LucasSarah looks at me with an expectant look on her face, and I’m just not sure what I should say. The kiss still bothers me. It hurts me. As her mate, I have reason to be upset.The guilt still haunts me though. It reminds me of how I hurt her. It whispers that I deserve this. I know that I deserve this.“It’s nothing,” I insist.“Lucas, please open up to me,” she says. She takes my hand in hers and looks at me with those eyes I never can resist. “I saw you and Azar last night,” I confess. “I saw the kiss.”Sarah looks at me with shock and guilt written upon her face. I hate that. It’s proof that what I saw was true. They did kiss. She betrayed me.“I know I betrayed you horribly,” I continue. “So, I understand that I deserve that. But it still hurts, Sarah. “I thought we had moved past all of that. I thought we were solid. I thought we weren’t ever going to let anyone get between us again. But I guess I was wrong.”Jealous tears through me as the kiss replays in my min
Sarah“That is an incredible offer,” I say, my eyes staring right into Azar’s. “You’ve promised so much, and I know we’d both prosper within a formed alliance. However, we can’t promise our daughter’s hand in marriage.”My words prompt a hearty response. Some are mere whispers while others are outright defiant. Many can’t believe that we would turn away from this. But we have to do what’s right for our daughter.“Now, I’m not shutting down the idea of a future marriage completely,” I clarify. “Maybe our daughter will end up with your son. Maybe they will be mates.“But we’ll have to wait and see once she’s old enough to decide. Since we’ll be allies regardless, they’ll know each other. They can spend time together.“If our daughter decides that your son is her mate and they both love each other, then they can get married. We’re going to leave that up to her though. We don’t want to make such a big decision for her before she can even consent to it.”Azar’s demeanor falls. It re
LucasAs I watch my baby in Sarah’s arms, I’m happier than I ever thought I’d be. A son and a daughter. It feels like now our family is complete. Though I’m open to more children in the future. Right now, I’m just content.Sarah and I tend to be rough sleepers though. So, as Sarah dozes off, I take Evelyn from her arms and place her in the bassinet. Then, I join Sarah on the bed.“She’s beautiful,” I say, cuddling my sleepy mate. “You’re beautiful. I’m so grateful to you for bringing our children into our life like you have. “I know it’s never easy. I won’t even pretend to understand what you go through. But you give up so much for our family. I appreciate that more than I can express.”“And I appreciate you,” she says. “You’re a wonderful father and a fantastic husband. I’m so glad to share all of this with you. I’m so grateful to be building a family with you.”I kiss her and the warmth of having my true mate in my life envelopes me. It just feels so natural and right when y
SarahThe days that follow are sad ones. We all have to come together as a pack to work through the loss of so many loved ones. “I really thought we were finding peace,” Dustin says, as we gather together three days later. “I hoped it would stay.”“We’ll find that now,” I tell him. “There are always going to be times of peace and times of conflict. I’ve learned we have to accept that as a way of life. That’s the downside of being in a wolf pack.“But the good days outnumber the bad. And we’re strong, we’re fierce. We’ll get through this and defeat any enemies that might come up next. We just have to trust in each other and have faith in the pack.”The words resonate with me as I say them. Despite all the hardships, I’m more devoted to this pack than I ever have been. I’ve learned to accept the ups and downs which are easier to manage now that things between Lucas and I don’t feel quite as fragile.“That’s why you’re a great leader,” Dustin says. “You inspire us all to do just
My heart is beating wildly as I stand next to the lake.I should be confident. But a part of me is terrified.There's still a few minutes left and I close my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. Opening my eyes, I gaze at my reflection in the water, "You can do this. It's in your blood. Once you transform, you and Hunter can be together.”Hunter Cage.The Alpha of Stone Wolves.My childhood friend and my fiancé.The thought of the man waiting back at the den for me gives me some courage. I'm usually quite brave but for some reason, I can feel my hands trembling. Everything depends on this moment.My eyes fall on my tense face. My vcs is a dull silver and my eyes a dark blue. Nobody in the pack resembles me, not even my own parents. I have always been an oddity in the back even though my parents tried their best to shower me with love.I curl my hands into fists, focusing on the reflection of the moon in the water. The minute it hits the small rock in th
I barely get a chance to say anything because a minute later, a few pack mates barge in, followed by a furious Hunter, as he roars, “What is going on here?!”He falls silent when he sees me and he whispers my name in a shocked voice, “Sarah?”I stare at him, shaken.When I don’t answer, he quickly steps towards me, “Why are you here? You're supposed to be at the lake!”I hear a sniffle and then turn my head to see Valerie crouched on the floor, holding her injured arm.”Me, Valerie, and Hunter grew up together, the best of friends, so the shock in his eyes at seeing Valerie’s state is not surprising.“Valerie?” He crouches down by her side. “Just what is going on here?” Out of all three of us, Valerie was always the weaker one, the one who needed protection. Both me and Hunter were fiercely protective of her. But now as I look at her, I can’t recognize the friend I had once cherished.Valerie leans into hunters chest, sobbing, “I didn’t know she would do this!
It’s the thrumming sound which I hear first.The comfortable or darkness, I was cocooned in, is disappearing and I can hear the sound of the forest around me. My whole body aches. My cheek burns.And there is a small warmth inside my chest, like a ball, buried deep inside. But I can barely feel it, the hollowness inside of me at the loss of my pack, numbing out every other sensation.I open my eyes, blearily, feeling so tired.The ceiling is wood. I blink, wondering if I’m seeing things.Turning my head to the side, I realize that I am in some sort of wooden cabin. I vaguely wonder if I should get up and explore my surroundings. But what would be the point?My smile is bitter as I turn my attention back to the ceiling. “I should’ve just died in the forest,” I mutter to myself, darkly. The words are barely out of my mouth when I hear a throaty growl. My eyes dark in the direction of the door and I see a man standing there. He’s tall with golden
My body feels numb as I stare at him and for some reason, the more I look at him, Hunter’s disgusted face overlaps with Lucas’s.I wrap the thick blanket tighter around myself, this feeling of emptiness eating at me. Hunter, my betrothed didn’t want me. Lucas, my true mate, doesn’t want me.Then, who wants me?I open my mouth but nothing comes out. The grief inside me is so thick that I just sink deeper into myself.Finally, I say, softly, “I see.”Lucas just stares at me as a bitter laugh bubbles out of my throat, “Of course. Of course, you wouldn’t want me too. Why am I not surprised?”He frowns, “That’s not what I meant.”I shrug, forcing down my feelings, “Doesn’t matter. So what are you going to do to me now?”“What are you doing?” His lip curls in anger. “I can’t feel you anymore.”I just keep retreating into myself, noty wanting to deal with anything. It’s all so much for me – this constant rejection, being pushed out of my home, the silent bon