“Ugh.” A groan from behind the chair had me slapping my hand over my mouth. “Are you trying to kill me, pup?”“I’m sorry.” I looked at my dad, but he was currently bent over, dying of laughter. “Dad?”“Did you see how far he fell back?” Tears were trailing down his cheeks as he cackled. “Rude.” Ronnie stood and dusted off his shirt. “The both of you are rude.”“I really didn’t mean it to do it.” I turned to my dad. “What did I do wrong?”“Well, for one thing, you definitely weren’t thinking about the size of the wisp. All your power rushed to fulfil your wish, and it was as big as it could get.” My dad wiped his eyes and his laughter finally trailed off. “But Ronnie, you know it doesn’t cause harm.”“I know, but I have never seen one that big, and it scared the shit out of me. Sue me.” Ronnie settled back into the chair. “Try to picture it the size of a softball.” My dad motioned me to try again. I closed my eyes. “Iccas lumin torcanta.” I pictured the light a lot smaller than befo
“What is it?” I turned back to face my dad, and he was grimacing. “This isn’t going to be comfortable. But it only has to happen tonight.” He hedged his words, and I just gestured for him to go on. “Ronnie has to sleep in your room tonight.”“What?”“What?” both of us screamed.“The last test is you keeping your scent changed while you are sleeping. Ronnie needs to be close enough to keep track.” My dad pointed to Ronnie, who groaned. “I have to be up all night, don’t I.” My dad nodded and he groaned again. “But you will have tomorrow off to recoup and sleep and I’ll have the Beck with me.” My dad clapped his shoulder, and he dropped his head. “I’m going to go nap then.” Ronnie waved and left the room after my father nodded. “You can go. Keep your scent covered all day.”“Okay. What’s next if I’m able to hold it during sleep?”My father grinned. “Shifting.” I widened my eyes. “What? Really?”“You are ready. Nix and Loki have talked about it and she is ready. She is just waiting
“You can do both.” I shook my head. “I know my dad doesn’t have many female warriors, but that is going to change. You won’t be the only one that wants to be a warrior now. But warriors can still live a full life, including kids.”“I know. But I don’t want to choose.” Cass looked down at her plate. “A mate, a good mate, won’t make you choose.” I patted her hand and finished my steak. “The Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. Mates are supposed to be your other half. I think your mate will understand your want to be a warrior and will support you.”“You think so?” She looked at me with hopeful eyes. “I do.” I got up and grabbed more steak. I was starving. It’s your body getting ready to shift. You will eat like this from now on. Alpha’s burn a lot of calories because they need to shift more. Nix’s voice filtered through and I nodded. “You’re eating a lot.” Cass looked at me as I settled. “Nix said I’m getting ready to shift. Alpha’s burn a lot of calories because we have bigger wolves a
I watched Cass pale, and I wanted to hug her. So I did. “Give him a shot. He might surprise you.” I whispered in her ear and then I gave him a small wave. Cass’s arm gripped my hand. “Come on, little wolf, I think we have something to talk about.” Greyson stepped up next to Cass and wrapped an arm around her waist.I pulled my hand from her hand as her eyes pleaded with me. But I just gave her a wave and took off. I turned back in time to see Cass finally turn to face Greyson. She opened her mouth to say something, but he darted in and kissed her. I jumped a little before running the rest of the way to training. “You okay?” Tina called over to me as soon as I reached the training ring.“Yeah. Perfect. Why?”Tina raised an eyebrow. “You dad said you weren’t feeling well the past few days, which is why you missed training.”“Oh right. I’m good now.” I smiled at her and dropped down to stretch next to her. “How has training been?”“Good.” Tina bounced on her toes. “Mostly, anyway. Auro
After training, I headed back to the pack house and up to my father’s office. I heard voices from the other side, so I leaned against the wall next to the door and settled in to wait for whoever was to be done. My ears perked up when I heard my name.“Are you really letting Amy run our pack?” A nasally voice called out sweetly.“Our pack?” My father’s voice was soft and confused. “Yes, my love. Our pack. You promised to make me luna at the next full moon, remember?”“I did?” I leaned against the door and pressed my ear against it. “Aurora, what are you doing?” My father’s angry question caught me off guard. Something was going on inside. Something that my father didn’t like but wasn’t stopping.“Bonding with you.” I heard a ruffling, but I reared back and kicked the door open to see Aurora leaning over my father with his head tilted back. She was pouring something into his mouth, and I tackled her to the ground. My mind linked to Ronnie and Beck. Get to my father’s office now!I bar
“Pup?” Loki’s voice was icy as he stared up at me. “What happened to your face? Who did that to you?”“You did.” I felt my face swell as blood trickled from my eye and nose. “What?” His voice flashed, and he shook his head. “What’s happening?”“I would also like to know what the hell is happening. Why was your dad attacking you for Aurora?” Ronnie dropped into a chair and I let my father up. “I came to see my dad about something I can’t even remember what now, but I heard him talking to someone.” I rubbed my healing face and wiped the blood off. “Then I heard him asking what she was doing, and she said bonding, and something inside me screamed. So I kicked in the door and she was pouring something into his mouth. Then I tackled her and attacked.” “And then?” Ronnie pointed to my dad, and I nodded. “He attacked you?” Loki asked.“Yes.” I nodded again.“What the hell is going on?”“Loki, I need the book of shadows.” “Okay. Give me a moment.” Loki got up and left the room. I looked
“Tell me.” She grabbed for my hands but remembered she couldn’t touch me, so she ended up hovering over where my hands were.“He attacked me.” And I watched her eyes widen.“Start from the beginning.”“When I got here, he was fine, at first. Then Aurora started to show up around him and whenever I said her name or she came around, his eyes would grow hazy.”“Hazy?” “Like he was confused or distracted. Not focused. And his voice became soft and confused. Aurora kept saying that she would be the next luna. No one was taking it seriously, but anytime she was around, he would seem to be considering it. Now today, I was waiting outside the office and I heard her say she was bonding with him.”“She said bonding with him? Exactly that.”“Yes.” “What happened next?”“I busted in the door and she was pouring something into his mouth and I attacked. But he ripped me off of her and screamed that she will be luna. He nearly strangled me to death.” I touched my throat and her eyes zeroed in on t
I sat in my father’s chair as Ronnie picked up the phone. “Amy, are you sure? You don’t have to do this.”“I am and I do. This can’t be allowed to go on. I’ll take the responsibility.”“Amy!” “Uncle Ronnie.” I cut my eyes to him and leaned back in the chair. “She has poisoned the Alpha of this pack. She has tried to brainwash him into making her kuna and betraying his true mate. She has gone against the Moon Goddess and everything we believe in by using magic to take over a pack as an unranked wolf. She has colluded with others to bully, demean, and abuse lower wolves.” I rubbed the pinch that formed between my eyebrows. “If it was just one, or maybe two, of the things I listed, then it would be easier to let her go. But it isn’t, and this is my father. She almost had him killing his pup. Even if that wasn’t me, which it is, it would be punishable by death. This is going to happen, whether or not you are behind me. I am saving this pack and if the council doesn’t agree, I will still
The room’s temperature dropped. Everyone stopped and stared at the two men, and not one person looked away. We were all watching this car accident as it happened. What did he just admit to? I tapped my fingers to my lips, still holding in my laugh, but then Nadine shot a glare to me and I lost it. I keeled over and started laughing. Tears were streaming down my face as I pooped back up, and I had to hold the stitch in my side. “What’s so fucking funny about this girl?” Thinius sneered, and I wiped the tears from my eyes.“You really are fucking stupid.” I wiped my face some more and sighed while I shook my head. “You would think with your age you have more intelligence, but here you are.” I waved my hand around and turned to face the crowd, then turned back. “Admitting to rigging the contest for queen, in front of the king, who you are forcing to select a mate when he wants to wait for his goddess given mate. You might as well just say that you all have banded behind his back to forc
Nina stumbled back, and Nadine went with her. “My king.” She cried out. “Are you really going to allow her to threaten us in front of you?” Rowan seemed to think about it for a moment. Then he shook his head and turned to me. I saw a flash of triumph on Nadine’s face. I lifted a brow and Rowan smile. “Are you threatening them?”“No, my king.” I grinned up at him. “I’m swearing an oath.” Another gasp went through the room. “I, Amy Maclean, swear that if anyone from this family provokes me in any way going forward, I will call for a Cath Báis. I will refuse any and all reconciliation methods brought forth by the council. Any more provocation will end in death, either Nina’s or my own. On this I swear.” I felt the world shift, the oath taking form. “NO!” Nina dropped to her knees. I drew in a breath of air, feeling lighter. Nix settled, and Megan rubbed her side against the barrier and then Nix, calming us both. Calm, sisters. Her voice was soft and comforting. The angrier you are, th
A gasp went through the room.“A death battle?” Rowan raised his eyebrow, but I just nodded.“This family has been pushing me since the beginning of the year. Nina has claimed to be the one that donated to everyone, using my money and my silence as a way to negotiate her work out of people.” There was another gasp, and I nodded. “She has used my generosity to get the grades she has.” I lifted one finger, counting on my hands the bullshit they have done. “She has tried to attack me when I was running, even though she knew who I was because she was trying to impress a wolf out in the woods.” Another finger. “She has used her rank, her influence, and her status as apparently the next queen to lord over this fucking school and, to be frank, I’m over it.” A few people clapped. “And then her sister and uncle come here to tell me that I have to fall in line with their bullshit power and influence. They have actively tried to get rid of unranked wolves, because to them, they are lesser than a
Everyone froze. The entire room held their breath as heavy footsteps clipped through the crowd. I felt both my wolves perk up as Rowan made it through the crowd of women. I closed my eyes, reining in my anger and shifting my fangs away, doing my best to settle my insides before he came over to me. “Hello, my king.” I turned and looked up at him. His eyes zeroed onto the blood on my face and I watched his eyes flash to his wolf’s. “Hello rabbit.” His words were a soft whisper that I barely caught. I felt heat crawl up my neck again. “Hello Alpha Amy.” This time, his words were loud enough for everyone to hear. “Do you mind explaining why you’re using your aura on the three in front of you?”“My king!” Thinius cried out. “This bitch is-”I growled, and a surprising amount of others did too. “My king, if you would allow me to say something?” A woman called from the side of the room. I turned to find the very first woman from earlier walking over. Rowan looked at me, raising his eyebrow,
“How is this possible?” His words were a bare whisper as he stared at me, slowly walking towards him.I laughed, what else could I do, when a man stood in front of me sure of his strength and he was realizing it wasn’t doing anything? He pushed more, the strain evident on his face, but it barely moved me. Sure he was strong for other wolves. But not me. He didn’t even come close to the king’s strength and even Rowan couldn’t put me on my knees. Not with his power, anyway. Nix’s voice was amused, and she pushed a thought into my mind. I was on my knees in front of Rowan and his hand was in my hair. I pushed the thought away. Not now. I admonished her, but I felt the heat crawling up my neck as she laughed. A pained moan snapped me back to what was going on. I could feel that Thinius was pushing himself to his limit, but it started to hurt everyone else. I turned to find everyone one, including Toya, pressed to the ground. I felt my eyes narrow as I turned back to see Nina staggerin
Her scream was immediate. I watched with detached amusement as she dropped to the ground, cupping her hand with the other one. Her sister turned and crouched down next to her. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” She snarled up at me and I rolled my neck. “Wrong with me?” I dropped down to look her in the eye and let Nix push even closer. My eyes flashed to their golden hue. “Nothing.” Nix pushed harder, and her voice joined mine, again. “I’m just tired of pathetic alphas trying to dictate how I live. How I behave. And more importantly, who I can talk to.” I felt the blood flow faster as I smiled. The fangs pressed into my lips again, slicing into the freshly healed skin, but I didn’t care. “You can’t do this,” Nadine pressed, but I just laughed. “Are you going to stop me?” I stood and looked at Thinius. “Or are you?” I tilted my head. “I will tell you right now that you won’t win.” My smile growing bigger. “But please, try.”Thinius stepped closer to me. “You shut this table down no
“What? Did Nina not tell you that these applications were routed straight to the king’s email?”Thinius turned to look at Nina, and I watched her back up a step. “No, no, she didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. All applications need to go through the council.” He tried to rally and stepped closer. “The council has been already checking to see who is appropriate for the position.”I nodded. “I figured you might say that.” I pulled out my phone and scrolled back to the press release from Rowan. “And I quote ‘Any single and unmated female may apply. Regardless of age or rank. All applications will be considered.’ End quote.” I clicked my phone off and turned to look at Thinius. “But according to some ladies here, they attempted to apply through the council and they application was denied before even being reviewed.” I felt my eyes shift as Nix grew impatient. “Was that you? Or did another council member decide to go against the words of the King again?”He sputtered at that, and I watched his
Her words gave me goosebumps. It was obvious she was looking for a fight. The moon on her forehead glinted.I’m tired of holding back Amy, and Nina keeps poking at me. Nix looked a little rabid as she came closer to the barrier in my mind. She was standing with her hackles already raised, and drool foaming at the sides of her mouth. I took a deep breath and turned to the voice that was working its way through the crowd to stand next to Nina. I nearly rolled my eyes when I realized it was the council member. And not just any council member. It was Nina’s uncle Thinius and Nadine. “And what exactly are we waiting for?” I smiled as I tilted my head.“Do you know who this is?” Nadine snarled, but that only made my smile bigger.“I am assuming you are trying to intimidate me by bringing Uncle Thinius the council member, to my table.” I watched as Nina and Nadine smiled. “But I think you overestimated yourselves, and him.” I looked down at my nails. Then back to the trio now hovering by m
I ran to the caff to grab a breakfast sandwich and a coffee, then made my way to the table where the girls were already gathered. “Hey.” I took the last bite of my sandwich and slid into a seat, only to nearly choke to death when Hanna and Micca both yelled.“Amy!” The food hit the back of my throat when I inhaled and I started to cough. The two of them came over, bouncing while I tried to swallow the food that was currently trying to kill me. I finally swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yeah?” I coughed more and they at least looked apologetic. “Sorry.” Hanna patted my back, but Micca just pushed her away.“Look at your hair!” Micca pulled on my newly shortened strands. “Does it look bad?” I grabbed a curl, tucking it behind my hair.“No!” She fluffed up my hair some. “I think it looks amazing on you. Your curls seem to have more life, more bounce. It looks fantastic. Who did it?” Micca looked around. “I’ve needed a haircut for a long time.”I pointed to Toya. “She did.”“Oh my god