《Tasting The Enemy》 Chapter 1 ine POV ¡°Where¡¯s everyone running to?¡± I asked Quin. Her big green eyes followed the excited faces running out of the school hall. ¡°I think there¡¯s a fight.¡± ¡°Another one?¡± She nodded. I¡¯ve been here my entire high school life and we hadn¡¯t had this much excitement ever. It was thest two months of high school and suddenly there were food fights, brawls, pranks and more! Someone wanted to leave a mark on the school. Unfortunately, I was rted to that someone. ¡°zer?¡± I sighed. She shot me a naughty look. ¡°We¡¯ll never know unless we join them.¡± She grabbed my arm. ¡°Come on!¡± I was dragged into the parking lot where two ck Bentleys parked in front of my brother and his dumb friend¡¯s Porsche and Range Rover. ¡°Who are they?¡± I hissed. Quin shrugged and folded her arms. ¡°They have money though.¡± The crowd tightened around those squabbling. Even with wolf hearing I couldn¡¯t hear what themotion was about. I could bet my new phone that zer had something to do with it. ¡°Fight, fight, fight!¡± The crowd chanted. ¡°Oh no,¡± I whimpered. Quin shoved bodies, clearing my path to the front. ¡°What are you waiting for Shaw?¡± zer mocked a tall blond guy dressed in ck leather. Shaw? From the Blood Moon pack? w High was ck w territory they weren¡¯t allowed here. Another man with tanned skin, deep brown eyes and chestnut hair leaned against the other Bentley. I hadn¡¯t seen the Shaw boys in years when rtions between our packs were better. Not long before that, an incident happened that imed dozens of lives. ¡°I¡¯ll wipe your face on the gravel, Ryker.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t like your wee back present?¡± I shut my eyes and sighed. zer went to Blood Moon territory? Dad¡¯s going to kill him! If he isn¡¯t murdered here. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s Lucas Shaw? He¡¯s hot,¡± Quin said. Last I saw him when he was a scrawny egotistic young Alpha wolf with a poor fashion sense. Now he was a man with broad shoulders, thick thighs and muscr arms. Lucas was thest of four boys. ¡°I guess he filled out,¡± I swallowed. Lucas¡¯s jaw clenched and zer barked augh. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking bastard, zer.¡± Lucas¡¯s fist connected with zer¡¯s jaw sending him smack into the ground. The crowd hissed and gasped. The guy leaning against the Bentley shot up only to linger behind Lucas. My brother groaned. His dumb friends didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already had enough,¡± Lucas said. His leather boot hit zer¡¯s gut and my brother groaned. ¡°Get up,¡± I whispered. Why did zer pick fights when he knew he couldn¡¯t fight? A crushing heavy red truck drove into the parking lot. Part of the crowd scattered as the vehicle made a screeching halt next to the Bentleys. What now? My stomach dropped when an older version of Lucas stormed out of the car. Part of the crowd vanished. I watched as hemanded his way to the centre of the conflict. He had hair longer than Lucas. It was wet as if he¡¯d rushed out of the shower. Unlike his brother, he wasn¡¯t drowning in leather. A simple white shirt and ck pants were enough. ¡°Lucas,¡± he barked. Azaire Shaw. The oldest Shaw brother. He left town years ago and Lucas followed shortly after. ¡°This isn¡¯t the ce,¡± Azaire said. ¡°I¡¯ve already started, bro. Might as well finish him off.¡± ¡°How could you let hime here?¡± Azaire snapped at the other gorgeous man. ¡°He was going toe anyway the prick deserves it. Blood Moon women are off limits to Ryker punks.¡± zer rolled on his back andughed, blood stained his teeth. ¡°They enjoyed it. Especially Francine. I can still hear her now.¡± I winced. What¡¯s wrong with him? The one with brown hair¡¯s calmness melted away reced by a violent fire. He grabbed zer by his cor. ¡°What did you do to my sister you prick?!¡± ¡°She didn¡¯tin,¡± zer spat. My brother hit the ground a second time. I nced at his friends but they cowered away. My brother was getting his ass kicked and he just took it. I broke free from Quin and threw myself in front of zer as a size ten boot aimed for his gut. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± Lucas yelled. ¡°ine,¡± zer hissed. ¡°He¡¯s sorry, okay? That¡¯s enough.¡± Lucas stared at his counterparts. Azaire red at me and my brother. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear that from him,¡± the third unnamed one said. He bore a resemnce to the brothers. He could be a cousin. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry. Those whores wanted it.¡± The cousin¡¯s nostrils red. I shut my eyes and used my body to shield zer. ¡°Oliver!¡± Azaire barked. ¡°Not her!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I nced up and my heart mmed forward. Niks, our older brother marched toward us with Dad¡¯s official beta behind him. ¡°This is forbidden territory.¡± When Nik appeared the crowd scattered apart from Quin. Azaire shoved Lucas back and met Nik face to face. ¡°Your brother crossed the line when he came to our territory. Lucas was just getting even.¡± Nik¡¯s nostrils red. ¡°zer, take ine to the car.¡± ¡°What?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. zer snatched me off the ground and carried me to Nik¡¯s SUV. ¡°You can pick me up but you can¡¯t fight back? What is wrong with you?¡± ¡°Quiet, ine. You could have messed things up for us.¡± He opened the back door and tossed me inside as if I were a sweater. ¡°You nned this?¡± zer climbed into the passenger seat and wiped blood off his mouth. ¡°You need to learn to mind your own business, little sister.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to watch you die.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t n on it. Nik and I have a n.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He rolled his eyes and groaned. zer and I were four months apart. We didn¡¯t share the same Mom. None of us did. Nik was the only legitimate heir. His Mom was the Luna of the pack. Everyone loved her. While zer lived in the Alpha¡¯s house since he was born I only came around when I was six and had to live with the omegas until the Luna passed away suddenly when I was thirteen. We had minimal interaction but I knew she hated me. I was proof her husband cheated again. ¡°Look. There isn¡¯t enough room in this town for the two of us. Now that they have a new Alpha they¡¯re vulnerable. Nik thinks we can take them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡± ¡°Nope. You have to talk to Dad the second we¡¯re home.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just do it, ine and not a word about this.¡± Nik wasn¡¯t a wayward son. He didn¡¯t do anything without Dad¡¯s approval which meant Dad was in on this scheme to get rid of the Blood Moon Pack. That meant they had to start from the top. Getting rid of the sexy Shaw men. Chapter 2 ¡°Go on,¡± Nik said. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± I asked and then stared at Dad¡¯s office door. I wasn¡¯t allowed to walk in whenever I wanted. Nik groaned and zer grunted. ¡°It¡¯s about your ns after you¡¯re done with high school. Now will you go inside or do I have to open the door for you?¡± Nik asked. ¡°Well, you could be a gentleman from time to time.¡± My brother shot me daggers. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± Dad sat behind his desk. He looked up and nodded at Nik behind me. ¡°Don¡¯t go far,¡± he told them. ¡°Close the door,¡± he ordered me. I sat across from him. He scrutinized a map before swiping it off the table. ¡°ine,¡± he said. ¡°Dad.¡± I wasn¡¯t Daddy¡¯s little girl. We barely spent time together. He demanded respect more than love. He danced with me once at a wolf awakening ceremony because it was the Father¡¯s obligation to dance with their daughters. Soon after that, we found out about the blessing and the curse. He folded his arms on the table and stared at me with his tense green eyes. They reminded me of Azaire¡¯s hazel eyes. With his long blond hair and full beard, he reminded me of a Viking. I snapped out of it. ¡°Avena told me about your ns to travel for medical school.¡± Avena was Dad¡¯s right-hand witch and she ran the pack house since the pack had no Luna she took up most of the Luna¡¯s responsibilities. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve applied to the best schools with really good schrships. You don¡¯t even need to do anything I¡¯ve got everything mapped out-¡± Dad¡¯s smile caught me off guard. ¡°The pack would love to see the Alpha¡¯s daughter doing so well.¡± My heart raced faster. I didn¡¯t believe he brought me here to congratte me or encourage me. ¡°I think I have a chance of getting a schrship or two. My grades are good.¡± ¡°I know they are ine. You¡¯ll make a great doctor but you have to put your ns on hold.¡± My heart mmed forward. ¡°On hold?¡± ¡°Because of your engagement.¡± I stuck my nails into my thigh to prevent the outburst. Engagement! Dad didn¡¯t do well with outbursts or being questioned but an engagement? Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be in on something like this? Shouldn¡¯t I know who I¡¯m getting engaged to? ¡°To Alpha Keegan¡¯s son, Neel.¡± ¡°The guy who braids his beard?¡± Dad grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not relevant. This arrangement is beneficial to taking over the town. Keegan¡¯s pack is our closest neighbour and we need to form an alliance before the Shaw bunch does something like annex their territory.¡± ¡°But an arranged marriage? Is that necessary? Isn¡¯t there someone Nik can marry? He¡¯s the one destined to be Alpha.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for us. You¡¯re the Alpha¡¯s daughter. Your duty is to the pack before anyone else.¡± ¡°I know that-¡± ¡°If you did then you wouldn¡¯t be fighting this.¡± ¡°I have dreams!¡± ¡°That you can pursueter ine. You¡¯re marrying Neel and that¡¯s final.¡± I stood abruptly. He couldn¡¯t make me marry that drunk. He had a reputation for being a smelly, womanizing pig. My body vibrated with nerves just thinking about being mated to Neel. Dad stood too and mmed his fist on the table.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, ine-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me!¡± ¡°Was I supposed to? He¡¯s a good Alpha and this engagement will benefit all of us.¡± He means it will benefit him. ¡°ine if you leave the pack without fulfilling this deal then you can forget about my help. Have you forgotten about your defective wolf? How difficult it is for you every full moon.¡± I turned away. ¡°Your brothers won¡¯t help either. They¡¯re loyal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to be loyal but you¡¯re pushing me too far.¡± ¡°Fuck that!¡± I flinched. ¡°You can try to run ine but I¡¯ll have you hunted and brought back. I won¡¯t ruin this deal because of you.¡± I turned on my heels and stormed out. My brothers shot to their feet when I opened the door. ¡°You both knew!¡± I used. ¡°He¡¯s not that bad a guy,¡± Nik said. ¡°Then you marry him!¡± I stomped off. zer snickered as I passed the stairs and walked out the front door. I couldn¡¯t run this was the only home I¡¯d ever known and the full moon was four days away. I needed their help to get me through the full moon. My curse made it agonizing to shift under the full moon. If it weren¡¯t for my Dad, I believe I wouldn¡¯t have made it through a full moon. Couldn¡¯t he have chosen someone bearable? Azaire Shaw came to mind. I groaned. He¡¯s the enemy. Though the way he stopped Oliver from possibly hurting me yed on a loop. The assertiveness in his tone and the deep husky tone couldmand an entire pack. It was like music to my ears. I eradicated Azaire from my mind. I stood outside my home and stared at the four mountains that surrounded our pack. There was a world out there waiting for me. College was my one shot a freedom. Leaving the pain of being an unwanted illegitimate child. They always treated me like I was good for nothing. My hand trembled and my lip quivered but tears wouldn¡¯t solve my problems. Dad knew I couldn¡¯t put my ns on hold. After getting married I¡¯d be expected to have children. Three years after the first one I¡¯d have to have another one. There would be no time for medical school. I saw my dreams slither down a drain. I can¡¯t go through with this. The front door burst open. Nik and zer followed by high-ranked wolves marched toward the parking lot. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. ¡°The pack council called an emergency meeting,¡± Nik grumbled a response. ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°Damn yeah, ine,¡± zer said. ¡°No, you can¡¯te. Get inside don¡¯t make Dad madder than he already is,¡± Nik ordered After what he told me I didn¡¯t want to be around him but I did want to know what was going on in the meeting. It sounded like a wee distraction. While the shifters piled into the cars I spun and darted into the house. Chapter 3 ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Opal popped her head into my room. ¡°To a party,¡± I lied. ¡°On a Wednesday night?¡± She raised her right brow and crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s a senior¡¯s thing. You wouldn¡¯t remember what it¡¯s like.¡± She threw her head back andughed. ¡°I¡¯m not that old, ine. You¡¯re going to the meeting, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course not. Nik told me not to.¡± She closed the door behind her and sighed. ¡°Since when do you do things that Nik says? Come on I¡¯ll drive you.¡± I could have taken an SUV but Opal¡¯s car wasn¡¯t monitored like the others. Opal was the daughter of thete Luna¡¯s best friend. She lived in the mansion next door but she hung out here frequently. She practically grew up here so the guys and I referred to her as our cousin. We climbed into Opal¡¯s blue mini-cooper and buckled up. ¡°Why won¡¯t your brother let you go to the meeting? As the Alpha¡¯s daughter surely, you¡¯re allowed.¡± ¡°Long story,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good time to tell you about my engagement.¡± Opal mmed on the brakes. I lurched forward and scanned the dark road for animals or stray bikes. ¡°What?!¡± I gasped. ¡°You¡¯re getting married? To who?¡± I groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s something I¡¯m going to do yet.¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t said yes yet. I didn¡¯t know you were seeing anyone.¡± When your brothers are two brooding Alphas the offers are few and the ones thate are just to prove they¡¯re good enough to conquer the Alpha¡¯s daughter. So I¡¯ve only had a few real boyfriends and a lot of mistakes. ¡°It¡¯s an arranged marriage, Opal.¡± My eyes stung. This didn¡¯t feel real. ¡°Oh¡­ maybe he isn¡¯t horrible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Neel,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°From the White Mountain Pack? Eww!¡± Thank you! Someone who gets it. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure he cleaned up.¡± Iughed. We neared city hall. Opal drove passed it and parked in front of a cafe. ¡°Bentleys,¡± I whispered as we climbed out of the car. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± ¡°The Shaw boys are here.¡± Therge andmanding red truck was parked next to the ck Bentley. Azaire was here. ¡°Oh. Since Richmond became Alpha, Azaire came back and became Beta.¡± ¡°What? Azaire¡¯s the oldest.¡± ¡°I know, but who knows what happens on Blood Moon territory? I know where we get to hear everything.¡± Opal led me to the back of the building where a set of stairs took us to the basement. I could smell the rats and the roaches. Eavesdropping wasn¡¯t worth this much. Opal opened another door leading to a tight room with air vents in the walls. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± I asked. ¡°Shh¡­ they¡¯ll hear us.¡± The shifters on the other side of the wall yelled and spoke over one another. It was impossible to make sense of things. ¡°This has gone on long enough!¡± A seasoned male voice yelled followed by a fist on a table. ¡°We have lines for a reason. The ck w boys were wrong for crossing them.¡± ¡°Hey! Lake Ion is neutral territory just because Blood Moon shifters dominate it doesn¡¯t make it yours. Another reason why this town¡¯s not big enough for the two of us.¡± Nik¡¯s voice wasced with venom. ¡°Watch it kid, don¡¯t start a fight you can¡¯t win,¡± Azaire said calmly. ck w has great shifters. Dad drilled them to be the best it was Blood w who needed to be worried. If Dad¡¯s n to join with The White Mountain pack worked then our pack would only get stronger. I wished they¡¯d do it without involving me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take shit from a beta,¡± Nik spat. ¡°Take it from the Alpha, you don¡¯t want to fight us. We¡¯ll take apart your shiny pack in seconds.¡± I assumed that was Azaire¡¯s brother Richmond. ¡°We¡¯re not here to fight we¡¯re here about the increasing number of wolf¡¯s bane popping up in town and the stupid fight that broke out at the high school.¡± ¡°Wolf bane?¡± I whispered. Opal frowned. ¡°A friend of mine barely made it after an incident in a bar she worked at.¡± ¡°So far the Blood Moon pack hasn¡¯t had any cases but my pack¡¯s had the highest numbers.¡± A chill ran up my spine and my blood turned cold. That voice was familiar but I couldn¡¯t ce a face to a voice. ¡°It¡¯s Neel,¡± Opal hissed. I bit my tongue. ¡°I have to get out of here.¡± I shuffled out of the little room and tripped over a box in the basement. Opal called but I didn¡¯t stop until I was out of the building. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡± Opal asked. ¡°What? No! How could he agree to this?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that he has. Give him a chance to exin himself.¡± I sighed. Opal was too nice but she was right maybe Neel has grown up since Ist saw him and he wasn¡¯t keen on this engagement. I crossed my fingers. *** I worked at Hannman¡¯s Lodge on the weekends. I nned to extend my working hours since summer break wasing up. Quin pranced into the lodge wearing a grey bodysuit with shorts and flops. She looked awesomepared to my baggy pants, smallpany shirt and messy bun. I was on clean-up duty. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you skipped a party to work,¡± she said. ¡°I had the night shift and I couldn¡¯t get out of it.¡± It wasn¡¯t a total lie. Quin knew parties weren¡¯t my thing. She rolled her eyes. ¡°The Shaws were there. Turned out to be an awesome party.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you had fun with Jenifer and Helen.¡± The other cheerleaders on the team. Even after all the years of high school Jenifer, Helen and I never achieved best friend status but Quin was adamant about keeping me around so we had to put up with each other. ¡°Why were the Shaws there? Wasn¡¯t it a ck w party?¡± She lifted a shoulder. ¡°Neutral ground. We¡¯ll be seeing a lot of Lucas Shaw,¡± she smirked deviously. ¡°Quin¡­¡± she knew the consequences of getting involved with them. She turned her re on me. ¡°Stop. How could you not tell me about your engagement? I had to find out from an invite. What the hell ine?¡± ¡°What?¡± I eximed. They sent out invites without my permission.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°You heard me. You¡¯re engaged to one of the strongest Alpha¡¯s around. Not even Alpha Richmond canpare.¡± He¡¯s also a big oaf, who loves booze and women. ¡°It¡¯s arranged,¡± I protested. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter just means your Dad has good taste. I want in on this wedding. Maid of honour?¡± Her eyes beamed with excitement. At least one of us was excited about this forced marriage. How could they do this? They wanted me to dress up and move like a puppet. My Father¡¯s puppet. The full moon was in a few days I couldn¡¯t run and I couldn¡¯t fight my fate. As Quin spoke, defeat settled into my soul. Chapter 4 Azaire POVMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Have you considered taking a chosen mate, Azaire?¡± My brothers snickered behind their toast. I ran my tongue in front of my teeth. ¡°Mother, shouldn¡¯t you be asking Richmond that? He¡¯s the one who needs a Luna.¡± Richmond coughed before shooting me daggers. ¡°He¡¯s always around women, I¡¯m not worried about him.¡± Lucas smirked. ¡°Mom, he has Megan he¡¯ll be fine.¡± My Mother grimaced. ¡°He can do better. I know some wonderfuldies who I invited to the one-hundred-day ball.¡± ¡°If he won¡¯t take them I¡¯ll have them,¡± Lucas said. I smacked the back of his head. ¡°Wait until you¡¯re using aftershave, Luke.¡± ¡°At least say hi to one of them! I need grandchildren, you¡¯re nearly thirty, Azaire I can¡¯t wait forever.¡± Now wouldn¡¯t be a good time to tell her I wasn¡¯t going to the ball. I needed to protect the pack with the other betas while my brother wore a penguin suit and conversed with all the high-rank members of the pack and other invited Alphas and Lunas. Yeah, I got it better being the pack beta. I bent and kissed her cheek. ¡°Just one¡± The one-hundred-day ball was to celebrate how long Richmond has been Alpha. Over a hundred days since he took over from Uncle Damien, our Father¡¯s only brother. ¡°Azaire,¡± Richmond called. ¡°A moment.¡± He pushed out of his chair and walked into the living room. This better not be about finding a mate to appease our Mom. Richmond wasn¡¯t keen on settling down now because he wasn¡¯t ready to give up the hunt as he put it. My younger brother sat and ran a hand down his face. Being Alpha wasn¡¯t easy but Richie was made for this. ¡°What do we do about the wolf drug allegation?¡± He asked. ¡°Time toy traps and then bust some heads.¡± He frowned. ¡°You know it¡¯s not that easy.¡± ¡°Damn wish it was. It¡¯s only a matter of time before it reaches us so we have to find its source. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it came from ck w,¡± I spat. The reason I left was because I couldn¡¯t stand that pack and justice hadn¡¯t been served. I pushed the memories away and focused on the issue at hand. We couldn¡¯t search ck w without serious circumstances. ¡°I¡¯m with Azaire, ck w are scum but I have to admit, ine filled out nicely,¡± Little brother Lucas strolled into the living room and threw himself on the couch. ¡°ine?¡± Richie asked. ¡°Yeah, Alpha Laiken¡¯s daughter.¡± She was the petite thing that threw herself in front of zer. I hadn¡¯t remembered her name until Lucas said it but her face was like a phantom haunting me when the lights went out. I told myself Megan had been gone too long and the ck w girl didn¡¯t mean anything. Richie smirked, ¡°I almost forgot the old Alpha had a daughter. Interesting.¡± ¡°Fuck off will you,¡± I grumbled. ¡°What?¡± Lucas grinned. ¡°ck w came into our territory and fucked our women. Oliver¡¯s still reeling about zer fucking Francine. You know this isn¡¯t over.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got bigger things to worry about Lucas.¡± The thought of my brother¡¯s hands on ine made me recoil. Rich hurled a pillow at our younger brother. ¡°This was a private meeting. Get your ass out of here.¡± Lucas got up, raised his hands and walked out. Richie smiled before turning to me with a grim expression. ¡°Look out for him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not adding babysitter to my list of things to do.¡± Richie chuckled. He knew I¡¯d keep my eye on the little brat. Ever since Aiden passed I¡¯ve had a crippling fear of losing one of my brothers. It¡¯s a fear I¡¯ll never escape I have the ck w pack to thank for that. *** ¡°What are we looking for Azaire?¡± Oliver asked. My cousin-who happened to be Richie¡¯s left-hand beta wolf- and I sat in a white four-by-four car parked across the street from Jelly, a local restaurant and bar in neutral territory. The owner Dale had zero tolerance for wolf rivalry. He was a rogue and took advantage of not being held by pack loyalty. ¡°The wolf bane isn¡¯t being transported within the packs.¡± ¡°Makes no sense. Wolf bane is deadly to all of us.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It might be but it¡¯s a key ingredient in wolf enhancers.¡± Oliver mmed his fist on the window frame. ¡°You¡¯re right. You think ck w¡¯s looking for a fight?¡± I nodded. ¡°Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have pulled that little stunt. They¡¯re brewing trouble and they want us to make the first move.¡± Two girls jumped out of a red sports car. One was smaller than the other. The petite one had long brown hair cascading down her back in big waves. Her hair covered her shirt and her blue jean shorts exposed her tanned thighs and long legs. My wolf lifted his head and whimpered. Down boy. The two girls oblivious to us spying,ughed and chatted as they entered the restaurant. ine, I thought. I knew she was too young to enter the bar and Dale was strict about stuff like that which put me at ease. Fuck. Why did I care? I turned the ignition on. ¡°What?¡± Oliver asked. ¡°Clearly nothing¡¯s happening here,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Laiken¡¯s daughter walk into the restaurant?¡± ¡°So?¡± I frowned. ¡°Come on, she¡¯s cute but don¡¯t think a pretty face isn¡¯t capable of something deadly.¡± I killed the engine and turned to my cousin. ¡°You think Laiken¡¯s capable of using his daughter to do his dirty work?¡± A daughter was the Alpha¡¯s pride, his treasure after his Luna. ine should be heavily protected and treated like an egg in her home. I could imagine she was a spoiled brat but after she threw herself on her brother to spare him a blow had me thinking otherwise. I scanned the parking lot and it didn¡¯t appear she carried bodyguards. ¡°Stranger things have happened,¡± Oliver shrugged. I started the car again. He didn¡¯t say anything to convince me. Just as I drove across the parking lot I spotted Nik Ryker and Neel Ortiz and their betas walk into Dale¡¯s bar. If those two packs form an alliance, then the Blood Moon pack was as good as screwed. Chapter 5 ine POV Arge strawberry milkshake appeared in front of me and a ginger drink in front of my friend. Quin longed to go to the bar but neither of us was old enough to drink and Dale was strict. If you weren¡¯t twenty-one you couldn¡¯t sit in the bar. Quin asked and leaned forward. ¡°There¡¯s your brother guess who he¡¯s with.¡± Nik sat at the bar with a bulky man with snow-white hair twisted into two braids that ran down his neck. At least he stopped braiding his beard. Neel handled a jug of beer while my brother cradled a bottle. I sunk into my seat. My engagement party was in two days! We hadn¡¯t spoken, but thanks to Opal I gave Neel the benefit of the doubt but that didn¡¯t stop the dread of getting married at eighteen. ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± Quin snapped. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Hide. Neel¡¯s a powerful Alpha and you¡¯re lucky to be paired with him.¡± ¡°Quin, we don¡¯t know each other and you know I have ns.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Doctor? You¡¯re an Alpha¡¯s daughter you don¡¯t need to go through all that shit.¡± My eyes turned to saucers. She knew I¡¯d always wanted to help people. Because of my curse being a doctor feels like healing for me. I know there isn¡¯t a cure for my curse so this was the next best thing. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit around and be his ything for the rest of myself or my Father¡¯s puppet.¡± She sipped her ginger drink. ¡°Think about it. You¡¯re going to be ruler of an entire pack, stinking rich, practically royalty and you want to spend years of your life studying? Were you dropped on your head as a baby?¡± I sighed and nced at my brother and Neel. Theyughed with their friends but didn¡¯t notice us. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. Alpha¡¯s could decide not to let their Lunas leave the house or use them as baby-making machines.¡± ¡°Whatever, are youing to Dominik Rodger¡¯s party tonight?¡± ¡°I have work to do, Quin, next time.¡± Quin sighed, annoyance rolling off her. Neel was seven years older than me like Nik. He had a reputation of being a man-whore. I groaned and picked up my milkshake. Neel wouldn¡¯t ruin my day. *** A hard knock came at my door that evening. ¡°Come in, Avena,¡± I sighed, shutting my book. She offered me a small smile. Which was rare for her. ¡°You have a visitor.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I climbed off my head. ¡°Is it Opal?¡± Though, she wouldn¡¯t need to be announced and Avena never announced anyone unless it was to the Alpha. ¡°Umm,¡± she stepped aside. ¡°Hello gorgeous,¡± Neel said, stepping into my room. I backed up, my heart mmed forward and my words turned to gibberish. ¡°Alpha Neel¡¯s staying for dinner,¡± Avena said quickly before scurrying out of my room and shutting the door. Traitor! He wasrger than I thought. I felt like a mouse. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to see you.¡± He stalked forward. I backed up and stumbled. ¡°Um¡­ Really?¡± The corner of his mouth raised. His teeth were stained from all the beer he drank. His blond beard covered his jaw and entire chin. His arms were as hairy as his head and his hands reached out to grab me. I darted to the window bed, my mistake because there was nowhere to run from there. ¡°Since I saw you at the Autumn moon festival.¡± ¡°That was six months ago,¡± I gasped. ¡°Since then I haven¡¯t stopped thinking about you.¡± He copsed on the bench. He reached out and locked my face in his palm. ¡°You¡¯re more beautiful now. I had to wait until you were legal and then I had to wait until our engagement day.¡± He stroked my bottom lip with his thumb. I leaned back, my heart threatening to jump out of my throat. Dad¡¯s had this nned for over six months? And the entire family knew about it. ¡°So you wanted this?¡± He wasn¡¯t caught blind, he was in on this. ¡°Of course I did.¡± His brows dipped. ¡°I¡¯m going to be the envy of a thousand packs.¡± He shifted forward and grabbed my thigh. ¡°You smell like honeysuckle and vani.¡± His face travelled too quickly and found my neck I leaned back before his lips made contact with my skin. ¡°That¡¯s my conditioner,¡± I winced. He inched closer. ¡°And you¡¯re an Alpha wolf. Could this get any better?¡± Obviously, he wasn¡¯t told my wolf, Dove, was dormant except for when the full moon was around. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to face him. ¡°It does. You¡¯re a perfect virgin ¡­ I don¡¯t know how long I can hold myself back.¡± I jumped out of his roll, climbed over my bed to the other side and sighed. Neel rolled his shoulders back and leaned forward. He crossed his fingers and red at me. ¡°Neel, I forgot I have a party to go to.¡± ¡°A party, huh?¡± He leaned back and folded his meaty arms over his chest. I offered him a sweet smile. ¡°At a friend¡¯s house and I¡¯m runningte. If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll catch upter.¡± I batted myshes for extra effect. Neel got up and met me at the door. He leaned close and our noses bumped. I smelt the alcohol on his breath and cigarettes on his clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, princess. We¡¯ll do more than talk.¡± I swallowed. ¡°I promise.¡± He walked out. Chapter 6 ¡°Will you take that off?¡± Quin scowled. ¡°But the dress is too short,¡± I said, clutching the coat. She wouldn¡¯t let us leave the car and go into the party until I dropped the coat. If I bent in this thing my thong would sh for the world to see. The bust was tight so it elevated my breasts more than normal. ¡°You look sexy! Besides, you owe me for this.¡± Yeah, if she hadn¡¯te over Neel would have known I lied and he was already annoyed with me after I brushed him off. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°There! You look hot. Don¡¯t have too much fun, you¡¯re an engaged woman.¡± She smirked. I sighed and followed her inside. I clung to my bag as we walked inside. The music wasn¡¯t loud so we could hear each other speak, but the living room was packed with people ying games and making out on the couches. I passed an open door leading to the pool outside as we made our way to the kitchen to grab some drinks. I picked up the red cup before Quin and took arge gulp. ¡°You¡¯re drinking?¡± Quinughed. I winced as the burning liquid went down my throat. ¡°Bad idea,¡± I said. Quin wore a shy red leather dress that hugged her generous curves. The sweetheart neckline elevated her breasts. A few guys eyed her up as they walked by not me though, because my brothers could rip their heads off. With my makeup and straight hair, not everyone should recognize me. At school, I was the girl with the messy bun and long cardigan clutching her books. I wasn¡¯t ssically popr but being the Alpha¡¯s daughter made me popr by default. Quin deserved her poprity. She was the head cheerleader and the beta¡¯s daughter. She was the centre of attention at our table and always got invited to the coolest parties. I took another swing from the bitter stuff in my cup. Sometimes I felt like herp dog. I had other friends but Quin always told me they weren¡¯t popr enough to hang out with us. When I zoned back into reality Quin was talking to Dom, the party host. His cool blue eyesnded on me and drank me in. ¡°Don¡¯t get funny ideas, Dom,¡± Quin said, with a hint of malice in her tone. ¡°Don¡¯t be a buzz kill, who¡¯s your friend?¡± He nodded at me. The makeover worked. Quin scowled. ¡°ine!¡± ¡°ine? Damn, where¡¯ve you been hiding that body?¡± Heat rushed to my face. Quin rolled her eyes and grabbed her cup off the counter. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Helen and Jenifer.¡± ¡°What? No¡­¡± but Quin was already through the kitchen door. Dom was a high school graduate like most of the guys at this party. Normally my brothers wouldn¡¯t let me attend but they were too busy to stop me and I was intent on getting away from Neel. ¡°Want to sit with us? We¡¯re ying pool.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Maybe after tonight, I wouldn¡¯t be Neel¡¯s perfect virgin. I grabbed my cup. Dom was a handsome dude. Quin lost her V-card when she was sixteen while I¡¯ve been scared stiff. Dom guided me through the back door to where a bunch of people swam in the pool. We passed therge pool and joined a group of guys and one girl surrounding a pool table. I drowned the rest of the alcohol and dreaded the emptiness of my cup. I recognized two of the guys asst year¡¯s seniors, the girl was foreign to me but the other guy¡­ ¡°I brought us a friend, ine¡¯s on our team.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t y,¡± I said quickly. Dom grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you princess.¡± A chuckle and Lucas straightened his spine after making a shot. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the Alpha¡¯s little princess? Good to see you, ine, real good,¡± Lucas said, licking his teeth. Dom took my cup. ¡°I¡¯ll get you another drink.¡± Lucas closed the gap between us and smiled. ¡°I bet you don¡¯t remember me.¡± His intense woody cologne went to my head but I liked it. ¡°How could I forget the guy who wore hot pink pants and yellow cardigans?¡± I offered him a pressed smile. His nostrils red and then the girl burst intoughter. ¡°It¡¯s a wonder how no one beat you up, Luke!¡± ¡°Fran,¡± he growled. She slipped off the stool and walked up to us. ¡°Francine Shaw,¡± she extended her hand. Did she know I was a Ryker and we were sworn enemies? There wasn¡¯t anything malicious about the girl with cool blue eyes and coyly blonde hair. I shook her hand and smiled. ¡°She¡¯s on my team,¡± Fran said. Dom returned with my drink. I took arge gulp and suddenly I rxed. I didn¡¯t mind that Quin abandoned me and I didn¡¯t know the first thing about pool. All I wanted was a good time. After my third drink, I was ready to skinny dip! It was my turn to hit the ball with the stickst time the stick flew out of my hands and everyoneughed. I giggled thinking about it. I fumbled with the stick. It felt like butter and my hands were a hot knife. I giggled imagining my hands as a knife. ¡°You look like you need a little help,¡± Lucas said as he walked up behind me. He took the stick wrapped his body behind me and enveloped me. His hot breath caressed my cheek. ¡°Follow my lead,¡± he said. My body bent with his. I tried to focus on the stripped ball but it kept moving. ¡°Ready?¡± Lucas whispered. I bobbed my head. Lucas made the shot and the stripped ball hit the other stripped ball and rolled into the corner whole. Fran and Dom pped. ¡°Thanks for helping my team win Luke,¡± Dom grinned, his eyes fixed on me. Lucas ran his hand down my arm. ¡°It was worth it. Want to get out of here, ine?¡± I frowned at my empty cup. ¡°Will there be beer?¡± I asked. ¡°Something more pleasurable than that, sweetheart,¡± Lucas chuckled. So long as it was beer I was going. Dom stepped forward, grabbed my left arm and yanked me forward but Lucas gripped my waist. ¡°Watch it, Luke,¡± Dom boomed. A bolt of Alpha power passed through me and hit Dom. He winced and stepped back. ¡°Watch it. ine wants to go with me, don¡¯t you, sweetheart?¡± I giggled at him. ¡°Of course. Can we go now?¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°Of course sweetheart.¡± Dom shook his head but Lucas and I walked off together. I stumbled a few times but Lucas¡¯ arm around my waist prevented an epic fall. I felt like a butterfly. Carefree and beautiful. I felt like I was glowing under the waxing gibbous moon. We got to the parking lot. I span and wrap my arms around Lucas¡¯ neck. He mmed me against a car and inhaled deeply. ¡°You don¡¯t have alcohol. You want to fuck me.¡± Normally I wasn¡¯t this forward but the power of alcohol was mystifying. I didn¡¯t care that Lucas was the enemy. In the moment I was a glowing butterfly. Lucas chuckled. ¡°You want that, Doll?¡± I nodded enthusiastically. Lucas opened the door and I fell into the backseat. ¡°Good.¡± He ripped off his leather jacket and climbed in. I grabbed the back of his head and crashed his lips against mine. It took me a minute to get into his hungry rhythm. ¡°You taste so good,¡± he groaned. His knee parted my legs. Moisture formed between my legs. I hoisted my hips so I could grind myself on his thigh. Lucas threw his head back andughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to have so much fun.¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± A voice with the equivalence of an explosion interrupted us. ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Lucas climbed off me. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I whimpered. A staggering man bore down on us. His blue eyes locked on me. Damn him, he interrupted us. ¡°What the fuck are you doing with her?¡± He demanded. ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± Lucas replied. ¡°I thought you were going to fuck me?¡± I asked, staring at him. Lucas shut his eyes and sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t kiss and tell, ine.¡± Therge man grabbed Lucas by the shoulder and shoved him away from me. Just then other cars violently drove into the parking lot and several guys dressed in dark leather stormed out of the cars. Was this a raid? Chapter 7 Azaire POV What the hell was he thinking? ine waspletely out of it. She stared at the betas from my pack as if they were soldiers from an action movie. She reeked of alcohol but her natural scent reached out to tease my wolf. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± I sted. ¡°Nothing man! We were having a little fun, nothing was going to happen.¡± I pointed at the petite girl beside him. ¡°That¡¯s not what she said.¡± My blood boiled because if I hadn¡¯t shown up she would have slept with my brother in the back seat of his car. I reminded my wolf that Lucas was my brother and I was here to make sure he was safe. ¡°Get in the truck, Lucas,¡± I ordered. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, Azaire!¡± I grabbed the front of his shirt. ¡°Get in the fucking car, we¡¯ll talk about this tomorrow.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Wolf enhancers. Get lost, Lucas, I mean it.¡± He hit the car and brushed his ck shirt. ¡°Keys,¡± I said. He tossed me his and I gave him mine. Wolf enhancers made wolves stronger and faster but they could mess with our ability to shift leading to a wolf¡¯s death. If Lucas as much as smelled one I¡¯d kill him myself. ¡°Kill joy,¡± a small voice said. I turned and found ine tugging on her dress. My wolf raised his excited head. Down boy. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°We were about to have sex. Couldn¡¯t youe backter?¡± She pouted. ¡°You weren¡¯t going to do anything. Now go home.¡± She lifted her head and wobbled two steps. Sheposed herself and tried again but only got half a step. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake.¡± I wrapped my arm under her armpits and the other under her knees and hoisted her up. It was almost like carrying a cloud. She mmed her petite fist on my chest. ¡°Put me down, you big oaf!¡± ¡°How are you going to get home?¡± I snapped. Her honey-brown eyes scanned something other than me. Before her lips parted. She better not. I set her down instantly. She puked on the truck¡¯s tires. ¡°How much did you drink?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I stared at the house. Dozens of shifters were in there searching the house for enhancers. This house was on neutral territory and belonged to an elder of the ck w pack but they were out of town. I knew they had kids. I should be in there handling the operation but here I was watching a ck w wolf hurl her guts out. I should have left her there to finish but I pulled her ck hair back. It felt like satin. I imagined what it was like to yank it while driving into her from behind. ine held the car for bnce. My free hand helped support her until she was finished. ¡°I feel sick,¡± she panted.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I sighed. I couldn¡¯t leave her out here. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± ¡°You will?¡± She squeaked. I picked her up again and carried her to the passenger seat. I buckled her in. At least if she threw up in here it was Lucas¡¯ car. I couldn¡¯t take her to Shaw Castle. My Mother was there. I could take her to my apartment but Megan could be there. I feared my Mother more and drove to my apartment. I nced at the passenger seat and ine slept soundly. I parked underground and sat in the driver¡¯s seat wondering what I was doing. Shouldn¡¯t I have dropped her on her Father¡¯s doorstep and left? My wolf wouldn¡¯t let me do that. When I saw her giggle and wrap her arm around Lucas something in me cracked when he mmed her against the car it broke. I didn¡¯t like what was happening. She was a ck w spawn. Her older brother was the reason mine was in the ground yet here I was helping her. It¡¯s not like they would do the same for Francine. She mumbled when I dragged her out of the passenger seat. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± She smelt like roses and gardenia. I carried her into the elevator. She fit perfectly in my arms when I noticed her smudged lipstick I remembered my brother kissing her. ¡°I¡¯m not getting that out of my mind anytime soon.¡± Megan was still on her trip spying on the Nordic pack two hours from here. Thankfully. I carried her into my room andid her on the bed. She curled into a ball and shivered. I grabbed a nket from the living room when I returned she was awake and blood stained my sheets. ¡°The moon¡­ the moon I have to get out of here.¡± I grabbed her hand and examined the sh on her palm. ¡°What happened?¡± I demanded. ¡°ine, rx.¡± She trembled as her wide eyes nced around the room. ¡°No, no I have to go. The moon.¡± I grabbed her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the moon, damn it?¡± I nced around there wasn¡¯t anything sharp enough to hurt her like this. Her palm wasn¡¯t open when I found her I would have smelled the blood. ¡°Let me go!¡± I grabbed her face and willed her to look at me. ¡°Focus on my eyes, ine¡­ you have beautiful eyes.¡± I pushed small doses of Alpha power into her body to make her rx. ¡°You think so?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen anything like them.¡± Her eyelids drooped. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Go to sleep you¡¯re safe.¡± She fell back and curled into a ball again. After patching her hand up I retreated into the living room. There¡¯s no way I could have missed her injury and it didn¡¯t happen in my bedroom. It was real that¡¯s for sure but how did she get it? The next morning, I had bigger problems than her injury. I abandoned a mission for our enemy¡¯s daughter. My alpha would have my head and I couldn¡¯t me him but Richie didn¡¯t know what was happening to me. I¡¯d know if this was for real when ine woke up with a sober head. She was still asleep when I entered my room. I walked into the shower instead. I turned the cold water on st. Would I change my sheets? They were bloody so I had no choice. If I missed her injury who hurt her? My wolf bore his fangs thinking about someone hurting her. I ran my fingers through my wet hair under the shower. This wasn¡¯t helping. Only she could quench the growing ze inside me I wouldn¡¯t cross that bridge. Not with her. I had to deny all feelings for her. I left a trail of water from the bathroom to my room and opened the wardrobe. A soft gasp grabbed my attention. ine sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest. Our eyes locked and then I realized I walked out of the showerpletely naked. Shit. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I went home with you!¡± She said, distress in her tone. ¡°And if you did?¡± She swallowed. ¡°Did anything happen? I¡¯m so stupid.¡± It seemed like she wanted to disappear into the sheets and nevere out. I stepped forward. ¡°Does it feel like anything happened?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I can¡¯t think. My head¡¯s pounding and my stomach hurts. What did you-¡± She swallowed thest part. ¡°Rx Ryker I would never touch a ck w spawn like you.¡± The fear in her eyes vanished in an instant reced by a fire that matched mine. Hung over or not ine wasn¡¯t a pushover. I grabbed my sweatpants quickly or else she would see how her determination turned me on. Chapter 8 I was never drinking again. I went home with Azaire Shaw. The oldest, tatted, tanned and sexy Shaw brother? I could have done a lot worse but not him! He¡¯s the enemy. The beta of the pack my Father wanted to destroy. Azaire disappeared into the bathroom to change and I climbed out of the king-sized bed. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I recalled his solid muscles and his tattooed skin. His washboard abs were so perfect they had to be sculpted. What would my Father think when he found out I was here? They would use it as an excuse to invade immediately. We couldn¡¯t afford to invade the Blood Moon pack now not without the White Mountain pack¡¯s support and I wasn¡¯t in Neel¡¯s good graces right now. ¡°How are you going to get home, princess?¡± Azaire asked, leaning on the bathroom frame. I wished people would stop calling me princess. ¡°Why do you care?¡± He lifted a shoulder. He looked even sexier in sweatpants and he hadn¡¯t bothered with a shirt. Not that I minded. ¡°I don¡¯t, but I won¡¯t be responsible for anything that happens to you if you leave.¡± ¡°Ugh, why did you bring me here?!¡± Last night was a blur. I remembered a mansion, beer and a pool table. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember almost fucking my brother?¡± He closed the gap between us. I stepped back. ¡°No, no, not Lucas. I wouldn¡¯t.¡± I cupped my face. ¡°You seemed adamant yesterday.¡± ¡°I was drunk!¡± ¡°Clearly, and so was he because he knows not to associate with scum like you.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°You Blood Moon men aren¡¯t any better. You¡¯re always causing trouble for our pack,¡± I spat. Azaire scoffed. ¡°We have nothing to do with the wolf bane or the wolf enhancers.¡± ¡°You had everything to do with the destruction of our dam and attack on the omega house.¡± I was twelve when that happened. If a male omega hadn¡¯t saved me I wouldn¡¯t be alive right now. I didn¡¯t let Azaire see the distress that memory caused me. ¡°Is that what Daddy told you? Believe him if you want. I have a list of the shit he¡¯s done longer than my arm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ want to hear it.¡± It was all lies to make him look bad though, Dad was capable of that on his own, but I knew better than to trust a Blood Moon man. I stormed into the living room. I pulled my phone out of my bag. Quin was probably drunk. The only person I could trust was Opal. ¡°Wait,¡± Azaire boomed. ¡°What?¡± He invaded my space, forcing me to inhale his clean soapy scent. ¡°Do you feel something. Anything.¡± I gripped my bag strap. I felt like shit, my head hurt and this dress was too tight. ¡°Does your wolf feel anything, ine?¡± He asked softly. I frowned. My wolf couldn¡¯t feel anything not until tomorrow night when the full moon appeared. Judging by the blood on the bed and the wrapping around my palm the curse was acting up early. No one knew my secret, not even Opal I wasn¡¯t about to tell it to Azaire. ¡°No. I don¡¯t feel anything, am I supposed to?¡± He straightened his spine. ¡°No. Get out and stay away from my brother and our territory.¡± I puffed. ¡°Tell him to stay away from me!¡± I stormed out and hoped Opal was close. *** My skin opened up on my arm while I was in the car with Opal. Blood stained the coat I had. I panicked because it never happened this early before. ¡°Want me toe in with you?¡± Opal asked. I winced as the skin opened up on my shoulder. ¡°No, I need a shower and a nap for my hangover.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll check up on youter.¡± Once Opal drove off I burst into the house. I just walked into the house when Avena exited the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her arms. ¡°Avena,¡± I hissed. Her brows knitted together in annoyance. ¡°Where the hell were youst night?¡± ¡°I need help. It¡¯s happening! Where¡¯s my Dad?¡± ¡°Now?¡± She frowned. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the kitchen. ¡°Your Father¡¯s busy. Who did you heal?¡± She demanded. ¡°No one!¡± She shut the door and held me in ce with her cold eyes. ¡°Your Father¡¯s in an important meeting with Alpha Neel and Alpha Keegan. He doesn¡¯t have time for your antics.¡± ¡°My skin is opening up right now these aren¡¯t antics.¡± ¡°Enough. Your curse only activates during the full moon or when you heal someone.¡± ¡°The full moon¡¯s tomorrow.¡± I pleaded with my eyes but Avena only saw me as a nuisance. She shook her head. I¡¯ve only used my gift on my Father and brothers, and none have been injured. No one outside the circle knew about my ability to heal and the aftereffects of it. ¡°What will your Father say when he learns you¡¯re out healing other people, ine?¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯m not-¡± ¡°You infuriated Alpha Neel and nearly cost your Father this alliance now you¡¯re going around healing others? Are you intent on being a nuisance all your life, ine?¡± She stalked forward and mmed her coffee on the kitchen ind. I jumped. ¡°I should let your curse handle you but you¡¯re not getting out of your obligation that easily.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll find my brother¡¯s instead.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t help you. They¡¯re loyal to their Father. You¡¯re not.¡± She walked to a drawer and pulled out a false bottom. ¡°Drink this now and burn the reminisce at the bottom. Wait until it gets dark.¡± I held her re. I should have marched out of there and left her with her herbs. She walked around here as if she was the Luna but she was only my Father¡¯s puppet. I snatched the tube of twigs and green leaves. I let my anger settle. Right now she was the only one offering help. A part of me wondered how legitimate the help was. Hourster the sun had finally disappeared behind Iris Mountain. Glorious yellow rays spread out in the sky. Avena said to wait until it was dark but this was good enough. The stars would be out by the time I got to the forest behind the house. The potion Avena gave me slowed the effects of the curse but when my skin opened up it was like someone slowly sliced me open with a knife. I slipped out of the house without being noticed and entered the overgrown forest. It was then that an intimate and rming scent made me change course. ¡°Eww!¡± zer and a she-wolf. Couldn¡¯t he do it in the house? I thought. A quick walk brought me to Lake Dawn. Said to have the most beautiful mornings this side of the world. It was also forbidden. ¡°This is a great spot.¡± I cried out when a fresh cut opened on my cheek. I dropped the lighter and the herb medicine. Another cut opened as I felt my wolf waking. The full moon isn¡¯t out but I felt her familiar shake. I stripped out of my clothes. My throat tightened and my vision blurred. Dove struggled to break through the curse. My bones broke and I cried out. I managed to dive into the water. No one would know I was out here. My heart beat so fast I felt faint. Not even water could soothe the rage of my curse. This time it hade to im me. Chapter 9 ine I gripped my aching bones and panted heavily. As suddenly as the pain came it went. My wolf awoke within me, but I didn¡¯t shift. How is that possible without venom to keep me from splitting into two? ¡°Dove? How are we okay?¡± I asked. ¡°Mate,¡± she replied. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Mate¡­ mate.¡± I looked around searching for a male. Heat rushed to my cheeks. I was naked in theke. This wasn¡¯t the ideal scenario to meet my fated mate but who was he? ¡°Where is he?¡± I whispered. ¡°Mate,¡± a soft male voice said. I stepped back into the water and cupped my breasts. The stars didn¡¯t provide enough light for me to see the face of my mate. He cleared the bushes and walked into theke. The closer he came the faster my heart beat. He was tall withrge, toned and hard muscles. He must have beening from a run because his naked limbs glistened with sweat and forest mud. When his face came into view my heart dropped. How could the moon goddess do this to me? ¡°You?¡± I rasped. ¡°You,¡± he spat. ¡°You lied to me!¡± ¡°What?¡± I snapped out of the flowery moment of finding my mate. ¡°When did I lie?¡± I demanded.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°When I asked you if you felt anything you said you didn¡¯t.¡± I bit my bottom lip. I didn¡¯t lie but I couldn¡¯t tell him that without telling him my secret. Azaire gripped my arms and pulled me close. The cold water bound us together like the mate bond. I couldn¡¯t believe I had a mate and I was engaged to another man. ¡°What are you doing here anyway?¡± I whispered, not looking at him. A moment passed then Azaire stroked my hair gently. ¡°I went for a run. Do you always swim naked?¡± He chuckled. I suddenly recalled the cut on my cheek and my arms, but the wounds on my flesh were gone. Not even a scar. I finally met his eyes I was bewildered at my miraculous healing and then I was captivated by his hazel eyes. He tied his blond hair in a low bun. His lips parted and he leaned in gently. My breathing spiked and I thought the water got hotter because of our burning desire for one another. I could smell his desire and it smelled like a bakery of freshly baked goods. It was warm and weing I wanted to fall into him. Did he want to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him? I stood on my toes and touched his chest with shaky hands. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± he said softly. I felt a pang of rejection but the heat of desire spurred me on. ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± He sucked his bottom lip, keeping his focus on me. ¡°Fuck of course I want you.¡± He hoisted me off theke floor and locked my legs around his waist. I felt the swell of his cock slide against my thigh. I nearly froze with fear. I never felt anything so thick and real. Our lips crashed together and my fears evaporated. Azaire tightened his arms around my body as he dominated my mouth. It took me a second to match his rhythm but I did and our tongues danced passionately. Azaire walked out of theke and ced me on the shore. He kissed my neck and sucked the soft skin on my shoulder. He kissed me tenderly and held me as if I were a delicate object made of expensive and rare ss. It felt right with Azaire. It shouldn¡¯t be. This is what I¡¯d been fantasizing about since I saw him again at the high school. Despite the hate, this felt right. I couldn¡¯t help but yearn for Azaire¡¯s mysteriousness and edge. ¡°Azaire!¡± Came a shout. We broke apart. ¡°You¡¯re not alone?¡± I asked. He scanned the forest. ¡°Um, not exactly.¡± I covered my chest and looked around. The fairy tale was over. The male voice continued to shout. ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked searching for my clothes. Thank goodness Azaire couldn¡¯t see how pink his kisses made me. Azaire clenched his jaw. ¡°A beta from the pack. I might have gotten carried away.¡± ¡°I should go.¡± I scurried to my feet and Azaire caught me. ¡°We have to talk.¡± ¡°Not now! We can¡¯t be seen together. Not when we¡¯re both naked.¡± He raked a hand through his hair. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk eventually.¡± I nodded, biting my lip. I heard someone kicking bushes aside and kicked into flight mode. I felt the heat of his stare on me as I fled. *** I arrived in time for dinner without cuts and with an active wolf. I was thest in the dining room. A seat was saved for me next to Neel. zer shot me a mischievous look as I walked to the table. Did he think this was funny? Avena sat at my Father¡¯s right as she had since the Luna died and Alpha Keegan, the previous White Mountain Alpha sat to the left of my Father while I was wedged between zer and Neel with Nik across from me. ¡°Finally, the youngdy arrives,¡± Keegan chuckles. Dad¡¯s jaw clenched and eyes narrowed on me. I cringed. ¡°Punctuality has always been ine¡¯s problem,¡± Dad said through clenched teeth. Keeganughed and picked up his wine ss. Neel¡¯s hand slid over my thigh and squeezed it. My spine stiffened and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping at him. ¡°That¡¯ll change when she moves to our pack, isn¡¯t that right, mate?¡± My blood boiled. I¡¯m not his mate. ¡°Right mate?¡± He grounded out. I shed him a pressed smile. ¡°Wonderful to see they¡¯re getting along so well,¡± Keegan said warmly. He must be blind. ¡°It¡¯ll be even more wonderful for them to make an appearance at the one-hundred-day ball in two days,¡± Dad added. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked. ¡°The Blood Moon pack¡¯s celebration of their new Alpha,¡± Dad replied. They invited us? ¡°I don¡¯t think going is a good idea,¡± Nik grumbled. ¡°Could be a trap.¡± ¡°We never know with them but we should take advantage of being on their territory legally,¡± Alpha Keegan said. What if it was a trap? Azaire would know about a plot against my family the same way I would know about an attack on his family. This was just one reason why a rtionship between Azaire and I was impossible. Knowing my Family even if the invitation was in good faith they would find a way to cause trouble. After dinner the men excused themselves. Everyone got up except for Neel. He kept his palm on my thigh, keeping me from standing. ¡°Let me go,¡± I snapped the second we were alone. He grabbed my face and yanked me forward so we were a whisper apart. ¡°Where the fuck were you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°Get with the program, ine. You¡¯re mine and you¡¯re going to respect me from now on, understood?¡± ¡°You must think I¡¯m an idiot.¡± ¡°Be one if you want. Things are going to change. It¡¯s better if you submit now than when we get married it¡¯ll be easier for you.¡± ¡°You pig,¡± I spat. He clenched his jaw and curled his fingers into a fist. For a second I thought he would hit me. He was an egotistic narcissist and I wanted to empty the juice on his head but the Omegas came in to remove the dishes. ¡°You¡¯ll be screaming my name soon, ine. Before our wedding too.¡± He winked and my stomach turned upside down. Horses will sing before I enjoy his touch. I needed to get out of this marriage and I doubted Azaire was my knight in shining armour. I needed to find a cure for my curse or I could say goodbye to my life. Chapter 10 ine POV ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it w High¡¯s newest slut,¡± Quin said as I approached our table with my lunch. ¡°What?¡± I asked. Helen flipped her ginger hair over her shoulder and giggled. ¡°Toote to form a reputation, ine.¡± My eyes shot to zer who watched and listened silently. zer didn¡¯t know about the party and I wanted it to stay that way so I sat down and didn¡¯t take the bait Quin tossed. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to talk about your night with Dominik?¡± Jenifer giggled. ¡°You did what?¡± zer yelled. The others burst intoughter. Heat rushed to my face as I struggled to concentrate on my food. ¡°Didn¡¯t your little sister, let you in on all the juicy details?¡± Quin purred. Why was she doing this? It wasn¡¯t funny. ¡°Stop,¡± I told her but she rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m only saying what everyone¡¯s talking about,¡± she responded. ¡°But it isn¡¯t true.¡± ¡°But you and Dominik disappeared from the party at the same time. That means you fucked, right?¡± Jenifer said and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Of course not! I left with someone else and I didn¡¯t sleep with anyone either.¡± Quin sighed. ¡°Of course, no one¡¯s ever good enough for the precious Alpha¡¯s daughter. Not even Alpha Neel. What do the rest of us have to do to get a man like that?¡± I trembled from all the suppressed rage. I left the party with someone. A guy I shouldn¡¯t have left with and when people find out they¡¯d call me a traitor. I felt zer¡¯srge frame behind me. He grabbed my arm and stopped me from stabbing my pork chop. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he ordered. He dragged me from the cafeteria. Everyone watched and the girls on my tableughed. I heard Helen whisper, ¡°She¡¯s going to get it now.¡± I yanked my arm free when we got to the bathroom area. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with anyone!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯te home that night. Where were you?¡± He demanded. ¡°I was with¡­ Opal. I didn¡¯t stay long.¡± zer eyed me up and down. I¡¯d rather deal with zer than Nik. Nik thought he was high and mighty. Never question him just do as he says but slowly Nik was grooming zer to be a second version of him. ¡°I¡¯m your sister you should trust me.¡± ¡°I know but I also know you want out of the arrangement with Neel and you know that¡¯s not going to happen. Why not suck it up and go along with things? Don¡¯t you want the Blood Moon pack out of the picture too?¡± I bit my bottom lip. My hatred didn¡¯t run as deep as theirs. After finding out who my fated mate was my emotions were conflicted. Thinking about seeing him in a few days at the ball made my heart skip a deep.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Have you forgotten the attack that killed all those omegas? You were in that house ine.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± I said through clenched teeth. ¡°So do your part. No one¡¯s asking you to fall in love with the guy.¡± Instead, they¡¯re asking me to give up my freedom to a controlling, entitled and disgusting man. I kept my mouth shut. zer sighed in frustration and walked away at least he wasn¡¯t pushing the party issue anymore. *** The night of the one-hundred-day ball I was in my room adding pink blush to my cheeks as the men got ready downstairs. That was when a heavy hand massaged my shoulder while the other one traced my bottom lip. ¡°You¡¯re going to ruin my lipstick,¡± I mumbled. I heard hime in but I thought I could ignore him. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have you, ine. I want your virgin pussy squeezing my cock.¡± My blood turned to ice. He wrapped his hand around my neck tilted my head up to face me. He groaned with sick pleasure. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go to this stupid ball. You and I can stay behind. Your Father won¡¯t mind.¡± He brought his lips to my ear. I jumped off the stool and shuffled to the window. ¡°We¡¯re invited guests¡­¡± I said breathlessly. I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape him if I was left alone with him. ¡°We can¡¯t be rude.¡± His frown turned into a smile. He closed the short distance and cupped my cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re going to be a great Luna. I¡¯ll make sure everyone knows at the fucking Blood Moon Pack that I have the sexiest mate in all the packs.¡± I bet he doesn¡¯t think that when he¡¯s fucking other women, but I smiled. I needed to give him treats sometimes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you downstairs.¡± My brothers were neatly dressed in full suits. I was surprised zer wore a tie. Avena was dressed in a purple gown that looked like it weighed a ton of bricks. ¡°Does your dress have to be that short?¡± Nik frowned at Opal¡¯s ck body-hugging dress. ¡°What do you care? I¡¯m single.¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯re going to Blood Moon territory. Any wolf there is off-limits to you,¡± Nik barked Opal rolled her eyes. ¡°They invited wolves from other packs. I¡¯m not hopeless. Come on, ine.¡± I scurried after ine. ¡°What was that about?¡± I asked. ¡°Nik¡¯s controlling. If I let him he¡¯ll walk all over me.¡± Opal started the car. There was a time I thought Opal had a crush on Nik but he never looked at her that way. He only dated cheerleaders and influencers. Nik would totally fuck someone like Quin. She would be at the party tonight and she would want to make her presence known. I hadn¡¯t spoken to her since the incident at the table. Quin made cruel jokes but it felt personal that time and her friends knew it. Confronting her would be useless she had a defence for everything. ¡°Opal, do you think I let people walk all over me?¡± Opal tightened her grip on the wheel. ¡°I do¡­. And when you try to voice out they don¡¯t like it because they¡¯re losing control. If you let Neel, he¡¯ll walk all over you.¡± ¡°He wants to do more than that.¡± ¡°Find your fight girl. You don¡¯t have to put up with those guys.¡± Only Opal didn¡¯t know about my curse but she was right. My Dad and brothers had a leash around my neck. Without their venom to help me through full moons I might die but the full moon came and my wolf was active without any pain. It was weird but still, I needed a cure, I didn¡¯t know how long I could go until my wolf acted up again. We arrived at Shaw Castle. A huge gothic building with stone statues baring down on the invited guests. The castle was made of ck stone, it had two imposing towers. The front yard was filled with expensive cars. Only the highest-ranked members were invited. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m gettingid tonight,¡± Opal said as she climbed out of the car. I followed. I stopped to fix my dress. I chose a red dress with a long train and an open back. My hair hid my back but the sweetheart neckline elevated my breasts. I turned because I felt eyes on me. I found him staring at me. Dressed in a ck suit with no jacket, his hairbed back and his eyes twinkling in the darkness. What was he doing out here when the party was in there? The corner of my lip raised. I was about to weave when a woman in a long ck dress with a slit on the right side slipped up to him and whispered in his ear. I turned away quickly. Azaire was nearly ten years older than me. I shouldn¡¯t have assumed he was single. I carried my dress inside and tried to calm myself but my wolf burned with rage, confusion and a bit of jealousy. She didn¡¯t like another she-wolf with her hands on our mate. Chapter 11 Azaire POV She looked gorgeous. The second she stepped out of her car and her scent entered the air my cock swelled. She caught me staring at her but I didn¡¯t care. I¡¯d never been a fan of red but damn, it looked amazing on her. I imagined the satin falling off her curves in front of me. She was gone as quickly as she appeared. I wanted to turn and go after her like a man caught in a trance. ¡°Are you listening!¡± Megan snapped. I blinked. ¡°Yeah of course. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I said, Azaire.¡± I exhaled deeply. I was on a job where I couldn¡¯t lose focus and mess up my work. I couldn¡¯t lose focus because of ine. It already happened once. The first time was reasonable. She was drunk and could barely walk. Now she was surrounded by her brothers and other members of her rotten pack. ¡°You know Alpha Laiken never takes his daughter to important events.¡± ¡°You want to gossip, Megan?¡± I grumbled. I adjusted my shirt cor. If it weren¡¯t for my Mom, I wouldn¡¯t be wearing this thing. It was so restricting. Megan sighed. ¡°No, we were trained to believe that nothing our enemies did was a coincidence.¡± This was the second person who believed Laiken was using his daughter to conspire against us. When I looked into her eyes I didn¡¯t believe it. She was a teenager; she had dreams why would she be her Father¡¯s pawn? ¡°Keep your eyes, pealed. I¡¯m going inside,¡± Megan said and I nodded in response. The night I took ine to my apartment the betas ransacked the mansion but supposedly didn¡¯t find any wolf drugs. After that, our spies reported wolf enhancers being sold in ck w bars. It¡¯s either we missed the exchange or someone in my army is lying. I hated to admit it but I suspected Oliver. He gave me the report and insisted I didn¡¯t speak to the others. You never want to suspect your own family so I needed more evidence. ¡°Looking for a babe? The one in the short ck dress is hot,¡± Richmond said, drinking up the girl next to ine. ¡°Mom¡¯s going to be really happy,¡± I smirked. Rich frowned and looked over his shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s trying to marry me off. Cover me.¡± My brother darted off. I shouldn¡¯t have been in here but my wolf wanted our mate. She was breath-taking. Her smile melted my icy heart. Herughter was infectious. Alpha Neel slithered beside her and mmed her petite frame against his body. ine bit her bottom lip. Who the hell did he think he was? The woman beside ine showed disdain and despite ine¡¯s difort Neel kept touching her. He kept touching my mate! He was too drunk to care that he looked like a fool. Why did anyone think he was a powerful Alpha? One drink and the fucker was fucked. I could blow in his face and he¡¯d be out. ineughed softly at the guests staring at them. She pulled herself free and walked off with her head held high. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone see her embarrassment. I on the other hand wanted everyone to watch me give Neel a ck eye. Down boy, I told my wolf. I had a feeling where she was going. I found her just before she opened the bathroom on the second floor. I opened the door and shoved her inside. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± I locked the door behind me. ¡°I could smell you a mile away. What if someone saw you?¡± ¡°Like Neel? I¡¯ll break his face.¡± Her eyes turned to saucers. I backed her into the wall and caged her between my chest and the floral tiles. ¡°Next time he gropes you like that I¡¯ll rip his fingers off his hand one by one.¡± Her breathing hiked but something in her eyes told me she wouldn¡¯t mind. ¡°Your girlfriend won¡¯t like that?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I raised my brow. She turned away but her blushed cheeks got pinker. ¡°Megan?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your girlfriend¡¯s name is,¡± she scowled. Iughed. ¡°Are you jealous, sweetheart?¡± ¡°No,¡± she frowned. ¡°I can smell it. It¡¯s a nice scent on you.¡± I leaned in and ran my nose down her neck. I stopped at her chest. She pressed her back into the wall and exhaled deeply. My rage boiled like a volcano about to erupt when I thought about Neel¡¯s hands on her. ¡°Why?¡± I demanded. ¡°Why what?¡± She panted. Her hand came around my back and smoothed my hair. This little she-wolf was a dangerous distraction. She made me want to strip her naked and devour her right there. I didn¡¯t care who heard including her brothers. ¡°Why did he touch you? Why didn¡¯t you tell him to fuck off?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± she stiffened. Her sudden movement made me stop and straighten. ¡°Neel is technically my fiance.¡± I felt like I¡¯d been punched in the gut. ¡°Technically? What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an arranged marriage. I don¡¯t want him!¡± She yelled and panted heavily. That¡¯s why I saw Nik and Neel together at the bar. They¡¯d formed an alliance. Oliver was right, Laiken was using his daughter to take us out but not in the way Oliver insinuated. The game changed, ine was my mate now. I couldn¡¯t let Laiken use her. I couldn¡¯t let the ck w pack take something else from me. ¡°Are you mad? I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Her confession made it worse. My wolf was on the edge of my skin and it wanted Neel¡¯s blood. ¡°Of course I¡¯m pissed.¡± I unlocked the door. I needed to get out of here, blow off some steam and think about my next move. ¡°You might want to stay in here until my scent wears off.¡± Her shock melted into annoyance and frustration. I was starting to think I brought out the worst in ine but she didn¡¯t understand. She was too young to remember when I lost my brother if she even knew. Laiken kept a lot from his pack. I left my mate standing alone in the bathroom and marched off. Chapter 12 ine POV I hated obeying him after he stormed off like that but he was right I couldn¡¯t walk out with his scent stuck to me. I could still feel his lips on my chest. I squeezed my legs shut and moaned. Fighting the mate bond was harder than I thought and we hadn¡¯t been mates a month yet. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Opal asked, cradling a martini. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± I asked. ¡°You disappeared.¡± I pushed my hair over my shoulder. ¡°Bathroom. Dress malfunction.¡± She lifted a shoulder. ¡°Thought you caught a body.¡± I felt eyes on me when I looked behind me I noticed Neel sitting on a table with my Father and his, along with my brothers and Alpha families from other packs. I shuddered and looped my arms with Opal. ¡°Where are those martinising from?¡± I asked. Opal and I hid at the bar in the corner of the room. It was empty because the drinks were flowing so freely. ¡°You too seem like two fine young women!¡± An elderly woman said wedging herself between us. She was two feet shorter than me and her smile spelled trouble. ¡°Are you single?¡± She practically bounced as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± Opalughed. Complicated, I thought. She hasn¡¯t told me about anyone in her life. ¡°No,¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m technically engaged.¡± A foul taste formed in my mouth when I admitted that. The woman¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°How awful! I have a son who really should be married by now. In case you¡¯re not engaged anymore, he¡¯s really good at ying the guitar and he¡¯s very handsome.¡± Iughed at how her eyes sparkled. Her son might not be happy about this. ¡°Mom¡­¡± a guy hissed. He wrapped his arm around the woman¡¯s shoulders and pulled her from our duo. ¡°What? You all knew I would be doing this.¡± Hazel eyes stared at me. The striking resemnce took me off guard and his grimace made me put it back up. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. They¡¯re ck w pack,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± His Mom asked. Alpha Richmond frowned at her. ¡°Considering what happened you think this is wise?¡± I straightened my spine and looped my arm through Opal¡¯s again. ¡°Whatever happened. I can assure you, Opal and I had nothing to do with it.¡± I yanked her forward and she stumbled and spilled her drink. ¡°I think I¡¯ve had one too many.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I might hurl and I don¡¯t want to do it on your dress.¡± I cringed. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside.¡± As carefully but as swiftly as we could we made it to the car. I thought the fresh air would be good for her. She held the car and panted heavily before she puked her guts out. I grabbed her coat from the backseat to cover her with when she finished vomiting. Heat rushed to my face when I realized I must have looked like this in front of Azaire at Dom¡¯s party. ¡°I feel like shit,¡± Opal panted. I opened the passenger door and covered her with the coat. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a night,¡± I said. ¡°You haven¡¯t caught a body yet,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t need one, Opal.¡± I only wanted Azaire but he was upset I was engaged to a man I didn¡¯t love let alone care for. I grabbed her bag and rummaged through it for the car keys. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Neel barked. I froze. I smelled his scent toote. ¡°I¡¯m driving Opal home,¡± I said. He snatched the bag. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Who told you that you could leave?¡± He prowled closer making me back into the car. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s permission to leave, Neel.¡± He tossed Opal¡¯s bag away. I gasped and secondster his hand circled my neck. I winced as my body hit the car. ¡°Leave¡­ her¡­¡± Opal protested weakly. He grabbed my right hand and pinned it against the car too. He reeked heavily of alcohol, despite that this was the man Neel was. Possessive controlling and deadly. I used my free hand to w his arm but it was useless. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to respect me! One way or another.¡± I took advantage of his body moving slightly to jam my knee into his gut. Neel buckled. His bewildered face upped the heat of my rage. I stepped back and mmed my palm against his face. My nails dragged against his cheek and drew blood. Oh shit, I thought. Neel cradled his bleeding cheek and stared at me. ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked slowly and menacingly. I couldn¡¯t run and leave Opal. Before I could think up a n, Neel flew forward. I jumped out of the way as he hit the back of another vehicle. ¡°Azaire!¡± I eximed. Azaire marched in front of Neel, grabbed the front of his shirt and mmed his fist into his jaw. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I grabbed Azaire from behind but it was like trying to push a brick wall. Azaire¡¯s hand was stained with Neel¡¯s blood.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop this is going to start a fight with my pack and we don¡¯t need that.¡± ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have touched you,¡± Azaire snapped, his voice raspy and tight. ¡°No one cares about that-¡± ¡°I care!¡± He sted. I swallowed. His eyes carried more than fire. They harboured emotions for me. I dragged my fingers down his face and he leaned into them. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him,¡± Azaire rasped. I shook my head. ¡°We don¡¯t need a war.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already in one, ine.¡± Azaire looked over me and his arms slipped from my body. ¡°They¡¯reing.¡± ¡°They shouldn¡¯t see us like this,¡± I said and stepped back. As Alpha Keegan and Nik appeared on the scene I pretended to care for Opal. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Alpha Keegan demanded. Neel had passed out minutes ago. Mostly from the alcohol. ¡°We got into a fight,¡± Azaire said casually. A man in a dark suit emerged from a bush. Both sides of his head were shaved while the middle formed a low man bun. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he demanded as he stood beside Azaire. ¡°Fight about what? You don¡¯t have a scratch on you,¡± Nik barked. Azaire adjusted his shirt but didn¡¯t dare look at me as not to raise suspicions. Nik turned to me. ¡°ine! What happened?¡± Nik snapped. Shoot. I forgot I was here. ¡°Uhm¡­ Neel attacked Azaire.¡± ¡°What?¡± Keegan gasped. ¡°How?¡± All eyes were on me, including Azaire. ¡°Well¡­ Neel¡¯s drunk out of his mind. I think he mistook Azaire for someone else. He had to defend himself.¡± Keegan rubbed his forehead and sighed. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Nik narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Taking Opal home. That¡¯s how I saw everything.¡± ¡°How humiliating,¡± Keegan mumbled. Other betas came to help Neel up. I breathed a sigh of relief as Neel was dragged away but now I had to find where Neel through Opal¡¯s bag. Instead, Nik strolled to the passenger seat where Opal had passed out. ¡°She okay?¡± He asked. ¡°She¡¯s just drunk.¡± He nodded. ¡°Are you okay to drive her?¡± I saw genuine concern on Nik¡¯s face for Opal but we would be fine. ¡°Yeah, go back to the party.¡± He nodded before painfully pulling his eyes away from Opal. When he was gone I went to the task of finding the car keys. I was buzzing from all the excitement. I felt good but enraged that Neel would try to hurt me. He could do serious damage, what would happen if he cornered me again?¡± ¡°There it is.¡± I found the denim bag between two SUVs. I searched through it until I found the keys. A hand gripped my wrist but I didn¡¯t startle. My wolf settled into ease at his touch. I met his hazel eyes and stern face. He was a mature version of all his brothers. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked gently. ¡°I am.¡± We stood together. ¡°Good. But he attacked me? Really?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anything else that made sense.¡± He scowled. ¡°He¡¯s an idiot so it might not be that hard to believe.¡± ¡°How did you know he attacked me? You weren¡¯t stalking me were you?¡± I asked. He raised a brow. ¡°This is why being mates is so difficult. I constantly need to know where you are if you¡¯re not with me. I can feel your pain and I can¡¯t stop it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me either. The sudden heat at night not being able to even call you because of our packs. We can¡¯t even get to know each other because our packs hate one another.¡± ¡°Sudden bursts of heat?¡± Azaire stepped forward, bringing me into his arms. ¡°How are you taking care of it?¡± Heat rushed to my face. I turned to the side and blinked rapidly. ¡°Well, I¡­ you don¡¯t need to know!¡± He chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t stop thinking about that but we need to figure this out.¡± I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. ¡°Not here.¡± ¡°I know. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be in touch, okay?¡± I nodded. He stroked my bottom lip. I wanted him to kiss me badly but there had to be eyes on us and getting caught wasn¡¯t in our ns. I watched him leave helplessly. Chapter 13 ine POV Neel knew he didn¡¯t attack Azaire and worst of all he knew I attacked him. When he¡¯s sober he¡¯s going to sing like a canary. Instead of walking home to an empty house, I stayed the night at Opal¡¯s.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again!¡± Opal groaned. I giggled. ¡°I told myself the same thing.¡± She turned in the queen-sized be to look at me. ¡°ine¡­ I¡¯m so sorry! Now I¡¯m really never drinking again. I couldn¡¯t even help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it,¡± I mumbled. She pouted. ¡°Azaire pummelled Neel.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone. I lied to Dad.¡± ¡°Of course not. I would have done the same thing, but why?¡± I lifted a shoulder. ¡°Maybe Blood Moon wolves aren¡¯t so bad?¡± I chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not what people here think. Nik will stop at nothing to see them down. Which is why I regret helping himst night.¡± I sat up in the queen bed and clutched the sheets. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± I gasped. ¡°Opal, what did Nik came you do?¡± ¡°He made me steal. I went into thete Alpha¡¯s study and stole their moonstone.¡± Every pack has a moon stone it¡¯s a gift from the moon goddess. I know they¡¯re just precious but it¡¯s rumoured that they have some of the goddess¡¯s power in them. My eyes grew wide. ¡°You would have been punished badly if you were caught.¡± Opal attempted to sit up but she winced and shut her eyes. She clutched her head andy down again. ¡°My head¡¯s pounding¡­ it was a bad idea but you know how your brother is.¡± ¡°What does he want the gem for? Doesn¡¯t our pack have its own gem? Opal winced. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t say.¡± ¡°When they realize it¡¯s gone they¡¯re going to suspect us.¡± ¡°I regret it.¡± Tears filled her eyes. ¡°Now I feel like I¡¯m going to puke.¡± My phone buzzed with the text from work. I had to take the morning shift because Reba called in sick. I rolled out of bed and searched for my bag. ¡°You¡¯re not going to puke.¡± ¡°I feel awful.¡± I touched her hand, and without thinking I let the power flow between us. When I realized what I did it was toote but it was only a small dose that took away her hangover. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not going to puke. I have work I have to go.¡± ¡°Now?¡± She sat up and frowned. She must have wondered where her headache went. I feared my skin would start opening up so I grabbedst night¡¯s dress and hurried out. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s an emergency see youter.¡± I darted out. Thank goodness we were neighbours. I raced home and my skin hadn¡¯t opened up yet. I once healed a dry nt and cuts formed on my thigh but I was fine this was weird. Was my curse weakening? Do I have a chance of finally being free? *** ¡°Thanks foring in on such short notice, ine,¡± Rick, the manager said. ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°I need you to clear out the new delivery of olive jars in the storeroom. The truck will be here in twenty minutes.¡± I hurried to the storeroom. On my way, I stopped as pain shot through my ankle. I winced and looked at the blood pooling into my socks. ¡°So much for things getting better.¡± I pulled up my socks and rushed into the dark storeroom. Another wound formed on my right calf. The job would be hard with my curse acting up. I carried boxes out as fast as I could but when another wound formed I cried out and dropped a box. The top split open to reveal packages neatly stored. ¡°These aren¡¯t olives,¡± I said. Each packet was stuffed with orange powder. It made me curious about the other boxes. I peeked in one and they had olives. I opened a packet hoping my suspicions were wrong. ¡°Wolf enhancers,¡± I whispered. I took a picture. ¡°ine! Hurry up the truck is here!¡± Rick called. I couldn¡¯t stuff the whole packet in my pocket it was huge. I hid the open packet in the storeroom. ¡°Coming!¡± I called back. Sealing the box again I hurried to get them upstairs until everything was gone. ¡°Where are they going?¡± I asked Rick. Rick was a staggering man. He wasrger than my Father but as soft as a teddy bear. He was a rogue. Most businesses in neutral territory were run by rogues. ¡°A hotel in ck w. The one that belongs to thete Luna¡¯s family.¡± I nodded. That wasn¡¯t a good sign. I expected them to go to Blood Moon but not my pack. Someone there was expecting a shipment of wolf enhancers. What would they do when they discovered they were short one? Heading back inside, I realized my curse wasn¡¯t acting up anymore. My wounds had healed. ¡°The wolf enhancers healed me.¡± It was the only logical exnation. I became giddy because I might have found a cure to my curse that didn¡¯t involve my family. I got a call while I was taking inventory. It was an unknown number. Normally I ignored these but curiosity won the battle. ¡°ine.¡± I froze and nearly dropped the toilet paper roll I was about to stack. ¡°A-Azaire?¡± ¡°Neel¡¯s not close by is he?¡± My mate asked. It was strange knowing I had a mate. The goddess deemed me worthy enough to have a fated mate. ¡°I¡¯m at work.¡± ¡°Work?¡± He asked. I yfully rolled my eyes. ¡°The Alpha¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t supposed to work?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s supposed to be guarded and treasured always.¡± Heat rushed to my cheeks. It isn¡¯t always the case. ¡°There¡¯s a football game this Friday. We can meet each other then?¡± What about the wolf enhancers? The only one I could trust was Opal and there wasn¡¯t much she could do. ¡°I can¡¯t wait that long to see you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You miss me that much, Little Wolf?¡± ¡°Wrong choice of words,¡± I blushed. ¡°I found something¡­ I can¡¯t say over the phone and I don¡¯t know who else to trust other than¡­ you.¡± ¡°Fine. Meet me by theke. Our spot in an hour, cool?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I exhaled. ¡°Do I need to be worried? I swear if you have a scratch-¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. An hour,¡± I said and hung up. My mate was my enemy but I had to trust I hoped it wasn¡¯t a mistake. Chapter 14 ine POV The sun hung loosely in the sky when I got home, casting an orange hue over the pack. It was better to meet Azaire under the cover of the stars. Most of the cars in the parking lot were gone except for a family red sports car. ¡°What¡¯s Quin doing here?¡± I asked. We hadn¡¯t spoken since the incident at school. I had no desire to chase after her as if nothing was wrong. There was too much going on in my life. I met her by the corner bar in the living room. ¡°Quin? What¡¯s up?¡± I asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± she said churning her cocktail at the corner bar of the living room. ¡°I¡¯m looking for zer.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She frowned. ¡°It¡¯s thest football game of the school year. We have to make sure it¡¯s amazing. Have you forgotten you signed up to make the banners at school?¡± Holy crap. ¡°Ipletely forgot-¡± She lifted a shoulder. ¡°Figures.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool ine and you want everyone around you to look like idiots too.¡± I gasped my blood heating up. ¡°Neel made a total fool of two packs at the ball. The Blood Moon wolves loved it.¡± ¡°Why are you treating me like this? First I¡¯m a slut now this?¡± She slipped off the stool and closed the gap between us quickly. ¡°I¡¯m fed up. Fed up of kissing the Alpha¡¯s ass because of you. Have you ever looked in the mirror? You¡¯re not popr, you don¡¯t even try. I¡¯m tired of carrying your dead weight.¡± ¡°I never asked you to,¡± I snapped. ¡°So? I did what I had to maintain poprity.¡± I nodded. It made sense and deep down I knew. She was the pack beta¡¯s daughter but it wasn¡¯t good enough. Not in her eyes. ¡°You were only friends with me because of who my father is.¡± ¡°I did you a favour,¡± she smirked. At least the air was clear between us. I lifted my chin. ¡°zer¡¯s not here soe back when he is. Bye.¡± She gasped but I didn¡¯t wait to hear her screech. I went into the kitchen and left out the back door. I wanted to change into something nice when I met Azaire but I didn¡¯t care. Deep down I knew she was using me but I gotfortable. I let her use me like I¡¯m letting my Father use me. ¡°Not anymore.¡± There¡¯s arge packet of wolf enhancers at work. I know they¡¯re illegal but I¡¯ll use that to get through the full moons. ¡°There you are,¡± Azaire said. His voice caught me off guard. I ground to a halt and clutched my chest. ¡°Geez.¡± ¡°Lost in your head, Princess?¡± He peeled himself off the rock he leaned on. He was fully clothed this time. He walked up to me and cupped my cheeks. He eyed me up and down and then side to side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong ine? I should be training but every time you¡¯re involved I drop everything.¡± I chewed my bottom lip. Azaire smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s a turn-on.¡± Shivers rattled up my spine and I pulled away from him. This was serious business. ¡°Okay, I found enhancers at work¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell him I used them without revealing I had a defective wolf. ¡°What?¡± He barked. ¡°Are they still there?¡± ¡°No¡­ they went to Evangeline Hotel. I opened the box and they¡¯re going to know someone found out about it.¡± Not to mention they¡¯ll know one¡¯s missing so I might be in danger. He grabbed me and held me in ce. ¡°Tell me everything now.¡± I ryed the events leaving out a few details. By the time I was done, we sat on the sand and watched the watere inches to our shoes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell your brothers?¡± Azaire asked. I listened to the sound of the waves. I didn¡¯t trust my brothers and my Father was even worse. ¡°Because you¡¯re my mate.¡± Azaire took my hand and pulled me into an embrace. ¡°This is difficult but I know one thing for certain.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked. He pushed me on the sand and hovered over me. ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± Azaire captured my lips in a hungry kiss. Dove came alive within me in a beautiful glow. I wrapped my arms around him and dragged him closer. I felt his dominant Alpha wolf show my wolf his possessive nature. I felt his desire in the way he kissed me and caressed my skin. Thank goodness it was dark. I¡¯d never felt this intense need to have sex with someone. I pulled his shirt over his head and kissed him fiercely. Azaire grabbed my thighs and wrapped my legs around his waist. I felt the swell of his member. Panic settled in and I pushed him back. I wanted him badly but I was still inexperienced. ¡°Whoa,¡± I panted. I still felt his member pressed against my inner thigh. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ perfect.¡± Was I going to give myself to Azaire? He was my mate it was natural. It was a risky move because if our families found out about us they could break us apart. ¡°ine if we do this there¡¯s no going back.¡± His tone held sincerity. I had so many unanswered questions but I wanted to be with him. I know I¡¯d feelpleteness I didn¡¯t know existed. ¡°I know-¡± His phone rang and interrupted us. Azaire groaned. ¡°Fuck.¡± He straightened up and pulled out his phone. ¡°What?¡± He barked. ¡°What?¡± He roared and stood. ¡°How the hell did that happen?¡± I sat up. My underwear was drenched down to my work shorts, my cheeks were hot and my wolf was agitated. I should have mentioned this would be my first time to have sex but judging by the way Azaire cursed at the sky we wouldn¡¯t be going any further. ¡°How could Oliver allow this to happen? I¡¯m on my way.¡± He grabbed his shirt off the ground. ¡°You need to go home. Now.¡± I stared at him. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Your brothers went to our territory and provoked us.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Are they okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn! I¡¯ve got injured wolves to handle.¡± ¡°I give a damn. They¡¯re my brothers,¡± I said, standing. He ground his teeth and cursed. ¡°Leave. I¡¯ve got men to take care of. I should have been there.¡± My blood boiled. He regretteding to see me. Did he me me? ¡°You can be so infuriating!¡± ¡°Yeah? You didn¡¯t think so seconds ago when you were trying to swallow me.¡± I gasped. ¡°I was not!¡± My face burned with embarrassment it even hurt. I spun. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± He grabbed my arm and brought me back. ¡°The football game. Remember?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Azaire tugged me closer. ¡°Right, ine?¡± ¡°Yes, fine. I have to go my brothers need me.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There isn¡¯t much you can do for them,¡± he said. That¡¯s where he was wrong. They were losing their heads wondering where I was so I could heal them. Chapter 15 ine POV ¡°Where the hell have you been ine!¡± Dad roared. Avena ushered me into the library and locked the door. I caught Neel¡¯s eye then Nik¡¯s on the leather couch. He slumped forward in the seat breathing heavily. I rushed towards him but Dad snatched my arm. He lifted me off the ground and shed his wolf at me. I winced from the Alpha power he used to punish me. I could normally withstand Alpha power but Dad¡¯s rage fuelled his Alpha power. ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay?¡± I whispered. ¡°zer first. He¡¯s not healing on his own.¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed zer on the ground, bleeding out terribly. Dad shoved me forward. ¡°zer,¡± I whispered, hovering my hands over his wounds. The corners of his mouth lifted. ¡°When are you going to stop?¡± I asked. Heughed but it was painful. ¡°I¡¯m in love with the thrill, sis.¡± ¡°You need to stop being a punching bag.¡± ¡°Now!¡± Dad yelled. I flinched. I palmed his chest and secondster my power transferred to zer, rushing to every wound. There were many of them. Healing requires lots of energy. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Neel spat. No one responded. I kept pushing out power but the wounds were difficult to heal. The Blood Moon wolves had strong venom. ¡°Dad¡­¡± I winced. ¡°It¡¯s too much¡­ I have to stop.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°No! Heal him. Do as I say.¡± zer groaned but his wounds sealed slowly. I felt myself grow weaker and weaker until I copsed beside zer. My limbs trembled and my vision blurred. ¡°Did it work?¡± Dad demanded. ¡°He¡¯s healing quickly,¡± Avena responded instantly. Why didn¡¯t she help? She¡¯s supposed to be a powerful witch. ¡°Someone exined what the hell just happened?¡± Neel demanded. I rolled my head to the side and saw my Father breathe easy. He turned to Neel. ¡°ine is a special wolf. She has healing powers.¡± Any second my skin would start opening if someone didn¡¯t give me their venom. ¡°Take her to her room,¡± Dad ordered. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Enough.¡± He grabbed me off the ground at the same time blood poured out of my nose. zer¡¯s injuries were worse than I thought. I felt my bones crack and my wolf cry out in pain. Dad dragged me along the hall. ¡°You fucking whore,¡± Dad spat. He kicked my bedroom door open and threw me on the carpet. ¡°I did want you wanted!¡± I cried. ¡°You smell like a male, ine. You think I¡¯m an idiot? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find out?¡± Azaire shed in my mind. I swallowed. He took a threatening step and I scrambled backwards. ¡°You¡¯re engaged. There¡¯s no way you forgot. You want to sabotage this me for your brothers!¡± I wanted to yell. I wanted to tell him he¡¯s putting my brother¡¯s lives in danger by making them fight Blood Moon wolves. He didn¡¯t give a damn about us. But the cuts forming on my skin stopped me from fighting back. ¡°You¡¯re as useless as your Mother was. You¡¯re as big a whore as she was!¡± Tears stung my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her that way.¡± ¡°What do you know about her, ine? She was my mistress, amon ve I picked up. I should have expected less from her spawn.¡± My blood boiled as if I plucked the sun from the sky and consumed it. I leaped off the ground and lunged forward. My Father grabbed my arms and rattled me. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± A st of Alpha power killed my overcharged attack. I whimpered but kept my gaze on him. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Dead,¡± he spat. ¡°You killed her, didn¡¯t you?¡± He dropped me. ¡°Forget about venom tonight, ine.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that. We have a deal. I heal them and you help me when my curse is triggered.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do, child. Tell that wolf to stay away from you or else I¡¯ll bring you his head on a te.¡± The door mmed behind him. I crawled on my bed and yelled into the pillow. He was a monster! Then I recalled the wolf enhancers. The packet was all the way at work but I stuffed some in my pocket. ¡°It¡¯s now or never.¡± I brought my hand up from my pocket brought the wolf enhancers to my nose and inhaled. I felt my wolf rise from her deep hiding ce. She felt bright and powerful. She felt like the Alpha wolf she truly was. I felt my wounds heal and my bones reconnect. I rolled on my back and exhaled deeply. ¡°Time to run,¡± I whispered. I slipped out of my bloody and torn uniform. I changed into a long loose dress I wouldn¡¯t miss when I shifted. ¡°Dove, I need you to hide my scent.¡± ¡°ine, this is dangerous.¡± ¡°Taking wolf enhancers?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know what happens when a wolf takes too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s temporary, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I poked my head out of my bedroom door. I heard Nik giving orders and the betas responding. The front door was ruled out. ¡°I need to get to work and grab thest of the wolf enhancers.¡± Dove didn¡¯t like the idea but we had no choice. I locked my bedroom and tossed on my leg. I stopped and stared at my room. They won¡¯t miss me if I leave for a few hours. I gasped and jumped out of the window andnded in a thorny bush. ¡°Ouch,¡± I winced. Dove masked my scent by blending with nature. I never shifted without pain before so I was scared to transform. I closed my eyes and willed Dove toe out. She obeyed instantly, my limbs cracked but it wasn¡¯t as painful as it normally was. Fur burst out from my skin, I got a tail and I got pointed ears and sharp teeth. Dove was beautiful! I broke into a sprint and ran into the forest. I passed Azaire and I¡¯s spot and kept on running. My brothers got to do this all the time I only got to shift during the full moon and it wasn¡¯t as sweet as this. I made it to the lodge without breaking a sweat. The lodge was closed for the night so I broke in using the kitchen backdoor. I found the bag of wolf enhancers where I left it. I cradled it like a baby. With this I was temporarily free. This packet couldn¡¯tst me forever I needed to find out where to get more. Chapter 16 Azaire POV I burst into Shaw Castle. Ross, my best friend met me at the door and shoved me back. ¡°Cool it!¡± He snapped. ¡°How the hell can I cool it? How many injured?¡± ¡°A lot man but everyone¡¯s healing.¡± ¡°I want Oliver¡¯s head.¡± Ross chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s your cousin. Look, Ryker¡¯s wolves stole our moon gem the night of the party. Oliver insisted on an attack. Richie was pissed he just went with it. Where the hell were you?¡± I ran a hand through my hair. I let myself get lost in ine¡¯s scent again. This time my family was at war. I should have been here. If Richie finds out I was with a ck w pack girl, he would have my balls. ¡°I went for a run¡­¡± ¡°Run into a she-wolf?¡± He raised his brow. I shot him a look. ¡°Why would The ck w pack want our moonstone? Don¡¯t they have their own?¡± ¡°Ours is bigger and actually contains power, unlike everyone else¡¯s.¡± Great, just what we needed on top of the wolf drugs going around. I marched into the living room. Megan, Francesca, The Alpha Richie, Oliver¡¯s father, Uncle Damien but no Oliver. Prick, I thought. Where¡¯s Luca? ¡°Where¡¯s Lucas?¡± I demanded. ¡°He¡¯s fine, he was out when they met the ck w wolves,¡± Fran answered. I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Where the hell were you? We went in blind?¡± Richie stood. We went face to face. ¡°That¡¯s my fault? You took the wrong advice. The ck w pack¡¯s looking for an excuse to attack us. We might have given them one.¡± ¡°They took the moonstone! Dad always told us how precious it was! Who knows what they¡¯ll do with it.¡± ¡°Fuck that Richie. Were you looking for a fight too?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± my little brother barked. The moon gem might have a little power but it was nothing but a symbol of the moon goddess¡¯s connection to the pack. It meant nothing to me. The real reason we were always picking fights with the ck w pack was because of the death of my twin brother and the attack that killed hundreds in our pack. It¡¯s more personalpared to them. Adrian was the vocal one, the natural-born leader, he was poised to be Alpha. That all changed one night. One night I got there toote. I¡¯ll never forget the look on his face as he took hisst breath. He should have healed but he didn¡¯t and Nik Ryker knew why my brother didn¡¯t survive that fall. I thought about ine. His younger sister and my mate. Why would the moon goddess mate me with my enemy¡¯s sister? I should hate her but I think about her gorgeous eyes, her soft curves. I wanted her lips on mine I wanted her body pressed against mine tonight but we couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Forget it, Richie we have a mess to fix,¡± I grumbled ¡°ine,¡± my wolf said. I pushed him away, not now. Megan stood and threw her arms up. She had a wrap tied around her elbow. ¡°So what? Are we just going to let them get away with this?¡± Megan asked. Uncle Damien remained silent and reclined on the sofa. ¡°ine!¡± My wolf growled. ¡°Damn it, what about her?¡± I growled at him using our link. ¡°She¡¯s in danger meathead.¡± ¡°What?¡± My muscles tensed. ¡°Are we just going to take it?¡± Megan asked. She was baiting me but things had changed. My mate was in that pack. I was hot and cold when it came to the ck w pack but it was because of her. If she was in danger, I¡¯d bring down any barrier to save her. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°What?¡± Richie¡¯s brows dipped. ¡°You just said-¡± ¡°You want the damn moonstone, don¡¯t you?¡± I growled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± I asked my wolf. My wolf doesn¡¯t respond. ¡°Azaire is right. It¡¯s time we show the ck w pack what we¡¯re made of. I¡¯d hurry,¡± Damien spoke. I turned before Richie spoke. What was wrong with her? We hadn¡¯t mated yet we didn¡¯t have a link. I couldn¡¯t feel her but the desperate need to find her and protect her was unbearable. I climbed into my SUV. Ross climbed into the passenger seat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a woman isn¡¯t it?¡± He sted. I gripped the wheel. He wouldn¡¯t understand. ¡°No, it¡¯s about the ck w scumbags.¡± ¡°I know what the mate bond looks like, Azaire. You¡¯re on edge and it¡¯s going to get worse.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me, Ross. It¡¯splicated.¡± ¡°Howplicated can it be?¡± Ross smirked. I started the engine and headed the charge to our enemy¡¯s territory. What were they doing to her? I didn¡¯t believe her family would hurt her. It could be Neel. He had a im on my woman. I hit the elerator when I thought about his grimy hands on her body. ¡°Definitely the mate bond,¡± Ross muttered. I side-eyed him and continued driving until we came onto enemy territory. I drove into the Ryker pack house. Richie and Megan with the other betas entered the property next. ¡°It was taken by a woman. Laiken used his daughter to steal from us,¡± Richie said and I froze. ine was with me that night. Of course, I left her alone for a while. ¡°How do you know?¡± I asked. Megan crossed her arms and frowned. ¡°We have intel. They saw her leaving the first floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough, Megan and you know it,¡± I barked. She blinked a bit but red at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You wanted us toe here now you don¡¯t want us to use them? It¡¯s toote to be rational now.¡± I stopped being rational a long time ago. ¡°Hey!¡± Nik stood beside ine¡¯s cousin. We shared a brief stare. She lifted a shoulder. I didn¡¯t know if that meant she didn¡¯t know where ine was or she didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± Nik barked. Secondster other betas rushed out of the pack house. ¡°Back down boy. You came into our territory and stole from us. You¡¯re poking the wolf too much you don¡¯t want this fight.¡± ¡°Fuck off, Azaire. I¡¯m not taking shit from a beta.¡± I grabbed his shirt and lifted him off the ground. My wolf shed in my eyes. Neel and Alpha Laiken saw us and raced over. ¡°Azaire!¡± Richie yelled. I dropped the prick. ¡°You!¡± Neel said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to see you. I¡¯m going to break your teeth.¡± Ugh, Neel¡¯s irrelevant. Where was she? Her scent lingered in the air but it was faint and fading fast. ¡°You want war? I¡¯ll give it to you,¡± Laiken said. ¡°Where¡¯s the damn moon gem? You have your daughter doing your dirty work now?¡± Richie asked. What would they want with the moon gem? We had money and more valuable jewels in a vault in the same room where the moonstone was kept Laiken shot him a look. ¡°Leave my daughter out of this.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± I asked. Laiken¡¯s jaw clenched. I didn¡¯t care if he knew. If something happened to her I¡¯d take her away and they¡¯d never hear from her again. ¡°Locked in her room.¡± I nced at the window. It was wide open and the curtains were blowing in the wind. I didn¡¯t believe that. She escaped. ¡°Get off my property. You don¡¯t want this fight,¡± Laiken spat. ¡°Next time your wolves cross the line. We¡¯ll destroy you. Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. ¡°Not without the gem!¡± Richie barked. We don¡¯t need the stupid gem. I pped his shoulder and dragged him back. Richie stared at me with bewilderment as did everyone else but I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted to know if my mate was fine. My head¡¯s not working straight I can¡¯t believe I dragged everyone out here and we didn¡¯t even throw a punch. *** I abandoned the car with Ross and ran to theke. Our spot. She¡¯d run through here but it was a long time ago. Why would Alpha Laiken lock ine in her room? The only reason I coulde up with was to protect her. I picked up the dirt and brought it to my nose. ¡°Where are you mate?¡± I whispered.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I didn¡¯t have to wait long until I saw a majestic white wolfzily climb over rocks. She looked up and her honey brown eyes locked with mine. Chapter 17 ine POV ¡°Dove, let her go, so I can talk to her,¡± Azaire asked again. Dove was in a stubborn mood. She rarely got out to y and now our mate wanted us to shift. He would have to beg a lot better than that. Dove rolled onto her back and stuck her tongue out yfully. Azaire growled. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke.¡± He looked funny to me upside down. He balled his hands fists at his side and stepped forward. Just when he was about to reach me I leapt off the rock and ran to the nearest tree. ¡°Just wait until I get my hands on you,¡± he grumbled. Dove stuck her tongue again yfully. ¡°I went to your house.¡± Dove snapped her mouth shut. Okay, that¡¯s not funny. ¡°ine, you deal with him,¡± Dove said. You traitor! I scolded her through our link. I shifted back into my normal self. Azaire shoved his hands into his pocket and stared down at me. His mesmerizing drank me in from the top of my head to my toes. I wrapped my arms over my bare chest. I should have brought clothes to change into but I didn¡¯t expect to run into my mate out here. ¡°You did what?¡± I yelled and my voice echoed. He marched towards me and held out his hand. He yanked me off the ground and stripped me out of his jacket. He ced the jacket over my shoulder. ¡°I had to make sure you were okay. What happened?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡± I stared up at him. ¡°I knew you were in danger, now what happened?¡± The mate bond, of course, I thought. I backed up and looked at the ground. ¡°I¡­uh¡­nothing.¡± He lifted my chin to meet his gaze. ¡°Look me in the eyes and say that again.¡± I bit my bottom lip. ¡°I had an argument with my Dad that¡¯s all. It got pretty bad. I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°So bad he locked you in your room?¡± he barked. ¡°Azaire, you shouldn¡¯t have gone to my house. Don¡¯t you realize our packs hate each other? I can¡¯t even count how many times the Blood Moon Pack has attacked my pack.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, I know you¡¯re not blind to the actions of your pack. It¡¯s like a game for you people.¡± I folded my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes. ¡°Us people, huh?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, ck w scum,¡± he spat. ¡°Oh yeah? You¡¯re nothing but Blood Moon tyrants!¡± ¡°Is that the best you cane up with ine?¡± ¡°I cane up with much more colourful names but I am a nice girl!¡± Azaire grabbed my wrists in an instant. ¡°Nice girl huh?¡± He raised his brow challengingly. I gulped. He abandoned my wrists and quickly hoisted me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his waist and gripped his shoulders. My heart mmed forward and my eyes turned to saucers. His hands ran along my sandy thighs. I shivered and shut my eyes. Azaire made contact with my neck. He savagely devoured my neck and teased me with little bites. I pressed my body against his in at attempt to feel his swollen member against his jeans. ¡°I want to mark you so badly,¡± he said, caressing his lips down my shoulder. ¡°Yes! I mean no, you can¡¯t,¡± I pushed him back. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± He let me go. ¡°You should go home.¡± I looked up at the bright full moon. ¡°I want to go for another run.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here, ine. Go home.¡± I crossed my arms and smirked. ¡°You may be my fated mate but you¡¯re not the boss of me.¡± He grinned and his sexy smile was capable of turning me into a puddle. ¡°You choose ine, I either throw you over my shoulder and march you back home or you go willingly.¡± Alpha males were overprotective it could be overbearing. Azaire grabbed my cheeks and dragged me to meet his lips. A fire formed at my core but there was nothing I could do about it. ¡°Goodnight, mate.¡± I bit my bottom lip and stared at him longingly. That¡¯s the end of that argument. I shifted and ran back home. *** I got back into my room without anyone noticing. It wasn¡¯t easy but since my wolf was active I had most of my heightened senses. I was fast and strong and my earing was great, but my healing was still slow. The wolf enhancers didn¡¯t fix everything. I stayed up most of the night working on the banner I promised to make for the football game Friday night. It was hard to concentrate when a fire raged between my legs. It was a fire only my fated mate could cool. I wondered if he felt the same way. I climbed into bed and tried to forget about Azaire and the ache I felt, but it was impossible! I needed him. The mate bond was supposed to be consummated immediately when it wasn¡¯t both wolves suffered. Azaire¡¯s brownish-blond hair came into my mind¡¯s eye. I craved his pink lips and his roughrge hands. ¡°Azaire,¡± a soft moan escaped my lips. I slipped my fingers into my pyjama shorts and rubbed my clit over my panties. ¡°Hmm.¡± I could feel echoes of Azaire¡¯s hands on my skin. I could feel him caressing my body. He explored every corner of my body with his lips. He took me in his protective embrace. His eyes held fire and desire. His stare told me he was about to take me to heaven. I arched my back and pressed my fingers harder on my clit. The pleasure I gave myself couldn¡¯tpare to what he could give me. Waves of pleasure washed over me. I ran a hand up my belly and cupped my breast as I fiddled with my phone. A picture would help or I could call him. ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s probably sleeping.¡± It was nearly two in the morning I needed to sleep. Azaire might follow me to my dreams. Chapter 18 ine POV I put the hair straightener on the on the dresser. I fluffed it up to add a little bit of personality. I wore a petite denim skirt, sneakers and a white long-sleeve shirt. I finished it off with a gold ne. Dove was still awake and active. Having her around gave me confidence I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. I gathered my banner. I¡¯d finish it in the art room at school. I dashed into the kitchen quickly to grab whatever was made for breakfast before I left. The downside of living in the pack house was all the food was snatched up before you walked into the shower in the morning. I found a few bits of bacon in a bowl and apple juice in the fridge. ¡°This will have to do too,¡± I said, adding the bacon to a napkin. I felt a heavy presencee up behind me. I could only be one person. Hisrge tattooed arms gripped the counter from either side of me. He caged me against his chest and the marble counter but I refused to turn around. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of ways to punish you for your little stunt at the Blood Moon Pack but after seeing those sexy legs I think I¡¯ve forgiven you, mate.¡± ¡°I am not your mate.¡± I spun and my wolf shed in my eyes. She expressed her disgust and rejection. Neel¡¯s wolf shed in his eyes too but his response was weak. Dove¡¯s show of dominance was firm and she refused to bow at ame attempt at putting her down. Neel didn¡¯t like that though. He grabbed my face and squeezed. ¡°Listen to me you little whore. Your Father wants my army-¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you sleep with him?¡± His nostrils red at his eyes went wide. I ducked under his arm and slipped away. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to chat, Neel I have to go to school,¡± I gave him a mischievous smile. I thought I got away scot-free but my brother decided to walk into the kitchen.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Crap, I thought. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going dressed like that?¡± Nik barked. zer smirked. ¡°I¡¯m going to school. I¡¯m still allowed to go, aren¡¯t I?¡± Nik¡¯s features hardened. I slipped between my brothers, hoping to make a fast getaway, but Nik grabbed my arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do, ine but-¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to go to school! I have to finish the banner for the football game. You know the one zer¡¯s ying in.¡± ¡°Leave her alone, Nik. No one ever messes with ine.¡± ¡°No, thanks to you,¡± I sighed. He winked. ¡°You¡¯re wee little sis.¡± ¡°It better stay that way you know the deal,¡± Nik said firmly. I eyed my older brother up and down. We didn¡¯t have the best rtionship. Sometimes I thought he hated me because Dad cheated on his Mother. Dove has fuelled my responses the entire morning but this time I put her down. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill it tonight, zer. Bye,¡± I said and walked out the front door. The only thing I looked forward to today was seeing Azaire. *** ¡°You¡¯re not finished!¡± Jenifer yelled. She and Helen barged into the art studio seconds ago in their cheerleader uniform. Quin sent her minions to do her work for her. ¡°I was waiting for the paint to dry. Here take it,¡± I said, standing from my stool. Helen tilted her head to the side. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°The ws are made of iron to show our resilience and strength. The bright blue moon is meant to show how strong our spirits are and if one thinks carefully they¡¯ll understand that our essences as wolveses from the moon too,¡± I said proudly. Jenifer frowned and snatched the banner roughly. ¡°You were asked to make a banner not draw a literature assignment. This will have to do.¡± Helen flipped her brown hair over her shoulder and pranced out. I let out a frustrated breath but at least I was done with it. I had a few weeks of high school. I didn¡¯t need to attend everyday all I had to do was show up for graduation. With Alpha Laiken¡¯s ns would I even make it to graduation? ¡°Neel¡¯s a fool if he thinks we¡¯re getting married.¡± Cheers andughter boomed outside signalling the beginning of the game. I settled on my desk in front of a nk canvas. I feltfortable here in the dark silence, alone. I might have been confident in the morning but I was back to being quiet, wallflower ine who didn¡¯t like the crowds. Though, this was my brother¡¯sst game of his high school life so I had to see him y. I used the long way to get to the stands. I walked through the gymnasium turned and into the locker rooms where I¡¯d exit out at the pool. ¡°You might want to turn back,¡± Dove said causally. ¡°Why?¡± I paused. ¡°Trust me,¡± she hissed. The air reeked of sex, lust and a hint of cigarette smoke. I cringed and backed up. Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s zer again. This can¡¯t keep happening. Whoever was having sex was being destroyed. ¡°Ugh! Alpha Neel! You¡¯re even better than I imagined!¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°Does my reputation precede me?¡± he barked out augh. Hisughter only momentarily drowned out the sound of skin smacking. ¡°Goddess! It does. Harder, show me exactly what you¡¯re made of.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Neel grunted. I backed up. They were in the girl¡¯s locker room. A ck shirt flew out of the stall and backed up even faster. Quin¡¯s shameless screams filled the locker rooms. She should have been out there leading her team. ¡°I tried to warn you,¡± Dove sighed. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t see anyone naked,¡± I replied. Doesn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t imagine it. I shivered. On the bright side at least he wasn¡¯t bugging me to have sex. I made it to our school¡¯s home ground. Half the town was here supporting the youth. The miniature stadium was rocking and my banner was flying high with the cheerleaders! I beamed as I watched them hold it high. The team was about to head out to the field. That was when I felt a warm sensation crawl up my arm. ¡°How much do you want to bed ck w gets their asses handed to them?¡± I snorted. ¡°We have the best attack in the country.¡± ¡°You clearly haven¡¯t seen the Shaw boys y,¡± he whispered in my ear. I turned to meet a man wearing dark sunsses, a ck hoodie and a baseball cap under the hoodie. ¡°Is this what you call a disguise?¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m holding my scent back too.¡± I almost forgot we made a deal to talk tonight. It wasn¡¯t safe though, Nik and Neel were here. I wasn¡¯t sure about my Dad but just Azaire being on ck w territory was dangerous. ¡°Wanna get out of here?¡± I asked. ¡°Please,¡± he replied eagerly. I smirked and took his hand. He took the lead. He opened the passenger door to his truck for me when we got to the parking lot. We could hear the roar of the crowd from here. ¡°Any other Blood Moon wolves here?¡± I asked. He shed me a sexy grin. ¡°That¡¯s confidential information.¡± ¡°Even to your mate?¡± I raised a brow. He barked out augh. ¡°Especially to you. You¡¯re trouble, ine.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± He reached out and picked me off my seat. I curled up on hisp. Being with him felt right. Iy my head on his solid chest. ¡°I ran fiveps around Shaw Castlest night,¡± Azaire said. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°To ease the sexual frustration I felt. We can¡¯t ignore the mate bond forever.¡± I sat up so I could look into his eyes. I had secrets, I was using wolf enhancers and I was engaged. Despite that, I didn¡¯t want to reject Azaire. He was my enemy by default but I couldn¡¯t help but think about those soft pink lips and his tatted arms. I bit my bottom lip and his eyes focused on it. The force of the mate bond was too strong to ignore. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I whispered. ¡°There¡¯s noing back from what I want to do, ine.¡± ¡°Take me, Azaire.¡± A moment passed. My heart was pounding and my palms were sweaty but the words were out there. There¡¯s no going back and I didn¡¯t want to back down. Chapter 19 ine POV We stumbled into his apartment, kissing, touching and panting. He locked the door and dumped the keys somewhere with his eyes closed. He mmed me against the wall felt the sides of my body slowly and sensually until he came to the hem of my denim skirt. I waspletely inexperienced. My heart was racing from the thrill but my hands trembled from the fear. ¡°Hey, are you scared?¡± He held my face in hisrge hands and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous. It feels surreal sometimes,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s surreal?¡± He asked gently. ¡°That you¡¯re my mate. I guess I lost hope of ever having one.¡± ¡°I want every inch of you, sweetheart.¡± He kissed my lips. ¡°I want to taste every part.¡± He kissed me again. Butterflies filled my tummy and I burst into giggles. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to see you.¡± He picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me through his apartment. Hey me on his massive bed. It smelt like him. Gosh, I wanted him, but my secrets were nagging at me. Was this really the best time to tell him all my dirtyundry? I med the nerves. ¡°My Dad knows I was with another male. He got upset but that¡¯s not the only thing.¡± ¡°Fuck is that why he locked you up? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Because we got into an argument, I thought. I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s more I just¡­ can¡¯t right now, Azaire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the best ine. Everyone¡¯s going to find out. Hell, I want everyone to know I have a fated mate and she¡¯s the most fucking gorgeous woman ever!¡± Heat rushed to my face and tears stung my eyes. I cupped my face and battled to contain the tears. Azaire pried my hands off my face. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, ine. Forget everything I said, you¡¯re not a ck w spawn. You¡¯re perfect and I want to show you.¡± I nibbled on my bottom lip and nodded. Azaire turned off the overhead lights and turned on themp by his bedside. He lifted the shirt over my head, revealing a ck bra. He unclipped it and marvelled at my modest chest. The soft glow from themp caressed his masculine features. ¡°So beautiful.¡± He undressed me with immense care. He was too dressed when parted my legs with his knee. I pulled his shirt over his head while he unbuckled his belt and lost his pants. Secondster our naked bodies mingled together. ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle,¡± he whispered in my ear. He kissed my neck and nibbled on the soft flesh. I ran my hands up his back and dug my nails into his back as I felt the pressure from his rock-hard-on on my belly. He¡¯s perfect, perfect for me. Yes, he¡¯s annoying and we¡¯ll probably fight a lot but he went to my house when he thought I was in danger. He pummelled Neel when he stepped out of line. How did I know if I left Azaire that he wouldn¡¯t juste running after me? I raised my knees as Azaire positioned his member on my stomach. My breathing intensified but I wanted him, my wolf yearned for him. Azaire held my jaw and captured my gaze. ¡°Look at me, Beautiful,¡± he said softly. Our eyes locked. He slid his cock into my soaked entrance. I gasped as his cock stretched my walls. I panted, I was partly confused but I focused on him. ¡°Fuck ine, you¡¯re so tight.¡± I dug my nails into his back and cried out as he broke through. He gently rocked his hipped forward. I felt a blend of pain and pleasure as he worked me up. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful. My gorgeous mate.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I shut my eyes and relished the sensations coursing through my body. Azaire moved from gentle to slightly rough. He rocked us hard enough to make the bed bang against the wall. He handled me with care. He did as he promised and tasted every inch of me. Azaire chased my pleasure and awoke passions in me I didn¡¯t know I had. I felt my orgasm nearing. Azaire was close too and it was going to be beautiful. The feeling of oneness overwhelmed me. Azaire closed his lips on mine and kissed me passionately. Finally, our mate bond wasplete. *** ¡°ine, wake up,¡± a voice inside my head said. I woke up in a dark room on top of a sleeping man. Azaire¡¯s arm held me to his chest. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked through my link with my wolf. ¡°We have to go. You don¡¯t have much time. The curse is going to act up soon.¡± ¡°How? I thought the wolf enhancers worked.¡± ¡°We need more but we won¡¯t get them tonight. We need our Alpha,¡± Dove said urgently. I sat up and stared at Azaire. What would he think when he woke up and I wasn¡¯t here? Though, I could feel Dove fleeting. ¡°Our bond with him is closed he won¡¯t feel us until you use more wolf enhancers. Go, ine. He¡¯ll be okay.¡± I kissed his forehead before scrabbling for my clothes. *** I couldn¡¯t shift I had to run home. By the time I got home my bones had broken, Dove was gone and my limps trembled. I was a fool for thinking I could be free. My curse will always bring me back to this ce. The betas guarding the house surrounded me before I copsed. I¡¯m in trouble now. They dumped me in my Dad¡¯s office and left me to my fate. I trembled terribly as if someone had pulled me out of a freezer. Not long after I was dumped in the office Dad¡¯s heavy presence filled the room. The temperature in the room grew colder when his witch appeared. ¡°You thought you were clever, ine,¡± Dad said surprisingly calmly. ¡°I should let your curse deal with you, but I want to know how you recovered on your own?¡± My heart mmed forward. He could never know. Avena red at me. She would let me die in the blink of an eye. ¡°Speak!¡± Dad barked. I bit my tongue. I shut my eyes and trembled uncontrobly. I needed to fight. I had to get out of here and away from these people. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, ine. You need me.¡± He pried my mouth open. I looked in time to see Dad fill his hand with venom. He shoved it into my mouth. Alpha¡¯s venom was deadly and it burned like acid but to me, a curse wolf it was like water. It neutralized the chaos going on inside me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Avena demanded. ¡°She¡¯s not getting out of her deal with Neel that easily.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask her where she was?¡± ¡°Ask her if you want. I don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± Dad turned around and left Avena standing in front of me. She red at me with distaste. She left without offering me another word. There was a packet of wolf enhancers at the lodge. I couldn¡¯t use them forever but I couldn¡¯t be a prisoner for the rest of my life either. Chapter 20 I had work today but I had a nagging feeling I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this house that easily. Surely, my brothers knew what happenedst night. I didn¡¯t know what Dad told them but it didn¡¯t matter. They always believed him. Dove was still dormant so any n I came up with was up to me. I backed a small backpack full of clothes and threw it out of my window. Itnded in a rosebush a few feet from my window. I wanted to say goodbye to Opal or tell her about my ns but right now trust was something I couldn¡¯t afford to give out. ¡°ine,¡± Dad said the second I got downstairs. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he added. ¡°To work¡­ at the lodge. Rick needs me.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°Neel wants to speak to you. He wants to hear from your mouth that your wedding will take ce a week from now.¡± A week from now?! Neel appeared behind my Dad. He smirked victoriously. ¡°I would love your reassurance, mate,¡± I clenched my teeth. ¡°No need to worry, There will be a wedding.¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ll have to forgive her. ine hasn¡¯t been feeling welltely,¡± Dad said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Laiken. I¡¯ll take good care of my mate.¡± Dad nodded before he disappeared upstairs. ¡°Maybe you can take some lessons from your friend on how to please a man,¡± Neel spat. ¡°You big fat oaf!¡± I spat. He raised his hand to strike me. I ducked but in the process, I tripped and hit my face on the mahogany table near the staircase. I cut my cheek open. I red at him as I cradled my throbbing face. Neel frowned at me. ¡°I can¡¯t say you didn¡¯t deserve that. If you learn to behave I¡¯ll treat you like a queen.¡± I bit my tongue. In his dreams. *** I used the first aid box at work to cover up my cut. Everyone kept staring at me but no one asked what happened. I tried to busy myself with work but there wasn¡¯t much to do at the lodge today. Not that many people for us to cater to that Saturday. My phone hadn¡¯t stopped ringing though. I couldn¡¯t speak to Azaire with a cut on my face I couldn¡¯t face him either. I didn¡¯t want him to pick another fight with Neel. Since the lodge was quiet I slipped into the storage locker downstairs. Everything was just as I left it. The wolf enhancers were tucked away behind stacks of boxes. I only needed a little. I inhaled the enhancers and instantly felt Dove wriggle out of her shell. I ced a hand on my heart and sighed. ¡°It worked.¡± I pushed the packet of enhancers back behind the boxes and straightened my clothes. Unfortunately, Dove couldn¡¯t heal my cut, but just having her around was good enough. My phone vibrated in my shorts before I exited the storage room. It was Azaire. He was just going to call me again. I answered the call. ¡°Azaire.¡± ¡°What the hell happenedst night?¡± he demanded. ¡°I can¡¯t talk right now I¡¯m at work.¡± ¡°At the lodge, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but we can¡¯t see each other not right now. Please.¡± ¡°Toote. I¡¯m in room 502.¡± He hung up. I gawked at my phone. Was he serious? I found out a couple minutester when I knocked on room 502 which happened to be our finest room. Azaire answered the door, he bore down on me. He hadn¡¯t bothered to shave today. He opted for a white t-shirt instead of a ck one to hold his sculpted muscles. He leaned against the frame and crossed his boots at the ankles. Hisid back demeanoursted a second because then he focused on the red and swollen spot on my cheek. ¡°It was an ident!¡± He dragged me inside. ¡°ident? On your face? Do you think I was born yesterday? Which one of those low lives did it?¡± ¡°My brothers would nevery a hand on me,¡± I said protectively. ¡°Your Father would, Neel would. Did Neel do this? I¡¯m going to kill him. This time I¡¯ll dismember him.¡± ¡°Stop please¡­¡± ¡°Stop? He deserves to get his face smashed in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Fuck, ine.¡± He examined the band-aid I ced on the cut. He stroked my cheek but shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t let this slide, babe. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Neel tried to p me but I ducked and fell on the table. It was an ident.¡± ¡°An ident he caused. Why did you leave? What the hell?¡± I wrapped my arms around his middle and held on tightly. I wanted to tell him I had a defective wolf but I was scared he would reject me. No one wanted a mate who could ruin his children¡¯s chances of having strong wolves. He tangled his fingers in my hair and kissed my forehead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± he asked gently. ¡°What?¡± I replied. ¡°That you were a virgin.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­ must have been the nerves. I wanted you to be yourself.¡± ¡°Fine. Promise me you won¡¯t leave this room until I get back.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I have things to take care of in my pack but I couldn¡¯t function until I knew you were okay. I¡¯m not satisfied with your safety, babe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back there Azaire¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± My backpack was under the bench in the employee¡¯s lounge. I had my savings which would be enough for a hotel but beyond that I didn¡¯t have a n. ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out together. Hey, it¡¯s going to be okay, I won¡¯t leave you.¡± I nodded but I didn¡¯tpletely believe him. He pulled me into his arms. His actions spoke volumes, our mate bond told a story or defiance and passion that¡¯s when I knew he wouldn¡¯t leave me. Pounding came from the door and I jumped. ¡°That¡¯s probably my boss. I¡¯ve been in here too long.¡± I said Azaire chuckled. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± He marched to the door and yanked it open. A man I recognized from the Blood Moon pack stepped into the room with a mischievous grin. He was the one who came to Azaire¡¯s side after he gave Neel a beating. ¡°So this is the girl that¡¯s got you running around Elvira Falls like a headless chicken.¡± ¡°Ross,¡± Azaire growled. ¡°I told you to wait in the truck.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I just thought you¡¯d like to know I just saw Nik Ryker arrive and leave a few minutes ago. The owner doesn¡¯t look toofortable now.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be good,¡± I said. *** The three of us set off to find Rick. Thankfully, a few guests were upied and the other staff members were busy. Rick was by the counter.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, there you are ine. Your brother just left. The Alpha¡¯s ordered me to fire you.¡± ¡°This is neutral ground he can¡¯t do that,¡± Azaire said. Rick rubbed his forehead. ¡°He said you¡¯re moving to the mountain pack and you don¡¯t need the job anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± I gasped. ¡°Rick you can¡¯t fire me. I need this job.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fire you, kid. Some of our rooms inched into ck w territory. He¡¯s threatening to burn them down. I can¡¯t afford that.¡± I shut my eyes. Alpha Laiken is a tyrant. Without me, he won¡¯t have his precious army. Without that army, he can¡¯t wage war against anyone. ¡°I understand Rick. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I¡¯ll send you yourst check. Will you be okay without it today?¡± I nodded. ¡°I have enough for a motel.¡± ¡°For your own good don¡¯t tell me what motel you¡¯re going to.¡± This was it. No turning back. Chapter 21 ine POV Ross peeked through the motel window. These guys made sure we weren¡¯t followed and picked out the motel outside both ck w pack going into Blood Moon territory. It would be easier for Azaire to get to me. Most businesses were run by Blood Moon wolves or rogues which meant no one from my pack would recognize me and rat me out. ¡°She should be safe,¡± Ross said. Azaire gripped my hand blood almost stopped circting. I couldn¡¯t believe I did this. My Father and brothers were the only life I¡¯d ever known. Azaire offered me something different but to have that I needed courage. Azaire stared at me with concern. He was the one who found the motel and insisted on paying my bill. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said rubbing his thigh. ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been gone long enough bro. Richie¡¯s going to get suspicious.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already breathing down my neck,¡± Azaire said. Ross walked out first giving me a moment alone with my mate. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Azaire asked. I bit my bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯ve never been away from my family before. They might be dysfunctional but they¡¯re all I¡¯ve known.¡± He picked up my hand and kissed it. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you, ine and I¡¯ll be a lot nicer than your ck w rtives.¡± The passive aggressiveness between us might never end. ¡°You know your Blood Mood psychos aren¡¯t so clean. They attacked the omega house and injured dozens. I was in that house there was a chance that you wouldn¡¯t have a mate right now.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why would you be there?¡± ¡°I used to live there,¡± I shrugged. ¡°You lived in the omegas house? Why?¡± he asked, dumbfounded. I raked a hand through my hair. Ugh, I forgot howplicated my life can be. ¡°Because¡­ well, Luna Bianca didn¡¯t want me in the pack house.¡± ¡°ine, you¡¯re not making any sense.¡± I smirked and pressed my lips against his cheek. ¡°My Dad¡¯s greatest weapon is the fear he puts in people. No one ever questioned who my Mother was when I showed up at six years old. I knew they were my family I just wasn¡¯t allowed in the house.¡± ¡°Fuck that¡¯s horrible. I can¡¯t imagine it.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. It was a long time ago.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be strong for me. What the Alpha and Luna did was despicable. You were innocent.¡± I didn¡¯t like to think about it for fear of being consumed by those memories. ¡°You said you showed up at six where were you before that?¡± Azaire asked. I opened my mouth to respond but closed it again. No one ever asked me that. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember.¡± Azaire raised his brow. His phone rang before he could question me. It was Richie. He had to go. I could tell in his eyes that he didn¡¯t want to leave. He held me in a warm and protective embrace. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine Azaire as long as Dad doesn¡¯t know where I am I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Laiken would mistreat his own daughter.¡± I stood on my toes and kissed him. ¡°You should go.¡± I watched him leave. I listened as his car drove out of the parking lot. This isn¡¯t what I envisioned about leaving home but it was better than nothing. I was lucky Azaire didn¡¯t sense the wolf enhancers in my bag. I managed to sneak back to their hiding spot at the lodge and get them since I wouldn¡¯t be going back to work, no thanks to Dad and Nik. ¡°He¡¯s going to be pissed when he finds out,¡± Dove said. ¡°I hope he understands though,¡± I told her.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Hourster after unpacking and flipping through the channels on the TV, I went out to buy food. I was starving I could eat a small goat. Thankfully there was a cafe and Chinese restaurant not far from my motel. On my way back to the motel with my noodles and sweet chicken, the hair on my arm stood. ¡°Danger,¡± my wolf said. ¡°What?¡± I stopped. ¡°Danger!¡± I ducked between two cars in the parking lot. I scanned the semi-empty parking lot for danger. Aside from the cars zooming through the road, the lot was quiet. I was about to get up when a ck SUV drove into the parking lot followed by a ck truck. They parked far from the building. My skin crawled this was the danger Dove spoke about. Two men hopped out of the ck truck. They both had jet ck hair though one of them braided his beard. They faced the SUV. I inched closer and used my wolf hearing to eavesdrop. The SUV door burst open and a lean man jumped out. ¡°zer,¡± I whispered. I assumed he was on an errand for Dad or Nik but when one of the men opened his jacket and pulled out a white packet my blood nearly froze over. That was the same packet I had hidden in my bedroom. ¡°Why does zer need wolf enhancers?¡± I hissed. It¡¯s not for the same reason I do. ¡°What is this? The agreement was for three,¡± zer snapped. ¡°Easy kid, things have changed.¡± ¡°Fuck that, I paid for three good packets.¡± ¡°Rx. One of the shipments was found open and some of the merchandise isn¡¯t ounted for. We have toy low for a while.¡± ¡°Because of one box? You¡¯re not serious,¡± zer said. ¡°You don¡¯t know our boss. She doesn¡¯t like hups.¡± She¡­ the person running the wolf enhancers was a woman that¡¯s interesting. Something Azaire would like to know. ¡°When do I get the rest?¡± zer asked. ¡°In a week. In Chesterton cemetery, we call you not the other way around.¡± That was in Blood Moon territory. Who did these guys work for? They seemed to be operating in both packs. zer nodded and got back in his car. My body eased as they drove off. I willed my wolf to reach out to her mate. I felt him reach out and embrace our bond. I knew he¡¯d be here soon. *** A knock came at the door. I turned off the TV and climbed off the bed to answer the door. I smelted him before I knew it was him. ¡°Hey,¡± he said as he pulled a shirt over his sweaty body. ¡°Did you run here?¡± I asked. He nodded as he stepped inside. He kissed my cheek and scanned the room. It was when he was inside that I smelted the blood. ¡°Azaire, what happened?¡± ¡°Nothing serious, mate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hurt of course it¡¯s serious.¡± He fell backwards on the bed and groaned. ¡°No, ine, I¡¯m healing. I¡¯m fine.¡± I climbed on the bed and straddled him. He gripped my ass and raised his brow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide things from me.¡± I felt like a hypocrite because of the things I was keeping from him. My defective wolf and the wolf enhancers would definitely put him off. Azaire sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I got into a fight with my cousin. Things got more than heated.¡± ¡°Oliver, Francine¡¯s brother?¡± He nodded. ¡°He¡¯s been crossing his boundaries. I¡¯m the pack beta, not him. He¡¯s the reason the confrontation between our packs turned bloody and what ticks me off is when we raided that party we knew there was a load of wolf enhancers but ording to him the house was clean. I¡¯m not buying that.¡± ¡°You think Oliver¡¯s stealing wolf enhancers?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be hard to tell him about zer now. ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s not showing signs of using so he¡¯s doing something else with them.¡± I swallowed. ¡°What are the signs?¡± He lifted a shoulder. ¡°In the beginning, it¡¯s a stronger wolf, faster reflexes,rger appetite but after some time the wolf loses control, they lose hair and ultimately their ability to shift and they die.¡± I swallowed. I was experiencing a stronger wolf but not the others. ¡°Do wolf enhancers heal?¡± I asked. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard of.¡± Maybe the wolf enhancers wouldn¡¯t hurt me because my wolf was different. ¡°Why¡¯d you call baby? Did you just miss me?¡± He sat up and squeezed me. He kissed my neck and growled. ¡°I definitely missed you,¡± he said against my skin. ¡°I missed you but¡­ I saw some guys exchanging wolf enhancers like the ones from work.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Did you recognize them?¡± I tucked a strand behind my ear. ¡°Yeah¡­ one of them was zer.¡± I told him about their next location and he insisted on checking it out. ¡°Great, I¡¯ming too,¡± I said. ¡°Out of the question, mate.¡± ¡°Babe, I¡¯m involved I have to go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also dangerous and it¡¯s my job to protect you whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not winning this so you might as well take me, Azaire.¡± The corner of his mouth raised. ¡°Your stubbornness is a turn-on.¡± He squeezed my ass. ¡°Did I tell you how much I want you?¡± I blushed. He took my chin and dragged me down to meet his lips. A wolf howled outside. The familiar sound made my blood run cold. That was a ck w wolf what were they doing this close to enemy territory? Chapter 22 ine POV ¡°Rx mate,¡± Azaire said. All I thought of was why they were so close. This wasn¡¯t running territory, Dadid out the running grounds for the pack so we wouldn¡¯t get into unnecessary conflict. They had to be searching for me to fulfil the engagement to Neel. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not after you even if they were ine they would have to go through me to get to you. You know that right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I do,¡± I said. He dragged me down to the bed and kissed my forehead. I looked into his hazel eyes for warmth and found it there. ¡°What are you thinking, princess?¡± he asked gently. ¡°If they find me they¡¯ll make me marry Neel and other things¡­¡± ¡°What other things?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°Long story. Now isn¡¯t the best time. Cuddle?¡± His face was grim but he opened his arms and I snuggled beside him. The howling grew faint and I settled. They wouldn¡¯t get to me, I convinced myself. *** Azaire stayed the night but when the sun cast its rays into the sky he had to leave. He woke me so he could say goodbye. We didn¡¯t discuss when we¡¯d see each other again. He had responsibilities to his pack especially now when things aren¡¯t good between our packs. I hoped with my engagement to Neel being cancelled their alliance would end up in the mud too. Azaire and his pack would be safe. After a quick shower I changed and grabbed my purse so I could go to the diner for coffee. A knock came from the door before I could touch the door handle. It wasn¡¯t my mate I would have sensed him. I sniffed the air but I didn¡¯t recognize the scent on the other end. The knock sounded again. Maybe it¡¯s someone from the front desk, I thought. I opened the door and my heart sunk. ¡°Avena,¡± I said. She stepped inside and scanned the room. ¡°So, this is where you¡¯ve been hiding out. You didn¡¯t run far enough, ine.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± I demanded. She sneered at me. ¡°I¡¯m here to have tea and talk like two old girlfriends. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t your choice. You have a duty.¡± ¡°How did you find me?¡± I demanded. She tipped her head back andughed. ¡°I¡¯m a witch use your imagination for the rest of the story. You¡¯ve made your Father very angry, you ungrateful little swine.¡± She backed me into the room. Her heated re carried more hatred than I¡¯d ever seen on her face before. ¡°I won¡¯t let him use me anymore. I¡¯m not marrying Neel so go back to ck w and tell your Alpha.¡± She snatched my arm and squeezed it. ¡°You spoiled little brat. You owe your Father everything. Do you know where you would have been without him? You should be grateful.¡± ¡°Ha! He¡¯s my Father it was his responsibility. Get lost Avena. I¡¯m not your toy anymore.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°How will you survive the full moon. Your brothers won¡¯t help you. They¡¯re disgusted by you.¡± I smirked and yanked my arm free. ¡°To hell, Avena.¡± She thrust her arm forward and circled her fingers around my neck. I felt her powers lock around my throat. I grabbed her wrist but Avena didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You little slut, you found a mate. You didn¡¯t burn the herbs I gave you. You wouldn¡¯t have found your mate if you did. All you¡¯ve ever done is ruin things since the day you were born.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you get to control me,¡± I choked. Avena rolled her eyes. ¡°As usual Avena must clean up everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been hurting me this entire time,¡± I coughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping you at bay, ine.¡± ¡°Is it even true there¡¯s no cure to the curse?!¡± Sheughed. ¡°You were born cursed of course there¡¯s no cure. You¡¯re dirty in the moon goddess¡¯s eyes. When your mate finds out he¡¯ll get rid of you too. Be lucky Neel still wants you.¡± He wants me to abuse me! ¡°Let¡­ go¡­¡± She muttered words I couldn¡¯t understand. I struggled to breath. Avena was the monster I always knew she was. The potions she¡¯s been feeding me all these years probably hurt Dove more than helped her. My blood boiled because Dad knew about this. He gave his permission. They hated me that much. ¡°I said let me go!¡± The chain of Avena¡¯s power broke instantly. A ring of crimson fire burst from my hand and hurled Avena to the wall. The me hit the bed, singed the covers and burned the carpet. I gasped. What the hell? Avena rubbed her head and stared at the ground for a moment. ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± she whispered. ¡°Avena¡­¡± I said, cautiously. The fire was so powerful it burned the paint off the walls. I¡¯m in trouble now. Avena scanned the damage before settling on me. ¡°This isn¡¯t over, ine.¡± She scurried to her feet. ¡°Not by a long shot.¡± She yanked the door open and darted out. I should have gone after her and demanded what she knew. I couldn¡¯t have done that, it wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°Dove,¡± I summoned my wolf. ¡°What was that? How did that happen?¡± ¡°It was you, ine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very possible. I can¡¯t tell you everything so there¡¯s no point in asking.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I demanded. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Dove was no help. I needed to clean up this ce and find another apartment. Avena would be back with an army to drag me back to the pack. I felt horrible about the apartment but I would feel worse if I was trapped in my house again. I grabbed my bag and stuffed it with my clothes and toiletries. I¡¯d contact Azaireter. A knock came at the door and I froze. My hand trembled and I dropped my bag. They knocked again, harder this time. I stared at my shaking hands and gasped. They were red as if I painted them. A triangle had been carved on my left palm. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± I hissed. ¡°ine, open up!¡± Chapter 23 ine POV ¡°Uh¡­ Azaire, what are you doing here?¡± I nibbled on my nails. The room was a mess! It was obvious something happened here and I couldn¡¯te up with a realistic lie. Maybe it¡¯s time to stop lying ine ande clean, I thought. What was I going toe clean about? I didn¡¯t know what happened here! ¡°I brought you breakfast. What¡¯s going on?¡± His temper was rising. Azaire could break the door if he wanted, but his suspicions hadn¡¯t reached that level yet. ¡°I know you¡¯re alone,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m naked,¡± I said sheepishly. I stared at my red hands. My nerves were all over the ce I suddenly realized my hands were throbbing.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s your best excuse?¡± Azaire asked. Even I couldn¡¯t believe I said that. ¡°No, no fine. I¡¯ming,¡± I said. It smelled like charcoal in here. I was backed into a corner I had no choice but I was also against the clock to get away from Avena¡¯s army. I walked to the door and winced before I got there. Skin opened up on my cheek and blood trickled down my face. ¡°Not now,¡± I whispered. ¡°Dove,¡± I called but she didn¡¯t answer. I felt her retreat within me. My connection to Azaire vanished as my wolf distanced herself. I knew he was on the other side of the door but I couldn¡¯t feel him. I opened the door to meet his intense stare. He¡¯d strangled the bag he brought the breakfast in. He looked over my head into the room. It would have been easier to exin if I had another guy in here but how to I exin a magic burst of fire? He looked down at me and dropped the bag. ¡°Your face.¡± He reached out but held back. He entered the room and took in the surroundings. I locked the door behind him and set the breakfast on the TV stand. ¡°I can exin¡­ most of it anyway.¡± ¡°Start with your face, ine. I want it short, a name and an address because that¡¯s where I¡¯m going next.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t anyone.¡± ¡°You expect me to believe that?¡± He scoffed. ¡°No, Azaire-¡± ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± He snapped. I sighed heavily and took his hands in mine. I had no choice but to show him. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, I do,¡± he replied. I didn¡¯t have anything sharp with me. ¡°Do you carry a knife?¡± I asked sheepishly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come on, Azaire, I¡¯m trying to exin here.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he muttered. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and retrieved a pocket knife. He handed it to me. ¡°You do it. I can¡¯t.¡± He raised his brow. ¡°ine?¡± I looked at his palm. ¡°Trust me.¡± I closed my eyes as Azaire opened his palm and ced the de on his skin. ¡°There,¡± he grunted. I opened my eyes as blood oozed out of his palm. Azaire watched me with interest. I exhaled and focused on healing his cut. I felt power leave me and my body weaken a tad. His hand sealed up rapidly like closing a zipper. ¡°Here you go,¡± I said. He scrutinized his hand and then back at me. I winced as my skin opened on my arm. It was a small cut but it hurt. ¡°You healed me and it hurt you?¡± Azaire asked. I nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t heal like other wolves either. It¡¯s worse with the full moon the shifting really hurts me. Only my Father or brother¡¯s venom counters my¡­ curse.¡± He remained silent and listened to me speak. It was like being stripped naked and having to speak to a room full of people. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t feel your wolf right now, isn¡¯t it? Your curse restricts your wolf.¡± I nodded. ¡°I have a defective wolf. No one knows other than my family and Neel but I didn¡¯t have a choice. I healed zer in front of him.¡± Azaire raked a hand through his hair and settled on the edge of the bed. I bit my bottom lip. Was he disgusted? What if Avena was right and Azaire didn¡¯t want me after learning the truth? ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± he muttered. ¡°And the fire?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Avena found me and-¡± ¡°Just great,¡± he puffed. ¡°Your Father¡¯s creepy witch?¡± I nodded. ¡°It just happened and I don¡¯t know why.¡± I held up my palm. ¡°Then this happened.¡± Azaire¡¯s eyes slightly widened. ¡°We need help, ine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not disgusted with me?¡± I blurted out. He stood and smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯ve got no reason to be. I¡¯m concerned about you during full moons but we can figure it out.¡± Since I¡¯ming clean should I mention I¡¯ve been using wolf enhancers? I think it¡¯s too much truth for one day. ¡°I think we should learn more about your curse. Everything you know has been told to you, hasn¡¯t it?¡± I nodded. ¡°Avena tried to stop me from finding my mate who knows what else she¡¯s done to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s our first clue that that woman is evil.¡± I told him everything about Avena¡¯s visit and we agreed time wasn¡¯t on our side. I needed a new motel. I packed up my things while Azaire called Ross. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I said. Azaire grabbed the back of my head and kissed me passionately. ¡°We¡¯ll find you another ce okay?¡± I nodded. We needed to counter Avena¡¯s magic too. Azaire opened the door and both of us froze. I turned to Azaire. ¡°Lucas,¡± Azaire said, his shoulders falling. His younger brother stood on the other side of the door looking as stunned as us. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Azaire asked. Lucas looked between Azaire and me. He must have followed Azaire here. ¡°Me?¡± Lucas chuckled. ¡°I should be asking you! Don¡¯t you know who she is?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time, Lucas. We can talkter,¡± Azaire said firmly. Lucas backed up and shook his head. ¡°I thought they were scum yet here you are shacking up with ine? You traitor!¡± Azaire closed the distance and grabbed Luca¡¯s shirt. ¡°Azaire leave him alone.¡± I held Azaire¡¯s arm but he wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°I¡¯m no traitor. You don¡¯t understand,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°What about Megan? What did you tell her?¡± Lucas spat. ¡°Who¡¯s Megan?¡± I asked. ¡°His girlfriend,¡± Lucas smiled at me. ¡°No, she¡¯s not.¡± Azaire shoved Lucas backwards. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time. Get in your car and follow me, okay? I know where you live I¡¯ll find you and fuck you up if you don¡¯t, go it?¡± Lucas straightened his jacket and looked between us. He frowned but nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± Lucas walked back to his Bentley. I stared at Azaire. He kissed my forehead. ¡°She¡¯s no one. I¡¯ll exinter.¡± I frowned. If she¡¯s no one, why would he need to exin? I followed him to his car anyway. Chapter 24 Azaire POV Damn Lucas it was bad enough he followed me, but he had to mention Megan too? ine hadn¡¯t looked up from the window since we got into the car. I hadn¡¯t touched Megan since I found out I had a mate. She tried to initiate contact but my thoughts were on ine alone. I grabbed her thigh and rubbed it. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I asked. ¡°Your girlfriend,¡± she snapped. I clenched my jaw. ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend, babe.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter anyway. What¡¯s Lucas going to do?¡± ¡°Nothing. He¡¯s my little brother he has to listen to me.¡± ¡°But Richie¡¯s the Alpha and Lucas owes him loyalty.¡± ine had a point but I couldn¡¯t bear to even think about being separated from ine just because of a rivalry. I didn¡¯t want to fight with my family either. I was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m just stressed.¡± I held her hand and squeezed. ¡°It¡¯s okay mate. Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡± I drove into the underground parking space of my building. ¡°We¡¯ll find you a motelter right now I have to get through to Lucas.¡± She nodded. I wouldn¡¯t mind if she stayed with me. Normally when wolves find their mates they have a mating ceremony move in together and immediately start the pup-making process. These weren¡¯t normal circumstances though. My gorgeous mates would give me beautiful children. She didn¡¯t even know how beautiful she was. I couldn¡¯t believe her Father treated her so badly. It made me hate the Ryker family more. How could I do that and be in love with their daughter? ¡°This better be good, Azaire,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Shut up.¡± I took ine¡¯s hand to show Lucas this wasn¡¯t a joke. We went up to my apartment and the little bastard made himselffortable on the couch. ¡°You couldn¡¯t stand the thought of me having ine so you have to swoop in and take her,¡± Lucas said. I recalled my younger brother kissing my drunk mate at that party I should have raided. I stared at ine and she sucked in her bottom lip. ¡°No, she was mine first. I should have done a lot more than take your car keys for kissing my mate!¡± Lucas sat up and gulped. ¡°You¡¯re kidding. You¡¯re mated to a Ryker scum?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ine frowned. ¡°No offence,¡± Lucas said, running a hand through his hair. ¡°She¡¯s not scum. She¡¯s my fated mate. This isn¡¯t a fluke, Luca.¡± ¡°Hell! What¡¯s Richie going to say? He hates Ryker¡¯s family for what happened to Aiden. I thought you hated them as much as him but clearly¡­ not.¡± ¡°ine wasn¡¯t involved with that. You won¡¯t understand how I feel until you get a fated mate.¡± Lucas stood, exhaled and looked between ine and me. I tucked her under my arm and pulled her close. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m the only one who knows. What are you going to do?¡± I looked at ine. We had a lot to think about. ¡°For now no one knows. No one other than you and Ross.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Damn, I thought I was special. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut, but Richie¡¯s not liking you running off a lot. You¡¯ll have toe clean sometime.¡± ¡°I know, now get out of here.¡± I needed to take care of my mate. Lucas smirked and walked to the door. ¡°Lucas,¡± ine said. He stopped and looked at her. ¡°Thanks¡­ for getting it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already lost one brother. I¡¯m not going to lose another one.¡± The door closed behind him. I picked ine up and carried her to my room. She wrapped her arms around my neck andughed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking care of you. I need to kiss you better.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I kissed her jaw, down to her neck and her chest. I pushed her shirt up and kissed her soft skin. She needed to get her cuts cleaned but her soft flesh called to me. ¡°Azaire¡­¡± ine moaned. I toyed with the waistband of her leggings. A little taste wouldn¡¯t hurt. I held her hips and pulled her closer. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t tease me,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± As I tugged on her pants my phone rang. I¡¯d be damned if that wasn¡¯t Richie. The phone kept on going off until I stopped and answered it. ¡°Richie!¡± I snapped. ¡°Where the hell are you?¡± he responded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Wolf enhancers. One of the beta soldiers had a seizure he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± I killed the call. ¡°Azaire,¡± ine said, sitting up. ¡°I have to go. You¡¯ll be safe here.¡± She rubbed her shoulders. ¡°I guess Avena wouldn¡¯te to this side of town.¡± I grabbed her head and kissed her passionately. It would be an amazing night with ine in the bed with me. *** Richie was furious about wolf enhancers entering our territory. Oliver was nowhere to be seen. This was our first causality. If this beta got to the point of death that means he¡¯s been taking them for a long time. Who knows how many more wolves have been taking wolf enhancers? ¡°We have to get into the army and find out who else is taking. After this guy¡¯s death they should be willing toe forever,¡± I said. ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± Ross said. Richie nodded. ¡°Yeah. Megan, go into town and check out the popr spots. Report back on anything suspicious.¡± Megan nodded. ¡°Copy. Azaire are youing with me?¡± My mate was waiting for me at home. Megan held her hips and waited for a response. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Oliver. Next time.¡± Megan took a step forward. ¡°What¡¯s up with you, Azaire?¡± I nced at Ross. My best friend got up. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll go with you. You don¡¯t have to make a scene because you¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡± Ross dragged her away. I breathed a small sigh of relief but I knew Richie was wondering the same thing. Leaving with my lie to find Oliver, I thought about what to grab for dinner. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be bothered with these things. I lived a lone life. I ate bear and pizza for dinner for three years but now I had a mate to think about. I got to the door and was thrown back but a sudden burst of energy. ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± a woman with swollen red eyes barked at me. She invaded Shaw castle and nearly poked me to death. I grabbed Opal¡¯s wrist and willed her to slow down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong! What¡¯s wrong? Is that all you have to say? Where¡¯s ine?¡± She yelled. I ushered her out of the house and closed the door. ¡°Are you crazy? Don¡¯t you know where you are?¡± She wiped her tear-stained face. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I just want to know where she is. She¡¯s like my sister.¡± ¡°So why would you think she was here? Our packs hate each other.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap, Azaire. I saw you two at the ball.¡± ¡°Great,¡± I muttered, ¡°She¡¯s fine-¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡­ what is she doing here?¡± Richie¡¯s nostrils red. Opal rolled her eyes. I grabbed Opal¡¯s hand and stood in front of her cutting off her next sentence. ¡°She¡¯s leaving, Rich. So am I.¡± ¡°Wait. She¡¯s ck w pack, she shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Oh! Like you didn¡¯t storm into our territory a few days ago for who knows what.¡± Richie growled. ¡°I don¡¯t like this one. What are you doing in my house?¡± ¡°She came to see me of course.¡± Richie stared at me with total confusion. ¡°Her parents are important people why shouldn¡¯t I know her? Don¡¯t tell Mom. Opal and I are leaving.¡± I dragged her away from my house and brother before he could ask more questions but I felt him burning holes in the back of my head. This wasn¡¯t over. ¡°Are you taking me to her?¡± Opal sniffled. I sighed. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Chapter 25 ine POV Azaire¡¯s apartment was a typical bachelor pad. His fridge was stocked with beer and leftover pizza. He had coffee which was good. He had a couple of tes and cups. He had a massive TV screen, a leather couch and a state-of-the-art kitchen he barely used. I didn¡¯t venture into the other rooms but I discovered three closed doors. He had pictures of his family ced around. He was a family guy which I loved. I didn¡¯t have much of a family maybe Azaire could give me that. I blinked a few times. Where had that thoughte from? We had so much going on. I hadn¡¯t told Azaire I was using wolf enhancers. From the conversation I heard with his brother someone in his pack died from wolf enhancers. He would lose his head when he found out. If only Dove reappeared, we could talk about it. A key rattled in the lock and the door swung inwards. ¡°See, she¡¯s okay,¡± Azaire said.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°ine!¡± Opal gasped. She ran and scooped me into her arms and squeezed. ¡°Why would you run away from home? Everyone is so worried about you.¡± I wiggled out of her hold. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them where I am right?¡± Opal shook her head. ¡°No, Azaire made me swear not to. Why did you run? Nik¡¯s losing his head.¡± ¡°Of course he is. I¡¯m ruining his perfect n.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your brother, ine he cares.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought her, Azaire. She¡¯s too close to Nik.¡± Heat scattered across Opal¡¯s nose. She looked at Azaire and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m not that close to him.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You care what he says, you always have your eyes on him if I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d think you two were involved.¡± ¡°ine!¡± She screeched. ¡°I know you¡¯re not since Nik¡¯s going to marry the daughter of some powerful Alpha. Which is why I have to marry Neel.¡± ¡°What?¡± Opal gasped. Colour drained from her face. Did I say something wrong? ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m going to grab dinner,¡± Azaire said as he closed the door behind him. ¡°Opal?¡± I squeaked. ¡°Nik¡¯s engaged?¡± She asked, lowering herself on the couch. ¡°No, but he¡¯s the next Alpha. Dad¡¯s always said he¡¯d have an arranged marriage. The best alliance was saved for him.¡± Opal nodded. Opal¡¯s in love with Nik? I shook the thoughts out of my head. We were like family, but it was possible they had known each other our whole lives. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t rat you out. Is it the marriage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that but I don¡¯t have the time to exin it all today. What¡¯s going on at home?¡± Opal exhaled. Oh boy, I thought. When Opal was done exining I was the one out of breath. Dad was furious and if he got his hands on me he would strangle me. Neel believes he¡¯s been disrespected but he still wants me found and married to him by the end of the month. Wolf enhancers are still circting. I recalled my brother¡¯s bizarre meeting with those suspicious men. They said a woman was in charge. I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the statement now. We had to investigate how thete Luna¡¯s family hotel was connected to all this. The wolf enhancers were all going there. ¡°Neel¡¯s a pig ine¡­ there¡¯s something you should know¡­uhmm.¡± ¡°Spit it out nothing¡¯s worse than what¡¯s going on now.¡± She bobbed her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I saw Neel screwing Quin.¡± I grimaced. Can¡¯t they do it in private? ¡°I know¡­ I already know about that. I caught them two.¡± ¡°Ugh! They¡¯re gross. They literally traumatized me!¡± Iughed. ¡°They can have each other.¡± Opal sighed. ¡°We need a bottle of wine and some ice cream.¡± I couldn¡¯t agree more. *** After Opal left I took a shower and snuggled into Azaire¡¯s bed. He still hadn¡¯t returned from food hunting. Minutester the door opened and shut. ¡°Babe, how¡¯s Chinese?¡± He called. He found me curled into a ball on his bed. He leaned against the frame and smirked. ¡°I thought you were a pizza guy.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d switch things up. Opal¡¯s going to keep her mouth shut, right?¡± He settled next to me and kissed me. ¡°She¡¯s going to try,¡± I replied between kisses. I grabbed his jacket and pulled him close so I could feel his body. ¡°Where were we before your brother interrupted us?¡± He grinned. ¡°You were about to take your shirt off.¡± I kissed him, dragging his bottom lip. ¡°And you were about to get out of your pants.¡± ¡°If you speak to me like that I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± Azaire¡¯s hand wrapped around my neck and lowered me on the bed. His body pressed me down as he kissed me passionately. His hunger for my lips ignited a fire inside me. He was wearing too much clothes! I grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. He did the same for me and squeezed my breasts. ¡°You¡¯re so good, babe. Take this off,¡± Azaire reached for the waistband of my shorts. My right arm bones cracked and I cried out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Azaire demanded. A fire formed inside me. This wasn¡¯t a fire of passion it was a consuming fire that made me coil and scream. Azaire pulled me into his arms. He pushed doses of Alpha power into me. It soothed me a little but then the force of something crushing my bones came back ten times harder. My wolf came out of her hiding and cried out a name. ¡°Avena.¡± Chapter 26 Azaire I knocked her out with Alpha power. It was the only thing I could think of that would work. Her body was on fire and sweat-drenched her clothes. ¡°Damn it,¡± I said, mming the driver door shut. The mansion was off-limits and every healer I knew was loyal to the pack they wouldn¡¯t see a girl in need they would see a ck w girl. All but one I just hoped she was lucid enough to help me. Minutester I banged on a ck door. Pop music red from the house and I knew Rae¡¯s been drinking. ¡°Open the damn door, Rae!¡± ¡°Go away!¡± I pounded again. ¡°This is important.¡± ¡°Are you on fire?¡± I clenched my jaw. ¡°Yes, hurry I¡¯m burning up.¡± The music stopped and the dozen deadbolts she had on the door unlocked. She opened the door and lurched forward but steadied herself before she fell into my arms. ¡°You¡¯re not on fire!¡± ¡°No, but my girlfriend¡¯s sick and I need your help.¡± She pouted and stared at my car then back at me. ¡°You¡¯re the pack beta aren¡¯t there witches who can help you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know why when you see her.¡± I carried ine into the house and settled her on the couch. Rae had an older sister but they hadn¡¯t spoken since Lynn was consumed by dark magic. Rae dropped to her knees and ced a hand on ine¡¯s forehead. I couldn¡¯t feel my mate. Her wolf was dormant and that didn¡¯t sit well with me. Rae blinked a couple of times and stood abruptly. ¡°That sobered me up. I think I need a drink.¡± I grabbed the bottle of brandy before she could and held it behind my back. ¡°What did you see?¡± I demanded. ¡°Your girlfriend right there has some serious enemies. Powerful ones too. Azaire¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fucking strong, witch, Rae. What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Rae fidgeted I knew she needed a drink but I wasn¡¯t giving her back this bottle. ¡°Whoever did this attacked her from within. It¡¯s like they attacked her essence.¡± ¡°Like they tried to kill her?¡± Rae shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand but something tells me your girl here has a few secrets. A protection spell should help but I¡¯ll need help if you want to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± I stared at ine. What else could she be hiding? Everything she told me seemed to be big enough. Rae stumbled to her spice room. Rae was a childhood friend. She¡¯d been through a lot in life. She lost my brother who was her first love and her sister to dark magic. Her parents weren¡¯t around much and she didn¡¯t get along with her coven. Still, she was the few people I could trust. I settled on the couch next to ine. I picked up her hand and kissed it. ¡°Come on, mate you have to wake up.¡± Her breathing had settled but she was still sweating. We should have been tangled in each other¡¯s bodies. I should have been buried deep inside her but someone decided to attack her. It could be Alpha Laiken¡¯s creepy witch. She already attacked ine once she didn¡¯t waste time doing it again. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, Azaire,¡± Rae said, setting her witchy things on the ground. ¡°Yeah, well I know when she opens her eyes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me you for having trust issues but trust me a little, okay?¡± Rae lit a bundle of sage. I¡¯ve always hated that stuff. She tossed ck spice in a bowl I wasn¡¯t sure how adding crystals would help our situation but I knew better than to question a witch. The sage filled the room and I coughed. ine started shifting. She rubbed her eyes and winced. ¡°What is that?¡± Rae smirked. ¡°I told you it would work.¡± ¡°Azaire?¡± ine called. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ine sat up and looked around. Her gaze settled on my petite witch friend. ¡°Uhm, is this Megan?¡± Rae grimaced. ¡°Thank goodness I¡¯m not.¡± I pulled ine into my arms and stroked her hair. ¡°She¡¯s a friend. What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure but I think Avena had something to do with it. She¡¯s trying to kill me now.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°This Avena must be one hell of a witch,¡± Raemented. ¡°She is. She¡¯s my Father¡¯s right-hand woman.¡± Rae frowned and then she stood. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a ck w wolf. Azaire! Of all the things you¡¯ve done.¡± I sighed. ¡°She¡¯s my mate. I didn¡¯t n this but I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡± Rae ran her hands through her hair. ¡°What are you going to do when the Alpha finds out? He¡¯ll be he mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with my brother right now ine¡¯s my priority.¡± ¡°Okay, but you¡¯ll need a stronger witch to cast a protection spell on your girl.¡± ¡°Like Lynn?¡± I raised a brow. Rae swallowed and began gathering her things. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t do anything for me besides we haven¡¯t spoken in years.¡± ¡°She would if I asked her.¡± ¡°Shoot your shot but Lynn¡¯s not the helping type anymore.¡± Rae gathered her things and left I feared I sent her into another drinking frenzy. ine sighed and pulled herself onto myp. I scanned her body for burns, scars or marks. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Azaire. I swear Avena¡¯s going to get it for interrupting us.¡± She yanked me close and kissed me. I kissed her back and all the questions I had about her secrets disappeared. Chapter 27 ine POV ¡°You know you could stay with me you don¡¯t need a motel,¡± Azaire said the next day in his kitchen while I looked through the newspaper. He stood on the stove scrambling eggs. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get you in trouble,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t get in trouble, mate. You¡¯re safer here.¡± ¡°Your brother-¡± ¡°Richie may be the Alpha but he¡¯s still my little brother. No one¡¯s touching you.¡± ¡°Too bad, Opal¡¯s on her way to help me look for a ce safe enough.¡± He set the pan aside and levelled me with his eyes. It sent fire to my core. We barely sleptst night but Azaire treated me like an egg because of my episode. ¡°You cane visit,¡± I said softly. He walked towards me and made me stand. He held me to his chest and brought his face to mine. Our noses bumped. I felt his dominant wolf show himself to mine. When it came to Azaire¡¯s wolf, Dove became submissive and gentle. Thanks to Rae¡¯s magic Dove had woken up but she wasn¡¯t as powerful as she was when I used wolf enhancers. ¡°I don¡¯t want to visit you. I want you in my bed every day and night. I want your scent stuck to my skin like cologne. Are you really going to deny me that, mate?¡± I smiled. ¡°Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t but you know things areplicated. Tell your wolf to calm himself.¡± He squeezed my ass. ¡°Easier said than done.¡± The doorbell sounded. ¡°Oh, Opal¡¯s here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°Careful ine, your curse is acting up,¡± Dove said. I stopped and my palm slit open. Blood pooled out of my palm and dripped on the floor. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Dove?¡± ¡°The curse is getting stronger. You¡¯ll have to take the wolf enhancers.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Hey! Are you ready?¡± Opal hopped into the kitchen. I fisted my palm and hid it behind my back. I forced a smile. ¡°Yeah, let me get my coat.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Azaire barged in. He could smell the blood. I met his gaze. ¡°Nothing, we¡¯re leaving. We¡¯ll be backter okay?¡± ¡°ine¡­¡± he growled out. I scurried passed him before he demanded to see where the blood wasing from. The wolf enhancers were still in my bag but I couldn¡¯t use them with Azaire around. He wouldn¡¯t get it. I know they¡¯re dangerous but they¡¯re the only thing helping me. I felt the familiar agony of my bones burning and I knew I needed the enhancers now. I grabbed my bag and rummaged through my things. ¡°ine.¡± Azaire barged in and I dropped everything. I saw the packet of enhancers at the bottom of my bag. ¡°Azaire¡­ I was just looking for a jacket.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Stop, babe. It¡¯s nothing.¡± When Azaire came in the burning sensation stopped. He took me into his arms and stared into my eyes. I felt the cut on my hand seals up. My mate helped me heal andbated my curse. This is what Avena was talking about but Dove said the curse was getting stronger. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was nothing, okay?¡± He closed his lips on mine and kissed me passionately. ¡°Be careful mate.¡± *** ¡°So what¡¯s going on at home?¡± I asked Opal as we buckled into her car. ¡°Bad. No one¡¯s heard from the Alpha since you left. Aside from your brothers.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s worried?¡± It wasn¡¯t in his nature to be caring or worried. He must be pissed I defied him. If I go back, he¡¯ll murder me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. Your brothers have been acting weird.¡± ¡°I caught zer buying wolf enhancers. That could be why.¡± I told Opal the entire ordeal without mentioning I had a packet of wolf enhancers at home. ¡°Late Luna Bianca? Her sister runs the hotel now. You think she has a hand in this?¡± Opal asked. ¡°The goons did say it was a woman who¡¯s running the show.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so weird. She¡¯s so nice. Someone there has to be epting the wolf enhancers.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt to check out the hotel, though,¡± I said mischievously. ¡°Oh no, Azaire would not like that-¡± A loud bash came from behind us and jerked us forward. Thanks to the seatbelts we didn¡¯t go flying through the windscreen. ¡°What the hell?¡± I gasped. A ck truck rammed into Opal¡¯s car and drove it off the road. Opal struggled to control the car but ultimately parked the car on the dirt road. Opal and I jumped out of the car at the same time. The ck truck parked behind us and our attacker jumped out. ¡°What the hell were you thinking?¡± Opal shouted. ¡°No, Neel,¡± I gasped. He marched to meet Opal and mmed his fist into her face. I screamed. Opal¡¯s body hit the car. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I barked. Neel pointed at me. ¡°You did this. You just had to run away, ine. Clearly, your Father never taught you how to be obedient.¡± ¡°I will never marry you, Neel. Get that through your thick head.¡± I had nowhere to run. The road was quiet and the nearest station was miles away. ¡°Don¡¯t try to run, sweetheart.¡± Neel wrapped his hand around my throat and squeezed. ¡°Your Alpha wolf is no match for mine.¡± He sted me with thunderbolts of Alpha power. His dominance forced me down. Each st felt like it was taking out a limb. Dove attempted a fight back but she crumbled against the tremendous show of Alpha dominance. Neel had won this round he was taking me back to my Father¡¯s house. Chapter 28 ine POV I woke up with my right hand tied to a bed. I yanked but whoever tied this knot was an expert. ¡°Don¡¯t try, ine. We¡¯re stuck together.¡± Neel stood at the end of the bed, staring at me. ¡°You didn¡¯t tie my legs, dumbass!¡± ¡°I need them spread wide if we¡¯re going to have a little fun,¡± he smirked. My nostrils red and I scowled. ¡°Never!¡± ¡°You¡¯re in no position to oppose.¡± He brushed his fingers along my legs and I recoiled. ¡°I¡¯m even excited thinking about it.¡± ¡°Where the hell am I?¡± This isn¡¯t my house. ¡°It¡¯s not, it¡¯s my apartment. Damn, the whole wedding. Your Father and I had a deal and I¡¯m collecting on it. You¡¯re mine, ine.¡± ¡°I have a mate! I¡¯ll never belong to you!¡± Neel grabbed my ankle and yanked me forward the rope burned my wrist. ¡°That wasn¡¯t part of the deal, ine.¡± ¡°The deal wasn¡¯t with me. I will never be yours.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn. I¡¯ll still fuck the daylights out of you. Your mate will have to die of loneliness because I tend to keep my wife.¡± ¡°Ugh, you bastard.¡± Heughed and exited the room. I yanked on the rope. I used my wolf strength but I only intensified my burns. ¡°Dove! Why can¡¯t I break these?¡± ¡°Neel took a lot out of us so did the curse. You should have taken the wolf enhancers. We would have kicked his ass.¡± ¡°I need to get out of here. Does Azaire know I¡¯ve been taken?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll know and he¡¯lle.¡± *** Neel left me alone for hours without water or food. I watched as the sun disappeared and the stars came out. I could smell the mountain trees from the window and theke water in the air. We weren¡¯t far from my Father¡¯s house, but I didn¡¯t expect any of them to save me. I was buying time hoping Dove would regain her strength so we could bust out of here. The bedroom door opened and my hopes of Azaireing to save me or my own heroic escape flew out the window. Neel unbuckled his belt and kicked the door shut. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you waiting long enough. Time for some fun, sweetheart.¡± I yanked my wrist and grunted. Neel pulled his shirt over his head and yanked his pants down. He reached me removed my jeans and pushed my shirt up. No, this couldn¡¯t be happening. His thick member stood at attention. The scent of lust dripped off him like water. ¡°Stay back!¡± Neel chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right, you can struggle a little. It makes things fun.¡± He spread my legs and dropped his face between my thighs. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s like paradise.¡± I bit my tongue to stop the cry as Neel¡¯s tongue licked my inner thigh. ¡°It was worth the wait, ine.¡± My attempts to close my legs were met with Neel¡¯s heartyugh and a violent pushback. ¡°Let me go!¡± I whimpered. I couldn¡¯t let him steal my strength. I grabbed his hair and he groaned. I dug my nails into his skull with all my might and pushed my legs up to kick him. ¡°I said let me go!¡± A bright red explosion sted Neel against the door. The explosion singed my thighs and grazed my arms, but my wrist tie loosened and I managed to free myself. Neel growled and picked himself up. He started towards me but suddenly grabbed his chest. He gasped and stumbled backwards. ¡°What did you do?¡± He gasped. ¡°I-I¡­¡± I was searching for my jeans when Neel bent backwards and yelled as a bright red me sprung from his chest. I dropped my jeans and gawked at the fire. ¡°Oh my-¡± ¡°You bitch! What did you do to me?¡± I forgot the jeans and ran out of the bedroom. I raced downstairs and flew out the front door. The house was quiet but an Alpha¡¯s betas were always close. I soon found myself on the road. In my haste, I didn¡¯t search for my phone. My only option was to try to get to Opal¡¯s house. I hoped someone found her and she was safe. It wasn¡¯t long before I heard a car drive up behind me. It could be Neel¡¯s wolvesing to find me. Neel would want me punished but I didn¡¯t even know how I did that! I started running and it felt like the car elerated. I nced at the forest and thought I could hide out there when the car drove in front of me and parked. ¡°Crap,¡± I muttered. ¡°ine!¡± Nik burst out of the driver¡¯s side. ¡°Damn it,¡± I said. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± zer stared at my naked and red thighs and the red rope burned on my right wrist. Nik came around and grabbed my shoulders. I thought he would throw me in the backseat of his car but he examined my wounds. ¡°Where were you? Answer me, ine?¡± He asked calmly yet deadly. ¡°Neel¡­ grabbed me. He hurt Opal and kidnapped me.¡± Nick¡¯s eyes turned to saucers before his wolf shed in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get her home. We¡¯ll deal with Neelter,¡± zer said. I yanked my arm free from Nik. ¡°I¡¯m not going back.¡± ¡°Have you been with Neel this entire time, ine?¡± zer asked. Nik stared at zer and then focused on me. I swallowed and lifted my chin. Neel may know I had a mate but I wasn¡¯t ready to reveal the fact to my two overprotective brothers. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not going back.¡± ¡°ine, Dad¡¯s been worried-¡± Nik started but I cut him off. ¡°Save it. If he gave a damn he wouldn¡¯t have sold me or locked me up when I needed him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s tough but he has to be. He didn¡¯t sell you you¡¯re the Alpha¡¯s daughter it¡¯s your duty to the pack to form a powerful alliance.¡± I curled my hands into fists but I felt them burn and I feared the fire that consumed Neel would jump out and hurt either of my brothers so I rxed my hands and exhaled deeply. ¡°You¡¯re loyal Nik. Too loyal that you don¡¯t see the faults in our Father. Go and pretend you didn¡¯t see me.¡± My brother clenched his jaw. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± ¡°Enough both of you. ine¡¯s hurt. Don¡¯t forget her curse could start acting up and you¡¯re not wearing pants. We just want to keep you safe, is that so bad?¡± zer was right as painful as it was to admit. zer opened the backdoor to the SUV and nodded for me to get in. I stared at the road I¡¯d just run. Do I have a choice? What about Azaire? How will I get to him if I¡¯m back at the lion¡¯s den? ¡°Get in ine. No one¡¯s going to hurt you. You¡¯re my sister I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± Nik said. I met his gaze and I hoped just this once I could trust him. Chapter 29 Azaire POV I took the motorbike to the mansion. Oliver¡¯s car was parked out front. Good, I hadn¡¯t seen that bastard in a while. I¡¯d been too busy with ine to hunt him down. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got a source who says the wolf enhancers are going to the Evangeline Hotel in ck w territory,¡± I said. ¡°Must be a good source,¡± Oliver muttered. I cast him a deadly re but the bastard couldn¡¯t be bothered. My uncle stood from the round table and stared at the map. The red dots represented the spots where the wolf enhancers had popped up. The old man ruled as Alpha since our Father died mysteriously or was killed as I like to think. During his time nothing like this happened. This is Richie¡¯s first big test and everyone¡¯s looking to him to protect the pack. ¡°What do you propose we do Richie?¡± Uncle Damien asked and everyone stared at my little brother. Richie hadn¡¯t sat down. The increasing numbers were getting to him. We went from the only pack in the area without wolf enhancers circting to having the most numbers. Megan wasn¡¯t here because she was out scouting the area. Ross was out there with her hopefully they came back with something like a bastard we can pummel until he speaks. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. We don¡¯t have anything tangible to go on.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Oliver sted. ¡°We should just go to ck w, stake out until the next shipment it¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not simple. ck w wants a war with us and something as small as that could spark conflict. A war is thest thing we need,¡± Ross countered. ¡°But-¡± Oliver started. ¡°Enough!¡± Uncle Damien shouted. ¡°Richie¡¯s the Alpha and he¡¯s spoken. Azaire, is your source sure about what they told you?¡± I never doubted my source. I could be biased because I was crazy about her. ¡°More than sure.¡± ¡°Perhaps, a closer look at the ck w territory won¡¯t hurt,¡± Uncle said. Richie nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t engage. Last thing we need is conflict.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go with Nigel and Kareem,¡± Oliver said. I stepped in front of him. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Oliver¡¯s nostrils red. ¡°You? Where¡¯ve you been all this time? You¡¯re not reliabletely, Azaire. You¡¯re missing training, meetings and most of the missions.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to question me but I get to question you about the wolf enhancers that went missing at the neutral territory.¡± ¡°I told you there was nothing there. You wouldn¡¯t know what we found. You weren¡¯t there.¡± ¡°We were sure that site had the drug.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Richie barked. ¡°Enough, the meeting¡¯s over.¡± Oliver tugged on his jacket and marched out with the rest of the participants. Richie¡¯s handnded on my shoulder and I knew what this was about. ¡°He¡¯s right you know. What the hell is wrong with youtely?¡± ¡°Oliver¡¯s never right,¡± I grumbled. ¡°He is about this. Where¡¯s your head at?¡± I held my brother¡¯s stare. My rtionship with ine¡¯s gotten in the way of my duties as pack beta but I couldn¡¯t discard what we had. My brother wouldn¡¯t understand either. Lucas was barely keeping his mouth shut about us. ¡°It¡¯s right here, Richard.¡± He clenched his jaw. ¡°Fine. You and I are staking out the ck w territory tonight. Since you¡¯ve got trust issues now.¡± He brushed passed me. ine should be home from her house-hunting trip. I pulled out my phone to call her and ask what she wanted for lunch but before I could dial tyres screeching distracted me. ¡°What now?¡± I grumbled. Opal¡¯s mini Cooper car parked crookedly next to Richie¡¯s truck. My heart dropped. Where¡¯s ine? We met in the middle. The blood on her forehead made me panic, the mud on her clothes put my wolf in kill mode. I could barely control him. He was on the edge of my skin. Our mate was in danger. ¡°What happened, Opal? What the hell?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡­ we¡­ damn it.¡± Tears stained her eyes.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I was never good at dealing with girl tears. ¡°Alright, rx. Start from the beginning¡­uh¡­¡± ¡°We were driving and this car was following us! We didn¡¯t stand a chance. I should have. I¡¯m a stronger wolf than that, Azaire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are, Opal-¡± ¡°But he still got the better of me and he took ine.¡± My wolf came to the edge of my skin again, urging me to shift and search the earth for our mate. ¡°Azaire, what¡¯s going on- You? Again?¡± Richie pointed at Opal. I ran a hand down my face. I didn¡¯t have time for this. ¡°You think I wanted toe here?!¡± Opal shouted. Richie brushed passed me to confront Opal but he realized she¡¯d been attacked and his features changed. ¡°You were attacked. Were you attacked on mynd?¡± Opal nced at me. I wanted to know too! ¡°Uhm, I guess so. Does it matter?¡± ¡°It does if it was done on my soil! What¡¯s going on with you two? This is the second time she¡¯s been here and it¡¯s two times too many for a ck w wolf.¡± I ran a hand down my face. These two were going to kill me. ¡°N-nothing! We have something serious to take care of,¡± Opal snapped. ¡°No, you¡¯re not wee here and you won¡¯t talk to my beta.¡± I grabbed my brother by the front of his shirt and shoved him towards the house. I wasn¡¯t getting anywhere with these two. I wrapped an arm around Opal¡¯s shoulders and guided her back to her car. ¡°Details now,¡± I ordered. Richie wouldn¡¯t leave it alone. He stepped in front of the vehicle. ¡°Alright, what the hell¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Alpha Neel attacked us now¡­ my cousin¡¯s missing. I think she¡¯s been taken back to her Dad¡¯s house,¡± Opal exined I clenched my jaw. That¡¯s thest ce I wanted her to be. But knowing Neel touched my mate infuriated me more. If it weren¡¯t for Richie holding myst resolve together I would have run through a mountain. ¡°Cousin? Do you mean ine? Laiken¡¯s daughter? But like don¡¯t you live right next door to her?¡± Opal frowned at stared at me. ¡°He¡¯s not very bright is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still the Alpha,¡± Richie smirked. Opal rolled her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t get through to her Azaire.¡± ¡°Fuck. Richie, you¡¯ve got things to do let me handle this.¡± Richie shook his head. Damn it these guys can be so stubborn. I grabbed his shirt and growled. My wolf shone through my eyes and my ws cut through his shirt. ¡°You¡¯re going to go back inside and you won¡¯t ask me anything else. Got it?¡± Years of roughhousing didn¡¯t faze Richie but then realization kicked in. ¡°You¡¯re a screwed man, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not as badly as you¡¯re going to be if you don¡¯t fuck off.¡± ¡°Are we leaving or what? Because this happened hours ago and I¡¯m sure ine¡¯s not liking it.¡± Richie shrugged me off. ¡°You¡¯re not going to burst into ck w territory unarmed.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in there. I¡¯m not unarmed. I might as well be an entire army to those guys if she¡¯s not with me in the next hour.¡± Richie straightened his now torn shirt. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m helping you do this. I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the Alpha of our rival pack,¡± Opal said, crossing her arms. ¡°Yeah, but Azaire¡¯s still my brother. That¡¯s more important. I need details on the drive there.¡± *** Opal sat in the back while I drove to ck w territory. I was still trying to digest my brother¡¯s reaction to my involvement with ine. He was smarter than the rest of us. He knew he might literally lose a limb if he tried to stop me. ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Opal scooted forward. ¡°We can¡¯t go in and find out if she¡¯s there but you can,¡± Richie said. ¡°Sure I can¡¯t just bust in there and get her out?¡± I suggested. ¡°Again we don¡¯t want conflict with these guys. When you see her let ine know we¡¯re here.¡± I parked outside Opal¡¯s family mansion. Far enough not to alert the guards. If my mate came back to me with as much as a scratch, I¡¯d bring down this entire pack. I wouldn¡¯t stop until Laiken¡¯s blood was on my hands. He should treasure his daughter but he treated her like a piece of shit. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll try.¡± Opal popped the back door open. ¡°And Opal, you might want to clean up first.¡± Opal frowned. ¡°You¡¯re charming, Richie.¡± Richie shed her his best yboy smile. Opal left and trotted to the Alpha¡¯s house. I hammered my fist on the door. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°Dude, why didn¡¯t you tell me about this? You didn¡¯t think it was important?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to tell you my fated mate is the sister of the guy who killed our brother. Lucas didn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Damn, even Lucas knew before me! Now I¡¯m offended.¡± I shut my eyes and groaned. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d make you reject her? ine was a kid when Aiden was killed. My beef¡¯s with Nik and Laiken. It has nothing to do with her.¡± Richie was better than me because I put that entire family in the same basket then she came along and now she¡¯s the only thing I think about. ¡°Does she know her brother is a killer?¡± I clenched my jaw. ¡°No.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Laiken runs pretty good propaganda.¡± ¡°What¡¯s she going to think when you tell her Nik killed our brother and her Father let him get away with it?¡± Chapter 30 ine POV zer gave me his jacket and held me as he led me back to the only home I¡¯ve ever known. It wasn¡¯t good to be back. Avena was here and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just been itching to get her hands on me. Dad will never believe me when I tell him she¡¯s been hurting me this entire time nor will he give a damn. ¡°We need to make a stop,¡± Nik said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to him,¡± I deadpanned. ¡°He¡¯s the Alpha, ine and he¡¯s our Father.¡± zer pulled me closer and rubbed my arm. ¡°Everything will be fine. We promised nothing would happen to you.¡± My brothers took me to our Father¡¯s office. Nik didn¡¯t have to knock. Dad came out. His wild eyes took me in. I didn¡¯t expect a hug or a burst of emotions. ¡°Take her to her room,¡± he ordered. ¡°No. I won¡¯t be your prisoner.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have disobeyed me then ine. Lock her up. I don¡¯t want to see her face.¡± Dad turned around and mmed his office door. Nik¡¯s shoulders slumped and he sighed. ¡°ze, take her to her room.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have trusted you!¡± I spat. ¡°Hey! He¡¯s not harming you, is he? You¡¯ll be in your perfect bedroom in your warm bed. Things could be worse, ine. You cost us a good alliance.¡± He had no idea. I hoped that fire ate Neel¡¯s face off. I clenched my jaw and tamed my emotions I didn¡¯t want to burn my brothers. Not yet anyway. I looked forward to a change of clothes but I didn¡¯t like being there. I was back to square one. ¡°You guys can leave now. I¡¯m sure no one¡¯s allowed to talk to me.¡± ¡°Come on, ine-¡± zer started. ¡°Goodbye zer!¡± Nik turned on his heels and walked off. The younger one lingered and stared at me. He took a step forward. I could tell he struggled for words. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll check on youter. Get some rest.¡± ¡°Just go, zer. You don¡¯t want to get on Dad¡¯s bad side.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make this hard. You¡¯re my little sister and I love you. Neel¡¯s going to get it. No matter what Dad says.¡± zer closed the door behind him. zer and I were closer than Nik and me but he always connived with Nik. No one outside our circle knew zer and I were four months apart so most people assumed we were twins. No one in the pack questioned the Alpha about having three different mothers for his kids during his marriage. I bet anyone who tried was pummelled. I loved zer but most times it was like he was made to choose and it was never me. Minutester I showered and changed. I sat on the window bed and stared at the mountains. Jumping out wouldn¡¯t work this time. I noticed the betas surrounding the house. One made eye contact with me and shook his head. Crap. ¡°I just want to talk to her, Nik!¡± I sat up. Opal¡¯s muffled voice came from the hall. I scurried to the door and pressed my ear against it. ¡°You can¡¯t. The Alpha¡¯s orders,¡± Nik said. ¡°And you¡¯re just a good little solider, aren¡¯t you? He says jump and you say how high?¡± ¡°Enough with this, Opal.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your sister. How can you condone what that guy did!¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t.¡± Nik snapped. ¡°It makes me fucking mad. He did this to you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Nik went from rage to pillow-soft in a second. I pressed my ear harder into the door. ¡°Let me see,¡± Nik said. ¡°Stop. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s going to pay for hurting you.¡± Maybe I¡¯m reading too much into this, though it sounded like Nik was concerned for Opal more than just a little sister. ¡°Only if you cared for your sister the way you did for me but I doubt you care for me at all. You¡¯re a selfish jackass and the only thing you care about is your Father¡¯s orders. That doesn¡¯t make a good leader.¡± Her feet stomped against the wooden floor as she marched off. I scurried back to my bed. At least Opal was okay now I waited for news of Neel¡¯s condition. I wasn¡¯t safe here. Avena and Neel had ess to me whenever they wanted. I yanked the handle. Of course, it was locked. If only Dove wasn¡¯t so far away I would have known what my mate was feeling. He may be losing his mind. I¡¯ll be with him again even if I have to fight every beta wolf to escape. *** I remained by the window bed, staring at the stars and hoping for a grand escape n to reveal itself so I didn¡¯t have to spend the night here. That was when the betas protecting the west side of the house left one by one. ¡°Stay back. ine can¡¯t get away,¡± a beta said. They nced up and frowned at me. I rolled my eyes. It¡¯s just one guard I can take him. I reached for my wolf and forced her toe up. This was our only window of escape. Fur covered my hands and my teeth sharpened themselves to razor point. The door flew open. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, ine,¡± Avena said. The witch strolled in with my Father behind her. ¡°Dad?¡± Nik entered shortly after. I hid my ws and sunk my fangs. ¡°This is between us and your sister, Nik. Get out,¡± Dad ordered. My older brother met my gaze. I held my breath, waiting for his response. ¡°Dad, she¡¯s been hurt,¡± Nik said. ¡°Niks, you¡¯ve never questioned me before. Don¡¯t start now not at the expense of your tramp sister.¡± The corner of my mouth lifted involuntarily. I was a tramp now. Avena went off and gossiped to my Father about my mate. Nik kept his head high and as usual, he turned around and obeyed orders. ¡°You made new friends on your travels didn¡¯t you, ine?¡± Avena asked. What¡¯s she on about? ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Dove said. The wind carried Azaire¡¯s scent and he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Oh boy,¡± I murmured. ¡°Never did I expect my youngest child would betray me with our greatest rivals. They killed Niks¡¯ Mother in cold blood!¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I swallowed. ¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡± The corner of Avena¡¯s mouth raised. ¡°They¡¯ve brainwashed you. What have you told those Shaw rats?¡± Dove came to the edge of my skin and I was powerless to stop her. She shone through my eyes and override my personality. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my mate that way.¡± My Father¡¯s face dropped like a ss from the top floor. ¡°Attack!¡± A beta yelled outside. My wolf burst through my skin, recing it with white fur and changing my eyes from brown to honey-yellow. My Father was stronger than me but Avena wasn¡¯t. I charged at her. Her eyes turned to saucers but Dad pushed her out of the way before Dove¡¯s ws made contact with her. Once the door was free I ran out. That glorious escape n finally revealed itself! Chapter 31 ine POV ¡°ine, stop!¡± Nik yelled and stepped in front of me, blocking my exit. I stomped my front paws on the ground. Shoot, I thought. ¡°ine, you don¡¯t have to run,¡± zer said from behind me. Why did they have to make things so difficult?! I expected the betas to swarm me but they were upied outside with themotion Azaire was making. My Father and Avena would be down at any moment. I took a step forward but Nik stood his ground. I bore my fangs, warning my brother. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him. I knew I could even though Nik was a powerful Alpha wolf, I was an Alpha female I held just as much power. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nik demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, Blood Moon pack¡¯s here for you?¡± It was hard to express myself when I was Dove. I rolled my eyes. Before my Father appeared. I lowered my head and readied to attack. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, ine,¡± Nik warned. Toote. I thrust myself forward Nik jumped out of the way. He cursed behind me. I knew they¡¯d follow me but I had to let Azaire know I was out without attracting the betas¡¯ attention. Last thing I needed was an army chasing me. ¡°Azaire, can you hear me?¡± I said through our link. The connection was weak but I knew he felt me. ¡°Follow me to the forest,¡± I said through our link. I was overwhelmed with warmth and security and I knew he got the message. zer howled into the night. Time to go. I may have a defective wolf but I was fast. With my brothers hot on my heels and my mate close I couldn¡¯t let them meet. I ran through theke to hide my scent. I pushed my wolf to her limits, swimming across theke to get the spot Azaire and I first kissed. I shifted back to my human form and coughed. ¡°ine,¡± Azaire gasped. ¡°Good¡­ you got my message.¡± Azaire picked me up and held me tightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t get any of mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Neel knocked a lot out of me.¡± Azaire kissed my face, his warmth chasing the bitter chill of theke. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came here,¡± my voice cracked. ¡°Did you think I would abandon you mate?¡± ¡°I hoped you wouldn¡¯t. Things areplicated now¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me, I had to tell Richie everything.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°And?¡± Azaire shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s cool with it.¡± My mate pulled his body away from me and grabbed a shirt from the base of arge rock. He wore in loose pants. I thanked him and slipped the shirt on. ¡°What happens now, Azaire?¡± I asked. Azaire tucked me under his arms. ¡°I take you home.¡± It had been a long day I could do that. I wrapped my arms around Azaire¡¯s waist and melted into him. He started to guide me away from our spot when the ground shook with heavy footsteps. ¡°Let my sister go!¡± I spun in Azaire¡¯s arms. He locked me in his embrace. I felt his intense hatred through our mate bond. Nik locked eyes with my mate then he looked at Azaire¡¯s arms around my waist then he looked at me. zer stumbled onto the scene secondster. He took in the scene quicker than Nik instead of rage he was ovee with confusion. ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself, Shaw. Let her go,¡± Nik said, murderously. ¡°So you can abuse her?¡± Azaire responded. I looked to zer for help but he shook his head and threw his arms in the air. ¡°Nik-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he cut me off. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± ¡°What does it look like Ryker? She¡¯s mine,¡± Azaire said, tightening his hold around me. I knew his wolf was on the edge of his skin, ready to pounce and rip the nearest object to shreds. Nikughed and ran a hand through his hair. zer raised his brow. ¡°I should have put you in the ground instead.¡± Azaire growled. He burst forward. I tumbled to the side and fell. I reached for him but narrowly missed him as he and Nik met in the middle. ¡°No!¡± I yelled. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Nik,¡± zer grabbed Nik¡¯s shoulder but our older brother easily brushed zer off. Azaire rammed his fist into Nik¡¯s jaw. I gasped. Nik stumbled back but wasted no time in mming his foot into Azaire¡¯s gut. ¡°What did you say, you bastard?¡± Azaire sted. Blood oozed from my brother¡¯s nose and my mate¡¯s eyes were murderous. ¡°Please stop,¡± I said, standing. ¡°zer!¡± zer threw his arms in the air. ¡°What do you want me to do? He¡¯s going to kill me instead.¡± ¡°Your brother was the bastard,¡± Nik spat. Azaire grabbed Nik¡¯s shoulders and mmed him against an oak tree. My eyes grew wide. Azaire¡¯s hands circled Nik¡¯s neck. One move and Azaire would snap Nik¡¯s neck. I ran and yanked Azaire¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stop, stop you¡¯re going to kill him!¡± I yelled. ¡°He deserves it,¡± Azaire grunted. ¡°You see what you chose, ine? All Shaws are monsters.¡± ¡°Monsters?¡± Azaire growled. ¡°You killed my brother!¡± ¡°And your Father killed my Mother!¡± My heart nearly stopped. The ground shook with heavy footsteps again. ¡°Hey! Enough!¡± Alpha Richie yelled. I turned to discover Opal, Lucas and Richie racing towards us. zer took advantage of themotion to separate Azaire and Nik. ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± Opal said, enveloping me in her arms. I didn¡¯t think I was okay. When a slicing pain shot through my abdomen I knew I wasn¡¯t okay and it would only get worse. ¡°The Alpha of a murderous pack,¡± Nik chuckled and spat a mouthful of blood. Richie grabbed his brother¡¯s shoulder and yanked him away. I watched helplessly as my curse grew in strength and inflicted serious pain on me but I couldn¡¯t scream I couldn¡¯t fall to the ground and cry I allowed the pain to consume me. ¡°You killed Aiden and your Father let you get away with you. You¡¯re a psycho, Nik!¡± Richie sted. Nik rolled his neck and eyes but his gazended on me but he wasn¡¯t looking at me. He was set on Opal. Opal held me tighter. ¡°What are you doing with them?¡± Nik took two strides forward before Richie blocked his path. Nik pushed him back. ¡°You traitor!¡± Nik yelled. ¡°I did what I had to do for ine. They helped when all you could do was follow orders.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done, Opal,¡± Nik growled, his eyes shing with the outline of his wolf. Opal lifted her chin, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Nik turned his back and turned to a startled zer. ¡°Take her,¡± Nik ordered. ¡°What?¡± he frowned. ¡°Oh my gosh, ine you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Opal yelled. I sprawled my hand across my middle but stood my ground. ¡°ine,¡± Azaire shrugged out of Richie¡¯s hold. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Nik sted. A wave of Alpha power thrust forward and hit me even though it was meant for Azaire. Azaire rolled his eyes instead as if the st was a feather brush. ¡°You can¡¯t save her. Only our venom can help her. You take her there¡¯s no saying she¡¯ll survive.¡± I winced as flesh opened on my arm and blood stained the shirt. Azaire helped mest time my curse acted up. Why wasn¡¯t his presence helping me now? Dove was too weak to answer me. My bones burned and my vision started blurring. ¡°I¡¯m not going back. Not to that house.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not doing well, ine,¡± zer said. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Azaire said. Nik shook his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell your boy toy about your curse? How only we can help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die, Nik,¡± I said through gritted teeth. It felt like someone was twisting my insides. ¡°Dude, she won¡¯t be fine. Her curse is tricky and it¡¯s powerful,¡± zer said, genuinely concerned. ¡°And I won¡¯t be stepping into Shaw territory to give anyone my venom.¡± I wanted to spit in his face that I didn¡¯t need him I had wolf enhancers but I couldn¡¯t do that without disappointing Azaire. Was it worth dying over? I dropped to my knees and Opal dropped with me. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll go. The Shaw men will go back to their territory. Just help her!¡± Opal yelled. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her,¡± Azaire said. ¡°Hey, look at her,¡± Richie hissed. ¡°She needs help.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Go now. Or she gets nothing from me,¡± Nik said. ¡°Go to hell¡­¡± I rasped. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you.¡± Opal shook me for being crazy. My vision blurred and my limbs weakened. I met my mate¡¯s gaze but I saw him in twos. His brother dragged him away. My heart squeezed. My eyes swelled with tears and my heart was ovee with emotions. We¡¯d been separated again. Chapter 32 ine POV I clutched the warm nket wrapped around me to chase the colding from deep inside me, but it could do nothing to ease the loneliness I felt within. I passed out once I was in a vehicle. I didn¡¯t want him to leave. I wanted him to fight for me. I wanted to fight for us but I was weak. I was too weak to fight for Azaire. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± someone whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, zer. When did this start? I never knew anything was wrong,¡± Opal sniffled. ¡°She was born this way. She¡¯s cursed we don¡¯t know why but it¡¯s only the venom of a family member that puts her curse at ease. ine can¡¯t even shift the way we do. Avena¡¯s been helping her all these years but there¡¯s no cure to her curse.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh,¡± Opal whimpered. ¡°Poor thing.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe she messed with Azaire Shaw. He¡¯s older than Nik, for goodness sake.¡± Opal groaned. I should have let them know I was awake but I allowed them to talk. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re concerned about? Azaire¡¯s age?¡± ¡°Of course not. He¡¯s the enemy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s her fated mate, zer.¡± Silence and my heart rate spiked. Maybe zer didn¡¯t need to know the truth. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± zer mumbled. ¡°She didn¡¯t n this, but the bond¡¯s powerful and they gave in. Is it so wrong?¡± zer blew out a breath. ¡°It¡¯s not but everyone else won¡¯t see it the way we do. I have to go, let me know when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The door clicked shut and Opal sighed heavily. I pushed the nket down and stared at the ceiling. ¡°That went better than I thought,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake. zer and Nik aren¡¯t the same person. He gave you his venom.¡± ¡°Nik just left huh?¡± Opal nodded, crawled beside me and dove under the covers. ¡°He¡¯s a dick don¡¯t worry about him.¡± ¡°And Azaire?¡± ¡°I called him. He knows where you are.¡± ¡°Will hee?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m sure he will. I know leaving you hurt him. Nik¡¯s such a dick.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ believe what Azaire said?¡± How could my brother be a killer? Nik was a lot of things but he did say he should have put Azaire in the ground kind of damns him. Did Azaire¡¯s family plot the murder of Luna Bianca? I didn¡¯t have a rtionship with her but her death hurt the pack, my brother and Father. ¡°I don¡¯t know ine¡­ I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your curse I can¡¯t believe you kept all this to yourself all this time!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell anyone. Dad didn¡¯t want the pack to know there was a wolf who could heal or that his daughter had a defective wolf, but my powers were for his advantage only.¡± Opal frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t get it Avena¡¯s supposedly the most powerful witch like ever howe she didn¡¯te up with a solution?¡± I lifted a shoulder. ¡°Because she¡¯s a bitch and she¡¯s been making my situation worse this whole time.¡± Silence fell over us for a minute before Opal lifted her knees to her chest and squeezed them. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping a secret too¡­¡± Opal whispered. I sat up and stared at her. ¡°Look, it may sound disgusting to you but it wasn¡¯t to me when it happened. ¡°Geez, Opal!¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Fine. Nik and I¡­ we¡¯re fated mates.¡± I pped a hand over my mouth. I recalled saying Nik was probably going to marry the daughter of a powerful Alpha in front of Opal! I cringed. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Opal screeched. ¡°You don¡¯t act like it! What happened?¡± Opal lifted a shoulder. ¡°Nothing happened. I¡¯ve always loved him but Nik loves power more. He wanted us to keep things a secret and I did. I realized he was stringing me along I got tired of the dark, Elle. He really is going to marry someone from a powerful family. That¡¯s his duty.¡± ¡°Opal, what does that mean for you? Are you going to¡­ leave him?¡± ¡°Reject him?¡± She looked away. ¡°I guess before he does it to me. I thought it was wonderful when we found out we were fated. I¡¯d had a crush on him since we were kids. I said a thousand thank yous to the moon goddess.¡± I leaned against the headboard and sighed. I knew something fishy was going on between them, but I didn¡¯t think they were fated to each other! I wasn¡¯t in my home otherwise Opal wouldn¡¯t be here. I was in her room at her house which I was thankful for but how long would thisst? Opal lived next door to the Alpha. He could swoop in and snatch me when he wanted or Avena could barge in and take revenge on me. When the door flew open and banged against the door I thought I was done for because, afterst night¡¯s shift, I wouldn¡¯t be shifting until the next full moon. Instead of Avena it was Nik. ¡°Don¡¯t you knock?¡± Opal sted. ¡°What did you do to Neel?¡± Nik demanded. I looked away recalling the power surge that consumed him. ¡°Whatever she did. He deserved it.¡± ¡°This is serious Opal. She set the dude on fire.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! He did deserve it though.¡± I grumbled. ¡°ine!¡± Nik barked. ¡°He kidnapped me and¡­¡± I shut my eyes, recalling Neel¡¯s mouth on my body. I recoiled. I wanted to escape my own skin remembering that. ¡°What?¡± Nik demanded. I shook my head. ¡°Nothing, I defended myself.¡± ¡°Yeah, you should leave, Nik,¡± Opal said, holding the door. Nik and Opal shared a heated re. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking Nik. Get out.¡± Nik¡¯s muscles clenched and the veins popped out of his neck. ¡°This isn¡¯t over.¡± Nik stormed out. I didn¡¯t expect it to be over. I walked to the window and gripped the frame. I stared at the mountains. The fire was too hot to face. Dad wouldn¡¯t stop chasing me and he still held answers to who my Mother was and who I really am. A knock came on the door. Opal and I stared at one another for a second. She lifted a shoulder before walking to the door. Opal poked her head through the door. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone at the front door,¡± a guy said, he was one of the beta guards. ¡°Who?¡± Opal asked. ¡°An unfriendly.¡± Who the hell could that be? Chapter 33 Azaire¡¯s POV ¡°You should have let me bust his head in!¡± I knocked the ornaments off the firece. ¡°Damn guys that was intense,¡± Lucas said, throwing himself on the couch. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that. That¡¯s war right there,¡± Richie said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I gripped the mantel and battled to contain my wolf. He med me for letting her go. I should have stayed. I should have fought for her. The thought of her dying in my arms scared me more than being separated though. She was vulnerable and I should have protected her. I¡¯m not losing another person I love to the ck w pack. Not her. ¡°Rx, bro, we¡¯ll get her back,¡± Richie said. ¡°How can I rx? I let her down.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Megan entered the living room. Francine lingered behind her in a pyjama shirt and shorts, but her brother was nowhere in sight as usual. ¡°Nothing, go back to bed,¡± I said softly. ¡°No, you two just went out and judging by your states you picked a fight. Alpha?¡± Megan crossed her arms. Richie cleared his throat. ¡°Since I¡¯m the Alpha I don¡¯t have to answer you.¡± He smirked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer but you could because I¡¯ll tell your Mom and she¡¯ll strangle you,¡± Francine smirked. ¡°ckmail is a crime,¡± Richie pointed at her. The girl who was technically our younger sister rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on share the excitement.¡± ¡°Just go to bed we¡¯ll talk about it when the sunes out, okay?¡± I said. Francine knew she wouldn¡¯t get anything out of us and left but Megan was stubborn. I¡¯d been avoiding her since my wolf matched with ine. I needed to make things clear with her. We weren¡¯t going forward and I couldn¡¯t keep stringing her along. ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed. It¡¯s been an eventful night,¡± Lucas stood and left. Richie soon followed suit leaving me with my former causal me. She closed the gap between us and nted her red manicured hands on my chest. I gripped her wrists before she could go any further. ¡°You¡¯re differenttely.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°We haven¡¯t been together in a whole month, Azaire. Who are you fucking?¡± I clenched my jaw. ¡°It¡¯s someone else, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not someone else but I don¡¯t think this¡­ us is going anywhere. We¡¯re better apart.¡± ¡°Fuck you, Azaire. It is someone else. We¡¯re better apart? Screw you.¡± ¡°Megan, this was casual. It was just sex.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want! You don¡¯t starve a she-wolf for a month.¡± I clenched my jaw. Was I starving ine? With everything going on we didn¡¯t have much time alone. Desire bubbled under my skin. I suppressed it or else I¡¯d storm back into the ck w pack. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone else to take care of you. Trust me this is for the best.¡± Megan curled her lips upward and crossed her arms. ¡°Since we only have a professional rtionship, you have to act like the pack beta before someone takes the position from you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means there are others eyeing your position. Goodnight, Azaire.¡± I gripped the mantle. ¡°Fuck.¡± *** I lingered in the doorway of my room the next day. ine¡¯s bag was still on my bed. Some of her clothes were piled out of the bag. I picked up the shirt and held it to my face. It felt like her and her feminine perfume. Something else alerted my senses. ¡°No,¡± I muttered. I plucked out clothes from the bag and sniffed them. ¡°Damn it.¡± I grabbed the bottom of the bag and held it upside down. Just as I suspected a bag of white powder spilled on the sheets. ¡°Why would she have this?¡± I growled. ¡°Not her, not my mate.¡± I snatched my motorcycle keys and darted out. *** I drove to ck w territory. Half an hourter I stood in front of Opal¡¯s front door arguing with the beta guard. ¡°You don¡¯t have permission toe inside!¡± He yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about permission. I¡¯m here for ine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you.¡± The beta pointed at me. I battled not to snap his finger. The door opened behind him and Opal popped her head out of it. ¡°Azaire!¡± She hissed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for ine. We need to talk it¡¯s urgent.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here. Her brother just left.¡± ¡°Opal, it¡¯s a matter of life and death.¡± Opal narrowed her eyes but opened the door wide. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rider, I know him.¡± The beta red at me. I¡¯d kick his asster. ¡°What do you mean life and death?¡± Opal asked. ¡°Where is she?¡± Opal crossed her arms and nodded at a shut door. I thanked her and walked through the door with a raging heart. There she was by the window staring out at the mountains that protected her pack. Her brown hair tumbled down her back, her shorts sculpted her ass, and her legs¡­ gosh, they were perfect. Her hoodie covered her entire top half. I wanted to run my hand under that hoodie and explore every hidden part. She turned around and her eyes lit up. ¡°You came.¡± She ran and closed the distance between us. The rage I felt was doused by her touch. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± I kissed her hair. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± She broke me. Every usation died on my lips. I wanted to keep her safe. I wanted to take away the pain. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Neel wants me punished and my Father¡¯s going to hand me over.¡± ¡°What? When?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He hasn¡¯t been here but it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± Losing her sent my wolf into a frenzy but losing her eternally was an even greater fear. I held her tighter, breathing in her scent and allowing my hands to explore her flesh. My mate was the most desirable thing on the. I buried my face in her neck and sucked on her flesh. I forgot I came here in a fit of rage ready to confront her about why she was using wolf enhancers. ine dug her nails into my back and myst defences copsed. She had me where she wanted me. She reclined her neck and moaned. The soft noise put a spell on me. ¡°Hmm, Azaire.¡± My name on her lips was amand I couldn¡¯t deny. I kissed down to her corbone, memorizing the pattern of her skin. I¡¯d been starving myself! ine was everything and I needed more of her. ¡°Oh, please,¡± she breathed out. Opal wouldn¡¯t walk in on us. I wanted to strip her of her beautiful bones and take her from the back. My wolf howled with impatience and I grew hard in my jeans. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Isn¡¯t this nice?¡± A feminine voice said. ine gasped. We broke apart but I held ine to my side. ¡°Avena,¡± ine spat. The door closed behind the witch without her moving a finger. Fuck, I didn¡¯t like a witchy business. ¡°So the infamous fated mate is here. How sweet,¡± Avena said, her eyes taking me in. I swear it was like she saw my insides. She might have. She looked like she was into some dark magic. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised because Laiken was a man without morals even though dark magic was banned in all packs and most covens. ¡°Leave him alone. Your beef is with me,¡± ine said. ¡°No, you want her you have to go through me,¡± I corrected. The corner of the witch¡¯s lips curled up. The door locked and the windows mmed shut. ¡°You little slut,¡± Avena spat. ¡°Watch it,¡± I barked. ¡°Of all the bastards this pack has to offer you had to go and find one from another pack. An Alpha wolf to make matters worse.¡± ¡°Why do you hate me so much Avena? What did I ever do to you?¡± Avena¡¯s nostrils red. She tilted her head and her fingers flexed. I stepped in front of ine anticipating a spell. It hit me square in the jaw like a solid punch from a metal fist. I stumbled back but it would take more than that to knock me down. ¡°You think you¡¯re tough, Alpha? I¡¯ll chop you and your mate down to wood and burn you. No one¡¯sing between me and destiny!¡± The whites of her eyes turned blood red. A fire erupted from the bed and rose to the ceiling. This witch was testing myst thread of patience but the fire spread to the window, engulfing ine and me in a ring of fire. Okay, we might be fucked. Chapter 34 ine POV Fire burst out of my hands and destroy Avena now. Themand repeated itself in my head a hundred times but it wouldn¡¯t manifest into an awesome explosion that took my enemy out. I know I didn¡¯t imagine my new abilities. Azaire tucked me behind his back. Avena would turn us into charcoal at this rate. ¡°Rx, mate, rx, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Azaire said. ¡°Do you not see the fire?¡± I hissed. ¡°I¡¯m working on a n, ine.¡± I knew under Avena¡¯s subtle demeanour I knew was the heart of a psychopath. Now my powers had deserted me and I was screwed. ¡°Stop, you want me. Leave Azaire alone,¡± I said. ¡°No, no, we¡¯re not doing this,¡± Azaire barked, and grabbed my hand. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Avena said. The fire zed, engulfing the wallpaper and eating at the floor. Opal would be pissed. Opal, I thought. What had Avena done to Opal and her guards? ¡°You two can¡¯t be together. You weren¡¯t supposed to find your fated mate. You should have married that mountain brut weeks ago, but your Father stalled it.¡± ¡°It was your idea for me to marry Neel. I still don¡¯t understand; why do you hate me!¡± My palms burned. Good, rage-fuelled my powers. Azaire was in my path but he wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill us then do it fast or else we¡¯ll all burn,¡± Azaire said, coughing from the smoke. Avenaughed. ¡°I¡¯m the strongest witch for miles. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± My hands turned to ice. I ran in front of Azaire. He yelled, I shrugged him off and let loose. Expecting another majestic burst of energy, a rage of bitter ice sted from the ground engulfing the mes, freezing the bed and icicles sprouting from the bedroom floor. Azaire wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tight. ¡°Enough!¡± Avena yelled. I expected the ice to melt but icicles emerged from the floor backing her into the door and trapped her in a cage. ¡°Window?¡± I rasped. ¡°Window sounds good,¡± Azaire replied. ¡°This isn¡¯t over, ine. Wherever you run, I¡¯ll find you,¡± Avena said calmly.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Her calmness scared me more than her rage. My mate and I hit the ground. Azaire shifted into a ck wolf and gestured for me to get on his back. ¡°What about Opal?¡± He looked around and sniffled. ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± Azaire said through our link. I heard his voice in my head and felt his warmth through our mate bond. I climbed on his back and Azaire took off. He raced into the woods, ducking under branches, jumping over rocks and escaping upraised roots. I¡¯d never trusted anyone this much not to drop me. zer always dropped me when we went for a run. We ran passed theke then I wondered where he was taking me. It was a long way from the Blood Moon pack. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I yelled. Azaire didn¡¯t answer. He ran for what felt like half an hour until we came into a clearing in the woods. A medium-sized house sat in between skinny trees. The house had dark discoloured wood, but the front windows seemed to be intact. I climbed off Azaire and he transformed into the man I loved. ¡°That was awesome,¡± I giggled and kissed him. He held me and hissed me passionately. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I would drop you did you?¡± ¡°Never. What is this ce?¡± ¡°Belongs to Richie, apparently my brother has numerous private properties.¡± ¡°Is this Blood Moon territory?¡± Azaire shook his head. ¡°Neutral ground. Come on, let¡¯s see what my brother¡¯s been hiding.¡± From the outside anyone would think this was an abandoned house but the house was fully furnished, it was cold but there was a firece. Azaire found the stash of wood and quickly started a fire. He was the one naked I assumed the cold was getting to him but he insisted I sit in front of the fire. ¡°You¡¯ve got some exining to do, mate,¡± Azaire started. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was, Azaire. I¡¯ve never done that, but it was pretty cool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the magic. I found the wolf enhancers, ine.¡± My heart mmed forward. ¡°Y-you went through my things?¡± ¡°I caught the scent. Why the hell would you be using those? You know the dangers. Fuck, ine.¡± I stood and took a step forward. Azaire backed up. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± I closed the gap and nted my hands on his face. ¡°It was the only thing that eased my curse. I couldn¡¯t go back home I had no choice.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? We could have figured something out. This shit has side effects sooner orter it¡¯ll start to show.¡± Azaire cupped my cheeks and kissed me. ¡°I don¡¯t want you using anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m cursed, Azaire.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. You¡¯ll be fine but I¡¯m not losing you to wolf enhancers.¡± Azaire didn¡¯t understand the pain I endured or the dread when the full moon was near. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ine, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± I got lost in his kiss. I traced my fingers along his solid and defined muscles. I itched each muscle into memory, I remembered every scar and hump. Hey me on the carpet near the firece. ¡°Where were we? Before Avena interrupted?¡± I whispered. Azaire groaned against my skin. His lips travelled down my chest and settled on my waist. I raised my legs and gasped. My mate found my eager clit and sucked vehemently. My mouth opened in a silent cry. He sucked and kissed passionately. I could barely keep myself quiet. I cried out when his teeth closed on the sensitive bud. ¡°Azaire,¡± I panted. ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you, princess.¡± His body covered mine. He pinned my wrists above my head and stared into my eyes. Half of his face was illuminated by the me from the firece. I breathed heavily anticipating his pration. Azaire was impatient. He thrust forward and stretched out my walls. I cried out from a blend of pain and desire. He rocked hard into me. He gave me pleasure from the top of my head to my toes. Azaire was rough and dominating, but I liked it. I liked knowing I¡¯d still feel his hands on my body when we were done. He didn¡¯t spare me. He sucked on my nipples, giving generous attention to each one. His tempo increased. We were on the edge of release. I gripped his muscles as my walls clenched around hisrge member. Azaire mmed forward and groaned at the same time I climaxed and saw stars. I moaned but struggled to maintain a grip on reality. I may have passed out for a second. Azaire had literary taken me to a different ce. Chapter 35 ine POV ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to work?¡± I mumbled. Azaire tightened his arms around my frame. His chin rested on my head. ¡°Richie¡¯s going to fire you,¡± I whispered. Azaire grumbled. ¡°He can¡¯t I¡¯m his older brother.¡± I giggled and attempted to wiggle out of his arms but damn he was strong. ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°You can¡¯t keep me here forever.¡± ¡°Who says?¡± Azaire¡¯s huskyugh made butterflies flutter in my stomach. Azaire brought me to his apartmentst night. I feared being there again. What if Neel came running or Avena? My secret affair with Azaire was out now. If I was lucky my Dad would disown me and let me live in peace with my mate. I could even go back to school and finish. Then I could think about medical school. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, sweetheart?¡± ¡°My life. Things have changed a lot.¡± ¡°Finding a mate wasn¡¯t in your ns?¡± ¡°No, neither was an arranged marriage. I was going to be a doctor. I was going to leave the pack. Dad had other ns. If I married Neel he¡¯d want a child in the first year and then I¡¯d have to raise the children. My dream wouldn¡¯t have survived anyway.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t want kids anytime soon. My Mom might. I want you to follow your dreams, though.¡± I stared up at him. He seemed serious. ¡°So, you¡¯re keeping me?¡± I teased. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m keeping you. I need to make sure you¡¯re safe always.¡± ¡°My curse is a problem.¡± I offered him a smile. ¡°Listen, I have to go to work today, but I want us to make time to see Rae. She¡¯s a good witch. I hope she¡¯ll tell us something.¡± Azaire climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom. What was I going to do all day? Opal told me the pack was on high alert since I ran off. Communication with her had been minimal. I had a feeling she was limiting our contact to prevent anyone from finding out where I was. Azaire walked outter with a towel around his waist. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing today yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯reing to work with me.¡± ¡°What?¡± *** I stared at Shaw mansion. It felt wrong being on their territory. It felt like someone would jump out of nowhere to grab me and lock me up for being the enemy. ¡°Rx, no one¡¯s going to bother you,¡± Azaire said. The Alpha was okay with me and so was Lucas but what about everyone else? The Shaw family was massive. ¡°What about your Mom?¡± Azaire froze. ¡°Okay, she might bother you when she finds out you came with me.¡± ¡°If I knew I was meeting your Mom I would have worn a better dress!¡± Azaire smirked. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. I love your legs, have I told you that?¡± I rolled my eyes yfully. My petite yellow dress stopped above my knees and the top was covered with a denim jacket. ¡°You¡¯re not meeting her anyway. I¡¯m not ready for that. You can hang out with Lucas.¡± Heat rushed to my cheeks. Ourst serious interaction was at a party and we got toofortable. I rubbed my cheeks hoping the pink shade would leave so Azaire wouldn¡¯t see. ¡°Uh, there he is!¡± someone yelled as we entered the living room. ¡°Why the hell are you with her?¡± Azaire groaned. The living room was packed with faces. A few I didn¡¯t know. We walked in on a meeting, crap. An old man with a cane stared at me intently but he didn¡¯t voice his opinion, unlike the young man who barked at us. Luckily, Mrs Shaw wasn¡¯t in the room. ¡°Watch your tongue, Oliver,¡± Richie said and smiled at me. ¡°Great, you brought her. Alpha Laiken¡¯s iming you attacked his witch and kidnapped his daughter.¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yup, we have twenty-four hours to hand Azaire over for punishment and give back Laiken¡¯s daughter. Doubt it¡¯ll take that long because Nik might storm into our pack guns zing.¡± ¡°Oh fuck,¡± Azaire groaned. He turned around and grabbed the living room¡¯s double doors. A woman with brown hair dressed in leather approached the door but Azaire just smiled and proceeded to close the door. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked. ¡°We¡¯re having a meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a beta in this pack too since when do you have meetings without me?¡± ¡°This is a family meeting Megan.¡± ¡°Ross isn¡¯t a Shaw!¡± She yelled before the doors closed. So that¡¯s Azaire¡¯s lover. Dove was interested enough toe out of her dormant state and poke her mate through our mate bond. Azaire raised his brow at me. I lifted a shoulder. I couldn¡¯t help butpare us. She was gorgeous, mature and a badass. She looked like she could take out a couple of wolves on her own with one arm behind her back. ¡°She¡¯s just jealous of me,¡± Ross puffed. ¡°What the hell are you going to do then?¡± Ross asked. ¡°Can someone exin what¡¯s going on? Why is the enemy in our living room?¡± Oliver barked. Azaire tucked me under his arm as if to make it obvious. ¡°First of all, the witch started throwing curses and ine left willingly.¡± ¡°This is interesting,¡± the elder man stood. I saw traces of Azaire in him. ¡°The moon goddess is up to her tricks. Are you sure this is what you want?¡± His ageing eyes settled on me. ¡°Of course it is, Uncle. Rejection isn¡¯t an option.¡± ¡°I understand Azaire. You need to understand as well the rivalry between these packs. Laiken wants us off the face of the earth. We¡¯re hurt because of Aiden¡¯s murder. There¡¯s blood between you too. Not to mention your Father¡¯s death.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure they had anything to do with that,¡± Azaire said. ¡°You¡¯re defending the enemy now?¡± Oliver barked. ¡°Hey, Mom said, it wasn¡¯t about the ck w pack,¡± Richie cut in. ¡°Your Mother is a good woman but your Dad kept her out of pack affairs for a long time. There¡¯s a good chance Laiken had him killed. You two will never know peace are you prepared for that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to war for her,¡± Azaire said with assurance. He wasn¡¯t thinking about the destruction we would cause. If my Dad invaded the Blood Moon pack today, there would be a lot of death. A lump formed in my throat. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get into your head, mate,¡± Azaire said. ¡°You¡¯re putting us all at risk for her?¡± Oliver sted. I stepped back taking in all the faces. They already lost one brother I didn¡¯t want another death in their home. ¡°You can take care of your damn self, Oliver!¡± Ross jumped but Lucas was quick to hold him back. ¡°Keep your damn mouth shut,¡± Ross grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s right Azaire. I don¡¯t want anyone else to die. There¡¯s always going to be hate. Your pack attacked the omega house. I lived in that house Azaire.¡± ¡°I know there¡¯s a lot of hate but thest thing we do is give in to it.¡± I smiled. He was right about that. ¡°So it¡¯s settled. We¡¯re keeping ine. Now, a ton of wolf enhancers were found at a local bar. But when Ross went to pick them up they vanished. We have a problem,¡± Richie sighed heavily. I cleared my throat. ¡°The motel I worked at had a whole box of enhancers. They were sent to the Evangeline Hotel. It belonged to thete Luna.¡± Richie shared a look with his older brother. ¡°Oh, yeah, spy mission. I have the perfect n,¡± Lucas said, rubbing his hands. Oh, this will be something. Chapter 36 ine POV ¡°Why do I have to be in on this?¡± Francine scowled. ¡°Because you owe me one and it seems like you¡¯re a frequent visitor anyway,¡± Lucas said through gritted teeth. ¡°You¡¯ve been going to the ck w pack, kid?¡± Azaire asked, sounding like her father instead of her cousin. Francine clenched her jaw and red at Lucas. He lifted his shoulders and looked away. My brothers were overprotective but they weren¡¯t caring. zer and me were cool but ultimately whatever Nik said goes. It must have been nice to have a huge family that cares and wants to be involved in your life. Fran flipped her hair over her shoulder and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be right there in case.¡± Fran rolled her eyes. ¡°I can take care of myself, thanks.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand how sending our little cousin to enemy territory is a perfect n, Lucas,¡± Richie groaned. ¡°Because, unlike you guys, Francine¡¯s less threatening. She can get in and out without raising rms. She¡¯s never been there either.¡± Everyone turned to Lucas. ¡°Have you?¡± Azaire narrowed his eyes. Lucas tugged on his cor. ¡°Few times but that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with her. I¡¯ve never been there either,¡± I said. Azaire¡¯s heated gaze washed over me, but he wasn¡¯t talking me out of this. ¡°I¡¯d rather work with ine than you, meatheads. Yay, my first mission!¡± Fran pped. Her enthusiasm got me excited. Richie rubbed his hands together as he took in his family. I grew up knowing they were our enemies but I envied their bond and their love for one another. They¡¯d do anything for each other despite their ws. Maybe through Azaire, I could be a part of their family one day. *** I coughed as Fran sprayed another puff of jasmine perfume on my face. ¡°It¡¯s strong!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll mask our natural scents in case there¡¯s someone we didn¡¯t n to be there. Boys never think about the details.¡± Fran tucked the golden bottle in her purse. ¡°I booked a reservation as well. We have code names. We¡¯re half-sisters from the Raven pack here for the charity event for a local hospital.¡± I rubbed my head at all the information. ¡°Wait, how did you know about the ball?¡± It¡¯s been in the nning stage for months. Fran froze, her eyes turning wide. ¡°Uh¡­ because zer invited me.¡± ¡°zer invited you¡­ ew!¡± ¡°No! Nothing¡¯s going on. He knows we can¡¯t. Not again anyway¡­¡± she mumbled thest part. zer was the goofy womanizing brother. He¡¯d never had a stable girlfriend for as long as I¡¯d known him. Fran seemed like a nice person and I didn¡¯t want to see her hurt. ¡°zer¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°A heartbreaker, a yer¡­ I know I¡¯ve heard it all before that¡¯s why nothing¡¯s going on. I swear. Azaire on the other than¡­ he¡¯s a possessive jealous hothead but deep-down he has a warm protective heart.¡± Iughed. ¡°Way to sell him. We should go before we start hearing from him.¡± ¡°Remember we¡¯re only here for two days,¡± Fran said as we crossed the parking lot to the main entrance. The guys were supposedly parked on the property watching us. If anything went I had a text written and ready to hit send if we were caught. We walked up to the front desk, the hotel was busy with dozens of folks trying to check-in. It could be good for us because I couldn¡¯t remember half the information Fran gave me. ¡°Yes, Ester and re Winter, your room is on the twelfth floor,¡± the receptionist said when it came to our turn. ¡°Any luggage?¡± the woman with cat eyesses asked. My heart mmed forward. How did we forget to bring bags? ¡°We flew in and the airline misced our bags. We¡¯ll be needing information on the finest stores in town,¡± Fran said casually. The youngdy behind the desk beamed. ¡°Andrea Silva owns one of the best high-end clothing stores in town.¡± ¡°Perfect. Since we have no bags we¡¯d love to head upstairs and rx.¡± Fran grabbed the keys and we hurried to the elevator. ¡°Did you magically think the luggage part up?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how many times that has happened to me. I doubt the enhancers are hidden in the rooms.¡± The wolf enhancers were hidden in the basement at the motel they could be hidden in the basement or cer here. I pressed the elevator button to take us to the ground floor. ¡°We have to go through the kitchen.¡± I trying toe up with a n to get us into the kitchen without the staff noticing us when the elevator doors opened and a woman in a dark blue power suit appeared ring at us. Fran walked passed her as if nothing was wrong but I stopped at the familiarity and her deadly stare. ¡°I thought I saw someone familiar at the reception. What are you doing here? Your Father¡¯s worried sick!¡± She said. Fran, who stood behind the woman raised her brow. I raised my shoulders. I¡¯d never seen this woman before but the sense of familiarity was strong. ¡°You must be mistaken. We¡¯re Ester and re Winter from the Raven Pack here for the charity event for the local hospital. My sister and I were going to dinner, right re?¡± Fran grabbed my arm and yanked me forward. ¡°Oh, you might be Ester Winter but she isn¡¯t re. ine, what are you doing?¡± I exhaled. I¡¯ve been caught. ¡°Your friend must be lying too. What are you girls up to?¡± The woman with tortoise eyes and chestnut hair red at us. I bet Fran didn¡¯t have a line for this one. *** ¡°So much for our mission,¡± Fran hissed as the woman shut the door to her office. She settled behind her desk and locked her fingers together. ¡°Your Father is worried about you, ine,¡± she started. ¡°My Father¡¯s a control freak but that¡¯s beside the point. How do you know who I am?¡± She blinked a few times and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m Andrea Silva, I¡¯ve known you since you were a kid. You¡¯re zer¡¯s little sister.¡± ¡°The luxury store owner?¡± Fran asked. ¡°Among other things. I run the hotel too on behalf of my parents.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. My jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re rted to thete Luna?¡± ¡°Bianca yes, your step-mother.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t call her that.¡± Andrea gave me a pressed smile. ¡°She was your Dad¡¯s wife so she was your step-mother. She was a generous woman with a big heart and-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she was and ine¡¯s Dad is worried sick but we have to leave. We have things to do like getting ready for the ball, right ine?¡± Fran hissed, tugging on my arm. ¡°No, clearly you two are up to no good. I should call your Father.¡± ¡°No!¡± Fran and I cried at once. ¡°Listen, you sound like a nice woman and I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t remember you. I never saw you around the house before or after Bianca passed.¡± Andrea cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯splicated¡­ I wish I coulde by more. How¡¯s zer? Is he well?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s good.¡± I could tell her he was using wolf enhancers but what¡¯s to stop her from running to tell Dad? ¡°That¡¯s good. If you tell me what you¡¯re here for I might be able to help.¡± Fran and I shared a look. Fran lifted her shoulder, allowing me to make the decision. I looked into Andrea¡¯s eyes and took a risk I hoped I wouldn¡¯t regret. Thirty minutester we stood in the sun outside the hotel at the back of the building staring at the door leading down to the storage room. They didn¡¯t have a basement and their cer was the size of a shoe closet it only held wines. Andrea gave me the keys to the storage room. ¡°I hope you girls are wrong. Wolf enhancers are dangerous and if Laiken finds out they¡¯ve beening from here. He¡¯ll shut down the hotel.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that. This is histe wife¡¯s family hotel,¡± I said. Andrea¡¯s eyes went as dark as the grey clouds honing in on the zing sun. ¡°He¡¯s capable of many things, ine. Please, hurry. If you¡¯re caught I¡¯ll have no choice but to kick you girls out.¡± Fran threw the double doors open. ¡°We¡¯ll be quick.¡± Fran jumped in first and I followed. I used my torch to illuminate the rest of the dark room. ¡°ine, wolf¡¯s bane,¡± Fran whimpered. The foul odour assaulted my nostrils as well. ¡°Wolf enhancers too,¡± I whispered. ¡°Everything¡¯s here. Somewhere in these boxes.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s time to call the guys. We aplished our mission!¡± Fran squealed. I grinned until my cheeks ached. ¡°Can we do it from outside? I think there¡¯s a lot of wolf¡¯s bane in here.¡± The storage room was the size of two mansion living rooms. The walls were stacked with rows and rows of boxes. A few crates were piled on the floor. It was an unsuspecting ce to hide illegals. Fran and I turned to leave but came to a fleeting halt with someone jumped through the above double doors. Fran screamed. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± a man said. ¡°Since you¡¯ve found out little stash we can¡¯t let you leave.¡± I recognized these guys they were the ones zer spoke to outside the motel I was hiding out in. The men narrowed in on us we had no ce to run to. Chapter 37 ine POV ¡°ine, what do we do?¡± Fran yelled. ¡°I¡¯m thinking!¡± The goons who once sold my brother wolf enhancers shoved us out of the storage room. I expected Andrea to walk out and reveal herself as the mastermind behind the wolf enhancers scheme but no one came. Fran and I were in trouble. ¡°What do we do with them?¡± the one with the braided beard asked. His friend shrugged. They weren¡¯t the sharpest I guessed. ¡°You could let us go and save yourselves the hustle. We swear we won¡¯t tell,¡± Fran smiled. ¡°Even I know that¡¯s a bad idea,¡± the smooth-shaved guy said. The one with the braided beard was shorter with brown eyes while the other was a foot taller with tanned skin.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t want to get physical with you guys,¡± I said, bluffing. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re warning you,¡± Fran winked. We were two powerful she-wolves we could take two cocky males. I hoped. They barked outughter and shoved us forward. ¡°Don¡¯t say we didn¡¯t warn you,¡± Fran said. In a blink of an eye, Fran¡¯s fingers turned to hairy razor ws. She swiped at the man behind her, ripping his shirt and drawing blood. ¡°Fuck!¡± Dove! Magical powers! Anyone, please show up. Dove manifested from her sleep first. I jumped on our attacker before he could grab Fran. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed. ¡°Ouch!¡± Fran yelled but she stuck out her leg and caught her attacker in the jaw sending him into the dumper. My guy was slowing down but I couldn¡¯t suffocate him like this. I leapt off and rammed my foot into his back. He smacked against the wall and turned in bewilderment. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± I warned. ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± he growled. Hands wrapped around my waist before I realized and yanked me backwards. I cursed at mypse in concentration before I took in Azaire¡¯s frame. ¡°She said don¡¯t move,¡± he ordered. Ross came to Fran¡¯s aid but she had her attacker on the ground bleeding already. Ross still took out his anger and mmed his jaw into the guy. ¡°Damn girls,¡± Azaire said, racking a hand through his hair. ¡°Told you we could take care of ourselves,¡± Fran winked at me. I winked back. It was reckless. My wolf could have decided to remain dormant but it worked. Adrenaline ran through my veins. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Azaire asked, brushing hair out of my face. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m good. We found everything down there.¡± ¡°Good, we need backup,¡± Ross said, fishing out his phone. ¡°You bastards have a lot of exining to do.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking,¡± the one with his hands against the wall spat. ¡°Oh we have ways of making you talk,¡± Azaire said. He tucked me under his arm and rested his hand above my bum. ¡°You did good,¡± he said and kissed my head. *** ¡°Where are they being taken to?¡± Fran asked. The betas came quickly. Megan was among them. She gave me a nasty look but was ultimately focused on getting the two guys off the property before anyone showed up. Azaire and Ross parked off the hotel property in an attempt to remain hidden. We walked through the gates to find Lucas getting punched by a guy in leather. Fran and I gasped at the same time. ¡°zer!¡± Azaire gawked at us. ¡°zer? Lucas!¡± Azaire and Ross ran to break things up. What was he doing here? Did he send those guys who attacked us? I couldn¡¯t process my thoughts as I ran to get to them. Azaire stood by his brother while I checked mine for injuries. Unlike theirst fight at the high school, zer had gotten the better of Lucas this time. When zer decided to fight back he could cause some damage. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I punched his arm after making sure he was fine. ¡°Me?¡± zer threw his arms out at Lucas. ¡°He¡¯s the one spying on our territory.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to hit him!¡± Fran yelled. zer rubbed his face. ¡°He¡¯s a big boy he can take it. What the hell is this?¡± ¡°I ought to break your face you bastard,¡± Azaire burst forward but stopped short when I gripped zer¡¯s arm. He ground his teeth but didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Were you buying?¡± I asked. ¡°What?¡± zer¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb I know you use wolf enhancers. We found a ton of stuff in the hotel storage room.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me there were wolf enhancers in the hotel this entire time and I didn¡¯t know?¡± He raked his hair. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an infuriating person, you know zer?¡± Ross said through clenched teeth. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s none of your business if I¡¯m using them or not,¡± zer scowled. ¡°It is my business I can¡¯t reserve the effects of wolf enhancers. You could die.¡± My hands trembled and I felt myself on the verge of tears. ¡°Uh, guys.¡± Fran buckled forward. ¡°Francine,¡± zer gasped. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯te closer,¡± Lucas ordered through his bloody lip. ¡°That guy¡­ caught me,¡± Fran moaned. Ross picked her up and held her to his chest. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine, kid.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± zer barked. ¡°Who did this?¡± ¡°I thought I could heal on my own,¡± Francine whimpered. ¡°Put her in the backseat,¡± I said rushing to open the door. Azaire climbed into the driver¡¯s seat, but we weren¡¯t going anywhere yet. Rossy her on the backseat and I popped my top half inside so I could see the wound. ¡°Pretty deep,¡± I said, biting my lip. ¡°Hurts like hell,¡± she winced. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I whispered, pulling her shirt up. ¡°We need to hurry back to the pack,¡± Ross said, urgently. ¡°Give her a minute,¡± zer ordered. Ross looked like he was going to take my brother¡¯s head off but when my hands touched Francine¡¯s skin and the sh quickly closed everyone paused. Azaire had seen me do it but the he inflicted on himself was hardly anything to marvel at. ¡°Oh my- What just happened? There isn¡¯t even a scar.¡± Francine smoothed her belly. I stepped out of the car as soon as my head started spinning. ¡°What was that? How can you do that? Azaire?¡± Ross stared between us. I knew what came after this but the dizzy spell was new. I heard people talking but none of it processed because reality was stripped from me as everything went dark. Chapter 38 ine POV My vision was blurry when I woke up but the muscr back with tattoos on it eventually came into view. Azaire was hunched over shirtless on the edge of the bed. ¡°Hey¡­ you,¡± my voice cracked. He turned. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°Two hours, mate. I thought the venom didn¡¯t work.¡± I sat up my bones didn¡¯t ache surprisingly. ¡°Is zer still here?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t leave until he knew you were better.¡± He climbed on top of me and kissed me. I felt the hunger of his wolf through our mate bond. His need and desire pulled my wolf out of her semi-slumber. I dug my nails into his back and darted my tongue out to meet his. ¡°You scared me,¡± Azaire said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry babe. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d use that much energy.¡± Azaire brushed my cheek and stared intensely into my eyes. ¡°I want you, ine.¡± I grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged. Azaireughed. ¡°I take it you want me to.¡± I deepened our kiss. ¡°Yes.¡± He rolled us over so I straddled him. He gazed up at me as he massaged my thighs. ¡°Azaire¡­ what about the group?¡± ¡°What about them?¡± His brows dipped. ¡°They can¡­ they¡¯re all wolves¡­ what if they smell what¡¯s going on here?¡± Azaire barked out augh. ¡°Ross is out there. If they do which I doubt it, he¡¯ll kick everyone out.¡± ¡°You know when two Alpha wolves mate it causes a power surge and my wolf¡¯s pretty awake now.¡± Azaire tugged me closer to his erection. ¡°Let them feel it. I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± My impatient wolf wed at me. I pulled off my shirt to let her know I wasn¡¯t backing out. Azaire reached around and unclipped my bra. He kissed my chest softly before taking my nipple between his teeth and biting down. The sudden ache made me yelp. I cupped my mouth and Azaire chuckled. ¡°Come here,¡± he growled. He lifted me on his erection, grinding me over him. I felt him grow harder and I grew wetter and eager just to have him inside me. Instead, Azaire flipped me on my back. Just when I thought he¡¯d let me have control this time he wanted to dominate and control. He sucked my neglected breast for a moment before kissing down to the waistband of my pants. Secondster the pants were gone leaving me down to my underwear. Azaire moaned as he kissed my inner thighs. I gripped the sheets and bit my lip. I felt like an inferno. I wanted to cry out and let my pleasure be known. He toyed with me as he held himself back. ¡°Azaire!¡± I groaned. ¡°You¡¯re so soft, babe. You smell so good.¡± He pushed my underwear aside and his lips found my bud. I cupped my mouth to muffle my cry. The slow kiss on my clit made it even more agonizingly beautiful. ¡°You ready?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I rasped. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± My eyes went wide. He thrust his fingers inside me. Slow and sensual at first. I raked my fingers through his silk-like hair. I closed my eyes as I climbed levels of pleasure. I raised my legs squeezed around him and raised my pelvis as I orgasmed. Azaire emerged from the sea of my passion. When he climbed on top of me I knew the power surge wasing. He wrapped my legs around his waist. Gripping him tight he melted into me. His hardness stretched me out I cried out, forgetting about the others in the living room. Azaire thrust slow and hard into me. He poured himself and his power into me as if I was an empty vessel. He gave me all of himself and I received it all. Azaire gripped my hair and sunk his teeth into my neck leaving his mark on me. I moaned savouring the pain. I¡¯d have more than sore bones tomorrow. As Azaire gave me to me my wolf emitted power and it raced to meet Azaire in the middle. I saw colours, a purple mist connecting with a red haze. I wondered if Azaire could see it too but he was too busy to notice. The purple colours danced around us never mixed. Azaire increased his speed. Digging my nails into his back as I felt my second piece of paradise draw close I kept my eyes on the magnificent colours spar in a majestic dance. ¡°I¡¯m close ine,¡± Azaire groaned. ¡°M-me too,¡± I whispered. Our orgasms exploded at once. At that moment the colours crashed together only to explode and separate like a mist under the zing sun. Azaire panted and rolled on his back. ¡°Gosh,¡± he groaned. ¡°Azaire, I think I saw colours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of seeing stars but that¡¯s something else.¡± *** ¡°Do you think I saw our power surge?¡± I asked as Azaire and I showered. He showered I kept pestering him with questions. ¡°You don¡¯t see one you feel it and smell it.¡± ¡°Then what was it?¡± He grabbed my cheeks and kissed me to shut me up. ¡°Okay, you can see power surges. How does your wolf feel?¡± Dove hasn¡¯t retreated into herself since it happened. She felt normal but I knew if I asked her what it was she wouldn¡¯t answer. We got changed and headed into the living room. I hoped no one was around so I wouldn¡¯t face the awkwardness. ¡°Oh, everyone is gone.¡± Azaire smirked. ¡°I told you Ross woulde through. Looks like someone forgot their hoodie. They¡¯ll be back.¡± The doorbell rang several times before either of us could think. I didn¡¯t recognize the scent. Azaire swung the door open and a girl wearing a ck baseball cap and sunsses stormed in. Who wore sunsses at night? ¡°Rae? What¡¯s with the outfit?¡± She wore army green overalls and ck boots. Azaire shut the door and Rae felt safe enough to remove her sses. She scanned the room and paused at me on the couch. She jumped slightly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°You know she¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± Azaire said. He came around and draped his arm around my shoulder. ¡°I know but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be here,¡± Rae said through gritted teeth. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. Did he ask her toe? I never asked Azaire about Rae but he trusted her enough about our secret before we told anyone else. So she had to be good people. Rae bit her bottom lip and rubbed her arm. ¡°I¡­ look since you came to my house. I¡¯ve been getting hit. There¡¯s things in the shadows after me, watching me.¡± I rubbed my chest to ease the sudden heaviness. ¡°Because of me?¡± I asked. Rae shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down. Tell me everything,¡± Azaire said. I settled beside Azaire snuggling close for warmth. His apartment was cold. Rae sat on the loveseat and hugged herself. ¡°Someone didn¡¯t like what I undid on ine. I¡¯ve been able to fight off the attacks but it¡¯s overwhelming now.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Azaire stroked my hair but listened intently. ¡°Who is it, Rae? Do you have a name or a face?¡± Rae shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t. Whoever they are they¡¯re a strong coven.¡± ¡°But Avena doesn¡¯t belong to a coven. I don¡¯t know how it works but she¡¯s always just worked for my Dad.¡± Rae met my eyes. ¡°Powerful witches are after me. I can feel the coven magic.¡± ¡°Is it the same magic on ine the day I brought her to you?¡± ¡°It is that¡¯s why I came. I don¡¯t know where else to go, Azaire.¡± Rae¡¯s voice cracked and her eyes drooped with desperation. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know any of this would happen,¡± I said. My heart swelled with guilt for bringing this on her. ¡°Don¡¯t be. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if I had a coven to fall back on and I haven¡¯t had a drink in two weeks because of this. I have to be on high alert.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you haven¡¯t been drinking but this isn¡¯t the way. I¡¯ll speak to Richie tomorrow you can spend the night in the guest room.¡± Rae chuckled and stood slowly. ¡°Thanks but I don¡¯t want to hear the sounds of a passionate night. There¡¯s something else before I leave.¡± ¡°What?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°You asked me to look into curses but you blew me off.¡± ¡°Right, something came up. It¡¯s been happening often these days.¡± ¡°The main reason you might be cursed is because you¡¯re a hybrid.¡± My heart dropped and I gasped. ¡°Hybrid me?¡± Rae shrugged. ¡°People aren¡¯t born with curses unless they¡¯re hybrid. Hybrids are pretty umon and they¡¯re usually frowned on.¡± ¡°But I-¡± I shook my head. I didn¡¯t know what to think. Dad never told me anything about my Mother not even a name I couldn¡¯t be sure she wasn¡¯t a wolf. It was forbidden for wolves to mate with other beings why would the Alpha break sacredws? ¡°I don¡¯t know but you cane by my house and we¡¯ll check the right way,¡± Rae said. I nodded but I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I was analysing my life. Azaire spoke to her and walked her into the hall as I thought about my life as a cursed wolf. My powers were new and wild. I didn¡¯t know any wolves with the powers to heal or to create fire and ice! ¡°ine,¡± Azaire said snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure-¡± he started but I cut him off. ¡°No, Azaire. I think she¡¯s right. I am a hybrid.¡± Chapter 39 ine POV ¡°What do you think you are, part witch?¡± Azaire asked. I nodded. ¡°What else creates fire and ice? Dad broke sacredw maybe that¡¯s why he never spoke about my Mom.¡± ¡°You said he doesn¡¯t talk about zer¡¯s Mom either is he a hybrid too?¡± ¡°No,¡± I frowned. At least I didn¡¯t think he was. ¡°The Ryker family drama keeps getting deeper and deeper,¡± Azaire sighed as he copsed on the couch. ¡°Thanks,¡± I frowned. He cupped my thigh and squeezed. ¡°I¡¯ll take you with your drama every day of the year.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want the drama. All I wanted was to go to medical school and make a difference even a small one, Azaire.¡± His hand left my thigh and cupped my cheeks. Azaire held my gaze. ¡°You will. I¡¯ll be there every sleepless night and before every test. We have to make sure you¡¯re safe, first. Which means taking care of Avena and Neel but I can handle Neel right now.¡± I caressed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t please.¡± ¡°Touching another man¡¯s mate is the ultimate crime. He¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him, babe. Tell me about Rae. All I know is she¡¯s a witch you trust.¡± Azaire blew out a breath. I crossed my legs on the couch and waited for his response. ¡°Rae was my brother¡¯s girlfriend. She was our childhood friend. I¡¯ve known her my whole life. She¡¯s been through a lot too. She lost my brother and her sister abandoned her. I¡¯m proud of her for making it this far.¡± ¡°Azaire, now I feel worse that she¡¯s being attacked.¡± ¡°The only one to me here is your Dad¡¯s weird ass witch.¡± How would I confront my Dad about this? I felt lied to my whole life. Maybe this was why he never cared about me. I am the product of a forbidden union. In reality, he shouldn¡¯t have had me and that stung. His wife must have known my Mother wasn¡¯t a wolf it just added insult to injury. *** I knocked and waited outside Rae¡¯s apartment. Azaire had duties to handle in the pack so I came alone. Rae answered minutester. She locked the door with a dozen locks after I got inside. ¡°Does that help?¡± I asked. ¡°They¡¯re magical locks. Last time only two were broken but the others held out.¡± I cringed. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°But if I hadn¡¯te here¡­¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯te Azaire would have been running around like a headless chicken all night.¡± Yeah, he might have. Rae led me to the dining room. At first nce, it looked like a dining room with a round table five chairs and a cab against the right wall but at closer inspection, there were tarot cards on the table and bottles of herbs in the cab. ¡°Have a seat. We just have to figure out if you have magic.¡± ¡°What happens if I do, Rae? I¡¯ll be an outcast!¡± She smiled. ¡°Just because hybrids are rare doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re bad. I was in love with a wolf. Our baby would have been a hybrid. Sometimes I don¡¯t understand why the goddess has to curse our offspring. They¡¯re born out of love.¡± I smoothed my hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think that was the case for me. I don¡¯t even know my Mother¡¯s name let alone her face.¡± Rae covered my hands and smiled but she drew her hand quickly as if she¡¯d been burned by a hot stove. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°A jolt of energy. Okay, let¡¯s do this. I need you to hold this crystal.¡± Rae gave me a smooth white crystal in the shape of a pebble. ¡°It lights up when it detects magic.¡± The white stone turned neon blue. It burned my palm and I dropped it. ¡°Is it supposed to burn?¡± Rae shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just supposed to glow. Maybe your magic¡¯s countering it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to use my powers.¡± ¡°I can help. Since I was attacked I started taking my powers seriously. So I can teach you.¡± ¡°You mean it?¡± Rae smiled and nodded. ¡°And honestly I could use a friend. Azaire and his brothers are nice and all but I need a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Ugh, I know what you mean. I grew up with two older brothers who never let a guy two feet from me.¡± I felt like I made a friend, not a fake one who sleeps with the fiancee you didn¡¯t want behind your back. She gave me a book of spells and told me to practice a small levitation spell on a pot. ¡°Hard as stone but as light as air?¡± I recited the words. ¡°Sounds dumb but it¡¯s a beginner spell. Just feel it and focus on the pot.¡± I nodded and narrowed my eyes on the sunflower pot. I must look like I was trying to take a shit. I uttered the spell again and willed the pot to fly with my mind. Suddenly the pot rose off the table. Rae and I gasped then the pot shot to the ceiling and shattered. Dirt flew across the dining room andnded in our hair too. ¡°Too much power,¡± Rae said. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s good. We should try something else.¡± ¡°Ou what about teleportation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my dining table.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The windows shook then the table bounced violently. The objects in the cab smashed against each other. Rae and I stood instantly and looked around. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Rae¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked, reaching out for her. ¡°You should go. They must have felt your magic when you used it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you. Look at this ce.¡± The windows cracked and the dining table had moved to the other corner of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll handle them. I¡¯ve been doing-¡± I grabbed her arm. ¡°We¡¯re friends now we¡¯re leaving together!¡± The dining room window burst and the one in the living room. Rae grabbed my arm and we escaped through the kitchen back door as a whirlwind blew into the house. *** ¡°Will you be able to go back?¡± I asked as we marched up to the Shaw mansion. Rae sighed. ¡°My house is probably a mess! I¡¯ll have to assess.¡± Rae and I paused in the driveway. ¡°Whoa, are they having a party?¡± She asked. I shook my head. This was thest thing I needed to happen. ¡°No, my Dad¡¯s here.¡± Chapter 40 ine POV ¡°The Ryker Alpha? Damn, he¡¯s actually here?¡± I nodded. This can¡¯t be good. This means Nik¡¯s here too. Did zer rat me out? He wouldn¡¯t. He¡¯s been so helpfultely and understanding but my Father was a hard man. He demanded respect and loyalty constantly. I¡¯d broken his sacred rules to always respect him and I wasn¡¯t loyal. Not anymore. My money was on Avena. No matter what I told my Dad about Avena he¡¯d never believe me. ¡°Wait, are you sure we should go in there? These two hate each other!¡± ¡°I¡¯m caught in the middle Rae. I should have married Neel and kept my mouth shut but I fell in love with Azaire.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I wouldn¡¯t have batted ash at the Alpha who braids his beard. You two have a beautiful thing going on.¡± Dad didn¡¯t see it that way neither did Nik. Our pack members might not agree either. Rae sighed heavily. ¡°Okay since we¡¯re friends we go in together. Let¡¯s go.¡± It¡¯s now or never, I thought. ¡°You¡¯re not taking her anywhere!¡± Azaire¡¯s voice boomed and met us at the door the second we walked in. ¡°She¡¯s my daughter!¡± Dad shouted. ¡°She¡¯s my mate. My fated mate.¡± My heart jumped into my throat and I froze. ¡°Simple things a few words can take care of,¡± Avena said calmly. Of course, the witch was here. Did she think I¡¯d reject Azaire in her wildest dreams? ¡°You told me ine couldn¡¯t find a fated mate because she was cursed. What the hell is this?¡± Dad demanded. My jaw hung open. Avena told him what? That pushed me forward. I appeared in the living room full of angry Alpha wolves. Nik was beside his Father as always. The Shaw boys stuck together like glue. ¡°Dad, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, Dad me! You¡¯re a traitor, I should have you locked up or worse.¡± His words hit me like a pot to the face. Rae lingered behind me now all eyes were on us including Nik and zer. zer looked ufortable beside Nik but he kept his mouth shut. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to her like that,¡± Azaire snapped. He crossed the room to tuck me under his arm but I knew this wouldn¡¯t go our way. Dad stared at us in disgust. ¡°These monsters. They¡¯re the reason so many wolf enhancers are going around!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t use us without proof,¡± Richie said firmly. ¡°We¡¯ve got two suspects in custody right now. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they sang your names like birds,¡± Lucas boasted. I wasn¡¯t sure he should have said that but it was toote and the problems were bigger now. Dad left Avena¡¯s side. The surprise was visible on her face. He stalked towards me but Azaire kept his stance. ¡°You¡¯reing home with me,¡± he ordered. ¡°No,¡± Azaire said for me. ¡°You¡¯re notying a hand on her.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t save her from the full moon. She¡¯s cursed didn¡¯t she mention? She¡¯s a horrible creature in the eyes of the moon goddess and only her family can spare her the pain.¡± ¡°She¡¯s also blessed, Laiken and you can¡¯t deny that,¡± I bit my bottom lip. That was another one of our secrets. Dad red at me. ¡°You want to stay, ine? You want to switch sides? Okay, you can say goodbye to your brothers, your friends and all the information on your Mother.¡± My heart mmed forward. ¡°Laiken,¡± Avena snapped. He didn¡¯t flinch. His aged eyes held my stare. I swallowed the lump in my throat. ¡°You said she was dead,¡± my voice cracked. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. She¡¯s alive. She thinks you¡¯re dead. My blood ran cold. I balled my hands into fists. How could he? Before I knew what I was doing my wolf¡¯s anger spurred me forward.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I pushed passed Azaire and threw myself at my Dad. The only parent I¡¯d ever known. I mmed my hands on his chest. He was the real monster. He didn¡¯t want me in the first ce. Why would he steal me from her? Azaire¡¯s hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. He held me to his arms and chest and caged me in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not all right. You¡¯re a monster! A demon.¡± He rolled his eyes as if my words were mere air. ¡°Say what you like ine. Only I know where she is. You don¡¯t even know her name.¡± My lip trembled and my eyes glossed over. ¡°Low blow, Laiken,¡± Richie sighed. Does it get lower than lying to a mother that her child is dead? She wasn¡¯t even looking for me because she thought I was dead. ¡°Nik, zer, we¡¯re going,¡± Dad ordered. Like good little soldiers, they obeyed. At least zer had the guts to look at me as he walked passed. ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave after dropping a bomb on me?¡± I yelled. ¡°What do you want ine? You¡¯ve made your choice.¡± ¡°But-¡± a tear rolled down my cheek. I felt Azaire¡¯s hand on my waist. Just feeling his presence made my predicament harder. Avena red at me from behind my Father. If I went with him I would be ying in her hands and she could easily kill me! Leaving Azaire was painful but not knowing who my Mother was was harder. ¡°Make a choice ine,¡± Dad snapped. Azaire remained silent but his stare was hot on me. I turned to him with a tear-stained face. We just looked at each other. He didn¡¯t want me to choose between him and my Mom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. Dad¡¯s hand wrapped around my arm yanking me away from Azaire. My wolf cried out as we were separated. Chapter 41 ine POV I hadn¡¯t said a word the entire drive home. No one spoke to me. I curled into a ball and buried my head in my sleeve until the car parked. ¡°Get out,¡± Dad ordered. ¡°I will,¡± I snapped. I didn¡¯t want to see him. My eyes were swollen from crying and my wolf was angry and broken from being ripped from her mate again. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see your Mother,¡± Dad snapped back. ¡°What?¡± I looked up meeting his eyes for the first time. As usual, his witch Avena wasn¡¯t far. She frowned. ¡°Laiken, I wouldn¡¯t advise on that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha, Avena and I don¡¯t want your advice. I don¡¯t need it right now.¡± Avena lifted her chin but refused to look defeated. It was the first time Dad ever rebuffed her.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re just going to take me to her? Just like that?¡± I asked. He clenched his jaw. ¡°After all these years you don¡¯t know I don¡¯t like to be questioned?¡± I blinked at him in response. He walked off and yanked the door open to another SUV. Avena climbed into the passenger seat. Of course, she couldn¡¯t let this be an emotional moment between a daughter and her Dad. She always had to be involved. ¡°ine,¡± zer breathed out. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°I feel like shit, zer.¡± ¡°He¡¯s taking you to your Mother what more do you want?¡± Nik snapped. I shot him a re that I would have hoped would level him but my rage rolled off him easily. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to care Nik. You don¡¯t have a heart.¡± Nik rolled his eyes and wandered off with his hands buried deep in his sweatpants. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s head¡¯s not on straight. This is a good thing. You¡¯re going to meet your Mom. I¡¯m happy for you, kid,¡± he smiled but there was a sadness attached to it. zer might have been epted as an illegitimate child but he didn¡¯t know his other half. Dad never spoke about his Mom, not even a bad word about her. Maybe out of respect for his wife but if he stepped out on her how much respect did he have for her? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wish you could have the same,¡± I said and sniffled. He pulled me into his arms and I melted into the brotherly and protective hug. It was the love and care I needed going into highly emotional situation. ¡°Be strong, okay?¡± I nodded. *** Damn, where were they taking me? I wondered. I¡¯d been in a car with these two for over thirty minutes and they argued as if I wasn¡¯t in the car. ¡°I still think this is a bad idea,¡± Avena puffed. ¡°You should have stayed behind then. This is about ine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to remind you it was your choice to cut that woman out of your life forever. What are you going to tell her when you put that girl in front of her?¡± That girl? I thought. Wow. She couldn¡¯t even say my name. I wanted to ask Dad if he knew his right-hand woman had tried to kill me. Then again he might not care. A few hourster I drifted off to sleep. I dreamed of Azaire. Gosh, what does he think right now? I hope he understands my love for him hasn¡¯t died I just needed to do this. ¡°ine,¡± a soft voice spoke and a hand shook my shoulder. ¡°Time to go.¡± I¡¯d never heard my Dad¡¯s voice so tender before. I looked through the windscreen at the porch of a small weing house full of vibrant flowers. ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked. ¡°Your Mother¡¯s house,¡± he frowned. I was hoping for the name of the town. Despite my shaking hands, I walked out of the car. I kept my head high but refused to meet Avena¡¯s eyes. I stood next to my Dad as he knocked. Gosh, what if she wasn¡¯t home? What if her husband answered the door? That would be awkward. Dad knocked again and I was on the verge of fainting. The door cracked open and a set of sky-blue eyes peered out at us. ¡°Isaura, where¡¯s your Mommy?¡± Dad asked. ¡°She¡¯s making pasta,¡± the little girl replied. ¡°Can you get her please?¡± Dad asked. I think my heart stopped. She stepped back leaving the door slightly open. ¡°Mommy! Uncle Laiken¡¯s here!¡± She yelled and ran off. Uncle Laiken? So he¡¯s been here before? I gripped my head and battled to even my breathing. ¡°What¡¯s Uncle Laiken doing here sote?¡± a feminine voice asked softly. I couldn¡¯t do this. I was going to pass out or hurl my guts out. I saw her blue manicured fingers before her smooth pale face came into view. She smiled revealing theugh lines around her eyes. ¡°What a surprise and you¡¯ve broughtpany¡­ and Avena. Hasn¡¯t it been a while, Avena?¡± She said, a smirk toying at her lips. ¡°Not long enough,¡± Avena grumbled. Her difort made me happy. ¡°We need to talk. Privately,¡± Dad said, peering at Isaura who lingered behind her Mother. I had a sister, I couldn¡¯t believe this. My Mother closed the door behind her and motioned at the bench on the porch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can sense something¡¯s wrong Laiken you never were good at hiding your feelings,¡± she said with a warm smile. This didn¡¯t make any sense. It seemed like they had a good rtionship. Otherwise, she would have kicked him out and her daughter who could be around six or seven was familiar with him. I thought he hated her! ¡°This is ine,¡± Dad said, deadpanned. Her blue eyesnded on me. I held her gaze and I think something within her snapped into ce. I hadn¡¯t opened my mouth since she walked through the front door and into my life. ¡°ine?¡± she asked. ¡°Gail, this is our daughter,¡± Dad said. Gail stumbled and mmed against the door. ¡°Impossible. She died. I saw her dead body.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s been with me.¡± Laiken¡¯s words were void of any emotions it was as if he was reading the morning weather report. Gail shook her head and tears glossed her eyes. ¡°I held her lifeless body. How do you exin that? How dare you do this to me Laiken. Her death rocked me to my foundation. How can you bring it up?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± she demanded of me. ¡°I¡¯m ine. I¡¯m his daughter¡­¡± Her hand trembled she reached out and pulled it back. ¡°None of it was my idea but I took her.¡± Gail¡¯s glossy eyes moved from my Dad to Avena. She pointed her manicured finger. ¡°You! It was your idea. Only a witch like you is capable of something so horrible.¡± Avena shrugged. Of course, it was her. My blood boiled it was as if my entire body was on an open me. ¡°Ouch,¡± I cried out. I gripped my middle. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Gail asked. A fire burned in my middle. It was alive and it wanted toe out. ¡°She has witch magic,¡± Gail said. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. We¡¯re going ine,¡± Dad ordered. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going anywhere with you,¡± I protested but the living fire wanted out. ¡°You¡¯re not taking my daughter again. You monster!¡± Gail yelled. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping my daughter. Avena do something she can¡¯t stay like this.¡± Avena stepped into the spotlight. Thest thing I remember before something hit me over the head was Avena¡¯s ugly smirk. Chapter 42 ine POV He was worse than I thought. After my episode, they ripped me away from my Mother again. I was unconscious though. It was as if my powers were awakening but I felt my Mother¡¯s power. It was like I was connecting with her magic but it hurt. I couldn¡¯t control it. I came to the ck w when I was six where was I before that? Gail lost me when I was a baby what did Laiken do with me? I had a tone of questions some he wouldn¡¯t bother to answer but I¡¯d still ask. zer poked his head into my room. It was sometime close to midnight I thought everyone was asleep. ¡°Dad wants to speak to you,¡± zer said. ¡°Good. I need to speak to him too.¡± ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± zer shoved his hands into his sweatpants pockets. ¡°Worse than I expected. She thought I was dead.¡± He sucked in a breath. ¡°Sucks, Kid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worse than that. It hurts. He robbed me.¡± His handnded on my shoulder and squeezed. He had something to say but he kept his mouth shut. I wondered when zer was going to get fed up with all the shit that goes on around here. ¡°What are you going to do about Azaire?¡± zer asked. I fiddled with my fingers. ¡°What if he¡¯s pissed?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not pissed. The guy loves you.¡± ¡°Dad won¡¯t let me go back to him.¡± He winked. ¡°That didn¡¯t stop you from running away all those other times.¡± I chuckled and sniffled. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± I draped his arm around my shoulder and led me out of my room. I gathered courage with every step to ask the right questions. zer nodded at the door. ¡°You got this, Kid,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled and walked into Dad¡¯s study. I sighed heavily. Of course, Avena was here. Dad stood by the window with a ss of liquor in his hand. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± I blurted out. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one asking the questions, ine,¡± Dad said, his tone cool and deadly. I shook off the intimidation. ¡°How could you be so cruel to rip a baby away from her Mother?¡± ¡°I did what I had to!¡± he barked. In what situation is kidnapping a baby doing what you have to do? ¡°Where did you keep before I came here? We didn¡¯t live together until I was six.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that,¡± Avena answered quickly. My heart mmed forward. What? ¡°This is my life! Why don¡¯t I remember? What did you do to me?¡± I marched forward and came face to face with Avena. She didn¡¯t flinch. I felt my magic awaken and blend into my blood. I had to calm myself before I ordered a bee swarm to carry Avena away. ¡°If you don¡¯t remember then there¡¯s nothing to talk about. Everything is part of my n and it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Dad said. ¡°Ungrateful brat,¡¯ Avena spat. I narrowed my eyes and snapped my fingers. A me jumped at her feet. She gasped and shuffled away. She stared at me with wide eyes. Dad smirked. ¡°Your powers are growing. Good.¡± ¡°Did you know I was a hybrid all this time? Didn¡¯t you think I deserved to know that?¡± He shrugged and took a sip of his drink. ¡°Avena told me your powers would never manifest.¡± Dad red at his right-hand woman. ¡°They weren¡¯t supposed to manifest but she went and found a fated mate.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here you want to be with your mate. Fine.¡± Avena and I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Did you say fine?¡± I asked sceptically. He nodded. ¡°Go. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the catch? I refuse to believe you¡¯ve had a change of heart and now you want to be a supportive Father.¡± ¡°A time wille when I will need you but when that timees I need you to do as I say.¡± ¡°What will that be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t believe I¡¯ll agree to that.¡± ¡°You will if you want to be with the Blood Moon boy.¡± I bit my bottom lip. I would have to hatch another escape n. He was letting me walk free but at what cost? ¡°You won¡¯te after me?¡± He nodded. ¡°Are you going to take care of Neel?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. Do you promise to do as I say when the timees?¡± ¡°Yes, sure I promise.¡± Dad walked to his table. He set his liquor down and pulled a drawer open. ¡°Your word isn¡¯t good enough. I need a blood promise.¡± My eyes widened as he held up a knife with jagged edges. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± I said through clenched teeth. Dad bobbed his head. ¡°A blood promise will ensure you have no choice but to uphold your end of the deal. Give me your hand.¡± I handed a shaky right palm over to him. The pain is a small price to pay to be with Azaire. The de touched my skin and I shut my eyes. *** ¡°So this makes you part of the Blood Moon Pack, huh?¡± zer put the car in park. He drove me to Azaire¡¯s apartment. ¡°Yeah, are not going to turn on me right?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll probably see you often.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re visiting Francine,¡± I said raising a brow. zer smirked mischievously. ¡°Get out of here ine.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, zer. I mean it.¡± I took the elevator up to his apartment floor. It was nearly two o¡¯clock in the morning he must fast asleep. I hammered on the door while my heart thundered. He wasn¡¯t expecting me. We haven¡¯t even spoken since I left him. I pounded on the door. ¡°I¡¯ming damn it.¡± His voice was thick with sleep. I smiled. Out of excitement, I hammered on the door again. There was no hiding our rtionship anymore. I wasn¡¯t leaving him again. The door swung open and I thrust my arms around his neck. ¡°ine? How did you get here?¡± He wrapped his meaty arms around me and squeezed. ¡°I¡¯m here Azaire. I¡¯m not leaving again.¡± ¡°Laiken let you leave?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m yours if you¡¯ll have me.¡± He pulled back and held my shoulders. He might have been disoriented and didn¡¯t believe I was actually standing in front of him. It took him a second to drink me in. ¡°There¡¯s no question, ine, you¡¯re all I want.¡± Chapter 43 Narration Alpha Laiken Alpha Laiken shrugged into his coat. He had to make a trip to Medium Cove to ensure everything was fine. The time was drawing near for when the veil between the moon and the earth was thinner than ever. His n had been in motion for thest twenty years and soon it would finally be a reality. The door to his office opened and closed shut. ¡°You made a mistake and you know it, Laiken,¡± Avena snapped. Avena had been his number two for years. She met him while he still had Bianca, a young Alpha with dreams bigger than thend he lived on. After Bianca died Avena wasn¡¯t just a source of magical advice, she was his rock, his confidant and hisfort. She could also be a pain in his ass. ¡°What did you want me to do, lock her in her room? ine¡¯s headstrong she wouldn¡¯t have stopped.¡± ¡°Maybe if you had a better grip on your children then you wouldn¡¯t have had anything to worry about.¡± Laiken chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t think this distracts from the fact that you messed up. You lied to me, Avena.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. She shouldn¡¯t have gotten her powers at all but she decided to be a slut and find her fated mate.¡± ¡°Her powers aren¡¯t the problem now but her fated mate. He won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± Avena brushed her nails on her skirt and blew on them. ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem, Laiken. How hard is it to get rid of a wolf?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t as easy as you think, Avena.¡± ¡°Sounds like a challenge. After all these years you still underestimate me?¡± Laiken groaned. He grabbed his car keys from the table but Avena blocked his path. She was at least a foot shorter than him but size didn¡¯t intimidate her. ¡°What would you do without me? Nothing would work around here that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Should I fire you and we see how well I do without you?¡± Laiken snapped. Avena smirked and ran her hand up his chest. She let it rest over his beating heart. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Laiken sighed heavily. He picked up her hand and pressed it against his lips. Avena watched the process with intense eyes. ¡°What do you want? Name it.¡± ¡°I want to be taken more seriously. I¡¯m your number two, but for how long?¡± Laiken sucked in a breath. He knew what she was asking and considering how their rtionship had progressed over the years it wasn¡¯t unnatural but Avena was a witch something his pack would never allow. If the wolf council knew he mated with a witch and had a hybrid spawn, there would be consequences but with his n he didn¡¯t fear those consequences. ¡°Can we talk about thister?¡± He tried to brush passed her but Avena was dead set in her ways. ¡°You would have considered if it was Gail, wouldn¡¯t you? Of all your children¡¯s Mothers you decided to keep in contact with Gail, why?¡± Laiken¡¯s blood boiled. He may have valued Avena but he didn¡¯t owe her any exnations. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. We have bigger things to worry about!¡± ¡°Yes, your glorious n. If it weren¡¯t for me all the wolves in this town wouldn¡¯t have slowed down. There won¡¯t be an army left to fight you when the dayes!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Laiken asked, bewildered. ¡°The wolf enhancers! I¡¯m distributing them. They¡¯ve ravished the Blood Moon pack by now. I made sure to hit their army.¡± Laiken shook his head and gripped her shoulders. ¡°You did all that? You do realize some of my army has been hurt by this.¡± ¡°There had to be sacrifices along the way. See howmitted I am to do, Laiken?¡± ¡°I never doubted that.¡± He looked away. Avena was a powerful witch and it was true without her his ns would have been a lot harder. He squeezed her hand and sighed heavily but he held her stare to show her how serious he was. ¡°Fine. Avena, be my Luna and rule by my side.¡± The corners of her mouth lifted. Finally, she thought. ¡°I would want nothing more.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Laiken adjusted his coat. ¡°We¡¯ll talk detailster but now I have to go to Medium Cove.¡± Avena frowned. ¡°To do what?¡± ¡°To see my son, what else?¡± ¡°Your boys are here, Laiken,¡± Avena said in confusion. ¡°Hmm, there are some secrets that even you don¡¯t know.¡± Avena gripped his arm. ¡°You have to be joking. You have another child?¡± ¡°Rx, he was born before you came into my life I didn¡¯t think you needed to know about him.¡± Avena gawked at him in disbelief. Though, she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised he was a man capable of anything. If her suspicions were correct the birth of this son had nothing to do with an affair or love. It all had to do with his grand scheme. ¡°Are youing?¡± Laiken asked.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Avena nodded. ¡°Let me get my coat.¡± Laiken smirked. ¡°We¡¯re going to do incredible things. It¡¯s all a matter of time.¡± Chapter 44 ine POV Azaire sunk his teeth into my chest as his nails dug into my waist and brought me up to his pelvis. ¡°Uh¡­ Azaire.¡± I was caught between pain and pleasure but I wanted more. We¡¯ve been tangled in each other¡¯s bodies since I got here. The sun had woken up a long time ago. We really needed to sleep but we needed each other more. ¡°We need rest,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± He looked up from devouring my breasts. I brushed his hair behind his ear. What would we do now? Have a mating ceremony maybe? I wasn¡¯t engaged anymore so I could go after my dreams. Leaving the country was out of the question now. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Azaire asked. He stroked the scar I got after making the blood promise. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯ll be gone in a couple of days.¡± ¡°But what happened?¡± ¡°Dad made me make a blood promise. No big deal.¡± Azaire paused. He sat up which made me sit up too. ¡°A blood promise? To do what?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t really say he just wanted me to do something for him when the time came in exchange he let me go.¡± Azaire raked a hand through his hair. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the terms of the deal, ine?¡± I gripped the sheets to my chest. ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t think it mattered. It was my chance to get free.¡± ¡°Fuck. It could be anything. Babe, blood promises are binding and have consequences if you refuse to uphold your end of the deal.¡± ¡°Azaire, don¡¯t overreact. He¡¯s my Dad what could he want?¡± ¡°ine, this is the man who sold you and killed my brother. Do you really think he wants you to buy him the world¡¯s best dad mug in return?¡± I lifted a shoulder. I didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. ¡°I hope Rae can help us find out what the promise is.¡± Hey back in bed and rolled to his side. I frowned and ced my chin on his arm. ¡°You don¡¯t want to cuddle anymore?¡± He groaned. He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me over his body to position me in front of him. I snuggled into his warmth. We could worry about Dad¡¯s ns or we could enjoy the legitimate freedom we had while itsted. I just wanted to be with him and start something new. *** ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t hurt?¡± I asked. Richie held out his hand and smirked. Azaire sat on the armchair in the corner of Richie¡¯s study at the Shaw Castle. I didn¡¯t know why Richie had a study it¡¯s not like he enjoyed reading or coffee by fireces. There was a shelf full of books behind his desk with some amazing titles I¡¯d been eyeing but they were all dusty. It broke my heart at the neglect the books were getting. I was at the castle because Azaire and I were officially together without anyone hunting us. (I hoped) Since we were living together in the Blood Moon pack I had to give my loyalty to Richie. After that, I would officially be part of the Blood Moon pack. I never thought I¡¯d say that. There was so much pain between our packs and so much death. I felt like we were sweeping everything under the rug by just choosing to be together. Despite the little pings of guilt, my desire to be with him and start a family was greater. ¡°Richie won¡¯t hurt you. If he does, I¡¯ll punch him in the face,¡± Azaire said. Richie frowned. ¡°I have to be the most disrespected Alpha ever.¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re just like every little brother out there.¡± Richie turned to me. ¡°It¡¯ll will hurt a little bit but it¡¯ll be over in a second.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I put my hand in Richie¡¯s. I couldn¡¯t help but notice my mate¡¯s intense stare Richie and I interacted. Richie let out a deep breath. ¡°Do you give me and my pack yourplete loyalty?¡± he asked.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I smiled. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Good.¡± His ws dug into my palm. Pain shot up my arm. I battled not to scream or pull away but the pain moved up my arm and spread through my body. It was like an arrow travelling inside me. I felt it rush towards my brain and I had to fight. Richie held me tight but he didn¡¯t understand that if the arrow reached my brain I would die. ¡°Stop!¡± I screamed. Richie broke contact and I fell to the ground. ¡°Fuck,¡± Richie spat. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Azaire got up and rushed over to me. He picked me up and cradled my face. The pain quickly subsided. I expected my skin to start opening up but it didn¡¯t surprisingly. ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Richie said. ¡°The link between her old pack didn¡¯t break.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know I¡¯ve done this countless times and it never felt like this.¡± I cradled my head and leaned into Azaire. ¡°It felt like something was trying to kill me.¡± ¡°Why do I have a bad feeling this has something to do with the blood promise you made?¡± ¡°You made a blood promise? Why the hell did you do that?¡± Richie raised a brow. Am I the only one who didn¡¯t know they were bad? ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal anyway. Just don¡¯t betray the pack and we¡¯re good,¡± Richie said. He walked out of the study, leaving Azaire and me alone. Azaire picked me up and carried me to the armchair. He knelt in front of me with concern in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still concerned, babe. I¡¯ll call Rae.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t bother her. I know another witch.¡± He raised his brow. ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Oh, not long. I barely know her.¡± ¡°And you think you can trust her?¡± I sucked my bottom lip. ¡°She¡¯s my Mom isn¡¯t she?¡± Chapter 45 ine POV ¡°I didn¡¯t think meeting the parents would be this nerve-wrecking,¡± Azaire said. I giggled. ¡°You didn¡¯t feel that way when you met my Dad, though.¡± ¡°Your Dad¡¯s a dick.¡± I sighed and stared at the spot in my palm where he cut me and made a blood promise. He was something alright. I couldn¡¯t believe the extent of his cruelty. Azaire and I have been driving for hours. Gail lived a couple of hours away. I felt weird about showing up like this. We didn¡¯t make ns to speak again, we barely spoke that night. She couldn¡¯t believe I was dead. I had so many questions but she was in the dark like me. Where was I for six years before my Dad brought me to live with him? Is Isaura my Dad¡¯s daughter? She didn¡¯t call him Dad, but if Laiken was capable of stealing a baby, then he could make a little girl believe he was her uncle. Azaire grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. ¡°What are you worried about?¡± ¡°Everything I guess,¡± I said, staring out the window. ¡°None of this is your fault. This is your second chance.¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m nervous too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mate. I¡¯m here.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt luckier,¡± I smiled. ¡°We¡¯re meeting Richie after this.¡± ¡°Richie? What¡¯s he doing here?¡± ¡°This pack has an old Alpha without children.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking of invading? Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been surveilling this pack for months. The neighbouring pack is our tribe pack.¡± ¡°How many tribe packs do you have?¡± I asked. ¡°Eight,¡± Azaire replied. I smirked. ¡°The ck w pack has ten.¡± Azaire groaned. ¡°You won¡¯t be part of ck w that much longer, mate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already not part of them.¡± It would still take some getting used to but Azaire made me feel like part of the pack. He wouldn¡¯t let anyone bring up my family in his presence. My only antagonizer had been his cousin Oliver who was convinced I was a spy prepared to sink the pack. ¡°That¡¯s the house,¡± I said. It looked a lot bigger in daylight. Her frontwn was a garden of different coloured flowers. Her grass was as vibrant as fresh paint and her flowers shined like jewels in the hot sun. We walked up to the front door hand in hand. I was about to pass out. A thousand wicked scenarios yed out in my head until the door opened. Blue eyes stared at me. Sky blue eyes carrying intense pain took me in. ¡°E-ine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t call¡­¡± She opened the door wider for us. The house smelt like floral essence. Despite the beauty of her home, she was dying inside I could feel it. ¡°This is Azaire¡­ my mate,¡± I said. Gail forced a watery smile. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful¡­ I¡¯ve been pondering non-stop since you left. How did I not know that the baby I held wasn¡¯t mine?¡± ¡°When did it happen?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°The doctor said she died shortly after she was born. I picked your name, I did. Your Dad loved the name¡­ I was so naive, so stupid.¡± ¡°You had just given birth. They took advantage of you,¡± Azaire said and I knew his hatred for my Dad only grew. Gail fiddled with her hands. ¡°He¡¯s such a bastard. I¡¯ve been a fool all these years. I let Laiken use me and y me for a fool. Him and his witch Avena.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Isaura?¡± I asked, hoping to lighten the moon. Gail¡¯s cheeks lifted in a smile. ¡°At school. I had to exin to her that she had a sister and she¡¯s wanted to meet you ever since.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a sister. I grew up with two brothers.¡± Gail stood and offered us tea. She came back with a tray of tea and biscuits. The mood had lifted and she didn¡¯t look like she was about to burst into tears. ¡°What happened to your other brother, ine?¡± Gail asked, tucking a strand behind her ear. ¡°Mine? I only have two brothers.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought Laiken had three sons.¡± Azaire and I shared a look. Azaire had three brothers before he lost Aiden but Gail couldn¡¯t be talking about the Shaw boys. ¡°My brothers are Nik and zer,¡± I said. Gail stirred her tea and shook her head. ¡°Oh Laiken¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I set my teacup aside. ¡°It¡¯s just the signs were there. I thought he was going to change. How silly of me. He¡¯d gotten his wife¡¯s sister pregnant and I thought he could do better.¡± Azaire choked on his tea. ¡°He did what?¡± I gasped. Gail looked up and ced a hand on her chest. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? I know he had custody of the boy but I assumed Bianca¡¯s family epted the matter and moved on.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No one knows who zer¡¯s mother is. Not even zer. Are you telling me, Andrea¡¯s his Mom?¡± Gail nodded. ¡°She is. Laiken told me himself.¡± zer needed to know about this. He didn¡¯t show it but not knowing who his Mother was left a void in his heart. How would Nik take this? His Dad cheated on his Mom with her sister. I cringed just thinking about how messy this was. ¡°Yes, zer was born before the other boy. I can¡¯t remember his name, Laiken didn¡¯t like talking about him.¡± ¡°Other boy? My Dad has another son?¡± I gasped. Who the hell is my Father? Gail frowned. ¡°Laiken doesn¡¯t tell you kids anything, does he? He shouldn¡¯t be keeping you siblings apart.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± I asked. She looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey. I made a blood promise to your Father, he had a n. A very notorious n. I can¡¯t counter it and I can¡¯t speak about it. It¡¯s part of the magic that binds our agreement.¡± ¡°Does his n involve the Blood Moon pack?¡± Azaire asked. Gail¡¯s eyes drooped. ¡°I can¡¯t say¡­ but it¡¯s very ambitious and will affect thousands of lives.¡± *** Soft music yed in the bar. It was a cool bar with a good crowd but the mood at our table was depressing. Richie and Ross arrived hours ago. We told them Dad¡¯s been nning something crazy for years. I was regretting that blood promises a lot more now. ¡°Look there¡¯s always a way out of a blood promise you just have to find it,¡± Richie said. ¡°They¡¯re binding, jackass,¡± Ross growled. ¡°Well, smartass, you have to look at the wording of the blood promise then we look for a loophole. There¡¯s always a loophole.¡± ¡°Thanks for being optimistic Rich,¡± Azaire said, but his voice was t. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk about thister,¡± I said. ¡°We have to figure things out, ine. For all we know your Dad¡¯s nning to wipe the blood moon pack from the face of the earth.¡± The music got louder. The son was faster and upbeat. ¡°We were supposed to have a good time. Dad¡¯s ruined that again.¡± I slid off the bar stool. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to dance with me,¡± I asked. Azaire turned in his stool, leaning against the counter. ¡°Dance?¡± He lifted a brow. ¡°Yeah, real closely.¡± I backed up, hoping he would follow. He watched me move instead and I smirked. It was like there was no one else in the bar but me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me what you¡¯ve got before I get up.¡± dly. I moved my hips from side to side and drove my fingers into my hair. The lights were low and the music was sensual. Azaire watched me like a hungry wolf. Why wouldn¡¯t he devour me already? I ran my hands down my body, letting them linger on my breasts before caressing my waist. What¡¯s he waiting for? ss shattered and someone screamed. I turned my head in the direction of the chaos but all I saw was darkness. Chapter 46 ine Azaire appeared in front of me. His arms wrapped around my waist and his lips found my ear. ¡°Someone broke a bottle, it¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered. I locked my fingers behind his neck and leaned in. ¡°You¡¯re ying a dangerous game, ine,¡± Azaire said. ¡°How so?¡± I asked. ¡°Teasing me in front of all these people. It won¡¯t end well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n, but you don¡¯t seem to take the hint.¡± He smiled revealing his perfectly straight and white teeth. He drew me from the dance drew further into the darkness where no one could see us. ¡°Fuck, ine.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what I want. I want you to fuck me senseless somewhere people can¡¯t see us but will definitely hear us.¡± He growled and tugged me closer. ¡°Babe, don¡¯t y this game.¡± I felt the bulge in his pants against my belly. It rapidly grew and I knew I had him where I wanted him. ¡°Scared you¡¯ll lose?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Abandoning Ross and Alpha Richie we made our way to the truck. I reached for the door handle and opened it but Azaire mmed the door shut. He spun me and instantly felt his Alpha wolf reach out and coax mine out of her slumber. Azaire lifted my chin. He held my gaze for a second before closing his lips on mine. My tongue darted out and reached for his. I raked my fingers through my mate¡¯s hair. I moaned into his mouth and kissed him harder. I craved him and judging by the way his nails dug into my back he wanted me too. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, ine. Fuck, I can¡¯t wait.¡± He pulled back and I instantly missed him. He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, mate.¡± The parking lot was full of idle cars and a few motorbikes. Azaire¡¯s car was wedged between Richie and Ross¡¯s cars. A part of me was nervous about people walking by and seeing us. ¡°Can¡¯t handle it now?¡± Azaire raised his brow. He hooked my waist, popped the backdoor open and chucked me in the backseat. I gasped as he settled between my legs. ¡°You started this,¡± he added. ¡°I know¡­ what are you going to do about it?¡± Azaire ran his hands up my legs until they disappeared into my shirt. His cold hands made me jolt but it wasn¡¯t enough to push him away. His name escaped my lips. I wanted him couldn¡¯t he see! He gripped my shirt and pulled it over my head. He took a second to take in my modest chest. ¡°I want your nipples between my teeth,¡± hemanded. Within seconds I surrendered myself to him. He took my breast in his mouth and sucked. I fisted his hair. My subtle pants turned to heavy breathing as Azaire devoured my breasts. He moved from one nipple to the other. He bit down and I felt it in my soul. His name left my lips in a high-pitched cry. ¡°I¡¯m a lucky man, damn,¡± Azaire said. He unbuttoned my jeans and I gulped. I watched him tug my jeans down to my thighs. Air zipped passed my damp underwear. I was ready for him. He rested his arm on the door frame while his free hand caressed my belly before finding the soft fabric of my underwear. ¡°This is a cool pack, isn¡¯t it, sweetheart?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This ce, it¡¯s nice and quiet.¡± Why was he telling me about the pack? I wanted him inside me. He pushed the fabric aside and took my clit between his finger and thumb and came down on it. I lifted my hips and gasped. ¡°What do you think, mate?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t be talking about this right now,¡± I said through gritted teeth. He chuckled. ¡°Come on babe. Tell me what you think?¡± He formed circles on my clit. I whimpered and squirmed. ¡°So beautiful,¡± Azaire whispered. ¡°You smell so good.¡± ¡°Please!¡± I cried out. ¡°This is only the beginning, mate.¡± His finger slipped through my folds and curled. Another finger entered me and coaxed pleasure out of me. I moved myself against his fingers, needing more of him. Azaire¡¯s gaze was hot and stern. Determination to get me off shone on his face. My walls clenched around his fingers and I came hard. ¡°Azaire!¡± He fingered me until my orgasm passed but he got me horny again. Azaire was cruel. He pulled out his fingers and adjusted his pants. Just when I thought he was going to drop them he reached for my underwear snapped it at both sides and pulled it off me. He stuffed it in his pocket. ¡°What did you do that for?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re not going to need it anymore. Besides, I don¡¯t want it getting in the way when we get to the hotel.¡± ¡°Hotel? Aren¡¯t we going back to the Pack?¡± ¡°Nah, not today. Richie wants to check things out.¡± Great, now I don¡¯t have underwear. Azaire scooped me into his arms again and kissed me. ¡°I love you. Let¡¯s get the hell out of here.¡± A ss window shattered followed by a scream followed. Azaire tightened his grip on me. It was dark but I noticed people piling out of the bar by the dozens. ¡°What now?¡± Azaire grumbled. Ross and Richie found us eventually. Richie had a bloody fist and Ross¡¯ hair was all ruffled like Azaire¡¯s. ¡°What did you do, Richie?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Alpha yet, don¡¯t go around looking for trouble.¡± Richie waved him off. ¡°Really wasn¡¯t his fault. It was vamps.¡± ¡°Vampires?¡± Azaire asked, shocked. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Our pack never had vampires not even visitors but I always assumed it was something that happened in our pack. ¡°Vampires aren¡¯t allowed on werewolf territory,¡± Azaire replied.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Are you sure you guys want this pack? It¡¯s got covens and vampires nah too much resistance,¡± Ross said. I agreed with Ross but the brothers waved his worries away. ¡°Can we get out of here?¡± I asked. Azaire rubbed my back. ¡°dly.¡± Chapter 47 Azaire I ran my hands down her perfectly sculpted body and rested my palms on her hips. She adjusted herself so she would befortable as she straddled me. She dominated my thoughts and my days. She took my breath away, and her gaze made me forget what I was about to do. However, I couldn¡¯t forget I was about to make love to ine. ¡°Come here.¡± I coaxed her towards me. She leaned in and closed her lips on mine. Her perky breasts pressed against my chest and her nipples poked me. It felt so good. Her scent rendered me weak and just having her close took me to paradise. I ran my fingers down her spine. I traced my fingers through her sensitive spots until I came to her soaking-wet entrance. I dipped my finger through her folds. A jolt went through her as she moaned. I buried my finger deeper into her before adding a second one. ¡°Hmm, Azaire.¡± ¡°Good?¡± I asked. ¡°I want more,¡± she panted. ¡°Anything you want babe.¡± I withdrew my fingers but before I could grab my cock ine took it and positioned it at her entrance. I chuckled at her impatience. She lowered herself on me and nted her hands on my chest. We locked eyes as she started a steady rock. She was incredible, I thought. I felt like I was in another dimension where it was just the two of us. I got lost in the way her breasts bounced up and down as she rocked against me. She was in control and it was damn sexy. We were going at her pace and what made herfortable. Her steady panting was like a siren song luring me to my death. ¡°Azaire,¡± she gasped and her walls clenched round my member. ¡°I¡¯ve got you, baby.¡± I flipped her over and pinned her down with my body. I brushed the hair out of her face before entering her again. She wrapped her legs around my middle and lifted herself to meet my cock that steadily prated her. The steady pace didn¡¯tst long because my desire for her grew into a forest fire. The bed hammered against the wall so hard it might break the wood and chip the paint. ¡°Harder,¡± ine demanded. I thought I was being too hard on her already but my mate wanted more. She dug her nails into my back and moaned. I muffled her moans with my kisses. I was so close to unleashing my load. ¡°I¡¯m close,¡± I said between kisses. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ so good.¡± She sighed softly and went limp beneath me. I felt my orgasm from my spine before cumming hard. We panted heavily and didn¡¯t speak for a few minutes. Fuck, I thought. I felt the desire rising again. ine might not sleep tonight. *** ¡°Do we have to get up?¡± ine asked softly. ¡°Of course not,¡± I said into her hair.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. My fears of breaking the bed were realised now I had to pay for the damages but I¡¯d break it all over again and if we were staying we needed our own ce or they might kick us out because of all the noise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about the vampires?¡± ine asked. ¡°No, I think it was an isted incident.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about vampires in the packs before.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯ve been banned from the packs for years.¡± ¡°If you say so. I know we don¡¯t want to get up but we can get food right?¡± I chuckled. ¡°You read my mind.¡± She climbed out of bed first. She brushed her hair to the side revealing red nail marks and scratches fromst night. ¡°ine,¡± I said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got marks all over your back.¡± She smiled. ¡°I like them. It¡¯s like I can still feel you fromst night.¡± I pulled her close for another kiss. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, mate.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt me. Can we get cereal?¡± ¡°Cereal? Doesn¡¯t bacon sound better?¡± Sheughed. ¡°Wolves.¡± *** ¡°Good night?¡± Ross asked with a smirk as he sipped on some coffee. I rolled my eyes. The Bed and Breakfast we bookedst night had a decent dining area and kitchen. Their pantry was fully stocked though they didn¡¯t have any house help so the guests practically fended for themselves. ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit buddy I was pretty jealous. Made me regret not picking up someone at the barst night.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Shut up. You¡¯d rather hang out with vampires.¡± ¡°Jackasses,¡± Ross puffed. ¡°Looked like a crew though.¡± ¡°How many? Why didn¡¯t you say anythingst night?¡± I demanded. ¡°You were all caught up with ine. You barely heard us.¡± ¡°Whatever the case is vampires aren¡¯t supposed to be here. We have every right to ughter them.¡± ¡°Maybe taking over this pack isn¡¯t the best idea. You know Richie wants you to run it right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being Alpha. If I wanted to be Alpha I wouldn¡¯t have let Richie take my ce.¡± ¡°ine would make a great Luna and I would be a perfect right-hand beta.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Maybe ine doesn¡¯t want to be Luna.¡± ¡°She would have been the Luna of the White Mountain Pack if things with Neel hadn¡¯t gone south.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me about that idiot. She never wanted him.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± ine came up beside me. ¡°They don¡¯t have bacon or cereal just milk. Want to go to a diner?¡± ¡°Sounds perfect. I¡¯ll meet you upstairs.¡± She kissed my cheek and disappeared. ¡°Be careful. There¡¯s something off about this town,¡± Ross said. I couldn¡¯t help but agree with him there was something wrong with the air in this town. Chapter 48 ine ¡°It¡¯s a cute town. I like it,¡± I said. Azaire squeezed my hand to let me know he was listening but he had his head buried in his phone. I didn¡¯t like that he wasn¡¯t giving me attention and that something big and potentially dangerous could be stealing his attention. ¡°Azaire what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked. He turned his phone off and stuffed it in his pocket. ¡°Richie had to go back to the Pack. He¡¯s leaving me to take care of this Pack.¡± ¡°Are you pissed about it?¡± ¡°Yeah, ine. He wants me to be Alpha.¡± ¡°Is that bad?¡± I tilted my head and asked.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He leaned back in the booth and exhaled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be Alpha.¡± ¡°What makes you think that dummy?¡± I said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want the responsibility. It¡¯s easier to be Richie¡¯s second-hand beta and let him handle everything.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯d been a great Alpha. You¡¯re a great big brother and a wonderful mate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just saying that because you want to be Luna right?¡± he raised a brow. I grimaced. ¡°Of course not. This is about you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind living here?¡± Azaire asked. I bit my bottom lip. It would be a great opportunity to get to know my Mother and be a big sister to be Isaura. Elvira Falls has a lot of bad memories for both of us maybe a change of scenery wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± I smiled. ¡°You have to tell Opal. You know she¡¯s going out with Richie right?¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Probably should have kept my mouth shut,¡± Azaire chuckled. ¡°How did you know!¡± His smirk faded and his eyes scanned the diner. I followed his gaze but all I saw were average-looking people. Azaire¡¯s eyes shed with his wolf. That was his wolf¡¯s way of warning him. Dove reached out to her mate and sensed his uneasiness. ¡°Vamps,¡± Azaire whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t sense them,¡± I said. ¡°Draw out your ws under the table.¡± I forced my ws to extend but it was like trying to start a car that would just not start. I pushed Dove to break through the barriers of our curse but my wrist split open instead. I bit the inside of my cheek to hide the gasp. Azaire tossed a napkin in front of me. ¡°We¡¯ve got to move.¡± Vampires loved the scent of blood. Damn, my curse I couldn¡¯t even shift to help Azaire. With all the heads turning our way we would need the help. ¡°Sorry,¡± I cringed. ¡°Just a few vamps nothing to worry about,¡± Azaire replied. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡± A guy with half ck and half red hair strolled towards our table. He grinned revealing shiny silver teeth. ¡°We don¡¯t like cocky werewolves.¡± ¡°I guess we were never destined to be friends,¡± Azaire said. Another guy slithered up to us. He was slimmer than the one with the weird haircut. I¡¯d never encountered vampires before but from all the books they¡¯re supposed to look like demi-gods, these guys looked like crackheads! ¡°Her blood smells amazing! I¡¯d love to be friends with her!¡± ¡°Watch it!¡± Azaire shot to his feet. I stood too and scurried to his side. He ced an arm protectively over my shoulders. ¡°Dove, I need you,¡± I told her through our link. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the best time,¡± she replied. Crap. ¡°You¡¯re on my territory and you¡¯re not wanted here.¡± The group of vamps increased. Some of the other diners skedaddled. They all smelled like dirt and animal blood. I fought the urge to throw up. ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered buddy,¡± the one with silver teeth said. ¡°Never been a problem before,¡± Azaire shrugged. ¡°Azaire¡­ now is not the time,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°Listen to the little pup,¡± theyughed. Azaire was on the verge of throwing the first punch. With his brute strength, he could take them all out easily but vampire bites were more lethal than wolf¡¯s bane and silver. ¡°Enough,¡± a low rubble cut through the tension. ¡°We¡¯re not here looking for a fight.¡± ¡°No one made you our leader,¡± the one with silver teeth snapped. A man with ruffled brown hair, blue eyes and firm broad shoulders. He didn¡¯t look like the rest of his sickly friends with pale skin and bright eyes. There was something about him that felt familiar like I¡¯d seen his face before but I didn¡¯t know where. However, I recognized his scent if I hadn¡¯t seen his face I would have sworn it was Nik. ¡°I¡¯m self-appointed. You would have been dead without me.¡± My heart mmed against my ribcage when his gazended on me. ¡°If you¡¯re not looking for a fight then you shouldn¡¯t be on werewolf territory,¡± Azaire said, his voice even yet deadly. The Leader dragged his eyes away from me. ¡°We¡¯re not staying. We¡¯re just passing by.¡± ¡°I suggest you get going,¡± Azaire said. The Leader¡¯s lips lifted and he nced at me again. ¡°Of course. Move out boys we don¡¯t want to upset the dogs of the town.¡± I gripped Azaire¡¯s arm before he went off. The vampires exited the diner slowly. The staff slowly came out of hiding. I assumed these ones were witches because werewolves were always up for a fight. ¡°He¡¯s odd,¡± Azaire said, still ncing at the door. ¡°Because he didn¡¯t want to fight?¡± I asked. ¡°No, because he¡¯s a hybrid and he¡¯s running vampires.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°He smells like a wolf but he also smells like death. If he¡¯s strong enough to be the leader then he¡¯s a strong wolf.¡± ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s wolf¡¯s defective like mine,¡± I mumbled. ¡°We¡¯re going to figure that out. I¡¯m done with this ce let¡¯s go.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah so am I.¡± Chapter 49 ine ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are an Alpha Female, ine. Hybrid children don¡¯t have strong wolves. It¡¯s the moon goddess¡¯ curse,¡± My Mother said. It was weird thinking I was talking to my Mother. It was something I had to constantly remind myself of. I¡¯d never had a Mother and here my real one was sitting across from me drinking ginger tea. ¡°She cursed me differently, I guess.¡± I shrugged and smiled. ¡°I want to help you. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve spoken to witches from almost everywhere. There¡¯s no cure.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve also spoken to Avena and she¡¯s a piece of work.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Yes, she is.¡± ¡°How did your boyfriend take it when he found out?¡± she asked. ¡°I guess he¡¯s cool with it, but only my brothers can help when my curse acts up. Dad gave me some of his venom but what am I going to do when the venom runs out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll give you more,¡± she said taking a sip of her tea. ¡°He¡¯s not the loving Father type.¡± ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t understand that all this is possible. You¡¯re supposed to be dead, ine. He was such a good Father figure to Isaura. He supported me when she was born yet he kept you hidden from me all this time. Isn¡¯t he insane? He¡¯s some sort of psychopath.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I lowered my head. Her soft hand lifted my head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologise. I wasn¡¯t there to protect you.¡± Tears pooled in my eyes. ¡°There isn¡¯t much you could have done.¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°I just wonder where he kept me for six years before I went to live with him,¡± I said. ¡°I wish I knew as well. It¡¯s no use confronting him. He won¡¯t tell me anyway. What we need is a powerful witch and I happen to be one.¡± ¡°Can you get out of a blood promise?¡± I asked.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Her features drooped. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Dad made me make a blood promise too.¡± She gripped her head and exhaled in frustration. ¡°No, ine. You shouldn¡¯t have agreed to that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he going to do?¡± I begged, my heart mmed forward. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. He¡¯s bound me too.¡± What had I done? I might have made us an even bigger mess than we were already in. *** After spending time with my Mother I went back to the Bed and Breakfast. I still hadn¡¯t spoken to Isaura. She was at school and I anticipated this conversation with my Mother to be too sensitive for her young ears. Gail insisted my Dad was crazy but his n was possible and he had all the tools in ce. She couldn¡¯t give me specifics because Dad made her swear not to tell. Azaire and I had to find the magic to undo what I foolishly did and if the magic could free my Mother then that was better. Richie¡¯s car was parked in front of the Bed and Breakfast. A few other cars that weren¡¯t here yesterday were parked beside his car too. I walked through the front door and metughter and cheer. ¡°Remember when Azaire drove through Alpha Ken¡¯s living room?¡± Ross asked. Another round ofughter. ¡°You made my Dad so mad! He would never let me date you after that.¡± A soft feminine voice fluttered above the deep masculine voices. ¡°You were crazy about her why the hell would you ruin your chances like that?¡± Richie said. I grimaced. Dove didn¡¯t like the idea of Azaire being crazy about anyone else. ¡°Like you said, I was crazy. It was an ident anyway,¡± Azaire replied. ¡°He didn¡¯t see it that way,¡± the foreign female said. They burst intoughter. Heat rushed to my cheeks. I was torn between backing out or making myself known. I felt awkward. More importantly, why was Azaire¡¯s ex here? I wouldn¡¯t find out if I kept standing here like a weirdo. I gathered my courage and strolled into the dining room where everyone was. Azaire spotted me first. He straightened his spine and he went slightly pale. Why? What was he nervous about? ¡°ine, why didn¡¯t you call me to pick you up?¡± he asked. The room went silent. ¡°Because I don¡¯t mind taking the bus,¡± I replied. Richie cleared his throat. ¡°ine, this is Winter. Standing Luna of the Waxing Moon Pack.¡± The petite woman with pale blue eyes and ginger hair stood at equal height with me. She took me in without judgment or malice. She stuck out her hand. ¡°So you¡¯re Azaire¡¯s mate. I¡¯m his ex-girlfriend.¡± Ross silently slipped out of the room. I bit my bottom lip. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Winter¡¯s helping us take over the Pack. Her army is one of the biggest in the werewolfmunity. If we put ourselves together we¡¯ll definitely kick some ass,¡± Richie added. ¡°Yeah, Dad¡¯s been bedridden for months now but he gives me full control of the army. I¡¯ve done a pretty good job since then.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve made a great Luna, Winter,¡± Azaire said. Okay, time for me to leave. ¡°Well, you guys must have a lot to talk about. I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day, I¡¯ll take a walk.¡± Azaire¡¯s brows furrowed but he made no move to stop me. I wasn¡¯t jealous, I thought. I wasn¡¯t jealous that his ex-girlfriend was here though I hated that I couldn¡¯t contribute to their conversation. Dad kept me out of the military work. I knew how to fight but that¡¯s where it ended. My job was to get married to a strong Alpha and I couldn¡¯t even do that. I looked back at the Bed and Breakfast and thought, I hadn¡¯t done too bad with Azaire. I didn¡¯t want any other man. There was a forest behind the bed and breakfast. I could smell the stream water and hear the birds ruffling in their nests. The songs of nature were majestic. I found myself walking deeper into the forest. I got lost in the smell of moisture and pine. ¡°Want to go for a run, Dove?¡± I asked using our link. ¡°Male,¡± she replied. I turned around and gasped. My heart mmed against my ribcage. The male wolf jumped out of a bush. His bright blue eyes bore into me. His ck fur coat was damp as if he¡¯d juste out of the stream. The ck wolf just stared at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to intrude,¡± I said. He dipped his head to the side. The wolf was massive. He was an Alpha wolf but surprisingly calm for an Alpha. I backed up and the wolf got up on all fours. Just when I thought he was going to attack he shifted into a six-foot-two man. ¡°You,¡± he said. The hybrid, I thought. He stalked forward and backed me into the tree. ¡°I know you!¡± he barked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before in my life!¡± I sted. ¡°Then why the hell do you seem so familiar?¡± He is definitely not calm. He¡¯s just as hot-headed as every Alpha male I¡¯ve met. Though, I agreed he felt familiar too. Why did he smell like my brother? A lump formed in my throat and sweat dampened my palms. ¡°This might sound weird but who¡¯s your Dad?¡± I asked. Chapter 50 ine ¡°That is an odd and maybe rude question,¡± the stranger said. ¡°I think it¡¯s really important.¡± What if he didn¡¯t know who his Dad was? ¡°It has nothing to do with why you feel so damn familiar,¡± he barked. ¡°Yes, it does! I have suspicions,¡± I said, biting the inside of my cheek. ¡°Care to share?¡± he raised a brow. ¡°That your Dad could be my Dad,¡± I said quickly. He backed up and blinked as if someone threw sand on his face. ¡°That¡¯s impossible I¡¯m an only child,¡± he confessed. ¡°Are your parents together?¡± He stared at me with confusion. ¡°No but that doesn¡¯t matter. My Dad¡¯s an honest man. He¡¯s never lied to me and if I had siblings he would tell me.¡± My throat grew thick from a blend of emotions. ¡°Is your Dad¡¯s name Laiken?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. His eyes narrowed and his muscles tensed. It was true I knew from his reaction. He didn¡¯t want it to be true but it was. This was my brother and he was a hybrid too! Rage built inside me. ¡°What is wrong with that man?!¡± I shouted. ¡°Stop. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± he said in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not an only child you have two other siblings besides me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know we share a dad for sure. Fuck, I¡¯m out of here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run away! Now I know you¡¯re my brother because this is exactly what the other two do.¡± He growled but continued marching. ¡°Please don¡¯t go,¡± I pleaded. He turned and threw his arms in the air. ¡°What do you want from me? I don¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°I just want the truth. My Mom told me about you but it was the first time I heard about it. Laiken¡¯s good at keeping secrets. He made my Mom believe I was dead all my life.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like my Dad.¡± ¡°He¡¯s Laiken Ryker isn¡¯t he?¡± He ran a hand through his hair and growled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Lawrence Ryker.¡± Oh goddess I have another older brother. ¡°ine!¡± Azaire barked. I froze. Lawrence¡¯s eyes narrowed. Azaire appeared he assessed the situation and turned on kill mode. I jumped in front of my mate to stop him. ¡°Rx! He¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°What? The Hybrid¡¯s your brother?¡± Azaire asked. Lawrence folded his arms and rolled his eyes. ¡°Great, you know that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t the vamps know?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°No, only wolves can tell. I¡¯ve been careful all this time I don¡¯t need you two screwing things up for me.¡± ¡°Tell that to your Father,¡± Azaire spat. Lawrence lunged at Azaire. I got between them and shoved Azaire backwards. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not going to cause any trouble. I¡¯m a hybrid too except Dad never told me that.¡± Lawrence looked disappointed. I understood though. He needed time to take this all in. ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do,¡± he turned around and walked off. I didn¡¯t stop him though. If he needed me we would cross paths again. ¡°Your Dad¡¯s a real piece of work, ine,¡± Azaire spat. I growled. ¡°Do you have to pick fights with all my family members?¡± I threw my arms in the air. ¡°What? You don¡¯t even know him.¡± ¡°I know he¡¯s my brother,¡± I crossed my arms. Azaire closed the gap between us. He rubbed my arms and stared deep into my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± I threw my arms in the air. ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± ¡°Because you looked upset or something when you walked off.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t upset that your fabulous ex-girlfriend showed up to hang out.¡± He clenched his jaw. ¡°Is my gorgeous girlfriend jealous?¡± ¡°No¡­ I was more upset that I wasn¡¯t involved in the daily running of the Pack back home. I was just an object to be married off. I want to be involved too. My dreams of being a doctor seem so far away now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that way, ine. You have a lot of time.¡± He pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. ¡°Winter¡¯s here to help us. We¡¯vee up with a n.¡± ¡°What n?¡± Azaire shifted ufortably. ¡°The guys we caught at Luna¡¯s family hotel led us to a small group working with witches. Oliver confirmed the information and Ross reconfirmed the information.¡± ¡°Do you trust your cousin?¡± ¡°No, but I trust Ross. The group¡¯sing in and out of ck w pack at a whim.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re going back to Ophelia Falls?¡± Azaire nodded. ¡°We are. Besides, the Heat¡¯sing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± This would be my first Heat with a mate. It¡¯s supposed to be intense for all wolves and incredibly special. I forgot about the event. The Heat took ce at night when the full moon was out but the effects of Heat started the day of the full moon. Everyone was so touchy and sexually active. Heats were very lonely for me before I met Azaire and I never had a long-term boyfriend. Quin would always taunt me about how incredible her Heats were and she would push me to find someone and fuck them but it wasn¡¯t that simple for me. I wanted a real connection I guess a part of me was holding out for my mate and now he was here. ¡°Are you nervous about it?¡± Azaire tilted my head to meet his gaze. ¡°No, but it¡¯s going to be special.¡± ¡°Of course it is. Might be intense too.¡± I bit my bottom lip. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of you. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t but what¡¯s the n again?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to host a party and get someone to supply the wolf enhancers.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s going to work?¡± I nted a hand on my hip. ¡°Yes, because zer¡¯s going to help us.¡± I bit my bottom lip. ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t go sideways.¡± ¡°We have a little problem.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°The party¡¯s got to be the day of the Heat.¡± Oh crap. Chapter 51 ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about Richie!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you rejected Nik!¡± Opal bit her bottom lip and squeezed her bag. Azaire, the boys and I arrived in Ophelia Falls after midnight. Azaire and I went back to his apartment. We were exhausted but I felt the pull of the Heat in my loins but exhaustion won that battle. Opal and I walked along the small stores in the ck w Pack while our significant others were out taking care of business. ¡°Yeah, well I had to reject Nik. Things weren¡¯t going anywhere with us.¡± ¡°Does he know about Richie?¡± ¡°No! And you can¡¯t tell him either.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Opal, I haven¡¯t spoken to my brothers since I left unless you count Lawrence.¡± ¡°Lawrence? Who¡¯s that?¡± Opal stopped and stared at me. ¡°Oh, right. I have another older brother.¡± Her jaw dropped. ¡°Is he hot?¡± ¡°Opal!¡± ¡°Right, I shouldn¡¯t ask that I¡¯m dating someone.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s my brother it¡¯s totally gross.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s that. Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Opal walked into a store called ¡®Kinky Delights¡¯. I paused for a second then followed her inside. ¡°Opal, what are we doing in a sex shop?¡± I hissed. ¡°Nothing, ine we¡¯re just getting lube. The Heat¡¯sing and I want to be prepared.¡± I¡¯d never been in a store like this before. It was bright and colourful with pink streamers hanging from the ceiling and some erotic artwork on the walls. Opal and I were the only ones in the store. Before I realised she darted off to the vibrator section. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long week and Richie won¡¯t be with me the entire time.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought this Heat thing through. ¡°You should pick something ine. Look vour condoms!¡± Can the ground just open up and swallow me? ¡°You want to make your first Heat interesting right?¡± Opal smirked as she fiddled with the dick-shaped vibrators. ¡°I don¡¯t think Azaire would want any of this stuff.¡± ¡°Come on handcuffs at least!¡± I could just imagine Azaire¡¯s face if I came home with a vibrating dick. However, an hourter I left the store with a tiny bag with handcuffs, satin rope and a bottle of lube, unlike Opal who had a whole bag full of stuff. Richie¡¯s in trouble, I thought. We drove to the Blood Moon Pack when we finished our spontaneous shopping spree. Azaire¡¯s car was parked in the driveway alongside several others which could mean they were in a meeting. ¡°What does your Mom think about your rtionship, Opal?¡± I asked. She gripped the stirring wheel and exhaled. ¡°My parents don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t been home in weeks. If word gets out about this then they may lose their spot as High Betas. They would never forgive me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You know what your Dad¡¯s like. He hates the Blood Moon Pack.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the blood bond I made with him then I would be dead to him or dead. I wouldn¡¯t put anything past him at this point. We walked through the front door and straight into an argument. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it!¡± Oliver sted. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m done with you, you¡¯re fired Oliver,¡± Richie sted. I froze. Opal and I stared at each other. ¡°You can¡¯t fire me. I have every right to be here. I have a right to be Alpha too!¡± ¡°Alright, rx, Oliver don¡¯t lose your head,¡± Azaire said, boredom thick in his tone. He didn¡¯t take his cousin seriously. ¡°The mantle of Alpha belongs to the strongest wolf from the family bloodline. Hell, I bet I¡¯m stronger than Richie.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m stronger than Richie too but that doesn¡¯t mean I can be Alpha,¡± Luca spat. ¡°Shut up,¡± Richie barked. I could imagine him shoving his little brother to the side. ¡°I¡¯m out of here,¡± Oliver yelled. ¡°Good,¡± Richie said. Oliver marched through us shoving us each as he stormed out of the house.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Hey,¡± I spat. ¡°Not our fault he¡¯s a loser,¡± Opal scowled and brushed her shoulder. The meeting ended when Oliver stormed out. I couldn¡¯t imagine what they were discussing. ¡°Hey Gorgeous,¡± Azaire said opening his arm. I slipped into his embrace and wrapped my arms around his neck. I noticed Megan, Ross and Winter in the room too. I stiffened a little. It didn¡¯t look like Megan and Winter got long but Ross was loving it judging by the smirk on his face and the scowls of either woman. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. Azaire shook his head. ¡°Nothing babe. Oliver¡¯s just being a brat.¡± I watched as Richie took Opal into his arms and held her as if she were his reason to live. It was beautiful! He buried his face in her neck and ced small kisses on her skin. Azaire tugged me, bringing my attention back to him. I felt the sudden urge to drag Azaire back to his old bedroom, strip him naked and take him in the back of my throat- as if I could, but the desire was strong! Azaire pressed his lips against my cheek, his right hand travelled down my back and stopped just above my ass. ¡°I know, Beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°So can we get out of here?¡± He chuckled. He wrapped me in his meaty arms. I felt smaller than I was but I also felt protected. ¡°We¡¯re setting up the trap, mate.¡± I pouted. ¡°Are you turning me down?¡± Azaire frowned. ¡°No, but-¡± ¡°Sounds like it.¡± My attempt to wiggle out of his hold failed miserably because this man was massive. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that babe.¡± He pleaded. I wasn¡¯t really mad but the intense desire to fuck Azaire where he stood was reced by the urge to return to the ck w Pack. I suddenly missed my old room, the feel of my sheets and the smell of my old bathroom. I wanted to stroll around the lonely halls of my old home and betas marching in and out of the house. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d miss that ce. ¡°Okay, babe, I¡¯ll just take you with me and we¡¯ll find time for a quick one.¡± I shook my head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯reing to work with me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± He lifted my chin and stroked my bottom lip. ¡°I think I¡¯m fine. Anyway, I¡¯ll be your sidekick today.¡± He smirked. ¡°What? I can kick some ass.¡± He barked out augh. ¡°You¡¯re adorable.¡± He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walked us out of the living room. Chapter 52 zer POV ¡°Damn Quin!¡± She slobbered on my dick before devouring it again. What was I doing? Quin showed up an hour ago. I don¡¯t know why she even bothered when ine didn¡¯t live here anymore, but Quin had always been a social climber. Neel had no use for her anymore so she came back to the person she tossed to the side. I was no one¡¯s sloppy seconds but Quin knew my weaknesses and I was subdued easily. Though, I wasn¡¯t feeling it. I had one woman on my mind and she wanted nothing to do with me. I fucked up with Francine and if she magically found out about this then I was further screwed. I fisted Quin¡¯s hair. It would be easy to fuck her face and get myself off but I pulled her off instead. ¡°What?¡± Quin scowled. ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do,¡± I grumbled. She nts her hands on my thighs keeping me from standing up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You changed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just not in the mood, Quin.¡± She stood and crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯d be in the mood if I was Francine. She¡¯s a Blood Moon wolf, she¡¯s worthless!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that!¡± I barked, shoving my dick back in my pants.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Just her name made my cock twitch. ¡°If she was so important she would be here with you. You¡¯re so unserious, zer.¡± Here we go again. Maybe it was just easier to pick on me than Nik. My reputation didn¡¯t help me. I couldn¡¯t help it I liked to drink and I loved beautiful women buttely I loved one woman and she didn¡¯t love me back. I teamed up with Azaire, ine¡¯s mate to bring down my wolf enhancer dealers. I wanted that to be the thing that brought Francine back to me. I wanted a second chance. I was different now I could feel it. The only reason I used wolf enhancers was because Dad and the Alpha General were on me for not being fast enough and strong enough. I was constantly beingpared to Nik. I wanted an upper hand and I wanted it quickly. The wolf enhancers made me stronger in training and faster during the hunts. It pissed Nik off that I was suddenly stronger but he didn¡¯t suspect I was using enhancers. I couldn¡¯t stop using them now though. I¡¯d lose my abilities. ¡°If you were half as serious as some of the other males in this Pack you¡¯d challenge Nik to be Alpha.¡± I paused and nced over my shoulder. ¡°Who told you I want to be Alpha?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you want to prove everyone wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to prove anything to anyone. Neel¡¯s not here he¡¯s probably found himself another nice petite woman to warm his bed. You know what I think I saw him with Jennifer the other day.¡± Quin gasped and stomped her foot. ¡°That bitch!¡± ¡°Gotta check your friends.¡± I marched out of my room and mmed the door behind her. ¡°Dude, Dad wants us in his study,¡± Nik said. I nodded. I followed my brother to our Dad¡¯s study. He was by his desk as usual and the old witch was next to him. I knew my Dad was a piece of work but what he pulled with ine¡¯s Mom was beyond cruel and Avena knew about it! She¡¯s continuously tried to kill ine as well. My Dad¡¯s a monster and she¡¯s a sea witch with tentacles. ¡°Boys,¡± he said. ¡°Alpha,¡± Nik and I said in unison. ¡°Things are about to change. I¡¯ve decided after all these years to take a Luna.¡± I shook my head. Did I hear that right? ¡°You¡¯re getting married again?¡± I asked. Nik stiffened but as usual, didn¡¯t question anything. Dad smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to congratte me, zer?¡± ¡°Sure, but I didn¡¯t know you were seeing anyone.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Avena¡¯s been by my side for a long time,¡± Dad replied. I fought the urge to throw up. Dad and Avena? I never thought he¡¯d stoop so low. I turned to Nik. He was stiff and stone-faced. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡± I asked Nik. He raised his chin and shoulders. ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± I mumbled. ¡°In three days and don¡¯t worry about your sister. ine will be home soon.¡± Dad stood from his desk. ine wants nothing to do with this Pack. What¡¯s he on about? ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do. Avena¡¯s handling everything concerning the mating ceremony.¡± I shook my head but one thing about my Dad was he hated being questioned. The council wouldn¡¯t allow this. Mating outside our species was forbidden. It was a shock ine was half-witch! Though, I guess Dad had a type. Nik marched out as soon as Dad did. He was pissed but he was programmed to never ask questions. I swear he was like a robot sometimes. It was just Avena and me. We never got along. However, she hated ine more than me. ¡°You don¡¯t look too happy zer. Don¡¯t like the idea of having a stepmother?¡± I smirked. ¡°All those years of kissing ass finally paid off huh?¡± ¡°It was always going to end this way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m impressed I thought you were going to remain an old maid forever.¡± She smirked. ¡°Things are about to change and you need to decide whose side you¡¯re on, Little Boy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re on about but I wouldn¡¯t get my hopes up. It¡¯s against sacredw to mate witches you know this.¡± She threw her head back andughed. ¡°That should be the least of your worries. What is your Father going to say when he learns about your little alliance with the Shaw boys?¡± Fuck. How did she know about that? ¡°Who cares about what he¡¯s going to say? What is he going to do? He¡¯ll skin you alive.¡± ¡°Are you losing it, Avena?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. I know what you¡¯re nning. I wouldn¡¯t have thought of you as a traitor but I¡¯ll me your good-for-nothing sister.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that. She was smart enough to get her ass out of this hell whole.¡± Avenaughed. ¡°She¡¯ll be back. Your Dad¡¯s going to banish you for treason.¡± I looked away. ¡°If you get rid of the wolf enhancers you¡¯re making the Blood Moon Pack stronger. He doesn¡¯t have to know though. All you have to do is pick the winning team.¡± I rubbed my forehead. ¡°How-¡± ¡°How did I know? You¡¯re trying to take down my operation. This is my town I know everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re behind the wolf enhancers!¡± She waved me away. ¡°Your Father knows. So here¡¯s the n. You work with me now. You¡¯re going to betray ine and her precious mate.¡± I couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°If not then I¡¯ll tell your Father.¡± I couldn¡¯t let that happen either. ¡°To add fuel to the fire if you don¡¯t join me I¡¯ll put your Mother in the ground. You¡¯ll never see her alive.¡± I¡¯m screwed. Chapter 53 ine POV I felt as light as a feather and as free as the wind. I could go anywhere but I wanted to go home back to the ck w Pack. I didn¡¯t have any friends why would I want to go back? It was what my soul wanted. It was what my blood wanted. I could see the Pack House in my mind¡¯s eye. It was over the distance. All I needed to do was take one huge step. ¡°ine!¡± Azaire shouted. My eyes popped open. I saw the concrete ground first. Azaire yanked me back into the room. ¡°What the hell are you thinking?¡± My heart hammered against my ribcage. I didn¡¯t know what happened. I stared at the open balcony doors, showing the dark starry night. Azaire grabbed my face and made me face him but I pushed his palms away. I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of my thoughts. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know Azaire.¡± ¡°You nearly jumped over the edge of the balcony. One more second and¡­ fuck.¡± He raked a hand through his hair. One more second and I would have been a pancake. We decided to spend the night at Shaw Castle.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t have a history of sleepwalking and I certainly didn¡¯t want to jump!¡± I really wanted to go home though but I can¡¯t tell Azaire that. It didn¡¯t make sense to me and he wouldn¡¯t understand either. He wrapped his arms around me. I felt his anxiety and rage boiling through our bond. ¡°I would never jump, Azaire,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know. Someone wanted you to and that worries me.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll handle it like we always do, right?¡± He held me tighter. ¡°Mate, I don¡¯t want to handle things all the time. It¡¯s time someone dies even if it¡¯s your Dad.¡± He left me and marched to the balcony. ¡°I wish I never gave up smoking.¡± Iy on the bed and watched him pace. ¡°You used to smoke?¡± He turned and I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you did. I wouldn¡¯t have gone out with you if you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Very funny, mate.¡± ¡°Come back. We don¡¯t have to kill anyone.¡± He joined me and kissed me. ¡°Now I can¡¯t sleep,¡± I whispered. He caressed my cheek and brought my lips back to his. Instead of fear of almost jumping off the balcony, I felt the pull of the mating moon. Azaire swept my dress straps off my shoulders and lowered me on the bed. He dominated my mouth. I wrapped my legs around his torso and dragged me down. ¡°We¡¯re not done talking about this,¡± he growled. He nted a trail of kisses down my neck until he came to the spot between my breasts. I arched my back to meet his hungry kisses. The Heat woulde with force and turn me into an animal. The mating moon wouldn¡¯t be here for a couple more days but the pull was strong and it had most of us in a frenzy already. ¡°More¡­ harder¡­¡± I grunted. Azaire¡¯s mesmerizing eyes looked up at me from before he lowered himself to my eager clit and wet folds. His gaze held tease and danger. I fisted my satin nightgown and lifted the material to my chest. What was he waiting for? He slipped a finger through my folds and then another. He growled before kissing my clit. Azaire thrust his fingers in and out at a steady pace but it was maddeningly beautiful I wanted it to go on forever. He curled his fingers continuously before adding his tongue to the mix. He was going to kill me but it would be a wonderful way to go. Azaire suddenly pulled out his fingers and then climbed on top of me. He kissed and I tasted myself on his lips. Azaire opened me up to taste my tongue at the same time he prated me. I moaned in his mouth or else my scream would wake the house and they would all know what we were doing. We spent the rest of the night tangled up in the bliss and safety of each other¡¯s arms. *** ¡°Feeling weird today?¡± Azaire asked. ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± Azaire grinned from ear to ear. I frowned. ¡°What¡¯s up, Rae?¡± Ross asked. They entered the kitchen simultaneously. ¡°Azaire called me and said there was something wrong with ine.¡± I put down my coffee mug and red at Azaire. ¡°Well, what did you expect me to do? You almost jumped off the balcony.¡± ¡°You could have told me at least,¡± I responded slightly frustrated. ¡°You know I would take better care of you than Azaire,¡± Luca said as he strolled into the kitchen. He leaned on the kitchen ind and smirked at me. ¡°Get lost Lucas,¡± Azaire growled. ¡°You know you technically stole her from me.¡± Heat rushed to my cheeks. I was too drunk to recall all the details of that night but just knowing it happened was mortifying. Azaire grabbed his younger brother¡¯s cor. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡± ¡°All¡¯s fair in love and war,¡± Lucas retorted. ¡°Get your ass to training we have a hunt in an hour.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. Remember my offer, ine.¡± Lucas rushed out before he got a knock to the head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elle. Alpha males can be so obnoxious,¡± Rae said. ¡°Tell me about it. I grew up with two overbearing ones.¡± I would have grown up with three of them if Dad hadn¡¯t hidden Lawrence all his life. ¡°You look fine to me. Your magic feels strong like a lot stronger than thest time we met. Have you been practising?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Haven¡¯t had time.¡± ¡°Your aura is all over the ce. It¡¯s he strong.¡± Rae took a step back. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± I felt bad she looked ufortable. ¡°You just need to practice otherwise it makes you stick out like a sore thumb to other witches. Some witches don¡¯t like that stuff and see it as a threat.¡± Is that why Avena¡¯s always trying to kill me? ¡°Lucky for you I can help!¡± ¡°Great, we have a hunt to prepare for,¡± Azaire pped his hands and kissed my cheek. ¡°A hunt?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah for tomorrow night to wee the mating moon.¡± ¡°What about the n?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still on. I spoke to zer this morning and he said he spoke to his wolf enhancer plugs. They don¡¯t suspect a thing. Everything¡¯s going as nned, mate.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d he¡¯s doing this. He¡¯s risking a lot.¡± Azaire nodded. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to wee another one of your family members into the Pack let¡¯s hope this goes well.¡± I shot his daggers. He kissed my forehead. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you more,¡± I said it with all my strength. Ross and Azaire marched out of the kitchen and left Rae and me alone. ¡°Right, I brought some stuff. I left them in my car,¡± Rae said. She left and I ced my mug in the microwave because it had gotten cold. The microwave sparked and the light inside it exploded. The cup burst and the door sprung open. I jumped out of the way before ss cut me. ¡°What?¡± I gasped. The light overhead dimmed and I hurried to the safety of the door before there was another explosion. Hair on my arms stood and my wolf was agitated. Magic, I thought. The nts on the counter and in the pots on the ground died quickly. There was an evil presence in the air. Chapter 55 ine POV If I wasn¡¯t a werewolf, I would have sworn I was going mad when I saw lightning shoot out of the ceiling and nearly st my foot off. Every electric appliance in the house exploded to light and operated on its highest settings. Will I ever catch a break? ¡°ine, what¡¯s going on? The door won¡¯t open,¡± Rae banged on the kitchen door. I backed up slowly. Soon the knives will start flying. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m stuck.¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic.¡± ¡°No kidding!¡± The blender toppled over the counter and crashed. Okay, if I don¡¯t do something I¡¯m dead! Azaire¡¯s going to return from his hunt and find his mate dead. I¡¯ve been using my powers for a while now and if they¡¯re as strong as Rae says then I could handle this. I blocked out the noise and summoned my powers to the surface which pushed my wolf back. I couldn¡¯t feel her anymore all I felt was the force of sheer power. It made me feel on top of the world. I could destroy anything. I extended my hands and let the power flow out of me. Electric power purple me shot to the ceiling. I only had one thought. Destruction. I must have emptied my tank because I copsed against the kitchen door when the purple me finished its job. Everything was quiet. I¡¯m sure the appliances were dead. There was an angry ck mark on the ceiling where the lightbulb should have been and there was ss everywhere. Rae dragged the door open. ¡°Whoa, you did all this?¡± I lifted a shoulder. ¡°Azaire¡¯s Mom is not going to like me.¡± ¡°Give her a grandchild and she¡¯ll love you,¡± Rae smiled. Like it was that easy! ¡°It was evil magic which means it could only be Avena.¡± Rae walked around the room in silence. ¡°No¡­ this isn¡¯t Avena¡¯s style.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t anything deadly her style?¡± I asked, picking myself up. ¡°True but leaving behind a burnt nt is Lynn¡¯s signature.¡± ¡°Your sister?¡± Rae nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt her magic in forever. Now she¡¯s attacking you. What the hell?¡± I lifted a shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your sister.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a psycho witch and I¡¯m he impressed you chased her magic away like that! You may be the most powerful witch I¡¯ve ever seen! This is so cool.¡± ¡°It was terrifying.¡± She waved me off. ¡°Let¡¯s clean this ce up so we can work on your aura.¡± *** Two hourster and after a few spells the kitchen was clean though Azaire¡¯s Mom needed a new blender. I used a new spell to cover the burnt mark on the ceiling but we had to rece the light bulb as well. Rae said she knew a guy who dealt with this stuff so I stayed at the mansion while she went out to buy supplies and get the guy. I hoped she would get back before Azaire and his brothers. The kitchen door opened and I assumed it was Rae but it was Wynter in her newly dyed white hair and blood-red lipstick. She paused when she saw me and frowned before she proceeded to the fridge. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°So as Azaire¡¯s mate what¡¯s your role around here?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have a role. I¡¯m technically not a member.¡± I recalled the time I tried giving my loyalty to Richie and it failed. ¡°Hmm. I know about your defective wolf so you wouldn¡¯t do much to the beta army and since you betrayed your Pack I doubt you¡¯d make a good political asset to the Pack.¡± ¡°Excuse me? I betrayed my Pack? What do you know about what happened in the ck w Pack?¡± ¡°I know an Alpha¡¯s daughter is a mighty asset and you snubbed your marriage to one of the most feared Alphas in all thends.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll fear Lucas before I ever fear Neel.¡± ¡°You know what, I figured out what your role¡¯s going to be. Yes, you¡¯re going to have all of Azaire¡¯s kids! He always said he wanted a little army of boys.¡± I balled my hand into a fist. My magic climbed to the surface I had to push it down or else Wynter would lose her pretty face. ¡°You seem awfully concerned for someone with her own Pack. What, are you eying this one too? Could it be under all that prim and proper nonsense you¡¯re nothing but a social climber struggling to get Daddy¡¯s attention? Don¡¯t worry, I know what it¡¯s like not to have all of Daddy¡¯s love. We can bond about it,¡± I smiled. I hit a nerve. Wynter¡¯s eyes turned as red as her lips. My smile grew brighter when I heard themotion outside. The Hunting party was back. Ross and Lucas wandered into the kitchen first. Both buck naked. I cringed painfully. ¡°Ladies,¡± Lucas greeted us. ¡°Clothes guys?¡± Wynter asked. ¡°We just came back from a gruelling hunt who cares about clothes?¡± Ross replied. Azaire walked into the kitchen next, covered in dirt and grim. He found me quickly. I backed up. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to hug me?¡± ¡°Maybe after you shower!¡± He picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. ¡°You¡¯ve never smelt so good.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to take that.¡± ¡°Azaire don¡¯t get carried away we have a n to sort out,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Shut up Lucas.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He carried me out of the kitchen. I felt Wynter¡¯s eyes burn eyes in the back of my head. Clearly Wynter and I wouldn¡¯t be friends but as long as all she was doing was helping the Blood Moon Pack then I didn¡¯t have to deal with her. I had witches to fight and I couldn¡¯t be sure they wouldn¡¯t attack us tomorrow. It was a crucial night for us then we had Alpha Laiken to deal with and that was a giant on its own. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!