COAL'S POV
The days passed slowly, painfully. Time felt heavy, an unbearable burden on my soul and body, suffocating the very life out of my bones. I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to bear it.
Sitting at the large desk in my office, I stared blindly at the fireplace across the room, nestled in between floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Winter was coming. Soon, flames would fill the fireplace, flickering in a complex dance, releasing heat into the atmosphere.
But nothing would warm me.
Not anymore.
I suspected the cold pit in my stomach, and I would remain good friends for eternity. I leaned back, my hands clenching the armrests of the executive chair. The leather chair creaked in resistance.
Recent events ricocheted in my head like a pinball machine on crack.
Immediately following the shocking revelation that Brinley was my mate, I’d insisted she not clean my room anymore. I’d used some ridiculous excuse that I didn’t want her around my things. When in reality, I couldn’t care less if she touched everything I owned.
The problem was her delectable scent...
...sweet lilac with a splash of moonlight.
It would be my undoing. It drove my Wolf, and I damn near crazy. Just one sniff and my mouth watered and my jaw ached to release my canines into her.
I shuddered and shook my head, trying to clear it.
The same chant, I’d been telling myself for the last two weeks, played on repeat in my head. I just needed some time away from her. And then I would be okay.
The sickly sweet ache in my chest would go away. Yes, I was drowning in the worst depths of hell right now, but with just a little bit of time, I could get back under control.
I had to if I wanted to survive.
I pulled in an unsteady breath.
My father had resisted my request, the pretense of annoyance in his tone and body language, reminding me it was her job to clean the packhouse.
But I didn’t miss the cruel glint in his eye. No doubt, he wanted to torment her in some form or fashion, but there was no way in hell I was going to let him use me for that. In the end, I got my way, and Brinley no longer cleaned my suite.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Without waiting for my response, Calla let herself in.
I frowned.
She crossed the room and planted herself in my lap, the hem of her navy blue dress riding up her thighs. She wrapped her arms around my neck. Examining my sour expression, she cooed, “I’m sorry, baby. I can’t believe the Moon thought she would be a good choice for you.”
Her voice was sickeningly sweet. It turned my stomach. Funny, I didn’t remember her voice sounding like that before. But now, it grated my last nerve.
My wolf let out a growl. He didn’t appreciate her comment and envisioned snapping her head from her shoulders with his powerful jaws. I pushed him back under control.
“I don’t want to discuss it. It doesn’t matter. It’s not going to happen,” I bit out through clenched teeth.
I needed to get my shit together.
If I was going to move on with Calla, I needed to find some way to make it work. It was the last conversation I wanted to have, but I couldn’t avoid it.
I stood with her in my arms, released her to her feet, and walked over to the couch in the seating area across the room. She followed silently and sat down beside me.
Her chocolate brown eyes stared up at me. She gave my bicep an encouraging squeeze. It was clear, from her expression of pity, she thought I was distressed about having Brinley as a mate. She assumed I hated the idea because that’s what I wanted everyone to believe.
But she could not have been more wrong.
I wanted Brinley...
With every fiber and breath in me.
...but I couldn’t have her.
She was never an option for me because my love was her death sentence. My Wolf whimpered. He didn’t like that we were the cause of our mate’s pain and danger. But our suffering didn’t matter. We could die a thousand deaths, for all I cared. There was just one thing that mattered. One thing I would never allow to happen.
Brinley would not die for me.
Still, letting her go was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. Maybe even impossible. Sleep had been shockingly elusive. I spent hours lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, my chaotic mind churning over and over, trying to find a solution.
I’d even considered just taking her and running, getting as far away from this nightmare as possible. If my choice was her or my title, I didn’t give a shit about being Alpha. It was easy. I’d choose her.
But it wasn’t that easy.
If I ran with her, there was no doubt in my mind my father would cut her invisible tie to the pack, turning her rogue.
It was a simple solution for him. Just like that, he could invoke the most unimaginable and cruel punishment on both of us- because once Brinley was a rogue, I would kill her.
I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.
No Wolf could. Regardless of love or family, our compulsion to kill a rogue Wolf was impossible to deny.
And if by some miracle, she escaped me, she would be on the hit list of every Wolf that crossed her path. Her life here was poor, but her options outside of the pack were nonexistent.
No. Brinley wasn’t mine to keep. And it killed me to see the features on her beautiful face pulled tight with pain, sorrow caused by my rejection. A hundred times, I almost gave in and ran to her to confess my love, not so I could keep her, but so that she would know the truth.
But that would be a selfish dick move.
It would only mess with her mind, and make it that much harder for her to let go. I also wasn’t sure if I could trust her with the truth. I felt the fire in her veins. If she accidentally said or did something to reveal the truth, she would be the one to pay the ultimate price.
No. I had to keep silent.
Keeping her alive was my only priority.
The clutter in my head was an unending cycle of thoughts and arguments that only ever led back to one inevitable option-her death.
I had to do the right thing...
...I had to let her go.
As I was lost in my thoughts, Calla’s hands found mine. “Coal?” She whispered to get my attention.My eyes snapped to hers. I forced myself to refocus and tried to keep the gruffness out of my tone, but still, my voice lowered, “Calla, I need to know what you’re up for. Obviously, we already know the situation with my mate.” I could barely say the word without grimacing in pain. “You haven’t found your mate yet. I understand if you would rather cool things off between us because I need to start thinking long-term.”She frowned, her face crinkling in confusion. “What does that mean...’thinking long-term’?”“It means I’m going to be Alpha one day, and I need a suitable Luna.”The hackles on her back rose. She stood. Her hands found her hips. Her voice rose in agitation, “And what makes you think I’m not a suitable candidate?”I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “You are not suitable because you still have a mate out there you haven’t found yet.”Her eyebrows rose in understanding
Sweet floral lilacs and moonlight incandescence washed over me, drowning me in her essence. I mumbled, "Brinley? What are you doing here?"She looked equally stunned, mossy green eyes wide, flecks of gold swirling in their troubled depths. "I was working early today...I have...to go into town," she trailed off, her gaze now firmly on the floor. Her lip quivered. My Wolf paced in my head. His urge to comfort her was almost overwhelming."Oh," I muttered through clenched teeth, careful not to inhale through my nose again. I stared at her, mesmerized, frozen. I had no desire to move from the place I stood. I would have been happy just to sit and watch her succulent lips and the way her auburn hair fell over her shoulders.I hadn't seen her in two weeks.I'd assumed all I needed was time to get over her.I realized the depravity of that lie now.I was a fool.No amount of distance or length of time would lessen my captivation with her. It was preposterous to think I could overcome the Moo
It took every ounce of my strength and determination to keep him at bay. There was no doubt he could end the conflict, exacting the punishment he deemed deserved. But his actions would start a war, a war we couldn't win, a war that would end in Brinley's demise. Tension ran through my entire frame, causing me to shake. Brinley wrenched free, bucking Calla off. She spun around and lunged forward, her canines finding purchase in Calla's shoulder. How quickly the tables turned. Now, Brinley held the position of power. She stood over Calla, who writhed and fought beneath her. Brinley shook her head viciously, her teeth sinking deeper into Calla's flesh. Calla stopped fighting, whining out her submission. My Wolf puffed out his chest as we watched, pride in his mate flowing through us. Brinley was shockingly fast and strong. She lacked training. Her strength and speed were a gift from nature. He moaned out his pleasure at seeing her dominating the other she-wolf. Heat burned inside of
BRINLEY’S POV I was numb. I'd gone into town, as required, and returned with the list of supplies Lena had given me. It was dark. I trudged up to the two bedroom rundown house. Lena stood in the little kitchen and barked, "Once you put away the supplies, strip and be on your way. Your clothing will remain here. Each morning, you will report to me, get dressed and go to work. When finished, you will return, get undressed and get out of my sight." "Yes, ma'am," I mumbled. I kept my head down. I didn't have to look at her to know she was smirking. She was thrilled not to have to deal with me anymore and even more excited at my suffering. She took special satisfaction in my pain. Silently, I put the supplies away and walked into the small bedroom I used to call mine. Tears washed down my cheeks as I realized there wasn't anything in there that I cared about losing or leaving behind. Except one... I reached under the bed and pulled out a small teddy bear. It was a gift from my mothe
Another long week passed. My new schedule was becoming routine. Alpha had decided I would no longer clean the packhouse, thus eliminating me from Coal's presence altogether. Instead, I was sent into town on a daily basis to gather supplies, clean homes or run errands for pack members who lived there. It was a ten-mile trek each way, but I didn't mind the walk, and I was thrilled to be away from the pack.I was weak, but thankfully, my Wolf had been successful in hunting a few rabbits. We didn't eat every day, but it was enough to keep us alive.Today, the last house on my list, belonged to a member of a neighboring pack, Onyx Moon. Frankly, I'd been surprised to get the assignment, because relations between Ravenswood and Onyx Moon were not always the best, aggravated by a fierce rivalry for land. And their alpha, Alpha Wilder, was known to be a ferocious man. Of course, I couldn't imagine a man worse than Alpha.I pulled the address out of my pocket, checking it again and turned righ
BRINLEY’S POVMy head hurt. My world was a haze. I struggled to bring myself to consciousness, but couldn't quite grasp it. I was lying on my stomach, but my body was limp, I had no control. Abruptly, hands from behind lifted my hips. I startled in the strange male's grip, but my effort was pitiful as the drug-induced haze pulled on me. With shocking horror, I realized I was naked with a gag in my mouth. My heart pounded in my chest. No, no, no!! Rough fingers invaded my body, entering where no one had ever been before. Pain shot through me. My back arched of its own accord. A scream ripped from my chest, but no sound came out, muffled by the gag. His fingers withdrew, and claws dug into my sides as he pulled my hips back, thrusting himself into me at the same time. Red hot searing pain tore through me. My insides felt ripped apart. Torture so intense, I couldn't even scream. I desperately willed my body to work, trying to scramble away from the monster behind me. But it was n
CoalI had to stay away from her. I told myself that a hundred times a day. And a hundred times a day, it was just as hard as the last time to keep from seeking her out. My muscles ached from the constant tension in my body.I turned up a beer, letting the cold liquid slide down my throat. It did nothing to quench my thirst for the one thing I couldn't have- Brinley.Daylight was waning. Vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows followed the sun over the horizon, fading away into the dusk of night.Another day without her.My Wolf whimpered in my head.She should be returning from work right about now. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to see her from a distance......I just wanted to smell her sweet scent. That was all. I told myself. And then I would leave.I pushed up from my chair and stealthily made my way toward Lena's, careful to stay in the line of trees, covered in shadows. I didn't want to catch that old bitty's attention.When Brinley came into sight, I sucked in a deep breath, my gaze trans
Her tears finally ended. Still, we didn't move. She lay completely relaxed beneath us. After several minutes, he began to lift. She whined and rolled onto her back to face him, her fingers twining into his fur to keep him close to her.He froze, entranced by both of them as her Wolf surged to the surface, mossy green eyes darkening into deep pine.She slid her fingers through his thick fur.He'd never been touched by a female in skin.He shuddered, deeply affected by her tender ministrations. He tolerated other females when we were in my skin, but he had no use for them when he was in control. But not so with Brinley. With her, he craved her skin side to touch every part of him.She continued to stroke his face gently, gazing up at him. The transparent love in both her and her Wolf's eyes tore through me.Because she loved him......not me.I would never get to see her gaze at me with the same softness. She would never show me the vulnerability she gave to him, laying beneath him nake