“Are you alright?”
His deep voice sends a shiver through my spine and I have to shake my head to get the lingering effects out of my brain.I’m not sure if it’s the traumatic ordeal that I’ve been put through or the man himself that is taking over my mind, body and soul.He was absolutely stunning. His aura was one of a strong and powerful wolf. He stood tall over me which was a feat since I wasn't that short myself. His body was jacked but not overly muscular in an off putting way. The man had jet black hair and piercing blue eyes that were like the sea on a cloudy day. His jaw was sharp and cheekbones chiseled as long lashes fanned over them.It takes me a few seconds to realize I’m merely gawping at the man but I’m not responding in any way.Clearing my throat, I tug at the shirt which I now release belongs to the half naked man in front of me.“Yes. Sorry about that. This must be yours?”Lifting the shirt, I pause at the intoxicating scent that envelops me. It smelt divine and had a mixture of petrichor and a cologne that put all others to shame.The man put his hand forward but I feel a strange sense of embarrassment and politely decline his offer. Standing up on my own, I notice as the man averts his eyes as I tug the soft material of his shirt past my body.“No. It’s alright. You can keep it.”“Oh, thank you.”Looking back at me, I ignore the man who gives me a once over as he takes in every inch of me. My body heats under his gaze but I dispel the thought from my mind.A lot of females go into heat after they shift. I don’t want that.“You’re a beautiful woman. You shouldn’t be here on your own. Let me know where you live and I’ll get you there.”My body and heart are at ease and are ready to trust him completely but my brain is on alert and I put my guard up.“I don’t know who you are. Which pack are you from?”The man laughs and it sends a pit of my butterflies to flutter in my stomach.“But I know you. You’re the daughter of Alpha Rodrigo from the Dark Moon Pack. What are you doing all the way out here?”My words die on my tongue and I realize I can’t get myself out of this situation.Steeling my spine, I take a step in the opposite direction.“Yes. If you’ll please give me leave. I have to go back home. They’ll be expecting me.”I ignore the horror that curls in my stomach. They won’t give a crap if I come home or not. My sister is the Alpha of the pack. Her mate is my ex. My father is dead and I know my mother wants absolutely nothing to do with me.What do I have left back there?My wolf’s words resound through my brain and I shake all the negative thoughts away.If she’s right, I have to train hard. That’ll be the key to my success.“Who will be expecting you?”“My mother?”The answer came out like a question simply because of the fact that I don’t know why the hell I’m even answering him.Why do I feel compelled to tell him my life story?The man sighed and I almost detected pity on his face.He doesn’t know me. Why would he feel pity?“You don’t know.”My curiosity piques and I can’t help but to ask.“Don’t know what?”“The new Alpha of your pack has expelled you. She left a scathing statement to all packs to never let you enter any. You’ve been charged with colluding with rogues and acting first hand in your fathers death.”Numb. That’s all that I can feel right now.“The new Alpha?”I knew who he was talking about. I could feel the gaping hole in my chest. Aurora’s words lingered in my mind but it felt like a distant memory now.“Yes. The female Alpha. Alpha Serena.”Moisture gathers in my eyes and I have to clamp my fists to stop the ache. It doesn’t matter considering the hurt comes from within my heart. Years of pent up hurting and betrayal digs deep.“There are a group of people looking for you right now. I’m not sure what their intentions are but I can assure you, they’re nothing good.”I don’t believe him but something tells me to heighten my senses.Straining my ears, I can hear multiple sets of footsteps running towards me. My scent is a clear indicator as to where I am.“They’re nearly here. It’s up to you. You can come with me or get caught up with them. What do you say?”I hesitate for multiple reasons.What if this person is worse than they are?I can tell his wolf is strong. Much stronger than the ones who are running towards me.Is this one man a greater evil than all of these men combined?Looking from him to the thick foliage behind, I make up my mind.“Where will you take me?”“It’s up to you. I can take you back to my house to regroup or I can even drop you off back at your pack. The decision is yours.”“Can we go to your house first? I need to think things through and I’m being put on the spot right now.”The man tilts his head, almost as if the group of men running right towards us aren’t a pressing concern.“Sure. My car’s parked a little way’s down. We’ll make it in time.”I’m not sure if that’s true but I get walking.It’s only when I focus on my surroundings that I realize we’re very close to a main road. The lake winding the entire length of the road and beyond.A sleek black car sits on the side, engine off and blending in with its surroundings.“Get in. We’ll go to mine and then you can decide.”I don’t hesitate to get in.All while watching the group of men finally break into the clearing.It’s too late for them as we speed off.*Three Hours Prior*The elders were stern as they locked eyes with me.It was the same old crap that I’d heard ever since I had taken over the Alpha position a few years ago.Every single one of them were worried about the big bad Alpha not finding his mate yet.“Alpha. You need to understand, you’re well above the age of finding a mate. You’re twenty three and you should have found your mate before you were eighteen. The pack needs a Luna.”My wolf howls at the thought of having no mate. The elders do nothing but piss me off every time they open their mouths.They’ve caused me nothing but pain and now here they are, trying to dig up some more problems for me.Does no one think that I don’t wish to have a mate? My wolf feels empty. As if half of his soul is missing. It’s not even far-fetched because that is truly what a mate is.The better half of your soul.Baring my fangs at the elders, I thud my hands on the table and watch as they jump in their seats.I’m not the most feared wolf
The drive was long.I could barely keep my eyes open as I watched the canopy of trees on either side of the road simply blurring by.I don’t know why I’m so tired. Maybe it was the shift that took a severe toll on me? But then again, I had knocked out afterwards for who knows how long. The sun was starting to peek over the edge of the skyline so I know it must have been a good few hours. The car ride itself was quiet but I used that as a means to contact my wolf.‘Aurora? Can you hear me?’This had been the umpteenth time but again, I got no response. I had to blanket my disappointment and pretend as if I didn’t notice anything had happened. I should have the energy to run around in wolf form and switch back into my usual form without beating an eye. Aurora truly was weak and it was all my fault.I couldn’t even shift properly in time. If I had, the both of us would have had a strong bond.“We’re here.”So consumed in my thoughts, I jerk up at the man’s voice. I hadn’t even bothered
My first instinct was to run.Alpha Gabriel’s was to laugh at the look on my face.“I see my reputation precedes me.”The mug in my hand starts to shake and the ripples in the tea almost absorb me into a trance. Unfortunately, even pretty swirls won’t distract me this time around. Dread fills into the crevices of my stomach and the tea settles uneasily in my gut.“W-what? Ho-ow?”I try to think back to any alarming instances that could possibly give away his identity but I come up blank. Sure, he has a big house and lives an hour or so away but that doesn’t mean anything.There are a lot of rogue wolves that aren’t necessarily bad. They simply enjoy not being surrounded by pack politics.Of course then there are those types that join into cults and come after people like my father.The image that has been plaguing my mood momentarily distracts me. My father…“You seem a bit disturbed. Is it because of me or…?”The inclination in his tone has me stiffening up and I automatically stand
“Yes.”His answering smirk had me already regretting my notion of impulse.“Yes. What?”“I agree. To whatever it may be.”See? I really should just super glue my mouth shut.“Perfect. Let’s get going then.”Alpha Gabriel slaps his palms against his thighs. He places my mug out of harm's way and turns around. I barely get a chance to protest before he’s already out the door.“What? Where are we going?”I follow him out of the main door and trail after him. He’s already making a direct beeline for the car.“You agreed to what I asked.”I falter before I pounce on him. Grabbing the man by the arm, I hold my ground and stare him straight in the eye.“You didn’t ask me anything. Well, not in the actual sense of the word. I don’t even know what I’ve agreed to. Where are we going?”Alpha Gabriel stares down at my hand clinging onto his arm as if in some pesky fly that needs to be dealt with.The man sits in the car and I have no choice but to follow him. It’s not like I can stay behind.This
“I’m sorry, what?!”Jax’s voice nearly breaks on the spot as he takes a step forward.Alpha Gabriel doesn’t take to this lightly and a loud growl rips from his throat. The harsh sound is guttural and shakes the ground beneath our feet. Everyone is taken by surprise and Jax falters in his steps. Serena bares her neck in a sign of submission. I hate the feeling coursing through me but I can’t help feeling smug at the sight of my sister being put in her place.“I do NOT repeat myself.”My legs feel shaky on the spot and I’m stunned when Alpha Gabriel grabs a hold of my shoulder to steady myself.“My apologies, Alpha Gabriel,” I can tell Jax is speaking through his teeth but he maintains eye contact with the ground.No one dares look him in the eye. Not even Serena.“There are a few ground rules we must go through. Each and every one of them must be followed if you want my help, Alpha Serena.”“Understood,” My sister speaks out through a shaky breath.“I’m glad that is sorted. I’ll be s
“Stop it!”A laugh bubbles out of my throat as Jax presses kisses to my neck. The ticklish fever overtakes me and I find myself pushing him back.My boyfriend pulls back with a huge grin, his eyes dark with lust and he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.“This is supposed to be romantic,” The man voices out to which I scoff before pecking his lips.“You’re trying to get into my pants. That’s not romantic.”Jax pushes himself up on his elbows as he takes in my half naked form. This is what always happens. We plan out our day with lots of fun activities but before I know it, everything gets dropped and we’re having sex like two horny wolves during their heat. It’s happened more times than I’d like to count.Not that I’m complaining or anything.Jax grabs me by my waist as I try to get up and a surprised shriek leaves my lips. He kisses me once more before looking straight at me.“You’ve been a bit distracted lately? Is something wrong?”I chew on my lip as the events of the day catch
My mind couldn’t comprehend anything.It was only when my mother and father rushed out that I realized what was happening. It was all too much too fast.With a gasp, I rushed out the front door and was taken aback.No. No. No!What the hell is happening?It was as if the wolves were coming straight to our main house. The Alpha and Luna’s house was towards the back with the other buildings scattered on either side. It had been designed that way so that the warriors were the first to engage in battle and keep the rest of the pack protected. However, somehow the attackers had infiltrated our land and came to us directly.I watched on in alarm as my father shifted into his large wolf, acting the wolves head on.The sharp smell of rotting flesh and blood attacked my senses.They were rogues.Other pack members shifted and attacked and I stayed rooted in my spot.“Avery. Hide! You’re defenseless. Your father has more to worry about than his daughter that can’t even shift.”I wince at the ha
“What the hell? Why are you sleeping with someone else?”My sharp voice causes Jax to jerk in his sleep. The man sits up with his arm half wrapped around the woman. She squints and turns to me but the anger grows even deeper in my stomach.Jax looked at me with soft and sad eyes. He appeared to be remorseful but something tells me he doesn’t regret it one bit.“I’m so sorry, Ave. I finally found her. She’s my soulmate?”I watch the woman staring back at me, brown eyes comprehending everything as smug satisfaction gathers in her eyes. “Did you mark her?” My voice breaks at the end and it takes everything in me to hold back my tears.I feel like a fool.Jax lowered his head, not being able to answer. My eyes seek out their own answer and I get it when the woman turns her hair to the side. The mark is bright red and healing pleasantly. My boyfriend’s teeth make a perfect crescent. My heart broke into shattered pieces. Pieces too small I don’t think I’d ever be able to put myself back t