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Chapter 148
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A Time for Strength Chapter 1
“Mi galleta [My cookie], I should get you home.” His deep voice is soft and smooth in my ear. It makes me smile every time. “If I’m gonna die, it’s gonna be on the frontline, not the front door to the packhouse.”There goes my smile.“Not funny, Marco. You’re not allowed to die on the frontline. None of you are. And I won’t let my dad kill you. You’ll have to find another stupid way to die.” I sigh, looking up at the stars from the bed of the truck.The flecks of light dance and sparkle defiantly in the sky, with no cares in the world. Don’t they know there’s a war going on? Little bastards. Maybe I could convince a couple of them to trade places with me and my boyfriend. Could they at least make room for us in the dark spaces between them?There’s a cool breeze tonight even though it’s June. I’m glad he had an extra blanket in the truck to wrap around us. I lean my back heavier against his chest and try to take a deep breath, but it comes out ragged.The hard lump in my throat tries
A Time for Strength Chapter 2
I don’t have time to react. One second he’s there, the next he's gone. I hear growling and snarling a few feet away. I have to do something, but I’m frozen with fear.What can I do? I don’t have a wolf to protect me. I need to run.Before I can roll over, someone else yanks me out of the truck bed by my arm. I hit the ground hard with a startled yelp.I’ve had enough junior warrior training to know if I can’t run, I need to defend myself until help arrives. I jump up as quickly as I can. As soon as my feet touch the ground, I throw a combo of punches, combined with a knee kick, into a monster’s bloody ribs.The thing expertly blocks every shot. It’s as if it already knew I’d come out swinging, but it doesn’t hit back. Why isn’t it hitting me back?“Leni, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Familiar eyes shine through the dripping blood with a snarl.The monster grabs my wrist before I can pull back from a hard strike to its neck, and twists my hand painfully, bringing me down to
A Time for Strength Chapter 3
“Dad!”“Don’t ‘Dad’ me. You reek of sex, Leni. I don’t smell blood, so I’m going to assume it isn’t your first time. Is there any chance you’re pregnant? Be honest.”“No.” I say with a defiant growl.“Sass me again and it may be the last thing you do, Lenora Jane Mason.”No one calls me by my real name. Everyone calls me Leni. Dad has only used my FULL name twice in my life before. Once when I was ten and I told Bronx I hated him and once when I skipped school to go to the mall with Ashley after she got her driver’s license. I shrink back and soften my tone. “Dad, I’m not pregnant. W-we’re careful.”“I need you to be one hundred percent certain, Lenora.” He says with anger and disappointment mixed in his voice.I’m not sure what kind of answer he’s looking for more than a simple ‘no’. How detailed am I supposed to get? The more I say, the more likely he’s going to shift and go murder Marco before Bronx gets him to the packhouse. “A hundred percent certain? We use protection every ti
A Time for Strength Chapter 4
“Leni? It’s Ashley. Can I come in?” The soft knock on my bedroom door is unwelcome. Ashley isn’t the one I’m angry at, though. I roll over, staring at the door. Should I answer her? I guess I should. She knows I’m in here. “Come on, nerd. I brought you luu-unnnch… it’s a ham sandwich with diii-jjjoooon… on a crois-aaannnt.” Her voice gets higher pitched with a sing-song tone. “Carly snagged some jalapeno kettle chips, tooooo!” I can’t help but smile. Ashley loves making people happy. Of course, she would bring my favorite food. The fact that she got our friend Carly involved makes it that much more her style. “Come in, Ash.” I sit up and rub my eyes. They still feel puffy. My nose is completely stuffed and my throat is raw. Mom didn’t say a word to me when Dad dragged me into the apartment. She just stood by my bedroom with her arms crossed, glaring at me until I closed the door. She and Dad had a hushed conversation about what happened, and he left again. I didn’t really sleep a
A Time for Strength Chapter 5
— Flashback— “All of our intel shows they’re gathering traction with the propaganda they are feeding the locals in Eastern European villages. Larger packs are being influenced as well. We have to act now or war is imminent.” Daddy walks back and forth. He sounds angry. “Mama, why’s Daddy mad?” I pull on her shirt, but she doesn’t look at me. “Mike, you sent for the kids?” Mama interrupts him. He stops talking and gives Mama lovey dovey eyes. That’s what my big brother calls it. I bet if those old men weren’t here, Daddy would give Mama a big kiss. Then Bronx and I would say EEEWWWW! Then Daddy’s wolf would chase us away. “Gentlemen, you all know my Luna Regent, Sandy. Most of you have met my son Bronx, but only a few have met my daughter Lenora.” Daddy picks me up and kisses my cheek. I try to show him the picture I drawed of me and Mace, but he doesn’t look. “Say hello to the Elder Council, my sweet girl.” “Daddy! Loooook!” I hold my picture up higher. I don’t want to say hell
A Time for Strength Chapter 6
“Leni, time to wake up.” Mom rubs circles on my back through the covers. “Happy birthday, honey. I didn’t get to speak to you last night before Saint took you home. How do you feel?” “Sore.” I groan into my pillow. “That can happen after your first shift.” She tugs playfully on my ponytail. I hate when she tries to pretend everything is hunky dory when it’s not. She and Dad always preach telling the truth, but the last couple of days have shown me they hide the truth more than anyone I know. “Your wolf will heal you. I saw how beautiful her white and tan coat was when you shifted. What’s her name?” “Her name is Justice.” I lift my head and squint in the bright room. “What about my back?” “Ahh, what a wonderful name.” Mom quips, then pauses. “What about your back? What happened?” “Bronx pushed me and I hurt my tailbone yesterday. It still hurts.” “Well, I’m sure whatever happened with your brother was an accident.” She dismisses the incident. “It doesn’t matter if it was an ac
A Time for Strength Chapter 7
Milo’s eyes flash to black and Ghost growls dangerously. “Mate.” I suddenly feel like prey. I take a slow step back from the menacing wolf. Can I get in my room fast enough to close the door? As if he was reading my mind, he grabs my arm and yanks me to his chest. His razor-sharp claws grow out of Milo’s fingernails and dig painfully into my arm. He buries his nose into the crook of my neck, breathing in my scent. My feet are glued to the spot, but I want to run away. At the same time, I feel like I want to stay here with him. I want to be closer to him. What am I talking about? Marco Sanchez is supposed to be my mate. I hate Milo Stone and he's currently assaulting me! “MILO, STOP!” I cry out and push on his chest. “LET ME GO!” “Mmm.” Justice coos. “He’s so romantic.” “Justice, it’s not ROMANTIC! He’s ATTACKING ME! Do something!” I scream at her. “Say ‘mate’. He’ll calm down.” She muses, as if she is completely unaware that blood is pouring out of my arm. “You need to acc
A Time for Strength Chapter 8
Mom helps me into my room and lays me on my bed. I don’t think I could manage to do anything else, even if they ordered me to.I hear the howls of the pack saluting the warriors as they leave. I try to howl with them, but I can’t stop crying. I clutch my aching heart and whisper a prayer to the Moon Goddess to forgive me and to send my mate back safely.Ashley appears in front of my face. She’s even more of a mess than she was earlier.I lift the covers and she joins me, back in the faux safety of my duvet fortress. Justice and Zinnia sulk along with us. We stop pretending like we’re going to be okay and cry ourselves to sleep. Everyone leaves us alone. Someone knocks on the door around dinnertime. They slide a tray of food into the room, but don’t come inside. Ashley crawls out of bed and takes a few bites, then abandons it. She comes back to bed so we can console each other until we cry ourselves back to sleep.Justice wakes me up when Dad comes in the middle of the night. He kisses
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