Julius POV I laid in bed listening to Maia thrashing against her sheets from beyond the wall that separated us. She had been having nightmares all week, her screams ringing through the pack house each night, jolting me awake. On the first night I nearly stormed through her door, prepared to face whoever was responsible. But as I approached her room and the screaming stopped, I could hear her breathing steady, slowly replaced by ragged sobs that seemed to go on for hours. Every night since then I wondered what could cause her such distress, such pain that she was plagued to relive it night after night. I had been busy all week dealing with rogue attacks, I hadn’t seen her for days, and yet she continued to consume my thoughts. Her attitude was infuriating, and yet at the same time I found it completely alluring to be challenged by her. There was an air of dominance that she carried, not dissimilar to the energy of an Alpha, which intrigued me. I was unable to help myself when Dean
Maia POV Awareness creeped into my mind slowly, the seconds passing before the events of the night before came back to me. I groaned as memories replayed in my mind until one in particular made me snap open my eyes. My room was flooded with the morning light, illuminating the huge figure sitting across the room watching me. “Good Morning, Maia.” Julius said huskily, his voice sounding as though he hadn’t slept a wink. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks, embarrassed that Julius had seen me in such a vulnerable state. In saying that, I had one of the best sleeps I’d had in a long time while he was watching over me. An interesting development I thought, seeing as I had assumed Julius would be the one giving me nightmares, not saving me from them. “Morning.” I grunted in response, still not nearly awake enough to engage in conversation. “Mind filling me in on why you wake up screaming every night?” He asked bluntly. I was taken aback, not expecting a question like that first thing i
I had no desire to sit in my room for the rest of the day, especially as I knew I’d just end up overthinking everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. Maeve had told me she’d be working on the restorations in her family’s restaurant all weekend, just off the Main Street, so I decided I’d head out and see if they needed a helping hand. I arrived at the newly re-built building just after 12. Maeve had said it used to be an old Mediterranean restaurant that had remained unchanged for decades, but it seemed her family wanted to make a fresh start and had taken a more modern approach this time round. The outside had recently been completed, it’s entire frontage consisting of one big window which gave you a magnificent view of the restaurants interior, which currently consisted of teams of people working in high-vis uniforms. It wasn’t long before I spotted Maeve, dressed in a pair of dark low-rise jeans and a white cut-off t-shirt. She was pouring over a collection of papers wit
I awoke to a pitch black room, the only indication that morning had arrived was the heat radiating from the covered windows as I looked around, feeling slightly disoriented. The spot beside me was empty, but I could feel Julius’ warmth lingering in the sheets as I stretched, sighing as my muscles groaned against the sudden movement. His scent was all-consuming as I continued to lie there, refreshingly masculine in a way that made my mouth water with every breath I took. My eyes snapped to the bathroom as I heard a tap turn on. Julius was standing at the sink in a pair of black briefs, and I watched in fascination as he ran the water through his unkept hair. Droplets flowed down his back, sparkling like diamonds as they met at the nape of his neck and travelled down the groove of his spine. Suddenly, I was feeling thirsty. I froze as Julius looked up, his eyes meeting mine through the mirror as his damp hair hung over his forehead. “Sleep well, Maia?” He asked, a smug grin tugging
Julius and I stayed out in the forest for the next hour, none of the sexual energy from our morning encounter present as he drilled me about every small and insignificant detail of Adrian I could think of. I could tell he was furious, not with me but with himself, that his pack had come so close to danger and he hadn’t realised it. I found myself having newfound respect for him, that he carried the burden of responsibility so intensely for every individual that called him Alpha. “Dean just mind-linked me, I need to go help him with something by the southern border.” He grunted before turning to me. “Make sure you’re back at the pack house before nightfall.” “Absolutely.” I replied softly, deciding to cut the attitude, just this once. “That’s what I like to hear, little wolf.” He smirked, before he disappeared to the south side of the pack. I stood there for a few moments longer, collecting my thoughts as I continued to look around me. “Whatever this is, it’s big.” Celeste said,
Julius’ side of the bed was cold by the time I woke up on Monday morning, his scent fading as the minutes ticked by. Part of me wanted to mind-link him, to start my day with his deep, velvety voice echoing through my mind, but it wasn’t long before the rational side of my brain talked me out of that idea. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing… it wasn’t my business. The small digital clock on the bedside table told me I had twenty minutes before I had to be at training, so without any further thoughts of Julius, I jumped out of bed and got ready. I arrived at the gym with enough time to keep Dean company while he unlocked the doors and turned on the lights. Surprisingly, he actually greeted me with a smile instead of rolling his eyes. Progress. Soon the room was full and Dean took his place up the front with the other warriors. I stood expectantly to the side while he delivered his instructions. “Today we will be practicing in wolf form.” He started, his hands held behind his ba
“Just come out and show me.” Maeve whined from outside the dressing room.I swung open the flimsy door to reveal the hot pink dress she had plucked off the sales wrack for me, not bothering to hide my disgust as she covered her mouth to muffle the cackle that escaped her lips. “I honestly thought this would look okay but you resemble a walking confectionery.” She laughed. Maeve and I had been together all morning, chatting about the excitement of tomorrow night’s event as we sat and had breakfast before she eventually led me to local boutiques. “You knew this would look horrendous, don’t lie.” I joked before heading back into the change room, chuckling to myself as Maeve’s laughter continued to fill the small store. “Okay, okay, serious options only from now on, I promise.”“Thank fuck.” I called. “So the Alpha was fine with you coming tomorrow night?”“Yeah… about that…” I replied nervously as I stepped out of the dressing room. I was yet to tell her that Julius would be coming
Maeve really did put Jake to work, making him collect, flatten and dispose of all the unused cardboard and lift every heavy box she could find, but to my surprise he didn’t so much as shrug his shoulders with each command she threw his way. I was tasked with stocking and organising the bar, a role I volunteered for considering I would be helping serve the drinks to guests. It was almost therapeutic to work at my own pace, polishing glasses and bottles as chaos ensued around me. With all the ‘volunteers’ Maeve had recruited, the place was ready within hours. I marveled at how quickly it had come together, and how beautifully it had been designed. Maeve’s family had spared no expense, decking out the dining areas with travertine tables and lining the floors with tiles that resembled the white sand of Greece’s beaches. The bar was made of rose quartz which dazzled underneath the dim lighting, surrounded by rows and rows of mirrored shelves consisting of more luxurious bottles of liquor