The memory was so vivid, almost like a movie playing in my mind.I remember being shocked at his recovery. I’d never seen a human heal so fast. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.When he’d finally woken up, he was fully prepared to tear the hospital apart to get to Marina.He’d called her his mate. Which could only mean that when she said we were both his soulmates, that’s what he had meant all those years ago.“Trying to wrack that pretty little head for anything to dispute what he’s saying?” Marina snickered, waltzing into the room like she owned the place.I lifted my head, staring into her icy blue eyes. They lacked warmth, and I wondered why she hated me so much when I had been the one kept in the dark all this time.“Nothing to say?” she shook her head, arching a brow.“Why would you do that to him?”The question had been burning in the back of my mind. In all honesty, Marina had consistently done things that would hurt the man that she claims to love in an attempt to hu
I couldn’t speak coherent words at the moment, so I chose silence. Each time I thought I might try to speak; sobs rocked my body. I hated that this was the moment that James chose to come home.For years, I’ve managed to keep my feelings in check. I never wanted him to see me as weak. Not only that, but I needed to harness every ounce of strength I possessed just to make it through those years.After a while, James sat across from me on the floor of our kitchen. His long legs stretched all the way from the island to the opposite counters. He didn’t try to force me to talk or ask any questions, he just kept me company in the silence.“I forgot the sugar in my shortbread cookies,” I whispered, needing to break that silence that stretched between us. It was the first thing that came to my mind, despite the looming bomb that James had dropped on me earlier in the day.“Can’t you just add it now?” James questioned, sounding genuinely confused.My lip quivered as I finally raised my face fr
How can a day start so perfectly, only to turn into an absolute shit show in a matter of moments. And it’s only gone downhill since then. Marina forced my hand this morning when I wasn’t ready. When Rosalind wasn’t ready. And now, as I sit on the floor of my own fucking kitchen; I can see that she’s hanging on by a thread. I had next to no relationship experience before the attack on my pack. I was waiting for my mate, and then my mate was in a coma, and I was so angry at the world, that I didn’t bother putting in even an ounce of effort when it came to my marriage with Rosalind. She was the perfect wife. I see that now as I sit across from her, staring at her tear-stained face. Rosa was always there when I needed her. She took every demand that I made with stride and put in her all despite my overly shitty attitude. She spent hours preparing for galas and events, slapping on a fake smile, and laughing at my fake jokes for the greater good. For this fucking stupid image that I’d be
“Can you talk to your wolf?”The way that he'd spoken about him like they were old friends made me think the answer would be yes, but there was so much I didn't know.James’ large hand engulfed mine as we walked away from the house and towards the trees that filled the back part of our property. The leaves had turned various shades of reds and yellows, and would soon fall off the trees, tumbling to the ground until spring. Fall was always my favorite season because from the balcony of my room, the view was breathtaking. I’ve considered pulling out a canvas and paintbrush, and painting the view, but it’s been years since I’ve bothered with art. “Typically, yes. But I’ve not been able to communicate with Onyx since the attack.”I didn’t miss the sadness in his voice as the words left his mouth. He told me earlier that his wolf was like his other half and losing him felt like he’d lost a piece of himself. “What is that like?” I peered up at him just as a smile overtook his face. “He
James’ grip on my hand slowly loosened before his hand fell from mine followed by a halt in his steps.The sun fell through the veil of trees, created these beautiful sun streaks that appeared opaque. Like you could reach your hand out and feel the rays themselves. It was beautiful and created the illusion that this moment was anything other than what it was.My heart ached with every beat in his silence.“The Moon Goddess doesn’t give someone two mates typically.” His voice was barely above a whisper and the words didn’t do anything to soothe over the pain that filled my chest at his avoidance of the question.“But she did to you…”Now my voice was barely above a whisper as the words left my lips.James kicked a rock, his eyes following the way it tumbled through the dirt before opening his mouth again… only to close it before anything came out. His fingers pushed through his hair before turning towards me, “I’m usually not one to be at a loss for words.”I could feel his nerves, but
Rosalind said she was tired and needed to rest, but I didn’t buy it. I knew she’d retreated to her room to wallow in her tears.Our conversation took a quick turn earlier, just as I’d expected, and the moment the question left her lips; I knew that I couldn’t give her the answer that she was looking for.My back hits the leather of my office chair as I lift my feet onto the edge of my desk.I’ve decided that the Moon Goddess has it out for me. She mated me with not only a witch, but a human.Reaching up, I scrub my hand over my face, groaning as the chair leans further back.I don’t have a fucking plan for this. I thought I’d be mated to some Alpha’s daughter or something that would make a hell of a lot more sense than whatever this is.“Fuck,” I leaned forward, slamming my fists against the desktop.My fingers dialed the only person I knew that could figure shit out when I needed it, “Mr. Wood, what lovely endeavor does your bank account allow today?” Dante chirped through the other
I heard the sound of the punching bag for two hours before James finally stopped last night. Then, like usual, he spent thirty minutes in the shower, but this time; he didn’t sing.That was something I didn’t realize how badly I clung to prior to leaving the first time. Then when I’d come back home, I found myself smiling as I lingered just far enough away to still hear him while being undetected.But last night…. I heard nothing.My eyes widened as I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror. The whites of my eyes were bloodshot, and my under-eye bags had bags from how puffy they were. My tears had created a damp spot on the left side of my head, and the hair had flattened against my scalp.After a quick shower, I walked to my closet only to realize that I’d never made the time to remove all of the clothing that Marina had damaged.Closing my eyes, I took a leveling breath. I wasn’t going to continue to let her affect me.I grabbed the robe hanging in the bathroom, tying it o
After spending the day rummaging around an endless string of shops, I’d purchased replacement clothing as well as the sexiest dress I’ve ever tried on.James texted me while I was out and told me he’d be by to get me at six for the event he was taking me to.I’d curled my hair into soft waves that I’d pinned into a low pony. My eyes were more natural, focusing on lashes while choosing a red lip to go along with my dress.The dress itself hugged my body like a glove. The low, square neckline left little to imagination as well as the double slits in the front. I had to wear a thin black lace thong so that nothing would show when I walked. The dress itself was a satin black slip dress with a red lace overlay.The splurge of the day wasn’t even the beautiful dress. It was the six-inch red bottomed platform Louboutin’s that made the muscles in my legs look amazing beneath the slits.Today felt like a new day for me.As I carefully walked down the steps, the front door opened, and in walked
I’ve been sitting on the large, four post bed that sits in one of two rooms for over an hour. Dante really wasn’t kidding when he said that Shawn… Shay and I would have to pretend to be married. I haven’t told him of our complicated past, but it’s clear that he’s intuitive enough to see that we’re comfortable with one another. That or he knows deep down that Shawn has always held a piece of my heart. Either way, this feels too soon, and my chest aches as I sit here, staring at the floorboards. A soft knock at the door startles me, “Come in.” My voice is barely above a whisper. Shawn peeks through the crack, “Can we talk?”I nodded, scooting over towards the headboard to give his large frame space to sit. The bed dipped as he took a seat beside me, close enough for our knees to brush. I feel his eyes on me, studying me before he sighs softly, “I don’t know what to say right now,” he whispers with a shrug, “How are you holding up?” “If I’m being honest, I don’t know what to tell y
“I have to say,” Chris spins around, eye wide with excitement, “I could get used to this. Do you see that fucking view?”This place was like a miniature paradise. The air smelled fresh, like the scent of a frigid breeze during the first snowfall. A serene lake sat in front of a picturesque log cabin. Smoke billowed from the chimney, and mountains stretched across the entire horizon, painting a scene that was nothing short of extraordinary.“It’s a bit colder than I’m used to,” Shawn’s words left his lips on a puff of air. “But Dante has taste. This place feels like its own little paradise.”The three of us headed inside, and I gasped at the warmth in the cabin. The scent of pine and cedar swirled around with a hint of smoke. Everything was bathed in warmth. Stained wood decorated the walls, and deep colors accented the feel of the space.“It’s homey,” Chris glances around, his brows knitted, “Kind of expected something more modern.”“It’s a cabin in the middle of nowhere,” Shawn mutte
“Chris,” I whisper, approaching him on the small aircraft carrying us to the unknown location. “Can we talk?”There is a long silence before he finally pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head, his bloodshot eyes boring into mine, “Sure.”His tone is short and unlike him, but I don’t blame him. Once the relief of finding us alive dissipated, he was left with anger, and despite his normal use of drugs or alcohol to make him forget, I imagine it’s not quite that easy when it comes to Shawn and me.“Before you start,” he whispers, “I want you to know that I’m not interested in excuses. I’m not interested in half truths. I’m on a fucking shoebox of an airplane headed to bumfuck nowhere, and I don’t even understand why.”“Of course,” my voice cracks, “There is no reason to hide anything from you anymore,” I shake my head, “There was never any reason to hide anything from you. I don’t have a good reason for keeping you out of the loop… I guess I just didn’t understand what was going on
“Why does this feel like we’re going into the witness protection program?” Chris groans, his sunglasses balancing on the tip of his nose. I know he’s only got them on to hide the fact that he was drunk last night, but I don’t comment on it.Part of me wishes I had been drunk last night instead of silently sobbing to myself curled in an armchair next to Shawn’s bed.“That’s precisely what this is,” Dante mutters, “It’s just a bit more under the radar than your typical witness protection. Instead of the government, you get me.”“Yay,” Chris mumbles, dropping his head back against the headrest.Guilt eats away at the remnants of my soul, and each day that passes leaves me feeling hollower than the one before it.The windows of the vehicle Dante drives have been blacked out to the point that you can’t see a thing inside of the car, and there is very little visibility from the inside.“Where in the hell are we going to go that no one is going to recognize two millionaires and a famous foot
“Still no word on where they’re at?”I’ve spent the last four days in the hospital, unwilling to leave Shawn’s side while he recovered. They tried to send me home, but I refused. Shawn is in this mess because of me, and I’ll be damned if James or Marina somehow finds their way back to him.Dante pinches the bridge of his nose. He comes by every day, and I see the guilt swimming in his eyes. “I told you he was smart. I’ve not been able to track him through his accounts. Money has been moved from investments, but they’ve got to be using an alias that I’m not aware of.”He frowns, “I’m sorry I don’t have more to go on. Like I said, James is smart. He planned this all out right under our noses and didn’t leave a crumb behind that he didn’t want left behind.”I mull over Dante’s words, my mind scattering in so many directions, my head begins to ache. Dante had said James intentionally bought that warehouse under his main bank account because he knew it was trackable, but why would he do th
My eyes widen as a gasp leaves my lips. The air around us feels instantly stale, and my heart jackhammers in my chest.Neither of us utter a word, unknowing if the voices we hear are there to help. Honestly, in my current state, I’m unconvinced that they’re even real.“Rosa,” Joanne voice breaks through the heavy shuffling of footsteps, and I find the strength to stand, untangling myself from Shawn’s arms.“Oh my goodness,” our eyes meet and hers widen when she takes in mine and Shawn’s appearance. “What has he done?”Her voice is barely above a whisper, but I see the horror reflecting in her normally warm eyes.“I found them,” she shouts, still standing rooted to her spot. Moments later, police and paramedics rush towards us and a few moments after that, Dante and Chris on an ATV.“Rosie,” Chris jumps out of his seat while the vehicle is still moving. He stumbles as he runs towards me. His eyes are a mixture of pain and relief, “Fucking hell, Rosie. You’re alive. You’re both alive.”
Shawn and I ran as fast as our battered bodies could carry us. Pain sears through my body and my muscles scream in protest.I saw a workout shirt once that said ‘Everything hurts and I’m dying’. How fitting would that be to have on at this very moment?“Shawn,” I hiss through my teeth, feeling darkness shroud my vision. “I don’t know how much further I’ll make it.”“You don’t have another choice, Rosie,” he grits out, “We have to make it out of here.”My lungs ache with every breath. It feels as if I’ve inhaled tiny shards of glass, and each breath sends them further through the surface of the organs that aid my breathing.Is this how I’m going to go?Shawn falls back, scooping me into his arms.“Shawn,” I gasp, trying and failing to fight him, “You won’t make it anywhere carrying me.”“If you haven’t realized this yet,” he growls through his pain, “We’re getting out of here together. You should really stop making me say it.”The sound of paws slamming against the Earth sends my brain
I’ve never wanted to kill anyone. Not once in my life had the thought crossed my mind.Until now.I fucked up keeping my heart sealed away from Rosie. I thought I was doing her a favor by keeping my distance. I loved her with so much depth, that I let her go, and I’m going to regret that decision until the end of my life.Rosie was a Red. She was royalty to the world. An heiress. A billionaire. Her namesake was a given, and me? I was Shawn Pierce, son of two drug addicts that didn’t want him, and a hoard of mental issues that were never discussed.I lived with them through my childhood until Jeremy Red found me huddled in a closet one day with my hands over my ears, rocking back and forth. I was sobbing uncontrollably, and my heart felt like it was going to explode.Instead of dragging me out of there and telling me to man up as my father had done in the past, he rushed a doctor to the residence and had me diagnosed with anxiety. I was prescribed medication, that Mr. Red paid for, and
Searing pain rolls through my body. My back arches against the pole, and I feel myself ripping at the restraints.A scream echoes around the warehouse, but I’m not even sure if it’s mine.Everything hurts and I feel as if I have lava swimming through my veins.“Rosie!” Shawn’s voice shouts. “What’s happening?”“It…. IT HURTS,” I scream again, unable to contain it.I’ve experienced pain. In the last year I’ve not only been bitten by a shark, but also a werewolf. Both of which hurt more than I care to admit, but I’d get eaten alive by a shark slowly over this.“JUST KILL ME,” I scream at the flashing light bulb in the corner.“Rosie, what is happening?” I hear him grunt. Something keeps hitting my fingers, but I can’t tell if I’m doing it or if Shawn is.“Please,” I sob as the pain tears through my chest. “It’s too much.”My vision tunnels, and I feel weaker by the second, but the pain eases up, and I finally fill my lungs with a sharp inhale.“Everything hurts, Shawn,” I whimper, feeli