?¡±


    Mia shouted back, ¡°Because my mark is a mating mark, and yours isn¡¯t.¡±


    Again, my inexperience with having a lover during the Season meant I¡¯d missed out on somemon


    knowledge


    ¡°The mating mark is a soft red around the edges while yours is more bruised and purple. Male


    werewolves can also sense which one is which, to avoid any serious


    issues,¡± she exined Whether I had a mating mark or not, any of these guys would have serious


    issues if Aiden found out they were trying to take me home. And I loved it. After an hour, Michelle took


    Erica to the bathroom because she felt sick.


    I stayed on the dance floor with Mia, throwing my body around like I was at home in my room with no


    one watching


    The drinks had hit us hard by now.


    Mia and I were constantly hanging on to each other for bnce, and I was d I hadn¡¯t decided to


    wear heels. Otherwise, I certainly would have rolled my ankle.


    The DJ put on a sensual reggaeton song that had everyone pairing up. Some guy came over to me


    with a suggestive grin and held out his hand.


    He was an unmated¡ªand apparently, unpartnered¡ªwerewolf, who was clearly dominant, as he held


    my gaze without issue


    He was also pretty hot, with goldish hair, sexy eyes, and a lean, cut physique.


    ¡°Hey there, sexydy,¡± he said, taking my hand and pressing his lips near my ear.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I replied, ncing at Mia out of the corner of my eye.


    She gave me a wink and escaped toward the bar, leaving me alone with this cute werewolf. I didn¡¯t


    mind the privacy.


    Besides, if he tried anything, I could kick his butt. I¡¯d fought off five males alone in the woods. What was


    one in a club full of people?


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked, raising his eyebrows at me in open invitation.


    ¡°No names,¡± I said. He was simply a nice face to look at and a nice body to dance with. I wanted to


    keep it that way.


    I know I probably should¡¯ve refused. Aiden only needed to take one whiff of my skin to know another


    male had touched me.


    This poor bastard. He clearly wanted to fuck me, but that wasn¡¯t happening.


    He spun me around and put his hands on my hips, pulling my waist up against his crotch.


    At first it was fun having another man¡¯s hands on me, but the longer the song went on the more


    ufortable it became.


    It wasn¡¯t like Aiden¡¯s touch, which set my skin on fire and made me ache. I didn¡¯t say anything but kept


    dancing. After all, I was there to have fun, not get Hazed.


    I felt his grip intensify as he pressed himself into me harder, rocking his lower body with mine.


    When his denim-d erection poked into me, I knew it was time to stop.


    I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he wouldn¡¯t let go. He only pressed me closer and started to pull up


    my skirt.


    ¡°Let go!¡± I yelled, my cry muffled by the bass.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, babe?¡± he asked, trying to y it cool.


    ¡°Fuck off, creep!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Why?¡± His voice was dark with lust. ¡°We¡¯re having fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not having fun with you,¡± I snapped, heart hammering in my chest. ¡°So let me fucking go!¡±


    Suddenly, I realized that while we were dancing he had shuffled us toward the edge of the dance floor


    and now pulled me into a dark corner by the back exit.


    The blood rushed out of my face.


    ¡°You should know better than to tease a Hazed male, babe,¡± he growled, and suddenly I was outside in


    the frigid November air, my perspiration freezing, which, along with the adrenaline pumping through


    me, made my body shake uncontrobly.


    He pressed me against the brick wall of the empty alleyway, his eyes luminous and lust-


    filled


    Now I couldn¡¯t hide my panic any more. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± I shrieked.


    Now I couldn¡¯t hide my panic any more. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± I shrieked.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, babe, loosen up,¡± he said, his hands like vises, digging into my sides.


    ¡°I want to go back inside,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will. Let¡¯s just hang out here for a little bit, enjoy the fresh air¡­get to know each other.¡±


    He looked at me with devious intent. I knew what he was after, and I needed to get away from him


    however I could.


    ¡°I¡¯m cold. I need to get back to my friends,¡± I replied, trying to push him off. He leaned in, trying to kiss


    me. ¡°No, stop!¡±


    He thrust his hand onto my breast and groped it violently. ¡°Rx, babe, I¡¯m not going to hurt you.


    ¡°No!¡± I yelled, struggling against his hold.


    I tried to throw punches, elbows, and knees, but he was stronger than I¡¯d thought, and the effects of the


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    alcohol had made me weak and uncoordinated


    I felt helpless as his mouth and hands vited me.


    He squeezed my breast again, and I yelped G ¡°Stop!¡±


    But he wasn¡¯t stopping now, and he wasn¡¯t talking. He had only one thing on his mind.


    He lifted me against the wall and tore open my tights, smothering my mouth with his hand.


    The tears burned my eyes as he fumbled with his fly, eyes wild


    No one¡®sing to save you, I thought. The words cut into me like the cold wind that whipped through


    the empty alleyway.


    That was exactly what she must have thought. No one¡®sing to save you.


    And for a second, I could see her. Emily. Struggling, screaming, begging for help.


    I closed my eyes and tried to push away the image, ignore his icy fingers pulling on my skin, searing


    me with visceral pangs of anger, regret, and helplessness.


    I felt myself leave my body, and as I looked down, it was Emily¡¯s form instead of mine.


    I tried to scream at the bastard to get off of her, but no sound came out. I tried to hit him, but my hands


    passed through his body.


    Emily. No. Not again. I¡®m here this time.


    I snapped back into my body. Somebody, anybody, help me!


    I struggled to keep my legs closed and shove my hands over my privates, but he used his thigh to


    wedge mine apart and ripped my hand away with ease.


    Suddenly, a deep, horrifying growl filled the air, and I felt the weight of my attacker¡¯s body disappear


    with a gut-wrenching scream.


    I opened my eyes and gasped in shock. Was it really him?

 Book 2: Chapter: 01

    Book 2: Chapter: 01


    Sienna


    I¡®d never seen Aiden look so terrifying¡ª hair raised on the nape of his neck, canines pro truding from


    his snarling mouth, hunched over my attacker with a thirst for blood in his e yes.


    The man fought back, but Aiden easily overpowered him, mming him up against the wall.


    He punched that bastard¡¯s ribs over and ov¡® again in an animalistic rage until


    CRACK


    I gasped in shock as I heard his ribs break. I watched him fall to the ground, just a crum pled, mess of a


    man now¡ªpathetic.


    Tears began to roll down my face.


    Emily. Oh my God. This was what she¡®d gone through four years ago.


    Completely helpless and afraid, paralyzed and unable to call for help. A feeling ofpl ete darkness.


    No one was there for her. I wasn¡®t there.


    As I watched Aiden drag the man¡®s limp body through the alley, I almost felt guilty, guilty that I¡®d


    survived and she hadn¡®t.


    I wanted to stand up and run away, but I doubted I could even crawl right now.


    Emily, her rapist, my attacker, they all kept shing before my eyes. I wanted to vomit up the twisted


    feelings inside me.


    I flinched as Aiden knelt down and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°I¡®m not going to hurt you,¡± he said


    softly.


    It went against every fiber of my being, but I let him pick me up and carry me to his car.


    I¡®d never felt more vulnerable with him, but something about the warmth of his chest and his tight


    embrace made me feel safe.


    My Haze wasn¡®t ring up. This feeling was something different.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I asked, my body still shaking.


    ¡°My house,¡± he replied quietly. ¡°I promise I have no intention of taking advantage of you.


    I just want to be there for you.¡±


    My friends were still in the club, clueless to the horrors that had just happened outside, and I wanted to


    keep it that way. I didn¡®t want to face them tonight. Going home wasn¡®t a n option either. My parents


    would take one look at me and know that something was wr ong. I wasn¡®t ready for the questions, the


    pity, or the judgment


    Going with Aiden was my best option. I still didn¡®t trust him, but what he¡®d just done for me... It made


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    me sick to think what would¡®ve happened if he wasn¡®t here.


    Aiden¡¯s demeanor waspletely changed from the ferocious man that had mauled my attacker just


    moments ago. It was caring and kind.


    As much as I despised him for marking me and forcing me to take on the responsibility of being his


    mate, I couldn¡®t deny that I wanted him to be there for me. I didn¡®t know how long it wouldst since this


    thing between us was unpredictable as hell, but I was willing to give him a shot.


    He said he wanted to be there for me? Fine, I¡®d let him prove it then.


    Finally, I gave in, letting my head rest on his shoulder. He ced me gently into the pas senger seat,


    and we drove in silence. As I watched the blurry buildings and trees disapp ear out the window, I tried


    to make the memories of tonight disappear as well, but that seemed impossible.


    If I felt spooked by what had happened, Emily must¡®ve been absolutely haunted by what she¡®d gone


    through.


    I dug my fingernails into Aiden¡®s expensive leather seats. I never wanted to feel helpless that way


    again. I would never let a man make me feel that way again.


    I nced sideways at Aiden, and my chest tightened. I couldn¡®t be in that car anymore. I needed to be


    somewhere else, somewhere safe.


    Just as I began to panic, Aiden pulled into his driveway and it felt as though we had just entered into a


    dream, like I had manifeste d the safest, most inviting space imaginable.


    A tiny cobblestone bridge stretched over a trickling stream, leading to a modest manor s urrounded by


    dogwood trees and a perfectly curated garden of flowers. It was like a fair y tale.


    Maybe I didn¡®t know everything about Aiden after all? He must¡®ve sensed my surprise because he


    smirked at my entranced expression.


    ¡°Not what you expected?¡±


    I didn¡®t answer, my voice still trapped in my throat.


    He could see that I wasn¡®t ready to talk, so he helped me out of the car and ced his hand on the


    small of my back, gently guiding me through the doorway. I didn¡®t mind i t.


    His closeness actually made me feel safe, which was never a feeling I thought


    I¡®d elicit from Aiden. This didn¡®t feel like someone trying to control me. It felt like someon e was trying to


    The crackling of the brewing coffee was the between us as we sat across from each other not making


    eye contact.


    Of course neither of us knew what to say. What should I say to a man


    I had just watched break another man in half? What did he say to a woman who was al most just


    raped? Would words really make anything better? No, but at least his presenc e wasforting.


    Finally, Aiden broke the silence, but I wished he hadn¡®t.


    ¡°Why were you with that man at the club?¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you asking?¡± I felt my face growing hot.


    ¡°You should never have been alone with another man when you¡®re Hazed. It¡®s the fucking Season. Why


    would you put yourself in that position? he r eplied.


    I stood up suddenly. ¡°Are you fucking serious? Are you implying that what happened to me was my


    fault?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t snarl at me. I wasn¡®t saying that.¡±


    ¡°How did you even find me? Were you following me?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s my business to know where you are at all times, Sienna. As a marked woman, you shouldn¡®t be¡±


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± I lobbed back. ¡°You¡®re the one who marked me! Against my will! You forced


    me into a Haze, Aiden! You took my free will and twisted it t o fit your own selfish needs!¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t you understand that once the Season hits and you¡®re marked, the Haze won¡®t go away unless


    you give in and have sex with the one who¡®s marked you?¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡± I snapped, furious now. ¡°That¡®s why I never wanted to be marked to begin with!¡±


    ¡°You wanted me at the Pack House. Don¡®t deny that,¡± he countered.


    He wasn¡®ting onto me. He would never dare after what had happened at the club. But I still found


    myself iling, unable to keep the past and present straight.


    ¡°You have no idea what I want! Just stay the hell away from me!¡±


    He moved toward me, not in an aggressive manner, but it still felt like I was running out of space to


    escape, finding myself pinned against a wall once again.


    ¡°Please, you¡®re too close, you¡®re¡ª


    ¡± I cried. Moisture filled my eyes, and I looked away from him, ashamed of myself for fee ling so weak.


    Aiden stopped in his tracks, looking surprised. His hand sped my chin and turned it to face him


    again. He wasn¡®t moving toward me to hurt me or to fuck me. He was moving closer tofort me.


    ¡°Sienna,¡± he said. ¡°I¡®m not going to take advantage of you. Not now or ever. All I want is to protect you.


    He pulled me into a hug, and I surrendered to the gesture. ¡°You shouldn¡®t have marked me,¡± I said, my


    voice muffled by his chest.


    He sighed and suddenly pulled me down until I was sitting on hisp and he was holdin g me even


    closer. ¡°There¡®s something between us. Neither of us can deny it. I felt it whe n I marked you, but I even


    felt it the first time I saw you, back on the riverbank.¡±


    ¡°You remember that?¡± I asked, a little incredulous.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± he said quietly, tightening his hold of me. ¡°I felt your power even then.


    Your scent radiated a strength and sensuality that I couldn¡®t resist.¡±


    I retracted a bit from his grip. ¡°I didn¡®t radiate any strength tonight. I was weak.¡±


    ¡°Stop. What I said a minute ago. I was wrong. Let me tell you something. Your scent hit me the moment


    I walked into that dinner party. It¡®s not something that happens in human form, so you threw me off


    bnc e.


    ¡°The Haze hit me, and I had to follow you, to find out more about you, to just be in your presence. I¡®ve


    never been so ovee by anything more powerful in my life. Th at¡®s your strength, the kind of power


    you have over me. That¡®s why I marked you.¡±


    I got up from hisp and looked at him as if I were looking at a stranger.


    What the hell was he saying? Neither of us was Hazed, yet he was looking at me with unmistakable


    desire in his eyes, just a different kind of desire, a desire to be close to me.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly telling me all this?


    ¡°Because I think you might be my mate.¡±


    Did you know that we have ANOTHER story that is set in The Millennium Wolves world?!


    Head over to the Discovery Page and dig your fangs into...


    Devil Vs. Alpha


    Eve¡®s very powerful, and she¡®ll stop at nothing toplete her newest mission: protecting the lives of


    two teenage girls. But there are distractions...


    See you there!

 Book 2: Chapter 02

    Book 2: Chapter 02


    Sienna


    What Aiden said couldn¡¯t possibly be true, could it? Recognizing your mate happened the instant your


    gaze connected with the other. My gaze had connected with Aiden¡¯s dozens of times, but usually the


    only feelings stirred up inside me were rage and regret.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± I blurted out, my throat dry. ¡°I know how the mating process works, and if we were


    mates, we¡¯d know by now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha. The rules don¡¯t apply to me. The only way I can know if you¡¯re my mate is to spend time


    with you and get closer to you.¡±


    ¡°Get closer to me? Sure,¡± I responded skeptically, ¡°In bed, I suppose?¡±?


    ¡°When an Alpha meets his potential mate, his emotions go haywire. He has to rely on his senses and


    nothing else. First he marks her, and then he lets here willingly into his bed to feel her dominance


    and to see if she¡¯s capable of handling him.¡±


    My heart started beating out of my chest as


    Aiden stepped closer.


    ¡°We both know that you¡¯re more than strong enough to lead a pack. You¡¯re beautiful, dominant, and


    you have me heeled like a damn cub at his mother¡¯s tit. No one makes me bend like this, but you.¡±


    Was he actually being submissive to me? His words were touching me in a way that made me want


    him to touch me everywhere.


    What was wrong with me tonight? The Haze was bing unbearable.


    He could sense my physical need, but he also knew what I had been through tonight. He gently put his


    arms around my waist.


    ¡°Do you want more?¡± he asked.


    Yes, I fucking wanted more. I was tired of repressing it, but this was the Haze, not me.


    There was a chance that he was my mate, but what if he wasn¡¯t?


    As I began to pull away, Aiden must have felt my trepidation because he eased up and gently put me


    on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on my face


    Without warning, he leaned in, and his lips found mine. Everything melted away, and my world became


    a sensory explosion of feelings as every single one of my heightened senses went wild with


    stimtion.


    It was everything I¡¯d hoped for¡ªmy first kiss.


    I was ovee with emotion, not only because of the kiss, but the club, the Haze, everything. As I


    broke down, Aiden just held me.


    We fell back onto the bed, and I nestled into his body until the tears ran out. My mind finally shut off,


    allowing me to fall asleep in his arms.


    *****


    I kept my distance from Aiden for several days after the incident at the club. I needed some space to


    work through what had nearly happened to me, and since the Haze didn¡¯t care what was appropriate, it


    felt like the best decision


    But after that kiss, Aiden was all I could think about. I hadn¡¯t really gotten a chance to thank him after


    he brought me home that night, so now I found myself at his doorstep once again.


    Before I could knock, he swung the door open.


    ¡°Sienna.¡± He grinned. ¡°I thought I scented you.¡±


    God, just the sight of him sends my Haze into high gear after days of separation.


    ¡°I¡­uh¡­ I just came to thank you for the other night,¡± I stammered. ¡°You were really there for me when


    I needed you.¡±


    Aiden pulled me through the doorway and scooped me up in his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯d


    never let anyone harm you. You need to know that.¡±


    I could see he meant it. And I wanted to thank him. I needed to thank him. Without words.


    So this time, I kissed him.


    And now his mouth was on mine, licking, nipping, and biting me into a state of ecstasy.


    When I opened, letting him in, his tongue brushed mine and I sumbed to the melting heat.


    The kiss started slowly, our mouths testing each other, sensing what the other liked, but neither of us


    could hold back anymore, and before I knew it, we were kissing as if we were two hungry ravenous


    wolves.


    We stumbled backwards into the bedroom, and he threw me down on the bed, crawling over my body


    with pure lust in his eyes. His movements were slow and methodical,


    sizing up my body, deciding where to strike next. He caressed the mark he¡¯d made on my neck with his


    soft lips.


    The tiny hairs on my body rose at the G sensation of him floating over my mark.


    He pressed a kiss on the mark then opened his mouth and let his tongue y around the bruise, licking


    it with long, deep strokes that made my body shiver uncontrobly.


    Then he bit down, at the same spot, and I almost exploded from the brutal sensation of the Haze. My


    vision blurred, and I cried out, not from the pain but from the iparable pleasure that surged


    through my body.


    I was sure this kind of feeling could onlye from the power of a real Alpha. I lost control of my wolf,


    and my nails turned into ws, which I dug into his back, ripping his ws, which I dug into his back,


    ripping his shirt, causing him to growl in surprise.


    I was going to leave my own marks, thin and red, all up and down his back.


    He flipped me over on my stomach in retaliation, hiking my dress up to my waist and pressing his bulge


    against my ass while gripping my hips. His hand went back between my legs, slid my panties aside,


    and entered deep this time.


    After years of masturbating with my own fingers, I never realized how much better it would be when


    someone else¡¯s were inside me. Now I knew what I was missing out on.


    The orgasm ripped me into two, and that was just from his fingers. I was suddenly eager to find out


    what it would feel like with something much bigger inside me.


    God, the Haze waspletely taking over. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. I just knew the pleasure was so


    good I didn¡¯t want it to end.


    Why hadn¡¯t I let this happen sooner? My mind was so hazy I couldn¡¯t remember. Aiden started


    unzipping his pants.


    Would this be my first time?


    No, he¡®s not my mate yet. But why does that matter?


    My head started to hurt. Aiden began to spread my legs apart, and a nauseous feeling entered the pit


    of my stomach.


    No... Emily. Not like this.


    ¡°No, stop¡­STOP. I don¡¯t want to go any further,¡± I screamed.


    Aiden cocked his eyebrow, thinking we were still ying a game. ¡°You¡¯re still Hazed,¡± he murmured,


    closing in on me again, his mouth an inch away from mine, ¡°And so am I. Don¡¯t you want me to help


    you relieve it?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re my mate yet, and I don¡¯t know if you ever will be!¡± I med the Haze for


    being so harsh, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to fight off my desire in that moment.


    Aiden looked like a startled pup as I haphazardly sat up and tried topose myself. His surprise


    quickly shifted to realization as he looked me up and down.


    ¡°Sienna,¡± he growled, ¡°are you a virgin?¡±


    My heart stopped. I wanted to tell him anything except the truth in that moment, but for some reason, I


    opened my mouth and uttered a timid, ¡°Yes.¡±


    His expression of confusion said it all. It was unheard of for a werewolf to be a virgin at my age. Sex


    was imbedded into our very beings, but I had my reasons for staying a virgin, and Aiden didn¡¯t need to


    know them.


    This was my burden to bear, my promise to keep.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked suddenly.


    I lowered my gaze to my sweaty palms. ¡°Aiden¡­¡± I said hesitantly.


    ¡°Answer my question, Sienna.¡±


    The Haze was dying down, and my rity was returning, but the answer to Aiden¡¯s question would


    never be clear. He couldn¡¯t possibly understand how deeply Emily had affected me and how I was


    I closed my fists tightly, digging my fingernails into my skin, trying to block out the bitter memories.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been saving myself for my mate,¡± I said, not entirely convincingly. ¡°I can only truly love my mate,


    and I don¡¯t want to give something special to someone who isn¡¯t.¡±


    It was immediately clear that Aiden could see I wasn¡¯t telling the whole story. He walked over to me and


    pried my palms open. Blood trickled down as my ws retracted. He looked at me with a deep


    concern, but all I could do was turn away.


    ¡°Sienna, I need you to tell me what¡¯s going on. I can¡¯t just let this slide.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me do this¡­I can¡¯t,¡± I pleaded


    ¡°This is clearly tearing you up inside, whatever this is,¡± Aiden growled. ¡°How do you expect me to


    ignore this and pretend like nothing is wrong?


    ¡°I¡¯m not your mate. It¡¯s not your responsibility to take care of me.¡± I retorted. ¡°I made it my responsibility


    when I marked you!¡±


    I saw that he wasn¡¯t going to back down, but I wasn¡¯t going to either. When two people came to a


    stalemate, one had topromise, and I was tired.


    ¡°Look, if you drop this, l¡¯11¡ª¡±I hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    ¡°Anything?


    Begrudgingly, I nodded yes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll move in here tomorrow so I can keep an eye on you. No excuses, no dys.


    Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have sex with you,¡± I told him, just so he would get any ideas out of his Hazed mind. ¡°Not until


    we know if you¡¯re my mate or not. Also, you don¡¯t get to dominate me. I¡¯m not going to let you order me


    around, so if you¡¯re thinking I be your property by moving in, then the ws areing out and I¡¯ll


    stop ying nice.¡±


    His mouth curled into a devilish grin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±Full .. I hugged both of my


    parents tightly. ¡°You guys don¡¯t need to be worried about me. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course¡­you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mom said, bursting into tears. ¡°Myst daughter leaving the house and


    mating with an Alpha. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re all grown up!¡±


    I remembered how my parents had acted when Selene had moved out. It had been just the same.


    Even though she was their daughter by blood and I¡¯d been adopted, it didn¡¯t make one lick of a


    difference to them.


    It made me love them all the more for it. I was going to miss them. Biological parents or not, they were


    mine. And maybe my mom was being melodramatic, but, right now, I appreciated it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, rx,¡± I said, hugging them onest time. My mom¡¯s hug was a bit too tight for


    Luckily a loud car horn beeped outside, offering up an escape.


    ¡°That must be my driver! I¡¯ve got to go, but I love you guys lots!¡± I yelled as I ducked out the door .

 Book 2: Chapter 3

    Book 2: Chapter 3


    Sienna


    ¡°Tell me again why this has to happen?¡± my dad questioned, not even trying to hide the concern in his


    voice.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, Peter.¡± My mom sighed. ¡°The Alpha can¡¯t be Sienna¡¯s mate if we keep her


    locked up here. She needs room to breathe.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know he¡¯s my mate,¡± I corrected her.


    My mother¡¯s choice of words was painfully ironic considering I¡¯d be far more stifled and confined at


    Aiden¡¯s house than here.


    My father pulled me into a bear hug. ¡°I know you have to figure out if he¡¯s your mate or not, but it


    doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to be worried sick about my baby girl. I wish you¡¯d stay.¡±


    The more I¡¯d thought about it, the more I knew that this was something I had to do whether I wanted to


    or not. I¡¯d never know if Aiden and I had a real chance at a rtionship if I didn¡¯t at least give this a


    shot, though I had my doubts about his intentions. the door.


    Outside, Josh was waiting for me. He had an almost suspicious grin on his face. He picked up both of


    my suitcases and put them in the trunk while I sat in the passenger seat.


    Josh hopped in the car and revved up the engine like a frat boy about to go for a joyride. Although I


    very much doubted this would be an enjoyable ride.


    We drove in an awkward silence for a while before Josh finally turned his head to look at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to officially meet you, Sienna Mercer,¡± he said with that odd grin. ¡°I¡¯m Josh Daniels, the Beta of


    the East Coast Pack.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± I said, still trying to read him. ¡°It must feel good to be chosen for that position


    ¡°It must feel good to be in your position too,¡± Josh said with an usatory tone. ¡°So while we¡¯re here,


    why don¡¯t you tell me how you


    did it?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? I knew there was something off about that phony smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be modest.¡± His voice was soaked As of sarcasm now. ¡°You need to tell me your technique. How


    did you trick the Alpha into marking you?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to sit here and take this bullshit. ¡°Trick him? I didn¡¯t even have a choice in any of this.


    What gives you the right to question my motives?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Beta. It¡¯s kind of my job, and if you¡¯re taking advantage of him when he¡¯s in a vulnerable state,


    I¡¯ll be the first to know about


    it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so curious about me, then why don¡¯t you just ask your best friend why he marked me?¡± I shot


    back.


    ¡°Well, I would, but Aiden is refusing to answer any of my questions about you.¡± His scowl deepened.


    ¡°He¡¯s been so secretive about why he marked you. Everybody¡¯s mystified.¡±


    He nced at me. ¡°I volunteered to pick you up in hopes that you would clue me in on this little


    rtionship you two have started.¡¯


    ¡°If Aiden didn¡¯t tell you anything, then why the hell would I? Maybe you¡¯re just trying to get information


    to use against him.¡±


    Josh massaged his temple in frustration. ¡° really should have just let Jocelyn handle this. She¡¯s used to


    dealing with delusional people.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense considering her dating record,¡± I retorted.


    Josh narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°I¡¯m going to be blunt with you. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re either strong enough


    or mature enough to handle a dominance as powerful as his, and it doesn¡¯t matter that you think you¡¯re


    some badass she-wolf or whatever.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me,¡± I said, challenging him.


    ¡°Time will tell. Now get out of my car,¡± Josh said smugly.


    During our argument, I had failed to realize that we had already made it to Aiden¡¯s house.


    I got out of Josh¡¯s car, mming his door behind me. I grabbed my suitcases and made my way across


    the bridge to my holiday Haze from hell.


    One thing was for sure though. I wouldn¡¯t let Josh or anyone else underestimate me.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    When Aiden opened the door, my eyes were immediately drawn to his shirtless, glistening chest. His


    muscles bulged with every minor movement.


    My Haze started to spark up.


    Fuck, is this really happening already?


    He tried to grab me and pull me in, but I managed to duck underneath his massive frame and enter into


    the house. He thought he was clever, but he wasn¡¯t going to get me that easily


    ¡°You can bring my luggage to the guest room,¡± I said coyly as I walked through the foyer, making sure I


    was several steps ahead of him. ¡°Are you going to give me the tour, or do I have to do everything


    myself?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve been doing it yourself for far too long. It¡¯s time you let someone else help you,¡± he said,


    grinning with that annoying, sexy smile.


    I just rolled my eyes. ¡°I told you-¨Cno sex. That was part of our agreement.¡±


    ¡°We agreed we won¡¯t have sex¡± he said


    11:27


    ¡°We agreed we won¡¯t have sex,¡± he said, starting to scowl. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t indulge ourselves


    in other activities.¡±


    Despite my attempts to suppress it, my Haze continued to grow. I was trying my best, but it was close


    to impossible with his scent all over the ce, and with him shirtless and sweaty, only steps away.


    I might as well have just presented my Hazed ass on a silver tter.


    It didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t going to fight back, though. ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m serious,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep


    with you. We¡¯re not mates, and we¡¯re not lovers either. I need my own room, and that¡¯s non-


    negotiable.¡±


    We locked eyes in a battle of wills, both asserting our dominance. I refused to back down, especially


    after what Josh had said. To my surprise, Aiden, growling slightly under his breath, picked up my


    suitcases and led me into the nearest room, throwing them inside.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Had I actually just made Aidenpromise about something? I made the


    Alpha of the East Coast Packpromise!


    Maybe I had a shot at surviving this after all. It turned out my excitement was my ultimate betrayal.


    However, the Haze hit me full-force in the middle of my giddiness.


    Aiden¡¯s senses red up immediately, and he, too, was Hazed. Fuck, here we go.


    We met each other in the middle of the room, and his arms were wrapped around me in mere seconds


    while my hands were grabbing at his disheveled raven locks. He pushed me on the bed and fell on top


    of me.


    He pulled down my dress straps, exposing my bra, and began sucking on my mark, driving me wild.


    His mouth moved down to my breasts, and I gasped as I felt his tongue and teeth wandering around


    my nipples.


    I arched my back, trying to bring his mouth back to my neck, but instead, he continued to go lower, and


    I found myself wrapping my legs around his shoulders. I felt his tongue trying to break through the thin


    Irritation ripped through me. I wanted skin-to-skin contact.


    I wanted him to take my clothes off. I wanted both of us to be naked with our sweaty skin touching. It


    was a form of torture to have him so close, yet not close enough.


    I needed him inside me, and I needed it now.


    I couldn¡¯t wait until we found out if we were mates. I had to have him right here, right now, or I would go


    insane.


    Shit, get it under control, Sienna! I¡¯d finally gained the upper hand and made himpromise. I


    couldn¡¯t just throw that away now.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled. ¡°Get off me! Please. Give me space to think.¡±


    Aiden looked exasperated. ¡°Sienna, you can¡¯t keep doing this. It¡¯s a natural craving to want your sexual


    desires fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°Get out,¡± Imanded as tears welled up in my eyes.


    ¡°This is my house,¡± Aiden growled. ¡°You¡¯re just a guest here.¡±


    ¡°Am I your guest?¡± I asked, choked up. ¡°Or am I just a prisoner to your fucking Alpha will???


    Before he could respond, I ran to the bathroom and locked the door.


    I stripped off my clothes and sat in the shower, letting the water run over my face, hiding my tears. I


    knew I was cursed to always feel this way because of the past.


    And maybe I deserved this curse. Alpha or not, no one could take these demons from me.


    To make things worse, now I had to be around Aiden every day. I couldn¡¯t go through this again daily.


    Only a few minutes had passed since I¡¯d arrived. If we couldn¡¯t survive less than an hour together, how


    could we survive the uing weeks?


    In ten minutes we¡¯d managed to fight, to inme our Haze, and to have an anger-filled dry-hump


    session that I ran away from in an erratic fit.


    This wasn¡¯t healthy


    As I stood up from the shower floor, I noticed


    In ten minutes we¡¯d managed to fight, to inme our Haze, and to have an anger-filled dry-hump


    session that I ran away from in an erratic fit.


    This wasn¡¯t healthy.


    As I stood up from the shower floor, I noticed a thin line of blood circling the drain. I felt a pang of hope


    in my chest.


    My period.


    I hopped out of the shower and quickly checked my calendar. It was that time of the month. My period


    meant no sex, and no sex meant keeping my virginity and my sanity intact for another week without


    having to face Aiden¡¯s temptations.


    Never, in my entire life, had I felt such gratitude to Mama Nature.

 Book 2: Chapter 4

    Book 2: Chapter 4


    Sienna


    The expression on Aiden¡¯s face as he sniffed me when I walked out of my bedroom in the evening was


    hrious. His nose was wrinkled in dissatisfaction, and he growled, ¡°Fuck,¡± before returning to his own


    room and mming the door.


    Blood was an obvious non-issue for werewolves, but for some reason, period blood made the male


    ones run for the hills with their tails between their legs. And for that, I was thankful.


    At least I could avoid any more sexual encounters for a bit while I figured out a new n, not to


    mention the added bonus of messing with Aiden.


    As I appreciated my small victory, my phone started buzzing


    Michelle hey girl, are youing tomorrow?


    Sienna Coming to what?


    Michelle sienna¡­ Michelle really?


    Sienna I¡¯m sorry, I really have no idea


    Michelle we¡®re going shopping for mia¡¯s mating ceremony dress


    Michelle you¡¯ve known about this for ages


    Sienna Oh my god, Ipletely forgot


    Sienna Things have been so hectic


    Sienna Since, you know¡­


    Michelle i¡¯ve noticed¡­


    Michelle u haven¡¯t been around muchtely


    Sienna


    I know, I know


    Sienna It¡¯s just


    Sienna


    Aiden


    Sienna and the Haze


    Sienna and this whole moving in together thing


    Sienna I feel like I¡¯m going crazy Michelle i get it


    Michelle u have a lot going on


    Michelle i¡¯m fine by the way Sienna What?


    Michelle nothing Michelle so are youing or not?


    Sienna I¡¯ll try Michelle sienna


    Okay, yes I¡¯ming


    Michelle see u there


    A human hostess served us champagne as Mia tried on different dresses in an admittedly cute


    boutique. Erica and Michelle fussed over her train,plimenting her style choices.


    I was checked out in the corner, staring down my champagne flute as if it were some magical well that


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    held all the answers to my problems.


    ¡°Hey, Earth to Sienna,¡± Erica called from across the room. ¡°Are we boring you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just a bit distracted,¡± I apologized.


    Michelle clicked her tongue in annoyance and started chugging her champagne as if to keep her mouth


    busy so she wouldn¡¯t say something she regretted.


    ¡°Come over here and help me out of this dress before I pass out,¡± Mia croaked, breathing heavily. ¡°This


    thing is tighter than my sex before my first Haze.¡± 11:29


    ¡°You¡¯ve been around the block, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Michelleughed. ¡°Is there a man in this city that you


    haven¡¯t sunk your ws into at some point?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m settling down now, okay?¡± Mia responded. ¡°At least I can still live vicariously through you girls.


    Especially Sienna. You must be getting ravaged every damn night by that sexy Alpha. I¡¯m so jealous,


    you have no idea.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting mated to your best friend,¡± Erica said reproachfully.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s nice too. Just let me fantasize a little, all right?¡± Mia sloshed her champagne on


    one of the dresses.


    They had no idea how ufortable all this sex talk made me, but I wasn¡¯t about to reveal that I was a


    virgin to a group of tipsy, sex-crazed she-wolves.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± I tried to say convincingly. ¡°There¡¯s hardly a moment that Aiden doesn¡¯t have me on


    all fours.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, tell us everything.¡± Erica practically swooned.


    Damn, I hadn¡¯t thought that through. As Mia squeezed out of her dress, I noticed a unicorn tramp


    stamp garishly staring at me from above her ass. Oh, thank God for Mia¡¯s poor decisions.


    ¡°No, Mia needs to tell me everything about that tattoo, and I need to know now,¡± I yelled, trying to


    change the subject.


    Mia raised her eyebrows suggestively. ¡°Hey, what happens at the county fair stays at the county fair.


    Maybe you and Aiden can get matching ones when you go together this year.¡±


    I¡®d rather die. ¡°God, Mia, you¡¯re too much.¡± I fakeughed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us why you left the club with Aiden during girls¡¯ night without even saying goodbye,¡±


    Michelle asked, causing the whole room to go silent. Everyone looked at me expectantly like this was


    an inevitable discussion that was going to happen.


    ¡°I¡­ I uh, I was¡­¡±


    Dammit, I couldn¡¯t tell them about how I was almost raped. I was already dampening the


    almost raped. I was already dampening in mood as it was. And it would just bring up other questions


    that I wasn¡¯t ready to answer. So, I guess my only option was to


    ¡°Aiden might be my mate,¡± I blurted out.


    Erica¡¯s and Michelle¡¯s jaws dropped to the floor.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Mia screamed. ¡°Are you serious? Oh my God this exins everything, why you¡¯ve


    been so distant and weirdtely.


    This is HUGE.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I had no idea. That¡¯s a totally valid reason to ditch us,¡± Erica gushed as Michelle shot her a dirty


    look.


    ¡°It¡¯s all happening so fast,¡± I said, putting on my best Selene impression. ¡°I thought I¡¯d die when he told


    me. We¡¯re still figuring it out though.


    ¡°Looks like you might be the next one down the aisle,¡± teased Erica.


    ¡°No way, that¡¯s definitely going to be Michelle,¡± I said, smiling, but when I looked over at her, she wasn¡¯t


    smiling back.


    11:30


    Michelle grabbed her purse and stood up suddenly. ¡°You¡¯re really just living in your own world these


    days, aren¡¯t you, Sienna?¡± She stormed out of the boutique, leaving me totally confused.


    ¡°Michelle, wait!¡± I called after her. ¡°What did I say?¡± Mia and Erica exchanged looks with each other,


    ¡°Michelle is a little on edge right now. She¡¯s been having some problems with Ross,¡± Erica exined.


    ¡°Shit, I had no idea,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯ll be okay though, right?


    Mia just shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Maybe, but you can see why she¡¯s mad. If you¡¯d been around more


    in these past few weeks, you¡¯d have known about what she was going through


    Damn, was she right? Had I been so self-absorbed with everything going on that I¡¯dpletely


    neglected my best friend? It pained me so much to hide the truth from my friends, but I had to do this


    on my own.


    Hopefully they¡¯d understand at some point but now just wasn¡¯t the right time.


    * * *


    I was cooking dinner, thinking about Michelle, when Aiden came home from work, still sporting the


    same annoyed expression from that morning


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to be considered a submissive woman who does nothing but cook for her


    man,¡± hemented dryly.


    I shot him a re. ¡°Cooking is hardly a submissive trait. If you can¡¯t make your own food, you¡¯re the


    one being reliant on someone else.¡±


    He grinned wolfishly. ¡°Am I ruffling your fur the wrong way, Sienna?¡± he asked, a mischievous glint in


    his eyes.


    Suddenly he was behind me, hands on my waist, pressed against my back. His lips were grazing my


    ear when he said, ¡°Do you want to hit the big bad alpha?¡± I did, but I¡¯d restrain myself for now. ¡°Get off


    me,¡± I growled, but instead, he kissed me. This time the kiss wasn¡¯t as rushed as before.


    His Haze waspletely under his control, and he drove me crazy. I wanted him to press harder, to


    shove me against the ind and devour me.


    He teased my lips into epting his, sucking and biting them.


    When I shuddered and couldn¡¯t keep my mouth closed anymore, his slick tongue broke through and


    taunted my own, making me crazed with passion. Suddenly, he stopped and pulled away with a grin on


    his face.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for tonight,¡± he said, echoing my own words, which I¡¯d used against him multiple


    times.


    That asshole. So this is how he wanted to y this game? Well, game on, bitch. He¡®s not the only one


    who¡®s got control over his Haze.


    ¡°Sit down. Dinner is served,¡± I said sharply.


    ¡°Well look at you, such a cute little homemaker. It suits y¡ª¡±


    Aiden let out a piercing howl as I dumped a pile of hot Spaghetti Bolognese in hisp.


    ¡°Oops, sorry, dear. Let me clean that up for you,¡± I smirked.


    As I grabbed a towel and pretended to clean up the food on hisp, I made sure to provide special


    attention to his crotch. I felt him getting hard, and his Haze red up almost immediately.


    I massaged him carefully as his eyes closed and a look of pure pleasure appeared across his face. I


    abruptly stopped touching him and threw the sauce-covered towel at his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little messy down there,¡± I jeered. ¡°You might want to clean that up. Wouldn¡¯t want to touch


    you on your period.¡±


    Aiden shot up, growling, and stabbed his fork into the table. We glowered at each other, asserting our


    dominance to the highest degree until ¨C


    My mouth fell open as Aiden broke into a huge smile. He startedughing hysterically, doubling over


    and holding his stomach. Hisugh was a low, gravely one, and it was so infectious that I burst into


    When theughter subsided, we smiled at each other, and I could see his eyes softening. The silence


    after theughter was the mostfortable silence I¡¯d ever felt with anybody, and as we gazed at each


    other, smiling like that, it felt like everything fell into ce.


    Everything finally made sense. It was a surreal moment, but I wouldn¡¯t question it.


    We ate in the same silence, neither of us daring to break it. He seemed to love my cooking by the way


    he devoured the entire meal and came back for seconds.


    Watching Aiden eat my food with such hunger, such satisfaction, it was a different kind of pleasure.


    He looked up and met my gaze, eyes intensely piercing mine, and my heart skipped a beat. He stared


    deeply into my eyes, as if trying to read me, to appreciate me, and I found myself doing the same to


    him, trying to decipher his suddenly inscrutable look.


    What was he thinking? What was he feeling? Maybe someday we¡¯d actually understand each other.


    cooking by the way he devoured the entire meal and came back for seconds.


    Watching Aiden eat my food with such hunger, such satisfaction, it was a different kind of pleasure.


    He looked up and met my gaze, eyes intensely piercing mine, and my heart skipped a beat. He stared


    deeply into my eyes, as if trying to read me, to appreciate me, and I found myself doing the same to


    him, trying to decipher his suddenly inscrutable look.


    What was he thinking? What was he feeling? Maybe someday we¡¯d actually understand each other.


    He suddenly shed a smile and returned to digging into his dinner.


    ¡°Bon appetit,¡± I whispered softly.

 Book 2: Chapter 5

    Book 2: Chapter 5


    Aiden


    I¡®m in deep. There¡®s no turning back now, not that there ever was for me.


    Sienna had me on a leash. Like a domesticated dog. But did she hate me or have feelings for me?


    I could never tell with her. If she ultimately chose to reject me...


    Fuck!


    I swiped my ws across my desk, knocking everything from stacks of signed documen ts to old sports


    trophies to the floor in a tter.


    Josh cringed especially hard as I scattered hundreds of Yule Ball invitations around the room, some of


    them hitting the ceiling fan and getting ripped to oblivion.


    ¡°That girl,¡± I snarled. ¡°I can¡®t


    get her out of my fucking head. She¡®spletely taken over my every thought, and it¡®s driving me


    insane.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m sure it¡®s just the Haze,¡± said Josh warily, as he tried to recover what was left of the invitations.


    The damn Haze. It felt never¨Cending. I teased Sienna relentlessly about her control, but the truth was I


    was barely holding it together. When I was in her presence, everything else felt blurred ¨C¨C I couldn¡®t


    focus.


    But for me to be feeling this way when she wasn¡®t even around? It made me want to w my eyes out.


    ¡°How the hell are you dealing with this?¡± I asked, pacing in circles. ¡°Doesn¡®t Jocelyn dist ract you from


    your most important tasks, burrow into your brain like a parasite, and mak e you want to rip something


    in fucking half?


    ¡°Uhhh¡ª¡± Josh quickly pulled a vintage mural of my family tree out of my reach.


    He paused for a moment to think about my question. ¡°Actually, not really,¡± he said, looki ng a bit


    confused. ¡°I mean Jocelyn is great and all, but I can¡®t say I¡®ve felt anything like what you¡®re describing.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡®re lucky then,¡± I growled. ¡°Because this is torture.¡± 11:32


    My phone started buzzing in my pocket, and I pulled it out cautiously, knowing exactly w ho it would be.


    Sienna Hey Aiden


    Sienna Got your note


    Sienna Hope you have a good day at work


    Sienna Sounds busy


    Sienna Maybe I can find a way to make your day less stressful


    Sienna


    I threw my phone across the room as my Haze started to ignite again, watching it shatte r against the


    wall.


    ¡°Josh, I no longer have ess to my nner,¡± I said without a shred of irony. ¡°What¡®s o n my schedule


    for the rest of the day???


    ¡°Just the Pack lunch,¡± replied Josh. ¡°Do you want me to cancel it?¡± CC


    ¡°Hell no, that¡®s exactly what I need. A testosterone¨C filled room. No women and especially no Sienna.¡±


    Sienna


    I woke up to an empty house, but Aiden¡®s scent still lingered in the air. He left a note, he ld by a ma


    on the fridge. It said he¡®d gone out for some alpha business and he woul d be in the Pack House all day


    and might not make it home for dinner.


    For some reason a dumb grin spread across my face as I got dressed. When I looked in the mirror and


    pulled my red hair back into a ponytail, I saw my mark in a different light.


    For the first time, it didn¡®t annoy me or enrage me. I was actually kind of proud of it.


    I decided to text Aiden and tell him to have a good day at work, maybe even flirt a little, but after a few


    messages, they stopped going through and he didn¡®t reply. He was probably swamped with work and


    had to shut off his phone.


    What if I surprised him at the Pack House for lunch? That seemed like a good idea, con sidering how


    he wouldn¡®t have a spare moment otherwise, today.


    I was practically beaming, and I wanted to smack my own silly smile off my face, but ma ybe this


    feeling wasn¡®t so bad.


    ***


    When I reached the gate, I saw the guard who¡®d been there thest time I tore through t he Pack


    House. He took one look at me and turned white as a ghost. Without even a ¡°hello,¡± he opened the


    gate and ushered me through, trying to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°Sorry aboutst time,¡± I said sheepishly, making him jump. ¡°I might have some anger management


    issues.


    Eyes wide, he smiled nervously, nodding like a broken bobblehead. I might need to pay for his therapy.


    When I got inside, I caught Aiden¡®s scent, but it was somewhat obscured by several oth er masculine


    scents. I wondered if he could


    scent me or if mine was masked too? As I was sniffing the air, I nearly ran right into Jocelyn.


    ¡°Hey, Sienna,¡± she said as she smiled. ¡°What are you doing here?


    Damn, I kept forgetting how beautiful she was. ¡°Hey, Jocelyn,¡± I said, smiling tentatively in return.


    I still wasn¡®t sure if I could trust her or not. Michelle constantly told me she was shady, b ut Jocelyn was


    always kind and helpful to me. Usually I trusted Michelle¡®s judgment, but this time I wasn¡®t so sure.


    Especially since the timing of Michelle¡®s distrust in Jocelyn aligned with her dating Josh, who I¡®m pretty


    sure Michelle had a crush on, despite never having officially met him.


    ¡°Are you here for Aiden?¡± she asked slyly.


    ¡°Is he busy? I could alwayse backter.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡®s just in his Pack Lunch. Men only,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Josh is there too.¡±


    ¡°That sounds important,¡± I said, starting to lose my nerve. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡®t interrupt.¡±


    Jocelyn grabbed my arm, giggling. ¡°I think that¡®s exactly what you should do. Hold on try this.¡±


    She leaned in and pulled my hair down from its ponytail, tussling and messing with it till i t had a sexy


    bedhead look to it. Damn, her beautiful appearance was one thing, but she also had a scent that could


    kill. It was absolutely intoxicating. She pulled down the shoul der of my shirt, exposing my mark.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sienna, Aiden is crazy about you. And if what


    Josh has been telling me is true, then he might be literally going insane


    because of you. You¡®re probably the most dominant she¨C


    wolf I¡®ve ever met, and you look sexy as hell right now. Embrace it! Go into that lunch an d show him


    you¡®re a force to be reckoned with.¡®


    She gave me a mischievous smile and ced her hand above my heart.


    ¡°Trust me...and good luck.¡±


    As she walked away, I felt I really could trust her implicitly.


    A fiery dominance had begun burning inside me as soon as she touched me. It was as if she¡®d


    activated some buried power deep within me.


    Chin up and dominance radiating from my every pore, I burst through the heavy oak do ors of the


    meeting room, striding toward Aiden and the other men withplete confide nce.


    They all raised their heads, dumbfounded, jaws dropping and eyes filling with lust, exce pt Josh, who


    just scowled.


    Aiden¡®s Haze red when he caught my scent, but there was a ravenous look of pride a nd possession


    in his eyes that had nothing to do with the Haze.


    Arousing Aiden in front of his pack was one of the riskiest things I¡®d ever done, but I co uld tell it was


    working by the way he was sweating and digging his ws into the table


    It was a bold move, but Jocelyn was the right target. Not just anyone could pull this off.


    Aiden tried to fight his Haze, but for once, I didn¡®t want him to fight it. I wanted it top letely engulf


    him. It wasn¡®t exactly revenge¨CI wanted him too¨C but I was enjoying every sweet second of his


    difort.


    I leaned over the table and licked my lips.


    ¡°I missed you when I woke up this morning. I started touching myself, but it just wasn¡®t a s much fun


    without you. Your fingers are so much more satisfying.¡±


    That was all he needed. Before I even knew what was happening, he picked me up and mmed me


    down on the table, causing the rest of his pack to jolt.


    He crawled over me, growling in anticipation, while Iy sprawled out across the table in clear view of


    everyone else.


    ¡°Get out,¡± he snarled at his pack without breaking eye contact with me. ¡°Everyone get o ut NOW.¡±


    The Pack hastily got up from the table and made for the exit, but Aiden was all over me before they had


    even left.


    He grabbed my breasts through my shirt, squeezing almost painfully. I kissed him back, but unlike him,


    I had control over my Haze now. I managed to tease his mouth until a growl burst out of his throat,


    making his chest rumble.


    I shuddered from the feeling of the vibration andughed quietly. ¡°Oh, someone¡®s angry,¡± I said sedu


    ctively.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he growled and kissed me again. This time I let him kiss me as pos sessively as he


    wanted while I wrapped my arms around his neck and put my legs arou nd his waist. I grabbed a


    handful of his hair and pulled it as hard as I could until he bared his fangs.


    ¡°Fucking bite me,¡± Imanded.


    ¡°What?¡± he replied, bewildered. ¡°Since when do you¡ª¡°


    ¡°What?he replied, bewildered. ¡°Since when do you¡ª¡°


    ¡°Do what I tell you. Sink your teeth into me!¡±


    Aiden picked me up and set me gently on the edge of the table, surveying me with conc ern. ¡°Sienna,


    what¡®s this about?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡®t you want me?¡± I responded, annoyed.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± he said. ¡°But not like this.¡±


    What was I even doing? Throwing myself at the Alpha? This was such a stupid fucking idea.


    Doubt began to sink in, and whatever Jocelyn had done was fading fast. All of my insec urities came


    rushing to the surface.


    ¡°Do you even find my scent alluring?¡± I spat. ¡°What if I weren¡®t your prospective mate? Would you even


    pay any attention to me?


    You¡®re an alpha, a different pedigree. I¡®m just amoner, a girl that was abandoned b y her parents.


    I¡®m nobody.¡±


    I started tearing up. ¡°I can¡®t be with someone who¡®s superior to me. I can¡®t be in a rtio nship where I


    constantly feel insignificant and burdened to live up to your expectations.


    This just can¡®t work.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Aiden looked stunned, but he softly ced his hand on my cheek and stared straight into my eyes.


    ¡°Sienna, I don¡®t view you as amoner that has to bend to my every whim.¡± He smiled . ¡°I view you


    as an equal.¡±


    Now, I was the one who looked stunned. An equal?


    ¡°Look, I can¡®t exin it, but,¡± Aiden said, furrowing his brow. ¡°Buttely, I feel connected to you, to what


    you want. I can sense your desires and your doubts like they¡®re my own. And I know you don¡®t want it


    here¡ªin my office, on the conference table.¡±


    Aiden started pacing now, clearly nervous, an emotion I hadn¡®t thought Aiden possesse d.


    This was weird as hell, and I sat back inplete bewilderment, not knowing what woulde next in


    this one¨Cman y.


    Now, I was the one who looked stunned. A. equal?


    ¡°Look, I can¡®t exin it, but,¡± Aiden said, furrowing his brow. ¡°Buttely, I feel connected to you, to what


    you want. I can sense your


    desires and your doubts like they¡®re my own. And I know you don¡®t want it here¡ª in my office, on the


    conference table.¡±


    Aiden started pacing now, clearly nervous, an emotion I hadn¡®t thought Aiden possesse d.


    This was weird as hell, and


    I sat back inplete bewilderment, not knowing what woulde next in this one¨C man y.


    ¡°What I¡®m trying to say is...¡± He turned to face me with a burst of confidence. ¡°I think it¡®s t ime we go on


    a run.¡±


    Oh. My.God.

 Book 2: Chapter 6

    Book 2: Chapter 6


    Sienna Hey, Selene


    Sienna Are you awake?


    Selene Ugh, barely


    Selene This better be life or death


    Selene It¡¯s 2AM


    Selene What¡¯s going on? Sienna When did you first know


    Selene Know what??


    Sienna That you were in love with Jeremy


    Selene Wait, what?


    Selene Sienna¡­


    Selene Could this really not wait till the morning?


    Sienna Aiden asked me to go on a run tonight


    Selene WHAT


    Selene OH MY GOD


    Selene Why didn¡¯t you lead with that??


    Selene I¡¯m like hyperventting over here


    Selene Hold on, let me go to the living room


    Selene


    Jeremy is snoring


    Selene


    Sienna Um, okay take deep breaths


    Sienna I¡¯m the one going on the run


    Selene SO YOU¡¯RE GOING??


    Sienna Yes, and I need your advice


    Sienna


    Like¡­now


    Selene Okay, what do you need to know?


    Sienna Your first run with Jeremy


    Sienna What was it like? What did you wear? Was it intense or intimate?


    Selene Well, it was magical


    Selene And what you wear couldn¡¯t matter less


    Selene Since you¡¯ll be shedding your clothes


    Selene It¡¯s both intimate and intense


    Selene It¡¯s really a spiritual experience more than anything


    Selene Letting the wolf take over and giving in to your most primal instincts


    Sienna What if our wolf forms don¡¯t connect though?


    Sienna This could ruin everything if we aren¡¯t ready


    Selene I can¡¯t give you an answer to that


    Selene But if you already said yes, I think you have your answer


    Selene


    Sienn UNLIMITED


    Thanks, sis


    Sienna Gotta go


    Sienna Aiden just walked in


    Sienna


    I looked up at the man who I was about to go on a run with¡ªthe most intimate experience two


    werewolves could share¡ªand suddenly I felt a wave of nervous anticipation.


    Rumor had it that a run was what had ended Aiden and Jocelyn¡¯s rtionship. They didn¡¯t connect at


    all in wolf form.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    What if that happened to us too?


    ¡°Ready?¡± Aiden asked.


    That was a goddamn loaded question. When Aiden had first asked me to go on the run, my wolf took


    over and I blurted out ¡°yes¡± before I could even process the weight of thatmitment.


    His expression was so sincerely pleased by the swiftness of my answer that I didn¡¯t have the heart to


    back out of it.


    Now my head was screaming for me to run as far away as possible in the other direction while my wolf


    howled over it, drowning out my trepidation and telling me to get off my ass and go with him.


    I nodded and got up as he took my hand and led me outside to the edge of the woods. We took the first


    step together, crossing the


    his wless abs. He leaned back against a tree and grinned as I clutched my own shirt tighter.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± I said, blushing. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to see.


    ¡°Why?¡± Heughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you naked one way or another. It¡¯s only natural.¡±


    He was right. It was another unspoken code among wolves. Nudity before and after shifting was


    unavoidable, so werewolves didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. It was the same as losing your virginity


    when the firs Haze hit. But the rules became different fo me after Emily


    ¡°We¡¯ve already established that I¡¯m not like all the other she-wolves you know,¡± I shot back as I fumbled


    with the zipper of my jeans.


    ¡°Believe me, I know,¡± Aiden said, suddenly looking at me with calming eyes. That look was pure Alpha,


    not in an intimidating way, but in a reassuring way.


    Being an Alpha wasn¡¯t all about control. Sometimes it was about keeping the Pack clear-headed. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, you look beautiful.¡±


    I turned around, but I slowly slid my pants down to my ankles and pulled off my top. Standing in just my


    underwear, I took a deep breath. I removed my bra and panties and swung around to face Aiden.


    He was already naked, letting it all hang out without an ounce of embarrassment. He was the Alpha


    after all. Still, as we stoodpletely naked, taking in each other¡¯s bodies, it didn¡¯t feel the way I


    thought it would


    It wasn¡¯t an aura of lust between us, but one of connectedness. We were one and the same.


    Selene was right about this being a spiritual experience, and I was beginning to understand


    ¡°You first,¡± he coaxed.


    I stepped forward and stood directly under the cascading moonlight


    Letting my wolf consume me, I shifted, gracefullynding on all fours. I nced at my reflection in the


    pond to see my reddish-brown pelt alight like a burning fire. I¡¯d never seen it shine this way.


    Aiden shifted next, and his wolf form was just as huge as I¡¯d remembered it.


    His silky jet-ck fur and piercing hazel eyes were gorgeous under the night sky. Our gazes lingered


    on each other in recognition, and any doubts that I had about our wolves not connecting disappeared in


    an instant.


    He turned regally and nodded to the woods, and that was my cue. I dug my paws into the earth and


    darted into the brush. Now I just had to make sure he didn¡¯t catch me.


    It was a game of intimacy, but it was also a challenge. I had to show him how dominant I was to prove


    that I could hold my own against the Alpha.


    The trees blurred around me as I raced through the woods, and the wind in my fur felt exhrating. If


    Aiden was going to catch me, I wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for him. I knew the first thing I had to do


    was mask my scent.


    I dove into a muddy puddle and rolled around before swiftly getting up and changing my direction. My


    best bet was to confuse him and cover my tracks as best as possible.


    As I darted back and forth, a sharp howl prated the night¡¯s silence. Aiden wanted me to know he


    was closing in. He was toying with me, but he also gave me an advantage. I knew his location now.


    I dove into the river and paddled to the other side. Hopefully he was in the mood to get wet. I shook my


    fur dry once I was on the other bank and continued deeper into the woods.


    Hours had passed since we¡¯d begun our chase. I could only imagine the frustration he was feeling.


    Some might say that you should let your partner feel like he was in the lead, but fuck that, this was a


    game of dominance.


    I found a rocky hill where I¡¯d be sure to leave no tracks. I climbed to the top and tried to get a lock on


    my bearings. With all the zigzagging, even I had gotten a bit lost.


    My ears shot up as, without warning, a heavy thumping started echoing from the east, and it was


    rapidly approaching me. Aiden lunged out of the brush, ws drawn, drool flying out of his unclenched


    jaws.


    I had only a moment. I threw my body to the side as his teeth nipped my heels. He looked wild and


    untamed, dirt and debris covering his previously silky coat. I wondered how much of a mess I looked.


    We began doing a sort of dance, circling each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. We


    snarled yfully at one another.


    Finally, we¡®re at the end.


    A twig snapped, and I let myself get distracted for just a millisecond. It was all Aiden needed. He


    charged at me, hitting me square in the ribs.


    We both tumbled down the hill, smashing through rocks and bramble,nding in a heap at the bottom.


    He recovered first and immediately pinned me. I yelped and thrashed, trying to escape, but he had me


    right where he wanted me. His tail wagged in excitement as he bared his fangs.


    He let out a triumphant howl and sank his teeth into my shoulder, right where my mark would¡¯ve been


    in human form.


    This was the final act of a run between potential mates. I¡¯d now been marked in both human and wolf


    form.


    I was wholly andpletely his now. A lover and a potential mate. No other man would dare approach


    me during the Haze.


    We shifted back to human form, Aiden still on top of me, fangs dug into my mark. We stared at each


    other without moving, without speaking, without doing anything, really.


    It was the most intimate and intense moment of my entire life¡ªjust like Selene had said


    ¡ªand I never would¡¯ve thought in a million years that I¡¯d be sharing it with Aiden Norwood.


    He helped me to my feet and led me to the water. I wasn¡¯t even aware of my nakedness anymore, just


    my connection to Aiden.


    We waded waist deep into theke, and he tenderly washed the blood away from my mark. It stung,


    but a mark wasn¡¯t so much a physical pain as it was a mental connection. What I felt in that moment,


    Aiden felt too.


    And what I was feeling was my heart being


    We shifted back to human form, Aiden still on top of me, fangs dug into my mark. We stared at each


    other without moving, without speaking, without doing anything, really.


    It was the most intimate and intense moment of my entire life¡ªjust like Selene had said


    ¡ªand I never would¡¯ve thought in a million years that I¡¯d be sharing it with Aiden Norwood.


    He helped me to my feet and led me to the water. I wasn¡¯t even aware of my nakedness anymore, just


    my connection to Aiden.


    We waded waist deep into theke, and he tenderly washed the blood away from my mark. It stung,


    but a mark wasn¡¯t so much a physical pain as it was a mental connection. What I felt in that moment,


    Aiden felt too.


    And what I was feeling was my heart being filled with a longing for someone like it ne had before.


    I¡¯d fallen for the Alpha.

 Book 2: Chapter 7

    Book 2: Chapter 7


    Sienna


    Three days had passed since the run, and the period afterwards was likeing down f rom a high,


    which meant my emotions were all over the ce.


    At times I¡®d experience a sh of euphoria, remembering the thrill of the chase, while other times I¡®d hit


    an emotio nal low, thinking I¡®d never feel that way again.


    Aiden felt it too. He¡®d grown more distant over the past few days, burying himself in wor


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    k. Selene conveniently left out that the best experience of my life would be followed by a crippling


    sense of unease.


    I needed to do something to pull us both out of the funk, so I decided to bake Aiden his f avorite


    dessert, apple pie.


    Jocelyn told me the Alpha had a massive sweet tooth, and I¡®d yet to use that weapon in my arsenal


    against him. This time, though, I¡®d use food for good.


    I found myself humming and moving my hips as I sauntered around the kitchen, spilling flour


    everywhere. I wasn¡®t expecting a chorus


    flour everywhere. I wasn¡®t expecting a chorus of woond creatures to pop through the window and


    start wrapping me in silk or anything, but this feeling? It felt fucking great.


    The oven timer dinged, signaling the apple pie was ready. It smelled like heaven. If I co uld¡®ve chosen a


    permanent scent for myself, it¡®d be this one.


    I excitedly texted Aiden to see when he¡®d be home. I didn¡®t know how long I could wait t o see the look


    on his face.


    Sienna


    Hey, are you on your way home?


    Sienna I have a surprise Sienna


    Aiden Still stuck at work


    Aiden We got our own surprise today


    Aiden Ast minute VIP guest for the Yule Ball


    Aiden Gonna be workingte


    Sienna Again?


    Sienna That¡®s the third time this week


    Aiden I know


    Aiden It¡®s not ideal


    Aiden That¡®s just the way it is right now


    Aiden The Yule Ball is in two weeks


    Aiden


    Aiden It¡®s mayhem here


    Sienna Will you at least be back before I¡®m asleep?


    Aiden Don¡®t know


    Aiden I wouldn¡®t wait up


    Sienna Oh okay


    Sienna Talk to youter, I guess


    All the enthusiasm I had worked up instar drained from my body. I was suddenly mad.


    Mad at myself, for putting so much effort into baking, like some submissive housewife.


    Did


    I have nothing better to do than bake for a man? To wait for his validation?


    But I was just as mad at how upset his texts made me. That his absence was affecting me so much.


    I used to pray for this kind of distance between us. Hell, at times I¡®d wished we were on opposite sides


    of the Earth. But now I couldn¡®t handle him being gone for a day.


    And I didn¡®t like it.


    As the heat from the apple pie faded, so did its scent. Aiden¡®s unmistakable odor¡ª a mix of woodsy


    and manly¨C filled the room again. It was apparently strong enough to do that, even when he wasn¡®t h


    ome.


    The scent of him alone was enough to send a visceral pang of missing him through me. Ever since the


    run, when we¡®d gotten close as wolves, my inner


    wolf had this constant urge to be near his. It was like he radiated something that connected us, and I


    wanted to be tethered to that connection at all times.


    Tears flooded my eyes. I ced my hand my mark as my body shook.


    I knew I was being dramatic. I felt like a foolish teenage girl. But I didn¡®t care. I just wanted him here


    with me, holding me, kissing me, telling me everything would work out between us.


    But instead I was here alone.


    Aiden


    I dropped my phone back onto the table. ¡°Dammit,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    I hated doing this to Sienna. I¡®d barely even seen her in the past three days because it felt like I was


    living at the Pack House. Everything was in full disarray si nce the surprise announcement that the


    Alpha of the Millennium would be attending our Yule Ball.


    And when everything was in disarray, yours truly was working overtime.


    On the one hand it was an honor to have a guest of that caliber attend our humble celeb ration. The


    Alpha of the Millennium was the emperor of, well, fucking everything. He wa s the beacon of power that


    everyone revered, and gracing us with his presence was an honor we might not get again.


    But on the other hand, it was suspicious. Why would the


    Alpha of the Millennium decide toe to our Yule Ball, and on such short notice no les s? Was he just


    interested in the annual celebration, in visiting our Pack, or was there so mething more to his motive?


    I couldn¡®t tell. But I was nning to keep my senses heightened until the Ball ended to make sure I was


    prepared for anything.


    I had already ordered security to be increased tenfold, both at


    the Ball and the days leading up to it. Being the most powerful man in the world¡ª and that was what


    the Alpha of the Millennium was¡ª meant you built up an impressive roster of enemies. And with the


    recent perimeter brea ch, it was clear that there were ws in our system.


    I was certainly not going to be taking any chances.


    When I ordered the increased security, some Pack members looked at me like I was paranoid. But I


    was will ing to fight for the U defensive team I knew we needed. Even if everything went ordi ng to


    n, I¡®d rather be safe than sorry.


    I had full confidence in my Pack, in their ability to follow orders and achieve results, buttely I¡®d been


    wondering if they had the same confidenc e in me.


    I saw the way their eyes connected with each other when I gave orders, and I heard the whispers that


    would float around m e on asion.


    Paranoid.


    Not as strong


    Lonely


    It wasn¡®t that they were disobeying me or disrespecting me. That would¡®ve been uneptable. They


    would¡®ve been punished and reced immediately. I was Alpha, and I was in charge.


    It was more like... they were worried about me. They wanted the best for their Alpha, an d they didn¡®t


    know how to help me get it.


    It always came back to finding


    a mate. Tha u much was clear. The looks, the whispers, none of it would happen if I¡®d g et mated


    already


    But then again, maybe they were right to worry about me. I couldn¡®t let my mind drift fro m Sienna for a


    goddamn minute. I should be focused on the Pack, on the Yule Ball and the Alpha of the Millennium¡®s


    appearance, but instead I was worried about a few texts?


    My inner wolf growled. Enough. I was Alpha.


    The Alpha did not second¨Cguess himself.


    I turned to look across the boardroom table, where Josh was reading through some doc uments. We


    had agreed to go through legal and get the signatures done, but Jeremy wa s runningte.


    ¡°Josh, forget the paperwork. Call a Pack meeting. We have some things to discuss.¡± Jos h looked at


    me then nodded.


    He walked to the room¡®s phone and pressed a button then barked into it: ¡°Council to the boardroom.


    Council to the boardroom. Alpha¡®s orders.¡± Alpha¡®s orders. That was goddamn right.


    Sienna


    I¡®d thrown myself under the bed covers several times already, but that activity did little tofort me. It


    made me feel only more isted


    I needed someone to talk to. Someone who would understand this separation anxiety. N ormally, that


    someone would be Michelle, but we hadn¡®t talked since shopping for Mia¡®s mating ceremony dress.


    I fiddled with my phone for several minutes, trying to work up the courage to text Michell e. My inner


    wolf was doing somersaults in my head.


    Just do it, you bitch.


    Sienna


    Hey


    Sienna How are you?


    I paused. Staring at the screen. A minute passed, then two. I knew I couldn¡®t pretend lik e nothing had


    happened, like we hadn¡®t had our biggest fight. I was certain that if I didn¡®t apologize now, she wouldn¡®t


    respo1


    And then how would I get my friend back?


    Sienna Mich I know we aren¡®t on the best terms right now


    Sienna But I miss you


    Sienna I should¡®ve been there for you


    Sienna I¡®m sorry


    Sienna Really really sorry


    I took a deep breath. Waiting. Still nothing. So I plowed ahead, deciding to just leave ev erything out


    there. I had nothing left to lose.


    Sienna I know I have no right to ask this you


    Sienna But there¡®s so much going on between me and Aiden


    Sienna And I just...I really need a friend right now


    I dropped my


    phone on the bed, pulling the nket over my eyes. I¡®did out everything in the open, b ut part of me


    thought she wasn¡®t going to respond, anyway. I hadn¡®t been there for her when she reall y, truly needed


    me.


    I¡®d been too self¨Cabsorbed to even realize she had.


    So I wasn¡®t allowed to feel surprised, or sorry for myself, when she wasn¡®t there for me either. Just as I


    was repeating that over to myself, I felt my phone vibrate. My heart leapt out of my chest. I grabbed the


    phone and turned it over, seeing the lit¨Cup screen.


    Michelle im sorry sienna


    Michelle i just need some space rn


    My stomach dropped like I was on a rollercoaster. All the hope that had welled up inside me just...


    popped. Like a balloon.


    I knew I couldn¡®t me her. I wouldn¡®t let myself do that. But still, realizing that I¡®d been the one who


    pushed her away... it made me feel even more isted.


    It was like everyone around me needed space.


    Away from me.


    I nced in the corner where all my unused art supplies and half¨C finished paintings were collecting


    dust. At least my art supplies were there for me. I got out of bed, stretched a new canvas, and ced it


    on an easel.


    If


    all these emotions were going to be swirling around inside me, I might as well put them t o good use. It


    had been awhile since I¡¯d started a new piece.


    I had no idea what woulde about, but at least painting would provide a temporary di straction from


    how shitty I was feeling.


    I started with ck, which was fitting for how I was feeling. Long, wavy brush strokes.


    Next, a creamy white. Soft and delicate.


    Purple, I needed purple. Two circles. Piercing pupils.


    Lastly, a thin, willowy frame washed out by the moonlight


    I took a step back. I¡®d painted a woman. A beautiful, but sad woman. She looked strangely familiar.


    Why was she so haunting? I gasped as I made the connection.


    It was the mysterious woman from the woods.


    I¡®d nearly forgotten about her, so why was she staring back at me from my canvas now? Part of me


    wondered if she was even real. Maybe my mind was so desperate for interc onnection that it was


    fabricating hallucinations that looked real enough for the rest of me to buy it. But I knew better than


    that. She was real.


    I could feel her, not physically but her energy. There was something unique about her. S omething I¡®d


    never sensed before.


    Aiden


    I jumped up on the boardroom table that currently seated my Pack members. I paced back and forth


    looking each and every one of them in the eye, asserting my dominance.


    ¡°Everyone, listen up,¡± Imanded. ¡°Things are going to change around here, starting now. The One


    True Alpha ising, and I need this Pack to be a united front. So stron g that no threat can break


    through. Understand?¡±


    I looked around, seeing the solemn faces nodding back at me. ¡°This Pack will always ha ve my full


    attention, never doubt that. But if you don¡®t trust my decisions, then we¡®re all i n trouble. If any


    of you don¡®t feel my leadership is worthy of your obedience,¡± I said, pointing to the door, ¡°there¡®s your


    exit.¡±


    I took a breath as I looked from face to face. Nobody moved a muscle. So I continued. ¡°I f we¡®re


    divided, we¡®re weak. And if we¡®re weak, then something like the perimeter breac h will happen again.


    That¡®s not a possibility. Do you understand? This is the fucking Alp ha of the Millennium. If we can¡®t


    protect him, then we¡®re no damn Pack at all,¡°? I barked.


    I stepped over to Josh¡®s seat and lowered myself down, so I was crouching. Looked him right in the


    eye. ¡°Josh, my Beta. I need to know that you are fullymitted to your Alp ha. That you will follow my


    orders, no questions asked.¡±


    He looked around the room, trying to keep his expression neutral.


    ¡°What are you looking at them for? I¡®m right here,¡± I said, snarling.


    ¡°Yes, my Alpha,¡± he said, eyes finally locking on mine. ¡°I have full confidence in you as Pack leader. I


    will follow you.¡± ¡°Without question.¡±


    ¡°Without question,¡± he echoed.


    ¡°And the rest of you?¡± I asked, standing back up and looking around the table.


    ¡°Yes, my Alpha!¡± they shouted.


    ¡°Which Pack is the strongest from coast to coast?¡± I yelled, stomping on the table.


    ¡°East Coast Pack,¡± they echoed, stomping back.


    ¡°Fucking louder!¡±


    ¡°EAST COAST PACK!¡±


    The Pack howled like the warriors they were, and I felt a surge of pride that I hadn¡®t felt i n months. This


    was our house, and we¡®d protect


    it with our lives.


    My phone began buzzing, and I whipped it out, adrenaline still pumping through my


    Sienna A real Alpha wouldn¡®t leave his woman alone


    Goddamnit. I was all riled up, surrounded by pure wolf¨C fueled energy, ready to go into battle. And here


    she was, questioning my Alphaness. Qu estioning my masculinity.


    I wouldn¡®t have it.


    ¡°Josh, as Beta, you¡®ll run point on security for the Yule Ball. Are you up to it?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Absolutely, Alpha,¡± he stuttered Clearly he wasn¡®t expecting a promotion a t he questioning


    I¡®d just pushed him throug


    ¡°You took initiative during the breach, and the lockdown was your idea. You deserve it,¡± I said with a


    nod. Had to keep the soldiers proud, I figured.


    ¡°I won¡®t let you down,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You won¡®t,¡± I said back. And with a final nod to the rest of the Pack, I walked out of the boardroom with


    my head held high. About to enter a whole other type of battle.

 Book 2: Chapter 8

    Book 2: Chapter 8


    Sienna


    As soon as I sent thest text, I burrowed myself deeper under his covers. I hadn¡¯t intended on ending


    up here, in his bed, but after I finished the painting¡­ I just started wandering


    It felt like I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the urge inside me to find him, to keep him next to me So I sent the


    goddamn text. And now I was in his room, in his bed, because that was the closest I could get to him


    right now.


    What is happening to me?


    I was sending passive-aggressive texts. I was fantasizing about cuddling. I¡¯d be the kind of girl I


    swore I¡¯d never be¡ªthe kind that depends on a guy. The truth of that realization made the tears start


    falling. Great. I¡®m even more of a cliche now.


    I was flipping the pillow over, trying to give myself a fresh start and calm down a little, when the


    bedroom door flew open. I hadn¡¯t heard a car pull into the driveway. I hadn¡¯t heard the front door open


    or close. But it didn¡¯t matter. Aiden was here.


    He growled, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. His hazel eyes were on me, I could feel them,


    but my own eyes were closed. It wasn¡¯t that I was scared of facing him after what I¡¯d sent. I was


    dominant. I could always handle myself.


    No, it was the embarrassment that I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge. The shame that filled the room and left


    the air feeling thick, making it hard to breathe.


    Because now it wasn¡¯t just me who knew how much the Alpha affected me. No, now the Alpha knew


    too.


    And then he was on me.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he growled again, and I could feel the heat in his hands radiating through my shoulders


    as he pulled me up. I was sitting now, looking right at him, and he hadn¡¯t let my shoulders out of his


    grasp. ¡°You¡¯re crying.¡±


    I immediately wiped the tears away from my eyes, or tried to, at least. I knew if I tried to say something


    back my voice would betray me and he¡¯d hear the shame loud and clear.


    So


    I just focused on his face. His beautiful face, the one that was almost too much to look at.


    But now, with his hands on my shoulders, he made sure my gaze stayed on him.


    I tried to look down, but he put his thumb under my chin and lifted my face back up. ¡°Talk to me,¡± he


    ordered.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have questioned my masculinity.¡± He growled at me, so low, so heartfelt, that the weight


    of what I¡¯d done lingered between us. I had questioned the Alpha. ¡°But more importantly,¡± he continued,


    ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have been here by yourself. Crying. Being sad. No more of that.¡±


    And in an instant, he jumped over me and pulled me to him so we were lying on our sides pressed up


    against each other. His arms pulled me close to him, and I could feel him smelling my hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. And I¡¯ll be here.¡± His voice was right in my ear, and it made me feel like my entire body was


    wrapped in velvet. All warm and smooth.


    I wiggled around so we were facing each other,cing my arms around his back. Our mouths were


    centimeters away. Our eyes were wide open, locked on each other.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°You¡­ hate this?¡± he asked incredulously.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Not¡­ this. Not you. But yes, this. And yes, you. I¡¯m not this girl! I¡¯ve never been this


    girl. And now I¡¯m crying, and I¡¯m missing you, and I don¡¯t like that feeling. Of needing you.¡±


    ¡°Needing me isn¡¯t the worst thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°Sure feels like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I could be offended,¡± he said, sliding his finger down my nose. The contact made my body


    quiver. ¡°But as a real man, I¡¯ll just say¡­ that I won¡¯t ever leave my woman alone. Not again. I promise.¡±


    Something about hearing my wordse


    from his mouth, about the closeness of how we were, all entangled in his sheets, made the sadness of


    before disappear.


    It was like everything inside me was telling me to let him in, to trust him, to rely on him.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    It was still scary, but it felt manageable now. Like I could ovee the fear so long as he was wrapped


    around me. I looked at him again, feeling safe and sturdy with a man who¡¯d been a stranger a few short


    weeks ago.


    ***


    Warmth. Dim light. Wrapped up in¡­ something


    ¡°Mmmm.¡± I let the sound out before I could stop it, before my eyes could even open. It was all too¡­ too


    delicious. Like a warm apple pie.


    My eyes shed open. Warm apple pie.


    Everything came back to me. The tears, the text, the growl. And the man next to me, still tangled


    around me, fast asleep.


    Sun was shining in through the space in the window that the curtain didn¡¯t cover. ¡°Hey,¡± I said, nudging


    Aiden¡¯s bicep. He looked so peaceful, so calm, that I didn¡¯t want to wake him. This might¡¯ve been the


    first time he¡¯d been more vulnerable than me.


    But I knew that he¡¯d left work early to be with me yesterday and that he had to take care of business.


    He was the Alpha, after all. ¡°Aiden.¡± I nudged him again, and this time he stirred.


    His eyes opened slowly, and he let out a big exhale, stretching his arms into the air. ¡°Gr morning,¡± he


    said, and then he pulled me back to him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ breathe¡­¡± I said,ughing and squirming against him. I could feel him get excited as I moved


    my hips, trying to break free, but he just held me tighter. ¡°Aiden!¡± I let out, and he released me.


    I turned so I was facing him, so I could feel his breath on my cheek. ¡°You have to go to work,¡± I said


    softly, trying to hide my emotions.


    I¡¯d been needy enoughst night. I didn¡¯t want him to think I¡¯d be like that all the time.


    And I didn¡¯t want to think that of myself, either.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± he said, jumping onto me. He was straddling me now, pinning my hands above my head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± I tried to fight his hands off me, tried to free myself from his grasp, but it was like he was


    the Hulk. Or an Alpha, I thought,ughing. Of course he was stronger than me, even if I was dominant


    were.


    ¡°I took the day off. I told you, not leaving my woman alone.¡± He lowered himself to my El neck and


    started kissing, running his lips o my mark.


    I instantly felt the Haze start to hit me. Slowly at first, but it kept building, nagging me to acknowledge it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave at some point,¡± I got out as a way to distract myself, to distract him. I was still on


    my period, and I was still not going to have sex with him.


    Repeat that, I ordered myself.


    I am still on my period. I am still not going to have sex with him.


    But then he grabbed the back of my head and hoisted me up so we were sitting chest to chest. He


    trailed his fingers down my neck, still wet with his kisses, and across my corbone. He moved them


    down my arms, all the way to my fingertips, and the softness of his touch made me want to explode.


    ¡°Aiden¡­¡± I trailed off, my eyes closing. And then he was by my ear, nibbling on my earlobe.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he growled. But no. I had to think of distraction. So I said the first thing that ca G to my mind.


    ¡°I made apple pie.¡±


    ***


    Apple pie for breakfast. Across from a shirtless Alpha. I could get used to this, I thought.


    ¡°This¡­ this is amazing,¡± he said, stabbing his fork into another slice, his third slice¡ªI had been


    counting¡ªbut I didn¡¯t mind that he was eating most of the pie. I was hungry for something else.


    Stop it, Sienna.


    I watched him chew mouthful after mouthful, barely stopping to breathe. I liked cooking


    for him. I liked seeing him enjoy things that I made. It felt intimate. Like he was enjoying me.


    ¡°Seriously, how¡¯d you know this was my favorite?¡± he asked, already pulling another slice onto his


    te.


    ¡°Jocelyn told me.¡±


    ¡°You two gossipping about me?¡± he asked G chewing, a smile on his face.


    ¡°You wish.¡± That was bold, even for me, and Aiden let the fork drop onto his te before leaping across


    the table and tackling me to the ground. I wasughing so hard I couldn¡¯t catch my breath


    ¡°I wish, do I?¡±


    Again, my hands were pinned behind me, but this time he had a free hand to tickle me. His fingers


    dusted over my ribcage, and I thought I was going to pass out.


    ¡°STOP!¡± I tried to scream, but it sounded more like augh. ¡°Or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Or else what?¡± he growled, and I felt the Haze resurfacing


    He was between my legs, and I started moving my hips against him without thinking about it. He


    noticed, his tickling fingers slowing down, touching me in a different way. He brushed the strap of my


    tank top off my shoulder and kissed the spot where it had been.


    This is my chance. With one swift move, I freed both my hands from his unsuspecting grasp and flipped


    us over so I was the one straddling him. His eyebrows shot up, surprised at my strength or my initiative


    or something else.


    ¡°Or else that,¡± I said, lowering myself to kiss him. I kissed him gently, briefly, and then moved lower


    than his mouth.


    His hands were on my back, pushing me closer to him, and the Haze was cheering them on.


    No, I thought, so I snatched his hands in mine and pulled them off, this time pinning his hands above


    him. Something about feeling in control was making me even hotter. And I could feel it having the same


    effect on him.


    ¡°You know,¡± he started, his voice thick with desire, ¡°if you¡¯re really my woman, and I¡¯m really your man,


    then you have to mark me too.¡±


    The next second I was on his neck, my primal instinct making sure everyone would know he was mine.


    When I finished, I looked down at my work. That was the first time I¡¯d marked anyone, and it had been


    an Alpha. I felt wild with pride and with lust.


    So I lowered myself farther down, letting my hands trail over his muscr chest, over his tight abs. I


    started kissing a pathway down.


    ¡°Sienna,¡± he said, somewhere between a moan and a warning. I was at the waistband of his


    sweatpants when I looked up at him.


    ¡°I want to do this. For you.¡±


    The look he gave me after I said that was enough to make a wet log spark a fire.

 Book 2: Chapter 9

    Book 2: Chapter 9


    Sienna


    Part of me couldn¡¯t believe what was about to happen. What I was about to do. This was the first time


    I¡¯d been so close to touching a man, and I felt ready.


    It felt right


    ¡°I want to do this. For you,¡± I said, and his gaze bore into me. Right into me. My Haze was hungry, and


    if I couldn¡¯t fulfill it all, this would do just fine. So I lowered my lips to his hips and continued leaving soft


    kisses along the border of his sweatpants. And then my fingers slowly pulled the waistband down until I


    could see all of him.


    And when I could, my breath hitched in my throat. He was big and thick, exactly what you¡¯d expect an


    Alpha to look like. I had watched porn before, sure, so I knew what was normal for pornstars to have.


    But seeing it up close, with a man who I knew¡ªa man who I liked¡ªit was different. So different.


    I ran my fingers along him first, watching him get harder and harder.


    ¡°Shit, Sienna,¡± Aiden muttered. ¡°Have you ever...???


    ¡°No,¡± I said softly, breathing warm air onto him. And then I stuck my tongue out, tasting him. I heard


    Aiden let out a gasp and took that as motivation to take the top of him into my mouth. I sucked gently


    for a few moments, and then I took more of him. As much as I could.


    I was moving up and down to a rhythm. I hadn¡¯t done this before, per se, but I was a neen-year-old


    girl. I wasn¡¯t deaf to hearing blowjob tales from my friends, and of those, there were many. So I was


    fairly certain I knew exactly what to do, and by the way he was responding, I wasn¡¯t half bad.


    He was getting louder. I liked being responsible for that. It felt good to drive him crazy.


    After a few more minutes of that, I felt his hands reach down to the back of my neck. He was trying to


    lift me off him. I knew why.


    He didn¡¯t want me to swallow what woulde next. But I wanted to. No, I needed to. I wanted to taste


    all of him, to get to know every morsel of what he was.


    So I pped his hands away and moved my


    So I pped his hands away and moved my head up and down even faster, using my tongue to swirl


    around him. It took only a few seconds, but then he wasing, and a thick and salty substance, not


    bad-tasting, filled my mouth.


    I swallowed it and looked up at him, at the man who¡¯d been the first to enter my mout like that


    He was catching his breath, but his eyes were dancing. He pulled me up to him and tucked a lock of


    hair behind my ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re spectacr,¡± he said, the word somehow containing more ttery than everypliment I¡¯d


    ever gottenbined.


    ***


    Josh alpha hurry up Josh were all here already


    Aiden I¡¯ming


    Josh alphas dont get to be fashionablyte


    Josh lol


    Aiden


    Sienna had just blown my mind. There was no other way to phrase it. Sure, I¡¯d known the girl was hot


    as hell. That was never the question.


    But knowing how inexperienced she was, how innocent she appeared to be, I wasn¡¯t expecting that.


    Not even the girls who¡¯d been around the block a thousand times had given me something like that.


    She was in the guest room getting ready now. I could hear her moving around in there, and my


    imagination was thinking about her getting dressed. The way her body lookedpletely uncovered,


    the way she looked as she was pulling a pair of panties up¡­


    Stop, I ordered myself. It was like I couldn¡¯t control myself at all when we were in the same house. Must


    be the Haze.


    I pulled a sweater on and then headed into the hallway, knocking once on the door


    Sienna was behind. ¡°Sienna? Ready?¡±¡¯


    Not even a secondter the door was opening, and there she was. In a sleek ck blouse and jeans,


    her red hair tumbling down over her shoulders. Her curves¡­ the way the fabric clung to her in all the


    right ways¡­ it was too much. I growled, pulling her to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not go. Let¡¯s stay here and¡­¡±I trailed off, my suggestion lingering between our heavy breathing


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Alpha.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Like you could miss the fair.¡±


    She was right. I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°If it were up to me, we¡¯d stay here all day. Fuck the photo op.¡± I said, kissing her.


    ¡°Fuck the photo op,¡± she said back, looking me in the eyes. But we couldn¡¯t. Because I was Alpha and


    the fair was the pre-Yule Ball event that got the wholemunity together. And what was amunity


    without its leader?


    Sienna


    The second we neared the fair, I felt my nerves dancing through my bloodstream. I had never been this


    nervous a person, never in my entire freaking life. But I was holding the


    Alpha¡¯s hand, living in his house. So I wasn¡¯t just a regr teenage girl anymore.


    I was the girl next to Aiden Norwood. The girl who¡¯d be scrutinized and fussed with, who¡¯d be the


    subject of gossip, until everyone stopped caring


    And I¡¯d bet it would take awhile for everyone to stop caring


    We¡¯d just reached the gardens outside the fair, and I was taken aback by how polished they looked.


    Someone hadced lights through the trees, giving the dusk sky a beautiful glow.


    T


    Even from here I could see how packed it was. While the Yule Ball was the main event of the holiday


    season every year, the fair was the family-friendly version that brought everyone in town out to drink


    hot cocoa and y carnival games. Something about being here made me feel like a kid every time.


    Then I felt my hand being squeezed, and my mind turned back to the man beside me. The man who


    sent chills down my spine over and over again. And I suddenly didn¡¯t feel like a kid at all.


    ¡°You ready?¡± he asked, peering down at me.


    I gave him a nod. I was ready¡ªSienna Mercer, reporting for ceremonial role duty. And then he was


    whisking me through the gardens, through the people of all agesughing and milling about, and


    leading me straight for the table under the canopy tent.


    The table that housed all the Pack elite, including Josh and Jocelyn.


    I spotted them sharing a chair¡ªwell, Jocelyn treating Josh¡¯sp as a chair, more specifically


    ¡ªand they waved us over.


    ¡°Finally. I wonder what took ¡¯em so long.¡± Josh winked to Jocelyn, and I felt my cheeks burn.


    ¡°Watch yourself,¡± Aiden ordered him, putting a protective arm around my shoulders. I inched closer to


    him, liking the warmth.


    ¡°Monica from the Pack News was looking for you. She wants a quote,¡± Josh said to Aiden, and Aiden


    just nodded. He grabbed a couple cups of hot cocoa from the bar behind the table and handed me one


    before guiding me back to the center of the fair.


    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind I¡¯m yanking you with me to do business,¡± he growled into my ear.


    Something about the way he said it made it feel sexy, even though it was a pretty mundane topic. I


    looked at him, at the way his hair fell just so, at the scruff on his cheeks.


    There was something so effortlessly sexy about him all the time. And then he kissed me, in the middle


    of the fair, surrounded by families. And all I could think was, let them see.


    A camera sh pulled me out of the kiss. ¡°Hey, Alpha, over here!¡±


    I turned to find the source of the sh-shoutbo and saw a short woman, her curly dark hair looking


    like a volcano erupting in all directions from her scalp. Even though she was standing still, I could¡¯ve


    sworn she was moving at a mile a minute.


    ¡°Monica,¡± Aiden greeted her, extending his hand for a shake. She shook it with gusto, and I thought I


    saw a blush creep up her cheeks.


    ¡°Tell me, tell me,¡± she said, looking between him and me. ¡°Is this serious?¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted a quote about the fair?¡±


    She waved that sentiment away. ¡°Fairs sell cocoa. Sex sells papers.¡± She let out a wink and a cackle at


    her own joke, and Aiden raised his eyebrow at me before turning back to her. He shrugged his jacket


    off and, pulling the cor of his sweater away from his neck, exposed the mark that I¡¯d given him the


    previous night


    Monica gasped, and I just barely stopped myself from doing the same. And then the heat rose to my


    cheeks, filling me with a distinct kind of pride, one that made it clear I was wanted. By the Alpha.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a done deal?¡± Monica pressed. I straightened my shoulders. I wasn¡¯t giving anything away. This


    was his world, his tform. He could say what he wanted.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s ever done in this world,¡± Aiden said.


    ¡°So there may be room for anotherdy?¡±


    At that question, Aiden pulled me close to him, wrapping his arms around my chest from behind. ¡°Right


    now, this is all thedy I need.¡±


    Monica snarled¡ªyes, snarled¡ªand before she could get another question out, Aiden took my hand


    and guided me away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find youter for that quote!¡± he called over his shoulder to her.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    And then we were by the edge of the fair, close to the trees.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said, his eyes searching mine. ¡°You did great.¡±


    ¡°I did? I didn¡¯t say a word.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Handled yourself like a pro. How about I make it up to you?¡±


    ¡°And how do you n on doing that?¡±


    He scanned the fair for an answer, and then he turned me around so I was looking at the same thing he


    was. The Ferris wheel.


    ¡°The Ferris wheel is actually my favorite,¡± I said. It was true. Every year it was what I looked forward to


    most. Something about being above the world, high enough to feel like you were above every danger,


    every threat, was invigorating. ¡°You can make fun of me for that if you want.¡±


    ¡°Make fun of you for loving the Ferris wheel?¡±


    CCT


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I loved it. I just like it the best.¡± He shook his head and smiled at me, like he couldn¡¯t


    believe I was a fully functional human.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, pulling me toward it.


    Before I could say anything, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Back in the trees.


    A face. The same face I¡¯d seen before in the forest.


    The woman with the mysterious purple eyes, the other-worldly beauty. The kind of face you couldn¡¯t


    just forget. But then, she was gone.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± I asked, suddenly out of breath. Aiden just looked around quizzically. ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°Thedy!¡±


    ¡°Whatdy?¡±


    ¡°She was right there!¡±


    ¡°Sienna, are you all right?¡±


    I looked back at the trees, where the purple-eyeddy had been moments before and wondered what it


    meant¡ªher always appearing to me, just out of reach. It wasn¡¯t my mind ying tricks on me. Of that


    much I was sure.

 Book 2: Chapter: 10

    Book 2: Chapter: 10


    Sienna


    We were nearing the Ferris wheel, and I was trying to shake the image of the purple¨C eyed woman


    from my head. Aiden clearly hadn¡®t seen her, and if I brought her up again, I was sure he would sign


    me into a psych ward or something


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, pulling Aiden up to the teenager manning the Ferris wheel ticketing b ooth.


    I dipped my hand into my purse to buy us both a ride, but the teenager just held his hand up.


    ¡°Alpha, man, you¡®re good,¡± he said to Aiden.


    Then he nodded to me. ¡°Her too.¡±


    Huh. It seemed traveling with the Alpha had some perks.


    The teenager escorted us past the line¡ª


    I turned back to gauge Aiden¡®s reaction and he just shrugged¡ª and then we were stepping into our


    own private car. I slid across the bench, and Aiden c ame to sit right beside me. The teenager helped


    us bring the bar down, making sure we were secure.


    ¡°Enjoy the Love Wheel,¡± he said with a wink, and then he disappeared back into the cro wd.


    ¡°It wasn¡®t called the Love Wheelst year,¡± I said to Aiden, feeling a blush spread over my cheeks


    before I could stop it.


    ¡°Maybe


    something¡®s different this year,¡± he said, and his handced through mine. Before I coul d read too


    much into that, we started moving. Our car rose quickly until we were right at the top of the wheel,


    looking down at the town beneath us.


    ¡°It¡®s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± I looked at him as he said that and had an overwhelming feeling that he wasn¡®t talking about the


    view. I looke d down into myp. I still wasn¡®tfortable with all the attention.


    ¡°Who¡®s Emily?¡± At the sound of her name, my head whipped


    up. ¡°I heard you say her name when you were sleeping. You kept repeating it.¡±


    His eyes searched my face for answers, but I wasn¡®t ready to talk about it. I hadn¡®t talke d about it with


    anyone before.


    ¡°I can¡®t... ¡± I said, not wanting to lie to him.


    He sighed and looked out at the view, and I thought I¡®d lost him. But then he started talking


    Aiden


    I¡®d heard Sienna whimpering in her sleepst night when I was holding her in my arms. I could feel her


    body


    trembling, and I couldn¡®t see tears in the darkness, but I wouldn¡®t have been surprised if there¡®d been


    some on her cheeks.


    She¡®d called for an Emily, over and over again, loud enough that I¡®d been woken up. I di dn¡®t mind, of


    course. Maybe it was the Alpha in me, but I liked being needed.


    I hugged her to me tighter and smoothed her hair until she stopped whimpering, and the n I fell back


    asleep.


    I was fairly certain that she¡®d been deep in slumber through the whole thing, but I knew t hat that kind of


    unconscious emotion didn¡®t juste from some arbitrary character in your imagination. There was


    more to what she was whimpering about than I knew, an d my curiosity got the best of me.


    So when we were locked into our Ferris wheel car, looking down at the fair, all the way down, I brought


    it up. Something immediately shifted in her. She inched a little away fro m me, but I don¡®t think she did it


    on purpose. I think her instinct, when someone asks he r something personal and important, is to


    create space.


    Being Alpha, I¡®d learned a long time ago how to put those around me at ease. Somethin g my dad


    taught me when I was young was to never expect anything for free. ¡°Give something to get so


    mething,¡± he¡®d say, and that notion had stuck with me.


    So in the Ferris wheel, I prepared myself to give something


    ¡°I had a brother,¡± I began, looking out into the distance. I could feel her gaze fall on me almost


    immediately. ¡°His name was Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡± she choked out. I looked at her now, nodding


    ¡°He was older than me. By a few years. He¡®d always known I¡®d surpass him as an Alpha, said he could


    sense it the whole time we were kids But he didn¡®t care He¡®d tac kle


    were kids. But he didn¡®t care. He¡®d tackle me and throw me around anyway.¡± I smiled, re membering


    the times we¡®d had together growing up. It had just been the two of us and o ur parents, so we¡®d always


    been close.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sienna whispered.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°He met his mate,¡± I said. ¡°Her name was Jen. She was a human. A scientist. Beautiful and smart, she


    was his perfect match. I¡®d never seen him as happy as when he was wit h her.¡±


    It was true. Seeing them together, that was what gave me the inspiration to keep my hope inta ct¡ªthe


    hope that, one day, I¡®d meet my mate too.


    ¡°Then one day, in theb she was working in, there was an explosion. It was at the stati on over from


    hers, a mix of chemicals that shouldn¡®t have been together. An ident. H uman error, they said. But it


    was toote. She was gone.¡±


    I saw Sienna¡®s eyes fill with tears. She was waiting for me to finish, silent.


    ¡°You know what happens when we lose our mate. Aaron¡®s heart couldn¡®t take it. It broke into pieces,


    disintegrating day after day, until there was nothing left And then he was one there was nothing left.


    And then he was gone,


    too.¡±


    Sienna wrapped her hand around mine, pulling it into herp. Then she looked at me, h er eyes


    somehow providing me some kind of relief. Like she was soothing my soul without saying a word.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry,¡± she said after a moment. And then she took a deep breath, like she was getting ready to


    stick her head into a new world. One she hadn¡®t been to before


    .


    Sienna


    I took a deep breath, and her face filled my head. Something


    about the way Aiden had been so open with me, so raw, had let all of my memories free


    . Like he¡®d somehow been able to tell them that it was okay¡ª we didn¡®t have to be afraid, not anymore.


    Thest time I¡®d seen Emily, it was the day after. I hadn¡®t known why she¡®d been so cold that morning,


    why she was hesitant about meing over.


    She¡®d had a big date the night before, with the guy she¡®d been into for awhile.


    She was nervous, sure, but we were fifteen. What girl wasn¡®t nervous to go on a date? I¡® d helped her


    get ready, made sure her outfit was sexy enough to catch his attention.


    I had even brought over Selene¡®s glitter lotion, the kind that, when rubbed in, left a trail o f sparkles


    behind. I helped Emily rub it onto her neck and chest and then gave her an approving smile.


    ¡°You look good enough to eat,¡± I¡®d said,ughing. And then I sent her off.


    She had texted me a few times when I was at dinner with my family, saying he was bein g too touchy,


    too aggressive, but I didn¡®t think anything of it. I was a dominant, so I¡®d alw ays thought everyone else


    around me should be, too.


    I mean I couldn¡®t imagine a submissive mate. In my mind, that was the worst possible o ption.


    I fell asleep early, and when I woke up the next morning, my phone showed I had four m issed calls


    from her. Again, I didn¡®t think


    anything of it. I thought


    my friend had wanted to gush about how she¡®d had her first kiss or how sexy he was. A nd I hadn¡®t had


    so much as a crush on anyone yet, so I wasn¡®t that upset to have missed the calls.


    But then I showed up to her house, like I did every Saturday. And her mom greeted me at the door,


    saying Emily wasn¡®t feeling so well. But I went into her bedroom anyways, s aw her tucked under the


    covers,st night¡®s makeup all over her face.


    ¡°What¡®s wrong? I asked, running over to her.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Her voice was clipped, and her eyes looked vacant. But then they flicked over to me, and


    she pushed the nkets off her. My eyes moved over the glitter across her chest, but I also saw the


    w marks, the trail of dried blood.


    ¡°Emily!¡± I cried, grabbing her hands. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡±


    ¡°He thought...¡± she started, and her eyes welled with tears. ¡°He thought I looked good e nough to eat.¡±


    I had let my best friend go out with a guy who wanted one thing. And when she didn¡®t w ant to give it to


    him, he took it anyways.


    ¡°She was raped.¡± I got out, finally looking at


    Aiden. I¡®d described the details of my memory aloud, for the first time. ¡°I encouraged her to go out with


    the guy who raped her. And I wasn¡®t there when she called for help.¡±


    He reached out to wipe a tear that had fallen away. ¡°It¡®s not your fault,¡± he said. ¡°That pi ece¨Cof¨Cshit


    werewolf is the one who should be crying.¡±


    ¡°She killed herself. Two dayster.¡± I looked right at Aiden, wanting to see how he reacted. It was


    something I¡®d kept inside for so long, and I didn¡®t know how sharing it wo uld make me feel


    He inhaled sharply, his eyes closing. When they opened again, they were red. Like he was experie


    ncing the pain right along with me.


    ¡°I get it,¡± he said, and he brought my hand to his lips. He kissed it gently, so gently that I wondered if,


    had my eyes been closed, I would¡®ve felt it.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why you¡®re keeping your virginity. It¡®s sacred, and it should be respected. I¡®ll respect it,


    Sienna. I¡®ll respect you.¡± it, Sienna. I¡®ll respect you.¡±


    They don¡®t write textbooks for these kinds of conversations, but if they did, that would be the answer


    that every kid should memorize.


    I felt ease surge through me, like all the stress I¡®d been nervous about feeling the first ti me I had the


    Emily conversation had vanished. And it was because of the man sitting be side me, clutching my


    hand.


    The Alpha


    The Alpha made my heart beat slow, made me feel at home in a car a hundred feet off the g round.


    And as the wheel started to turn, as we were lowered back down to where we belonged, I couldn¡®t help


    but think that Aiden...


    Aiden might just be my mate.

 Book 2: Chapter: 11

    Book 2: Chapter: 11


    Sienna


    ¡°Sienna, can you grab the champagne??


    I looked across the dining room at Aiden, who was bringing a tter of cheese and crac kers to the


    table. I almost pinched myself. It felt surreal. We were throwing a dinner party, our first dinner party, as


    a coupl e. Not a mated couple, of course, but a couple for the season.


    The whole mated thing... that would take a little more time to figure out.


    I still hadn¡®t had the ah¨C ha moment I was looking for, the one I¡®d always assumed woulde when I


    saw my mate. Selene had said that sometimes it takes longer to realize.


    Like with Mia and Harry. They were best friends for years before they mated. But I need ed to be sure


    that Aiden either was my mate or wasn¡®t before I decided anything drastic. I was waiting for a sign.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I called back to him, walking into the kitchen and pulling a bottle of champagne from the fridge.


    As I walked it back into the dining room, the doorbell rang.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± he called out. And then he opened the door.


    There were hugs and kisses, exmations andughter, and by the time the door shut again, there


    were four more familiar faces in the room.


    ¡°Sienna, honey,¡± Jocelyn greeted me. ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    I hugged Josh hello and then kissed Mia and Harry on their cheeks. ¡°Guys, thank you foring!¡± I


    eximed to the newly mated pair.


    ¡°We wouldn¡®t miss it,¡± Harry said, and I couldn¡®t help but feel overjoyed for my friend. Ha rry was such a


    good guy, and I knew they were really meant to be. Just then Erica grabbed my arm, f orcing me to


    swivel, and I saw she had located the champagne bottle.


    In one swift motion she¡®d popped it, hande us each a champagne flute, and poured a healthy dose of


    bubbly into the sses.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± she said, and we brought our flutes together. I eyed Mia, and we shared a loo


    k. Ever since Erica had been the only one of us to go without a real catch for the season , she¡®d been


    drinking a lot more I didn¡®t think it was cause for concern, but I was still hop


    ing she¡®d find someone. I looked over Harry¡®s shoulder and found Aiden talking to Rhys, one of his


    oldest friends.


    ¡°Hey, Aiden, we have champagne over here!¡± I called out and watched as their little gro up came to


    merge with ours. Introductions were made, as per my n. Aiden had menti oned Rhys was single for


    the Season, so I wanted him and Erica to chat.


    ¡°Erica, I think Rhys wants a drink.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± she asked him. He smiled at her, grabbing a flute off the table and then holding it out for her


    to pour. Good.


    I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find Mia. ¡°Where¡®s Michelle?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡®t know. I thought she wasing with you guys.¡±


    Mia shook her head. ¡°She was supposed toe with Ross. I tried to call her before we left, but she


    didn¡®t answer.¡±


    ¡°Weird. They¡®ll probably be fashionablyte. You know how they are when they¡®re toget her.¡± together.¡±


    ¡°Can¡®t go five seconds without...¡± We looked at each other and erupted into giggles. So mething about


    the champagne and having all my friends together, with Aiden, it kind of made me giddy.


    Michelle im outside


    Sienna


    ??


    Sienna Come in silly Michelle can ue out


    Sienna


    Mich


    Sienna What is goin on


    Michelle ES GW


    please sienna Michelle i need u toe


    I snuck out of the dining room as everyone was taking their seats at the table, closing th e front door


    gently behind me. ¡°Michelle?¡±¡® I called out softly, not wanting anyone inside to get worried.


    I didn¡®t see or hear anything at first. But then, a few secondster, I saw some moveme nt by the edge


    of thewn. Michelle stepped out from the shadow of a tree.


    ¡°I¡®m here,¡± she said, and I could


    tell she¡®d been crying. Immediately my mind went to the worst¡ª to what had happened to Emily and


    how I had been toote for that, too.


    I ran over to her. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡± I asked so quickly the words were in coherent.


    ¡°He... he...¡±


    ¡°Shhh,e here. Take a deep breath,¡± I said, guiding her to the big rock beside the dri veway. We


    both leaned on it as I rubbed


    driveway. We both


    leaned on it as I rubbed her back. I watched as Michelle, usually my hyper¨C


    confident, badass, outspoken friend, brought a trembling hand up to wipe the tears from her cheek.


    ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±


    She looked at me, her eyes filled with pain, but a different type of pain than Emily¡®s had been on that


    day. ¡°He dumped me.¡±


    ¡°What???


    ¡°For another girl. He said she¡®s... she¡®s hotter. And better in... in bed.¡± I could barely und erstand her


    through the sniffles, but I knew that was the worst possible thing Michelle could hear. Sh e was used to


    getting her way, especially with boys, and Ross had been a guy she trust ed.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry. I¡®m so sorry, Mich,¡± I said, hugging her. She hugged me back. Then she pulle d away


    ¡°I don¡®t think I cane inside¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop that. Of course you¡®reing in.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m a mess.¡±


    ¡°If you go home, he wins. You need to have a fun night. You deserve that.¡±


    She smiled at me. ¡°I¡®ve missed you, Si,¡± she said. ¡°I¡®m sorry we¡®ve been...¡® CCTT


    ¡°Yeah. Me too,¡± I said, grabbing her hand. ¡°Can we not fight again? Like, ever?¡±?


    ¡°Promise,¡± she said, and we bothughed. Then she stood, rolled her shoulders back, a nd took her


    hair out of her ponytail.


    ¡°How do I look?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. And then we headed back inside.


    Aiden


    It didn¡®t feel like I¡®d known Sienna for only a few weeks. Looking around the dining room , seeing all our


    friends mingling with each other, it felt... normal. And nice.


    ¡°Hey, man, this gouda is gouda,¡± Josh


    said, pping my shoulder as he chewed a mouthful of cheese. I couldn¡®t help butugh . Some things


    changed, but others... they never would


    ¡°You want another drink?¡± I asked Josh.


    ¡°Beer,¡± he responded, so I got up to grab us some beers from the fridge. Josh was my o ldest friend,


    my best friend, and, now that we¡®d made a few things clear this past week, a Bet a I could trust.


    I mean he¡®d always been a guy I could trust. He knew everything that had gone down wi th Aaron, how


    messed up it made me for a while.


    But now, with all the weirdness happening around the Pack¡ª


    what with the incident with the unknown threat and now the Alpha of the Millennium¡®s ap


    pearance¨CI finally felt like I¡®d be able to lean on him in a transparent way for work¨C rted issues, too.


    He was smarter than his frat¨Cwolf demeanor let on, after all.


    I pulled a couple beers out and brought them back to the table. We brought the bottles t o our mouths


    ¡ªpart of being a werewolf meant you never needed a bottle opener, and fastened our teeth around the


    cap.


    Josh had his open in less than a second, but for some reason, mine wasn¡®t budging.


    ¡°Come on, bro, what¡®s happening?¡±


    I waved him off, trying to wiggle the cap, but still nothing. People were starting to notice.


    ¡°He¡®s gone weak!¡± Josh bellowed from the seat next to me, and now everyone at the tab le was


    watching me squirm against the cap.


    ¡°Come on, Alpha!¡± Rhys hollered from the other end.


    ¡°Alpha versus cap! Alpha versus cap!¡± Josh chanted, pounding his hands against the ta ble.


    Now I was pissed. I grabbed the cap between my back mrs and ripped it off, spitting it out across the


    table. Josh pped me on the back.


    ¡°There ya go, buddy. Thought you were really losing your power for a second.¡±


    I shot him a look before he went any further. Sure, we weren¡®t on the job or at the Pack House, but I


    was still his go ddamn Alpha. He retreated back into his seat.


    ¡°It was a busted bottle,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, or maybe she¡®s not your mate.¡±


    Before he could go further, I was at his throat. ¡°What¡®d you say to me?¡±


    He eyed me, kind of nervous, and then his gaze shot around the table. Rhys had notice d, but


    everyone else was still deep in conversation. I backed up, not wanting to cause a scene.


    Josh leaned in. ¡°I¡®m just saying, if she was your mate, you¡®d have all the strength you¡®d ever had. You


    would know.¡±


    Before I could answer, Sienna was walking into the room, her friend in tow. And I realize d I hadn¡®t seen


    her in awhile, that she¡®d been out of the room.


    Where had she gone? Why hadn¡®t I noticed?


    And just like that, Josh had gotten into my head. Making me question myself in ways I n ever had


    before.


    Sienna


    I led Michelle into the dining room, watching as she changed back into the girl I knew. T he one who


    held her head high in every situation, who refused to take any shit from any one.


    I locked eyes with Aiden. I knew I should¡®ve been used to his looks by now, the way his scruff


    illuminated his striking jawline and how his mouth c urled into the little smile that sent my butterflies


    dancing.


    But I wasn¡®t. He still gave me goosebumps.


    ¡°Michelle¡®s here,¡± I said to everyone at the table, and all turned to see. And then somethi ng I couldn¡®t


    quite exin happened.


    It was like a wave of electricity shot through the room, but it hit only two people.


    The air became thinner, all noise went mute, and Michelle and Josh were connected by some other¨C


    worldly current. Their eyes were locked on each other with such a distinct intensity that everyone in the


    room immediately knew what had happened.


    Michelle and Josh, the first time they¡®d seen each other, had mated.


    I couldn¡®t help but be happy¡ª somewhat selfishly, as I was the one who¡®d convinced Michelle toe


    inside, and now I¡®d be a part of their mating story forever. I looked around the room, wanting to share m


    y tion, but then my eyesnded on Jocelyn.


    Shoot. Jocelyn.


    Slowly but surely, everyone aside from Michelle and Josh¡ª whose eyes were still locked¡ª


    shifted their attention to her. She knew what was happening. She wasn¡®t in the dark. Not


    at all. But instead of the reaction we were expecting, one with tears or screams or dramatics, Jocelyn


    just stood up.


    She took her champagne flute in one hand


    and lifted it into the air. ¡°A toast. To the two new mates,¡± she said, her voice as elegant as a dove.


    Michelle and Josh had snapped out of it, and Josh ran around the table to bri ng Michelle a ss of


    champagne.


    ¡°To Michelle and Josh,¡± Aiden said, and everyone lifted their ces eroino him


    a dove. Michelle and Josh had snapped out of it, and Josh ran around the table to bring Michelle a


    ss of champagne.


    ¡°To Michelle and Josh,¡± Aiden said, and everyone lifted their sses, echoing him.


    I shot another nce at Jocelyn after we¡®d all sat back down, and I couldn¡®t help but wonder if there


    was something less elegant beneath the surface. She was smiling and s aying the right things, sure,


    but the man she¡®d been with for the season had just fallen in love with another woman, a woman he


    didn¡®t even know ten minutes ago, right in front of her.


    Jocelyn might be a healer, but one thing my mom always told me was that you can¡®t fill


    someone else¡®s ss if yours is empty. And if Jocelyn¡®s ss was empty, I was wonderi ng when she


    might notice.


    I was hoping it¡®d be before it cracked.

 Book 2: Chapter: 12

    Book 2: Chapter: 12


    Sienna


    Instead of causing a scenest night after Josh and Michelle had, very publicly, mated, Jocelyn just


    took it in stride. She stood up at the table and raised her ss, proposing a toast to the new mated


    couple. And just like that, everyone was at ease.


    The Healer had healed.


    But when I woke up this morning. I didn¡¯t feel all that healed at all. Because there was an empty space


    beside me where Aiden usually was. Usually I was the first one up, so it was more than odd. He hadn¡¯t


    just woken up. He¡¯d left.


    And then it dawned on me: today wasn¡¯t just any day. Today was the Yule Ball.


    Aiden would be at the Pack House all day getting ready, making sure everything was prepped for the


    biggest town event of the year. This was the one Ball that everyone over sixteen was invited to by


    humans and werewolves alike. It was the holiday event that brought everyone together to celebrate the


    year that had past and to hope and rejoice for the year toe.


    And it was a spectacle. Everyone dressed to the nines, making sure their children/dates/mates did the


    same. It was the ce to see and be seen and an especially popr event for the young singles


    Innling for their mates


    Even though the previous years I¡¯d never really been looking, my subconscious had kept an eye out,


    just in case. But this year would be different. This year I had a hand to hold¡ªthe Alpha¡¯s. If you had


    told me that a year ago. I would¡¯veughed in your face. But now, the thought felt¡­ right.


    Just then, my phone buzzed on the bedside table reached for it, looking at the screen.


    Michelle hello?? Michelle im outside


    Michelle have been knocking forever!!!


    Oops. I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs, flinging the front door open. Michelle took one look


    at me and doubled over inughter.


    ¡°Your hair¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    I walked over to the mirror in the hallway and, at the sight of my reflection, startedughing too.


    the sight of my reflection, startedughing too. ¡°Okay, fine. It¡¯s bad.¡±


    My hair was hanging in tufts in all directions, and I had some strange imprint on my cheek. I must¡¯ve


    fallen asleep on my hand or something


    ¡°Did you just wake up?¡±


    Michelle handed me a coffee, and I nodded, taking an appreciative sip.


    ¡°It¡¯s ten thirty. Since when do you sleepte?¡±


    I almost spit out my coffee. ¡°It¡¯s ten thirty?!¡± I asked. How had that happened?


    ¡°Come on, get your butt in the shower. Selene will be here soon with the dresses, and we need to get


    our hair done beforehand.¡±


    We were walking back up the stairs when I turned to Michelle and asked the question that had been


    weighing on my mind since the dinner party. ¡°Have you talked to Jocelyn?¡±


    Michelle nodded. ¡°Yeah, we went for coffee.¡± ¡°And?


    **I don¡¯t know what it is with that girl. Sienna,


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When Ross dumped me, I lost it. You saw me. You should¡¯ve seen me when he told me. I was trying to


    knock him out. Literally. It was all just blind rage. But Jocelyn¡­ it was like she had this sense, like


    she¡¯d seen iting. She told me that love is the most important thing to her. That she¡¯s honestly just


    happy we found it.¡± ¡°God.¡±


    ¡°I know. I could never be that kind.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re kind,¡± I said, grabbing a towel and heading into the bathroom,


    ¡°Yeah. Kind of a bitch!¡± she called from the hall. I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I was so d my friend was


    back to being my friend. And that she¡¯d found her perfect match.


    I had a good feeling about today-it might even turn out perfect.


    ¡°You look insane.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh, Sienna!¡±


    ¡°Let her look!¡±


    Michelle and Selene had made me avoid the mirror while they did my makeup and helped me slip the


    dress on, but now we were all standing in front of it. Well, that was what they said, anyways. Selene¡¯s


    hands were covering my eyes.


    ¡°Okay, ready? One¡­ two¡­ three!¡± She removed her hands.


    Suddenly I could see again, and I couldn¡¯t believe the reflection in front of me. It was me. I knew it was,


    but it was a whole lot more¡­ sophisticated. And sexy. No, not just sexy


    Sultry


    Michelle had done my hair so it fell in soft waves down my shoulders, and she¡¯d managed to make my


    usually unruly locks fall sleekly, with no frizz.


    The style somehow made my hair look even more red. It was naturally a deep red, but now it looked


    like red velvet. And it popped against my skin,


    I¡¯d spent many nights dreaming of having tanned skin, but myplexion had never cooperated, But


    now I didn¡¯t mind my paleness because it seemed to make everything else about me pop.


    My lips looked extra red, given the lipstick that Selene had chosen to match my hair. And my eyes, my


    blue eyes, looked clear as ever, big and bright. Michelle had worked magic with her neutral eyeshadow


    palette, making my eyshes look centimeters longer than they¡¯d ever looked before, too.


    And then there was the dress.


    One of Selene¡¯s original designs, she had insisted I wear it tonight. ¡°Just don¡¯t spill anything on it, or I¡¯ll


    kill you,¡± she¡¯d warned, but then she unzipped the garment bag and I knew that if I spilled anything on


    it, I¡¯d kill myself before she could.


    It was that beautiful.


    It was a deep blue, like sapphire, and form-fitting, with a high-cored halter neck and no sleeves.


    The back waspletely open, and the dress was so long it hit the floor.


    It entuated my curves like nothing I¡¯d worn before. It clung and fell in all the right ces, and when


    I¡¯d put the matching stilettos on, I felt like apletely different person.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Selene asked, pulling my hair behind my shoulders. Both of their eyes were still on


    me, but then again, I couldn¡¯t take my own eyes off me, either.


    ¡°It feels like it¡¯s not me.¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s you, Sienna, Michelle said, her hands on her hips. ¡°Aiden¡¯s going to go crazy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely thedy of an Alpha,¡± Selene added, grabbing her purse off the chair. ¡°Thank you.


    Both of you,¡± I said, finally turning from the mirror to face them. I couldn¡¯t have done any of this by


    myself.¡±


    Michelle was strapping her silver tform shoes


    on, but she stopped to blow me a kiss. She looked spectacr in a sleek ck satin gown and a deep


    burgundy lipstick, her hair tied into a perfect chignon.


    And Selene was as immacte as ever, wearing a pastel pink gown with slits along the rib cage that


    only she could pull off


    ¡°Are we ready,dies?¡± Selene asked, dabbing a final smudge of blush onto her high cheekbones.


    ¡°Ready!¡± Michelle eximed, standing up.


    They both looked at me. I pushed my shoulders back and held my chin high.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± I said.


    Aiden Won¡¯t have time to see you before Meet me inside?


    Sienna Of course


    I was on such a high that I didn¡¯t even mind having to walk into the ball without Aiden. I felt invincible,


    like nothing could go wrong when I looked like this, when I had these women beside me.


    We were in the car. Selene was driving us because Jeremy and Josh were already at the Pack House,


    too.


    We passed the security guard¡¯s booth, and he waved us on through. Every year before we¡¯d park in the


    normal parking lot, the one we were passing now, where countless families and dates were beginning


    their walk from the car to the ballroom.


    But this year, Aiden had arranged for us to park in the Pack House parking lot. It was a lot closer to the


    ballroom, which would make walking in these shoes way more bearable.


    Selene pulled into a spot in the Pack House lot, and we got out of the car, straightening our dresses. It


    was time.


    A few minutester, we were walking through the doors to the ballroom. The room looked incredible.


    Christmas trees lined the walls, and sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Each table had a


    magnificent candbra centerpiece. and the whole room was cast in a soft glow. GI


    Selene found Jeremy almost immediately, and he swooped her up into his arms, kissing her


    intensely. Then I heard Michelle squeal, and I turned to find her running toward Josh, who wasing


    toward us.


    I could hear the ¡°damn!¡± he let out from where I was.


    I felt a pang of jealousy, looking around to see if I could spot my Alpha. But I couldn¡¯t see him


    anywhere, and before I could ask Josh, he and Michelle had disappeared into the crowd.


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    I took my phone out, thinking I¡¯d text him, but I saw I had no service inside.


    I went back through the doors, outside, and was walking off to the side of the ballroom trying to find a


    signal. Still nothing


    So I walked a few steps down the alley beside the ballroom-eyes glued to my phone¡ª and that was


    when I saw something.


    My head snapped up, but there was nothing there.


    I turned my attention back to my phone. But then out of the corner of my eye, I saw it again. I spun my


    head around, and there she was.


    The samedy with the purple eyes I¡¯d seen in the forest and at the fair.


    Only this time, she didn¡¯t disappear.


    ¡°You.¡± I got out, feeling like I should be afraid. But there was something about her that was calming.


    Like I knew, deep down, she wouldn¡¯t hurt me.


    ¡°Sienna Mercer.¡± It was like her words were draped in cashmere.


    ¡°¡±How do you know my name? Who are you?¡±


    She stepped toward me, the silk that wrapped around her body glistening with every move. And then


    her finger was under my chin, and her eyes were inches away from mine.


    ¡°Who I am is not important. But who you are¡­ who is after you¡­ that¡¯s something you ought to know.¡±


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