The wolf slowly stepped forward, his red eyes fixed on mine. Another low growl rumbled in his chest, and my palms began to sweat. Why was this wolf here? He couldn't have—My breath caught as I noticed the thick drops of blood staining his onyx fur. I stepped back, corrected my stance, and swallowed. “You… You killed them,” I croaked as tears fell down my cheek.The wolf's lips peeled back, exposing a row of sharp, still-bloodied teeth. A cold-blooded killer—that was who he was. He raised one paw and stepped toward me as if ignoring the fact that I was aiming at him with a wolfsbane arrow. Still, he didn't attack.I sucked in a breath and shifted my fingers around the bowstring. I knew that I had to kill him. He was one of those who murdered the villagers. “Attack me,” I strained through my teeth. “What are you waiting for?!”The wolf snarled but didn't move. Why the hell didn't he attack?! He had no problems with killing the innocent, so why hesitate now?! “Attack me!” I yelled hoars
I shifted in my bed, lying on the side. Drawing deep breaths, I hoped to relax my muscles. I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth. I repeated it once… twice… Citruses. I smelled citruses. I had no idea where this scent was coming from, but I found it oddly soothing. Someone's strong hand slid through my side under my resting arm and stopped on my stomach. Fingers splayed on the thin fabric of my nightgown in a sensual caress. The stranger's touch should have terrified me, but it didn't, although I couldn't explain why. Then the hand on my stomach moved to the other side of my waist, and I was pressed against the body lying behind me—the definitely male and definitely firm body.I bit my lip at the feel of the stranger's chest against my back and a certain bulge rubbing against my buttocks. I could feel his body shift, and I shivered as his lips kissed the crook of my neck. I gasped as more kisses followed on his way up my neck. Goddess… I wanted those lips on mine.I s
Three hours later, our forces crossed the Moonshine River Pack's borders. No one stopped us. Those who survived were either severely wounded or too terrified to leave their shelters. Another massacre. I had seen the villages or even bigger towns burned to the ground within those three years, but this seemed different. It looked like the gods of death laid their fury upon this land…Many of the wolves living in this pack were scumbags and Kylar-type bastards, but there had to be innocents living here as well. Now those jerks and innocents shared the same fate...“Are you OK?” Aeron asked when I let out a slow, ragged breath.I shook my head. “I'm not. Actually, I'm terrified. If the same happens to Eastern Valley Pack, I—”“Your sister will live,” he said, and my eyes widened.“How can you say that? You don't know—”“She and you have this all-badassness running in your veins.” He looked at me and winked. “She'll find a way to survive this.”I wanted to believe him, even if it was highl
I had been trying to convince Aeron of my plan for over an hour. I almost pulled the authority card and told him that was an order. Luckily, he finally agreed that I had a better chance not to be seen and to do this quietly if I went alone. Let's face it, compared to me, he was a red-haired giant. That pretty much disqualified him from sneaking in anywhere. I found him a different, equally important task. I needed him to lead those terrified people out through the tunnels. They would have better chances of surviving outside the Eastern Valley Pack's territory than here, where the General's soldiers could kill them at will. “I'm not OK with us separating, Asena,” Aeron grunted, shaking his head as I put more daggers into the sheaths of my leather jacket. “I'm a badass, remember?” I winked at him. “I can take care of a few guards.” “These aren't some regular shifters,” he argued. “Most of them have been training their entire lives.” I drew a deep breath and locked my eyes on him. “I
I was going to die. Without an ounce of doubt, the General was going to kill me. I should have shuddered with fear, cried, and begged for mercy, instead… I felt aroused. There definitely was something seriously wrong with me because I couldn't force myself to stop looking at him, at his gloriously naked body. Normal people shouldn't feel excitement when they're about to be ripped apart by a deadly predator!The curve of General's lips stretched, forming a sultry smile. “I usually am not against women on top of me, but I prefer them naked by the time it happens.” Then his head dipped, and those fiery eyes locked on mine. “I also prefer when they are not trying to put a blade to my throat.”I gasped. “I wasn't trying to—"“Liar,” he purred, and a wave of shivers rushed through me.A part of me was still oddly aroused, but the other was in absolute panic. “Please,” I breathed out, but then realized he didn't even restrain my hands. Instinctively, I reached for the dagger in the sheath of
Chills ran down my spine, and everything inside me froze. “That's... that's your offer?” I choked out.Alpha Kaan nodded. “You must know that they can either join my army or die. I doubt that they'll choose to join so…”My whole body began to rattle. All my life, I wanted to be free. I thought that I had regained that freedom three years ago, and now I was going to lose it again? I looked at my cuffed hand and suddenly felt as if I were underwater, drowning. Was I bound to live my life in chains? As this man's PET? I fisted my hands and shook my head. “That's not enough,” I said, locking my eyes on his.He held my stare for several heartbeats, then chuckled. “Not enough?”I sucked in a sharp breath. “You have to release at least a dozen people for me to stay.”He laughed hard and loud, and I flinched. I knew that I was playing with fire. I had no value for him. He wanted me because of a whim. But if I was about to lose my freedom, I had to try.There was a beat of silence before his m
I stared at the long line of chained prisoners standing several steps away from me. How many were there? Forty? Fifty? How could I possibly choose a mere twelve and sentence the rest to die?!A knot formed in my throat as my eyes caught Ellaria's. Even from a distance, I saw her trembling and shaking her head. She must have been confused and terrified to see me stand next to Alpha Kaan himself. I tore my gaze away from her and stepped closer to the General. “Can I”—I swallowed, staring into his dark eyes—“talk to them?”One side of his lips curled up. “Go ahead, little one.” He gestured, allowing me to walk toward them.Goddess… I wished I could use the mind link. Even though I was allowed to approach them, I was fully aware that everything I said might be overheard. Alpha Kaan raised his hand, and the whole field turned silent.Cursing under my breath, I stepped forward. The General's army watched me like hawks, ready to strike and kill their prey. Ellaria's eyes widened as I walked
I was forced to watch that sick bastard walk to his new squad with a faint smirk curving his lips. He joined the other four who had already proudly joined Alpha's Kaan army. Those who unquestionably deserved to die lived while those who remained loyal were brutally ended by a few of the General's bloodthirsty soldiers. I struggled to follow Beta Caspian's advice. Fury stormed within me, and perhaps only Caspian's firm grip kept me from darting to the other side of the field and clawing Kylar's eyes out. Again, I wished I had my daggers with me.“You did good,” I heard Caspian whisper as the last corpse hit the ground.A humorless chuckle escaped me. “Because I didn't vomit yet?” I asked, doing my best to ignore the coppery odor filling the air.He snorted. “That too. I'm kind of impressed.”I looked at him with a crooked smile. “Thank you?”“Any of them friends of yours?” he asked dryly, pointing at the bloody pile of corpses.I shook my head. “I didn't know any of them,” I said and f