《THE AWAKENING》


 Chapter-1-

    Chapter-1-


    Cassidy couldn¡¯t escape the feeling she was being watched.


    And it wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d felt this way.


    A shiver of apprehension crawled up her spine and rattled her skull as she hurriedly walked home. The


    walking path was illuminated by the barest of streetmps ¡ª budget cuts within the city had eliminated


    bulb recement ¡ª and it was her bad luck that she didn¡¯t own a car and so had to walk home from


    the university.


    Normally, she enjoyed the time to herself to walk home. Buttely, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that


    eyes were on her, watching her every move.


    Of course, the dreams didn¡¯t help either.


    For the past week, she¡¯d woken out of a deep, almost drugged sleep, sweat-soaked and achy as if


    eaten by a fever, and oddly, aroused.


    It was disconcerting and a bit embarrassing considering the men in her dreams weren¡¯t exactly men but


    more like beasts.


    Thank God she lived alone. She¡¯d hate to have to exin her behavior when she didn¡¯t have a clue


    what was going on with her body or her mind.


    The bite in the air signaled snow wasing and she pulled her scarf tighter around her neck to ward


    off the cold. Almost home, she noted with relief, when the old apartment building loomed in the


    darkness.


    A sound, much like that of a coyote or wolf, echoed in the night and she startled at the mournful sound.


    What the hell?


    She quickened her step, her heart thundering in her chest. Probably someone¡¯s dog, she told herself


    when her imagination threatened to run away with her.


    It¡¯s not like there were actual wolves running around the city. The idea was ridiculous.


    So stop freaking out.


    But even as the stern advice seemed rational, she continued to jump at the shadows from the moving


    foliage, until when she stepped onto the paved parking lot of her building, she broke out into a run,


    mming into her front door and fumbling with the keys to let herself in.


    She slid the bolt and leaned against her door to release a shakyugh.


    God, Cassidy¡­get a grip. No one is out there.


    Willing her heart to slow down, she took several deep, calming breaths and when she was sufficiently


    recovered, she tossed her backpack to the table and went straight to the kitchen. She was starved. No,


    she was beyond starved. She was ravenous.


    Cassidy cracked her fridge and peered inside, her eyes lighting on the package of raw hamburger


    she¡¯d purchased yesterday on impulse.


    For a weird moment, she pictured herself ripping into the package and devouring the raw meat,


    slurping the blood as it ran in rivulets down her forearms.


    Shocked and disgusted at the errant thought, she deliberately shut the door and grabbed a box of


    cheese crackers.


    Maybe she had the bird flu or something, she thought as she munched on the crackers and tried to


    ignore how the cheesy taste was starting to make her a little nauseous.


    She wanted meat, not wheat.


    Damn it, she thought, returning the box to the cupboard. Her stomach cramped from hunger and she


    almost doubled over from the pain.


    Fuck! What was wrong with her?


    Was her stomach caving in? This had to be some kind of weird virus.


    Great timing. When she should be cramming for finals, she was doubled over like she was dying. It


    wasn¡¯t likely her professors were going to care about her stomach issues when she came to ss


    unprepared.


    She inched her way to the kitchte table her mom had given her before leaving for college and


    levered herself into the chair.


    For a brief moment, the pain subsided enough for her to take a deep breath. It felt like that time she got


    food poisoning while on vacation with her parents in the Bahamas. Her stomach cramped and


    clenched, threatening to expel everything in her body at once.


    The pain came in waves that built with each crest.


    She wracked her brain, trying to remember when she could¡¯ve eaten something bad but for the life of


    her, she couldn¡¯t think of anything out of the ordinary.


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    Could it have been that burrito from the taco truck that was always parked by the university?


    Maybe.


    The pain shot spikes of red-hot agony twisting through her body and she copsed with a cry to the


    tiled kitchen floor. She writhed, knowing she needed a hospital, but she couldn¡¯t reach her cell phone.


    Oh God, she was going to die on her kitchen floor. Cassidy struggled to rise to her feet, or at least


    climb to her knees, but she cked out before she seeded.


    Herst thought before total oblivion was, damn, she should¡¯ve been friendlier with her neighbors. Now,


    no one was going to find her body until it started to stink.


    The only saving grace? At least she didn¡¯t have a cat to worry about eating her carcass.

 Chapter-2-

    Chapter-2-


    ¡°She needs meat,¡± a sharp voice sounded from a distance. ¡°She will not survive the mating if she does


    not eat.¡±


    ¡°She is in no shape to mate, Koris,¡± another voice snapped. ¡°She knows nothing of her heritage and


    has had no one to teach her our ways.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate, but the fact remains¡­her body knows what it needs. Her temperature is elevated,


    her skin is beaded with sweat, and her tits are erged. The time is now.¡±


    Cassidy struggled to regain consciousness and opened her eyes blearily to find two men ¡ª no, check


    that, two veryrge men ¡ª standing over her.


    They wore all ck and seemed almost indistinguishable from one another. Their muscles bulged from


    beneath tight T-shirts and narrowed to lean hips.


    Hanks of ck hair, almost too long to be fashionable, dusted strong shoulders and impossibly dark


    eyes stared into her soul.


    Oh, and she was lying on her bed, naked.


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    ¡°Oh my God,¡± she managed to squeak as she attempted to cover her breasts but she felt weak as a


    kitten. ¡°Help me, please! I need to go to the hospital,¡± she implored the handsome strangers, hoping for


    some shred of decency in either of them. ¡°Please, I¡¯m very sick¡­I think I might be dying¡­¡±


    They ignored her plea but the one named Koris shot the other a knowing look, saying, ¡°Prop her up.


    She will need sustenance,¡± before leaving the room.


    ¡°Hush, Cassandra,¡± the other said,ing to sit beside her. ¡°My name is Jandin. We are here to help


    you.¡±


    Her body had begun to shake. ¡°H-how? What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    He smoothed her damp hair from her brow with a surprisingly gentle hand. ¡°What do you remember of


    your childhood?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What? Why are you asking me about my childhood? Didn¡¯t you hear me? I¡¯m very sick. I think I have


    food poisoning or something. I could die if I don¡¯t get to a hospital!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You could die. But there is nothing that humans can do for you.¡±


    Humans?


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± she asked fearfully, tightening her grip across her breasts. ¡°Why am I naked?¡±


    ¡°Because you tore your clothes off,¡± he answered.


    ¡°I would never do that,¡± she whispered but a foggy part of her memory recalled doing exactly that.


    She¡¯d been burning up. The clothes had felt as if they were scratching against her tender, sensitized


    skin.


    ¡°You have entered your Breeding Time,¡± he said as if it were the perfect exnation when in fact, it was


    total lunacy. ¡°The females of our species¡­if not bred properly, be inmed with an internal fever


    that can consume them if not cared for. Normally, a female would be guarded and under protection, but


    we did not find out about your existence until your body started sending out signals. Then we followed


    your scent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who has been watching me,¡± she surmised fearfully.


    ¡°Yes. Koris and myself. We had to ensure that no one from the rival n imed you first. Breeding


    females are rare. Especially ones from your bloodline. iming you would be a coup for either n.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Cassidy eximed, scooting away from him. ¡°I was raised in


    rural New Jersey in a subdivision with normal parents. I was high school valedictorian and editor of the


    school newspaper. I dated the quarterback and came to college on a full-ride schrship. Nothing


    about my childhood is remotely close to anything that you¡¯re talking about because you¡¯re crazy!¡±


    ¡°You were adopted,¡± Jandin stated tly.


    She stared. How did he know that? She swallowed a lump of fear. Who were these people?


    ¡°And you may have lived a normal, human life but you are not, in fact, human. You are the most


    revered in our species because your kind are so rare these days. You are also still a virgin. I can smell


    it on you. It¡¯s intoxicating.¡±


    She startled, frightened that he knew such private details about her, but even more terrified because


    somewhere deep inside, his words rang with truth.


    ¡°I wanted to wait until marriage,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°No, your body knew to wait until the Breeding Time and simply convinced your brain to go along.¡±


    Koris reappeared with something bloody on a te. A wave of nausea followed as she fought with the


    urge to swallow it whole.


    ¡°Do not fight your hunger, Cassandra,¡± Jandin warned, motioning for Koris toe forward with the


    te. ¡°Your body needs the sustenance to survive.¡±


    ¡°Survive what?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The breeding.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want-¡°


    ¡°Hold her down,¡± Koris instructed and Jandin grabbed her hands and held them above her head. She


    tried to scream but her voice was weak and unable to do much more than mewl with fear.


    But as much as she struggled, the smell from the meat began to do weird things to her resolve.


    Suddenly, it smelled like heaven even though it looked repugnant.


    Koris plucked a juicy chunk of the raw meat from the te and brought it to her mouth. ¡°Eat,¡± he


    commanded sternly. Her eyes filled with tears but her mouth reluctantly opened. He ced the meat in


    her mouth and her jaws snapped shut as she closed her eyes in sudden relief.


    Her body leapt at the blood and meat sliding down her throat. Strength returned to her limbs and the


    pounding in her head receded.


    ¡°More,¡± Koris said, pushing more meat into her mouth, which she eagerly epted. He continued until


    the te was empty. Cassidy eyed the pooled blood remaining on the te and Koris smiled at her


    intive look in her eyes.


    He tipped the te and blood trickled into her mouth. Shepped at the liquid with cheeks burning with


    shame but she almost felt normal again.


    Her hunger pains had abated but she was wholly conscious of the fact that she was naked and alone


    with two handsome men.


    This couldn¡¯t be more awkward. Without the excruciating pain crushing her insides, she was left to face


    the fact that nothing about this situation was remotely normal.


    And they were still holding her down, captive.


    Were they going to rape her? What kind of rapists force-fed their captive before doing the deed?


    Nothing about this situation made sense. Even as horrific as the situation seemed, she didn¡¯t feel the


    men were there to harm her, which was confusing.


    Under normal circumstances, strange men breaking into her apartment would¡¯ve sent her into a


    panicked tailspin.


    But before she could voice an objection, that terrible heat began to rise in her body again, scaring her


    more than the fact that two men were in her apartment, holding her down.


    She began to writhe against the bed, unable to stop herself. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± she asked, her


    lower region aching and pulsing with a strange need that she couldn¡¯t define.


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time. We need to get her back to the n,¡± Koris said, concerned.


    Jandin released her hands and felt her forehead. ¡°Damn,¡± he swore softly under his breath. ¡°She¡¯s


    already gone into second phase. She won¡¯t make the trip.¡±


    ¡°I told you we should¡¯ve grabbed herst week,¡± Koris growled.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know if she was going to phase,¡± Jandin shot back. ¡°Some breeding females never actually


    reach their Breeding Time, you know that!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk over my head,¡± Cassidy said, groaning as another wave of aching desire washed over her.


    ¡°Help me! Bring me more meat!¡±


    ¡°More fuel is not what you need,¡± Jandin said grimly. ¡°You need to be bred.¡±

 Chapter-3-

    Chapter-3-


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Koris, the rougher of the two, looked angry at Jandin¡¯s admission but he agreed. ¡°Breeding females go


    through three phases before they pass out of their Breeding Time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just wait it out then,¡± she said, almost deliriously. She didn¡¯t want to breed. She was waiting until


    marriage to have sex.


    And why did they have to keep using that word, ¡®breeding¡¯? People didn¡¯t breed ¡ª they had sex, made


    love, and even fucked but breed? No, thank you.


    But both men were beginning to look as good as that raw meat. A different sort of hunger was twisting


    her inside out.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die,¡± Koris said bluntly. ¡°Breeding females who haven¡¯t been bred, die soon after. It¡¯s an


    evolutionary protection. As long as there is a breeding female, another will not take her ce. But once


    you are gone, another breeding female will be born. They are rare for a reason¡­we must not overrun


    our resources.¡±


    She groaned, barely understanding what they were saying. ¡°Make it stop,¡± she pleaded, her nipples


    hardening to the point of delicious pain.


    ¡°We must take her,¡± Koris said but Jandin was reluctant. ¡°The Alpha will understand.¡±


    ¡°You know our brother has never been the understanding sort,¡± Jandin said.


    ¡°It is preferable to her death. He will understand that simple truth even if he is not happy about it. We


    haven¡¯t had a breeding female in sixty years.¡±


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    ¡°We must do it properly or she will remain at risk!¡±


    ¡°There is no time!¡±


    Koris stripped his shirt, revealing rippling muscles of pure steel beneath bronzed silk.


    Cassidy gasped and her legs fell open as if in invitation. She felt as if someone else were taking over


    her body, causing her to act like a wanton whore when she¡¯d never in her life been so brazen.


    ¡°She will phase again within minutes,¡± Koris eximed, shooting a dark nce at his brother. ¡°You


    must bite her. You are the second brother in the absence of the Alpha. Do it!¡±


    Jandin ripped his shirt free from his body with a growl and his jeans followed.


    Cassidy shuddered at the enormous cock that jutted out toward her, the mushroom head glistening with


    moisture. Instinct caused her to roll onto her belly and rise on all fours.


    Within seconds, Jandin¡¯srge body covered her small one. Theforter abraded her nipples as he


    pressed down upon her with a feral growl.


    He gripped her hips and drew her closer. The wiry patch of hair at his groin tickled her ass cheeks. She


    groaned and gripped theforter, crying out with need as his cock pressed against her opening.


    Without warning, he plunged himself deep inside her, ripping through her without mercy. His cock filled


    her virgin passage until she felt she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    The pain cascaded through her, causing tears to spring to her eyes. He pushed her down t, his cock


    pinning her to the bed as he slowly withdrew his cock, only to plunge it deep inside again.


    She cried out and struggled to get away, afraid of the feelings this primal act created, but Jandin¡¯s huge


    body prevented her escape.


    Another growl rumbled from his chest and reverberated through her body and she shuddered at the


    spike of pleasure. His cock seemed to grow inside her, which should¡¯ve been impossible, but suddenly,


    she felt as if she were stuffed to the bottom of her throat with his cock.


    In a sudden move, Jandin rose up and pulled her with him, his cock still firmly embedded inside her.


    Her breasts heaved from the invasion of her body and she was startled to see Koris watching them with


    narrowed, lust-filled eyes.


    Her breasts bounced with each of his hip thrusts as he continued to impale her with his length. Crinkly


    hair rubbed against her backside as Jandin wrapped one long forearm around her torso and held her in


    ce as he continued to fuck her with hard, merciless thrusts.


    Something was building deep inside her, something big. She squirmed, afraid, but the sensations of


    pure pleasure were hard to ignore.


    Her breasts tingled and swelled, as if begging for someone to suck them, and Koris, answering her


    silent plea, climbed the bed and drew one hardened tip into his hot mouth.


    She was sandwiched between two hot, huge men. One was fucking her hard enough to leave a bruise,


    and the other was sucking on her tits as if drawing mother¡¯s milk.


    She was drowning in pleasure ¡ª pleasure she never would¡¯ve dreamed possible ¡ª and she couldn¡¯t


    help the cries being ripped from her throat with each thrust and suck.


    ¡°Ohh my God,¡± she eximed as pleasure rippled through her at being so dominated, so used by these


    men. She was a good girl ¡ª for Christ¡¯s sake, she¡¯d taken a purity vow! ¡ª but right now, she was


    overtaken by the need to be fucked without end.


    A howl threatened to erupt from her mouth just as Jandin¡¯s mouth fastened to her shoulder. Sharp teeth


    ripped into her tender flesh and she screamed at the pain.


    But the pain was nothingpared to the pleasure created by his cock prating her pussy over and


    over.


    Jandin roared and warm cream filled her channel, bathing her insides with his seed. She shuddered as


    a starburst of insane pleasure crested over her, as his seed dripped down his cock and soaked the bed


    beneath them.


    He continued to thrust against her, smaller and less violent prations, until his cock softened enough


    to fall from her wet core. He gasped and pulled away, releasing her to fall into Koris¡¯ awaiting arms.


    ¡°She is unlike any other,¡± Jandin eximed, breathless. ¡°Take her, my brother! We must ensure that


    she breeds with our n and no other!¡±


    Koris threw her down on the bed and immediately covered her with his body. It was then she got a


    good look at Jandin. He was even bigger than before, covered in fun, his spent cock dripping from a


    nest of ck as he stumbled away, and she gasped in fear at what she was seeing.


    ¡°What are you?¡± she asked, her frightened gaze switching to the man who covered her with his body.


    Koris was changing, too. She struggled when she realized she¡¯d just lost her virginity by something


    inhuman.

 Chapter-4-

    Chapter-4-


    ¡°We are the stuff of legends. Just as you are, sweet Cassandra,¡± Jandin answered, still out of breath


    from their fucking. ¡°Search your mind...you know what we are.¡±


    She squeezed her eyes shut, not ready to admit what was staring her in the face. They were¡­


    werewolves.


    ¡°Noo,¡± she whispered but a part of her knew it to be true. Even as the truth horrified her, another part of


    her was gaining strength.


    She arched beneath Koris, needing his touch, needing to feel prated.


    Tears burned beneath her lids as she gave in to her crushing need, her feminine heat threatening to


    consume her from the inside out without the soothing cream of the men.


    ¡°Take me, Koris,¡± she whispered, wrapping her arms around hisrge neck, marveling at the soft fur


    beginning to sprout beneath her fingertips.


    He growled and long canines shed in the dim light. She knew what wasing. In a sh, his teeth


    sank into her shoulder as his cock prated her slick heat.


    She cried out but the pain was fleeting this time. All she felt was the insistent press of his huge cock


    against her womb. Each thrust felt deeper than thest.


    She clung to his massive shoulders, quaking from the sensations ricocheting up and down her spine


    and pooling in her pelvis. She felt alive, as if she¡¯d previously been sleep-walking through life, as Koris


    moved above her, grunting with the force of each thrust inside her.


    She mped down with her internal muscles and he growled with pleasure as his eyelids fluttered shut.


    Cassidy anchored her legs around his torso, drawing him nearer to her molten core, needing every inch


    of his rock hard cock inside her.


    She knew Jandin watched, just as Koris had, and the knowledge thrilled her senseless.


    ¡°Give me your seed,¡± she gasped, unaware of where the words came from but it felt right. ¡°Pour it into


    me! Now!¡±


    Koris needed little more encouragement and suddenly, it was as if a dam broke and he flooded her


    tight, well-used passage with the thick cream jetting from his cock in huge spurts.


    She felt the warmth of his seed as it filled her insides, bathing her womb with the virile juice of their


    species, and she knew without a doubt, what they¡¯d said to her was true.


    The knowledge called to her heart and sang in her soul even as it troubled and frightened her mind.


    She broke apart, her orgasm following Koris¡¯, as she was buffeted by the pleasure that rocked her


    body. Koris¡¯ fur began to recede back into his skin as his cock softened inside her.


    Cassidy couldn¡¯t help but watch in fascination as both men returned to normal right before her


    astonished eyes. Koris pulled out and stood.


    Both men, suddenly courteous when their lovemaking had been brutal, helped her to her feet. She was


    grateful for their help when her legs wobbled beneath her weight.


    ¡°Careful, Cassandra,¡± Jandin warned, catching her elbow when she nearly sank to the bed. ¡°You must


    eat again and regain your strength.¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep calling me Cassandra?¡± she asked.


    Koris seemed puzzled. ¡°That is your name, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Well, my given name, sure. But everyone calls me Cassidy.¡±


    ¡°Which do you prefer, mydy?¡± Jandin asked.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Cassidy thought long and hard. Cassidy seemed a girl far from the woman she¡¯d be in these


    man¡¯s arms. She lifted her chin. ¡°Cassandra,¡± she announced, realizing she was taking another step


    further from everything she¡¯d ever known.


    ¡°Cassandra,¡± they both repeated, inclining their heads in deference to her choice. Suddenly both men


    stilled and Koris¡¯ head swiveled on a growl.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, fearful of the sudden bristling change in their demeanor.


    Koris looked to Jandin, saying, ¡°They¡¯re circling. We need to get her back to the n. Now.¡±


    Jandin agreed and went to her closet, pulling the first articles of clothing that looked remotely suitable


    for the winter season and tossed them at her. ¡°We need to leave. It¡¯s no longer safe here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, slipping her shirt over her head and sliding into jeans. There was no


    time to clean up and their seed was dribbling down her thigh.


    Truth was, it didn¡¯t bother her as much as it should¡¯ve. Somehow it felt like a protection.


    ¡°Koris will provide a distraction while I get you out of here.¡±


    Without hesitation, Koris bounded from the room with a dizzying burst of speed. Snarls echoed in the


    distance and Cassandra shivered with real fear.


    Jandin sensed her anxiety and ced a gentle hand on her shoulder near where she¡¯d been bitten.


    ¡°We will guard you with our lives. Now,e. We must leave.¡±


    She didn¡¯t argue, though why she didn¡¯t was a mystery as she¡¯d never been one to docilely ept


    whatever was handed to her, but self-preservation won out.


    Whatever Koris was fighting with outside didn¡¯t sound friendly and she didn¡¯t want to take her chances.


    The front door shattered in a million pieces as something burst through. In the shadows, a hulking


    beast, snout lifted in the air as he sniffed the air around him, focused his red eyes on Cassandra and


    she couldn¡¯t help the shriek.


    Jandin jumped in front of her, shielding her with his body. ¡°She is part of our n, Lichek,¡± he snarled,


    baring elongated teeth in warning.


    ¡°Her bloodline belongs to my n,¡± Lichek said, circling, looking for a weakness. ¡°You were foolish to


    try and im her.¡±


    ¡°We have imed her. Our seed is inside her.¡±


    Lichek snarled. ¡°It takes three to im. She is still fair game. Move aside, pup before I shred you to


    your worthless bones.¡±


    Cassandra stayed behind Jandin, knowing instinctively that Jandin was the better of the two men, but


    she worried that Lichek was stronger.


    Lichek lunged and knocked Jandin to the ground, Cassandra narrowly missing going down with them.


    She leapt away and watched in helpless horror as the two beasts grappled with razor sharp ws and


    teeth.


    The scent of blood hit the air and she knew someone had been sliced. She could only hope it hadn¡¯t


    been Jandin.


    She froze with fear as a yelp of pain split the air. Fear for Jandin filled her heart but before she could


    scream, a blur of motion streaked across the room and grabbed her, forcibly throwing her over a


    shoulder.


    She had time only to see Lichek¡¯s strong jaws mp around Jandin¡¯s neck as whoever had grabbed


    her ran from the scene.


    A second of hope made her think it was Koris, but the scent was all wrong. She lifted her nose into the


    air and realized a stranger was carrying her away.


    She shuddered as she realized she was in the middle of a war between two ns ¡ª and she was the


    top prize.

 Chapter-5-

    Chapter-5-


    Cassandra struggled to be free, but the grip holding her felt like iron bands mped around her thighs.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± she screamed like a banshee, rising up to w at his face with her nails but her efforts


    were met with steely silence as they ran through the night.


    The cold air burned her face and she began to shiver.


    They entered what looked like a cave and were immediately enveloped in inky darkness but her captor


    navigated the tricky twists and turns as if they were traveling a lighted path.


    They emerged in arge cavern where he finally set her down with little finesse or grace. Shended


    on her rear with a squeak of pain but he paid her little heed as he was too busy building a small fire to


    warm the ice-box interior.


    In truth, she was too cold to flee even if, by chance she could find her way out. Her legs felt like frozen


    stalks of flesh that might shatter if she tried to run.


    The walls were rough hewn by time, drippingrge formations from the ceiling like frozen teardrops.


    The deste atmosphere only heightened the chill permeating her bones.


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    ¡°Hurry, I¡¯m going to die of hypothermia,¡± she snapped to her captor.


    The man shot her a dark look as if annoyed she could speak and pulled a hidden stash of firewood


    from a hole in the cavern to toss in a ckened fire pit.


    ¡°Vacation home?¡± she quipped.


    ¡°You test me,¡± he warned.


    Clearly, this was some kind of hideout he was familiar with because he was prettyfortable in the


    barren surroundings, yet seemed to have materials he needed to create a small fire.


    Within minutes a ze filled the cavern with dancing light and she reluctantly sought the heat when he


    gestured impatiently.


    ¡°Come, warm yourself, she-wolf.¡±


    ¡°I have a name,¡± she returned with a jutted jaw. ¡°The least you can do is call me by my name. It¡¯s


    Cassandra, by the way.¡±


    His nk stare couldn¡¯t have been more dismissive but she was going to freeze if she didn¡¯t get some


    of that heat. Meeting his stare with a re, she scooted over to the fire, grateful for the warmth.


    Common sense told her to keep her mouth shut. She¡¯d been kidnapped by a man who was strong


    enough to best two werewolves but didn¡¯t smell like a wolf.


    She covertly watched her captor as she warmed her hands. He was big, much like Jandin and Koris,


    but there was something gracefully dangerous about the lines in his body that suggested sinewy


    strength and raw masculinity.


    His blond hair was cropped short to his skull with military precision, possibly to soften the fact that he


    was almost too pretty for a man.


    For reasons, she didn¡¯t want to examine, he was breathtaking in a lethal, anti-hero way that she found


    disturbing.


    She also knew he was different from the others. As a test, she lifted her nose and surreptitiously sniffed


    the air.


    ¡°I am not a werewolf,¡± he said, saving her the trouble. She gasped and recoiled, not quite sure what to


    think, only fairly certain she wasn¡¯t safe with him.


    ¡°What are you?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t smell¡­human.¡±


    His mouth thinned in a parody of a smile. ¡°That¡¯s because I am not human.¡± His smile faded. ¡°And


    neither are you. Otherwise, two rival werewolf ns wouldn¡¯t be tearing each other to shreds to breed


    with you.¡±


    ¡°Say it louder for the people in the back,¡± she muttered, her cheeks ming at the crass way he framed


    his statement but she lifted her chin and met his stare with open challenge. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for any of this.


    Yesterday my biggest worry was my mid-term final. Today, I¡¯m some kind of beast with a magical


    womb! And for the record, I took a vow of purity!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d that work out for you?¡± he asked sardonically.


    She red. ¡°Great. Up until I went into my Breeding Time as Jandin called it. So, if you¡¯re not a


    werewolf, what are you? And why do you care what happens between two rival ns?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s a reason there¡¯s not been a Breeding female in sixty years,¡± he said.


    ¡°Which is?¡± He met her stare with a hard one of his own. She shivered at what she read in his eyes.


    ¡°You killed them?¡±


    ¡°Some,¡± he allowed without apology. ¡°Others, we simply let nature take its course.¡±


    ¡°By capturing them and letting them phase out,¡± she guessed with a frown. ¡°From what Jandin said, it


    sounds like a horrible death.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± he said with a shrug.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster,¡± Cassandra said with growing horror at what he evidently nned for her. She didn¡¯t


    want to be consumed by her own heat to die writhing in pain at his asshole¡¯s feet. ¡°They¡¯ll find me,¡± she


    said, hoping it was true. ¡°They can smell my scent. There is nowhere that you could hide me that they


    wouldn¡¯t sniff me out.¡±


    ¡°Your confidence is amusing. It¡¯s true the Lycan sense of smell is enhanced, but there is one tried and


    true method to cloak your natural scent from their inquisitive noses.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± she asked fearfully.


    Again that damnable smile curved his lips and she felt a chill at its appearance. ¡°First, you will strip and


    wash their foul seed from your body. I can smell it drying upon your skin as we speak.¡±


    Indeed, the seed from her two wolves had dried to a thin crust along her skin. But she didn¡¯t want to


    wash it away.


    Her reluctance was rewarded with a sharp p across her face. She gasped and stumbled away,


    holding her cheek with her palm.


    ¡°I do not ask. I am telling you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she said, blinking back tears.


    ¡°Do not tempt me,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°I will give you ten minutes to clean yourself. You will find a


    natural spring pool about twenty feet away. It is warm but not overly so. Wash yourself. I expect to see


    you scrubbed clean and ready for me when I return.¡± He turned to leave, but then added for good


    measure, ¡°Do not be so foolish as to try and leave. The cavern is filled with wrong turns and deadly


    drop offs. If you would like any chance of leaving this cavern alive¡­do as you¡¯re told.¡±

 Chapter-6-

    Chapter-6-


    Cassandra watched with open hatred as he disappeared, moving far too quickly for a human being, but


    differently than her wolves, and she wondered what world she¡¯d woken up in today.


    She walked cautiously away from the fire and found the bubbling pool just as her captor described. Her


    body ached from the pounding given to her by the twin wolf brothers and the water was a wee


    relief.


    She sank in and submerged herself, and then found a bar of organic soap waiting for her on a ledge.


    After soaping herself and rinsing, she drifted over to a submerged ledge and settled herself upon it.


    The water swirled around her like a hot tub and her protesting muscles began to rx under the


    soothing jets of natural jets bubbling from the depths of the earth.


    She lost track of time and must¡¯ve fallen asleep for when she opened her eyes again, her captor was


    standing there watching her.


    She sank lower in the water to shield her breasts from his gaze but heughed at her efforts.


    ¡°Come, I have clothes for you to change into.¡±


    She scowled and motioned for him to turn around. ¡°I¡¯m not putting on a peep show for your


    entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Foolish child¡­it doesn¡¯t matter whether I see your naked body now orter. But suit yourself. I will


    indulge your request because it amuses me.¡± He turned to give her privacy and she rushed to cover


    herself. But as she lifted the clothing he¡¯d brought her, she realized with dismay she may as well have


    remained naked.


    The cloth was a sheer sheath that was certainly inappropriate for the chilly cavern and definitely


    inappropriate given the situation.


    She looked for her old clothes but found they were gone. As if sensing her confusion, he said, ¡°I burned


    them. The seed of those beasts was all over them. I thought I might be ill.¡±


    ¡°So you brought me this?¡± She lifted the thin sheath. ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯ll freeze.¡±


    He turned and she gasped as she struggled to cover herself. ¡°Do you know nothing of your nature?¡± he


    asked. When she failed to answer, he exined in irritation, ¡°In a few short hours you will phase again.


    The heat in your body will ramp up until you are burning with fever. The sheath is simply a nod to your


    modesty, however thin. You will rip it from your body when you are in full phase.¡±


    She swallowed, remembering the scant details Jandin and Koris had shared before she¡¯d slipped into


    her second phase. She remembered the heat inside her body, liquefying her bones and she shuddered


    in fear it at happening again. ¡°You must take me back to my n. I¡¯ll die if I phase without them.¡±


    By his t expression, that was perhaps his entire n. ¡°That¡¯s murder. I¡¯ve done nothing to deserve


    what you¡¯re nning for me. Have you no conscience?¡±


    He smirked. ¡°A wolf speaking of conscience? Your species has a history of savagery and yet you cry


    about the fairness of your situation?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she asked, offended and uneasy. She didn¡¯t know anything about the


    world she was suddenly thrust into and yet, this man was judging her.


    The man shook his head, annoyed by her ignorance but he decided to exin.


    ¡°Without a Breeding female, the two ns settle into an uneasy truce, which bears well for the humans


    they choose to live beside. But a Breeding female creates a lust for dominance that is impossible to


    quell under the best of circumstances; add in a Breeding female of your particr blood line and it¡¯s


    doomed to chaos and bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cassandra asked, intrigued in spite of herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of this. I was


    adopted. I have no idea who my biological parents were.¡±


    His mouth curved in a short line. ¡°That exins your excruciating ignorance.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Are you always so rude?¡±


    ¡°Almost always.¡±


    ¡°I believe it,¡± she grumbled, gesturing for him to continue, even though she hated being educated by a


    dickhead. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°Your father came from n Barrichius; your mother, n Janus. As such you are a direct descendent


    of the Lycan line. Your blood is powerful. Your womb is dangerous.¡±


    Her hand drifted to her belly. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°There is a legend¡­one that has kept the two ns warring since the beginning of time. A child would


    be born of the two ns union that would bear fruit to rule the world. You, Cassandra, are that child.


    And anyone in either n would do anything to im you and all that goes with it.¡±


    She gasped and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be joking. This is ludicrous.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Really? Were you not just fucked by two werewolves? Were you notpelled to fuck when your


    phasing began?¡±


    Her cheeks burned at the memory. ¡°Yes,¡± she admitted with shame. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in your nature. Which is why you cannot bear fruit in that womb of yours.¡±


    ¡°But they wille for me,¡± she said, not sure what to think anymore. ¡°They will find me.¡±


    ¡°The minerals in the spring water act as a natural neutralizer. Their seed has been washed away for the


    time being. But your final phasing will create a scent that they can follow. We will leave before that


    happens.¡±


    His gaze drifted down her naked body, barely covered by the sheath in her hands, and she hurriedly


    pulled it over her head.


    She shivered as the fabric whispered over her curves and danced around her knees. He looked away


    as if scalded. ¡°I brought you food. I suggest you eat. Your body¡¯s metabolism is moving at a much


    faster rate and you will find yourself nearing starvation within hours if you don¡¯t eat every two hours.¡±


    Cassandra hesitated to ask him what he¡¯d brought her to eat seeing as she¡¯d gobbled raw meat a few


    hours earlier but she found his choice eptable and started eating.


    ¡°How do you know so much about werewolves if you¡¯re not one?¡± she asked around the bite of raw


    steak. ¡°And you still haven¡¯t told me your name,¡± she reminded him.


    ¡°Names are not necessary for what will happen between us.¡±


    She shuddered. Her Intro To Psych 101 professor had been obsessed with serial killers and had often


    used crime profiles as teaching materials. He had joked that if ever in a situation with a stone-cold


    killer, try to engage with them on a human level, remind them that you are more than an object without


    feelings. ¡°Because as much as you want to pound the idea into my head, I am not an animal. No matter


    my lineage.¡±


    ¡°We can agree to disagree.¡±


    Frustrated, she asked, ¡°So what are you, Mr. High and Mighty? You¡¯re clearly not human but you¡¯re


    certainly judgy.¡±


    He chuckled at her insult. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your senses have not figured it out yet,¡± he said.


    Sudden rity came to her and she swallowed with difficulty. ¡°You¡¯re a vampire?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°And my name is Cristophe. It is my duty to keep watch for the Breeding females of the


    ns. Thus far, I¡¯ve been sessful in preventing the prophesy.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The meat stuck in her throat and she swallowed again. ¡°So¡­why do you care so much about the


    politics of werewolves?¡±


    ¡°Wolves are like squabbling children, always crying over who has what toy. Vampires have been


    keeping the werewolves under control for eons. Possibly since the beginning.¡±


    She scowled, not liking his condescension. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t need to be babysat. Did you ever think of


    that?¡±


    ¡°Without control, they be rabid, quarreling beasts who tear apart everything in their path.¡±


    She thought of Jandin and Koris and how tender they¡¯d been with her and she immediately rushed to


    their defense. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. You have a bias against werewolves apparently.¡±


    His stare narrowed. ¡°Yes. A werewolf ripped apart my human family after I¡¯d turned.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cassandra offered, not quite sure how to offer condolences on something so awful. ¡°But


    Jandin and Koris aren¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mislead yourself. They were consumed with lust for you because of the power you possess.


    Why else would they go out of their way to put their mark on you before they could get you to safety?¡±


    ¡°I was phasing. There wasn¡¯t time,¡± she said.


    ¡°Be that as it may, they¡¯d been watching you for some time. As have I. They lost control because of


    who you are and who they are.¡±


    A part of her wondered if this was true. She nibbled her steak,pletely over the fact that she was


    munching on raw meat, and focused on the here and now. ¡°Where will you take me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have an undergroundpound that will suffice for the time being. I will try to see to yourfort as


    much as possible. Should the phase end your life¡­I will see to it that your effects are put into order.¡±


    ¡°Not a castle?¡± she asked derisively. ¡°I thought all vampires had castles. And what do you mean, my


    effects?¡±


    ¡°I have several but there¡¯s nothing close enough to reach. Besides, going underground is the best way


    to muffle your scent from their damned canine sense of smell. And to answer your question, it wouldn¡¯t


    do to leave loose ends. Should anyone find your body, the authorities will assume you died of natural


    causes.¡±


    Bitterness filled her mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t give two shits about the fact that I¡¯m innocent in all this, do you?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Innocence dies everyday.¡±


    Cassandra shivered, giving up. He was a wall of ice without a heart. She had zero hope of outrunning


    or overpowering him. Her only chance was that her new pack members would find her before she died.


    She picked at her food, unsure why he was bothering to feed her at all. However, she was unable to


    refuse fresh meat, no matter how much it stung her pride to eat anything he¡¯d provided.


    She finished her dinner in silence, the crackling of the fire the only sound between them. She looked up


    to find Cristophe staring at her with a heat in his eyes that he couldn¡¯t immediately squelch when their


    gazes met. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to handle the situation,¡± he said by way of answer but he shifted in seeming difort.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just relocate me, like a werewolf witness protection program?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°There is nowhere you could go that they wouldn¡¯t eventually find you. They are¡­


    tenacious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a good person,¡± she said, wiping away a tear. ¡°I was studying to be an engineer. I like finding out


    how things work.¡± She was making mindless conversation if only to mask the trembling fear inside. ¡°I


    never imagined¡­¡±


    ¡°Your heritage is your only crime,¡± he admitted. ¡°I would that things were different.¡± The quiet admission


    shocked her and she nced up and to catch him frowning. ¡°You are the first Breeding female who


    wasn¡¯t aware of her lineage. Most are protected and hidden away to prevent the feuding. Of course,


    none have had your bloodline before. Your parents were foolish to mate, having known the


    consequence.¡±


    ¡°They must¡¯ve really loved each other,¡± Cassandra supposed and Cristophe shrugged away her


    romantic sentiment.


    ¡°A useless and dangerous emotion. Look where it has put you¡­and them.¡±


    She perked up, curious. ¡°Are my parents still alive?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He dashed her sudden hope with his t admission.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    She held her breath. Would she finally discover more about her true heritage before dying?

 Chapter-7-

    Chapter-7-


    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen part of the file,¡± he admitted. ¡°They died shortly after you were born and given to the


    adoption agency. The records were mysteriously destroyed, which made finding the infant impossible.¡±


    He looked ufortable. ¡°You have to realize, any offspring from their union would¡¯ve been


    dangerous. They¡¯d known the risk and chose their path anyway.¡±


    Someone had killed her parents? She shuddered, saddened for two people she¡¯d never known but had


    passed on this deadly legacy. ¡°It¡¯s not right that their only crime was falling in love.¡±


    ¡°Life is cruel,¡± he said simply. ¡°me the gods for drafting such a prophecy to rule our lives.¡±


    Prophecy. Everything felt surreal, as if it were happening to someone else and she was watching from


    the sideline. It seemed almost tragicallyical that mere days ago she¡¯d been stressed about


    something as inconsequential as her mid-terms.


    Now, she had to carry the burden of some loathsome prophecy that made her the grand prize in a


    supernatural war. She squeezed her eyes shut, fervently wishing she were trapped in a nightmare and


    if she focused intently, she¡¯d force herself awake.


    Except, this nightmare was real. A small, hup of fear rattled her spine. The sound of moisture


    dripping pricked at her nerves. Everything seemed magnified.


    Suddenly, she became aware of a prickling heat dancing along her skin and she wiped away the beads


    of sweat that gathered at her hairline.


    Sweat dripped along her ribcage as her internal temperature began to steadily rise. Oh no, she thought


    with rising panic. Not now!


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    She looked up at Cristophe and he started when her eyes dted and everything became hazed in red


    in her vision. ¡°Cristophe¡­¡± she gasped, bending over as a fresh stab of arousal spiraled through her.


    ¡°You are phasing again, too soon,¡± he muttered, catching her as she fell to the ground. ¡°You¡¯re on fire,


    damn it. You¡¯re not supposed to phase so quickly! You should¡¯ve had at least a few days to recover.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me die,¡± she pleaded, gripping his shirt. ¡°Please! I never asked for any of this.¡±


    The arousal turned to pain as her channel slicked with moist heat, needing to be filled. The emptiness


    of her core created waves of pain and need that caused her to cry out with agony. ¡°Oh God! I can¡¯t


    handle this! Please help me, Cristophe!¡±


    She began ripping at the thin material covering her. Even the slightest touch of the fabric was an irritant


    to her skin.


    With a growl, she pressed herself against Cristophe, mindless that he was her enemy and captor. She


    needed to feel skin on skin or face dying a terrible death.


    ¡°Touch me, Cristophe,¡± she begged, almost sobbing. The tips of her nipples were reddened and


    throbbing, while her breasts swelled to twice their normal size.


    Her skin stretched from the swelling and her pussy quivered as juices dribbled from her passage,


    slicking the way.


    She could sense Cristophe fighting an internal struggle, but within seconds had her on her back in the


    dirt. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to help myself,¡± he admitted, shocked at his own actions as he fumbled with his belt


    and pants. ¡°Oh good God, this is unnatural but I want it so badly!¡±


    He groaned as she grabbed at him, wrapping her hot hands around his long, curved length. He was so


    different from her wolf lovers but she felt insatiable. This was far worse than the first two phases.


    This was the grand dame of phases and she was helpless to stop it. She slipped his cock into her


    mouth, sucking eagerly and wantonly on his straining erection, as his balls pped against her chin.


    His fingers threaded through her tresses and held her mouth in ce as he fucked her wet and willing


    mouth. She felt drugged, beyond control. She needed cock after cock. One would never be enough.


    She groaned, lost to the sensations racing through her body, making mincemeat of rational thought.


    Cristophe pushed her away before he could cum in her mouth and she fell back only to sink onto her


    hands and knees, her ass lifted in offering. ¡°Take me, Cristophe!¡± she begged. ¡°I need to feel a cock


    inside me before I go insane!¡±


    He mmed his cock inside her, rough and hard, just the way she liked it. Just like her wolves. He


    gripped her hips for better leverage and pumped his cock into her like a piston, ramming into her juicy


    hole without stop.


    His cock rubbed against a secret sweet spot deep inside her, making her squirt and dribble down her


    thighs into the fine dirt.


    The sounds of their animalistic fucking echoed off the cavern walls and filled the air between them. He


    grunted as he buried his cock deep inside her, touching her womb with the bulbous head, pounding her


    pussy until she moaned with pure pleasure.


    ¡°You dirty wolf-slut,¡± he gritted out, banging her as hard as he could, punctuating each thrust with nasty


    talk befitting a sailor but she reveled in it.


    She arched her back for a deeper pration and she cried out as he yanked a handful of her hair.


    The sudden dominance spoke to something deep inside her and she shuddered as she released more


    cream in her channel, losing herself in the shameless fucking.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, take it all,¡± he demanded in a harsh groan. ¡°Take my cock!¡±


    She squeezed her eyes shut as pleasure rocked her, his balls pping hard against her ass cheeks


    until she suddenly stiffened and she lost herself to the sensations inside her.


    She squeezed her internal muscles to the point of delicious pain and Cristophe uttered a throaty groan


    as he poured his fluid into her, soaking her womb and creaming her core.


    The internal heat from her phase immediately started to lower at the first ssh of seed deposited into


    her body. Blessed relief came quickly and she copsed to the ground in a puff of fine dust.


    Cristophe withdrew and staggered away from her as if she was poison but she was too relieved to


    care. The pulsing agony had receded, reced with the soft echo of pleasure. She rolled to her back


    and stared at the darkened cavern ceiling.


    When she could breathe normally again, she struggled to her feet and then walked to the pool. She


    sank into the pool, grateful for the heated depths to wash away her shame and confusion.


    Her insides ached from the pounding her channel had taken from three different men in as many hours,


    but her internal heat had subsided and for that she was inordinately grateful.


    Cristophe surprised her when he joined her. She nced at him shyly, not sure what happened next.


    ¡°Am I still going to die?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve phased three times. What now?¡±


    Cristophe looked stricken, as if baffled by what had just happened between them, and he said, ¡°That


    never should¡¯ve happened. A vampire has never been affected by a Breeding female werewolf¡¯s


    phasing. But I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Your agony was my own. I had to fuck you. This is madness.¡±


    Okay¡­but angst aside, that didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°Am I still going to die?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve phasedpletely for this cycle. But you wille into your Breeding time again. It will


    start all over again.¡±


    She frowned unhappily. ¡°How am I supposed to live a normal life if I¡¯m consumed with sex with every


    cycle?¡±


    ¡°You cannot live a normal life. You are not normal.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that. Up until yesterday I was very normal, almost boring,¡± she said with fresh irritation. ¡°I


    want to go back to that.¡± He sighed and remained silent, obviously wrestling with his own issues. She


    nced at him surreptitiously. ¡°So, if vampires are immune to Breeding females¡­why were you


    affected by me?¡±


    He scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I intend to find out. Come, we must leave this ce. I need to find


    answers and I¡¯m not going to find them here.¡±


    He left the pool and Cassandra reluctantly followed. She rather liked that natural spring-fed pool. She


    felt invigorated and alive, which was in direct contrast to the reality that she was in real danger.


    Cristophe handed her fresh clothes, more appropriate to the weather conditions, and then after they¡¯d


    dressed and doused the fire, he sped her hand and pulled her through the treacherous maze of the


    cavern.


    They popped out of the mouth of the cavern and suddenly, Cristophe was jerked off his feet and flung


    several feet until he was pinned against the cavern wall, the shaft of a wooden arrow quivering from his


    punctured shoulder.


    ¡°Vampires¡­such a pain in the ass. I¡¯ll be happy to be rid of them.¡±

 Chapter-8-

    Chapter-8-


    Cassandra shrieked as she was grabbed by two sets of rough hands. A man with a deeply scarred face


    came into view. He was definitely a werewolf, she could sense it.


    He smiled into her face, knuckling her cheek with interest as he gazed openly at her, as if assessing


    her worth. He sniffed at her neck and drew away with a curl of his lip.


    He shot a dark look at Cristophe who was helpless to move with the wood in his shoulder. ¡°Your scent


    is all over her. Why?¡± He appeared puzzled by the mystery but soon moved on. ¡°No matter. She will


    cycle again¡­soon. And I n to nt my seed in her belly.¡± He gripped her chin harshly. ¡°You will


    whelp my son ¡ª and my son will rule the world.¡±


    ¡°I will kill you, wolf,¡± Cristophe snarled. ¡°If you take her, you will have a price on your head. Every


    vampire, and your rival n, will make it their mission to stop you from breeding. The prophecy must


    note to fruition!¡±


    ¡°Be silent bloodsucker. Your days of subjugating my kind are over.¡± He motioned to the men gripping


    her tightly. ¡°Bring the Breeder. I wish to sample her quivering little cunt before her cycle begins.¡±


    Cassandra cast a helpless nce at Cristophe but there was little he could do to stop the wolves from


    Lichek¡¯s n from carting her off.


    Her only hope remained with Jandin and Koris finding her before it was toote.


    Cassandranded on the thin carpet floor with an ass-bruising thud that felt as if it¡¯d jarred her teeth


    from her jaw as the rangy bunch of men circled around her, their noses twitching with barely restrained


    excitement, and she swallowed a thick lump of fear.


    They looked hungry, their canines too long in their mouths, as if they¡¯d only partially returned to their


    human form after theirst transformation and their snouts were elongated.


    Cassandra tried not to recoil in fear but her skin crawled at the lecherous gleam in their amber eyes. It


    was no secret what they wanted to do to her.


    Her mind was spinning with everything that had happened to her in thest twenty-four hours. And to


    think,st week she¡¯d been worried about how to pay her credit card bill.


    Now, that seemed a ridiculous worry when faced with being some supreme breeder who rival werewolf


    ns were willing to kill to possess.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t smell like a Breeder,¡± one whined, eyeing her with distaste. ¡°All I smell is that blood


    sucker¡¯s seed on her. It stinks and makes me what to puke. Are you sure she¡¯s The One?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the scarred one said with a dark scowl as he motioned to a cluster of women. ¡°Arja, take her and


    wash that filth from her body. I want her to be clean when I fuck her.¡±


    Cassandra shrieked as her arm was nearly ripped from its socket as she was jerked to her feet by one


    of the men and thrust at the woman. Cassandra stumbled as shended in the woman¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Come Breeder,¡± Arja said, tugging at her arm. ¡°I will show you where to bathe.¡±


    Cassandra followed Arja, a petite woman with a subtle limp in her gait, down a dim, dingy hallway that


    stank of mildew and things best left unnamed.


    Cassandra gave the air around her a delicate sniff and shuddered as the faint scent of death teased


    her nostrils with its cloying sweetness. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked. ¡°What n are you?¡±


    Arja cast a reproachful nce Cassandra¡¯s way before pushing open a door that protested loudly on


    old hinges. ¡°The bath isn¡¯t much to look at but there¡¯s warm running water, which is more than we¡¯ve


    had in the past. Get undressed and I¡¯ll scrub you down.¡±


    ¡°I can wash myself, thank you,¡± Cassandra said stiffly, ncing around the dirty, scum-crusted tub with


    open horror. It was filthy.


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    She doubted she¡¯d manage to be any cleaner in that thing. She expected Arja to close the door


    behind her but she stubbornly remained, ignoring Cassandra¡¯s deration.


    Cassandra red but Arja didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Come on¡­this is ridiculous. I can wash myself.¡±


    ¡°You smell of vampire lust. If you don¡¯t get every drop of his seed from your skin, Ulster will beat me.


    I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not willing to take the chance.¡± Arja bent down and pulled a mean looking scrub brush


    from under the cab. She eyed it with grim satisfaction as she pushed hernky brown hair from her


    eyes. ¡°This ought to do the trick.¡±


    Cassandra surely must¡¯ve paled because she felt the blood leave her cheeks at the sight of that horrid


    thing. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that¡¯s sanitary¡­I could get sick¡­and then where would the prophecy be?¡±


    ¡°Human sickness does not touch us. It¡¯s one of the reasons our life expectancy is much longer than


    humans. You should know that. Now, strip before Ulster sends one of his men to do it for you. Trust


    me,¡± she warned in a low tone ¡°you don¡¯t want that to happen. They¡¯re all yipping at the chance to


    touch the prophesied one. You don¡¯t look like you can handle what they¡¯d do to you.¡±


    Cassandra stripped with shaking fingers, taking Arja¡¯s warning at face value.


    There was something about the woman that spoke of truth. Arja caught Cassandra¡¯s gaze wandering to


    her gimpy left leg and she said, ¡°I am not a Breeding female,¡± she said by way of exnation.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I cannot carry pups beyond a certain point in the pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you get pregnant?¡± Cassandra asked, confused and concerned for the diminutive


    woman.


    ¡°Ulster found a witch to spell the women in the n, to force a Breeding female to emerge. And it


    worked¡­at first. Until we realized, our bodies kept rejecting the pups. It was as if our wombs were


    poison. Ulster took the miscarriages as a sign that we¡¯d brought it upon ourselves somehow and we


    were punished.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Cassandra cried out softly, feeling the women¡¯s failure as if it were a physical


    thing. ¡°That¡¯s barbaric.¡±


    Arja shrugged. ¡°Ulster was trying to save the n. We haven¡¯t had a true Breeder in too long. Not


    since¡­your mother.¡±


    ¡°You knew my mother?¡±


    ¡°I was young when she was here but she was kind. And beautiful. Like you.¡± Arja lowered her voice and


    nced around surreptitiously to add, ¡°You must be wary of Ulster. When your mother left the n to


    be your father, Ulster went into a rage and tried to stop her. His face is scarred because your father


    nearly ripped it off when he discovered Ulster beating her. He hates your bloodline, even if you are the


    Prophesied One.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he bring me here?¡± Cassandra asked, a chill chasing her spine.


    Arja lifted woeful eyes to Cassandra¡¯s and murmured, ¡°Nothing good, I suspect. If I were less of a


    coward, I¡¯d help you to escape. But he will kill me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Leave with me,¡± Cassandra said impulsively, gripping Arja¡¯s cold hands. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you here.


    Come with me. The men in the other n aren¡¯t like Ulster. They¡¯re kind and generous. They would


    take you in, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°You do not know our ways. Our ns have been warring since the beginning of time it seems. The


    hatred for one another is imprinted on our DNA, branded on our souls. They would tear me apart for


    daring to step foot in their territory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s what we do.¡±

 Chapter-9-

    Chapter-9-


    Cassandra gave up trying to convince Arja things would be different at the other n. Truthfully, she


    didn¡¯t know if what she promised was true.


    Although Jandin and Koris had been protective and kind, she didn¡¯t know if that was their true nature


    when not mating with a Breeding female. Particrly a Prophesied One.


    Cassandra epted the brutal scrubbing of her skin as Arja made sure not a drop of Cristophe¡¯s seed


    remained on her body, even going so far as to swish her vagina with an efficient sweep of her finger to


    make sure nothing remained inside her womb, and then Cassandra was dried and dressed in an


    frumpy brown sack of a dress that looked as if it¡¯d been salvaged from a bag meant for the thrift store.


    She lifted the hem of the ugly dress and let it drop.


    ¡°It matters little what you wear. Ulster will simply tear it from your body when he mates with you.¡±


    Cassandra stared in open repulsion. ¡°I don¡¯t want to mate with him.¡±


    A small smile lifted Arja¡¯s mouth. ¡°That won¡¯t matter either. A word of advice: Don¡¯t fight. ept your


    fate with grace and maybe he won¡¯t mark you for sport. Ulster is a mean bastard with a penchant for


    inflicting pain on others.¡±


    Fear snaked its way to her heart and her knees had begun to quake as they walked down the dingy


    hallway to another room.


    At one time, the decrepit house may have been grand but time and disrepair, vandals and neglect had


    aged the ssy Victorian to a shell of its former grandeur.


    Much like a great courtesan who had fallen on hard times and was forced to service rough patrons in a


    filthy alleyway to make ends meet, the old house struggled to retain some semnce of what it had


    once been in its crumbling cornices and creaking maple balustrade.


    ¡°Who does this house belong to?¡± Cassandra asked.


    ¡°Someone dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Cassandra took that as a warning not to ask too many questions.


    Her gaze darted from one room to the next, looking for an escape but everywhere she looked, pairs of


    eyes peered at her from darkened alcoves and musty rooms.


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    Arja led her into a room different from the rest. The room was awash in opulent tones of red and purple


    and Ulster, the scarred barbarian, lounged in his oversized chair like a king on his throne.


    Threerge men stood at wary attention, their eyes narrowing and their noses twitching as Cassandra


    entered the room.


    ¡°Ahh, there she is. Thedy of the hour. Tell me, did you manage to wash that bloodsucker¡¯s stink from


    your body?¡±


    Arja bowed. ¡°She is clean, Master.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d better be or I¡¯ll whip the worthless flesh from your bones,¡± Ulster promised with a sick smile as if


    he rather liked the idea of Arja¡¯s failure simply so he could carry out his threat.


    He motioned Arja away as if the sight of her filled him with disgust and said, ¡°What do you think of our


    amodations?¡± he asked, almost mockingly, daring her to give him a reason to abuse her.


    The mean, hard look in his eyes gave away his hope and Cassandra wasn¡¯t about to y his game.


    She remained silent, seaming her mouth shut purposefully.


    ¡°Oh, a quiet one? No worries, I have ways to make my women say whatever I¡¯d like them to say.¡±


    ¡°I am not your woman,¡± Cassandra said without flinching, which made her very proud because inside


    she was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind. ¡°Jandin and Koris will find me. And they will tear you to


    pieces.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t tear them to pieces first?¡± he asked silkily.


    ¡°Because if you could, you would¡¯ve already.¡± She sent a derisive look around the motley group, noting


    their moth-bitten clothes and the pervasive sense of abject poverty that clung to everything she saw,


    and said, ¡°You are not their equals in any way. It¡¯s no wonder my mother couldn¡¯t wait to get away from


    this n.¡±


    Ulster growled in warning, the sound low and dangerous and sending a riot of raised flesh skittering


    around her nerve endings, as he leaned forward, baring his teeth. ¡°You dare much, girl. Do not speak


    of that bitch in my presence if you enjoy breathing. She abandoned her n ¡ª her family ¡ª to whelp


    with the cursed enemy n.¡±


    Cassandra bit her tongue to keep from snarling a bitter retort in a bid for self-preservation.


    She knew nothing of her birth parents, but from what she had gleaned thus far, the star-crossed lovers


    had defied everything to be together, even a timeless prophecy that had doomed them from the start.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here? To make me atone for my mother¡¯s sins? I never knew her. I was


    adopted. Any revenge you seek against her would be futile. She didn¡¯t raise me and I know nothing


    about this damn prophecy everyone keeps talking about. What makes you think it¡¯s even real? I mean,


    it¡¯s the 21st century, people. Not the medieval times.¡±


    Ulster seemed taken aback by her frank statement, so much so that a lengthy pause stretched


    between them.


    ¡°Do not listen to her treachery,¡± one of his men urged, eyeing Cassandra with open distrust. ¡°She¡¯d say


    anything to avoid her fate. Hurry up and put your seed in her belly. Your son, our n, was meant to


    rule this world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re caught in a time warp. There¡¯s no prophecy. Just a bunch of werewolves stuck in the past. I


    mean, look around¡­this ce could use a little freshening up. You know? Why do you live like this?¡±


    A low rumbling sounded in warning and Cassandra swallowed nervously. Perhaps she¡¯d taken it a bit


    far.


    Forty-eight hours ago if someone had said to her that she was a werewolf, let alone a Prophesied


    Breeder of Epic Proportions, she would¡¯ve directed them to the nearest mental hospital.


    But there was no denying the changes in her body, ones she couldn¡¯t possibly exin away logically ¡ª


    not to mention the whole losing her virginity during some feverish Phasing to two different strange men


    and then the subsequent wild sex with a vampire ¡ª but she¡¯d say or do anything to dissuade the


    scarred bastard staring her down from sticking anything of his inside her.


    She could only hope she didn¡¯t phase again soon.


    She had a feeling that if she did, she¡¯d screw anything with a cock in her fevered state. She ran her


    tongue across her lips, dehydrated from everything that had transpired. ¡°Can I get something to drink,¡±


    she asked, hating to show even an ounce of weakness but she was truly parched and beginning to feel


    a little weak.


    Ulster snapped his fingers and another woman scuttled inside. ¡°Yes, Master?¡± she asked, her head


    bowed.


    ¡°Get the Breeder some water and be quick about it.¡±


    The woman nearly tripped in her haste to obey and it was everything Cassandra could do to hide her


    disgust at Ulster¡¯s treatment of his women.


    But Ulster¡¯s quick gaze lost nothing. ¡°Your mother used to bow at my feet,¡± he said, watching her


    reaction. ¡°She used to suck my cock, too.¡±


    Cassandra smothered the grimace she felt on her lips and shrugged. ¡°Unless you¡¯re talking about my


    adoptive mother, which I highly doubt, the woman who gave birth to me was a stranger. I could care


    less whose cock she sucked.¡±


    Not entirely true, but she didn¡¯t dare back down in front of Ulster. If he scented fear, he¡¯d overrun her.


    She sensed there was a dangerous game afoot.


    She had to remain on her toes if she wanted to escape unscathed. She held onto the hope that Jandin


    and Koris would find her and if not them, Cristophe.


    The woman returned with a ss of water and handed it to Cassandra. There were faint things floating


    in the water and if Cassandra hadn¡¯t been desperately thirsty, she would¡¯ve declined.


    But as it was, she squeezed her eyes shut and downed the ss. The woman quietly took the empty


    ss and melted from the room.


    ¡°Better?¡± Ulster asked, raising one sardonic brow. She nodded and his gaze narrowed. ¡°Take off your


    clothes. I wish to see what a Prophesied One¡¯s cunt looks like.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t stutter and I don¡¯t ask twice.¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s gaze shot around the room, gauging her chances for escape. The hulking men nking


    Ulster wore the same flinty expressions as their Alpha and their bulging muscles strained the leather


    jackets they wore.


    Cassandra sensed a change in the air around them, something snapped and sparked in the room with


    faint charges of electricity.


    A familiar heat began to coil in her belly and her heart rate fluttered with dismay. She lifted her nose


    and caught a coyly tantalizing smell beneath the rot and decay from the house.


    Cassandra closed her eyes and willed her hormones to rx. Being surrounded by all this testosterone


    was revving up her internal clock.


    And if she could sense it, the other wolves could surely sense it as well. She took a faltering step back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel well,¡± she started, panic beginning to curl the edges of her thoughts. They wanted to mate


    with her. And the idea was beginning to appeal to her on some sick level. Damn this Phasing bullshit! ¡°I


    think I¡¯ll just-¡°


    ¡°Grab her,¡± Ulster shouted just as Cassandra turned on her heel and tried to book it out of there but


    multiple sets of strong hands gripped her tightly and brutishly forced her to her knees.


    Ulster rose from his chair and stared down at her with a cruel twist of his lips. His scarred face was


    frightening but there was something about him that emanated strength and power.


    She felt a mental tugging inside her, drawing her eyes to the muscr nes of his body. ¡°Bring Arja,¡±


    he said, still watching her.


    Arja was brought in and she quickly knelt at Ulster¡¯s feet. ¡°How may I serve you, Master?¡±


    ¡°Sweet, obedient Arja,¡± he said, patting the top of her head absently while stillmanding


    Cassandra¡¯s defiant stare. ¡°The Breeder needs a little help in reaching her Phase. She¡¯s fighting her


    nature. We must teach her her ce within the n.¡±


    ¡°Anything, Master,¡± she whispered, casting a fearful gaze at Cassandra. ¡°How may I be of service?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± Cassandra said tightly, hating how frightened Arja was. She could see the fear rolling off


    her in shimmers of sickly yellow heat.


    ¡°I do this for you, Breeder,¡± Ulster said.


    ¡°Stop calling me that, you prick. I have a name.¡±


    ¡°I do this for you, Cassandra,¡± he amended with a sardonic smile that sickened her.


    ¡°Bullshit. You¡¯re a bully and you¡¯re doing it for yourself. Have the balls to be honest at the very least.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± He pushed Arja away from him and she stumbled with a cry to the floor before scrambling


    away. ¡°I want you to suck my cock like your mother used to.¡±


    Cassandra swallowed her disgust. ¡°Will you leave Arja alone?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    ¡°Because I do. Leave her be and I¡¯ll¡­do as you ask.¡±

 Chapter-10-

    Chapter-10-


    He eyed her with open spection, as if weighing the truth of her statement. Perhaps he feared she¡¯d


    chomp his dick off. The thought had merit.


    But a tingling deep inside her belly had begun to curl itself around her senses and a hunger that had


    nothing to do with food had taken root.


    She recognized the signs this time. She smothered the groan as her temperature kicked up a notch.


    Soon, she¡¯d start ripping her own clothes off in her need to be touched and fucked. Oh, how she hated


    Phasing.


    She blew a hard breath through her clenched teeth, unable to stop the carnal smile that curved her lips.


    ¡°Are we going to talk about all day or get down to business?¡±


    Momentarily startled by her easy acquiesce, Ulster stripped quickly, shredding his clothes as if flicking


    lint from a sport coat.


    His body was a hard maze of scars from battles fought and survived; whether he was the winner or


    loser of those battles, she didn¡¯t know and it didn¡¯t matter.


    Those crisscrossed, jagged lines were the mark of a survivor, no matter the oue. Her blood thrilled


    at the savagery she saw in those wounds.


    She tore the ugly dress from her body, delighting in the way the cold air caressed her bare skin. Ulster


    growled in open appreciation at what he saw.


    Her body had always been trim and fit ¡ª the benefit of a super fast metabolism ¡ª but her skin fairly


    glowed with the heat of the Phase.


    ¡°Get out!¡± he roared and the room cleared. He circled her. His jutting cock, monstrous and thick, with a


    dripping bead of moisture escaping the tip, drew her attention. He noted her riveted attention to the


    bobbing length and he grinned with pride. ¡°Like what you see?¡±


    Yes!


    The word screamed in her head but she simply smiled. He moved to her with a wary approach, as if


    nearing a deadly creature. Perhaps her eyes glowed with the heat beginning to burn her insides.


    She smiled more widely, enjoying the fact that he was uncertain. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± she asked.


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    ¡°I fear nothing,¡± he said darkly, grabbing her by the arms and jerking her to him. ¡°Your skin is on fire,¡±


    he noted with a subtle wonder. ¡°I can only imagine how hot your sweet cunt is on the inside.¡±


    ¡°Careful, it might burn,¡± she warned with an evilugh.


    He smothered her mouth, sliding his tongue against hers with a violent jab as he pressed against her.


    She kissed him back, dueling with his tongue without reservation, desire and lust clouding her logical


    mind.


    He was rough in his touch but she didn¡¯t care. A low growl rumbled from his chest as he squeezed her


    breasts hard enough to leave a bruise.


    The nipples were reddened and aching, needing to be handled and sucked. He pinched the tips


    meanly and she shuddered against him.


    He dipped his long finger inside her, testing her slick passage and withdrew only to pop it into his


    mouth, tasting her. ¡°Sweet like honey,¡± he said roughly before pushing her to her knees toward his


    eager cock.


    She sucked his thick length down her throat, loving the way the girth filled her mouth and stretched her


    lips. The mushroom head banged against the back of her throat as she sucked and teased while


    gripping the shaft with her hands.


    His lean hips thrust against her, pumping against her open mouth, and she closed her eyes to the


    wondrous scenting off him in waves.


    The Phase had full control of her now and she wasn¡¯t interested in fighting anymore. This wild abandon


    coursing through her veins was heady and addicting. She wanted more!


    His fingers buried themselves in her hair until they reached her scalp. He tugged and she groaned,


    wanting it brutal and rough. He panted with harsh grunts as he continued to fuck her mouth and she


    craved his seed. Her body fairly hummed with the desire to taste his essence. Once again, she was


    seized by this utter madness to fuck. Her pussy ached with the need to be filled but she was too greedy


    to taste his powerful seed first.


    ¡°Yes!¡± he groaned, jerking against her, pouring his cream down her throat in great, salty loads that slid


    down her throat in hot jets. She swallowed every drop, growling with disappointment when he had


    nothing left to give her.


    ¡°Greedy little bitch,¡± Ulster said with an approving rasp as he withdrew his cock.


    Even though he¡¯d spewed his seed, he remained hard. She eyed the hard cock with need.


    The heat inside her was climbing. It was almost unbearable. Sucking his cock hadn¡¯t lessened her


    need, but increased it. She whined, her breathing harsh.


    ¡°Fuck me, Ulster,¡± she begged, hating the words pouring from her mouth yet was helpless to stop. ¡°I¡¯m


    Phasing again. I can feel it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insatiable,¡± he said with wonder. ¡°I could fuck you all day and never tire of your body. You¡¯re a


    fitting queen for my empire. Come here, Cassandra!¡±


    His words prated the lust haze and she struggled with herself. When the Phase wasn¡¯t in control,


    she would hate Ulster and everything he stood for.


    And yet, her pussy was dripping with the need to feel his cock inside her. He emanated power and


    strength and those attributes called to the Phase clenching her womb with the need to be calmed with


    seed.


    Ulster grabbed her and hoisted her into his arms, anchoring her hot core to his groin as her legs


    instinctively wrapped around his torso. ¡°We¡¯ll rule this world together. Our son will make the humans


    cower in fear! The prophecy wille to pass!¡±

 Chapter-11-

    Chapter-11-


    Noooo! Her heartbeat thundered so hard against her chest bone she thought she might die.


    The heat was almost consuming her and as much as she needed sex, she couldn¡¯t allow Ulster to nt


    his seed in her belly! His son ¡ª their son ¡ª would bring about the end of the world as they knew it.


    She couldn¡¯t allow that to happen! With thest bit of herself clinging to reason, she reared back and


    punched Ulster in the face with every ounce of strength she had.


    A soft crack from a broken nose sounded in the still room and she sprang from his hold.


    He roared as blood streamed down his face and she ran blindly down the dim hallway, trying to recall


    where she saw the door.


    The adrenalin pumping through her body was spreading the Phase through her blood like poison.


    Her temperature was dangerously high. She might die if she didn¡¯t get what her body needed, but she


    couldn¡¯t allow Ulster to impregnate her.


    She felt a prickling across her nerve endings and her bones started to scream in protest as something


    horrifying began to happen within her body.


    ¡°You¡¯re changing,¡± Arja¡¯s awed voice cut through the red haze beginning to permeate her vision.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Cassandra cried, but her voice was rapidly cut off by the elongating of her


    canines as they ripped through the gums.


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    She screamed but it sounded more like a wild growl. She dropped to all fours and her bones cracked


    and splintered as they grew and reformed. She howled against the excruciating pain.


    ¡°Females don¡¯t change,¡± male and female voices whispered in fear. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s


    happening?¡±


    Cassandra waspletely transformed. The rough fibers of the worn fabric beneath her sensitive


    paws made her lift her right paw with distaste.


    She wanted to feel the night air and taste the moonlight cascading through the dirty windows. The


    compulsion to run made her whine and pace, her head down low and menacing at the men who


    continued to stare in shock.


    She was of two minds. Her wolf senses were alive and vibrant and she saw things in variations of color


    and texture but her human senses remained present even if she couldn¡¯t verbalize.


    The rest stared in shock and apprehension at her sudden transformation while Ulster simply stared with


    a heat in his eyes that made her whine with distrust.


    Blood gushed from his broken nose and a red haze encased his body, ebbing and flowing like ripples in


    a crimson ocean, but his eyes zed with darkness.


    He looked like the devil.


    ¡°And the Breeder will be like no other, the color of pale moonlight¡­¡± Ulster intoned, his eyes glowing.


    Cassandra caught her reflection in the mirror above the mantel.


    Arge white wolf with startling blue eyes stared back at her. She yipped and backed away from the


    image until she realized she had bigger problems.


    A roar filled the room and sent the women scattering in fear. Ulster¡¯s skin split and his bones shattered


    and knit back together as he changed before her eyes.


    Holy shit¡­Cassandra didn¡¯t wait to see what he had nned ¡ª she could guess ¡ª and burst through


    the window with an explosion of coiled muscles and strength.


    She hit the ground running, her long stride eating up the ground with ease but Ulster had quickly


    followed her out the window. She could sense his urgency, his lust for power, in the way he dogged her,


    refusing to let her go.


    An odd thrill arced through her at being chased so ardently. She could only imagine it was the influence


    of the Phase racing through her blood because she found Ulster repulsive and evil.


    Yet, there was something seductive about evil, a voice whispered, urging her to lift her tail and tease


    him with her entrance.


    Jesus, Cassandra thought in a panic, don¡¯t do this! Ulster was everything she hated ¡ª malicious,


    abusive, and power hungry ¡ª why in God¡¯s name would she even consider mating with him?


    Because his seed is strong, the voice whispered back. Only the strongest survive¡­


    Her blood heated and she growled, whipping her head sharply at the vile suggestions ripping through


    her thoughts, causing her to slow her break-neck speed.


    Dark silhouettes of frozen trees rose above her, shadowing the glen with ominous shapes and hidden


    dangers but she felt invigorated, reckless even. Her blood was percting at a boiling clip. She¡¯d


    slipped into the final Phase. Even in her wolf form, she could feel her channel slicking with warm, wet


    moisture, preparing for a cock ¡ª in any form.


    Suddenly sharp jaws mped around her scruff and they went tumbling in a snarling ball of fur and


    teeth to the frost-bitten ground.


    A wolf ck as a witch¡¯s heart towered above her. She knew it was Ulster. She turned and bared her


    teeth and snapped, daring him to try what he desired most, but it felt like a game.


    He buried his teeth in her nape and the pain released a bone-deep shudder of pleasure that made her


    lift her hind-quarters in supplication.


    There was little finesse as he mounted her and jammed his cock deep inside her. She howled ¡ª half


    pleasure and half agony ¡ª as his massive wolf body moved against hers, pumping into her heat with


    brutal strength.


    She could feel the ridges of his fat cock as he rode her hard, biting and growling as he worked her wolf


    cunt. She whimpered, her mind rebelling even as her body craved more, and lost herself to the Phase¡¯s


    power to procreate.


    Mine!

 Chapter-12-

    Chapter-12-


    The rough growl sounding in her head shocked her when she realized it was Ulster¡¯s single-minded


    thought bleeding over into her own.


    Suddenly, they were linked in more than just their bodies. She caught glimpses of the world Ulster


    wanted to create with the power of the Prophecy and she gasped in shock at the horror he had in store


    for the humans.


    But just as quickly as they¡¯d joined, they were pushed apart and Cassandra was sent hurtling back to


    her own consciousness with a sickening lurch just in time to feel Ulster flood her womb with his


    poisoned seed.


    She howled as he pumped deeply into her, depositing load after load inside her until she could feel it


    dripping from her core to the frozen ground beneath her.


    She shuddered, unable to fight her body¡¯s need for sex during the Phase.


    Pleasure knifed through her as her womb contracted, sucking up all that rich thick cream inside her,


    drawing it past her cervix and into the safe haven of her womb.


    Waves of pleasure made her whine and yip and a distant part of herself ¡ª the human part ¡ª cried in


    shame at her own depravity.


    Ulster backed off, releasing her nape and disengaging his cock from her soaking wet core. He howled


    to the moon, the sound haunting and strangely possessive, as she struggled to her feet.


    Slowly, she regained control of her thoughts and feelings, even as her body continued to rock with


    subtle pleasurable waves from their coupling.


    Oh God, what have I done?


    The night called to her, soothing her ragged nerves with the promise of relief. She had to get away from


    this ce of subjugation and horror. She had to find a way to prevent Ulster from ruining this world.


    He took a menacing stance, sensing her intentions.


    She bared her teeth in answer.


    Get the fuck out of my way.


    The Phase, appeased by the seed in her body, had loosened the grip on her true personality and her


    suppressed revulsion had returned with a vengeance. He stalked her and she backed away, baring her


    teeth as she envisioned ripping out his throat.


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    He was bigger than she, but not faster if she truly wanted to get away. He¡¯d only caught her before


    because the Phase had taken control of her body. Not anymore.


    She growled and then sprang into a full-fledged run across the glen. Her feet ate up ground as she


    clearedrge fallen trees as if they were small shrubs and her heart thrilled at the power in her


    muscles.


    She could hear Ulster behind her, his heavy body pounding the ground but quickly falling behind. It was


    as if she had wings on her paws. She flew through the air, her lungs singing from the frigid air, yet the


    moonlight invigorated her with power and speed.


    She needed to find Jandin and Koris. They would know what to do; how to help her. At least, she


    hoped they would. There was so little she understood about her nature that she didn¡¯t know the rules of


    this new world.


    Cassandra knew nothing about the history between the warring packs and her ignorance felt like a


    dangerous handicap.


    Even as her feet continued to carry her across field and glen, the sharp night air filling her lungs with


    sweet power, she couldn¡¯t escape the memory of what¡¯d happened with Ulster.


    She was in a state of shock, more so than anything that¡¯d happened with the others. Even with


    Cristophe, the pairing had been wondrous, even if she¡¯d been confused. With Ulster¡­she suffered a


    shudder that nearly threw off her gait. Good God, she wanted to vomit.


    What had she done? The usatory tone in her head showed no mercy. Damn the Phase for making


    her do something so loathsome as to let Ulster touch her, much less be inside her.


    She¡¯d never felt so shameful in all her life. Of all her sexual Phasing, Ulster was the most horrid.


    Was this to be her life from now on? Indiscriminately screwing whatever or whoever was handy when


    she was locked in her Phase? To think she¡¯d always prided herself in her sexual control, impervious to


    college peer pressure, and disdainful of soulless hook-ups.


    Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Now she was a wolf-slut with a ravenous appetite for any hard cock


    that¡¯ll have her. If she wasn¡¯t in wolf form, she¡¯d hide her face in shame.


    Fuck the Prophecy for ruining her life.


    And what happens if she gets to Koris and Jandin and they can¡¯t help her because she¡¯d mated with


    Ulster? As much as the warring packs hated each other, what if she¡¯d just screwed her way out of


    salvation?


    Excuses didn¡¯t seem to carry much weight with the wolves. She could only hope that the pack would


    help, even if they hated her for mating with the enemy.


    She sent a mournful cry to the moon and followed her nose.

 Chapter-13-

    Chapter-13-


    Cassandra¡¯s padded feet put miles between herself and the vile n Barrachius¡¯ Alpha, Ulster, but she


    couldn¡¯t escape the waves of shuddering revulsion that rolled beneath her pale white fur. The crisp


    night air invigorated and cleansed even as her heart wept over what she¡¯d done.


    Oh, how she hated the Phase!


    What demented higher power had put together their species and thought it would be great fun if the


    female of their kind fucked anything that walked when they were in the Phasing period of their cycle?


    Cassandra wanted to howl the song in her heart that cried of shame and loathing and grief, but she had


    to keep moving.


    If Ulster managed to catch her, she¡¯d find no mercy ¡ª not that she¡¯d ask for any ¡ª his rotten heart was


    incapable ofpassion, only sadistic lust.


    And she might¡¯ve just conceived his child. She stumbled as the horrifying thought nearly sent her


    tumbling to the frost-bitten ground but she recovered and regained her speed.


    She wouldn¡¯t think of that. Not right now. Safety first. Everything else came second.


    Ulster was likely gaining his forces, hot on her heels. Now that he¡¯d tasted her, he¡¯d never give up.


    Cassandra had caught a glimpse of his mind, felt his insanity and he was obsessed with her.


    More specifically, he¡¯d been obsessed with her birth mother. The fact that Cassandra was some


    mystical being ording to their legends was simply a bonus.


    Ulster had been enraged that Cassandra¡¯s mother had run off and left her pack to join with the enemy,


    a man from n Janus.


    Somehow she had to find Jandin and Koris ¡ª hell, even that cold-hearted, achingly beautiful vampire


    Cristophe would be a wee sight ¡ª but the bitter night gave no clue as to where she was, only her


    fear that Ulster wasn¡¯t far behind pushed her to continue.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d been running but suddenly, her nose picked up a familiar scent and her


    heart thrilled with wild, almost hysterical hope.


    Jandin and Koris! The twins! Pushing herself beyond her exhaustion, she ran straight toward the scent,


    following the trail as if it were a physical thing, drifting on the cold night air as a light blue ribbon that


    twisted and curled through the heavy forest.


    Her light sensitive eyes picked up the illumination from the moon, bathing thendscape in a ghostly


    watery glow that mesmerized her savage heart.


    She was of two minds: human and beast while her body was wholly beast. The sharp chill barely


    permeated her thick coat and the rough terrain was no match for the tough calluses of her paws.


    Seventy-two hours ago she hadn¡¯t even known of her unique heritage; tonight she¡¯d be the stuff


    of nightmares.


    The irony that she¡¯d never owned a pet in her life and yet now someone might mistake her for one if


    they saw her running past would¡¯ve made herugh if she hadn¡¯t been close to dissolving into bone-


    racking sobs.


    She broke the clearing and arge modern home of steel and thick ss rose before her, casting deep


    imposing shadows and causing her to skid to a stop.


    Her tongue lolled as she panted hard, her ribs heaving from the exertion of the t-out run of her


    escape. She thought of Arja, the injured woman who¡¯d been kind to her within n Barriachius, and


    she made a vow to try and help her, no matter what happened.


    She couldn¡¯t leave Arja at the mercy of Ulster. The older woman might not survive his rage and


    disappointment at losing Cassandra.


    She shuddered as the realization hit her that it might already be toote for Arja. Cassandra bolted for


    the house but didn¡¯t ount for the guards that sprang into her path, snarling and threatening to rip her


    throat out.


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    She bared her teeth and backed off slowly, watching the wolves that advanced, pushing her away from


    the house.


    Her canine mouth couldn¡¯t form words and she didn¡¯t know how to change back into her human form ¡ª


    hell, she didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d changed into a wolf in the first ce ¡ª but she knew she had to get


    into that house.


    Cassandra lifted her nose and sniffed the air, reaffirming that Jandin and Koris were near. She let out a


    mournful howl, expressing her fear and frustration in that piercing sound. The wolves froze and


    suddenly, their ears swiveled as they took off running in the opposite direction, leaving Cassandra


    baffled but gratefully alone.


    But she soon realized, she wasn¡¯t alone.

 Chapter-14-

    Chapter-14-


    A figure emerged from the house that immediately set her ears back in warning. Her hackles rose and


    she moved into a defensive posture without thought. Who was this man? Enemy or friend? She


    couldn¡¯t tell. After the night she¡¯d had, she wasn¡¯t about to take any chances.


    He broke free from the shadows and stood watching her with hard blue eyes that glittered in the night


    air like azure diamonds.


    Like Ulster, he radiated power but unlike the sickly red that ebbed and flowed from Ulster like a fever,


    this man shone with a bright energy that crackled like a live wire and was just as dangerous.


    He was the Alpha of n Janus. She could sense the truth of her sudden knowledge and there was no


    need to question what she knew.


    He regarded her with open consternation, as if her arrival was neither a surprise nor wee, yet he


    didn¡¯t try to chase her away. She bared her teeth in a subtle warning, refusing to cow before him.


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    She didn¡¯t care who he was.


    On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, thest few days had wavered at the tipping point of


    fucking awful and he was the final straw.


    A low growl erupted from her throat and he lifted his brow in surprise at her audacity, even as he


    continued to watch her every move.


    ¡°My brothers tell me that you are the Prophesied One. I didn¡¯t want to believe them. But here you are in


    all your glory, white pelt and all, and I have to believe they were right. You are female and yet you


    changed into a wolf form. My brothers tell me it¡¯s our job to shelter you, to put our pups into your belly


    to cement our im to the Prophecy but if they have that thought then it¡¯s fair to surmise that every n


    from here to creation will want to do the same.¡±


    His lip curled ever so slightly.


    ¡°And you already smell of sex and blood, which means you have taken the enemy into your body. How


    do I know you are not carrying the poisoned seed of n Barrachius in your womb?¡±


    His mouth pursed as a tense moment passed before announcing with grim finality.


    ¡°The risk is too great. Logic tells me to kill you and be done with it ¡ª fuck The Prophecy. If there is no


    Prophesied One, there is no Prophecy to fear.¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s vision narrowed as his energy rippled around him, momentarily causing him to frown as if


    taken aback by a sudden surge of unpleasant sensation.


    He bowed against the onught and grunted as if he¡¯d just been jabbed in the gut by an unseen force.


    Even with her superior senses, she could see nothing aside from the man arrogantly deciding her fate


    but something beyond her understanding had just happened and it was significant enough to cause


    him to stiffen with open agitation as he barked, ¡°It seems your power extends farther than you realize.


    The Gods will see their game yed out, it appears. Come and wash the stench from your fur before I


    puke.¡±


    Cassandra red at the man, hating him intensely. It wasn¡¯t her fucking fault that she stank of the seed


    of her captor!


    Since she¡¯d be aware that she was some freak show with a magical womb, all she¡¯d done is get


    captured and screwed because of the damn Phase.


    If she had her druthers, she¡¯d rather be simultaneously studying calculus while getting a root canal!


    She followed the man, who still hadn¡¯t shared his name so Cassandra had decided to dub him, ¡°The


    Prick,¡± into the house and in spite of her less than wee admittance, she was relieved when the


    doors closed behind her.


    This elegant house was a fortress, built to withstand an army. The house was dimly lit by recessed


    lighting strategically ced in the ceiling, but she could tell immediately that n Janus lived by a


    different standard than Barrachius.


    For one, nothing smelled of rot and death. The furnishing gleamed as if polished by a studious hand


    each day. Not one mote of dust drifted on the air.


    The hardwood floors were waxed to a fine sheen. She could smell the beeswax and lemon as it


    lingered within the grain of the wood.


    A great shudder coursed through her and her vision shimmered and blurred. She had a heartbeat to


    realize that she was changing again as her bones went through the painful transformation from beast to


    human.


    The damp crunch of bone and snap of sinewy made her nauseous but within moments, she was lying


    dazed and sweaty on the hardwood floor, nearly unconscious as her body struggled to reorient its


    physiology.


    Two sets of strong, yet gentle hands lifted her from the floor and she found herself between the two


    men she trusted the most: Jandin and Koris.


    However, the voice of another surprised her most.


    ¡°We must talk.¡±


    ¡°Cristophe?¡± she said weakly, focusing her blurred vision on the tall, lean figure of the vampire who¡¯d


    alternately captured her from the twins, yet lost her to Ulster.


    She didn¡¯t know why she was happy to know he was here ¡ª his original intent had been to let her


    Phase out and die until somehow her magic had leaked onto him and they¡¯d made love like rabid


    bunnies in a dank cave ¡ª but somehow she knew he was needed in thising battle against Ulster.


    Somehow she knew that they all had to work together to prevent Ulster from taking control of the world


    through her.


    But Cristophe¡¯s curt statement wasn¡¯t directed at her. He was looking at The Prick, who simply nodded


    and gestured for Jandin and Koris to take her away while he dealt with other matters.


    Feeling summarily dismissed but too groggy and weak to do much more than re impotently at his


    retreating backside, she sank into the arms of the twin wolves who had taken her virginity only seventy-


    two hours ago.


    Well, they said you never forget your first, she thought muzzily.


    Particrly when your first is with two massive werewolves who not only broke through your hymen but


    breached your ass as well. Talk about overkill. In a very short amount of time, she¡¯d be a raging


    werewolf slut.


    On the heels of that vaguely hysterical thought, Cassandra finally cked out.

 Chapter-15-

    Chapter-15-


    Memories from her childhood floated through her mental theater, plucked from the past and pasted


    together in a jumble of thoughts, sounds and feelings as she sank under a ck nket of total


    lethargy.


    The sharp bite of pain as the skin split beneath the rusty saw de. Blood welling from a small finger.


    Crimson spilling in a beautiful trickle from a nasty wound. Her adoptive mother¡¯s fretting and worrying


    as the wound streamed red.


    ¡°I told you not to y by that dirty old thing,¡± her mother had admonished, rushing to put Cassandra¡¯s


    wounded finger under the faucet.


    The cool water soothed the angry cut, washing away the blood, staining in the porcin sink a light


    pink before swirling down the drain. ¡°You could¡¯ve cut your finger clean off!¡±


    Cassandra had remained silent, more fascinated by the blood than the pain of her cut or her mother¡¯s


    muttering about tetanus and blood poisoning.


    Without thinking, Cassandra popped her finger into her mouth just as her mother went to grab a


    bandage.


    ¡°Cassi!¡± her mother had cried, appalled. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to know what blood tasted like,¡± Cassandra had answered.


    Her mother¡¯s mouth tightened in a disgusted moue. ¡°Well, that¡¯s disturbing. Don¡¯t do that. Little girls


    don¡¯t need to be wondering about such things. Do you hear me?¡± she chastised as she quickly


    bandaged Cassandra¡¯s finger.


    Cassandra had nodded, sufficiently convinced that she ought to never do such a thing again but deep


    down¡­Cassandra had been afraid to admit that she¡¯d liked the taste of the blood.


    The copper tang had thrilled her senses, as if lighting her insides and creating a pervasive hunger for


    more.


    From that point forward, Cassandra had always preferred her meat rare and slightly bloody. Her friends


    had always shuddered and called her a carnivore. If only they knew¡­


    Of course, now it made sense. If anything about her new life could make sense, that is.


    How would her life have been different if she¡¯d been raised with full knowledge of her heritage? What if


    her biological parents had been able to raise her within n Janus?


    What would that have meant for her life? Would she have gone to college? Would she have been as


    driven to push herself academically?


    To be fair, her high IQ wasn¡¯t exactly helping her out at the moment but she supposed being as dumb


    as a rock wouldn¡¯t have helped much either. Too many questions without any answers.


    ¡°You are awake.¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s eyes opened reluctantly to find Jandin watching her with a warm, relieved smile.


    She sighed and struggled to sit up. Jandin rushed to her side to help. She graced him with a brief


    grateful smile and took a good look around her surroundings before asking, ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°Two days.¡±


    Her eyes bugged. ¡°Two days? I¡¯ve never slept that long in my life. Am I¡­okay?¡±


    Jandin came to sit beside her. Her heightened senses picked up his unique body odor and it smelled


    delicious, like chocte and steak; rain and green grass all wrapped in one unique scent.


    And yet, now that she wasn¡¯t Phasing, she wasn¡¯t wildly attracted to him. It was as if he were simply¡­


    her brother. She frowned.


    That can¡¯t be normal, right?


    She didn¡¯t have much experience with these sorts of things but wasn¡¯t she supposed to feel something


    deeper for the man who¡¯d taken her virginity?


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy I was to hear you¡¯d found your way to ourpound,¡± Jandin said, breaking


    into her thoughts. ¡°We took some losses that night. As much as I hate that blood-sucker Cristophe,


    taking you away from the heat of battle may have been the best course of action.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± she said, though she wasn¡¯t sure about anything these days. ¡°I wasn¡¯t safe for long.


    Ulster and his n found us just as we were leaving the cave,¡± she admitted with open distaste. ¡°And


    then I Phased again.¡±


    Jandin didn¡¯t have to ask; he knew what happened next. ¡°There is no shame in what happened. The


    Phase is a powerful force in a female¡¯s body, not to mention there are forces at work that go beyond


    the simple biology of our species. You are unlike any female we¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so I hear,¡± she grumbled, rocking her head to the side to crack her neck. The crackle of bones


    felt good but only briefly so as her stomach growled like a beast trapped under her skin. She clutched


    her belly with embarrassment but Jandin simply chuckled as he rose from her bedside.


    ¡°The Prophesied One requires sustenance,¡± he said, smiling when she grimaced at his word choices.


    ¡°Too much?¡± he asked and she nodded. ¡°Okay, Cassandra it is. Any preference?¡±


    ¡°Just food and lots of it.¡±


    ¡°Red meat and wine; food of the Gods. Only the best for you, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Or a sandwich would work, too,¡± she suggested with a weary smile. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think your Alpha


    shares your feelings about my worth. No sense in making it worse with fancy meal requests. I think I¡¯m


    just a problem that¡¯s been thrust in hisp to solve. Doesn¡¯t really make for the warm and fuzzies, you


    know?¡±


    On either side.


    Jandin¡¯s expression lost some of its warmth and he shook his head in apparent frustration at his


    brother. ¡°Tieran has always been stubborn. Hardest head of all the pups, our mother used to say. He


    wille around. He¡¯s trying to do what¡¯s best for the n, much less the world.¡±


    So his name was Tieran? She supposed she didn¡¯t need to call him The Prick any longer, though at


    this point it was a perfect fit.


    Cassandra weighed her words carefully, not interested in pitting the brothers against one another when


    she needed all of their help to get through this epically screwed up Prophecy in one piece. ¡°It seems


    that everyone Ie into contact with wants to kill me, fuck me, or own me. Including Tieran.¡±


    Jandin looked away, his mouth tightening. ¡°I cannot speak for my brother but as long as I breathe, you


    will not be harmed in this house by anyone in n Janus. I make this vow to you.¡±


    His sweet deration warmed her heart, even if she knew he shouldn¡¯t make promises he might not be


    able to keep.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for something that held Tieran in check, she might¡¯ve been reduced to a bloody pulp at


    the Alpha¡¯s hands. Still, she appreciated the gesture.


    After everything that had gone down as ofte, she¡¯d take any kindness. ¡°Thank you, Jandin.¡±


    He bowed ever so slightly and then left the room to get her food. She sighed and leaned against the


    giant fluffy pillow at her back. The bed was luxuriantly soft and her poor bones appreciated the fine


    quality.


    It wasn¡¯t every day that a girl turned into a wolf and then back to human again within a few hours. If


    only she had a clue as to how it¡¯d even happened. Probably something to do with that damn Phase. It


    was seriously mucking up her life.


    Would she ever make it back to college? She ground the grit from her eyes and groaned. She¡¯d give


    anything to go back to her normal, mundane life where the mostplicated event involved juggling


    her meager budget so that she could both afford food and electricity at the same time.


    If there had to be some big, dark secret in her family tree, why couldn¡¯t have been something like a


    rich, senile rtive who suddenly died and left her his entire fortune?


    Yeah, like that happens in real life. Oh wait, none of this shit actually happens in real life, so whatever:


    dream big, Cassandra.


    ¡°Are you sufficiently recovered?¡± a voice asked from the doorway. Cassandra opened her eyes and


    swallowed her irritation when she saw Tieran with a tray of food.


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    She jerked a short nod and he entered, cing the tray on herp with an efficient motion. Cassandra


    epted the tray with a muttered thanks and then tore into the food, ravenous.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jandin?¡± she asked between bites of near raw steak that ran with blood as she sliced into it.


    ¡°It is not his ce to feed you,¡± he said stiffly, surprising her.


    ¡°Come again?¡± She swallowed slowly, regarding Tieran with a frown. ¡°Do you feed everyone in the


    n? That sounds like a full-time job,¡± she muttered, taking another bite.


    ¡°No. Only you.¡± His blue eyes narrowed and she shivered as the air in the room seemed of short


    supply.


    She swallowed. Me? Why?

 Chapter-16-

    Chapter-16-


    ¡°Two days ago you wanted to kill me.¡± Yeah, sorry that was a hard one to let go, she thought grumpily.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re suddenly all interested in my welfare? Not buying it. Not be rude or anything,¡± she tacked


    on for appearances sake because frankly, she was a bit pissed.


    Of course, Cristophe had been nning to kill her as well, but for some reason, she wasn¡¯t as miffed at


    him for his momentarypse in judgment.


    ¡°Here I am kidnapped by creatures I¡¯ve never even heard of until a few days ago and since then I¡¯ve


    been, well, forck of a better word, vited, when I¡¯d been nning to save myself for marriage and I


    can¡¯t seem to help myself when that stupid Phase thing starts heating up my body like an engine that¡¯s


    been running too hot without oil; suddenly, I¡¯m this raging slut who wants to screw anything that walks,


    oh! And if that¡¯s not bad enough, I¡¯m some mystical werewolf with a magical hoo-ha! Then, I get


    kidnapped by this really, really bad guy named Ulster who has terrible ns for the world, I should let


    you know, and when I finally manage to get away ¡ª on my own, thank you very much ¡ª Ie to the


    one ce I thought I¡¯d be safe and the first thing you do is try to kill me. Forgive me if I don¡¯t think much


    of your managerial style.¡±


    She finished herst bite, shoveling the meat into her mouth in an angry gesture. ¡°That was delicious,¡±


    she snapped, privately shocked at how feral she felt inside.


    She was all riled up and could almost feel the hackles of her wolf-self rising from beneath the skin. She


    wanted more food. That steak wasn¡¯t nearly big enough to satisfy her hunger but she wasn¡¯t about to


    ask Tieran for a single thing.


    The silky smooth fabric began to chafe her tender skin and a bead of sweat dotted her hairline.


    Someone had washed and bathed her sometime after she¡¯d passed out for her epic snooze and had


    dressed her in a thin chemise the color of cream.


    Seconds ago she¡¯d been perfectlyfortable but now, everything felt too hot and scratchy.


    Oh no.


    She recognized this feeling.


    Nooooo, not with him in the room!


    ¡°You need to leave,¡± she gritted out, swallowing as her heart rate rose. Instead, he closed the door and


    locked it.


    To her horror, he began unbuttoning his shirt. His chest, smooth and chiseled, was the picture of male


    perfection. Muscle corded his stomach and tapered to tight hips. Her tongue snaked out to slide along


    her bottom lip.


    ¡°Please go,¡± she whispered, too ashamed to care that she was pleading. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Phasing,¡± he said unnecessarily. She probably had that figured out seeing as she was about to


    rip her chemise to shreds just to be free of anything touching her.


    He advanced toward her, a low growl sounding from his chest when she actually bared her tiny, human


    teeth at him. ¡°No one will touch you but me from this moment forward.¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck away from me,¡± she warned. ¡°Go get Jandin or Koris, or Cristophe for fuck¡¯s sake; anyone


    but you!¡±


    She scrambled from the bed, trying to escape, possibly to jump through the window ¡ª anything to get


    away ¡ª but he jerked her into his arms, hissing when their chests collided.


    Her breasts heaved as she panted, her insides boiling. God, she hated this! Even as she cursed him,


    she rubbed against the granite of his chest, writhing in his arms.


    ¡°When Ie down from this, I¡¯m going to kick you in the nuts,¡± she promised in an angry breathless


    whisper seconds before shetched onto his mouth, sucking his tongue deep into her mouth as he


    hefted her in his arms.


    She fit perfectly into his arms, like a puzzle piece locking into ce. Cassandra didn¡¯t know if it was the


    Phase that made her feel as if she¡¯d just leapt into the arms of destiny or something else but she knew


    it was pointless to try and figure it out at this moment.


    She moaned as her core liquefied with desperate need.


    ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s a fire beneath your skin,¡± he gasped, breaking free from her ravenous kiss. He cupped


    her behind and squeezed the plump flesh.


    She thrilled at the possessive imprint on her skin. His eyes darkened to a wild hue as the blue


    disappeared with his humanity.


    He took her mouth savagely, growling against her lips as he plundered, stabbing her mouth with his


    tongue until she was forced to ept him.


    It was brutal and heady ¡ª something that she would¡¯ve foundpletely distasteful if she were in her


    right mind ¡ª but at the moment she found him intoxicating.


    She clutched a handful of his dark hair and wrenched it back,ughing when he responded in kind,


    twisting a hank of her hair and yanking it close to the scalp.


    The pain sparked an insane pleasure that baffled but she didn¡¯t care. A low throatyugh followed and


    he threw her to the bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you anymore than you like me,¡± he said in a low growl as he followed her to the bed to rip


    the thin chemise away from her body.


    His eyes glowed with lust as he feasted on the curves and valleys of her breasts, hips and thighs. Her


    knees fell open and her hand found its way to her core.


    She was nearly mindless with the need to be filled. He pped her hand and pushed it away from her


    folds as he climbed her body with the grace of an animal; all muscle and sinew corded together to


    create sheer masculine power.


    His scent hit her like a sensual p. He smelled of something so intoxicating she couldn¡¯t even put


    words to it, but she wanted to bury her nose against his groin like a woman who¡¯d found her drug of


    choice.


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    ¡°But there will be no one but me nting their seed in your belly. If you are to whelp a pup that will rule


    this world, it will be mine or no one¡¯s.¡±


    Yes! No! Her heart sang even as her brain babbled in an incoherent attempt at holding onto her sanity


    but the Phase would not be denied and simply shut down the thinking section of her mind.


    She wanted to feel, touch and taste. She wanted Tieran to bathe her insides with his seed and calm the


    fire that raged inside her. She wanted to feel his pup grow inside her, beneath her heart, which was


    pure insanity!


    He flipped her onto her belly, pausing to grip the twin halves of her behind in both hands and squeezing


    with a grunt of approval. ¡°On your knees,¡± he demanded, his voice tight. ¡°I want to see your beautiful


    ass in the air.¡±


    She didn¡¯t hesitate.


    In fact, it feltpletely natural to offer herself to Tieran like this when in fact, if she werepletely


    lucid, she would¡¯ve told him to go fuck himself.


    But there was nothing but eagerpliance in her head at the moment and she simply spread her


    knees and lifted her backside, ready and quivering.


    He didn¡¯t wait a moment. There was no teasing, no readying either. No, it was a brutal assault from the


    start but there was something about Tieran that made her heart sing even as she would¡¯ve been happy


    to deny it.


    He was a cold, ruthless jerk and she wanted nothing to do with him, under most circumstances. But


    right now, she was infected with the insatiable need to feel him inside her, thrusting into her with the


    same reckless abandon as they tumbled down the rabbit¡¯s hole of insanity together.


    His cock pressed at her entrance, thick and blunt and she shuddered as he rammed himself deep into


    her core.


    She groaned as the pain of being entered without warning faded into delicious fullness, the head of his


    cock banging against that elusive spot that she¡¯d only read about in books.


    She writhed, impaled; gasping with pleasure. ¡°Yesss! Tieran! Yess! Make me yours! Fill me with your


    seed!¡±


    The words flowed from her lips as if she¡¯d suddenly been possessed and she was helpless to stop the


    torrent. ¡°The superior male will im the womb of the pale bitch and the resulting pup will rule the


    world!¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s breasts bounced with each hard thrust, rubbing against the linens as she clutched the


    comforter tightly. She was spiraling quickly, her channel gripping his cock, milking him with feral intent.


    They were helpless to stop what was happening. They were both caught in a maelstrom set in motion


    at the beginning of time as they fulfilled an ancient creed.


    It didn¡¯t matter that neither particrly wanted the responsibility that the Gods had given them; the


    Gods would have their Prophecy fulfilled.


    In a blinding moment, Cassandra felt melded with Tieran. She glimpsed a female face that was not her


    own. A wave of sorrow washed over Cassandra that shed with the wild lust riding her hard.


    Momentarily disoriented, she realized she¡¯d slipped behind the curtain of Tieran¡¯s thoughts, simr to


    what had happened with Ulster.


    ¡°No!¡± Tieran growled savagely and suddenly Cassandra was shoved from his mind and back into her


    own.


    He withdrew and flipped her onto her back so that he hovered above her. Everything happened so fast


    Cassandra could only blink in stunned silence as Tieran regarded her with angry lust-hazed eyes.


    ¡°Off limits,¡± he bit out a warning before shoving himself back into her molten core. She gasped at the


    savagery and agony in his tone but quickly lost herself in the building pleasure between them.


    Tieran groaned, his movements bing frantic as his grip on her hips tightened almost painfully. She


    knew what wasing. She could feel it in her bones as her own body reacted in kind.


    Pleasure spiraled, taking no prisoners as they both hurtled into their own ck hole of pleasure where


    nothing existed but the sizzle of sensation obliterating their nerve endings and sending both copsing


    to the bed, panting hard.


    It was several moments before either realized where they were or what had happened. Cassandra¡¯s


    thighs were wet with sticky fluid and her cheeks heated with the knowledge that it was Tieran¡¯s seed


    dribbling from her core.


    She wanted to move away but she was as weak as a newborn kitten. Tieran seemed the same, which


    was shocking given the man was one solid wall of muscle.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± she asked in raspy voice, still stunned. This had been different than the other


    Phasing. Vastly different. ¡°What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?¡±

 Chapter-17-

    Chapter-17-


    Tieran remained silent for a long moment but she could feel the tension in the air between them as they


    lay sprawled naked and spent. He turned slowly to regard her, his expression resigned, and perhaps a


    bit angry, as he gave her the answer she feared the most.


    ¡°The Prophecy has been set in motion.¡±


    Tears pricked Cassandra¡¯s eyes and her hand strayed to her t belly. She swallowed as the import of


    his statement hit her hard.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Am I pregnant?¡± she whispered. ¡°How can you possibly know? It¡¯s too soon, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The point of a Phase is to create new life. It is almost certain that I¡¯ve put a pup in your belly.¡±


    Tieran rose on shaky limbs to grab his shirt and jerk it on. She trembled as she wavered on full-blown


    hysteria. She wasn¡¯t ready to be a mother, much less the mother of some Prophesied child!


    ¡°Tieran¡­¡± she pleaded, not knowing what she was asking exactly but he heard the fear and uncertainty


    in her voice. He softened, albeit minutely, and his eyes returned to their striking shade of blue.


    ¡°Tieran¡­I¡¯m not ready for any of this¡­¡±


    He buttoned his jeans slowly, almost methodically before meeting her gaze. ¡°That makes two of us. But


    we weren¡¯t given a choice. I will send someone to help you bathe. I will bring food soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she lied, fighting tears. ¡°Just leave me alone. I need time to figure things out.¡±


    ¡°You will need food. The Phase raises your metabolism. And if you are carrying my child¡­you will eat,


    whether you want to or not. There are other things to consider now that the Prophecy has begun.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this!¡± she shouted, her voice shaking as she struggled to her feet, mindless of her nudity.


    What did it matter now? There was nothing to hide from Tieran at this point.


    ¡°I want to leave. I want to go back to college. I want to forget that I ever met any of you people! I had a


    life. I had goals and dreams. I wasn¡¯t some mindless freakish slut who spoke in tongues and wanted to


    fuck anything with a dick!¡±


    His eyes zed, turning dark as he advanced, scooping her into the hard shelter of his arms before


    she could squeak a protest.


    ¡°Do you think that I wanted this?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for an answer as he sneered softly. ¡°You are not the


    only one being asked to sacrifice something. You may have stumbled onto your heritage but I¡¯ve been


    shouldering the weight of this n since I turned sixteen. It¡¯s been ground into my head that I must sire


    the Prophesied child to save the world from the hands of n Barrachius! So hear me when I say that


    just because I do not weep and wail, wringing my hands at the circumstance that I am not, in fact,


    grieving for what has been taken from me in the name of some fucking Prophecy!¡±


    He gave her a hard shake and then when she thought he might thrust her away from him as if she were


    diseased, he ground his mouth against hers in a short, brutal kiss that spoke of anger, pain and burning


    desire.


    He released her abruptly, his breathing in short rasps as he red. He held her stare for a long


    moment then as he regained some semnce of control, he said in an icy tone, ¡°Never presume again,


    Cassandra. Ever. Now, stay put. I will return.¡±


    Her breath hitched in her throat on a cry as he closed the door and as soon as he was gone, she fell


    back onto the bed with a sob.


    Why? Why was this happening? Cassandra curled into a fetal ball and cried for a good five minutes,


    soaking her pillow. When the tears finally stopped, she wiped her nose and rinsed her face, still


    confused and angry but one question rose to the surface with startling speed.


    Who was the woman in Tieran¡¯s thoughts? Cassandra shifted with difort, embarrassed at her own


    inadvertent trespass. She hadn¡¯t meant to pry. It wasn¡¯t as if she had a handle on the things that she


    could do. Like she¡¯d wanted to know that Tieran had been thinking of someone else while he was


    inside of her?


    She could be flippant and say, who cares? But deep down, she did care. She cared a lot ¡ª and she


    shouldn¡¯t give two shakes of a beaver¡¯s tail what that jerk fantasized about in the private theater of his


    head because he clearly only fucked her because he had to.


    Mortification burned in her soul. She¡¯d never begged for a man¡¯s attention in her life and she didn¡¯t feel


    like starting now.


    Nothing had made sense since she¡¯d been thrust into this nightmare of a new life so why should she


    expect anything would start sliding into ce now?


    Her eyes welled again with more tears. She supposed she¡¯d earned the right to bawl, right?


    Hell yes.


    So that¡¯s what she did.


    She¡¯d never been close to her adopted parents, but at that moment, she desperately wanted to feel her


    mother¡¯s arms around her, clucking and cooing, smoothing her hair and promising that everything will


    be all right.


    But it wasn¡¯t going to be all right. Everything was fucked.


    Her body churned with uncertainty and fear. If the point of the Phase was to impregnate the female, did


    that mean Ulster had probably put his baby inside her, too? It¡¯s not as if werewolf biology was covered


    in her Bio 101 ss freshman year. She hadn¡¯t a clue how any of this worked and Tieran wasn¡¯t in a


    real rush to help educate her.


    She felt the heavy burden of his grief and confusion as if it were her own and frankly, she didn¡¯t need to


    carry anyone else¡¯s crap because she had plenty of her own.


    Tieran could fuck off with his problems if he was going tosh out at her for something she never asked


    for.


    Would it kill him to be a little understanding of her situation? That she literally had no clue what this


    world was all about and she could use somepassion?


    No, of course not, because he was a self-absorbed dickhead who only cared about his pain.


    Nothing about this situation was fair.


    She could scream until her head popped off about how unfair this new life was and it wouldn¡¯t change a


    thing. All she could do was try to find a way to bear it the best way possible and hope for better days.


    That shaky optimism that¡¯d gotten her through tough times felt weaker than a wobbly table trying to


    withstand the weight of a potato sd.


    But it was all she had.

 Chapter-18-

    Chapter-18-


    Koris found Cassandra hourster, wandering the wild, walled garden behind the house. The grounds


    were immense, giving the semnce of freedom, but in fact, she felt just as caged as when she was


    trapped in the cave with Cristophe or under lock and key with Ulster. She plucked wildvender and


    brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply when Koris startled her.


    She dropped thevender and immediately went to embrace him but Koris reluctantly took a step away


    from her. She stared reproachfully at Koris with wounded feelings. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is not my ce to touch you any longer,¡± he answered wretchedly. ¡°Even only infort. You are the


    Alpha¡¯s woman and the Prophesied One. If you seekfort you must find it with Tieran.¡±


    At the mention of Tieran¡¯s name, Cassandra turned away in irritation. ¡°He¡¯s thest person I would seek


    comfort from and thest person who would offer it,¡± she snapped.


    The Prophecy was ruining her life. And now she couldn¡¯t have friends? She returned to Koris, softening


    when she saw howshing out had hurt him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not quite myself. Well, that¡¯s an understatement actually.¡± She walked to the


    small cement bench and sat down with an unhappy sigh. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t know me before the whole


    Phase thing started but I was a totally different person. I was happy, funny, studious, basically, a regr


    college student with dreams and aspirations. Now I¡¯m just a magical womb and that¡¯s not sitting so well


    on my heart.¡±


    ¡°You are so much more than that,¡± he disagreed.


    ¡°Yeah? Tell that to the stupid Prophesy everyone seems to be so wrapped up in. What if it¡¯s all a bunch


    of hooey? What if everything you guys are basing your actions on is nothing but a bunch of old wives¡¯


    tales meant to keep control of a wild pack? I mean, myths and legends of every culture are grounded in


    some simple desire for order and control, to exin the mysteries of life so that confusion and chaos


    don¡¯t rule. Mythology A, freshman year,¡± she quipped with a snort. ¡°It¡¯s basic human nature.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t human and neither are you,¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°Right. I guess that¡¯s an important distinction,¡± she said with a sullen frown. ¡°Still trying to wrap my head


    around that.¡±


    Koris followed at a respectable distance until Cassandra patted the seat beside her with a pleading


    expression. ¡°Certainly there are no rules about friends sitting beside each other, right? No touching, I


    promise.¡±


    He seemed uncertain but couldn¡¯t refuse. He sat gingerly beside her.


    Even though he wasn¡¯t asrge as Tieran, his body still ate up most of the bench and caused


    Cassandra to smile with genuine warmth at his obvious difort yet desire to make her happy.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have been you or Jandin?¡± she asked with a intive whine. ¡°Either of you would¡¯ve


    been fabulous. At least you guys like me. He looks at me like I¡¯m an inherited disease that he has to


    tolerate.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to rify. Koris knew what she was referring to. ¡°It would¡¯ve been our honor to be your


    champion,¡± Koris murmured. ¡°I would that things were different for you from the start. But we cannot


    live in the past, only in the present. Tieran is a good Alpha. He will protect you with his life as he would


    anyone in his n.¡±


    ¡°He hates me,¡± she whispered. Koris struggled to refute her im without being dishonest but she


    saved him the trouble, saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t bother. The Phase, as lousy as it is, has given me certain


    insights. He is with me because he¡¯s expected to be, not because he wanted to be. It seems no one


    wants me for me,¡± she added with a dose of self-pity.


    ¡°Tieran is a difficult man to understand. He is very private. I would not presume to know his feelings,


    however,¡± Koris began cautiously, trying to find the right words. ¡°Don¡¯t give up on him. The Gods would


    not have put you in his path if it were not meant to be.¡±


    ¡°Koris, I don¡¯t have your faith. I was raised in a normal household where I had chores and homework,


    not tales of legends and prophesies. I don¡¯t know if I believe in fate or destiny. I¡¯m overwhelmed with


    everything that has happened and frankly, I just want to go home.¡±


    ¡°You are home,¡± Koris reminded her gently. She shook her head vehemently and Koris sighed. ¡°You


    may not believe in fate or destiny but it believes in you. We all believe in you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Koris smiled and unfolded himself from the tiny bench with a slight grunt, causing her to allow a small


    smile. ¡°Because you are special. When you stop fighting it, you will understand. Right now, the


    Prophesied Child is likely growing in your womb. When your maternal instincts kick in, you will know


    what it¡¯s like to believe in something you¡¯ve never known.¡±


    She held back the caustic remark that hovered on her tongue. Koris was trying to help; there was no


    sense in being rude.


    But she didn¡¯t feel better.


    In fact, she felt worse. What if she didn¡¯t have maternal instincts? What if she was a terrible mother?


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she murmured, looking away. ¡°I appreciate your kindness. It¡¯s more than Tieran has shown


    me.¡±


    ¡°Give it time. He is grieving, too,¡± he said.


    ¡°For what?¡± she asked, looking up sharply. He must¡¯ve realized he¡¯d revealed too much and tightened


    his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me in the dark, Koris,¡± she begged, needing a little insight or she¡¯d go insane. ¡°He


    mentioned something simr but I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Koris looked anxiously around the garden as if worried about being overheard.


    Cassandra held her breath, desperate to know more about the man who would father her child,


    whether she liked it or not. Finally, he leaned down to share in a low voice, ¡°It is not for me to say but


    Tieran was forced to give up something dear to him when it became apparent that the Prophesied One


    hade into her Breeding Time. When we discovered you¡­Tieran had to forsake the woman he


    loved.¡±


    Cassandra gasped and drew back, shocked to her toes. The image of the woman she¡¯d glimpsed


    shed in her mind and she fought a growl of possession that came from nowhere.


    She recovered without Koris noticing, yet added with dismay, ¡°He had a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± Koris said sharply, ncing to see if they were still alone. ¡°Yes. Of sorts. It was ill-fated from


    the start but Tieran would not be swayed from the chase.¡±


    Cassandra swallowed, not knowing what to say. It was difficult to reconcile the hard-hearted bastard


    she knew Tieran to be with the image of a man in love, willing to do whatever it took to be with his


    woman.


    She suffered a twinge of jealousy that he did not feel that way about her. ¡°Who is she? Does she live


    here at thepound?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Serra. And no, she has left thepound. When news spread that you had been found,


    she couldn¡¯t face being here with you, knowing that you and Tieran would be together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the reluctant other woman,¡± Cassandra said softly, still reeling from the information. ¡°I broke them


    up. No wonder he hates me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t break them up. They weren¡¯t meant to be and they knew it,¡± Koris said in a hard tone,


    surprising her. ¡°It is what it is. As I said before, it is unhealthy to dwell in the past as that way lies


    madness; focus on the future.¡±


    She nodded faintly. ¡°Thank you, Koris,¡± she said, knowing he¡¯d taken a great risk in sharing this


    information with her. Koris dipped his head in a subtle bow and left the garden, leaving Cassandra with


    a lot more questions.


    Did it change things knowing that Tieran had given up someone dear to him for the sake of the


    Prophecy? Cassandra weighed the information against her hurt and bruised feelings and found that it


    did.


    Not that it gave him a pass on his craptastic attitude toward her, but it did help her to understand his


    animosity. So they both had reasons to hate their roles in this little forced tale.


    Where did that leave them now? Her hand drifted to her stomach. What if she had conceived his child?


    A trickle of warmth filled her insides at the thought but she immediately thrust it away.


    She didn¡¯t trust her feelings right now. Everything was too raw, too immediate to truly know how she felt


    about anything¡­even the possibility of being pregnant.


    A different thought urred to her that chased away the previous warmth.


    What if she were already pregnant¡­with Ulster¡¯s child? Tears stung her eyes as fear followed. Don¡¯t


    think about the possibility, a voice warned as she squeezed her eyes shut. If she had to be pregnant¡­


    please let it be Tieran¡¯s.


    Oh God¡­please.


    Cassandra rose on shaky limbs, no longerforted by the garden and suddenly famished.


    Again.


    Hunger ¡ª both sexual and physical ¡ª was about the only thing she could count on as constant in her


    life these days.


    Good grief, she sighed and headed for the house.


    But just as she reached for the door, her stomach seized and an agonizing pain ripped through her


    body, twisting her guts with a vise.


    ¡°Oh God! Help me!¡± she screamed as she crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain as she struggled to


    breathe. She clutched her belly, curled in a ball, moaning as the pain hit a crescendo.


    The pain rified her mind and at the same time blotted out rational thought. In her mind¡¯s eye she saw


    two tiny heartbeats beating fiercely, pumping blood to two equally tiny bodies as her every resource


    was routed to serve their needs. The air seized in her lungs as the knowledge pressed down upon her


    mind.


    Noooo! Please God, no!


    Two babies. Two different fathers.


    Tears of agony mingled with those of dismay and fear but she couldn¡¯t voice the scream trapped in her


    throat.


    Two babies. Two different fathers


    ¡°God, help me,¡± she whispered just before the pain swept her away on a ck curtain of oblivion.

 Chapter-19-

    Chapter-19-


    ¡°How can there be two?¡±


    The question, delivered in Tieran¡¯s quiet, deliberate tone was edged with uncertainty and echoed


    throughout the closed room.


    Cassandra remained rigidly silent as the seer removed her weathered palms from Cassandra¡¯s slightly


    rounded belly and looked as bewildered as the rest of the Barrachius n inside the room.


    Tieran, the Alpha of n Barrachius red at Cassandra as if she were to me for this upset in his


    ns. Cassandra red back. It wasn¡¯t her fault she had an overactive womb.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she snapped, moving away from the seer and straightening her


    shirt. It was bad enough she already felt like some kind ofb experiment gone awry, now she had to


    deal with this? ¡°Maybe the prophesy is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Tieran retorted, though his eyes told a different story. He turned to the grizzled woman


    looking pensively at Cassandra¡¯s belly. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± she answered truthfully. ¡°But it cannot bode well. The prophesy clearly stated there


    was one child. I must consult the Mother Goddess for answers.¡±


    ¡°Great, get her on the phone and get some answers so everyone can stop staring at me like I¡¯m the


    devil,¡± Cassandra grumbled.


    Jandin bowed low to whisper in her ear, ¡°The Mother Goddess is the moon.¡±


    Oh.


    She cast a thankful smile Jandin¡¯s way for his exnation but she felt like an idiot. Of course, the


    Mother Goddess was the moon.


    How obvious. Not.


    Why couldn¡¯t she have been part of a kooky religious cult instead of some paranormal underground


    species that just so happens to be caught up in this cataclysmic prophecy?


    ¡°Are we done here?¡± she asked, ready to leave this room and all the pairs of eyes staring at her for


    answers she couldn¡¯t give. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Again.


    ¡°Go to your room and I will bring food,¡± Tieran said and immediately Cassandra bristled. She hated


    when he bossed her around like she was an underling of some sort, or worse, a bathroom attendant at


    a Walmart.


    She rose stiffly and stalked from the room, not because Tieran told her to, but because she couldn¡¯t


    stand another minute being scrutinized for circumstances that were out of her control.


    She took the stairs to her bedroom two at a time. Since discovering she was the Prophesied One, all


    manner of unpleasant things had been forced upon her ¡ª including losing her virginity and being


    kidnapped by two separate people on two different times ¡ª and now she was pregnant with not one


    super human but two.


    And God damn, she was hungry enough to eat a horse. Literally.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Cassandra prowled her expansive bedroom as she waited. Tieran, the Alpha, and consequently, one of


    her baby daddys, insisted on feeding her himself.


    It was some weird custom that the n adhered to and they were very attached to their customs and


    traditions. If Tieran and Cassandra actually liked each other, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal that Tieran felt


    obligated to feed her, but as it was, neither wanted the roles that had been handed to them and chose


    to take it out on each other.


    If it weren¡¯t for the bone-melting sex between them, Cassandra might¡¯ve tried to find a way to rip his


    throat out.


    Okay, maybe not exactly rip his throat out, that was a bit over the top, buttely, her hormones had


    been kicking into overdrive and sometimes she couldn¡¯t quite help the thoughts in her head or the


    words that popped from her mouth.


    The fact was, Tieran was gorgeous ¡ª the picture of male perfection ¡ª and it was no small tragedy to


    be in his arms or beneath him, but when he looked at her, there was nothing but pure lust zed over


    the veneer of anger and resentment and that just killed whatever might¡¯ve been possible between


    them.


    And was she ten times the amount of stupid that it mattered to her? Yes.


    She¡¯d passed out of the dangerous Phasing period of her Breeding Time and now that she was


    pregnant, she simply ate and grew rounder.


    She was always hungry and she always wanted sex. And considering that the one person who would


    oblige couldn¡¯t actually stand to be around her unless he was forced, didn¡¯t make for a happy


    Cassandra.


    If it weren¡¯t for the biological blueprint etched on their DNA, Cassandra didn¡¯t think Tieran would have


    sex with her ever again but as it was, he couldn¡¯t help himself just as she couldn¡¯t help herself when


    she¡¯d been Phasing.


    Each time they had sex, an invisible thread wound itself tighter around them, drawing them ever closer


    to one another. Which was why Tieran tried to avoid her.


    Except, he was programmed to want her now that she¡¯d conceived his child. Cristophe had told her that


    it was an evolutionary protection for the species.


    The Alpha would always protect his mate when they were bound.


    ¡°So how is it you know so much about werewolves?¡± Cassandra had groused after Cristophe had


    educated her in the finer points of being a werewolf. She¡¯d been shocked to learn Cristophe was with


    the werewolves when previously he¡¯d disdained their presence like a man who disliked dogs and was


    suddenly asked to clean out the dog kennels at an animal shelter.


    Somehow they¡¯d entered into an uneasy truce and were working together to prevent Ulster from


    kidnapping her again. She wished she could feel all warm and fuzzy about everyone pitching in to


    protect her but instead she felt intensely scrutinized for her every breath.


    Cristophe sighed. ¡°It was my duty to manage the breeding female stock, remember?¡±


    She grimaced in distaste. ¡°Oh yes. I remember now. So, speaking of¡­why were you affected by my


    Phase? Got some werewolf DNA somewhere in that cold body of yours?¡± she asked, half-joking, but


    mostly serious.


    She was still trying to forget how much of a slut she¡¯d be while Phasing. Even dead guys weren¡¯t


    off limits apparently. ¡°I thought vampires were immune to werewolf mojo.¡±


    Cristophe shifted, his expression pensive. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I think it has something to do with the


    prophecy. Everything that has happened to this point has been carefully orchestrated by the gods to


    fulfill the prophecy. Even now, I feel strangely protective toward you and I can¡¯t seem to leave your


    side. I¡¯ve never suffered from such an affliction before.¡±


    ¡°I wondered why you were hanging out with the werewolves when you¡¯re not exactly BFFs.¡±


    ¡°When Ulster took you¡­I can¡¯t exin it.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let the situation work itself


    out on its own. I came here to Tieran to enlist his help in finding you. We were mobilizing when you


    appeared on your own.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me. Impatient to the core. I couldn¡¯t even wait to be rescued,¡± she quipped. ¡°But to be fair, you


    guys were taking your sweet time.¡±


    ¡°We were moving as swiftly as possible,¡± Cristophe said. ¡°But there wereplications.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Well, Tieran wasn¡¯t all that eager to find you.¡±

 Chapter-20-

    Chapter-20-


    Ouch. That hurt. But she forced a smile as if Cristophe¡¯s statement hadn¡¯t punctured her deep inside.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not very Prince Charming of him to not want to rescue the damsel in distress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, Jandin and Koris were quite vocal in their opposition of his slow to act position.¡±


    She smiled warmly at the twins¡¯ loyalty but even as they were hot as hell and built like semi trucks, she


    felt nothing more than brotherly affection for them, which was a tragedy because she had a feeling a


    life with those two would¡¯ve been decidedly easier than one with the hard-hearted Alpha Tieran.


    And yet¡­when she thought of Tieran, her palms began to sweat and little flutters heated up her


    insides, which told her she had a snowball¡¯s chance in hell of forcing her heart to want anyone else.


    Particrly now that she was growing his bambino in her belly.


    And apparently, the little bundle growing beneath her heart, was one helluva binding force for them


    both.


    There were times when Tieran simply couldn¡¯t deny himself any longer and he would burst into her


    room, eyes zing and muscles taut, and Cassandra knew he was going to fuck her raw. Just thinking


    about being with Tieran was enough to send her heart racing and her core to heat.


    They were epic together. Until it was all over. Then, Tieran would retreat and leave her coldly behind.


    That felt worse than if he¡¯d just been a mechanical lover, going through the motions because he had to.


    Somehow feeling that raw passion for brief moments was so much more painful because she knew


    what she¡¯d never have.


    Ignorance was better.


    ¡°Do werewolves get more than one mate?¡± she asked, unable to help herself.


    ¡°The werewolves mate for life with one true mate.¡±


    Cassandra swallowed, epting Cristophe¡¯s answer. Was she Tieran¡¯s true mate or was Serra? To see


    how torn up he was over losing Serra, Cassandra would have to say that yes, Serra had been The


    One.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Just wondered.¡±


    ¡°You fear Tieran isn¡¯t your True Mate?¡± he asked, perplexed. ¡°Have you not noticed how his gaze never


    leaves you?¡±


    ¡°Being possessive of your baby mama isn¡¯t what love is made of. Clearly, you haven¡¯t watched enough


    Law and Order.¡±


    Cristophe chuckled with derision. ¡°I see enough drama in my everyday to seek it out for pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. When my life was nothing but college exams and crushing existential dread over where


    my life was going, I couldn¡¯t get enough of murder and mayhem in my television show preferences.


    Now, I just want happy endings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived too long to hope for such things,¡± he said quietly.


    Hisment made her sad. Being immortal sounded like a colossal bummer. The ssic movies


    about vampires got it all wrong. ¡°Have you ever been in love?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Love is a human emotion,¡± he scoffed but the far-off expression in his eyes told a different story ¡ª a


    private one that he didn¡¯t feel like sharing. She didn¡¯t press. He returned to her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t doubt


    Tieran¡¯s feelings for you. He will guard you with his life.¡±


    ¡°I know he will. But will he love me?¡± she asked with a sigh. ¡°I might not be human but I still have a


    heart that yearns for love. I can¡¯t help myself. Call me old-fashioned but I prefer my baby daddy to


    actually love me.¡±


    Well, at least one of them. The one who wasn¡¯t evil, of course.


    ¡°You would do yourself a kindness if you let go of such tedious emotions and focus on the health of


    your pups.¡±


    Solid advice. Except, she wasn¡¯t so good at following good advice these days.


    ¡°Do you know anything about Serra?¡± she asked, unable to help herself.


    ¡°Yes. A non-breeding female. She is of little consequence.¡±


    Yeah, tell that to Tieran¡¯s heart.


    ¡°She is nothing. If she bes a problem, Tieran will remove her.¡±


    ¡°I think he loves her,¡± she admitted in a small voice. ¡°What if she¡¯s The One and not me?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Her womb is barren. You are his True Mate. He wille to realize it by the time the pups


    are here.¡±


    If only she could brush aside her concerns as easily as Cristophe suggested. Maybe it was because


    she¡¯d been raised as human that she clung to human ideals about love and fidelity. Sure, as far as she


    knew, Tieran was physically faithful to her but she couldn¡¯t help but cringe when she thought that he


    was imagining Serra when he was inside her.


    It was hard to imagine that he¡¯d shared the kind of epic sex he and Cassandra had together with


    anyone other than his mate, though.


    He couldn¡¯t fake the bone-melting pleasure they created together. There was one thing she felt


    confident was real ¡ª their chemistry.


    Too many questions made her head spin. She suspected Tieran was faced with the same questions,


    which was probably why he was being such a royal jerk all the time.


    Cristophe had left her with that final thought and Cassandra had obsessed on it since.


    To be honest, Cassandra was getting tired of Tieran¡¯s routine. Yeah, so he had to give up his girlfriend,


    Serra.


    Well, she¡¯d had to give up her damn life for this prophecy. And now she was likely going to get stretch


    marks, too. In Cassandra¡¯s estimation, they were equal in the misery department.


    The door opened and Cassandra expected to see Tieran but was surprised to see the seer, Iona, walk


    in. The petite nature of the woman belied the power that rippled from her aura.


    No one knew how old Iona was ¡ª Cassandra had asked around after meeting the grizzled woman for


    the first time when she¡¯d fainted after experiencing a vision of her two babies in the womb ¡ª but


    Cassandra was fairly certain, she was at least one hundred years old if she was a day.


    Cassandra tried to hide her disappointment but it must¡¯ve been inly written across her face as Iona


    laughed and said, ¡°Not the person you were hoping for? Has your heart softened toward Tieran?¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s gaze narrowed. Had she softened toward the biggest prick she¡¯d ever met since Rory


    McAdams, the same guy who pointed out to the entire cafeteria that a bird had crapped on her head?


    Um, no.


    ¡°He was supposed to bring me food. I¡¯m starving. I wouldn¡¯t care if it were the devil walking through that


    door as long as he held a sandwich in his hands.¡±


    ¡°Be careful with your words. Words have power,¡± Iona warned, not finding the humor in Cassandra¡¯s


    sharp quip. ¡°Once word spreads that you carry two pups, Ulster will stop at nothing to find you.¡±


    ¡°And why should he care?¡± Cassandra said, hoping to sound flippant when in fact, her heart was


    stuttering painfully with fear. Her biggest fear hade to fruition.


    She was not only carrying Tieran¡¯s child, but Ulster¡¯s as well. She would¡¯ve been happy to keep that


    information to herself but Iona had broken the news to Tieran, who then shared the news with his n.


    To say she was a bit irritated with Iona was an understatement. ¡°I hardly think Ulster is interested in


    being a father.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish, girl. The urge to keep one¡¯s progeny close is part of our make up. He wille.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cassandra¡¯s shoulders shook with a slight shudder but she tried to keep it light. ¡°Well, maybe I should


    go after him for child support then. However, I¡¯ve seen his digs. I don¡¯t think he has much to spare.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Iona¡¯smanding voice cut through Cassandra¡¯s sarcasm like a de. ¡°You cannot hide your


    fears from me, child. I can see them as inly as I see those pups in your belly. I see their hearts


    beating fast and true, same as yours. You must be strong in theing months, not only for this n


    but for your pups. They will need a strong mother to protect them from whoever would seek to harm


    them.¡±


    ¡°Who would want to hurt my babies?¡± Cassandra asked. ¡°They¡¯re just babies. It¡¯s not their fault how


    they came to be in existence.¡±


    ¡°This is not the world you grew up in,¡± Iona said. ¡°You cling to a memory of who you were and what you


    knew. None of that is applicable for the present or the future. Tieran will protect his pup just as Ulster


    will protect his. But either would kill the other pup without reservation.¡±


    Cassandra gasped. ¡°Tieran would kill a baby?¡±


    ¡°Do not seem so shocked,¡± Iona said sharply. ¡°n Barrachius has remained the top n among


    scores of others because our Alphas do not shy from responsibility no matter how distasteful it may


    seem. Tieran would do whatever was necessary to secure n Barrachius¡¯ future.¡±


    At that Cassandra stilled as the import of Iona¡¯s words began to sink in. She didn¡¯t care who had


    fathered the babies ¡ª they were hers ¡ª and she wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to hurt them. Before she


    realized it, she¡¯d bared her teeth in a subtle growl. Iona surprised her with an approving chuckle.


    ¡°Yes, girl. Fight for their lives. I believe the Mother Goddess would not have allowed such a deviation to


    the prophesy if there hadn¡¯t been a purpose. s, not everyone shares my faith. It will be up to you to


    make them see differently. And that includes Tieran.¡±


    ¡°He hates me. I doubt he¡¯ll listen to a word I have to say about anything,¡± Cassandra said unhappily.


    ¡°Perhaps I should just leave and take my chances on my own.¡±


    ¡°Tieran would not allow it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would ask his permission first,¡± Cassandra retorted coolly. ¡°Besides, perhaps he would be


    relieved that I was gone. Then his beloved Serra could return.¡±


    Iona looked freshly annoyed at the mention of Serra¡¯s name. ¡°Serra¡¯s path is not with Tieran and it


    never was. I tried to warn him but he is a stubborn mule of a man. He made his choice even though I


    told him it would end in heartache. Serra was equally stubborn. She and Tieran were not a good match,


    no matter the prophecy. Theirs was a union destined for pain.¡±


    Curious, Cassandra asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Serra¡¯s ambitions are her true heart¡¯s desire whereas Tieran¡¯s desire was pure. Serra loved him only


    because he was the Alpha.¡±


    Cassandra digested the information Iona had shared and felt a pang of sorrow for Tieran even though


    she probably shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Have you ever shared this with Tieran?¡±


    ¡°There are some things that a person is unwilling to hear and must feel with their heart in order to


    listen.¡±


    Iona left Cassandra with that final thought.


    So much had changed in such a short time frame that it was little wonder she hadn¡¯t lost her mind yet.


    She didn¡¯t understand a lot about what was happening but she could no longer deny that her birth


    heritage was tied to a mystical prophecy.


    She¡¯d conceived two separate times by two separate men, yet the gestation was within days of


    another. She knew that her pregnancy was moving at an elerated rate, something that would¡¯ve


    freaked her out in her normal life, but seemed par for the course in her new reality.


    She had no way of knowing when she might give birth but she did know that she would defend her


    babies to the death if need be. She thought of Ulster and his ragtag n of thieves, criminals and


    frightened, cowed women and she knew she had to do something to put an end to his reign.


    If the Mother Goddess had seen fit to allow two pregnancies, then Cassandra believed Iona ¡ª there


    had to be a reason.

 Chapter-21-

    Chapter-21-


    Tieran appeared at her doorway, interrupting her thoughts. He carried a tray of food that might feed a


    room of people but he barely noted the strain.


    She couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the way his muscles bunched and bulged from the weight of the heavy


    load. Each time they were alone, her hormones reacted like unruly teenagers, heedless of caution or


    reason.


    His eyes darkened as her scent washed over him, her pheromones melding with perfect precision into


    a heady aphrodisiac. ¡°Your food,¡± he announced unnecessarily, cing the tray at the small table and


    turning to leave.


    ¡°Tieran¡­¡± she called out to him. ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t the time for idle chit-chat,¡± he answered curtly. ¡°Is there anything else you require?¡±


    ¡°I require the father of my child to speak to me,¡± she said. ¡°You treat me like a prisoner and a whore,


    neither of which I appreciate. If we are supposed to be parents together, shouldn¡¯t we try to get along?¡±


    He cast her a short look but gruffly acknowledged the logic in her request. ¡°Your request is valid,¡± he


    said, taking a seat furthest from her in the oversized chair opposite the bed.


    She withheld a sigh and tried not to feel bruised by his subtle rejection. He didn¡¯t want to want her but


    like her, their hormones were causing them to dance to a different tune. She secretly admired how


    strong he was to deny his own feelings.


    As much as she wanted to ignore the pull, she couldn¡¯t help the drift she felt toward him. She craved


    his touch, his scent, the feel of him inside her. She slid her tongue lightly along the seam of her lip and


    he caught the subtle movement.


    His eyes shed and he growled low in his throat. ¡°You wished to talk?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know anything about you,¡± she stammered, trying desperately to stay focused when all she


    really wanted to do was drop to her knees and take that lovely length of cock hiding behind his jeans


    into her hot and greedy mouth. ¡°I have so many questions that I don¡¯t know where to start.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Well, where does the n¡¯s wealthe from? I mean, n Janus lives by a very different standard


    so I imagine there had to be some smart investments on someone¡¯s part to help sustain the n.¡±


    One dark sh of an eyebrow rose incrementally. ¡°You wish to talk finances? I assure you, Cassandra,


    we are well and securely funded. There is no need to worry where your next meal wille from.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant at all. Listen, in the normal world, people have to work for their


    money but as far as I can tell you, you don¡¯t punch a clock so there must¡¯ve been some wealth


    pocketed somewhere in order for you to sit on your Alpha chair all day.¡±


    ¡°I do not sit on a chair all day,¡± he said, affronted. ¡°You implyziness on my part.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± she said, rushing to rify. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to understand and put things into ce from


    the only perspective that I have.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± he said, slightly mollified. He shifted in his chair and sighed. ¡°To answer your question, yes,


    n Barrachius has always been smart with their investments. We¡¯ve amassed a healthy sum of


    money over the centuries that is now handled by an investment firm. n Janus has been foolish in


    not taking a more active role in the health of their n finances. However, ording to Cristophe,


    Ulster has been amassing wealth through less than honorable means. He has far more than he


    shows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the way they live. It¡¯s shameful the way he treats his women. He tried to force the women to


    breed by getting a witch to cast some kind of spell.¡±


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Tieran asked, concerned.


    ¡°No. The women always miscarried. And then he beat them for failing.¡±


    The disgust in Tieran¡¯s expression warmed Cassandra¡¯s heart. The fact that he felt anything aside from


    hatred for the Janus n members spoke well of the Alpha. ¡°An Alpha¡¯s job is to protect his n, not


    rule through tyranny.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I guess Ulster wasn¡¯t in ss that day when they taught that lesson in Alpha school.¡±


    At her quip, Tieran¡¯s lips twitched in the subtle makings of a smile. ¡°You are very witty,¡± he remarked, as


    if surprised by this revtion. ¡°And intelligent.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Thanks. Before I was kidnapped and all that, I was actually an honor student with a full


    ride to college. I like to learn.¡±


    His eyes said he approved, though he said nothing.


    ¡°Were you always so serious?¡± she asked, trying to picture the austere man as a carefree boy. ¡°I mean,


    what was your childhood like?¡±


    ¡°I am as serious as I need to be. I have been training to be the Alpha since I was a pup. There wasn¡¯t


    much time for foolishness.¡± At her disappointment, he rified gruffly, saying, ¡°My brothers and I


    weren¡¯t above getting into mischief now and then. We were, as my mother used to say, a handful.¡±


    That¡¯s more like it.


    She smiled at his sharing something that sounded somewhat normal and rxed a bit. ¡°What did you


    do for schooling? I¡¯m guessing you were homeschooled?¡±


    ¡°Tutors mostly. Then university studies. Our father wanted us to be educated. He said the world was


    changing more rapidly than our species but we had to be able to keep up in order to protect the n


    from outside forces. He said ignorance was never an excuse for failing in your duty.¡±


    She wondered what it would be like to have grown up with duty and honor and tradition pounded into


    your head. ¡°What do you do for fun around here?¡±


    ¡°Fun?¡± he repeated stiffly, retreating behind that damnable mask again.


    ¡°Yes, fun. You know, all work and no y makes Tieran a dull boy?¡± she teased lightly. ¡°There has to be


    something you enjoy doing that¡¯s not tied to your job as Alpha. Maybe chess or cards?¡±


    ¡°I do not have time for games.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so grumpy all the time,¡± she grumbled, sighing when she felt they¡¯d taken two steps


    backward for every tiny step forward.


    ¡°You believe I am grouchy?¡± he asked, mildly bothered by her observation.


    ¡°Well¡­yeah.¡± No sense in sugarcoating it. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you smile once.¡±


    ¡°I like to hunt,¡± he said, surprising her. ¡°When the moon is full, I change and run with the night. It¡¯s the


    only time I feel free.¡±


    She remembered the feel of the ground beneath her paws and how exhrating it¡¯d felt to simply put


    miles between herself and everyone else.


    ¡°I think I would like that, too,¡± she admitted, smiling in understanding. A moment passed between them


    that resembled the beginnings of camaraderie and she savored the brief respite.


    ¡°It is unusual for a female to turn,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m still wrapping my head around the fact that you are so


    different, in so many ways.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me, different,¡± she agreed. ¡°I think the world my mother always used to describe me was,


    peculiar.¡±


    ¡°A human raising a werewolf, it¡¯s a travesty,¡± he said with disgust.


    ¡°Well, it sounds like my parents had good reason to hide me.¡±


    Tieran grunted with reluctant understanding. Maybe they were making some headway.


    She grabbed an apple and bit into it, the juice dribbling down her chin before she could catch it. Tieran


    was on his feet in an instant, wiping the sweet juice away with his thumb.


    His eyes darkened and his nostrils red when in such close proximity to her. Her heart rate kicked up


    and her temperature rose. She swallowed the bite of apple and he removed the fruit from her hand.


    She knew what would happen now. It was always this way between them.


    But it hurt to know that he didn¡¯t want to be with her, that he was driven by some biological


    programming and not true desire. She forced herself to look away even as he pulled her into the rough


    shelter of his arms.


    ¡°If you leave now, we don¡¯t have to do this,¡± she whispered. ¡°I know it¡¯s not me you want.¡±


    He didn¡¯t try to deny her statement and his silence stabbed her in the heart. Closing her eyes, she


    gathered every bit of strength she had and pushed him hard in the chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not second prize,¡± she said harshly as she backed away. ¡°I know I am not Serra and I never will be.


    You¡¯ve done your duty ¡ª I¡¯m pregnant ¡ª so feel free to send someone else to bring my food that way


    neither of us has to suffer through each other¡¯spany.¡±


    She expected him to stalk from the room, angry at her rejection or perhaps secretly relieved at her


    letting him off the hook, but he shocked her when he simply stared, his eyes burning with even brighter


    sexual heat.


    He walked to her with slow, deliberate steps until he was towering above her. ¡°You are my mate. We


    are bonded in flesh and blood. No one will bring you food but me and no one will be between those


    thighs but me. Am I clear?¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s lip trembled but she thrilled at his harsh words, still she pushed him further. ¡°Why?¡± she


    taunted, meeting his stare with open defiance. ¡°You don¡¯t want me. You¡¯ve made that abundantly clear.


    I could leave right now and disappear and never burden you again with my presence.¡±


    She jumped when he snarled. ¡°I would find you wherever you go. And if you threaten to leave again, I


    will tie you to this bed naked until you disavow such insanity. Do not y games with me, Cassandra.


    You will lose.¡±


    Moisture sparked behind Cassandra¡¯s eyes and she hated that he¡¯d managed to make her cry. She


    ducked her head, not wanting him to see her tears. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point. Please go.¡±


    ¡°I cannot,¡± he said in a low, gruff tone. She risked a nce at him and gasped when she saw the lust


    had not cleared his gaze. Just knowing that he grew hard as his stare roamed her body was enough to


    slick her channel with readiness.


    She hated that she was primed for his cock at a second¡¯s notice and yet, she eagerly anticipated the


    moment when he would push himself deep inside her.


    ¡°I need you,¡± he admitted in a tone she¡¯d never heard him use with her. God, she hoped he wasn¡¯t


    speaking to Serra and using her as a poor substitute.


    ¡°Me?¡± she dared, almost hating herself for needing to know.


    ¡°Yes, Cassandra,¡± he groaned, ripping his shirt from his body and shedding his jeans. He palmed the


    long, thick length that seemed to pulse as it grew before her eyes and she quickly divested herself of


    her own clothing.


    She knew by heart the feel of his hard, hot shaft as it passed between herher lips, knew his


    particr scent as if it¡¯d been branded on her soul and she didn¡¯t believe she¡¯d ever tire of the feeling


    or the smell.


    His stare centered on her rounding belly and he dropped to his knees before her. He pulled her closer


    and rested his head on the soft skin of her stomach.


    Nuzzling the flesh, he whispered something in anguage she didn¡¯t recognize but it caused a flood of


    emotion to ripple through her and steal her breath.


    But as quickly as the sweet moment hade, it passed and soon, Tieran had pushed her down to her


    back and hooked her legs over his shoulders. She shuddered with delicious delight at the first strong


    swipe of his tongue across the sensitive, swollen nub of her clitoris.


    She arched and groaned, losing herself to the skill her Alpha wielded with his tongue as he swirled and


    plundered her most private ce until she was gasping and groaning loud enough to alert the entire


    house to their activities.


    ¡°Tieran!¡± she cried as every muscle clenched in wonderful unison, creating a tidal wave of pleasure that


    washed over her in pink and amber waves of delight. She was still reeling from her orgasm when he


    pushed himself inside her, going deep enough to pop a satisfied groan from his lips as he seated


    himself to the hilt with her legs still thrown over his shoulders.


    He met her gaze and thrust against her, his hips flexing with masculine strength against her feminine


    core. She cried out as another wave of pleasure rocked her body, sensation crashing down around her,


    ramping up the crescendo that never failed to sweep her away.


    Tieran¡¯s body swelled, growingrger and fiercer as he rode the razor¡¯s edge of passion. A growl


    rumbled in his chest that thrilled her beyond measure and intensified her pleasure. An answering growl


    sounded in her chest and she squeezed her eyes shut, losing herself to the blinding carnal sweetness


    of their joining.


    The mattress soundlessly absorbed every savage thrust but the frame shuddered as it knocked the


    wall, creating a tell-tale rhythm that told the entirepound what they were doing to each other.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    On the heels of that dark, sinful knowledge, Cassandra tumbled over the ledge and hurtled into muscle-


    clenching pleasure as her orgasm rattled through her body, erasing all rational thought and sending her


    drifting through a pleasure-induced haze.


    Tieran shouted his release secondster and flooded her channel with his thick cream, bathing her


    womb with the essence that further bonded them with each spurt.


    Rolling from her body with a groan, Tieran copsed beside her, his breathing as harsh as her own as


    rivulets of sweat dripped from his temple. He smelled of man and sex ¡ª a headybination.


    She could smell their joining in the air and the scent was sweeter than the most sought-after essential


    oil. She wanted to bury her nose in his groin and inhale the scent that was quickly bing the scent


    that she craved as much as she craved a steak, dripping red with blood.


    Tieran¡­her Alpha.

 Chapter-22-

    Chapter-22-


    She felt the invisible bond between them tighten and she gave into the realization that she was


    helpless to stop what was happening between them.


    And a small part of her that was growingrger by each day, didn¡¯t care. If only Tieran felt the same.


    As the haze lifted and their sexual hunger abated, Cassandra expected Tieran to split as quickly as


    possible but he surprised her by staying, although he seemed agitated, as if he didn¡¯t know why he


    wasn¡¯t leaving. ¡°I was wrong to me you for what has happened,¡± he admitted, breaking the silence.


    He climbed to his feet and pulled his jeans on.


    His dark hair was beautifully mussed and his abdomen muscles stood out in hard relief against the


    landscape of his bronze skin.


    To look at him was to think of, and desperately want sex and the fact that Cassandra hadid im to


    him was a secret thrill even if she wasn¡¯t ready to admit that fact.


    ¡°Which part?¡± she asked.


    ¡°All of it,¡± he said. ¡°I realize you didn¡¯t ask for any of this either. But you¡¯re right about us needing to


    work together to be good parents. The future of the world rests in your belly. We have a responsibility


    to work together as a team.¡±


    Her hopes fell and she couldn¡¯t help the bitterness that followed. Work together as a team? Okay,


    coach. Did he talk to his beloved Serra like that? Or did he wrap his arms around her tenderly when he


    made love to her?


    Thus far, Tieran had simply fucked her like a maddened beast (which she loved) but she could tell he


    was reserving the sweetest part of himself for someone else and it killed her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough,¡± Cassandra said bluntly, surprised that the words popped from her mouth.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Cassandra sent him a hard look but beneath the anger bled a weeping wound of hurt and rejection. ¡°I


    want more from you. If I¡¯m being asked to sacrifice everything I¡¯ve ever known for a new world that I


    don¡¯t understand in the least, you¡¯re going to have to stop fighting what you feel for me. I can sense it.


    You¡¯re holding back, refusing to give into the feelings that are binding us together.¡±


    ¡°What I feel isn¡¯t of my own choice. I am biologically primed to want you because you are my mate now


    that we¡¯re bonded but my heart belonged to another before you came.¡±


    She winced, hating his bald statement for its stark honesty. She supposed she ought to be appreciative


    of the fact that he wasn¡¯t going to lie to her just to save her feelings.


    Cassandra had always preferred brutal honesty to gentle falsehoods. Well, she had until that moment.


    Now, she was rethinking that philosophy because the p of that fucking statement had stung like a


    bitch.


    Tieran quieted, regret in his gaze for hurting her. ¡°Cassandra¡­I do not wish to hurt you. I will always


    protect, respect, and care for you but do not hope that I will ever love you. That part of myself left the


    day Serra was forced from her home to make room for the woman I was supposedly destined for ¡ª


    you.¡±


    Tears sprung to Cassandra¡¯s eyes and she didn¡¯t try to hide them. Well, wasn¡¯t that a bowl of rotten


    cherries?


    He may as well as said, Hey, I like you enough to bang boots but you¡¯re not good enough to meet the


    fam. Sorry, babe. That¡¯s just the way it is.


    How was she supposed to take that kind of admission? Was she supposed to thank him for being so


    honest? Or maybe start sobbing like a pinched baby because she¡¯d inadvertently been given the First


    ce Loser award for being second best?


    Screw. That.


    Cassandra jumped from the bed and stalked past him, going to the door.


    His gaze narrowed at her action. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re naked. You can¡¯t go out like that.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡± she demanded, her hand on the doorknob. ¡°I release you from yourmitment, Tieran. I


    told you I wanted more. Being second best has never been my style. I will find someone else who will


    be over-the-moon-happy that I am their Number One girl. I am no one¡¯s constion prize. Got it?¡±


    ¡°If you take one step outside that door¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me,¡± she cut in with a mean growl.


    He advanced, his scowl deepening. ¡°Cassandra.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do. You¡¯re not the boss of me. No one is. I¡¯m the Prophesied One, not you. I


    choose my mate, not the other way around. Got it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Cassandra raised one brow, taunting. ¡°Watch me. I¡¯m tired of everyone telling me what I can


    and can¡¯t do. So far as I can tell¡­the Mother Goddess broke the mold when she made me.¡±


    Cassandra flung the door open and started to cross the threshold but Tieran¡¯s grip was on her arm


    before she could take another step.


    His eyes shed dangerously but a vicious growl ripped from Cassandra¡¯s throat that startled him. Her


    skin prickled with scratchy heat and her heartrate kicked up as her body prepared to change.


    She recognized the signs this time and she weed the split of bone and skin as she transformed


    into the white, blue-eyed werewolf.


    With a howl, she bounded past the shocked people in the house and ran full-tilt out the door.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 Chapter-23-

    Chapter-23-


    Her padded feet ate up the ground, putting distance between her heartache and pain and she wasn¡¯t


    surprised when she heard Tieran¡¯s enraged howl but she didn¡¯t care.


    He could beg Serra toe back to him for all Cassandra cared. The exhrating rush of freedom


    soothed her ragged heart and she ran for miles.


    Her pregnant belly didn¡¯t slow her down and she much preferred this form at the moment than her


    human body. When she was a beast, she reveled in the freedom to simply act naturally without


    overthinking.


    It seemed when she was in her human form, all she did was fret and worry about everything. Being the


    Prophesied One was a heavy gig.


    One she hadn¡¯t asked for, by the way, but the time for crying in her beer was over. She had two pups


    growing inside her and they were going to need her to protect them.


    If Tieran was too much of an ass to realize she was the real deal, then, screw him. She broke into a


    clearing and her senses picked up the scent of something gamey and delicious.


    She swung around and spied a deer picking its way delicately through the dense overgrowth.


    Cassandra¡¯s muscles coiled beneath her fur and sheunched herself straight at the deer¡¯s throat.


    Within seconds warm arterial blood gushed in her mouth as the deer iled in onest ditch effort to


    live and then went limp. In her human form she would¡¯ve been sad at the loss of life; in her beastly


    form, she simply epted the fact that she was at the top of the food chain in the forest.


    She sated herself with the deer, leaving behind precious little for the scavengers and then plunged


    herself into the icy waters of the deep, fast-moving creek winding itself along the thick forest floor.


    She emerged from the water, invigorated by the bitter cold and her full meal.


    For the first time in weeks, she felt sated.


    However, her senses went on full alert as her ears pricked at a foreign sound. Another beast emerged


    from the shadows. She didn¡¯t need to wonder or guess.


    She growled, her upper lip curling in warning. She was still pissed¡­and hurt.


    Tieran circled, giving her a wide berth, his gaze never leaving hers. She¡¯d known he would follow but


    she wasn¡¯t ready to go back.


    Certainly not after he basically told her that she was spinning her wheels in the love department when it


    came to him. Her tail quivered and she caught the subtle scent of pheromone on the air. He lifted his


    big, ck snout and caught the scent she was giving off without realizing it.


    His growl plucked at her biological strings, causing her to whine and shy away though her channel was


    already slicking with ready moisture.


    No! She forced herself to focus and snarled. She didn¡¯t care what form she was in, he¡¯d had hisst


    taste of what she had to offer.


    She didn¡¯t care if she had to run away and chain herself to a wall ¡ª she was not being with Tieran


    again. Ever.


    He advanced and she sent him a mental jab that said, back off! and he faltered, shaking his head.


    Yeah, that¡¯s right, I¡¯m still pissed at you.


    Although she desperately wanted to, aside from the mental warning, she kept out of his thoughts.


    It seemed easier to slide into his head in this form than in her human form but the thoughts were


    jumbled and didn¡¯t follow a linear line.


    Perhaps with time she could perfect the skill ¡ª currently, she was still clumsy in her attempts ¡ª most


    of her sess had been byplete ident and usually prompted by traumatic or emotional events.


    Sort of like a psychic tripwire. But since she¡¯d conceived, everything seemed elerated, including her


    learning curve. Perhaps the Mother Goddess had known she¡¯d need some super skills in order to


    survive whatever wasing.


    Who knew?


    Cassandra didn¡¯t much care anymore about the whys and hows of everything. Tieran¡¯s form shuddered


    and with the snapping and knitting of bone and sinew he appeared in his human form, naked and


    glorious ¡ª the beautiful bastard.


    ¡°You risk your safety with your foolishness,¡± he said sharply. ¡°You wille back to thepound at


    once.¡±


    Cassandra allowed herself to transform into her human skin just so she could yell at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare start giving me orders as if you have the right. I am not your wife or your girlfriend¡­or


    even your friend. I am simply your baby mama. And I know you¡¯re stuck in the dark ages still so let me


    enlighten you: I¡¯m not about to sit around at home content to be your plump and pregnant little woman


    who is avable for whenever you¡¯re feeling like you want to bump uglies. Understand? I deserve better


    and if you¡¯re not willing to give it to me, I will find someone else who will.¡±


    His eyes shed dangerously and he advanced with a warning growl. ¡°I would tear another man limb


    from limb if he dared touch a hair on your head. I would rip out his still-beating heart and hold it before


    his astonished eyes before allowing him to die,¡± he said, causing her to shiver in spite of her anger.


    ¡°You are mine. Always and forever. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She licked her lips, her heart rate speeding up as her skin prickled against the night air. ¡°So


    start acting like it then.¡±


    He epted her challenge with a quick-as-lightening movement that had her on the ground and on her


    back within seconds.


    His big body covered hers aspletely as his mouth nted across hers. His tongue stabbed into the


    shelter of her mouth, plundering the wet depths as his cock ground against her pubic bone, taunting


    her with the promise of pleasure.


    She groaned and clutched at his back, desperate to feel him move against her, hungry for the weight of


    his heavy body moving against hers.


    She didn¡¯t feel the rough ground beneath her backside nor did she care that they were out in the middle


    of the open forest where anyone could happen upon their desperate grunts and groans ¡ª all that


    mattered was the feel of Tieran in her arms.


    Their tongues tangled and dueled as their passion built to a burning crescendo, raging around them in


    a firestorm of need and want.


    Cassandra gasped as he prated her with a single hard stab with his cock, shuddering as she


    mped around him. ¡°Tieran!¡± she cried as he thrust inside her like a man possessed, milking every


    last sensation from her body. ¡°God, yes!¡±


    Her whole body rocked with each hard thrust against her as he ground himself as deep as he could


    possibly go and she felt her heart burst with an unknown emotion that shook her to her core.


    He cried out with a hoarse shout as he found his release in a violent shudder and groan that echoed in


    the still night. Cassandra quickly followed, tumbling into sweet oblivion beneath him.


    Several moments passed before either could speak. The sweat began to dry on their bodies, yet


    Cassandra was warm with Tieran still buried deep inside her.


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    Slowly, his cock began to soften and finally slipped from her warm and wet sheath. She stared into his


    eyes, her anger spent along with her passion.


    Only the hurt remained.

 Chapter-24-

    Chapter-24-


    ¡°Did you mean what you said?¡±


    He smoothed the hair from her eyes in a tender gesture that surprised her. ¡°Which part?¡± he asked.


    ¡°All of it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer right away but shifted so that his weight was no longer bearing down on her. His


    hands drifted to the swelling of her stomach and he paused there, his big hand resting on the lump


    where her babies were nestled.


    ¡°I would not allow another man to touch what belongs to me,¡± he answered gravely. ¡°But I would give


    my life to protect you and my child.¡±


    Cassandra swallowed, remembering Iona¡¯s warning. ¡°There are two babies in there,¡± she said. ¡°What


    about the other baby? Would you hurt the one that isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    Tieran frowned and his nostrils red at her question but she didn¡¯t know if his distaste stemmed from


    having to answer a difficult question or because he truly found the idea an anathema.


    He rose and helped her to her feet. ¡°We should get back to thepound. It isn¡¯t safe out here.¡±


    She withdrew her hand and he looked back at her. ¡°Answer me, Tieran.¡±


    His lipspressed to a tight line and he appeared as if he¡¯d rather chew nails than answer that single


    question but she had to know.


    ¡°I will protect my babies with my life. If you n to take one and snuff out its life, know that I will kill you


    for trying.¡±


    No matter if my heart broke in the process.


    ¡°There are some who have counseled me to do exactly that,¡± he admitted bitterly. ¡°That I have to think


    of the greater good rather than the life of one person. That I am weak if I allow the seed of another


    Alpha to draw breath within our n.¡±


    He lifted his tormented gaze to hers and she was struck by the stark misery she saw reflected from his


    blue eyes. ¡°But the idea of killing anything that is part of you¡­makes me want to w my own heart


    out.¡±


    His admission caused a storm to break loose in her heart and she flung herself into his arms, shocking


    him with her sudden movement.


    ¡°It is not weak to protect and nurture a child, no matter who the father is,¡± she said vehemently against


    the salty skin of his neck. ¡°Listen to your heart, Tieran. Your heart is good and strong. You can be the


    change in this n. You don¡¯t have to do everything that has always been done in the past. That¡¯s why


    there¡¯s so much fighting between the ns. No one even remembers why the ns are fighting. There


    are frightened women in n Janus who suffer unimaginable abuse simply because they had the


    misfortune to be born into a n with an Alpha who is bad. You could be the Alpha to rule them all.¡±


    Her breath hitched in her throat as she added with a whisper. ¡°With my help. Together¡­we can change


    the world.¡±


    Tieran stared into her eyes and she sensed the struggle. She could only imagine what a burden he


    bore for the n and she was thankful she wasn¡¯t harnessed to a certain set of ideals or traditions.


    She was free to think outside of the rigid rules that boxed in the n with ritual and superstition. She


    lifted on her toes to seal her mouth to his but stopped when she felt his muscles tense.


    In a sh, her own senses went on alert and she put her back to Tieran, staring the same as him into


    the inky darkness nketing the forest.


    The crickets abruptly stopped their singing and an unearthly silence enveloped the de. Even the


    slight gurgle of the creek seemed subdued as they strained to listen.


    ¡°Can you shift?¡± he murmured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered truthfully as her heart hammered with fear. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried twice in such


    a short time frame.¡±


    ¡°Then we will have to fight,¡± he returned grimly just as a dark beast emerged from the darkness, a snarl


    dripping from his red jaws. Cassandra swallowed a horrified gasp and fought to maintain her


    composure.


    Ulster.


    Cassandra felt Tieran change behind her, meeting Ulster¡¯s growl with a warning of his own. The hairs


    rose on her neck and she shook with fear. Madness shone in Ulster¡¯s eyes as he barely noted Tieran.


    He was focused on her belly.


    He cocked his head, as if evaluating her condition, and then swung his big head to regard Tieran who


    had positioned himself in front of Cassandra, protecting her with his body. Suddenly, Cassandra felt a


    presence at her back and she whirled to find herself nked by more of Ulster¡¯s n.


    They¡¯de for an ambush and Cassandra had yed right into their n.


    Panic threatened at the corners of her mind as she calcted their odds of survival when they were


    clearly outnumbered but she refused to beg or cry.


    If Ulster nned to take her, she wouldn¡¯t go down without shredding fur and bone first.


    She concentrated her hatred and rage against Ulster to fuel her transformation. She dropped to the


    ground and within seconds, she was growling beside Tieran, snarling at Ulster with vicious intent.


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    She flexed her coiled muscles beneath her fur and reveled in the power thrumming beneath her skin.


    She had no doubt that Ulster would show no mercy to Tieran¡¯s pup, that he would likely eat it whole the


    minute it was free from her body.


    And Cassandra wasn¡¯t about to let that happen.


    She was fighting for more than just her life ¡ª but the life of her babies. She also knew that Tieran


    would protect them all with hisst breath. The knowledge bolstered her courage and stomped on the


    weak fingers of fear pulling at her mind. No one was hurting her babies.


    Not even the devil himself. She lowered her head at Ulster and snarled deeper, pushing an image of


    Ulster ripped to pieces into his mind so he would know exactly what he was asking for by choosing this


    battle.


    When he didn¡¯t back down or cower, Cassandra felt a sick glee at the inherent challenge as she


    wouldn¡¯t hold back. She wouldn¡¯t offer mercy. She wouldn¡¯t stop until it was finished.


    Come and get it, asshole.


    And prepare to die.

 Chapter-25-

    Chapter-25-


    She felt no fear.


    Her bared fangs dripped with saliva as she hungered for Ulster¡¯s blood. Beside her Tieran, her Alpha


    and One True Mate, stood on all fours beside her with an identical snarl as Ulster and his n


    advanced like a dark, evil force invading every crack and cranny, seeking out weakness.


    Cassandra and Tieran were outnumbered but stared death in the eye without flinching. Ulster would


    hound them until he snatched victory from their jaws and that would likely mean the death of one of her


    pups.


    A new and frighteningly powerful emotion swept through Cassandra as she held her ground, refusing to


    yield in the slightest to the rival n.


    I will not surrender my babies to you. I would rather die first.


    Ulster¡¯s thoughts, harsh and guttural, poked at her brain, intruding. I will take what is mine. Kill the


    other.


    The growls echoed in the forest as Ulster¡¯s n closed in.


    A howl ripped through the air. Tieran answered with a sharp, answering howl.


    Within seconds the males of n Barrachius appeared from within the dark canopy like one solid wall


    of coiled muscle and pelt to nk Cassandra and Tieran, bulking their numbers and increasing their


    odds of survival.


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    Cassandra¡¯s wolf lips twisted in a parody of a smile as Ulster lowered his rangy head with a growl,


    surveying the increased numbers.


    Turn tail and run, you bastard so I can run you down like the rabid dog you are.


    But Ulster didn¡¯t run.


    No, he¡¯de too far to surrender the fight. He had blood lust in his eyes fueling his brain.


    And his bright gaze was centered on Cassandra with obsession and wild lust.


    Mine!


    The crazed yowl resounded in Cassandra¡¯s brain seconds before Ulsterunched straight for her,


    crashing into Tieran in the process.


    Snarls ripped through the still night air as wolves tore at one another, crunching bone and tearing


    sinew.


    Cassandra leaped into the air,nding on Ulster¡¯s back and sinking her teeth into the scruff of his neck.


    His fur tasted dirty, as if he¡¯d rolled in something disgusting and rotten only moments earlier but


    Cassandra didn¡¯t let go.


    Her babies gave her strength above and beyond the rest of the n and within seconds Ulster yelped


    as she tore out a chunk of his flesh with her sharp canines.


    He threw her off and shended on the ground with a clumsy stumble, nearly losing her footing and


    rolling to her back.


    Another beast mped his jaws around her neck, intent on snapping it, but Cassandra used her mental


    skills to tear into his brain, causing unrelenting pain.


    The beast howled and let go, dropping to the ground in agony but another took his ce.


    Sharp teeth bit and sheared into her flesh, causing her blood to run in a thousand different ces but


    she refused to give up or stop.


    Too much was on the line to give into the pain and fear. Another beast mped onto her leg and she


    howled in pain as the bone threatened to crack but within seconds Cassandra sent the beast to join his


    brethren, writhing in agony as she shredded his mind with the power of her thoughts.


    She heard a pained snarl and she whirled around, afraid for Tieran but she skidded to a halt when she


    realized Tieran had things well in hand ¡ª or well in teeth ¡ª as Tieran tore into Ulster, the sound of


    breaking bones like music to her ears.


    Ulster deserved every moment of pain he received. She remembered the poor, abused women stuck in


    n Janus and she knew that if Ulster were gone she could persuade the women to join n


    Barrachius.


    But first, Ulster had to go.


    She felt nothing but fierce tion as the fight began to wan and victory seemed imminent. The dead


    and dying from both sides were scattered about the clearing and Tieran stood over Ulster, his fangs


    buried in Ulster¡¯s neck.


    The battle raged around them as bloody spittle and fur flew but Cassandra bristled with dangerous


    energy, daring anyone to take their chances.


    She fairly pulsed with raw power, her babies squirming in her belly, their soft kicks and pummels inside


    her womb felt as if they were trying to aid in the fight from the safety of their birthing sacs.


    Cassandra watched with grim satisfaction as Ulster gasped, his paws jerking as his lifeblood poured


    from Tieran¡¯s mouth to stain the forest floor.


    She felt no remorse, no guilt. The old Cassandra ¡ª Cassi as she¡¯d been known to her friends and


    adoptive family ¡ª would¡¯ve recoiled at the violence, been horrified by the carnage.


    Cassandra felt nothing inmon with the person she¡¯d been. In fact, it seemed light years since she¡¯d


    been that soft, sheltered, nerdy girl who¡¯d been more focused on getting good grades than engaging in


    life.


    Now, she was life.


    Cassandra padded over to Tieran and peered into Ulster¡¯s eyes, catching his dying gaze.


    You lose. I will raise both babies as equals and they will never know about you.


    She pushed the thought into Ulster¡¯s dying brain and took great pleasure in watching the light die out in


    his eyes. Tieran released Ulster from his powerful jaws and Ulster¡¯s body crumpled to the ground with a


    soft thump.


    Dead.

 Chapter-26-

    Chapter-26-


    Tieran and Cassandra surveyed the scene, growling in warning to anyone from Ulster¡¯s n that if they


    dared challenge either, they would die like their Alpha, gurgling on their life¡¯s blood.


    A scattering of yips and howls filtered through the moonlight as the battered remnants of Ulster¡¯s n


    melted into the forest, running for their lives.


    Within minutes all that remained were the dead, injured, or exhausted n Barrachius. Victory was


    bittersweet.


    Tieran padded over to a fallen wolf and nudged therge body with his muzzle. A whine of sadness


    followed. Cassandra felt Tieran¡¯s pain as he checked the bodies littering the forest floor. Blood stained


    the pine needle carpet and filled the air with the scent of death.


    With an anguished howl, Tieran changed from beast to man until he stood before the scene smeared in


    blood, both his own and others, and Cassandra followed suit.


    ¡°How many?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Ten,¡± he answered, looking to therge wolves licking their wounds. ¡°We must get them back to the


    compound or else that number will increase.¡±


    ¡°Are they able to run?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful and it is too far to walk in our human form.¡± Tieran¡¯s grim expression told of his worry for his


    n mates. He would not leave them behind. Cassandra could see his dilemma and knew what she


    had to do.


    ¡°I will go get help.¡±


    ¡°No, I will not chance that one of Ulster¡¯s band will wait for this exact opportunity to retaliate for their


    fallen Alpha. I will send someone else.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Cassandra asked, exasperated by Tieran¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s my fault that they are


    injured in the first ce. Let me do this. I want to help.¡±


    ¡°I will not risk your safety,¡± Tieran disagreed, dismissing her as he walked away to discuss the situation


    with one of his n mates who wasn¡¯t as badly injured as the others.


    Cassandra¡¯s temper spiked at being relegated to the helpless female role when she was clearly the


    exact opposite. Cassandra growled low in her throat and Tieran¡¯s head whipped around in surprise at


    her open defiance.


    ¡°For your own safety, I would suggest you stop underestimating me,¡± Cassandra warned before


    transforming back into her wolf form.


    The pain was fleeting as she settled into her familiar animal skin before Tieran could stop her.


    She bounded away from him and the clearing, easily putting distance between her and the others.


    She followed the scent lodged in her nose of thepound and she went unerringingly along a


    dizzying path, her padded feet eating up the miles as if they were mere yards.


    She burst into thepound grounds and went straight for the sentries guarding the entrance. Her


    chest heaved from the exertion but she managed to transform into her human form to gasp the words,


    ¡°We were attacked. Tieran needs help.¡±


    She projected the image of the clearing into their brains and their startled eyes told her that she¡¯d


    seeded in not only freaking them out, but also ofmunicating the location of their fallen n


    mates.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Exhaustion from the run and the fight left her without the energy to exin further and simply limped,


    naked, bruised and bloody into the house to go straight to her room to copse.


    But immediate rest was not in the cards.


    A woman that made her hackles rise and a growl pop from her chest, though she¡¯d never seen the


    woman before in her life, waid her on the way.


    ¡°You,¡± the woman breathed with sharp disappointment, the sound of that single wordced liberally with


    hatred and dismay.


    Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in a waterfall of beauty that would¡¯ve made a supermodel


    jealous and it certainly didn¡¯t make Cassandra feel like a pageant queen but even as her dark eyes


    glittered like jewels at midnight, her heart burned with jealous heat.


    Cassandra sucked in a tight breath as understanding washed over her. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed toe


    back,¡± the woman said tightly in a low, private voice meant only for Cassandra to hear.


    ¡°Serra,¡± Cassandra said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter-27-

    Chapter-27-


    ¡°This is my home. I was born here. You are the one who doesn¡¯t belong,¡± Serra said bitterly. ¡°Where is


    Tieran?¡±


    Cassandra ignored Serra¡¯s question, her mind moving at a frightening clip that was probably nearing


    delirium and knew somehow that Serra had been responsible for Ulster¡¯s sudden appearance.


    ¡°I need to rest,¡± Cassandra said brusquely, moving past Serra. ¡°If Tieran wishes to see you, that¡¯s his


    business. Not mine.¡±


    ¡°His heart belongs to me,¡± Serra said to Cassandra¡¯s naked backside as she ascended the long


    staircase.


    Cassandra kept her pace and refused to react even though the hatefulment sliced at her own


    heart as if it were a raw-edged de.


    Iona appeared at the top of the stairs, her careworn expression focusing like aser on Cassandra¡¯s


    belly. ¡°You have exhausted yourself and put your pups at risk,¡± she warned with a narrowed gaze.


    ¡°Come. You must eat to replenish your strength and then bathe the blood from your skin. You stink of


    death and misery and that cannot be healthy for the pups.¡±


    Cassandra was too tired to argue and too heart-sore to do more than nod in agreement.


    Perhaps after food and a scrub, she¡¯d feel less ready to cry. Her warrior strength that¡¯d filled her during


    battle had apparently been used up, leaving her pathetic and sad, ready to sob like a dumb girl.


    Iona ran the water in the massive Jacuzzi tub and set the jets to bubbling.


    She wasted no time in getting Cassandra into the heated water. She sank into the bubbles with a


    grateful sigh, forgetting for the moment of her heartache and confusion and simply allowed Iona to


    scrub the filth from her body.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before too long, Iona was pulling her from the tub and wrapping her into a thick white terry cloth robe


    that enveloped her in warmth and security.


    Arge, steaming te of nearly raw meat awaited her and Cassandra began stuffing her mouth with


    the juicy protein. As strength returned to her body, Cassandra¡¯s brain began to work again.


    She chewed and swallowed, an image of Serra in all her aching beauty intruded on her quiet moment,


    and she hated her. An irrational urge to smash her fist into Serra¡¯s pretty mug was shockingly hard to


    ignore.


    She¡¯d never been the jealous type before ¡ª not that she¡¯d actually dated all that much but she¡¯d


    always been mystified by her girlfriends who¡¯d been the jealous types.


    Now she totally got it because the knowledge that Tieran¡¯s first love was in the house, awaiting his


    return, made her want tomit murder.


    ¡°Why¡¯d she return?¡± Cassandra asked Iona, hating herself for sounding so pinched and bitter but in her


    heart she felt cheated of the new beginning that¡¯d just begun between she and Tieran.


    She¡¯d mistakenly believed the biggest threat was Ulster.


    Now, she had the sinking feeling that a more insidious threat was downstairs waiting for Cassandra¡¯s


    Alpha. With Serra between them, how could she hope tomand Tieran¡¯s love? ¡°I thought she¡¯d


    been asked to leave for the sake of the n.¡±


    ¡°I fear Serra brings trouble with her,¡± Iona said,bing the snarls from Cassandra¡¯s hair. ¡°She arrived


    without notice, bursting into the house, iming she¡¯d seen Ulster¡¯s band closing in on our territory.


    She imed that¡¯d she¡¯d barely escaped with her life as she came to warn us.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe her? Seems coincidental, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It is not for me to say,¡± Iona said, shaking her head. ¡°But I would caution you to be wary around her.


    She has a vicious heart and you are a threat to her. It is in our nature to challenge our rivals. She will


    try to find a way to put a wedge between you and Tieran.¡±


    Iona¡¯s warning only served to intensify Cassandra¡¯s own fears of having Serra back.


    ¡°You have what she desperately wants,¡± Iona said, pointing to Cassandra¡¯s growing belly. ¡°Take care


    that she does not put her own needs before yours and your pups.¡±


    Cassandra crossed her arms protectively around her stomach, furrowing her brow at the implication in


    Iona¡¯s words. Serra was more than a threat to her and Tieran ¡ª she was a threat to the babies.


    Geesh, why did everyone want to hurt her babies?

 Chapter-28-

    Chapter-28-


    Tieran burst through the front door, his mind centered on Cassandra and her tant disregard for his


    commands as Alpha, skidded to a stuttering halt as a familiar scent washed over him.


    The minute recognition hit, Serra was in his arms, sobbing her relief that he was unharmed.


    Her arms wound around his neck as she buried her nose against his chest and for a blinding second he


    was ted beyond measure to feel Serra against him again.


    But there was a false note to the joy that he might never have recognized if he hadn¡¯t met Cassandra


    and it was this realization that caused him to gently pluck Serra¡¯s arms from his neck.


    ¡°Serra,¡± he said, plucking her arms gently from his neck. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Serra¡¯s wounded


    expression cut at him but his first thought was of Cassandra.


    It was then he realized Serra was wounded. Blood seeped from an angryceration on her forearm. He


    gently lifted Serra¡¯s arm. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. All that matters is that you¡¯re unharmed,¡± Serra said, attempting to pull her arm free but


    Tieran wouldn¡¯t let go until she¡¯d exined.


    She shrugged with a subtle motion though she winced as she answered, ¡°I must¡¯ve cut it when I was


    running to get here. I found Ulster¡¯s band encroaching on ournd and knew if I didn¡¯te to warn


    you, the n would be in danger. I couldn¡¯t ignore the threat to my n. Or to you,¡± she added quietly.


    ¡°You are so loyal,¡± he said warmly, approving of her actions. ¡°Without your warning, Cassandra and I


    might¡¯ve easily been overrun by n Janus. Ulster brought all of his warriors and they were out for


    blood. Where is Cassandra?¡±


    At the mention of his woman¡¯s name, Serra visibly bristled and her eyes shed with open resentment


    though she knew well enough to tamp it down before answering, ¡°She mentioned needing a bath. She


    was covered in filth.¡±


    ¡°She fought like a warrior,¡± Tieran said, proud of Cassandra. ¡°She¡¯s a mate worthy of an Alpha.¡±


    Serra sniffed with disdain but withheld furtherment. Tieran took her silence as a good sign that she


    was epting their new fates and that eased the worry in his heart.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tieran said, giving Serra¡¯s hand a soft squeeze. ¡°Have Iona look at your wound before it


    festers. I will return after I¡¯ve checked on Cassandra. We will talk then.¡±


    Serra started to say something but he was impatient to check on Cassandra and left Serra behind.


    Whatever else Serra had to say could wait. His mate needed him.


    Tieran took the stairs two at a time and strode into Cassandra¡¯s room, dismissing the women tending to


    her needs and closing the door behind him.


    ¡°You are unharmed?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    His gaze skimmed the rounded curves barely concealed in the gauzy outfit meant to be forgiving of her


    expanding waistline and his gut tightened at the full, lush roundness of her body.


    It was as if the babies grew exponentially each day, shortening the gestational period by half of a


    regr pregnancy.


    He longed to put his hands on her belly to feel them squirm beneath the smooth silk of her skin but


    there was something in her eyes that kept him at a distance, which served to remind him that he


    needed to address her actions. ¡°You disobeyed me,¡± he said.


    ¡°You will find that I will often disobey you if you insist on giving out ridiculous orders,¡± she retorted, not


    the least bit apologetic. ¡°It made more sense for me to go for help in case Ulster¡¯s stragglers attempted


    to double back. I was better at running and you were better at fighting. Seemed the most logical


    solution.¡±


    Tieran paused. Put in that light, Cassandra was right but he could not abide Cassandra undermining


    his authority as Alpha.


    Yet, Cassandra also had the strength of an Alpha and she was unlike any female their species has


    ever seen. Under normal circumstances, he¡¯d have to punish anyone who disobeyed a directmand


    from the Alpha.


    But his instincts warned him not to go there with Cassandra. ¡°Your disobedience cannot be tolerated,¡±


    he bit out, growing frustration at his predicament sharpening his words. ¡°Without a firm grasp on the


    hierarchy of the n, chaos will destroy everything we¡¯ve built over the centuries with n Barrachius.


    You are new to our ways but you must learn them if you are to teach our pups the right way.¡±


    ¡°Why is Serra here?¡± Cassandra asked, ignoring his firm reprimand and going straight for the jugr.


    ¡°Did you bring her here?¡±


    Anger at her dismissal and her sudden subject change made him growl low in his chest. ¡°Cassandra do


    not test me,¡± he warned. ¡°Serra is not the issue here. Your tant disregard for everything we value is


    the bigger issue.¡±


    At that Cassandra popped from the chair and went toe-to-toe with him, surprising him with the fire in


    her eyes. ¡°I heartily disagree. Your former me is suddenly here ¡ª someone you¡¯re still carrying a


    torch for, by the way ¡ª and you think me using logic over your sillymand is the bigger issue?


    Forgive me, if I call bullshit. Why is she here?¡±


    Tieran¡¯s nostrils red as he attempted to control his temper but the urge to throw her onto the bed and


    across his knee so that he could paddle her soft ass until she cried was a struggle.


    If he hadn¡¯t been so pulse-pounding angry, he would¡¯ve been fighting an erection at the thought of


    smacking those beautiful, full buttocks.


    ¡°She came to warn the n that Ulster was closing in. It is because of Serra that we are both alive. We


    owe her our gratitude, not our suspicion.¡±


    Cassandra backed down subtly but there was still an edge to her as she said, ¡°She seemed


    disappointed that I managed to return. While I¡¯m grateful for her help, I don¡¯t trust her motives and


    you¡¯d be stupid to ignore what is staring at you right in the face. I think she should be asked to leave.¡±


    ¡°I will attend to the needs of the n,¡± he said coolly. ¡°This is Serra¡¯s home. I will not toss her out. She


    left voluntarily. She was not forced out. If she chooses to stay, it is her choice.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s great,¡± Cassandra remarked bitterly, stepping away from Tieran, her eyes welling with angry


    tears. ¡°So we get to pass each other in the halls, exchanging nasty looks with one another. The wife


    and the mistress. That works out perfectly for you, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in Serra sexually any longer,¡± he said but there was the tiniest question in his heart


    that must¡¯ve made itself known in the depth of his stare because Cassandra¡¯s breath hitched in her


    throat and she turned away with orders for him to leave. Instead of arguing the point, Tieran was happy


    to take his leave.


    Seeing Serra again, raised ufortable questions and feelings that he didn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t


    want Serra. In fact, even as angry as he was with Cassandra, he longed to bury himself deep inside


    her heat and fill her with his seed.


    Yet, he had so many memories with Serra. Scorching memories.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Cassandra murmured, plucking at his conscience for her delicate condition.


    ¡°Do you require anything?¡±


    At her short bubble of sadughter, he realized his question was ill-timed. ¡°I will bring you food at the


    dinner hour. Until then, rest.¡±


    Cassandra remained silent as she climbed into her bed and turned on her side with her back to him.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Tieran was seized with the irrational desire to climb into that bed beside her and simply remind her with


    the feel of his cock that she belonged to him and him to her.


    But, in truth, he feared she might snap his cock off if he tried. In the interest of preserving his most


    precious appendage, he let himself out silently.

 Chapter-29-

    Chapter-29-


    Serra startled at the sudden appearance of the old crone, Iona, disappointed that it wasn¡¯t Tieran who¡¯d


    found her in the garden. It¡¯d been their favorite spot together and she¡¯d hoped that Tieran would


    remember and find himself there.


    ¡°Child you waste your anger and your tears. The situation is beyond you,¡± Iona said, her wrinkled face


    neither sympathetic nor warm as she delivered her counsel.


    Serra hated the old woman. If it hadn¡¯t been for her constant screeching about that damn prophecy,


    then perhaps she and Tieran would be hand-fasted by now and she¡¯d be the one carrying his pup and


    not that cursed witch-whore Cassandra. ¡°Your bitterness oozes from every pore. It will destroy you if


    you don¡¯t take care.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, old woman. I neither asked for, nor care for, your advice. Leave me.¡±


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    ¡°Cassandra is the Prophesied One. Not you,¡± Iona continued, undeterred. ¡°You risk your soul


    threatening the Gods¡¯ will.¡±


    ¡°You and your silly prophecy! Who knows if it¡¯s even real? All I see is a woman who managed to pull


    the wool over all your eyes, pretending to be something that doesn¡¯t exist. Tieran was my Alpha. Mine!


    And she took him from me. She doesn¡¯t deserve him. She doesn¡¯t understand our ways. I was raised to


    be his woman. Me! And now where am I supposed to go? Thrust from the only home I¡¯ve ever known¡­


    why? I think Tieran has been tricked into thinking he must forsake me for her. Deep in his heart, he still


    wants me. I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°What you feel is an illusion. I warned you that your path was not with Tieran. It is your own folly that


    you ignored my counsel. Now you must lie in the bed you¡¯ve made. A good match will be found for you


    when the Mother Goddess deems it. Perhaps when you are worthy of such a match, it will happen.¡±


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m not his True Mate?¡± she spat.


    ¡°Because you are not a breeding female,¡± Iona answered simply. ¡°You cannot carry pups.¡±


    Tears welled in Serra¡¯s eyes. ¡°I could¡¯ve been. You don¡¯t know that for sure. Your visions are not


    infallible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your womb. It is barren. You will never bear pups. It grieves me to share this truth but it is a


    pill best swallowed in spite of the bitterness.¡±


    ¡°You mean old bitch,¡± Serra spit at Iona, hating the ancient woman almost as much as she hated


    Cassandra. ¡°Get out of my sight. Let me grieve in peace.¡±


    ¡°Yes, tend to your grief, Serra; before it spurs you to madness.¡±


    Madness? Ha. Toote. Already she felt torn in two by feelings she couldn¡¯t quell.


    She¡¯d been so happy with Tieran. Before Cassandra they¡¯d been madly, deeply in love. And then¡­that


    dirty whore had appeared out of nowhere to threaten everything that Serra held dear.


    She didn¡¯t care what Iona said, Tieran¡¯s heart belonged to her. The only reason he felt conflicted was


    because of Cassandra¡¯s pregnancy.


    Their species were bound to feel protective over their progeny. Remove the pup; remove the threat.


    Pregnancies were delicate. Especially for their kind. Why should Cassandra¡¯s pregnancy be any


    different?


    Serra suffered a minor twinge at the pain Tieran would feel at the loss of his pup but Serra would


    soothe his broken heart by giving it something new to love.


    That old crone could be wrong. Her womb might not be barren. Serra deliberately pushed away the


    knowledge that no matter how often she¡¯din with Tieran not once had her wombtched onto his


    seed. But maybe they¡¯d needed more time. She knew in her heart that Tieran was meant to be hers


    and that she was meant to rule beside him.


    Serra allowed her hand to drift to her own belly. She wasn¡¯t willing to lose Tieran without a fight ¡ª a


    fight to the death, if need be.

 Chapter-30-

    Chapter-30-


    The next few days passed with ufortable strain as Serra¡¯s hatred and resentment settled on


    Cassandra¡¯s shoulders like a heavy nket and Tieran hadn¡¯t visited since Serra had arrived, which


    only served to intensify her insecurity about having the woman in the house.


    Cassandra rubbed her distended belly and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m living in a daytime soap opera.¡± In a normal


    world, there¡¯s no way in hell Cassandra would¡¯ve been living under the same roof as Tieran¡¯s former


    love but then in a normal world she wouldn¡¯t be carrying mystical twins who were growing like


    extraterrestrial weeds soaked in Miracle-Grow either.


    Her back twinged and she groaned as she rolled to her side to ease the pressure. Iona had rubbed


    some kind of salve on her back that had helped but she couldn¡¯t reach the spot on her back and Iona


    was gone for the day. And she sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to ask Tieran to rub it on her.


    Though, she thought unhappily, she missed his touch so badly she was nearly shaking with need.


    As if summoned by her unspoken thoughts, Tieran appeared in her doorway.


    The sight of him always took her breath away ¡ª damn the man ¡ª but who wouldn¡¯t be struck dumb by


    a tall, muscr man who looked cut from marble with eyes that zed with unrestrained hunger?


    She tookfort in the fact that he was suffering from their sexual drought as much as she but the


    moment she was tempted to simply forget all that crap between them and just open her arms to him,


    she remembered they were not living in a fairytale and he was not Prince Charming.


    More like Prince Not So Charming, she wanted to grumble.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you breakfast,¡± Tieran said, walking in with a trayden with lots of protein. Her nose


    twitched at thick bs of pepper bacon and she actually smiled a little. ¡°Ah, the first sign of happiness


    in days. I must remember to always bring bacon if I hope to coax a smile from your lips.¡±


    ¡°It would help,¡± she admitted with a small sniff. If only she wasn¡¯t constantly ruled by the needs of her


    body.


    First, it was the Phase, then the Breeding Time, and now¡­mystical pregnancy. Was she ever going to


    catch a break? What was next? She shuddered to even specte.


    She epted the tray and immediately tore into the bacon. He watched with open approval at her


    ravenous appetite and she became self-conscious.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t watch me eat. It¡¯s weird,¡± she said, wiping her mouth and reaching for the orange juice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t feel like a science project already.¡±


    He chuckled and the sound warmed her heart, even if she was still mad at him. Why did he have to be


    so damn handsome?


    Maybe if he looked like a three-humped beast she¡¯d have an easier time forgetting about how badly


    she wanted to hump his brains out.


    ¡°Would you like to share with me?¡± she asked grudgingly.


    His gaze darkened and she wondered if she¡¯d made some n mistake by her offer but instead he sat


    across from her and took a slice of bacon.


    However, before biting into it, he said in a solemn tone, ¡°In our culture, when a man and woman share


    their meal, it is a symbol of theirmitment to one another.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She chewed and swallowed. ¡°In my culture, it¡¯s a way of not being rude. I¡¯m not ready to pick out


    towels or anything. I¡¯m still pissed at you, remember?¡±


    His look of disappointment pinched at her conscience. He was trying to be nice and she was throwing


    his attempts right back at him with a little zing for good measure.


    She drew a deep breath to apologize but he cut in brusquely before she could start.


    ¡°You would have me turn out a woman who has been a loyal n member since the day she was born,


    after she saved both our lives, simply because you are jealous of our past together?¡±


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    Cassandra frowned. ¡°Well, when you put it that way, I sound like a royal bitch.¡±


    ¡°How else should I put it?¡± he countered stiffly. ¡°Is there something I¡¯m missing? Perhaps leaving out a


    key piece of the puzzle?¡±


    ¡°She still loves you,¡± she blurted out, her eyes stinging. ¡°And she¡¯s bound and determined to get you


    back. I won¡¯t live in a house where I feel threatened. Nor will I subject my babies to the threat she


    poses to their safety.¡±


    He stood, his shoulders rigid. ¡°Once again you imply that I cannot keep you safe. I would protect you


    and our pups with my life. Is that not enough?¡±


    Her heart squeezed at the realization that he made no distinction between either pup, even knowing


    that one was not his, yet he imed both.


    She wanted to cry and she wanted to kiss him at the same time but judging by the thunderous


    expression etched on the hard angles of his face¡­neither kisses nor tears were a good idea.


    ¡°She¡¯s dangerous,¡± she finally murmured. ¡°Iona agrees that it¡¯s not a good idea for Serra to be here.¡±


    ¡°Iona has never liked Serra. Her advice in that regard is suspect.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on. She¡¯s the Seer, for crying out loud. Your judgment is clouded when ites to Serra and


    that in of itself is a red g. Why are you so ready to defend Serra, yet toss me under the bus?¡±


    ¡°I am not tossing you under any vehicle, let alone a bus.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so literal,¡± Cassandra said in irritation, grumbling. ¡°Here¡¯s where going to public school


    might¡¯ve done you a world of good. What I¡¯m saying is, you need to start cing your faith in me,


    instead of constantly giving it to a woman from your past. Unless, that is, you really want her and not


    me. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m not going to stick around. Just give me the word and I¡¯m gone. I can be a


    single mom just fine as long as you¡¯re willing to pay child support.¡±


    She struggled to her feet in spite of his thunderous scowl.


    ¡°And you can stop giving me that look because it doesn¡¯t scare me or make me bite my tongue. I¡¯m


    tired of everyone bossing me around or telling me how I should or shouldn¡¯t feel, act or not act, be or


    not be, simply because I was lucky enough to get caught up in this mystical mayhem that¡¯s currently


    tossing me around from one cmity to the next and really pissing me off!¡± she shouted at the finish,


    too angry to notice that the persistent pain in her back hadn¡¯t subsided until a sharp wrenching pain


    zinged up her spine, nearly driving her to her knees with agony.


    She fell forward but Tieran caught her before she went crashing to the floor. ¡°That h-hurts,¡± she


    managed to pant as Tieran hoisted her in his arms as if she weighed nothing when in fact, she could


    probably ordion the spine of an elephant if she chanced to straddle one.


    ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Tieran asked,ying her gently on the bed, worry recing his former frown.


    ¡°My lower back,¡± she groaned, rolling to her side and gesturing wildly. ¡°Iona left a cream¡­it¡¯s on the


    nightstand but I couldn¡¯t reach the spot¡­¡±


    Tieran wasted no time in grabbing the pot of cream and scooping a healthy dollop, then raised the hem


    of her top and began spreading the cream across her lower back, rubbing the pain out with firm


    strokes.


    The cream cooled, then began to warm, loosening the tension clenching her muscles. After five


    minutes of solid rubbing, Cassandra began to rx as the pain receded bit by bit.


    A relieved sigh rattled from her chest and she released theforter she¡¯d fisted in her hands as she¡¯d


    waited out the pain.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured with sincere gratitude. She was too wrung out from the pain to be angry


    anymore. Besides, Tieran¡¯s touch, even done with therapeutic intent, did funny things to her resolve.


    ¡°Tieran¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I miss you.¡± The rubbing motion stilled and she reluctantly nced back at him, almost afraid of what


    she¡¯d see in his expression.


    When he didn¡¯t immediately respond she turned back and blinked away tears, grateful that her face


    wasn¡¯t visible. ¡°I feel better now. You don¡¯t have to keep rubbing.¡±


    ¡°How long have you suffered this pain?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Not long. Only since the battle. I think thebination of multiple transformations and the


    babies¡¯ freakishly rapid growth have aggravated my sciatic nerve. Iona said it will pass as soon as I


    give birth.¡±


    She suppressed a shudder.


    The birth.


    She wasn¡¯t looking forward to that part, even if she was starting to look forward to meeting her babies.


    ¡°Tieran¡­do breeding females give birth in the normal way?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But you are the only female who has been able to transform as the males do. I cannot say if you


    will be different in that aspect as well but I will ensure you have the best of care.¡±


    She nodded and closed her eyes, saying, ¡°I¡¯m tired again,¡± so he wouldn¡¯t see the tears threatening to


    ooze down her cheeks. For every step forward they took together, they tumbled two back. She felt the


    distance between them like a physical thing and not even their bond was enough to bridge the gap.


    Before, even when he was determined to keep his distance, Tieran couldn¡¯t help himself around her.


    Now¡­he only touched her as a doctor would ¡ª efficient yet detached. She longed for the return of the


    wild beast who would rip apart anyone who stood between them.


    Maybe she wasn¡¯t his True Mate. Maybe¡­she was just his baby mama.

 Chapter-31-

    Chapter-31-


    Tieran¡¯s hands still tingled from the cream he¡¯d spread on Cassandra and his blood was percting at


    a fine clip for restraining himself to the task rather than king his pounding lust within her soft and


    rounded body, making for a fine recipe for a raging temper.


    He¡¯d been able to hold his desire in check by the thinnest of threads, reminding himself that she was in


    a delicate condition, far more important than satisfying his needs.


    He detoured to the work-out room, needing to blow off some excess steam. He was pleased when he


    found the expansive room empty.


    Tieran went straight to the punching bag, and without bothering to wrap his knuckles, he began taking


    his sexual frustration out on the heavy bag.


    Cassandra was like a drug in his system and he was desperate for a fix. Her belly was a beautiful,


    rounded well of life, squirming with his progeny.


    Her breasts had plumped even more than before until he could almost taste the honeyed skin against


    his tongue.


    Her dainty pink ares had darkened with the pregnancy and he could make out their outline from the


    gauzy, thin material providing some semnce of coverage of her lush body, but did nothing to prevent


    his imagination from filling in the nks.


    Was it possible she became even more beautiful with the passing of each day? Was this the bonding


    that happened between mates?


    He could still smell her essence in the house, even though they hadn¡¯t had sex since the forest floor,


    nearly a week ago. He ached to feel his cock sliding into her tight, wet sheath, stretching the slicked


    walls as he pushed himself deeper until he was seated to the hilt against her womanly flesh.


    Good God, this wasn¡¯t helping, he groaned, refocusing on the bag. Hended a vicious punch that


    would¡¯ve shattered bone then countered with a roundhouse kick that would¡¯ve caved in a chest. He


    was in misery. Tieran caught the rocking bag and rested his forehead against the beaten leather.


    Sweat trickled down his back in rivulets and prayed to the Mother Goddess for strength and wisdom


    because at the moment, he felt as lost as a newborn pup. He pulled back and wiped the sweat from his


    brow with his forearm, ready to begin again, but Serra walked in.


    She grinned and for a second, he felt that familiar tug, but it was weak enough to push it away.


    ¡°Remember when we used to train together?¡± Serra asked, going to the tape and quickly wrapping her


    knuckles.


    ¡°How could I forget? You bested me nearly every match until I was finally big enough to simply


    overpower you,¡± he answered with a reluctant smile.


    Serra had been one of the fiercest girls in the pack, destined to be a warrior. Or an Alpha¡¯s Mate. Guilt


    tugged at him. He sensed Serra¡¯s pain even though she fought to hide it from him. ¡°Serra¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve still got what it takes to best me,¡± she cut in with a bright, teasing smile, going into a


    wide-legged stance. ¡°And remember, no unfair advantages. As in, no transforming.¡±


    Tieran allowed a small grin. ¡°I only did that once. But if I recall correctly, you grabbed my poor balls and


    twisted so hard I thought you¡¯d neutered me. That was punishment enough for taking the advantage.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she smirked with knowing. ¡°Your parts seemed to work just fine, if I recall.¡±


    He conceded her point, yet tried to forget the times he and Serra had fucked like animals on this very


    gym floor. ¡°One match,¡± he offered. ¡°Standard rules apply.¡±


    Serraughed. ¡°Have it your way,¡± she said right before attempting to sweep Tieran¡¯s leg out from


    under him but Tieran was wise to her style of fighting and leapt out of the way.


    He countered with a quick jab at her midsection but she whirled and countered, catching him in the


    mouth with a sharp punch.


    ¡°Are you getting soft, Alpha?¡± she teased, bouncing away before he could rebound. ¡°You used to be


    quicker.¡±


    Tieran wiped away the blood welling on his lip and grinned. ¡°And you used to hit harder.¡±


    She returned the grin. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±


    They sparred for a solid ten minutes before Tieran caught Serra with a surprise kick to the stomach that


    sent her reeling to the floor, gasping to catch her breath.


    When she didn¡¯t immediately rebound, he worried he¡¯d actually hurt her and went to help her up, but


    she caught him with a swift kick to the jaw as she spun around and suddenly he was seeing stars while


    t on his back.


    Serra wasted no time in straddling him, the heat of her core nestled perfectly against his groin. It took a


    full second to realize she¡¯d won the match but his body reacted like an eager boy with his first


    conquest, hardening beneath her ready heat.


    ¡°It seems there is something between us you haven¡¯t managed to forget,¡± she murmured triumphantly,


    grinding against him and sighing with pleasure as the hard-ridge of his cock rubbed against her clit.


    She leaned down to catch his bottom lip between her teeth before sealing her mouth to his. In a sh,


    everything about Serra¡¯s familiar weight on top of him felt wrong ¡ª even repugnant.


    He bracketed her hips with both hands and lifted her off him, nearly tossing her free with a glower.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he demanded in a harsh growl as he climbed to his feet. ¡°I have bonded with


    Cassandra. What we had was child¡¯s ypared to what I feel for Cassandra. Do not shame your


    n in this way!¡±


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    She followed suit, her eyes shing. ¡°You are the one who has shamed our n by refusing to do what


    is necessary to ensure the n¡¯s survival.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue.¡±


    ¡°If you were a real Alpha, you¡¯d vow to kill the baby whose blood isn¡¯t pure. The seed of n Janus


    germinates in the belly of your mate and yet, you allow it to live. If you were half the Alpha you pretend


    to be, you¡¯d know this is an abomination. She has poisoned your mind, turned you from your beliefs.


    Do you need further proof that she is ruining this n? We have survived and thrived because our


    Alphas always did what was right, no matter the cost. But this woman has managed to turn you into a


    soft, mewling kitten at the prospect of snuffing out one tiny life.¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡± Themand echoed in the room,ced with danger. ¡°You forget yourself.¡±


    Serra¡¯s eyes shed with wounded rage. ¡°No! You forget yourself. I am not some weak woman that you


    can order about. I was destined to be your mate. You know it to be true. Deep inside you know what


    you have with Cassandra doesn¡¯t feel right. When we were together, we were unstoppable. Just as


    destined mates should be. If you were truly bonded to Cassandra, you would not be here with me¡­you


    would be with her. No matter the circumstance.¡±


    He stared in hard silence. Slowly, a cold smile broke across his lips. ¡°You are right about something not


    feeling right,¡± he said, surprising her. ¡°But it isn¡¯t how I feel about Cassandra. It¡¯s how I thought I felt


    about you. You are not my True Mate. It is Cassandra. I am sorry you were hurt in all this but I cannot


    change what is meant to be.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± she whispered, angry tears filling her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°You may stay until tomorrow. Until this moment, you would¡¯ve had my undying respect, if not love.


    Now, I feel nothing. Do not further shame your family and n with your protests and usations.¡±


    Tieran left the work out room with Serra screaming obscenities through a wash of tears. He felt no guilt,


    only regret for putting Cassandra in an ufortable spot.


    He bounded up the stairs to Cassandra¡¯s room and strode in with purpose. He shut the door and


    locked it, then stripped as he went. By the time he crawled into the bed beside Cassandra he was


    naked and hard.


    He had to touch her. He would be gentle, if need be, but he couldn¡¯t go another second without feeling


    her skin, tasting her lips, and losing himself inside her.

 Chapter-32-

    Chapter-32-


    Cassandra awoke slowly from a delicious dream, one that made her body yearn for Tieran in a way


    that made her want to cry with frustrated desire.


    But as her eyes fluttered open, she realized she was not alone. Her frightened startle quickly turned to


    gasps of pleasure as Tieran¡¯s mouth closed over exposed nipple.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, twisting and raising her arms above her head to give him better


    ess.


    ¡°Making love to my True Mate,¡± he murmured in answer, nuzzling her soft skin and moving to the next


    nipple. ¡°We¡¯ve gone too long without touching and I aim to rectify that if you are willing.¡±


    ¡°God yes, I¡¯m willing,¡± she said in a breathy moan, so grateful. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my head wasn¡¯t clear. If I¡¯d listened to my heart I never would¡¯ve been confused,¡± he admitted


    quietly, pausing as he humbled himself before her.


    Her heart sang to hear him admit that she was the one, not Serra.


    ¡°Never again will I give you cause to question my love and admiration.¡± Tears trickled down


    Cassandra¡¯s face and he wiped them away, pressing his mouth against hers, coaxing her mouth open


    with the soft touch of his tongue.


    Their tongues tangled and danced, sliding against one another as they linked hands, drawing out the


    tension between until it was near unbearable.


    This was what she¡¯d craved and been missing with Tieran. She felt the difference in his touch, the way


    he held her reverently, tenderly, as if he were afraid of losing something precious and dear.


    ¡°Tieran,¡± she cried, burying her face against his neck as he maneuvered her gently to her side, mindful


    of her swollen belly.


    He caressed her stomach, sying hisrge hands across her midsection, palming the life housed


    within her body. Her heart felt full to bursting with a previously unknown emotion and it both frightened


    and exhrated.


    She didn¡¯t know how this would all end, but she knew if she had Tieran by her side, it would be all right.


    She rolled away from him and presented her backside to him, knowing he couldn¡¯t lie on top of her due


    to her size.


    He took the unspoken invitation and position himself at her entrance. When he hesitated, unsure, she


    nodded. ¡°I need you, Tieran. The babies will be fine. Please¡­I need you inside me. Now.¡±


    ¡°I would die if I hurt you, but I confess, if I don¡¯t feel you around me this instant, I might have a heart


    attack.¡± He gripped her hips gently and slowly pushed himself inside.


    Her nipples pearled at the sensual invasion and she groaned at the pleasure of being deliciously


    stretched by her Alpha.


    His desire hardened every ne on his body as he grew in size, half-beast, half-man.


    His thick length pulsed deep against the cushion of her tight walls and rubbed against a pleasure spot


    that immediately made her pant with need, arching her back like a cat in heat, desperate for deeper


    contact.


    ¡°Cassandra,¡± he groaned, sliding in and out with a restraint that caused the veins in his neck to bulge. ¡°I


    want to bury myself so deep inside you that I no longer know where you begin and I end.¡±


    Words weren¡¯t possible as Cassandra trembled with need and desire. The position allowed Tieran to


    cuddle up to her, cupping her breasts from behind as he slowly made love to her but Cassandra


    needed more.


    She loved the tenderness but it wasn¡¯t enough. She made a sound of frustration and rolled away from


    him.


    Before Tieran could say a word, she positioned herself on her hands and knees, lifting her backside to


    him in offering. ¡°Take me, Tieran.¡±


    At the sight of her heart-shaped ass and her softly furred woman¡¯s folds parted in dewed invitation, he


    couldn¡¯t restrain himself.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± he growled, moving behind her swiftly and plunging inside her again, this time, going


    balls deep. Cassandra moaned and closed her eyes as waves of pleasure battered her senses with the


    rough contact.


    His fingers curled into the flesh of her behind as he gripped her tight, rocking her body as he built a


    heart-pounding rhythm. The fleshy head of his cock rubbed her pleasure spot perfectly, creating a riot


    of sensation cascading through her body but the epicenter deep inside her, fairly rang with power and


    pleasure.


    She rocked against him, taking as much as possible of Tieran into herself, needing him as much as he


    needed her.


    Cassandra hit her teau first, shocked by the keening sound that ricocheted from her chest as she


    came with an explosive crash.


    Tieran followed secondster, filling her channel with sweet essence, bathing her core with slippery


    liquid that only further cemented their bond both physically and psychically.


    Together they¡¯d rocketed to a spiraling finish that¡¯d left them both winded and shaken by what they¡¯d


    experienced. Several moments passed where nothing but the sound of their harsh breathing was heard


    between them.


    Cassandra suddenly understood they¡¯d be two hearts that would forever beat as one. They were


    bonded for life. Tieran was her True Mate and she was his. She didn¡¯t need to see inside his mind to


    know he knew the same.


    She gazed at Tieran, loving what she saw ¡ª a man who was more than a man and entirely hers.


    Cassandra¡¯s smile reflected the peace she saw in Tieran.


    This was happiness, she thought giddily. For the first time in her life she felt as if she belonged. ¡°I never


    realized I was waiting my entire life to meet you,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°That makes two of us.¡± He smiled, knuckling away the stray strands of hair drifting toward her face.


    ¡°Too bad I was so reluctant to admit what my heart had known all along.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did say your mother called you the most stubborn of her pups,¡± Cassandra quipped, eliciting


    a rueful chuckle from Tieran. She slid her hand down her naked belly, marveling at the taut skin. ¡°Do


    you think our pups will be as stubborn as you and me?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt. Which will make them perfect, of course.¡±


    She arched her brow yfully. ¡°Perfect huh? Already the proud papa I see.¡±


    Theughter faded from his mouth and he sped her hand, saying solemnly, ¡°I will do my best to be


    the best father our pups deserve. My own father was a hard man. Strict and foreboding. I want to be a


    different kind of father. One that loves to have his children around him, on my knee and at my side. Do


    you think that makes me less of an Alpha than my father?¡±


    ¡°No. You could never be anything less than a true Alpa in every sense of the word,¡± she assured him.


    ¡°You will be a wonderful father.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because you are already putting the babies¡¯ welfare first, no matter their parentage. You already know


    that one of these pups is not¡ª¡°


    ¡°Shh.¡± He put his finger to her lips, silencing her gently to say in a firm but loving tone, ¡°they are my


    pups. End of story.¡±


    Tears crested her eyes and she nodded as her throat closed. How she loved this man. Deeply. She


    took a deep, halting breath, saying in a watery tone. ¡°Then we need to start thinking of names because


    I think they¡¯re going to make their entrance sooner rather thanter.¡±


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    ¡°How can you be sure?¡± he asked, worry lines creasing his forehead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I know,¡± she admitted. ¡°I just know. Where is Iona?¡±


    ¡°She had personal business to attend to. She will return this evening.¡±


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I was surprised by the sudden decision to leave thepound. Iona could¡¯ve sent any


    number of men out to run her errand but she was adamant that she must be the one to handle her


    business. The Seer is a wise woman but there are mysteries to her that I will never understand. If she


    promised to return by this evening, I know she will. The Seer never promises what she cannot deliver.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯d feel a lot more secure knowing she was here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±

 Chapter-33-

    Chapter-33-


    Cassandra snuggled against Tieran, loving the way his bronzed skin was tight with muscle yet smooth


    as granite. She allowed her hand to drift down the ridges of his hard belly until she encountered the


    softening length of him that she adored the most.


    ¡°I used to think I was a raging nymphomaniac because of the Phase but now that I¡¯m no longer


    Phasing I can¡¯t really me it any longer for the way I feel when I¡¯m around you.¡±


    ¡°And how is that?¡±


    ¡°Completely and utterly insatiable.¡±


    He cocked his brow at her, a smile growing on his handsome face. ¡°Is that so? I have seen no evidence


    of this insatiable nature you speak of,¡± he teased. ¡°Perhaps you are imagining it.¡±


    Cassandra made a sound of mock outrage and straddled him, her wet core sliding against his cock, her


    ready heat encouraging it to plump and harden once again. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve been holding back for fear of


    wearing you out,¡± she challenged.


    He grinned and filled his hands with her full breasts, pinching the sensitive nipples. ¡°I fear it¡¯s the other


    way around. As you can tell,¡± he thrust his hips against her, pressing his full erection against her. ¡°I am


    nowhere near worn out as you say.¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s giggle was cut short as he maneuvered his cock deep inside her. She rocked back on his


    length, sucking in a tight breath as wondrous sensations spike through her likeets streaking


    through the night air.


    She rolled her hips, griping his thighs with her own, bracing herself with the bed. A flush stole up his


    neck as she rode him, undting on his length, finding her own pleasure and creating pleasure for him


    at the same time.


    ¡°Cassandra,¡± he gasped, his grip tightening on her hips as she rocked his cock, the sound of their


    joining filling the room with a sensual rhythmic music that spurred her to greater pleasure.


    A carnal joy swept through her as she lost herself to the sweetness of Tieran¡¯s cock inside her, his big


    hands cupping and squeezing her breasts, as she mped down hard with her internal muscles to milk


    everyst drop of his seed from his staff.


    An ever-building wave of momentous pleasure crashed down around her in one big swoop as she


    came hard, shaking and crying his name over and over.


    ¡°Tieran! Yes, Tieran!¡± Tieran followed with a shout that echoed from the rafters as he filled her sheath


    with his essence, flooding her channel with the most sacred part of himself and she shuddered as her


    body trembled with each receding wave of tiny pleasurable spasms.


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    She leaned down to take his mouth fiercely, kissing him deeply even as his cock remained lodged


    inside her.


    She could live a lifetime just like this, entwined as one. She pulled away only when it became hard to


    breathe because of her belly. Cassandra slid from his body and rolled to her back, still breathing hard


    from her exertion.


    After a long moment when he¡¯d finally recovered his breath, Tieran rolled to his side to regard her with


    an expression of love, tenderness and possession ¡ª and it thrilled her senseless.


    Tieran shocked her by dipping his finger into her honeyed sheath made wet and slippery from their


    lovemaking and then, with a serious gaze, began spreading his seed around her folds and mound, as if


    marking her with his essence.


    ¡°You are mine, Cassandra. From now until forever. No other man will ever spend his seed in your body


    and I will never share my seed with another. You are my True Mate and I will spend my life being the


    man you deserve.¡±


    Cassandra stared in awe, her heart cracking with pure joy and tion. Nothing before that moment


    mattered. Tieran was everything she¡¯d ever wanted, even if she¡¯d never known what she¡¯d wanted until


    then.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spend my life being the mate you deserve,¡± she said with a watery smile. ¡°And I¡¯ll do my best to


    learn the ways of our kind so we can teach our pups together. I want to make you proud.¡±


    Tieran¡¯s gaze lit up at her promise and he sealed their covenant with a soft kiss. ¡°You already have,¡± he


    answered, rubbing her nose with his. They shared the sweet moment together until Tieran sighed with


    reluctance and pulled away. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to remain here in our bed, there are many details to


    attend since Ulster¡¯s defeat. I cannot be remiss in my duties even though I¡¯d love to simply lose myself


    in your lush body many times over.¡±


    ¡°Such a sweet talker,¡± she murmured with a smile, stretching like a satiated cat drunk on cream. ¡°But I


    understand. I guess that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re the Alpha¡¯s woman, right? Duty before booty.¡±


    He barked a shortugh at her short joke and swung his legs from the bed to tug on his jeans.


    Cassandra was sad to see all that lovely skin disappear behind clothing but she supposed it was


    unrealistic to lie around naked all day.


    She reluctantly followed his lead and redressed her in gauzy white pajamas. ¡°Would you like to take a


    walk in the gardenter this evening?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Under the full moon?¡± she asked. At his nod, she agreed with delight. ¡°I would love to.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will return to bring you more food if you like.¡±


    ¡°As if you need to ask,¡± Cassandra replied dryly. The need for food was the only constant in her life as


    long as she was gestating. ¡°Something crunchy,¡± she added. ¡°And salty. But don¡¯t bring me a pickle.¡±


    ¡°No pickles, I promise. I will do my best to find something that will satisfy your craving. Until then, you


    need to rest.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°All right but only because I am pretty tired. You took all my energy,¡± she teased, smiling


    with genuine happiness as she snuggled down into the soft bed to sink into an exhausted sleep filled


    with nice and naughty dreams of her sexy Alpha beast.

 Chapter-34-

    Chapter-34-


    Cassandra awoke to Serra sitting beside her. It was disconcerting to find the woman who openly hated


    her had been watching her while she slept. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Serra said, her expression curiously t. Cassandra expected tears or venom but Serra


    offered neither. ¡°It seems I underestimated Tieran¡¯s affection for you. I was mistaken in believing I was


    his True Mate. In our kind, we mate for life. I¡¯d been raised believing that I would be the one to stand by


    his side. But fate had a different n.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cassandra said, empathy lessening her animosity. She could understand Serra¡¯s feelings at


    the very least. She shifted, putting more distance between herself and Serra. ¡°Where will you go?¡±


    Serra, who had been staring at her hands, looked up. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I know you think I¡¯m some terrible person but I never meant you any harm. I didn¡¯t even


    know about my heritage, much less your rtionship with Tieran. We don¡¯t have to be enemies.¡±


    A small smile lifted the corner of her lips but her eyes remained cold. ¡°You share our DNA but you know


    nothing of our ways. We cannot be friends. Tieran was right to send me away. I cannot make a life here


    with you and Tieran ying the happy couple. While his heart is closed to me, my heart still beats for


    him. It will take time and distance to heal that wound and I cannot do that here.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Cassandra said quietly. ¡°I love him. I will be a good mate for him.¡± Serra¡¯sck of


    response felt like a cold p but Cassandra didn¡¯t me her. It was a difficult situation all the way


    around. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth¡­I¡¯m sorry for everything you¡¯ve lost.¡±


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    Serra attempted a half smile but Cassandra could tell it was all she could manage. Serra drew a halting


    breath and stood, gesturing to the te of cookies on the nightstand.


    ¡°The cookies are from Hannah,¡± she exined, as if knowing she needed to exin that they didn¡¯t


    come from her.


    She didn¡¯t offer any niceties or pleasantries, or even a polite inquiry as to the babies, and frankly,


    Cassandra was grateful.


    She didn¡¯t think she could sessfully make small talk with Serra after everything that¡¯d happened.


    Maybe someday, after things had settled¡­Cassandra watched as Serra closed the door behind her.


    How awful. She could only imagine the pain Serra was in.


    Cassandra sighed and rubbed her belly just as it grumbled. ¡°Hungry again? If I didn¡¯t have the


    metabolism of a hummingbird I¡¯d be a two-ton cow by now,¡± she said to her stomach as she reached


    for thergest chocte chip cookie on the te. Hannah, the n cook, was a dream in the kitchen.


    It was no small tragedy to wolf the cookie down in two big bites. However, by the third cookie,


    Cassandra began to feel sick. Sweat dotted her hairline and a general nausea rolled across her belly,


    cramping her gut until she doubled over in pain.


    Her babies squirmed frantically in her womb and Cassandra was gripped with the knowledge that


    something was terribly wrong.


    Tieran!


    She stumbled from the bed and crumpled to the floor, herst thought a desperate attempt to shove her


    fear into Tieran¡¯s brain so he woulde running.


    But as she began to lose consciousness, the door opened again and Serra slipped in, silent as the


    grave. She picked up the te of left-over cookies and stared down at Cassandra with open contempt


    and every ounce of hatred she¡¯d been holding back only moments earlier.


    Serra bent down to whisper in Cassandra¡¯s ear. ¡°If you were one of us, you¡¯d know that the Alpha


    always feeds his True Mate. Hannah would never send a te of cookies to your room. You¡¯ve taken


    everything from me. It¡¯s only fair that I repay the pain in kind. You are his True Mate but you and your


    babies will die and Tieran will spend the rest of his life grieving for you. Goodbye and good riddance,


    Cassandra.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she gasped, clutching her belly as waves of agony gripped her muscles in spasm. ¡°Tieran will


    never forgive you! He will hunt you down without mercy. Why would you destroy a man you say you


    love?¡±


    Serra shook her head as if Cassandra was truly stupid. ¡°He deserves to know the pain he¡¯s given me


    for allowing me to fall for him, knowing we could never be truly one. He deserves to know the wretched


    misery of loss. I will never love anyone like I loved Tieran. He stole something precious from me. It is


    our way to repay that cruelty in kind. If he were truly a worthy Alpha, he never would¡¯ve let me return


    but you¡¯ve made him soft and weak.¡±


    ¡°But my babies, they are innocent!¡±


    A wrinkle of disgust marred her pretty face. ¡°Only one in your cursed belly is innocent. The other is an


    abomination. I weep for Tieran¡¯s babe, but I rejoice in the death of Ulster¡¯s. n Janus blood should


    never be wee at the hearth of n Barrachius.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡± Tears stung Cassandra¡¯s eyes as she pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. If you help me, I promise to


    leave. Just don¡¯t hurt my babies!¡±


    ¡°Foolish woman. Tieran would follow you to the ends of the earth. He no longer sees me. His soul no


    longer recognizes mine. Your death is the only salve my broken heart will ept.¡±


    With one final sweeping look of disdain, Serra silently removed herself from the room, taking the


    poisoned cookies with her.


    Tieran! Oh God, pleasee!


    And then Cassandra was aware of nothing more.

 Chapter-35-

    Chapter-35-


    Tieran stilled as a discordant vibe washed over his entire body. He had seconds before Cassandra¡¯s


    scream echoed through his mind.


    He gripped his head with both hands and for a moment wentpletely blind. He stumbled and Jandin


    caught him before he crashed into the wall. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Cassandra,¡± Tieran answered, pushing off his brother and running at a full tilt to her bedroom with


    Jandin and Koris close behind.


    He burst through the door, shattering the jamb into pieces to find Cassandra crumpled in a ball, her


    arms cradling her belly as if to protect her babies.


    ¡°Oh Goddess, no.¡± He scooped her from the floor andid her gently on the bed. When he released her


    body, he realized she was leaking blood.


    ¡°Woman¡¯s blood,¡± Jandin said, worried as he looked to Koris. ¡°Get the vampire. He knows the most


    about Breeding Females. Where is Iona?¡± Koris immediately split the room, fast as his beastly strength


    could take him.


    ¡°Gone until tonight. Damn the old woman for her stubborn ways. She wouldn¡¯t tell me where she was


    going or why,¡± Tieran nearly shouted in his fear. He leaned in smoothed her forehead with his palm.


    ¡°Cassandra, talk to me. Open your eyes. Tell me what is wrong. What should I do?¡±


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    Jandin leaned in, his nostril ring. ¡°There is something here¡­something that shouldn¡¯t be.¡± He


    followed the scent to the nightstand and inhaled sharply. ¡°Something was here¡­in this spot.


    Wolfsbane. Brother¡­¡± he looked at Tieran, shock in his expression. ¡°Someone has poisoned your True


    Mate and the Prophesied One. Goddess help us¡­who would do such a thing?¡±


    Tieran heard Jandin¡¯s horrified question and realized with a sinking heart he knew the answer. ¡°Serra,¡±


    he said, closing his eyes. ¡°It was Serra.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jandin breathed, unable to believe it. ¡°Serra is a good woman, a strong and loyal member of n


    Barrachius. It had to be someone else.¡±


    ¡°It was Serra,¡± Tieran said sharply. ¡°I told her that Cassandra is my True Mate and she didn¡¯t believe


    me. I had to send her away for her own good, so she could heal and move on. I did her a kindness and


    she repaid me with pain.¡± Tieran rose, his fists clenching. ¡°I will kill her if Cassandra dies.¡±


    ¡°Brother, your justice must wait. Cassandra needs you right now. We will find Serra. She will answer for


    her crime but for now¡­we must find a way to help Cassandra.¡±


    Tieran¡¯s blood raged for vengeance but he realized the wisdom in Jandin¡¯s advice and choked down his


    need to tear Serra limb from limb for her treachery.


    Cristophe entered the room and went straight to Cassandra. Tieran suffered the vampire¡¯s presence


    and the knowledge that Cassandra had been intimate with the blood sucker only because Cristophe


    seemed bound to aid by the Gods¡¯ hand to guide the prophecy.


    Otherwise, Tieran never would¡¯ve allowed Cristophe to remain in thepound. That, and Cassandra


    seemed to enjoy the vampire¡¯s dry wit even if Tieran found him tedious and irritating.


    ¡°Wolfsbane,¡± Cristophe spat the word as if he¡¯d tasted the poison himself. ¡°Someone has poisoned


    her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve figured that out ourselves, vampire,¡± Tieran said, glowering. ¡°What can we do for her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Cristophe tested her pulse and grimaced at her sluggish beat. ¡°Wolfsbane almost always


    takes its victim. And if it doesn¡¯t kill Cassandra, it will most certainly cause her to abort the twins.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tieran uttered the word as his heart cracked in two, not only for Cassandra but for the babies he


    had yet to meet. ¡°Do something.¡±


    ¡°I can do nothing. Wolfsbane was the poison we used on the breeding females when the need arose.


    I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯d need a miracle.¡± Cristophe¡¯s stricken expression mirrored that of Tieran and Jandin.


    ¡°Maybe the Gods will favor us.¡±


    ¡°And maybe they have forsaken us,¡± Tieran countered bitterly.


    Cristophe said nothing; his expression said it all.


    Cassandra was likely going to die.

 Chapter-36-

    Chapter-36-


    Iona¡¯s old bones creaked and rattled beneath her thin skin and she wished she could still transform.


    She missed the feel of the ground beneath her paws, the feel of arterial blood gushing into her mouth


    as she took down prey.


    Ah, those were the days.


    Now she was stuck in this old woman¡¯s decaying body, her mind still as sharp as ever, but her ability to


    do anything more than shuffle and limp was lessening by the hour.


    She¡¯d known the minute she saw Cassandra, she¡¯d be The One. Relief and sadness followed the


    knowledge but when one has lived as long as she, the relief was a bit more pronounced than the


    sadness.


    And now the time was here; albeit a bit more quickly than she¡¯d anticipated. Thankfully, she¡¯d already


    paid her homage to the Mother Goddess for all the years she¡¯d given her and she was ready to pass


    the torch.


    Cassandra was dying.


    She pushed aside the wall of men standing helplessly around Cassandra¡¯s inert body, shocking


    everyone with her sudden appearance. ¡°Seer!¡± Tieran eximed. ¡°Serra¡ª¡°


    ¡°Has poisoned Cassandra with wolfsbane,¡± she cut in irritably. ¡°Yes, yes, go make yourself useful and


    get me my bag as well as a sharp knife.¡±


    ¡°A knife?¡± Tieran repeated but Iona¡¯s no-nonsense stare quelled his questions and he left quickly.


    To Jandin, she said, ¡°You must keep Tieran from this room. I must be allowed toplete the ritual in


    order to save her life. Do you hear me?¡±


    Jandin nodded fearfully. No one would gainsay the Seer. ¡°Yes. Can you save her?¡±


    ¡°Seeing as the fate of the world rests on her survival, I damn well better try,¡± Iona said, surprising


    Jandin when she cackled a shortugh before shooing him from the room.


    To Cassandra, she said, ¡°You didn¡¯t ask for any of this but you¡¯ve handled yourself well. I know you will


    shoulder this next responsibility with as much grace as you¡¯ve shown thus far.¡±


    From a pocket in her long skirt, she withdrew a tiny vial with a milky substance.


    ¡°A gift from the Mother Goddess,¡± she murmured as she poured a drop into Cassandra¡¯s ck mouth,


    then another, and another, until the vial was nearly empty.


    Iona put her weathered hands on Cassandra¡¯s stomach, felt the frantic beats beneath her palms and


    whispered a secret song that soothed distressed infants.


    ¡°You must calm yourself if you are to live,¡± she said to the babies. The squirming subsided and she


    smiled. ¡°Strong little Alphas,¡± she murmured, sighing when she realized she would never know them.


    ¡°You will do your kind proud and bring the ns together. You must end the fighting. And you will. But


    first, you must live.¡±


    She checked the babies¡¯ position and frowned. Breech. Cassandra¡¯s eyes opened slowly as the magic


    of the Mother Goddess counteracted the poison but a different threat loomed. Iona looked into


    Cassandra¡¯s blearily focused eyes and instructed her firmly, ¡°Your babies will die if you do not transform


    right now. You must birth them out of your human form. Can you do this?¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s eyes were zed with pain but she managed a short nod. She struggled to her feet,


    clutching her stomach as waves of pain racked her body. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she gasped. ¡°H-hurts too much¡­


    can¡¯t focus.¡±


    ¡°You will or they will die,¡± Iona said simply.


    Cassandra cried out and focused hard, her scream cut short as her body ripped apart and knitted back


    together beneath her skin, transforming her into the white wolf of legend.


    The beast whined and copsed to the floor and Iona quickly followed. ¡°Now push them out,


    Cassandra. Let your body do what nature intended.¡±


    It took several minutes but Cassandra managed to birth two slippery bundles.


    Immediately, Cassandra began cleaning the babies who hade out as actual pups.


    Within seconds, Cassandra changed again and the babies shimmered and changed into infants. Iona


    marveled at the olde worlde magick that wove itself around the babies, tying them to their mother.


    Iona could see the magick as it pulsed like a living thing, a God vine to the eternal and immortal. The


    Mother Goddess granted Iona onest vision as she saw the twins, hand in hand, the male and female,


    tied to each other in strength and weakness, bringing the ns together after centuries of bloodshed.


    She smiled, knowing her time was drawing near. She retrieved the vial from her pocket again and gave


    each baby one drop, finishing the vial.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Cassandra asked, her voice weak. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°They are the Mother Goddess¡¯ children as much as they are yours. They would need their ethereal


    mother¡¯s milk to thrive, just like you and I.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Iona coughed, feeling her lungs start tobor for breath. ¡°Listen child, my time is short,¡± she said,


    ignoring Cassandra¡¯s confusion. ¡°It is time to pass on. You are the n¡¯s next Seer. You will take my


    ce when I die. At the moment of my death, I will pass my knowledge to you as it has been done


    since the beginning. And when your timees, you will do the same but your life will be long, my


    child. Fear not that your end wille quickly. You must guide the twins to their destiny and unite the


    ns.¡±


    ¡°How is this happening? I am the Seer now?¡±


    Iona heard the panic in Cassandra¡¯s voice and chuckled. ¡°We share a simr lineage. It was always in


    your blood. Why do you think you have visions?¡±


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    Cassandra¡¯s stare went to the babies as they made soft baby noises together and Iona barked a short


    laugh. ¡°Yes, mystical babies aside, you hold the magick inside you. The babies simply amplified what


    you already possessed.¡±


    ¡°How? My mother was from n Janus and you¡¯re from n Barrachius,¡± she said, struggling to get


    her bearings even though she remained weak.


    ¡°At one time, we were all one n. The Prophecy is bringing us all together again. All female Seers can


    transform; however, Seers in themselves are rare, which is why it was generally believed that females


    don¡¯t change.¡±


    At that Iona chuckled, finding humor in the misconception. Oh, what good times she¡¯d had with none


    the wiser.


    Her heart gave a warning stutter and she knew the time for words and storytelling was finished.


    Iona scooped the babies up and held them for a long moment, gazing at the children she would never


    know on this ne.


    Then, she cocked her head as the sound of footsteps alerted them to the men returning.


    She handed the babies to Cassandra, knuckled Cassandra¡¯s cheek with one gnarled hand, and then


    blissfully sank into her own destiny knowing she¡¯d yed her part and it was time to move on.

 Chapter-37-

    Chapter-37-


    In the days that followed, Cassandra found herself overwhelmed with the newfound knowledge that¡¯d


    flooded her brain at Iona¡¯s passing.


    Suddenly, she had ess to her lineage, understanding how the bloodlines crossed and intersected


    and how the Mother Goddess cherished her wolf-children and blessed them with gifts that surpassed


    anything humanity had ever known.


    She knew at a nce someone¡¯s intentions as their energy pulsed with malicious or generous intent. It


    was unnerving at first but she embraced her gifts with courage and determination.


    Her babies, a girl and a boy, were named Ianna and Veris, and they were exceptional children who


    grew like beautiful, alien weeds that were both dangerous and yet mesmerizing.


    And they had the ability to transform at will, which made for some challenging parenting. Cassandra


    never knew if she were going to find pups or babies in the cradle but she always knew where to find


    them if they happened to escape their beds.


    She suckled them as both human and wolf, depending on her pups disposition. It was easier to


    discipline them in her wolf form, leaning on instinct when necessary. But the love she felt for her babies


    was equally strong in either form.


    ¡°You are amazing with them,¡± Tieran said with pride. ¡°You are a formidable Alpha¡¯s Mate. You will raise


    our pups with strong hearts and even stronger minds.¡±


    Cassandra smiled and epted his praise with a glowing heart. So much had changed in such a short


    time frame that it was difficult toprehend how radical the switch in her life.


    She went from a nobody in college, struggling to find her identity in books and academia when her true


    identity had been hidden from her until fate determined it was time to emerge.


    And as traumatic as certain events were, Cassandra wouldn¡¯t trade her life for anything.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Since Ulster¡¯s defeat, Cassandra and Tieran had managed to convince a few of n Janus to join with


    Barrachius but it was not an easy transition.


    Ingrained prejudices made for tense rtionships but a few were grateful for the change and ready to


    embrace a new way of thinking, particrly the women who¡¯d been horrifically abused, such as Arja,


    who in spite of her limp, had be quite helpful in the kitchen with Hannah.


    But it wasn¡¯t factions within n Janus that worried Cassandra and Tieran. It was a threat from within


    that had nearly taken everything.


    Serra, in spite of an exhaustive search, had managed to escape justice. The fact that she roamed free


    was a worry that kept both Tieran and Cassandra awake at night.


    Tieran, gazing at their sleeping twins, said, ¡°If she dares to step foot on n Barrachiusnd I will


    know.¡±


    ¡°As will I,¡± Cassandra said with deadly calm. ¡°She would be foolish to try.¡±


    Tieran smiled in approval at Cassandra¡¯s fierce protectiveness. He knew she didn¡¯t offer idle threats


    either.


    ¡°If she hadn¡¯t tried to kill me and the babies, I could¡¯ve beenpassionate to her situation,¡±


    Cassandra shared. ¡°I cannot imagine the agony of losing my heart to the one I couldn¡¯t have.¡±


    Tieran¡¯s expression darkened with regret. ¡°Serra was right in that I never should¡¯ve allowed her to stay.


    I should¡¯ve known she would not go down without a fight. I put you and the babies in danger and I will


    never forget that.¡±


    Cassandra caressed his jaw. ¡°Don¡¯t take on her decision as somehow your fault. You are not to me


    for her actions.¡±


    Since Iona had passed on her knowledge, Cassandra had been able to unlock gifts that had been lying


    dormant in her mind. She felt the weight of his guilt and it pained her to know that he med himself for


    Serra¡¯s actions.


    ¡°You are such a good man,¡± she whispered, brushing a kiss across his lips. ¡°Solid, strong, and firm, but


    able to know the difference between kindness and weakness.¡±


    Tieran smiled with love in his eyes. ¡°You are a gift from the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight I am.¡± She grinned, epting thepliment with bold cheekiness. Cassandra was


    one bad ass Seer, one that definitely didn¡¯t take any shit from anyone and she liked that about herself.


    ¡°You have that look,¡± Tieran noted with a faint smile.


    ¡°Which look is that?¡±


    ¡°A look that says you want to tear someone¡¯s throat out.¡±


    Cassandraughed, not bothering to deny it. ¡°Serra better hope never to cross paths with me. I fear


    that confrontation would be messy.¡±


    Tieran sobered and pulled her to him, sealing his mouth to hers in a fierce kiss that stole her breath.


    When he broke the kiss, she stared into his eyes, loving this man more than life itself. ¡°What was that


    for?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°For being my perfect True Mate. I look forward to a lifetime with you by my side. You are mine and I¡¯ll


    never let you go.¡±


    She liked the sound of that. Cassandra smiled as he pushed her down to the bed. ¡°And what exactly do


    n to do to me?¡±


    Tieran¡¯s mouth curved with wicked intent as he plucked at the buttons on her night gown until he could


    part the halves, revealing her full breasts that were always swollen now with milk for their twins. He


    paused top the pearl of thick milk beaded at her nipple, growling with pleasure at the sweetness. ¡°If it


    weren¡¯t for the babies, I would happily suck your beautiful breasts dry.¡±


    ¡°I think I make enough to share,¡± she managed with a breathy whisper as moisture trickled down her


    thigh at his wicked statement. Within seconds, his sharp sense of smell caught her immediate arousal


    and he dropped to his knees to bury his nose at the apex of her thighs.


    ¡°You taste like heaven,¡± he groaned against her quivering flesh. ¡°I could happily die with my face buried


    right here.¡±


    That made two of them.


    ¡°On the bed, now,¡± hemanded, rising above her as sheid back. ¡°Let me see that wet pussy.¡±


    She shuddered at the Alpha tone, creating more wetness to dribble from her slit. His powerful gaze


    always shredded her to pieces.


    Tieran¡¯s primal smile was enough to ruin her for life. He was her everything. Her One True Mate.


    And he fucked like a god.


    Yes, life was good.


    She didn¡¯t know the future but the present was exactly as she wanted it to be ¡ª with Tieran, their


    babies, and the n.


    -ALSO BY ALEXX ANDRIA-


    If you enjoyed THE AWAKENING, you might also enjoy BLOOD MOON RISING.


    Here¡¯s an excerpt of BLOOD MOON RISING:


    ***


    Well, this was a shit-storm and a half that went down,¡± Elijah Kane muttered to his partner Rook


    Valentino, surveying the gore and violence spread around like the white powder spilled all over the


    floor.


    Elijah rose and signaled the all-clear to the rest of the SWAT team as they converged on the


    abandoned warehouse, the sounds of metal artillery and Ker echoing in the gloom. ¡°Looks like the


    party started without us. Everyone¡¯s dead already.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. I always miss the good times,¡± Rook said, his eagle eye taking in every detail.


    For a human, Rook was surprisingly adept at picking up even the smallest clue. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to fire


    my newest toy.¡± He shouldered his AK-47 with a grunt of disappointment. ¡°Dayte and a dor short.


    Story of my life. What do you make of this?¡± he asked, turning serious. ¡°Are you thinking vignte? I


    mean, it can¡¯t be about the drugs because...look around, there¡¯s plenty left behind.¡±


    Elijah nodded, thinking the same. ¡°Yeah, if this was anything else, the yers would be dead but the


    dope would be gone. I¡¯d say there¡¯s a cool five hundred G¡¯s in coke spilled all over the ce.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal? If it¡¯s not vignte justice, maybe a rival gang trying to set up shop and sending a


    message?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Elijah agreed but something else was tingling in his senses, a warning of something bigger,


    more sinister and far more dangerous than a bunch of dope dealers trying to snag new territory.


    He lifted his nose to surreptitiously scent the air. There it was...the lingering scent of something that


    immediately caused his lip to curl.


    Rook caught the motion and waited, tensed and alert. Rook was human but he knew Elijah¡¯s biggest


    secret and better yet, kept it.


    ¡°Yeah? Got something, Fido?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off but yeah,¡± he admitted, keeping his voice low. ¡°And it ain¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°Great. Maybe I¡¯ll get to use this bad boy after all,¡± Rook said, grinning. ¡°Nothing likeing to a party


    overdressed.¡±


    ¡°You got silver bullets in that bad boy?¡± Elijah quipped darkly. ¡°¡¯Cause the bullets you got in that thing


    will just piss them off.¡±


    ¡°My favorite...shifter criminals. The best. Tell me why I hang out with you? One of these days you¡¯re


    gonna get me killed.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m a bad influence,¡± Elijah said, going to one of the mangled bodies.


    He lowered on his haunches to take a closer look. Rook followed. His hunch proved right.


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pack leader for the Westing faction. They¡¯ve been controlling this territory for generations.¡± He


    paused in thought. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right. There hasn¡¯t been a territory feud in years. Why now?¡±


    ¡°Who would stand to gain from removing this guy?¡± Rook gestured to the body.


    ¡°The Kellers, I suppose but like I said, everything¡¯s been quiet for a while. And I doubt it¡¯s a Keller


    involved. They¡¯re too fat and happy sitting on the Council to mess up that gig with a territory fight.¡±


    ¡°Well, someone wasn¡¯t happy and things did not end well,¡± Rook said, surveying the blood spatter and


    entrails littered on the cement. ¡°This is disgusting.¡±


    Elijah agreed. The scene told a brutal story. But there was something else, something beneath the


    scent of death that bothered him more.


    He rose, his sharp gaze roving the scene, taking in every detail. They¡¯d been nning this bust for


    weeks but Elijah hadn¡¯t realized that the Westing pack leader was going to be here when it went down.


    And he certainly hadn¡¯t expected to find so much carnage.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯d better let the chief know that we traded a drug bust for a murder scene.¡± He


    gestured to Rook. ¡°C¡¯mon you big pussy. You¡¯re filling out the paperwork on this one.¡±


    ¡°The fuck I am,¡± Rook disagreed, shooting Elijah a short smirk. ¡°This one¡¯s on you. I told you we


    should¡¯ve hit at midnight instead of this first light shit. If we¡¯d busted up the party when I¡¯d suggested,


    we might¡¯ve caught us some?bad guys.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well something tells me it¡¯s a blessing we missed this dance party. No one here got out alive.¡±


    ¡°True enough but I¡¯m still not doing the paperwork. Besides, it¡¯s your turn anyway. I did the paperwork


    for the Allen Avenue warehouse and that was a bitch. Do you know how many pieces of evidence we


    logged? Shit...my fingers are still cramping from all that typing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you did more than hunt-and-peck you¡¯d be in better shape,¡± Elijah shot back with a quick grin


    but in all seriousness, there was nothing tough about.


    The City of Angels had no idea what roamed the streets at night ¡ª and broad daylight ¡ªand they were


    better off for it but Elijah knew what prowled and fed on human flesh.


    He knew what lurked in the shadows with dripping fangs and a thirst for blood. Mostly because he¡¯d


    been born into it. Elijah Kane was more than just L.A. SWAT...he was shifter- born in a world of man, a


    legacy to a more primal universe, one where blood and violence were the only currency worth


    respecting.


    Elijah was born Wolvryn, one of the oldest wolf shifter breeds in the history of the world, not that he


    readily announced that fact, of course.


    Humans didn¡¯t react too well to discovering that they weren¡¯t the only kids on the block.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± Rook asked. ¡°My trigger finger is getting itchy.¡±


    ¡°The n? Not dyinges to mind,¡± he retorted but Rook had a point. There was something bad


    going down and he could feel it in his bones.


    Something in the air vibrated with a dark energy, leaving a malevolent stain that was hard to miss. And


    if that weren¡¯t enough of a shit sandwich, the warehouse stank of his brother.


    His twin brother.


    ¡°Let me ask around,¡± Elijah told Rook. ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta know what¡¯s going down.¡±


    ¡°You think this is Decklin¡¯s doing?¡± Rook asked, zeroing in on Elijah¡¯s darkest thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered, scanning the street, looking for any indication that whoever had sliced and


    diced their way through the warehouse was still hanging around for funsies. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly his style


    but it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve been throwing back beerstely. Frankly, if he were standing here in front of me


    I¡¯d probably throat-punch him first and ask questionster.¡±


    ¡°Family reunions must be a gauntlet. Anyone die over a turkey leg?¡±


    ¡°Just the turkey.¡±


    ¡°And by turkey, you mean human, right?¡± Rook supposed with a shudder and Elijahughed as he


    pped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you d I never acquired a taste for the pink meat?¡±


    ¡°Hell yes. It would make being your partner a little awkward knowing that you¡¯re salivating over my sexy


    ass.¡± Rook flexed for effect and then kissed his bicep. ¡°With a little barbecue sauce, this shit would be


    hard to resist.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, you crazy ass freak,¡± Elijah actuallyughed. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and mop up this scene so I can get


    to the paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Naw, you go ahead and take the Range Rover. I¡¯ll hold down the fort with the team. Lord knows


    someone¡¯s gotta keep Granger from fucking everything up with his demented sense of duty.¡±


    ¡°Keep him from packing his nose with the evidence,¡± Elijah said, climbing into the department vehicle.


    ¡°Keeping him clean and sober around all that shit is going to be a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Challenge epted,¡± Rook said. ¡°Or, I could just look the other way and let the fucker OD himself.


    Might be?less work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯ll be filling out that muthafucking paperwork all by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Shhhit. You gotta point. I¡¯ll keep him clean. He can off himself on his own time.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking.¡± He tossed a wave at Rook and then split the scene. The minute he hit the freeway, his


    mind was moving faster than the Rover with it¡¯s lights ring.


    Could Decklin be responsible for the carnage? Entirely possible. Decklin was dangerous; he was


    fucking crazy.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!