《The Girl He Marked》 Book 1 Chapter 1 Book 1 Chapter 1 Myra¡®s POV. ¡®When I said move in, I didn¡®t mean use the whole house as a storage unit. Seriously, you have so much stuff, my brother, Nate, grumbles behind me as we carry thest of my boxes up to my new room. ¡®Oh, shut up, there really isn¡®t that much.¡® I nudge the door open with my foot and set the box down on the floor. Nate follows me in and drops his box down, causing me to re at his carelessness. ¡®So, do you need help unpacking?¡® He asks sardonically, gesturing at the numerous boxes stacked around my room ¡®Fine. You get out clothes, just put them in a pile. I¡®ll hang them upter,¡® I order him as I get to work on putting my bedding on the mattress. ¡®Fucking hell, my eyes!¡® Nate shouts, making me jump and put my hand over my heart. ¡®What is it?¡® I ask. I spin around to see him leaning against the wall. He pinches the bridge of his nose between two fin gers whilst he exhales loudly. ¡®Unpack the rest of your shit on your own, if I ever see anything like that again, I¡®m telling Mum and Dad, heins and stomps out of the room, mumbling about his eyes as he goes. I frown and go over to the box he has opened. Lying on top of my clothes is Kevin, my 6¡°5¨Cinch glittery pink vibrator. Oops. I burst outughing and quickly put him in the chest of drawers Nate has put up for me. Well, what does he expect? I¡®m single! About three hourster, the room is finally looking like my own. Only a couple of boxes left and I can finish unpacking those tonight. ¡®Nate, I¡¯m sorry alright, 1.¨C¡® he cuts me off by holding up his hand. ¡®I don¡®t want to talk about it, Myra, it¡®s freaking me out enough already. Now, what do you want for din ner?¡® He asks as he opens the fridge. Troll my eyes and look over his shoulder at the empty shelves. ¡®We need to go shopping, you have no food.¡® I sigh and grab my handbag and car keys. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come on, dickhead, I shout and open the front door. I unlock my VW beetle as I step onto the drive. My brother is twenty¨Cfour years old, and, despite him only being two years older than me, he has been protective over me my whole life. I rather like it, though. We have always been close, but recently, he went through a tough time. His girlfriend broke up with him and it really hurt him. My parents offered him one of their rental houses about two hours away from our city. A new town and a new start. They thought it would be a great idea for us to live together. I agreed because Nate has recently got a job working nights at a highway maintenancepany, so I won¡®t see him much. It¡®s not that I don¡®t love him, but I doubt many women want to live with their immature brother, Nate is special in a lot of ways, but what is particrly special about him, is that he¡®s a shifter. My mother is a shifter, and my father was a human, until Mum marked him and he shifted. Nate was born with the wolf genes and gets to shift and have a mate and stuff, and I¡®m stuck being a boring human. Unless my matees along. However, humans are 50% less likely to have a mate than shifters are. It really bothered me as a kid that I wasn¡®t the special one, but I¡®m happy to say I¡®m over it now. I¡¯ve ac cepted it (sort of). ¡®l have good news and bad news, Nate tells me as I pour my cereal. No ¡®good morning¡® or ¡®how are you¡®, just straight to it. ¡®Oh, really? Bad news first please, I reply and stir in the milk. I have never understood people who ask for the good news first. ¡®Well, I can¡®t exin it without good news first. I got you a job interview,¡® he announces with a grin and I nearly spit my cereal out. I hurriedly swallow and smile at him. ¡®No way! I can¡®t believe he¡®s done this, I¡®ve been applying for jobs in this area for the past few weeks and I haven¡®t heard anything. ¡®I know. I spoke to him this morning and he wants to meet you for an interview this afternoon, he ex ins and I look at him in shock. ¡®This afternoon? But, I¡®ve not prepared anything! What do I need to do?¡®. ¡®He says that you don¡®t need to bring anything, only yourself. Basically, and here¡®s the bad news...the position is as a personal assistant for an Alpha,¡® Book 1 Chapter 2 Book 1 Chapter 2 He fills me in and I just stare at him. He must be joking. ¡®Look, before you say no, he¡®s serious about potentially giving you the job. No shifters have applied and they can¡®t employ humans who don¡®t know about us, so, you¡®re perfect! And it pays well,¡® he says. I sigh, leaning back against the counter. I realize my cereal is just sat there, getting soggy, so I pick up the bowl and start eating again. Just think about it. I wrote his phone number down, let him know if you¡®reing or not. The interview is at 1 pm. Nate pushes the piece of paper towards me and I eye it suspiciously. Why would I want to work at a packhouse? I¡®m going to look like such an outsider. Thanks for trying Nate, I tell him gratefully and he nods. ¡®Right, I¡®ve got to go to sleep for my shift. I probably won¡®t see you unless we cross over tomorrow. Good luck and don¡®t be loud and wake me up, he jokes and I roll my eyes at him. He leaves the kitchen and I nce down at the paper again. Any job is a job, I guess. I take a long shower and then call Alpha Damien. He seems nice enough and I agree to meet him at 1 PM. I take my time getting ready. I straighten my long, brown hair and make sure my make¨Cup is attractive, but professional. I choose a pencil skirt with a silk blouse, finishing my look with a zer. At half 12, I get into my car and put the postcode in my SatNav, It only takes me ten minutes to arrive at therge, metal gates protecting the forest of the Eastern Mountain Pack. I pull up to them and press the button on the control pad. ¡®Identification?¡® A gruff voice sounds out and I clear my throat. ¡®Um, I have an interview with Alpha Damien at 1 PM: ¡®Name?¡® ¡®Myra Archer: I wait patiently for a moment and the gate starts to open. Guess that¡®s the end of our conversation. I slowly drive along the road that weaves through the trees. It stretches for about a mile before the trees thin and a huge clearing appears. Dozens of buildings are nestled inside, hidden by the trees¡® canopy. park under a signbeled ¡®Visitors¡® and grab my handbag. Walking over to the Pack Hall, I take a deep breath and knock on one of the double doors. I¡®m surprised to see a very tall, very muscr man answer. He looks in his mid¨Ctwenties, with short ck hair and warm green eyes that stand out beautifully against his dark chocte skin. He¡®s gorgeous. ¡®You must be Myra, he says. His voice is friendly and I rx a bit. ¡®Yes, I am. I¡®m here to see Alpha Damien,¡® I say and the man in front of me smirks and steps to the side to let me in. ¡®I¡®m Alpha Damien, it¡®s a pleasure to meet you, he replies. I panic and quickly lower my head in respect. I¡®m so sorry, Alpha, had I known I wouldn¡®t have been so rude,¡® I apologize, cursing myself for not figur ing it out. He¡®s huge, he must be Alpha! I¡®ve been taught that you must always bow your head when you see a high¨Cranking wolf. If I were a shifter, I would have been able to smell it on him. However, being the idiot human I am, I can¡®t smell a This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. damn thing. ¡®Don¡®t apologize,e into my office.¡® He opens a door for me and I quickly step inside. He gestures to the chairs in front of his desk and I cautiously sit down on one of them, cing my handbag on the floor by my feet. ¡®Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.¡® He leans forwards on the desk and I smile at him. ¡®Well, thank you for asking to see me. I smile at him. The Alphas sighs and runs his hands through his hair. ¡®Right, let me exin everything. I basically need an assistant who can help me keep track of my pack¡®s finances.¡® He pauses and sighs again, leaning back in his chair. ¡®The middle of this country is divided into five packs, we stay inmunication to ensure the safety of our packs, we all help each other, he contin ues exining. He reaches over for a piece of paper and I recognize it as my CV. Nate must have emailed it to him. ¡®I see here that you are good with statistical analysis. You could sort out my finances and budgets? | just need you to create some spreadsheets, take phone calls, just sort my life out basically, he tells me and I smile at him. ¡®I would love to help, I offer. He sighs in relief and puts my CV back down on the table. ¡®My father recently passed away, leaving the pack to me. Apparently, he¡®s left everything in quite a mess. I¡®m twenty¨Cone years old and a lot of people are skeptical about whether such a young Alpha is suit able, so I need to prove myself. Things certainly need some organizing. The sooner you could start, the bet ter, really, he says and my eyes widen as I take in his words. ¡®You¡®re giving me the job?¡® I ask in shock and he nods enthusiastically. ¡®Of course. When can you start?¡® He asks and I shake my head in bewilderment. ¡®Um, when do you need me to start?¡® ¡®Tomorrow?¡® ¡®That¡®s great, I reply. I can¡®t stop the grin that appears on my face, I¡®ve got the job! ¡®Perfect. Come round tomorrow at 9 o¡®clock and I¡®ll go through everything with you. I imagine once time goes on you won¡®t have toe in every day, but for the beginning it would be really helpful if you coulde in as much as possible.¡¯ He stands up and shakes my hand. ¡®That¡®s fine with me. Thank you for this opportunity I call my mum on my way back to the house to tell her the good news. Of course she already knew about the interview, Mum is always getting involved in our lives. ¡®It was my idea you know! Nathan had to get permission from Alpha Damien to move onto his territory, so I told him to call him and ask him if he knew of any openings and that¡®s when Damien exined he was needing a secretary. Oh, isn¡®t it wonderful timing!¡® I roll my eyes at my mum¡®s energy. She¡®s so excitable, bless her. *************** My rm goes off at 8:05 am and I groan internally. I don¡®t like early mornings. But, it¡®s my first day of work! I take my time getting ready and I¡®m d I decided to wash and straighter my hairst night, saving me time this morning. I do my make¨Cup and choose a skirt and a polo neck. I slip on my boots as Ie downstairs and make some toast. Nathan is in bed asleep, but I smile as I see the good luck note he has left me on the kitchen counter. After getting ready, I hop in my car and arrive at work ten minutes early. The first hour of my shift is spent going through everything with Alpha Damien. He shows me my desk, which is right outside his office. He exins all of the files and documents to me as I hurriedly take notes. By 10 o¡®clock, he has left me on my own to sort through the mess his father left him with. A loud buzzes from my desk and I quickly press the inte button. ¡®Yes, Alpha?¡® Book 1 Chapter 3 Book 1 Chapter 3 3 ¡®Myra, please print out more application forms and bring them to my desk. About twenty will do. thanks.¡® ¡®Of course, Alpha¡® I turn back to theputer and send twenty copies of the form to the printer. Itap my foot impatiently as each piece of paperes out, until finally, I can grab the pile. I walk down the corridor to Alpha Damien¡®s office and knock on his door. ¡®Here are the forms you requested, Sir, I tell him, Ie over and ce the copies on his desk. ¡®Great, thanks Myra. If you could please take a look at these papers, they¡®re copies of my father¡®s old bank transfers. Please could you see where most of his money went or if he was making any stupid mis takes?¡® Alpha Damien asks and holds out arge pile of papers. ¡®Of course,¡® I reply. I take the papers into my hands and shift them so I can hold themfortably, there¡®s a lot. ¡®Thanks, Myra, you¡®re a lifesaver, he calls out as I leave his office. As I round the corner, Im straight into what can only be described as a wall of muscle. ¡®Oof!¡® | stumble backward and drop the papers everywhere. Two veryrge hands reach out and grab my forearms, holding me upright. My eyes start at the floor, where his big ck boots are stood in front of me. I trail my eyes up his body, to his thick thighs straining against his jeans, up his wide muscr chest, to his broad shoulders and tempting pink lips until finally, I meet his striking blue eyes. Well, fuck me. I have no words for the attractiveness of the man who stood before me, all I can do is blink rapidly, try ing to make my brain catch up. Sweet Jesus, it should be illegal to be this gorgeous, he could cause i dents or something. His dark ck hair is sexily tousled and he has quite a few piercings in his ears. I sud denly notice the seemingly never¨Cending stream of tattoos flowing over his arms and up his neck. Is he trying to kill me? I¡®m sorry, I manage to mumble as I kneel down to collect the dropped papers. The man doesn¡®t say anything, nor makes any attempt to help me as I form a pile with the transfers and straighten back up. His bright blue eyes stare intently at me, and I feel my resting bitch face slip back on, because he¡®s not only hot, but rude. I don¡®t say another word as I step around him and walk back to my desk. I spend the next eight hours of my shift sorting through the numerous filing cabs pressed against the walls around my desk. It seems Alpha Damien¡®s father was a big fan of keeping records, just not so N?velDrama.Org is the owner. good at organizing them. ¡°Great first day, Myra. I¡®ll see you tomorrow, Alpha Damien calls out as I head to my car. When I arrive home, Nathan is asleep in his room but has left another note on the countertop asking me to leave a message about how today went. I write out a short reply and start making dinner. That night as Ilie in bed, my mind drifts again to the rude guy from this morning, it¡®s about the fiftieth time today I¡®ve thought of him. I¡®m very picky, I don¡¯t find many guys attractive. I¡®m always quick to see their ws, but him, wow. He is the living embodiment of my type. It¡®s just a shame he¡®s an asshole. Book 1 Chapter 4 Book 1 Chapter 4 Myra¡®s POV. | push my sses back up my nose as they repeatedly slide down it. Squinting at theputer screen, I try and finish the spreadsheet I started an hour ago, Sighing, I push away from the desk, stand up and go over to one of the filing cabs. I need to find the folders fromst year to be able toplete the spread sheet. I pull open the bottom drawer and bend over, leafing through the folders, trying to find the ones I need. ¡°Need a hand?¡® An incredibly deep, husky voice calls out from behind me and I jump in shock. I straighten up and turn around to see the asshole from yesterday, leaning against the wall with a stupid smirk on his gorgeous face. ¡®No, thank you, I reply quietly, turning around and collecting the folders. I ignore him as I ce them on my desk and begin sorting through them. He walks over, his big boots sounding heavily on the floor. My breath catches in my throat as he stops in front of my desk. I wait for him to say something, but he doesn¡®t. I look up to see him staring down at me, his face impassive. OD ¡®Can I help you with something?¡± I ask, raising an eyebrow at him. He smirks and opens his mouth to say something, but the inte on my desk buzzes and cuts him off. I lean over and press the button. ¡®Yes, Alpha? ¡®Hi, Myra. Is my Beta around?¡® He asks and I frown in confusion. I¡®ve never met his Beta before, how am I supposed to know? I¡®m here, the gorgeous man in front of me directs his words to the inte and then crosses his arms over his huge chest. ¡°Good,e into my office. You too, Myra, Alpha Damien says and I blink in surprise. That¡®s his Beta? ¡®Yes, Alpha,¡® I mumble as I stand up and straighten my skirt. I follow the Beta silently as we walk to Alpha¡®s office. He opens the door for me and gestures for me to go in first. He¡®s remembered his manners this time. I smile politely and take a seat in front of Alpha Damien¡®s desk. I try to control my breathing as the Beta sits down next to me, he¡®s so close that I can feel the heat radiating off his magnificent body. ¡®Right, I need you to apany Myra to the Eastern coast pack. I need Alpha Eli to sign a contract and I¡®d like you to ensure everything goes smoothly, Alpha Damien orders and I see the Beta clench his fists next to me. Obviously, he¡®s not very happy about this. To be honest, a road trip with him doesn¡®t exactly thrill me either. He¡®s not much of a talker. ¡°It¡®ll only be an hour¡®s drive; you don¡®t mind driving Myra, do you?¡® Alpha asks and the Beta shakes his head next to me. ¡®Good. You can leave now and you¡®ll be back by five, Alpha states. The Beta stands up and storms out of the room before I¡®ve even left my chair. I look at the empty door way and then back at the Alpha with confusion. The Alpha¡®s eyes soften and he sighs. ¡®He takes a while to get used to. I know, but I promise he¡®s a good guy.¡® He shrugs and I simply nod in response. I slide on my coat and take the contract from my desk and put it in my handbag. When Ie outside, a sleek ck Mercedes is parked and waiting. The Beta is in the driving seat, looking ahead, obviously ignoring me. I almost feel like I should be sitting in the back seat. Topen the door and awkwardly slide into the passenger seat, the Beta doesn¡®t say a word as he pulls away from the house onto the road. I put on my seatbelt and prepare myself for a long, silent journey. We are only ten minutes in when my phone rings in my bag, I lean forwards and retrieve it, smiling as see my brother¡®s name. ¡®Hey, you,¡® I answer and I see the Beta¡®s eyes briefly flick over to look at me before returning to the road. ¡°Hey, sis. How¡®s work? It¡®s not a bad time is it?¡® ¡®No, it¡®s not a bad time.¡® I nce over at the Beta to see him gripping the steering wheel tightly. What is his problem? ¡°Good, so, how is your job?¡® ¡®It¡®s amazing! Honestly, I love it. Alpha Damien is so nice. We talk for another few minutes before Nathan goes back to sleep. I slip my phone into my pocket and wait a few minutes before I can¡®t bear the silence anymore. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡®So... I¡®m Myra by the way.¡® I say, feeling stupid, I know he knows my name but I want to know his. ¡®I know,¡¯ he replies bluntly, keeping his eyes ahead. Dick. Book 1 Chapter 5 Book 1 Chapter 5 ¡®That was meant to be an invitation for you to tell me your name, I coax him, raising my eyebrow too. His tempting lips press into a grim line and he sighs. ¡®Jayce,¡® he states firmly and I nod. I decide to leave the car in silence now, he obviously doesn¡®t want to talk. I look out the window and try not to breathe in his mouth¨Cwatering scent. How does he smell so good? I focus on the trees whizzing past in a green blur but all I can smell is him, all I can see are hisrge hands gripping the wheel, gripping me. I squeeze my thighs together and push him from my mind. What feels like hourster, we pull up a long drive in front of a veryrge manor house. Jayce doesn¡®t say a word, he just parks the car and gets out. I sigh and grab my bag, he is so unpleasant to be around. We walk across the gravel to the front door and Jayce rings the bell. The door opens and, a minutet er, a tall woman in her thirties greets us with a distrusting re. ¡®Can I help you?¡® She asks, eyeing us both up and down. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Her eyes linger disapprovingly on Jayce¡®s inked arms which are wonderfully revealed by his t¨Cshirt. ¡®We have an appointment with Alpha Elijah? We have been sent by Alpha Damien from the East Moun tains pack?¡® I tell her but my statementse out like questions due to my nerves. ¡®Follow me,¡¯ she replies. Her eyes nce over at Jayce one more time before she turns on her heel and leads us inside the mod ern mansion. We follow her silently down a corridor. I look over at Jayce to see he is staring ahead, his fists clenched again. Does he have anger issues? We wait outside one of the doors whilst the woman goes in and lets Alpha Elijah know of our presence. ¡°You can go in now, she tells us and struts off down the corridor. I anxiously turn the handle and step inside therge office. Alpha Elijah is sat behind arge ck desk, he leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind his head. He must be in his twenties, he has golden, tanned skin and dirty blond curls. He greets us with a beautiful smile, his eyes are deep navy but have dark bags underneath them, something is troubling him. I. imagine he gets a lot of attention, it¡®s a shame he¡®s not my type. I don¡®t fancy him at all. ¡®Alpha, I greet him and bow my head in respect. I sneak a nce sideways to see Jayce hasn¡®t lowered his head. What a prick. ¡®It¡®s lovely to meet you...¡® He trails off and I realize I¡®m meant to be introducing myself. ¡®Myra, I tell him and reach out my hand. He shakes it and grins at me. We all sit down and he leans his elbows on the table. He ispletely re ¡°How can I help you?¡® ¡®We have brought a contract that Alpha Damien would like you to sign. It¡®s a renewal of the unity agree ment, I exin as I take the forms out of my bag and slide them across the table to him. He picks them up and briefly skims over them. ¡®Damien got you doing his dirty work then? Are you his secretary or something?¡® He asks, but it¡®s not rude, in fact his tone is yful. ¡®Something like that,¡® I reply, feeling ufortable under his bold gaze. ¡®Well, I¡®m sorry you¡®ve had toe all this way for a signature. Would you like anything to drink? We¡®re having a BBQ tonight if you¡®d like to stay, he offers and winks at me over the paper. I swear I hear Jayce growl next to me before he muffles it with a cough. ¡®Um, that¡®s very kind of you, Alpha Elijah, but we must be getting back,¡® I reply awkwardly, forcing a smile at him. ¡®Of course, and please, call me Eli, he replies warmly as he signs the bottom of the contract. I smile tightly and take the form off of him. As our hands touch, he reaches over and holds my left hand between both of hisrge ones. ¡®It was lovely to meet you Myra, feel free to visit my pack anytime, we don¡®t bite, he flirts and grins at me. He really is very attractive, but blondes don¡®t do it for me. Tall, dark haired, inked guys however.. ¡®That¡®s very nice of you, Elijah. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.¡® I put the papers back in my handbag and hurriedly leave the room. Jayce and I get in the car in silence and it isn¡®t until we are back on the main road home that I lean back and rx in the seat. ¡®He¡®s...friendly, Iment sarcastically and look over at Jayce whose knuckles turn white on the wheel. ¡®I don¡®t like him, he replies through gritted teeth and I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡®Neither do I, I agree with him and this time it¡®s Jayce who raises his eyebrow at me. ¡®Why?¡® I¡®m not a fan of cocky blondes,¡¯ I say and look out the window. I¡®m secretly really happy he¡®s talking to me. ¡®Oh, really? What are you a fan of then?¡® He asks me and I look at him in surprise. His tone is friendly, almost flirty...very un¨CJayce. ¡°Hmmm good question, I reply and smirk at him. I turn my attention back to the window and hope that he drops it. He does. ¡®So, how does a human know about our kind?¡® He asks and the small, hidden part of me winces at the question. It¡®s never not going to hurt when I¡®m reminded of my weaknesspared to my family. Even Dad who was a human isn¡®t anymore, it¡®s just little old me. ¡®My family are wolves,¡® I tell him, still concentrating on the view outside. ¡®Really? Are you adopted or something?¡® ¡®No, my dad was human until Mum marked him,¡® I exin. Lv. 1 I see him nce over at me out of the corner of my eye. Are you an only child?¡® He asks and I resist rolling my eyes, Typical that he¡®ll barely say two words to me, but on this topic, he¡®s bloody chatty Cathy. ¡®No, I have an older brother ¡®Is he human too?¡® No ¡®That must have been hard to grow up with, he replies and I can hear the sympathy in his voice, Book 1 Chapter 6 Book 1 Chapter 6 ¡°Yeah, it was,¡® I reply and get out my phone, checking my notifications so he¡®ll get the hint I don¡®t want to talk about it. The rest of the car journey is silent and for the first time, I¡®m grateful for that. Jayce asking me those questions has me digging up a past I¡®d rather forget. ¡®Thank you for driving me, I say as I get out of the car. I shut the door before he can potentially reply. I go inside and knock on Alpha Damien¡®s door, I enter when he asks me to. ¡°Hi, Alpha. It all went smoothly. Here¡®s the contract. I ce the paper on his desk and he smiles at me. ¡®Thanks, Myra, that¡®s great. You should go home now, he offers and I feel relieved. ¡®Are you sure? ¡®Yes, of course! Have a good night and I¡®ll see you tomorrow, he replies and I smile at him. ¡®Thank you, Alpha, you too. Fifteen minutester, I¡®m in my kitchen cooking dinner. My mind travels to Jayce as I stir the pasta, it seems he¡®s all I think about It¡®s really not good. It would be me to think about a guy that barely talks to me. He¡®s so moody and brooding it drives me insane but it makes me so curious about him, he¡®s so mysterious. After dinner, I decide to have a shower to rx. I stand underneath the powerful stream of hot water, allowing it to soothe my tense muscles. I slip on ¡®a tank top and pajama shorts. I feel exhausted and it¡®s not even 8 o¡®clock. It¡®s not like I¡®m doing a physically taxing job either. Maybe I¡®m just mentally tired? I don¡®t know. | unlock one of the French double doors that leads out onto my balcony. The cool night air swirls around me as I step barefoot onto the paving stones. The sky looks amazing, a dark inky ck back against the wall of the house. To my right is the steep drop down to the garden. I don¡®t know how people sneak down balconies in movies, I would never be able to, heights really aren¡®t my thing. I run my hands through my wet hair, shivering as the wetness soaks through my top. I should probably go inside, but instead I sit and watch the huge expanse of forest in front of me. I look out at the trees that seem to go on for miles, the forest is iprehensiblyrge. For a moment, I allow myself to imagine what it must be like to shift into a wolf and run through the trees. To feel that free must be wonderful, my brother has no idea how lucky he is. I will never get to feel that way, to understand what is like to read another¡®s mind, to be so strong. A part of me used to feel angry at the thought that I would never be like the rest of my family. My par ents never kept it a secret from me, I eagerly anticipated my brother¡®s first shift as much as he did. I loved it at first, being able to brag that my brother was a wolf. Until it finally sunk in that I never was going to shift as well, I had always secretly hoped I would miraculously shift and surprise everyone. Although, I think what hurt me more than not shifting, was the idea that I would most likely never have a mate. I have grown up watching my parents madly in love, even now, it seems like they only met yester day. It was amazing growing up in a household so full of love, but at the same time, as my brother turned sixteen and could potentially meet his mate, it was a constant, painful reminder that I would probably never experience that kind of love. My poor brother is now twenty¨Cfour and has waited eight years for his mate, he puts on a fa?ade that he doesn¡®t care, but I know deep down it kills him, he¡¯s told me enough times when he¡®s drunk. I honestly feel for him, at least I¡®m not expecting a mate, Nate on This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. the other hand, he expected to meet her years ago. I look up at the bright white stars blinking above me and I silently wish for me to have a mate. It would be perfect. I have been forced to date other human males, I know when I get married, I will still have a part of me wondering whether we will work out or we¡®re meant to be. I lean my head back against the wall and allow a single tear to fall. I quickly wipe my face and slip down off the wall onto the balcony. I nce over my shoulder onest time at the mass of trees behind the house before heading inside. Book 1 Chapter 7 Book 1 Chapter 7 Book 1 Chapter 7 Jayce¡®s POV (from the beginning) I march down the corridor lo Damien¡®s office. I¡®m pissed that he¡®s called me into his office this early, he knows I hate getting up early. I walk around the corner and collide with someone much shorter than me. She stumbles backward and drops paper everywhere. I reach out instinctively and grab her arms to catch her. Tingles flow through my hands and along my arms as I touch her. Her scent hits me and I¡®m transfixed. I watch, frozen, as she checks me out. I can¡®t think properly. All i can think is, I¡®ve found my mate. I take in her long chestnut hair and wide hazel eyes, she¡®s stunning. She¡®s human. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Now that¡®s something I wasn¡®t expecting. I watch amusedly as she continues to check me out, her eyes trailing over my inked arms. I¡®m sorry, I didn¡®t see you there,¡¯ she mumbles and kneels down to collect the paper. I decide it¡®s best I don¡®t say anything. I can¡®t think straight and I¡®ll probably say something I¡®ll regrett er. Instead, I just watch her silently. She straightens back up and her eyes harden. I know I should have helped her pick up the paper but I don¡®t want to risk touching her again or being nice to her. I let out a sigh of relief as she steps around me and struts off down the corridor. I take a moment to collect myself and then walk into Damien¡®s office. ¡°You hired a human?¡® I ask incredulously and make myselffortable on one of the chairs, Damien looks at me over a piece of paper and smiles. ¡®So, you met Myra?¡® ¡®Myra...¡® I look away and resist hitting something. Why did I have to meet my mate? I¡®ve been doing just fine without her. She¡®s human no less, she¡®ll be useless with me. But at least because she¡®s human, she won¡®t feel the bond like I do. With any luck, she won¡®t even notice me. I storm out of Damien¡®s office and drive down to my favorite bar, as soon as I sit down on one of the stools, the bartender ces a ss of whiskey in front of me. I know Ie here more often than I proba bly should, but I have a lot on my mind. I down the drink and tap the empty ss, gesturing to the bartender to refill it. I groan and put my head in my hands. What am I going to do? ¡®You¡®re a mess.¡® Damien¡®s voice cuts through my sleep and drags me back to being conscious. ¡®Fuck you,¡® I growl and roll over in bed, but Damien pulls the duvet off me. I growl louder this time and he just ignores me. ¡®If you don¡®t get up I will pour this on you, he threatens me, holding up a bottle of water. I scowl and grab it out of his hand, chugging the liquid greedily. ¡°How much did you drinkst night?¡® Damien questions me and sits down next to my bed. I sit up and clutch my throbbing head. ¡®Enough,¡® I mutter, I wish he would just leave. ¡®Enough to what? Forget everything? You can¡®t keep doing this to yourself, Jayce. I¡®ve told you, you don¡®t have to do the assignments. Someone else can, he tells me and puts his hand on my shoulder. I shake it off and re at him, I really don¡®t want his sympathy. ¡®They¡®re the only thing I¡®m good at Damien, I enjoy them, I tell him and stand up, I stretch and decide need to go on a run. ¡°Alright, but have a shower, you stink.¡® Heughs at me and leaves the room. I watch as he leaves and silently thank him. He knows I won¡®t say it, but I do appreciate him. I walk into the pack hall and resist groaning as the wonderful, sweet scent of my mate hits me. Is this what I¡®m going to have to deal with every day now? I can¡®t resist wanting to see her and I make my way down the corridor, turning left at the end. The door to her office is open, and the sight that greets me almost takes my breath away. My beautiful mate is bent over a drawer, giving me the most incredible view of her ass in a tight skirt. Kill me now. It¡¯s like she¡®s trying to make this harder for me. ¡®Need a hand?¡® I offer,ughing as I see her jump. She straightens up and turns around to re at me. ¡®No, thank you, she replies and ignores me as she goes over to her desk. I walk over and wait for her to look up at me. I think I¡®m prepared to see her so close, but it turns out. I¡®m not. She looks up and her hazel eyes meet mine, they¡®re entuated by herrge ck¨Crimmed sses. She looks like a naughty secre tary, and I¡®ve got a lot of ideas of what I want to do to her. ¡®Can I help you with something?¡®¡®She asks me and raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me. Book 1 Chapter 8 Book 1 Chapter 8 Book 1 Chapter 8 I smirk, ready to reply with a sarcasticment, but the inte cuts me off. ¡®Yes, Alpha Damien?¡® She asks in that breathy voice of hers and my cock twitches in response. ¡®Hi, Myra, is my Beta around?¡® He asks and she frowns. I¡®m here,¡® I lean over and reply for her. ¡°Ah, good,e into my office. You too, Myra, Damien says and I turn on my heel. Topen the door for her and she smiles and takes a seat in front of Damien¡®s desk. I clench my fists and sit down next to her. Damien tells us to go to some pack and I re at him. Is he trying to test my patience? I scowl and storm out of the room before he can say anything else. I wait silently in the car for her, an hour in the car, smelling her scent, this is really going to test me. I grip the steering and focus on the road, trying to ignore her. Her phone rings and I keep my eyes on the road, trying to ignore the jealousy burning inside of me as ! hear a man¡®s muffled voice on the other end of the line. ¡®So... I¡®m Myra by the way, she says. I want to tell her that I don¡®t want to talk to her. Lie. ¡®I know, I reply. I fight not to look at her. ¡®That was meant to be an invitation for you to tell me your name, she retorts and I sigh. ¡®Jayce,¡¯ I tell her and she nods. Luckily, she gives up on the conversation. She must think I¡®m an asshole. Good. The less she likes me, the easier this will be. We arrive on Alpha Elijah¡®s territory and I thank the Moon Goddess I got through the car journey without marking her. She smells too sweet for her own good. We meet some bitchydy at the door, who obviously isn¡®t a fan of my tattoos. ¡®Follow me, she tells us. She drags her eyes over me one more time before she turns on her heel and leads us inside the house. I can feel Myra¡®s eyes on me but I ignore her. ¡®Alpha.¡® Myra bows her head in respect, I don¡®t. I don¡®t respect this Alpha one bit. I cross my arms and look at him. I see him nod subtly, he knows not to challenge me. I sit in silence as the two of them talk. I¡®m not here to get involved, I¡®m here as a bodyguard. However, can¡®t stop the growl that escapes as he tantly flirts with my mate. I calm myself down by imagining This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. my self ripping him to shreds. I¡®m relieved when the meeting finishes and I can drive us home. I¡®m surprised when she says she didn¡¯t like Eli. I¡®m not a fan of cocky blondes, she says cryptically and turns away to look out the window. ¡®Oh, really? What are you a fan of then?¡® I ask her, cursing myself as I realize I sound too eager. ¡°Hmm, good question.¡® She smirks at me and turns her attention back to the window. I look at her curiously but don¡®t question her further in case she gets the wrong idea that I¡®m interested, I¡®m not Lie. I can¡®t control my curiosity so I ask her about her family, but I can tell I¡®ve hit a nerve. She doesn¡®t say another word until we reach the pack house, she thanks me and gets out of the car before I can respond. I feel slightly annoyed I didn¡®t get to talk to her more, but I remind myself that it¡®s best this way. I train at the gym for a couple of hours, needing to exert my frustration onto something, like Jake. Jake is a friend of mine who works out with me, he¡®s the only guy who will, seeing as not many can keep up with me. Jake can¡®t, but he tries. I skip dinner and head straight for the trees, I strip off my sweat¨Csoaked clothes and leap into the air. I shift mid¨Cair andnd on four paws. Taking off through the trees, I dodge low branches and tree roots. The brisk night air surrounds me as I run in no particr direction, or at least, that¡®s what I tell myself. Before I can stop or talk myself out of it, I¡®m stood behind her house. I stand on the cover of the trees, panting heavily as I get my breath back. My breath catches in my throat as I see her emerge onto her balcony. A low growl escapes my lips as my eyes run over her long, tanned legs as she lifts herself onto the wall and sits down. I lower my body to the ground to watch her as she absentmindedly runs her fingers through her hair, it¡®s obvious her mind is on other things. If only I could hear her thoughts. I frown as I see her wipe her face, why is she crying? I want to know why, so I can hurt whoever is the cause. I sigh heavily as she finally goes back inside. What am I doing here? I¡®m taking stalking to a whole new level. I curse myself as I turn away and sprint back through the forest. I have known this girl only a few days and already I have feelings towards her, and this stupid bond is only going to get stronger. I¡®m screwed, basically. Myra¡®s POV. Good morning! This is a nice surprise.¡® I grin and hug my brother as I see him standing in front of the oven. ¡®I know! My boss let me go early this morning, so I got a few hours¡® sleep and then set my rm so I¡®d be awake to see you for breakfast, Nate exins and puts two eggs and some rashers of bacon on a te and hands it to me. My eyes soften as I look down at the te of food and then back up at him. ¡®Nathan...that¡®s so lovely of you, thank you,¡® I reply, feeling incredibly lucky to have a brother like him. ¡®No worries.¡® He shrugs and serves up food for himself. We sit and eat together, I tell him more about my job, he is very pleased to find out my Alpha is both gay and taken. I might be twenty¨Ctwo but he¡®s still very protective over me. ¡®Right, I¡®ve got to go, see you this evening,¡® I call out and collect my handbag. ¡®I swear to God, I¡®m gonna kill this thing.... I grumble loudly as I empty the entire contents of my hand bag onto my desk ¡®What are you going to kill?¡® An amused voice cuts through my ramblings and I look up to re at Jayce. Book 1 Chapter 9 Book 1 Chapter 9 Book 1 Chapter 9 Myra¡®s POV. He stands in front of me, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. I really wish he wouldn¡®t do that, it makes his muscles look even bigger and unts his lovely tattoos. ¡®This!¡® I cry triumphantly and hold up the bobble (hair tie) I have spent the past five minutes looking for. Jayce raises an eyebrow but doesn¡®t say a word, when does he ever? I sigh with relief and bend over, flicking my mass of curls forward so I can tie the mane up on my head. I knew I should have straightened my hair again, it makes it so much more manageable, these curls are a nightmare. When I straighten up, Jayce is watching me and I blush under his dark gaze. This man just exudes raw sexual chemistry. ¡°Damien sent me, he says you need help with getting into some ounts or something?¡® He asks and I smile at him. ¡®Yes please, I can¡®t seem to log in to this system Alpha Damien was telling me about, he said he¡®d send help... you¡®re good withputers then?¡® I ask and Jayce¡®s lips press into a grim line. He sits down at the desk and I hurriedly put my things back into my handbag. ¡®Yes, he replies bluntly and starts typing away at the keyboard. I watch in awe as he logs into the system¡®s mainframe and within minutes has granted me entry. ¡®Wow, so you¡®re like aputer geek?¡± I ask over his shoulder, still amazed by what I¡®ve seen. He res at me and stands up. ¡®From what I hear, you¡®re a Maths geek, he responds, his eyes cool and analyzing. I smile at him and slip into my now¨Cvacated seat. ¡®More of a stats geek, I can only writeputer scripts not hack into them, that¡®s impressive,¡¯ I reply and he nods at me before turning and walking away. ¡®Thank you!¡® I call after him, but he ignores me and disappears around the corner. What is that man¡®s problem with me? He hates me! My phone rings and I nce around before sliding to ept the call. ¡®Tell me you are free tonight?¡® My best friend asks excitedly and I resist rolling my eyes. ¡°Hmm, maybe. Why?¡® I ask curiously and I hear Jasper squeal on the other end of the phone. ¡®There is a special event on at Infinity and I¡®ming up!¡® Jasper screams and I instinctively pull the phone away from my ear. ¡®Wow, that¡®s great! ¡®What time do you finish work?¡® ¡®Six, want me to collect you from the station?¡® ¡®Yeah, sounds great, thank you! I¡®ll invite Aria over as well, I tell him. Aria went to school with us and lives nearby with her mate, Seb. ¡®Great! ¡®Oh, and one more thing, what is this special event?¡® | ask, knowing that it¡®s going to be something ex treme because it¡®s Jasper, He pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. Jesus, please let it be something normal. ¡®Fetish night!¡® He yells and the smile drops from my face. ¡®Are you serious?¡® I ask, trying to hold back myugh. Oh, this is going to be interesting. ¡®Of course! I¡®m wearing mytex ysuit it¡®s going to be amazing!¡® He cries and I cringe as I remember the shiny ck outfit. So tight. So shiny ¡®Okay, I¡®ll have a think about what I¡®ll wear and I¡®ll text you okay? I have to go now, I¡®m at work! We say our goodbyes and I hang up the phone. I put my head in my hands and groan, what I am going And suddenly, I remember an essory I bought a year ago because I liked thece bra that came with it, it will be perfect for tonight. ***¨C¨C I fumble around in my handbag for the final time and curse loudly: I¡®ve left my house keys at work, probably when I emptied everything out of my handbag. It¡®s six o¡®clock, Nathan is still asleep. He is not going to be happy about this. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. | grimace and gently press the door bell, as if my light pressure is going to make it easier to wake him up. There is no movement for a few moments so I press it again, longer this time. A minuteter and Nathan opens the door and res at me, still in his sweats and a t¨Cshirt. ¡®Why didn¡®t you use your keys?¡® He demands grumpily and stomps back down the corridor. I sigh and shut the door behind me. I¡®m sorry, I left them at work. I thought you might be asleep, you would be getting up soon anyways, right?¡® I ask and he scowls before pouring himself a bowl of cereal. I raise an eyebrow but don¡®t say anything. I guess with him being on the night shift this is breakfast time to him. ¡®Yeah, in an hour or so, he mumbles, shoving big spoonful¡®s of cornkes into his mouth. I¡®m sorry, I needed to get in. I have to go pick Jasper up from the station in.¡® | nce at the clock on the wall. ¡®Fifteen minutes. We¡®re going out tonight, I exin and set my handbag down on the kitchen ind. ¡®Has Jasper still got a crush on me?¡® He asks and Iugh at him. ¡®No, he¡®s moved on. God knows what he saw in you anyway, I tease. Tregret saying anything as he flicks his milk¨Cdrenched spoon at me. ¡®Sod off, that Aria is fit though, hements and smirks at me. I crumple my nose in disgust. ¡®She¡®s found her mate so stay away from her, you little shit.¡¯ | eye him warningly and then jog upstairs to my room to change. I slip into a hoodie and somefy jeans and drive over to the station to collect Jasper. I know as soon as his train has arrived due to the piercing squeal that echoes throughout the foyer. I sigh and shake my head as I see Jasper running towards me, everyone around us is looking, he¡®s so embar rassing sometimes. I grin and open my arms for him to leap into. ¡®Look at you! You look beautiful, he says, cupping my face in his hands. ¡®Thanks, sweetie. You look gorgeous as always,¡® I reply and he nudges my shoulder yfully. I drive back to my house. Aria arrives soon after and we spend the next couple of hours catching up on everything that¡®s happened in our lives. After Ie down the stairs and enter the lounge. ¡°Holy shit, Jasper drawls. Aria grins and hugs me, Nathan grimaces and leaves the room. I look down at my outfit. Personally, I think I look well¨Csuited for Fetish night. Thave chosen my thigh¨Chigh ck swede boots, a small ck skirt, a harness style bracelet, and my finishing essory; a ckce choker with two long silver chains attached that hang down my body and attach to thece cuffs on my wrists. Basically chaining my wrists to my neck so I can¡®t fully extend my arms on either side of my body. This is the great thing about going to a gay club, you can be basically half¨Cnaked and no one will ¡®Shit girl, you look hot, Ariapliments me as she runs her fingers through my long, straight brown hair. Thanks honey, so do you, I reply and gesture at her bright red dress which contrasts perfectly with her wless tanned skin It¡®s only eight o¡®clock but we¡®re already ready, we like to have a long time to pre¨Cdrink. The doorbell rings and I look around the room to see Nathan has not returned, probably sulking in his room, he doesn¡®t have work until ten. I walk into the hallway and open the door. To say I¡®m shocked, is a huge understatement. I freeze and standpletely immobile as I stare wide eyed at Jayce, who is standing on my front doorstep. Book 1 Chapter 10 Book 1 Chapter 10 10 Myra¡®s POV. Even if I were not dressed as I am, I would be surprised to see Jayce here, he¡®s practically the size of the front door anyway and he looms over me. We both stare at each other in shock, horror takes over as I watch his eyes go up and down, taking in my sultry outfit. My cheeks burn with embarrassment and I realize I¡®m never going to be able to see him again after this, I¡®ll just die. My heart begins beating rapidly as I see his eyes darken considerably, with desire? Hell no, it can¡®t be. ¡®Um, hi, Jayce.¡® I look him up and down, relishing in the beautiful sight of his tattoos wrapping around his arms. There really is no other guy quite like him. ¡®I brought you your keys, you left them at work. His voice and face arepletely neutral, devoid of emotion. He¡®s very good at putting a mask on. ¡®Oh, wow, thank you. That¡®s very sweet of you,¡® I reply, taking my keys from him. I almost want tough at the sight of this huge, muscr man holding some keys with arge, bright pink, fluffy pom pom key ring on them. ¡®No problem. He looks me up and down onest time before turning on his heel and walking back to his car. ¡®Thank you!¡® I call out again and shut the door. When I turn around, Jasper is stood with his arms crossed, smirking at me in the hall. ¡°What?¡± I ask innocently and put my keys in my clutch. ¡®He¡®s delicious, Jasperments and I sigh despondently. ¡®He¡®s uninterested, I reply and walk past him into the kitchen to pour myself a drink, Jasper follows me. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡®What do you mean uninterested? In you? I don¡®t think so!¡® Ariaments as they sit down at the is ¡°He¡®s uninterested in everyone I think, I¡®ve never met a man so brooding and mysterious, you¡®re lucky to. get more than one word answers out of him, Texin and Aria nods sympathetically whilst Jasper¡®s eyes light up. I love them when they¡®replicated, he deres dreamily, resting his chin on his hand. ¡®Well, he brings a whole new meaning to the wordplicated. He¡®s rude at times, nice at others, can¡®t tell whether he has a girlfriend so he¡®s just uninterested in even talking to anyone else, or whether he¡®s that cold and closed off with everyone! I pour us all vodka lemonades and push the sses towards everyone. I bet it¡®s with everyone, it¡®s your job to make him open up. Aria suggests and a glint of sin gleams in Jasper¡®s eyes. ¡®Oh, I¡®d love to see him open up, hements suggestively and I roll my eyes at him. V Jasper is something else. ¡®Morning guys! I push open my bedroom door to see Aria and Jasper sprawled across my bed. I set down the two mugs of tea on either side of the bed for them, ¡®You lifesaver, Aria mutters and eagerly takes a sip. Jasper groans and sits up in bed, I burst outughing at the sight of his beautiful caramel locks stick ing up in all directions on his head. We head down to the kitchen for breakfast. ¡®Last night was amazing, I¡®m so d you came up,¡® I tell Jasper as I crack open the eggs into the siz zling pan. ¡°Yeah, I loved it,¡¯ Aria replies and stretches her arms out. ¡®It was so good; did you see that guy I got with? What a fitty, Jasper grins and turns on the radio, wince at the sudden loud music. Luckily, Nathan¡®s room isn¡®t above the kitchen and that boy sleeps through almost everything.. ¡®Let¡®s eat outside this morning, it¡®s so sunny today¡® I say as I unlock the ss doors onto the patio. Topen them both and put out cushions on the chairs around the wooden table. Nathan is so lucky to have this house. The garden is small, less than ten meters long, but it¡®s because that¡®s where the tree line for the forest starts. The trees are so tall, when the sun rises it¡®s behind the trees and it takes until about nine¨Cten o¡®clock for the sunlight to reach our house. Jasper turns the music up on the radio and helps me set the table with cutlery and drinks whilst Aria ¨C finishes cooking the food. A familiar songes on and Jasper grins at me. ¡®Yes! It¡®s my song. He dances over to me and I can¡®t help butugh as he pulls me into his arms against his slim figure. ¡®Come on, dance with me, he coaxes and I roll my eyes but do as he asks. We sing along to the song together, dancing badly in our pajamas. Jesus guys, we haven¡®t even eaten yet. Ariaughs and ces the tes full of food on the table. Jayce¡®s POV. ¡®Can you put this on Myra¡®s desk for tomorrow, after that you can go enjoy your weekend. Damien holds up a green folder, I take it and nod. ¡®Thanks, Damien, 1 reply and leave the room. I ce the folder on Myra¡®s desk and go to leave. I pause as my eyesnd on a fluffy pink thing lying on the floor next to the desk. I pick it up and frown as I see the ring of keys attached to it, I don¡®t think she meant to leave these. It¡®s eight o¡®clock, chances are she won¡®t need them thiste, or she would havee back to work for them. But if I take them to her, I¡®ll get to see her... I look down at the keys for a moment and fight an inner battle of what to do. I give in and head outside towards my car, I want to see her. Book 1 Chapter 11 Book 1 Chapter 11 Jayce¡®s POV. It doesn¡®t take me long to arrive at her house, all the lights are on and I can hear other people chatting inside. This is a bad idea; I shouldn¡®t be here. Against my better judgment, I get out of the car and ring the doorbell. I actually feel nervous as I wait for her to answer it. My mind stops in its tracks as the door opens, my eyesnd instantly on the thin chains attached to her neck. I slowly take in her outfit, trying to hide my surprise at seeing her dressed in such racy attire. ¡°Um, hi Jayce, she mumbles, bringing my attention back up to her beautiful face, She¡®s wearing false eyshes, emphasizing her stunning eyes. She looks so different ¨C so sultry pared to her usual innocent expression, ¡®I brought you your keys, you left them at work I tell her, forcing my voice to remain indifferent, Trarely show my feelings, and this is certainly not the time for an exception She takes the keys from me and I look at her onest time,mitting that view to my memory before I turn and go back to my car. Thear her call out and thank me, but I force mysel¨ª not to turn around I grip the wheel as I drive away, It wasn¡®t a good idea to go to her house, but I¡®m d I did I park at Bill¡®s bar and copse heavily onto one of the bar stools, within seconds, the bartender has ced a ss of whiskey in front of me. Definitely a sign I drink here too much, oh well. I really shouldn¡®t have gone to her house. I can¡®t believe what she was wearing, I can¡®t believe how much I wanted her. I clench my hand around the ss, releasing it just before it cracks. Arge, rough handnds on my shoulder. I don¡®t turn my head as the man sits down next to me. ¡®Rixon,¡® I greet him, taking another sip of my drink. : ¡®You look like shit, hements, chuckling at me. I turn to look him up at down. Rixon is as tall as me, but not quite as wide. He does, however, have a lot more tattoos and scars than me, surprising really, ¡®So do you.¡¯ I smirk and nod to the bartender to bring Rixon a drink. ¡®What¡®s got you drinking in here? Another assignment? He asks and I down thest of the amber liquid. T¡®ve met my mate,¡® I tell him bluntly, I nce over and he¡®s staring at me with wide eyes. ¡®Shit, I¡®m sorry man, that¡®s rough: He rubs the back of his neck and takes a cautious sip of his drink, his worried eyes don¡®t leave me At least Rixon understands how hard this is. ¡®I know, I¡®ve known her a week now, it¡®s just gonna get worse,¡® I grumble. The bartender fills the ss again and I swallow the burning drink eagerly This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Shit. What are you going to do?¡® He asks and I shake my head forlornly. ¡®I don¡®t know, what can I do?¡® ¡®Reject her?¡® Rixon suggests and I consider the thought for a moment. No. I can¡®t ¡®I can¡®t, I couldn¡®t do that to her, I think she¡®s been hurt enough already, I say and Rixon sighs, pping me on the back for some sort of masculinefort. ¡®Well, she can¡®t be as fucked up as you and me mate! He smiles half¨Cheartedly and raises his ss, I lift mine and we clink the sses together before downing the whiskey, Rixon turns to ask the bartender for more, I catch sight of the big, scarred ¡®R¡® branded onto the back of his neck, peeking above his shirt. I sigh and turn back to the bar, we really are fucked up. Despite the subtle throbbing in the back of my head, I run for over an hour the next morning. My impro vised route unsurprisingly takes me to Myra¡®s house. I pause by the edge of the trees and ensure I¡®m suffi ciently hidden by the shrubs. My eyesnd on my gorgeous mate as she opens the back doors and steps barefoot onto the patio. I can¡®t help but growl at the delicious sight of her long legs, revealedpletely by her oversized t¨Cshirt. I narrow my eyes at the t¨Cshirt, it¡®s definitely a guy¡®s shirt, it almost hangs off her shoulders and reaches down to her thighs. I don¡®t like it. | avert my gaze to a tall, dark haired boy who steps onto the patio and starts dancing to the music ¨C l grind my teeth as he puts his hands on my mate¡®s hips and rubs his body against hers. She¡®s just wearing a skimpy little thong. Constant growls leave my mouth as I shake with anger, I watch them dance together. And all I want to do is storm over and rip him from her. Book 1 Chapter 12 Book 1 Chapter 12 12 Jayce¡®s POV Her voice calms me slightly as she sings along to lyrics. She straightens up and pulls the shirt back down. I can see a blush on her cheeks and I¡®m d as she covers herself more. Her friends appear with their food and I take it as my cue to leave. I linger for onest moment, watch ing her as sheughs with her friends before I turn and run far, far away from her. Myra¡®s POV. I make dinner on Sunday evening for Nathan and me. Our parents stopped by this afternoon, making my day. I haven¡®t seen them for a few weeks, it was lovely to catch up. The week passes quickly, I barely see Jayce. When I do, it¡®s only glimpses at a distance. I start to won der if we¡®ll ever talk to each other again, maybe only on assignments from Alpha Damien. I spend the week end with my brother, we go and stay at our parent¡®s house and I visit my friend Alena. Before I know it, it¡®s Monday morning again. My rm goes off at 8am, waking me up abruptly. I groan as I roll over and shove my face into my pil low. As my mind wakes up, I realize how hot I am. I look down at the sheets havee off my mattress and are wrapped around me. What the fuck? I sit up and frown as I look down at my naked body, I definitely went to sleep in my t¨Cshirt and thong I don¡®t remember taking them off. | struggle to rememberst night¡®s events. I dreamt a lot about a guy. I am certain there was a guy in my dreams. I vaguely recall taking off my shirt, I obviously thought I was too hot, and looking down at my sweaty skin I understand why. I decide to forget about the weird situation and shower before work. I perform my ablutions, washing My cheeks heat up as I recall what I and my fantasy man didst night. I haven¡®t had sex in over nine months, I think I need to get some. I leave my hair to dry naturally, blow¨Cdrying it will just make the curls even worse. I pull on a silk top and pencil skirt and finish doing my make¨Cup. Nathan is awake when Ie down, we have breakfast to gether and then I drive into work. After speaking to Alpha Damien, he gives me a list of jobs for today and I settle down in front of my my element as I begin entering equations and calcting sums. At lunchtime, I pause my work and get out a book I¡®ve just started reading. Erotica is my guilty plea sure, but it is not really appropriate for work so I¡®ve covered my naughty (bordering on porn) book with a very boring cover from one of my old textbooks on Statistical tests. I sit back and enjoy my chapter. A small smile forms on my lips as I imagine the scene I¡®m reading, I can feel my cheeks flushing scarlet at the crude words. Despite my love for them, I still get embarrassed reading this, I feel like a pervert. I jump at the sound of a panty¡ªwetting, husky voice that has my thighs clenching together. Jayce. He¡®s down the corridor talking to Damien. I put down my book and go into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I fill the kettle and flick the switch, drumming my nails on the countertop whilst I wait for it to boil. Jayce¡®s POV. I smell her the second I enter the building, I ignore her scent and head for Damien¡®s office, but I catch him in the corridor. I clench my fists as I inhale her with every breath. She smells different today, more po tent, more tempting. ¡°Morning, I greet Damien and manage to smile at him. He raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised as I rarely smile. ana ¡®Good morning, I guess you¡®vee to tell me about the rogue we captured, did he talk?¡® Damien asks and I can see the conflict in his eyes He doesn¡®t agree with what I do, but he knows someone has to. ¡°Eventually. He was sent to scout our borders, there is the possibility of an uprising, rogues are seeing your father¡®s passing as an opportunity, I fill him in and his face turns grim. ¡®I was worried that might happen.¡® He leans back and runs his hands through his hair. ¡®I need you to run data collection missions out to all of our non¨Cresidential buildings. Dad left a big. mess to clean up, and we can¡®t have rogues finding out anything about us that they might use against us, he informs me and I nod solemnly. ¡®Of course, I¡®ll start nning now,¡® I reply. After confirming a few more points, I follow her scent around the corner and down the corridor. Her singing hits me first, and I recognize the song from hearing it on the radio. I breathe in her sweet scent, it¡®s definitely getting stronger, the pull. I nce around the doorway to see her waiting for the kettle in the kitchen, I turn back to her desk and look at the spreadsheet she¡®s working on. I understand some of the equations she¡®s using, but not every thing, her intelligence is just another attractive trait of hers. My eyesnd on a book she has lying on the desk ¡®Statistical tests¡® sounds boring...if that¡®s what it is, but I can see that the cover is far too big for the book inside. I pick up the book and scan over the pages. My eyes widen in shock as I read the BDSM scene unfold ing along the pages. Thear the kettle click and I realize she¡®lle back in here soon, so I ce the book where I found it and rush out down the corridor. I try to calm myself down at the thought of my mate reading that kind of book, she¡®s not as innocent as she looks. Maybe she¡®s not so unsuitable for me after all. Book 1 Chapter 13 Book 1 Chapter 13 Myra¡®s POV. My rm goes off on Tuesday morning and l blush as I remember my dreams fromst night, this time I recall exactly who they featured, Jayce. I shiver as I think of all the things he did to me in my dream I arrive at work before nine so I get out my book to read, I can¡®t help but picture each scene from the book in my head, starring Jayce. What is it with me and this guy? I don¡®t think I¡®ve ever fancied a guy so much, he¡®s just so hot. I hope I don¡®t see him today; I won¡®t be able to look at him and not think of my dreams. Alpha Damien calls me into his office when he arrives at work, he gives me a rundown on some data retrieval missions that need to be carried out. A few of them, he needs my help with. I can find the files; Jayce can hack into them. Our first mission is this afternoon, Jayce ising to retrieve the appropriate files but he¡®s also a bodyguard, there¡®s a potential for roques to attack or want the information for them selves. Alpha offered me the chance to turn this down, but I want to help him. Jayce pulls up in his car and I slide in, neither of us says a word as he drives us to the location. Truth be told, I¡®m a little nervous. Thirty minutester, Jayce pulls up at a derelict building surrounded by barbed wire fencing. He gets out of the car and uses bolt cutters to open the gates, I wait patiently as he gets back in and drives over to the building. ¡°Let me go in first and check it¡®s empty, stay in the car,¡® he orders me, his eyes dark and serious. I only nod in reply, he gets out and uses the cutters to get in through the metal doors. I y with my hands anx iously as he disappears from view. I feel edgy and paranoid as I nce around, at the trees surrounding us, I don¡®t feel safe here. I breathe a sigh of sweet relief when he reappears in the doorway and gestures for me to join him, I grab my bag and go over to him. ¡®Theputers are upstairs, follow me, Jayce says and he leads me over to the lift, the doors open, and I take in its dusty state, it doesn¡®t look that reliable. Cautiously, I step in after him and the doors ng shut. I say a silent prayer as we ascend shakily up three floors. We step out and Jayce leads me over to aputer situated in an old office. Jayce hacks into the mainframe and I begin sorting through and down loading the files onto a memory stick before erasing them off the hard drive. We are finished in less than ten minutes, I put the USB in my bag, and we get back into the lift. We are somewhere between the first and second floor when the lift jolts to a stop and the lights cut out. I gasp and freeze, hearing Jayce curse next to me. ¡®I knew we should have taken the stairs, but they¡®re outside and don¡®t look safe,¡® he says, I feelfort This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ed by his husky voice in the darkness. ¡®I don¡®t get any phone signal, do you?¡® He asks and a sense of panic starts to creep through me. ¡°No, I don¡®t either, I reply dejectedly, I lean back against the wall and close my eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths. I¡®m not ustrophobic, but that doesn¡®t mean I¡®mfortable being trapped in a small metal box suspended above the ground. ¡®Damien will know something¡®s up ande investigate in a few hours, we just have to wait, he says, and I hear him shuffle and then sit down. I sit down as well and our shoes brush against each other. I try to concentrate on the sound of his breathing, it works, I feel calmer. I reach inside my bag and pull my phone out, I unlock it andy it on myp, so the screen lights up the lift, making it less daunting. I pull out a bot tle of water and eagerly drink some of it, I offer it to Jayce, but he shakes his head. ¡®So we¡®re going to be in here a while huh,¡® Iment awkwardly, and he raises an eyebrow at me and looks almost amused. ¡°Yeah.¡¯ he mumbles, and my eyes drop to his hands that are fisted on hisp, maybe he doesn¡®t like confined spaces either. Oh no Jayce, you might have to say more than three words to me, I tease, hoping to break the ice a bit, I feel relieved as his full lips very subtly turn up at the ends. ¡®Don¡®t count on it,¡® he replies, smirking at me and I smile back. ¡®That was four, we¡®re making progress, I nudge him, and he tenses up as if I¡®ve hit him. Okay, he does not like to be touched. | awkwardly shift away from him and y with my hands nervously; this is going to be such an u fortable few hours. I open my mouth to say something, knowing that whatever I say will probably only dig a bigger hole, but a distant ng of metal stops me. Jayce¡®s head snaps up to the doors and my breath catches in my throat. ¡®We¡®re not alone, he says quietly, and those words feel like a cold finger of fear scraping down my spine. The sound of muffled voices causes all my hairs to stand on end, Jayce silently stands up and tries to peak through the paper¨Cthin gap in between the doors. ¡®Rogues, he growls as he peers through the door, I stand up and press myself back against the wall, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat. I hold my breath as I hear footstepse closer and pause, only re leasing it when they continue on and past the lift. The power turns back on, and the lights flicker in the lift, illuminating us. The lift jolts and continues its descent. The rogues must have tampered with the power. Book 1 Chapter 14 Book 1 Chapter 14 Jayce pulls out his gun and cocks it, ready to fire at any threat. him. ¡®They¡®ve obviously seen the car, they know we¡®re here, I¡®ll find somewhere safe for you whilsi I go say hello,¡¯ he says, a malicious grin on his face but no trace of humor in his voice. I open my mouth to tell him to stay here with me, but the doors open and any words I¡®m about to say fall silent on my tongue. I watch with wide eyes as he checks both sides of the corridor and then steps out onto the floor. He gestures for me to step out as well, despite him having already checked, I look down both ways of the corridor. He opens a door nearby, a janitor¡®s closet, and checks that it¡®s safe. I step inside and he pauses by the door. Tll be back soon, don¡®t make a sound,¡® he says, he gives me one final look before closing the door, leav ing me alone. I exhale a shaky breath and slide down to the ground, wrapping my arms around my legs. You¡®re going to be fine. I repeat the mantra in my head and close my eyes, I attempt to convince myself that everything will be in rate as my breathes out in ragged bursts. What seems like an hourter, but must only be a few minutes, the door opens, I panic for a second but then my eyesnd on Jayce¡®s beautiful face and I feel an indescribable sense offort. My relief does notst long as my gaze drops to the maroon blood gushing from a wound in his arm. His hand is over the wound, but the blood is seeping between his fingers and down his wrist. ¡®Oh my God! Are you okay?¡® | ask, reaching out to touch him. He pulls away sharply, and I struggle to hide my hurt. I¡®m fine, just a scrape, let¡®s get out of here, he replies, his voice snappy and gruff. I remain silent as I notice the blood¨Cstained handprint on the door handle. We walk down the hall and I watch him in my peripherals. The wound is still bleeding heavily but Jayce looks okay, only slightly pale. Before I can even take another step, a gunshot resonates down the hall. I duck instinctively, as does Jayce, but he ces himself in front of me. I¡®m startled by his protective instinct, but very grateful for it. He fires a couple of rounds at a man dressed in dark clothing at the end of the corridor. I¡®m so focused on the rogue in front that a frenzied scream escapes me as someone grabs my hair and drags me back ward. My hands instinctively reach up to try and pull the person¡®s hands out of my hair. They continue to drag me backward down the hall along the cold, tiled floors. I scream again, digging my nails into their hands, drawing blood. My scream distracts Jayce, he turns to face me, a panicked look on his face. The rogue takes the op portunity tounch himself onto Jayce¡®s back, knocking the both of them to the floor. ¡®Get off of me!¡® I shout, twisting my body around so I¡®m facing my attacker. The rogue must be about my age, her eyes are hard and empty. She res at me, a vicious sneer on her sallow face. I notice that blood is trickling down her leg, from a gunshot wound on her thigh. Jayce must have injured her earlier, good boy. I hear Jayce groan behind me and my head snaps over to where he is, pinned down by two rogues. Fear slices through me and I attempt to wriggle out of the girl¡®s grip. She drags me further down the hall, I kick and yell the whole time, my hands wing at anything within reach. Her arms are bare, revealing deep, long scratch marks from my nails. I struggle to get my feet under neath me, as she keeps dragging me before I can stand up. I manage to push up off the wall and the sec ond my feet touch the ground, I throw myself at her, my fingers instantly going for her eyes. I push and scratch at her face, she squeals in pain as I attack her back. I jump back as she is pulled out of my grasp by Jayce, he throws her against the wall and she drops to the floor, unconscious but not dead. I lean back against the wall, getting my breath back now that Jayce has dealt with all the N?velDrama.Org is the owner. rogues. ¡®Are you okay?¡® He asks, his voice is husky and gruff. I take in his disheveled appearance; his arm is bleeding heavily, and he looks unsteady.on his feet. ¡°I¡®m fine, are you?¡± I ask, he nods and walks towards the exit. I follow him, keeping my eyes on him the whole time. Till drive, give me the keys,¡® I say, and he pauses for a moment, considering mymand. He goes to take another step and falls against the wall; I rush over to him and grab his arm. ¡®You¡®ve lost a lot of blood, I¡®m driving, I repeat, I take the keys out of his hands and for the first time, our hands touch. His body turns rigid, as though I¡®ve electrocuted him or something. I nce up at him, confusion on my face, but my eyes widen in shock as I feel spark¨Clike tingles begin to buzz at the edge of my fingertips. I stare down at our hands, barely touching around a set of car keys. What the hell is going Book 1 Chapter 15 Book 1 Chapter 15 I¡®m speechless, I just keep staring, unable to process what these tingles mean. I know what it means, I¡®ve been taught about what it means, I just never expected it to actually happen. ¡®What...what¡®s that?¡® I ask stupidly, clearing my throat and gesturing to our hands. I want to hear it from him, I need to hear it from him. ¡®Fuck it,¡® he growls, he grabs the back of my head with his wounded arm, but clean hand, tangling his fingers in my hair. I barely have to react as he leans down and captures my lips in a sudden kiss. My hands instinctively reach up to support myself against his solid pecs, I sy my hands, enjoying the feel of his hard chest. My eyes are still open, I¡®m motionless against his lips,pletely blindsided by his actions. It takes me a moment, but I manage to gather some kind of thought process and soften in his arms. I let my eyes fall closed and I kiss him back. There is nothing else on my mind but him, I slide my hands up, around his neck, pulling myself closer to him. His hand loosens in my hair to run down my back to my bum, he gives it a rough squeeze and press es me tightly to his muscr build. I think I¡®ve died and gone to Heaven. Myra¡®s POV. Eventually, his grip eases up and we pull away from each other. I open my mouth and attempt to form words, but nothinges out. He gazes at me, his ice¨Cblue eyes look troubled, and then he sighs, running his hand through his inky ck hair. I¡®m sorry I didn¡®t tell you,¡® he states, his voice is gravelly and apologetic. ¡®Tell me what?¡® I ask, although I have a pretty good idea what he means, this is not something I want to be mistaken about. I¡®ve embarrassed myself enough in my life and this could turn out to be very embarrass ing if I get it wrong, ¡®That you are my mate,¡® he says the words so simply, he has no idea of the emotional response my This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. body has to them. They are words I never thought I would hear in my life. I inhale sharply, wondering whether I should pinch myself to test if this is even real. I have been dreaming of this day since I was a lit tle girl, and to have it actually happen, is insanely surreal. I snap out of my reverie when he sways again, I pick up the keys from the floor, where we must have dropped them when he grabbed me. ¡®We¡®ll talk about this in the car, we need to get you to a Doctor,¡® I tell him, there is no room for argument in my voice and he wisely stays silent as I help him into the car and reverse out of the allotment. ¡°How long have you known?¡® I break the silence we have been sitting in for thest fifteen minutes, I force myself to keep my focus on the road instead of sneaking nces at the gorgeous male next to me. ¡®Since I first met you, he admits, and I can hear the guiltcing his tone. ¡°And you kept that to yourself because...¡¯ | trail off, aware that my tone is sarcastic but not caring in the slightest. I¡®m pissed off that he has kept such a life¨Cchanging secret from me. ¡°Because I didn¡®t want to hurt you,¡® he replies ambiguously and I frown, he must be able to guess that I¡®m going to ask this next question. ¡°How would you hurt me?¡® ¡®We are very different people, if you knew some of the things I¡®ve done, or the job that I do, you¡®d be hor rified. I was trying to protect you from myself, I¡®m no good for you, he exins, and I feel even more con fused than before. ¡°Why? What do you do that¡®s so bad?¡® I ask him, curiosity is burning inside of me and spreading like a wildfire. ¡°I¡®ll tell you about it some other time, I don¡®t want to rush into anything, he replies, and I decide to let it go, for now. ¡®Okay, so what happens now?¡®.l question, but his reaction is different this time, he looks at me and smiles. I have never seen him smile, not properly like this anyways. He looks so attractive it actually blows me away and I have to struggle to retrieve my thoughts in order to drive safely. ¡°Now that you know, I no longer have to keep avoiding you or being rude.¡® ¡°Well it¡®s nice to know yourck of manners was to keep me at a distance rather than a real personality trait,¡® I tease, and he rewards me with another one of those smiles, I think I¡®m going to be addicted to them already. We talk for a little longer, and soon we have returned home. I send Jayce straight over to the Surgery be checked out whilst I go and find Alpha Damien to give h of us head over to the Surgery. ¡®Are you going to be okay?¡®I ask, mostly to Jayce, but my eyes are on the nurse as well. ¡®Yeah, should be all healed in a few days, he replies, and I nod, feeling reassured. I grab my handbag and stand up to go, wanting to give him and Damien some time together. ¡°Right, I¡®ll see you tomorrow,¡® I tell him, pausing awkwardly. It¡®s too soon to kiss him goodbye right? Maybe just a hug? Or no hug? You¡®ve been standing here for ages just leave! ¡®Come here, he orders, reaching out with his good arm, now clean of any blood. I sigh with relief and eagerly step into his arms. Leaning down, I wrap my arms around his neck, and he pulls me tightly against him. I ignore the nurse huffing in annoyance and try to block out Damien¡®s muffledughter. , ¡®See you tomorrow, he whispers in my ear, his husky voice does all sorts of things to my body, and I hurriedly leave before I do something stupid, like knock out the nurse and pounce on him. Book 1 Chapter 16 Book 1 Chapter 16 I¡®m surprised when I make it home in one piece, my mind was all over the ce whilst driving home, try ing to make sense of today. I¡®m upset that Nathan is asleep when I get home, but I patiently wait until he gets up at 7pm so we can talk. I pour myself a veryrge ss of wine and getfortable on the sofa. For the next hour, whilst he wanders about getting ready, I proceed to inform him of the crazy mixture of events that have urred today. He pauses at the best moments, gaping in shock at me whilst he does his hair or eats his ¡®breakfast¡®. Jesus fucking Christ, he mutters as I finish telling him. ¡®I know,¡® I reply, taking a big sip of wine. ¡®Are you honestly alright? I don¡®t want you going on one of those missions again, it¡®s too dangerous! He ¡®Don¡®t worry, I doubt Jayce will let me anyways, I tell him, my heartbeat quickens just by saying his name. What is this guy doing to me? ¡®Jayce... I¡®m not sure I like how he¡®s treated you so far, Nate grumbles and I roll my eyes. ize I actually don¡®t know him very well, I don¡®t even know what he does all day when he disappears. ¡®Sure, whatever you say.¡® Nate replies sarcastically and I ignore him, making a mental note to get to ask Jayce about his life tomorrow. Nathan goes to work soon after, leaving me with the house to myself. I spend the evening eating a ton of pasta and watching films. I copse into my bed just after ten and fall asleep within minutes. I wake with a start, confused when nothing but pitch ckness greets me in my room. I check my phone and groan as I see it¡®s midnight. I have somehow thrown my duvet off the bed and stripped myself of my clothes again. My body is covered with a thinyer of sweat and I feel like my blood is boiling as I¡®m so. hot. Without thinking about it too much, I reach into my bedside drawer for Kevin my B.O.B and decide that he is the only thing that will get me back to sleep and sate my raging hormones. Jayce¡®s POV. convince myself that just being within a few meters of her is enough. The night is silent, and I can sense that she is home alone. No one would know if I snuck inside and saw her, I don¡®t think she¡®d be that mad. My thoughts are interrupted as a buzzing sound reaches my ears, I frown in confusion and nce around, trying to locate the source. My hands clench into fists and my body shakes as I suddenly pinpoint the cause of the noise and the image of my mate pleasuring herself loads up in my head. I fall back against the ground,pletely winded by the desire that ovees me. Knowing that she is so close to me and is doing that, makes it near impossible to stop myself from storming into her house and doing the job for her. I jump off the ground and throw myself into a sprint in the opposite direction of her house. I have to get away before I lose controlpletely. This woman is going to be the death of me. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Myra¡®s POV I manage toplete all the tasks Alpha Damien sets me before lunch, which is a miracle really as my mind was on Jayce the whole time. I haven¡®t seen him yet and we don¡®t even have each other¡®s numbers so I can¡®t text him. I get up and go over to Damien¡®s office. ¡®I¡®ve finished my jobs Sir; I was going to take my lunch break if that¡®s okay with you?¡® ¡®That¡®s great, thank you Myra, go ahead, he replies, I turn to leave but then change my mind. ¡®Do you know where Jayce is?¡® I ask and immediately Damien¡®s mood shifts, he looks uneasy and rigid. ¡®He¡®s busy at the moment, I¡®ve given him an assignment, he should be finished shortly,¡® he says elusive 1. ly. I step outside, still confused by Damien¡®s odd behavior. Jayce is obviously doing something secret Damien doesn¡®t want me to know about. He¡®s not out on assignment because his car is still in the car park. I decide to dig a bit deeper and head over to the surgery, the nurses might know something. I go over to the reception desk and wait for one of the receptionists to be avable, ¡®Hi, how can I help you?¡® I¡®m looking for Beta Jayce, you don¡®t happen to know where he is, do you?¡± I ask and the receptionist smiles. ¡®He¡®s over at the holding cells.¡® I thank the receptionist and make my way over to the holding cells, a building I¡®ve never been inside be fore. It certainly looks ominous with a minimal number of small windows and solid steel door. My code for the entry gate doesn¡®t work on the keypad so I have to press the call button, it buzzes through to a security guard. ¡®Hi, I¡®m looking for Beta Jayce?¡® ¡®One moment, the inte buzzes and the door clicks open. I quickly step inside and pull it closed be hind me. I turn my attention to a middle aged, tough looking woman sat behind arge desk. ¡°He¡®s on assignment downstairs at the moment, you can wait for him here if you want, she gestures to a few chairs on the opposite side of the room. I thank her and take a seat, nervously ying with hands, a bad habit of mine. A tormented scream sounds from behind the door next to me and I almost leap out of the chair in sur prise. The security guard doesn¡®t seem phased as she keeps typing away on herputer. I nce be tween her and the door, jumping again as another broken scream sounds out. The person isn¡®t Jayce, but they sound like they¡®re in excruciating pain. ¡®What¡®s going on?¡® I inquire, unable to keep the horror out of my voice. ¡®Beta Jayce is interrogating a rogue we caught on our territoryst week, she states calmly,pletely oblivious to my repulsion. ¡°He what?¡® | splutter, unable to process my thoughts as another agonizing yell resonates around the room. ¡°He is our interrogator, he gets vital information out of trespassers, are you new here?¡± She raises her eyebrow at me, and I can only stare at her in abhorrence. I jump up and open the door next to me, I hear the security guard call out for me to stop, but I ignore her and hurry down the flight of stairs. A groan echoes near me and I frantically look through the mini win dow cut into the door on my right, my stomach turns at the sight that greets me, My mate is stood with bloody knuckles, he has blood on his top and down his arms, but the man tied to the chair in front of him is in much worse shape. Just as the security woman grabs my arm and starts to pull me upstairs, Jayce looks up at the door and his face drops as he sees me. | yank my arm out of the guard¡®s grip and bolt up the stairs and out the door. The second the cool breeze hits me in the face I feel slightly better. I find myself panting, sounding like I¡®ve run a marathon when really someone has just turned my world upside down. I close my eyes, but I can still hear the man¡®s screams in my head, still see him bloodied, beaten and tied to that chair. I, unsurprisingly, don¡®t feel like lunch anymore. Book 1 Chapter 17 Book 1 Chapter 17 ¡®Myra!¡® Jayce calls my name, relief crossing his features as he sees me standing a few feet away. He takes a step towards me and I back away, not wanting to be anywhere near him right now. ¡®Myra let me exin,¡® he says, holding his hands out pleadingly. I just stare at him and shake my head. ¡°You stay away from me,¡® I tell him, not recognizing my own voice, raw with emotion. His hurt face near ly breaks me, but I get another sh of that abused man¡®s face as a sickening reminder. I¡®m begging you, let me exin, this is what I didn¡®t want to happen, this is why I didn¡®t tell you, he im plores me, and I feelpletely torn in two. ¡®Then you shouldn¡®t be such a fucking sadist then, I snap, fuming at him for being such a violent per son. What kind of heartless asshole can torture someone? I¡®m not a sadist Myra, hear me out, he takes another step towards me, but this time I don¡®t back away. He looks relieved and runs his hands through his ha ¡®Damien gets me to interrogate trespassers and rogues who might be nning an attack or uprising, never women, never anyone underage, and they are only the trespassers we suspect have bad intentions, I never use tools or weapons, only my hands, it¡®s not like I torture them, half the time all it takes is a bit of in timidation and they fess up anyways, he exins, and I be more relieved as he goes on. ¡®What about the man in there?¡® I question and his face hardens. ¡®That man in there, killed two members of my patrol team, both of whom had mates and children that are now heartbroken, he doesn¡®t deserve to be alive today, he growls, and I suddenly don¡®t feel so bad about the beaten man. But that doesn¡®t make his job okay. ¡®Look, I know it¡®s a lot to take in, and I¡®m sorry you had to find out this way, but I promise those assign ments are a rare urrence and a necessary evil in protecting the pack, I don¡®t kill those men, they are re leased after questioning as long as their n has been stopped, he continues, and I feel slightly reassured. ¡®Please don¡®t ever be scared of me,¡® he says to me, and the fear in his voice breaks my heart. I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his intoxicat ing scent ¡®This is a lot right now, just give me some time, my voice is small and shaky, and I hate myself for sounding so meek, ¡®Of course, give me your phone and I¡®ll add my number, text me when you¡®re ready or want to talk, he of fers and does as he asks, watching silently as he adds himself to my contacts. ¡®I¡®m sorry Myra, he says and my heart clenches tightly at the sound of my name on his lips. I¡®ll see youter,¡® I tell him and head back over to the pack hall, to eat whatever lunch I can manage at my desk. I can barely concentrate on my work, and I think Alpha Damien senses this, because he sends me home early. I¡®m grateful for his understanding and happilyply, arriving home a couple of hours earlier than usual. I manage to keep myself upied for the rest of the day, but Iy in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to picture that man¡®s bloodied face. I imagine if I were a true shifter and had been born into the violence and fighting like my brother was, I would be more epting of this. But it is hard, be cause when my brother was training and learning to fight, I wasn¡®t involved, I was doing human things like going to see a movie or shopping or something. I make a mental list of the pros and cons of Jayce, feeling relieved but still uneasy when the pro¡®s mas sively outweighed the cons. He has reasons behind his job, and I suppose when it reallyes down to the safety of everyone, someone has to do it. Why does it have to be his job? Why can¡®t it be someone else¡®s? I decide to leave it for tonight and although it takes me a while, I eventually fall asleep. Myra¡®s POV. I expected to have bad dreams after what I saw yesterday, but the sensual images that filled my mind and stripped myself of my garments, I don¡®t know why I even bothered wearing them, to be honest, I sit up in bed for a moment, looking around at the chaos that is my bed, why is this happening? My body is sticky from sweat and I feel like my blood is on fire, heating my skin, despite being naked. I peel my body from the bed and jump into my shower, eagerly turning the water to cold. The icy water pelts down on my body and I¡®m surprised it doesn¡®t hiss and steam off, considering how hot I feel. I step out ten minutester, feeling slightly cooler but certainly not cold. I dry myself off and search for my outfit for the day. Once dressed, Ie downstairs and decide to text Aria, I need to see my friends to distract me from thinking about Jayce. I¡®m excited to see she has messaged me and our friend Alena already on our group chat, suggesting a camping trip on my next day off. I try to keep my mind off Jayce all morning, an impossible task, I know, but the moment I hear him talk ing to Damien outside, I snap. I nce out of the window and see the two of them talking on thewn, Jayce is wearing a tight white t¨Cshirt that shows off his tan and bulging muscles, he looks delicious. His skin is glowing with a faint sheen of sweat and he wipes his forehead, maybe it¡®s not just me having hot flushes? | smooth down my skirt, pat my hair and make my way outside, hoping that Damien doesn¡®t mind me taking a quick break, I¡®m due one anyway. I pass Damiening back in as I step out, the second Jayce¡®s eyesnd on me, my steps falter. He starts walking over, one of his strides matching my every two steps. We meet in the middle, before I can say anything, he grabs my face and pulls me in to kiss me. Not for the first time. | react instantly, instinctively cing my hands on his chest, pressing myself willingly against him. I can feel his body heat permeating through his t¨Cshirt and onto my hands, he is as warm as me. The kiss deepens, his hands tangling into my hair, his tongue delving into my mouth. A shiver of pure pleasure runs down my spine and goose¨Cbumps rise on my arms in reaction to the sex god kissing me. I try not to pout as he pulls away, looking down at me with those smoldering dark eyes of his. ¡®Sorry, I know I was meant to wait until you were ready, but I couldn¡®t resist, he admits, his voice is so husky that I can feel my body getting all worked up again. How is he so damn sexy? ¡®It¡®s okay, I reply, coughing to try and get the breathiness out of my voice. ¡®I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me, tonight?¡® He asks and I grin at him. It¡®s quite adorable seeing a tall, muscr guy get nervous. Td like that, yes, I smile and a faint blush spreads across my cheeks, no one has asked me on a date in a while, it¡®s ttering. ¡®Okay. I¡®ll pick you up tonight at seven?¡® He offers and I nod eagerly. Sounds great, I¡®ll see you then,¡® he grins at me, and I walk back inside before I do something stupid like throw myself at his gorgeous body. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Book 1 Chapter 18 Book 1 Chapter 18 Work passes painfully slowly, I squirm with excited anticipation as I type away, already mentally choos ing an outfit for tonight. I should have asked him where we¡®re going. I don¡®t know what to wear. I think about it for a moment and then decide to text him, this is our first date, I¡®d like to feel confident in my outfit. Only a few minutester, my phone buzzes on the desk, making me smile. I love fast repliers. I frown at his reply, saying that I can wear whatever I want, he just wants me. I get that he¡®s trying to be cute, but for me, that¡®s a really annoying answer. I have a few hours to get ready when I finish work and return home, Nate is sat having his breakfast be fore for his night shift. ¡®He asked you on a date?¡® Nate asks, his tone is unimpressed. ¡®Isn¡®t that a normal thing to do?¡® I reply as I use a make¨Cup wipe to take off my make¨Cup in prepara tion for tonight. ¡®I guess...I still don¡®t like him though, he responds, and I don¡®t bother to reply, I just go upstairs to my room. I take over an hour to do my make¨Cup, I want to look perfect for him. I spend the next half hour looking through my wardrobe, trying to find something suitable, which is more difficult than it sounds when I don¡®t know where we¡®re going. Eventually, I decide to go with jeans, a nice top and some heeled boots, trying to be smart¨Ccasual. I check myself over in the mirror, d that I decided to forego straightening my hair and left it curly instead. I¡®m ready early, so I go downstairs and try to distract myself by watching TV. Almost exactly at seven, the doorbell rings and my stomach responds by clenching tightly with nerves. I grab my handbag, quickly check myself in the mirror and open the door. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight I am greeted with. Jayce is stood before me, wearing a tight, maroon shirt that hugs every muscle on his chest and arms. My mouth goes dry, and I can¡®t form words as my eyes drop lower This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. to his slim waist, pausing on his thick thighs entuated by his jeans. I can¡®t find the words to describe how in credible he looks. He¡®s left his dark ck hair unruly and somehow still styled, its atramentous color contrasts beautiful ly with his azure irises. Combine that with the stream of tattoos peeking above the cor of his shirt and under the cuffs of his sleeves, he ispletely irresistible. ¡®Good evening, he greets me, his voice doing unspeakable things to me. ¡®Evening, I force my brain toply and manage a breathy response, his eyes trail up and down my body. My skin heats under his gaze and I¡®m d that I wore the tightest jeans I have, they show my curves off well. Jayce seems to notice. ¡°You look hot, really hot, hepliments me, I spin around to lock the door so he can¡®t see how pleased I am. ¡®Thank you, you look...divine,¡® I reply, mentally cursing myself for sounding like such an idiot. Divine, really? We make idle conversation as he drives us off to our unknown destination, it is only when we follow my route to work that I be curious. ¡®Where are we going?¡® I ask, ncing around to see we are on Damien¡®s territory. ¡®My house,¡¯ he replies, for a moment, I¡®m mad that I stressed about what to wear so much, he could have just told me this earlier. ¡°You¡®re making me dinner?¡® I question, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice. ¡°Yes, you nervous?¡® He asks and winks at me, I¡®m momentarily stunned by this flirtatious side of him that I¡®ve rarely seen. A little bit yeah, I admit, although I¡®m nervous about our date, not his cooking. My eyes light up as Jayce pulls up in front of a two¨Cstory, grey brick house. It¡®spletely idyllic, with door for me. My mouth drops open in surprise and I quickly shut it before my evident shock offends him. ¡®Thank you,¡® I gush, I love this different side of him. Jayce leads me inside, to the shiny modern, open n kitchen at the back of the house, ¡®Would you like a drink?¡® He offers, and I eagerly ept a ss of wine to calm my nerves. ¡®I hope you don¡®t mind; I¡®ve just got to finish off prepping our meal, take a look around the house if you want, he suggests. Curious, I take my ss and wander past the dining room, into the living room. I roll my eyes at his huge T.V, it really doesn¡®t need to be that big, perhaps he¡®spensating for something. Taking another sip of courage, I venture upstairs to find his bedroom. I know before I have even flicked the lights on, that it is his room. His scent envelops me, and my body instinctively reacts by clenching with lust. I turn the light on and take in the simple, austere room. I feel sorry that his room is so uninviting, itsrge area makes the few dark wood items of furniture look very sparse. I don¡®t know what I thought it¡®d look like, messy maybe, but this room is bare and meticulously clean. It needs a woman¡®s touch. Deciding that I¡®ve snooped enough, Ie back downstairs to the kitchen. ¡®Your house is lovely¨C¡® My words are cut short when my eyesnd on Jayce. He is stood behind the counter, chopping onions, wearing goggles. He looks up and smiles at me, as if remembering the goggles, he quickly whips them off and shoves them in his pocket. They have left two adorable pink rings around his eyes from being so tight. ¡®Goggles huh?¡® I tease, approaching him and sliding onto one of the chairs. ¡®It might damage my reputation if I¡®m seen crying,¡® he replies and Iugh, but my face deadpans when I realize he¡®s beingpletely serious. ¡®And you thought goggles were the more masculine option?¡® I ask, trying to contain myughter. ¡®Well not now I¡®ve seen your reaction, he huffs, he turns away from me and towards the oven and I can¡®t control myughter anymore. ¡®No, I¡®m sorry, you looked very intimidating in your goggles,¡® Iugh, he ignores me, but I don¡®t care be cause that image will stay with me forever. If only I had taken a photo. A loud crack of thunder sounds, and we both hear it despite the sizzling of the vegetables in a frying pan. ¡®I didn¡®t know there was meant to be thunder tonight, I say absentmindedly, looking at the window in astonishment as rain pelts down outside. Lv. 1 ¡®Yeah, I thought it was just going to rain but I heard that a thunderstorm was approaching earlier, he replies, and I frown, not loving the idea of heading home in this weather. ¡®Hopefully it¡®ll blow over whilst we eat,¡® Iment, only now seeing that he hasid the table for us. ¡®Speaking of eating, dinner¡®s ready, Jayce replies and a few momentster we¡®re sat opposite one an other with a delicious meal in front of us. Book 1 Chapter 19 Book 1 Chapter 19 Book 1 Chapter 19 At first, we barely talk, both of us too engrossed in our meal. ¡®I can¡®t remember thest time I enjoyed a meal so much, this is delicious, I tell him honestly, embar rassed when I realize I¡®ve eaten twice as fast as him. I attempt to slow down but it¡®s very hard when it tastes this good. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡®Thank you, my dad taught me to cook,¡® he says, and our conversation turns onto the family. An hourter, and the empty tes have been sat in front of us for ages, but we¡®ve been talking too much to clear them. I dry the dishes and pans as Jayce washes and ces them on the dryer. With our team effort, we¡®re finished pretty quickly. I watch, lost in thought, as he moves easily around his kitchen, putting everything away. Tonight he has been apletely different person, the person he obviously is. The standoffish, cold persona he adopt ed since we first met was an act he was using to protect us both from himself. I¡®m so d we¡®re past all that now. | nce out of the window and the rain is still hurtling down, although now it has been joined by fre quent bolts of lightning that light up the sky every few minutes. ¡®It hasn¡®t rained like this in ages,¡¯ I mutter as I look out the window, the rain is falling so fast and dense you can barely see the end of his garden. ¡®I don¡®t want you driving in this weather¡® I tell him, thinking of that mud road we arrived on, he¡®ll proba bly get his car stuck. ¡°But how will you get home?¡® He asks and I bite my lip as I ponder the thought. ¡®Maybe we could wait it out?¡® I suggest, and he seems content with that n. ¡®We can watch a film if you want, he offers and whilst he pours us some more drinks, I flick through the channels trying to find something. Eventually, we make a choice and settle down on his extremelyfortable sofa. Just having him sat in such close proximity to me sends my whole body buzzing with excitement, I feel like a schoolgirl with her crush. Something chinks and I jolt awake, I nce around in confusion, squinting because everything is blur ry. Looking down at my hands, I realize that I must have fallen asleep, Jayce has taken my sses off and put them on myp along with a nket. I hurriedly put them back on so everythinges back into focus. Jayce enters the room and I smile sheepishly. ¡®Sorry, I can¡®t believe I fell asleep, I apologize, embarrassed and silently praying I didn¡®t snore or make a weird noise or something. ¡®It¡®s okay, you only missed half the movie, he teases, sitting down next to me. I look over at the window and although the thunder and lightning have ceased, the rain is still falling relentlessly. ¡®You don¡®t have to, but I was thinking, you can stay over tonight if you want,¡® he says, and I raise an eye brow with him. I never thought he¡®d offer that. ¡®I don¡®t have anything with me, I reply, trying to work out whether I think it¡®s a good idea or not. You can borrow my clothes to sleep in, and I¡®ll drop you home tomorrow when the rain has stopped, he replies, and I consider it for a moment. I try to think of reasons not to, but all I manage toe up with is, ¡®I don¡®t have any make¨Cup wipes.¡® ¡®l have some moisturizer you can use; it¡®ll probably take it off, he suggests and again, I find myself struggling to contain myughter. ¡®You moisturize...very sensible,¡® Iment, and he smirks at me. ¡®How else do you think i keep this skin so soft, he replies, taking me by surprise by rubbing his cheek against mine to prove his point, making me giggle. He stops, but doesn¡®t pull away, and his eyes drop to my lips. I barely have time to react as his lips press against mine, but my hands, of their own volition, eagerly entangle themselves in his hair. His arms wrap around my waist, and he easily lifts me onto hisp, nket and all. My thighs are posi tioned on the outside of his, my hands tugging gently on his hair as hisrge hands squeeze my hips, driv ing me crazy as his tongue teases mine. Our chests meet with every shallow breath, I can barely think, I¡®m so ovee with desire. After a while, we pull away and I try to slide off hisp, feeling awkward. But, because the nket is wrapped around my legs, my legs are stuck, and I end up falling backward off the sofa. Jayce bursts outughing as I manage to sit up and right myself. ¡®That was amazing, he says, pretending to wipe away a tear. I huff and hit him on the arm, it has no im pact of course. ¡®Come on, I¡®ll get you some things, Jayce stands up and I put the nket back on the sofa. I follow Jayce upstairs to his bathroom, where he gives me a spare toothbrush and gets his moisturizer out of a cupboard. . ¡°Wow, onion goggles and moisturizer, this evening has been enlightening, I tease, and he nudges me yfully. The small moment of contact has my heart racing like I¡®ve just been on a jog, I¡®m in way over my head with this guy. I remove my make¨Cup and get myself ready for bed, I try to distract myself from the thought that we will probably be sharing a bed. I¡®m nervous. Book 1 Chapter 20 Book 1 Chapter 20 Book 1 Chapter 20 I clean my teeth and step out of the bathroom; I can hear Jayce in the kitchen, so I make my way down the stairs. All of a sudden, the lights cut out and I¡®m plunged into darkness. My breath catches in my throat, and I miss a step on the stairs, I drop down and my ass hits the steps. I try to stop myself, but¡®l slide down and thunder to the bottom. ¡®Myra? Shit are you okay?¡® I hear Jayce¡®s voice and his footsteps on the corridor, instantly feeling re lieved. ¡®Yeah I¡®m fine, I mumble, sitting up and rubbing my leg. I jump as he kneels next to me, the second lin hale his scent, I feel better. ¡®I can hear how fast your heart is beating, are you honestly alright?¡® He asks, and I feel ttered by the worry in his tone. I¡®m okay really, I just...I really don¡®t like the dark,¡® I admit, feeling stupid. He chuckles and wraps his arm around my shoulders. Before I can process his actions, he has scooped me up in his arms and is carrying me up the stairs.; Come on; let¡®s go to sleep, his deep voiceforts me and I don¡®tin as he sets me down on his bed. I slide off my jeans and top, leaving them next to the bed, I¡®m suddenly very grateful for the ck out so he can¡®t see me. ¡®Can I wear one of your tops?¡® I call out as he fumbles about in the bathroom. ¡®Second drawer down, he replies, and I try to remember where the dresser was when I saw it earlier. 1 reach out blindly across the room, eventually finding the dresser. I freeze as I hear the bathroom door open, and he steps into the room. ¡®Are you dressed?¡® He asks, his voice gives away his desire and I swallow hard. ¡®No, I¡®m just getting a top now, I attempt to reply calmly, but my voice shakes a little. There¡®s just so much tension between us, I can¡®t cope with it. I wait nervously as I hear him pad across the carpet, tensing up as he steps behind me and reaches around. I feel his arm brush against mine as he picks a top and instead of handing it to me, he guides my arms into the sleeves, effectively dressing me. He pulls the top down over my head and I inhale sharply as he pulls it down over my hips, his fingers brushing against my thighs. We both paused for a moment, I can feel his cool breath on my shoulder, just as I turn around to kiss him, he moves away, and I hear him get into bed. I crawl under the duvet and wait for him to say something as I don¡®t want to be the first to break the silence. ¡®Do you know it¡®s been two weeks?¡® His voice makes me jump, its husky tone meaning I want him even more. ¡®Two weeks since what?¡® ¡®We met each other, he says casually, but his voice has softened and it¡®s sweet that he¡®s thought of that. ¡®Oh I didn¡®t know, that¡®s gone quickly, feels like only yesterday you were ignoring me,¡® I tease, and he grabs my waist and pulls me on top of him. Just when I think he¡®s going to kiss me, he begins tickling my sides. ¡®Stop it!¡¯ I giggle loudly, struggling to breathe as he relentlessly tickles me. ¡®I love yourugh, hements, his hands finally ceasing. I can see nothing in the darkness, but his lips find mine and I sink into his arms. ************* Myra¡®s POV. The morning sun shines on my face as I start to wake up, I scrunch my eyes closed and roll away, try ing to escape its rays. I roll onto my side and frown as something tickles my nose, I open my eyes and re coil as I realize I have my face in Jayce¡®s armpit and it¡®s his armpit hair tickling my nose. Lovely. I sigh heavily, irritated that I can¡®t get back to sleep now. I sit up and stretch, ready to get up for the day, but tworge, inked arms wrap around my waist and drag me back under the quilt. ¡®Morning, Jayce¡®s husky voice whispers in my ear, I shiver when he kisses down the side of my neck. ¡°Morning,¡® I mumble a reply, trying not to moan at the touch of his sinful mouth. ¡®Want to stay in bed with me all day?¡¯ He offers and I know I have to get out of the bed now before ! take him up on his offer. ¡®As much as I¡®d love to, we¡®ve got to go to work, I tell him, giving him a quick kiss and then slipping from his grasp to get ready as he huffs in annoyance. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. I follow Jayce into work, it¡®s weird arriving together. Damien gives us a knowing look as we step out of our cars in sync. I try to concentrate on my work and not think about Jayce, but that fails miserably. ¡®You okay, Myra?¡® Damien¡®s voice calls out to me, and I jump, realizing I¡®ve just been staring at my puter screen. ¡®Yeah sorry, in the zone,¡¯ Ilie, sending him a quick smile then turning back to my screen. Book 1 Chapter 21 Book 1 Chapter 21 Book 1 Chapter 21 I force myself to focus on the numbers and try to concentrate. It works for a while, until a delicious scent reaches me. My head snaps up in response and I¡®m greeted with the beautiful sight of my mate N?velDrama.Org is the owner. rounding the corner, his dark eyesnd on me, his lips twitching into a mischievous smile. ¡°Hey,¡® I breathe, my heart already beating faster now he¡®s near me. Hees over and leans down, kiss ing me with no warning. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck from where I¡®m sat, pulling him down to me. He kisses me with such skill that it makes my legs weak and I¡®m d I¡®m sitting down. The inte buzzes on my phone and I push Jayce away, reaching over to press the button. ¡®Myra? Is my Beta out there?¡® Damien¡®s voice sounds out, Jayce ignores him and begins kissing down my neck, raising goose¨Cbumps on my arms. ¡®Um yes, he is,¡® I manage to stutter out, cursing my voice for not sounding steadier. Jayce get your hands off her ande in here please, Damien reprimands and Jayce huffs in annoy ance, pulling away from me. He winks at me and lets himself into Damien¡®s office. I get sucked back into my work, but shouting voices eventually break through my concentration. The door to the office swings open and a fuming Jayce storms out and down the corridor without a nce in my direction. I instinctively stand up, but then tell myself not to follow him and let him calm down. I walk over to the office to shut the door, and see Damien leaning back in his chair, shaking his head in exasperation. ¡®Is everything alright, Alpha?¡® | ask, concerned as his tired eyes meet mine. He sighs before replying, ¡®I need you and Jayce to go and collect some information from one of my fa ther¡®s old business sites, he was a bit of an entrepreneur, and I don¡®t want anyone getting their hands on our details and using them against us,¡® he pauses and rubs his hand down his face, ¡®But it appears Jayce is rather reluctant considering what happened to you twost time you went.¡® I think about how we were attacked by rogues, and Jayce ended up getting shot. No thanks, I¡®d rather not repeat that again. ¡®Can we not take guards with us?¡® I suggest and Alpha Damien nods. ¡®That¡®s exactly what I said, five of patrol will go with you, but Jayce doesn¡®t want you joining them, I tried to exin to him you¡®re the only one who knows what information is sensitive, you know what you¡®re looking for, you¡®ll find the information quicker than any of them, Damien exins and I nod, knowing he¡®s right. I think we¡®ll be fine with patrol with us, I¡®ll go and speak to him, I offer, leaving the office and going in search of Jayce. I find him outside, pacing up and down with his fists clench. Is it weird that I find him really hot when he¡®s angry? Not the time, focus Myra. Jayce,¡® I step towards him, and he looks up to re at me. ¡®Don¡®t start Myra, you¡®re noting,¡® he warns and continues pacing. I roll my eyes and walk over to him. ¡®Will you stop? You¡®re making me dizzy,¡® Iin, but he only gives me a hard look in response. ¡®We¡®ll be fine, patrol ising with us, they can go in and check first okay? They¡®ll clear it for us, it¡®ll be okay, you¡®re not getting shot again, I tell him, and he looks at me in shock. ¡®I don¡®t care about getting shot Myra, I care about you getting hurt!¡® He exims and I feel so lucky that he cares so much. T¡®ll be fine Jayce, okay? Come on, we¡®ll be in and out in five minutes, easy, I shrug, but he doesn¡®t seem convinced. I step in front of him, blocking his way, I throw my arms around him and lift myself up on my tip toes, pressing my lips to his. He responds immediately, his arms circling my waist and pulling me against him. I move my lips with his, teasing his bottom lip with my tongue until he growls. I pull away and smirk at his dark eyes, heated with arousal. ¡® We¡®re going, and it¡®s going to be okay, I say as I pull out of his arms, I strut back over to the pack house, satisfied now that I¡®ve got my way. I feel bad for manipting Jayce into agreeing, so l text him inviting him for dinner at mine tonight. It¡®s safer inviting him to my house, because my brother will be home, and that will stop things from...getting out of hand. For the rest of the afternoon, I manage to focus on work and nning what to make for dinner. At 5. pm, Jaycees round the corner, making my breath catch in my throat at the delicious sight of him. ¡®You going to give me a lift?¡® Jayce asks as I lean against my car, waiting for him. ¡®What about your car?¡® I frown, confused as to how he¡®s going toe back and collect it in time to drive into work tomorrow. ¡°I¡®ll run back and get it tonight, he shrugs, as if the answer were obvious. As a human, my first thought is not that he¡®ll shift and run here. We slip into my back, and I drive us back to my house, I nce over as I see his fists clenched, is he nervous? Are you cooking tonight or your brother?¡® Jayce asks and I resist smiling. ¡®Why?¡® ¡°I just think it¡®s safer if you do, your brother might try to poison me, Jayce mutters and I can¡®t help but chuckle at that. ¡®I know this is the first time my brother¡®s meeting you, but don¡®t worry, he¡®s lovely, he won¡®t be an ass, or I¡®ll yell at him, I exin and Jayce nods unconvinced. I pull onto the drive, and we step out, I can see that the lights are on, Nate must be making breakfast before his shift. I say a silent prayer that he¡®ll go easy on Jayce. Book 1 Chapter 22 Book 1 Chapter 22 Book 1 Chapter 22 I look over to make sure Jayce is okay and frown when I watch him roll down his sleeves to cover his arms, or rather, his tattoos. ¡®What are you doing?¡® I ask, horrified that he¡®s trying to cover his beautiful ink. ¡®I don¡®t want your brother thinking I¡®m some...thug, he replies, and I almostugh at him saying ¡®thug¡®. ¡®My brother won¡¯t think that silly, roll those backup, I tell him, but lean forwards to roll them myself, lov ing the feel of his warm skin. ¡®I love them,¡® I say quietly, when he doesn¡®t answer, I look up to meet him gazing lovingly down at me. He leans down and kisses me until I think I might drop my things. He finally pulls away, ¡®Let¡®s go inside, I mumble and turn towards the door. ¡®My brother works nights, so he would have just woken up and he¡®ll probably be having breakfast, lex in as I unlock the door and let us in. ¡®Nate?¡¯ I call, hearing an answering grunt in the kitchen, (D C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I walk in and Nate drops his spoon into his bowl at the sight of Jayce, sending milk sshing across the counter. ¡®Nate, this is my...mate, Jayce,¡® I introduce them, it feels strange introducing him as my mate, so for eign, but I love it. ¡®It¡®s nice to meet you, Jayce offers out his hand, tattoos on show. Nate looks down at his hand and then up at him, when his eyesnd on me I give him a look that says behave. ¡®Nice to meet you,¡® Nate grunts, with a deep voice that is not his n¨ªormal tone. I raise an eyebrow in question, what the fuck? Why is he putting on this gruff voice? ¡®So...night shifts huh?¡® Jaycements, ¡®That must be....dark,¡® he says, and I look at him in confusion. What the hell is he chatting about? Why are the two of them being so awkward? ¡®I¡®m going to start dinner, I push between the two of them and start getting things out of the fridge, leaving the weirdos to sort themselves out. When I eavesdrop on their conversation a few minutester, I realize they¡®ve moved onto sports and are chatting animatedly, thank God. Jayce offers to help but I decline, how the hell I ended up with such a good¨Clooking guy, who is also sweet with manners, I¡®ll never know, . By the time I¡®ve served up dinner for the two of us, Nate has disappeared into his room to get ready for work. ¡°You two seemed to be getting on okay?¡® I ask as we eat. Jayce nods and stuffs his mouth with food, ever the charmer. ¡°Yeah, I think he warmed up to me eventually¡® he replies, grinning and showing me a mouth full of broc coli. 1. IV. ¡®Wow, I mutter, shaking my head at him, but loving it really. We spend the evening together, I want him to stay, but I know that it might lead to more and I don¡®t want him to mark me yet. After waiting for so long, praying to be anything but human, I¡®m now scared not to be. With Jayce not in my bed that evening, I wake sweaty and hot in the morning, you know, the usual. When I arrive at work, Jayce is stood outside surrounded by five soldiers, a mix of males and females in full body armor like Marines or something. I got this for you, Jayce holds out a bullet¨Cproof vest for me as I walk over to him.. ¡®Aw baby, you shouldn¡®t have,¡® I tease, taking it off him and reaching up on my tiptoes to kiss him. Once we¡®re all geared up, we drive off to the site. Jayce and I wait in the car as four members of patrol enter the building first and dere it empty. We work quickly, checking all leftoverputers and files, wiping any trace of Alpha Damien or his dad. It all seems to be going smoothly until gunshots sound out and Jayce rugby tackles me to the floor and shoves me under a desk. Romantic ¡®Wait here,¡® he hisses and then disappears, and I get a sickening feeling that we¡®ve done this all before. More gunshots ring out, followed by grunts and bangs. I jump as the door swings open, and a rogue en ters, his face hard and bitter. Ituck further under the desk and put a hand over my mouth to try and mask my frantic breathing. | scream loudly as a gunshot breaks through the silence and a bullet hits his forehead, he drops life less to the ground: Are you okay?¡® Jayce leans down and asks as he pulls me out from under the desk and into his arms. I wrap my arms tightly around him, burying my face into his neck, I can only nod in response. Come on, let¡®s go, he takes my hand and leads me into the corridor and down the stairwell. I don¡®t understand how he can remain so calm in these situations whilst I¡®m shaking violently from the adrenaline. We step outside and I see the patrol guards and loading up the car with their armory and weapons. I get into the car with Jayce, holding his hand tightly. ¡®That was thest assignment, promise?¡® He orders and I happily agree with him, I¡®m done with being shot at. I just want to get home and get into bed, preferably with Jayce. Book 1 Chapter 23 Book 1 Chapter 23 Book 1 Chapter 23 Myra¡®s POV. | spin around in my chair and chew the lid of my pen as I watch, enraptured, out of the window. Ilean forward to better my view and the pen slips from my lips and tters to the ground, but I barely hear it, my mind totally epassed by the sight in front of me. ¡°Working hard, Myra?¡® Alpha Damien¡®s voice breaks rudely through my trance, and I leap almost a foot off the chair. I quickly turn around and pretend to concentrate on myputer, hoping my blush isn¡®t show ing too much. Damien smirks knowingly and disappears around the corner. I wait until his footsteps retreat and then turn around to continue my perverse staring. Damien asked Jayce to take a look at the engine of his old truck, an hour ago. I had happened to casu ally look out the window, just as Jayce had been peeling his tight shirt off his body. He dropped it to the ground and stretched his arms, flexing each muscle as he did. I¡®ve been beguiled since then, C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. thinyer of sweat in the midday heat. I try to get my eyes to turn away, I tell myself that I should, but each of his tattoos dances and winks at me with every movement of his arms. I picture myself standing behind him, sliding my hands up the hot skin stretched over the hard muscles of his back, fingertips tracing each intricate ck design... ¡°Myra, stop.¡® Jayce growls and I jump back in horror, my hands falling off his back and immediately fly ing to my mouth to mask my squeak of surprise. I realize I have actually left my office, walked over to the engine and done exactly what I¡®d been lusting after, touching him. He turns around and faces me, desire burning in his eyes, I¡®m so sorry, I didn¡®t even realize I ¨C¨C I start to apologize but he cuts me off, cing his hand under my chin, making me look up at him so he could lean down and kiss me. As soon as his lips touch mine, it ig nites something inside me, and I eagerly pressed my body to his. ¡®I need to mark you, he murmurs huskily in my ear, ¡®It¡®s making us both crazy and it¡®ll just get worse, he exins, and I force my mind to focus on his words, not his hips pressing alluring against mine. ¡®0¨Cokay, I mumble, my eyes closing as he trails kisses down my jaw to my neck. Is he going to do it now? In front of everyone? ¡®Most packs don¡®t hold the ceremonies anymore, but this pack does, it was a tradition that Damien¡®s fa ther ensured we followed, Jayce tells me, leaning back away from me so my mind can be clear and concentrate on what he¡®s saying. T¡®ll speak to Damien, and we¡®ll hold a mating ceremony tomorrow, but right now, you need to get back to work before we¡®re both fired, hements, he pulls me close for a final kiss and then ushers me to wards the building. My mind is so frazzled at this moment, that I stumble back to my desk like a zombie. I remind myself that Jayce is right, we need to do our work, and I don¡®t let myself think of him for the next few hours as I get my work done. Well, I try not to. : I think of what Jayce said earlier as I drive home from work, and I note that I didn¡®t even ask what a mating ceremony is, I drive past my house and continue on to Aria¡®s, she¡®ll know. Aria grins and pulls me into a hug, kissing my cheeks when I arrive at her door. What a lovely surprise, how are you?¡± She asks as she leads me down the corridor to the kitchen Setely is stood at the counter, cutting up vegetables. ¡°How domesticated, Iment dryly, leaning over to kiss his cheek ¡°Hi hun, how are you?¡± I ask and we chat for a while whilst Aria puts on the kettle and pours us some drinks. I watch as the two of them move about their kitchen, just the simple ways they look or touch each other, it¡®s obvious how much they¡®re in love ¡°I just wanted to ask you guys about mating ceremonies, like what are they? What do you do? I ques tion, Aria looks over at Seb, who raises an eyebrow and looks back at me. ¡®Why do you want to know? ¡®Jayce wants to have one tomorrow, I reveal and they both smirk its kind of creepy ¡®Okay, well it¡®s a tradition that not many packs still carry out its sweet he wants to do it Aria bagins and I take a hesitant sip of my tea, Basically, one mate is les into the woods before sunset, to give them a head¨Cstart, they are allowed to hide of try and outrun their mate and then when the sun sets the other mate tracks them and chases after them the idea being that they mark you when they find you, Ana er ins and I swallow hard, not particrly liking the sound of being chased ¡®It was started because we love a chase the thrill and excitement of hunting down your mate make the marking experience more intense. I used to be that the males hunted the females, but obviously times are changing and now it is either the dominant mate who hunts of the wolt it for instance, the other mate is human, Seb continued, and I ced my head in my hands I¡®m the human, lll be running What if I don¡®t want to do it?¡® I mumble suddenly not feeling te drinking my tea ¡®Don¡®t be silly, of course you¡®ll want to do it imagine how hot the ses will be Ania teases and her face drops when she sees how mortified I am You havent slept with him yet? She asks her mouth open in shock they did not wait for three No! I¡®ve known him less than three weeks! lexim and Seb smiths I take weeks Look, it ll be amazing, you ve just got to y him a little Ariaments, a mischievous gun on her face. Seb and l eye her wanily, what does she mean? ¡®He is going to expect to find you easily, youre a human es much faster and he can smell your scent, he will expect to find you in ten minutes but not if you re smart she sits down and that evil took retums. ¡®If you go out to the forest tomorrow before the ceremony and walk around, making sure your scent is scattered, he will find it harder to find you that evening try and cross a few rivers, your scent will be broken up, and maybe n out a route, wear trainers, she divulges and I try to make a mental note to do all these things ¡°And this will what stop him from finding me? I ask with mixed feelings about this ceremony Oh no, he¡®ll always find you, but what it will do, is prolong the chase and drive him mad, and by the time he finds you, well, it il probably be the most intense experience you¡®ll ever have Aria shrugs and be side her, Seb nods in agreement She¡®s right, he¡®ll be crazy for you he says it so casually, I don¡®t even know how to respond Nate calls a few minutester and tells me that he has made dinner for us, I leave Ana and Sebs house in two minds about whether I¡®m d I asked or not I decide not to mention the ceremony, no brother wants to hear about his sister being chased and fucked in the woods. I expect to lie awake for ages, but instead I fall asleep almost instantly, not giving myself time to over Aty think tomorrow. Book 1 Chapter 24 Book 1 Chapter 24 Book 1 Chapter 24 When I arrive at work the next morning, Alpha Damien calls me into his office and runs through all the This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. details for the chase. I can wear whatever I want, which will probably be warm gym clothes, apparently it used to be a rule that the women go barefoot, fuck that. I have more confidence today; I feel well¨Crested, and I make a sudden decision to go for it and not think about it too much. On my lunch break, I swap my heels for trainers and trek into the forest. I have one hour to wander around, eating my sandwiches and rubbing against trees. I brush my free hand on every thing whilst I eat, making sure I leave footprints in the ground and foliage. I double back on myself a lot and take sporadic, directionless routes, making sure my paths will be visi ble but haphazard. After half an hour, I am deep in the forest and I¡®ve finished my lunch, so I stretch my arms out to brush against the trunks of the trees. I pause, ready to turn around and go back, when a sh catches my eye. I step between some thick trees and argeke reveals itself, the sunlight shes across the surface. I try tomit my general route to memory and use my phone to find my way back. No one suspects anything when I slip back into work, hands freshly washed, shoes swapped. At five o¡®clock, I finish my shift and return home, we are meeting at seven, when the sunsets. I decide to have a huge dinner, knowing that all this exercise is going to make me hungry. I quickly clean my teeth after and change into my trainers, a warm top and some leggings, perfect for an evening jog. I check my make¨Cup and drive back to work. When I pull up, I¡®m pleased to see Jayce waiting for me. ¡®You look beautiful, hepliments me, brushing his knuckles across my cheek, the simple action twists my stomach in nervous but happy knots. Jayce takes my hand and leads me around the pack hall to the green, awn used for training. We walk across it to the forest¡®s edge, Damien is standing at the edge, my nerves start to bubble up again. ¡®Usually the whole pack is present, but I thought that you would be calmer if it were just us,¡¯ he tells me, and I am touched at how thoughtful he is. ¡®Thank you, I really appreciate that,¡® I reply, letting out a shaky breath. ¡®Are you nervous about tomorrow?¡® Jayce asks and before I can ask what he means, Damien calls us over. We stand in front of Damien, sort of simr to how the bride and groom stand at the altar. Damien re cites some traditional speech, but I can barely listen because the sun is low in the sky, casting every shade of orange across it, and I know I have only thirty minutes to outrun him. A part of me wonders why run at all? But I know that this excites him, and in a weird way, I don¡®t want him to catch me, I want to outwit him. ¡®You have thirty minutes Myra, time starts when you enter the forest, Alpha Damien informs me and I nod, turning my attention back to Jayce. I¡®m scared of the dark, I whisper, unable to stop the smile on my face because I sound like a child. He smirks and leans in close to me, so I can feel his minty breath on my face. ¡®Don¡®t worry Myra, you won¡®t be alone for long, he replies huskily, his words send a shiver down my spine, and I know I have to do this now before I chicken out. ¡®See you soon baby,¡® he taunts, and mypetitive side makes an appearance. ¡®Good luck, you¡®re going to need it,¡® I grin at him savoring his confused look. Turning on my heel, I sprint into the woods. I dodge in and out of the trees, I need to make the most of the sunlight whilst I have it, because soon I¡®ll be running in the dark, and that¡®s just asking for an ident. I push myself harder and pick up the pace, telling myself that I can restter. I trace one of my earlier routes, backtrack on it and then go off in another direction. I reach a small stream i¡®d noted this afternoon, I hurriedly take off my trainers and socks and wade across it. The icy cold water quickly cools my body and I¡®m relieved when I step onto the other side. I pull my socks and trainers back on, already feeling my socks drying my feet. Time passes much too quickly; the light starts to fade, and I begin squinting to get a clearer view of low¨Changing branches in my way. All of sudden, a bone¨Cchilling howl resounds across the forest, echoing off the trees. He¡®sing ******? ?C+++ Myra¡®s POV He howls again, and I mentally curse him, he¡®s taunting me, I know what that howl means; I¡®ming to get you. I sprint as fast as I can, stumbling over uneven ground, my lungs burn but I keep pushing myself. A fi nal howl sounds out, and I can tell from his tone he is frustrated, he knows that I¡®ve tricked him by spread ing my scent, and he¡®s mad. The fear of him catching me pumps adrenaline through my body and I¡®m able to run faster. An indescribable feeling of relief washes over me when I see theke, I skirt around it, sticking to the bank. I continually check back over my shoulder, paranoid that he is behind me. Only pitch¨Cck greets me, but I¡®m relieved there are no glowing eyes in the darkness. By the time I¡®ve reached the other side, the moon has risen and provided some light. I find a clearing with soft grass instead of hard ground, and I decide that I¡®ve run enough, I¡®m exhausted. I sit down and lean back against a tree, getting my breath back as I keep my eyes firmly fixed on space across the My eyes feel tired, but I force myself to stay awake and keep concentrating on that space, I¡®m surprised at how long it has taken him. I thought he¡®d find me faster, and I bet he thought he would too, so he¡®s bound to be pissed off. I jump as his dark form leaps into the space, his eyes scan theke andnd on me. A shiver runs through me, and I swallow hard, I can¡®t look away from his luminous blue eyes across the water. He lifts his head and howls loudly, a warning that this is nearly over. Fear spikes in me as he bolts off to the side, I know it¡®ll take him only a few minutes to reach me, so I panic and begin climbing up the tree I¡®m leaned against. I can¡®t go far, only a few meters, but I feel a bit safer. I suddenly regret saying yes to this, this is terrifying, the adrenaline alone is making my heartbeat un healthily fast. Even though I know he¡®ll never hurt me, my brain is not cooperating right now, and I feel so vulnerable, I¡®m the prey.. His footsteps thud into the clearing and I hold my breath as I hear the bones crack as he changes back to human form. He sniffs the air and then growls; I squeeze my eyes shut and pray to be back in my bed. Come down, now,¡® he snarls, and I have to p my hand over my mouth, so I don¡®t scream in fear. I just want this to be over with. Book 1 Chapter 25 Book 1 Chapter 25 Book 1 Chapter 25 ¡°Now, he shouts, and I shakily swing my legs over the branch. Ind somewhat gracefully on the ground and slowly straighten up to face him. His blue eyes are long gone, morphed into ck orbs that could scare even the bravest soul. He is naked, standing nearly a foot above me, hands clenched into fists. He takes a step towards me, and without thinking, I run away. I only make it a few steps before he grabs my waist, spins me round and ms me ¨Cnot so gently¨Cinto a tree trunk. ¡®Ouch,¡® I hiss, but myint is cut short when his lips smash into mine. I have no say, no control, as he cuffs my wrists with his huge hands. His body pins mine to the tree as his tongue enters my mouth, scrambling every thought I have. Before I can process it, he has grabbed my waist again and throws me onto the soft grass. The action winds me and I have no energy to fight as he rips open my top and shreds my bra. I automatically cover my chest, I stare at him, terrified but turned on by this violent side N?velDrama.Org is the owner. of him. He makes quick work of my shoes and leggings, and within seconds, I ampletely naked, my clothes in tatters around me. His fiery gaze roams my body, taking in all of me, I blush uncontrobly and struggle to cover myself. He throws my arms to my sides and runs his hands across my breasts and stom ach, sending shivers of pleasure throughout my body. His hands are callous and rough as they caress me, but I like his touch. ¡®You tried to trick me, so I wouldn¡®t find you, he says, his voice deceptively calm, I gasp as he reaches over and pinches my nipple, hard. ¡®But I will always find you, he leans down over me and kisses me, my hands reach up to tangle them selves in his soft dark hair. One of his hands supports his body, so that his weight isn¡®t on me, the other trails down my body and dips between my legs. We both moan in unison as he slips a finger inside of me, it¡®s been a long time, and I can feel how tight I am around that one finger. He groans and eagerly adds an other, the stretch pinches but I ignore it, instead I concentrate on kissing those skillful lips of his. He quickly withdraws his fingers and I feel empty at the sudden loss, but before I can react, he drops between my legs and reces his fingers with his mouth. ¡®Jayce!¡¯ I call his name, to try and stop him, but I end up moaning it instead. I fall back against the grass and my eyes close as he torments me with his tongue, swirling it around my clit and plunging it in side of me. Pleasure begins to build low in my stomach, and I know it won¡®t take much more to make me cum. ¨C But Jayce stops before I can I open my mouth to say something ¨C anything¨C but he grabs his cock and pushes his way inside of me. I inhale sharply, pain erupts between my legs at the sudden forceful en try, stretching me to the point of tears pricking my eyes. I try to block the pain out and focus on his thrusts, it works, eventually, but I know it¡®s going to hurt tomorrow. I moan loudly as he begins pounding into me, no tenderness or loving touches, just pure animalistic lust. His eyes turn back to his beautiful blue, but they burn with desire and never stray from mine. Just as I¡®m adjusting to the position, he picks me up and ms me against another tree. The bark digs in my back but I don¡®t care as I wrap my thighs around his waist and meet him for every thrust. His grunts of pleasure heighten my own desire and my eyes nearly rollback with the wave of white¨Chot ecstasy that spreads throughout my entire body, all the way down to my toes as my orgasm hits. I throw back my head and I scream loudly as the pleasure doesn¡®t subside and continues, reaching a peak until I fi nallye down from the longest orgasm I¡®ve ever had. Jayce doesn¡®t miss a beat, in fact, it seems to encourage him more as he throws me back onto the grass. Ind on all fours and within seconds he is back inside me, he wraps his hand in my hair, pulling back on it so I am forced to arch my back to ease him yanking on it. He repeatedly ms into me, loud smacking noises echo around the clearing as his groin ps against my ass with each thrust. I moan civiously, unashamed and unembarrassed as his cock hits the top of my cervix. Another orgasm washes over me and the pleasure is so intense my vision blurs and ck dots appear until I can¡®t see anything, I can only focus on him. He turns me over and my head rushes with the movement, why can¡®t he just pick a position and stick to it? He pulls me onto hisp as he kneels, pushes back inside me and bounces me on top of him. I grab hold of his shoulders as he lifts me up and down on his strong thighs, I can feel how wet I am, it¡®s dripping down my legs and onto his. He picks up the pace and I feel his thighs tense, I can tell he¡®s close. He kisses down my neck, his moans turning me on so much that I know I¡®m going to cum again. ¡®I love you, Myra, he growls, his voice unbelievably low and husky as his blue eyes bore into me. I don¡®t have time to be shocked or reply, because he leans forwards and sinks his teeth into my neck. At that exact moment, both of our orgasms hit, and the euphoria overwhelms us both. Neither of us says a word as we copse onto the grass, I grimace as I feel his cum drip out of me and onto the ground. It¡®s silent for a little while, the only sound being our jagged breaths. He reaches over and pulls me against his body, his warmth envelops me. ¡°Don¡®t worry about tomorrow, I¡®ll be with you the whole time, he tells me, and I frown at his words. ¡®What do you mean?¡± I ask, confused as to why he has mentioned tomorrow twice now. He looks at me with equal confusion before replying ¡®Myra l¡®ve marked you...you¡®ll shift for the first time tomorrow My stomach churns dangerously and I bolt upright, spots cloud my vision and my heart pumps violent ly in my ears. How could I have forgotten? Book 1 Chapter 26 Book 1 Chapter 26 26 I¡®ve always hated the saying ¡®be careful what you wish for¡®, but it seems rather apt for what is happen ing to me today. I¡®ve dreamed for years of meeting my mate, being marked and shifting so that I am the same as the rest of my family. Finally normal. I wanted to prove to everyone at school that I wasn¡®t always going to be a weak human. But as usual with things like this, when the timees, your determination falters. After my semi nervous breakdown in the clearing, Jayce brought me home andid me gently on his bed. Jayce lies next to me, sleeping soundly with one arm around my waist, a gesture that hasn¡®t gone un noticed. I¡®m grateful to have him near me, he¡®s helped me stay calm so far. I slide out of his grip and pad softly across the room to the stairs; I let myself out the back door and step out onto the grass. It tickles my toes and I close my eyes, breathing in the fresh morning air. I imagine my parents would have liked to be present for my first shift, and I know Nate will be annoyed N?velDrama.Org is the owner. that I haven¡®t even told him it¡®s happening. But I¡®d rather be alone, as scary as it sounds, I don¡®t know how I¡®m going to react and thest thing I want to do is embarrassed myself. I mean I¡®ll be naked when I shift back, and I might cry or something. | nce over my shoulder at Jayce¡®s bedroom and decide that it is better if I do this alone, I¡®ll be more covered ground and wait. JOS I know as soon as it starts; my body temperature raises. I check that no one else is about and slide the t¨Cshirt off, cing it on the ground next to me. I don¡®t want to rip it. My heart pounds loudly as my hands begin shaking, at first I think it¡®s from the nerves, but then I watch in horror as my fingers begin to shrink, my palm spreading into the shape of a paw. I snap my eyes shut, scared that I¡®ll freak myself out. I try to focus on anything else, pretend that nothing is happening, but the sound of bones crunching echoes through the clearing, and I bite down hard on my tongue to keep in the screams of pain. I fall down on my hands and knees, eyes still closed, I can picture in my mind what¡®s happening, but I don¡®t want to see it. Tears roll down my face at the sharp pains that shoot through my limbs as they change, and when it¡®s finally over, only secondster, Iy down on the cool earth and sigh heavily. . I cautiously peak an eye open and jump as I look down at my brown fur¨Ccovered body. This is the weirdest feeling. Twince as I stand up and shake myself off. When I look around, everythinges into focus, and I de cide that a run might be a good idea. I take off through the trees, feeling like I finally fit in with my family, fi nally understand what they¡®ve experienced. It¡®s exhrating and I can¡®t contain my joy at having my dream since I was a kid fulfilled. Trun for a long time, when I finallye to a stop, I realize that the sun has risen high in the sky and Jayce is probably awake. I collect his shirt and head back to his house. As I near it, his wolf charges past me, skidding on his heels when he realizes he¡®s passed me. He shifts back and I blush at his naked form. ¡°Where the hell have you been? I¡®ve been so worried!¡® He shouts and I flinch, taking a step back. He no tices and his face softens. ¡®I wanted to be there Myra, are you okay?¡® He asks and I nod, attempting a smile. Hees over and runs his hand through my fur, ¡®You look beautiful by the way, hements. Shift back,¡® he orders, and I resist rolling my eyes at his bossiness. I shift with my back to him and hur riedly pull on his t¨Cshirt. ¡°You¡®re okay? Not sore?¡® He asks and I smile at him. I¡®m fine, honestly, never better actually, I tell him, and his eyes darken, a smirk appearing on his gor geous face. ¡°Good, wouldn¡®t want to hurt you,¡® he replies, I squeal as he puts his arm under my legs and scoops me up, carrying me towards his house. ¡°What are you doing?¡¯ I ask, eyeing the devious look in his eyes warily. ¡®Punishing you, he says bluntly, I frown and try to wriggle out of his arms, but he holds me in a vice like grip and takes me to his study, ¡°Punishing me for what?¡® I question, my mouth dropping open in shock as he rips his t¨Cshirt off of me. So much for me trying to protect it earlier. ¡®For sneaking off, he stands back and rakes his eyes up and down my naked body. My hands twitch at my sides, eager to cover myself, but I know that will just annoy him more, and I can see in his eyes that he¡®s irritated. I think it¡®s genuinely offended him that I didn¡®t share this morning with him. ¡®Turn around and bend over the desk,¡® he orders, I meet his eyes for a moment, seeing that he is deadly serious. He raises an eyebrow, silently questioning me to see if I¡®ll do as hemands. I chew nervously on ¨C my bottom lip and turn around, leaning over the desk. He presses one of hisrge hands down on my lower back, pushing my stomach against the cold, smooth wooden desk. ¡®What are you going to do?¡® I ask quietly, not trusting my voice. He runs his finger from the top of my spine all the way down, over the valley between ass and rests his finger lightly on my asshole. I inhale sharply, sort of wishing I hadn¡®t asked. ¡®Make youe so many times you can¡®t stand, and then watch you struggle whilst your whole family exhale shakily. ¡®That seems rather harsh, I mumble, and I¡®m answered with a swift p across my ass that echoes around the room. I wiggle my ass in response, and I¡®m rewarded with two fingers pushed inside of me. ¡®So wet, he whispers gruffly, and I smile, pleased with the effect I have on him. Jayce doesn¡®t waste any time, he begins pushing his fingers in and out of me, his other handing round to rub my clit. I moan and close my eyes, bracing myself on the table with my hands. My orgasm builds quickly, and before I know it, I¡®m falling over the edge of pleasure, covering his hand in my juices. | barely have time to recover before he picks up again, and I gasp as my desire starts to build once more. I want to touch him, but I know he won¡®t let me, not yet anyway. This time, as my orgasm hits, he gen tly presses on my asshole and my eyes roll back with an untamed pleasure. ¡®Fuck, I breathe,ing down from my high, my legs starting to shake with the strain of holding my self up after two mind¨Cblowing orgasms. His fingers start up again and I groan in response. ¡®I can¡®t, not again¡® I mumble, but we both know I¡®m lying. ¡®Yes, you can,¡¯ he says firmly, and just hearing his voice brings me closer to the edge. Book 1 Chapter 27 Book 1 Chapter 27 Book 1 Chapter 27 One of his fingers circle my clit, the other gently probes by an asshole and I¡®m ovee by the dark pleasure it brings. I start toe for the third time, and he pushes the tip of his finger inside and I yell out, panting as waves of pleasure wash over me. I copse back onto the table, pressing my damp forehead against the cool surface. I ache with the need to be filled, and when I feel him rub his blunt tip up and down, coating himself in my juices, I grin like the Cheshire cat, knowing I¡®m about to get exactly what I want. He pushes into me in one smooth thrust, and I gasp, my lungs temporarily unable to function as he stretches me sopletely. He moves his hand from my clit up to my hair, tangling his hands in it to get a good grip. He pulls so I¡®m raised up off the desk slightly, and then begins to pound into me. I moan uncon trobly with every thrust, pushing back to meet him each time. ¡®Touch yourself, he growls, and my hand clumsily reaches down to do as he asks. It briefly crosses my mind how sordid we must look, stark naked and carnally fucking against ¨¤ desk. But that thought is forgotten as Jayce picks up the pace, pounding into me with such vigor the table moves forward with each thrust, effectively moving us across the room, ratherical really. I begin to voice I bare ly recognize as my own. I clench around him, he releases his grip on my hair so that I can fall forwards against the desk, little shivers of pleasure still running through me. My hands stop rubbing and he immediately lets go of my neck and takes over, his ministrations almost hurt as I¡®vee so hard already. ¡®I can¡®t, I pant, gripping the table as he fucks me relentlessly. ¡®You can and you will, he grunts, his hands move to my hips and he holds me in ce whilst he ms into me, his crotch pping against my ass with each thrust. Without any warning, he pushes his finger full inside my asshole and it¡®s my undoing. I clench around him, and I scream his name, moaning breathlessly as I feel him release inside me. ¡®Fuck, Myra, he curses behind me and hearing the raw desire in his voice extends my orgasm. ck dots form in my vision and I wait toe down from my high, but I don¡®t, the pleasure continually pulsing through my body. Eventually, it stops, and we both copse on the table. It creaks loudly and I cry out as it caves in under our weight and falls to the floor in pieces. We fall with it and the two of us lie naked in a pile of wooden legs and boards. ¡®Are you okay?¡® Jayce asks worriedly, I¡®m amused by his question when he was fucking me as if he hat ed me a moment ago. I¡®m fine,¡® I reply, once assured that I¡®m okay, we both burst outughing. I double over and hold my stomach, wiping tears from my eyes at the fact we broke the desk. At this precise moment, the doorbell rings. We both instantly go silent and look at each other. ¡®Fuck, your parents! He hisses and my eyes widen in shock. ¡®Shit, what are we gonna do?¡® I ask and we both get up out of the debris. T¡®ll go and stall them, you get ready!¡® He says and we jump into action, before I can leave however, he pulls me close and kisses me, so my already weak knees finally give in. He holds me up against his gor geous, inked chest. I love you, he tells me hoarsely, and I¡®m unable to stop smiling. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. How lucky am I to have a man who can fuck me like that and then afterward look at me with such love and respect? ¡®I love you too,¡® I reply, kissing him again. ¡°Now hurry,¡® he pushes me away and ps my ass as I rush out the door. I sprint up the stairs and realize that I have no clothes because Jayce ripped them offst night. I have to settle for a pair of his boxers and arge t¨Cshirt as an oversized dress. I cinch in my waist with one of his belts and it works. Sort of. Not a look I¡®d usually wear. I fix my hair in the mirror and wash my face, when I¡®m presentable, Ie downstairs to see my par ents and brother waiting for me. ¡®Oh darling, Mum rushes forwards and hugs me I nce at Dad over her shoulder and shake my head in disbelief as I see tears in his eyes. ¡®We¡®re so proud of you sweetheart, he says, taking me in his arms after Mum. Finally, I turn to Nate. ¡®Now that you¡®ve shifted, you might actually be able to beat me at something, he teases and I roll my eyes as he hugs me, ¡®Proud of you sis, he whispers. My family stays the afternoon, I tell them that my clothes are ripped during my shift, I doubt my Dad wants to know that my mate ripped them off in the heat of the moment when he fucked me in the woodsst night. Jayce gives them a tour of the house, purposefully leaving out the study for ¡®redecorating pur poses¡®. When they¡®ve left, Jayce wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. ¡®I have onest surprise for you, although it wasn¡®t really my doing, he says and I turn around, his arms still wrapped around my waist. ¡®What is it?¡® | ask, hoping we¡®re not going to get more visitors when I¡®m barely dressed. I¡®ll drop you back at your house and you can get changed. By the time I¡®ve got back to mine, had a shower, put a proper dress on, not an oversized t¨Cshirt, and done my make¨Cup, it¡®s almost seven pm. Jayce helps me into his car and drives off, not telling me any thing about where we¡®re going. I¡®m confused when we arrive at my workce, Damien¡®s pack house. Jayce takes my hand and instead of bringing me into the building, he leads me around it. On the backwn, are all my friends, surrounded by balloons and tables filled with food. ¡®Oh my god, I exim and Jayce grins at me. ¡°You happy?¡® He asks and throw my arms around him, pulling him in for a kiss. ¡®Of course, thank you! I step forward and hug everyone. ¡®I convinced Jayce to let us set this up, Aria says and squeeze her hand, ¡®Well, it¡®s wonderful, thank you¡® I gush, looking around at my friends, so unbelievably grateful to have them all with me. The second part of the book is about Alena & Eli, but Myra and Jayce still be involved. Book 1 Chapter 28 Book 1 Chapter 28 Saweetie/Diamant¨¦ Harper as Alena x *+*+.) ?(****** Alena¡®s POV. ¡®Well, you look stupid, I snort and try to hide myugh as Aria steps out of the house. She is wearing a ¡®Are you going on some expedition I don¡®t know about?¡® | ask and cover my mouth with my hand, at tempting to mask my amusement. Aria lifts her chin and walks past me, over to her huge bag which is sat on thewn. ¡°Excuse me for being prepared, tell me what protection your tiny shorts will provide should it rain?¡® Aria retorts, cing her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow. I nce down at my small shorts and shrug. Whilst Aria locks up her house, I check I have everything andce up my trainers. As I look up, I notice Aria¡®s neighbor, Mrs. Allen, watching me with confusion from her frontwn. I straighten up ande over to see her. ¡®Morning, we¡®re off on a camping trip,¡® I greet her, gesturing towards the woods. Hopefully now she¡¯ll get why we¡®re all carrying big backpacks. She looks at the dense trees standing proudly behind both her and Aria¡®s houses and turns back to me with a frown on her aged, wrinkled face. ¡®You be careful girls, there are wolves in the woods, she warns me, her shaking hand grips my own tightly and I open my mouth to ask her about it. ¡®Alena, you ready?¡® Aria calls out and I nce over my shoulder at her. ¡®Be safe,¡¯ Mrs. Allen warns and I only manage to nod and mumble a thank you. I walk back over to her and swing my heavy backpack onto my shoulders. ¡®What did she say? Aria asks me as we leave the safety of her back garden and enter the forest. ¡®She wanted to warn us about wolves being in the forest, I tell her, ncing over my shoulder to see Mrs. Allen shaking her head at us in the distance. ¡®Ignore her, she¡®s nuts, Ariaughs and I nod in agreement, but I watch Aria carefully, she nces around anxiously, and I wonder if she¡®s scared of wolves. I look around as well, whilst we push through the foliage and bracken, seeing if I catch a glimpse of anything sinister. ¡®Perhaps we should sing to keep up the pace?¡® Aria suggests and I smile at the idea. Only a few mo mentster, the once quiet forest filled only with sounds of bird song, is now echoing with the beautifully harmonizing voices of myself and Aria. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. There is no clear path, making me think that this wood is not inhabited and rarely visited. Aria says she doesn¡®t know who owns it, and as there is no perimeter fence or signs then it must be open to the public. It was Aria¡®s idea for this camping trip, she and Seb have just moved into this quaint, old house on the out skirts of the town near Myra¡®s. We push our way through all the shrubbery, I regret wearing shorts as the branches snag and scratch at my legs. It is surprisingly tiring marching through the forest, fighting against branches and dodging rough terrain. I¡®m not sure why I thought this would be a fun thing to do, Aria contemtes out loud as she swats bugs around her head. I smirk and look back down at my feet, eyeing roots suspiciously in case they try and trip me up. ¡®Come on, you know you¡®re having fun,¡® I tease, and she huffs in response. We sing a little more as we enter further and deeper into the forest. I be slightly rmed that we could struggle to get back out seeing as there are no paths or maps, but Aria assures me that she gets sig nal out here and she can use thepass and map apps on her phone to guide us home tomorrow. ¡®This was a good idea Aria, I¡®m d you suggested it, I say as we walk next to each other. ¡®Thanks, but let¡®s see if you still think that tonight, she nudges me, and I consider it for a moment. Per haps I won¡®t be enjoying this so muchter on, when it gets dark and cold, and I have to put a tent¡® up. We chat about everything that is going on in our lives as we delve further into the forest, Myra has re cently be official with Jayce, and since then they¡®ve been spending all of their time together. We have been walking.for a few hours now, this wood is never¨Cending. I chug my water and wipe the thinyer of moisture off my forehead, I¡®ve had to tie my thick hair up because it was sticking to my m my skin. The sun beats down on us and I realize we¡®re probably going to have awkward tan lines from our backpack tomorrow. ¡°How much further?¡® I whine and Aria rolls her eyes at me. ¡®I don¡®t know, we don¡®t even know where we¡®re going, we¡®re just looking for a good spot to camp, she replies, but as she is speaking, the trees start to thin out and arge, dark bluekees into view. ¡®Thank God!¡® I call out and run over to the edge of theke, throwing my backpack on the floor. I kick off my trainers, pull off my socks and wade up to my knees in the water, ¡®Oh my god it¡®s so cold, I love it,¡® I groan and run my hands through the still water. It¡®s beautiful but freezing. Thank God we¡®re not skinny dipping, our nips would drop off. I step further in until I¡®m up to my thighs and I feel instantly refreshed. Aria wades around me, through the water. ¡®This is so nice, shements as she leans down and scoops handfuls of water and pours them over her arms. We stay in the water a while, the sun is still shining down on us, making the stillke look like a giant sheet of ss. Aria decides to see whether she can skip rocks on the surface of theke, I watch amusedly for a bit and then step out of the water. I sit down on the smooth, hard pebbles and close my eyes, basking in the warm rays of sunlight drying me out. I peek my eyes open as I hear a squeale from Aria, she wobbles and almost falls back into the wa ter. Book 1 Chapter 29 Book 1 Chapter 29 Book 1 Chapter 29 | sit up and leave Aria to it, I walk along the water¡®s edge. I don¡®t go very far; I just want to look around. I take my phone out of my pocket and take some photos of theke, I can¡®t believe how beautiful it is. I¡®m so d we came here. I watch Aria from a distance as takes selfies of her in the water, a smile forms on my face as I think about how I am so d we did this, despite my reservations. I continue on my walk round, stepping over moss¨Ccovered rocks and pushing overhanging branches out of my way. I nce up as a movement catch es my eye. About 500 yards away, something ck moves behind some trees, hidden by the waist¨Chigh ferns. I frown and take a few steps to the right, trying to get a clearer view. The shrubbery no longer blocks my view, and my breath catches in my throat as I see a huge ck wolf standing near the edge of the water on the other side of theke. Its eyes are trained on Aria, watching her pose. I freeze in fear, and I feel like I can do nothing but watch the wolf watch Aria. Alena! Come back let¡®s get going!¡® She shouts, my eyes snap over to her as she waves and grins at me. Thurriedly look back at the wolf to see its eyes are now on me. It stands, watching me for a moment, whilst I remain motionless. I gasp as it turns on its heels and disappears into the trees. Did I imagine it? No, I can¡®t have. Thurry back over to her and put my shoes back on, she is already dressed and waiting for me. ¡®You won¡®t believe this, I just saw a wolf, I tell her as I slide my bag onto my back. She looks at me with wide eyes. ¡®What? What was it like?¡® Aria asks, and I frown at her question. ¡®It was huge, it was watching you, then it disappeared when you called me over, I exin to her, and we head back into the cover of the trees with uncertainty. ¡®Are you sure we should continue? Maybe we should go back, She suggests, and we consider it. ¡®We¡®vee all this way, we should still camp out,¡® I tell her, and she looks at me with indecision. ¡°Let¡®s camp somewhere far away from thiske, I don¡®t want to be anywhere near it, Ariaments and I nod in agreement. I don¡®t want to bump into any more of them, that¡®s for sure, I mutter and take another look at the sur rounding trees for any ck shapes. ¡®There, this is perfect!¡® Aria announces as the trees part in an oval shape, creating a sheltered, little This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. de. ¡®We have three hours till sunset, let¡®s set up camp! She says and fist pumps the air. We take off our heavy bags and begin clearing leaves and debris in certain areas so we cany down our groundsheets for the tents. I clear arge area and tten down the earth so there are fewer bumps, then spread out my sheet. It takes us half an hour to get my tent up with Aria¡®s help, but to be honest, I thought it would take much longer than that. Aria, who brought a pop¨Cup tent, simply unclips the straps and it literally pops up in front of our eyes. I¡®m not going to lie; I am slightly envious. I collect firewood whilst Aria decides to make the camp more ¡®homely¡®. I wasn¡®t entirely sure what she meant by that, but when I return with arms full of a variety of dry logs, I am stunned by how lovely the ce looks. She has picked up any leaves or pinecones, so the de contains only grass and flowers. She¡®s posi tioned fallen logs around a designated fire pit area to act as benches andrge logs around the perimeter as a makeshift fence. She has even hung bunting between our tents. ¡®This looks like something off Tumblr, I love it, Ipliment her, and I ce my logs by the fire space. ¡®Seriously, this is amazing, well done,¡® I tell her, and she has a smug look, obviously proud of her work. We start the fire and begin to make our dinner, which consists of chicken fajitas, my favorite. Aria serves up our food and the two of us huddle around the fire, wrapped up in our sleeping bags despite the warm night air and burning mes in front of us. The full moon provides a beautiful silver glow that mixes with the golden glow of the mes. ¡®No wonder you saw a wolf, it¡®s a full moon, they¡®ve alle out to y, Aria teases and I roll my eyes at her. Thear leaves crunching in the trees behind me and I quickly snap my head round to see what is there. The sunset a long time ago and I can¡®t see anything in the inky ck shadows of the trees. I frown and turn back to my food. We¡®re in the middle of the woods, there¡®s bound to be wildlife, we¡®re fine just as long as that wildlife doesn¡®t have ck fur and huge teeth. Around midnight, we decide to call it a night and we retire to our respective tents. I snuggle down into my sleeping bag and getfortable. Within five minutes, I¡®ve unzipped the side and I have to stick my leg out to try and cool down. I¡®m boiling Tunzip the firstyer of my tent opening, leaving just the mesh zipped up to keep bugs out. I survey the trees again, but I can¡®t see much due to the dying embers of the fire and the full moon providing the only light sources. I slide off my leggings, so I¡®m left in my thong and bra. Iy back down and sigh happily as the cool breeze slips through the mesh and circtes around my tent, the temperature drops enough to let me sleep. What seems like only minutes, but could be hourster, I start to wake up. At first, I¡®m semi¨Cconscious and confused as to what has awakened me. But I feel the soft fur on my fingertips, and I smile. s Book 1 Chapter 30 Book 1 Chapter 30 30 ¡®Hey Charlie,¡® I mumble, greeting my cat that always manages to sneak into my room and onto my bed in the mornings. Fear sliced through me as a loud growl resonates around my tent,ing from near my feet. I realize This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. I¡®m not at home, so the fur cannot belong to Charlie. I jump and my eyes fly open, I try to limatize to the darkness but all I can make out are tworge indigo eyes watching me by my feet. My breath gets caught in my throat and I freeze in fear. I remain frozen in my sleeping bag, transfixed with the enormous ck wolf taking up the majority of space in my tent. It just watches me, it doesn¡®t bare its teeth or growl, it just watches me, like earlier at theke. Topen my mouth to scream, but the strangest thing I¡®ve ever seen in my life happens. The huge ck wolf begins losing its fur and its bones start moving around under its flesh. My scream is caught short, and an incoherent squeak is all that escapes my mouth I watch, with absolute horror, as the wolf in front of me changes into a man. A tall, crouching man, in my tent. For a few seconds, I try toprehend what I have just seen. The word ¡®No¡® resounds in my head as I try toe up with some sort of exnation, it echoes through my mind, and it is all I can focus on. I could be dreaming, but the adrenaline and fear coursing through my veins are making that theory unlikely. Topen my mouth properly this time, ready to let out a real,e¨Csave¨Cme¨Cnow scream, but the man seems to assume this because he lunges forwards and ties something around my mouth. He isn¡®t careful and catches my hair in the knot he ties behind my head. On instinct, I push him away, his skin is burning like it¡®s on fire. I reach up to untie the cloth from around my mouth, but he grabs my wrists and ties them, using them to drag me up into a sitting position. I kick and il about, but he maneuvers me with ease and grace, theplete opposite of me, and pulls me out of the tent. My world is turned upside down again, quite literally, as he throws me over his shoulder, winding me in the process. I grunt and bang on his back with my fists, but he is like a wall of muscle. He marches through the trees, I bounce up and down on his back with each step, my head bobs up and down like a bobblehead. To someone with an outside perspective, the situation might even look funny. But I¡®m notughing. masks any noise I make. I thrash about but he reaches up and mps his hands firmly on my waist, hold ing me in ce on his hard shoulder. I reach out to passing trees and branches, grabbing on to anything I. can. Even as I dig my nails into the bark and hold on with all my strength, he pulls me away like it¡®s nothing. I grunt in annoyance as branches snap off in my hands, I drop them to the ground and resume my pum melling of his back. Tattempt to keep myself calm and give myself a reassuring pep talk. It¡®s going to be okay. Aria will wake up ande save you. Werewolves exist. You have been kid napped and apparently wandered onto the set of Twilight. But you¡®re going to be fine. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and pray for the situation to be some horrible dream and any momenti will wake up andugh about this tomorrow. Suddenly, I am lifted from his shoulder, and he ces me on the ground with my back against a tree. I push back against the tree, trying to get as much distance between us. He turns away from me and I¡®m giv en the surprisingly wonderful view of his peachy backside. I widen my eyes at the thing dangling between his legs that is partially on view due to his wide stance. My eyes shift to arge brown wolf emerging from Not another werewolf. The man lunges forward and shifts back into his ck wolf. My brain whirs painfully, trying to make sense of what I¡®m seeing. It¡®s beautiful, watching him change, but it contradicts everything I know. The two wolves begin scrapping, they gnarl and growl at each other, throwing each other across the woond floor. I take the opportunity of their distraction to struggle to my feet and slowly back up away from them. The ck wolf lifts his head and snarls loudly, his blue eyesnding directly on me. I freeze and watch him, re lieved when the brown wolf ms into him, moving his attention back to the fight. I turn on my heel and sprint back towards the camp. The foliage stabs and pricks at my feet through my spotty socks, but I ignore the pain and keep running. My heart hammers so loudly I fear the whole for est can hear it, thankfully the adrenaline is keeping me going. I can¡®t form a coherent thought, I just keep re peating a mantra in my head: run, run, run.. My only warning is the sound of rapidly nearing footfalls before I am rugby tackled to the forest floor. I out. Within seconds, the man is on top of me, holding me down on my shoulders with his huge hands. I look up at him and the fear in my eyes turns to shock. I can¡®t believe how gorgeous he is, like honestly, incredible. I try to curse but ¡®Holy shit¡®es out more like ¡®Oh¨Cly¨Cih¡® thanks to the gag. His ethereal jade eyes stare at me so deeply: I feel he can see right into my soul. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, a faint smile of content forms on his lips. When he opens them again, he looks determined. To do what, I¡®m not exactly sure. Book 1 Chapter 31 Book 1 Chapter 31 Alena¡¯s POV He stands up and grabs me by the waist and pulls me up against his rock-hard chest. I have to look up to maintain eye contact as he is nearly a foot taller than me. For a peaceful second, we just look into each other¡¯s eyes. But then the situationes back to me, and I p himn fully across the face. His face actually turns to the side with the impact and a small part of me is proud of my hit. A low, terrifying growl erupts from his chest, and he slings me over his shoulder, again. put up the same fight, like earlier, but he continues to ignore me, like earlier. I don¡¯t know how long he walks for with me on his shoulder, I give up eventually and copse with exhaustion, leaning against his back with my arms dangling down. The debris and leaf-littered ground suddenly changes to well-man aged grass, and I push off his back, looking up so I can take in my surroundings. My hands press against his boiling hot, muscr back. My mind registers his heat, his hard muscles and strange tingles that run through my skin as I touch him. I barely have time to ponder the reasons why his skin makes me tingle, because I¡¯m distracted by the view I¡¯m presented with. If my mouth could drop open, it would have. My eyes grow wide as I take in the gi normous sandstone buildings that he walks past; all the houses look like mansions. It¡¯s like a luxury estate in the middle of the forest, because I can see from the dense trees surrounding this area, we are still in the thick of the woods. But this looks like civilization, maybe someone can help me. Due to it being veryte at night, or very in early in the morning, depending on how you look at it, there are no lights on in the houses and my heart sinks at theck of people to be seen. My kidnapper passes a few more houses and then slows down, he walks up some steps and I hear a door being unlocked. Where did he keep the key? He¡¯s naked! I assume the key must have been left on the porch. He steps inside the house and my eyes burn as he turns on the lights. It¡¯s like the others, spacious and luxurious. His bare feet pad softly on the polished wooden floors, and he goes up a flight of stairs, I resume my assault on his bare, (only just realized) tat tooed back He opens another door and goes across the cream carpet and puts on amp, so a soft golden glow fills the room. He moves over to the bed, which he puts me down on. He sets me down gently, but I still This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. bounce slightly on the plush duvet. I re up at him as he reaches out to me. Reflexively. I scamper off the bed and run towards the door, channeling my inner Usain Bolt. But the bastard catches me before I can even grab the handle. He backs me up against the wall and I shake with trepidation as he raises his hands and reaches be hind my head. I wince as he unties the cloth around my mouth, catching my hair in the process. He pulls the gag off, which turns out to be a t-shirt and throws it on the floor. As he unties the binds on my hands, I open and close my mouth a couple of times, trying to relieve the ache. Before he can put his hand over my mouth, I scream, surprisingly loudly. He grimaces and ms his hand over my mouth. I reach up and try to pull his hand off of me, but I can tell it will be to no avail. ¡®Please don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s very loud, and you¡¯re hurting my ears, his deep, sexy voice causes something to stir low in my stomach. For a second, I can¡¯t speak, I¡¯m too in awe of the Adonis pressing me against a 1. 1. I just stare at him, my eyes wide and unblinking as I try and process such an attractive kidnapper. His eyes are deep navy like the wolf¡¯s, he has messy blonde hair and bronze, tanned skin. Tingles run through Socecapte si my lips that are pressed against his hand and I snap out of my gaze and try to pull his hand away from my mouth. Til only move my hand if you promise not to scream, no one is going to hear you, and you¡¯re only going to tire yourself out and give me a headache, he says, he sounds rational, calm, nothing like a kidnapper. I attempt some sort of a nod, which is awkward and difficult due to his hand putting pressure on my mouth, but he seems to get the message because he hesitantly removes his hand. I re at him and con sider screaming again, just to test his statement of ¡®no one being able to hear it¡¯ and to hopefully hurt his ears. But I decide not to, instead, I want to ask the one question that has been ying on my mind and is currently making me shake with nerves. What are you going to do to me? Please don¡¯t hurt me,¡¯ I hate how weak my voice sounds, but I¡¯m terri fied. I have already felt the strength of this man, he can do whatever he wants to me, and I¡¯ll be powerless to stop it. His eyes soften and he lifts his hand towards my face, I flinch back, and he seems to think better of the action because he lowers his hand again. ¡®I would never hurt you,¡¯ he tells me, and as stupid as it sounds, the conviction in his voice and warmth in his eyes have me believing him. I feel slightly more rxed, at least he¡¯s not some rapist kidnapper. Just an annoyingly hot one. ¡®So you¡¯re not going to kill me?¡¯ I ask and his eyes widen in horror at my question. You don¡¯t understand this yet, but if I killed you, it would kill me as well, he states and I look at him with confusion, he must mean figuratively, not literally. Book 1 Chapter 32 Book 1 Chapter 32 Book 1 Chapter 32 ¡®You...you turned into a wolf; I didn¡®t imagine that right?¡® | ask, my breathing bing shallow and rapid as I remember the scene from earlier. Something that will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. ¡°You didn¡®t imagine it, it happened, he watches me cautiously, as though I might scream again at any moment. To be honest, I feel too lightheaded to scream. I lean back against the wall for support, suddenly feeling very ustrophobic and panicky. ¡°How can this be happening? Werewolves don¡®t exist, I ask, mostly to myself, and rub my eyes. I know it¡®s a lot to take in, I¡®m sorry you found out this way, his low voice is soothing as he ces his hand on my shoulder. I let it stay there for a second, enjoying his warmth, before I shrug it off and take a step away from him. He looks dejectedly at me and a tiny, tiny part of me feels bad. ¡®You look very pale, sit down for a bit, he gestures towards the bed, I don¡®t fight him as he ces his struggling to keep my gaze on his face, not his package. As if sensing my unease, he steps a few meters away and goes over to a drawer, he takes out a pair of boxers and I¡®m very relieved when he puts them on, covering himself, thank the Lord. ¡®Perhaps I¡®m pale because I¡®ve just been kidnapped and I¡®m terrified I might be killed, I snap angrily, and he has the nerve to look guilty. I have to force my eyes not to drop to his beautifully sculpted abs that are on disy I¡®m not going to hurt you, I promise, quite the opposite actually, hements and smirks at me, I nar row my eyes at his implication, I wrap my arms around myself and the fear of being kidnapped is pushed to the side by the horrible re alization I¡®m still just in my underwear. I quickly cover myself with my arms and look up at my kidnapper who is watching me with an amused expression. I open my mouth to ask for some clothes, or for him to at least look away, but the door flies open, and a few weird things happen in quick session. Firstly, a man storms into the room, covered in dirt and scrapes and growls loudly at my kidnapper. Then, in some strange turn of events, my kidnapper performs what can only be described as an impression of a flying squirrel, as he spreads like a starfish and throws himself on top of me, kind of like a base jumper. In turn, I squeal and fall back against the bed,pletely covered by the hard, warm body of my kidnapper as he uses himself as a human shield. ¡®Get out, she¡®s naked, he growls loudly, his head turned to one side so he can face the angry intruder. The intruder ignores my kidnapper¡®s warnings, grabs him by the shoulders and yanks him off me. I jump up and wrap the duvet around me, needing to cover myself and it doubles as some form of protection. I watch in shock and horror as the two of them fight on the carpet. They roll around, throwing punches and grunting at each other. It really is the strangest sight. It bes stranger when my eyesnd on my back pack by the door, the intruder must have brought it in with him. ¡®What the fuck is going on?¡® A girl¡®s voice breaks through the violence and my heart lifts in hope. The woman is wearing a dressing gown and has terrible bed¨Chair, but seems perfectly normal and not mental, she might help me! Oh my God, please help me, he kidnapped me!¡® I shout, I jump off the bed and run towards her, still wrapped in a giant grey duvet. She stares at me with wide eyes and then turns to my kidnapper, venom ap pearing on her features. ¡°You did what?!¡® She asks, she looks horrified, and I feel like crying with joy that she is not a part of this Book Lv.1 Please, get me out of here, I need to go back to my friend, we¡®re camping in the woods, I exin, reaching for her hand to try and express my desperation. She looks at me with pity, her expression turns angry as she once again turns to my kidnapper. ¡®Eli! What the fuck were thinking? Do you have any idea how mad mum is going to be! She shouts, I look over to my kidnapper, apparently he¡®s called Eli, I¡®m not surprised to find him still on the floor with the intruder, both of them in just their boxers. This is one fucked up family. ¡®Please, help me out of here,¡® I repeat, but she doesn¡®t reply, and Eli jumps up. ¡®You¡®re not going anywhere, he says, but before he can finish, the intruder has him shoved against a wall. ¡®Are you crazy? Did you even think about the consequences? She¡®s a human for fuck¡®s sake!¡® The guy shouts, but he only has Eli pinned for a few seconds before he overpowers him and switches their posi tions, shoving the other guy against the wall. His words bring back the horrible truth that the people in this room with me might not be human, the thought makes me lightheaded. ¡®She¡®s mine, I couldn¡®t help it, he growls, I¡®m about to announce that I am in fact not his, but his teeth elongate, and his eyes turn dark obsidian and I¡®m stunned into silence. ¡®Guys seriously, fighting isn¡®t going to solve anything, besides, it¡®s three in the morning, I need my This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. sleep, the womanins and rubs her eyes. As soon as she mentions the time, I suddenly feel extreme ly tired, and not at all up for fighting anymore. Tyler, just leave it, we¡®ll talk about it tomorrow, go to bed, the woman orders, Tyler gives Eli one final re and then storms out of the room. Book 1 Chapter 33 Book 1 Chapter 33 Book 1 Chapter 33 I¡¯m going to take her, she can stay in my room tonight, you are thest thing she needs to deal with right now, the woman says, her voice leaves no room for argument, but Eli¡¯s eyes remain ck, ¡°You are not taking her from me, I¡¯ve only just got her, he snarls, and the woman holds her hand up to stop him. ¡®Look Eli, you don¡¯t want to scare her, let her stay with me, you need to calm down, she¡¯s going to be right next door, you can see her tomorrow, the woman tries to pacify Eli, and miraculously his shaking slows ¡®Fine, he growls, his eyes are solely on me and it¡¯s making me feel very ufortable. I¡¯m a little an noyed they keep talking about me as if I¡¯m not standing right next to them. He strides towards me, and I barely have time to react before he pulls me into his arms and buries his face in my hair. I freeze up, standing rigidly with my arms at my sides, and look at the woman in surprise over his shoulder. She just shrugs and shakes her head at me. After a weird moment, Eli pulls away. I grab my bag and follow the woman out of the room. I nce back at Eli as I exit, he¡¯s watching me with a sad ex pression on his gorgeous face. I follow the woman down the stairs, being careful not to trip in this massive duvet. I barely even look at the house as we walk through it. I¡¯m thinking my chances of escaping this woman are better than they were with Eli. She leads me out of the front door, down the porch steps and towards another house. I look over at the forest edge and calcte how far I could get. She follows my line of view and shakes her head. Don¡¯t even think about it, I¡¯d catch you before you¡¯d even taken a step, and we have patrols on the bor der who¡¯d stop you, shements and my stomach sinks at the realization that she is actually on Eli¡¯s side. She won¡¯t be helping me escape then. I¡¯m Lucia by the way, those are my two brothers that were fighting, she rolls her grey eyes, the only feature she shares with her brothers is her long blonde hair. ¡®Alena, I say quietly, I¡¯m almost tempted to lie about my name, so they can¡¯t find me if I escape. ¡®This is my parent¡¯s house, they¡¯re asleep upstairs, so try and be quiet please, she says, and I follow her wordlessly up to her room. Her room is decorated in creams and blues, and I feel bad about stepping onto her fluffy white carpet with my muddy socks. ¡®Let me get you some clothes, you look ridiculous in my brother¡¯s duvet, she remarks, and I look down at myself, swaddled in a puffy duvet. ¡®Here, these should fit you, the bathroom is behind you, she hands me a pile of clothes which I take gratefully. ¡®Thank you, I mumble, I shuffle into the bathroom and lock the door. I lean back against it and take a moment to gather my thoughts. I certainly feel better than I did earlier, but I¡¯m still scared, I don¡¯t know these people, they could be ly ing. Even if they aren¡¯t, they¡¯re still really weird and I don¡¯t know what they want with me. I slide off the duvet and pull on the pajama shorts and t-shirt, feeling much better now that my whole body isn¡¯t on show. I take off my dirty socks, use the toilet and wash my face in the sink. I look in the mirror at my pale face and disheveled hair, hopefully when I wake tomorrow this will some horrible dream. I open Book 1 Chapter 33 my backpack and pull out my toothbrush and toothpaste to clean my teeth, needing the minty taste as some kind of normality. I consider noting out, I could stay in here with the door locked and none of them could get to me. But after seeing the strength of Eli and his brother earlier, I doubt the door would keep them out for long. Hesitantly, I unlock the door and step out, Lucia is sat on her bed waiting for me I¡¯m just going to give that duvet back to Eli, he¡¯s going to need it, sheughs as she takes the duvet off me and walks to the door. She pauses and turns back towards me. ¡®Make yourselffortable, do you want anything to eat?¡¯ She asks and I shake my head, she nods and leaves the room. I sigh as I hear a key being turned in the door, I¡¯m locked in. I go over to the windows and open one of them, we¡¯re three stories up and there¡¯s no trellis, not going to happen, I have a phobia of heights. I look around the room at therge four-poster bed, her beautiful vanity, huge wardrobe and a single bed on the other side of the room. I sit down on it and nearly groan at how soft it is. Before I know it, I¡¯m un der the quilt and almost asleep when Luciaes back in. She sits down on her bed and looks Material ? N?velDrama.Org. sheepishly at me. ¡®Look, I¡¯m really sorry about what my brother has done, he¡¯s been really desperate to meet you and tonight¡­ he kind of lost control. I promise you; he really is a good guy when you get to know him, and when things have been sorted out, you can go back home and see your family again, we¡¯re not going to keep you here forever, she reassures me and even if she is lying. I feel marginallyforted by her words. Tonly nod at her words, I¡¯m too tired to argue, I¡¯ll ask her more about her brother tomorrow. ¡®Night Alena ¡®Night,¡¯ I mumble and roll over, already feeling my eyes beginning to droop closed. Please let me wake up in that stupid tent Book 1 Chapter 34 Book 1 Chapter 34 Book 1 Chapter 34 I wake early to sunshine beams brightly into my tent. I squint and manage to make out my surround ings as my eyes adjust. I sit up and stretch, sliding out of my sleeping bag. I crawl out of my tent and look over to Alena¡¯s tent to see if she¡¯s awake yet. My eyes widen as I see her tent is unzipped and her bag is gone. Has she gone for a walk or something? But why would she take her bag? I climb out of my tent and stand up, looking around for her. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡®Alena?¡¯ I call, but there¡¯s no answer, just birds tweeting. I nce at the dying embers of the fire, maybe she¡¯s gone to get some more wood? | slowly get dressed, wondering where the hell she could be. I look over in her tent again and sure enough, it¡¯s empty. I suddenly catch a scent and my blood runs cold, male wolves. Two of them. Goose-bumps rise on my arms as I frantically look around for any clue as to what happened to her. Someone took her, there¡¯s been a struggle, I realize as I see obvious scratches in the bark where some one hastched on. Fear wraps around me and I begin to panic. Oh God, is she okay? I try to call her, but her phone¡¯s turned off and my signal goes in and out. Why would someone take her? I¡¯m relieved as I notice that the scent doesn¡¯t smell like a rogue, it¡¯s not sour or dirty So they were from a pack, and if we were intruding they would take me as well, not just Alena. ¡®I can¡¯t imagine she would get out of her tent and go out on her own, she¡¯s scared of the dark, I deduce out loud, probably looking crazy talking to myself in the woods. ¡°So that means they took her specifically because they wanted her, I say, and I frown in confusion. Why would they want only her? My heart drops as I realize it must be her mate, why else would they take her? She doesn¡¯t even know about wolves, she¡¯s probably terrified! I try to think of what to do next, I can¡¯t track her scent it¡¯s not strong enough, I need to find out whose territory this is and get her back. pack up my things in about five minutes, strapping everything to my back so I can shift and run back Book 1 Chapter 34 Lv. 1 home I reach my house in just over half an hour and I jump into my car, speeding over to Nate and Myra¡¯s house, they¡¯ll know what to do. By the time I arrive, it¡¯s been an hour since I found out Alena is missing I feel like this is my fault, if I¡¯d just told her about wolves, she might not be so unprepared or scared, I have no idea what she¡¯s going through. ¡®Hey Aria, Nate greets me as hees down the path, his steps stop short when he sees like the looks on my face. There¡¯s a situation, I need your help. Alena has been kidnapped, I blurt out and Nate stares at me in shock. ¡®I think Myra is upstairs, Nate says, a look of concern on his face as we enter the house, Okay, I¡¯ll go get her and we can decide what to do next, I tell him and jog up the stairs, Myra?¡¯ I call out and I hear a muffled ¡®Here¡¯ from behind the bathroom door. I push it open to find Myra ashen-faced and gripping the sink counter tightly. I¡¯m pregnant,¡¯ she says, staring at me with wide eyes. I don¡¯t even know what to say to that, so I only reply with, ¡®Alena¡¯s been kidnapped. We look at each other in silence for a moment before Myra curses. Damn, you win, that¡¯s more important, she mumbles and follows me downstairs. .. :::: Myra¡¯s POV The three of us are stood in the kitchen, all with matching worried expressions. ¡®I think that territory belongs to the Eastern Coast pack, Nathan says and my eyes widen, that¡¯s the pack I went to the other day, Elijah¡¯s pack. I know the Alpha, he¡¯s called Elijah,¡¯ I say, and they look at me, confused as to how I know him. I had to visit him to sign a contract for my boss, he seemed nice, a bit flirty, but nice,¡¯ I tell them, and I wonder why Elijah has taken my friend. I didn¡¯t even know it was his territory they were hiking on. ¡®I would ask my boss for help, but Jayce texted me yesterday saying he and Damien are on some trip for the pack, I don¡¯t really want to disturb him unless I have to, and seeing as I¡¯ve met the Alpha, I feel morefortable going onto his territory, I exin. Less than ten minutester, the three of us are in the car, driving to Elijah¡¯s territory to get our friend back | twist my hands nervously; can this timing be any worse? I¡¯d only just taken the tests when Alena walked in How am I going to tell Jayce? Luckily, I¡¯ve got more pressing things to deal with at the moment, we¡¯ve got to get Alena back. ***¡­¡­¡­ Alena¡¯s POV When I wake the next morning, it¡¯s to the smell of bacon drifting through the door. For a blissful mo Book 1 Chapter 34 Lv.1 ment, I¡¯m rxed andpletely oblivious to what happenedst night. But it alles back to me, simir to being hit by a truck, to be honest. I feel sick at the sight of the unfamiliar bedroom I am in, even see ing Lucia sat in bed on her phone doesn¡¯t reassure me in the slightest. I¡¯m being held captive by people ! barely know. ¡®Oh good, you¡¯re awake! Let¡¯s go get breakfast, Lucia announces, sitting up in bed and stretching. I look at her for a moment and consider refusing to leave the bed, but my stomach rumbles and I decide that I should probably just be grateful they are feeding me. T¡¯ll wait in the hallway for you,¡¯ she says and leaves the room. I use the bathroom and try to make my self look somewhat presentable, but it¡¯s hard when I feel so tired, I feel like I barely sleptst night. I step out into the corridor a few minutester and Lucia leads me downstairs to a kitchen twice the size of mine. An attractive couple is already sat at the table; they both look up in surprise when they see me enter. Book 1 Chapter 35 Book 1 Chapter 35 Book 1 Chapter 35 ¡®I see Eli hasn¡¯t exined anything yet, he¡¯s probably still asleep Lucia says, she rolls her eyes and hands me a te, pushing me towards the oven where there are pans full of cooked food. ¡®Morning, Lucia goes over and kisses both of their cheeks, I assume they are her parents, ¡®This is Ale na, Eli¡¯s mate, he took her from a camping trip with her friendst night in the woods, Lucia fills them in and both of their mouths drop open. Mate? We are not friends! ¡®This ispletely your fault, I told you someone needed to keep an eye on him and look what he¡¯s done!¡¯ The woman, who must be Lucia¡¯s mother, hisses at the man, who I presume is Lucia¡¯s father. ¡°How is it my fault that our son goes and kidnaps someone?¡¯ The man asks, raising his hands in exas peration ¡®You¡¯re the one that has raised him to be such a possessive, entitled Alpha, this is all because of your gics and testosterone! Lucia would never do something like this! The woman shouts and Lucia steps forward. ¡®To be fair, Mum has a point, I would never do something like this, but can we have the family domestic hold ing an empty te whilst everyone looks at me. Oh God, Alena I¡¯m so sorry about my son¡¯s behavior, I¡¯m Kate and that¡¯s my husband, Sam, please help yourself, you must be hungry, Kate says as shees over and puts her arm around my shoulders. Alena didn¡¯t know about wolves until yesterday, Lucia fills them in and I hear Sam curse at the table. Oh you poor thing, you must have been scared to death, Kate smiles at me and I can only stare at her with wide eyes. Td just like to go home please, my friends are going to be really worried, I tell them, and Kate¡¯s eyes soften. ¡®I know honey, we¡¯ll let you call themter and you can tell them you¡¯re safe but seeing as you¡¯ve just found out about our kind and met my son, you should stay here for a while and limatize, she says, and I feel a new wave of anger surge through me. What is wrong with these people? They¡¯re angry that their son kidnapped me, but they won¡¯t let me go! Just have something to eat, Kate begins serving food onto my te, rashers of bacon, mushrooms, toast, everything Lucia and I join her parents at the table, I nce up as I hear the front door open and I¡¯m relieved to see it is not Eli, but his brother, Tyler. He looks simr to Eli, he has the same blonde hair and tanned skin, but his face is younger, and he is slightly smaller in stature. He serves himself some food and takes a seat at the table, no one says anything for a moment as he N?velDrama.Org content rights. just concentrates on inhaling his food. ¡°Where¡¯s Eli? Did you two manage to talk it out?¡¯ Lucia asks and Kate frowns in confusion. ¡°He¡¯s justing, yeah we spoke, he apologized, Tyler replies, he looks up at me and his eyes soften. I¡¯m really sorry about what happenedst night, Eli regrets it, he tells me, and I can only nod as I watch him with wide eyes. Book 1 Chapter 35 Lv.1 ¡®What happened?¡¯ Kate directs the question at Lucia, and she sighs heavily. ¡®Eli and Tyler had a little disagreement, it¡¯s fine mum, she exins, and Kate gives her a look that trantes into tell me everythingter¡¯. I remain silent as I sit at the table, it looks like we¡¯re some weird surrogate family or something. Just when I thought things couldn¡¯t be more ufortable, Eli bursts into the kitchen, wearing nothing but sweats, revealing his delicious muscr chest and arms. His eyesnd on me and he visibly rxes, he grabs a te and serves himself with twice as much food as is on my own. He sits down opposite me; 1 keep my eyes on my food even though I can feel him looking at me. I don¡¯t say a word as his parents¡¯unch into a massive lecture about how he can¡¯t go around kidnap ping poor, innocent, human girls. I only start to listen when he tries to defend himself, eager to know what excuse he will use. ¡®You don¡¯t understand, I couldn¡¯t not take her, her pull was too strong, heins, his voice is an noyed. I frown and wonder what my ¡®pull¡¯ is, I certainly wasn¡¯t pulling him. ¡®He¡¯s been going through a rough time Kate, at least now he¡¯ll be happy. Sam says and Kate rolls her eyes. ¡®I think you should try and exin all of this to Alena today, she might understand a little better if you exin yourself, Kate suggests and I want to hit her. Thest thing I want is more alone time with my sexy kidnapper. Come on, I¡¯ll show you how to use the shower, she¡¯ll be ready in fifteen minutes Eli, Lucia says, I thank them for breakfast although they don¡¯t really deserve it, seeing as they won¡¯t let me go SO I clean my teeth and have a shower, feeling like apletely different person when I ste and smelling like pomegranates instead of the forest. I change into a vest and a pair of shorts from my backpack, intended for the hike home today. I¡¯m irritated when I find my phone has been taken out of my bag, how can they take my phone but deny being kidnappers? I reluctantly head downstairs, Tyler and Lucia have gone out on ¡®patrol¡¯, and I already miss thefort of having a girl my age with me. I find Eli waiting for me by the front door. He has put on a t-shirt, but it hardly makes a difference because it is tight enough for me to see every ridge of every muscle. Fantastic, that should make it easier to concentrate. ¡®I thought I¡¯d give you a tour of the pack, he says, I nod silently, and we step out into the morning sun. I don¡¯t say a word as he walks me around the pack, showing me the houses and different buildings. I only saw part of itst night, this ce is huge. We stop and sit down on a bench; I shuffle as far away as possible from him and wrap my arms around myself. ¡®So, what do you want to know?¡¯ He asks and I narrow my eyes at him. ¡®Why you decided to kidnap me and ruin my life, I reply bitterly, and he winces and sighs heavily. ¡®I haven¡¯t ruined your life, or at least I hope not. Basically, each one of us is born with a soul mate, someone they are destined to be with, you don¡¯t get to pick them, and you are mine, although if I could choose, I would still choose you, you¡¯re perfect, he tells me, I blush as I take in his words. ¡°How do you know that I am your mate?¡¯ I ask him, I can barely make eye contact, I feel so embarrassed as he smiles at me. Book 1 Chapter 36 Book 1 Chapter 36 Book 1 Chapter 36 Because I just know, it¡¯s like an innate feeling. I¡¯m twenty-six, people find their mates from the age of sixteen sometimes before that, so technically I¡¯m ten years behind, that does a lot to us, I haven¡¯t been my self recently You see, if someone is without their mate for too long, it makes them crazy. I¡¯ve been going in sane thest few weeks. I¡¯ve been okay in the daytime, but at night, my Beta has had to step in as I¡¯ve been unable to fulfill my Alpha duties because all I could think about was finding you, he exins and I sit quiet in taking it all in and trying desperately to understand. And thenst night, it was like I could sense you; I ran out into the forest, and I caught your scent, I fol lowed it straight to you and I couldn¡¯t stop myself, I had to have you. Since having you near me, I¡¯m finally back to a normal body temperature, you must have felt how hot I was yesterday, I¡®ve had a fever every night for the past month, my body wasn¡¯t functioning without you, his words cause my blush to spread further, across my cheeks and down my neck. He is putting such importance on me; I don¡¯t know how to act under this kind of attention, This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. So you see, I am sorry that I introduced you to our world the way that I did, but I¡¯m also insanely happy that ive finally found you and you¡¯re here with me, he says, at the moment I¡¯m struggling to form any words but l manage to nod at him. Alena! I jump in surprise as I hear my name being belted from therge manor house we are sat adjacent to, Eli called it the pack hall. I turn towards the source, and I¡¯m startled to see Myra running towards me, close ly followed by Aria and Nate. Give her back, you dick!¡¯ Myra shouts and Eli growls next to me. Before I know it, I¡¯m thrown over his shoulder and experiencing a major case of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Eli takes off in a sprint in the opposite direction from Myra and my friends. Are we really going to y chase? Eli, put me down! They¡¯re my friends! I shout, drumming my fists on his back, although I don¡¯t really know why I do it when I know it will be no use. They¡¯re trying to take you from me, his voice is gruff and aggressive, and I almost roll my eyes until I realize he won¡¯t see it. They just want to know I¡¯m safe, put me down! Please Eli, you¡¯re overreacting, I tell him, but he ignores me and carries on running. I look up to see my friends are still on our tail, only a couple hundred yards be hind Even further behind them, are Eli¡¯s parents. A three-way chase? Now this is really getting out of hand. Eli, please, put me down,¡¯ I plead with him, trying to awkwardly grab hold of his free hand whilst I¡¯m up side down. He eventually slows and turns to face my friends, unfortunately his position means I greet them with my ass, which is currently hanging over his shoulder. I try to turn around to see them but all I manage is a brief glimpse. Let her go Eli!¡¯ Myra¡®s voice sounds a lot closer now, and I¡¯m confused as to how she knows his name, Book 1 Chapter 36 1. iv. 1 Eli puts me down, and like yesterday, he takes the opportunity to slide me down the full length of his sumptuous body. I try to keep my mind focused instead of thinking of his muscles. I¡¯m okay guys, I tell them as they all envelop me in a giant hug. I am so relieved to see them. ¡°How dare you kidnap her! Touch her again and I¡¯ll kill you, Nathan seethes as he steps forwards and I feel ttered at his protectiveness. I¡¯m an Alpha, so don¡¯t make threats at me pup, Eli snarls and steps forwards, standing a good few inches taller than Nathan ¡°Hey, stop it, I say, stepping between them. ¡®What the hell were you thinking?¡¯ Nate asks and Eli sighs heavily. I¡¯m never going to hear the end of this, am I? I¡¯m sorry alright, I couldn¡¯t help myself, she¡¯s my mate, Eli exins, he reaches out and puts his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. Everyone looks at me in shock and I feel relieved when Eli¡¯s parents join the crowd and take some of the attention off of me. ¡®Shall we all go into the house and talk this out? We can have a few drinks after that mini-marathon, Kate asks, and with surprising ease, everyone decides to follow her and Sam to the house. The girls walk with me at the back and inform me of what¡¯s happened since this morning when they re alized I was gone. To add a further bombshell because my life hasn¡¯t been turned upside down enough, I am informed that Nathan, Aria and now Myra are all wolves as well. I can barely keep up with my own thoughts as they whizz around my brain, trying to make sense of everything I¡¯ve just learned. I¡¯m very grateful for the ss of water that is ced in front of me as we all sit down at the dining room table. I drink the whole ss in a few gulps and then press my forehead against the table, this is all way too much. It appears that everyone has sort of forgiven Eli for the whole kidnapping thing, us being mates seems to give him some kind of magical pardon. Well, I haven¡¯t forgiven him. The only issue to sort out now is whether or not I can leave. I¡¯ve been without her for ten years, I¡¯m not going to separate from her again, Eli¡¯s deep voice breaks through my thoughts and I realize everyone is arguing around me. ¡®You¡¯ve got to give her time to adjust! She only just found out about you yesterday!¡¯ Nathan pipes up. Maybe you coulde back with her, that way she can go home, and you can still be with her, Aria suggests and I look at her like she¡¯s crazy. ¡°You have got to be joking! What am I supposed to tell my parents? That I went on a camping trip and came back with my soul mate? No way!¡¯ | exim hysterically, never going to happen. ¡®Stay with me, Aria chips in and everyone turns to look at her. ¡®My house is half an hour away, your parents won¡¯t question it, my mate Seb won¡¯t mind, and Eli can be with you, she exins, and I re at her from across the table. Why is she helping him? ¡°But Eli is an Alpha, what is his pack supposed to do?¡¯ Myra asks and Sam, Eli¡¯s dad leans over the ta ble. ¡®I can maintain his role whilst he is away and his Beta can help, it¡¯s not a problem, Sam offers and I re sist ring at him as well. ¡®And what are we supposed to do? Move into the same house and magically fall in love?¡¯ I reply angrily. annoyed that everyone is acting like it¡¯s a done deal. Book 1 Chapter 37 Book 1 Chapter 37 Book 1 Chapter 37 ¡®No, but you can get to know each other, start over, Kate suggests and I sigh in defeat. I¡¯m exhausted, I¡¯m not going to win this. Anything other than being a prisoner,¡¯ I mumble under my breath and Eli looks at me, guilt evident on his beautiful face. I¡¯m sorry, I would give you space but I¡¯m not sure I can take it, I was barely surviving without you, I¡¯ll try and give you as much time and space as I can, he says quietly. I don¡¯t reply, he has leaned closer to me, and his cologne is effectively mashing my brain. Before I can argue any further, Eli¡¯s mother cuts in. ¡°Well that sorts it then, you can both stay with Aria, she concludes, seemingly very happy with the solu tion. ¡®So we can go now?¡¯ Nate asks, turning to the girls for approval. ¡®I guess, we came to get Alena back, and we¡¯ve done that, so yeah, let¡¯s go, Myra stands up and every one at the table follows her lead. ¡®Thank you for your hospitality Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, Myra says to Kate, and I try to hold back my snort of ¡®This is my address, we¡¯ll go back now, and you can pack your things ande over to mine first thing tomorrow, but let her have today on her own, Aria writes down her address and hands it to Eli. Although I¡¯m annoyed that she¡¯s been on his side and offered a solution, it also shows that she¡¯s a good friend who cares about me, she wants me to be happy, unfortunately, she thinks my happiness lies with Eli. A notion I¡¯m still notfortable with. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t believe in happily ever after, but I don¡¯t believe in love at first sight, so this whole soul mate thing is a new concept that¡¯s difficult to grasp. I don¡¯t even look at Eli as we leave the house and get into the car. I feel relieved the second Nate starts the engine and we drive off the estate that has been my prison for just one day but feels like one week. ¡®I was so worried about you, when I woke up and you¡¯d gone, I didn¡¯t know what to do, Aria tells me as she grabs my hand and squeezes it. ¡°He gagged me, I was trying to shout to you when he was taking me, I was so scared, I reply, thinking about how my view of Eli has changed from fear to simple wariness. Jesus, you must have been terrified, he¡¯s not very good at first impressions is he?¡¯ Myra jokes and I can only smile half-heartedly, I¡¯m too tired for all this. ¡®Nate¡¯s going to drop us off at mine and then you can go home and rx,e back to mine tomorrow morning with your things, Aria tells me and I only nod in reply. Once we arrive at Aria¡¯s house, I get my camping things and quickly get back into my car. I arrive at my own house half an hourter and nearly cry with joy when I see my parents having lunch in the kitchen. ¡°Hey sweetie, how was camping?¡¯ My mum calls as I kick off my shoes and sit down at the table. ¡®Really good thanks,¡¯ I force a smile and grab a te, eager to get some food in me. BOOK 1 Chapter 37 ¡°Oh good, did you stay upte? You look tired, shements and this time the smile is natural, ¡®Jeez, thanks mum, yeah we did stay up quitete,¡¯ I reply and begin devouring the food in front of me. After I manage to convince my parents that everything is fine, I finish my lunch and head upstairs for another shower. This time I notice the cuts and scrapes on my feet and arms as I wash myself. As I wash my feet, I get shbacks of running in my socks through the forest, terrified in the darkness. I close my eyes and let the water pelt against my back, telling myself that it¡¯s okay now, it¡¯s over and my kidnapper didn¡¯t mean it. I wrap myself in my fluffy towel and copse on my bed, wondering what the hell I¡¯m going to do with myself for the rest of the day. My mumes in a few minutester with a cup of tea, I quickly tuck myself under my duvet, so she won¡¯t see how cut-up my feet are. I turn on my TV and getfortable in bed, im mediately feeling better by being back in my own room, in my own bed. Myra¡¯s POV ¡®I think that went well, I say to Nate as he drives us back to our house, he snorts and rolls his eyes at me. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®We just had to rescue your friend after she¡¯d been kidnapped by her mate, Nate shakes his head in dis belief, ¡®Just your average day, hements. ¡®Well, all things considered, it went alright, at least Alena agreed to spend some time with him, I reply and Nate nods in agreement. I look over at him cautiously, Eli is only two years older than Nate, is that what my brother will be like in two years if he doesn¡¯t find his mate? Nate looks over at me and scowls. ¡®Stop worrying, I won¡¯t be anything like that idiot, he mutters, tightening his hands on the steering wheel, ¡®Mates are overrated anyway, he says, pulling into our drive. He¡¯s out of the car in a sh, mming the door behind him. I know he doesn¡¯t really mean it. I get out of the car and jump as I hear a low wolf whistle. ¡®Damn, look at you, I wonder what lucky man gets to call you his, Jayce¡¯s voice sounds out from behind me, I turn around to see him leaning against his car, looking indescribable in ck jeans and t-shirt. With his dark hair, piercings glinting in the sun, tattoos on show due to short sleeves, and arms folded across his chest making him look even bigger, he is a sight that could melt any woman. Or man for that matter. ¡°Hmm perhaps you need reminding,¡¯ I grin and close the distance between us, he lifts me up against his body and I wrap my arms around his neck. ¡°Hey sexy, he breathes, and I nearly faint at the delicious scent of him. ¡°Hey handsome, I reply, leaning down to kiss him like I¡¯ve missed him. ¡®Go and grab your things, I¡¯ll wait out here, Jayce offers, leaning back against his car. Thead inside after Nate and quickly pack a bag to stay overnight at Jayce¡¯s house. ¡®Nate? I¡¯m off okay. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡¯ I shout from my room but get no reply. ¡®Nate?¡¯ I call out, he emerges from the bathroom holding one of the pregnancy sticks, his mouth open in shock. ¡®You¡¯re pregnant?¡¯ He asks, rather pointless asking really. Um, yes?¡¯ I reply, although it sounds like a question, Does Jayce know?¡¯ Nathan asks, and I inhale sharply as I hear the front door, Does Jayce know what?¡¯ Jayce asks from the bottom of the stairs; I look down to see Jayce¡®s eyes staring directly at the stick in Nathan¡¯s hand, Jayce 1-| start to try and exin but a look of horrores over his face and he turns and leaves the house, by the time I¡®ve reached the bottom of the stairs, he¡¯s pulled out of the driveway and disappear ing down the road. Well, that went well. Book 1 Chapter 38 Book 1 Chapter 38 ¡­¡­040¡­. Myra¡¯s POV. ¡®Shit, I mumble, I sink down onto the bottom step of the stairs and put my head in my hands, ¡®He¡¯ll be back, it was just a shock, I¡¯m sorry sis, Nate apologizes and sits down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. ¡®We were meant to be going to his tonight, I mutter, groaning in irritation and running my hands through my hair. Just give him time, Nate replies and I sigh heavily. I¡¯m gonna try calling him, I tell him, knowing it¡¯s theplete opposite of what he¡¯s just suggested. I call him a couple of times, but he doesn¡¯t answer, so I text him, saying I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell him soon er, I¡¯d only just found out and he can take all the time he needs. An hourter, Nate, being the wonderful brother he is, has called in sick to work and is sat watching TV with me on the sofa. ..) + (¨C¡­ Alena¡¯s POV. I arrive at Aria and Seb¡¯s house just after nine, luckily. Eli isn¡¯t here yet. ¡®What did your parents say when you told them you were staying at ours for the week?¡¯ She asks as we sit down on her sofas in the living room, I nce over at my suitcase and wonder if maybe I packed too much. For some insane reason, I want to look nice for Eli, so I¡¯ve brought almost every piece of clothing that I have. ¡®I told them that I hadn¡¯t seen you in a while and that I wanted to spend some time with you, I reply and Aria smirks at me. ¡®Well, I doubt you¡®ll be spending much time with me, she says smugly, and my smile drops off my face. I¡¯m nervous to see him again, our situation is anything but normal and I feel like there¡¯s no one to turn to for advice because I doubt this has ever happened before, at least not to anyone I know. Please just give him a chance Alena, if you were a shifter you two would probably be mated and loved up right now, it just seems too fast because you¡¯re human, but I promise this is pretty normal for us, Aria informs me, as if on cue, Seb appears from the kitchen and sits down next to her, his arm around her shoul ders. ¡®It is normal, honestly, he smiles, his pale green eyes twinkling with mischief. Before I cane up with a reply, the doorbell rings and my stomach twists into knots. Tll get it, Aria jumps up and I don¡®t move from the sofa as I hear her greet Eli and wee him inside. Till show you where your room is, Aria tells Eli and I see a sh of tanned skin and a blue t-shirt as they go upstairs. I¡¯m so d that Aria has given us separate rooms, which would have been too weird. Seriously, what even is this situation? My friend acting as Cupid and making us stay in her house until we like each other, so fucked up. Book 1 Chapter 38 Lv. 1 ¡®It¡¯s going to be okay, give him a chance, Seb attempts to soothe me, but I can¡¯t focus on what he¡¯s saying, only the sound of them moving around upstairs. All too soon, theye back down, and Aria conveniently decides she and Seb need to carry on un packing their things, leaving uspletely alone in the living room. He stands at the doorway, looking ner vous with his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. I mentally curse him for looking so hot in just jeans and a t-shirt N?velDrama.Org content rights. It¡¯s not fair. ¡®Can I take you out today? I¡¯d like to show you somewhere, he asks, and I wonder if I get a choice in the matter. ¡®You going to gag me and tie me up if I say no?¡± I ask in return and his face drops, his crest-fallen ex pression makes me feel like a bitch for ever saying anything. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m joking, yeah I¡¯m fine with that,¡¯ I tell him, standing up from the sofa and stepping towards him. He looks relieved and smiles at me, making my heart flutter. Why is he so attractive? ¡®Great, it¡¯s going to be overnight, separate rooms don¡¯t worry, have you unpacked yet?¡¯ He questions and I pause for a moment. Overnight? Alone? ¡®Um, no, I haven¡¯t unpacked yet, why?¡® ¡®Because you can just grab your bag if you want, so you don¡¯t have to pack, we¡¯ll only be there one night. And where exactly is there?¡¯ | cross my arms over my chest, aware that I¡¯m being difficult but unable to stop myself. ¡®It¡¯s a surprise,¡¯ he shrugs, giving me a sheepish grin. I study him for a moment and then cave. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll grab my case, I walk past him and upstairs. Once I¡¯ve collected it, Ie down and wait by the front door as he tells Aria we¡®re leaving. ¡°Am I dressed okay?¡® I ask when hees back, I wonder what he has nned for us. ¡®You¡¯re perfect, he says, and I feel my cheeks flush at thepliment. We get into his white Audi, and I remain silent as he drives us out of Aria¡¯s town and back towards his territory. I nce over at him, worried that he might be taking me back. ¡®Where are we going?¡¯ I ask and he smiles at me. ¡®I thought we¡¯d go to the beach, it¡¯s a sunny day and it¡¯s on my territory, it¡¯ll take us just under an hour to get there, he tells me, I¡¯m happy that he¡¯s thought of going to the beach, because if this is considered to be our first date, it¡¯s a lot better than the usual. I haven¡¯t been to the beach in ages, I say, and he grins at me, shing me those perfect white teeth. ¡®Good, because I¡®ve got the whole day nned: ¡°And when did you n this?¡¯ I question him, wondering if he was lying in bedst night, dreaming up a date for us. Well, yesterday mostly. But my family always go to the beach, I have a lot of memories there, it¡¯s some thing I¡¯ve always wanted to share with my mate, he exins and for the first time, a part of me feels really lucky that I¡¯m his mate, ¡®That¡¯s so lovely, is myme response, it¡¯s all I can manage to say, as my mind is swamped with con flicting thoughts and feelings. Book 1 Chapter 39 Book 1 Chapter 39 Book 1 Chapter 39 Slowly, I¡¯m forgiving him and for some crazy reason, I feel safe with him. I know he won¡¯t hurt me; kid nap me, yeah probably, but not hurt me. Here I am, being offered a guy who will love me unconditionally and protect me with his life, who is made to be mine, and I¡¯m saying no? Why the hell am I saying no? I decide to stop being cold to Eli and give him a chance, as if he were a regr human that has asked me on a date. Eli turns on the radio and doesn¡¯t try to make conversation again, I think he senses that I have a lot on my mind and wants to leave me to it. I¡¯m grateful to him for being so respectful, besides, he has all day to talk to me. So, I just sit and look out the window, trying to cote my feelings and make some sense of them I know as soon as we¡¯re close to our destination, seagulls circle hungrily in the sky, thendscape t Material ? N?velDrama.Org. tens out, and the tell-tale azure horizon of the seaes into view. I instantly feel better, and my happi ness increases as we get closer and closer to the coast. He drives through the coastal town, I¡¯m like a little kid, pressed up against the window so I don¡¯t miss anything. He follows a winding road down to the beach; it passes alongside it and then over a vast hill. When wee down on the other side, there is a smaller, deserted beach with an extensive, two-story beach house, covered in pale blue wooden boards with cute white shutters. ¡®Oh my god, that¡¯s beautiful, I admire the house, feeling another bursting sense of excitement when he presses a button on a fob and the gate to the driveway opens. ¡®This is my family¡¯s beach house, wee here every year in summer for a few weeks, have done since I was a kid, he informs me, and I have to lean forwards to take in the full height of the house as he pulls down the gravel path and parks outside. I step out of the car and stare up at the stunning building, I wish my family owned something like this. Eli retrieves our stuff from the boot and carries them up onto the porch, I wait patiently as he unlocks the front door and gestures for me to go in. My sandals tap quietly on the shiny oak floorboards as I step into the foyer. ¡®Do you want me to give you a tour?¡¯ He offers, still holding our cases, I bet they weigh next to nothing for him. ¡®Yes please, it¡¯s gorgeous, I can¡¯t hide my awe, I eagerly follow him as he puts down the bags by the spiral stairs and leads me through an archway into the kitchen. The skylights let in all the sunshine, illumi nating the marble countertops and pale blue cupboards to match the outside of the house. Adjoined to the kitchen is the dining room with a whitewashed wooden table set. A set of ss double doors open onto the wrap-around porch, which has steps that lead down to their private beach. Next, he shows me the living room, with a giant L-shaped sofa and a T. V sorge I think my dad would faint at the sight of it. I follow Eli through a door, down a flight of stairs into the basement, which has been made into a games room. Finally, he grabs our things and shows me the bedrooms, of which there are four, for himself, his par ents and his siblings. ¡®You can have Lucia¡¯s room, she doesn¡¯t mind, Eli tells me as he puts my suitcase on her bed. Thank you, this house is amazing Eli, you¡®re so lucky. I gush, taking in Lucia¡¯s room, which is almost identical to her one at home. ¡°Yeah, I feel lucky, our parents treat us very well, he replies, and I feel d that he knows how lucky he is and doesn¡¯t take it for granted. Book 1 Chapter 30 ¡®I was thinking we could go into town, have a look around and grab some lunch, thene back here and have a swim and go for dinner this evening, Eli suggests and I feel touched, he really has thought this out. Sounds great,¡¯ I reply, I grab my handbag and we get back into his car. He parks in town and takes me to the high street. The town is adorable, there are caf¨¦s and fish and chips shops everywhere, bunting is hung across every street and despite being close to the end of the summer season, there are a lot of peo ple around Eli leads me down cobbled streets, patiently waiting whilst I do some window shopping and take pho tos. As well as there being many families here, there are quite a few couples as well, they walk past us, holding hands,ughing, and I catch Eli watching them a few times, envy in his eyes. Realizing that this must be hard for him, I decide to do something bold on my part. I fall in step next to him, casually reach out, and slide my hand into his. The look on his face makes itpletely worth it, he looks like a kid on Christmas Day, and my heart clenches at the wonderful sight. He grins at me and squeezes my hand; I think it¡¯s going to take a while to get used to the tingles. Book 1 Chapter 40 Book 1 Chapter 40 Book 1 Chapter 40 We stroll along the promenade, towards the pier, my eyes light up as I see the Ferris wheel and roller coasters. It reminds me of Santa Monica Pier. ¡®Want to go on a few rides?¡¯ He offers and I¡¯m d he¡¯s not one of those people who is scared to go on rides ¡®Yes!¡¯ I reply eagerly and we step onto the wooden boards of the pier. The salty sea breeze hits me square in the face and I couldn¡¯t be happier about it. The smell instantly takes me back to being a kid again and excitement bubbles up in my stomach. Stopping at the first stand, Eli buys us some cotton candy, which we eat whilst we make our way down the pier. After we have eaten our fill, I lead him towards the waltzers. A million rotationster and both of us areughing hysterically, especially when Eli sees my hair after I¡¯ve stepped off. I frantically try to pat it down so I look a little less like a lion who¡¯s just had his mane permed ldne ¡®Want a go? Eli asks, gesturing towards the stall where you have to throw a ball and knock down all the bottles. ¡®My aim is pretty bad to be honest,¡¯ I reply honestly and give him a sheepish smile. ¡®Well, that¡¯s good because my aim is awesome, he smirks down at me, and I raise an eyebrow in disbe lief. Prove it, I tell him, and he smiles at me. We go over to the stall, and I step back and watch as Eli pays the stallholder, grabs a ball and lines up his shot. My mouth drops open as he swings his arm and pelts the ball forwards, it hits the bottles with such force that it knocks over every single one. Bloody supernatural strength. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡®Oh my God, that¡¯s amazing. I gush, and I¡¯m awarded with one of my favorite boyish grins. ¡®Here you go, the stallholder hands Eli a giant wolf, funnily enough. We share a knowing nce. How ironic ¡®You have it, I won it for you, he says and as I thank him, he puts his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his wonderful body as we stroll down to the next stall, The next ride we choose is the rollercoaster, we wait patiently in the queue and manage to get on in twenty minutes. I grip the bar as it¡¯s pulled down in front of us and turn to see Eli is already looking at me with an indiscernible look on his face. ¡®Hold my hand if you get scared, he teases, and I roll my eyes at him. ¡®Shut up,¡¯ I reply, and the rollercoaster begins cking up the incline before he can respond. I hold my breath as we reach the top of the drop and teeter over the edge, in a split second, we fly down, the wind whipping past so quickly I have to shut my eyes. I grip the bar so tightly that I can feel my pulse in my fingers, my stomach feels like it¡¯s dropped to the bottom of my body, and I get a mad sense of Book 1 Chapter 40 relief and adrenaline when we reach the bottom and begin coasting at a normal speed. The inclines and drops continue like that, when Eli and I get off we¡®re both buzzing off adrenaline and we decide we fancy some fish and chips. We buy our food off one of the vendors and walk to the very end of the pier, where it is deepest in the water with the waves crashing into the pirs below the boards. We sit down on a bench and dig into our food. It is windy on the end of the pier and goose-bumps rise on my arms, like something about a film, Eli takes off his jacket and wraps it around my shoulders. The intoxicating scent of Elijah Hunt fills my nose and I almost die of happiness; I¡¯m at the beach, eating chips, sat with and wearing the jacket off, probably the fittest guy in the world. What a great day. We leave the pier and walk back to the car park, Eli reaches over to hold my hand again and despite having conflicting feelings towards him, holding his hand feels right. He drives us back to his beach house and we decide to change and go for a swim in the sea. I put on my bikini which contrasts beautifully with my chocte-colored skin. Slightly nervous, Ie downstairs with my towel wrapped around me and see Eli is already in the water. I kick off my flip-flops, momentarily regretting the action when I step onto the burning hot sand. I quicklyy out my towel and hurry to the wa ter¡¯s edge, needing the cold water to soothe my feet. I step in up to my ankles and sigh happily as the cool water surrounds me, when I look up, I see Eli standing a few meters away. The sea is at his waist, he¡¯s wearing blue shorts and rivulets of water are run ning down his tanned, muscr chest. His usually light blonde hair is darker with the water, and he¡¯s pushed it back off his face, he looks amazing. ¡®Come here,¡¯ he says, stepping towards me. I do as he asks and takes a couple of steps further into the water. This obviously isn¡¯t deep enough for him, because he closes the distance between us and grabs me by the waist. I automatically lift my legs and wrap them around his waist as holds me against his body. ¡®Eli! Put me down!¡¯ | squeal as he wades deeper into the sea, my feet disappear into the water and soon it rises to my waist. ¡®It¡¯s cold! Put me down!¡¯ I tell him, rolling my eyes when I hear himughing. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll put you down, he replies and suddenly lets me go, dropping me into the water so ites up over my shoulders. I il about until my feet touch the sand and I can stand up, the water is just under my chest now and I wrap my arms around myself to keep warm. Book 1 Chapter 41 Book 1 Chapter 41 Book 1 Chapter 41 ¡®You¡¯re such a dickhead, I ssh water at him and he only smirks in response. I¡¯m just trying to get you wet, he jokes and grabs my hand, pulling me deeper into the sea until my feet no longer touch the seabed and I have to tread water. ¡°Very funny. Iment at his stupid remark, as I bob up and down with the waves. We spend an hour or so in the water beforeing out and lying out on our towels to dry off. ¡®You look great in that bikini by the way, he remarks as we lie next to each other. I¡¯m d we¡¯re both on our backs, facing the sky, so he can¡¯t see my blush. Thank you,¡¯ I manage to mumble a response and try to focus on the sun warming my skin instead. Around four o¡¯clock, I head inside and have a shower to get all of the sea salt out of my hair. I am then faced with the task of finding something to wear for dinner, luckily I have a lot of options. I eventually choose a tight dress and decide to wear heels, because even on tforms, Eli will still be taller than me. Earlier on, we had agreed to go on a walk before dinner, so we¡¯d leave at six, giving me another hour to do my make-up. I take my time, wanting to look my best for him, it¡¯s crazy how much his opinion means to 1. me. Just before six, finally satisfied with the way I look, Ie down the stairs to find Eli leaning against the wall on his phone. He nces up, does a double-take and nearly drops his phone. He catches it and quickly stuffs it in his pocket, an embarrassed look on his face. ¡®Wow, you look incredible, hepliments me, and I look down at my feet, so my hair falls across my face and hides my blush. ¡®Thank you, you look very nice¡¯ I reply honestly, he lookspletely edible in his white shirt and jeans. ce my hand on his proffered arm as he helps me across the gravel in my heels, and then he drives us back into town. Once parked, we walk in the direction of the pier. We choose to start our evening on the Ferris wheel, since Eli has been paying for me all day, I convince him to let me pay for our turn and we climb into our seats and lower the bar. Just as the wheel started to move, the lights in the fair began to flicker on. The sun is beginning to sink down, closer to the horizon, throwing beautiful oranges and pinks across the sky. All the bulbs began to hum with electricity and light up the huge pier. It looks like there are neon fireflies everywhere, the smell of cotton candy and popcorn floats around us and the sound of people chatting andughing reaches us, even high up on the wheel. ¡®Thank you so much for today, this was such a lovely idea, I tell Eli as we reach the top and despite be ing afraid of heights, the view is breath-taking I¡¯m d you¡¯ve enjoyed it, I¡¯ve never brought a girl here before you know, he divulges and I can¡¯t hold back my smile, it makes me feel special to know I¡¯m the only one. ¡®Well thank you for thinking I am special enough, I say, unable to stop smiling now he¡¯s told me that. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. After stepping off the Ferris wheel, we amble through the streets until we find a restaurant we like the look of. It is a simple little Italian restaurant with a warm, weing feeling and mouth-watering smells emanating from inside. We order our food and talk continuously until the bill: I think the wine helped me rx a lot more. We chat about everything, he tells me about his family, his siblings. His brother, Tyler, is two years younger and Book 1 Chapter 41 happily agreed to be Eli¡¯s Beta. He has been looking after Eli the past few weeks, whilst he wasn¡¯t well be cause he hadn¡¯t found me yet, hence why he was so angry that Eli had kidnapped me. Funnily enough, it was actually Tyler who was the wolf Eli was fighting in the woods with the night he took me. me that everyone reacts differently, and because he is an Alpha, he has stronger feelings and respons es than his brother. I exin to Eli all about my ¡®simple human family, how I¡¯m an only child and very close to my parents. We don¡¯t talk much about the night he took me, I think it is a sensitive subject for both of us and we seem to have an unspoken agreement to drop the subject. We arrive back at the beach house at about nine, Eli opens a bottle of wine, and we sit down on a bench on the porch. The moon is out in full, casting a white beam across the sea. The only sound is the gentle crashing of the waves only a little way in front of us. ¡°Have you enjoyed tonight?¡± I ask him as I lean back on the bench and put my feet up on the coffee ta ble in front of us. ¡®I loved it, the best first date I¡¯ve ever had, he replies, and I smile at him. ¡°Have you had a lot of first dates?¡¯ | ask, not jealous, just curious. He looks down at me and raises an eyebrow, obviously questioning my motive behind that question, I try to look as innocent as possible. ¡®Not many, no, he replies ambiguously, and I leave it at that. ¡®Did you enjoy it?¡¯ He asks, subtly changing the subject back to me. ¡®Yes, I did, it was amazing, I loved learning about your family, I feel like I understand your¡­position a lot more than I did yesterday, I tell him, and I know my words give him a sense offort and peace of mind. ¡®I can¡¯t tell you how good that is to hear, meeting your mate should be the best day of your life, but I feel like ours is marred by how we met and my actions, I¡¯ll spend every day of my life making it up to you, his voice isced with conviction, and I feel touched by his words. Once again I am struck by how strange it is to have known this man for only two days yet have him im to be with me for the rest of his life. How is this normal for them? ¡°You really don¡¯t need to do that, I get it now, you¡¯re forgiven, it¡¯s fine,¡¯ I reassure him, he doesn¡¯t say anything, he just reaches over, wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in so my face is resting against his warm chest. This moment, with such a beautiful setting, and eptance andfort from such a wonderful Book 1 Chapter 42 Book 1 Chapter 42 Book 1 Chapter 42 I wake early the next morning, the sunbeams in through the shutters and floods the room with light, but I don¡¯t mind. I stretch out across the huge double bed, even as a starfish, my hands and feet don¡¯t reach the edges. I remember how wonderfulst night was, Eli was a perfect gentleman; he didn¡¯t even try to kiss me. Although if he had, I might not have pushed him away. | sort myself out in the bathroom and pad downstairs in my fluffy socks, pajama shorts and vest to find Eli. It doesn¡¯t take long, I round the corner and spot him standing by the oven, boiling eggs. ¡®Just in time, I was about to bring you breakfast in bed, but I feel better not having to wake you up, Eli tells me as he puts the eggs in eggcups on a te and ces it on the table. I sit down and admire the ef fort he has gone to; he¡¯s set the table and even cut the toast into soldiers for me. ¡®Thank you, this looks great, I thank him and wait patiently for him to serve himself up and sit down opposite me. ¡°Dig in, he says, and I eagerly break the tops of my eggs and begin dunking soldiers into the runny, or ange yolk. ¡®Do you usually get up this early?¡¯ I ask him. To some people, eight-thirty might be considered as get ting upte, but to me, and most others, it¡¯s early. ¡®Mostly, dad raised me to take my job seriously, I work nine to five like most people. But I got a call this morning alerting me of an impromptu meeting being held on Damien¡¯s territory that I have to go to, so we¡¯ll have to leave soon, he exins, and I feel slightly disappointed that we won¡¯t be spending today here. ¡®Is it anything serious?¡¯ I question and he frowns, obviously it¡¯s serious or they wouldn¡¯t have called a meeting, you idiot. ¡®Nothing to worry about too much, just some rumors about rogues,¡¯ he replies and despite not knowing what a rogue is, I decide to not ask any more questions. ¡®What time do we need to leave?¡¯ ¡®About ten, if that¡¯s okay, I¡¯m really sorry about cutting this short, I¡¯ll bring you back here soon,¡¯ he promises, and I¡¯m satisfied with that agreement. We collect our things and are back on the road, driving home, by 10 o¡¯clock. I¡¯m sad that we didn¡¯t spend more time at his beach house, and I¡¯ll certainly be holding him to that promise of returning. Eli drops me off at Seb and Aria¡¯s house and heads off to his meeting, he gives me a brief hug before leaving. He¡¯s definitely trying hard to give me space and I respect that. ¡®So, how was your date?¡¯ Aria calls out from the living room the second l enter the house; I leave my case at the bottom of the stairs and sit down on the sofa opposite her. ¡®Really good, where¡¯s Seb?¡¯ | ask, looking around for the blonde. ¡®He¡¯s at the gym, shock, she rolls her eyes and I get the feeling that she has topete with the gym for time with her mate. Book 1 Chapter 42 Lv. 1 ¡®Oh okay want to have a girl¡¯s day? I fancy going out for lunch,¡¯ I suggest, and her eyes light up with ex citement Girl¡¯s day it is. Aria and I spend the morning shopping, we stop for lunch, and she grills me for all the details ofst night. I smile when I receive a text from Eli, saying that the meeting will end after lunch, and he¡¯lle over to Aria¡¯s house. I ask Aria about rogues, and she quickly fills me in, they¡®re not people I want to bump into that¡¯s for sure. We pay for our meal and drive back to Aria¡¯s house, as soon as we arrive, I go up to my room to C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. unpack my new clothes. You went shopping, Eli¡¯s voice makes me jump, I spin around to find the gorgeous God leaning against my doorframe. I needed a little retail therapy, after having my time at the beach cut short, I tease, watching him curi ously as he strolls over and stops right in front of me. I was thinking we should go back, tomorrow, what do you say?¡¯ He suggests and I grin at him. ¡®Sounds great,¡¯ I reply as he casts his eyes over my new clothes spread across my bed. A little short, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ He muses, holding up a ck skirt, I scoff at him and snatch it back. ¡®Shut up. Just make sure Ie out with you on the night you wear that,¡¯ his tone makes it sound like a joke, but I have a sneaking suspicion he¡¯s serious. ¡®Oh really? And why will you have toe with me?¡¯ | ask, giving him a quizzical look. Because you¡¯ll need protection from all the guys that will try it on with you, he replies, his face grim with the thought. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have anything to worry about,¡¯ I scoff, dismissing the idea. ¡®Are you joking? You¡¯ll look incredible in that skirt, you¡¯ll have to fight them off, he says, hispliment catches me off guard and I¡¯m startled into silence. I¡¯ve got a favor to ask you, Eli states and I¡¯m grateful for the topic change, I sit down on the bed. ¡®Go on ¡®My mum has invited you over for dinner tonight, we usually have Sunday dinner together, but we were at the beach house, so she wants us all toe round tonight, he exins and I¡¯m unsure how I feel about going back to his house and near his family so soon. It was only four days ago that he took me. ¡®I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, but it would mean so much to my parents if you came, Lucia and Tyler will be there too, he tries to appeal to me, but I¡¯ve already made up my mind. ¡®Sure, I¡¯lle, I answer, surprising him with my willingness to cooperate. Book 1 Chapter 43 Book 1 Chapter 43 Book 1 Chapter 43 ¡®Great, thank you, I¡¯ll let her know, Eli replies and gets out his phone to text his mum. I decided I¡¯d stop being so cold and make an effort, so I should go tonight. With Eli¡¯s help, I choose one of my favorite tops with some leggings as my outfit, luckily the meal is very casual. I do my make-up and just before seven, we get into Eli¡¯s car, and he drives us over to his par ent¡¯s house. The sun has set by the time we arrive, and the golden glow of the lights inside shines out onto the front garden, making the house look warm and inviting. Rather a juxtapositionpared tost time. As Eli reaches for the handle, the door swings open and Kate is standing there with a huge smile on her face. Help me. I¡¯m so d you could make it tonight, it¡¯s lovely to have you here, Kate invades my personal space by wrapping her arm around my shoulders and leading me down the corridor. ¡®Thank you for inviting me, it¡¯s very kind of you,¡¯ I reply as she leads me into the kitchen, where a deli cious smell ising from the pans on the stove. ¡®What would you like to drink? Wine? Beer?¡¯ She lets go of me and opens the fridge to show me all the options. ¡°A ss of wine would be lovely please, white,¡¯ I request, and she eagerly grabs a bottle and pours me a ss. ¡®Eli darling, what do you want?¡¯ Kate asks and I nce over my shoulder to see-Eliing down the hall. Hees up behind me and ces aforting hand on the small of my back. The subtle action in stantly calms me down. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Just coke for now mum, I¡¯m drivingter, he replies, and I nce up as his dad, Sam, walks in. We greet each other and Kate brings us into the dining room where the table is set for six whilst Sam finishes cooking dinner. Just as we are sitting down, Lucia and Tyler arrive. ¡®Sorry we¡®rete mum, someone waste picking me up, Lucia kisses her mum¡¯s cheeks and throws a dirty look in Tyler¡¯s direction. ¡®I was five minuteste, that hardly counts, Tyler scoffs as he pours himself a drink. ¡®Go on, tell everyone why you werete, what were you doing for those five minutes?¡¯ Lucia crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow at Tyler. ¡®I was helping a woman take her bags to the car, I was being a gentleman, Tyler replies, shrugging to try and act nonchnt. Gentleman? Bullshit, she had huge tits, a low-cut top and two bags, Lucia scoffs and Tyler¡¯s cheeks turn a faint shade of pink. ¡®Language Lucia!¡¯ Kate reprimands her but it goes unnoticed. ¡®Fuck you she had three bags! I was just trying to help.¡¯ Tyler insists, putting his hands up in defense. ¡®Language Tyler! Kate shouts at Tyler, but again, it goes unnoticed. Book 1 Chapter 43 ¡®Oh please, I know exactly what you were trying to do, twenty-four years old and still obsessed with boobs like a teenager! ¡®Enough! Both of you! We have a guest! Kate yells and the room falls silent, Eli bursts outughing and his mum shoots him a disapproving re. Alena is never going toe back if we keep behaving like this, I promise you Alena, my children are usually better behaved, it¡¯s unfortunate that they never behave around you, I¡¯m sorry, Kate apologizes and gestures at the empty chairs for Lucia and Tyler to sit down, which they do, with sheepish looks on their faces. ¡®Oh don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind, I grin, secretly entertained by the arguing siblings, having never had sib lings, this is quite the experience. ¡®Now everyone behaves sensibly for fuck¡¯s sake, Kate swears and takes a deep breath. No one tells her off for swearing. ¡®Dinner¡¯s ready! Sam calls as he enters the room carrying a huge serving dish, a groan of relief passes through the room. The rest of the meal continues in a civilized manner, much to Kate¡¯s relief. Anyway, we should probably be getting back, thank you for tonight¡¯ Eli stands up from the table and quickly follow his lead. I¡¯m sorry about that, my family is a bit full-on at times, Eli apologizes when he begins the drive back to Aria¡¯s. ¡®Don¡¯t be, it was interesting,¡¯ I reply, and we both burst outughing. 1 actually had a really good night, very entertaining, I tell him, and he smiles at me, reaching over to squeeze my hand. Instead of taking it back, he rests his hand on my thigh and I appreciate the gesture. ¡®Why does your mum have a bite mark on her neck?¡¯ | blurt out the question, finally getting the courage to ask him something I have been wondering about since I saw it. Eli pauses for a moment, as if consider ing whether to answer or not. ¡®When we find our mates, we mark them, to let others know that they are taken, that is my mum¡¯s mark, he exins, and I frown. ¡®Your dad bit her?¡¯ | ask, curious about how much that hurts, did she lose a lot of blood? Surely that didn¡¯t taste nice. ¡®Yes, all wolves mark their mates, he says simply, and I realize that Aria must have kept hers hidden from me, always having her hair down or wearing high-necked tops. ¡°But wait, does that mean you have to mark me?¡¯ I question, automatically reaching up and touching my neck, as if to protect myself ¡®Yes, but it¡¯s not what you think, it doesn¡¯t hurt, quite the opposite actually, he replies, and he gets this smug look on his face that annoys me. ¡®Quite the opposite? ¡®Yes, it¡¯ll feel good, very good, he says, with such confidence that I almost believe him. ¡®I doubt it, I mumble, crossing my arms across my chest like a moody teenager. ¡®You¡¯ll see, he gives me a cheeky smile and I want to scoff at him. ¡®Don¡¯t youe anywhere near my neck, I warn him, and he onlyughs at me. Hook 1 Chapter 43 He pulls up in front of their house and I reluctantly step out of the car, not wanting our time together to end just yet. We walk slowly up to the house, and I get the feeling Eli is disinclined to go inside so soon as well. We stop outside the front door, and he turns to face us, ¡®You look beautiful tonight, and thank you again foring, I know my parents really appreciated it, he says, and I feel touched by his words, he always seems to know the right thing to say I take a step closer to him, I have to lift my head to look into his eyes as he¡¯s a good foot taller than me. He appears to sense my intentions, because without missing a beat, he leans down until his lips are nearly touching mine. He hesitates for a second, and I know he¡¯s giving me a chance to bow out, but I don¡¯t want to Book 1 Chapter 44 Book 1 Chapter 44 Book 1 Chapter 44 After receiving this silent confirmation, he closes the gap between our lips and my eyes fall closed. His hands press firmly against my back, holding me against his chest. I feel so safe and protected at this mo ment, so blissfully happy. His lips are soft andpelling as they move against my own, kissing me in a way that makes me feel wanted and cared for. We both jump as the front door opens, I drop my phone in surprise and it tters to the ground. I barely have time to process that the screen might be damaged, because Seb, who has opened the door, sees us and screams, which in turn causes both Eli and I to jump again. What the fuck are you doing just standing out here? Nearly killed me, he pants, cing his hand over his heart. You nearly killed us! Scared me half to death,¡¯ I retort, trying to calm down my erratic breathing. I look down at my phone on the tiles, face-up, screen unblemished. As I reach down to pick it up, Eli does also, we collide in the middle and our foreheads bash together. I yelp and fall backward onto the ground; Eli reaches out and catches me just before my bum hits the path. ¡®Ouch, I mutter as he pulls me up and I rub my throbbing forehead. ¡®Sorry about that, heughs, reaching down and picking up my phone before handing it to me. So what are you doing at the door?¡¯ Eli asks, drawing my attention back to Seb, who is still standing there with his hand on his chest. ¡®I left my wallet in the car, Aria wants a takeaway, what were you two doing on the doorstep?¡¯ He ques tions, Eli and I share an embarrassed look and I push past him into the house. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡®Nothing, I hear Eli mumble as I peek my head around the corner to find Aria on the sofa watching tv. ¡°Have a good night? She asks and I give her a quick nod and hurry upstairs before I do anything else embarrassing. Iy in bedter that night, staring up at the ceiling and reying our kiss over and over in my head. Meeting Elijah has been a hectic whirlwind, but now, I¡¯m so happy where things are heading By ten o¡¯clock the next morning, we are back in Eli¡¯s car, on our way to the beach house. It doesn¡¯t take long to get there, and instead of going straight to the house, Eli parks in town and we grab some lunch. We chat the whole, turning a quick lunch into a two-hour meal, it¡¯s strange to get on so well with a guy, like a best friend, but still fancy him so much. When we return to the beach house, we spend some more time sunbathing and messing about in the water, then Eli leaves me to go inside and start prepping our dinner. It¡¯s so sweet of him to cook for us. When I eventuallye back into the house, I find the kitchen empty, but the oven is on, and some thing smells delicious. ¡®Eli? I call out, I check all the rooms and find them empty too, so I go upstairs. ¡®Eli?¡¯ I try again as I reach thending, his bedroom door is slightly ajar, so I push it open and step in side. ¡®Jesus, I whisper as he emerges from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, and Book 1 Chapter 44 Lv. 1 jumps as he sees me standing by his door. I¡¯m sorry, I was looking for you, I quickly apologize, looking anywhere but his barely-covered crotch. ¡®It¡¯s fine, you just scared me that¡¯s all, he smiles and grabs a towel from the dresser and begins drying his hair. Sorry, I¡¯ll be downstairs,¡¯ I tell him, I go to leave, but my bikini bow gets stuck on the door handle and ¡®Here, let me he offers, 1 keep my eyes firmly on our feet as hees over. I¡¯m acutely aware of how naked he is, despite being around him in swimwear the past few days, this just feels so much more. He be gins tying the bow, but he pauses. I look up at him to see what¡¯s wrong, and he leans in to kiss me, I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my dry body to his damp chest. His hands weave into my hair, holding my head in ce as he kisses me, his tongue teasing mine. At some point, my bikini bottoms slip through my hands and slide down to my ankles and I hear his towel drop to the floor just before I feel his bare, hot thighs against my own. ¡®If you want this to stop, you need to leave now,¡¯ he warns me, leaning his forehead against mine, his eyes tightly closed as he concentrates on controlling himself. Instead of replying, I reach up to kiss him again, a silent confirmation that I want this. He groans into our kiss, I know he expected me to leave, and ! know he¡¯s very happy that I haven¡¯t. He lifts me up, wrapping my legs around his waist, and carries me over to his bed. cing me down gently, he unties the back of my bikini top. I steel my nerves and force myself to keep my hands at my sides as he takes the top off and throws it across the room. He gazes down at me, desire and affection swirling in his eyes, my heart clenches at the sight. He leans down again to kiss me, before he can, I reach down and grab him, wrapping my hand around him and slowly pumping up and down. His fingers dig into my hips and his eyes fall closed as I take my time plea suring him. Alena, he grunts my name, his voice raw and gruff with lust. ¡®Yes?¡® I reply innocently, smiling up at him, he closes the gap between our lips. He pushes my hands away, pushing his tongue into my mouth before I can protest. I feel his fingers between my legs, checking to ensure I am ready. He rubs his blunt tip against me and then pushes inside. Guess we¡®re skipping the forey then. My gasps are masked by our kiss, but my nails dig into his shoulders as he buries himself inside of me. ¡®You¡®re so tight, he hisses, withdrawing and then pushing in deeper. I can¡¯t even form a reply, all I can do is moan and clench my legs around his waist, urging him deeper. ¡®You¡®re mine Alena, you are my everything, I¡¯m so happy I found you,¡¯ he whispers sweet words in my ear as the pleasure grows. Just as we reach our blissful peak, he bites down on my neck, increasing the eupho ria tenfold. As Ie down from the high, I realize that he bit my neck, and it did feel good. Myra¡®s POV I¡®m going to bed sis, you should too, Nathan gets up from the sofa and stretches, offering me a hand 1. up. I look at the time, just gone midnight. Where is Jayce? ¡°Myra, just get some sleep, you can talk to him tomorrow, Nate puts his arm around me and I appreci ate his attempt tofort me. BUOD 14 Earlier, I understood his shock and wanted to give him time. Now, I¡¯m pissed off that he hasn¡¯t even let me know he¡®s okay I have no idea where he is or what he¡¯s thinking. Yeah he¡¯s freaking out, but what about me? I haven¡¯t even had time to process this myself, and you could argue that right now this affects me and my body a lot more than him. ¡®Fine, I¡¯m going to bed, I mumble petntly, leaving Nate to turn off the lights downstairs. I copse onto my bed five minutester, still clutching my phone in the sad hope that he might con tact me Please answer me Jayce, Book 1 Chapter 45 Book 1 Chapter 45 Book 1 Chapter 45 Myra¡¯s POV I jerk awake at the sound of my phone vibrating on my bedside table, my heart jumps as I see Jayce¡¯s caller ID. ¡®Hello?¡¯ I answer, wincing at how groggy my voice sounds. ¡®Myra? This is Rixon, I¡¯m Jayce¡¯s friend, My hopes sink as I hear a voice that doesn¡¯t belong to Jayce. ¡®Is he okay? ¡®Yeah, he¡¯s just a little¡­out of it at the moment, Rixon exins, and I resist rolling my eyes. He went and got wasted? What a Christian Grey reaction. Can youe and pick him up? I¡¯ve had a couple myself and I don¡¯t think driving is the best idea, I¡¯m sorry I know it¡¯ste, Rixon exins, and I feel like saying no and making Jayce stay at the bar by himself Sure, what¡¯s the address?¡¯ I ask, typing it into my phone as he recites it. Tll be there in ten, I tell him, hanging up and pulling on a hoodie over my pajamas. Stupid drunken idiot making his pregnant girlfriend get up at 2 am to pick him up. I rant silently to myself as I drive through the deserted streets. I¡¯m going to kill him tomorrow. After I¡¯ve had more than 2 hours of sleep. I follow the directions on my phone, I pull up in front of a bar I¡¯ve never been to and scowl as my eyes He¡¯s sat on a bench outside, his head leaning on some girls¡¯ shoulder, obviously passed out. The man who I assume is Rixon, is sat next to him, chatting to the girl and her friends. I get out of the car and march over to them in my oversized hoodie and fluffy slippers. Sorry to interrupt, I announce, although it¡¯s clear by my tone I¡¯m not sorry in the slightest. The girls look up at me, with a mixture of disgust and confusion. ¡®Myra? I¡¯m Rixon, the guy stands up and offers out arge hand, wow he¡¯s tall, ¡®Nice to meet you,¡¯ He smiles, and I have to force one back. ¡®Thanks for calling me, I turn my attention to Jayce who¡¯s head is still on that girls¡¯ shoulder. But to be fair, his eyes are closed, hopefully he¡¯s oblivious to the situation he¡¯s in. ¡°Help me get him to the car?¡± I ask Rixon, he nods and wraps Jayce¡¯s arm around his neck, letting Jayce lean his weight on him. He supports him as Jayce mumbles something indiscernible, his eyes still closed. They stagger across the parking lot as I open the door for them, Rixon shoves Jayce in. I lean inside and clip his seatbelt. ¡°Well hello beautiful, Jayce slurs, smiling stupidly with half-open eyes. It¡¯s quite a sight. ¡®Shut it, I snap and m the door on him. Book 1 Chapter 45 Lv. 1 ¡°Thank you for your help, can I drop you home?¡¯ I ask Rixon, but he shakes his head and smiles at me. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll walk, thanks for getting him, he pauses and nces at Jayce leaning against the car win dow, his face mushed against the ss, ¡®He¡¯s a good guy, he¡¯s just scared you know?¡® ¡®Yeah, so am li I mumble and Rixon gives my shoulder a squeeze. ¡®Good luck, he calls and strolls away, back over to the group of girls who drool appreciatively over his tattoos ¡°Fuck my life, I mutter and get back into the car. ¡°Hi, Jayce grins at me, his eyes still half-open and dazed, I scowl and reverse out of the bar; I have no patience with a drunk Jayce at 2 am. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I think about how hangover he is going to be tomorrow, and how much I don¡¯t want to deal with that and decide to drop him at his house instead. I drive him home and we stumble into the house together, after he copses onto his bed, I pull off his shoes and jeans and roll him onto his side in case he throws up in the night. Checking that he¡¯s okay, I lock up. post the keys back through the door and drive home. By the time I¡¯m back in bed, it¡¯s almost 3 am and I¡¯ve just about had enough of Jayce Daniels. It¡¯s just gone 10 am when I wake up, rolling over and rubbing my tired eyes. What a night. 1 step into the warm spray of the shower, wrapping my arms around myself. I really hope Jayce wakes up with a different mindset this morning, what if he doesn¡¯t want this baby? It was a surprise for me too, we haven¡¯t even known each other for that long, He has to change his mind, he has to. It might be different if I was further along, if he could hear its heartbeat or feel it kick, whilst it¡¯s just a little speck it¡¯s easy for him to hate it and be scared of the endless uncertainties. As I¡¯m wrapping my towel around myself, my phone buzzes with a text. I practically dive on it, my heart sinking as I see it¡¯s from Aria, hoping that everything is okay. The doorbell rings and I ignore it, towel drying my hair as I look for a top. It rings again and I sigh heavily, knowing that Nate is probably deeply asleep or ignoring it too. I shove on some sweats and one of Jayce¡®s jumpers and head downstairs. I open the front door and I¡¯m startled to see Jayce standing there, looking sheepish and a little worse for wear. He better not have driven here, not in the state he was in earlier this morning. I nce over his shoulder and see he hasn¡¯t got his car with him, wow, he either got a lift or ran here. I just look at him, not wanting to be the first to talk. He can exin himself. He takes up practically the whole doorway, somehow still managing to look cute and vulnerable de spite the numerous tattoos and piercings. He nervously scratches the back of his neck and gives me a sheepish smile. I¡¯m sorry, I panicked, he admits finally, I simply raise an eyebrow at him. He¡¯s going to have to do bet ter than that. As if suddenly remembering something, his face jumps with excitement and reaches down into a bag Book 1 Chapter 45 Lv. 1 to hand me something. I got you this, to show that I¡¯m like¡­on board with the whole baby thing, he gestures to my stomach and hands me a box. I look at him suspiciously and open it to find two weird sphere-shaped things with a wire, I frown at him, confused. ¡®They¡¯re belly buds! Bump headphones that y music for the baby, he exins, and I stare at him like he¡¯s gone mad, which he might have. ¡®Music helps the baby¡¯s brain development, and I want our baby to be as smart as you, and me of course,¡¯ he adds teasingly, grinning at me. ¡®You¡¯re crazy,¡¯ I mumble, slightly pleased with the weird gift. Book 1 Chapter 46 Book 1 Chapter 46 Book 1 Chapter 46 am so sorry aboutst night, it¡¯s just that was thest thing I was expecting, and I pan icked, he pauses, ¡®The thought of having to be a good example for a kid, of them looking up to me, it scares me, it¡¯s a lot of pressure,¡¯ he admits. ¡®I know it is, but you¡¯ve got about eight months to figure it out and probably about another ten years when you can make a lot of mistakes and still get away with it, I joke, and he rolls his eyes at me. I move towards him and reach up on my tiptoes to softly kiss his tempting lips. ¡®Plus, you¡¯re not doing it alone, you¡¯ve got me, I shrug, and he grins down at me, ¡®We¡®ve got this, I tell him. ¡°I love you, he reaches down and lifts me up before I can reply, much to my surprise. ¡®Let¡¯s get you back to bed Mummy, wouldn¡¯t want you on your feet for too long, he jokes, winking at me. ¡®Oh dear God, do not call me that,¡¯ I reply, bursting outughing. ¡°Why? I think I¡¯m gonna quite like you calling me Daddy, he wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I cringe in horror. ¡®Ew, that¡¯s nasty. Iin as he marches up the stairs to my bedroom, ¡®Besides, I¡¯m not even tired, I¡¯ve just woken up,¡¯ I tell him. ¡®Who said anything about sleep? I need to make up for my behaviorst night, and I intend to apologize in your favorite way, he announces, kicking open the door to my room and gently cing me on the bed. My cheeks warm as I know exactly what he is referring to. prop myself up on my elbows as I watch him pull his t-shirt off, revealing each delicious inch of his beautiful, tanned, muscr, inked chest. Damn. He is going to be the world¡¯s fittest DILF. A couple of monthster¡­ My cheeks flush with embarrassment at all the attention I receive from my friends and family, I nce over at Jayce for some assistance but he¡¯s busy being cornered by my mum. ¡°You¡¯re glowing Myra, Aria gushes and I feel my blush deepen. Why did I agree to a baby shower? I¡¯m only in my second trimester. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. I know exactly why, because today we¡®re revealing the gender of our baby. The doctor identified itst week, Aria spoke to her and made the arrangements. Up until now, Jayce and I have been in the dark about the sex of our own child. I excuse myself from my group of friends, as wonderful as they are, I¡¯m not used to being the center of attention and this is a little ufortable. I retreat to the bar, ordering myself a non-alcoholic drink, un fortunately. Right now I could do with some liquid courage. Ilean back against the bar, my eyes naturally searching out Jayce again. I watch him chat to my Mum, coping easily with her anything-but-calm, excited state. He looks over and winks at me before turning his attention back to her. Book 1 Chapter 46 ¡®I told you he was a good guy, Rixon¡¯s voice invades my thoughts and I nce to the left to see him leaning against the bar, his tall frame something I¡¯m going to have to get used to. ¡®Yeah, you were right, I agree with him. I¡¯m d everything worked out for you two, congrattions by the way, what are you hoping for?¡¯ He asks and I consider it for a moment. As long as it¡¯s healthy, I don¡¯t mind, but I think Jayce wants a boy. I mention and Rixon grins mis chievously. ¡®He¡¯ll hate it if it¡¯s a girl, it¡¯s his worst nightmare, wanting to protect her from every male alive, he replies and I realize that he¡¯s right, Jayce will be the most protective Dad ever. ¡®Ladies and Gentlemen, will you please gather for the gender reveal!¡¯ Aria announces, the room goes silent, and I put down my drink, nervously making my way over to the front with Jayce. Aria gives a signal, and a member of staff rolls in a huge cake¡­. designed to look like a moon. I dead pan and nce at Aria. ¡®Because we¡®re wolves? Really?¡¯ | ask, my tone colored with disbelief. ¡®What? I thought it was appropriate now that you¡¯ve shifted and everything, perfect for a little wolf ba by, she shrugs, and I roll my eyes at her. Personally, I¡¯m not a big fan of gender-stereotyped colors, but seeing as Aria decorated and nned this whole thing, I¡¯ll just deal with it and be grateful my friend is so generous and creative. I want my son to wear pink and my daughter to wear blue, assigning color to gender is ridiculous. Together, Jayce and I put our hands around the knife and cut into the cake. I hold my breath as the de slices through, we make a second cut and slide the piece out¡­.to reveal the undeniably pink interior. ¡®Shit, Jayce curses under his breath and I¡¯m happy no one else hears it as cheers erupt throughout the room. I¡¯m so happy for you!¡¯ My mum cries, tears welling in her eyes. I look over to see Jayce exhaling deeply with his eyes closed, oh dear. ¡®Not what you were hoping for?¡¯ | ask, unable to keep the disappointment out of my voice. ¡®No, it¡¯s amazing. he hurriedly reassures me, ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m going to have to protect her from all the ass holes out there, assholes like I used to be, he exins, and I roll my eyes. ¡®If we raise her right, she will be able to protect herself just fine,¡¯ I tell him, and he looks at me slightly unconvinced. ¡®I guess I¡¯m going to have another demanding Princess in my life then, he feigns annoyance, sighing heavily. ¡®Yes, you have, I agree, grinning at him. You two are going to be the death of me I can feel it, he jokes, pulling me into his arms, ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way, he admits, kissing the top of my forehead. So, we¡®re having a girl. Book 1 Chapter 47 Book 1 Chapter 47 Book 1 Chapter Bonus-01 Alena¡¯s POV The rest of the meal continues in a civilized manner, much to Kate¡¯s relief. But another argument ensues over dessert. ¡°You what?¡¯ Lucia hisses. She is terrifying at this point. She looks fuming, her eyes are narrowed and fo cused on Eli. I don¡¯t like the way she¡¯s looking at my mate, but I¡¯m not going to say a word when she looks this pissed off. ¡®I asked Jared to look after you whilst you are on his territory, Eli says calmly, but I can see the corners of his mouth are ever so slightly turned up, he¡¯s enjoying winding up his sister. ¡°You asked your best friend, an Alpha, to be my babysitter? She splutters, horrified by the idea. ¡®No, more like a bodyguard,¡¯ he replies. She groans and puts her head in her hands. ¡°Why the hell do I need a bodyguard? I¡¯m not a bloody celebrity!¡¯ Lucia states, her tone exasperated. ¡®At the meeting I went to today, we spoke about recent rogue sightings, and we believe there¡¯s a threat at the moment, so whilst you¡¯re not on my territory, I would like someone to watch out for you, Eli exins. Lucia just frowns and shakes her head. I will be fine Eli, it¡¯s just one night out with my friend, I don¡¯t need to be watched! Jared said he wouldn¡¯t mind doing it, and I feel much better knowing that an Alpha will be watching out for you, Eli¡¯s voice is slow and smooth, quite the opposite of his sister¡¯s tone. ¡®Oh for God¡¯s sake, he¡¯s an Alpha, he¡¯s got better things to do! What would a rogue want with me?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t want me to answer that question. Eli replies grimly, ¡®look, it¡¯s sorted now. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t ask you first, but I knew you¡¯d say no. Mum and Dad agree with me, Eli nods over at his parents, who don¡¯t look best pleased that he¡¯s involved them in an argument that they were silently staying out of. ¡®It¡¯ll be safer honey, Kate tries to acquiesce and Lucia just sighs heavily. ¡®Fine, whatever, she mumbles, and silence falls on us once again, I shift ufortably. ¡®Anyway, we should probably be getting back, thank you for tonight, Eli stands up from the table and I quickly follow his lead. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Lucia¡¯s POV. So when is my escort going to be at Cath¡¯s?¡¯ I ask my stupid brother as I put my phone on speaker to hear his answer. Jared will be there at nine to take you out: Eli replies and I sigh in frustration. ¡®How have you got him to agree to that?¡¯ ¡®Easy, he¡¯s my friend. Besides, you¡¯ll be on his territory, he can suggest some good ces for you and Cath to go to,¡¯ I roll my eyes at his attempt to appease me after saddling me with a bodyguard. ¡®Oh yay, a tour guide, thank you so much, I mutter sarcastically and Eli huffs at me. I¡¯m just trying to keep you safe, please understand that¡¯ he replies, his voice taking on a serious tone Book 1 Chapter Bonus-01 Lv.1 that pisses me off because now I can¡¯t be mad at him. Okay, thank you, I mumble and quickly hang up before I forgive himpletely I finish getting ready for drinks with my bestie. Mum calls up to say she¡¯s ready just as I¡¯m clipping on my heels. She drives me over to Alpha Jared¡¯s territory, where my best friend, Cath, lives. The journey is rtively quick and my fingers twitch with excitement as I pull up on her drive. Before ! have even stepped out of the car, the door flies open, and shees running out. We crash together in a hug and her light brown hair surrounds me. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re here!¡¯ She exims and I eagerly grab my things and head inside. I greet her par ents and Cath leads me up to her bedroom, it¡¯s only been a month since we¡®ve seen each other, but that is a long time for us. ¡®He¡¯s really fit, by the way, Cath says at the mention of our bodyguard. ¡®Really? Oh that¡¯s good, at least we¡¯ll have something nice to look at tonight, I joke and Cath gasps in fake horror. ¡®Lucia, you better not be objectifying him! She teases and I roll my eyes. ¡®I can objectify all I want, that man is gonna ruin our night, Ipout and stick my eyshes on. ¡®You never know, he might make our night, Caia licks her lips and I scoff in disbelief. N?velDrama.Org content rights. I very much doubt that, I don¡¯t need a babysitter,¡¯ Iin for about the hundredth time and Caia silently hands me a shot ss full of vodka. At exactly nine o¡¯clock, Alpha Jared knocks on Cath¡¯s front door. She opens it and immediately blush 1. es. ¡°Hi Alpha, she greets him, ¡®hold on, we¡¯ll just grab our things. | grab my clutch and walk up to him. Although he¡¯s close with my brother, and Cath lives in his pack, I¡¯ve never actually met him before. Nothing could have prepared me for the powerful, gorgeous male who stood on Caia¡¯s doorstep. He is tall, like most Alphas, and what a suitable title Alpha is for the alpha male gazing intently at me. He looks intimidating and pure male, ironically ideal for a bodyguard. His hair is cropped short, military- style, and he has dark ck skin. His eyes are warm brown color. He smiles at me. ¡®You must be Lucia, he says. My mouth goes dry at the sound of my nameing from his full lips. I clear my throat quickly. ¡®Um yes, hi. Come on!¡¯ Cath bustles past me. Jared smirks and steps to the side to allow me to pass. His ck BMW is waiting on the street. Before we can pile into the car, our attention is drawn to the front door opening. Cath¡¯s mum steps out and crosses her arms, silently asking for an exnation from her daughter. ¡°Hi Mum, Cath greets her and I can hear the slight panic in her voice. Her parents don¡¯t like boys near the house. Although this boy is not a boy, he¡¯s a man. I heard the car pull up, who¡¯s this?¡¯ Cath¡¯s Mum asks. ¡®Oh Mum, this is Jared, he¡¯s Lucia¡¯s boyfriend, Cath lies and I struggle to keep the surprise off of my face. Cath¡¯s mum looks at me and I force a smile. I jump almost a foot in the air when Jared¡¯s handnds on my back as he stands next to me. I try to keep my breathing in check as the warmth from his hand radiates across my body. I feel quite heady, and it¡¯s not the alcohol. It¡¯s his tantalizing scent filling my nostrils. ¡®Luce is rather shy about me, Jared exins, and I look at him in shock, Luce?! Book 1 Chapter 48 Book 1 Chapter 48 Book 1 Chapter Bonus-02 How long have you two been together? Mrs. Johnson asks, looking at me. I quickly clear my thoughts and manage to form an answer ¡°Um, three months¡¯ I stutter, saying the first number thates into my head ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Mrs Johnson, Jared says, calmly ying along with the lie. He offers out his hand to Cath¡¯s mum. She shakes it and stumbles out some breathy reply, his charm has won her overpletely ¡°Well, you kids have a good night!¡¯ Cath¡¯s mum waves and I let out a breath as soon as the door closes behind her You couldn¡¯t have thought of a better lie?¡¯ I criticize Cath and she shrugs sheepishly, and you, how do you know Cath¡¯s surname?¡¯ I ask Jared and he smirks. They live in my pack, Luce, he winks, and I feel embarrassed by the flutter of butterflies in my stom ach ¡°He¡¯s going to be a pain in my ass tonight, I can feel it,¡¯ I whisper to Cath as we get into his car. Cath looks at me dubiously 1 thought you didn¡¯t do anal? She asks, and I choke on air. Cath!¡± I hiss, attempting to reprimand her, but she just giggles and slides into the car. Only five minutester, Jared parks his car in one of the car parks on the high street and we head over to Cath¡¯s favorite cocktail bar. Cath and I strut over to one of the tables and slide onto the bar stools, i nce behind to see where Jared is, and I notice him sit down by the bar. So he¡¯s going to stay out of our way then, that¡¯s good, Iment and pick up the menu to see what drink I want ¡°We can¡¯t let him sit by himself all night, Cath replies and I shrug. Don¡¯t see why not, he knew what he signed up for, I¡¯m gonna go for a cosmo, what about you?¡¯ I ask, ! look over at Cath and she gives me her best disapproving look and I groan. Please don¡¯t make me go over and talk to him, I whine and Cath scoffs at me. ¡°You¡¯re such a baby. just tell him to join us. It¡¯s sad seeing such a big Alpha sat on that pathetic little stool on his own Cath gestures in his direction and my eyesnd on his huge figure making the stool look tiny inparison. It¡¯s a wonder it¡¯s still holding up under his muscr build. ¡°Why can¡¯t you go ask him?¡¯ 1 pout and Cath smirks. ¡®Because trust me, I think he¡¯d rather hear it from you. She grins at me, and I sigh in frustration but slide off the stool pull down my dress, which seems like a pointless move as it reaches just under my bum, and teeter over to him, my heels clicking on the floor tiles. I step up to him and lean against the bar to get his attention. He looks at me and raises an eyebrow. Momentarily, I am floored by his inconceivably handsome face, but I manage to find my words. Come join us, I offer and his face lights up with smug affirmation. He teases, his voice yful, ¡°Why? Missing me?¡¯ My eyes narrow in irritation. ¡®No but sitting here alone is an open invitation for girls toe and try it on with you, I start, but be Book 1 Chapter Bonus-02 fore I can finish, he interrupts me. ¡°You jealous, Luce?¡¯ He asks, and I sputter at him repeating that nickname for me. ¡®No, I¡¯m just worried you¡¯ll be distracted from your duty. I retort, and he leans in closer to me, so that my heart starts hammering loudly in my ears. Don¡¯t worry Luce, I never lose sight of my target, he ims boldly, finishing his statement with a wink. Fuck this man and his arrogance. That¡¯s good to know, nowe sit with us, I tell him, frustrated by his constant flirting. ¡®Is this how this rtionship¡¯s gonna be? You bossing me around all the time?¡¯ He questions. ¡®Rtionship?¡¯ I ask him, both confused and mortified. Yeah, you said it yourself, we¡®ve been together three months. We¡®re supposed to still be in the honey moon period, he jokes, and I roll my eyes at him. Oh, shut up, I reply, but there is no aggression in my voice as I turn away from him to go back over to Cath. That¡¯s no way to speak to your boyfriend, he admonishes me, and I resist rolling my eyes again. ¡®Happy? He¡¯s here,¡¯ I say to Cath as I slide back onto my stool and Jared sits down next to us. Very. Now, what are we drinking? Cath replies and grins at us both. We get our drinks and sit back down at our table. The conversation flows easily, many of us would be Material ? N?velDrama.Org. intimidated to be sat with an Alpha, but Jared is very rxed. As we finish our first few drinks and the alco hol begins entering my system, my eyes wander over to Jared more and more often. He is gorgeous. The thought repeats itself continually in my mind. Every movement and gesture he makes is controlled and smooth. He has so much self-assurance. Everything about him, from his obvious muscles straining against his tight shirt, to hisrge, rough hands, is sopletely desirable. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a guy this attractive, but what makes him so much more than his looks is the authority he silently I try to distract myself; my brother would kill me if he found out i¡¯d done anything with one of his friends, and that¡¯s based on the assumption he¡¯d even be interested in me. ¡°Come on Lucia,¡¯ I snap out of my reverie to see Cath is stood up and ready to go. I grab my clutch and the three of us head outside. We walk across the street to a popr club. Tll be at the bar, you two have fun, Jared tells me, leaning close so I can hear his voice over the music. A shiver of desire ripples through my body as I feel his cool breath on my neck. Damn it Lucia, pull yourself together. Book 1 Chapter 50 Book 1 Chapter 50 Hisrge, rough hands softly run down my sides, his thumbs grazing my nipples. He opens my legs and grips my thighs, squeezing them tightly as he presses his erection right where I want him to. I drag my nails down his chest, enjoying the shiver it elicits from him. My hands stop at his boxers and eagerly pull them down. He removes them for me, his lips never leaving mine whilst he gently runs a finger down my stomach and to my pussy. He runs his finger up and down, driving me wild and coating himself in my juices. I gasp in shock and pleasure as he pushes his finger inside me. He instantly adds another when he pulls out. In the dark, I fumble blindly down his body until I find his cock. I almost moan in anticipation as I feel how hard it is. I squeeze it tightly, shivering as it remains solid and relentless in my hands, twitching at me in response. I run my hand up and down a few times. It''s been a long time since I''ve been with a man, and never have I been with this much of a man. ''Stop,'' he hisses, pulling himself out of reach from me. He removes his fingers from inside me and before I canin at the loss, he begins rubbing his blunt tip along my slit. I swallow hard, my body practically shaking with excitement as he slowly enters me. I close my eyes and gasp in pleasure as he stretches me. The pain is addictive and I begin clenching around him as he pulls out and ms back in. I grip onto his shoulders as he ms repeatedly into me, hitting the top of my cervix each time. Endless moans fall from my mouth and my stars blur my vision. He groans and rests his forehead on mine, one of his hands reaches over to squeeze my nipple. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. My eyes fall shut and my breaths be shallow as he continues his wonderful assault on my body. Whilst one hand holds his weight, the other slides down my body to rub my clit. Intense pleasure begins to build in my stomach. ''Come for me,'' he whispers huskily in my ear, and it''s all the encouragement I need to reach my peak and fall apart in his arms with a breathy scream. He holds me tightly, rolling us over so that I''m straddling him. I try to gather myself and ride him, but he grips my hips and lifts me up on his cock, doing the work for me. I ce my hands on his pecs for support and take over, lifting myself off and then sliding myself back onto him. I throw my head back, so my hair tickles his thighs as I ride him. I feel a thinyer of moisture appear on my body at the exertion of riding him hard. His hands tighten on my thighs, and he groans quietly. Sensing he might notst much longer, I clench tighter and pick up the pace. ''Fuck, Lucia,'' he grunts, and I smile in satisfaction as he thrusts into me. But he surprises me by sitting up and wrapping his arms around me. He buries one of his hands in my hair and pulls my head to one side, I feel his lips on my neck and I tense up. He senses my hesitation and resumes kissing my neck. ''Tell me if you don''t want me to,'' he says as I continue lifting up and down on him. ''I want you too,'' I reply shyly, grateful that he can''t see much in the dim light. Without giving me any time to prepare myself, his teeth sink into my neck. White hot pleasure travels straight to my core. I fall off the precipice and headfirst into the most intense orgasm I''ve ever had. I lose my visionpletely as my eyes ck out, my mouth falls open and I scream loudly. My limbs turn to jelly. Jared groans and thrusts a final few times, emptying himself inside me. I sigh and lean forwards, resting on his warm chest. His arms automatically encircle me, making me feel safe. ????????????? ''You nervous'' I ask as Jared pulls up in front of my house. I nce anxiously at the building and then at my gorgeous mate, who looks utterly fuckable in his tight¡ªfitting t¡ªshirt. ''Pfft, not even a little,'' he smirks. He gets out of the car,ing round to get my door. I roll my eyes, knowing that deep down he is a bit nervous. ''Just don''t go shing it about,'' Jared says jokingly, but he moves my hair over my mark. I sigh and shake my head; we don''t even make it halfway up the drive before the front door flies open and my brothers step out. I swallow hard as they both cross their arms across their chests, their faces like thunder. ''I leave you alone with him one night, and youe back marked and mated,'' Eli seethes through his teeth, I open my mouth to defend myself but Tyler steps forward. ''You have some nerve marking our sister,'' he res at Jared, and I hurriedly step in front of him. ''Guyse on, you know this isn''t my fault,'' Jared replies, putting his hands up in defense. ''Oh for God''s sake, get over it,'' I snap, and both my brothers re at me. Lord save us. Last chapter Book 2 Chapter 1 Book 2 Chapter 1 Lexi''s POV. His smoldering, henna eyes gaze at me as he slowly slides myce thong down my legs. I have never been more thankful in my life that I shaved today. My beautifully bare, moisturized body is exposed to him, and I mentally congratte myself on being prepared. Although, when I got ready earlier, I certainly hadn''t been expecting this. I gasp as he moves closer and leisurely runs his tongue along my inner thighs, growing closer to his target. I watch for as long as I can bear, but eventually the desire bes too much and I fall back on the bed, fingers clutching the duvet as he torments me with his tongue. My eyes fall closed as he swirls his tongue around my clit and simultaneously pushes two fingers inside of me with no warning. I moan loudly and arch my back, lewdly pushing my crotch into his face. ''Fuck,'' I sigh as he picks up the pace, increasing the pressure on my clit until I feel my orgasm start to build. ''Soon,'' he promises, smirking at my choice of curse words. Who am I This girl letting aplete stranger eat her out. But he''s not aplete stranger. He''s meant for me. And damn, am I grateful about that. Just as I''m about toe, he stops his actions and I involuntarily growl in annoyance. He chuckles, waits a few seconds, and then continues. He repeats this a few times, until I''m almost on the edge of begging. ''It''ll feel better for waiting, I promise,'' he mumbles as he presses kisses to my inner thighs. I scoff in irritation, but my noise ofint is cut short when he returns his mouth to my pussy. This time, when he has me back on the edge, ready to fall off any second, he doesn''t stop his actions. I scream loudly as he takes me over the edge, everything else falls away as I look down and see his mouth carrying out one of the crudest, yet pleasuring ministrations a girl can experience. Our eyes meeting only increases the intensity of my orgasm and Ie long and hard, breathless when I finallye down from my high. ''Jesus,'' I whisper as he climbs up onto the bed, all muscr arms and thick thighs. ''No, Rixon,'' he corrects me. I somehow find the energy to roll my eyes at him. He reaches underneath me and unhooks my bra, discarding it on the floor. I go to cover myself, but he catches my wrists, holding them on either side of my head instead. ''Never cover yourself from me,'' he demands huskily as he leans down and takes a nipple into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth. I struggle to release his hold on my wrists, eager to touch him. ''Let me touch you,'' I plead, and he finally relents his hold, I don''t hesitate to slide his boxers off his huge thighs. His cock springs free, reaching up to his navel and hanging heavy with its hardness. ''Holy shit,'' I mouth the words, my eyes wide as I watch in awe as a drop of pre¡ªcum oozes from the tip. ''Are you clean'' I ask, managing to get my brain to work. He pauses for a moment and then reaches over for his phone, I''m confused until he unlocks it and shows me a text from a couple of days ago, stating all results were negative. ''Get tested often do we'' Iment sarcastically, raising a judgmental eyebrow at him. I mean, I knew he wasn''t a virgin, but seriously. ''It was a couple of weeks ago; I don''t want to talk about it.'' It''s his turn to roll his eyes, he pulls me close against his chest and kisses my neck. ''You''re all I want now, no one else,'' he promises and instead of replying, I bend over and take his cock in my mouth, making him hiss in surprise. Now I know he''s clean, I can return the favor. We swap positions, he sits back on the bed, leaning back on his arms as I put my mouth to work. Due to his size, I wrap one hand around the base, working in unison with my mouth. I lick my lips and suck him in, teasing the tip with my tongue. I bob my head up and down, varying the pressure of my grip, he moans in response, encouraging me. His hands tangle themselves in my hair and he takes over thrusting into my mouth whilst his hands hold me in ce. Usually, I hate it when a guy does this, I find it controlling and feel like I''m being used. But right now, my whole body is screaming ''USE ME''. ''Stop,'' he orders, lifting me off him so his cock falls out my mouth with a pop. I pout up at him and he grins. Fuck, I''m in deep with this guy, that grin. Before he can decide differently, I throw one of my legs over him and straddle him. His cock rests perfectly between my lower lips and I tease him by grinding on it. His hands grab my waist, squeezing tightly. It hurts, but I like it. A lot. ''Wait,'' I tell him, he looks confused for a moment as I reach up and unhook my crucifix ne. ''If I''m going to be doing any more bad things, I''m not doing it with God''s symbol around my neck,'' I exin, and he smirks as I put the ne down on his bedside table. My grandmother got me that ne, and I don''t need it reminding me of the judgment I might face for doing this. I lift up and reach down to position his cock at my entrance, I tease him a little more, running the tip up and down, coating him in my juices because he teased me earlier. Excitement bubbles in my stomach as I line him up and feel him press slowly inside of me. My thighs shake as I force myself to take him at a slow pace, I want to savor this. His tip spreads me apart as he Material ? N?velDrama.Org. sinks into me, and my breath catches in my throat at the pain. ''Are you okay'' He asks worriedly and I''m touched by his caring nature. ''I''m fine, just go slow, you''re rather big,'' I admit, wincing as he pushes further inside me. I nce down, the sight is erotic, but painful. ''Oh, fuck. That''s not even half,'' I groan as I close my eyes, hoping to ignore the pain. He presses in a little deeper and I whimper, biting down on my lip. ''Shit,'' he groans, I open my eyes to find his closed, his head thrown back on the pillow. ''I''m sorry, I''m trying to go slow,'' he apologizes, and every muscle in his arms and chest are tensed with concentration. ''Just push it all the way in, please,'' I beg, and he looks at me with concern. ''Seriously, just get it over with,'' I plead and squeeze my eyes shut. He ms into me, and I cry out, falling forwards onto his chest. He quickly wraps his arms around me and holds me tight, his cock fully inside me. Tears spring to my eyes at the painful burning sensation resonating around my body. Book 2 Chapter 2 Book 2 Chapter 2 Lexi''s POV ''Aria, are you sure this is a good idea You have work tomorrow morning,'' I call out to her as Iy on her bed. ncing at the clock. it reads 537 PM. ''For God''s sake, Lexi,'' her voicees out irritated and muffled as she searches through her clothes in her wardrobe. She steps out and throws a garment of clothing at me. ''I''ve told you already, I''m going. I need a night out. I''ll just deal with it tomorrow.'' I roll my eyes at her and pick up the ck material to see what she''s thrown at me. My eyes widen as I hold up a barely¡ªthere, ck dress. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''You must be joking,'' Iment tly, eyeing the dress suspiciously. ''No, trust me, you''ll look incredible,'' Aria replies. She stands in front of her mirror and holds up another dress that leaves little to the imagination. I close my eyes andy back down against the duvet. ''Remind me why we thought going out would be a good idea on a Tuesday night'' ''Look, Lex, your life is boring at the moment. You''re single but you''re not having fun with it, you need this,'' she tells me, and I raise a skeptical eyebrow. ''Come on, get ready.'' She shoves me off the bed and onto the floor. ''Fine!'' I hold my hands up in surrender and pick up the dress. ''But I might need help putting this on,'' I tell her, trying to work out which way up it is. ''Sure.'' She winks at me and adjusts her dress. ''What do you think'' The bright red dress stops just below her bum, has arge section cut out across her stomach and is held up by two thin spaghetti straps. ''I think you shouldn''t bend over,'' I mutter sarcastically and reassess my dress. ''Oh, stop being so sensible. I know once I get a few drinks down you, you''ll be more than happy to wear that,'' Aria uses and I smile, knowing she''s right. ''Fine, I''ll try this on,'' I mumble, getting off the bed and stripping out of my dressing gown. I struggle a couple of times before Aria intervenes with an exasperated scoff. ''Holy shit, you look hot,'' Ariapliments me and I roll my eyes at her. But as I turn and look in the mirror, I ept that actually the dress doesn''t look as bad as I thought it would. It has cutouts everywhere and I''m grateful that I''m tanned seeing as I''m going to be showing this much flesh. ''There, you''re ready.'' Aria pulls away from me with a triumphant smirk and turns the chair so I can see my reflection. She''s done my makeup for me, and I''ll admit she''s done a much better job than I could. We both have heavily made¡ªup eyes and sultry pink lips. I''ve left my long blonde hair in waves down my back. ''Let''s go, Lucia''s in the taxi downstairs.'' I''m very d that we got ready at Aria''s, my parents would never let me leave the house wearing this outfit. I''m surprised her mate Seb doesn''t mind what she''s wearing, but then he''s not here tonight so he probably has no idea. Alpha parents are the worst. ''You look beautiful, by the way,'' I tell Aria as we step into the taxi and greet Lucia. Only a few minutester, the three of us giggle and teeter out of the cab in our high heels. We step into our favorite bar and Aria marches over to the bartender to order our cocktails. Lucia and I find some seats near the back, giving us a great view of the whole bar. I grin as Aria ces our drinks on the table. We clink our sses and I eagerly sip my sex on the beach. There''s nothing like a good cocktail. ''Myra and Jayce are having a barbeque in a couple of days, they asked me to remind you, Lex,'' Lucia says and I partially remember Myra mentioning it. ''Will there be cute boys there'' I ask and she rolls her eyes at me. ''Is that all you think about'' ''No.'' Yes. ''Yes, there will be guys there. Eligible Alphas, actually. Jayce has invited lots of nearby packs,'' Lucia exins, and my interest is piqued. ''Well, that sounds like a great idea. I''ll be there,'' I reply, my phone buzzes and I sigh as I see a text from a guy I was speaking to. I''ll happily talk to a lot of guys, but as soon as things get serious I always cut them off. This guy in particr is a persistent little bugger I''ll give him that. I''m deleting his text when the most delicious, tantalizing scent envelops me. My head snaps up and I scan the bar for the owner. My eyesnd on a tall, blonde¡ªhaired guy sat at the bar. ''I''m going to get another cocktail,'' I tell the girls, quickly downing what''s left in my ss and grabbing my clutch. I ignore their confused looks and strut over to the bar. I lean against it and silently assess the blonde man on a stool in front of me. He is reading something on his phone so I can only see half of him, but he is not my type. At all. He''s blonde for one, and he has a young, child¡ªlike face with pale blue eyes. Nope, not for me, thanks. I breathe in again and realize the incredible scent ising from a jacket on the stool next to him, goose¡ªbumps rise on my arms as the smell overwhelms me. Mate. A sense of panic ovees me and take a few deep breaths to calm down. It''s okay, it''s going to be okay. Book 2 Chapter 3 Book 2 Chapter 3 I calm myself down and tap the blonde man on the shoulder, he looks up at me and grins. ''Hello, beautiful. I''m Sam,'' he greets me, and I smile awkwardly. ''Hi, I''m Aria. Is someone sitting here'' I gesture to the barstool, suddenly feeling the need to sit down, my legs feel numb. I always use Aria or Lucia''s names when I''m being hit on by a guy I don''t want, the girls don''t appreciate it but it''s very handy for me. ''I am.'' A husky, deep timbre of a voice replies from behind me, and I jump. Sam smiles, he obviously knows the owner of the jacket....my mate. I grip the bar tightly as the man steps out from behind me, over to Sam so I can see him fully. My breath catches in my throat as my eyes settle on the tall, painfully attractive, God in front of me. Holy Mother of Nora. Sinful fantasies float around in my mind whilst I evaluate the wless specimen that is my mate. He has dark, straight hair, styled sexily so that a couple of strands fall over his forehead. His mahogany, almost obsidian ck eyes look me up and down, a small smile forms on his luscious rose lips. He looks delicious and Italian. It is only then that I take in his tall frame, broad shoulders and tanned skin and grasp that he is older than me. A few years older. ''Can I buy you a drink'' He asks smoothly and I swallow quickly, trying to find my voice. Come on, Lex. You''re better than this, get your flirt on. ''Sex on the beach would be wonderful, please.'' I grin at him, and he smirks and turns towards the bartender. Sam leans around my mate to wink at me, I roll my eyes and he grins back. When I turn around, my mate is holding out my cocktail for me. I take the ss from him, our fingers brush and the most wonderful buzz flows under my skin. Our eyes meet and he gazes down at me with desire. I quickly look away, suddenly feeling ufortable under his warm gaze, I was not prepared for this tonight. I catch Lucia''s eye and give her a nod that I''m okay. ''What''s your name'' I ask him and he smiles, revealing his perfect, white teeth. ''Rixon. What''s yours'' he replies simply. His eyes fall to my lips and turn impossibly darker. I quickly look down at my drink, feeling my cheeks heat up. ''I''m Aria,'' I mutter. It feels weird to lie to my mate, but I can''t say Lexi now, after lying to Sam. He runs his thumb over his lower lip, his ck eyes assessing me as I swallow hard. This man is going to be the death of me. ''Look, I''m gonna go. I''ll see you tomorrow man,'' Sam announces and gets up from his chair. Rixon doesn''t make any effort to protest, so I do instead. Something about this guy makes me nervous, he is definitely the sort of guy my father has warned me to stay away from. ''Please, don''t leave on ount of me. My girls are over there, I should probably get back to them,'' I reply and instantly, Rixon''s hand is on my wrist, pulling me close to him. I look up (despite being in heels I am shorter than him, I''m only 54 for fucks sake), into his coal¡ªck eyes and suck in a breath at our close proximity. My chest rises and falls with sharp intakes of air, pressing against his rock¡ªhard chest. He looks delicious in a dark navy shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his tanned arms. ''See, I don''t want to interrupt,'' Sam exins, gesturing at me pressed against his friend. ''Thanks, Sam. I''ll see you tomorrow,'' Rixon says and wraps an arm around my waist, so I am ''It was nice meeting you, Aria.'' He nods at me, and I respond just as he walks away. ''I should really get back over to my friends,'' I tell him. I watch with wide eyes as his hand reaches up and he runs his thumb over my bottom lip. My breath catches in my throat, and I briefly close my eyes to recollect my thoughts. ''Can Ie with you'' He asks and for a moment, I try to imagine him joining us with the girls awkwardly asking him embarrassing questions, not to mention I''ve told him my name is Aria. I shake my head and discard that thought immediately. Also, a small part of me doesn''t want to share him with the girls just yet. ''No, that''s not happening.'' Iugh and he smirks at me. ''Well, you''re just going to have to stay here then, I''m going to get to know you one way or another Tesoro,'' he replies, and I shiver at the sound of him speaking Italian. Before I can reply, someone taps me on my shoulder, and I turn around to see Lucia and Aria stood Material ? N?velDrama.Org. behind me. My eyes widen in surprise, and I realize I''ve got to get them away from Rixon before they introduce themselves with the wrong names. ''Hey, we''re off to another bar. Are youing'' Lucia asks, eyeing Rixon up and down with suspicion. ''She''s going to stay here with me. Youdies don''t mind if I steal her for a bit, do you'' Rixon winks and shes them a huge, white smile. Both of them stare at him,pletely stunned, and then their eyes fall on me. I shrug sheepishly and hope they''ll forgive me. ''I''ll text you, okay'' I say and Aria nods, pulling me in for a hug. ''Be safe,'' she whispers in my ear and then the two of them leave. I jump as Rixon''s handnds on my lower back. ''Now, you''re all mine,'' he breathes into my ear and every hair on the back of my neck raises in anticipation. ''So...what do you want to do'' I ask him and his eyes darken, I gulp, and heughs as he sees me swallow hard. ''I won''t pounce on you just yet, amore, you can stop looking so scared,'' he jokes,ughing at me. I blush and take another sip of my drink. ''I''m not scared I''m just...nervous. You keep looking at me like...'' I trail off and he leans in closer, a smug smile on those plump lips of his. ''Like what'' ''Like you''re going to eat me,'' I mutter, rolling my eyes when heughs at me, tipping his head back and giving me a gorgeous view of his throat. I just want to kiss it... ''Oh, amore mio. I think you''d like it if I ate you, in fact...'' He leans in close to me again, so I can feel his minty breath on my face. ''I think you''d love it.'' I inhale sharply. ''You''re rather...'' I try to think of the right word, but he finishes my sentence for me. ''Gorgeous,'' hements, and I snort withughter. ''I was going to say forward or smug but hey,'' I shrug, and he grins at me. A panty¡ªdropping kind of grin. Fuck. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 4 Book 2 Chapter 4 Lexi''s POV. ''I''d like to get to know you. Let''s have a few more drinks and you can tell me about yourself,'' he suggests and I down thest of my cocktail. ''Okay, let''s do it.'' We order another round of drinks and sit down in one of the secluded corners of the bar, he sits close to me, close enough that I can feel the heat from his thigh against my own. I try to remind myself to breathe and not panic, I never expected to meet my mate anytime and I''m not prepared for this. ''So, do youe here with your friends often'' He questions me and I decide that he is starting with the simple questions to get me to rx it''s working. I quickly sip my drink for more liquid courage. A guy has never made me nervous; it''s never been like this before. I decide that I need to try and get the situation back under my control. ''Yes, I do, actually. What about you'' This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ''Sometimes. I''m surprised I''ve never seen you here before.'' ''Maybe you haven''t been looking hard enough,'' I respond, and he smiles at me, momentarily causing my heart to palpitate. ''Trust me, Cara, I''ve been looking for you,'' he says. I swallow hard, before I can think of something to say, he changes the topic. ''What do you do, Aria'' He asks and for a moment I''m distracted by his thick fingers wrapped around his ss. It takes me a second to hear what he says, and a stab of guilt erupts in my stomach as he calls me Aria. ''I work in the clinic on my parents'' territory,'' I tell him, I want to let him know about my parent''s straight away. Alpha parents tend to scare a lot of guys off. I watch his reaction carefully and his eyes harden. ''Your parents are Alphas'' He asks, his voice controlled but tense. ''Yeah, it intimidates a lot of guys,'' I say. He nods, his jaw clenched, I decide to ask him about his life instead. We talk for another hour or so, I learn that Rixon works long hours so doesn''t have much time to date. Thank the Moon Goddess, I''m a jealous kind of girl. He asks about my dating history, and I think he is quite relieved that I''ve never had a boyfriend. I watch as he swallows his drink, hisrge hand around the ss, his Adam''s apple bobbing up and down on his throat. These small actions are driving me crazy, and I notice the second he smells how much I want him, my attraction is obvious. His pupils dte and he turns to look at me, narrowing those dark eyes of his. ''When can I see you again'' He questions, his ent is delicious and strong, just like him. I know it is obvious that I''m mentally undressing him, but I can tell from his intense gaze that he is mirroring my thoughts. ''Are you calling it a night'' I ask, raising an eyebrow at him, trying to hold back a smile. ''It is ratherte, and I''m not presumptuous enough to expect you toe back to my apartment,'' he replies, and a shiver of desire runs down my spine. I want this man. ''I wouldn''t say that was presumptuous.'' I smirk and run a hand through my hair. His eyes follow my actions and narrow further. I know ''sober me'' would be looking on with disapproval and embarrassment, but I''ve had cocktails and I''m feeling a lot. ''Oh, really Would you like toe back to my apartment then'' His voice is teasing as he leans forward, so that we are close enough that I can feel his warm breath on my face. ''I''d love to.'' My voice is barely above a whisper, but at this point, it''s a struggle to get any words out as my attraction to him is clouding everything else. ''You know you''re ying with fire right I won''t be able to control myself, and I really don''t want to rush you.'' His words are sweet and for a moment I allow myself to consider whether this is a good idea or not¡ª to rush into things like this. ''Trust me, I can take it,'' I assure him. ????????????? I know I have a sated look on my face as I stand up and readjust my dress. I grab my clutch and look at him to see if he is ready to leave. My mate''s eyes burn an arousing trail up and down my body as he checks me out, he stands up and I swallow as I take in his height again. He is going to destroy me, split me in half probably, and I can''t fucking wait. He ces his hand on my lower back and leads me towards the exit. My whole body heats up, the scorching desire radiating from his hand on my back. His hand slides lower to my ass as some guys smoking outside look at me, he is possessive, and I love it. Rixon retrieves his keys from his pocket and presses a button, my eyesnd on the car that shes its lights in response. I look at his car with wide eyes, a car that is not cheap. My mate is well off, or spends all his money on his car, which personally, I think is a stupid thing to do. I take a deep breath as he opens the door for me to slide in, I''m not used to guys being this polite and it''s a new experience. As he starts the engine and reverses out of the parking space, I realize I don''t even know his age. ''How old are you'' I ask, ncing over so I can see his reaction, it''s subtle, but a small crease forms between his eyebrow as he frowns slightly. Is his age a tender subject ''I''m thirty, what about you'' ''I''m twenty¡ªtwo,'' I reply, I smile at him to try to reassure him. ''Does my age bother you'' He asks, and for the first time this evening, I sense vulnerability in his voice, he really doesn''t seem the vulnerable type. ''Not at all,'' I reply truthfully. He grins at me, I try to remind myself to take slow, deep breaths and I quickly look away and out the window at the inky ck night. My mind rushes with a hundred thoughts as he drives us to his apartment, apparently he keeps this apartment for when he''s in the city, but he usually lives in his house outside the city. We arrive at a huge, modern block of ts on the nice side of town. He presses another button and the gates open, my heart beats nervously as he parks the car and gets out to open my door. As soon as I slide my hand in his offered one, I feel more rxed. He continues to hold my hand as he leads me inside and into the lift. I keep my eyes on him as we soar up the building. I don''t even notice what floor level we stop at; I can''t take my eyes off of his as he pulls me out and to the end of the corridor. Book 2 Chapter 5 Book 2 Chapter 5 ''Are you sure'' He turns to face me as we stop outside his door. I look at his gorgeous face and smile. ''Yes,'' I reply breathily, and he grins down at me, a dark grin that promises bad things. He unlocks the door and gestures for me to enter first, I step inside, my heels clicking against the wooden floor. ''Let me give you a quick tour,'' he suggests. I gasp as he turns on the lights and I take in his sleek, modern kitchen. He shows me the living room, his bedroom, the spare bedroom and the two bathrooms. ''This ce is incredible,'' I breathe, mainly just shocked that a guy''s apartment is so clean. ''Do you have a cleaner'' I ask, he looks at me for a moment and thenughs. My heart skips a beat at the sight, he looks so unbelievably attractive, his whole face lit up with his smile. ''No, I don''t, I''m just never here for very long,'' he exins. He offers me a ss of wine which I gratefully ept. Although I''m still filled with desire for this gorgeous man, I''m nervous. We sit down on his sofa and talk some more; I''m pleased that our attraction is not just physical. We have so much chemistry, he has meughing every few minutes and I find myself growing fond of his cheeky banter. Most guys put me off with their arrogance, but somehow Rixon''s confidence just makes me fancy him even more. ''Best part of the apartment.'' He gestures at the floor¡ªto¡ªceiling windows opposite us. I get to my feet and pad over to the window, having kicked off my heels a while ago. ''Wow,'' I breathe, stunned by the sight of the city at night, golden lights glowing everywhere. ''I know. It would have been a waste to rent the penthouse and rarely stay in it, so I decided a couple of floors below it would still provide a good view,'' he says and I''m suddenly aware of his looming presence behind me. I turn around and my eyes widen as I look up to meet his dark eyes, he gazes down at me with such a heated look, I have to inhale sharply. He leans down and I know he intends to kiss me, so I look up and let our lips touch. He kisses me, one hand squeezes my hip, the other slides up my back and tangles into my hair, holding the back of my neck whilst his tongue runs over my bottom lip. I eagerly open my mouth and I run my hands through his ck locks as his tongue touches mine. I can barely think straight as he pulls me close, so that my breasts are pressed up against his hard chest. He pulls away and trails kisses down my jaw to my neck, where he begins sucking gently. My mouth falls open in a gasp and I have to lock my arms around his neck to keep myself standing as his teeth graze over the sensitive skin on my neck. This man seems to know all my weaknesses. ''I want you so much, amore,'' he whispers gruffly and pulls back to look into my eyes. ''Are you sure you want this You can still say no,'' he tells me, and I feel reassured by his concern. ''Of course I want this,'' I reply, running my fingers over the stubble on his square jaw. He closes his eyes briefly and groans, the sound goes straight between my legs. ''Baby, the things I''m going to do to you,'' he warns me huskily and I''m shocked that I don''t just melt in front of him. I have never been so turned on in my life, never wanted a guy so much. Before I can react, he sweeps me up into his arms and carries me bridal style to his bedroom. I hold his neck tightly, enjoying our close proximity and his delicious scent. He puts me down, sliding my soft body down his hard one. His arm wraps around my waist before I can step away from him, he leans down and softly brushes his lips over mine. ''Take off my shirt,'' he orders huskily, and I frown for a moment, wondering just how into bossing me around he is. Does he like to order women around in the bedroom Nheless, with shaking fingers, I do as he asks. I begin at the top, the first two are already undone, revealing tanned skin. As I undo more buttons, his taut, muscr chest is revealed to me. As are the intricate ck designs, inked onto his dark skin. His tattoos are ridiculously hot, so much so that as I finish undoing the buttons and push the shirt off his shoulders, my fingers skimming over his warm, tight skin, I wonder how on earth I haven''tbusted with desire yet. I''m so turned on I could faint, choke, even. I step back, away from him, gnawing nervously on my lower lip. His intense, molten eyes never leave mine as he undoes his jeans, I nce down, my eyesnd on the band of his boxers now visible and winking at me. I jump, breaking out of my trance as he slowly lowers his zipper. He hooks his thumbs into his jeans and pushes them down, kicking them to the side. He had taken off his shoes earlier, and now stands before me in nothing but his boxers. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ''Are you kidding me'' I ask, staring at his perfect body in shock. He looks down at himself and then back up at me and frowns. ''What''s wrong'' ''You''re fucking perfect, like how are you even real And why would you want me when you look like that'' I exin, worried that if I take my clothes off, he might change his mind. ''Right, well let''s get one thing straight; I''m not perfect,'' he says firmly, stepping towards me so we''re almost touching. ''And how could I not want you You are perfect to me, you are everything I want,'' he tells me, and I struggle to breathe at his reassuring words. ''Really'' I question, something like this is too good to be true. ''Yes, really,'' he says, leaning down to kiss me again. His lips move perfectly against mine, I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck, but for some reason he stops me and holds my wrists in front of me instead. I frown but don''t stop kissing him, wondering why he doesn''t want me touching him. He pushes me backward until the back of my legs hits the edge of his bed, my heart beats wildly as he grabs the bottom of my dress and begins to peel it up, off my body. I put my arms up and allow him to pull it off, I don''t meet his eyes as my underwear¡ªd body is exposed to him. He reaches underneath my chin and forces me to lift my face and look at him. ''Perfect,'' he breathes and just like that, all my doubts dissipate. He pushes me back, so that I fall gently onto his bed, sinking into the duvet. I chew anxiously on my bottom lip as he kneels down, opening my legs and settling himself between them. Oh God, I think I know what''sing. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 6 Book 2 Chapter 6 Lexi''s POV. His smoldering, henna eyes gaze at me as he slowly slides myce thong down my legs. I have never been more thankful in my life that I shaved today. My beautifully bare, moisturized body is exposed to him, and I mentally congratte myself on being prepared. Although, when I got ready earlier, I certainly hadn''t been expecting this. I gasp as he moves closer and leisurely runs his tongue along my inner thighs, growing closer to his target. I watch for as long as I can bear, but eventually the desire bes too much and I fall back on the bed, fingers clutching the duvet as he torments me with his tongue. My eyes fall closed as he swirls his tongue around my clit and simultaneously pushes two fingers inside of me with no warning. I moan loudly and arch my back, lewdly pushing my crotch into his face. ''Fuck,'' I sigh as he picks up the pace, increasing the pressure on my clit until I feel my orgasm start to build. ''Soon,'' he promises, smirking at my choice of curse words. Who am I This girl letting aplete stranger eat her out. But he''s not aplete stranger. He''s meant for me. And damn, am I grateful about that. Just as I''m about toe, he stops his actions and I involuntarily growl in annoyance. He chuckles, waits a few seconds, and then continues. He repeats this a few times, until I''m almost on the edge of begging. ''It''ll feel better for waiting, I promise,'' he mumbles as he presses kisses to my inner thighs. I scoff in irritation, but my noise ofint is cut short when he returns his mouth to my pussy. This time, when he has me back on the edge, ready to fall off any second, he doesn''t stop his actions. I scream loudly as he takes me over the edge, everything else falls away as I look down and see his mouth carrying out one of the crudest, yet pleasuring ministrations a girl can experience. Our eyes meeting only increases the intensity of my orgasm and Ie long and hard, breathless when I finallye down from my high. ''Jesus,'' I whisper as he climbs up onto the bed, all muscr arms and thick thighs. ''No, Rixon,'' he corrects me. I somehow find the energy to roll my eyes at him. He reaches underneath me and unhooks my bra, discarding it on the floor. I go to cover myself, but he catches my wrists, holding them on either side of my head instead. ''Never cover yourself from me,'' he demands huskily as he leans down and takes a nipple into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth. I struggle to release his hold on my wrists, eager to touch him. ''Let me touch you,'' I plead, and he finally relents his hold, I don''t hesitate to slide his boxers off his huge thighs. His cock springs free, reaching up to his navel and hanging heavy with its hardness. ''Holy shit,'' I mouth the words, my eyes wide as I watch in awe as a drop of pre¡ªcum oozes from the tip. ''Are you clean'' I ask, managing to get my brain to work. He pauses for a moment and then reaches over for his phone, I''m confused until he unlocks it and shows me a text from a couple of days ago, stating all results were negative. ''Get tested often do we'' Iment sarcastically, raising a judgmental eyebrow at him. I mean, I knew he wasn''t a virgin, but seriously. ''It was a couple of weeks ago; I don''t want to talk about it.'' It''s his turn to roll his eyes, he pulls me close against his chest and kisses my neck. ''You''re all I want now, no one else,'' he promises and instead of replying, I bend over and take his cock in my mouth, making him hiss in surprise. Now I know he''s clean, I can return the favor. We swap positions, he sits back on the bed, leaning back on his arms as I put my mouth to work. Due to his size, I wrap one hand around the base, working in unison with my mouth. I lick my lips and suck him in, teasing the tip with my tongue. I bob my head up and down, varying the pressure of my grip, he moans in response, encouraging me. His hands tangle themselves in my hair and he takes over thrusting into my mouth whilst his hands hold me in ce. Usually, I hate it when a guy does this, I find it controlling and feel like I''m being used. But right now, my whole body is screaming ''USE ME''. ''Stop,'' he orders, lifting me off him so his cock falls out my mouth with a pop. I pout up at him and he grins. Fuck, I''m in deep with this guy, that grin. Before he can decide differently, I throw one of my legs over him and straddle him. His cock rests perfectly between my lower lips and I tease him by grinding on it. His hands grab my waist, squeezing tightly. It hurts, but I like it. A lot. ''Wait,'' I tell him, he looks confused for a moment as I reach up and unhook my crucifix ne. ''If I''m going to be doing any more bad things, I''m not doing it with God''s symbol around my neck,'' I exin, and he smirks as I put the ne down on his bedside table. My grandmother got me that ne, and I don''t need it reminding me of the judgment I might face for doing this. I lift up and reach down to position his cock at my entrance, I tease him a little more, running the tip up and down, coating him in my juices because he teased me earlier. Excitement bubbles in my stomach as I line him up and feel him press slowly inside of me. My thighs shake as I force myself to take him at a slow pace, I want to savor this. His tip spreads me apart as he sinks into me, and my breath catches in my throat at the pain. ''Are you okay'' He asks worriedly and I''m touched by his caring nature. ''I''m fine, just go slow, you''re rather big,'' I admit, wincing as he pushes further inside me. I nce down, the sight is erotic, but painful. ''Oh, fuck. That''s not even half,'' I groan as I close my eyes, hoping to ignore the pain. He presses in a little deeper and I whimper, biting down on my lip. ''Shit,'' he groans, I open my eyes to find his closed, his head thrown back on the pillow. ''I''m sorry, I''m trying to go slow,'' he apologizes, and every muscle in his arms and chest are tensed with concentration. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ''Just push it all the way in, please,'' I beg, and he looks at me with concern. ''Seriously, just get it over with,'' I plead and squeeze my eyes shut. He ms into me, and I cry out, falling forwards onto his chest. He quickly wraps his arms around me and holds me tight, his cock fully inside me. Tears spring to my eyes at the painful burning sensation resonating around my body. Book 2 Chapter 8 Book 2 Chapter 8 Lexi''s POV. I cancel on the girls the next day, I can''t face them and tell them I''ve met my mate and I''ll probably have to reject him. What will they think of me if I don''t reject him What will my parents think of me My father will kill him. I spend the day in bed, moping and feeling sorry for myself. I try to work out what to do, my best option is to stay away from him, he doesn''t know any of my details, and I gave him a fake name. I imagine telling my friends, the girls would insist I reject him for my own safety, and I know one of their arguments would be that no one wants the father of their children to be a murderer. My parents would never ept him as my mate, they certainly wouldn''te to the wedding. By Monday morning, I''ve cried all that I can and I''m even more upset when I realize I''ve left my crucifix ne at his house. Oh, well, I guess it''s something for him to remember me by. I return to work at the clinic, eager to have something to take my mind off Rixon. Despite living on my parent''s territory, I have my own house and I''m grateful for my space. I dream of him each night and he stays on my mind constantly throughout the day. By Friday, I look in the mirror and I can''t believe how bad I look. Washed out face, bags under my eyes and messy hair. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ''Seriously, what is up with you'' Lucia asks as I awkwardly try and avoid eye contact. ''I''ve just been ill that''s all, should get better soon though,'' I lie, feeling guilty but knowing it''s better than the truth. Because if I tell her the truth, she will make me reject him, and from the way I am now, I''m not sure I''ll survive it. I know as soon as I see his face, I won''t be able to say the words. ''Well, you have to be feeling better tomorrow cause Myra is having that barbecue remember'' She says chirpily and I wince inwardly, I forgot about that. ''Of course.'' I force a smile; it seems to satisfy her because she leaves a few minutester. I forgot about the bloody barbecue. I decide to go to sleep ridiculously early, to try and make up for the sleep I''ve lost the past week. I dream of Rixon, our night together, his body on mine. ????????????? When I wake, it''s already 10. I have just over an hour to get ready. I jump in the shower and scrub my hair, when I step out and look in the mirror, I''m happier with what I see. My hair is no longer knotty and smells like jasmine, my bags have faded, and color has returned to my face. I let my hair dry in long, wavy curls and take my time doing my makeup. I choose a blue dress to entuate my tan, put on some sandals and then grab my keys to go to the store to buy the drinks I said I''d bring. I park on the road by Jayce and Myra''s house, seeing as there is no room on their drive. As I get closer, my hands full with bags of drinks, the sound ofughter and music echoes behind the house. The front door is open, and I find Jayce in the kitchen prepping the meat. ''Lexi! You made it.'' Hees over and pulls me into a hug. ''Hey, Jayce. Is Myra around'' ''Yeah, she''s just out back with Naevia. You can leave those drinks here if you like, thanks for bringing them.'' I put the drinks on the side and slip my handbag into the cloakroom before stepping into the garden. Almost the whole pack is here, with kids running around in the sunshine. I spot Myra setting up the buffet by the grill, her daughter Naevia propped on her hip. ''I''m so d you came, how are you feeling'' She asks. For a second, I panic, wondering how she knows, but then I remember that my friends think I''m ill and must have told her. ''Oh, much better thanks,'' I reply, trying to distract her by turning my attention onto her beautiful daughter. ''Good! Would you mind helping me'' She asks, and we set to workying out the food for the buffet. I hold Naevia as Jaycees over and puts his arm around Myra, pulling her in for a loving kiss. I watch them with envy, I know they didn''t exactly have it easy from what Aria has told me, but they''ve got it easier than me. Naevia starts fussing so I hand her back to Myra as Jayce takes my arm and leads me over to the barbeque. ''There''s someone I want you to meet, Rixon is an old friend of mine,'' Jayce tells me. If he says anything else, I don''t hear it because my heart stops when I hear his name. My gaze follows to where he''s pointing, and my breath catches as I see Rixon. He''s as attractive asst time, if not more. He''s wearing pale blue jeans and a tight t¡ªshirt that shows every single rivet of his muscr form and huge arms. I hurriedly let out the breath I didn''t know I''d been holding as his dark eyes settle on me, narrowing in anger. Shit. He''s pissed at me. Book 2 Chapter 9 Book 2 Chapter 9 I bite my bottom lip as he reaches up to his baseball cap and turns it around so it''s on backward. Usually I think guys that wear their hats like that are twats, but on him it makes my knees weak. I nervously sp my hands together as stroll over to us, trying to hide how much they are shaking. ''Rixon, this is Lexi,'' Jayce introduces us and I wince as I see shock sh in Rixon''s eyes as he realizes I lied about my name. ''Lexi,'' he emphasizes my name and I wince again. ''Lovely to meet you,'' he offers out his hand and I nervously take it. As soon as our hands touch, tingles explode up my arm and I clench my thighs as the feeling heads south. He squeezes my hand tightly and I know I have a lot of exining to do, but so does he. ''Nice to meet you, too. I''m just going to pop inside and get a drink, back in a minute,'' I excuse myself and practically run inside. I grab my bag and go upstairs to the bathroom. I shut the door and lock it behind me. Gripping the sink, I look at myself in the mirror. What am I going to do How could Jayce friends with him He must not know what he is. I touch up my make¡ªup and nce up when there''s a knock on the door. ''All yours,'' I say as I open the door, expecting someone to be waiting for the bathroom. Instead, Rixon is there, his build blocking the doorway entirely. I swallow hard and take a step back as hees in and shuts the door behind him. My heart begins beating rapidly as he locks it and his eyes settle on me, full of anger. ''You''re right, you are all mine,'' hements possessively. I''m too scared to argue so I just take another step back, grimacing as I hit the wall. ''Imagine my excitement at meeting my mate after waiting 14 years and finding that she''s even more perfect than I could ever have thought,'' he begins and my heart flutters as his words. ''Imagine my happiness at spending the most incredible night together, knowing we have that every night for the rest of our lives. Imagine my shock when I wake up in the morning, to discover that she has snuck out and left nothing but a ne.'' He leans in close to me. ''Finally, imagine my anger at finding out she has lied about her own name,'' he finishes. I feel terrible, looking down at my small feet opposite hisrge ones. ''It''s not what it looks like,'' I whisper, conflicted between feeling guilty and feeling terrified of being alone with him. ''Christ, Lexi, you''re shaking, do I really scare you that much'' He asks. I nce up and his eyes are full of hurt. ''What are you If you''re not a member of a pack, what are you'' I ask and he looks at me confused. ''I''m a rogue,'' he replies, and I brace myself for the harder question. ''What kind of rogue'' I ask and he clenches his jaw. ''You saw the brand,'' he deduces, and realization crosses his features. ''That''s why you ran,'' he says, and I nod slowly. ''Why didn''t you tell me'' I ask, and it''s his turn to look guilty. ''Funnily enough, it''s usually my opening line,'' he snaps and my eyes narrow. He''s mocking me. ''Well, don''t you think I deserve to know'' I retort, crossing my arms over my chest, his eyes flick down to my tits then back up to my face. ''Yes, you do. But it''s a long, rather personal story and I don''t make a habit of telling everyone I meet,'' he quips, and I''m offended he doesn''t want to tell me. ''And I''m everyone am I I just don''t understand why you wouldn''t tell your own mate,'' I say exasperated, and we both jump as someone tries the door handle. ''upied,'' Rixon calls out and turns back to me. ''Look, I knew you would react badly. I was going to tell you in my own time alright We can''t stay in here all day, see me again tomorrow'' He suggests and I scoff. ''No way, I don''t intend on ever seeing you again,'' I snap and go to move past him to the door, but he stops me by holding up my crucifix. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. I reach to grab it, but he lifts it up, out of my reach. ''You get it back when you see me tomorrow.'' He smirks and I re at him. ''And where exactly do you propose we meet'' ''Your territory, I''ll wait for you at the border.'' He shrugs and I raise an eyebrow. ''The border is huge; how will you know where I am'' ''Trust me, babe, I''ll find you. You''re mine remember'' He says and I want to p that smug grin off his face. ''I''m not yours, babe.'' I shove him out the way, but I don''t get very far, his hands grab my waist and press me against the wall. I pant as he leans in, his body pressing into my back, my face pressed against the cold wall. ''I should''ve marked you when I had the chance,'' he whispers, brushing my hair away from my neck with his rough fingers. I shiver and panic at the thought of him marking me. My parents don''t even know I''ve met him! Book 2 Chapter 10 Book 2 Chapter 10 ''Rx, I won''t mark you until you want me to, but something tells me you would rather I do this instead.'' I''m confused by his words for a moment, but then his hands are lifting my dress up, exposing my thong to him. ''No,'' I breathe, but the wordes out breathy and quiet as he runs hisrge hands over my t stomach and down the swell of my hips. ''No'' He asks, his cool breath in my ear as his fingers slide my thong down to my knees. ''Yes,'' I whisper, even quieter this time. I close my eyes tightly shut and press my forehead against the wall, cursing myself for being so weak. ''Tell me to stop Lex, tell me you don''t want this, and I''ll stop,'' he says hoarsely, and the second his finger slides inside me, I know I won''t say a word. I remain silent, enjoying the feel of his hands on me. He reaches up and tweaks my nipple through my dress and I lean back,ying my head on his chest. ''I don''t know why you''re fighting this,'' he tells me, kissing down my neck. My eyes fall closed, and I tell myself that this will be thest time we do this. I''ll allow myself onest treat. The rasp of his zipper has my heart picking up and my nerves make an appearance again. He must feel me tense up because his fingers speed up, his thumb circles my clit and I forget instantly why I thought this was a bad idea. His fingers withdraw and I whimper at the loss, but Rixon gently pushes me forward, cing my hands on the wall. ''Support yourself baby,'' he grunts. I lean forwards, he lifts my dress up to my hips, exposing my ass. ''So perfect,'' he mutters, before I can register the sweetment, he coats his cock in my juices and pushes himself inside of me. I bite down on my lip, hard. I''d forgotten how big he is, and I take deep breaths, trying to adjust to his size. ''Are you okay I''m sorry,'' he growls, and I can feel his body shaking, trying to remain still for me. I can only manage a nod, but he seems to realize that''s enough, because he slowly pulls out and then ms back in and my fingers curl against the wall. My eyes squeeze shut as he picks up speed, choosing a hard, fast rhythm that has my whole¡ªbody shivering with pleasure. His hands grip my hips tightly, pulling me back to meet every thrust. ''You are mine,'' he groans as I clench around him, and I don''t have it in me to argue back. His pace increases again, and I struggle to catch my breath at the speed he pounds into me, I press my hands against the wall and look down at my feet, trying to keep my grounding. He slips his hand around, under my dress and begins rubbing my clit and I curse because he knows it will be my undoing. I wanted to note, I wanted to prove to him my body didn''t want this. But he''s fucked it. Literally. I clench down around him and moan loudly, my orgasm building. He pushes into me harder, and a tear rolls down my face from the sweet pleasure of it all. I hear his breathing quicken and I know he is close too. Without any more warning, my orgasm hits and I cry out, his hand hurriedly mps down on my mouth, This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. silencing the scream that almost came out. I can barely breathe let alone think as I ride out the pleasure, I feel him release himself inside of me and then feel his body slump against mine, pressing us both against the wall. He moves his hand from my mouth, and I try to calm my breathing, I wince as he pulls out of me and quickly cups my hand to catch the cum dripping out so that it doesn''t touch my dress. He steps back and hands me some tissue to clean myself up, I eye him warily as he goes in my bag and to my phone. ''Unlock it, please.'' I do as he asks, and he puts his number in my phone before slipping it back in my bag. The sordidness of our actions hit me, and I cover my face with my hands. I just fucked my branded mate within a few meters of my oblivious friends. Or rather, he fucked me. ''Are you alright'' He asks and I quickly straighten up, collecting my bag off him. ''I''m fine,'' I mutter. I make sure I''m decent in the mirror and then unlock the bathroom door. Before I can open it, he reaches forward and puts his hand on the door, caging me in. ''What do you want now'' I whisper, turning around to stare at his chest. He reaches under my chin and lifts my face, so our eyes meet. ''A kiss.'' ''Why'' I ask, wondering why he''s putting me through this. ''Because you''re not some random girl that I fuck in secret in the bathroom,'' he retorts, and I wince at his words. ''I want to kiss my mate, and I don''t have to have a reason for doing it,'' he says gently, pressing his lips to mine so I can''t reply. My eyes fall shut but I resist wrapping my arms around his neck, despite his hands holding me close to him. I don''t want to want him, but I do. He kisses me with such assurance, like he''s trying to leave no doubt in my mind that we''re meant to be together. As soon as he pulls away, I step out of his arms and rush out of the bathroom. ''See you tomorrow,'' I hear him call out, but I ignore him and head outside. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 11 Book 2 Chapter 11 Lexi''s POV. ''Hey, you alright'' Aria asks as I near her and I force a smile. ''Yeah, I''m fine.'' I''m not fine. I force myself to forget about Rixon and enjoy the barbeque, but it doesn''tst long. He soon appears from the house and heads over to Jayce and Myra, helping them cook the meat. Every now and then, I feel his gaze on me, and whenever I look at him, I find his eyes already on me. If he isn''t careful, someone will realize that something is going on, I give him a look that hopefully trantes to be more subtle, but he just winks in response. Prick. ''So, what do you know about Rixon'' I ask casually, hoping that Aria doesn''t question my interest. She nces over at the boys and shrugs. ''Not much, really. He and Jayce have been friends a long time, he keeps to himself mostly, I know pack gatherings aren''t really his thing being a rogue and all,'' she exins, I feign disinterest and put some food on my te. ''Oh, he''s a rogue'' I reply, feeling like a bitch for hiding this from one of my friends. Here I am, pretending to have never met him, when two minutes ago he was inside of me. ''Yeah, Myra says he left his pack when he was 18. He didn''t fancy pack life,'' Aria tells me and I narrow my eyes. Yeah, I bet he didn''t ''fancy'' it after they kicked him out for killing one of their own. I watch as Rixon readjusts his baseball cap again, wearing it backward. I realize that he''s wearing it that way so the cap will hide his brand if it shows above his t¡ªshirt. My stomach churns uneasily and I quickly change the subject with Aria, eager for a distraction. The rest of the barbeque passes without incident, and I manage to slip out without talking to Rixon again. When I return home, I stop by the pack house, knowing Mum will want to see me. ''It''s been a week and I haven''t seen you at all! What on earth have you been doing'' She demands as I roll my eyes and sit down at the kitchen ind. ''Nothing I''ve just been busy, I''m here now alright'' ''Betterte than never I suppose, tell me all about the barbeque,'' Mum says just as Dad walks in. They sit opposite me, and I fill them in, leaving out everything to do with Rixon. If I tell them, they''ll flip, and I need to figure out what I''m going to do first. As Iy in bed that night, I consider rejecting him. But after the way he took control in the bathroom, I know it''s no use. I''d never been able to go through with it, especially not if he touched me...kissed me... This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. No. It''s not an option. So, what am I supposed to do ????????????? I shower the next morning and do my make¡ªup, telling myself that I would have put this much effort into my appearance even if I wasn''t seeing Rixon, but I know it''s a lie. Just after lunch, I get a text from him, telling me to meet him in an hour and he''ll track my phone. Not creepy at all. I try to keep myself busy for an hour, but I just can''t concentrate on anything. After a painful 45 minutes, I grab my jacket and head out of the house towards the border, making sure no one is watching me. My stomach twists with nerves as I get close to the edge. With no warning, something barrels into me and I''m thrown a couple of meters through the air,nding on my back on the ground. I wheeze loudly, trying desperately to get air back into my lungs after being winded. I sit up, looking around to see what hit me. ''Are you insane Look where you''re going!'' I shout at the half¡ªnaked man lying in front of me. ''I need to look where I''m going Girl, you came out of nowhere!'' He yells back, angrily brushing the dirt and leaves off his bare, but muscr arms. ''Excuse me, you''re the one that ran into me! You should be more careful!'' I retort and pull myself up off the ground. ''You should be more careful, almost killed me,'' he mutters, and I roll my eyes. ''Are you okay'' I ask, not really meaning it, but feeling like I should ask. ''Yeah, I''m good.'' He flexes his biceps and gives me a cheeky grin, making his blue eyes shine mischievously. I scoff and pick up my phone to check it''s undamaged. When I nce up, Rixon is stood in front of me, worry on his face. ''Are you alright'' He says, and I take a step back, slightly rmed by our close proximity. ''Yeah, I''m fine. Do you know this twat'' I ask, gesturing to the blonde who wiped me out. ''Hey!'' The twat protests to being called a twat. ''Yeah, unfortunately, he''s my brother,'' Rixon says, rolling his eyes. ''Oh...you brought your brother with you'' I look at him in surprise and he sighs. ''Yeah, he wanted to meet you. And I thought it''d be safer, seeing as we''re technically trespassing.'' He shrugs and I nod slowly. ''Um okay, I''m Lexi by the way,'' I introduce myself to the blonde, who makes meugh when he puts out his hand for me to shake. ''Ben. Nice to meet you. Anyway, I''ll leave you two lovers alone whilst I keep watch.'' He winks and disappears into the trees. Last chapter Book 2 Chapter 12 Book 2 Chapter 12 ''He seems...interesting,'' Iment and Rixonughs, my heart skips a beat at the sight of him looking so beautiful and rxed. ''Yeah, he''s a special one. Here''s your ne.'' He reaches into his pocket and hands me back the crucifix. ''Thanks, my nan gave it to me,'' I exin and put it on. ''Well, I''m sorry I used it as ckmail. I watched my CCTV footage, by the way. You really climbed over a gate to get away from me'' He questions, leaning back against a tree and crossing his arms over his chest. I flush as I remember my ninja moment. ''Oh, Goddess. As if you saw that,'' I groan and p my forehead, what an idiot. ''Look, I''m sorry I didn''t tell you okay I really should have but please understand I would have told you, I was just scared of your reaction,'' he exins, and my heart sinks as he brings up the dreaded topic again. ''It''s fine, honestly I¡ª'' my words are cut off by the sound of a loud howl not too far away. ''That''s the warning for a trespasser, you need to go,'' I tell him quickly, pushing on his chest in the direction of the border. ''Okay, I''ll text you alright'' He says and I nod, ncing around in case a patrol guardes. He grabs my face, making me look at him and then kisses me. This time I let my arms wind around his neck, pressing my body to his. He holds me close and kisses me with so much passion I''m left breathless when he lets go and disappears in the same direction his brother went. Only a few momentster, the guards appear, and I tell them that the trespasser was just passing through. By the time I get back to the house, my lips are still tingling. Where did he learn to kiss like that Before jealousy can rear its ugly head, Dad calls me into my parents'' office to tell me we''re going out for dinner tomorrow night. ????????????? I meet up with the girls for coffee, feeling guilty for bailing on them before. I''m happy and rxed until I get a text from Rixon, apologizing for our meeting being cut short. ''Oh, I know that look.'' Caia smirks at me from across the table and I feign innocence. ''What look'' I frown, pretending to be confused as she narrows her eyes at me. ''I''d bet my life on that text being from a guy.'' She gestures at my phone and crosses her arms across her full chest. ''I don''t know what you''re talking about,'' I reply, locking my phone and sliding it back into my handbag. Myra nudges me. ''Come on, spill.'' ''There''s really nothing to spill, it''s nothing.'' I shrug, trying to act nonchnt, but I know that won''t work with the girls. ''Sure, it''s nothing,'' Myra mocks me and puts her hands on her hips, leaning close so that I can smell Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. her sweet perfume. ''Tell us all about him,'' Caia demands, and I roll my eyes. ''I''m going to sound like a stalker if we start talking about him already, it''s really not a big deal.'' I sigh heavily, knowing my words aren''t going to dissuade them. ''It''s us girls, we always make things a big deal with guys. I don''t care if you''ve known him two minutes, what''s he like'' Myra insists. I smile at her words, no one does stubborn quite like my girls. ''He''s gorgeous, tall and dark, and sexy and Goddess, I don''t know. He''s perfect.'' I turn my attention back to the cup in my hands to try and distract myself from thinking of him for probably the hundredth time today. ''He sounds it, show me a picture, does he have Facebook'' She asks and I look at her in shock. ''I haven''t looked for him on Facebook. He''s just a guy, don''t get so excited,'' I cry in mild hysteria. ''What about Insta'' Caia asks and I shake my head at them. Why are they obsessing over this It''s awful because I know how horrified they''d be if they knew the truth about him. I''m grateful that I get them to drop the subject, because I don''t want to lie any more than I already am. That evening, I straighten my hair and do my make¡ªup to match my dress for going out. My father drives us to some new restaurant he wants to try out, I''m more than willing because I love food. We arrive at the restaurant, and I see why Dad brought us here, it''s so stylish and expensive. Personally, although I like posh restaurants like this, I''m also happy with cheap Italian and My''s. We''re seated near the back, and I order myself arge ss of wine, I think I deserve it after everything I''ve been through recently. ''Are you ready to order'' A very familiar voice asks, and I choke on a sip of wine. Mum smacks me on the back as Dadughs at me. ''You alright, darling'' Dad says and I manage to nod, too shocked to say anything as Rixon waits on us, pen and pad at the ready. My eyes meet his and I can see he''s trying to resistughing; he finds it hrious that he''s surprised me. Book 2 Chapter 13 Book 2 Chapter 13 I have to admit, he looks gorgeous in his ck jeans and white shirt, open at the cor to reveal hard, tanned skin and just a hint of his ck ink. He takes our order and then collects the menus, his hands deliberately brushing over mine. I snap my hand back and fumble for my handbag. ''I''m just gonna nip to the toilet,'' I mutter, standing up on shaky legs and teetering in my heels to the bathroom. I curse as I realize the toilets are down two flights of stairs and a long corridor. I grip the handrail and mentally scold myself for wearing such high heels tonight. With great effort, I make it to the bathroom. I fix my lipstick in the mirror and pat down my hair, realizing that this is the second time I''ve been forced to calm myself down in the toilet as a result of Rixon. Once I''ve recovered, I step out only to bump into someone. ''Oops, sorry.'' I look up and scowl as I see Rixon''s smug face. ''Better watch where you''re going, sweetheart, wouldn''t want you to get lost down here,'' he whispers gruffly, my eyes widen as he pushes me backward, into some sort of closet and shuts the door behind us. The only light is a single bulb hanging above us, somehow it makes him look even more dangerous and attractive. ''Let me out of here, my parents will get suspicious,'' Iin but he silences me with a kiss that makes my fingers curl into his hair. ''Better be quick then,'' he grunts as he deftly lifts my dress and pulls my thong down. ''What are you doing'' I hiss, my hands moving to stop his, but the second he pushes two fingers inside of me, my hands freeze in their protest. ''S¡ªstop,'' I stutter, my eyes closing as he scissors his fingers and begins pressing against my g¡ªspot. ''Not until youe,'' he breathes in my ear, kissing down my neck. I gasp as he picks up the pace. ''Why are you doing this'' I manage to force the words out, but I make no move to stop him as the pleasure builds. ''Because you''re in denial that we''re meant to be together, so I''m proving to you that you know this is right and that you want this,'' he growls, his husky voice only increasing my desire. ''You can tell me you don''t want this, that you don''t want me, but we both know you''d be lying baby.'' I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, angry that his words are true. I do want him. ''I want you inside me,'' I mumble quietly, knowing that he can hear. His fingers pause momentarily before speeding up again. ''No, this is about you,'' he tells me, but I ignore him and fumble for his jeans, he goes to stop me, but I push his hands away. ''You want me toe Well, this is what I need,'' I tell him, my eyes meeting his dark ones. He nods, a small, subtle nod, but I see it and hurriedly undo his jeans, pulling them down with his boxers. I step apart, spreading my legs as he lifts me up by my waist, wrapping my thighs around him and locking my ankles. I inhale sharply as he lines up then pushes slowly inside me. I resist closing my eyes, wanting to look at him as he fills me. ''This is going to have to be quick baby, okay'' He asks and I grin at him, it''s all the confirmation he needs as he begins to pound into me at an incredible speed. The constant press of him against me rubs my clit and within seconds I''m falling apart around him, he kisses me to muffle our moans. It''s only when Ie down from my high and he pulls out that I realize he didn''te. ''You''re not sitting at dinner with your parents whilst I drip out of you babe,'' he says and before he can protest, I drop to my knees and take him in my mouth. He hisses and grips my hair, guiding me up and down on his cock. I shield my teeth with my lips and suck hard. It doesn''t take long to have him releasing himself in my mouth and I swallow eagerly. Only momentster, we''ve sorted ourselves out and exited the closet. I spray a little perfume from my handbag to mask our scents. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. I straighten my clothing and grimace at the thought of my thong, which is in Rixon''s pocket. Rixon finds a waitress and tells her that I''ve got lost and need directions back to my table, he winks at me, and I y along, apologizing to the waitress. ''Here you are, Miss.'' She guides me to my table and my parents look relieved as I sit down. I put on my best actress skills. ''Oh, my Goddess. It''s like a maze down there, I got so lost and had to get that waitress to help me, I''m so embarrassed,'' I gush, and they bothugh at me, believing everything. I hurriedly gulp down some wine to rid the taste of Rixon in my mouth. You''re such a dirty hoe Lexi. ''Oh, dear, I was going to go to the loo as well, but I think I''ll hold it,'' Mum says and I nod. ''I would, I honestly got so lost down there,'' I lie. As we eat our dinner, I wonder how I''ve be the sort of person that lies to her family and friends. I catch Rixon''s eye across the restaurant, he makes a V with his fingers and sticks his tongue between them. My face goespletely red, and he grins at me. His smile changes his facepletely, he suddenly looks cheeky and charming, rather than dark, dangerous and brooding. I realize that he has made me the sort of girl that lies to everyone she cares about, and worse, I don''t mind doing it for him, he''s worth it. I turn back to my parents and try to regain some control over my evening. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 14 Book 2 Chapter 14 Lexi''s POV. Two days pass without a word from Rixon, I pretend it doesn''t bother me, but it does. No way in hell am I gonna text him first though. I take off my make¡ªup and slide into bed, sinking down under thefy duvet. I''ve barely closed my eyes before there''s a creaking sounding from my window. At first Iypletely still, listening intently to try and deduce what is going on. There''s more scratching and my heart hammers wildly, I sit up and nervously slide off the bed. I hesitantly tiptoe over to my window and reach out for the curtains. A loud thud echoes out, followed by a curse and I squeal. I take a few deep breaths and pull back the curtain, my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. ''What the hell are you doing'' I yell, opening the window so Rixon can climb in. ''Trying to get inside, thought the doorbell was too conspicuous,'' hends gracefully on the floor and straightens up to his full height, so I have to lean back to maintain eye contact. ''So the window was the better option You''re crazy! If my dad finds out you''re here he''ll¡ª'' I''m cut off as he presses his lips to mine, effectively silencing me. ''He''ll what'' He asks when he pulls away, ''What''s your Dad going to do He can''t take you away from me, your heart is mine baby and there''s nothing you can do about it,'' he says smugly, kissing me again before I can reprimand him for being such an arrogant ass. ''What are you wearing'' I ask when he pulls back, taking in his all¡ªck attire andrge motorcycle boots. ''My uniform,'' he says solemnly, and I shift uneasily, his soldier uniform. ''Please exin to me why you joined them, why would you be a soldier like that Hired to kill people,'' I question him, and he sighs heavily, running a hand through his dark hair. After a moment he gestures towards the bed, I get back in as he takes off his boots and joins me under the covers. He takes me into his arms, and I lean my head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. ''My parents died when I was sixteen, it was just me, my brother and my sister. Our pack really looked after us, and we managed fine. But when my sister turned eighteen, the Alpha''s son took an interest in her,'' he began, and I felt his body tense up, obviously this is not an easy subject for him, ''She wasn''t interested, I was twenty at the time and didn''t notice how obsessed he was with her because I was busy training the guards, I should''ve been more attentive,'' he condemns himself and I wrap my arms around his chest, trying to offer somefort. ''I came homete one night, Ben was out with some friends, and I found him on top of her, he''d ripped her clothes and was forcing himself on her,'' he growls, and I wince at the thought, ''I pulled him off of her and beat the shit out of him but left him alive. I took him to his father, the Alpha, and demanded he be kicked out of the pack, but his dad refused, instead he exiled me and my siblings.'' ''That''s awful,'' I whispered, knowing I could never understand what his sister has been through. ''We packed our stuff the next day and I took it all to our new house off territory, my sister had stayed behind to clear up her things, and when I came back, there he was forcing himself on her again, so I killed him,'' he says gruffly, his voice thick with emotion, ''I didn''t mean to, I was punching him so hard I didn''t realize until it was toote, that night the Alpha branded me so I''d never be epted anywhere else, I thought he was going to kill me, but he knew he''d lose the trust of his pack, he''d be as bad as me,'' he admits and I hold him tighter, pressing a kiss to his neck. ''I knew if he got the opportunity to get revenge, he would take it, so I joined the Shadow soldiers for protection, they keep my brother and sister safe as long as I work for them, it wasn''t a choice, I have no other option to keep my family safe,'' he finishes and I kiss him softly, rolling on top of him. ''Thank you for telling me, I''m sorry I didn''t understand at first,'' I tell him, kissing his face, his nose, his closed eyes. ''It''s okay,'' he flips us over so that he''s on top. ''Look, you can tell your parents about me in your own time, I understand it''s not an easy thing to ept, but for now, can you just admit that you want to be with me and don''t want to reject me'' He asks, leaning over me so that a couple of strands of hair fall over his forehead, making him look cute and sexy at the same time. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair, he closes his eyes briefly, looking more rxed than I''ve ever seen him. ''I admit it, I''m yours,'' I confess, and he grins at me, ''But you''re also mine,'' I say firmly, and he nods. ''I was always yours,'' he mutters quietly, so quiet I almost don''t hear it. He lies down and pulls me close; I fall asleep momentster. ????????????? When I wake in the morning, I''m alone in bed. I stretch my arm over the empty space and frown. But when I check my phone, I see a text from Rixon apologizing for leaving because he''s been called on assignment. I ignore the sick feeling in my stomach at the thought of what his ''assignment'' could be. ''Have you picked out your dress yet'' My mum''s voice breaks through my thoughts of Rixon as I stare out the window. ''My dress'' I ask and Mum frowns, shaking her head with exasperation. ''For the ball, it''s in two weeks!'' She cries, bordering on hysterical. ''Oh god, I''d forgotten about that, I''ll go shopping today,'' I acquiesce, irritated that I''d forgotten about the annual ball my parents hold. Nearby packs are invited, it''s an event that they take a lot of pride in, andContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. usually I sing. ''Have you even got a song ready at least'' Mum asks and I force a smile. ''Of course, it''s a surprise though,'' I lie, and she seems to ept it. ''You haven''t got a date either have you Your father and I have been picking out some suitable candidates,'' she continues, and I gawp at her. ''You''re joking,'' I deadpan but she smiles at me. ''No, I''m not! You still haven''t found your mate, so in the meantime you can meet some nice boys we pick out, you never know, one of them might be him!'' She calls out happily, leaving the room before I can argue. Book 2 Chapter 15 Book 2 Chapter 15 A few minutester, Aria calls me. ''Fancy going to the beach today'' She offers and I close my eyes at the wonderful thought. ''You have the most amazing timing, yes!'' An hourter, Aria has picked me up and we''re heading to the coast. ''My friend was telling me about this beautiful little cove between the territories, it''s practically deserted because not many people know about it, I thought we could check it out,'' she suggests. ''Are you sure it''s not part of someone''s territory'' ''No it''s no man''snd, it''ll be fine,'' she shrugs and parks up at the border of our territory. ''We''ll have to walk from here, it''s only a mile,'' Aria tells me as we get out and grab our bags. I''m grateful that I chose my trainers as we hike through the forest, true to her word, a mileter, a stunning blue sea appears through the trees. ''Oh my god,'' I gasp as the forest leaf litter underfoot turns to sand. The small cove is enclosed either side byrge hills, sheltering a perfect little beach with shimmering sapphire waters. ''I told you!'' She squeals, getting out her phone to take some photos. No one is around, so we quickly slip off our clothes, having worn our bikinis underneath, and eagerly enter the water. ''It''s a bit chilly,'' shements, but we stick it out and limatize to the temperature. The sunes out and shines down on us. ''I''m going to sunbathe for a bit,'' I tell her, heading back to shore. Iy out my towel and lie down, grateful for the sun drying me off. Not long after, Aria joins me and I close my eyes, nodding off. ''What was that'' I jolt awake and sit up, rubbing my eyes. Aria is stood up next to me, worry etched on her face. ''What was what'' I ask again, and we both jump as a loud bang echoes out. Hairs raise on the back of my neck and Aria looks around, her eyes wild with panic. ''That was a gunshot,'' I whisper, anxiously ncing behind me into the trees. ''Grab your shit, let''s get out of here,'' she hurriedly throws her towel in her bag. Neither of us bothers with our clothes. I shove my feet in my trainers, and we began running through the forest. We don''t say a word to each other, our feet almost silent as we weave between the trees in the direction of the car. Another shot sounds out and we bothe to a halt, I listen intently, hearing only our rapid breathing. But my eyes catch a movement through the tree trunks, I step forward for a closer look and see a blur Material ? N?velDrama.Org. of ck clothing. ''What are you doing'' Aria hisses quietly and I wave her forward, we crouch down and move closer. When I look around a tree, my breath catches in my throat. ''Shadow soldiers,'' Aria whispers and my heart stop. Tied up in a circle are a group of people, sat on the ground, surrounded by soldiers pointing guns at them, dressed in ck. The same uniform Rixon worest night. The nearest soldier lifts his head and sniffs; I hold my breath as he looks in our direction. ''He''s caught our scent, let''s go,'' I tell Aria and we quickly backtrack to our route. I hear footsteps behind us and act on instinct. I shove Aria behind arge group of rocks. ''Stay here, I''ll distract them,'' I say, she grabs my hand, but I shake her off, giving her a look that tells her to do as I ask. I leave my bag with her and hurry through the trees, my heart hammering as I hear footsteps closing in on me. If they catch me, I can use Rixon''s name to make them let me go, I don''t want Aria in any danger, and she doesn''t need to know about Rixon. ''Lex,'' his voice calls out and I instantly stop, turning around to see Rixoning towards me, his face full of concern. ''What are you doing here'' He asks, reaching out to me and pulling me in for a hug, ''Dressed like this'' He growls, gesturing at my bikini. ''We were at the beach, Aria''s here, we were just leaving,'' I exin, and he nods, biting his lip as he runs his finger down my cleavage. ''I like this,'' he says huskily, and I bat his hand away. ''Not the time,'' I roll my eyes and he frowns. ''You''re right, I''ll see youter, you''d better go,'' he kisses my forehead and then steps aside. I turn on my heel and head back to Aria. ''You okay'' I ask as I near where she''s hiding, shees out and hugs me tightly. ''God, I was worried! Yeah I''m fine, how did you get away from him'' She asks and I bite my lip nervously. ''I climbed a tree,'' I lie, jumping as shouts echo out nearby. Against my better judgment, I move towards the clearing, wanting to know what''s going on. ''What are you doing Let''s go!'' Aria urges, but I ignore her and peak around the tree. A man has escaped and is running towards the tree line. Arge soldier, I presume the leader, calls out. ''Beta!'' He shouts, I watch in horror as Rixon nods, lifts his gun, aims, and shoots the escapee in the back of the head. He falls to the ground, lifeless. Rixon doesn''t bat an eyelid as he lowers his gun and heads over to the body. I flinch as Aria shakes me. ''Come on, let''s go!'' This time I don''t fight her and head back with her, my mind reeling with what I''ve just seen. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 16 Book 2 Chapter 16 Lexi''s POV. I''m silent on the ride home, luckily Aria thinks I''m just shocked from being chased and doesn''t ask questions. I manage to fake a smile when she says goodbye and then fall on my bed,pletely exhausted after today''s events. I just wish I had someone to talk to about what''s happening, I don''t feel like my friends will understand. My parents are thest people I''d tell; they would never understand. My phone starts ringing next to me and I sigh when I see Rixon calling. I ignore it and grab some of my stuff to spend the night at my parent''s. He won''t try and sneak in to see me there and I can have tonight to think things over. I thought that I''d lie awake for ages, reying the day''s events in my head, but as soon as I get into bed, I''m out. The next morning, I check my phone and grimace as I see more missed calls from Rixon and a couple of texts. Thest of which being ''Talk to me, you said you''d give us a chance.'' I sigh heavily and put the phone down, deciding to take a shower. Images of Rixon shooting that man fill my mind, I squeeze my eyes shut and turn the water temperature higher, hoping to burn away the memory. I step out of the shower as red as a lobster and get ready for the day. I have breakfast with my parents, leaving my phone upstairs, when I check it after, there are more missed calls and another text from Rixon; ''Answer your fucking phone, we need to talk.'' I frown, annoyed that he''s swearing at me. I throw my phone back on the bed and head downstairs. I knock on the office door and wait for dad to call out, when he does, I step inside to find him hunched over his desk, head in his hands. ''What''s up'' I ask worriedly and he looks up at me, his face filled with stress. ''There''s just so much to do this morning, your mother is out negotiating with a nearby pack, and I''ve got a ton of work to do, and the guards are expecting their lunch in ten minutes,'' he exins, ncing anxiously at his watch. ''I''ll bring the guards their lunch,'' I offer, and Dad considers it for a moment. ''No, I don''t want you near the border, there was a trespasserst week,'' he replies, and I know he means Rixon and his brother. ''Oh for goodness sake Dad it''s fine, it was a week ago and they never came back, they were just passing through like I said,'' I tell him and head out of the office before he can argue. I enter the kitchen and quickly make up some sandwiches. Grabbing everything, I carry out their lunch through the trees to the border. When I arrive, the two patrol guards for today are waiting by the guard tower for their lunch. I give them their sandwiches and make my way back towards the house. Suddenly, I''m grabbed by my waist and pressed against a tree. My eyes widen as I look up and meet the smoldering, dark eyes of Rixon. ''Miss me'' He asks huskily, before I have time to answer, he leans down and presses his soft, skillful lips to mine. My arms eagerly reach up and wrap around his neck, pulling me closer so that our chests touch. I then remember why I''ve been ignoring him and quickly change my actions, pressing against his chest to push him away from me. He pulls back and frowns. ''What is up with you'' He asks, and for a second, I feel guilty when I see the hurt look on his face. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ''I saw you shoot that man yesterday,'' Iment, and he sighs heavily. ''That man wasn''t innocent Lex, to be targeted by us, you have to have done something wrong,'' he exins but his words offer littlefort. ''I just wish I hadn''t seen it,'' I whisper, and he reaches out for me, pulling me against his warm, delicious chest. His scent surrounds me, and I close my eyes, realizing that he has rapidly be my happy ce. ''You don''t have to ept my job Lex, just ept me, I''m tired of fighting for this. I''ll fight for us forever, but I don''t want to have to,'' he admits, and I hold him tighter. ''I know, I''ve been unfair to you, I''m sorry,'' I apologize, and he kisses the top of my head. I smile at the sweet gesture. ''I can''t stay long, I just wanted to see you seeing as you''ve been ignoring me,'' he says and I pull back, smiling sheepishly. ''Sorry, I''ll reply from now on,'' Iugh, and he rolls his eyes at me. We say goodbye and I walk back to my house, sad that I couldn''t see him for longer. He texts meter on, and this time I actually reply. The next day, I''m helping Dad out in the office when Mum returns from the shops, her arms full of bags of food. ''We''re having a get¡ªtogether this afternoon, pick something pretty to wear,'' she tells me as she recruits Dad to cook. ''Why'' I ask, sensing something suspicious in her actions. My suspicions are confirmed when she smiles brightly. ''I have some boysing round, you need to pick one as your date for the ball,'' she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder and strutting out of the office. ''She''s mental,'' I turn to Dad, and he just shrugs at me. ''I''m not taking one of her bloody suitors,'' I snap and storm out of the office. I march over to my house and look in my wardrobe for something to wear. I''m not going to pick any of those guys she''s invited round, but I''m seeing Rixonter and I want to look good. I choose a white dress and fix my make¡ªup. Not long after, the scent of a barbeque tempts me outside. Book 2 Chapter 17 Book 2 Chapter 17 My mum is on the grill whilst Dad sets the table, I grab some tes and help him so that Mum can''t ''Don''t worry, she''s invited other people as well, you just have to socialize, she''ll drop this subject as soon as you find someone to take,'' Dad tells me and I bitterly wish that I could take Rixon. I conveniently head back inside to prepare more food when the guests start to arrive, I hope my mum hasn''t told them why she''s invited them today. I''m only alone for a few minutes before shees inside. ''Lexi! Go outside and say hello to our guests,'' she scolds, and I roll my eyes at her. ''Have you told them why you invited them'' ''No of course not, I just said it was a friendly get¡ªtogether, your friends Aria and Lucia are out there,'' she says, and I decided it might not be so bad after all. I sit with my girls and chat politely to the four guys my mother has invited; they all seem sweet enough, but I have absolutely no interest in them. All of them are about half the size of Rixon, I don''t think I can ever be with another man again after having him inside of me. He''s ruined me for all other men, and I don''t care. ''Do you think Jasper would minding to a ball with me'' I ask Aria about her gay best friend. ''Um no, he loves that kind of thing, why'' She asks curiously, I''ve only met Jasper a couple of times. ''My mum is trying to force me to take someone, and I can''t be arsed to deal with that right now, so I need a safe date who won''t grope me,'' I exin, and sheughs. ''Yeah, I think Jasper would be up for it,'' she replies, now I''ve just got to run the idea past Rixon. I can see my Mum sending me signals to talk more to the guys, so I ignore her, collect the dirty dishes and head into the kitchen to wash up. I slip on the washing¡ªup gloves and get to work on the tes. I hear the back door go and I groan. ''Mum seriously, just let it¡ª'' I jump as tworge hands squeeze my waist and I rx as Rixon''s intoxicating smell fills my nose. ''I''m definitely not your Mum,'' he whispers huskily in my ear and kisses down my jaw to my neck. ''What are you doing here'' I breathe, anxiously ncing out the window at the table full of my friends, parents and guests on thewn. ''I couldn''t wait until this evening,'' he says, he reaches down and tugs on my dress, ''I like this though, reminds me of the one you wore in that bathroom,'' hements, dragging the dress up to reveal my ass. ''Stop that, everyone is outside,'' I gesture, and he nces over my shoulder and frowns. ''What''s with all theds'' He asks and I bite my lip, wondering whether to say anything. He notices my hesitation and his eyes darken. ''Exin,'' he growls, and I swallow hard. ''My mum has invited them because she wants me to find a date for this ball my parents host each year,'' I tell him, and his hands tighten painfully on my hips. ''Fuck that, I''ll be your date,'' he snarls, his eyes shing with annoyance as I smile sadly. ''You can''t baby, they can''t know about you yet,'' I say softly, and he looks at me with disappointment. ''Look, we''ll discuss thister okay'' I tell him, jumping when his fingers slip aside my thong and push inside me. ''Fine, we''ll discuss itter, but right now, I think you need reminding who you belong to,'' he mutters gruffly, and I close my eyes in anticipation as he reces his fingers with his cock. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''We can''t do this here,'' I moan quietly as he pushes inside of me, beginning to move in and out as I lean slightly over the sink. I grip the counter as he drives into me from behind, my eyes nervously watching everyone outside in case one of them decides toe in. ''Yes we can, just don''t be too loud,'' he teases, nipping at my neck with his teeth. I know he wants to mark me, but he can''t, not yet. I reassure myself that if any of them looked over they couldn''t see anything because of the sun''s re on the windows. I bite down hard on my lower lip to keep myself from moaning, but Rixon is obviously displeased by my silence and squeezes my boobs, his fingers teasing my nipples. I gasp loudly as he increases his pace, I feel myself getting close and clench around him. ''Come for me, baby,'' he whispers in my ear, and it''s my undoing as I pulse around him. I pant heavily as Ie down from my high, he pulls out of me and fixes my dress. I nce up and a sick feeling pierces my stomach as I see my mum heading towards the house. ''Quick! Go!'' I shove Rixon towards the corridor. ''Go out the front door,'' I tell him, he pecks my lips, winks and disappears down the hall. I rush to the cupboard under the sink and grab some surface cleaner. I hurriedly spray it all over the counters, so the room smells of disinfectant and not Rixon and sex. Mum enters secondster and turns up her nose at the clinical smell. ''Why are you cleaning'' She asks as I wipe down the counter. ''I spilled something, sorry I''ll be out in a minute,'' I give her a quick smile and she nods, satisfied. We grab the dessert tes and bring them outside to the table. I sit down between Aria and Lucia and notice that I don''t even feel guilty about hiding Rixon from them. I enjoy being with him too much to want to jeopardize things by telling everyone about him. They''ll want me to reject him and deciding between my mate or my friends and family is not a decision I want to make right now. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 18 Book 2 Chapter 18 Lexi''s POV. Eventually, the guests leave, followed by the girls. I help my parents clean up and then head back to my house, excited to see Rixon. I text him and meet him in the woods a few minutester. ''I missed you,'' he tells me as he pulls me into his strong arms. I open my mouth to say something, but words fail me as his eyes drop to my lips and darken considerably. A shiver involuntarily shakes my body, and his full, pink lips pull up into a smirk. He knows what he''s doing to me. ''I missed you too, look, in the kitchen today¡ª'' I begin, but Rixon interrupts. ''It was amazing,'' hements, and I smile shyly. ''Yeah it was, but about the ball, Mum wants me to take one of those guys as my date.'' ''Over my dead body,'' Rixon growls and I can only smile at his possessiveness. ''I''m not going to obviously, but I can''t take you either,'' I lean back against a tree and look at him, ''I could probably make the girls understand, they''d let me exin, Myra will understand the most because she''s been in a simr situation, but my parents¡ª I don''t think they''ll take it well, at all, my Dad has always been so protective of me and I''m just so scared to tell them because I don''t want it ruining what we have, I don''t like sneaking around, but it''s better than them knowing,'' I exin to him and he reaches over to put his arms around me again. ''Look, I get it, it''s okay,'' he kisses my forehead and I close my eyes, savoring moments like these when I''m with him and I''m not worrying about my family. ''I want you toe round to mine tomorrow, you can meet my sister,'' he suggests, and I feel ttered. ''I''d love to,'' I reply, a warning howl sounds out and I wince. ''You need to go; they know you''re here again.'' ????????????? ''Mum, I''m staying at Lucia''s tonight,'' I inform her as I sit down for breakfast. I''ve lost count of how many lies I''ve told my friends and family, but as long as it''s for Rixon, I don''t care. I spend my day working at the clinic, everyonements on what a good mood I''m in, and I know it''s because I''m staying at Rixon''s tonight. Time passes ridiculously slow, but eventually five pmes round and I rush home to pack. My phone buzzes with a text from Rixon, apologizing that his sister has invited round some of his friends because they want to meet me. I suddenly feel a bit nervous and decide to find a dress to wear. Finally, happy with the way I look, I drive over to Rixon''s using the address he texted me. I drive down a long, secluded road until I reach a beautiful, pale stone house. Rixon opens the door before I''ve even stepped out of my car. ''Hi,'' he grins, and for a moment I''m frozen,pletely captivated by his gorgeous face. ''Hey,'' I respond as I pull myself together and grab my stuff. ''I''m sorry my sister invited my friends, I didn''t know they wereing, I hope that''s okay,'' he apologizes, looking anxiously at me as if to gauge my reaction. ''Don''t worry about it, it''s fine,'' I hitch my bags higher on my shoulder and follow him up the steps to the front door. To be honest, I''m slightly nervous at the prospect of meeting his friends, I''m anxious enough just knowing I''m going to meet his sister. In the nicest way possible, I''m not sure what to expect, I don''t know what she''ll be like. She''s been through a horrible experience that I can''t even begin to rte to, and I don''t know how that has affected her. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. As soon as Rixon opens the door,ughter and conversation bounce off the walls, emanating from down the hall. ''Hey Lexi, perfect timing I''ve just lit the coals on the BBQ,'' Ben, Rixon''s younger brother, pops his head around the doorjamb to greet me. Rixon ces his hand on the small of my back and leads me down the hall to the kitchen, the small action offers somefort. As we step inside, the conservation abruptly stops, and three pairs of eyes turn towards us. The first people I notice are who I presume to be Rixon''s friends, two guys, one very tall, the height of Rixon, the other smaller, closer to my height. The tall one has his hair cropped very short with piercing blue eyes; I recognize the shorter as the one that I spoke to in the bar the night I met Rixon. ''This is Alec,'' Rixon introduces us, Alec, the taller one, steps forward and shakes my hand. ''Everyone calls me Knuckles,'' he shrugs, and I notice the smattering of silver scars all over his knuckles, ''Bare¡ªknuckle boxing,'' he exins, and I can only nod with wide eyes. ''And you''ve already met Sam,'' Rixon says as Sam steps forward and takes my hand, lifting to his lips to kiss the back of it. Rixon growls quietly next to me but Sam ignores him. ''Nice to see you again, Lexi,'' he winks and Rixon quickly turns me away, so I finally see his sister. I don''t know what I was expecting, but I''m not ready for how stunning she is. She has ebony ck hair that falls in shiny waves to her waist, the same brown tan as Rixon, giving them a GrecianItalian look, and simr deep brown eyes to both her brother''s. ''I''m Callie, it''s so lovely to finally meet you, I''ve heard lots about you,'' she pulls me into a hug and surrounds me with her sweet scent, I hug her back, at a loss for words. ''Rixon, why don''t you get Lexi a drink whilst we get to know her'' Alec suggests and Callie nods in agreement. ''And take her bags upstairs will you,'' she suggests and Rixon rolls his eyes at their bossiness. I offer him my bags with a sheepish smile, and he sighs at me, but does as they ask. Book 2 Chapter 19 Book 2 Chapter 19 I''m ushered out onto the patio, and we all sit down on a long L¡ªshaped sofa. It is perfect, they quash all my previous nerves, they couldn''t be any more weing. We chat continuously and by the time Rixon brings me out a ss of wine, we''re all creased upughing. Ben serves up the food not long after, and the six of us enjoy our meal in the warm evening air outside. ''Honestly, I''ll have to get the albums out at some point, he was the chubbiest child you''ve ever seen,'' Callie teases and Rixon scowls, clearly irritated by his sister sharing his childhood weight. ''I don''t think Lexi wants to see all those boring photos,'' hements but I shake my head andugh. ''Oh, I definitely do.'' ''Why don''t I give Lex a tour whilst you guys clear the table Thanks for dinner Ben, that was great,'' Rixon announces, standing up and pulling me inside before anyone can protest. Taking my hand, he leads me around the house, ending with his room. I smile at how strongly the room smells of him, it''sforting, like home. It is not very neat, but not untidy either, there is just enough disorder to hint at a guy living here. I sit down on his bed, sinking into Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. the duvet and I look around the room, taking in his personalization. I try to imagine what Rixon was like when he was younger, was he a cocky prick as a teenager Some guys are. As happy as I am that I''ve met him, I sort of wish I''d met him earlier, so I could have known his childhood more. Jasper, Aria''s GBF had texted me this afternoon, and I decide that now is the time to break the news. ''I''ve found a date for the ball,'' I state, wincing as Rixon''s cold rends on me. ''Who'' He asks, although it''s more of a growl. ''Aria''s friend, don''t worry, he''s gay,'' I exin, shrugging to try and reinforce the triviality of the situation. ''I don''t like it, but it''s better than you taking one of those dickheads at that sausage party your mum hosted,'' heins, and Iugh at his interesting choice of words. My eyes widen as he kneels down in between my knees as I sit on the bed. I don''t say a word when he reaches beneath my dress and slowly pulls my thong down and off my legs. I lift my feet off the floor, helping him take my pinkce thong off. A knock on the door sends my heart racing, I shove Rixon out from between my legs and jump to my feet. Rixon straightens up next to me as Sames in. ''Hi, sorry to interrupt, we''re having dessert now if you want some,'' he offers, his smile fades and his eyes widen as he looks down at Rixon''s hand. I gawp as I realize he''s looking at my pink thong in his hand. I stare in shock as Rixon grins, lifts his hand and presses my thong to his nose, inhaling deeply. ''Oh my God,'' I stutter,pletely mortified, not quiteprehending if the situation in front of me is actually happening or if this is some kind of nightmare. ''What the fuck man,'' Samughs and backs up, shutting the door quickly, his face both shocked and amused. ''You fucking dick! What is wrong with you'' I shout, reaching out to grab my underwear back, but Rixon stuffs it in his mouth and smiles at me, smug and full¡ªmouthed. ''That was not funny,'' I scowl and storm out the room and downstairs, ignoring his attempts at an apology. ''Come on, it was a little funny,'' he insists but I nk him out because I can hear theughter in his sexy voice. Luckily, Sam doesn''t mention the thong incident and gives me a brief, non¡ªawkward smile as we demolish dessert. Rixon sits next to me, his arm slung possessively around my shoulders even whilst we eat. I don''t dare ask where my thong is. I look around at his family and friends, they''ve been so friendly. Callie catches my eye and shoots me a smile that sends a little pang of pain through me. It''s lovely to sit here with everyone and to not have to hide, to not have to lie to anyone, to just be together openly. I nce at Rixon to find him already staring at me, he smiles, and I shiver at the sh of white teeth and the glint of desire in his mesmerizing eyes. Rixon''s friends leave shortly after, and we decide it''s time to head to bed. Rixon stands up, reaching his full 65 height. I swallow hard as he stretches his arms above his head, his biceps straining against the t ¡ªshirt he''s wearing, it lifts up slightly, revealing tanned, hard abs. Fuck. Is he trying to kill me He looks down at me, the glint of desire has be something more, his obsidian eyes devour me, running up and down my body. With a couple of strands of brown hair falling over his forehead to tickle his eyshes, his teeth sinking into his full bottom lip and his gorgeous broad build towering over me, my knees feel weak with the desire I feel for him. Damn. Am I ever going to not fancy him He pulls me close, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders, pressing me against his hard chest. His scent surrounds me and my mouth waters at the prospect of what''s toe tonight. ''I can''t wait to have you under me,'' he whispers huskily in my ear as he reaches down to squeeze my ass. ''We''re off to bed,'' Rixon announces, before I can say anything, he reaches down and scoops me up, throwing me over his shoulder. ''What the hell'' Iugh, not really mad, as he carries me upstairs to his bedroom. His sister just rolls her eyes, and his brother makes gagging noises. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 20 Book 2 Chapter 20 Lexi''s POV. Rixon steps into his room and gently puts me down, careful to slide my body along the length of his. I quickly squirm out of his arms and rush into the bathroom before he can try to kiss me, I want to clean my teeth first. We get ready for bed next to each other, cleaning our teeth in unison as we watch each other''s reflections in the mirror. I get a giddy feeling about this being our first proper sleepover, I feel like a kid. Trying to escape the predatory look in his eyes, I unpack my bag and busy myself with taking my make ¡ªup off. I feel his eyes on me and I turn to find Rixon watching me with a sinful smirk on his gorgeous face, a smirk promising trouble and orgasms. Without breaking eye contact, Rixon pulls his t¡ªshirt off, that weird way that men do, pulling from the back of the neck. I don''t think I''ll ever get tired of seeing his naked chest, covered in swirling patterns of ck ink. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. I swallow hard when hisrge hands drop to his waist and start undoing his jeans. I''m unable to look away as he pushes them down to reveal an impressive tent in his ck boxers. He kicks the jeans away and steps towards me, I hurriedly finish taking my make¡ªup off and throw the wipe in the bin. When I turn back around, I jump as Rixon is now inches away, looming over me. He doesn''t say a word as he lifts my dress up over my head, I raise my arms to help him, resisting the urge to cover myself. He unclips my bra, throwing it to one side whilst leaning down to take a nipple into his mouth. I chew nervously on my bottom lip, trying not to moan whilst he tortures my nipples with his tongue and hand. I don''t try to resist when he pushes me down, so I fall back on the bed. I look up at him, the lust in my eyes mirroring his own. He leans down over me, kissing down my neck, so I tangle my fingers in his hair. ''How often do you touch yourself'' He asks, surprising me. ''Um, why'' ''Because your orgasms belong to me now, I don''t want you touching yourself, that''s my job,'' he remarks possessively, pressing kisses to my inner thighs. I don''t respond because his mouthtches around my clit and I can''t form a single thought. A few hours after falling asleep, I roll over to see the sun has started to rise and bathes the room in a gentle golden glow. I slide slowly out of bed, careful not to wake Rixon. Feeling restless, I decide to get myself a drink, but I didn''t bring any pajamas, there''s no need for them with Rixon around. I tiptoe over to the chest of drawers and pull open a couple until I find one full of sweatpants, underneath the pile is a set of blue stripy pajamas. For some reason I can''t really picture him wearing them, perhaps that''s why they''re hidden at the bottom. I pull on the shirt and button it up, I try on the bottoms, but they fall down, the waist is far too wide. Deciding to forego the bottoms because the topes to almost my knees, I sneak a quick nce back at Rixon, who is on his back, his arm resting on the pillow above his head. I creep out of the room and downstairs; the house is lit up enough with sunlight that I don''t have to turn the lights or worry about stumbling into things. I pour myself a ss of water, grimacing as I see the clock, 406 am. I sit down on the window seat, looking out at the garden. What am I going to do about the Rixon situation I''ll have to tell my parents soon; I can''t keep my mate hidden forever. I don''t like lying either, I''ll do it for him, but I don''t like it. Perhaps I should tell the girls I just feel like I''ve put myself in a situation now and it''s going to be hard to get out of it. I''ve got to just bite the bullet and do it. I don''t need to tell the girls about Rixon''s brand or his job, they don''t need to know that and it''s not my secret so it''s not my ce to tell them. I''ve been stressing about telling them, when in fact, they don''t need to know. I''ll tell them Rixon''s my mate and they''ll be happy about that. Just as I''ve made a mental note to text the girls and arrange a catch¡ªup, I hear bare feet padding softly on the tiles. I look up to see my beautiful, sleepy¡ªeyed maning over to me, wearing the matching stripy bottoms to my top. ''We match,'' I say softly, grinning and opening my arms for a hug as he reaches me. He leans down and pulls me against him, lifting me up and spinning me around. He buries his face in my neck, kissing gently whilst his delicious scent surrounds me. ''What are you doing up'' He asks, his voice gruff from sleeping. I pull back and smile sadly at him. ''I was thirsty,'' I break eye contact and look down at our bare feet, his huge ones opposite my little ones, ''I''m going to tell our friends about us,'' I inform him, anxiously looking back up to see his reaction. ''Okay,'' he whispers, but I can see that although he''s nervous, he''s happy too. Keeping him a secret must have offended him, even though he tries to hide it. He reaches down and runs his fingers along my thigh, just under the top. To distract me, I think. ''My sister gave me these pajamas as a Christmas present,'' he rolls his eyes as he casually unbuttons the top, revealing my cleavage, ''But I rather like you in it.'' ''I think we look cute,'' Iment, running my finger along his taut stomach, inside the stic of his bottoms, ''I like you in just these, with your chest all exposed,'' I run both my hands up his hard chest, feeling his hot, inked skin under my fingertips. He groans quietly as I gently graze my nails down his chest. His hands tighten on my waist and suddenly I''m lifted up and pressed against the wall. ''Try not to wake the whole house up,'' he whispers teasingly in my ear as he pulls his cock out of his pajama bottoms and pushes it inside of me before I can process anything. My head falls back against the wall and my fingers dig into his shoulders whilst Rixon begins pounding into me. I try to do as he asks and keep my moans quiet, not wanting to wake his siblings, but damn, it''s hard. Each time he thrusts, he bumps my clit, sending waves of pleasure through me. I tighten my grip on him as he increases his pace, I''m unable to hold my orgasm off as it rips through me, making my eyes fall closed in ecstasy. Rixon rams himself into me a couple more times, ''Fuck, fuck, Lex,'' his voice is gruff and guttural, he buries his face in my neck as hees. Book 2 Chapter 21 Book 2 Chapter 21 You know how when you''re told not to do something, it makes you want to do it Well, Rixon''s orders of not touching myself ended up with me in the shower, doing exactly what I''m not supposed to be doing. I lean back against the shower tiles, my left hand syed out, desperately reaching for something to hold onto whilst my right¡ªhand rubs my clit in fast circles. I gasp sharply, feeling myself close to the edge. I close my eyes and picture Rixon''s hands touching me instead of my own, it''s been two days since I stayed at his house, and I miss his touch already. I struggle to keep myself quiet as my orgasm hits, I fall forwards, catching myself with my free hand as my other one carries me through my orgasm. The aftershocks shiver through my body as I step back into the hot stream of water, washing away the evidence of my disobedience so Rixon doesn''t find out, or maybe I want him to After drying off and making myself presentable, I drive over to Myra''s. I struggle to keep myself from fidgeting as I ring the doorbell and wait impatiently. I decided Myra would be the best person to tell first, because she knows Rixon well. ''Hey!'' She smiles and steps aside for me to enter, we hug and make our way out to the garden, over to the table on the patio. ''Where''s Naevia'' I ask, wondering where her gorgeous daughter is today. ''My parents wanted some time with her,'' Myra shrugs and gestures for me to sit down. ''How are you then'' She asks whilst pouring me a cup of tea. ''I''m really good thanks,'' I pause for a moment and steel myself for what I''m going to say next, best just to get it over with, ''Rixon''s my mate by the way,'' I tell her. Shock is evident on Myra''s face as she gawps at me, yet continues pouring the tea, which overspills from the cup into the saucer. ''What the fuck'' Shements, mming the teapot down and sitting back in her chair to stare at me. ''I know, I really should have told you girls, but the¡ª'' I''m cut off as I try to excuse myself. ''Yeah, you should have told us! How long have you known'' She demands to know, and I brace myself for the lecture. ''Not long! I met him just before your barbeque,'' I shrug, trying to alleviate the seriousness of the situation. ''That''s ages!'' Myra shouts and I wince. ''It''s really not, Rixon is with Jayce now, he''s telling him about us as well,'' I mention and she scowls at me, turning her attention to mopping up the tea. I wait patiently, keeping quiet so she can take in what I''ve told her. ''Now I''m over the shock, tell me about you two, are you happy'' She asks, and I''m d to see she''s smiling, not ring, at me. ''Yeah, we''re really happy,'' I reply, hoping I don''t blush, ''He''s gorgeous and so sexy and ugh,'' I groan, N?velDrama.Org content rights. leaning my head back on the chair and throwing an arm over my forehead. ''Girl, you got it bad,'' Myra shakes her head and sips her tea with amusement. ''I know I do, he''s just so damn sexy, I swear I''ve been permanently turned on since I met him,'' I sigh heavily, and Myra raises an eyebrow in disbelief. ''Seriously! I came in the shower this morning because I haven''t seen him in two days, that''s pathetic,'' I ''TMI babe,'' she replies, and I roll my eyes. ''Whatever just don''t tell Rixon,'' I smirk, thinking what would happen if he ever found out. ''Don''t tell Rixon what'' Rixon''s voice sounds from behind me, and I freeze, all the hairs rising on my arms. ''Busted,'' Myra whispers, an evil grin on her pretty face. ''Don''t tell me what'' Rixon asks slowly,ing up behind me and leaning down over my shoulder to look at me. ''Nothing,'' I stutter, my heart fluttering as he narrows his onyx eyes at me. ''Myra, will you please excuse us for a moment'' Rixon asks, before he lifts me up over his shoulder, again. ''Of course,'' she smiles, and I re at her. ''Traitor!'' I shout as Rixon carries me into the house, past a bemused Jayce and up to the spare bedroom. He sets me down and ominously shuts the door, turning to face me with hard eyes whilst crossing his arms over his chest. With his bulging muscles and feet spread more than a shoulder¡ªwidth apart, he''s a force to be reckoned with. Although I''d quite like to reckon with him. ''Come on Lexi, share,'' he prompts me, and I chew my bottom lip nervously. I finally gather the nerve to look him in the eye, my eyes widen in surprise as I spot some new piercings, a bar in his right eyebrow and an industrial in his left ear. ''Shit, that makes you look even hotter,'' the words stumble out before I can stop them and Rixon smirks at me. He knows how much I love piercings, he got them knowing I''d love them. ''Don''t think that changing the subject is going to get you out of this, Lex,'' he says, and I scowl. ''I was telling Myra that I made myselfe this morning,'' I mutter, looking down at my hands, twisting my fingers anxiously. When he doesn''t say anything, I nce up to find him staring at me with a burning gaze and devilish smile. ''What are we going to do about that, hm'' He asks, but I get the feeling the question is rhetorical. He takes arge step towards me, and I back up against the wall. I wondered before if he has an interest in BDSM, he hinted at it during our first night together. From the predatory look in his eyes, I''m not left wondering anymore. He definitely enjoys being the dominant one. ''I''m sure you''ll think of something,'' I reply apprehensively, licking my lips and swallowing hard. ''I can think of about five things off the top of my head,'' he muses, and my eyes widen further. ''Five'' I ask weakly, my voice quiet and shaky. He pauses for a moment, as if considering something, ''Seven actually,'' he adds as he steps forwards and closes the gap between us. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 22 Book 2 Chapter 22 Lexi''s POV. I lift my head up so I can maintain eye contact, his eyes are swirling with desire. My breath catches when he grabs me and throws me onto the bed. Before my mind can catch up to his actions, he''s pulled down my jeans and my thong. He pockets my thong (as he always does) and pushes himself between my legs, kneeling on the bed. Perhaps this is a favorite position of his I open my mouth to protest, but he licks the full length of my pussy and then sucks on my clit, and all protests are forgotten. I fall back against the bed, my eyes squeezed shut with pleasure whilst he flicks his tongue, bringing me close to orgasm in seconds despite me alreadying this morning. Just as I feel the first few shakes ripple through me, he stops. Iy there panting, waiting for his next move, he surprises me by continuing his ministrations with his tongue. Once again as my orgasm almost hits, he halts his actions and I growl out in annoyance. Orgasm denial is going to be his form of punishment. Bastard. I reach down to push him away, but he mps down on my wrist with one hand, using the other to hold my hips in ce. I try to squirm, but that only brings me closer to the edge. When he stops for the third time, I growl loudly in irritation. ''You dickhead¡ª'' I''m cut off as he suddenly flips me onto my front, grabs my hips and pulls them up so I''m on all fours on the bed. He begins licking me from behind, his nose bumping by the asshole. I close my eyes and try to hold myself up, so I don''t fall forward, but it''s hard when he''s keeping me so close to Did he just spank me ''What the fuck do you think you''re¡ª'' I shout and then yelp as he ps again, right on the same ce Material ? N?velDrama.Org. asst time. It hurts like fuck and tears prick my eyes. ''Shit,'' I hiss, falling onto my elbows. He pulls his tongue away and reces it with his fingers, pushing two fingers inside me, he pumps and stretches, taking my breath away. The pleasure builds again, and I clench around his fingers, the pain on my butt now just a dull ache. ''Holy shit,'' I curse as hends another p, this time on the other arse cheek. He rains down another two and I can''t scream anymore, I lose my voice as the pain roars through me. Before I canin or shift out of his reach, he returns his tongue to my pussy, and this time, as my orgasm hits, he doesn''t stop. I ride it out, moaning uncontrobly and pushing back against his pistoning fingers. Rixon doesn''t allow me to fully recover before flipping me over onto my back. I look up at him, feeling like a shaky mess as he pulls down his jeans and boxers, revealing his big, beautiful cock. ''Who do you belong to Lexi'' He asks, his voice gruff with desire as he strokes his cock, his dark, dark eyes never leaving mine. If it were anyone else, I would have cringed and told them to fuck off, but ''Who do you belong to'' I counter, wanting him to know he can dominate me all he wants, but it''ll be my choice to allow him to. He narrows his eyes at me, and I smirk, ''I think you need reminding,'' he replies gruffly, making me grin. I open my legs as an invitation, baring myself to him, ''Why don''t you show me who I belong to'' He takes up the challenge and pushes himself inside me with little warning, I inhale sharply at the sudden stretch I have to make to amodate hisrge size. He pounds into me relentlessly, making my eyes almost roll back with the pleasure he brings. His grunts and groans in my ear only turn me on more and I think I might die from the sheer pleasure I feel. I can barely contain myself as another orgasm grips me, I scream loudly, not caring one bit that our friends can hear. Rixon must not mind either because he growls loudly and spills himself inside of me, copsing on top of me in a sated heap. I avoid eye contact with a smirking Myra when Ie downstairs, ashamed by our impulsive actions. Jayceughs and ps Rixon on the back as we head to the front door. ''I think I''ll change those sheets,'' Myra shouts as we leave, and I duck my head to hide my blush. ''I''ll see you tomorrow, okay Good luck with the girls,'' Rixon says, pulling me into a quick but addictive kiss before he gets into his car. The girls take my news surprisingly well, of course I have to listen to themin like Myra did, they''re angry I kept such a big secret from them, but I''m d they think that''s the only secret I''m keeping. We agree that a night out is long overdue, and this time, the mates are invited. Knowing that Rixon is going to be joining us, I decide I can get away with a more...revealing outfit than usual. I choose a top and skirt that leave very little to the imagination and finish getting ready. Something about a short skirt and makeup gives me a lot of confidence, it might be the opposite for some women, but not for me. I''m buzzing when I get in the cab with the girls, we''re going for cocktails first. I was the only one in our group that was mateless, so it''s amazing to finally be able to do ''couple'' nights together. Lucia gets the first round whilst Myra, Aria and I find somewhere to sit in the bar. We choose a table near the back, away from the bar where it''s easier to talk. ''How are you and Rixon then'' Aria asks and Myra snorts, butting in before I can reply. ''They''re great, you should have heard them going at it in my guest room,'' shements, rolling her eyes whilst I turn a very dark shade of crimson. ''Sorry about that,'' I mumble, I''m relieved when Luciaes over with the drinks, distracting everyone. We raise our sses and clink them together, ''Cheers,dies,'' Lucia says. ''Damn, my man is looking fine,'' Ariaments, dragging out the ''I'' and licking her lips suggestively. We all turn to face the direction of her heated gaze and my stomach clenches in sweet anticipation as my own man and his friends stroll over to us. I slide off the stool, unlike the others, I''m not patient enough to wait for them to reach us. It seems like they''re walking in slow motion, making them look unbelievably sexy but making me impatient. Rixon devours me with his eyes as I practically run towards him, my heels clicking quietly on the tiled floor. He opens his arms for me, and I throw myself into them, our chests colliding. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me up against him, lifting me up off the floor. I press my lips to his in what is intended to be a quick¡ªhello kiss, but he has other ideas and runs his tongue along my bottom lip. I open my mouth for him, eagerly inviting him in as our tongues touch. A wolf whistle sounds out behind us, but I ignore it, delving my hands into his luscious, dark brown hair. Book 2 Chapter 23 Book 2 Chapter 23 When we finally pull away, he slides me down his body, but keeps his arms around my waist, holding me close to him. ''Hi,'' I breathe, feeling breathless and heady from our kiss. ''Hey, beautiful,'' he whispers, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I step out of his arms and turn around to find the guys are sitting next to their respective mates, the group watching us with amusement. I feel a surge of pride that this delicious man is mine, and that he''s more than happy to show me off to his friends. We sit down at the table and I hurriedly down half my drink, trying to avoid the pointed looks I get from the girls. ''So, what do your parents think Lex I bet your mum is pleased,'' Aria says and my smile drops, I was hoping I wouldn''t have to think about my parents any time soon. I nce up at Rixon and his mouth is set in a hard line, I wish Aria hadn''t said anything. ''Um, they don''t know yet, it''s been a bit weird with them at the moment,'' I hedge, hoping that they''ll get the hint that I don''t want to talk about it. Seb shoots me an apologetic smile and quickly changes the topic. Underneath the table, Rixon reaches for my hand and winks at me. I manage to keep the conversation off of the subject of Rixon and me for a while, but then Jayce pipes up. ''Lexi, isn''t your parents'' ball soon'' He asks and I wince as I remember, it''s in just over a week. ''Um yeah it is, you''re all invited by the way,'' I offer and luckily everyone starts discussing how they''ll get there, what they''ll wear, etc. ''Can I talk to you for a moment'' Rixon whispers in my ear, we excuse ourselves and step outside into Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. the street. He pulls off his jacket and wraps it around my shoulders, a clich¨¦ move but still very sweet. ''I''m going to be away for a couple of days, I''ve got an assignment,'' he exins, and I nod, trying not to think about what he''ll be being paid to do. ''Do you know when you''ll be back'' I ask and he shakes his head. ''It should only be a couple of days.'' ''You''ll be back before the ball'' I ask, and he raises his eyebrow in a silent question. ''I was thinking I could tell my parents about you the day before the ball, they''ll be so distracted with all the preparations that they won''t be able to make a big deal out of it,'' I shrug, and he looks at me with amusement. ''I just want you to be happy Lex, if you want to tell your parents, that''s your choice,'' he replies, and I wonder for the millionth time how I got so lucky. ''I know they''ll like you; it''ll just be a surprise for mum,'' I exin, smiling at the thought of how shocked she''ll be. ''Well I hope it''s a good surprise,'' Rixon mutters as I give him back his jacket. We enter the bar to hear chanting at the back. Please don''t be our friends. We weave through the crowd, the chanting of ''down it'' bing louder. Rixon shakes his head, obviously seeing what is going on before me because of his stupidly tall height. I step around thest group of people to see Jayce and Seb making their way through a tray full of shots whilst Lucia, Myra and Aria bang their fists on the table and chant. ''Come on Rixon!'' Myra calls, Rixon shrugs at me and then sits down, helping the boys finish off the shots. I sigh and pull out my phone, taking a video in case he doesn''t remember this tomorrow. ????????????? Luckily, I''m the only one without a hangover as I head to the clinic the next day. I left Rixon snoring quietly in bed as I got ready for work this morning. The days pass quickly, my mother spends her days frantically directing swarms of workers who have decorated the ballroom and garden. My father is smart enough to stay well out of her way, taking refuge in their office as people walk past carrying huge bouquets of flowers and endless tables and chairs. It''s organized chaos. Four days before the ball, I meet her in town to buy a dress. We visit our favorite shop and spend almost two hours trying on one after another. I''m grateful for the distraction as Rixon is currently away on an assignment and I don''t really want to be thinking about what he''s up to. When you try on the right dress, you just know. I know I don''t even need to look at the others as I pick up the red dress, feeling the heavy material. I slide on the strapless dress, tight enough to fit perfectly. It hugs every curve and then some, and I grin, knowing that this is the one. ''Oh my God that''s the one,'' my motherments, surprising me by poking her head around the curtain. ''Definitely,'' I reply, running my hands down my waist, smoothing out any creases. We leave the dress shoppletely satisfied and return home. Mum hangs up our dresses to be steamed and I decide that now is the time to break the news of my mate to her. My friends know, my parents should too. ''Mum, there''s something I need to tell you,'' I give her a brief smile, hoping now she won''t worry that it''s something bad. ''I¡ª'' I''m interrupted by a loud howl, followed by a series of voices shouting, and then a flustered guard bursting into the room. ''They''ve caught the rogue,'' he announces and then disappears out the door. All the blood drains from my face and my stomach twists in dread. Rixon. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 24 Book 2 Chapter 24 Lexi''s POV. ''No!'' The word falls from my lips as I sprint down the stairs and outside. As I round the outside of the house, everyonees into view. Rixon is on his knees between two guards, my father stood in front of them. ''No! Let him go!'' I shout, all four of them turn towards me and Rixon''s eyes widen. ''Let him go!'' I pant as I reach them, breathless from my sprint. ''You know him'' My dad asks incredulously and Rixon snorts. I don''t answer straight away, and the guards handcuff Rixon, searching his pockets. One of them reaches into the pocket of his jeans and retrieves my purple thong. I close my eyes and sigh heavily. Can this get any worse ''I was returning it to you,'' Rixon shrugs sheepishly and grins at me. ''Shut up,'' I hiss, I nce at dad, whose face is a worrying shade of puce. ''Don''t youe anywhere near my daughter, you''re not good for her,'' Dad shouts and I wince. ''That''s not what your daughter thinks,'' Rixon retorts cockily, grinning at him. My mouth falls open at his Is he trying to get himself killed ''Lock him up,'' Dad growls, Rixon doesn''t fight them as the guards lift him up off of his knees and march him towards the cells. ''Daddy, he''s my mate,'' I tell him, and he closes his eyes, his hands clenched into fists. ''He is not your mate!'' He shouts and I re at him, ''He''s a rogue, a Shadow soldier! He''s no good for you Lexi, he''s branded,'' he hisses, and I let him rant, knowing I can''t get through to him when he''s like this. ''You''re never seeing him again,'' he yells as he storms back into the house, it''s only when I turn around that I see my mum stood behind me, tears in her eyes. ''Mum,'' I go towards her, but she steps back, putting her hand up. ''Don''t, you''ve been lying to me, to your father,'' she cries, a couple of tears escaping, making me feel like the worst daughter ever, ''He''s right, you''re never seeing that rogue again,'' she spits the word out. I don''t say another word as she moves past me and into the house after dad, there''s nothing I can say right now that can make this any better, so I just head back to my house and cry on my bed. I should have just told them from the beginning, but how was I supposed to My parents can''t even ept my own mate, and now he''s locked up in some cell. After I''ve finished crying and manage to sober up, I wash the tears from my face and head over to the holding cells. I storm past the guards; they wisely read my expression and decide to stay out of my way. I find Rixon sat on the bed in his cell, head resting on the wall behind him with his eyes closed. ''Hey baby,'' he sighs, giving me an apologetic grin. He stands up and puts his hands through the bars to hold mine. ''I''m so sorry about my parents, I should have told them.'' ''Don''t worry about it, I''m fine,'' he shrugs, and I deadpan at him. ''Okay, it''s not exactly a five¡ªstar hotel, but it''s not bad,'' he teases, and I roll my eyes. ''I''ll speak to them now and get them to let you out,'' I tell him as he kisses my forehead through the bars. ''I''m alright, honestly, oh and I''m sorry about your thong,'' he grins, and I scoff. ''Idiot,'' I mutter, I head back over to my parents'' house. I find dad in the office; God knows where mum N?velDrama.Org content rights. is. I knock gently and peep my head around the door, he''s sat at his desk with his head in his hands. ''Dad, I''m sorry I didn''t tell you,'' I say cautiously as I enter the room, he doesn''t move. A few moments pass before he replies, ''Just go Lexi, I need some time.'' ''I know, but you can''t just lock my mate up, you need to let him go dad,'' I reply, I''ve barely finished speaking before dad growls and throws a book across the room. It flies into the wall with a loud smack andnds on the floor. I flinch and look at him with wide eyes, he''s stood up now, ring at me. ''Don''t call him that! He is not your mate!'' He shouts and I purse my lips, knowing fighting won''t help anything. ''I can keep him locked up for as long as I want, I don''t want you anywhere near him, I''m telling the guards not to let you down there,'' he says and this time, I can''t keep my mouth shut. ''You can''t do that! Do you honestly think keeping us apart will change anything It won''t change the fact we''re mates; it won''t change how I feel about him!'' I try to keep my voice down, hoping he''ll be reasonable. ''Yes I can! No daughter of mine will be mated to a branded rogue assassin! What kind of father do you think he will be'' He yells and I clench my fists. ''A better one than you,'' Iment quietly and if looks could kill, I''d be six feet under. I regret myment, but I''m in no mood to apologize, so I turn towards the door. ''You''re never seeing that boy again,'' he growls, I ignore him and shut the door behind me on my way out. I jump as something bangs against it, I guess he threw another book. I try to stop by the holding cells, but the guards have clearly got dad''s message to not let me past. I return to my house to think up a n to get Rixon out. By seven o''clock, I''ve onlye up with one idea, and it''s not very good, but it''s all I''ve got. I head over to the clinic, using my keys to get in seeing as it''s locked for the evening. I take a couple of bottles of sedative pills and lock up. I sneak into the pack house through the back entrance, avoiding my parents on my way to the kitchen. I get out the tub of pasta I made, heat it up and crush in the pills. I serve it out onto four tes and carry them over on a tray to the holding cells. Book 2 Chapter 25 Book 2 Chapter 25 As soon as I enter, Cohen, the head guard, opens his mouth to try and stop me. ''I''ve note to see him, I''ve just brought you dinner, that''s all,'' I say quickly, putting the tray down on the table. Seeing as I''ve brought them food hundreds of times before, not one of them thinks anything of it and they all begin tucking in. I leave them to it and return to my house, knowing that when I check on them in half an hour, they Material ? N?velDrama.Org. should all be nicely unconscious. A little drastic I know, but I couldn''t think of anything else. I manage to keep myself busy for half an hour, and then I hurry back over to the holding cells. I slowly push open the door, jumping as I see a hand lying on the floor behind the desk. I step further into the room, smiling as I realize my n has worked and all four of the guards are sleeping soundly in their chairs. Except for Cohen, who is on the floor covered in spaghetti. Oops. I push Dina out of the way on her wheeled chair and type Rixon''s name into theputer, getting the code for his door lock. I rush downstairs and punch in the code, Rixon jumps up as I pull open the barred gate. He pulls me into his arms, crushing me against his chest. Wrapped in his inked, tanned arms is my happy ce. ''Come on, let''s get you out of here,'' I take his hand and we run upstairs and towards my house. ''How did you get here'' ''Ben dropped me off,'' he replies so I gesture to my car. ''I''ll drive you home.'' We sit in silence in the car, although every now and then Rixon leans over and gives my hand a squeeze. ''It''s going to be okay you know, your parents will get over it,'' he tells me,pletely sure of himself. ''How are you so calm about all this My dad locked you up in a cell today,'' I reply, shaking my head at the thought of it. ''Because I''ve got you, of course I want your parents to like me, but if they don''t, it doesn''t really matter cause you''re all I want,'' he exins, and it''s one of the most romantic things I''ve ever heard. How did I get so lucky I drop Rixon off at his house and stand on the porch, reluctant to leave. ''Do I have to go'' I whine, wondering why I can''t just stay here with him. ''Yes, they''re your parents, you need to make up with them,'' he says firmly, and I''m tempted to stamp my foot like a child. ''Fine,'' I mutter petntly, ''But if they haven''t calmed down by the ball, I''m leaving okay'' I tell him and Rixon nods. ''I mean it, if they can''t ept us, I''m leaving and we can go somewhere else,'' I plead, and he gives me a sad smile. ''But Lexi, they''re your family,'' he protests but I shake my head. ''If they really love me, they''ll ept my choice and want me to be happy, and if they don''t, well, you''re all I need,'' I say, and he pulls me into his muscr arms and kisses me until my toes curl. ''You''re amazing,'' hepliments me, kissing my forehead again before I leave. I drive home feeling much more positive, probably something to do with breaking my boyfriend out of jail. My good mood is short¡ªlived however, when I return home, my parents are stood on my drive. ''You drugged our guards'' Are the first words my father says when I step out of my car. ''You wouldn''t let him out, I had to do something,'' I shrug, mming my car door and walking past them. ''Don''t you walk away from us youngdy,'' Dad shouts and I sigh heavily, spinning back round to face them. Youngdy Really dad ''If you think I''m going to just let you see him you''ve got another thinging, I''ll send patrol after him and drag him right back to that cell where he belongs,'' dad growls and I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. ''Don''t you touch him,'' I warn, and dad''s eyes narrow at me. ''Or better yet, I''ll report him to the police, I bet they''d be more than happy to take an assassin off the streets,'' Dad threatens me and I take a step towards him, mum quickly jumps between us both. ''Don''t, Lexi,'' she says, looking at me with pleading eyes. Dad shouts over mum''s shoulder, ''I told you, you''re never seeing that boy again!'' ''But daddy I love him,'' I reply, and they''re both stunned into silence. I realize what I''ve said, and that it''s true. I love him. ''What'' Dad asks quietly, a horrified look on his face. ''I''m only going to say this once, and then I''m done talking about it,'' I tell them, knowing they''ll listen, ''Rixon is my mate, I love him, he''s perfect for me and nothing you say or do is going to change that.'' Dad opens his mouth to protest but I hold my hand up. ''If you can''t ept that, then you''re going to lose me, realize that. By pushing him away from me, you''re pushing me away too, wherever he goes, I go, and if you can''t ept him, then you''re going to have to ept that I''ll choose him,'' I say, tears running freely down my face. I leave them both staring at me in shock as I go inside my house and shut the door. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 26 Book 2 Chapter 26 Lexi''s POV. I don''t speak to my parents for three days. We avoid each other easily, but I spend my time constantly hoping that there will be a knock on my door, and it will be them, ready to ept my mate. I meet with Rixon the day before the ball, I drive over to his house and update him on the situation with my parents, not that there is much to say. ''Please can we go somewhere, somewhere other than here, I can''t stay here with them hating you,'' I beg him as tears run down my face. He wipes them away with hisrge hands and pulls me against his chest. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of his steady heartbeat to calm me down. ''Okay, we''ll leave,'' he whispers and kisses my forehead. Wee up with a n to sneak him into the ball, his brother will create a diversion, allowing Rixon to cross the border unnoticed. The day of the ball I go to work at the clinic as usual, but I leave early to get ready. I have a shower and dry my hair, leaving it in natural waves. I''m just starting my make¡ªup when there''s a knock at my door, I freeze then slowly turn around. ''Come in,'' I call, my heart racing as I see my mother enter the room. She nces anxiously at me before stepping inside and hanging my dress up on a hook. ''Don''t let it crease,e down in an hour,'' she says quietly, not looking at me as she heads back to the door. ''Mum, please¡ª'' I stand up and she pauses, her hand on the door. ''Don''t Lexi, please don''t, I can''t do this right now,'' she whispers, looking at me so I can see the tears brimming in her eyes. She shuts the door behind her, and I sink back onto my chair, feeling like someone has just kicked me in the stomach. I finish my make¡ªup, but before I put on my dress, I decide to give my father onest chance. I walk over to their house, knowing that even with the ball in less than an hour, he''ll probably be in his office. The door is slightly ajar, so I push it open, seeing my father sat at his desk. He looks up and sets his mouth in a firm line as he sees me. ''I don''t want an argument, I just want to know if you''ve thought any more about what I said,'' I tell him, keeping my voice calm and quiet. He narrows his eyes at me and leans back in his chair, sighing heavily. ''Have you thought about what we said'' He counters and I swallow my irritation. ''Do you not trust me to make my own decisions Do you honestly think I would be with him if he wasn''t a good guy He treats me so well Dad, I wish you''d give him a chance,'' I implore him, but I can see from N?velDrama.Org content rights. his hard¡ªset eyes that it''s hopeless. He''s silent for a moment before he sits forward and picks up his pen. ''Your mother and I will never ept him,'' he says and returns to his work, effectively dismissing me. ''Just remember, this was your choice,'' I say quietly and shut the door behind me as I leave. I return to my room and slide on my dress, which somehow manages to save my mood. By the time my doorbell rings, I''m actually excited for tonight. I won''t let my parents ruin my evening. I answer the door to find Aria''s gay best friend, Jasper, standing on my doorstep looking incredibly handsome in his ck half mask. ''Lovely to see you again, Lexi,'' he greets me, kissing both my cheeks. ''You too, Jasper. Please will you help me'' I ask, holding up my intricate silver mask. Once we are ready, he offers his elbow and escorts me over to the main house, where music is already resounding across the garden. People are trickling slowly into the ballroom, the queue weaving on a carpet across the grass. Huge urns full of flowers are ced everywhere, and fairy lights have been hung between the buildings. I have to admit, Mum has done an incredible job, as usual. I try to recognize everyone, but the masks obscure their faces and it''s difficult. It''s a good sign, it means Rixon might not be recognized tonight. Jasper and I ept a ss of champagne as we enter, I sigh contently as my eyes scan over the glittering chandeliers high hanging from the ceiling. Music fills my ears and I smile at all the couples swirling across the parquet floor, twirling to the waltz that is ying. Mum really has gone all¡ªout. Lucia and Aria find us, and we stand by the wall, watching couples dance. ''Cheers to a wonderful night.'' Lucia raises her ss, and we clink our sses. The sun soon sets, and the chandeliers cast a warm, golden glow across the room. I nce at Jasper''s watch and my stomach twists with nerves as I realize that Rixon will be crossing the border any minute now. If everything goes to n, the guards will be distracted chasing Ben and Rixon will be able to slip into the ball. ''Come, dance with me,'' Jasper proposes, holding out his hand for me to take. I nce around, catching sight of my father talking with some guards, they rush out of a door at the back of the room. Ben has crossed the border. ''Bachata Are you sure'' I ask him and he grins mischievously at me. He leads me to the middle of the floor and pulls me close against his body. I take a deep breath and concentrate on following his lead as I start to twist and turn my body in time with his. We step in total synchronization across the floor, our bodies grinding perfectly against each other. He spins me around and pulls me so that my back is pressed to his front, he lifts my arms up and trails his hands down my sides. Book 2 Chapter 27 Book 2 Chapter 27 Jasper spins me around again and lifts me in the air, his hands firmly on my waist as he slowly lowers me. I look up and my eyesnd on Rixon as he enters the room, looking unbelievably handsome in his ck tux and mask. His dark eyesnd on me, his lips twitch into a brief smile before he grabs a ss of champagne and disappears into the crowd. As the song starts toe to an end, Jasper spins me, so I pirouette a couple of times before tugging me roughly back against his chest. My hands press against his pecs to hold myself in ce and he lifts my leg to wrap it around his waist, just as the final note ceases. ''A little extra don''t you think'' I tease, gesturing at my leg. ''Never.'' He grins and releases me; Lucia and Aria apud loudly as we walk back over to them. I catch glimpses of Rixon throughout the evening, we avoid each other so as not to attract attention. He keeps himself obscured by the crowd, but I feel his eyes on constantly, it''s reassuring. ''Are you okay You seem distracted,'' Luciaments and I feel shit that my friends don''t know anything about how awkward it is between me and my parents. ''Um, yeah, I''m fine,'' I lie, taking arge gulp of champagne. A beautiful singer takes to the stage, usually mum likes me to sing, but this year I got her to hire someone. It would have been awkward to n anything together with us barely speaking, and I''m not sure I''d even be able to hit a note without shaking tonight, there''s too much on my mind. ''She''s good, howe you didn''t want to sing'' Aria asks and I spot Rixoning towards me. ''Nerves,'' I tell her, handing her my ss of champagne, ''Excuse me,'' I leave my friends and meet Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Rixon as he weaves through the guests. ''Hi.'' I smile, feeling stupid that I''m so excited to see him. ''Hey. You look stunning,'' hepliments me, his fingers gently brushing the edge of the mask, lightly touching my cheek. ''Thank you, you look incredible,'' I take a step closer and run my hands down the front of his zer, feeling the unrelenting muscle beneath it. We step apart and obscure ourselves behind arge group of people as we wait for the song to finish. Once it does, I know the singer will move onto her final song before midnight, when the maskse off. My heart pounds nervously in anticipation, but a quick squeeze of Rixon''s hand around mine makes everything worth it. As the singer trails off, couples leave the dance floor whilst others join it. Rixon leads me into the middle and deftly pulls me into his arms. The singer begins the song I requested and Rixon moves perfectly, leading me around the room. I barely notice her beautiful voice hitting each note as I just stare into his dark eyes, wondering how I got so lucky, and why my parents can''t see what I see. I can smell his cologne, which is good, because it''s masking his scent. Hopefully my parents are too busy entertaining guests to pay any attention to who I''m dancing with. All too soon, the songes to an end and Rixon pulls me close. Our attraction is palpable, he leans down, and his lips move confidently and ardently over mine. My eyes fall closed, and I press my palms against his warm chest, feeling his strong heartbeat thud quickly under my hand. I know if I''m with him, I''ve got everything I need. The clock chimes twelve times for midnight and I hear my Mother im the stage and announce that everyone should remove their masks. Rixon reaches behind my head and undoes the silver ribbon, I pull my mask off my face and smile at him. I then reach and undo his mask; he slides it off and winks at me. My hand freezes as my Mother gasps, still stood in front of the microphone, it echoes around the room and the ballroom falls silent. I can feel everyone''s eyes on us, but we just look at each other. Suddenly, my father''s voice shouts out, ''Guards!'' ''Time to leave perhaps,'' Rixonments dryly and takes my hand in his. We walk across the room, but my father and three guards step in our way. ''Grab him and get him out of here,'' Dad yells, his face back to that ugly shade of crimson. ''No need, we were just leaving.'' I smile sadly and let Rixon lead me out of the room. ''Are you really going to turn your back on your own family for that rogue That shadow soldier'' Dad''s voice booms over the whispers of the crowd. As I nce to the side, I see the horrified faces of our friends, clueless as to what Rixon''s job really was. Well, I guess now they know. ''I warned you, Dad, you brought this on yourself,'' I tell him quietly, I look over at my mother, who is crying silently, shaking her head at me in disbelief. ''I love you,'' I say, looking at both of them onest time before leaving with Rixon. We step out into the chilly night air and the strangest feelinges over, a giggle escapes my mouth, and soon turns into full¡ªon, hystericalughter. Rixon gives me a funny look. ''Lex You okay'' He asks whilst leading me towards his car. ''Yeah I think I''m just in shock, I just can''t believe how awkward we''ve made the night for everyone in there, Mum''s crying and Dad''s made a scene,'' I exin,ughing again at the horrific¡ªness of it all. God, what have I done My smile falls as the severity of my actions sink in. ''Oi,'' Rixon calls, and I look up at him. ''I love you,'' He tells me. I know that everything that''s just happened, was so, so worth it. I get into the car, checking that my stuff, packed and ready, is in the back. I reach for his hand, holding it tightly as he pulls out down my drive. ''I love you too, take me home.'' ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 28 Book 2 Chapter 28 Lexi''s POV. I''m confused when Rixon drives past the turning to his house and continues deeper into the forest, he says nothing but smirks at me, enjoying my curiosity. I don''t know where we''re heading, but as long as it''s far away from my parents'' territory, I don''t care. I frown as the road thins out into a dirt track; his car easily rolls over the bumpy road. The headlights and the moon are the only things prating the thick ckness that envelops the trees surrounding us. Just as I get the feeling he might have brought me here to kill me, the road makes a sharp turn, and a clearinges into view. Situated in the middle of it is the most beautiful log cabin. ''Oh my God,'' I whisper, jumping out before Rixon has even turned off the engine. The roof is lined with fairy lights, illuminating the front porch and carved designs on the front door. He remembered. I told him I love fairy lights. I turn to see Rixon is smiling at me, his eyes gleaming with triumph. ''You like it'' He asks, grinning excitedly. Smiling like that, in a tux, with his tattoos peeking over the edges of his shirt, he is literally irresistible. I leap into his arms; he catches me with ease and rolls his eyes. ''I love it,'' I tell him, kissing his lips and then moving down his jaw, his neck... ''Stop,'' he mutters huskily, his hands tightening on my thighs. ''You put up those fairy lights for me'' I ask, jumping down from his arms so we can go inside. ''Of course, fell off the roof doing it though,'' he lifts up his shirt and zer to reveal a purple bruise on his ribs. I try not tough at his serious expression as he shows me his war wound. ''Aw, bless you,'' I reply, but I can''t keep myughter in any longer. He scoffs at me and retrieves our bags from the boot. ''Come on, wait till you see inside,'' I follow him up the steps, he unlocks the door and the woody¡ª outdoors smell melts into something sweeter, like cinnamon. ''Fuck sake,'' he curses as he hits the lights, and the cabin is illuminated. My mouth hangs open as I take in the beautiful rugs covering the floorboards, thefy sofas surrounding a stunning stone firece, therge oak dining table and country¡ªstyle kitchen. ''Sorry, Callie''s been burning her candles again,'' Rixon mumbles, shaking his head in disgust for cinnamon. I love cinnamon, but it''s obviously not his favorite scent. ''What do you think'' He asks over his shoulder, I follow him through to the bedroom and I have to resist jumping on the tempting double bed. Fuck it. I leap onto the bed, ball gown and all. Iy on my back as Rixon chuckles, the bed suddenly dips and springs back up again and Iugh as I see he hasnded next to me. ''I love it, it''s beautiful,'' I tell him, putting my hand in his. Wey there for a few minutes, in our evening attire, holding hands. ''My siblings and I bought it a couple of years ago, we brought Callie hereafter...'' he trails off and I nod silently, letting him know that I know what he''s talking about. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ''She was nervous about being near another pack, so we thought we''d find somewhere secluded for a bit, we stayed here until we bought our other house.'' He stands up and looks around at the bedroom. ''But then we couldn''t bring ourselves to sell this ce either.'' ''I don''t me you, it''s amazing.'' I get up off the bed and start undoing the back of my dress. ''Here, let me,'' Rixon says,ing over and standing behind me to help. I shiver as he runs his finger down the back of my neck and along my shoulder, he''s only touching me in the slightest way, but it brings out goose¡ªbumps on my skin. I bite my lip as he slowly undoes the zipper on my dress, I suddenly feel nervous as it falls to the floor. My dress pools at my feet, leaving me wearing nothing but my thong. He reaches around me and takes hold of my breasts, his fingers gently torturing my nipples. I hold in a moan and lean my head back, resting it on his chest. ''Do you like that'' He whispers huskily in my ear, instead of answering, I turn around and pull him down for a kiss. I show him just how much I like it as I kiss him, tangling my hands in his hair and pulling gently. He groans, his hands tighten on my waist. He pulls away and throws me onto the bed, making me squeal and bounce on the mattress. Before I have to react, he''s on top of me, kissing down between my breasts. Iy back and ept his affection, smiling to myself out how lucky I am to have a guy that is both sexy and generous in the bedroom. He pulls off my thong, and for the first time, doesn''t pocket it for himself. I raise an eyebrow at him, but he shrugs and runs his tongue up the length of my pussy, quietening the sarcastic remark I''m about to make. I close my eyes as he teases me with his tongue, constantly changing speed and pressure until I''m panting and gripping the bed¡ªsheets in my fists. His variations mean I nevere close enough to orgasm, but definitely make me want to. I pull him into a kiss as he moves back on top of me, he tastes of Rixon and me and I like it. We break away only to take off his shirt, he kicks off his trousers and I pounce on him, yanking down his boxers to release my favorite part of him. Well, one of my favorite parts. I take him into my mouth and control my breathing as I take him all the way, feeling him push down my throat. He hisses and curses, his hips involuntarily jutting forwards. If my mouth wasn''t full of dick, I''d smile at his uncontroble reactions. Book 2 Chapter 29 Book 2 Chapter 29 I bob my head up and down, sliding him in and out of my mouth, encouraged by his addictive moans and grunts. He pushes me away before I can finish him off, I don''t protest as he flips me onto my front and bends me over the bed. I grip the duvet and raise up on my tiptoes as he slowly enters me from behind. We both curse as he pushes himself fully inside me, spreading me wide. ''I don''t think I''ll ever get over how tight you are,'' he groans, and I smirk smugly. My face quickly drops as he tightens his grip and begins pounding into me with no warning. I gasp as he slides in and out, mming into me, creating pping noises that bounce of the walls. Could this be any less romantic Could this be any sexier I''m notining as he wraps a hand in my hair, forcing me to arch my back to relieve the pressure. ''Shit,'' he grunts, his voice is strained, and I know he''s not far off. He pulls me up further and wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing in that way that drives me wild. My eyes fall closed as my orgasm starts to build, each time he ms into me it pushes me further. ''Rixon,'' I moan his name and he reaches down to twist one of my nipples. ''Come with me baby,'' he whispers in my ear and it''s my undoing. I clench and convulse around him as my orgasm hits, making me want to cry at the pure pleasure that courses through me. He groans and chokes out my name as he releases himself inside of me. In a sated, sweaty heap, we copse onto the bed. The bright sunlight shines through the window, warming my skin as I slowly wake up. I roll over and stretch my arms out across the bed but find it empty. I sit up and frown, looking around the empty room. The sound of something sizzling reaches my ears and I smile as I realize Rixon is cooking breakfast. What a babe. I decide to take advantage of this and take a shower, washing the smell of sex off of me. Don''t get me wrong, it''s not that I don''t like it at the time, but the morning after it''s a bit gross. I step out of the shower and wrap a fluffy towel around myself. As I towel dry my hair with one hand, I reach into my makeup bag for my pill. I''m annoyed when I notice it''s now my seven¡ªday break period time. ''Fuck sake Lex, you didn''t think that one through,'' I curse, rolling my eyes. No more cabin sex then. Just as I''m about to put my pills back, I spot that I''m out of sync, today is Sunday, but my pill says Thursday. Fuck. I''ve missed three pills. And I don''t know when. Just as my skin is prickling with fear, Rixon appears at the doorway. ''Ready for breakfast'' He asks, he blows me away wearing nothing but some pajama bottoms riding low on his hips. His sparkling dark eyes, messy bed hair and huge grin have me weak. ''Yep, be right there,'' I force a smile and drop my pills back into the bag. I''ll deal with thatter. We eat breakfast together and Rixon gives me a proper tour, showing me his siblings'' rooms and decking out back,plete with hot tub. A knock on the door interrupts our conversation, my brows furrow in confusion and Rixon''s raise up in realization. ''Oops, I forgot my brother and sister wereing round today, they wanted to see you,'' he shrugs and opens the door for them. Callie is stood on the porch with Ben waving behind her. ''Why didn''t you just use your key'' Rixon asks, stepping aside to let them in. ''Please, I know what you two are like, I didn''t want to traumatize myself or Benjamin,'' shements, flicking her hair over her shoulder whilst Benjamin shudders and mutters ''Amen.'' ''We''ve just had breakfast; would you like anything'' I offer as Callie gives me a hug. ''We''ve already eaten thanks, I thought we could go to theke today'' She offers and I resistughing, can this get any more stereotypical woond getaway ''As long as we bring food,'' Rixon adds and Ben nods in agreement. We pack some lunch and head out on the mile walk to theke, Rixon holds my hand tightly as he fills Ben and Callie in onst night''s events. ''I''m so sorry Lexi,'' Callie says quietly as we walk alone ahead of the boys. ''Don''t be,'' I shrug, ''I gave them every chance to change their minds.'' ''They''lle round,'' she smiles, and I nce over my shoulder to make sure the boys are too caught up in their own conversation to listen to ours.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. I step a bit closer to her and say quietly, ''Please could you do me a favor When you go home today could you buy me a pregnancy test I''ll pay you back. I''m probably just being silly, I''ve not even skipped a period yet, but I''ve missed three pills and I''m panicking.'' Callie smiles sympathetically and nods. ''Of course I will, I''ll bring it round tomorrow okay'' ''That''s great, thank you.'' I pause and nce at Rixon who winks at me. ''And Callie Please don''t mention this to Rixon,'' I ask, and she squeezes my hand. ''Wouldn''t dream of it,'' she replies, and I suddenly feel so lucky to have her. Our moment is broken by a loud whoop of excitement from Ben who sprints past us. He yanks off his t ¡ªshirt and kicks off his shoes before running into theke, sshing water everywhere. Simr to a dog''s excitement at going for a swim. ''Unbelievable,'' Callie mutters, rolling her eyes at me. We spend the afternoon swimming and messing about in the water before settling down for food. I enjoy the walk back, holding hands with Rixon whilst my drying hair drips down my back. I watch Callie and Ben shove each other around as they jog ahead, I realize that I haven''t even thought of my parents this afternoon, and as I think of them I''m not overwhelmed with regret or sadness. Rixon''s family is filling a gaping space at the moment, and it''s making it easier to deal with, I wonder if Rixon invited them this week for just that reason. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 30 Book 2 Chapter 30 Lexi''s POV. Callie and Ben leave shortly after we arrive back, Rixon and I curl up on the sofa to watch films. Iy my head on his chest whilst he wraps his arms around me, I feel myself almost falling asleep as he runs his hands through my hair. ''I love you,'' he says quietly, I look up at him and smile with surprise. ''I love you too,'' I reply, as if sensing I''m going to ask why he''s said that he answers for me. ''I realized that the first time we said it to each other was yesterday after the ball,'' he pauses, and I remember that we didn''t really make a big deal of it, ''But I didn''t know if you were just saying it because you were caught up in the moment, so I want you to know that I do really love you.'' My breath catches in my throat, Jesus, what''s a girl gonna say to that ''I love you too,'' I whisper, leaning over and kissing him so he knows just how I feel. We fall asleep on the sofa together, waking in an ufortable position with aching limbs a couple of hourster. When I wake up again, it''s 9 am and I''m back in bed. Rixon and I rx in the morning until Callie and Bene back around before lunch. ''I was thinking we could go back to theke towards theke today, but carry on to the waterfalls as well'' Callie suggests, and we all agree. I''m grateful that Rixon has this week off work, and thankfully I no longer need to go to the clinic and see my parents. Although I kind of miss working there, I''ll look for a simr job soon. ''We need more food, how about us three go shopping in town, and you hold down the fort here'' Callie suggests and I know her n is to get everyone out of the house so I can take the dreaded pregnancy test she slipped into my handbag earlier. ''Are you sure I don''t really like leaving you,'' Rixon frowns and looks over at me. ''Don''t worry, I''ll be fine, I''ll have a bath to soothe my muscles fromst night,'' I joke and Ben gags. I roll my eyes at him, ''Not because of that you idiot, we fell asleep on the sofa,'' I tell him, and he raises an eyebrow in disbelief. ''Okay, we''ll be back in an hour,'' Rixon kisses my forehead and before I know it, I''m alone in the cabin. My hands shake as I take the stupid thing out of the box and do as the instructions ask. I ce it on the counter and force myself to walk away and around the house, I can''t just stare at it for two minutes. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I chant the word in my hand as I walk around the room with clenched fists. I take a deep breath and Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. return to the bathroom, as I near the counter, I can see the two bold lines as clear as day. ''Sweet Lord, no,'' I groan and sink to the floor with my head in my hands. Now is the worst timing possible. A knock on the door makes me jump, speaking of worst timing... I groan and stand up to get it. My steps slow as I wonder who it could be, no one knows we''re out here and there''s no way that it''s Rixon and his siblings back already. A horrible feeling of unease runs through me, and I take a step back, towards the bathroom as someone knocks again, louder this time. I turn off the lights in the bathroom and lock the door behind me, listening intently. There''s a cracking sound and I hear the door open. Who the fuck is breaking in I look around for anything to protect myself with tweezers are the best I''ve got. I make a fist around them and stand behind the door, waiting for someone to try it. I nce at the window and curse silently, there''s no way I''m fitting through it. Looks like I''m going to have to fight. The doorknob twists and I put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. There''s a loud bang followed by the splintering of wood and the door flies open, almost hitting me. A man enters and I stab the tweezers into his eye, covering my hand in blood. He yells in pain and drops to his knees as I shove past him and out of the bathroom. I sprint through the bedroom and into the hallway, straight into the arms of a huge, brute of a man. I slowly nce up and my body freezes in fear as he grins maliciously down at me. Shit. Callie''s POV. ''For thest time, no, that cashier was not winking at you, she had something in her eye,'' I groan, mming the door as we all get out of the car. ''She was winking at me,'' Ben huffs, raising his nose in defiance. ''No, she really wasn''t,'' Rixon shakes his head andughs at Ben. I jump as a loud crash sounds out; I look over at Rixon to see he has dropped the bag he was holding; groceries are rolling out across the forest floor. ''Rixon'' I ask confusedly, I follow his shocked gaze to the front door, which has a huge crackdown it and is hanging ajar. ''Lexi,'' he shouts and disappears into the house, Ben follows closely behind him. A horrible feeling crawls through me, I put down the bags and cautiously approach the entrance. The second I step inside the house; I''m hit with a scent I never wanted to smell ever again. Although it''s slightly different, it''s so simr to that of my attacker it makes my breath catch in my throat. My ears start ringing, drowning out my rapid breaths as I feel my throat start to close. I nce around, blindly running my hands down the walls as spots blur my vision. I see images of him in my head, holding me down, pulling at my clothes and pushing himself on me. In the far distance I vaguely hear someone calling my name, I look down to see hands are on my arms, holding me up, but I can''t feel them, it''s like I''ve gone numb. I meet Rixon''s worried eyes before everything goes ck. ''Callie Cal Can you hear me'' Rixon''s voice breaks through the haze and I slowly open my eyes. I''m confused for a moment, and then it alles crashing back to me and I feel my stomach turn. I push him away and step off of the bed, my brothers obviously carried me to it. I run into the en suite and throw up everything in my stomach. Just the scent of that man makes me want to throw up, the thought of his father being in this cabin makes my skin crawl. ''Callie Are you okay'' Ben calls out as I flush the toilet and lean back, resting my head on the wall. ''I''m fine, just give me a minute,'' I manage to whisper the words loud enough that he can hear. ''Okay, I''m just out here if you need me,'' he says, and I can''t find it in me to reply. My palms begin to sweat as I start to think back to that night. No. I can''t. I feel a panic attack starting toe and force myself to sit up and take some deep breaths. When my breathing bes even, I reach for the counter to pull myself up. My eyesnd on the pregnancy test stick lying in the sink. Positive. Oh shit, Lexi. Book 2 Chapter 31 Book 2 Chapter 31 I quickly shove the test in her makeup bag and wash my mouth out, when I walk into the kitchen, I have to step around the ceramic shards on the floor. Ben is sitting with his head in his hands whilst Rixon paces, his fists clenched and his face pale. ''He''s taken her,'' Rixon growls, my heart aches for him as I can see how visibly upset he is, shaking uncontrobly with tears in his eyes. ''We''ll get her back, don''t worry,'' Ben tries to reassure him but Rixon ignores him, pacing back and forth. ''I heard he abandoned his pack, I have no idea where he is, and the scent is only in here, there''s no trail!'' He shouts and then pauses, ''What if he hurts her'' He whispers, his voice breaking. ''He won''t Rixon, she''s too valuable, you''d know if she was in serious pain,'' I tell her and he nods, knowing that what I''m saying is true. ''You''ve got to tell her parents,'' Benments and Rixon groans as he runs a hand down his face. ''They hate me enough already,'' Rixon whines and I roll my eyes. ''You can''t not tell them Rixon, they deserve to know, besides, we could use all the help we can get,'' I reply and Rixon nods glumly. ''Right, let''s get out of here and go tell her parents,'' Rixon states and we all grab our things and follow him out of the house. As I attempt to shut the broken door, I turn around and crash straight into Ben''s back, who in turn bumps into Rixon. I look around and realize that Rixon has stopped short on the porch, blocking our way. I watch as he stiffens and sniffs the air, suddenly taking off towards the tree line. We both follow him and find him on his knees, holding a piece of paper. The paper is dotted with a couple of drops of blood, Lexi''s blood. On it is a location on a map, it''s pretty self¡ªexnatory. Rixon jumps up but Ben leaps in front of him, blocking his way. ''Don''t even think about it, we need reinforcements, you can''t go now by yourself,'' Ben warns, putting his hands on Rixon''s chest and shoving him back. ''He''s hurt her!'' He yells, his body tremoring. ''But you getting yourself killed isn''t going to help her,e on, let''s go,'' Ben pushes Rixon towards the car, I grab the paper and we all pile in, rushing to Lexi''s parents'' house. ????????????? Lexi''s POV. I groan as Ie round, my head throbs painfully when I try to open my eyes. I manage to force my eyes open and peer around in the dimly lit room, correction cell. I look around, taking in the small cube. I nce down and realize I''m lying on a cot bed, there''s blood on the pillow and I wince as I touch the open cut on my forehead. The bastard hit me. I slowly slide off the bed and walk to the bars of the cell door, trying to see if there is anyone outside the cell, nothing but an empty corridor. Who the hell was that man Where am I Oh God, Rixon! He''s going to be so worried, is he okay What if they''ve hurt him too My mind whirls with what¡ªifs and I sit back down on the bed, feeling dizzy. The baby. I suddenly remember what I was doing before I was attacked, I haven''t even been able to tell Rixon. I jump as I hear a door creak open and then m shut, footsteps echo down the corridor as I nervously wait to see who they belong to. I don''t know what I''m expecting, but the attractive, middle¡ªaged Asian man is not it. Dressed in ck cks and a loose shirt unbuttoned at the cor, I suddenly remember his face from the cabin, just before I cked out. He stands in front of the bars, casually leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, a wry smile on his clean¡ªshaven face. ''Hello, Miss Larkin,'' he greets me with a polite tone, making him seem very much like a psychopath. ''Who are you'' I ask, standing up from the bed. ''I am Alpha Seok,'' he introduces himself, his face darkening as he continues, ''I was the one that This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. branded your mate, he betrayed his pack when he murdered my son,'' his polite voice changed to one of bitterness. ''You mean your rapist son,'' I retort, instantly regretting my words as a furious look ovees his face. I take a step back in rm as his hand wraps around one of the bars. ''I''d be careful what you say Miss Larkin, you''re in a very vulnerable position right now,'' he threatens, his empty eyes ring at me. ''One wrong word and I''ll cut out your tongue,'' he pauses and his eyes lower to my stomach, ''Or maybe your baby,'' he smirks, I swallow hard and wrap my arms around myself. ''I believe the father doesn''t know about the happy news,'' he says, grinning in smug triumph, ''What a lovely surprise that is going to be.'' ''Don''t hurt him,'' I beg, knowing that my plea is probably useless but unable to stop myself. ''Your mate took everything that mattered to me, my son and now my pack.'' ''Your pack'' I ask confusedly, as Rixon told me that when he had been exiled, Alpha Seok stayed with his pack. ''They were not approving of my mission for revenge,'' he shrugs, dismissing them, ''So I left and formed a new pack with my loyal members.'' ''Your mate is going toe for you, and they''ll be waiting, they will take out anyone who helps him, and when we have captured him and he realizes that he has failed,'' he leans forward to smile maliciously at me through the bars, ''I will take the most important thing from him right in front of his eyes.'' I inhale sharply and retreat another step, my back hitting the cell wall. ''All we have to do now is wait, so enjoy yourself baby mama,'' heughs and turns down the corridor. I don''t exhale until his footsteps disappear, I sink down onto the bed and put my head between my hands. Rixon is going toe straight into a trap, how can I warn him ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 32 Book 2 Chapter 32 Callie''s POV. ''How do you think it''s going'' Ben asks from the car, and I groan in frustration. ''Shut up idiot, I can''t lip¡ªread when you distract me,'' I reply, squinting to try and focus on everyone''s mouths, but they''re moving so quickly. ''Okay, I think that was How can you say you love her, but you''ve put her in danger,'' I announce, happy that I''ve managed to trante something. ''Do you think he needs help I feel bad about us sending him into the lion''s den on his own,'' Ben mutters next to me and I re at him. ''I told you to shut up, I''m missing it!'' Iin, as I turn back, I see Lexi''s dad has Rixon pressed against the wall. ''Okay, get out, we''re helping him,'' I say quickly, opening the car door and jumping out. ''Hey! Get your hands off of him!'' I shout, Lexi''s parents turn to face us, worry and anger on their faces. ''How could he endanger our daughter like this What if they hurt her'' Her mum yells as her dad tightens his grip on Rixon''s t¡ªshirt. ''They won''t hurt her, she''s too valuable to them, they need her for leverage,'' Ben exins, but it does little to reassure them. ''This isn''t Rixon''s fault, it''s mine, the person that took Lexi is looking for revenge, Rixon killed his son when he attacked me,'' I exin, and they look at me confused. ''Can we pleasee inside Let us exin properly, and then we wille up with a n to get Lexi back,'' I suggest, especially because we''re all shivering outside, the temperature has dropped dramatically. After a moment''s hesitation, her parents reluctantly let us inside their house. Rixon exins the situation as best he can, they don''t make it easy for him, interrupting and insulting him whenever possible, but it''s understandable they''re upset. ''We know where she is, but it''s obviously a trap, we need toe up with a n, so we have an edge,'' I tell them. Lexi''s dad leaves to inform his head guard, hoping they could give some insight on strategies and advantages. Ben tries tofort Rixon, who is bing irater and more worried with every minute passing. I nce out of the window, at the thick grey clouds gathering above. Ben turns on the TV to try and distract us, and my eyesnd on the weather forecast. I frown as I watch the weather girl gesture and point at the screen behind her. An ideaes to me, and I scan over the images on the screen. Fog warning Heavy rain to form fog in the early hours of the morning tomorrow. ''Guys,'' I call, trying to get the attention of Ben and Rixon as they heatedly discuss our next move, ''Look at the weather!'' I point at the screen and they both follow my gaze. ''So It''s going to be foggy tomorrow,'' Ben asks, looking at me like I''m being weird. ''Heavy fog tomorrow morning, they''ve issued a warning about it, don''t you see'' I say and they both look at me nkly, ''It''s the perfect cover! They won''t see using,'' I exin and a look of realization dawns on them. ''It does seem to be perfect timing, like fate,'' Ben shrugs and Rixon nods in agreement. ''It''s all we have at the moment, let''s go tell Lexi''s parents,'' Rixon suggests, and we head over to their office toe up with a n. ????????????? It''s just gone 5 am when we meet a mile from the location on the map left for us. The sun is just beginning to rise, shining light that is bouncing off of the fog, making it look denser and whiter than ever. We had to run; driving would have been impossible. It''s thick and bright, the perfect camouge. Rixon, the only one that has shifted back into human form, stands before us in some joggers. ''Right, we''re going to spread out, take out every guard you can see, we don''t want them knowing we''re here,'' he informs us. With clothing and guns strapped to our backs, we do as he says, spreading out to surround the building. Alpha Seok is clever, he''s chosen a location next to a wide river and backed against the mountains, only one direction you can realistically enter from. We stealthily creep through the fog, it''s hard to see anything, but my eyes dart frantically, trying desperately to make out the guards. Lexi''s pack cut to the left, Rixon, Ben and I sneak to the right. My heart hammers wildly in my ears as my sightnds on a hazel¡ªcolored wolf appearing through the fog, sharp teeth bared in the warning. ????????????? Before I can even consider attacking the brown wolf, Rixon crashes into its side, sending them both flying to the ground. I watch wide¡ªeyed as Rixon wraps hisrge jaws around the wolf''s neck and presses down until its struggling legs stop kicking. He steps off of the unconscious body and gestures with his head for us to This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. carry on. I nk Ben, grateful to have my brothers close to me as the mist clears when we reach the ominous building. We shift for practicality and quickly pull on our clothes. Rixon signals with his hands to Lexi''s pack that we will round the building and enter from the back. I''m surprised to see that some of Lexi''s friends have joined us, I recognize a girl named Aria from some photos Lexi showed us. We press ourselves against the wall and creep down the side whilst the others continue ensuring the surrounding area is clear. Rixon rounds the corner first, followed by Ben. I hear a couple of quiet grunts and some thumps and by the time I reach them there are three guards lying on the ground. Rixon grabs one of the bodies and pulls it towards a scanner by the door. He presses the guard''s finger against the screen and the door clicks open. I reach down and grab the guns out of the knocked¡ªout guards'' holsters. I slip them in the back of my joggers. I nod to Rixon that I''m ready, he nods back, waves over some of Lexi''s pack, and then disappears inside the building. Book 2 Chapter 33 Book 2 Chapter 33 Lexi''s POV. I''m lying on my back, hands resting protectively over my stomach, when a door bangs open at the end of the corridor. I sit up in rm and look towards the gate. Alpha Seok appears with a muscr blonde man and a hard¡ªfaced redhead woman. He unlocks the gate and pushes it open. ''If you would care to join us please Miss Larkin, I believe your mate might be on his way,'' he offers politely, I feel my stomach flip with both excitement and dread that Rixon ising here. I stand up on uneasy legs and follow Alpha Seok, blondie and redhead close in behind me. He leads me upstairs, to what I assume are his quarters, decorated with bold blues and dark browns. I follow him down a corridor, when we step inside a room, blonde and redhead wait outside, guarding the door I presume. ''Please, have a seat,'' he waves his hand at the two chesterfield sofas in the middle of the study¡ªlike room. I slowly sit on the one closest to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything, but the white fog is too thick. I fist my hands and sit up straight, feeling stiff with nerves. ''Would you like a drink Some water perhaps'' Alpha Seok offers, ever the amodating host. Just yesterday he was threatening to cut out my baby, he really is a psychopath. I ignore him, my tongue feeling too big in my mouth and making it impossible to talk. He ces a ss of water in front of me anyway and I reach for it with shaky hands. The door suddenly opens, and I jump, spilling water over the ss and onto my hand, it drips onto the floor. Blondie enters with a grim frown on his face. ''I can''t get a reply from Watkins or Samuels,'' he announces, and I watch as Alpha Seok''s mouth forms a thin line. ''They must be here then, gather the others and go find them, leave Greta at the door,'' he orders and then turns away, but I notice the tension in his shoulders and clenched fists. I put down the ss and wring my hands nervously. Rixon is here. We both wait in silence, Alpha Seok paces back and forth, his face somber. A gunshot breaks the silence, followed by some more. I inhale sharply, my breathes out in ragged bursts as I try and convince myself that Rixon is okay, he hasn''t been hurt. The gunshots be louder, and I hear muffled voices shouting. There''s a scream and I recognize Rixon''s voice shout something incoherent. I leap to my feet, starting towards the door, knowing he''s out there I have to find him. ''Sit back down!'' Alpha Seok''s booming voice fills the room and my hand freezes, outstretched towards the doorknob. I flinch at the sound of a gun being cocked and slowly turn around to find Alpha Seok holding an unimposing but deadly handgun directed straight at me. I keep my hands raised slightly in front of myself and cross the room, sliding back down onto the sofa. ''Don''t even think about moving,'' he hisses, keeping the gun aimed at me as he leans back on his desk. I tear my eyes off of the gun and look at the door, praying Rixon doesn''te through and get himself shot. There are more sounds ofmotion, this time much closer in the hall. I watch out of my peripherals as Alpha Seok changes the aim of the gun to the door in anticipation. ''Come here,'' he hisses, and I keep my eyes focused on the door as I slowlye over to him. When I The gunshots make me wince, some bullets splinter through the wall at the end of the room and I realize they''re in the corridor. This is thest room at the end. The door is suddenly kicked open, it hangs off its hinges as someone steps inside. Alpha Seok doesn''t hesitate, he shoots multiple times. The bullets hit Greta''s body, making it convulse with the impact. He stops, realizing toote who he is shooting. His tactic changes when he pushes the warm gun against my head, holding me tight to his chest. Rixon drops Greta''s bullet¡ªriddled body to reveal his unharmed one, much to my relief. ''I''d drop that gun if I were you mutt,'' Alpha Seok warns Rixon, his hot breath against my ear. Rixon''s worried eyes remain focussed on me as he slowly lowers his gun and ces it on the floor. ''Now you''re going to call off all of your little friends, or I''ll kill your mate and her baby,'' he sneers, and I watch as Rixon frowns in confusion. ''Oh that''s right, you don''t know, your mate here, is pregnant,'' he confirms smugly, Rixon''s eyes widen and flick from my stomach to my face. ''What!'' He whispers, his voice hoarse with emotion. ''I''m sorry,'' I mouth to him, wincing as Alpha Seok presses the gun harder against me. ''Don''t hurt her,'' my mate threatens, taking a step towards us. ''Call. Them. Off.'' Alpha Seok hisses. A startled scream passes my lips as a gunshot sounds out, loud enough to make my ears ring. Blood stters the wall to the right of me as Alpha Seok grunts and releases his grip on me. I stumble to the floor, panting in panic. I nce up and see that Callie has shot Alpha Seok in the shoulder and is fighting off another member of his pack. Rixon''s arms wrap around my body, pulling me up against him. ''God, if anything had happened to you,'' he whispers, his voice thick as he kisses my hair, my forehead, anywhere he can reach. Another gunshot sounds out, shocking us all. I look up at Rixon, confused as to who was shot. Pain radiates across my back, and I gasp, sagging against his arms. Horror crosses his face ''No, no, no, Lex, no,'' he stammers, lowering with me to the floor. ''Rixon'' I ask, fearcing my voice as I look down at the exit wound under my ribs. Blood gushes out, soaking my top. Rixon''s hands shake as he pushes them down over the wound. ''Stay with me Lex, you''re gonna be fine,'' he says loudly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. ''I''m sorry I didn''t tell you...about the baby, I''d only just found out when...,'' I force out the words, needing N?velDrama.Org content rights. him to know I haven''t been lying to him. ''Don''t worry about it, everything is going to be fine,'' he reassures me, his voice cracking. My vision blurs but fear grips me as I see the tears running freely down his beautiful face. I don''t want to leave him. ''You got to stay with me Lex, don''t close your eyes,'' he shouts but I can''t fight it, as my eyelids droop closed, a final gunshot sounds out. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 34 Book 2 Chapter 34 A few moments earlier Callie''s POV. Guns wielded; we all follow Rixon up the stairs. A horrible feeling that we are reaching the end of this creeps over me. A tall ginger woman raises her gun to Rixon and fires a few rounds, he dodges them easily and lunges at her. I watch worried as he uses her for protection and enters the final door. Hearing the gunshots and exchange of words, I know something has to be done. Before Ben can act or stop me, I dive into the room and shoot straight at the Alpha Seok. He falls to the ground, and I let out a shaky breath. Someone ms into my side and stumbles back, winded. Ben quickly subdues the guard that attacked me, and I nce back at Alpha Seok to see he has reached for his gun and fires at Lex. Without hesitation, I shoot again, hitting his thigh. I look over to make sure Rixon is taking care of Lexi. I close the distance between me and the Alpha, standing above him. I raise the gun and aim it at his head. ''If you do this, it will stay with you for the rest of your life,'' Ben warns behind me and I scoff. ''What his son did to me will stay with me for the rest of my life, I don''t think this can be any worse,'' I say quietly and without another thought, gently pull the trigger. The gun falls from my hands and Ben catches me as my legs give in, he holds me tight and I''m grateful for his support. The thought that this is all finally over, the rest of that disgraceful family finally gone, it''s overwhelming. ''Lexi!'' Rixon''s panicked voice breaks through my thoughts and we both turn to find him huddled over her, her eyes closed and a wound on her stomach. ''She''s been shot! She''s pregnant,'' Rixon cries, his tear¡ªstained face distraught with panic. ''We need to get her help, now,'' Lexi''s dad shouts as he runs in and picks her up. Within seconds, the room is empty. Ben and I hurry downstairs after the others. Lexi''s dad shifts, her mum climbs onto his back with Lexi in her arms. Rixon shifts and sticks close by him as they disappear into the fog to the nearest hospital. ''We should go with them,'' I say, feeling sick at the thought we might lose one or both of them. I thought we almost made it through this with no fatalities. ''Most of us are going to stay and clear up these bodies, some of the guards areing round and we have to give them the option to leave or die,'' Ben shrugs casually and I wonder how he can be so calm. ''Okay, I''ll make sure we have everyone and then I''ll head to the hospital,'' I reply, knowing that I''ll just get in the way if I go there now. I talk to the members of Lexi''s pack, making sure no one has any serious wounds that need tending and that everyone is ounted for. Just as I''ve finished talking to a woman called Dina, a breeze brushes my hair across my face, bringing with it the most tantalizing scent. I flick my hair out of my face and turn around. I freeze as my eyesnd on a man. A gorgeous, dark¡ªhaired man staring directly at me. ''Nate'' A girl, I think called Myra maybe, calls his name. I can''t look at her, my eyes are locked on the delicious man. The wind blows again, wrapping me in his scent. Everything inside me warms with the most wonderful, tingling feeling. Mate. Having seeminglye to the same realization, the man, Nate, begins running towards me. My legs move forward of their own ord, before I realize it, I find myself running over to meet him. His face is one ofplete shock, utter disbelief. As soon as I am close enough, he reaches for me, lifts me up and spins me around. Like something out of a clich¨¦ chick flick. But I don''t care. His strong hands on my waist feel incredible, I momentarily wonder if that feels so nice, what must it be like to kiss him As if sensing my thoughts, he lowers me down in front of him. My feet feel unsteady on the earth, but his hands don''t leave my waist. He hesitates a moment, as if checking for permission, then leans in and kisses me. My hands instinctively grab his arms for support, his arms wrap around me, holding me close. His lips move confidently over mine, leaving no room for doubt that I am his and he is mine. Eventually he pulls away, in the distance I can hear Myra squealing with excitement, but all I focus on is his beautiful face. He grins down at me, his whole face lighting up with happiness, it dazzles me. ''Hi,'' he says. ????????????? Lexi''s POV. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. ''What the hell is that noise'' I croak, my voiceing out hoarse and scratchy. I peel my eyes open at the sound of a gasp. My eyes focus on my mum standing at the foot of my bed, holding her hands to her heart, tears rolling down her face. ''She''s awake!'' She shouts, I frown as I hear footsteps echo down the hall. Rixon and my dad suddenly appear at the door, relief evident on their faces. ''Lex,'' Dad releases my name in an exhale, rushing over and squeezing my hand. ''The baby Tell me my baby is okay,'' I beg, trying to get my voice to work and grateful that my words Despite the tears rolling down Rixon''s face, he smiles and nods at me. All of the breath leaves my lungs and I choke with relief, my own tears now flowing down my cheeks. ''Oh thank God,'' I breathe, leaning back against the pillow. ''How do you feel honey You came out of surgery an hour ago,'' Mum says and I wince as I feel the tightness in my abdomen, obviously from the stitches there. ''I''m okay, thirsty though, please can I have some water'' I ask, mum quickly pours me some and I focus my attention on Rixon. Unlike my parents sat next to me, he keeps his distance, leaning against the wall at the end of my bed. His small smile is a contrast to his tear¡ªstreaked face. I eagerly sip the water mum hands me. ''The baby is just fine, they''ve stopped the bleeding and stitched you up, you should be able to leave in a few days,'' Dad exins and I nod, needing a moment to process everything. Thest thing I remember is Callie shooting Alpha Seok. Mum looks over at Dad and moves her eyes toward the door, I watch amusedly as he doesn''t understand the signal and frowns at her. She tries again, this time nodding her head and raising her eyebrows. ''What'' He asks and she sighs in annoyance. ''Your father and I will give you two a minute alone,'' she announces, standing up. ''We will'' Dad asks, both confused and annoyed. ''Yes. We will. Shout if you need anything,'' Mum says, leaning over to kiss my cheek before walking out. Dad squeezes my hand onest time and heads for the door. He pauses by Rixon and pats him on the shoulder. I watch with shock. ''What the hell was that about'' I ask as soon as the door closes and we''re alone. Rixon smiles and walks over, sitting down next to the bed. His scent hits me and I instantly feel better ''Your parents and I...have made amends, they''re very excited about the baby,'' he pauses and looks at N?velDrama.Org content rights. me with dark, emotion¡ªfilled eyes, ''As am I.'' ''I''m so d you''re happy about it,'' I whisper, too scared to talk any louder in case my voice cracks with emotion. ''I''m so d you''re okay, both of you,'' he reaches for my hand and kisses it. ''If I had lost you...I couldn''t do it, I couldn''t live without you,'' he admits, fresh tears filling his eyes. I''ve never seen a grown man cry like this, it''s both wonderful and heart¡ªbreaking at the same time. ''Hey, I''m fine, we''re going to be fine,'' I tell him, reaching over to wrap my arms around his head as he leans against my chest. ''This was all my fault, my past caught up to me and you got hurt, I''m so sorry,'' he swipes away the tears and looks at me with sincerity. ''Don''t be, this is not your fault,'' I reply earnestly, ''But tell me something, is Alpha Seok dead'' Rixon''s eyes darken, and he nods grimly. ''Then Callie has got the closure she needed,'' I say with relief. At the mention of his sister, Rixon''s face brightens. ''She''s got more than that,'' he grins, and I''m confused as to what he means. ''I''ll go get everyone,'' he says, standing up. ''Don''t leave me,'' I say desperately, reaching for him. His face bes serious, and he sits back down, ''I will never leave you again Lexi.'' He gets out his phone and calls someone, after a brief conversation, my door opens, and my friends imagine a better match. With my friends and family around me, all together, no more arguments and no more secrets, I know everything is going to be okay. ????????????? Book 2 Chapter 35 Book 2 Chapter 35 Lexi''s POV. I unlock the door and kick my shoes off. What a day. Helping bring twins into the world has really taken it out of me, thank God it wasn''t me giving birth. I involuntarily shiver at the thought. Thank the Moon Goddess I''ve had my children now. All four of them. I make my way to the kitchen and set my bag on the ind, deciding to make myself a cup of tea whilst I wait for Rixon to get home, being a pack doctor really takes it out of you. I fill the kettle and flip the switch, leaning back against the counter whilst I wait for it to boil. I nce around the beautiful room and think for the millionth time how lucky I am to have such an amazing family and gorgeous house. Rixon and I have done well for ourselves. Giggling breaks through my thoughts. Giggling. ''You have got to be kidding me,'' I mutter and turn the kettle off so I can hear better. I step towards the hallway and freeze as I hear the sound again. ''Xaden,'' I growl under my breath and creep towards the stairs. (Pronounced Zay¡ªden) The giggling stops and it goes silent. Silent for too long. ''Xaden put your clothes on and get your ass down here, now!'' I shout and I hear the quiet curse of my eldest son in his bedroom. ''Oh shit,'' he says, and I roll my eyes, ''Yes, oh shit, Mum''s home and she''s pissed,'' I yell, and I tap my foot impatiently as thumps and fumbling noises sound out. A girl, aplete stranger who I''ve never met before, emerges from my son''s room with red cheeks and wrinkled clothes. ''Hi, Mrs. Moretti,'' she mumbles, not meeting my eyes as shees down the stairs. ''Don''t worry, I''m not mad at you, do you need a lift home'' I ask her and she manages to look up at me, her eyes wide and nervous. ''No, it''s okay, thank you,'' she says quickly, shoving on her shoes and disappearing out the front door. I turn my attention back to my sheepish¡ªlooking son, who stood at the top of the stairs. ''Xaden, please join me in the kitchen, and put a top on,'' Iment, ncing pointedly at his bare chest, his joggers riding low on his hips. ''Boys,'' I mutter to myself and step back into the kitchen. Whilst Xaden sits down at the ind, I make myself my cup of tea, letting him stew for a bit. I set my mug down and cross my arms over my chest, letting my gaze fall on his angelic face. When did my cute little boy turn into a handsome, sex¡ªobsessed teenager ''How many times have I told you to stop bringing your conquests to our home'' I snap, irritated that yet another random girl has entered my lovely house to do God knows what with my son. ''Her parents were home!'' Heins. ''Your parent is home!'' I reply exasperated. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''You came home early, that''s not my fault!'' ''This is entirely your fault,'' Iment and reach for a sip of tea to calm me. ''Please stop this sleeping around, at first it was,'' I pause, trying to think of the right word, ''I wanted you to make your own decisions, but now, it''s every week! I''m sick of it Xaden, and you will regret this when you meet your mate, you''ll wish you never had,'' I tell him, and he rolls his eyes at me. ''Whatever, think of it as practice, she''ll be thanking me when she meets me and I know all the right things to do,'' he retorts and I grimace, pretending to gag on my tea. ''That''s gross,'' I frown, and he shrugs with indifference. ''You are seventeen years old, and you''ve already slept with more people than me and my friends I turn to the sink and wash my mug out, no longer wanting my drink. ''I''m on the same amount as Dad was at my age! He doesn''t have a problem with it,'' he shouts, and I slowly turn around. ''What'' I ask, my voice disturbingly calm. He announces smugly, leaning back in the stool, ''He says it''s perfectly fine for me to sleep around.'' ''Oh, does he now'' I reply, slowly curling my hands into fists. As if on cue, the front door opens, and I hear my two youngest enter the house. ''Mum! Look what I made at school,'' my six¡ªyear¡ªold daughter, Malika (Mah¡ªlee¡ªkah), yells and runs into the kitchen holding a colorful painting. ''Wow! Baby that''s amazing, we''ll hang it up on the board,'' I tell her as I give her a hug, I grab some pins and pin them to our wallboard. ''Hey Mum,'' Talen (Tay¡ªlen) greets me and reluctantly lets me hug him. Now that he''s ten he thinks it''s not cool to hug your mum. ''Hey honey, how was school'' I ask as I run my hands through his hair, he shrugs me off and throws his bag on the floor. ''It was alright, got Maths homework though,'' he answers glumly, and I put some bread in the toaster so they can have a snack. ''We''ll get it done in a moment so you can rx the rest of the evening okay I just need to talk to your father,'' I tell him and turn to see my gorgeous, sexier than ever, 6 foot 5 of Italian deliciousness, husband walk through the archway. Damn. It''s so annoying that I''m meant to be mad at him when all I want to do is go upstairs and show him how happy I am with him. ''Rixon, a word'' I ask and his smile drops off of his face. ''Oh hell, what have I done'' He looks anxiously at me and then nces at Xaden, his eyes narrowing. ''What have you said'' He demands usingly, and Xaden holds his hands up in defense. ''Nothing,'' he replies, and I re at him. ''Liar,'' I tell him, and he grins sheepishly at me, ''Make Malika and Talen some toast please and get them started on their homework, we''ll be back in a minute.'' Book 2 Chapter 36 Book 2 Chapter 36 I walk into the living room for some privacy and Rixon nervously follows. ''So, I had a little chat with our son earlier after I disturbed him in his bedroom with some girl,'' I start, crossing my arms over my chest as Rixon swallows hard. ''And he informed me that not only had you slept with the same number of women at his age, you think his actions are, and I quote ''perfectly fine'','' I finish, and he sighs heavily. ''Okay, so the first part is not important, it was before I met you so you can''t get mad!'' He defends himself and I raise an eyebrow in disbelief, ''And I never said that I was perfectly fine with it, I just said I didn''t have a problem with it like you do!'' He exins and it''s my turn to sigh. ''Am I overreacting'' I ask him, suddenly questioning myself. ''No, baby I get why you care, you have a point that he might regret this when he meets his mate,'' he tells me gently, reaching out and putting his arms around my waist, ''But it''s his life and it''s his choice, we can only advise him and you''ve made it perfectly clear how you feel,'' he says, kissing my forehead and enveloping me in that tantalizing scent of his. ''I know it''s his choice, I only asked him not to do it at our house, I feel like a brothel with the bloody footfalling in and out of our home and I don''t want the children seeing it,'' I reply and lean my head against his hard chest. ''You''re right, in the house isn''t okay, I''ll speak to him,'' he promises and kisses my head again. ''Thank you,'' I mumble, wanting to stay here in his arms instead of doing Maths homework but I know I have to move. ''You look really fit today by the way,'' he whispers huskily in my ear and a shiver of desire runs through me. ''Maths then some alone time'' I ask, looking up at his warm, onyx eyes twinkling with naughty thoughts. ''Sounds good wifey,'' he jokes and kisses me before I can reply. His lips move confidently against mine, I wrap my arms around his neck and press myself against him. ''Ew, stop that ande help me!'' I hear Talenin and I reluctantly pull away from my yummy husband. ''I''ll call the grandparents,'' Rixon says, winking at me. He knows my parents don''t like being referred to as grandparents, makes them feel old. Don''t get me wrong, they love being grandparents, but they don''t like being called them. I sit down with Talen and Malika to help with their homework, we''re just finishing when the front door opens and my fourth child and eldest daughter, sixteen¡ªyear¡ªold Tahlia, enters the house. ''MUM!'' She shouts andes running into the kitchen, I look up from the table in surprise. ''What is it'' I ask as she jumps up and down, grinning like the Cheshire cat. ''I met my mate!'' She yells and does a little happy dance. ''Oh my God, that''s amazing!'' I reply, jumping up to give her a hug. I nce over at Rixon to gauge his reaction, he closes his eyes and exhales slowly, ''And so it begins,'' he says quietly, his voice filled with dread and disappointment. ''Oh stop being dramatic,'' I roll my eyes at him and turn my attention back to my daughter. ''Tell me all about him,'' I take her hands and lead her over to the table. An hourter, Tahlia has told me all about the new boy who just started at school; her mate, and my parents have arrived to look after the children. ''You two go and enjoy your night, your dad will cook something for the kids,'' my Mum says and my Dad eyes us both warily. ''Don''t enjoy yourselves too much though,'' he warns, and I pull a face whilst Rixon nods solemnly. ''Of course Mr. Larkin, we''ll behave ourselves,'' Rixon replies, and I bite my lip to keep myself from can have it! ''See youter!'' I call and we head out to the car. ''Wanna treat ourselves to a takeaway'' Rixon asks as he pulls out of our drive. ''Yes! Junk food and sex, so what I need after today,'' I reply happily, leaning back and rxing into the seat. We drive to Rixon''s old t, he kept it as our little escape from the world of being parents. As we take the lift to his floor, I have d¨¦j¨¤ vu of the first night we ever spent together, here in this very building. As if sensing my thoughts, Rixon looks over and smirks at me. Damn, he is fine. ''What do you fancy'' He spreads the takeout menus across the table in front of me. I nce at them, but then look up to meet his gaze, letting my eyes show exactly what I fancy. His eyes darken in return, and he leans across the table. ''Pick something, it won''t be ready for a while, we have plenty of time to...'' he pauses, his eyes flicking down to my lips, ''Work up an appetite.'' ''Pizza'' I suggest and he grins at me, lighting up his beautiful face.N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''You read my mind, baby.'' We choose what we want, and I call in, once I''ve ced the order I hang up and turn to see Rixon pouring us some wine. ''It''ll be twenty minutes,'' I tell him, he puts down the bottle and pretends to think, tapping his finger on his chin. ''What can we do in twenty minutes'' He ponders out loud and I smile, rounding the table to walk over to him. ''I''m sure we can think of something,'' I reach for the buttons of his shirt, slowly making my way from the bottom to the top, my fingers brushing his throat as I slide the shirt off his shoulders. His tight, tan skin is revealed to me, decorated with intricate ck tattoos that hug every ripple and valley of his muscles. My husband is nearly fifty in human years, but with our aging, he has the health and physical appearance of a twenty¡ªsomething years old. And the stamina for that matter. I am one lucky woman. Book 2 Chapter 37 Book 2 Chapter 37 I reach for the button on his jeans, easing them down his hips until he stands before me in just his ck boxers. ''You''re a little too clothed for my liking,'' hements and lifts my top over my head. With a deft flick of his hand, my bra snaps undone, and I let it slip off my arms to the floor. Next go my jeans, leaving me in nothing but my thong, and that is gone a secondter, along with his boxers. Rixon''s POV. I reach out for my beautiful wife, my eyes taking in every inch of her perfect body. I hear her small gasp as I pull her against my body, her warm skin touching mine. I hold her close for a moment and bury my face in her neck, breathing in her wonderful scent. Nothing better than having her in my arms. Or maybe there is one thing that is better... With that thought, I grasp her hips and lift her up onto the counter. She squirms as the cold marble presses against her butt. I slide her to the edge and before she can intervene, drop to my knees and ce my mouth over her delicious pussy. Her moans spur me on as I tease her with my tongue, my hands grip her quivering thighs. She tilts back her head and inhales sharply, I squeeze tighter, knowing she''s close. I flick my tongue over her clit, increasing my speed and pressure to drive her mad. Secondster, she calls out my name and convulses around my tongue. I grin with satisfaction, giving her a moment to catch her breath back. She looks down at me with those huge eyes of hers that see right through me. Before she can try and stop me, I dive back in, eager for a second orgasm from her. A minuteter, it rips through her and she shakes under my hands. ''Rixon,'' her breathy voice raises goosebumps on my skin, I look up at her and if I wasn''t already on my knees, I definitely would be now. Her cheeks are flushed from the orgasms, her breathing shallow and rapid, her plump lips slightly parted, and her eyes are filled with desire. Jesus. How did I get so lucky I return to my ministrations, this time with a softer force as I don''t want her to be sore. She attempts to stop me, but herints are empty and few. Soon her words turn to moans, and she falls back against the counter, no doubt trying to use the marble to cool her scorching hot skin. I coax the third orgasm from her, feeling rmed when I see a tear roll from her eye. ''I''m fine,'' she pants, smiling down at me, ''You''re just really good at that,'' she winks and copses back onto the counter. ''I''ll give you a minute to recover,'' I tell her, and she gives me a thumbs up, her eyes still closed. I shake my head at her, even though she can''t see it. I pour her a ss of cold water and pass it to her outstretched hand. She chugs it greedily, her eyes watching me closely over the rim. She puts down the ss and beckons me over with her finger. I step in between her legs, sying my hands on the counter either side of her thighs. Without another word, she tangles her hands in my hair, pulling just hard enough to make my hands clench. She brings my lips down to hers and kisses me like N?velDrama.Org content rights. it could be ourst. I let her have her moment of control, she teases me with her tongue and softly bites my lower lip. My hands leave her sides and grasp her hips, pulling her warm body against mine. I jump as her phone buzzes on the side, I reluctantly pull away and let her read it. ''Damn, pizza guy will be here in ten minutes,'' she tells me, and I have an idea. ''You go down and get it, I''ll set the table,'' I suggest, and she narrows her eyes at me. ''Why me I''m naked,'' she protests, and I raise an eyebrow at her. ''So am I,'' I reply calmly, I walk out of the room to our bedroom, feeling her eyes on my back. I return with one of my white t¡ªshirts and hold it out to her. ''Wear this, nothing else, and collect our food,'' I tell her and cross my arms over my chest, knowing that my ink is her weakness. Her eyes drop to my arms immediately. ''You must be joking,'' she stares at me in shock, holding the t¡ªshirt as if it might bite her. It won''t bite you baby, but I will. ''Absolutely not, I''m serious,'' I lean back against the counter, trying to maintain authority whilst being bollock naked. She looks at me for a moment longer, her mouth pressed into a thin line. As if realizing that I''m serious, she pulls the t¡ªshirt over her head. It falls to her thighs, but her beautiful dark nipples press against the fabric. It''s almost as hot as when she''s naked. Almost. ''I can''t go down like this! With my pink cheeks and ruffled hair it''s obvious what we''ve been up to!'' She throws her hands in the air in exasperation and I grin at her. ''You prick,'' she growls and nces at her appearance in the reflection of my tinted windows. ''You''re so lucky that there''s no security guards or anything, at least I''ll never see this pizza guy again,'' she grumbles and shoves her feet into her sandals. ''Nice outfit,'' I say sarcastically, and she res at me. Have I pushed this too far Never. Book 2 Chapter 38 Book 2 Chapter 38 ''Dickhead,'' she mumbles and grabs the money I offer to her. She marches down the hall to the front door and I follow her. ''Lex, one more thing,'' I call, I push her front against the wall, and she grunts in protest. ''What are you doing'' She asks angrily, I quickly lift the shirt and lower my knees, positioning myself. ''Rixon what the¡ª'' She cuts off as I push myself inside of her from behind. ''Fuck,'' she gasps, and I pull her ass back against me, pressing myself deep inside of her. ''I need to go get the pizza,'' she groans, leaning her head back against my shoulder. ''I know, so might as wellplete the ''thoroughly fucked'' look with shaking legs as well,'' I answer. I move her away from the wall and press my hand between her shoulder des, bending her over. She drops the money and grabs my thighs for support as I begin ramming into her at speed. I clench my teeth and pump harder, watching the best sight; my cock disappearing between her round ass cheeks. ''I need to go,'' she mumbles, and I grab her hand and guide it towards her clit. ''Not until you cum again,'' I reply, she mutters something incoherent, but starts rubbing herself. Only momentster I feel her clench around me, I increase my pace and deepen my thrusts, it''s enough to tip her over the edge. ''Oh my God, Rixon!'' She shouts, her hands slip from my thighs as she orgasms, I hold her hips tightly stopping her from falling forwards. ''I think you''ve killed me,'' she whispers as I slide out of her. ''Better not have, I''m starving,'' I joke, I pick the money up off the floor and press it into her hand. She res up at me. ''Asshole,'' she curses and narrows her eyes further. ''Alright, but only after pizza,'' I smirk down at her, she goes to p me, but I catch her wrist, infuriating her. I grab her other hand and pull her against me, silencing allints by kissing her. ''You know I love you more than life itself right'' I tell her and her hard eyes soften. My children are my world, but my mate has my soul. ''Love you too, even when you are a massive pain in my ass,'' she rolls her eyes and opens the door to leave. ''And your pussy!'' I call and she holds her finger up at me as she walks away. ????????????? Lexi''s POV. ''I swear to the Moon Goddess, if you don''t stop ring at him that boy is going to have a heart attack,'' I hiss at my husband, he tears his eyes off of our daughter''s mate long enough to answer me. ''He''s far too close to her for my liking,'' he replies and returns to his disapproving stare. ''Your ''liking'' is the poor boy being about 100 miles from her,'' I reply, ncing over at our daughter Tahlia, who sat next to her mate. ''Try 1,000,'' he mumbles, and I roll my eyes at him. ''Get over it, like it or not they are together,'' I put my sunsses on andy down on the nket. ''Well, I don''t like it,'' he snaps, and I sigh heavily. ''I know you don''t, Tahlia knows you don''t, her mate knows you don''t, we all know you don''t, but there''s nothing you can do about it so just enjoy your day,'' I retort, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to ''She''s my baby girl Lex,'' he pouts, trying to y the cute card. Not gonna work. ''She''s sixteen years old Rixon, just be grateful he''s not treating her how Xaden treats his...conquests,'' I mutter and Rixon grunts in annoyance. Thankfully, he drops the subject, and I can return to listening to the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand whilst I work on my tan. ''Mum!'' I hear my name being called and I open one eye to see Malika standing over me. ''Can I go swimming with Serenity and her Dad'' She asks and I sit up, realizing that her question means Jayce and Myra have arrived. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I look over to see Serenity, their seven¡ªyear¡ªold, is paddling in the water with Jayce stood behind her. Wearing nothing but some swimming trunks, I search for Myra, knowing she''ll be drooling over her mate, and find her standing not far away, watching her mate thirstily. ''Of course you can, but stay close to her Dad and do what he says okay'' I tell her and stand up, brushing the sand off my legs. Jayce waves at me and I point to Malika running towards him, he gives me a thumbs up and I know he''ll keep an eye on her in the water. ''d you could make it,'' I greet Myra as she joins us and sets down her nket and pic bags. ''Hey, gorgeous,'' she kisses both my cheeks. ''Naevia is on her way over, she''s with Nate and Callie,'' I look where Myra is pointing to see her eldest daughter walking over to us with her Uncle and Auntie Callie, Rixon''s sister. Myra''s face lights up as Nate and Callie approach us holding hands, after waiting so long to find his mate, I know how happy she is to see him so ridiculously happy. And despite Rixon thinking that no man would ever be good enough for his sister, I know he''s grateful she found such a good guy like Nate. ''Where''s your son'' I ask Callie as she hugs me. ''He''s out with his mate,'' she grins, and I wish Rixon could be as happy that his child found their mate. We all getfortable on the nkets and start setting out the food, just as Aria, Seb, Alena, Elijah and their children arrive. There''s barely enough room to fit us all on the nkets, but we make it work. Even though we are members of different packs, and some of us aren''t part of a pack at all, we are like family, and I can''t exin how content I am when we''re all together. Life doesn''t get better than this. The End. Book 3 Chapter 1 Book 3 Chapter 1 Callie''s POV. Picking up from Nate and Callie''s first meeting in The Girl He imed¡­ I freeze as my eyesnd on a man. A gorgeous, dark¡ªhaired man staring directly at me. ''Nate'' A girl, I think called Myra maybe, calls his name. I can''t look at her, my eyes are locked on the delicious man. The wind blows again, wrapping me in his scent. Everything inside me warms with the most wonderful, tingling feeling. Mate. Having seeminglye to the same realization, the man, Nate, begins running towards me. My legs move forward of their own ord, before I realize it, I find myself running over to meet him. His face is one ofplete shock, utter disbelief. As soon as I am close enough, he reaches for me, lifts me up and spins me around. Like something out of a clich¨¦ chick flick. But I don''t care. His strong hands on my waist feel incredible, I momentarily wonder if that feels so nice, what must it be like to kiss him As if sensing my thoughts, he lowers me down in front of him. My feet feel unsteady on the earth, but his hands don''t leave my waist. He hesitates a moment, as if checking for permission, then leans in and kisses me. My hands instinctively grab his arms for support, his arms wrap around me, holding me close. His lips move confidently over mine, leaving no room for doubt that I am his and he is mine. Eventually he pulls away, in the distance I can hear Myra squealing with excitement, but all I focus on is his beautiful face. He grins down at me, his whole face lighting up with happiness, it dazzles me. ''Hi,'' he says. ''Hi,'' I reply quietly, in a voice I barely recognize, breathy and light. ''I''m Nathan, but you can call me Nate,'' he tells me and then grins again. ''Hell, you can call me anything you like.'' I giggle at that. ''I''m Callie,'' I respond. Myraes over to the two of us, unshed tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. She wraps an arm around Nate''s shoulder and, if I didn''t know that they are siblings, I would be jealous. ''Congrattions, big bro,'' she says good¡ªnaturedly. ''I''m Myra.'' She sticks her hand out to me. ''This idiot''s younger, more attractive, sibling.'' She winks at me and Nate nudges her yfully. ''It''s lovely to meet you, I''m Callie, Rixon''s sister,'' I tell her, and her face bes serious. ''We should probably get to the hospital and check on how Lexi is doing,'' Myra suggests. ????????????? Nate and I visit Lex at the hospital. She''s so happy to see us together. It makes me blush like hell, but I have to agree with her. Three days pass. Lexi is okay, and the baby is fine. She and Rixon are discharged from the hospital, and we all feel like we can finally rx. My brother and his mate return to the cabin, giving them some alone time to spend together after the horror they went through. It''s quiet in the house, with just Ben and I, but Nate and I make arrangements to see each other. We''ve waited so long to find each other; I don''t think it''s really sunk in yet. At twenty¡ªeight, I believed that I wouldn''t meet my mate. It''s surreal to know I''ve finally found him. It''s four days after the fight, after I killed Alpha Seok, the father of my attacker. I thought I would sleep easy now that both of them are dead, but my sleep is haunted with dreams of both of them. I hide the dark circles under my eyes with concealer and get ready for my date. I''ve got a date with my mate, Nate. He told me to dress casually over the phone, so I answer the door in a pretty top and jeans. ''You look perfect,'' hepliments me. He kisses my forehead, and my stomach feels all fuzzy. ''What are we doing'' I ask him when he guides me over to his car. ''We are going bowling,'' he states proudly, and I can''t help but chuckle. ''Bowling Okay, I like it.'' He drives us to the nearest bowling alley. It''s a weekday evening and not that busy. We hire the shoes that no woman wants to wear on the first day. Bowling shoes give you the appearance of an amateur clown and have the slipperiness of ice skates. Not a goodbination. Nate pays for ourne, and we load our names onto the screen. ''Ladies first,'' Nate says and gestures towards the bowling ball rack. ''Thank you,'' I mumble shyly and take my time picking a ball that has the right size and weight for me. It''s hot pink and feels just right. I slowly approach thene and get myself into position. I line up my aim and swing my arm backward. I release the ball as I swing my arm forwards and it pins. It knocks all but two over. I''m quite pleased with that. I turn to Nate with a satisfied smile, and he grins. ''Nicely done,'' hements. I watch Nate choose a ball and then he aims. He throws the ball at almost twice the speed that I did. It hurtles down thene and creates a huge smash when it crashes into the pins. Every single one is thrown with momentum and falls on its side. Strike. I aim the ball at one of the pins still standing, but the other one is all the way on the other side of the Damn. I need to up my game. I decide to take a leaf out of Nate''s book next time. After Nate gets another strike, I choose a heavier ball and use all of my strength to send the ball careering down thene. It smashes into the pins and knocks them all down. Strike! I whoop loudly and jump in the air. Nateughs as I spin around to face him, pping my hands. ''I did it!'' I exim happily. ''Well done,'' Nate says with a smile on his face. We take it turns, going back and forth. I manage to keep up with Nate, but he still wins. I don''t mind so much, I got quite a few strikes, so I''m happy. After finishing the game, we go over to the food section and get ourselves some burgers. We sit outside. The air is warm, despite the fact that the sunset a long time ago. We eat our burgers side by side on one of the benches, chatting away like we''ve known each other for years. That''s what it''s like having a mate. It''s like you''ve known them your whole life, even if you just met. After finishing, we go back inside for another game. This time, I only lose by a few points. ''I was so close!'' I whine as the scores are finalized. Nateughs and shakes his head. ''You know you can''t win against a pro like me. You tried, though.'' I press my lips together and gently punch his arm. ''Arrogant ass,'' I mutter under my breath. ''You love my what now'' Nate replies yfully, throwing his arm around my shoulder. I tense up at his sudden touch, but nothing happens. No shbacks, no panic. It''s all okay. I slowly breathe out and rx into him. ''Come on, let''s get you home before your brotherse and save you,'' he says and ushers me to his car. He drives us back to my house and he walks me to the front door. I''m kind of grateful that Rixon isn''t here. He would give Nate a hard time, I know it. Ben is more chilled than that, thank Goddess. We both hesitate outside the door. Our eyes meet and it''s like everything else just falls away. Both of us lean in at the same time and our lips meet. Our first kiss, when we met and didn''t even know each other, was short and sweet. This kiss is different. It''s long and deep. We savor each other, our bodies pressing close together on the porch. His lips move over mine in a way so natural and confident that it has my heart stuttering in its beats. I grip his shirt to steady myself and his arms wrap around my waist, holding me close. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I don''t want to pull away, but both of us need to catch our breaths. When we pull back, our lips are swollen, and our eyes are heated. ''Same time tomorrow'' Nate whispers. I smile up at him. ''Sounds perfect.'' The giddy smile doesn''t leave my face, even as he drives away. I''ve got it bad. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 2 Book 3 Chapter 2 TRIGGER WARNING¡ª ASSAULT MENTIONED. Callie''s POV. His hands are roaming my body as I try to squirm out of his grip. He is too strong. He pins me to the floor with his weight, he''s crushing my chest and I feel like I can''t breathe properly. I thrash underneath him and scratch at his face with my hands, but he grips my wrists with one hand, stopping me from fighting back. I can''t get him off. He''s too big and I hate it. I''m screaming for help, but no one is hearing me. No one is I lurch upwards, sitting in my bed. My breathing is ragged, and dots spot my vision. ''Cal It''s okay, I''m here,'' my brother''s voice grounds me. I focus my eyes on Ben, sat on my bed and looking worried. His hand is on my forearm, and I ce mine over his. ''It was just a nightmare, you''re safe,'' Ben whispers soothingly. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I can feel the sweat on my skin already drying in the cool air. ''Thank you,'' I mutter, my voice thick with sleep. ''Do you want me to stay until you fall back to sleep'' My brother offers. I shake my head. ''No, I''ll be okay. Thank you.'' ''Are you sure'' He looks uncertain about leaving me. ''I''m fine, thank you, Ben.'' Reluctantly, he leaves my bedroom. Twenty¡ªeight years old and still having nightmares. Only, the monster in my nightmare was once very real. Was. Past¡ªtense, Callie. ''He''s gone,'' I tell myself aloud. ''He is dead, and he cannot hurt you.'' With those soothing words, I lie back down and pull my covers up to my neck, praying for a dreamless sleep. ????????????? Once again, I hide the dark circles under my eyes with concealer as I get ready for my second date with Nate. When I was younger, I thought that I wouldn''t have nightmares because my attacker was dead. I was na?ve and very wrong. Then, after we killed his father, I thought it would offer enough closure that my nightmares would stop. I thought that meeting my mate might end them, too. But no. They''re still there, as haunting and realistic as they have been for thest ten years. I stare at my broken reflection and wonder what Nate sees when he looks at me. Does he see the same broken girl that I do Does he see the same fragile woman that needs to be protected, like my brothers do when they look at me I hope not. I want him to see me as something different, stronger. I straighten my shoulders and steel myself. I need to fight this. I cannot let my attacker win and I refuse to let my past define me. I want to move past this. I want to be different from this broken girl. I want to be strong. Nate''s text instructed me to dress warmly. I''m wrapped up in a scarf and jacket when he arrives to pick me up. I don''t invite him in. Ben is downstairs and I don''t need the protective brother speech right now. He''s not as bad as Rixon, but he can certainly give a good shot when he wants to. ''So, where are we going'' I ask Nate when we get in the car. He gives me a secretive smile from behind the wheel. ''You''ll see,'' he replies cryptically. I huff quietly. I don''t like surprises, I like answers. He drives out of town and towards the city. My eyesnd on an enormous, oddly shaped warehouselike building in the distance. As we get closer to it, I get more excited. ''Are we going there'' I ask him, pointing at the building. Nate grins. ''Maybe.'' ''I''ve never been! I''ve always wanted to go,'' I tell him enthusiastically. I''m bursting with excitement by the time he parks the car. He takes my hand, and we enter the huge ce. It''s an indoor ski center. We don''t get cold enough weather to have thick snow around here, so we fake it indoors. I''ve skied before on school trips, so I''m excited to see what it''s like inside. We pay for our fare and move onto the next booth to get our equipment fitted. Once we''re ready, we follow the line up to the top of the ''slope''. There is no snow, obviously. The floor is made of a kind of mat with holes in it. It''s really slippery. I''m both nervous and excited as Nate and I reach the top. We step onto the matting, and I try out the skis, pushing myself along the t surface. Nate turns to me when we reach the edge of the slope. ''Ready'' He asks. I nod eagerly. ''Yes!'' Together, we push off the matting and slide down the slope. It''s a weird experience. Not exactly like skiing, but probably as close as you can get without snow. It''s fun and I''m grinning by the time we get to the bottom. We join the queue to do it all over again and that''s how it goes for the next hour or so. Towards the end, we hand our skis back in and decide to try the donuts instead. A man hands us an intable donut¡ªring at the top of the slope and Nate gets into it. He pats the space next to him and I realize how close we''re going to be. Panic starts to rise in me before I squash it down. N?velDrama.Org content rights. I''ve been close to him before. He''s my mate. It''s not a big deal. I take a deep breath and climb into the donut with him. Our bodies are close together, but his touch is The man pushes our donut, and we go sliding over the edge. We go down much faster than we did on the skis and the experience is exhrating. The air makes my hair fly back and I find myselfughing when we reach the bottom. Nate helps me out of the donut, and I throw my arms around him the second he gets to his feet, surprising both of us. He grins down at me, obviously pleased with my outburst. ''That was awesome!'' I exim. ''Can we do it again'' Nate leans down and kisses my nose. ''Of course we can.'' I lose count of how many times we go down the slope together. It bes second¡ªnature to have Nate close and I don''t feel at all nervous by the end of the evening. We stop only to eat hot dogs and share a pot of churros. I never thought I would meet a guy I would be willing to share my churros with, but apparently, Nate is the exception. The evening ends too soon. My cheeks ache with how much I''ve been smiling. During the drive home, Nate holds my hand and drives with the other. He runs his thumb over my knuckles absentmindedly and the action soothes me enough that I fall asleep. I wake when he gently shakes my shoulder. ''Baby,'' he whispers. ''We''re home.'' I blurrily blink my eyes open. My cheeks are warm as I realize that I fell asleep on him. ''I''m sorry, I fell asleep,'' I mumble. Nate grins at me. ''Don''t worry, it''s cute. Our date wore you out, huh'' I smile back at him. ''It was so much fun. I loved it.'' Nate gets out of the car and rushes round to open my door for me. I take his offered hand and step out. ''Well, I''ve got lots nned for us,'' he admits. ''I''ve had a long time to n this, you know'' We bothugh at that. We''re the same age, twenty¡ªeight, and we''ve waited a long time for each other. Nate walks me up to the door again and we turn to face each other. Like the night before, we move in unison and our lips meet. I feel confident enough to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to him. Nate ces his hands on my lower back, keeping me pressed against his chest. His tongue nudges my lips and I take the hint, opening my mouth to him. Our tongues collide and my heart suddenly starts beating much faster. This man sends my thoughts haywire. The porch light flickers on and off, like someone trying to send a Morse code. I chuckle and pull back from the kiss, whilst Nate looks confused. ''That is Ben''s subtle way of saying, stop making out ande inside,'' I tell him and Nateughs. ''Well, I better respect his wishes then,'' he replies good¡ªnaturedly. ''I''ll see you on Friday.'' ''Okay. Thank you again for tonight.'' Nate kisses my forehead and takes his leave. I let myself inside and find Ben waiting for me, a chastising look on his face. Oh, brother, here we go. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 3 Book 3 Chapter 3 Callie''s POV. ''Okay,'' I say with a sigh as I take off my shoes. ''Go for it. Give me your best, disapproving brother lecture.'' Ben scoffs. ''Please, I''m not Rixon,'' he protests. I cross my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow in question. Ben rolls his eyes at me. ''I''m just saying, must you make out on the porch'' Ben demands. I throw my hands in the air in exasperation. ''Where else am I supposed to kiss him goodbye And why were you watching you creep'' ''I don''t know, save it for in his car or something!'' Ben retorts. ''And I am not a creep, I just happened to be doing the washing up and looked out of the window.'' Our kitchen window overlooks the porch. ''Whatever just don''t watch your sister kiss her mate. It''s weird,'' I tell him. I stomp past him and up to my bedroom. Thank Goddess that he isn''t half as bad as Rixon. Thinking of Rixon, I should probably go and visit him and Lexi tomorrow. ????????????? Ben and I arrive at the cabin after breakfast. Lexi and Rixon are expecting us. Rix opens the door when we get out of the car. I embrace him and then Lexi, who is looking much better. The color is back on her face. We enter the cabin, and we all sit down in the living room to catch up. It''s only been a few days, but the Lexi cuddles up to Rixon''s side and I can''t help but smile. They look so happy together. ''How are your parents coping with all of this'' I ask her gently. Lexi''s parents don''t exactly approve of Rixon. They''ve only recentlye around to their rtionship, and Lexi nearly dying was the main reason for their change of heart. She nods, a soft smile on her face. ''They''re doing a lot better. They came over yesterday and actually found it in themselves to be decent to Rixon, so that''s progress. I think they''re mostly so excited about the prospect of being grandparents, N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. if I''m honest.'' Rixon kisses his mate''s temple and ces his hand on her stomach protectively. ''None of us can believe it,'' he murmurs. He looks at his mate with such adoration, it makes me miss Nate instantly. ''How are things between you and Nate You''ve been going on dates, much to Rixon''s displeasure,'' Lexi Rixon frowns at the mention of my mate. ''They''re really good, thank you. So far, he''s taken me bowling and indoor¡ªskiing. We''ve got another date on Friday.'' Lexi grins. ''Amazing! I''m so happy for you two. I hope your brothers aren''t giving you too much of a hard time.'' I give Ben a pointed look. ''No, they''re okay at the moment. I''m still too nervous to invite Nate inside, though.'' Ben scoffs. ''Please, we''re not that bad. You can invite him in.'' ''I think it''s a bit early for that. Let''s just keep it at the date level, okay'' Rixon chips in. ''No sleepovers yet, please.'' I roll my eyes and Lexi nudges him again. ''Callie is a grown woman. If she wants her mate to stay in her bed, he can,'' Lexi defends me and both brothers start protesting. ''Honestly, with the way those two are, I will neverplete the mating process with Nate,'' Iin to Lex. ''And what would be so wrong with that'' Rixon asks and I scowl at him. We stay for most of the afternoon. It''s nice to have the family together again, the house has been a bit quiet, just Ben and me. I''m making another round of drinks in the kitchen, when Rixon joins me. He leans against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. ''Tell me honestly, he''s treating you well You''re happy'' Rixon checks. Iugh at him. ''You''d be the first to know if I wasn''t, Rix. Don''t worry. He''s the perfect gentleman, I am so unbelievably happy.'' Rixon nods, his face serious. ''Good. Ben tells me you''ve still been getting nightmares, though.'' My hand freezes as I reach for the kettle. I swallow hard and focus on carrying on making the drinks. ''Um, yes. I have,'' I begrudgingly admit. Damn, Ben. Why is he worrying Rixon with this He has enough on his te. ''I thought they would stop after¡­you know,'' Rixon says quietly. I refuse to meet his gaze, worried that I might cry. I take a deep breath and pour the hot water into the mugs. ''So did I. But apparently, they haven''t,'' I respond curtly. ''It''s nothing I''m not used to, Rix. Don''t stress about me.'' Rixon moves closer to me, and I try to ignore the familiar burning at the back of my eyes, the one that threatens tears. ''You''re my sister, Cal. I''m always going to stress about you.'' I finish making the drinks and turn to him with a forced smile. ''Well, you don''t need to. I''m perfectly fine.'' He doesn''t believe me. I know, because I don''t believe me, either. We stay a little longer, but soon, Ben and I have to get home and get started on our dinner. We say goodbye to the happy couple, but I linger behind whilst Ben gets the car started. Rixon stands with me on the porch. I take a deep breath. ''Nate doesn''t know¡­about what happened,'' I tell him shakily. ''And I''d like to keep it that way, please.'' Rixon frowns. ''I don''t think that''s a good idea, keeping such a big thing from him.'' I shake my head. ''It''s too soon. I don''t want to burden him with it. Please, don''t mention anything if you see him.'' Rixon''s lips set into a thin line, but he nods. ''Fine. But you should tell him. With that kind of thing, honesty is the best way to deal with it.'' I know he''s right; I just don''t want Nate to look at me any differently. The way that my whole family looks at me. There''s nothing worse than seeing pity in their eyes. Poor Callie who was attacked by a misogynistic pig. I don''t want Nate to feel sorry for me. ????????????? Fridayes around quickly and I''m grateful for it. I''ve been missing Nate thest few days. I''m grinning when I meet him on the porch. I''ve stepped out before he can knock on the door, having heard him pull up in his car. ''You look beautiful,'' Natepliments me. I thank him and notice that he is looking thoughtfully at the door. ''Are you ever going to invite me in'' He asks curiously and I grimace. ''Not whilst my brothers are home,'' I respond. He takes my hand and walks me to his car. ''Oh,e on. They can''t be that bad.'' I give him a deadpan look. ''Trust me, they are. You''ll see, eventually.'' ''I''m Myra''s brother, remember I''m used to pushy siblings,'' he says, making meugh. ''I don''t think Myra would appreciate thatment,'' I tell him, and he chuckles. ''Probably not.'' Once again, he won''t tell me where we''re going. He drives back towards the city, and we pass a lot of restaurants. Nate says that we have plenty of time to just go for meals, but right now, he thinks that active dates are the best way to break the ice and get to know each other. I''m inclined to agree with him. Despite my reservations because of my past, I feel like we''ve gotten much closer thest few times we''ve been together. Nate parks outside a building that seems to contain a lot of differentpanies. I don''t know which one we''re here for. He takes my hand and leads us inside as my curiosity intensifies. The anticipation builds as he ushers us over to a separate building, linked to the main one. I turn to him, my excitement bubbling. ''We''re going axe¡ªthrowing'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 4 Book 3 Chapter 4 Callie''s POV. Nate grins at me. ''Yep. I hope you can throw an axe.'' I shrug. ''How hard can it be'' Nateughs at my statement. ''I guess you''re about to find out.'' We''re given ane, penned in on either side by highting. A well¡ªused target is at the end, the wood splintered from repeated hits from the axes. ''Okay, get a feel for the weight first,'' Nate coaches me. I hold the axe in my hand, feeling the worn wooden handle. It''s heavier than I thought it would be. ''Let''s try a throw. Try one¡ªhanded first, over the shoulder.'' I give it a go. I miss the targetpletely and my axe hits the wall with the handle, not the de end. Well, that was shit. ''Not bad for a first attempt,'' Nate says generously. ''At least you hit the wall.'' ''You try,'' I ask him. I take a step back and watch him position himself. He holds the axe behind him and takes aim. As heunches his arm forwards, the muscles in his arms flex. His shirt rides up a little, giving me a peek of his tanned stomach. The axe cuts through the air and hits the target. The axe stays in ce, neatly wedged in the blue ring, just outside of the red bull''s eye. ''Whoa!'' I exim, thoroughly impressed. Nate shrugs, obviously not as pleased with his throw. ''Meh, could be better.'' I scoff. ''Show off.'' After a couple more attempts and a bit more coaching from Nate, I actually manage to get the axe to hit the wall, de¡ªfirst. The bull''s eye is still a distant goal, but I''m getting closer. We pause to have some food and Nate promises a restaurant date next. ''I want to buy you something other than hot dogs or burgers for once,'' he tells me. I don''t mind. It''s cheesy, but the food isn''t why I''m here. I just want to be with him, I could care less what we eat. When we return, I try throwing the axe with two hands. This gives me more strength and my axes be wedged in the wood, no longer falling out after a few seconds. Nate gets quite a few bull''s eyes, and I''ll confess, I be more and more attracted to him as the date goes on. He''s just so handsome. The look on his face when he is concentrating, ugh, it''s so sexy. His eyes narrow and he gently bites his lower lip. He catches me staring a couple of times. He doesn''tment but gives me this knowing smile and I know I''ve been caught. Finally, I manage to get a bull''s eye. My axe flies through the air and chips straight into the red circle. There''s a moment''s pause, where I wait for it to fall out, but it stays. ''Look!'' I cry excitedly. I jump up and down and point at the target. ''I did it! I actually did it!'' Nateughs and congrattes me. Before he''s even finishing speaking, I throw myself at him. He catches me easily. I press my lips to his, surprising him. He recovers quickly and kisses me back. Despite being in a public ce, I kiss him like we''re alone, and back on my porch. I slowly slide down his body, until my toes touch the ground again, but our lips remain locked. Nate holds me close, his lips moving in perfect sync with mine. I don''t know whates over me, but I run my tongue along his bottom lip, wordlessly asking him to N?velDrama.Org content rights. deepen the kiss. He makes a sound at the back of his throat and his tongue touches mine. I don''t care about the people around us. I don''t care what they think or say. I only care about him. When we pull away, both of our breathing is a bit ragged. I giggle nervously and Nate pecks my nose. ''We should stop, before we get kicked out for indecent exposure,'' Nate says quietly, making meugh. We pull away from each other, but the atmosphere remains charged with sexual tension. The chemistry between us is palpable. Following Ben''s instruction, I keep my goodbye kiss in the confines of Nate''s car. I lean across the console and bury my fingers in his hair, resuming the kiss we stopped at the axe¡ªthrowing ce. I wish the console wasn''t between us, so that I could feel his muscr body against mine, but I know it is probably a good thing. As much as I want to, I''m not sure I''m ready to take things to the next step yet. I break the kiss and pull back for breath. I can see the desire in Nate''s eyes, and it makes me press my thighs together. I want him, but it''s too soon. A little bit longer. Although, I''m not sure how long I''ll be able to resist him. Nate softly strokes my cheek. ''You are so perfect, Callie,'' he murmurs. ''I can''t quite believe you''re mine.'' His sweet words make me grin. ''Well, you better believe it, because I''m not going anywhere.'' Nate smiles at that. ''Good to know, baby.'' My heart flutters when he uses that nickname. It doesn''t sound clich¨¦ when he says it. No one''s called me that before. Our eyes meet and the intensity of his gaze makes me feel like he can stare right into my soul. At that moment, I know he doesn''t see a broken girl. Not yet anyway. I push the bitter thought from my mind and decide to focus on the good. ''You have no idea how long I''ve waited to meet you,'' I tell him. Nate smirks and my cheeks heat up as I realize what I''ve said. ''Oh, wait! I guess you do know,'' I add with augh. I forget that we''re the same age. We''ve both waited so long for each other. ''If anyone knows exactly how you feel, it''s me, baby,'' Nate replies. I don''t know how long I stay in his car, reluctant to leave. Nate seems in no rush to return home. Eventually, I decide to call it a night, when I start yawning. Nate promises to pick me up tomorrow, for a proper¡ªsit¡ªdown¡ªrestaurant date. I really need to up my game ande up with some dates for us of my own. I feel bad that he''s having to take the reins ande up with this all himself. I want to show him that I can make an effort, too. ????????????? When Nate picks me up on Saturday evening, I''m eager to tell him that I''ve made ns for us the following weekend. I''ve arranged and booked a date for us. I''m contributing! My excitement of telling him is forgotten the moment I open the front door. My mate looks so unbelievably handsome, stood on the porch in a white shirt and ck cks. The top few buttons are undone, and he looks like some kind of model CEO. ''Wow,'' I breathe. ''You look so handsome.'' Nate grins at mypliment. ''Thank you, baby,'' he replies. ''You look beautiful, as always.'' I''m wearing one of my favorite dresses. Natepliments the color as we walk to his car, making me d that I chose it. The restaurant is rather fancy and not one I''d pick for a normal night out, but for treats and asions like this, it''s perfect. I''ve left my hair down in ck waves to my waist. Nate ys with them as we talk, making me blush at the attention. As we eat our food, he tells me more about his family. After hearing so many funny stories about his sister Myra, her mate, Jayce and their daughter, Naevia, I want to see them again. Nate seems just as eager to spend time with my family, too. It''s handy that Rixon and Jayce are already close friends. We agree to make ns to have our families meet up soon. It''s a signifier that things are getting more serious between us. I wonder if he wants to start the mating process. Does he want to mark me Do I want him to mark me Of course I do. I want the world ¨C well, the shifter world ¨C to know that I am his and he is mine. ''What are you thinking so hard about'' Nate''s voice breaks through my thoughts. My attention snaps back to him. We''re still in the restaurant and my mind just wanderedpletely. ''Nothing.'' I smile. Soon. Soon, I''ll show him how I feel, and we can take the next step. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 5 Book 3 Chapter 5 Callie''s POV. The next week passes quickly. Things heat up between Nate and me. Every time we meet, I find myself getting more and more drawn to him. I know it''s because we''re taking so long to mark each other. Nate doesn''t know why I''m taking things slow, but he respects it and doesn''t pressure me. I admire him so much for that. He must be curious as to why I''m holding back, but he hasn''t once pushed me to tell him anything. He''s the perfect gentleman. We''re going to have to move forwards soon, or things will get out of hand. We''ll start being more irrational, with short tempers and mood swings. We''ll crave being around each other and I don''t want it to get to the point where wesh out at our families. Luckily, the next weekend rolls around quite fast and soon, I''m driving us to the date I nned. I''ve turned the tables on Nate, and he''s left clueless and wondering where I''m taking us. As much as I''m bursting with excitement and I want to tell him, I want it to be a surprise, too. I think Nate has guessed what we''re doing by the time we pull up at the ce. There''s a small smile on his lips and he''s staying uncharacteristically quiet. ''We''re going go¡ªkarting'' He asks, gesturing to the sign. I grin at him. ''Hell yeah!'' ''Sounds good, baby. I''ve been looking for something else to kick your ass at,'' he teases me as we get out of the car. I scoff. ''You talk a big game, Nathan Archer. Just wait till I absolutely smash you.'' Nate frowns. ''I thought I''m the one that is meant to smash you'' My cheeks go bright red and Nate bursts outughing. He puts his arm around my shoulders. ''I''m sorry, that was inappropriate,'' he apologizes. ''It''s okay,'' I reassure him, but my cheeks are still on fire as we enter the building. We get changed into the gear, overalls, gloves and helmets. There are only a few other people on the track, giving us a lot of space. We climb into the karts and one of the staff members shows us how to brake and elerate. The firstp is a trial one, giving us a chance to get used to the route and the kart. I don''t go very fast, wanting to study the track so that I can beat Nate. I need to beat him; my ego can''t take another loss. He was so much better than me at bowling and axe ¡ªthrowing. Mypetitive shifter nature ising through, and I''m determined to win. Although Nate might have the raw talent to be good at a lot of things, the one thing I have over him in this case, is that I''m lighter. My kart can go faster than his, simply because I weigh less. In the first realp of the track, we are neck and neck with each other. My kart flies past Nate''s, but he''s sneaky. He cuts corners and manages to worm his way in front of me. Once he''s there, he blocks me from getting around him, keeping me stuck behind his kart. I hit my wheel with frustration. Yep, mypetitive side is definitelying out. The moment we get around a tight bend, I press my foot down on the elerator and floor it past him. I hear Nate shout my name, I can''t tell if it''s in anger or appreciation. Maybe a little of both. Iugh and ignore him, flying around the rest of the track. For the rest of theps he tries to catch up with me, he even bumps his kart with mine a few times. I drift around the corners, rarely taking my foot off the elerator. The only thing I have on him is my speed, I can''t slow down. I can''t lose again. On the finalp, I put the greatest distance between us. I think Nate already knows that I''ve won, and he epts defeat. I cross the finish line and pull into the parking bit. I get out of my kart as he pulls up behind me. I take off my helmet and throw it back into the kart. ''I won!'' I shout and pump my fists in the air. ''Woo!'' Nate gets out of his kart and takes his helmet off. He''s smiling, despite his defeat. ''Congrattions, baby,'' he says. I grin at him and do a little happy dance, making himugh. ''I guess we''ve finally found something you''re good at,'' hements dryly, and I stop dancing to yfully re at him. ''Hey! That''s mean!'' Nateughs and throws his arm around my shoulders. He pulls me into his side and kisses the top of my head. ''You deserved that win, well done.'' We share a pizza at a nearby restaurant. Nate gives me the final piece as a treat for being the winner. When ites to dessert, we each order our own and don''t share, because who would He might be my mate, but that doesn''t mean I will share my cake with him. When we get back into my car, instead of driving us straight home, I take us to a heritage site just outside of town. ''What are we doing here'' Nate asks when I park up. ''I saw it in the news, they have set up this thing called an illumination walk,'' I tell him with a shrug. ''I thought we could check it out.'' I pay the fare for us both to get tickets and we follow the other people down the pathway. The heritage site consists of a huge Victorian house and the grounds. I visited it a couple of times when I was younger. It''s a mild night, but it is pitch ck. Slowly, the lights start toe into view. We follow the pathway that weaves throughout the gardens. The lights are incredible. They''ve wrapped meters and meters of fairy lights around the trunks and branches of the trees, illuminating the sky like stars. There are wicker animals, covered in lights, nestled in groves and clearings. People try and spot them all. A light¡ªup sits on a tall branch, an illuminated squirrel is hidden behind a bush. They''ve even added underwater lights to the enormous pond, shedding light on the koi carp swimming inside. It''s absolutely stunning. I take a few pictures as I walk along with Nate, holding hands. Wee to a wooden bench, set beneath a three¡ªmeter¡ªhigh wooden heart, lit up with red bulbs. ''Do you want me to take your photo'' A kind woman offers. I hurriedly ept her offer. After handing the woman my phone, I pull Nate over to the bench and sit down it. He dutifully sits next to me and wraps his arm around me. I cuddle into his side and grin at the camera. I thank the woman and look at the picture when she''s done. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''Send me that, please,'' Nate requests. I do as he asks and a momentter, my heart skips a beat. He''s set the photo as his lock¡ªscreen. I do the same and it makes me smile each time I see it throughout the evening. I drive to Nate''s house and drop him off. He lives here alone, Myra moved in with Jayce when they had their daughter. Like he always does, I walk him to his front door. It feels funny, not having my brother''s watchful eyes on us. We can kiss all we want on his porch, no one is going to stop us. ''Do you want to stay at mine sometime this week'' Nate asks me. ''No pressure. You can stay in the spare room.'' I consider his offer and he takes my silence as me not wanting to. He shrugs. ''You don''t have to. I just hate having to say goodbye to you.'' My heart warms at his words. ''I hate it, too,'' I tell him honestly. ''Okay, I''ll stay over!'' I have to bite this bullet eventually. But what if I have a nightmare I''m going to have to tell him, I have to pre¡ªwarn him, in case I have one and wake him up. We kiss goodbye, somehow managing to keep it PG. My hands are tempted to explore his delicious body, but I remind myself that I have the chance to do that uninterrupted when I stay over at his house. I go over everything in my head on the drive home. It''s been almost two weeks since we met. It''s almost unheard of for shifters to wait that long to I want to take the next step, I really do. But getting more intimate with him means that I have to tell him about what happened to me, and I really don''t want that to change things between us. I''ve never had to tell anyone before. Rixon has always done it for me. And I can''t ask him to tell my mate something so personal about me. Besides, he would probably use it as an opportunity to scare Nate off from ever touching me again. No. I need to woman up and tell him. Who knows, maybe when he marks me, the nightmares will stop. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 6 Book 3 Chapter 6 Callie''s POV. Nate and I agree on Tuesday to meet. Ben watches with a frown on his face as I pack to stay over at Nate''s. He hands me a huge hoodie of his. ''What''s this'' I ask him. ''For you to sleep in. You don''t need any of that silk orce shit, you can wear your brother''s hoodie.'' I give him a deadpan look. ''You can''t be serious.'' Except, we both know that he is. ''Ben, I am not wearing your hoodie to sleep in,'' I tell him firmly and shove the hoodie back at him. My brother huffs and leaves the room. I breathe a sigh of relief and subtly slide in a silk nighty. What my brothers don''t know, won''t hurt them. Honestly, you''d think I was sixteen years old, the way they treat me. They also act like Nate isn''t my fated mate, that he isn''t the one man destined to love me unconditionally. By the time Natees to pick me up, Ben has managed to ept the fact that I am staying over at my mate''s house tonight. I''m surprised he hasn''t called Rixon for backup. It''s crazy, really. I''m going to be living with this guy one day, how are they going to react when I move out ''I would invite you in, but Ben is on one today and I''m not putting you through that, you don''t deserve it,'' I tell Nate as I walk straight out of the house and shut the door behind me. Nateughs and shrugs. ''Alright.'' He holds my hand as he drives us over to his house. We tell each other about our days. I silently wonder when we should move in together. Most mates do it within the first week of the meeting. But not the ones that I know. Myra and Jayce didn''t, I don''t think. Lexi and Rixon didn''t. The only ones I know who moved quite fast were Alena and Elijah. When we get to his house, Nate shows me to the guest room, where I leave my bag. It''s lovely, but I wish I didn''t have to stay in it. I wish I could share a bed with him, but I don''t want him to experience first¡ªhand, how horrible my nightmares can be. Hopefully, if I have one tonight, he will sleep through it. I help Nate make dinner for us. Weugh and joke around, whipping up a delicioussagne, if I do say so myself. Although, I''ll admit, I''m hungry and biased. The evening passes quickly. We sit outside in the garden with a nket, looking up at the stars and sharing whimsical thoughts. The nerves start building as I get ready for bed. Nate kisses me goodnight and goes down to his own bedroom. I look at the three meters between his door and mine. Not far enough to hide anything I shout or cry during a nightmare. An anxious pit forms in my stomach as I climb under the covers. I close my eyes and pray that I don''t have a nightmare. I don''t want to have to exin things to him yet. ????????????? The morninges and I feel rmingly well¡ªrested. I use the en¡ªsuite and get ready for the day. Once I''m dressed and presentable, I cautiously venture out of the spare room. Nate is already downstairs, and the smell of bacon wafts up to thending. I rush down, my stomach rumbling. Nate looks over his shoulder at me from the stove. ''Morning, beautiful,'' he greets me. ''Did you sleep okay'' I let out a breath I didn''t know I''d been holding. I didn''t have a nightmare. ''Yes, I did, thank you,'' I reply. ''Really well, actually.'' Nate serves us up breakfast andments on my abnormally chipper mood. Not that I''m not usually happy around him, but he jokes that I''m on a sugar rush without the sugar. What he doesn''t know, is that I''m so happy that I had my first night without any nightmares. This is great. This means we can share a bed. Maybe a mate is the cure I hope so. ''Can we do this again'' I ask, surprising Nate. He smiles, surprised but happy. ''Of course! Do you want to stay over tonight'' ''Are you sure you want to see me again so soon'' I check and he chuckles. ''Of course, I do. If I had it my way, you''d never leave.'' He says the words so casually, as he clears away our tes. I stare after him, stunned into silence. He wants me to stay ''What Like, live together'' I confirm and heughs. ''Yes. Is that so hard to believe I''ve waited twelve years for my mate, Callie,'' he replies. His face turns serious, as if he has just heard his own words aloud. ''But don''t feel pressured, I''ve waited that long, I can certainly wait longer.'' He''s such a sweetie. I can''t believe he wants me to live with him. ''Is this you offering for me to move in'' I ask him, with one dubiously raised eyebrow. Nate grins, wiping his hands on a towel. He walks over to the ind, where I''m sat on a barstool. He rests his elbows on the counter and leans in close to me. ''And if it is'' He asks teasingly. I purse my lips to keep myself from grinning back. ''If it is, then I''ll have to consider your offer, Mr. Archer.'' Nate pecks my nose, making me giggle. ''You do that, Miss Moretti, but no rush on giving me an answer. We''ve got all the time in the world.'' He''s right. With our slow aging, we quite literally do. Our jovial atmosphere remains for the rest of the morning. Nate drops me home after lunch, giving me a few hours to get myself sorted and pack for a second night at his. ''You''re staying over again'' Ben blurts, obviously surprised. I roll my eyes at him. ''Why is this shocking We''re mates, that''s what mates do; spend time together.'' ''Yes, but¡­two nights in a row!'' I scoff at my brother''s theatrics. ''When you find your mate, Ben, you''ll understand.'' ''Are you sure that two nights in a row is a good idea'' Rixon chips in from my doorway. ''Oh, not you as well! Bugger off you two,'' I snap, trying to focus on packing. Nate and I have a date nned for tomorrow and I still haven''t chosen my outfit. Realizing that Rixon has arrived, I tell him my good news. ''I didn''t have a nightmare,'' I tell him proudly. ''I think Nate is the cure.'' At that, my brother smiles. ''That''s amazing, Cal.'' ''See,'' I tell him pointedly. ''Maybe spending time with Nate isn''t such a bad thing after all.'' My brothers have nothing to say to that, for once. They leave me to pack the rest of my things in peace. I hover my hand over the silk nighty I took yesterday, but never wore. Maybe I should ask to sleep in Nate''s bed tonight I want to, and I get the feeling he wants me to, too. I hold the nighty in my hands, running my fingers over the smooth, cold fabric. I''m being the new Callie, remember The strong Callie, the bold Callie, the Callie that isn''t afraid anymore. With that strengthening thought, I put the nighty in the bag. I tuck it to the bottom and zip up the duffel. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. When Ie downstairs, Rixon and Ben are sat in the living room. Their eyes are on the TV, but I know their ears are perked, listening out for the doorbell. Not a chance. I text Nate and tell him to wait in the car, that I''lle out to him. He has to meet my brothers eventually, I know, but not today. To be honest, I''d rather he didn''t meet them until I''m marked. That way, they can''t do anything about it, it''ll be toote. Nate pulls up on the road, rather than the drive. ''Alright guys, I''ll see you tomorrow!'' I call. I hear them shouting after me, but I m the door and rush down the pathway. I''m in Nate''s car when Rixon appears at the door. ''Go, go, go!'' I hurriedly tell Nate. He floors it down the street, leaving my brothers far behind. Haha, suck on that, Moretti men. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 7 Book 3 Chapter 7 Callie''s POV. ''What was that about'' Nate asks as he drives us to the restaurant. ''I''m sorry, Rixon was round and he and Ben were getting each other riled up. They just make each other worse. I knew they wanted to invite you in for a ''chat'', which really means a twelve¡ªminute lecture on not touching their sister,'' I tell him. Nate chuckles. ''You know, the more you tell me about your brothers, the more I want to meet them.'' I stare at him in shock. ''Really What''s tempting you; the lecturing or the intimidation'' Nate scoffs. ''I think they''re hamming it up for you, I bet they will be alright when they finally meet me.'' I huff at his naivety. ''You don''t know them; it will be bad.'' ''That''s the whole point, I want to know them,'' Nate responds. I consider it for a moment. ''Are you sure there''s nothing they can say that will scare you away'' I ask hesitantly. Nate reaches over for my hand. He pulls it up to his face and he kisses the back of it in a sweet gesture that has my cheeks warming. ''No, baby,'' he reassures me. ''There''s nothing they can say. I''m staying, no matter what.'' I swallow hard, floored by the second meaning of his words. I really, really hope that is true. That, when the timees, my past won''t scare him away. ''Alright, it''s your funeral,'' I concede dramatically. ''You can meet them tomorrow.'' Nate grins and nods. ''Perfect. Can''t wait.'' ''Dude, you seriously have a death wish,'' I mutter under my breath. My mate just chuckles and gives my hand a squeeze, he''s still holding it over the console. ''Nope. I just know that your brothers are going to see how much I care about you, and they''ll respect our bond. It''s going to be okay, baby, you''ll see.'' Luckily, we arrive at the restaurant, so we don''t discuss it further. The food is great, and mypany even is greater. Tears are rolling down my face (happy tears, obviously) by the time dessert is served. I''m still smiling when Nate takes us back to his house. We stay up and have a ss of wine each. There''s so much for us to talk about. Both of us have done so much in our twenty¡ªeight years. There are tons of things to catch each other up on. At eleven, we decide that we should get ready for bed. I use the spare bedroom''s en suite and change into the silk nighty. I look at my reflection and give myself a mental pep talk. You''ve got this, girl. I can''t remember thest time I shared a bed with a guy. Before I was attacked, anyway, so it was a long time ago. I curl my hands into fists at my side and take a deep breath. I leave the safety of the spare room and walk down the corridor, to Nate''s bedroom. Gathering my confidence, I knock on the door. There are a few seconds of painful waiting, but then the door opens. Nate''s eyebrows shoot up, surprise covering his face as he looks at my attire. His expression changes. His eyes darken and his jaw clenches. I watch him take a deep inhale. ''Callie,'' he says my name, his voice sounding strained. ''Is everything okay'' I y with hands nervously and struggle to meet his heated gaze. ''I was wondering if I could¡­possibly¡­sleep in your bed¡­tonight'' I slowly get the words out, my cheeks turning a darker shade of red with each passing moment. Nate stares at me in shock, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. Eventually, he manages to recover. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. He steps back opening the door fully. ''Yeah, uh¡ª of course,e on in,'' he stumbles over his words. I''ve obviously caught him off guard. I nervously walk into his room, my hands still sped together in front of me. I resist the urge to wrap my arms around myself in an attempt to cover up. I need to own this outfit. Nate awkwardly scratches the back of his head. ''Take either side, I don''t mind,'' he tells me, gesturing to hisrge bed. I look at it and consider which side to take. His phone is on charge on the right¡ªhand side, so I choose the left. I slide under the covers, instantly grateful for the coverage the duvet provides. Nate hesitates for a second, and then turns out the overhead lights. Themp, on his side of the bed, softly illuminates the room. Nate climbs into bed next to me. He rolls onto his side to face me, and I can''t keep the smile off my face. ''What made you change your mind'' He asks quietly, awe in his tone. ''I get nightmares sometimes,'' I tell him, being slightly economical with the truth. I get them every night, usually. ''And I didn''t want to disturb your sleep, but I didn''t have onest night, so I wanted to try sleeping in your bed, with you.'' Nate smiles at my confession. He reaches over and strokes his thumb over my bottom lip. ''What are your nightmares about'' My stomach twists and my mouth suddenly goes dry. I quickly lick my lips and Nate''s eyes drop to them, following my tongue''s movement. ''Just bad stuff,'' I reply vaguely. Nate gets the hint and doesn''t delve anymore. He shuffles close to me and wraps his arm around my waist. I sink into his touch, letting my body press against his. ''I can''t remember thest time I shared a bed with a guy,'' I admit quietly. Nate kisses my forehead. ''Really Have you not had many rtionships'' He asks. He takes my hesitation to answer as guilt. I''m not guilty of having other rtionships, I''m guilty of not being fully honest with him. ''It''s okay, baby, I won''t be mad. You can tell me,'' he tries to reassure me, but he has no idea how far off the mark he is. ''I''ve never been in a rtionship,'' I confess to him. Nate''s eyes snap to mine, surprise clear on his face. ''Really'' ''Yes.'' ''Whoa,'' he mutters. ''Why not If you don''t mind me asking.'' I shrug, not wanting to get into it. ''Have you'' I ask, turning the tables on him. Nate pulls a face. ''Not ones I would consider serious. I''ve dated over the years, but I''ve never seen anyone long term.'' He strokes his fingers down my face and my eyes briefly close, savoring his addictive touch. ''I guess at the back of my mind, I always knew I''d meet my mate. Even though I''d given up hope of it happening any time soon, I knew the Moon Goddess wouldn''t be so cruel as to make me die alone.'' I snort at his dramatic statement. ''No, she would never be that cruel.'' My eyes meet his again and unspoken words pass between us. No words are said, but our eyes tell each other how much we mean to one another. The affection is tangible. I run my hands up Nate''s chest and into his hair. He closes his eyes, enjoying my nails gently scraping over his scalp. I pull softly on the strands, and he makes a pleased noise at the back of his throat. His eyes flutter open and meet mine. He leans in close and presses his lips to mine, his eyes closing again. Mine fall shut, too, as I kiss him back. Our lips move easily over each other. We know each other now; we move in perfect sync. His lips are soft yet demanding against mine. I scoot my body closer and kiss him harder. Nate wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his body. He rolls onto his back, and Iy on top of him, hoping that I''m not crushing him. His muscr body feels incredible against mine. His hand slides down my back, dropping to my butt as his tongue nudges mine. Desire bolts through me as I feel him growing against my stomach. I squirm against his erection and Nate groans into the kiss. His hand slides lower, to the bottom of my nighty on my thighs. His fingers graze over my inner thigh, right next to where myce thong covers my core. I pull back suddenly, breaking our kiss. Nate looks at me worriedly. ''Are you okay'' He asks, concern clear in his voice. I feel guilty for making him worry. I slide off him and nod. ''I''m okay, sorry,'' I mumble. ''I just don''t want to¡­go any further.'' Nate nods quickly. ''Of course, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to push you.'' Guilt consumes me. ''You didn''t! Please don''t apologize, this is all me.'' Nate shakes his head and opens his arms to me. ''Cuddle'' I cuddle into him andy my head on his chest. I need to tell him, but I just can''t make myself do it tonight. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I''ll tell him. Book 3 Chapter 8 Book 3 Chapter 8 Callie''s POV. I organize for Nate and me to go rock¡ªclimbing the next day. He thinks it''s simply a fun date I nned for us; he doesn''t know I wanted to treat him after feeling guilty forst night. I came on to him and kissed him and then pulled away the moment things got heated. He med himself. He thought that he pushed me, he doesn''t understand why I''m not ready. But he will, because I''m telling him tonight. I asked to stay over again, and this time, I''m really going to tell him. We climb the walls together, strapped into harnesses and swinging above the ground. I love that Nate is such an adventurous guy. He enjoys having active dates as well as your more traditional ones. I feel like our rtionship will never be boring. We try all of the different climbing walls, choosing to re¡ªdo the hardest ones on the second time round. ''Nate, I can feel you staring at my butt,'' Iment dryly. I''m almost at the top of the wall, whilst my mate is a few meters below, getting an eyeful. Nate chuckles. ''What I''m supposed to not look at it It''s right there!'' Iugh at his protests. ''Whatever, just get it all out of your system before you meet my brotherster.'' I can''t believe he''s not more nervous about meeting my brothers. He hasn''t even mentioned seeing Myra and Jayce any time soon and I''m already nervous about it. The fact he actually asked to meet my family is shocking. I texted Rixon and Ben this morning, telling them to be at the house at 3 pm, when I bring Nate over. I may or may not have threatened their lives if they aren''t nice to him. I try to drag out the rock¡ªclimbing as long as possible, but all too soon, we''re in the car. We park outside my house and nerves build inside of me. Nate takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. ''Rx, it''s going to be okay,'' he reassures me. ''Isn''t that supposed to be my line'' I ask him. ''Seriously, why are you not more worried'' Nate smirks and gets out of the car. I follow him, filled with dread and anticipation. ''I''ve already told you; it''s going to be okay because they''re going to see how much I care about you.'' He takes my face in his hands, cupping my cheeks gently. ''Your brothers want the best for you, they want you to be happy. I swear to spend every day of the rest of my life treating you like a queen.'' My eyes burn with unshed tears, and I quickly blink them back. ''Nate Archer, you might just be the most perfect man I have ever met,'' I confess. He grins at me and shrugs. ''Meh, I try.'' We hold hands and walk up the pathway. The door opens before either of us reaches it. Ben stands in the foyer, ushering us in with a stern face. Here we go. I grip Nate''s hand tightly and lead him into the house. Ben follows us into the lounge, where Rixon is standing. My brother has his hands stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans, and his eyebrows are already furrowed in a frown. ''Nate, these are my brothers, Rixon and Ben,'' I introduce him. ''Guys, this is Nate.'' I give both of my brothers a pointed look, silently telling them to behave, or else. Ben moves forwards first, offering out his hand to Nate. ''Nice to meet you, Nate,'' he says, giving him a brief smile. Nate shakes his hand. ''It''s great to finally meet you, Ben,'' Nate replies warmly. He turns to Rixon and holds out his hand to him. Rixon eyes it warily, but shakes it, nheless. ''Nice to meet you,'' Nate says with a nod. Rixon gives him a stiff nod back. ''Likewise.'' Ugh, could this get any more ufortable I grimace and we all take a seat. I shuffle close to Nate, trying to protect him from my brothers'' stern looks. ''So, Nate,'' Rixon begins. ''Twelve years is a long time to go without a mate, I bet you''ve dated a lot.'' My mouth drops open and I can''t stop the sarcasticment froming out. ''Like that''s any of your business!'' I snap. ''What Are you wanting to date him'' Rixon narrows his eyes at him. ''No, it''s okay,'' Nate responds. ''I haven''t dated a lot, actually. Nothing serious. I always knew I would find Callie; I just didn''t know when.'' Rixon nods, seemingly satisfied with his answer. ''You were thirty when you met your mate, correct'' Nate says and I hold back a smile as Rixon shifts in his chair. ''Yes, I was.'' ''So, you know what it is like, waiting so long for something so amazing,'' Natements. He turns to me and smiles. ''And how they make the wait worth it.'' I smile widely at him. Man, my mate has a way with words. Rixon clears his throat, obviously caught out by the statement. ''Yes,'' he replies gruffly. ''I do.'' ''I know you two have your reservations about me,'' Nate starts. ''You are obviously very protective of your sister, and I respect that. But please, I want you to know how much I care about Callie. She is my world. I would never let any harme to her and I will do everything I can to make her happy.'' My heart flutters and a reflexive ''aw'' leaves my lips. Nate shoots a wink at me. He takes my hand and holds it on hisp. ''She is everything to me,'' he finishes. Silence descends on the room. I look at my mate lovingly and my brothers remain stunned into silence. My heart has never felt so full. I want nothing more than to kiss him at this moment, but that certainly won''t help my brothers like him. ''Well.'' Rixon coughs. ''That''s what we wanted to hear, right, Ben'' Ben nods. ''Yes, it is.'' Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Rixon stands up and we follow suit. He sighs and holds his hand out to Nate. ''You seem like a decent guy, take care of my sister,'' Rixon states. Nate shakes his hand. ''Of course.'' Ben remains rtively quiet but gives Nate the nod of approval. My brothers remain downstairs whilst I take Nate up to my room. I don''t want to leave him alone with the two brutes. ''This is your room'' Nate asks as we enter. I look around sheepishly, wishing I''d tidied a bit more before he came over. ''Um, yes.'' Nate grins. ''It''s adorable.'' His eyesnd on the pile of soft toys on the chair in the corner and I feel myself blushing. Nate walks over and picks thergest one up, a huge cow. ''Tell me, will this delightful creature be moving into my house with you'' He asks teasingly, holding up the stuffed animal. I pout at him. ''That''s Master Moo, and yes, he will be joining us.'' Nate chuckles. ''That''s fine by me, but he''s not sharing our bed.'' I turn away in an attempt to hide my blush. I hear Nate move and he wraps his arms around me from behind. He nuzzles his face into my neck and goose¡ªbumps break out on my arms. ''I like the sound of that,'' he murmurs against my skin. ''Our bed.'' ''I haven''t given you my answer yet,'' I tell him coyly. I feel him smile against my neck. He kisses the sensitive skin and then grazes his teeth over it. ''No¡­.but you will,'' he whispers confidently. ''I''ll just have to show you how enjoyable living with me can be.'' Thebination of the gentle nipping of my neck, his strong arms around my waist and his husky voice, filled with double meanings, makes my knees weak. I lean into his touch and close my eyes. Nate continues torturing my neck, kissing and nibbling until I''m shuddering against him. ''Okay¡­'' I acquiesce quietly. ''Maybe you have a point about that whole living together thing¡­'' Nate chuckles and pulls away, leaving me bereft without his touch. ''I told you I''d convince you, Miss Moretti.'' I spin around to face him, a smile on my lips. ''I''m not convinced yet, Mr. Archer,'' I tease. ''I was merely pointing out that it should be considered.'' He groans and Iugh at him. I pack my things for staying at his house and we say goodbye to my brothers. I wait till we have reached Nate''s car to give a cheer and grin at him. ''We made it!'' I tell him excitedly. ''We survived!'' Heughs and shakes his head. ''I told you!'' We get a takeaway pizza and watch Friends re¡ªruns. It''s the perfect evening. It''s only when we climb into bed and cuddle, that my stomach twists into knots. I look into my mate''s eyes and take a deep breath. ''Nate, I need to tell you something.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 9 Book 3 Chapter 9 Callie''s POV. His brows furrow and he holds me a little closer. ''What''s wrong'' He asks, sounding worried. I want to reassure him, but I can''t. My throat feels like it''s tightening up and my breathing has suddenly be shallow. I''ve never had to do this before. I''ve never had to say the horrible words out loud. Momentarily, I close my eyes and take a fortifying breath. When I open them again, I''m focused. ''There''s a reason that my brothers are so protective of me,'' I tell him quietly. I try to maintain eye contact, but I can''t. Instead, I focus my gaze on a single freckle, right on his left corbone. ''As you know, we''re rogues, but we haven''t always been. Ten years ago, we were part of a pack.'' I N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. swallow hard. My mouth has gone dry and tastes like acid. ''The Alpha of that pack, had a son¡­'' Nate''s hand squeezes my hip, as a warning, as a gesture offort, I don''t know. ''He took an interest in me,'' I confess, my voice barely above a whisper. ''An interest that I didn''t reciprocate. He didn''t like that.'' ''Callie¡­'' Nate warns. ''Is this going to make me kill him Do I have to kill this man'' He knows already. He knows where this is going, and I don''t me him for wanting to avenge me. I wanted to kill him, too. ''He''s dead,'' I tell him quickly. ''I''ll exin it all, but just know, he''s dead.'' Nate lets out a breath of relief. I sneak a nce at him, and his jaw is clenched. He gives me a nod to continue. ''Ever since I turned sixteen, he bothered me. He would ask me out endlessly, follow me around at school and at home. He would try and kiss me at parties, getting me drinks to make me drink. Luckily, Rixon and Ben were always there, showing me the tricks people use to get someone vulnerable. ''He never got near me. I always turned him down, I never epted any of his gifts or advances. I thought he would get over the crush, there were so many other women in the pack. After a while, it did get slightly better. Just before I turned eighteen, he started dating other people.'' Nate listens silently to me, waiting patiently whenever I stop to catch my breath or gather my thoughts. ''I didn''t realize that the reason he was dating those other girls, was to tick them off his list. When he was done, I was thest one left that he hadn''t managed to have. It drove him crazy that I would say no to a future Alpha.'' Nate''s fingers dig into my side. It''s subconscious, I think, he doesn''t intend to hurt me. I barely notice the pain, my body too focused on the emotional pain I''m feeling right now. ''One night, Ben was out and Rixon had thete shift training the guards,'' I force myself to get the words out. Just once. Just once, I have to tell him and then I can never talk about it again. ''The Alpha''s son, he came round and he¡ª'' my voice breaks, and Nate holds me close. He strokes my hair and squeezes me. ''You don''t have to tell me,'' he mumbles. ''It''s okay.'' I pull back and shake my head. ''No, I do. I want to tell you and then never mention it again. I want this to be it, I want it to be over with.'' Nate must hear the resolve in my voice, because he nods and waits for me to carry on. ''He forced himself on me. He ripped my clothes and pinned me to the floor. He wasn''t able to¡­get inside me¡­before Rixon came home. He stopped him; my brother saved me.'' I didn''t realize how tense Nate''s body was, until he sags with relief. Little does he know, that''s only the first part. ''Rixon took the son to the Alpha and demanded he kick him out of the pack. Do you know what the Alpha did instead He took his son''s side and kicked us out. My brothers and I were exiled and given 24 hours to leave. A growl leaves Nate''s chest and my eyes blur with tears. I try to hold them back. ''The next day, we packed everything up. Rixon and Ben took all of our things over to the new house we''d rented. I stayed behind to pack up the final boxes. They were only gone twenty minutes.'' Nate''s hands dig into my sides again as he realizes that the worst is yet toe. ''The Alpha''s son came back. He was so much rougher this time. He was fuming that he''d been caught and that his father had been involved. Even though his father hadn''t kicked him out, he knew what his son had done. ''He got what he wanted this time. He ¨C'' my voice breaks, and tears leak down my face. Nate wipes them away as they fall, whispering assurances. ''He took what he wanted. Rixon came home and he pulled him off me, but he was toote.'' My body is shaking now, and I feel as though I''m both freezing and sticky with sweat at the same time. It''s a horrible feeling. Nate presses me against him, and Iy my face against his chest, listening to his thumping heartbeat. ''Rixon killed him. He beat him senselessly until he was dead. That''s what earned him his brand. My brother killed my attacker and I''ll never be able to thank him enough for that. He saved me twice.'' I pull back and wipe my eyes. Growls are rolling out of Nate''s mouth. His body is shaking as much as mine. Only his is with anger. ''That day we first met, when we rescued Lexi from Alpha Seok. He was the Alpha who branded Rixon.'' Realizationes over Nate''s face. ''His son attacked you'' I don''t think he intends his voice toe out as aggressive as it does. I know it is anger at the son, not at me. I nod, unable to find the words anymore. ''They deserve to be dead,'' my mate says through gritted teeth. ''But I wish I''d been the one to end their pathetic lives.'' He buries his face in my hair and inhales deeply, calming himself with my scent. ''I''m so sorry I wasn''t there, I should have found you sooner, I could have protected you,'' his voice sounds broken with thick emotion as he apologizes needlessly. I hold him tightly, squeezing my eyes shut and holding him like he''s my lifeline. I guess he is. ''Don''t apologize,'' I mumble. ''It''s in the past, but I needed you to know.'' ''Fuck,'' he mutters into my hair. He''s still shaking against me, and I know he is trying to calm himself down. ''I want to rip him to fucking shreds.'' Nate''s voice is guttural and doesn''t sound like the Nate I know. It hurts me that telling him this has made him so upset. ''I''m okay, don''t worry,'' I whisper to him. ''I''ve got you, now.'' He squeezes me until I worry that I can''t breathe. ''Thank you for telling me, baby. I can''t imagine how hard that was for you, so thank you.'' How is he so amazing ''I was so worried about how you''d react,'' I confess to him. Nate pulls back, wanting to meet my eyes. ''Why were you worried'' ''I was scared you wouldn''t look at me the same way, that you''d pity me or think I''m broken or something. I don''t know.'' Nate lifts my chin and makes me look at him. ''Don''t ever think that I won''t want you, Callie. You are the strongest person I know, you''re incredible.'' Tears pool in my eyes and I grab his t¡ªshirt. I pull Nate down and our lips meet. I pour all of my affection into the kiss, letting him know just how much he means to me. Nate runs his hands up and down my back soothingly, kissing me back with equal enthusiasm. When we finally pull away, we''re both panting. We rest our foreheads against each other and remain I can''t believe how well that went. His reaction was perfect. ''Nate Archer, you are so amazing,'' I tell him, making him chuckle.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 10 Book 3 Chapter 10 Callie''s POV. I wake up the next morning with a smile on my face. I slept through the whole night without a nightmare, again. I can''t remember thest time I felt this well ¡ªrested. I roll over and my eyesnd on the reason. Nate Archer, my wonderful mate. The curer of my demons. I''ve conquered the demons myself too, I know, and I have to take credit for that. I''m a survivor and it''s not liking meeting Nate has just automatically fixed my problems. I''m still going to be hesitant when things start heating up between us. It''s been so many years since I trusted a man with my body. But if there''s anyone I trust, it''s him. Nate hasn''t magically cured my fears, but his presence makes me feel safe enough to sleep without fear, and that''s a big deal. I suffered from nightmares because I was alone in bed and that meant I was ''vulnerable'' when I was asleep. Having Nate lying next to me, takes away that vulnerability. It makes me feel protected and it makes my subconscious rx. My mate is still sleeping deeply next to me. I watch his chest rise and fall with every breath. His lips are slightly parted, and his arms are resting on the pillow above his head. He looks adorable and sexy at the same time. I want to move in with him. I want to wake up to this every day, I want to cuddle him at night, I want to spend all of my time with him. Not having nightmares is an added bonus. I silently decide to give him my answer. Today, I will let him know that I will move in with him, if he still wants me to. I don''t know how my brothers are going to take it, but it has to happen eventually, right Rolling onto my back, I stare at the ceiling, guilt filling me. Rixon is going to move into a house with Lexi soon, in preparation for their baby arrives. If I move out with Nate, Ben will be alone. He''s my baby brother, I don''t want him by himself. Maybe Nate will let Ben move in with us I push the thought out of my mind the second after it enters. There''s no way that Ben would want to live with his sister and her mate. ''What are you thinking so hard about'' Nate''s groggy voice sounds from next to me. I roll back to face and smile as he blurrily opens his eyes. His sleepy look is adorable. ''I have an answer for you,'' I tell him. It takes a moment for his brain to catch up and work out the context behind what I''m saying. His face lights up as the imaginary lightbulb goes off above his head. ''You''ll move in with me'' The excited look on his face only solidifies my answer. ''Yes,'' I confirm. ''I will move in with you.'' Nate wraps his arms around me and rolls us. I squeak with surprise and suddenly, I''m on top of him as heys on his back. He starts peppering kisses along my neck, up my jaw, towards my lips. I quickly mp my hands over my mouth. ''No! Morning breath!'' I protest and he scoffs at me. ''I don''t care, baby,'' he says and then firmly ces his lips over mine. My reluctance vanishes quickly, and I kiss him back, unable to resist. ????????????? At some point, Nate and I manage to take our hands off each other and leave the bed. We get ready for the day and Nate suggests we go kayaking. I text my brothers to check up on them and let them know what I''m doing. Rixon reply makes me smile. I knew it. He and Lexi are looking at houses today. I hope they get somewhere nearby. The weather is crisp and dry. We wrap up warm and rent two kayaks from the local center. Nate and I kayak down the river, enjoying the fresh air and each other''spany. Nate, overly excited about me moving in, eagerly offers suggestions and rmendations of where my things can go, or what changes we can make to the house. He begs, and I fold, agreeing to move inter this week. After a few hours on the river, Nate drives me back to my house. ''Do you want to meet my sister tomorrow Properly, I mean. I know you''ve already met her.'' His question catches me off¡ªguard. ''Really'' Nateughs at my response. ''Yes, really. You can meet Jayce and Naevia, too.'' I don''t know why, but the thought makes me really nervous. In a good way, though. It''s because I want them to like me, I want them to think I''m good for Nate. ''Um, okay then, sure!'' I reply and Nate shakes his head. ''Don''t sound too eager,'' he teases, and I nudge him yfully. ''This is scary, alright! I want your family to like me.'' ''They will, don''t worry. Mum will love you,'' he reassures me. It''s sweet that he''s trying to soothe my worries, but I know I''m going to be nervous right up to the moment we go round to their house. ????????????? I was right. My stomach is still in knots when Nate knocks on the door. He doesn''t wait for an answer, he lets himself inside and pulls me in with him. I look around, admiring the beautiful house that belongs to Jayce. ''Uncle Nate!'' A child''s voice sounds down the hallway. My head snaps towards the sound and I spot a young girl running towards us. Sheunches herself at Nate, who catches her easily and swings her around. ''Well don''t you look messy, what have you been doing'' Natements, holding onto one of Naevia''s hands. It''s covered in different colors of pen ink. ''We''re doing Art!'' She replies proudly. Her eyes suddenly fall on me, as if just noticing that I am here. She tucks herself behind Nate''s legs. ''Who''s that, Uncle Nate'' She asks quietly. ''This is my soulmate, Callie,'' Nate replies gently. He crouches down to her height, and I do the same. ''She''s your mate'' Naevia says, her face filled with awe. Four years old and she knows what mates are. ''Yes,'' Nate responds proudly. ''Isn''t she beautiful'' Naevia''s cheeks turn pink. ''Yes,'' she mumbles shyly. ''Not as beautiful as you,'' I tell her and offer out my hand. ''It''s lovely to meet you, Naevia. I''m Callie.'' She looks at my hand for a moment and I wonder if she knows what to do. Gradually, she moves her hand from behind her back and ces it in mine. She squeezes my hand and moves it up and down to shake it. ''Hi, Callie,'' she says cutely. Damn, she''s adorable. ''Do you want toe and y art'' Naevia asks us, making me smile. ''In a few minutes, we will. We just need to say hello to Mummy and Daddy first,'' Nate tells her. As if on cue, Jaycees down the stairs. ''I thought I heard the door go,'' he greets us warmly. ''Good to see you, Nate.'' His eyesnd on me and nerves blossom in my stomach again. He holds out a huge, tattooed hand for me to shake. ''I''m Jayce, it''s lovely to meet you, Callie. The first time I met you, it was a very brief encounter,'' he says with augh. I shake his hand politely and feel slightly less nervous. ''Nice to meet you. Yes, these are much better circumstances to meet in.'' He nods in agreement. ''Definitely. I think my mate is out back, shall we'' Jayce leads us through the house and out into the garden. Set up on the grass, is a children''s table, covered in paper and felt¡ªtip pens. Naevia is sat on the grass, coloring animatedly at the table. Myra is sat with her. She nces up as wee out. She grins and jumps to her feet. ''Nate! You brought Callie,'' she exims happily. Myra rushes over and hugs her brother. She pulls me into a hug after and just like that, all of my nerves disappear. She links her arm with mine. ''Come on, let''s go get a drink and we can talk about the boys in peace.'' Jayce scoffs at her suggestion and Nate frowns. ''Hey, remember to be nothing butplimentary of your older brother!'' He calls as Myra leads me back inside. ''When I am not'' Myra retorts. The moment we step into the kitchen, she turns to me. ''So, tell me everything! How has my brother been treating you Are you happy'' The excited, quickfire questions and the grin on her face instantly make me feel at ease. I take a seat and happily getfortable for a couple of hours of girl¡ªchat. I don''t know why I was nervous, Nate''s family is wonderful, just like him. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 11 Book 3 Chapter 11 Callie''s POV. We spend most of the day with Nate''s family. After being invited to stay for lunch, we just don''t leave¡­ We have such a good time, the hours fly by. Time passes so quickly and before I know it, it''ste afternoon. Nate and I realize that we''ve been here for hours and we should really be going. I can''t believe how fast time passed. Naevia is a lovely child, so endearing and polite. I can see why Nate is totally besotted with his niece. She has him wrapped around her little finger. She has all of us around her fingers, to be honest. I love seeing the way Jayce interacts with his daughter. His eyes are so full of love and adoration. I would be surprised if they don''t have another child soon. We return to Nate''s house and make dinner together. During the meal, we arrange for me to go home tomorrow and break the news of the move to my brothers. I don''t think Nate should be around for that. Then, I''ll spend the day packing and I''ll bring it all over to Nate''s. I haven''t got that many things, so it should only take a few hours to pack it all up. Later on that night, Nate and I lie in his bed, cuddling. ''I wasn''t able to n it for today because it was short notice, but I''d like to take you to do something tomorrow,'' he mumbles against my hair. I giggle as he nuzzles my neck. ''Okay. I''m guessing it''s going to be a surprise again'' Nate chuckles. ''As always.'' I pout at him. ''You know I don''t like surprises! I like to know!'' ''I know,'' he says and kisses my nose. ''But I love surprising you. The look on your face makes the whining worth it.'' I raise an eyebrow at him. ''Whining'' Nate grins at me. ''Okay, not whining, adorableining.'' I roll my eyes at his attempt to appease me. ''You''re going to have to do much better than that, Nathan,'' I tease him. He raises his eyebrows at me. ''Wow. Full¡ªnaming me Okay, I''m sure I can work something out.'' He doesn''t give me a chance to respond to him. His lips press against mine and I''m notining. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling my body closer to his. He wraps his arms around my waist in return. One hand slides to just above my butt, on my lower back, and the other tangles in my hair. His tongue grazes over my bottom lip and I open my mouth to him. The moment our tongues touch, desire courses through me. Nate rolls us over, so that I am lying underneath him. I squirm against his body, rubbing myself again him. It starts unintentionally, but I quite like the friction it creates. Nate groans at the back of his throat and angles his head to the side, allowing him to kiss me more deeply. Our kiss bes more impassioned. We paw and caress each other in an almost frantic way as things be more heated. I feel him grow hard against my thigh, but the panic doesn''te. I slide my hand down his body and boldly squeeze him through his pajama bottoms. Nate grunts and quickly breaks the kiss. He is panting as he looks down at me. ''Callie.'' He says my name in a way that makes it sound like both a prayer and a pained plea. I pull my hand away, wondering if I''ve overstepped. Nate must see my reaction on my face, because he quickly leans forward and kisses my forehead. ''I don''t want to rush you,'' he says gently. ''We can take our time. I''ll wait as long as you need.'' His words make me smile. I put my hands on the back of his head and pull him down so that I can kiss N?velDrama.Org content rights. him again. Our lips move in sync once more and I enjoy the feeling of his muscr body on mine. When I struggle for breath, I pull back. ''What if I''m ready'' I ask him, my voice barely above a whisper. Nate''s eyes widen and he swallows hard. ''Um, I''d need you to be sure. Why don''t you sleep on it'' He asks nervously, making me giggle. ''You''re so cute,'' Iment, and he grimaces. ''Don''t call me cute, please,'' he protests and rolls off of me. ''How about sexy Handsome Hunk I don''t know. Just not cute.'' That makes me giggle even more and makes him ten times more adorable. ''Okay, fine. You can be a stud, how about that'' I concede and he scrunches up his nose. ''No! Now I feel like Danny Zuko from Grease.'' I can''t help butugh at that. ''Sorry. Not stud, okay. How about Sex¡ªGod'' Nate grins and nods enthusiastically. ''Much better. I like that one.'' I roll my eyes and cuddle into his side. Our heated moment may have moved into the cuter territory, but I''m still aroused and wanting my mate. I run my hand down his chest, feeling the muscles underneath his shirt. I lift the bottom of it up to his nipples, revealing his abs. ''Well, hello,'' I mumble to myself and Nateughs. ''You really shouldn''t hide these,'' I tell him, still unable to tear my gaze away from his muscr physique. ''They''re made to be ogled.'' ''You''re the only one who gets to ogle them, baby. You can ogle me as much as you like.'' He might be joking, but that actually makes me really happy. I am the only one that gets to see him up close and very personal. I run my fingers up and down his washboard abs, tracing the dips and ridges. Nate''s abdomen shudders under my touch. When I nce at him, he''s lying back with his eyes closed, enjoying my attention. I slowly lean down and press my lips to his stomach. He jumps and his eyes sh open. He looks down at me with a heated gaze. I kiss lower on his stomach before he can stop me, pausing at the waistband of his boxers. They''re peeking just above his pajama bottoms. I hook my finger and under the material and lift it up, giving me a glimpse of the good stuff. A gasp escapes my lips and Nate grabs my wrist, making me drop the band back to his skin with a snap. I pout as his cock is hidden from view again. ''No, baby,'' he says gently. ''You don''t have to do that.'' I push my bottom lip out and tug my wrist free of his grip. ''I want to,'' I tell him firmly. Nate hesitates, looking intently at my eyes for a moment. I think he''s trying to determine how serious I''m being. ''Are you sure'' He asks me. I nod and he remains silent, waiting for verbalmunication. ''I want to, Nate. Do you want me to'' I ask him, needing his permission, too. He obviously sees the unfiltered desire in my eyes, because he gives me an almost imperceptible nod. I reach for the waistband again and, this time, he doesn''t stop me. I slide my hand under his boxers and wrap my hand around his cock. I bite down on my bottom lip as I feel it. It is smooth and hard as a rock. I run my hand up and down it, feeling how hot it is. Nate''s hips thrust upwards involuntarily, and he sucks in a sharp breath. I think he likes that. Filled with confidence now that he hasn''t tried to stop me again, I push his boxers and pajama trousers down, freeing his cock. It springs loose and bounces forward, almost hitting me in the face. It falls back onto his stomach, reaching his navel. I stare at it, lying across his stomach. Involuntarily, my tongue sweeps out across my lips, wetting them. My eyes widen as I take in his sheer size. Holy Moon Goddess, that''s substantial. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 12 Book 3 Chapter 12 Callie''s POV. I slowly wrap my hand around him, marveling at my fingertips barely touching. Both his girth and length are impressive. I''ve not been with anyone in a long, long time. The only guys I''ve slept with came years after my attack. They were quick one night¡ªstands, who I barely allowed to touch me. I barely touched them either, it was merely a joining of bodies. It''s been over two years since I''ve slept with anyone. As I neared thirty, I figured I must be close to meeting my mate, so I stopped dating guys entirely. I take my time admiring Nate''s cock, turning it this way and that in my hands. It must be strange for him, watching me study it so closely. I trace my fingers over the veins running up the side, admiring its silky softness and contrasting hard center. ''What are you doing'' Nate asks, his voice raspy with arousal. ''I''m sorry, I''ve never um¡­seen one properly, not like this,'' I admit shyly. I keep my eyes trained on his dick rather than his face, it''s less embarrassing that way. A pearly drop of pre¡ªcum oozes from the tip, leaving me fascinated. I spread it around with my thumb, coating the head of his cock with it. I nce up at Nate and see he is gritting his teeth and gripping the sheets on either side of him. I let go, worried I''m hurting him. ''Don''t stop,'' he pleads, his voice tight. Encouraged, I reach for his cock again. ''But don''t feel like you have to,'' he adds quickly. I shoot him a smile and turn back to my new favorite part of him. Lying on the mattress beside him, I begin moving my hand up and down, watching his foreskin move. Unable to resist, I lean in closer and experimentally wrap my lips around the head. Nate grunts and his hips thrust upwards, pushing his cock further into my mouth. I pull back and lick my lips, getting them nice and wet. I take him into my mouth again. With the added lubrication, he slips in, all the way to the back of my throat. Nate''s hands go to my hair, tangling themselves in the strands. I don''t panic because I trust him and he''s not pushing me down, he''s just holding his hands there. I''mfortable doing this for him, because I am the one who is in control. I am choosing to do this; he isn''t touching me intimately. I breathe through my nose and rx my throat, letting me take him deeper. I feel him nudge the back of my throat and I close my eyes, forcing myself to rx. I take him even deeper and before I know it, my lips are pumping against his pelvic bone. My eyes N?velDrama.Org content rights. open in surprise at the realization that I''ve taken himpletely. I pull back, allowing myself to take a deep breath. I wrap my right hand around the base of his cock and pump it up and down in sync with my mouth. The soft groansing from Nate''s lips spur me on. I find myself addicted to them, wanting to hear them and doing anything I can to initiate them. When I sneak a nce up at him, he is watching me with hooded eyes, his lips parted in lust. He strokes my hair with his hand, showing me affection despite having his mind on other things. I reward him by bobbing my head up and down, sliding his cock in and out of my mouth. I sheath my teeth with my lips and use my saliva as lubricant. I give him everything I have. I sense when his climax starts to build. His cock twitches in my mouth and I feel it tensing between my lips. His hands grip my hair tighter and his breathing shallows. I don''t slow down. If anything, I get faster. I suck him harder and squeeze him with my hand. ''Callie.'' My name falls from his lips like a whispered prayer. He''s warning me, I know. He''s giving me a chance to stop or pull away, but I don''t want to. I want to please him. He''s done so much for me; I want to repay him somehow. If I can''t give him my body yet, then he can have my mouth. Nate''s hips begin jerking up and down, pushing his cock into my mouth. My eyes water a little but knowing that I''m pleasuring him makes the slight difort worth it. I take a deep breath through my nose and then take him as deep as possible. Nate''s cock slides down the back of my throat and he lets out a groan that borders on a growl. ''Callie! I''m going to¡ª'' He doesn''t finish his sentence. His words trail off in a moan and his entire body tenses. His cock pulses in my mouth and I feel his warm release hit the back of my throat. He pulses with each spurt ofe and I swallow it all. With a gasp, his body rxes, and he falls back against the bed, spent. I pull back and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, rubbing the saliva off of my chin. I lick my lips and swallow again. That wasn''t too bad, actually. I lie back down on the bed and Nate instantly puts his arms around me, crushing me to his chest. ''Thank you,'' he mumbles into my hair. He buries his face in my neck and presses his lips to the sensitive skin above my corbone. His teeth graze the surface and I shiver in his arms, making him chuckle. When he marks me, it will be there. A part of me can''t wait. The other part of me is hesitant about what He kisses up my neck, moving to the safer territory of my jaw and then, finally, my lips. ''You are the most perfect woman I have ever met,'' he tells me warmly. I roll my eyes and nudge his chest yfully. ''You''re just high on oxytocin,'' I respond, and heughs at me. ''I''m not. I''m high on you.'' We''re both silent for a moment and then, at the exact same time, we both burst outughing. ''Okay,'' he confesses. ''That was cheesy.'' I nod. ''Yes, it really was.'' We both sober up and our eyes meet. ''It''s true, though.'' I grin at him, overwhelmed with the amazing feelings I have for this man. I kiss him again, wanting to feel his lips once more. We move perfectly against each other. I bite his bottom lip gently, tugging it between my teeth. Nate groans and kisses me harder. He rolls us slightly and I lie on my back whilst he supports himself over me. I can feel that he is hard against my thigh again. I don''t think he knows I can feel him, so I wiggle against him. Nate tenses up and pulls his body back a little. I pout at the loss, and he chuckles. He runs his index finger down my face, along my cheek and across my bottom lip. My breath catches in my throat as he grazes his hand down my neck, over my corbone and between my breasts. He slides his hand to my thigh and squeezes it. His hand moves to my inner thigh, and I don''t stop him. It moves higher, underneath the hem of my silk slip. The moment his thumb grazes over my panties, I grab his wrist, stopping him. ''I want to please you,'' he exins, reluctantly pulling his hand away. My heart throbs painfully. I so badly want to let him, but the second I feel him close to my core, I freeze up. ''I know, I''m sorry,'' I whisper. Nate kisses my nose. ''Don''t apologize. Just know that, when you''re ready, I am more than willing to please.'' Iugh at that. ''Duly noted, thank you.'' ''Maybe we should actually get some sleep now, hmm'' Nate suggests. I nod and tuck myself against his side. Sleepes easily. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 13 Book 3 Chapter 13 Callie''s POV. I try to drag out breakfast as long as possible, putting off the inevitable, going home to my brothers. Nate drops me home and despite my attempted insistence that he leave, he asks toe in. Surprisingly, Rixon is home. I realize why when I hear footsteps on the stairs. I look up and see Lexi ''Morning, Callie!'' She greets me chirpily. ''And you''re with Nate! Lovely to see you both.'' I''m actually d Lexi is here; she can help keep Rixon calm. After speaking with Nate, Lexi walks over to Rixon and sits down on hisp. My brother wraps his arms around his mate and buries his face in her neck. He inhales deeply and then presses a kiss to his mark. Lexi shivers in his arms and an intimate look passes between them, making me look away. Is that what Nate and I will be like when he marks me ''I hope you don''t mind,'' Nate gets the attention of my brothers. ''But I have asked Callie to move in with me.'' He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me into his side. ''And she''s agreed. We were hoping to get her stuff over to mine today or tomorrow.'' It''s silent for a few moments, whilst his words sink in. I look between Ben and Rixon, trying to gauge their reactions. Ben shrugs and nces at Rixon for direction. Rixon frowns. ''Isn''t it a bit soon'' Lexi hits his chest. ''It''s not too soon,'' she reassures us. ''Fine,'' Rixon grumbles. ''Let us know if you need help with anything.'' I nce at Ben. ''Will you be okay by yourself'' Ben gives me a deadpan look. ''Despite what you may think, Cal, I''m a grown man. I''ll be just fine.'' I raise one eyebrow at him. ''You know, you should really look in the mirror before you call yourself grown.'' He throws a cushion from the armchair at me. I catch it with augh and throw it back. Happy that the conversation went smoother than I thought, I take Nate''s hand and lead him upstairs. For the rest of the afternoon, Nate helps me back my stuff up. I only take the things I want to his house, some of my stuff is still left in my room. The job takes longer than we thought because I y some music and Nate and I dance around my room, getting distracted by my old things like photo albums and trophies. Hourster, we carry my bags and boxes down the stairs and out to the car. Rixon and Ben help. Lexi offers, but Rixon won''t let her help because of the baby. Instead, she offers moral support and supervision. It''ste afternoon when we arrive at Nate''s. We load the boxes into the hallway, but Nate won''t let me start unpacking. He tells me that we have to get ready for our surprise date. I think it''s going to be outside, because he advised me to dress warmly. I''m all wrapped up when we get into the car, and he drives us to the mystery location. We arrive at a ''Are we catching a flight or something'' I ask him when we step out of the car. Nate smirks. ''Or something.'' I gasp as I spot the enormous folds of colored fabric lying on the ground next to a wicker basket. ''We''re going in a hot air balloon'' I jump up and down and p my hands, making Nateugh. ''Yes. I hope you''re not afraid of heights!'' I shake my head, beyond excited. I''ve never been in one before, I can''t wait. Whilst we wait for the balloon to inte, the man talks us through the health and safety conditions for the ride. I can barely focus, I''m too excited. Once the balloon is ready, we climb in. Nate stands behind me and I hold onto him as we start to rise from the ground. It takes a while for us to lift to substantial height, but once we do, wow. The wait is worth it. We can see for miles. The sun is sinking low in the sky and the man informs us that we''ll be back as it sets. Everything is bathed in a rich, golden glow. It''s stunning. I''m so d I brought my phone; I snap a load of pictures and the man takes some of Nate and me. He mostly leaves us to it, interrupting only to point out interestingndmarks below us. The height doesn''t even bother me because I''m too blown away by the view. I thought it would be Material ? N?velDrama.Org. windier, but it is a rtively still evening. When we start to loop back around thending strip, the sun begins to set. Yellows, oranges, purples and pinks are thrown across the sky like something off a canvas. It takes my breath away. ''Happy'' Nate asks in my ear. I nod enthusiastically and grin at him over my shoulder. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my forehead. The ground feels funny under my feet when we climb out of the basket. I hold onto Nate''s hand tightly, feeling a rush of adrenaline. ''That was incredible!'' I gush the whole way home, not shutting up about how amazing it was and how happy I am. Throughout the meal, and eventer on, when we''ve unpacked some and we''re in bed, I''m still talking about it. I lie in bed, scrolling through the photos on my phone. I post a couple on my social media, wanting everyone to know how thoughtful my boyfriend is. Nate finishes up in the bathroom. He hits the lights and climbs under the covers next to me. After putting my phone on charge, I roll over to face him. ''Hi, roomie,'' he says yfully. A smile forms on my lips. Roommates. We live together now. That''s crazy! ''I can''t believe we''re living together,'' I mumble. Nate hums in agreement whilst running his hand up and down my arm soothingly. ''I''ve got everything I ever wanted,'' he murmurs quietly. I''m d the lights are off, he can''t see how much I''m blushing. ''So have I,'' I reply shyly. Nate''s lips find mine in the darkness. Our tongues meet and desire shoots through me. My hands explore the hard ins of his muscr chest, indulging in his delicious body. I want to touch him, please him again, but Nate has other ideas. Each time my hand moves lower, he hikes it back up again until I let out a noise of frustration. ''No, baby,'' he says softly. ''I don''t want you touching me when I can''t return the favor.'' He kisses me again, silencing my protests. I huff against his lips but kiss him back. I take Nate''s hand and move it to my breast. I''m braless beneath my vest and my nipples are hardened and pressing against the fabric. My attacker never touched my breasts, they''re not something I feel sensitive about or triggered by. They''re a safe zone. Encouraged by me, Nate massages my breast over the material. He takes my nipple between his thumb and forefinger and tugs on it until I moan. He rolls it between his fingers, pinching it and making me squirm. I gasp into the kiss as he pinches it particrly hard. I break the kiss and moan when he does it again. ''Do you like that'' He whispers huskily in my ear. His breath fans across my neck, making me shiver. ''Yes,'' I confess breathily. Nate kisses over the tops of my breasts. He pulls my vest down and takes my nipple into his mouth, whilst torturing the other with his fingers. He moves back and forth between them, swapping between biting and sucking. I lie back and take everything he gives me. It feels so good, having someone give my body attention like this. I writhe underneath him, helping him take off my vest when it gets in the way. I''m now naked, aside from my thong, but the lights are off, so I don''t feel exposed. Nate kisses between my breasts, down my stomach, stopping at the waistband of my thong. I inhale sharply and freeze, waiting to see what he does. He surprises me. He skips over my thongpletely and moves down to my thighs. He gently spreads my legs apart and kisses along my inner thighs, leaving a trail of goose¡ªbumps in his wake. His finger brushes daringly over the fabric of my thong and my breath catch in my throat. I pull my hand up to my mouth and bite down on my thumb. I squeeze my eyes closed and focus on my breathing. I have to get past this. I trust him. I need to try. Nate slowly hooks his fingers around my thong, giving me plenty of time to stop him. I wait, but he doesn''t move. He doesn''t pull them down. ''Cal'' He whispers. ''I need you to say yes. Or no. But I need something.'' My perfect man, respecting my choices. ''Yes.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 14 Book 3 Chapter 14 Callie''s POV. My reply is so quiet, I wonder for a second if he heard me. But Nate must have heard my permission, because he gradually slides my thong down my legs, taking it offpletely. I keep my eyes shut and I keep biting down on my thumb, distracting myself so that the panic doesn''t bubble up. He gently runs his fingers over my lower lips and my breath catches in my throat. He parts my lips with his finger and runs it up and down. Once wet with my juices, he eases one finger inside me. Instantly, I clench around him. My heart rate spikes, and my throat feels like it''s closing. The way Nate is touching me is nothing like that night, but I''m still freaking out. I don''t say anything, or make any movement, but Nate must hear the change in my breathing. He quickly pulls his hand back and kisses my left thigh. ''I''ll stop,'' he whispers. He starts to move, and I put my hands on his shoulders, stop him. ''No! Please, don''t. I just¡­need a second,'' I plead. Nate lies back down between my legs, kissing my thighs soothingly. I take deep breaths and try to get my throat to open and rx. Nate''s mouth gets close to my core, and I feel his hot breath across the junction between my legs. ''What if I just use my mouth'' He questions from below. ''Your m¡ªmouth'' I ask nervously. Nate chuckles. ''Yes. My tongue.'' I swallow hard. Oh my. ''Um¡ª'' I stutter. ''Do you want to'' I can practically see Nate grinning. ''Of course. Wait, have you never been eaten out before'' His words have my cheeks burning against, thank Goddess for the darkness. ''No,'' I admit quietly. ''In twenty¡ªeight years, you''ve never had someone go down on you'' Nate seems incredulous at this revtion. ''Well, shit. Now, I want you to feel it even more.'' I remain silent and wait for him to move. He is patient, giving me another chance to back out. When I don''t move, Nate moves his mouth closer to my core. He parts my lips and blows gently, making me squirm. He chuckles and then ces a kiss exactly over my clit. I gasp at the unfamiliar sensation. His tongue darts out and flicks my clit once. It''s like my whole¡ªbody jolts with pleasure. ''Oh my¡­'' I moan as he picks up the full length of my core, ending at my clit. He circles the bundle of nerves and moves back down. His tongue teases my entrance and then pushes inside, making me gasp. It''s a strange, but very wee sensation. His tongue feels so different from his finger. Different enough that I don''t panic at all. All I can do is focus on how good it feels. Nate buries his tongue inside me and then pulls out, moving back up to my clit. My breath catches in my throat, and I grip the sheets. My back arches as pleasure grip me. Nate''s tongue is like sweet torture. He flicks it back and forth over my clit until I see white spots in my vision. An orgasm builds and my body trembles. ''Nate,'' I beg breathily. ''Don''t stop.'' He doesn''t answer, his tongue never wavering from its task. The pleasure builds and then overwhelms me. It rolls through my body in waves, making me undte against his mouth. Nate''s hands grip my thighs, holding me in ce whilst he continues worshipping me with his tongue. I gasp for breath, trying to breathe through the indescribable euphoria I''m feeling. The pleasurable waves fade out and I finally feel like I can catch my breath again. Ie down from my high and fall back against the sheets, thoroughly spent. My breathing is still fast and shallow as I calm down. Nate kisses up and down my inner thighs, not moving from his spot between my legs. ''Are you noting back up'' I ask quietly, when I''ve got my voice back. ''I was hoping you''d let me do that again,'' he responds. My mouth drops open. ''Again'' Without answering, Nate''s mouth returns to my core. I jump at the sudden suction of his lips around my bundle of nerves. I don''t protest. I lie back and let him please me again. Why would I want to say no when it feels this good Nate coaxes another two climaxes from me with his mouth. Not once does he move his fingers to my core. He respects my fears and uses only his lips and tongue. I''m a shivering mess by the time he finally moves up the bed to lie next to me. He gathers me into his arms and holds me close. I cling onto him and thank him repeatedly. I kiss all over his face whilst he chuckles. ''Thank you for trusting me with your body,'' he says sweetly. ''I know that was a big step for you, so thank you for trusting me enough.'' His words make my eyes burn with the threat of tears. He''s right. It did take a lot, but he proved it worthwhile. I can trust Nate; I know I can. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''Thank you for being careful with me,'' I reply. ''I know I can trust you.'' He holds me tighter. ''Always, baby. You can always trust me.'' ????????????? A week passes and Nate and I settle into our new routines, living together. I unpack all of my things and start making my own touches to the house. I don''t change much, simply because it still feels very new to me, and I don''t want to dominate his space. It''s nice not having to travel back to my old house and pack for when I stay over, everything is already at our ce when I need it. Nate and I don''t have any more¡­sexual activity. He refuses to touch me and won''t let me touch him. It drives me mad with frustration, but he wants to wait and make sure that I want this. He doesn''t want us rushing into anything. I understand that he''s trying to respect me, but there''s only so much time and space that I need. He''s my mate, I want to be with him, fully. I think he''s just really worried about pushing me. He wants me to know that there''s no pressure, but it''s been a week and I know that! I don''t want to wait anymore; I want him to mark me. I see how happy his sister and Jayce are and how happy my brother and Lexi are, and I want that. I want everyone to know that I am his from his mark on my neck. I want him to proudly show me off. I want my happy ending; I''ve waited so long for it. Nate and I decide to have burger night on Saturday night. We grill the patties and prep all of our ingredients. I love it when we cook together. We both enjoy preparing meals and, at the same time, we''re silly and mess about. We y music and dance around the kitchen,ughing and joking with one another. Both of us get a little overly excited about burger night. By the time we''ve got the finished burgers on our tes, they''re stacked so high that they''re impossible to eat. The bun slices are so far apart from each other because there is an entire stack of toppings on our burger patties. Cheese and relish dripping off the sides and my mouth waters at the sight of it. We end up having to break the burgers down to be able to eat them. I even resort to using cutlery to eat my burger, which I never usually do. ''Okay,'' Nate admits. ''Maybe next time, we use fewer ingredients.'' I nod in agreement. ''I''ll confess that six toppings is probably too many.'' Nateughs with me. ''Definitely. Although, they do taste incredible.'' We demolish our burgers, clearing our tespletely. We''re both foodies and we enjoy our meals. Neither of us has room for dessert, so we stick to a movie and cuddle on the sofa, trying to digest our mammoth¡ªsized dinner. When the credits roll, I turn to face Nate. I''m lying on top of him on the sofa and use the position to my advantage. I bring my knees up on either side of his thighs and straddle hisp. Nate watches me with a heated gaze as I lean down over him. I press my lips to his, letting him know what I want tonight. I grind against his crotch and push my tongue into his mouth. Nate''s hands instantly go to my hips to hold me in ce. He breaks the kiss and looks at me with hooded eyes. ''Are you sure'' I grin at him. ''Definitely.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 15 Book 3 Chapter 15 Callie''s POV. Nate doesn''t need any more confirmation than that. He must see the sureness in my eyes. He sits up, taking me with him. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold onto him tightly as he stands. Nate carries me upstairs, my legs around his waist, my ankles locked against his lower back. I can''t tear my gaze away from his eyes. I''m obsessed with him and the way he looks at me. It''s the way you dream of being looked at by your person. Nate takes me to our bedroom and gently ces me on the bed. I lie down and watch him. He takes off his shirt and I greedily ogle his muscr chest. He reaches for the bottom of my top and pauses, silently asking me for permission. I nod and he pulls the material up. I raise my hands above my head, helping him remove the clothing. Once my bra is exposed, he climbs over me and captures my lips. I bury my fingers in his hair, gripping tightly so that he can''t move away. I don''t want him to stop. Our tongues collide and my arousal res. I want him so badly; I want him to mark me. Desperation grips me and I lower my hands to paw at his body. Nate chuckles against my mouth and pulls back a little. He trails kisses down my jawline and to my neck. My breath catches as he sucks gently on the sensitive skin. His teeth graze the surface and I squirm underneath him, grinding my body against his. Nate makes a low growl at the back of his throat, and he moves his kisses away from my neck, making me pout. He kisses the tops of my breasts, his lips skimming the fabric of my bra. Seemingly irritated with it blocking him from exploring further, he reaches under me and unhooks it. I help him slide the bra down my arms and he throws it far across the room. With my breasts now exposed to him, he immediatelytches his mouth onto my nipple. He sucks the hardened peak into his mouth and softly bites down. I whimper in pleasure and arch my back, pushing my breasts into his face. Nate sucks on my nipple to relieve the pain and rolls the other one between his fingers. I try to clench my thighs together, but I can''t because Nate is between them. All I can do is writhe beneath his touch and grip the sheets on the bed. He kisses, sucks and bites my breasts, leaving me breathless and covered in love¡ªbites. He pulls back to admire his work, smiling smugly. His hands go to my jeans, and he pauses again, once more asking for permission. I nod and he unbuttons the jeans, pulling them down my legs. He takes my thong with them, leaving mepletely naked for him. Nate rakes his eyes up and down my body, biting down on his bottom lip as he devours my body with his eyes. I can feel that my cheeks are ming red, but I resist the urge to cover myself. The intensity of the desire in Nate''s eyes makes me freeze, I let him take his fill. He climbs back onto me and kisses me senselessly. He dominates my mouth with his tongue, holding my face so that I''m at just the right angle for him. When he pulls back, my lips are swollen and my breathing shallow. ''You are the most beautiful women I have ever seen,'' he says huskily. My cheeks warm even more, if possible. I smile shyly at him. ''Thank you.'' Nate kisses down my body, sparking goose¡ªbumps in his wake. He nudges himself between my thighs and spreads them further with his hands. Fully exposed to him, I look up at the ceiling, unable to maintain eye contact. Nate kisses up my inner thigh, pausing at my core. His lips are hovering just over it; I can feel his hot breath against my lower lips. He ces a kiss over my clit, and I let out a breath I didn''t know I''d been holding. He parts my lips with his tongue and begins licking me with long,nguid strokes. I quake underneath him and he holds my thighs to steady me. He pushes his tongue inside me, and I gasp at the wonderful feeling. He moves his focus up to my clit, circling it with the tip of his tongue. My breathing turns ragged as the pleasure builds. His hand slides up towards my core and I try to ignore it, focusing only on his tongue. Hesitantly, he runs his finger up and down my core, whilst still keep the pressure on my bundle of nerves. The pleasure is enough that I can drown out my panic. He flicks his tongue faster, quickly building my orgasm. My heart pounds in my chest as I approach the edge. Just as my climax hits, just as the pleasure starts to overwhelm me, Nate pushes one finger inside me. ''Nate!'' I cry out his name. I throw my head back and my hands fist the bed sheets. He pushes his finger in and out of me, intensifying my orgasm as he stimtes my clit. The pleasure is indescribable, it fills my body, radiating all the way from my core up to my head and down to my toes. I''m shaking as Ie down from my high. Nate kisses my core and pulls back to let me recover. ''Was that okay'' He asks gently. I look down at him, still panting. ''That was incredible,'' I reply breathlessly. Nate chuckles and kisses my inner thigh. He did it. He actually used his finger, and I didn''t freak out. It felt too good for me to freak out. I focused on the good, rather than the bad. I did it! I reach for his shoulders and pull him up my body. Nate puts his hands on either side of the bed next to my head, supporting his weight over me. I pull him down for a kiss. I can taste myself on his lips and I love it. Our tongues caress one another, and I gain the confidence to slide my hand down his chest. I slip my hand into his joggers, inside his boxers, and grip his erection. I move my hand back and forth, slowly jerking him off. Nate grunts into the kiss and pushes his hips forwards. I break the kiss to push down his sweats, taking the boxers with them. In a second, he is naked, too. I grip his cock without any barriers between us. I pump my hand up and down, eliciting a groan from him. He rests his forehead against mine, allowing me to pleasure him. I squeeze him with my hand and N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. move faster, building the pleasure for him. Nate''s hips move back and forth without him realizing, making him fuck my hand. His breathing is shallow, the veins prominent in his neck and arms. He looks both rxed and holding himself back at the same time. I move my hand even faster, trying to bring him to his peak. He kisses down my cheek and buries his face in my neck. I turn my head to one side, giving him more ess. His teeth scrape over my skin and my heart rate quickens. ''Mark me,'' I plead breathily. Nate stills above me. He pulls back to meet my eyes. ''You''re sure'' I nod. ''Yes! Please, mark me.'' Nate doesn''t need to be told twice. He leans back down and kisses up and down my neck until he finds the right spot. He waits for a moment and, the moment his orgasm hits, he sinks his teeth into my neck. I gasp as the slight pinch of pain disappears and euphoria reces it. It radiates from my neck down to my core. Nate''s hips move back and forth as he climaxes. His hote is released in spurts across my stomach and breasts. He mps down on my neck and moans into my skin, sending vibrations through me. I stop moving my hand as hees down from his high and his cock stops twitching. Nate removes his teeth from my skin. He pulls back and licks my blood from his lips. The sound of our hearts thumping, and our heavy breathing fills the room. Our eyes meet and something passes between us, something more than affection, more than lust¡­ ''Callie¡­'' he says my name in that special way. ''You''re¡­everything.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 16 Book 3 Chapter 16 Callie''s POV. I wake up to Nate kissing my mark. I giggle as his slight stubble tickles my neck. ''Morning, baby,'' he says huskily. He sucks gently on his mark, and I moan, pleasure filling me. Goddess, that feels good. His hands slide up my body and he squeezes my breast. I arch my back and press myself against his hand, wanting more. ''Nate,'' I gasp his name and he captures his lips with mine. Just as I''m about to push him away on the grounds of morning breath, he breaks the kiss and moves down to suck on my nipple. His fingers y with the other whilst I writhe next to him. He kisses down my body, continuously ying with my nipples as he does. He buries his tongue between my lower lips and my hips buck upwards in surprise. My fingers find their way to his hair, gripping tightly as he circles my bundle of nerves with his tongue. He releases my nipples and spreads my thighs with his hands, giving him better ess. I cry out as a powerful orgasm washes over me. My body shakes with its intensity and I''m left panting afterward. Natees up to lie beside me and licks his lips. ''Guess I don''t need breakfast anymore,'' hements jokingly. I roll my eyes and nudge him, hoping my cheeks aren''t as red as they feel. ''What was that about'' I ask him, my voice still a little breathy. Nate frowns. ''It appears the effects of me marking you are already starting.'' After a couplepletes the marking stages, their hormone levels spike to encourage thepletion of the mating process. It''s like Nate and I have just been pumped full of Viagra. Nate decides to get up before he tries to jump me again. Iy in bed whilst he uses the bathroom. I hear the shower turn on and my mind fills with images of him wet and naked. Before I know it, I''ve climbed out of the bed and I''m entering the en suite. I step into the walk¡ªin shower behind Nate. He jumps as I ce my hands on his back. ''Callie What are you doing'' He asks, his voice tight with restraint. Bless him, he''s trying to hold himself back. I press myself to him, so that my breasts are squashed against his back. I reach around him and pour some shower gel onto my hands. I rub them together, working up ather. Instead of verbally answering Nate''s question, I decide to show him. I run my hands up and down his chest, spreading out the suds. He is rigid under my touch at first, and then starts to rx. I work my fingers into his muscles, easing out any knots. He sighs and leans his head back. I move onto my tiptoes and rest my chin on his shoulder. Nate lets me wash him. I move onto his arms, and then his back. He steps forwards under the spray and washes off the suds. He turns around to face me, giving me the full¡ªfrontal view of his naked body. I lick my lips and a low growl sounds from the back of his throat. ''Don''t look at me like that, Callie,'' he warns me. I smile at him and drop to my knees. His eyes widen and his lips part slightly as I grasp the base of his cock. ''Look at you like what, Nate'' I ask, feigning innocence. I shuffle forwards and take his cock into my mouth, all the while maintaining eye contact. Nate curses under his breath and his wet hand finds my hair. Hetches his fingers onto the strands and moves back and forth with me bobbing my head. I take him all the way, until my nose bumps his stomach and my eyes water. ''Callie,'' Nate groans my name. It''s a silent plea not to stop and I don''t intend to. I hold onto these thighs with hands, steadying myself as I use only my mouth on him. I take deep breaths each time I pull back and hold the air in my lungs as he slides past my lips again. I build up a steady pace, gradually getting faster. I feel Nate''s thighs tensing under my touch, indicating that he is close. I suck him with renewed vigor, working him towards his climax. It hits him suddenly. His hands tighten in my hair and his body tenses. His cock pulses between my lips and he cries out my name as he releases into my mouth. I swallow everything, gently sucking until he is spent. He sags back against the wall with a shaky exhale. He turns off the shower and looks down at me, his lips parted. ''Holy shit, baby,'' he murmurs. ''That was¡­fuck. That was amazing.'' He helps me to my feet and pecks me on my lips. As he dries off, I have my own shower, washing my body and my hair. Once we''re both dried off and dressed for the day, we have breakfast. Despite Nate''sment that he''s already eaten, we''ve both worked up an appetite. We decide that it''s probably safer for us to be around other people, seeing as the mark has already made us both horny as hell. I message Lexi and she invites us to go house¡ªhunting with her and Rixon. With nothing else to do, we both agree. I didn''t tell Lexi about Nate marking me, so I''m a little nervous when we arrive at the first house address that Lexi texted me. Rixon and Lexi are already waiting outside of the house when Nate and I join them, holding hands. Rixon scents the air and frowns, whilst Lexi spots the mark on my neck and squeals happily. ''You marked her!'' She cries. ''Congrattions, lovebirds!'' Rixon narrows his eyes at me, and I shrug. He scowls and begrudgingly congrattes us when Lexi elbows his side. I don''t really care what he says about Nate and me now. Nate has marked me; marks are for life. There''s nothing Rixon or Ben can do about it, they''re just going to have to ept it. We spend the day looking around houses with Rixon and Lexi, critiquing them for location, size, age, work¡ªneeded, etc. Eventually, they find one they really like. It''s only about twenty minutes away from Nate''s house, which makes me happy. My brother might be a gigantic pain in the ass sometimes, but I never want to be too far apart from him. Or Ben. Lexi invites us back for dinner and Nate and I eagerly ept. It''s kind of dangerous for us to be alone right now, we''ll jump each other the moment we''re alone. Spending the evening with my brother seems like a great way to kill the mood. Dinner turns out to be the best thing for all of us. Rixon warms up to Nate and they get on so well, I even spend some time alone with Lexi, confident that Rixon won''t kill Nate in my absence. We talk about the baby in the living room, whilst the boys y on Rixon''s video game box thing in the snug. We discuss the baby names that they''re considering. They haven''t even had their first child yet and both of them have already decided that they''re having more. Growing up, I''ve always wanted kids. It''s crazy that I could have one if I wanted to, now that I''ve found Nate.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. On the way home, I casually mention Lexi and the baby in the car. I don''t make any hints about wanting children, I simply want to ease Nate into the idea. It turns out, there is no easing required. He takes me byplete surprise. ''I can''t wait until it''s us, nning our baby''s future and picking names,'' he says wistfully. He watches the road ahead whilst driving, acting nonchnt and like he hasn''t just dropped a huge statement. I stare at him in shock. ''You can''t wait for kids'' I blurt. Nate panics a little and gives me a reassuring smile. ''Don''t worry if you''re not ready, I''m happy to wait,'' he says quickly. ''I want them soon,'' I splutter. ''I just didn''t know you were ready so soon.'' Nate frowns. ''I''ve waited for twenty¡ªeight years, just like you have, Cal. Of course I''m ready for kids.'' Damn, he really is perfect. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 17 Book 3 Chapter 17 Callie''s POV. By some miracle, Nate and I manage to make it the whole night without pouncing on each other. Nate gets up before me in the morning and showers. This time, he locks the door. I''m both irritated and grateful. I know we have toplete this mating process soon, but I need to make sure I''m ready. To be honest, I don''t think I''ll ever feel 100% ready. My fears and insecurities will always hold me back unless I face them head¡ªon. As I get dressed, I choose my sexier underwear set. Tonight, I want us to try and take things further. I can stop if I need to, but I want to at least try. If there''s anyone I trust my body with, it''s Nate. We''ve both waited so long for this, for each other, I don''t want to wait anymore. I want us to be together fully. Nate has to go back to work today. After Myra and Jayce moved in together, Alpha Damien offered him a job on the territory. I am going with him to the territory today toplete my forms, so I will officially be ssed as a pack member. After ten years of being a rogue, this is a big deal to me. Whilst I''m there, I''ll see if Alpha Damien has any other jobs going. Being rogues, my family and I have bounced around a lot, never staying in any ce for too long. I usually get a temporary job wherever we are, but this time, I can find something permanent. Nate and I drive to the territory together. Rixon and Lexi will pick me up afterward. He goes off to his job, he''s kind of like the pack handyman. He helps build the houses,y roads, etc, he can do a bit of everything. We kiss goodbye and he points me in the direction of the pack house. Alpha Damien greets me and escorts me into his office. After signing the papers, he shakes my hand and wees me as an official member of the pack. I''ll admit, it''s really exciting. I ask my new Alpha about job opportunities, and he gives me directions to the kitchen as he believes that the catering staff might have an opening. I meet with the housekeeper, who gives me a breakdown of the job. I''ll assist the catering team with daily meals. I can choose my hours and which days I want to work. I love the flexibility of the hours. I doubt it will be a long¡ªterm job, but it''s something. Rixon and Lexi pick me up. They''re all excited because they put in an offer on the house we looked around. They drop me home and I decide to put my culinary skills to use. I have six hours before Nate wille home. I go shopping and buy all of the ingredients I need. When I get back, I unpack the final bits and bobs my old house. I clean the house to pass the time and then start working on dinner, an hour before he I feel like a traditional housewife, but Nate better not get used to it. When he steps through the door, there are only five minutes left before dinner is ready. I have poured us both a ss of wine and set the table. Natees in and his eyes widen as he sees the setup. ''What''s all this for'' He asks as he approaches me. He gives me a sweet kiss and wraps his arms around my waist. I lean over to the counter and pick up our sses. After handing him one of them, I clink my ss against it. ''Cheers. I thought I''d do something nice for you, seeing as you''ve had your first day back at work. Was it good to be back'' ''Yeah, it was actually, it was nice seeing everyone again. Mm, what smells so good'' Five minutester, I serve dinner. We chat some more about his day and about my new job. I discuss the hours with him, working out the days we canmute together. We both clear our tes, it''s safe to say the meal was a sess. We watch a movie after eating and I start to feel abination of nerves and excitement as the evening draws on. When we go up to the bed, I use the en suite in the spare room, whilst Nate uses our bathroom. I take off my make¡ªup, brush my hair and strip out of my clothing. Once I''m only in mycy underwear set, I creep back into the bedroom. I put away my clothes and then drape myself across the bed, trying to look seductive. I feel incredibly conscious, and I end up giving up and just sitting on the bed. I''m not the kind of girl that can confidently drape herself across a bed. Nate steps out and freezes when he sees me. His eyes heatedly roam up and down my body. ''You look¡­wow,'' hements, his eyes wide. My nerves fade slightly under his heated gaze. How can a woman be self¡ªconscious when the guy she likes is practically drooling at the sight of her I''ll admit, Nate''s expression is definitely an ego boost. Wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, which are now tenting slightly, my man is looking mighty fine Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. himself. I stand up from the bed and stop in front of him. Nate watches me closely as I slide my hands up his muscr chest. I link my wrists together at the base of his hairline and lean up on my tiptoes to kiss him. The kiss starts slow and sweet, but it bes something more sensual. Our tongueszily rub against one another, building a need inside both of us. I press myself to Nate''s body and his arms snake around my waist. He unhooks my bra with a flick of his hand. Together, we discard the bra, without breaking the kiss. My bare breasts are now squashed against Nate''s naked chest. My nipples pebble with the friction of our bodies. Nate slides his hands from around me, to my front. He grabs my breasts and squeezes them. He runs his thumbs over the nipples and then pinches, making me gasp into the kiss. I raise up on my tiptoes to relieve the pressure. Nate relents and releases my nipples, making blood rush back into them. The feeling is incredible. Nate gently eases me back, until the back of my knees hits the mattress. He breaks the kiss and pushes me backward, until I fall onto the bed. He drops to his knees, between my legs, and removes my thong. I''m shaking with excitement as he kisses up my thigh. I can barely contain a moan when he reaches the junction between my legs. He buries his tongue inside me until I''m crying out his name. Nate makes sure I''mpletely ready before he settles himself between my legs. He lines himself up with my entrance and then looks up at me. ''Hey,'' he says softly. ''Look at me.'' I reluctantly meet his eyes. I''m gripping the bed sheets tightly, terrified of what''s about to happen, but wanting it so badly at the same time. ''Callie It''s me. I''m your mate. I will never hurt you. I will stop the second you ask, okay You just need to tell me how you''re feeling whether you want me to carry on or stop.'' His words make tears pool in my eyes. He''s so perfect. ''We don''t have to do this, we can stop and cuddle,'' he tells me, shrugging. ''I don''t mind.'' ''No,'' I reply. I take a deep breath. ''I want to. I want to get past this.'' ''You''re 100% certain'' I nod eagerly. ''Yes.'' With a final nod, Nate slowly pushes inside of me. I keep my eyes on him, reminding myself that this is my mate I''m sleeping with. He is nothing like him. He cares about me; he respects me and my body. By the time Nate is fully inside me, my breathing has calmed down a little. He supports his weight above me, careful not to put any weight on me, in case it scares me. Slowly, he pulls out and then thrusts back in. ''Is this okay'' He asks gently. Actually, it''s more than okay. ''You feel really good,'' I reply, my cheeks warming up. Nate grins down at me. ''So do you.'' As I rx more, Nate goes faster. After a few minutes, I''ve wrapped my legs around his waist and he''s pounding into me. I moan loudly, pleasure filling my body. I think it''s safe to say I''ve gotten past my fear of sex when Nate is involved. It is only after we''ve both found our climaxes and copsed into a sweaty cuddle, that we realize we didn''t use protection. ''I can get the morning after pill,'' I suggest. ''Unless¡­you don''t want me to.'' Nate looks at me thoughtfully. ''It''s your choice, Callie. It''s your body.'' ''Do you want me to'' He smiles at me. ''I certainly wouldn''t have a problem with having children straight way.'' ''Then okay, I won''t take it.'' I can''t keep the smile off my face. We could be having a baby. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 18 Book 3 Chapter 18 Callie''s POV. Nate stands behind me and rubs my swollen stomach. ''How is our little miracle doing in there'' He asks and then pecks my cheek. ''They are kicking like mad; I don''t know what''s gotten into them today.'' ''Maybe they''re excited about the scan'' Today, Nate and I are at the clinic. We''re going to find out the gender of the baby. I''m thinking a boy and Nate is thinking a girl. In all honesty, like most parents, we just want healthy. The nursees in and I lie back on the lovely bed, exposing my stomach in anticipation of the cold gel. The nurse moves the ultrasound wand around a little, until he finds the best position. The fluttering heartbeat fills our ears, making Nate and I grin like idiots. ''Okay, there they are. Good, strong heartbeat. Now, do we want to know the sex today'' Nate and I eagerly nod our heads. ''Yes!'' ''Well, I''m pleased to tell you that you are having a boy.'' ????????????? ''So, that''s it We''ve actually managed to agree on a name'' I talk to Nate on the phone. I leave the shop and cross the road. In thest seven months, Lexi has gotten so big that she''s almost bursting and I''m mid¡ªway through my pregnancy. Rixon is now much more epting of Nate, he''s bordering on being nice to him. I think it''s the happy hormones from being a father soon. Plus, he hasn''t really got a choice, what with us being full mated and expecting. Ben has moved out of the big house that he was living in by himself. He''s got an apartment in the center of town and is loving all of the ''talent'' he''s finding at the local bars. I''m told that ''talent'' is another word for attractive women. Honestly, I am praying for the day that boy meets his mate. I''m working part¡ªtime in a bakery. Nate keeps trying to make me take maternity leave, but I enjoy being on my feet. Today has been particrly stressful though, and I''ve been feeling light¡ªheaded all afternoon. I called Nate to ask him toe and pick me up, I don''t feel safe driving. With the phone wedged between my ear and my shoulder, I unlock my car and reach for my handbag. ''Yes, we actually agree on a name for once. We''re calling him Axel.'' I''m unable to stop myself from smiling. Axel Archer. I can''t wait to meet you. I straighten up and grip the car as I experience another head¡ªrush. I really need to eat some sugar. ''Hang up the phone.'' A cold voice sounds behind me. I freeze as I feel the hard barrel of a gun pressed against my lower back. ''Callie Who was that'' Nate''s worried voicees down the phone. ''I said, hang up the fucking phone.'' The voice is harsher this time. ''Nate¡­'' I say his name, my voice panicked. I quickly hang up the phone and the man behind me snatches it from my hand. ''Walk towards the trees, appear calm and you won''t get hurt. Do not scream for help, I will shoot.'' I swallow hard and shakily take a couple of steps. The man stays right behind me, his gun wedged under the back of my ribs. I look around but the street is empty. There is no one here to help me. I pray that Nate gets here quickly. He''s only a ten¡ªminute drive away. I just have to distract the man for ten minutes. Stumbling a little, I step into the forest. He pushes me a couple of meters in, so that no one can see us from the road. He shoves me forwards and I catch myself before I fall. I turn around to face him, finally seeing his appearance. The man is in his mid¡ªthirtiesearly¡ªforties. He is wearing all ck clothing and a hood, with the hood up. His camo trousers are filled with pockets, which no doubt, are filled with weapons. He''s a hunter. ''I''ve been watching you for thest two weeks, trying to work out if you are a shifter or not,'' he muses out loud. The gun is aimed right at my chest, he''s only a meter away. ''You haven''t visited the pack territory at all. You don''t live on it. Yet, your boyfriend goes there daily. I wanted to kill him first, but I figured, the girlfriend and unborn baby is a much sweeter way of punishing him.'' His words make me so angry. ''Punishing him for what He hasn''t done anything!'' I protest. The hunter res. ''Punishing him for existing. His kind is an abomination. I need to know if you are, too. If you are a shifter, I will kill you and allow him to weep over your body. If not, you can go, but obviously, I will need to end that half¡ªbreed life inside you.'' Tears pool in my eyes and spill down my face. ''What is wrong with you Have you no mercy This baby has done nothing to you,'' I cry. He sneers. ''It will grow up to be like one of them. They are not natural; they should never have been put on this earth. Now, hold out your hand.'' He pulls a knife from his pocket, and I anxiously nce around. Nate, where are you He grabs my hand when I make no move to hold it up. He presses the de to my flesh, making me wince when he cuts into it. He stares intently at the cut, waiting for it to heal. My heart sinks as the wound instantly starts healing, the skin cells replicating and repairing themselves before our eyes. He slowly looks up at me and grins. ''Busted,'' he whispers. I yank my hand from his grip and take off running. My heart is pounding in my ears, but the gunshot sound is unmissable. I flinch and wait to feel pain, but there is none. I spin around and see the hunter and Nate fighting. Nate. I run back towards them. Nate is fighting to get the gun out of the hunter''s hands. Nate manages to knock the gun¡ªfree; itnds in the leaf litter on the ground. The hunter kicks Nate in the chest, making him stumble backward. He dives to the ground for a gun, but Nate grabs him and pulls him to his feet. They fight each other, punching and grunting. I reach them and grab the gun from the floor. Making sure the safety is off, I take a deep breath and aim. The two of them keep moving about, making it hard to get a clean shot. I wait patiently, trying to keep my erratic heart rate low, so that I can shoot more urately. Nate punches the hunter, and he stumbles backward. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I don''t hesitate. I pull the trigger and the bullet cuts through the air. It goes straight through the hunter''s neck, sending blood everywhere. Itnds at my feet, and I drop the gun in shock. Natees running over to me. ''Callie Cal Are you okay Are you hurt at all How is the baby'' His wordse out in a rush as I copse into his arms. I cry hysterically as he holds me. ''Baby, fine,'' I manage to gasp. Nate holds me tighter, and we sink to the ground together. He cuddles me until I calm down. After a few minutes, my sobs fade, and I manage to get my breathing under control. Nate calls Alpha Damien, arranging for some pack members toe and dispose of the body. He gently helps me to my feet, and he checks my body, seemingly satisfied when he finds no harm done. Nate ushers me over to his car, abandoned half on the pavement, half on the road. Once inside, he gives me a kiss on my cheek. ''You''re safe now, baby,'' he says softly. ''Let''s go home.'' The next part of the story will be about Nate and Callie''s son, Axel. ????????????? Part Two Book 3 Chapter 19 Book 3 Chapter 19 Axel''s POV. I pull on my hoodie, grab my backpack and jog down the stairs. Ie into the kitchen to get some breakfast and find my parents practically eating each other''s faces off. ''What the fuck,'' I curse as I spot them. They pull away and my mum gives me a sheepish look, whilst Dad smirks. ''Sorry, Axel,'' Mum apologizes. ''But no swearing!'' I roll my eyes and she hands me an apple. I shove it into my bag. ''I''m off, see youter,'' I call over my shoulder. I snatch my keys from the side and dash out to my car. I''m going to bete already and it''s the first day back from summer break. Great. My parents are as loved up as the day they met, or so I''m told. They both had to wait for twenty¡ªeight years to meet each other. I hope I don''t have to wait that long. I''m seventeen, eighteen in four months, which means I''ve already had nearly two years of being able to find her. Most shifters meet their mates within the first five years after turning sixteen. Xaden, my best mate and cousin, is waiting next to my parking spot. I pull and cut the engine. ''Morning, bro,'' he greets me. I give him a half¡ªhug and p him on the back. His parents are Lexi and Rixon, his dad is my mum''s brother. We''ve always been close, especially since we were only born four months apart. ''Damn, there are some fine new girls joining the school,'' Xadenments appreciatively. I roll my eyes. I went through the whole obsessed with girls thingst year. This year, I''m so over it and I''m ready to meet my mate. Xaden Not so much. His only goal is to get into a girl''s underwear. I have no idea where the yer gene came from, cause his parents are as loved up as mine. Mind you, I''m an only child, which means I get all the attention (which I hate sometimes). Xaden is the oldest of four, which means he doesn''t get as much attention off of his parents. If you ask me, he sleeps with lots of girls to try and feel wanted for once. But he''s too scared to let any of them get close to him. It''s your ssic man¡ªwhoreplex. But he''s my best friend, so I stand by him despite his promiscuous ways. ''Who''s she She''s fit as fuck,'' Xaden''s runningmentary of the new students breaks through my thoughts. I follow his gaze and shrug. Okay, this time, I might actually have to agree with him. The girl is beautiful. Definitely a newbie, and a human. You can tell straight away because she''s much shorter than the rest of us, she''s only about 53. She''s adorable. Her long red hair is tied up high on her head, the strands almost touch her perfect ass. She''s wearing a short, pleated skirt and a jumper. She''s both hot and cute at the same time. ''She would be a challenge, I''m sure of it.'' Xaden''s words make me snap out of it and I shove him. ''The fuck, man'' He asks angrily. ''Don''t talk about her like that,'' I tell him. I don''t know where this anger hase from, but I know that girl is way too good for him. I don''t want him going anywhere near her. He holds his hands up in defense. ''I get it, alright You called dibs.'' I open my mouth to tell him that I haven''t called dibs, but then I close it. I like the sound of that, and I want Xaden away from her. During form time, Xaden decides to list the new girls he''s seen so far. He''s counted four already, so that''s him busy for at least a month. I don''t understand it. The girls he sleeps with must talk to each other, so why don''t they warn each other to stay away from him I think they each think that they can change him. They romanticize his behavior and want to be the one who finally makes Xaden Moretti settle down. Annoyingly, his dickhead behavior of pursuing them until he gets sex, and then cutting them off, means that a lot of theme running to me for advice. Orfort. I didn''t mind at first. I used to get Xaden''s leftovers, or better yet, my own first''s. I''m not exactly unattractive and Xaden and I are the strongest in school. But now, I''m bored of it. Over summer, we spent time at the beach and sure, it was fun checking out half¡ªnaked girls, but it gets boring. At some point, you want to have an actual conversation. You want to have fun, discuss interests, debate big questions, get to know someone. I got sick of the temporariness of it all. I want my mate. I want a permanent partner. I want to stop having conversations that are only focused on getting the other into bed. Our friend Aurora joins us at our desk. Everyone calls her Rory. She''s been friends with Xaden, and me since we were kids. I want to have a rtionship that has the banter and closeness I have with her, with the attraction, too. We''re purely friends, but we have a deeper connection than a one¡ªtime fuck. Something Xaden doesn''t seem to appreciate. He prefers the one¡ªtime connections. ''What are you thinking so hard about'' Rory asks with intrigue. I shrug. ''Nothing much.'' She rolls her eyes at me. ''Please. I know you, Axe. You''re thinking about something,'' shements and then looks more thoughtful. ''Or someone.'' Xaden''s ears prick up at that. ''Someone Who That blonde chick from the beach'' I frown at him. ''Her name was Lyanna, and we haven''t spoken in a month.'' Xaden raises his eyebrows in surprise. ''Why She was smoking.'' I resist rolling my eyes. ''Because not everything is about looks and girls,'' I retort dryly. Rory nods. ''Amen.'' Xaden snorts. ''Yeah, it is, dude.'' I sigh heavily. There is no hope for him. All I can do, is pray to the Moon Goddess that she pairs him with someone just like him to give him a taste of his own medicine. That would be interesting. ????????????? The first two periods pass without incident. For my A¡ªLevels, I''m taking P.E, Maths and Business Studies. The math and business studies are to keep my parents off my back, the P.E is for me. I want to be a pack warrior when I leave school, but my parents have hopes for me to go to university, as neither of them did. Too bad I''m gonna disappoint them. My third ss is maths and I reluctantly make my way there. I don''t mind maths. It''s easy when I concentrate, I just can never be arsed to concentrate. School''s too fucking long. I take my seat at the back of the ss and get out a notepad and a pen. Folding my arms on the table, I lean forwards, resting my head on my arms. I close my eyes and decide to doze until the teacher starts the lesson. Miss Mooney is alwayste. ''Um, excuse me'' A quiet voice makes my eyes snap open. I sit up and my gazends on the hot redheaded human. I look her up and down, unashamedly checking her out. It makes her blush. I like the blush on her. I want to make her blush some more. ''Do you mind if I sit there'' She asks, gesturing to the chair next to me. It''s the only free one in the ssroom and I''m so fucking grateful for that. ''Sure, go ahead,'' I reply, and she quickly sits down. I watch as she gets out so many fucking things. A notepad, a pencil case with about a billion fucking pens in it, highlighters, post¡ªit notes, ruler, pencils, rubbers, you name it. It''s like she bought everything at the stationery shop and brought it with her. ''Do you need any more stuff'' I ask, unable to keep the amusement out of my voice. It''s a funny contrast, her borate setup,pared to my notepad and my one pen. It doesn''t even N?velDrama.Org content rights. have a lid. She looks and me and giggles. ''Um, I guess I wanted to be prepared.'' I''m about to ask her what the hell she thinks she''s preparing for, but she flicks her hair over her shoulder, and I''m hit with her scent. Her mouth¡ªwatering, sweet as hell, fucking delicious scent. Holy shit. She''s my mate. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 20 Book 3 Chapter 20 Axel''s POV. I can barely contain my excitement. I grip the desk so hard that I leave a dent when I finally let go. I can''t believe I''ve met my mate, and she''s sitting right fucking next to me! ''Morning, ss,'' Miss Mooney finally greets us. ''We have a few new students today. Please give a warm wee to Grace Barlow and Ryan Horton.'' Grace. I smile as I hear her name. I turn to her and she''s blushing under everyone''s gazes. I want to tell them all to look away. ''Grace, huh'' I get her attention. She looks at me and smiles shyly. ''I''m Axel.'' ''Nice to meet you, Axel,'' she whispers. Her blue eyes focus back on the teacher, and I realize the goody¡ªtwo¡ªshoes are worried about being caught talking whilst the teacher is. Cute. I lean back in my chair and rest my arm over the back of hers. She looks at me out of the corner of her eye and then quickly focuses on the board again. She''s blushing once more, and I like it. I barely listen to the whole lesson. It doesn''t matter, I already know what the teacher is talking about. Like I said, math is easy. I spend the lesson watching Grace and trying to be subtle about it. I tell myself to look away, that I don''t want to creep her out, but her blush is addictive. The way she bites down on her bottom lip as she concentrates, man, it sends me crazy. She''s fucking perfect. I text Xaden under the table, telling him I''ve met my mate. His reply makes me sigh. Sucks to be you bro!!! No, it really doesn''t. As the bell rings, signaling the end of the lesson, I turn to Grace. ''Do you want to join me and my friends for lunch'' I ask her. She blinks up at me, surprised by my question. She hesitates and I carry on. ''You''re new here, right I thought you might like to have someone to sit with at lunch. Do you know anyone yet'' Her cheeks turn light pink, and she bites her bottom lip. ''No, I um, I don''t know anyone yet. That would be nice, thank you.'' I resist the urge to put my arm around her shoulders. I clench my hands into fists to stop myself from touching her. ''Come on, cafeteria''s this way.'' I lead her down the busy corridors. She sticks close to my side, her arm brushing against mine now and then. It makes my wolf very happy, having her so close. When we get to the cafeteria, Rory and Xaden are already at our usual table, with the rest of our friends. I queue with Grace to get our lunch. On Fridays, sixth formers are allowed to go out for lunch. I watch as Grace pays for her food, holding myself back from paying for her. She''s not my girlfriend, she''d find it weird. She blushes when she sees I''m waiting for her and then she follows me over to the table. Her paces slows and she hesitates, seeing how many people are at the table. She clutches her drink and sandwich to her chest. ''Um, are you sure you want me to join Your table is already pretty full,'' shements. I frown. ''Of course, I do. Come on, you can sit next to me.'' It doesn''t help that all of my friends stare when I usher Grace into the chair next to me. She''s obviously a human and every one of us is a shifter. They''re probably wondering why on Earth I''ve invited her to sit with us. ''Guys, this is Grace,'' I introduce her. ''She''s new here, be nice.'' A couple of them say hi, but they all look at her with interest. I shoot them a pointed look, making them turn away. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ''Hey, Grace.'' Aurora leans around me. ''I''m Rory and this idiot here, is Xaden.'' Xaden winks at her. ''Hey, gorgeous.'' I bite my tongue to stop myself from growling. As Grace looks down and blushes, and I re at Xaden and bare my teeth at him in warning. He just smirks. He knows she''s my mate, he''s trying to wind me up. It''s working. I take a deep breath, breathing in Grace''s scent to calm me down. ''Ignore Xaden,'' I tell her quietly. ''He''s a yer.'' She nods. ''Noted.'' ''So, Grace, what subjects are you taking'' Rory asks her. I grin at Rory, pleased that she''s making the effort and also because she''s asked a question that I want to know the answer to. ''I''m taking math, business studies and physics,'' she replies shyly. I look down at my mate with pride. She''s my little nerd. ''You must be very clever then,'' Roryments. ''I can''t do any of those subjects.'' Grace''s brows furrow. ''Not really. I find math hard sometimes.'' She looks at me. ''Like, what we did today, that was difficult.'' I smile at her. ''I''m happy to help you study, if you want,'' I offer eagerly. ''Really'' Grace asks, disbelief in her voice. Why is she surprised that I want to hang out with her ''Yeah, of course!'' Rory scowls. ''Maths is kinda his thing. He''s a nerd.'' I smirk at her. ''Just cause you''re jealous, Ror.'' She snorts. ''I am not jealous, mutt,'' she retorts. Her eyes widen as she realizes what she said, in front of a human. She quickly looks at Grace. ''It''s just this insult I''ve used since we were kids, cause he''s like an annoying dog,'' she hurriedly tries to exin the weird insult to Grace. Grace just smiles and nods, not suspecting anything. ''So, you''ve got business studies after lunch'' I ask her and she nods. She takes a bite of her sandwich and pulls her nner out of her bag. ''Yep, and a study periodst thing.'' ''Great, so have I. How about we go over the maths lesson'' She bites her bottom lip again, driving me crazy. ''Um, yes, please. I''d like that.'' I grin at her. ''So would I.'' Grace leaves after she''s finished her lunch to collect her books for the next lesson from her locker. I''m about to go with her, but Rory grabs my arm and pulls me back into my chair. ''I can''t believe you''ve met your mate!'' She hisses as Grace walks away. ''She''s so cute!'' I smile at thatment. ''I know. She''s adorable.'' Xaden makes a gagging sound and sticks his finger in his mouth. I roll my eyes at his immaturity. ''Just you wait, big boy,'' Roryments. ''You''ll be just as whipped as everyone else when they meet their mate.'' Xaden scoffs. ''No way has the Moon Goddess given me a mate. She knows I don''t want one.'' Both Rory and I roll our eyes this time. ''Anyway, do we know anything else about her'' This is why I love Rory. She''s the perfect best friend, always so supportive. ''Not much, only that she''s new here. I don''t even know if she''s new to the area.'' Rory considers something for a moment. ''How about you ask her out on a date You could use the pretense of showing her around the town, you know, if she''s new and all.'' ''Actually, that''s not a bad idea.'' I meet Grace in the business studies ssroom. Xaden and I usually sit together, but he agrees to sit next to Dustin instead, so that I can be with Grace. She blushes as I sit down next to her. I watch with amusement as she gets 247 things out of her bag again andys them on the desk. ''I know.'' She sighs. ''I have a lot of stuff.'' I grin at her. ''It''s cute. You''re cute.'' She blushes at mypliment. I''m addicted to her blush; it makes me want to wrap my arms around her and squeeze her. The teacher iste for the lesson and I''m grateful for that. She rests her chin on her hand and looks at me thoughtfully. I can''t help but smile, liking the attention from her. ''What'' I ask her. She looks shy again. ''I''m just wondering why you''re being so nice to me.'' I frown. ''What do you mean Why wouldn''t I be nice to you'' She shrugs. ''You''re obviously very popr. Why are you making such an effort with the nerdy new girl'' I feel likeughing. This girl has no idea how important she is to me. ''I don''t know what kind of high¡ªschool clich¨¦ you''re thinking of but being popr or nerdy has nothing to do with whether I''m nice to you or not,'' I respond, and she gets embarrassed. I lean forward and I hear her breathing hitch at our closeness. ''I like you, Grace. I want to get to know you.'' She visibly swallows and I watch as her tongue darts out over her lower lip. Shit. ''O¡ªokay.'' The teacher finallyes in. I lean back and give Grace some space to breathe. ''Axel'' Grace whispers my name. Fuck, it sounds good from her lips. ''Yeah'' She turns bright red. ''I like you, too.'' Best. Fucking. Day. Ever. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 21 Book 3 Chapter 21 Axel''s POV. Grace and I only talk a bit during the lesson. She is a real goody¡ªtwo¡ªshoes who doesn''t like to get in trouble. Yet another thing I like about her. When the lesson is over, we go up to the study room. I get out my maths books and go over the topics we covered this morning. Once she''s confident that she understands it, I change the subject to her. ''Are you new to the town Or just to this school'' I ask casually. ''I''m new to the town. We moved here a week ago.'' ''We You and your parents'' She nods. ''Me and my mum and my three half¡ªsiblings.'' I look at her curiously and she obviously decides to exin before I ask. ''My dad left when I was four and my mum remarried a few yearster. My step¡ªdad passed away two years ago, so it''s just the five of us now.'' ''Shit, I''m so sorry.'' She shrugs. ''It''s okay. It was horrible at first, but Mum''s starting to heal, and I know my siblings keep her so busy that she barely has time to miss my step¡ªdad nowadays.'' ''How old are your siblings'' She grimaces. ''Five, seven and nine. They''re so irritating. I spend a lot of time in my bedroom, with the door locked.'' Iugh at that. ''I''m an only child, I can''t rte I''m afraid.'' Her eyes widen. ''You''re so lucky! I''m jealous. I love my siblings, but it would be nice to have to space for once.'' ''Well, if you ever need a break, you can alwayse round to mine.'' I realize what I''ve said, after the words leave my mouth. Grace looks at me in surprise and I worry that I''ve scared her bying on too strong. ''I have my friends over all the time. Xaden and Rory practically lived at my house over summer,'' I tell her hurriedly, trying to make her less ufortable. Grace smiles and I sigh with relief. ''That''s nice of you, thank you.'' Fuck it, here I go. ''I was wondering¡­can I take you out sometime this week If you''re new to the area, I''m happy to show you the good ces.'' Her cheeks turn a pretty pink and she ys with her hands on herp. ''Like a date'' She asks quietly. I smirk. ''That would be good, but, if you prefer, it can just be a local showing around a newbie.'' She giggles at that. ''Um, no, a date¡­sounds nice. I''d like that.'' I can''t stop myself from grinning. I want to fist pump the air and shout that I have a date with my mate. Instead, I y it cool. ''Awesome. Shall we exchange numbers Then I cane up with a n and text you the details.'' She gets her mint phone out of her bag. ''Sure, this is my number¡­'' Grace and I talk for the rest of the free period. When the bell goes, I walk her outside of the school. She tells me that she lives a ten¡ªminute walk away. I offer to give her a lift, but she declines. She likes the walk to clear her head before she reaches the madhouse she calls home. I find Xaden leaning against my car, smirking like the smug bastard he is. ''How''s cutie'' He asks dryly. I grab his shirt and yank him upward, so that I am in his face. ''Don''t fucking call her that,'' I growl angrily. He chuckles and pulls my hand from him. ''I''m just teasing, man,'' he says and then his eyes soften. ''I''m sorry. I won''t go anywhere near your mate, I swear.'' Xaden might be a dick, but I know he''s not that much of a dick. I roll my eyes at him. ''I know you won''t, but don''t call her names like that.'' Heughs. ''I won''t. That''s your job.'' Xadenes back to my house, as we often do after school. We y on my Xbox in my room. ''So, what''s it like'' Xaden asks. ''Having a mate'' I can''t stop my lips quirking up in a smile. ''Fucking awesome and I haven''t even touched her yet. It''s strange. It''s like my whole world changed this morning. Everything I thought was important, now means nothingpared to her. I want nothing more than to be around her constantly and to make her happy,'' I tell him honestly. Xaden stays quiet, processing my confession. I groan. ''Fuck. Now I miss her.'' He chuckles next to me. ''Pussy¡ªwhipped already, bro.'' I don''t try and deny it. ''I know, I am. I don''t even care though, she''s worth it.'' Xaden''s phone buzzes and he pauses the game. He looks down and reads the text. The moment he gives me a sheepish smile, I know what the text says without even seeing it. ''Let me guess, you''re sorry to bail on me, but there''s some hot girl wanting to bang you'' Xaden grins and shrugs. ''Duty calls,'' he says dramatically and stands up. ''I gotta give the girls what they want.'' I roll my eyes. ''Just remember, every girl you sleep with, is another reason for your mate to hit you.'' Xadenughs at that. ''Then I''ll be ck and blue by the time she''s done with me.'' He opens my bedroom door to leave and then calls over his shoulder. ''But remember, I''m not getting a mate!'' I shake my head at him in disbelief. So na?ve. Everyone has a mate. ????????????? Tuesday morning, I am actually out of the house early, for once. I told my parents about Gracest night. Whilst they''re excited for me and can''t wait to meet her, they have their reservations because she is human. I have them, too, I''ll admit. It makes things harder for me. Had she been a shifter, she would recognize the mate bond and I wouldn''t have to deal with the shit task of confessing that I''m a shifter. It just means I''m going to have to work harder and be more patient. I need to take Grace on dates, get her to trust me. The mate bond will do the rest. She''ll feel the pull towards me, but she''ll brush it off as attraction. I need to show her that it is something much deeper. When the timees, when we''ve been dating long enough and shepletely trusts me, I will tell Material ? N?velDrama.Org. her what I am. The Moon Goddess is generous. Humans that are assigned as soulmates to shifters tend to have a predisposition for the supernatural. They either want to be a werewolf or have an interest in them. It is incredibly rare to hear of a human freaking out and rejecting their mate when they reveal themselves, but it happens. I''ll admit, I''m scared it will happen with Grace. The timing is very sensitive. I have to make sure I do this right. The reason for my arriving early to school for once, walks through the door into themon room. Grace catches my eye and I grin, gesturing for her toe over. She smiles shyly and joins Rory and me. ''Morning,'' she says sweetly. My hands twitch, wanting to touch her. I curl my fingers into fists on myp. ''Morning, how are you this morning'' I ask her. I can see Rory smiling in my peripherals. She''s looking down at her textbook, trying not to make it obvious. I know, I''m whipped already. ''Really good, thank you,'' Grace replies. ''What about you'' ''Better now,'' I reply with a grin. Grace blushes. My first blush of the day, I love it. ''We have math first; do you want to go over that topic again'' Grace nods and pulls her textbook out of her backpack. ''Yes, please. That would be helpful.'' For the next fifteen minutes, we go over yesterday''s topic again. I shuffle my chair close to hers, breathing in her sweet scent. I hear her heart rate increase as I sit near her, I really hope it''s from attraction and not fear. I frown as I realize her scent is different from yesterday. It doesn''t smell like honeysuckles anymore; it smells like strawberries. ''You smell like strawberries,'' Iment, without thinking about how weird that sounds. Grace blushes. ''Yeah, I got a new shampoo.'' She smells her hair. ''Is it okay'' ''It smells amazing,'' I tell her, and she blushes some more. Hmm, strawberries. Xadenes inte and smirks when he sees me. Grace packs up her things and goes off to her form. It sucks she''s not in my form. ''Get in a cheeky morning session, did we'' Xaden teases. I roll my eyes. ''How was your shagst night'' He shrugs. ''Same old. Not bad, not incredible.'' ''Why do it then If it wasn''t even that good'' He shrugs at me again. ''It''s better than lying in the bedroom alone.'' As I said, he just wants attention,fort,panionship. If he''s on his own, he''s not happy. In my opinion, he needs to meet his mate ASAP, before he''s slept with all of her friends and maybe some of her family! ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 22 Book 3 Chapter 22 Axel''s POV. The math lesson is easy. I''ve already read ahead in the textbook, so I know exactly what Miss Mooney is talking about. I rest my chin on my hand and subtly nce over at Grace. Okay, maybe not so subtly. She catches my eye and blushes when she realizes that I''m looking at her. She smiles and quickly looks back at the board. I think I have a n for our date. I write her the note on my paper and tear it off the corner. Folding it in half, Iy it on top of her notebook. She frowns and picks it up. A smile ys on her full lips as she reads it. She checks that the teacher isn''t watching and then writes a reply in her beautiful penmanship. Oh Care to share those ns with your date I smirk at her flirty reply and quickly write my response. I throw the note onto her desk, keeping my eyes trained on our teacher. Not yet. But I''ll give you a clue, it involves something you lick. Grace''s face goes bright red and her mouthparts in shock. I feel like face¡ªpalming myself for being such an idiot. I didn''t even think of the sexual connotations attached to my reply. I grab the paper from her hands and hurriedly defend myself. Shit!!! Didn''t think that through¡ª I meant ice cream! I hand her note, giving her a sheepish smile. Grace eyes me warily and then opens it. She makes an adorable snort as she reads it and quickly mps her hand over her mouth. Miss Mooney looks up at us and we both smile innocently back. She narrows her eyes and returns to the board. Grace bites on her bottom lip as she writes back to me. I don''t y it cool at all, I have to stop myself from snatching the note out of her hands, desperate to see her reply. Oh, I thought you were hinting at your picture of a cock. My mouth drops open this time. I gawp at Grace, shocked that my innocent little mate has drawn a miniature phallus on our note. Grace is the color of a tomato and won''t look me in the eyes. It took a lot for her to draw that, I bet. Wow, strawberries, was not expecting that from you! 1) I don''t do that on a first date, what kind of guy do you take me for ;) 2) I would hope my dick is warmer than the ice cream we''re going to eat 3) That picture better not be true to size, or I''ll be very offended, strawberries. Miss Mooney turns away from the board and addresses the ss. With her eyes on us, I don''t want to pass the note over the desk. I really don''t need my math teacher reading my flirty notes to my mate. I pass the note to Grace under the desk and our fingers finally touch. Her fingers brush against mine as she takes the paper from my hand. Warmth spreads up my arm at the contact and I watch Grace''s lips part in surprise. She would have felt the tingles, too. Not like a static shock, it feels a lot nicer than that. Grace gives me a quizzical look, probably wondering what caused that feeling. I smile sheepishly back. I can''t exactly say, ''Oh, felt that did you Well, it''s because I''m a werewolf and our deity chose you from birth to be my soulmate and I''m going to mark you someday, changing you into a werewolf, too, and we will be together for the rest of our extraordinarily long lives.'' Somehow I don''t think that would go down too well. Grace subtly reads the note under the desk, putting her hand over her mouth to mask herughter. She tries but fails to keep the smile off of her face as she looks back up. Miss Mooney finally stops talking and gives us some questions to try out. I do the first two whilst Grace writes her reply. She''s still smiling when she passes a new piece of paperback. We were getting tight for space on the old piece. 1) Don''t worry, Mr. Archer, I wouldn''t take advantage of you like that 2) I really don''t need to know the temperature of your dick 3) Not that I''ll ever know, but I doubt the drawing is true to size 4) Strawberries I smirk at her reply. Okay, let''s take it up a notch. Whilst Grace answers the questions, I reply. 1) Thank you, I have a reputation to uphold 2) It''s very warm right now 3) If you ever want to have a visual, you know, so you could make a real¡ªsize drawing, I''m game. (although you''re gonna need a bigger piece of paper) 4) Strawberries. Your new nickname. I hand the paper back and quickly do the questions. When Miss Mooneyes round to check, she nods in approval and carries on circting. Grace is blushing up to her hairline as she reads my response. She giggles quietly and picks up her pen. This is the most fun I''ve ever had in a math lesson. I never thought I''d be the kind of guy to pass notes back and forth with my crush, but here we are. Mates do that to you, change youpletely. Grace''s hand brushes mine and I look down in surprise. She ces the note into my hand on myp, just inches from my dick, which we are currently talking about. I grit my teeth and try to stop myself from getting hard. This is embarrassing. I need to get a hold of myself, but it''s hard when my mate is so adorable and sexy at the same time. She has no idea what it does to me when she chews on her bottom lip like that. I distract myself by opening the note. Modest, aren''t you I like the name strawberries. It''s my favorite ice cream vor, too. I smile at that. I stayed uptest night, thinking of ces to take her. I thought we could walk around the city, and I could point ces out to her, and then we could end at my favorite ce, Giovanni''s Gto. I reply and pass the note back whilst Miss Mooney moves onto the next topic. Duly noted. Hope you''re excited for Thursday, Strawberries. Instead of replying to my note this time, she smiles and nods. ''Yeah,'' she whispers shyly. ''I am.'' ????????????? I have P.E next and as usual, it goes over break time as well. I don''t mind in the slightest, because it means I get to carry on working out whilst my mate watches. All of the studentse out of the school at the break, whilst P.E carries on because it''s a double period. My mate sits with Rory on one of the benches and watches Xaden and Iplete the circuit training. Coach has set up a load of different stations around the field, varying fromteral runs on the agility I''m sweating like a pig, but judging from the sight of Grace''s flushed cheeks, she''s quite enjoying watching me work out. I work harder, knowing that she''s watching me. My wolf and I want to show off to our mate, show her how strong we are, that we could fight off another who might challenge us for her. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Female shifters can easily protect themselves, but my mate is human, she is unaware of our kind, and it makes me more protective of her. She would have no chance against an angry wolf because she''d have no idea of what she was up against. ''Showing off for your girl'' Xaden calls out to me as we jog ap around the field. I smirk at him. ''Of course. Got to impress her somehow.'' Xaden nces over at the girls and nods. ''Looks like it''s working, she can barely take her eyes off of you.'' Hisment makes me so fucking happy. I nce over at my girl, and I can''t help but grin as I see the packet of crisps on herp is opened, but untouched. Her hand is frozen mid¡ªair, holding a crisp. She''s too busy watching me. I feel proud as hell. ''Come on, man, let''s give her something to drool at,'' Xaden says and pulls me over to the barbells on the ground. This will really get her forgetting about food. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 23 Book 3 Chapter 23 Axel''s POV. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ''Whatever you were trying to do, I think it worked.'' I look up from my notes to see Rory smirking in front of me. I nod for her to take a seat. We''re in the study section and we both have a free half¡ªperiod before lunch. I''ve since showered after P.E, not wanting to be a sweaty mess when I spend lunch with my mate. ''What do you mean'' Rory gives me a deadpan look. ''You were trying to get your mate a bit hot and bothered, I think,'' shements. ''It definitely worked; the poor girl could barely finish a sentence. She was even more quiet than usual.'' I smirk in satisfaction, pleased that my mate liked what she saw. ''She''s in physics now and I bet she''s only thinking physical not physicist.'' Iugh and roll my eyes at her. ''That was a shit joke.'' Rory grins at me. ''You stillughed, though.'' She puts her feet up on the chair next to me and crossing her arms over her chest. ''So, tell me about this date you have nned for Thursday. Are you gonna pick her up'' ''I don''t know, hadn''t discussed it. I want to, but what if it means meeting her family'' Rory frowns. ''So'' ''What if they don''t like me'' ''You''re made for their daughter, of course they''ll like you. There''s no one safer for her to be with.'' I shrug at her. ''They don''t know that, though. All they will see is a horny guy who wants to bang their daughter.'' Roryughs at that. ''Then show them what a nice guy you can be, but, let''s be honest, you do want to bang their daughter.'' ''Obviously. But it''s not about that and you know it.'' I nce around and lower my voice so that no one can hear. ''I assume she''s a virgin, so I can''t imagine we''ll be doing anything like that anytime soon. You know what I don''t even care. I just want to spend time with her.'' Rory ''aw''s at me. ''Isn''t that cute. You''re growing, Axe.'' She leans back in the chair. ''She gives me virgin vibes, but you never know.'' I grimace, not wanting to think about my mate with another guy. ''My parents want to meet her. I keep telling them it''s too soon. I need to take her out again after, I''m thinking Saturday.'' Rory nods. ''Good idea. The more time you spend together, the more the mate bond will form, and she''ll find it hard to be away from you. It''ll help make it easier when you tell her.'' ''So, what do you think Food Movie'' ''I don''t know. It depends. Do you wanna do normal stuff Or special stuff Maybe start with a normal date; dinner and a movie, then move into the specially thought¡ªout dates. Don''t want to scare her away by This is why I need a girl best friend. She gives me insight into the female mind. That shit''s scary. ''Okay. I take her to the cinema and then to Olivier''s, sound good'' ''I''d be happy with that. What films are on Check their website.'' By the time the lunch bell goes, Aurora and I have found a film for Grace and I and booked tickets. I also book a table at Olivier''s online. I was lucky to get a table thiste in the week, they usually book up quickly. It''s one of my favorite restaurants in town, French food but not overpriced. I hope Grace likes it. ????????????? We''re already sat at our table when Grace nervouslyes over. It''s only her second day, she''s still shy around my friends. I gave them the warning to be nice before she came over. ''How was physics'' I ask when she sits down. ''Easy. We''re doing thermal equilibrium,'' she replies with a shrug. My little genius. I''m surprised she struggles with math if she does so well in physics. Maybe she puts it on to spend more time with me¡­ That thought makes me smile. ''Are you free on Saturday'' I ask, surprising her. Her brows furrow as she considers it. ''I think so. Why'' ''I want to take you out.'' She scrunches up her nose in confusion. ''We haven''t even had our first date yet!'' I shrug. ''I don''t care. I already know I want another one.'' She blushes intensely. ''I¡ª um, well, are you sure'' I chuckle at her nervousness. ''Yes, I''m sure. I told you, Grace, I like you.'' That really makes her blush. ''What if the date on Thursday goes horribly'' I frown at her answer. ''It won''t. How could it It''s me and ice cream, what''s not to love, strawberries'' She giggles at the nickname and smiles up at me. ''Alright, Mr. Archer, you''ve got yourself a second date.'' ????????????? After lunch, Grace and I sit together in business studies. It''s like the teacher is on my side or something, because he informs us that we''re going to be working in pairs this lesson. For the whole hour, I get to work with Grace. We manage to get the work done and flirt a load more. I can''t stop myself from flirting with her. My instinct is to tter her, to get her to fall in love with us. We both have a free period at the end of the day together, Xaden does, too. The three of us chill in themon room. Xaden is at his best; his confident, funny self, when he''s not being obnoxious or showing off. He makes an effort to get to know Grace, without being anything but friendly, and I appreciate that. He acts as the perfect wingman, talking me up to Grace. She leaves school with a smile on her face, and I know that''s thanks to a fun hour with Xaden and me. I put my arm around him as we leave school. ''You know, Cuz,'' I tell him. ''Sometimes, I really love ya.'' He scoffs and pushes my arm off. ''You love me all the time, don''t deny it.'' ????????????? Wednesday seems to drag. Although Grace and I have math, business studies and a free period together, we only really get to spend time together in the free period. We do group work in business studies, and stupid Mr. Baxter chooses the groups himself. Grace and I get put in different groups. I look longingly across the room at her and she pouts back yfully. In math, we barely get to talk because we''re doing some ''really hard'' topic that, I''ll admit, is pretty difficult. I actually have to listen to understand it, which is rare. By the end of the day, I''m buzzing with excitement. Tomorrow, Grace and I are going on a date! I walk Grace out of school. ''So, do you want me to pick you up from your house tomorrow'' I offer, knowing she doesn''t have a car. ''No, it''s okay! I''ll meet you somewhere,'' she says. ''Really I can pick you up, I don''t mind.'' She frowns. ''No, it''s fine. My mum will be weird about it. I haven''t told her I''m going on a date; she thinks I''m meeting some friends.'' That makes me feel ufortable. I want her mum to like me and sneaking around behind her back isn''t going to help any. ''Why will she be weird Mum''s usually love me, I''m a delight.'' Grace scoffs at that. ''I''m sure they do, Mr. Charming. My mum¡­she''s very protective. After my Dad left and then my step¡ªdad passed, I think she just feels like she''s been let down by men. She doesn''t want me dating yet.'' ''But you''re almost eighteen,'' I protest. She told me this morning that her birthday is in two months. Grace sighs and brushes her red waves back from her face. ''I know. I''ll tell her the truth if we end up going on more dates, okay But this is just the first one.'' Grace bumps me. ''It might not go well.'' I ce my hand over my heart. ''Will you stop with this ''going badly'' thing You''re really wounding me here, Strawberries.'' Grace giggles at my theatrics. ''Sorry, Axe.'' I love it when she uses my nickname. We walk to the school gates and slow to a stop. This is where she carries on home, and I go to my car. ''It''s not going to go badly and you better start thinking up ways to tell your mum, cause I''m telling you Strawberries, this is just the first of many dates that I intend to take you on.'' Grace blushes to her hairline and shifts from one foot to the other. Damn, she''s adorable. Have I said that before ''Okay! I''ll think of something. See you tomorrow, Axel,'' she says softly. I watch her walk away, a stupid grin on my face. I am so fucking happy. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 24 Book 3 Chapter 24 Axel''s POV. I''m whistling, with my hands in my pockets, as I walk into school. Xaden rolls his eyes and pushes off the wall he was leaning on. ''Let me guess, you''re happy because you''re going on a date with your mate tonight'' He asks sardonically. I smirk at him. ''Yep. I have a date with the most perfect girl in school.'' Xaden snorts but doesn''t try and kill my mood. He walks in with me, and we find Rory and Grace in the I love that Rory is making an effort with Grace, the two of them really seem to be getting along well. I sit down next to Grace and put my arm around the back of her chair. She smiles shyly and her cheeks turn a very light shade of pink. I wonder if she''ll ever stop blushing around me. I hope not. ''You ready for our date tonight'' I ask teasingly. She nods and bites on her bottom lip. ''I''m looking forward to it,'' she confesses quietly. ''Where should I meet you'' ''How about at the town square You know where that is, right'' Grace nods, causing a few strands to escape from her messy bun. Instinctively, I reach out and tuck them behind her ear. Her blush deepens as my touch lingers, causing tingles to run up my arm. ''Why does that happen'' She whispers. ''When you touch me¡­it feels strange, like little sparks¡­'' I smirk at her and lean in close. Her breathing hitches. ''It means your body is attracted to mine,'' I reply lowly, so only she can hear. ''It means our attraction to each other is tangible.'' She swallows hard and looks up at me with her big blue eyes. She only has a bit of makeup on, but her eyshes are so fucking long. ''Really'' She says awe in her tone. I don''t think she can quite believe it. I get it, this is an unnatural phenomenon for a human. ''Yes. It happens sometimes, when two people are perfect for each other.'' My response makes her smile. She raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at me. ''Perfect for each other'' I grin charmingly. ''Yes, Strawberries. You and me, we''re meant to be.'' She giggles and rolls her eyes. ''If you say so.'' I nudge her gently and she nudges me back with her shoulder. ''You''ll see tonight, Strawberries, on our date.'' ????????????? Grace has physics first period, whilst I have a free. I sit with Xaden, and our friend Fiy and we get caught up on some sports theory we''ve been assigned. My mate has a free period for her second lesson, whilst I have P.E, meaning we aren''t together, again. I''m grateful when the break bell goes, and it means I get to see her again. The weather is sunny today, which is good for our dateter. We decide to sit outside, in our spot behind the school. There are two benches opposite each other, and it overlooks the fields around the school. I shrug out of my hoodie and shove it in my backpack. I don''t miss the way Grace tries to subtly check me out in my t¡ªshirt. Her eyes linger on my biceps, and I resist the urge to flex them for her. Rory sits down at the end of one of the benches and Xaden lies down along it, resting his head on her Fiy sits down and slides on his sun¡ªsses. I take a seat next to him and Grace hesitates, unsure whether to squeeze on next to me. I reach out and grab her wrist. With a sharp tug, I pull her onto myp. She squeals and grabs my arms to steady herself. I slide her backpack off her shoulder and put it on the ground. She blushes bright red and shifts on my ''Axel, I could just sit next to you,'' she says quietly, looking around at the others self¡ªconsciously. Luckily, none of them are looking at us. I wrap my arm around her waist. ''Nope. Not enough room. You''re gonna have to sit here, Strawberries.'' She blushes some more but doesn''t protest. I sit back against the bench, taking my mate with me. She bites her bottom lip nervously, but gradually rxes and rests against my chest. She''s wearing a dress today and her legs are bare. That makes me very fucking happy. Her creamy thighs are exposed across myp, and I gently ce my hand on her leg. I keep it near her knee, not wanting her to be ufortable. As much as I want to slide my hand up her skirt and make her feel good, I know it is way too soon and I respect her. Instead, I study the freckles on her cute, slightly upturned nose. Her eyes flicker, taking in everything around us. ''How hot do you think it is today'' She asks, ncing up at the blue sky. It''s the same color as her eyes. ''Not sure, maybe 25 degrees. Why'' My little mate''s brows furrow. ''I haven''t got any sun cream and I don''t want to burn.'' ''We''ve only got fifteen minutes till the end of the break, you''ll be okay,'' I reply gently. She huffs, an adorable action. ''It''s easy for you! You''re so tanned. I hate being a redhead sometimes.'' Her grumbling makes me wrap my arms tighter around her. I rest my chin on her shoulder. ''Don''t say that. I love your hair.'' I take one of the strands between my fingers and twirl it. She blushes again. ''Thank you.'' Grace shifts on myp and nothing can distract me from her thighs anymore. I feel myself getting hard and I quickly try to think of things to keep him down. Grace shuffles again and I mp my hands down on her waist. ''Stop moving,'' I warn her lowly, so that the others can''t hear. ''You''re making a certain part of me very excited.'' My sweet little Strawberry turns the color of a strawberry. She instantly freezes. ''Oops.'' She giggles. ''Sorry.'' She remains still for the rest of the break, and I manage to keep myself under control. I didn''t want her Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. to feel my hard¡ªon and get ufortable. I don''t ever want to make her feel ufortable. Grace doesn''t seem the least bit fazed though, she seems to find it funny. She jokes about it when she climbs off myp, after the bell rings. Feeling confident after having her sit on myp for thest twenty minutes, I put my arm around her shoulders as we walk to ss. She blushes but doesn''t shake me off. We have business studies next before lunch. Mr. Baxter gives us a run¡ªdown on the assignment we''re going to be set next week. I jump when I feel my mate''s small hand on my thigh. I look down in surprise and see the folded¡ªup piece of paper in her hand. I take it from her with a smile and open it. Do I get any more clues about tonight''s date (maybe not ones that imply oral activities though) That makes me chuckle. I check Mr. Baxter isn''t looking and write a reply. Nope, it''s a surprise. But remember to bring shoes you can walk in because I''m showing you all the good ces in town. Or I can give you a piggyback if you want. I fold the paper up and pass it back to her, our fingers brushing again. That tiny bit of contact has my heart beating faster. A few momentster, she''s handing me back her reply. I''m not going to ride you on the first date. My mouth drops open in surprise and my head whips up to look at Grace. She won''t meet my eyes again. She''s blushing up to her hairline and keeping her gaze solely on the board. ''Alright, ss. Discuss this in pairs for the next five minutes, then, be ready to share your ideas,'' Mr. Baxter instructs. The ss breaks out in chatter, and I turn to face my naughty little mate. ''Grace Barlow, are you hiding a dirty¡ªmind that I know nothing about'' I ask her teasingly. She blushes some more but finally meets my eyes. ''I thought it was funny,'' she replies shyly. I chuckle and shake my head. ''It was. Definitely.'' I lean in closer to her and she nervously nces around before leaning in, too. ''You said you wouldn''t do it on the first date, what about the second'' She gasps and shoves my shoulder, moving away from me. ''Pig!'' She says with feigned horror. We bothugh and her smile turns mischievous. ''Obviously I would wait until the third or fourth date before doing something like that.'' She bursts outughing at my shocked expression. ''I''m joking!'' ''Mr. Archer and Miss Barlow,'' Mr. Baxter calls our names, making both of us jump. ''We appear to be having a very sessful conversation, would either of you care to share your thoughts on this question'' Shit. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 25 Book 3 Chapter 25 Axel''s POV. The whole ss looks at us. Grace looks really embarrassed and ufortable; I hate Mr. Baxter for putting her on the spot like that. ''We''ve discussed it and we think that, although it is an important factor, we don''t believe that the Mr. Baxter raises an eyebrow at me and sits on his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. ''Oh And why is that'' I smirk. He''s trying to pick on us to call us out, but he doesn''t realize how smart I am. ''Because there is a nature reserve less than a mile away that epasses enough of the marsh that the business would not greatly affect, nor have a negative impact on, the species that inhabit it. As long as thepany maintains a good working rtionship with the nature trust, it shouldn''t be considered part of their moral duty to n around it.'' That shuts him up. Mr. Baxter nods once, his expression irritated. ''Very good. Any other pairs care to weigh in on those thoughts'' The attentiones off us and I turn to Grace with a smirk. She''s looking at me with wide eyes. ''That was amazing,'' she whispers. I shrug. ''Just you wait till our date, Strawberries.'' ????????????? The weather is still hot at lunch, so the seven of us sit on the field to eat. Iy down on my back on the grass, looking up at the sky. Grace, obviously feeling morefortable with me, lies down on her back, too, but she rests her head on my chest. We soak up the sun for half an hour, my girl gets some sun cream from reception, so she doesn''t burn. Adorable. I trail my fingers up and down her arm, and my mate sighs with happiness. I''m equally as content, lying on the grass with my eyes closed. The rest of the day passes quite fast. Grace and I have a free period and math together after lunch. After school, she walks home, and I drive back to mine. ''I''m home,'' I call out as I walk through the door. Mum calls me into the kitchen. Both of my parents are sitting at the table, I pull up a chair next to them. ''How was school How was Grace'' Mum asks excitedly. ''It was good. The teacher tried to catch us out, thinking we weren''t listening.'' Mum smirks. ''Bet you answered perfectly, didn''t you'' I nod, probably looking as smug as I feel. ''Our son is such a genius,'' Mumments and Dad nods in agreement. I roll my eyes at them. ''I''m meeting Grace at 6, so I''ll leave in about two hours.'' ''Okay. Have you nned what you''re going to wear'' I scrunch up my nose at my mum''s question. ''No, obviously not.'' ''You have to wear something nice! Make sure she knows you''ve made an effort.'' Now, she''s making me nervous. I thought I''d just wear jeans and a t¡ªshirt. ''I was thinking jeans and a t¡ªshirt.'' I look to my dad for advice. ''Go with a muscle¡ªfit one, show off your muscles, and pick smart jeans,'' Dadments. ''And make sure your trainers are clean!'' Mum adds. I roll my eyes and get up from the table. ''Thanks, guys.'' I take a shower and do some work. At a quarter to six, I drive to the center of town. After finding a parking spot, I walk over to the town square and send a text to Grace, letting her know that I''m here. A few minutester, a sh of red hair catches my eye. My beautiful mate walks over to me, looking stunning. She''s let her hair down and it''s swaying behind her as she walks. She''s wearing a yellow headband with a bow on it. She''s changed into another cute dress and sandals, and she''s even painted her little toes. She looks beautiful and adorable at the same time. When she reaches me, I lean in and kiss her cheek, making her blush. ''You look beautiful,'' I tell her. She ys with her hands nervously. ''Thank you. You look really good.'' I chose my white, muscle¡ªfit t¡ªshirt. It shows off my arms nicely and makes me look extra tanned. ''Are you ready for your tour, mydy'' I ask dramatically, holding out my hand to her. She giggles and slides her small hand into mine. ''Why, of course, Sir, lead the way.'' Hand in hand, I show Grace our town. I take her down the high street first, pointing out the obvious features like the shopping mall, cinema, town hall, library, etc. Then, I take her down the quieter streets, pointing out the hidden gems. I show her Olivier''s, where I''m taking her on Saturday. I take her to see where the smoothie bar is, we stop outside the bakery and stare at the cakes, we discuss the best and worst vors at the waffle house. ''No! I''m telling you, peanut butter on a waffle doesn''t work! It''s too thick, too sticky, it would like trying to eat cement!'' Grace argues and I scoff in response. ''Cement Don''t be so dramatic! A waffle isn''t much different to toast or bread, everyone eats peanut butter on those!'' ''It''s an entirely different food and you know it!'' Grace cries and Iugh at how passionate she is being about a waffle topping. As if realizing that we''ve stopped, Grace looks around. Her eyes light up as she sees the burrito truck. ''Do you like Mexican food'' I ask her. She nods eagerly and runs up to the truck to read the menu. We each order our burritos and I insist on paying for hers. This is a date, after all. Once our food is cooked, we hold it using the tinfoil wrappers and find the perfect spot. The bench we choose is situated on the edge of the pond. We eat our burritos and talk some more, N?velDrama.Org content rights. watching the swans on the water. When we''ve finished, we throw the wrappers in the bin, and I take Grace''s hand again. ''I hope you''ve still got room for ice cream,'' I tell her, and she smirks. ''Always.'' We cross town ande to Giovanni''s Gto. Despite being almost seven, it''s pretty busy. Good thing I booked. We''re a little early, but we''re lead to our table anyway. I slide into the booth next to Grace and hand her a menu. ''Order whatever you want, but I definitely rmend the milkshakes and the sundaes.'' The serveres over and I order a vani milkshake and a fudge brownie sundae. Grace shyly orders a strawberry milkshake and strawberry sundae. I smile and lean back in the booth. ''You''re really living up to your nickname, aren''t you'' She smiles at my teasing. ''I like strawberries, alright'' The corner of my lips turns up in a half¡ªsmile as I lean closer to her. ''I like strawberries, too,'' I murmur, my voice husky as my eyes remain on her full lips. Grace gasps at my closeness and shuffles back a bit, blushing. I grasp her waist gently and slide her back towards me, it''s easy on the leather booth. ''You''re not getting away that easily, Strawberries.'' She giggles and then self¡ªconsciously looks around. ''We''re in a public ce!'' She whispers. ''So'' I whisper back. She huffs and yfully pushes my chest. ''So, people can see us sitting so close together.'' ''Yes they can, and guess what They probably know we''re on a date,'' I reply, gasping with fake horror at the end. She rolls her sky¡ªblue eyes at me for mocking her. ''Let them look,'' I tell her. ''I want the world to see how beautiful my date is, and how lucky I am.'' Now that makes her blush. ''You''re certainly charming, Axel,'' she replies, sounding both happy and wary about it. I give her a sincere smile. ''Only for you, Strawberries. Only for you.'' She''s saved by our order arriving. We slurp our milkshakes and eat our sundaes, talking about families, school, friends, hobbies, everything. When we''re finished, I take her hand and walk her back to the square. She checks her phone. ''My mum will be here in five minutes to pick me up,'' she tells me. I feel a stab of disappointment. Our date is over, and I have to leave my beautiful little mate. ''Thank you for agreeing to a second date, hopefully you can agree that this first one wasn''t aplete disaster.'' Grace chuckles. ''No, not aplete disaster. Maybe only 50%.'' I smirk at her teasing. ''Yeah Is that 50% enough for you to still want to go out Saturday night'' ''Meh, for now, until I get a better offer,'' she says and shrugs, all nonchnt. ''You cheeky little¡ª'' Grace cuts me off, giggling and cing her small hands over my mouth. She has to get up on her tiptoes to reach. ''I''ve loved it. Really. Thank you. You''ve been so weing to me thest few days and I honestly appreciate it so much.'' She pulls her hands back from my mouth and I catch her wrists, not letting her get too far. Her lips part and our eyes meet. I want to kiss her. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 26 Book 3 Chapter 26 Axel''s POV. A quiet moan escapes from the back of her throat and Grace pushes herself against me. I wrap my arms around her waist, tucking her against my body. She fits perfectly. Grace leans up on her tiptoes to kiss me harder. Her little hands find their way to my hair, and she buries her fingers in the strands. I lean down some more, letting Grace roll off her tiptoes and back onto her feet. She''s so small, it''s adorable. My hand rubs her lower back as our lips move over each other. She moves in perfect sync with me, it''s like our kissing is instinctual, second nature. My tongue swipes over her bottom lip and she gasps. I chuckle and pull back. I have no intention of pushing my luck and deepening the kiss on our first date, I just wanted to see what her reaction would be. Grace blushes and won''t meet my eyes. Her lips are swollen and pink from our kiss. Best fucking kiss of my life. ''I should¡ª um, you should probably go. My mum will be here soon and if she sees us together, well, she gets all suspicious and asks loads of questions¡ª'' my mate rambles nervously. I bend down and press a firm kiss to her lips, effectively shutting her up. ''It''s okay, Strawberries,'' I reassure her when I pull back. ''I''m leaving.'' Grace twists her hands together in front of her. She looks up at me through her long eyshes. ''Thank you for the date, Axel. I''ll see you tomorrow.'' ''Thank you, too, Strawberries. I loved it. See you.'' I walk off to my car, with my hands in my pockets and a grin on my face. When I nce back over my shoulder at Grace, she is watching me walk away. Blushing because she got caught checking me out from behind, she quickly looks away. I smile because I caught her, because she looks like a girl who has been thoroughly kissed with her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, and because I just had the best date and the best kiss of my life. I have never felt this happy. I''m still smiling when Ie through the door. My parents are in the living room, and they call me through as I take off my shoes. ''How was it'' Mum asks eagerly, muting the TV. I can''t resist smiling. ''Awesome.'' ''Kiss'' Dad asks. Iugh and nod. ''Yeah. I kissed her.'' Both of them cheer and whoop at me, making me roll my eyes. ''That''s my boy,'' Dad responds approvingly. ''So, you excited for Saturday night'' My mum''s eyes are lit up with happiness. She and Dad waited so long to meet each other, neither of them could believe it when I told them about Grace. I think she''s really happy that I don''t have to go through the years of waiting that they did. ''I''m off to bed, night guys.'' I go up to my room and throw myself on my bed. I pull my phone from my jeans and check my messages. There''s one from my girl. Thank you for the best date. You''re something else, Axel Archer. I smile to myself. I made my mate happy. She''s happy, because of me. Before I call Xaden to see what he''s doing, I send a reply to her. And you''ve got another one with me on Saturday. Lucky you. ????????????? ''I take it that it went well Judging from the smile on your face.'' Rory is sat next to me, scrutinizing me over the top of her phone. ''Yeah. Really well,'' I respond. Xaden sits down in the spare seat next to me and puts his arm around my shoulders. ''Really, really well. Our boy got a kiss,'' he teases and then starts making smooching noises in my face. I nudge him away from me. ''Shut up.'' Rory grins. ''Really You kissed her Amazing!'' Speak of the angel, Grace walks into themon room. She approaches us and I shove Xaden, making him fall off the chair and onto the floor. ''Hey!'' He protests loudly. ''This seat is free,'' I tell Grace, patting the spot just vacated by Xaden. He grumbles something about me being whipped and sits on a chair opposite. Grace sits down next to me and slides off her bag. ''Was everything alright with your mum picking you up'' Grace nods. ''Yeah, she didn''t suspect anything.'' ''So, Saturday night should be a problem'' Her cheeks are warm and she shakes her head. ''Nope. I told her that I''m going out with Aurora.'' Rory winks at me and Grace. ''I got your backs, guys,'' she says and then groans loudly. ''Ugh, I''m so single.'' ''Don''t worry,'' I reassure her. ''You''ll find them soon.'' ''I''m getting my dick sucked on Saturday,'' Xaden muses aloud. We all look at him in shock. Grace blushes down to her neck and I put my arm around her protectively, wanting to shield her from Xaden''s crude words. ''I know I''ve said it a million times, but seriously, Xaden, you are going to regret doing all of this when you meet your m¡ª,'' she cuts off as she realizes that Grace is with us. ''Your person.'' Xaden scoffs. ''Please. I''ve told you; I don''t have a mate and even if I do, she''s gonna love me because I''m so good in bed.'' Rory scowls at his response. ''You''re disgusting, Xaden Moretti. You''ll be lucky if she even gives you the time of day.'' Xaden goes quiet at that, and Rory shifts ufortably, sensing that she went too far. Luckily, the bell rings and breaks the tense atmosphere for us. ????????????? Grace and I have maths first. Miss Mooney sets us some calctions to work out. I rest half of my upper body on the desk as I write, My knee bumps Grace''s by ident. Her lips twitch as she tries to resist a smile and she bumps my knee back. ''Pst,'' she whispers, getting my attention. ''Yes'' I reply, hovering my pencil over my work as I pause writing out my equation. ''What do I wear tomorrow'' She asks, her eyes shining with excitement. My little mate is excited about our date. I shrug. ''You''ll look beautiful in anything.'' She scowls at my answer. Okay, not the response I was expecting. I thought she''d like thepliment. ''That''s not helpful! Please, tell me what I should wear.'' I scrunch up my face. ''I''m not telling you what to wear. Wear whatever you want to.'' She narrows her blue eyes at me, and I quickly add, ''Fine, it''s a nice restaurant, so you can dress up if you want. Don''t girls like doing that'' She pins me with a look. Apparently, stereotyping is a no¡ªgo, too. ''Okay, I''ll wear a dress,'' she says, mostly to herself, I think. ''Good idea, so will I,'' I reply, and she rolls her eyes. She bumps her knee against mine and I bump her back. ''Would you two stop flirting and focus on the calctions, please'' Miss Mooney''s voice breaks through our moment. I sit up and hold up my sheet. ''I''ve done them, Miss.'' The teacher narrows her eyes at me. She grabs a sheet from her desk and brings it over. ''Well done, Axel,'' she says and ces the new sheet in front of me. ''Now, try these.'' As she walks away, Grace giggles. ''Nerd,'' she whispers. ''Says the physics boff,'' I retort, and she giggles again. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ''Where should I meet you On Saturday, I mean,'' Grace asks suddenly. I want it to be a proper date, I want to pick her up. ''We can meet at the square again, if that works for you,'' I tell her, but then an idea pops into my head. ''Or I could pick you up away from your house, like down your street or something'' Grace considers it for a moment. ''Okay. I tell Mum that Rory is picking me up.'' ''Great.'' This means I actually get to pick her up and drive her in my car, like a real date. I can''t fucking wait. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 27 Book 3 Chapter 27 Axel''s POV. As is tradition, we all go out for lunch on Friday. It''s the one day a week that sixth formers are allowed to leave the site for lunch. I drive the four of us to our local hangout, the 50''s¡ªthemed diner with the best greasy burgers you''ve N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ever tasted. Xaden grumbles the whole way, bitching about being demoted to the back seat. Grace sits in the passenger seat, blushing and looking guilty for taking Xaden''s spot. It''s not her fault, I made them switch. I wanted my girl upfront with me, so that I can hold her hand over the console. I refused to let Xaden bully her into swapping. When we get to the diner, our regr booth is waiting for us. Our waitress, Bessy, keeps it unofficially reserved for us each Friday. We slide in and order our food. I put my arm around Grace''s shoulders, and she leans into my touch. The contact, for me, ispletely natural. I know she must feel the bond, too, because she doesn''t fight it. It must be pretty strange for the humans in our year who see us together, they must think we''re mad for moving so fast. Technically, I have only known her for five days. Yet here we are, about to have our second date and cuddling like long¡ªtime lovers. But for shifters, it''s normal behavior to act like this. Even after only an hour of meeting your mate, shifters behave as though it has been a lifetime. It''s the way we are. And Grace must be feeling the connection, because she hasn''t been fighting it. She doesn''t move away from me or ask me to move my arm, she snuggles into my touch instinctively. I love it. Our burgers, fries and milkshakese. Rory, Xaden and I begin tucking in like we haven''t eaten in weeks. Another weird thing for humans, they''re always amazed by how much food shifters eat. Grace is still staring at her te, her eyes as wide as saucers. ''Axel,'' she whispers nervously. ''I can''t eat all of that.'' I shrug. ''No problem, Strawberries. Eat what you can and leave the rest to me.'' The three of us devour our food whilst Grace picks at hers more slowly. She eats about half of her burger and finishes her milkshake. She looks adorable with a little pink mustache on her top lip. I chuckle and wipe the residue from her mouth with my thumb. ''Strawberry mustache,'' I tell her and then suck the milkshake from my thumb. She blushes the same color as the pink drink. ''May I'' I ask, gesturing to her half¡ªfinished meal. Sheughs lightly and pushes the te towards me. ''Go ahead.'' I finish the rest of her food whilst Grace watches, pure amazement on her face. ''Where do you put all of that food'' She asks incredulously. ''Do you work out every day or something You''re so much muscr but you eat so much!'' Her passionate, staggered reaction is amusing to me. It makes me chuckle. ''Xaden, Rory and I work out a lot,'' I reply. That is partially true. What I''ve left out is that we exercise in apletely different form than we''re in now. ''What do you do'' Grace asks with interest. I share a look with the guys. ''Um, run, mostly. There''s a lot of forest around here.'' Grace nods, looking intrigued. ''Good for you guys. I hate exercise, personally.'' I lean down and kiss her cheek. ''You are perfect as you are.'' She blushes and self¡ªconsciously looks over at Xaden and Rory, but they''re having their own conversation. We pay for our meal and climb back into my car. Xadenins less about being in the back, happy now that he has been fed. I knew that most of his bitching on the way here was due to hanger, not real anger. Business studies is after lunch. Grace and I are put into a pair again and we get to work on a new project for the whole lesson. I can''t believe how lucky I am that I share two of my sses with my mate. I get to spend at least two hours a day with her whenever we''re at school. We joke and mess around with Rory and Fiy in ourst period. It''s a free period at the end of the day on a Friday, they can''t honestly expect us to study at all. When the bell finally rings, I walk Grace to the gate. We say goodbye and I kiss her forehead, leaving her to walk home with flushed cheeks. ????????????? Saturday morning, I meet Xaden on pack territory for a run. We strip and shift in our wolves before taking off through the trees. Wepete for a bit, each trying to run faster than the other. As usual, it turns into y fighting. We push each other in bushes and shrubs, trying to get the lead. At one point, Xaden bites my tail, pissing me off. I catch up to him and throw myself on his back, taking us both down. We lie on our backs on the forest floor, catching our breath back. Once we''ve recovered, we run back to our clothes. We shift and get dressed, meeting around the tree. ''Good run,'' Xadenments and ps me on the back. I catch his arm as he goes to walk to the car. ''Can we talk for a sec'' Xaden''s eyebrows raise in surprise. He leans against a nearby tree trunk and crosses his arms over his chest. ''Sure. What''s up'' I cross my arms to mirror him. ''Be honest with me bro, what are you going to do if you meet your mate'' He scowls at my question and pushes off the tree. ''I don''t know Fuck her It''s what I''m good at.'' I reach out and grab his shoulder, pulling him back to face me. ''Don''t try and brush me off with some sarcastic reply. Please man, be serious for once.'' Xaden narrows his eyes at me. ''I don''t know! Alright I don''t know,'' he replies with exasperation. He runs his hand through his hair and paces in front of me. ''I really don''t know,'' he says defeatedly and sits on the ground. I sit next to him and we''re silent for a moment. ''I should never have slept with Ca at that party,'' he muses. I shake my head, thinking back to that fateful house party. We were fourteen and Xaden had been dared to kiss Ca. Then, they were dared to do seven minutes in heaven. They never came out of the room. He sighs and lies back on the ground, looking up at the sky with a frown on his face. ''You know what happened, I loved how good sex was and mostly, I loved feeling wanted. By sixteen, I realized that I had fucked up. My mate wouldn''t want me, or at least, would be disappointed in me.'' His voice turns thick with emotion, and he quickly clears his throat. I remain silent, listening to him open up for once. ''The thought of meeting my mate, terrifies me. I hope the Moon Goddess hasn''t given me one, because whoever she is, she already deserves better. When I sleep with these girls, I feel wanted. Even if it is just for a couple of hours, it''s nice to know that they want me during that time.'' ''Your mate is going to want you, though,'' I insist. Xaden scoffs in disbelief. ''No. She won''t. Unless she''s slept with a hundred people, too, she''s not going to want anything to do with me. Rory is right, I''ve fucked it.'' ''You know you can stop, right'' I tell him. ''I stopped sleeping with anyone months ago, and I''ve never been more grateful for it. At least, when Grace and I eventually get there, it would have been a long time since I wasst with someone. If you stop now, you''re already making it better for when you meet her.'' Xaden considers that point. He sighs and sits up. ''Yeah, I guess you''re onto something there. But I''m meeting that new girl Gabrielle tonight. One more time can''t hurt, right'' I scowl at him and get to my feet. I offer out my hand and pull him up. ''Don''t do it, Xaden,'' I tell him firmly. ''For once, make the right choice and cancel. That''s the first step to proving yourself worthy of your mate. You can show her you''ve changed.'' Xaden grimaces. ''You''re acting like I''m going to meet her any day now. Do you know something I don''t'' Iugh at that. ''No, I don''t. But I do have a feeling, and my intuition is usually right.'' ''Yeah, I know it is,'' Xaden grumbles. Happy that I''ve got him to make the right choice, I drive us back to my house. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 28 Book 3 Chapter 28 Axel''s POV. Xaden leaves an hour before my date. After giving his approval of my shirt choice, he leaves me to it. Ie downstairs with five minutes to spare. Mum joins me just as I''m checking my reflection in the mirror. There are tears in her eyes. ''Don''t start, Mum, please,'' I beg her. Sheughs and wipes her eyes. ''Don''t mind me, I''m just being silly,'' she says quickly. Shees over and straightens my shirt. ''You look so handsome, darling.'' She hands me my jacket. ''She is one lucky girl.'' I smirk as I shrug on my jacket. ''I''m the lucky one, Mum.'' Dad steps out of the living room and wraps his arm around Mum''s shoulders. ''Have a great time and behave yourself. Remember to be careful with her, she won''t feel the bond as strongly as you,'' he warns. I nod and grab my car keys. ''I know, don''t worry. See youter.'' I follow my phone''s directions to Grace''s street, humming along to the radio. Even though I arrive ten minutes early, my girl is already waiting for me on the pavement. She looks stunning. Her red curls are pinned up in a bun, a few strands are loose around her face. She''s wearing heavier make¡ªup than she usually wears at school, but it''s not too much. Her short red dress actually works with her red curls, rather than shing. She pulls on the hem nervously as I step out of the car. ''Grace¡­wow,'' I greet her. ''You look stunning.'' I''m sure she''s blushing, but it''s barely noticeable under the foundation she''s wearing. I decide that I don''t like her wearing this much make¡ªup, I can''t see my favorite blush. The freckles on her nose are still visible though, which makes me happy. ''Thank you,'' she replies shyly. ''You look very dashing, Axel.'' Iugh at her choice of words. ''Why, thank you.'' I offer out my arm to her and she slips her hand into the crook of it. I lead her around to the passenger seat and get the door for her. Once I''m back in the car, I drive us to the town center. We find a parking spot and walk hand¡ªin¡ªhand to Olivier''s. The server shows us to our table at the back, near one of the windows. As soon as the menus are ced in our hands, my stomach starts rumbling with anticipation. ''Wow, everything looks so good,'' Gracements. ''Can you rmend anything'' I shuffle my chair closer to her and lean over her menu, pointing out the ones I''ve tried and loved. Eventually, we make a decision and ce our order. I don''t move back to my side of the table, wanting to stay near my mate. Our drinkse and Grace sends a text to her mum. ''She worries,'' she exins with an eye roll. ''So.'' She leans forward, resting her elbows on the edge of the table. ''Axel Archer, tell me about you. On our first date we covered hobbies, likes, food, etc. I want to know about your love life, if you''re okay with sharing.'' I swallow hard. Shit. This can never go well. Remember you can flip the question back on her. ''Am I allowed to plead the fifth'' I ask and she chuckles. ''That bad, huh'' I quickly shake my head. ''No, not bad, per se. But perhaps you should go first.'' Grace''s lips quirk up in a smile and she takes a sip of her drink. ''Okay,'' she replies. ''I''ve been on a few dates, nothing serious, never had a boyfriend.'' Shit. Maybe asking her to go first was a bad idea, now I''m going to look even worse inparison. I mean, I''m no Xaden, but I''ve not got her perfect track record, either. ''Our kiss wasn''t your first kiss, though'' I confirm and she shakes her head. ''No, but kissing is the um, full extent of my experience.'' Shit. I take a big gulp of my drink and Grace chuckles again. ''You seem rather nervous, Mr. Archer. Is this question making you ufortable You don''t have to answer if you don''t want'' I groan and sit back in my chair. ''No, Strawberries, I''ll answer it. But please remember how much you like me, yeah'' She smirks and crosses her arms over her chest. ''This should be good. If you have to make anything up to me, I take payments in ice cream and milkshakes.'' I smile at that. ''Duly noted.'' I take a deep breath and try to think about how to word this in a way that is both truthful and doesn''t make me sound like an ass. ''I''m afraid my experience is a little more extensive than yours. But, I have never had a girlfriend,'' I reply vaguely. Grace narrows her eyes. ''So, you''ve just slept around with nomitments'' I swallow hard again, opening and closing my mouth like a fish as I attempt toe up with a response. ''Um, if you put it like that¡­shit.'' I sigh and run my hand through my hair. ''Look, Xaden and I were idiots when we were younger. I thought the only thing that mattered was girls and scoring with them. I knew nothing, I was a twat.'' Grace takes a sip of her drink, her demeanor giving nothing away about what she is thinking. She looks so calm andposed, the opposite of how I feel right now. ''How much of an idiot were you'' She asks, acting nonchnt. I know better. I curl my fingers into fists. I don''t want to admit it to her but then, I will never, ever lie to her. If she outright asked me if I am a werewolf, I won''t be able to lie and deny it. ''Quite a big idiot,'' I confess. ''Maybe about twenty.'' She nods, not saying a word. There is no judgment in her eyes, which makes me feel slightly relieved. I decide to bepletely honest with her, girls like that, in my experience. ''I realized that I was being stupid, and I stopped. Xaden didn''t. I knew that one day, I was going to meet a girl that would make me regret being so¡­generous with my uh, body. So, I decided to stop messing about and wait. A few monthster, she came along.'' I watch Grace intensely, studying her reaction. She swallows visibly, her throat moving with the action. Her hand shakes a little as she moves it from her drink to herp. ''Oh'' She asks quietly. I smile, knowing I got to her. ''It was you. You made me regret every mistake I made, in a good way. You made me realize why changing my mind and waiting was the best decision I ever made.'' Grace meets my gaze. Surprise and gratitude shine in her blue irises. ''How do you manage to say the sweetest things, Axel'' She murmurs, shaking her head. I grin at her. ''It''s easy with you, I just say what I think.'' This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sheughs lightly and leans across the table to hold my hand. I uncurl my fingers and ce my hand in hers. ''You can rx now, that''s the only grilling you''re going to get,'' she says softly. ''It wasn''t even that I needed specific details or figures, I just wanted to know if there is a hoard of angry exes that I should be warned about. I like to go into something with my eyes open, you know'' I smirk at her response. ''Go into something What exactly are you going into, Strawberries'' Her cheeks flush enough that I can see it through her make¡ªup. ''I don''t know, Axel, you tell me. You''re the one that has asked me out, twice.'' I squeeze her hand to reassure her. ''Alright, I''ll tell you, Strawberries. I knew from the moment I saw you, I wanted you to be mine. We can go at your pace, and I am happy to work at convincing you it''s a good idea but let me warn you that my intention is to make you my girlfriend at some point.'' Her eyes widen at my confession and her lips part in surprise. I want to kiss her again. ''Best believe it, Strawberries, I want a rtionship with you.'' The food arrives, snapping Grace out of her shock. I don''t know why she is so surprised, really. It''s obvious what I want, I guess she didn''t think I was serious. Or maybe she was worried that I was only interested in her for physical reasons. I don''t know what she thought I was after, but I''m going to show her how serious I am. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 29 Book 3 Chapter 29 Axel''s POV. It takes a long time for us to finish our meal because we don''t stop talking. Grace asks me more about my parents, I use the opportunity to try and open her mind to soul mates. ''There''s this weird thing in my family where, we all believe we have soul mates,'' I start to exin. Grace raises her eyebrows in surprise, and I hold my hand. ''I know, sounds crazy, right'' She shrugs. ''Not crazy, very hopeful.'' ''It might seem unrealistic, but it''s how it has always been in every generation. Every member of my family has a soul mate and when they find them, they''ve always been together for all their lives. No one in my family has ever separated or divorced.'' Grace looks surprised but seems to like the idea. Thank fuck. Because she''s mine and I intend to spend the rest of my life with her, but I don''t think now is the time to drop that bombshell. ''You believe you have a soul mate'' She asks. It might be wishful thinking, but I swear there is hope in her eyes. It''s too soon to tell her it''s her, right Panic fills me. This is our second date, I don''t want to scare her off, but she looks so hopeful. ''Yes, I know I do,'' I reply smoothly. ''My parents had to wait until they were twenty¡ªeight to find her, I haven''t had to wait anywhere near that long.'' ''You mean you''ve met her already'' Grace asks cautiously. She blinks at me, and I give her a pointed look, waiting for her to catch on. She bites her bottom lip and looks at me shyly. ''You mean¡­me'' She asks, hope filling her voice. I chuckle at her cuteness. ''Why else do you think I''ve been so eager to take you on dates, spend my time with you'' I shrug. ''But I don''t want to scare you off. If you don''t believe in that sort of thing, it''s okay, it''s just something my family believes in.'' ''No! I''m not saying I don''t believe in it,'' Grace quickly replies. ''I just can''t quite believe you think it''s me.'' Her cheeks turn a little pinker and she looks down at her te. ''I''m happy you do think that'' she confesses. ''But also, you could easily change your mind. It''s only been six days; how do you really know it is me'' I give her a smug smile. ''I know, Strawberries. It''s instinct.'' The server takes away our dishes and offers us the dessert menu. Grace suggests sharing a dessert. With any other person, it would be a straight¡ªout no from me. But with Grace, I''ll do anything to make her happy. Plus, the girl doesn''t eat much so I know that I''ll be getting the bigger portion. The fudge brownie with vani ice creames and the two of us share it. As predicted, Grace allows me to have the lion''s share. Or should that be wolf''s share When we''re done, we walk back to my car, our joined hands swinging between us. I park up on the street where I picked her up. As I cut the engine, Grace turns to me. ''Thank you for the best date I''ve ever been on. I loved Thursday''s date, but tonight¡­'' She blushes. ''Tonight was special, thank you.'' I lean over the console and tuck a stray curl behind her ear. ''Thank you, Grace Barlow. I have loved it and I can''t wait to take you out again next week.'' Her lips twitch with amusement. ''I haven''t even said yes yet.'' I grin at that. ''Come on, Strawberries, we both know you''re going to say yes.'' Her giggle fills the car, making me happy. I love it when she''sughing. ''Okay, maybe I''ll say yes.'' I move a little closer to her and her eyes widen. ''Maybe you need a teaser of the date, you know, something to tempt you.'' She smiles with unrestrained happiness. ''Tempt me How are you going to¡ª'' I cut her off with my lips. I kiss her gently at first, letting her recover from the surprise. Slowly, she starts to kiss me back. Her little hands grab the fabric of my shirt for support. With one hand on the back of her neck, I ce the other on her cheek, holding her exactly where I want her. She kisses me back with equal enthusiasm. Her lips move confidently with mine, and she easily lets me lead the kiss. When I run my tongue over her bottom lip, she eagerly opens up to me. Our tongues meet and she moans quietly. I angle my head slightly, allowing me to kiss her deeper. Desire burns through me, and I can feel my gums tingling, warning that my incisors want to elongate and mark her. I pull back quickly, leaving us both gasping for breath. ''Sorry, got a bit carried away,'' I tell her breathlessly. Sheughs lightly and rubs her lips together. ''It''s okay. I liked it.'' I look over at her, surprised by her subdued confession. She straightens herself out and grabs her bag, ready to go. Disappointment fills me that the date is over. Grace turns to me and smiles softly. ''Seriously, Axel. Thank you so much for being so good to me. I was terrified to move to a new town and start at a new school. You have made me feel so wee and honestly, I''m the happiest I''ve been in ages. You make me happy, so thank you.'' My heart warms at her words. I''ve seeded. I make my mate happy. That''s all I ever want, for her to be happy. ''That''s all I want, Strawberries,'' I echo my thoughts aloud. ''I want you to be happy with me.'' She smiles sweetly and leans over to peck my cheek. ''I''ll see you on Monday.'' She opens the car door and I watch as she steps out. Just before she closes it, she leans down and N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. into the car. ''And by the way, you can kiss me whenever you like, Axel Archer.'' With that, my little minx of a mate closes the door and struts off down the road. I stare after her, my lips parted in surprise. ????????????? Monday morning is ugh, because of Mondays, but kinda good as well because I get to see Grace. Shees over to where we''re sitting in themon room. All of the seats are taken, and I pat myp in the offering. She smiles and drops her bag on the floor. She gently ces herself on myp and wraps her arm around my shoulders. I put my arm around her waist and pull her against me. She''s wearing a thin top and a skirt today, with thigh¡ªhigh socks. I can''t resist running my finger over the small part of her thigh exposed between the skirt and the sock. She shivers at my touch and goose¡ªbumps break out on her skin. She snuggles against me and rests her head on my shoulder. ''That feels nice,'' she whispers and moves my hand back from her knee and onto her thigh. I swallow hard and continue tracing patterns on the bare skin. She sighs contently and closes her eyes. Everything else seems to fall away when I''m touching Grace. It''s like tunnel¡ªvision. She is all I can see or focus on. ''Axe'' Grace''s voice softly calling my name gains my attention. I look at her and she chuckles. ncing around consciously, I see that everyone in the group is looking at me. ''You zoned out whilst staring at me, what were you thinking about'' She whispers in my ear. I squeeze her tighter against me. ''How perfect you are.'' She blushes and bumps me with her shoulder. ''Yeah, yeah,'' she replies with disbelief. I pin her with a serious look. ''Honest.'' She swallows and nods quickly. ''Everyone was wondering if you''re free on Friday.'' I look over and Fiy smiles. ''My parents are out; I''m having a house party. You''reing, right'' Like me, Fiy''s parents don''t live on the pack grounds, meaning it''s safe to have parties with humans invited. I look at Grace. ''Will youe'' She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as she considers it. ''Maybe, if my mum will let me.'' ''Do you mind if I go'' I ask her and her brows furrow as she frowns. ''Of course not. Are you asking my permission to go'' She asks incredulously. I shrug. ''I wouldn''t go if you didn''t want me to go without you.'' Grace''s face softens. ''Aw, Axe! That''s so sweet.'' ''It is, I might vomit,'' Xaden grumbles from the corner. Rory digs her elbow into his side, making him curse loudly. ''Don''t mind him,'' she says and smiles innocently. ''I''ll beg Mum, she might let me go,'' Grace says. I turn to Fiy. ''Sounds good, Finn.'' The rest of Monday drags. Having Grace around certainly makes it better. When I get home from school, I ask my parents and as usual, they''re cool with me going. They''ve always been trusting of me and given me a lot of freedom; I appreciate them for doing that. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 30 Book 3 Chapter 30 Axel''s POV. On Monday night, I get a text from Grace whilst I''m in the middle of doing some homework. She said yes!! I smile and send a response. How did you get her to agree to it I can''t imagine you convince her the same way you convince me¡­ Her reply is instant. Ew! That''s gross. I yed the new girl card. Told her I wouldn''t be cool or epted if I didn''t go to the party I smirk at her maniption technique. Wow, maniption Strawberries. Who knew you had it in you A few minutester, my phone buzzes with her reply. I''ve got a lot of things in me that you don''t know about Axel Archer. I grin as I reply. That sounds dirty. I like it. I haven''t even put my phone down before his replyes through. Haha! It did, didn''t it I liked it, too. Hopefully, they''ll be something of yours in me soon¡­ Shit Sorry!! I had a packet of sweets when I got in and the sugar has gone to my head. On a bit of a Haribo high. I chuckle as I read the panicked texts as theye through. My little mate obviously had a moment of boldness and is regretting it. It''s okay, Strawberries. d I''m not there for theedown. ????????????? N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Tuesday morning, Grace and I sit together in our first period, math. No one hase up and directly asked me yet, but it seems to bemon knowledge that Grace, and I are a thing. The stares have stopped a bit, although some people are always nosy. But I notice that a lot fewer girls flirt with me now. Not that I talked to loads anyway, but usually, some woulde up and strike a conversation. None do now, and I''m pretty sure the fact that Grace and I are almost glued at the hip, has something to do with it. I don''t mind one bit. Miss Mooney is in the middle of describing some theorem, when Grace pokes my arm. ''Yes, Strawberries'' I respond quietly. She smiles at the nickname and then frowns with seriousness. Oh shit, what have I done ''What do the girls at this school wear to house parties'' She whispers her question. I frown back at her,pletely confused. ''What'' ''What do they wear Is it dresses and heels or casual jeans kinda thing'' I scrunch up my nose. ''I don''t know. Why'' ''Because I don''t know what to wear on Friday! Come on, you must have been to a ton of parties, you''re part of the popr group. What do they wear'' I shrug uselessly. ''I really couldn''t tell you, Grace.'' She scoffs. ''You''re a straight guy. You check girls out all the time. You must remember them either wearing jeans or dresses. Were their legs covered or not'' ''Believe it or not, Grace, but the moment you entered my life, every other girl and the memory of them left. I have no idea. Can''t you ask Aurora this kind of stuff'' Her cheeks flush at my unintendedpliment and she smiles at me. ''Sure, I''ll ask her,'' she replies absentmindedly. When I nce over at her, she''s still smiling. It seems she was quite pleased with my answer. ????????????? After math, I have to leave Grace and go to P.E. I don''t mind so much, mainly because I need to relieve some pent¡ªup tension. The rest of the lesson, thanks to Grace''s question, I had images of her in short dresses in my head. I really hope she doesn''t wear anything too revealing to the party, because hormones mixed with my mate and alcohol will make me horny as hell. Which is not a good thing for a werewolf around his human mate. We y football for the lesson, seeing as the weather is hot again. My team is skins, and we y with our t¡ªshirts off. As the second period ends and the bell for break goes, a crowd forms by the side of the pitch. The only eyes I''m interested in are the blue ones belonging to Grace Barlow. She watches me with awe, chewing her bottom lip and pping enthusiastically whenever I score. I''m disappointed when the bell rings, signaling the end of the break. My personal cheerleader goes back inside whilst we finish up. I take a shower and go to the study room for the half¡ªperiod before lunch. ''So, at this party¡­I take it I''m supposed to be continuing this whole ''no getting with anyone not my mate'' thing'' Xaden asks me. I scoff. ''Yes. Obviously.'' He scowls and crosses his arms over his chest. ''Fine. I was kind of hoping parties wouldn''t count. You know, they would be like a hall¡ªpass for¡ª'' ''No,'' I cut him off. ''No hall pass. No making out. No girls. Be loyal for once.'' He growls in frustration. ''Fucking fine but you better tell my mate, if I ever meet her, what a damn saint I''ve been thest few days.'' I roll my eyes at his dramatics. ''You haven''t had sex in three days, congrattions,'' Iment dryly. Xaden res at me. ''It''s actually been exactly a week since I gotid,'' he snaps. ''One week! Well done,'' I reply sarcastically. ????????????? I''m mildly annoyed that Aurora gets all of my mate''s attention at lunch. Despite being sat next to Grace, I end up talking to my friends most of the time. Grace and Aurora are lost in girl¡ªworld, discussing potential outfits for the party on Friday. I really didn''t realize that it''s a big deal. I thought girls just walked to their wardrobe, picked something out and put it on. It''s what I do. Luckily, we have business studies together. I grab Grace''s hand and practically drag her away from Rory. ''Can I have some attention now, please'' I ask her as we walk to the lesson. Sheughs and hangs off my arm. ''Of course. Was my Axe feeling jealous'' She flushes the moment the words leave her mouth. ''Your Axe'' I ask her, raising an eyebrow and trying to resist a smile. ''I¡ªI was just joking around, you know! I d¡ªdidn''t mean anything¡ª'' she splutters, trying to backtrack. I kiss her, right in the middle of the corridor. People wolf¡ªwhistle and bump into us, but I don''t care. ''You''re adorable and I love being your Axel. Come on, we''ll bete for ss,'' I tell her. Grace grins and allows me to tug her towards the ssroom. The lesson goes quickly, it focuses mainly on discussion and note¡ªtaking. After, I have a free period with Grace and Xaden. The three of us sit at the back of the study room talking. At some point, we should probably start studying, but exams are months away. ''What''s your n for the party by the way'' I ask Grace. ''Xaden and Rory usually crash at mine. My parents don''t care what time wee in as long as we''re quiet, and I have two guest rooms.'' She shrugs. ''I hadn''t thought about it. I suppose I thought I''d get a taxi back.'' I frown at that idea. ''I don''t want you getting a taxi by yourself. Also, unless you book in advance, you''ll struggle to get one at three in the morning.'' Grace chews on her thumbnail. ''Oh. I don''t know then.'' ''Why don''t you just stay at Axel''s with us We can all get picked up together or get a lift,'' Xaden suggests, and I send him a grateful smile. Grace looks at me nervously. ''Are you sure it would be okay'' Iugh and kiss her forehead. ''Of course, Strawberries. You can stay in the guest room with Rory, if you want,'' I tell her, not wanting her to feel pressured. ''But just a heads up, my parents will want to meet you in the morning. I''d like to apologize in advance for their embarrassing behavior.'' Grace chuckles and shrugs. ''That''s okay, I can handle parents. They usually like me.'' ''They''ll love you,'' I agree with her. ''What''s not to love'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 31 Book 3 Chapter 31 Axel''s POV. Fridayes around quickly. On Wednesday, Grace and I went out for ice cream after school as our unofficial third date. It bugs me that she lied to her mum and said she went with Rory, but I don''t want to pressure her into telling her mum about me before she''s ready. We spend every moment we can together. She has easily be part of our group, and she isn''t shy when she joins us for the break and lunch anymore. She''sfortable around Rory and Xaden, which makes me happy. My mate fits perfectly into my life, it''s like she was meant to be in it, which she is. Rory goes round to Grace''s house to get ready. I''ll be honest, I''m jealous that Rory gets to meet my mate''s family before I do. I''ll grill herter for all the details. I know she has three younger half¡ªsiblings, and as much as I don''t really like kids, I want to meet them. They''re important to Grace, which makes them important to me. I think Grace wanted Rory toe round to hers so that her mum could meet her. She lies to her mum and says she''s meeting Rory when she''s meeting me, so it makes the lie more believable if her mum sees that Rory is a real person and a real friend of Grace''s. Xaden arrives half an hour before we''re due to leave. Dressed in a ck t¡ªshirt and ck jeans, he''s almost identical to me. My t¡ªshirt is white, that''s the only difference. We chill out in my room, waiting for the right time to pick up the girls. Dad is driving us to the party because I didn''t want to drive and leave my car there, and no way was I going to let Mum drive. She would have been all over Grace the second she met her. ''If I''m not allowed to get with anyone all night, you better get me wasted, otherwise this party is going to be boring as fuck,'' Xadenins. I roll my eyes at him. ''Don''t be dramatic, you can have fun and not have sex, you know'' ''My definition of fun is sex, Axe. You know that.'' ''Then maybe you need to redefine the word. Focus on hanging out with friends for once instead of trying to pull.'' He gives me a doubtful look but doesn''tin further. Just after seven, we go downstairs and say goodbye to my mum. She''s so excited, you''d think she is going to the party with us. Dad drives us over to Grace''s street and he pulls over near where I picked her up from on our date. I text Grace to let her know that we''re here and, a few minutester, she and Rorye down the street. Rory is wearing her typical outfit, a ck dress and hot pink Doc Marten''s. Grace¡­holy shit, Grace. Her red waves are tied up in a high ponytail, which sways side to side as she walks. Her blue eyes pop with some ck winged stuff she''s put on her eyes. Her lips are bright red, drawing my attention to them straight away. God, I want to kiss her and smudge that lipstick. My eyes eventually drop to her outfit and my mouth suddenly goes dry. Holy shit. I''m never going to survive the night. Her dress is navy blue, a stark contrast against her pale skin and red hair. It''s so tight, it''s like a second skin. And short. It shows off all of her legs, which are only made longer by the high heels she is wearing. Basically, she looks like an angel, and I''m screwed. Xaden snorts next to me. ''Fuck, good luck tonight,'' he mutters. I scowl at him, which quickly turns into a smile when the girls get to the car. I get out and open the door for Grace. She blushes and tugs self¡ªconsciously on her dress. I pull her close before she can get in the car. ''You look incredible,'' I whisper in her ear. ''Thank you,'' she replies quietly. She slides into the car, and I get in next to her. Rory is in the front with Dad, and Xaden is on the other side of Grace. On instinct, I ce my hand on her thigh possessively. She''s going to get a lot of looks tonight and I''m already mentally preparing myself for it. Everyone talks excitedly on the way to the party. I can''t take my eyes off Grace. She looks stunning R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only with no make¡ªup and casual clothes, but dressed up tonight, she''s like a whole different person. She looks older, mature in a sexy way. She looks less like she''s seventeen and more like she''s neen. When Dad pulls up on the street, we all thank him and climb out of the car. I help Grace out in her heels and then I go around to the boot. I throw my hoodie over my shoulder and grab two crates of beer. Xaden takes one and I have the other. Rory pulls out a bottle of vodka from her bag and Grace eyes it warily. I slip her hand into mine and pull her close as we walk up the drive. It''s half seven, the sun is starting to set, and the music can be heard from outside the house. Laughter and chattere from the back, no doubt the party has spilled out into the garden. The front door bursts open as wee up to it and Fiy steps out, holding a beer and grinning like the Cheshire cat. ''Guys! You made it!'' He shouts. ''Come on in!'' He ushers us inside. I''ve been to Fiy''s house before, but he hasn''t had a party in a year or two. People are everywhere, filling every room and hallway. I think he invited the whole of the sixth form. We follow him through to the kitchen. I wrap my arm around Grace''s waist protectively and keep her close. Xaden cracks open a beer for each of us and stores the crates away in one of the cupboards. Rory makes a vodka mixer for her and Grace, before tucking the bottle back in her bag. Grace sniffs the drink and takes a hesitant sip. Her face scrunches up as she tastes the alcohol. ''Fuck!'' She curses, making me chuckle. It''s funny to hear my adorable angel swear. ''Rory! You''re meant to add more lemonade than that!'' Rory shrugs and winks at me. I roll my eyes and take the cup from Grace. I pour some down the sink and top it up with lemonade for her. She thanks me and takes another sip, without grimacing this time. We go outside and find some avable chairs. The four of us sit down and I keep my arm rested on the back of Grace''s chair, a silent indicator that we''re together. I have never been to a party with a girlfriend (because, technically, that''s what Grace is, even if she doesn''t realize it) and it feels weird. Don''t get me wrong, I love her being here, but when I came to them singly, I was totally rxed. It''s not that I''m ufortable, but I''m not 100% rxed either. My wolf is on edge, conscious that I have someone very precious sat next to me, who is both human and incredibly attractive. She draws male eyes and a few female ones, and I''m conscious of protecting her. ''Rx,'' Grace murmurs in my ear, surprising me. Even my mate has noticed the tension in my shoulders. I move my head quickly and catch her off¡ª guard, kissing her cheek. ''Sorry, Strawberries, but it''s kind of hard to when so many guys keep eyeing you up.'' She blushes at that and looks around self¡ªconsciously. ''No, they don''t. You''re imagining things.'' I shake my head andugh humorlessly. ''No, Strawberries, I''m not. You look fucking hot tonight, and everyone can see that.'' Grace''s blush deepens and she shuffles her chair close to me. ''Best make it clear I''m not interested then,'' she says smoothly. I grin at her. ''Damn right. How about a kiss to really seal the deal'' She rolls her eyes but leans in and gives me a soft peck. I pout when she pulls away, making her chuckle. ''I don''t want to get lipstick all over you,'' she protests, rubbing at my bottom lip with her thumb. ''Oh, fuck that,'' I reply and grab the back of her neck. ''I don''t care.'' I press my lips against hers, uncaring of getting red lipstick on my mouth. I just want her. Grace is startled for a moment but recovers quickly and kisses me back. I kiss her harder, pressing my lips more insistently against hers. Grace kisses me back with equal enthusiasm, gripping my shirt in her hand. For a moment, I forget we''re not alone. It''s ruined by Xaden wolf¡ªwhistled loudly and Roryughing. We pull away and I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, revealing a red smudge. Grace giggles and wipes the rest of the lipstick off for me. She pulls the tube from her clutch and touches it up on her lips, pouting prettily at her reflection. ''I don''t like that stuff,'' I grumble. ''But it''s not going to stop me from kissing you.'' She grins. ''I should hope not, Axel.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 32 Book 3 Chapter 32 Axel''s POV. Fiy, Luke and Nick join us outside, pulling up garden chairs. They''re all shifters that are part of our pack and our friendship group. They''re the ones we sit with each day at lunch and Grace gets on with them. Speaking of my shy, human mate, she is certainly more confident when she has been drinking. She has finished two drinks and is on her second vodka¡ªlemonade. She joins in with the conversation, her eyes bright and her smile wide. It''s great to see her so happy and rxed. A couple of girls from our yeare over and join the group. I tense up as Harriet joins us, we had a thingst year. Well, not really a thing. We slept together. Twice. That''s it. She looks over at me and I pointedly ce my hand on Grace''s thigh. She gives me an almost imperceptible nod and looks away. The good thing about Harriet She''s chilled. If you''re with someone else, she backs off. ''Seeing as there''s now ten of us, how about we y some drinking games'' Fiy suggest and everyone nods and cheers in agreement. ''Okay, what do we want to y'' Luke asks. ''Never have I ever'' Everyone seems to be happy with that, so we fill up our drinks and getfortable. I keep my hand on Grace''s thigh, and she subtly ces her hand over mine, squeezing it. ''Rory, you go first,'' Luke says, winking at her. She scowls back at him. They hooked up at a partyst year, only kissing, and she stillins about how much she regrets it. Luke never lets her forget it. ''Fine. Never have I ever¡­got drunk and kissed an asshole at a party. Oh, wait, you''re supposed to say things you haven''t done, aren''t you'' She gives Luke a pointed look whilst people call out ''ooh''s and ''burn''. A couple of people drink myself included. Grace raises an eyebrow in a silent question. ''Xaden,'' I tell her, and she bursts outughing. ''It was a dare, we were drunk.'' ''Alright, Xaden, your turn.'' Harriet snorts. ''There''s nothing he hasn''t done.'' Xaden shrugs, not offended by the jab. ''Um, never have I ever¡­had sex in my parent''s bed,'' he says and then his eyes widen. ''Fuck, I remembered, I have done it!'' ''Ew, man, that''s fucked up,'' Fiyments. ''Why''d you do that'' Xaden shrugs. ''We''d had a fight the night before and they''d pissed me off, the best way to get revenge.'' ''You''re weird,'' Nick says and then looks around. ''Guess it''s me next. Uh, never have I ever had a threesome.'' Xaden is the only one who drinks. Luke is next. ''Never have I ever had sex.'' Everyone drinks except Luke, Rory and Grace. Believe it or not, for all his bravado and cockiness, Luke is saving himself for his mate. I respect that and I wish I had been more mature like him. ''Okay, new rule,'' Fiy announces before Harriet can have her turn. ''For those of you innocent angels who are going to get away with not drinking; everyone has to drink every time that Grace blushes.'' My lips part in surprise and all eyes turn to Grace. Her face heats up straight away and she res at Fiy. ''Finn! Why are you attacking me like that'' She protests butughs at the end. He shrugs. ''Sorry, Strawberries, but we need you to drink.'' A low growl leaves my throat and I quickly muffle it with a cough. Grace gives me a funny look and I re at Fiy. ''Only I get to call her that, asshole,'' I warn him, and he puts his hands up in surrender. Everyone takes a sip because my baby is the color of a strawberry. Harriet has her go, saying she has never kissed someone of the same sex. Xaden and I have to drink, obviously, after that fateful dare. To my surprise, Grace drinks, too. I give her a quizzical look and she shrugs. ''Friend, dare. Much like you and Xaden,'' she exins, smirking at me. I like confident Grace; I like her a lot. We y a couple of more rounds and then we have to break off to refill our drinks. I grab another beer for Xaden and me, whilst Rory makes drinks for herself and Grace. I watch her pouring the alcohol into the cups. ''Watch it, Ror,'' I tell her. ''Stop trying to get my girl drunk.'' Grace grins from beside her. ''Your girl'' She asks. The smile drops from my face as panic fills me. Shit. I said that out loud. I clear my throat awkwardly. ''Well, uh, you know what I mean¡ª'' Grace cuts me off with a kiss on my cheek. ''I like it,'' she says over the music, leaning on her tiptoes to reach my ear. We go back outside and this time, I pull Grace onto myp, wanting to keep in contact. She doesn''tin and snuggles into my side. The angle makes her dress ride up a bit and I ce my hand on her thigh possessively. She shivers and I notice goose¡ªbumps appear on her legs. ''Are you cold'' I ask her, instinctively leaning forward to grab my hoodie from the back of the chair. She shakes her head. ''No,'' she replies lowly. ''Not cold.'' I swallow hard at the glimpse of desire in her eyes. Oh. Those kinds of goose¡ªbumps. Fuck. ''Okay, let''s y question or forfeit,'' Nick suggests, and we all agree. It''s like truth or dare, but instead of a dare, you down your entire drink. The questions start rtively tame, moving around the circle. It reaches Grace and she tenses on my Luke puts his hand up, indicating he has thought of a question. Grace nods and he smirks. ''Grace, if Axel asked you to be his girlfriend, would you say yes'' I grit my teeth and re at him. As much as I want to know the answer to that, I don''t want her to feel pressured into anything. We''ve known each other less than two weeks, that''s not long at all for humans. Grace rxes, obviously thinking that the question was going to be worse than that. ''Yes, I would,'' she replies confidently. I look at her, surprised. ''You don''t have to say that, you know,'' I tell her. ''I wouldn''t be offended, we only met two weeks ago, less than that.'' Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She doesn''t reply, because Xaden asks me a question. I look at him, waiting for my question with my jaw clenched. He better behave. ''Axel, do you want to ask Grace to be your girlfriend'' I want to scowl at the question, it''s like we''re twelve and on the yground. ''When the time was right, I was going to ask her. So, yes,'' I reply tightly. The question moves on to Rory and the focus leaves us for a bit. ''When was the time going to be right'' Grace asks me. My eyes meet hers; brown meets blue. ''I''m not sure, I didn''t want you to feel pressured.'' She smiles. ''I don''t feel pressured.'' I give her azy half¡ªsmile. ''What you trying to say, Strawberries You wanna be my girl'' She blushes and bites down on her bottom lip. ''I kind of hoped I already was.'' I can''t stop myself. I kiss her, hard. In front of everyone. I ignore the catcalling and the teasing; I hold the back of her neck and keep her lips against mine. She kisses me back softly, with her arms around my neck. When I pull back, she''s breathing heavily and looking at me with hooded eyes. ''So Anything you want to ask me, Axe'' She whispers teasingly. I grin at her. ''Strawberries, do you want to be my girlfriend'' ''Yes,'' she replies sweetly. ''I really do.'' We kiss again and I hold her tightly to me, even when we pull away. She sits sideways on myp, her legs dangling off the side. Both of my hands are resting on her exposed thighs, covering as much exposed skin as I can, without being too obvious. I don''t want to be that possessive boyfriend, but it''s hard. She''s so fucking perfect, I don''t even me other guys for looking. I can barely tear my gaze away from her. The questions go round the circle and soon, we''re at Grace again. Harriet''s friend Dney sticks her hand up. I frown, wondering what she''s going to ask my mate. Like Harriet, she''s human, not a shifter. ''Grace, have you and Axel gone any further than kissing'' My hands tighten on Grace. ''That''s a bit personal, Dney,'' I say, my tone threatening. My poor mate goes bright red. ''She''s blushing, everyone drink!'' Nick cries and everyone takes a sip. I re at him, but Grace isn''t bothered by it. She looks at Dney and smiles. ''Yes, it''s as far as we''ve gone. But if you''re so interested, I can keep you updated as we progress, if you want'' Grace retorts, a slight tone of irritation in her voice. I''m proud of my girl for snapping back. Dney looks ufortable and shifts on her chair. ''No,'' she responds awkwardly. ''Axel, your turn. Anyone got a question for him'' Fiy quickly changes the subject. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 33 Book 3 Chapter 33 Axel''s POV. As the night goes on and midnight hits, everyone gets suitably drunk. It gets colder and we go inside. Invariably, we end up dancing, as is the consequence of most people when they drink heavily. Fiy''s living room has been transformed into a dance floor,plete with strobe lighting and music so loud I''m surprised the neighbors haven''t called the police on us. Even though she is wearing heels, Grace''s forehead onlyes to my mouth, which is the perfect height for me to kiss it. She''s so small in my arms, but I love it. The music is loud and thumping, it vibrates through my body and makes me feel drunker than I probably am. My arms are around Grace''s waist, moving her in time with me. Her arms are around my neck, and she looks up at me with a heady mixture of affection and desire. I can feel her desire for me rolling off her in waves. I want more than anything to find a room with her upstairs, but I don''t want to tempt myself. I might take things too far and I don''t ever want to make her feel ufortable. Plus, we''ve both been drinking. I want us both to be sober the first time we move past kissing. Grace turns around in my arms, so that her back is to my front. She grinds on me, rubbing her perfectly ¡ªcurved ass against my crotch. My fingers dig into her sides in warning, but she doesn''t stop. She''s in full¡ªon minx mode and seems determined to rile me up. I lean down and press my mouth to her ear. I feel her heartbeat faster at our close proximity. ''You''re ying a dangerous game, Strawberries,'' I tell her, my voice husky with arousal. She can no doubt feel how much I''m enjoying this; my dick is straining against the zipper on my jeans, and she just so happens to be making little circles with her hips on it. She spins in her arms again to face me, smiling with coy seduction. ''I''m quite enjoying ying,'' she practically purrs. Where has my shy mate gone She pulls my head down to meet hers and presses her lips to mine. I let her lead the kiss for once. Her tongue nudges at my lips and I open up to her. Our tongues collide and rub against one another, doing nothing to calm me down. She tastes like strawberries and alcohol. I can''t get enough. I tilt my head and kiss her deeper. I can''t stop myself from taking over, dominating her mouth with my tongue. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Grace moans into my mouth and rubs her body against mine. My hands drop daringly lower down her back ande to rest on her butt. Grace doesn''t pull away or protest, instead, she writhes against me, rubbing herself against my erection. A low, approving growl rumbles from my chest and Grace moans back, clearly loving this side of me. I squeeze her ass with my hands, and she gasps into the kiss. I pull back, suddenly breaking our kiss. Her lips are swollen and parted as she pants. Her eyes, hooded with lust, blink up at me in surprise. ''Sorry, Strawberries,'' I tell her quickly. ''I was enjoying that a bit too much.'' She blushes and breaks eye contact. ''Yeah, me too,'' she admits quietly. I pull her into my arms and try to dance with her in a less suggestive way. After a few minutes, Roryes up to us. She has Xaden''s arm around her shoulders and is practically holding him up. ''He''s fucked. Can you call your parents for a lift I think it''s time to go home, if you''re okay with it!'' She says over the music. I nod and pull my phone from my pocket. I grab Grace''s hand and take her outside, to the front of the house. No one is out here, apart from a few smokers in the drive. I pull her into my side and wrap my arm around her shoulders as I call my dad. I pin the phone between my cheek and shoulder and shrug out of my hoodie. I hand it to Grace, who eagerly pulls it over her head. It falls down to the middle of her thighs, it''s actually longer on her than her dress. ''Hey, Dad,'' I greet him when he picks up. ''Can youe and pick us up please'' He''s groggy with sleep but agrees toe get us. I check the time, it''s almost 2 AM. I sit on the waist¡ªhigh brick wall and pull Grace between my legs. I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on her shoulder. ''Want to go out for lunch tomorrow'' I ask her. She smiles. ''Yeah, I''d love that. I think Mum will want me home for dinner, but we could always do something Sunday as well'' ''Sounds like a n, Strawberries.'' Dad arrives fifteen minutester. We collect Xaden and Rory from inside and get them into the car. I let Grace go up front whilst Rory and I keep an eye on Xaden in the back. ''He''s looking a bit worse for wear,'' Dadments, nodding his head at Xaden. ''I''ll make sure to get him some water when we get in.'' ''He''s alright,'' I reply with a shrug. ''He did well tonight, didn''t get with anyone.'' Dad snorts. ''Makes a change.'' When we get home, Rory and Grace go upstairs whilst Dad and I get Xaden to the kitchen. Dad makes him some toast and water and I eat with him, suddenly starving. Dad goes up to the bed and after Xaden has finished, I help him get to the guest room. He''s already sobered up quite a lot, but I lie him on his side anyway. If he were human, I''d stay with him, but shifters metabolize alcohol much quicker. He''ll be fine by morning. I go back to my room and get ready for bed. I''m so relieved when I crash onto the mattress, tiredness consuming me. My eyes are closed, but my ears prick as I hear my bedroom door opening. ''Strawberries'' I ask with confusion as I see my mate enter my bedroom. ''Is everything okay'' She stands awkwardly at the door, tugging on her sleeve. She''s wearing my hoodie still. ''Um, Rory has kind of starfished in the bed. I was wondering if I can sleep in your bed tonight'' Oh, fuck me. ''Of course,'' I reply quickly. I lift up the duvet for her and she hurriedly climbs in next to me. She snuggles up to my side and I put my arm around her. Her sweet scent of honeysuckle and strawberries fills my nose, instantly calming me. ''Night Axe,'' she mumbles. ''Night, Strawberries.'' ????????????? I wake at about eleven, feeling a bit tired, but not hangover. I stretch my arms over my head, feeling my shoulder pop. A grin works its way onto my face as I realize that my mate is lying next to me. I roll over to face her and the movement disturbs her. She blurrily opens her eyes and blinks up at me. A blush covers her cheeks, and she pulls my hoodie up, over her mouth. ''Morning,'' she mumbles shyly. I realize she is trying to hide her morning breath from me. I pull my hoodie down, making her squeal with surprise, and press my lips to hers. I give her a quick peck and pull back, her eyes wide with surprise. ''Morning,'' I reply. I take a shower whilst Grace stays in bed. I dry myself off and wrap a towel around my waist. Grace blushes up to her hairline when I enter my bedroom half¡ªnaked. She stares openly, not bothering to hide the lust in her eyes. ''Stop eye¡ªfucking me, Strawberries. The bathroom is free if you want it.'' She runs out of the room all embarrassed, making meugh. I get dressed and go downstairs. Mum and Dad are already up and start making breakfast for us. The smell of bacon and eggs draws the other three downstairs. ''Did we have a good night'' Mum asks when the four of us sit down at the table. ''Yeah, it was really good actually. Some of us drank a bit too much,'' Rory replies, giving Xaden a pointed look. ''Hey! I drank so that I wouldn''t pull. I was a bloody angelst night,'' he grumbles, making Mumugh. ''I''m proud of you, Xaden,'' she says. ''I know how hard that must have been, but I bet your mate will appreciate it.'' ''She better,'' he mutters under his breath. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 34 Book 3 Chapter 34 Axel''s POV. Mum and Dad ce piles of food on the table. tes filled with fried eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, you name it. The four of us dig in whilst my parents sit at the end of the table, watching with amusement. ''So, what else happenedst night'' Dad asks. ''I asked Grace to be my girlfriend,'' I tell them casually. Grace blushes next to me and smiles shyly at my parents. ''And I said yes.'' Mum grins at her. ''That''s wonderful news. And I must say, it''s lovely to finally meet you, Grace. Axel has told us so much about you.'' I don''t evenin or try to deny it. She is what I talk about most of the time. Grace''s blush deepens, but she looks happy. ''It''s lovely to meet you both, too.'' After eating, Rory''s Mumes and picks her up, taking Xaden with her. Grace and I go up to my room for a bit. She calls her Mum and lets her know that she''ll be stopping by in a bit to change her clothes, but then she''s going out for ate lunch. I change into a t¡ªshirt and jeans, whilst Grace keeps her eyes locked on her phone, blushing intensely. ''You know I was joking earlier, Strawberries,'' I exin. ''You can ogle my body any time you want, I am your boyfriend, after all.'' That makes her smile. There''s a knock on the bedroom door and after calling out, Mum pops her head around it. Grace hurriedly jumps off of my bed, making my mumugh. ''Oh, darling, you don''t need to be worried about that with me. I am well aware that you two shared a bedst night and it''s quite alright,'' my mum reassures her. She looks at me with a knowing smile. ''I know you how important you are to Axel, so it''s not a problem.'' Grace looks relieved and slowly sits down on the bed. ''Anyways, I just wanted to ask if you''re staying for dinner, Grace'' My mate shakes her head, looking disappointed that she can''t. ''I''m sorry, I told Mum that I''d be home for dinner, I think she wants to see me,'' she replies despondently. ''How about tomorrow'' I ask and she brightens up. ''Sure, I could do tomorrow.'' Mum grins. ''Perfect.'' I drive over to Grace''s street and wait in the car whilst she runs around the corner to her house and changes out ofst night''s dress. Shees back wearing a cropped t¡ªshirt and a pair of dungarees. I didn''t think it was possible for her to get any cuter, but apparently, I was wrong. We get smoothies from the shake shack and walk down the high street, drinking them and holding hands. We go to the park and walk around theke, enjoying the sunshine. With Grace, we don''t need to do lots of things for us to have a good time. I enjoy herpany just as it is. After buying us some sandwiches from one of the van vendors, we find our bench from our first date and eat them together. When she''s done, Grace lies down on the bench and rests her head on myp. I lean back and close my eyes, running my fingers through her hair absentmindedly. ''I enjoyedst night. Your friends are nice,'' Grace says casually. ''I''m d you like them. They can be dicks at times, but they''re alright.'' ''I didn''t much like Dney or Harriet, though,'' Grace adds, scrunching up her nose. ''Dney was rude and Harriet, well, she kept looking at you when you wouldn''t notice.'' I automatically stiffen up and Grace looks at me suspiciously. ''Do you two have a history She was looking at you like she wanted a piece; I''ll be honest. She looked away each time I caught her, but it didn''t stop her from looking back when she thought I''d looked away again.'' I swallow hard. I swore I''d never lie to her, and I won''t start now. ''We um, slept togetherst year. A long time ago. It was only twice, and it was nothing. But she always expressed an interest in¡­revisiting the situation.'' ''Ah,'' she replies thoughtfully. ''That makes sense.'' ''I don''t think she wanted a rtionship or anything,'' I add quickly, hoping that it helps the situation. Grace snorts. ''No, she just wanted your D again. Apparently, it was good enough to go back to.'' I look down at my mate, to find her smirking coyly. ''Could we please talk about something else'' Grace grins. ''Why I quite enjoy talking about your dick.'' I roll my eyes at her. ''Fine, we can talk about my dick, just not the mistakes I have made that include it, deal'' Grace giggles and nods her head. ''Deal.'' ''Come on, Strawberries, let''s go find the maze.'' We stroll through the park, reaching the two¡ªmeter¡ªhigh hedge maze at the end of it. There are some children ying in it, but they don''t take it as seriously as Grace and I do. Strawberries groans and stomps her feet adorably each time we hit a dead end. She drags me along, pulling me by my hand when I go too slowly for her liking. Eventually, we make it to the middle of the maze. She turns to me and smiles triumphantly. ''I got us to the middle!'' She deres and then looks at me coquettishly. ''What is my prize'' I smirk and take a step closer to her, so that our chests are almost touching. ''A kiss'' I ask and she nods eagerly. I capture her lips with mine. She pushes up on her tiptoes to kiss me harder and buries her fingers in my hair. I hold onto her waist tightly, savoring the sweet taste of her lips. Just as Grace''s tongue bumps mine, I pull away, making my little mate pout in frustration. ''There are children about!'' I tell her with augh. ''Come on, horny one, find a way out of here.'' She blushes at her new nickname and rushes down one of the paths. We spend another hour or two in town, before I drive Grace back to her house. ''I''ll pick you up about three tomorrow We can watch some films at mine before dinner,'' I suggest. ''Okay, sounds good.'' I give her a modest kiss goodbye and watch her disappear around the corner before driving home. ????????????? On Sunday morning, I go for a run with Xaden. Hees back to mine after, and we y some video games. Weplete a bit of our sports assignment, and he leaves just before lunch. I eat with my parents and then do schoolwork until quarter to three. Then, I drive over to pick up Grace. She''s waiting for me on the pavement, wearing knee¡ªhigh socks, a short, pleated skirt and a cropped long¡ªsleeve top. She looks hot¡ªcute. Less than half an hourter, we''re lying on my bed, choosing a film on my TV. We pick a new action one that has only been out a couple of weeks; neither of us has seen it yet. ''Won''t your parents get suspicious about what we''re up to in your room'' Grace asks worriedly, eyeing the door. Iugh at her nervousness. ''No, Strawberries, they don''t care. They believe you''re my soul mate, too, so they don''t mind. As long as I don''t get you pregnant, they don''t care what we do.'' Grace blushes and snuggles closer to me. ''Wow, okay. I wish my mum was that rxed.'' I wince at thought of meeting her strict mum. ''When do I get to meet her, again'' I ask casually. Grace groans. ''Ugh, I was thinking of telling her about us this week. I think she suspects that I''m seeing someone, because she keeps making these pointedments about how happy I am.'' I grin and look down at her. ''How happy you are Cause of me'' ''Yes, because of you,'' she says with a giggle. ''Who else would it be'' I frown at that. ''I don''t know. Let''s not consider that, please.'' Grace chuckles and rests her head on my chest. Halfway through the film, I feel Grace''s eyes on me. Her blue eyes are swirling with concupiscence. I can practically see the dirty thoughts going through her mind. ''Grace,'' I say her name with a groan. ''Don''t look at me like that.'' She ys innocent. ''Like what'' I narrow my eyes at her. ''You know what I mean.'' She shrugs. ''Nope.'' I turn back to the film, but her little fingers reach for my chin and turn my face back to her. She smiles and then leans in to kiss me. With our lips connected, my little mate throws her leg over my waist and straddles me. I can feel the N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. heat from her core, covered by nothing but her underwear under her skirt, pressed against my erection, now straining against my jeans. Fuck. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 35 Book 3 Chapter 35 Axel''s POV. Grace''s lips are insistent against mine, coaxing me to kiss her back. I can''t resist my little mate. My lips move against hers and my hands grasp her hips. She rocks herself against my erection and a growl escapes from my lips into the kiss. If the sound surprises Grace, she doesn''t show it. Her lips don''t falter against mine and she pushes her tongue into my mouth. My mate grinds herself against me, moaning as she gives herself pleasure from the friction. I tighten my hands on her hips, trying to hold her in ce. This is crossing into dangerous territory. She kisses me more deeply and I pull back, breaking the kiss as Grace whines in frustration. ''Axel,'' she gasps my name. Her pupils are dted, the irises of her eyes barely visible. ''Please, I need you.'' I shake my head and grit my teeth, trying to hold myself back. ''No, Grace,'' I tell her softly. ''I don''t want us to rush into anything.'' Her shoulders sag and she rests her forehead against mine. ''I''ve never felt this¡­frustrated,'' she confesses, her cheeks ame. ''I need¡­'' Realization dawns on me. I don''t want to pressure her or move too fast, but perhaps I can offer some relief. ''I know what you need, Strawberries,'' I reply huskily. ''Let me take of you'' She nods quickly, eager for me to touch her. I slide my hands from her hips and along her legs. When I get to the bottom of her skirt, I slide my hands underneath it, feeling the smooth flesh of her thighs. My hands reach her hips, my thumbs brushing against her inner thighs as her breathing hitches. She crushes her lips to mine, as if worried I might stop. I''m hard and aching beneath her, but I ignore it. This isn''t about me. It''s about her, making her feel good. Grace gasps into my mouth the moment my thumb brushes over her panties. I run my thumb over her core again, pressing harder this time. She practically mewls into the kiss and her hips jerk forwards in response. I want to push her panties to the side and feel her, but I fear that I might lose all control and be tempted to bury my face between her legs, and I don''t think she''s ready for that. I easily find her clit over the thin material. It is already soaked with her juices, making me internally groan that my little mate is so wet for me. I circle her clit with my thumb and Grace moans loudly into the kiss, the noise vibrating through me. She pulls back and pants heavily, her breathing out in shallow gasps. ''Axe,'' she whispers my name. ''That feels so¡­'' I watch as she trails off and her eyes close. Her mouth parts in the shape of an ''O'' as I rub her harder. ''Good'' I offer and she nods enthusiastically. ''Yes, so good,'' she whimpers. ''More than good.'' ''Have you ever made yourselfe before, Strawberries'' I ask softly. Her cheeks turn red, and I have my answer before she even says anything. ''Yes,'' she replies. ''But it feels so different when someone else is touching¡ª oh!'' I keep my thumb directly over her clit, circling in it quickly. The friction is driving her mad and my little mate''s hips rock back and forth, riding my thumb. ''Axel, don''t stop,'' she begs breathily. Her eyes fall closed and suddenly her hips are still. She cries out and I quickly silence her by pressing my lips to her. I drown her moans in our kiss, never stopping rubbing her core. She shakes on top of me as her orgasm hits her. I feel her panties be even wetter as her juices rush out of her with her climax. When I feel her stop trembling, I stop moving my thumb and pull back. Breaking the kiss, I reposition her skirt and brush her hair from her face. Grace opens her eyes and blinks a couple of times. Her tongue darts out to lick her lips and I groan at the sight. Fuck, I want her to use her mouth on me. ''How was that'' I ask quickly, dispelling the dirty thoughts in my mind. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She bites her bottom lip and climbs off me, lying by my side. ''Thank you,'' she whispers. ''That was¡­incredible. It''s never felt like that before.'' I kiss her forehead. ''That''s how it''s meant to be, Strawberries. I like making you feel good.'' She shyly points to my hard¡ªon, which is currently causing a tent in my jeans. ''What about you Do you want me to¡­you know¡­help'' I chuckle at her shy offer. ''No, Strawberries, I''m alright.'' I pull my covers over my waist, hiding my dick. Grace pouts. ''But I want to make you feel good, too.'' ''Not today, Strawberries,'' I tell her. ''This was about you.'' She blushes and curls into my side. We watch the rest of the movie, trying to work out what happened during the part we missed. Wee downstairs when my parents call that dinner is ready. The four of us sit at the table together. True to their word, my parents aren''t too embarrassing. They don''t ask too many probing questions and try to make Grace feel as rxed and wee as possible. After we''ve eaten, I drive Grace home. I park up against the pavement and she turns to me in her seat. ''Thank you so much for this weekend, it''s honestly been the best weekend of my life,'' she admits with a shyugh. ''Me too, Strawberries.'' ''I''m going to tell Mum about you tonight, which will probably mean she will want to meet you some night this week. Would you be alright with that You coulde round for dinner after school'' I nod quickly. ''Of course. I want to meet her.'' Grace pulls a face. ''Wish me luck.'' ''Just remember to tell her what a good boyfriend I am and how much I care about you, yeah'' I remind her yfully. ''Oh, and it can''t hurt to mention that I''m a mathematical genius.'' Graceughs at me and shakes her head. ''Sure, I''ll tell her.'' She leans over the console and kisses me. I hold her face gently and kiss her back, showing her how much she means to me. ''Bye, boyfriend,'' she says with a grin. ''Bye, girlfriend,'' I reply. I watch as she gets out of the car and walks around the corner. With a smile on my face, I drive home. By the time I arrive home, there''s already a text from Grace. Apart from the barrage of questions, she took it quite well. I blow out a sigh of relief. Good. Does she want me toe round Grace''s reply is instant. Yep. Wednesday night. She''s making a casserole. I smile and reply to her as I enter my house. Sounds good, I''ll be there. ''I''m home!'' I call out as I kick off my shoes. I find my parents in the living room, they switch off the TV when Ie in. Mum pats the sofa, encouraging me to sit down. ''I love her, Axel,'' she says happily. ''She''s gorgeous. So sweet and polite.'' Dad nods in approval. ''She''s lovely.'' I smile at them, happy that my parents like my mate. ''She''s perfect,'' I tell them and they both ''aw'' at me. Maybe you should wear some Ker. I frown as I read Grace''s text. ''I''m gonna have dinner at Grace''s on Wednesday night and meet her mum,'' I tell my parents as I type my reply. I thought you said she took it well ''That''s fine, honey. Dinner is at six tonight,'' Mum replies. Not for protection from her, from my siblings. Oh, shit. I forgot about the trio of half¡ªsiblings she has. Ugh, kids. And maybe wear a cup, too. George is about waist¡ªhigh for you, and I''d hate for you to leave with any I grimace at the thought of being head¡ªbutted in the nuts by a kid. Good to know. I''lle in a full suit of armor. Grace''s reply makes me smile. The only way to survive my family ;) Moon Goddess, give me luck for Wednesday. It''s three days away and I''m already bricking it. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 36 Book 3 Chapter 36 Axel''s POV. ''Dude, stop panicking. My eyes are closed, and I can still feel myself getting anxious because stress is rolling off you in waves,'' Xaden''s voice breaks through my thoughts. ''I''m sorry, alright I can''t help it. I''m meeting Grace''s family tonight and I need them to like me,'' I snap. I lean forwards and put my head in my hands. ''This isn''t like normal shifter rtionships. Shifter parents would be so happy that their child had met their mate. Grace''s mum has no idea that I''m destined to be the best man for Grace.'' Xaden sighs and abruptly sits up, obviously ditching the idea of taking a nap in themon room. ''Look, it''ll be fine. Just be polite and show her mum that you care about Grace and you''re not only after one thing. She''ll like you, I''m sure of it.'' I nod and give Xaden a strained smile. ''Thanks.'' ''Anytime, now shut up and let me sleep cause I got nonest night.'' I look at him suspiciously. ''That wouldn''t happen to be because you weren''t alone in bed, right'' Xaden scowls and lies back down on the chairs. ''No. I was alone. Just couldn''t sleep, that''s all,'' heins. ''Why do you think that is'' He shrugs, closing his eyes. ''Stressing about this whole mate thing.'' Poor Xaden. Hasn''t even met his mate and he''s already stressing about her. ''Well, stop. You''ve been doing well, you''ve been loyal.'' He scoffs. ''For over two weeks.'' ''That''s still two weeks longer than it would have been. Honestly, you have done good, bro.'' Xaden huffs but remains silent. I know he''s definitely feeling better in himself for abstaining thest two weeks. Each day lessens the amount that his mate might be mad by a tiny bit. I''m no less nervous when I walk Grace to the gates at the end of school. ''Come round at half five, don''t forget the flowers and you''ll be okay,'' she says gently. She takes my face in her hands. ''I''ve already told her how wonderful you are, you just got to prove it to her.'' I exhale shakily. ''Yeah, okay.'' I drive home and somehow manage to pass the time till 5 PM. My mum picked out a nice bunch of flowers for me and she gave the approval on my outfit. Her advice was a shirt instead of a tight t¡ªshirt and no rips in my jeans. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I feel more nervous than I did on my first date with Grace! I drive around and park outside their house. I grab the flowers and nervously walk up the path. The door opens before I reach it. A woman in her mid¡ªthirties, with the same bright red hair as Grace''s, answers the door. Her blue eyes narrow and look me up and down. She is about a foot smaller than me, but still terrifying. ''Axel, I presume'' She says calmly. I smile and hold out my hand. ''It''s lovely to meet you Ms Barlow,'' I reply, my voice sounding a bit higher than usual. She regards my hand carefully before shaking it. ''How tall are you'' She asks, taking me by surprise. I blink a couple of times. ''Um, 63, I think. Why'' She gives me a tight smile. ''Sorry, I''m being rude,e on in.'' I cautiously enter the house, keeping my eyes peeled for any waist¡ªhigh children running at me. Grace suddenlyes down the stairs, wearing her dungarees again. Her hair is in two pigtails. She looks so damn cute and pretty. ''Hey, Axe,'' she chirps and jumps down from the bottom step. ''Dinner will be ready in half an hour, why don''t you introduce Axel to your siblings'' Grace''s mum suggests. ''Let me know if you need any help in the kitchen, Ms. Barlow,'' I say quickly. She gives me a curious look, nods and disappears down the corridor. I blow out the air in my lungs and my shoulders sag. ''I don''t think she likes me,'' Iment to Grace as I put my arms around her waist. ''She asked how tall I am.'' Grace scrunches her nose up in confusion. ''How weird, I''m sorry about her. Don''t worry, you''ll grow on her, she just needs some time. You ready to meet the terrible trio'' I grimace and nod reluctantly. Grace takes my hand and pulls me into their yroom. Her three half¡ªsiblings are sat on the floor, ying with their toys. The TV is on quietly in the background. Their hair is wet and they''re in their pajamas. All three of them instantly look up as we enter. They stare at me in that unashamed way that kids do. ''This Axel, my boyfriend,'' Grace introduces me. ''Axe, this is Hannah, the oldest, Mickey, and George.'' The three of them look up at me silently. ''Hi, guys,'' I say awkwardly. Hannah steps forward, twisting her hands nervously. ''Do you want to y'' She asks shyly. I force a smile. ''I''d love to.'' Suddenly, two sticky hands grab mine and pull me to my knees. Grace sits on the floor next to me, and the two of us join the three kids in their game. I''m given a superhero figurine and ordered to provide the voiceover. I dutifully do as I''m told, hoping that I''m earning serious points with Grace for doing this. Grace''s mum suddenly appears at the door. ''Axel, on second thoughts, could you give me a hand in the kitchen, please'' She asks. Surprised, but happy I can help, I quickly get to my feet. ''Sure.'' Grace moves to get up, too, but her mum stops her. ''You stay and keep an eye on your siblings, Grace. Axel and I will be fine together.'' I swallow hard and follow the scary woman into the kitchen. A pan is bubbling on the hob and a mouth ¡ªwatering smell of her casserole fills the room. ''Could you chop that courgette, please'' Ms. Barlow asks, gesturing at the knife and chopping board. I''ll be honest, I''m relieved I''m the one who gets to hold the knife. Right now, with the way she is watching me like a hawk, I don''t trust her not to be tempted to run me through with it. I slice the courgette, pretending that I know what I''m doing. My parents enjoy cooking, I rarely have to make any meals for myself. Isn''t that one of the only perks of living with your parents Free food ''So, Axel, you''re very tanned. Do you go on holiday or a lot or are you fortunate in your family''s gics'' Ms. Barlow asks casually. ''Um, both of my parents have quite tanned skin and I tan easily. It''s been good weather at the moment, hasn''t it'' Don''t adults always talk about the weather It''s a safe topic. ''Mm,'' she responds nomittally. ''You''re in good shape, too. Grace tells me you take P.E for one of you¡¯re a¡ªLevel choices. Do you exercise often'' I frown with my back turned to her, wondering why the hell she is so interested in my appearance. Oh shit, she''s not going toe onto me, is she Cause that would be so fucking awkward. ''Uh, yeah, I exercise a lot.'' ''Really What''s your favorite exercise Running'' I scrunch my eyebrows together, wondering if Grace told her. ''Yeah, actually, I love running.'' ''In the forest'' The hairs on the back of my neck rise up. She is making an effort to keep her voice casual, but her questions are anything but. Something weird is going on. ''Sometimes, yeah,'' I reply warily. ''What about you Do you like¡ª Ah!'' Ms. Barlow bumps into me with the pan from the hob. The metal grazes my arm, burning it. The skin turns pink as she suddenly steps back. ''Gosh, I am so sorry! I''m so clumsy,'' she says quickly and puts the pan back on the hob whilst I put my hand over the burn. Shit, shit, shit! It''s going to heal in seconds, how can I hide that ''I''m going to get some sters or something,'' I announce hurriedly and head for the door. Grace''s mum runs in front of me, blocking the doorway. ''Let me see it,'' she says, reaching for my arm. I pull it away from her. ''No, really, it''s okay, just needs some cold water.'' ''Let me see how bad it is, then we can decide what to do,'' she urges. I take another step back from her, gripping my arm protectively to my chest. She narrows her eyes at me and takes a step closer. ''Why won''t you let me see it, Axel'' She asks pointedly. ''What are you hiding'' I swallow hard, staring at her with wide eyes. ''Nothing.'' She scoffs. ''Show me your arm, right now,'' she snaps angrily. She lunges for my hand and pulls it back, revealing my unblemished arm, perfectly healed. She scowls and raises her head to re at me. ''Get your werewolf ass out of my house.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 37 Book 3 Chapter 37 Axel''s POV. FUCK! How does she know about shifters Ms. Barlow rounds on me, making me back up against the wall. ''You daree near my daughter, you filthy wolf! I want you to leave now and never talk to her again. You have a mate out there, how dare you y with my daughter''s heart like that!'' She spits venomously, keeping her voice quiet enough that Grace doesn''te and investigate. My eyes are as wide as saucers. How does she know so much ''How do you know what I am'' I blurt out,pletely shocked. ''I dated one of your kind before,'' she sneers. ''Worst mistake of my life.'' ''It''s not like that! You don''t understand, Grace¡ª'' ''Mum What''s going on'' Grace asks from the doorway, her expression worried. ''I''m afraid Axel has to leave,'' her mother replies tightly. ''He won''t be staying for dinner.'' She straightens up and crosses her arms, giving me a pointed look that is silently telling me not to argue. ''What What are you talking about'' Grace questions, her eyebrows screwed up. ''Axe What''s going on'' I take a deep breath and look at her mum. ''Nothing, there''s just been a slight misunderstanding between your mother and I,'' I exin quickly. Ms. Barlow narrows her eyes at me. ''The only misunderstanding is that you think I''d ever let your kind be with daughter,'' she retorts. ''Mum!'' Grace shouts. ''What the hell has gotten into you What do you mean Axel''s kind'' Grace''s mum gives her a sharp look. ''He''s just like your father, he''s not good for you, Grace.'' By now, tears are pooling in my mate''s eyes, and I want more than anything to fix it. I''m angry at her mother for upsetting her. ''You''re making her upset,'' I warn her mother quietly. ''Can we talk about this privately'' ''Grace, go back and check on your siblings, Axel and I need to clear something up before he leaves,'' her mother orders. ''No! I''m not leaving you, this is ridiculous, I don''t¡ª'' ''Grace Ang Barlow, go next door this instant,'' her mother shouts. Grace goes silent before looking at me. I give her a reassuring nod and a forced smile. She looks back and forth between us before scowling. ''When Ie back, I want some damn answers,'' she says firmly, before leaving us alone. I spin around to her mother straight away, filled with anger at her upsetting my mate. ''Before you spew any more hate about my kind, you should know that your daughter is my mate,'' I tell her quickly. ''I would never hurt her. I will do everything I can to protect her and make her happy.'' Grace''s mother falls silent. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, but nothinges out. She reaches out to the counter for support and slowly sinks into one of the chairs. She stares at me in shock. ''She''s your mate'' She whispers incredulously. I nod. ''Yes. She''s my mate.'' Her mother shakes her head in disbelief. Then, she groans and closes her eyes briefly, as though in pain. ''I''m sorry, I didn''t know,'' she says sadly. ''Grace''s father was a werewolf. He left me when Grace was four years old, because he found his mate. He left and never looked back.'' I lick my suddenly dry lips. ''I''m sorry.'' She snorts. ''So am I. I was worried that would happen to Grace, that you would leave her heartbroken.'' I approach her slowly, crouching down to her height so that she can see the sincerity in my eyes. ''I would never, ever hurt your daughter. I promise you that.'' Grace''s mother has tears in her eyes as she looks up at me. ''I''m sorry that I was so awful to you. God, Grace is going to be so mad at me.'' I shrug. ''It''s okay, I''ll speak to her. Got any ideas about what our excuse will be I take it your daughter doesn''t know that she is only half¡ªhuman.'' She shakes her head adamantly.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ''No! I never wanted to tell her in case she tried to look for him and just got her heartbroken. He has a whole other family, a whole new life. It''s like his love for Grace and I switched off the second he met her.'' Ms. Barlow quickly wipes her eyes and stands up, trying to sort herself out. ''You can tell her in your own time, but I''m happy to be there when you do. I guess, then, we can tell her the truth about her father. She won''t ever be able to shift or anything, will she'' ''No, being half¡ªshifter has allowed her to have a shifter mate, that''s the only benefit from being a hybrid, I''m afraid.'' Ms. Barlow sighs heavily. Her eyesnd on the pan on the hob and widen. ''Gosh, I need to sort dinner out, I got so distracted. Please could you stir the sauce whilst I cook those courgettes'' Together, we save the dinner, getting it ready for serving. ''Why don''t you call Grace in We can tell her that it was a big mistake, I thought I''d seen you from somewhere, I don''t know.'' I nod and head for the doorway to get Grace and her siblings. ''Oh, and Axel'' I look over my shoulder as Grace''s mum calls me. ''Call me Jete.'' As soon as I enter the yroom, Grace jumps to her feet and wraps her arms around me. ''Dinner''s ready!'' I tell her siblings and they excitedly run out of the room. ''Axe, I''m so sorry. I have no idea what got into her! What was she saying'' I put my arm around my mate''s shoulders and kiss her forehead. I usher her out of the room and towards the dining room. ''Don''t worry, it was a huge misunderstanding. It''s all cleared up now and your mother and I have apologized to each other. We''re okay.'' Grace wrinkles her nose in confusion. ''I still don''t understand. What exactly was she using you of'' Grace''s mother answers the question for me as we enter the dining room. The tes full of food are already on the table. Grace''s siblings are already tucking in. ''I mistook him for someone else, it was entirely my fault,'' Jete hurriedly replies. ''Please, sit down and eat.'' We take our seats and start eating. Grace watches her mother warily, obviously untrusting of her at the moment. ''We get to stay upter tonight cause you''re here,'' George announces proudly. I did think 6 PM is a bitte for a five¡ªyear¡ªold to be eating, but what do I know about kids ''They usually go to sleep at 7,'' Jete informs us. ''But you''re getting half an hour extra tonight, aren''t you'' George nods happily, the other two are too engrossed in their food to pay any notice to our conversation. The rest of the meal goes without a hitch. Jete is lovely to me, which puts Grace at ease. I imagine she''ll be having words with her mother when I leave, but I think we''ve managed to salvage the evening as much as possible. In a way, I''m kind of relieved it worked out this way. It means there is one less person to tell about my kind, or one less person for Grace to lie to. Now that her mother knows, it means Grace has someone she can talk to about it when I finally tell her. I think this is a good thing. I just wish Grace''s dad hadn''t been such a dick. Who has a child with another woman, knowing that your mate is out there My parents waited, knowing they would find their mate eventually. Apparently, Grace''s dad did not have such patience. After Grace''s siblings have gone to bed, we decide it''s time for me to go. It is a school night, after all. ''I''m going to thank your mum for dinner, back in a minute,'' I tell Grace. I kiss her forehead and leave her on the sofa, watching TV. I find Jete in the kitchen, working on herptop. ''I''m leaving now, thank you for tonight. It was nice meeting you.'' Jete looks up from her screen and quickly stands up. ''It was lovely meeting you, Axel. I''m sorry, again, for how I acted. I¡ª'' she hesitates. ''I''m very protective of Grace, after what I went through. Tell me, you''re not intending on marking her too soon, are you I think you should wait a few weeks.'' I nod in agreement. ''I know. Now would be too soon, I want to give her time to, hopefully, fall in love with me, so that when I do tell her, she has a reason to stay.'' Jete''s eyes soften and she smiles sadly. ''I don''t think it will take that long, Axel. She is already feeling the mate bond, she talks about you constantly. But please be careful with my daughter, she has a good heart.'' I smile at that. ''She definitely does.'' ''What are you going to do about the full moon next week'' I blink in shock. ''What'' ''The full moon¡­it''s next week.'' Shit. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 38 Book 3 Chapter 38 Axel''s POV. Ipletely forgot about the full moon! My mouth goes dry as panic fills me. If shifters have met their mates and not marked them, when a full moon urs, it affects the shifters. In this case, it will be me who is affecting, Grace will be fine. I will go crazy trying to find her and mark her. The only solution is to lock me up until the sun rises. ''Um, I''ll have to figure something out, get locked up.'' Jete nods, her expression serious. ''Good idea.'' I take out my phone and check the date. It''s on a Tuesday. Grace suddenly appears in the doorway. ''Axel'' She calls my name softly. I spin around to face her and smile. ''Sorry, Strawberries, I''ming.'' I turn back to her mother. ''See you soon.'' ''Bye, Axel.'' Grace and I walk to her front door. She opens it and we step out onto the porch. ''You survived,'' she says with augh. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her against my body. ''Yes, I did.'' I kiss her forehead and she sighs, closing her eyes contently. ''I''m sorry about my mad family. I can''t believe my mum went off at you like that, it was so weird!'' I shrug at her, not meeting her eyes. I don''t like lying to her, I swore I never would. So, I tell the truth¡­ the partial truth. ''It was a misunderstanding, don''t worry,'' I tell her. It was actually a misunderstanding. This is good, this isn''t a lie. ''Well, I''m d she apologized,'' Grace grumbles. ''My brothers and sister were surprisingly well¡ª behaved, too. I think you might have toe round more often.'' ''I''ll be happy to.'' ''I''ll see you at school tomorrow, then'' She says sweetly. I nod and bend down to capture her lips. I think, after the way her mum spoke to me tonight, I deserve a kiss from my beautiful mate. Her lips move softly against mine. She tangles her fingers in my hair and lifts up on her tiptoes to press her lips more firmly against mine. I love it when my little mate takes control like this. I love her showing how much she wants me. I feel the bond a lot more strongly than she does, so moments like this, where she is so into it, mean everything. I want her to want me as much as I want her. I slide my hands up her book to her hair, keeping her held against me. I want nothing more than to take her back to mine and get her into my bed, but I need to remember we''re still on her front porch. Her tongue nudging against mine is like a wake¡ªup call. I pull back and my adorable mate huffs in annoyance. ''Your mum could see,'' I tell her teasingly and she scowls. ''I don''t care! I was enjoying that,'' she pouts, increasing her cuteness even more. I decide to take a chance and push my luck. ''I tell you what, why don''t youe to mine this weekend'' I ask her hopefully. ''You could even stay over, if you want. Do you think your mum would let you'' She chews on her bottom lip, drawing my eyes to it. I want to kiss her again. ''I''m not sure. I''ve never had a boyfriend before, so I think this is pretty new to her as well. I don''t know if she would let me, even if I promised to sleep in separate rooms.'' I shrug, trying to act like I''m not as disappointed as I feel. I don''t want her feeling pressured. ''That''s okay, you can alwayse round just for dinner. I want to spend time with you, and I''ll take you any way I can get,'' I respond and Grace giggles. ''That sounded dirty,'' shements, her cheeks warming. I stroke my hands over her hot cheeks, admiring how pretty she looks when she''s flushed. ''It did, didn''t it Sorry. Anyway, ask your mum but don''t worry if she says no, we''ll have dinner together. I''ll see you tomorrow, Strawberries.'' I kiss her forehead and then take my leave, driving home with a smile on my face. My parents are waiting for me when I get home, they call me through as soon as they hear the door. ''How was it'' Mum asks excitedly. I sit down on one of the sofas and put my feet up on the coffee table. Mum frowns but doesn''t say anything. I''m not wearing shoes so it''s not that bad. ''Her mum knows about shifters,'' I tell them, and they are suitably surprised. ''Apparently, Grace''s dad was one. Grace doesn''t know.'' My dad frowns. ''How did she know what you are Lucky guess'' I scowl at his question. ''She burned me!'' Both of my parentsugh at that, knowing I couldn''t have been badly injured. ''She pretended to bump into me with the hot pan and burned my arm. Then she demanded to see the burn,'' I tell them. ''Grace''s dad had a rtionship with her mum and then left her for his mate. She is rather resentful towards shifters because of it. ''Does she disapprove of your rtionship then'' Mum asks with a worried expression. She wants Grace and I to be happy so badly, I know she''s worried about how much harder it is for us because Grace doesn''t know. ''She didn''t at first, but once I had exined that Grace is my mate, she was fine. She apologized and everything.'' Both of them breathe a sigh of relief. ''That''s good,'' Dad says. ''At least she knows. It means you don''t have to try and hide your true self from her, only from Grace for the meantime.'' I nod in agreement. ''Yeah, it certainly makes the whole thing a little easier.'' I wouldn''t change a thing about Grace, but I will admit that having a human mate is a lot harder than having a shifter one. ''The full moon is on Tuesday, I''m going to need to be chained up,'' I tell them. Mum winces, no doubt not liking the thought of her son chained up like an animal. ''I''ll collect some chains from the pack cells tomorrow,'' Dad suggests. I thank him and get to my feet. ''I''m off to my room, night.'' Iy on my bedter on, thinking about the full moon. Luckily, I only need to be chained for one of the nights that the moon is technically full. The middle one. How many full moons am I going to have to go through before I tell Grace what I am What if she freaks and breaks up with me R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only If she does, we''ll both start to feel the pain of our separation. She woulde back to me eventually; she just wouldn''t know why. I have faith in the Moon Goddess. She will make sure that everything works out. ????????????? I get a text from Grace on Saturday morning. She said yes!!! I think she''s still feeling guilty for going crazy at you. What should I pack to stay over I grin as I read the message. She''s allowed to stay over! ''Mum, can Grace stay over after dinner tonight'' I call down the stairs. Mum pops into the corridor and smiles up at me. ''She''s allowed to sleep over'' She asks, surprise and happiness in her voice. I nod and she grins. ''Of course she can! Should I make up the guest bed or will she be staying with you'' There is no judgment in her tone or expression. One of the things I love about my mum, she is totally rxed. ''I''m not sure. Could you make up the spare room just in case, please I don''t want Grace to feel pressured.'' ''That''s my boy. Of course, I will.'' I look back at my phone and reply to Grace. Hell yeah!! What do you mean Like what clothes to bring My phone buzzes with her reply before I''ve made it back into my room. Yes! What do I wear Iugh at that. Grace is always stressing about outfits. Nothing. I wait for her reply to my text. Something tells me she won''t be pleased with my joking around. Ha. Ha. Very funny. Seriously, what do I wear I sigh and sit down on my bed. I don''t know! Why does she ask me this She looks perfect in everything. Whatever you like. We''re not going out for dinner so dress casually. Remember to bring pajamas or you might give Mr. Snuggles nightmares. As soon as I send the text, I curse myself for it. Why did I tell her that As predicted, her answering textes through. Who the hell is Mr. Snuggles ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 39 Book 3 Chapter 39 Axel''s POV. Fuck sake. He''s my childhood bear. I was joking, he''s not in my bed. He''s at the back of my wardrobe. My cheeks are burning as I send the reply. Fuck, I''m blushing just like Grace. I''m so d no one is here to witness this; I''m not acting like the strong shifter I am right now. Aww! That''s so cute I wanna meet him! Although, I''m d he''s not in your bed or I''d be fighting him. That''s my spot. My heart beats faster at her reply. She wants to stay in my bed Fuck yeah! I''m grinning my head off as Ie downstairs. My girlfriend is staying over tonight and she''s going to be in my bed. Shit, I''m already hard thinking about it. ????????????? Gracees round just after lunch. After saying hi to my parents, we decide to go for a walk. The weather is nice, and Grace doesn''t want to watch movies just yet. I''ll do whatever my mate wants. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. As long as she''s happy, I don''t care what we do. Grace swings our joined hands back and forth between us as we walk. She chatters away, telling me funny stories about her siblings. ''I know they were pretty shy on Wednesday, but once they''ve met you a few times, they''ll warm up to you.'' I shrug. I don''t want to tell her that I''m not too bothered, kids aren''t my thing. Sure, I want my own with Grace someday, but they''re my own, it''s different. ''How many kids do you want'' I ask her. The question seems to surprise her, and she splutters for a moment. ''Uh, two or three, I guess Why How many do you want'' I shrug again. ''I don''t mind, as many as you''d like.'' Grace''s face goes tomato red and I realize what I''ve said before it''s toote. I try to y it cool, like I''m not currently panicking my head off inside. Grace stops walking and looks at me. ''You think we''re going to have kids together'' Shit. How do I y this one ''We''re in a rtionship, Grace,'' I respond calmly. ''I''d be worried if you didn''t see a future between us.'' Her eyes widen and she looks slightly embarrassed. I feel guilty for turning this around on her, but she doesn''t realize we''re going to be together forever. ''I guess¡­but we''re only seventeen, Axel, I wouldn''t expect you to think you are going to be with me for the rest of your life.'' I don''t like the little furrow in her brows. She''s frowning. ''I told you about my family, we believe in soulmates. To me, you''re my future. Does that scare you'' I ask the question hesitantly, anxious for her answer. Grace thinks about it for a moment, rubbing her lips together. ''No, it doesn''t scare me,'' she replies finally, and I breathe a sigh of relief. ''Honestly It''s really reassuring. Not many teenage guys are so calm aboutmitment.'' I grin and throw my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into me. ''Yeah, but they''re not me, are they, Strawberries'' She giggles and squeals, trying to get out of my hold. Her face is squashed against my chest as I wrap my arms around her. I let her wriggle a little more and then release her. Sheughs and pats down her hair, her cheeks flushed with happiness. She beams up at me. ''No, Axe. They''re not you.'' Phew, crisis averted. ''So, if I wanted seven kids, you''d be okay with that'' Grace asks casually, smirking with amusement. ''If that''s what would make you happy, then yeah.'' Grace blushes. ''I don''t, by the way. Three is enough for me.'' ''Three it is, then,'' I reply with a shrug. We talk some more and swing around, retracing our steps to return home. When we get to my house, my parents have gone out. We curl up on the sofa together and find some films to watch. The afternoon passes quickly with our chosen movies. When dinner timees, we eat with my parents in the kitchen. Mum chats away with Grace whilst I catch up with Dad. I love seeing Grace smiling andughing with my parents. She''s rxed with them and it''s obvious how much they like her. After dinner, Grace and I go upstairs to my room. Her overnight bag is sat on the chair in the corner, and it makes me excited just seeing it. She''s not leaving, she''s staying over! Wey on my bed watching a movie on my TV. Grace''s head is rested on my chest whilst I run my fingers through her hair. She loves it when I do this, as she''s told me many times, and I love touching her. It gets to ten and my girl starts yawning. ''Want to go to sleep soon'' I ask her. ''Yeah, sorry,'' she responds. ''Used to going to sleep early cause of my siblings.'' ''It''s okay. You can use the bathroom first.'' Grace takes her bag and goes into my adjoining bathroom. I turn off the TV and flick on mymp. I turn off the ceiling light and strip out of my jeans. I usually sleep in only my boxers, but I don''t want Grace to feel ufortable. I put on some old pajama bottoms and leave my t¡ªshirt on for now. Shees out a few minutester. My gorgeous mate is bare¡ªfaced, having taken her make¡ªup off. She''s tied her hair up in a messy bun and she''s wearing an over¡ªsized jumper and some gingham pajama shorts. Her long legs are exposed to me, and she looks damn cute. I kiss her forehead and move past her, into the bathroom. After getting ready for bed, Ie out and slide off my t¡ªshirt. I throw it in theundry basket and look over at Grace. She has already gotten into bed and is on her phone. ''Do you want me to put a top on'' I ask, getting her attention. Grace nces up from her phone and her eyes widen at my exposed chest. ''P¡ªpardon'' She stutters, making me smile. ''Do you want me to put a top on I don''t want you to feel ufortable.'' Even in the low lighting, I can see her blush. ''Um, no. It''s okay,'' she mumbles and quickly looks back at her phone. I smirk ande over to the bed. Grace puts her phone down as I pull back the covers and get in next to her. I don''t make any moves to touch her. Iy next to her, keeping my hands to myself. I want her to make the first move, to let me know if she is willing or not. It doesn''t take long. First, Grace''s cold foot brushes against mine. My lips twitch with a smile but other than that, I hide my reaction. Next, the smooth skin of her calf presses against my leg. Finally, she shuffles closer and ces her small hand on my bare chest. Goosebumps form under her touch, not because her hand is cold, no, my body is reacting to her touch for apletely different reason. Grace moves impossibly closer to me, and I put my arm around her shoulders. She presses her body to mine, and I feel myself getting warmer from her body heat. She looks up at me, prompting me to look down at her. Her gaze drops to my lips and then she leans up on an elbow. She presses her lips to mine, and I kiss her back. Our eyes fall closed as we kiss. She opens her mouth to me, her tongue eagerly caressing mine. My little mate practically climbs on top of me. I lean back against the pillow, loving her taking control for once. She straddles myp, and I can feel the heat from her crotch against my growing erection. My hands slide down her body, feeling her curves beneath her jumper. I ce a hand on each butt¡ªcheek and squeeze, making her moan into the kiss. She rocks against me, teasing us both with the delicious friction it produces. At the back of my mind, I''m wary that this is asking for trouble. I''m getting excited and fast. Grace angles her head to deepen the kiss, her hands pawing at my chest. She runs her little fingers over my muscles, stroking every dip and groove. Her hands creep lower and I grab her wrists just as she reaches my waistband. She breaks the kiss to pout at me. ''I want to touch you,'' she whispers. Fuck. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 40 Book 3 Chapter 40 Axel''s POV. My heart thuds quickly in my chest. I want her to touch me, too. ''No, Strawberries,'' I force myself to say the words. Grace frowns and slides off of me. Sheys down next to me, on her side, facing me. ''Why not Do you not want me to'' She asks and I can hear the hurt in her voice. Shit, I''ve offended her. ''No! Of course, I do, but I don''t want to rush you or for you to feel like you have to¡ª'' I''m cut off when Grace boldly ces her hand on my erection, right over my pajamas. ''I want to,'' she says quietly. She squeezes me through the material and the air hisses out between my teeth. ''Please, Axe Can I make you feel good to'' Her voice is so sweet and innocent, whilst her hand is doing something not quite so innocent. I curse under my breath. How am I supposed to turn her down when she asks so nicely ''Okay,'' I bite the word out. With my confirmation, Grace eagerly pushes my pajama bottoms down. I''m not wearing any boxers and I help her kick them off, leaving mepletely naked. I''ve always been confident about my body. Shifters are naturally gifted in the physical department and Xaden and I work out regrly. But having my mate drag her eyes up and down my body, I''ll admit, for the first time in my life, I feel a bit vulnerable. I hope she likes what she sees. I see the desire in Grace''s eyes and rx a bit. Her gazetches onto my cock and she stares at it for a moment. She licks her lips subconsciously and moves closer. Iy perfectly still as she carefully wraps her hand around it. She points it upwards, turning it this way and that as she inspects it. ''Sorry,'' she mumbles, never taking her eyes off my cock. ''I''ve never seen one before, not in person, anyway.'' ''What do you think'' I ask gruffly. To be honest, I''m surprised that I can form words. Her little hand on me, touching me so gently, it''s killing me. ''I like it,'' she muses. ''Perhaps I should name him'' I chuckle at that. ''You can do whatever you want with it, Strawberries.'' She moves her hand up and down loosely and then looks up at me. ''What do I do'' Instead of answering, I ce my hand over hers and show her. I squeeze my hand around hers, making her hold me more tightly. Then, I pump our hands, moving my foreskin up and down my cock. Pleasure bolts through me and a shudder wrack my body. Grace smiles triumphantly. I pull my hand back and she continues moving hers, making my thigh muscles tense and rx with each stroke. ''Fuck,'' I choke out the words. ''That feels so good. Just like that, Strawberries.'' Encouraged by my praise, Grace moves her hand faster. I can feel an orgasm start to build. It''s embarrassing how quickly this is going to be over. Grace stops suddenly and I let out a shaky exhale. She looks up at me curiously. ''Can I¡­use my mouth'' ''Fuck,'' I curse. ''Grace, you have no idea how fucking hot you are.'' Her cheeks are warm at thepliment. ''I am'' ''Yes,'' I groan. ''When you ask me stuff like that¡­shit. It''s so hot. Yes, use your mouth on me if you want to.'' ''Tell me if I''m doing it right,'' she says and then looks back at my cock with determination. The tip of her tongue darts out to taste the drop of pre¡ªcum oozing from the head. She seems to like the taste, because she opens her mouth and wraps her lips around the head. I curse again and throw my head back against the pillow. Grace shifts into a morefortable position, so that she is knelt by my side. She opens her mouth wider and takes me deeper into her mouth. I bump the back of her throat and she quickly retreats, pulling me out. She takes a deep breath through her nose and then takes me deeply again. As much as I want to thrust my hips and push myself further into her mouth, I hold back. I don''t want to hurt her, it''s her first time. After a few tries, she gets used to the feeling of me filling her mouth. She learns to breathe through her nose and rx her throat. ''That''s perfect,'' I tell her softly, stroking her hair. Grace seems happy with thement, because she takes me deeper than before. I slide down her throat and it feels so fucking good. ''Shit, strawberries,'' I moan. ''That feels so good.'' Emboldened with encouragement, Grace wraps her hand around the base of my shaft. She moves her hand and mouth at the same time, sucking and stroking me until my orgasm starts to build again. ''Fuck, you sure you''ve never done this before'' I ask her rhetorically. One hand fists the bed sheet whilst the other fists her hair. She doesn''t stop, in fact, she gets faster. ''Grace, you''re gonna make mee,'' I gasp out. ''If you don''t want it in your mouth, get ready to pull back.'' She ignores my warning and sucks harder. There''s tingling at the bottom of my spine as my orgasm hits. ''Shit,'' I hiss. My body tenses up and I tug harshly on Grace''s hair, momentarily forgetting to be gentle. It doesn''t bother or deter her in the slightest. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. My orgasm crashes through me and I practically see stars. I release myself into Grace''s mouth, hitting the back of her throat in hot spurts. She chokes a little but swallows every drop. She licks me clean as my body twitches with the aftershocks of an intense climax. Grace sits up and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. She grins at me, looking very proud of herself. ''I loved that!'' She exims happily. I chuckle and pull her into my arms. ''Thank you, Strawberries. That was insane.'' She giggles and snuggles up to me. ''So¡­I''d be allowed to do it again'' ''Um, hell yeah!'' I roll her over onto her back and support my weight on my arms. I kiss down her jaw and over her neck. My lips graze the spot I will mark her and her entire body shivers. ''Does it feel good when I kiss you here'' I ask huskily, brushing my lips over the spot again. ''Yes,'' Grace moans. I cannot wait to mark her right there. ''I think it''s your turn to feel good, Strawberries,'' I suggest softly. She shakes her head. ''I haven''t shaved!'' I scoff. ''Like I care.'' She frowns and her cheeks turn as pink as her lips. ''I care.'' ''Okay, so what if I use my fingers and not my mouth'' She bites her bottom lip as she considers it. I know she wants me to touch her, I can practically smell how aroused she is. ''Okay,'' she mumbles quietly. ''Tell me what you want, Strawberries,'' I reply. She groans and covers her face with her hands. ''Axel! No!'' ''Come on.'' I pull her hands back and kiss her nose. ''Tell me.'' ''I want you to touch me.'' She can''t meet my eyes. ''Where'' I ask with amusement. She res at me. ''You know where.'' I pretend to think about it for a moment. ''Hm, I''m not sure I do.'' She scowls. ''Here!'' She says firmly, grabbing my hand and cing it over her crotch. Shit. I''m hard again. I slowly circle my hand, rubbing her through her shorts. ''Do you want toe, Strawberries'' I ask huskily. She nods quickly. ''Yes,'' she whispers. ''Please.'' I kiss her softly before pulling away. ''Anything for you.'' I sit back and gently tug on the waistband of her shorts. She helps me to slide them down her legs. She''s wearing pale blue panties with a distinct wet patch showing through the thin material. Fuck. Desire res through me. I want nothing more than to rip those panties off, bury myself inside her as I sink my teeth into her neck. Fuck Axel, control yourself! My hands shake a little as I reach for her panties. I look up at Grace and our eyes meet. At this moment, I swear our hearts beat at the same time. I have never felt more connected with someone. She is mine and I am hers. I realize in this second, that I am in love with her. She has my heart, utterly andpletely. I will love her for the rest of my life. But I can''t tell her. It''s too soon for humans, it would scare her. But I can show her. I can show her how much she means to me, and I intend to. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 41 Book 3 Chapter 41 Axel''s POV. Grace nods, giving me permission to remove her underwear. I hook my fingers in the stic and pull, sliding them down. She blushes as her pussy is revealed to me. The hair is trimmed short and in a little triangle. It doesn''t bother me in the slightest, but Grace''s face is on fire. Her hands move to cover herself up, but I catch her wrists. I pin her hands down on the bed and lean over to kiss her. ''You are perfect,'' I murmur between kisses. I sit between her legs, unable to take my eyes off of the junction between her thighs. I stroke my hands up her legs, admiring how soft her skin is. Her breathing hitches as my hands make it to her inner thighs. I slide them higher, and I hear her heartbeat stutter. I part her lower lips with my thumbs, exposing her pink pussy to me. Fuck. I clench my teeth together, desperately holding myself back. I want to bend down and taste her, but I told Grace I would only use my hands tonight. I can feel Grace''s eyes on me as I trail a finger down her wet heat. I run it up and down, coating it in her juices. She''s so wet for me and I love it. With my finger slick, I gently ease it inside of her. A whimper leaves Grace''s mouth as I slide into my knuckle. She''s so tight around me, it makes me worried when we take things further. I will have to make sure she''s ready. I gradually pump my finger in and out of her. Grace''s body shakes with little tremors. Her eyes close and she bites down on her bottom lip. Her small hands grip the bed sheets. I love seeing her like this, making her feel good. When I think she is ready, I add a second finger. She moans, letting me know that she likes the stretched feeling. With two fingers inside her, I reach up to circle her clit with my thumb. Grace''s eyes fly open the moment I make contact with the little bundle of nerves. She looks at me with wide eyes, her lips parted. ''Axel,'' she gasps my name and writhes on the bed. I mp my free hand down on her thigh, holding her still as I pleasure her. ''I want to see youe, Grace,'' I tell her huskily. There is no room for embarrassment as her orgasm hits. She moans loudly and her already tight pussy clenches around my fingers. I scissor my fingers inside her, trying to prolong her climax. Her juices coat my fingers, dripping down my hand to my wrist. Her breathing is quick and shallow as she catches her breath back. ''Holy crap,'' she whispers. I pull my hand back and grab the pajama bottoms from the floor. I wipe my fingers on them, cleaning them off. Grace covers herself up with the duvet as I climb in next to her. I pull her into my arms, wanting to hold her close. ''How was that'' I ask her. She giggles shyly and buries her face in my neck. ''Incredible.'' I kiss her forehead. ''That was so hot, having youe around my fingers, fuck.'' Her cheeks burn at my crude words, but from the hitch in her breath, I know she loves it. We talk for a few minutes more, and then fall asleep. ????????????? Grace and I spend Sunday morning together. We have breakfast with my parents and then take another walk around the estate. The weather is still warm and sunny, but soon autumn will be here, so we make the most of the sunshine. At lunch, I drive us into town and treat us to waffles. We argue over vors again, but it ends in kisses. We decide to agree to disagree about waffle toppings. I drop Grace home and she invites me inside. I greet her mum and her siblings and end up staying for almost two hours after I''m dragged into a game of twister. It started off as twister, but kids have such short attention spans. I was forced to y board games, hide and seek and something called ride the donkey, which turned out to be me on my hands and knees whilst the little cretins climbed onto my back. Three kidsbined can actually weigh a lot. I groan and crack my back as I finally make it back to the safety of my home. I have a text from Grace. You were amazing with my brothers and sister. Thank you for being so good to them, I know they''re a lot to handle. You''ve earned yourself a treat. A gif pops up under the text of a girl sucking on an ice lolly. My eyes widen in surprise. Is my innocent human girlfriend actually sending gifs to imply sucking me off I guess she is. And I like it. Apparently, I''m corrupting this innocent beauty one orgasm at a time. ????????????? Monday is the same as usual. I have sses with Grace, which is great. When Ie home, my dad has brought back chains from the pack cells. He sets them up in the cer, ready for the full moon tomorrow night. I love Grace, but I wish she wasn''t human sometimes. It''s actually kind of fun having to take this slowly. It means we''re not rushing into anything, and I know that I am earning her trust and developing true feelings, but I hate having to hide such a big secret from her. She is the one most important person in my life, and she doesn''t know what I am. She doesn''t know my biggest secret and I hate that. I want her to know everything about me. It''s hard to control myself sometimes, too. I just want to mark her. I should have done so already and it''s killing me to stop myself. Damn humans and their slow rtionships. Tuesday is much the same as Monday. We get given some work toplete for the following week, Grace and I pass notes in lessons. She invites me round for dinner and I have to decline. I don''t want to lie, so I try and be economical with the truth. I tell her that my parents want to spend some time with me this evening. Grace buys it and I don''t feel too guilty, because it is a partial truth. My parents do want to spend time with me. When I get home, Dad has already cooked dinner for the three of us. We''re eating early because, as soon as the sun sets, I''m going down into the basement. I get some work done after eating, but it''s hard to remain focused. I''ve heard of shifters having to do this before, but it''s mostly when they''re mated to a human or, for some reason, can''t mark their mate straight away. When the sun starts to set, I sigh and drop my pen back onto my book. I change out of my clothes and into a loose pair of shorts. They will rip when I shift anyway. My mum gives me a kiss on the cheek, and I force a reassuring smile for her. I hand her my phone. ''I told Grace we were having family night, so she probably won''t text much. If she calls, can you tell her I''ve got a migraine or something'' I ask her and she nods. ''Of course, darling.'' I go downstairs to the basement, where Dad is waiting. He has looped the chains through some O¡ª rings attached to the walls. I kneel down and he carefully wraps them around my body and my wrists. I shiver and goose¡ªbumps break out on my skin at the feeling of the cold metal. He pulls them tight and tests their strength. ''Call if you need anything, we''ll be upstairs,'' he says grimly and then leaves. I sit back against the wall and wait. It doesn''t take long. I feel the effects quickly. At first my body starts to heat up. Then, I begin to shake uncontrobly. When it bes too much, I shift, tearing through my shorts. A restlessness settles on me, and I pace back and forth, trying to tire myself out. I know when the full moon risespletely, because I lose myself. My vision cks briefly and when I reopen my eyes, all I can think about is Grace. My mind fills with images of her, visions of me marking her, mating her. I pull on the restraints, growling in frustration when they hold me back. I imagine myself breaking free and running down the streets to her house. I want to tear down her door and go up to her room. I pull against the chains again, hearing them clink in protest. They hold fast, keeping me back. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I throw myself towards the door, getting yanked back by the chains each time. After a few hours, I feel them loosen slightly and start to pull from the wall. But I start to get tired and no longer have the strength to fight them. I howl loudly, letting out my disappointment and irritation, before curling up into a ball to go to sleep. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 42 Book 3 Chapter 42 Axel''s POV. I wake to the smell of bacon. I blink open my eyes and look around, trying to locate the source. A te is sat a meter away from me, two bacon sandwiches are on it. Next to the te, is a pile of clothes. I groan and stretch, popping my bones. I''m still in my wolf form, but someone has unlocked the chains for me. I shift back and get dressed. I pick up the te and start eating the sandwiches as I walk back up to the main part of the house. My parents are waiting for me in the kitchen, I have twenty minutes before I need to leave for school. ''How was it'' Mum asks worriedly. I shrug. ''Shit,'' I reply with a mouth full of bacon. She rolls her eyes at me and Dad chuckles. I finish my breakfast and then go upstairs to finish getting ready. I thought I''d feel worse than this, but I think I tired myself out so much that I slept really well. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I drive into school and find Grace already waiting for me in front of my parking space. She''s wearing a short skirt, a tank top and a cardigan. She looks hot. ''You look hot,'' I tell her, voicing my thoughts. I''m rewarded with my first blush of the day. She leans up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I lean down, making her job easier. She tastes of mint toothpaste and strawberries. ''How was family night'' She asks as we walk into school together. My mind nks momentarily, as I try to work out what she''s talking about. ''Oh, yeah! It was alright,'' I reply quickly, and she gives me a funny look. I hate lying to her. ''How was your evening'' I add and she shrugs at me. ''It was okay! I helped Hannah make some cupcakes for her bring and buy sale.'' I gasp in fake horror. ''And you didn''t save any for me'' She grins and pats her backpack. ''Why do you think I brought in a bigger bag today'' I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her against me so that I can kiss her forehead. ''You, Strawberries, are the best girlfriend in the world.'' She giggles and wraps her arms around my waist. ''And don''t you forget it, Mr. Archer.'' ????????????? I walk with Grace out of school, but instead of heading towards the gates, she turns towards the car park. ''Where are you going'' I ask her,pletely confused. A small spark of hope settles in my chest. What if she wants toe back to my house Grace spins on her heel and grins at me. ''Rory and I are going shopping!'' My heart sinks. ''Oh, that''s nice!'' Grace rushes over to Rory''s car, where Rory is already inside and waiting. ''I''ve been meaning to get some new clothes,'' she says as Ie over. ''And Rory wants to check out some new shop or something.'' My lips twitch with a repressed smile. Grace clearly doesn''t know what the ''new shop'' in town is. An adult store. I heard my mum talking about it to my auntie. They were getting all excited about checking it out; gross. But my girlfriend shopping there Not gross at all. ''Enjoy it, baby. I''ll text youter,'' I tell her. She leans up on her tiptoes and I meet her halfway, our lips colliding. I kiss her in front of everyone, silently staking my im. When I pull back, I catch a couple of guys from my year looking our way. I smirk, satisfied that I''ve just shown them that Grace is mine and mine only. ????????????? Around 9 PM that evening, I''m in bed. My TV is on in the background and I''m checking my social media on my phone. A textes through from Grace. I bought something. There''s an emoji after it, a person with their hands over their mouth like it''s a shock or something. What did you get I reply, wondering why she has texted me this. Then, I remember the adult store. No way. Rory did not tell me that she was taking me to a sex shop!! She practically dragged me in ( Iugh out loud at her text. I wonder how red her cheeks went Aw, baby. Was it scary Did you see lots of whips and dildos There are a few minutes before she replies, and I start to worry that I shouldn''t have teased her. It was at first. Rory couldn''t stopughing. But I did end buying something¡­want to see it My mouth goes dry, and I quickly lick my lips. My fingers stumble as I hurriedly reply. Yes. That''s ying it cool, right Inside, I''m dying for her reply. Her messagees in the form of a photo. My cock bes hard in an instant. It''s the fastest hard¡ªon I''ve ever had in my life. The photo is of Grace, who stood in front of a mirror, wearing a red satin lingerie set. The underwear itself isn''t that racy. The bra is satin and covers everything important, the panties are made of satin withce cut¡ªouts on the hips. It''s not particrly revealing underwear. What makes it shocking is that it''s Grace wearing it. And sending me a picture of it. My innocent little Strawberries just sent me a nude! Her red curls are tied up in a bun and, although half of her face is hidden by her phone, I can see she isn''t wearing any make¡ªup. She looks stunning and sexy at the same time. Holy. Shit. You look incredible. I''ll have to remember to thank Rory for dragging you into that store. I send the texts and theny my head back on my pillow. My cock is straining against my boxers, my mind isn''t helping any by ying visions of me tearing the underwear off her sexy body. My heart beats faster as my phone vibrates with an iing message. I''m so happy you like it! I was so scared to send that picture¡­ I want to reassure her, so I reply straight away. You look amazing, Strawberries. And don''t worry, that picture is for my eyes only. Right Irrational anger fills me at the thought of anyone else seeing that photo. I take a deep breath and tell myself to calm down. This is another problem with not marking Grace. I''m more emotional, quick to anger, shorter fuse, that kind of thing. I feel restless because I haven''t imed my mate. Her text puts me at ease. Yes!!! Just for you! Please don''t show anyone. Her text reassures me, and I reassure her. I promise I won''t. It''s going in a locked folder on my photos. Her reply makes me smile. You''re saving it Of course I am! Um, hell yeah. You look so hot, Strawberries. There are a few minutes before she replies. I turn off the TV and get ready for bed. When Ie back to my phone, her reply hase through. Are you going to¡­touch yourself whilst looking at it My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. My cock is still hard as a rock, so I was nning on doing that in a bit, but I can''t tell if she''d be angry or not¡­ I try to gauge her feelings about it. I mean, we''re going out, surely she''d prefer I use images of her whilst I jerk off than porn or something Do you want me to There. Equally as vague. I''m anxious for her reply, and when ites, it doesn''t disappoint. I was kinda hoping you would. I can send more if you want Shit, Strawberries. You''re killing me. Don''t feel like you have to! But you''ve already made me hard with that one photo, Strawberries. I realize that I''m already touching myself over my boxers. I push them down my legs and kick them off, leaving me naked in bed. Grace''s textes through. Are you touching yourself now I swallow hard and take my cock in my hand. Shit, I think nudes are turning into sexting. Maybe. I smirk as I hit send. I scroll back up and save the image to my camera roll. I load it up and start stroking my hand up and down my dick. Grace''s message pops through at the top of my screen. Can I see My lips part in surprise. You want me to send you a dick pic Her reply is almost instant. You don''t have to!! But yeah, I miss him. I''d like to see Axel Junior. I chuckle at her reply. Axel Junior. Well, who am I to deny my mate ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 43 Book 3 Chapter 43 Axel''s POV. I haven''t sent a dick pic in a long time and even then, I only sent nudes to one girl. I find a good angle, getting in my big thighs. Girls love that shit. I feel a bit nervous as I hit send. It''s a Wednesday night and I never thought I''d be exchanging nudes with my innocent girlfriend. Not quite so innocent anymore. Should I feel bad for corrupting her I can''t feel bad, not when it feels this good. Fuck. I want to suck him. Grace''s reply makes me drop my phone on my face. I curse as it hits my lip. It immediately starts to swell up, where it knocked against my teeth. Fuck sake. That text made me drop my phone! I want you to as well. I rub my sore lip as I reply to her. I switch back to Grace''s picture and start touching myself again. Grace doesn''t reply for a few minutes, so I get into it. I stare at the picture. I''ve seen the lower half of her body, but I''ve never seen her boobs before. From what I could tell from when she''s worn tight clothing, her breasts are the perfect handful for me. Seeing them in the bra, pushed up and offered like that, fuck. I just want to squeeze them and kiss them. I want to see her nipples. I wonder what color they are. ''Fuck,'' I curse under my breath as my orgasm looms. Grace replies to me as my balls tuck up against my body, ready for an orgasm. Her message pops up at the top of the screen, above her nude. I just came whilst looking at your dick pic. FUCK! Her text sends me over the edge. Picturing my little mate touching herself whilst she looks at my cock is too much. My orgasm bolts through me. My whole body tenses up and then rxes. Thick ropes of myend in hot streams across my hand and chest. Iy panting for a moment, catching my breath. Once I''ve cleaned myself up, I reply to Grace. That text was so hot that it made mee. I can imagine Grace blushing her head off as we exchange texts. I can''t believe how dirty my girl is being. We message back and forth until 10, when we say goodnight. I can''t wait to see her at school N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. tomorrow. ????????????? I arrive at school with a smile on my face. Xaden doesn''t even bother to ask, he knows it''s a cause of Grace. I''m d he doesn''t, because I wouldn''t tell him anyway. What my girl and I do is my business. I''m not going to brag about it in the locker¡ªroom like an ass. I''m sat in themon room with Rory, Fiy and Xaden when Grace arrives. It''s slightly colder today. She''s wearing a big jumper and leggings. I undress her with my eyes, imaging the red lingerie beneath. I snap out of it when she walks over to us, a small smile on her lips. It''s not even 9 AM, get your head out of the gutter. I scold myself for mentally undressing her. She''s my girlfriend, but I shouldn''t be sexualizing her like that. As soon as she is within reaching distance, I grab her waist and pull her onto me. She squeaks with surprise but getsfy, snuggling against me. ''Did your girlfriend tell you about our shopping trip'' Rory asks with a grin. Grace blushes bright red and buries her face in my neck. Xaden and Fiy look over with interest, but Rory quickly shoos them away with her hand. ''We had a lot of fun,'' Rory says proudly. ''Grace was embarrassed, but I managed to convince her to try some stuff on.'' Grace nuzzles her face further into my neck and I wrap my arms around her. I look at Rory over Grace''s head. ''Thank you,'' I mouth to her. She grins. ''Anytime,'' she mouths back. ''Was the red underwear the only thing you got from there'' I whisper in Grace''s ear. She groans and tightens her hold on me. ''No,'' she admits quietly. I tense up and then look down at her. ''No What else did you get'' I try and fail to keep the excitement out of my voice. Grace looks up at me with burning cheeks. ''Rory made me get it in white, too,'' she mumbles. ''And something called a garter belt.'' I groan and squeeze her full hips. Fuck. I''m getting a fucking hard¡ªon in themon room. ''Shit, the images running through my mind right now, Strawberries,'' I whisper huskily. ''All the things I want to do to you.'' She giggles nervously and covers her face with her hands. I pull them back and bring my lips to hers, quieting any embarrassing protests she is about to make. ''Thank you forst night,'' I tell her, referring to the picture. ''I loved it, but please don''t think you have to send those pictures or buy that underwear to make me happy. I''m happy with you.'' She looks around to make sure no one is listening and then leans in close to me. ''That''s why I did it, Axe. You''ve been so good and gentle with me. You haven''t pressured me once and I trust you. I wanted to treat you as a thank you for treating me so well. I appreciate you going slow for me.'' The thing is, we have been going slow for shifters, but I actually think we''ve been moving quite fast for humans. It makes me wonder what the guys were like at her old school. Were they dicks who pressured girls all the time ''Well, you didn''t need to do that,'' I respond. ''I''m happy with you. You''re all I want, Grace.'' She smiles and softly pecks my lips. ''See You''re amazing. Anyway, I got the underwear because, when I''m ready, I want to take the next step with you.'' My heart starts beating faster and her blush goes all the way from her neck to her temple. She self¡ª consciously nces around again and then leans in to brush her lips against my ear. ''I want you to be my first.'' Fuck. It''s official. I''m hard in themon room. ''Shit, Strawberries,'' I groan. ''You''ve made me hard.'' Grace grins and shifts on myp. Her lips form an ''O'' and her eyes widen in surprise as she feels me under her butt. ''I take it that was a yes to taking my virginity'' She says casually. I choke on air and Graceughs, patting me on the back. ''Fuck, Grace,'' I splutter. ''Don''t just say stuff like that. Where has my innocent girl gone'' She smirks at me. ''It''s your fault, Mr. Archer, you''ve released my inner nympho.'' I stare at her, trying to work out who this little vixen is. My adorable ginger has turned into a fiery redhead. Don''t get me wrong, I love it, but I never saw iting! She takes my silence as a bad thing and leans in to whisper, ''Don''t worry, I''m putting on a confident front, but really, I''m dying inside. I don''t think I can go any redder.'' Iugh at her confession and stroke her warm cheek. ''No, I don''t think you can.'' The bell rings, rudely interrupting our moment. I manage to get myself to calm down enough for Grace to get off myp without me sporting an erection in school. I head to form with Xaden. We take our seats, and the teacher does the register. A girl in front of me, Whitney, turns around to look at me. ''You and Grace are like a serious couple now, aren''t you'' She says her tone is oddly using. Jealousy, it''s not a good look. I got with her a year or so ago. It was at a house party, and we were drunk. It was a nothing kiss, and she needs to get over it. I force a smile. ''Yeah, we are.'' She looks me up and down. I feel ufortable under her scrutinizing gaze. Would it be rude to tell her to fuck off ''Are you going to ask her to the Halloween dance next month'' I frown as I reply to Whitney''s question in my head. Shit! I forgot about the dance. I need to ask Grace. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 44 Book 3 Chapter 44 Axel''s POV. ''What do you mean I can''t just ask her'' Iin to Rory. We''re waiting outside for Grace toe out. We had separate lessons this morning. Rory rolls her eyes. ''You have an opportunity to be romantic about the way you ask her. She will appreciate it more if youe up with a cute way to ask, rather than just outright.'' I stare at her for a minute, trying to work out how serious she is. Okay, so I''m no choir boy. I''ve been with girls, I''ve dated girls, I''ve hung out with girls. I still have no idea what goes on in their heads. I''m as clueless as I was when I hit puberty. Thank Goddess I''ve got Rory. ''So, I have to n a cute way to ask her to go to the Halloween dance with me'' Rory nods. ''Exactly. Don''t worry, I''ll help. Shit! She''sing, ssh!'' Gracees over and the two of us smile, actingpletely suspicious. Grace looks back and forth between us. ''What''s going on'' She asks cautiously. Rory shrugs. ''Nothing.'' I can''t lie to her, so I just keep smiling. Grace narrows her eyes at me. ''You were talking about me, weren''t you'' Rory smirks. ''Actually, we were talking about the sex shop.'' I have to hand it to her; Rory is very clever sometimes. Grace doesn''t question us any further, her cheeks coloring. We sit together during our break. Luke, Finley and Xaden join us. They''re all talking about the match tonight. We''re ying football against one of the nearby schools. I casually mentioned it yesterday and Grace was really eager toe and watch me y. I''m not going to lie, I''m excited at the prospect of having my girl watching me. I''ve only ever had my parentse to my games. It''s gonna be great having my mate cheering me on. ????????????? At the end of the day, my friends and I gather in the changing rooms. We spent lunch inside, seeing as the weather had turned. It''s stopped raining now, but it means the grass will be wet on the pitch. No doubt, we''re gonna get muddy. We change into our kit and make our way outside. My parents, as always, are there cheering for me. Their love can be a bit smothering at times, but I have to admit, they''re the best parents I could ever wish for. They support me continuously. Grinning next to them, is the light of my life. Grace is stood by their side, with Rory next to her. She blows me a kiss and I pretend to catch it. I know we''re cringing. I don''t care. I''m happy. After greeting the opposing team, we take our positions. The whistle blows and the game begins. The weather stays dry, but the pitch is soaked. In less than ten minutes, my boots and shin pads are covered in mud. By half time, the colors of my kit are barely visible with all of the mud all over me. I''ve scored two goals for my time and one of the goals required me to slide on the floor. I''m caked in mud. I chug my water and look over at Grace, who is watching me with a heated gaze. Really She still finds me attractive when I''m covered in mud I''m notining. ''Stop making eyes at your girl,'' Xaden teases. ''Let''s go smash this stupid team.'' I drop my bottle in my bag and jog back out onto the pitch. The whistle blows and the second half of the game begins. I score the third goal in the next five minutes. I hear my mate cheering along with the crowd. When I look over at her, she is jumping up and down, pumping her fists in the air. ''That''s my boyfriend!'' She yells. I grin at her. It appears my girl is getting into this. The match is pretty much over by the time we score a fourth goal against them. We know and they know it. Soon after, the whistle blows, and we''ve won. I run over to the sidelines, right up to my family. My parents congratte me, but my eyes are on This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Grace. She takes a big step back as I approach her. ''No! Axel, you''re covered in mud!'' She squeals when I get close. I pretend to grab for her, and she leaps out of the way, giggling her head off. ''I asked your parents and they''ve said you cane to mine for dinner tomorrow. Do you want to'' She asks me, giving me big, pleading eyes. I can''t say no to her. ''Of course.'' Grace makes me go shower and change. Fifteen minutester, I meet everyone in the parking lot. I say goodbye to Rory and kiss Grace before driving home after my parents. When I get in, I text Rory, asking what the hell I should do about asking Grace to the dance. ????????????? On Friday morning, Rory and I meet early at school. We''vee up with a n and Rory has bought everything I need. ''I don''t know what I''d do without you,'' I tell her, putting the package into my backpack. She shrugs. ''Fail at life, probably.'' I roll my eyes. ''Gee, thanks.'' She smirks at me. ''You know it''s true.'' The worst part is it probably is true. I stress about our n all morning. By break time, Grace has be suspicious about my behavior. I try and hide how nervous I feel, but I suck at hiding things from her. We go out for lunch at the diner, as usual. I enter the restaurant feeling nervous. This is the first time I have ever felt nervous in this ce. I''m going to ask Grace to the dance after our meal. Rory and I spent ages trying toe up with ideasst night. Xaden was no use, as expected. My cousin hasn''t got a romantic bone in his body, but to be fair, I''m not much better. We order our food and Grace puts her hand on mine under the table. She squeezes it and frowns at me. ''Are you okay'' She whispers. ''You''re really tense.'' I force a smile. ''I''m fine, don''t worry.'' I''m not fine. I struggle to eat. My palms are sweaty. I don''t know why I''m so nervous, I guess I want it to go smoothly, and I want Grace to be impressed. I don''t think she''s heard about the dance yet, or at least; she hasn''t mentioned it to me. I hope she hasn''t heard about it and thinks I don''t want to ask her. No, she wouldn''t think that. She''s my girlfriend, she knows I''d want to go with her. Fuck, I''ve never been this nervous before. Well, actually, maybe when I first asked her out. She is the only human that can make me, a werewolf, so bloody nervous. I manage to choke down my food. I wait for our tes to be collected and then I unzip my backpack. I take out the soft toy pumpkin inside. Grace looks over as I ce it in front of her on the table. She frowns at the pumpkin and then at me. ''What''s this'' Rory is grinning from ear to ear, whilst Xaden is watching with amusement. ''Open it,'' I urge her. With her brows drawn together, she cautiously lifts off the plushie lid. Inside the pumpkin is a folded piece of paper. She unfolds it and her eyes scan over it. It took me ages to draw the Halloween images, cartoons of pumpkins, cats and various monsters. It says, ''Will you be my hallow¡ªqueen at the Halloween dance''. It was the best Rory, and I coulde up with on such short notice. Grace''s cheeks turn pink, and she looks up at me, surprises on her face. ''There''s a Halloween ball next month,'' I exin. ''Do you want to be my date'' She grins and holds the note to her chest. ''Yes! I''d love to!'' Xaden whoops loudly and Rory ps as I lean over and kiss her. When I pull back, Grace is looking at the note with a smile on her face. She tucks it safely in her bag and then picks up the pumpkin. She ces the lid back on it and strokes the soft material. ''This is so adorable,'' she says. ''I''m putting him on my bed.'' Phew, what a relief. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 45 Book 3 Chapter 45 Axel''s POV. Friday night, I go round to Grace''s house for dinner. At one point, I end up alone with her mum again. She tells me that, although she has no problem with Grace and I being together, we''re not allowed to sleep in the same room until I''ve marked her. She really wants to be sure that Grace is my mate. She doesn''t want the same thing happening to her daughter, I get that. I tell her that I want Grace to be in love with me before I mark her. Jeate reassures me that, when the timees, she will help me tell Grace and keep her calm. ????????????? Two weeks pass by in a blink. Preparations for the Halloween dance get underway at school. They''ve hired out the old ckwood estate for the event. The dance will be hosted inside the main ballroom and on the grounds, there will be a scare maze, pumpkin patch and games. Rory and Grace start nning their outfits the day after I asked Grace to the dance. Xaden and I don''t get involved. Grace casually suggests that we go in couple¡ªcostume for the dance. I leave it all up to her, I honestly don''t mind what I dress up as. Eventually, Rory and Grace decide that, as a group, we will dress up as the Riverdale characters. Xaden and I don''t get a say. Poor Fiy and Luke are roped in, too. We try to make other suggestions, but the girls'' minds are made up. Obviously, my beautiful red¡ªhaired mate is going to be Cheryl Blossom. The bossy Rory is going to be Veronica Lodge. I have been nominated as Jug head, Xaden has been chosen to be Archie Andrews and, here''s the best bit; Luke will be Betty Cooper and Fiy will be Toni Topaz. Luke and Fiy don''t put up as much a fight as I thought they would. I think they''re looking forward to it, it will be augh. I ask Grace to stay over at mine on Friday night. She doesn''t realize it, but it will be our one¡ªmonth anniversary of going out. It has been exactly four weeks since we went to Fiy''s party, and we made things official. We''ve now known each other for six weeks. I''m going to tell her that I love her, soon. That''s long enough, right On Friday night, Gracees back to mine with me, after school. She has her overnight bag with her. Silently, I wonder if she has any of her lingerie in there. Or if she''s wearing it under her clothes. Fuck, if she''s been wearing it all day at school and I''ve had no idea¡­ We''ve only had one sleepover in thest two weeks. School got busy with assignments and, when Grace stayed over, nothing happened. My little mate was on her period and was feeling crap. We ate chocte and watched chick flicks. I can''t believe I''m this whipped, but I don''t care. So, I''ll be honest, the teenage boy in me is excited at the prospect of having my mate in my bed tonight. I want to touch her; it''s been too long since Ist did. The evening goes by fast. We order pizza with my parents and eat outside on the patio with the fire pit zing in front of us. Grace and I stay out when they go in, wrapped in a nket. We talk some more, but mostly we stay out because I know Grace is enjoying it. Sheys against my chest whilst looking up at the stars. When it getste, we say goodnight and go up to my bedroom. As usual, I mess about on my phone whilst Grace gets ready for bed. Then, we swap ces. When Ie out, my little mate is waiting for me under the covers. The moment I get into bed next to her, she reaches for me, cing her hands on my bare chest. I pull her into my arms and bury my face in her neck, inhaling her delicious scent of honeysuckle mixed R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only with strawberries. It''s an odd mix that works perfectly on her. My gums throb with the need to release my incisors and mark her. I pull back quickly, resisting the temptation to bite her sweet neck. ''Axe'' Grace''s soft voice breaks thefortable silence. ''Yes, Strawberries'' I reply. I kiss along her cheeks and jaw. Everywhere but her neck. ''I''ve wanting to tell you something for a while now,'' she mumbles. I lean back and our eyes meet. I can see how nervous she is. ''Me too,'' I confess. Her eyebrows raise in surprise as her eyes widen. ''Really What''s your thing'' I smirk at her. ''Nope. You first, Strawberries.'' She blushes and breaks eye contact, looking anywhere but at me. I gently grab her chin and make her look at me. ''Tell me,'' I urge her gently. She swallows visibly and licks her lips. My eyes follow her tongue''s movement. Fuck. I want her. ''I¡ªI, well, I¡ª'' she stumbles over her words before taking a deep breath. ''I love you.'' My heart thumps wildly in my chest and happiness fills me. She loves me. My mate loves me. I grin at her. ''Guess what, Strawberries'' She inhales shakily. ''What'' I reach over to my bedside table and pull open the drawer. I take out a small box with a white ribbon and hand it to her. ''Today is our one¡ªmonth anniversary,'' I tell her. Her lips part in surprise as she epts the box. She looks up at me, awe and disbelief on her face. ''I love you, Grace.'' She grins and throws her arms around my neck. I chuckle and hug her back. ''You''re the best,'' she whispers. ''Open it then,'' I tell her when she pulls back. Grace sits up in bed and hurriedly unties the bow. She lifts the lid off the box and gasps as she sees the ne inside. Carefully, she picks up the gold chain and holds it up. Hanging from the chain is a gold heart pendant, engraved on the back is A & G. Rory helped pick it, obviously. ''Axe,'' Grace murmurs, her eyes shining with unshed tears. ''I love it. Thank you.'' She gently puts the ne back in the box and then ces it on the side. When her hands are free, she throws herself at me again. We hold each other and I bask in the perfectness of this moment. I''m so happy. I can''t remember the Slowly, the atmosphere changes between us. Grace''s lips find my neck. She kisses along my throat, sucking gently and nibbling at the sensitive skin. My grip on her tightens and I clench my jaw. ''What are you doing'' I ask her huskily. She pulls back and smiles mischievously. ''Trying to turn you on. Is it working'' She responds, her face flushed. Instead of answering, I take her hand and ce it over my erection, straining against my boxers. ''What do you think'' I reply and she giggles. She reaches for the bottom of her over¡ªsized t¡ªshirt and pulls it up, over her head. My eyes widen as I take in her underwear. She''s wearing the white set of lingerie. The satin bra pushes her breasts up, teasing me withce trim. The panties cover everything, but thece cut¡ªouts make them sexier. My mouth goes dry and my cock twitches in response. ''Shit, Grace,'' I mumble. She smiles shyly and looks down at herself. ''Do you like it'' I swallow hard and manage to nod. ''I love it,'' I choke out the words. I grab the back of her neck and pull her down to me. She catches herself before she falls on top of my chest, and I capture her lips with my own. I push my tongue into her mouth, and she moans around it, opening wider for me. As our tongues collide and caress each other, I move my hands down to her breasts. I squeeze them through the fabric first, to see if she pushes me away. Grace arches her back, pushing them further into my hands. Deftly, I unhook her bra and she helps me slide it from her arms. It''s discarded to the floor and her warm breasts are exposed to me. I massage them in my hands. I was right, they''re the perfect handful. I break the kiss so that I can finally see her chest. Her nipples are pale pink, and I can''t resist leaning down to suck on one. I trace a circle around her other are with my finger as I flick the nipple in my mouth with my tongue. Both of her nipples harden at my touch. Grace''s breathing shallows and she thrusts her breasts into my hand and face. I graze my teeth over her nipple and gently bite down. She moans and buries her hands in my hair. I pinch the other and roll it between my fingers until she''s whimpering. ''Axel, please,'' she begs breathily. I pull back and smirk at her. ''What do you want, Strawberries'' She licks her lips. ''You.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 46 Book 3 Chapter 46 Axel''s POV. I gently push on Grace''s shoulders, encouraging her to lie down on her back. I kiss her lips, her cheek, skimming over her neck to her chest. I kiss and squeeze her breasts some more, unable to resist them now that they''re exposed to me. I slowly make my way down her body, to her panties. I look up at Grace for permission and she whispers yes to me. I slide off her panties and my heart starts thumping quickly at the sight of her bare pussy. She''s waxed for me. Instinctively, I reach out and stroke my fingers along her smooth lower lips. She gasps at the feather¡ª light touch, so I part her lips and push one finger inside her. I pull out and run two fingers up and down, soaking them in her juices. She''s so wet for me. I want to taste her. I lean down and kiss from her knee, up her thigh, towards the junction between her legs. I give her plenty of time to stop me, but she doesn''t. The anticipation builds between us, reaching a crescendo when I finally part her lower lips with my thumbs. She''s so pretty and pink, so ready for me. I blow gently on her clit, and she writhes under my hold. ''Axel,'' she says my name as a plea. A plea to stop teasing and give her what she wants. I can''t deny my mate. The tip of my tongue licks from her entrance to her clit. She whimpers so I repeat the action. I tten my tongue and take long,nguid licks of her pussy, savoring its sharine taste. Grace''s hands fist the bed sheets and I have to mp my hands down on her hips to stop her from moving around too much. I push my tongue inside her and her gasp fills the room. I move my focus up, circling her clit with the tip of my tongue. As I stimte the little bundle, I push two fingers inside of her. ''Oh, my God!'' She cries out, quickly pping her hand over her mouth to drown out her cries. Luckily, my parents are at the other end of the house and my walls are pretty thick. Her moans are only encouragement for me to lick faster, pump harder. I scissor my fingers inside her whilst simultaneously flicking my tongue back and forth over her clit. Gracees in a sh, crying out my name as her walls mp down around my fingers. Her juices rush out into my mouth, and Ip them up eagerly. Her body tremors as her climax washes over her. I love knowing that I''ve made her feel this good. She''s panting heavily when I pull back. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand andy down next to her. ''I''ll go again when you''re ready,'' I tell her with a smirk. She stares at me with huge eyes. ''I''m not sure I''ll be able to walk if you do that again.'' I chuckle at her response and lean over to kiss her nose. She grabs the back of my neck, stopping me from pulling back. Grace''s lips im mine and she nudges her tongue against my lips. I open up to her, letting her taste herself on my tongue. She seems to like it, because she rubs her naked body against mine. Her hand skims down my chest, to my boxers. I groan as she dives inside and grips my length in her small hand. She begins pumping her hand up and down, still inside my boxers. I push them down whilst never breaking our kiss. I kick them to the side, giving herplete ess to my cock. She pushes me back, so that I''mying down as she lies next to me. Our tongues explore each other''s mouths as she strokes me with a steadily increasing pace. I''m so turned on from making here, it won''t take long for me to finish. It''s embarrassing how quickly my climax builds. I can feel it building, my balls moving up to tighten against my body. I grab her wrist, silently warning her. She bats my hand away and continues stroking me. My climax hits with shocking force. I grunt into Grace''s mouth and my hips jerk back and forth, fucking her hand. Grace doesn''t have to move her hand, because I thrust my hips, pushing my cock in and out of her hand as I release mye onto my chest. The pleasure makes my toes curl and stars burst behind my eyelids. I break the kiss to lean back against my pillow, breathing heavily. Grace looks down at the mess I''ve made on my chest. She scoops somee up on her finger and cautiously lifts it to her mouth. She sucks it off and then smiles at me. ''Fucking hell, Strawberries,'' I curse gruffly. ''You have no idea how sexy you are.'' ????????????? In the afternoon, I drop Grace back at her house. When I get back home, my parents are randomly repainting the hallway. My dad gives me an exasperated look. ''Don''t ask,'' he says dryly. ''It was your mother''s idea.'' Mum huffs. ''You agreed that the hallway needed freshening up.'' ''I meant a new rug, or a nt or something,'' Dad replies. ''Not repainting every damn wall.'' I roll my eyes at their bickering, knowing that they''re going to kiss and make up in about three minutes. ''Have you checked to see when the next full moon is'' Mum asks over her shoulder. I grimace at her question. ''Shit, no. I forgot to. Hold on, I''ll do it now.'' R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I pull my phone out of my pocket and google it. My heart sinks as I read the date. I refresh the page and google it again, hoping that it was wrong the first time. Fuck. ''It''s the night of the Halloween dance,'' I tell them. Mum''s smile drops and Dad curses under his breath. ''What am I going to do'' ''Give me a minute,'' Mum says. She goes and sits down at the bottom of the stairs. Her face is thoughtful as she looks off into space. It''s quiet for a moment as we all mull over the revtion. ''Okay!'' Mum deres, standing up. ''I''ve got it. We''ll get a sedative from the pack doctor, which will sedate your wolf until the moon is actually up and full in the sky.'' She paces back and forth as she thinks aloud. ''It usually gets high about 10, that''s plenty of time for you to go to the dance at 7. You''ll have to make some excuse for leaving early. We could say you have a family thing early in the morning or something'' ''Sedation Isn''t that a bit risky'' Dad chips in. ''It might piss his wolf off, make him more aggressive.'' Mum shrugs. ''It''s the only option I can think of. He''ll be locked up by half ten, giving us plenty of time before midnight, when the moon is at its highest and fullest.'' I look at Dad. ''It''s the only idea we''ve got.'' He frowns at us. ''Fine, but we get a consult from the doctor when we go for the sedative, I want a medical professional''s opinion on this. ????????????? My parents and I visit the pack doctorter in the afternoon. She prescribes a sedative for me but warns that it will only work on my wolf and that it will piss him off. I shouldn''t feel too tired or drowsy, but when my wolf starts to ''wake up'' when it gets closer to midnight, I will be more aggressive because it will know it has been sedated. As long as I''m chained up by midnight, everything will be fine. I text Grace and tell her the ''bad news'', that I have a family birthday thing on Saturday afternoon and we''re leaving early in the morning to get there on time. I hate lying to her, and the only way I can do it is over the phone. I wouldn''t be able to do it to her face. She''s disappointed but pleased that I can stille. I''m praying it all goes to n. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 47 Book 3 Chapter 47 Axel''s POV. Friday, the day of the Halloween dance. Grace signed us all up as volunteers for decorating the ckwood estate and getting it ready for the dance. Xaden isn''t happy about it, but I know Grace has grown on him and he struggles to say no to her, too. We spend the morning on the estate, helping everyone set up decorations. We hang streamers, cobwebs, lights, everything. Outside, I help them build the maze with giant bales of hay. It takes a long time and our breaths form clouds in the air as we pant and shift the heavy bales. Luckily, someone has mapped out the pattern on the ground, so we only have to put the bales in ce, not work out a design for the maze. It looks truly Halloween¡ªy when we''re done. There are pumpkins, skeletons and various ghouls everywhere. In the afternoon, we finish up and go over to Xaden''s house to get ready. Grace gets to meet my auntie and uncle and my three other cousins. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride, introducing my mate to my family. With the girls'' instructions, we are given our Riverdale outfits and ordered to put them on. I have to wear the Southside Serpents leather jacket and Jug head''s trademark beanie. Xaden sprays his hair red with a can of temporary hair paint. He dons the varsity jacket and looks rmingly like KJ Apa. Tears roll down my face when Luke and Fiye out of the guest room. Luke is wearing a blonde wig with a ponytail, a pale pink top and a short skirt. The thigh¡ªhigh socks are covering most of his hairy legs and he''s chosen to stick with t shoes. Probably a good idea, we don''t want him breaking an ankle. Fiy is wearing a brown wig with pink strips of hair clipped in. He''s wearing a simr leather jacket to me, but he''s got on a skirt and fish tights. His leg hair pokes through the holes. They look both horrendous and amazing at the same time. Roryes out looking just like Veronica Lodge. She''s wearing a typical Veronica outfit, preppy and attractive. She''s done her make¡ªup just like the character and put on a pearl ne. My heart stops when my mate nervouslyes out. Her red hair is left down in waves that fall to her waist. Her lips are bright red, just like Cheryl''s. She''s wearing tiny ck hot pants, a red leather jacket and thigh¡ªhigh red heeled boots. Holy shit. She''s a knockout. ''Holy shit, you look so hot.'' The words fall from my lips before I can stop them. Grace''s cheeks turn the color of her lips, and she smiles nervously. ''You think so'' I nod, my eyes wide with appreciation. ''Hell yes, Strawberries.'' With all of us ready, we split into two cars and my parents drive us to the estate. Earlier today, my dad helped me inject the sedative into my arm. Fingers crossed this works. If it doesn''t I have no idea what will happen. The smart thing would have been to bow out of the dance. I should havee up with some excuse as to why I couldn''t go. I could have faked an illness or had some emergency familymitment. But I didn''t want to disappoint Grace. I look over and see her grinning andughing with Rory. They''re both so excited for tonight. I know I might not have made the smart choice, but I''ve made the right one. My mate is happy. When we arrive, most of our ssmates are already there. The sun has started to set, and the music can be heard even outside of the house. There is an enormous, painted sign over the front door, reading ''If you''ve got it, haunt it.'' Our principal is stood by the entrance, greeting everyone as they arrive. She introduces herself as the ''ghostess with the mostest'' andpliments our outfits as we present our tickets for entry. Inside, all of the main lights are turned off. ck and orange lights flicker and sh, adding to the haunted house vibe. Background sounds of creaking floorboards, wailing ghosts and footsteps echo down the corridor from the hidden speakers. Most people are in the ballroom, talking in groups. Some are dancing already to the terrible DJ hired by the school. It''s awful, but in that clich¨¦ way that makes you sentimental about high school dances. We get our drinks straight away. Xaden reveals a hipsk from the inside pocket of his varsity jacket and pimps up our punch. We do the rounds, talking to everyone and being sociable. I keep my arm around Grace''s waist the whole time. Screw it not looking right. I don''t care that Jug head, and Cheryl aren''t a couple, Grace and Axel are. And my girl is looking far too sexy in those tiny shorts and thigh¡ªhigh boots. There are plenty of roving eyes on her. They can look all they want, as long as they stay away and respect my arm around her waist. The night goes on and the food is served as a giant buffet. There is an array of snacks and bites. Most of them are Halloween¡ªthemed, the school really went all out for this one. The guys and I go back three times, as does Rory. Grace is amazed by the amount we eat, again. I intend to tell her my secret next month, she''ll understand why we eat so much soon. My phone buzzes in my back pocket and I quickly turn the rm off. Set to go off at nine o''clock, it reminds me that I''ve only got an hour left before my parentse to pick me up. I best make the most of it, then. I grab Grace''s hand and pull her to the dance¡ªfloor. She''s surprised by my eagerness to dance, especially considering my reluctance at Fiy''s party. With her in my arms, I sway back and forth in time to the music. Our friends join us shortly after. Luke and Fiy dance beautifully around the room together, giving everyone a goodugh. I know they will probably get some action with some girls tonight. Despite being badly dressed up as women, they are making everyoneugh and that always tends to be an aphrodisiac. The hour passes far too quickly. My rm goes off again at ten o''clock and I quickly turn it off. Grace walks with me out to the car park, where my parents are already waiting in their car. I nce up at the moon above us, mocking me as it gets higher in the sky. Grace pouts and pulls me into a hug. ''It sucks that you have to leave,'' she mumbles against my jacket. I hug her back, breathing in her wonderful smell. ''I know, but I''ll see you on Monday, okay Have a great evening, Strawberries.'' I pull back and kiss her forehead. ''And stay with everyone, alright I don''t want you alone.'' She nods. ''I''ll stick with Rory and Xaden, don''t worry.'' Xaden has already promised me to take good care of her. I trust himpletely. ''I love you, Strawberries.'' Grace grins up at me. ''I love you too, Jug head.'' I roll my eyes and pull my beanie off my head. Thank Goddess I don''t have to wear it anymore, that was getting hot. I say goodbye to Grace and watch longingly as she goes back inside. With a sigh, I get into the back of the car. ''How was the dance, honey'' My mum asks as we pull out of the estate. ''Really good,'' I mumble, feeling despondent that I''ve had to leave my friends. ''It''s only for a short period of time, sweetie,'' my mum tries to reassure me. ''You''re doing this for her, and she will appreciate that. Just think, each full moon is one closer to marking her.'' ''Yeah, I guess.'' We get home and I follow Dad downstairs. I toe off my shoes and pull my phone out of my back pocket. I ce it on the floor next to my shoes and then start undressing. Once I''m down to my boxers, I sit on the floor and hold out my wrists for the chains. My dad locks me up and then pulls to check their strength. ''You all good'' He asks gruffly. He''s trying not to show how affected he is, but even he is bothered by the prospect of chaining his son up in the basement. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ''Yeah. Thanks, Dad,'' I tell him. I lean back against the wall and close my eyes. A few momentster, the basement door closes and I''m alone. I sit and wait for the moon to reach its fullest. I can feel my wolf waking up from the sedative. I instantly feel restless. My muscles twitch as I sit, wanting to get up and move. I brace myself, knowing that the next few hours are going to be hell. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 48 Book 3 Chapter 48 Axel''s POV. It doesn''t take long for the moon to rise to the position. My body heats up as my wolf awakens. Images of Grace fill my mind and I don''t fight them. I try to keep my body calm, focusing on visions of my sweet mate. Maybe if I don''t fight this, if I just go with it, it will be easier. My gums throb as my incisors extend. They dig into my bottom lip, piercing the skin and making it bleed. The holes heal just as fast as they break. A violent shudder shakes my body and I groan, falling forwards. I get to my hands and knees, my whole body trembling with the need to shift. My wolf is awake, and he is seriously pissed. I shift painfully quickly. Usually the process is smooth and controlled, this is different because my wolf has forcefully taken control of my body. My bones snap and pop into different positions in a fraction of a second. I feel like a breath in, and by the time I exhale, I''ve changed form. Another painful shudder wracks through and I groan dropping my head to the floor. This is going to be exhausting. I look up at the moon out of the small windows in the basement. It''s not even at its fullest yet. It''s probably about half eleven. Not even midnight yet. The worst is yet toe. If only Grace knew what I am going through for her. Hopefully, this will work in my favor when I tell her about my kind. When she hears about what I went through so as not to force her into anything, hopefully it will make her more sympathetic to my situation. Thinking of Grace is a mistake, it reminds my wolf of our true purpose, iming our mate. He tortures me with visions of us marking her. Now that I have seen her sweet body, the visions are even more realistic and arousing. My entire body quakes with the need to find her and im her. My mind goes nk with only one focus Grace. I leap to my paws and pull against the chains. When they don''t give, I keep pulling. I jump in the air, throwing myself towards the door. Each time, the chains creak and groan under the tension. I must do this for almost an hour. It''s exhausting, but I can''t stop myself. My wolf is determined to get to her. Eventually, I''m so tired that I shift back into my human form. My body hits the cold cement floor and I sigh in relief at the chilled temperature. It cools me slightly, allowing me a brief respite in madness. My eyesnd on chains attached to the wall. The nails are loose, they won''t be able to hold me all night. My hand shakes as I quickly reach for my phone. I unlock it and call Xaden. After two rings, he picks up. ''Axel Are you okay'' He asks hurriedly, no doubt worried as to how I am calling him. I can hear music in the background. ''Are you still at the party'' My voice is gruff and gravelly and nothing like my own. ''Uh, yeah. Some people went home and the rest of us decided to stay, most of the teachers are drunk, it''s hrious.'' A wave of need fills me, and my hand tightens around the phone, it creaks, and I wonder if I''m going to break it. ''Get. Her. Out. Of. There,'' I bite the words out through gritted teeth. ''I''ming for her.'' The phone is crushed in my hand, and I drop it to the floor. At the thought of Grace, my wolf takes control once more. I throw myself towards the door with renewed force and the chains give. They pull from the wall, bringing a load of debris and rubble with them. With the metal weakened, I tear the cuffs from my wrists. My wolf is in control as he opens one of the basement windows and pulls us out. I get to my feet and shift back into my wolf. He takes off towards the trees, heading for the ckwood estate. It will only take five minutes to get there at the speed I am running. I really hope that''s enough time for Xaden to get Grace out of there and far away from me. My ws dig into the soft earth, propelling me forwards at a faster speed. I''m panting my head off by the time I reach the estate. I approach the old house from the grounds. All of the lights are still on, both inside and outside. I sniff the air. There is no one outside, they must all be in the house. I pass the maze and pumpkin patch, getting closer to the house. At the back of my mind, I know that I shouldn''t enter the house. I will expose my kind and put us all at risk, but my rational mind isn''t in control right now. I''m working on primal instinct, consequences are damned. There are barely any cars left in the car park. Whispers make my ears perk up and I turn in the direction of them. Rory, Xaden and Grace are in the car park, rushing towards Xaden''s car. I sprint towards them. Rory acts fast, dragging Grace behind the car before she can see me. ''Xaden! Deal with him!'' She shouts and pushes Grace down to the ground. Xaden spins around and quickly shifts. He leaps in the air andnds in front of me on four paws. I bear my teeth, warning him not to try and stop me. He doesn''t heed my warning. Xaden lunges at me and we begin fighting. Our wolves snap and w at each other as we roll on the ground, each trying to kick the other off. Over our growls and pants, I can hear my mate asking what is going on and Rory trying to calm her. She''s cursing because Xaden has dropped the car keys somewhere and she can''t find them. Xaden catches my ear with his teeth and that really pisses my wolf off. I have been fighting to get him off of me, but I haven''t wanted to hurt him. My wolf takes control, and weunch Xaden off of us. He flies through the air andnds against a nearby tree. His back hits the trunk and he lets out a whine of pain. He falls to the ground, unconscious but alive. Rory, having seen Xaden is incapacitated, grabs Grace''s shoulders. ''Grace, you need to run, now,'' she says urgently. ''Run!'' Grace looks between me, a giant brown wolf, and Rory. She turns on her heel and runs towards the house. ''Not in there!'' Rory shouts after her. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Too many humans. Smart Rory. Grace quickly turns towards the maze, and I smirk, ready to go after her. Rory suddenly wipes me out from the side. Having shifted into her wolf, she is now taking me on. I snarl at her in irritation and buck her off. Shends on her paws a few meters away from me. I bare my teeth at her and she bears them right back. We circle each other for a moment. I wait for her to lunge at me, and I dodge her attack. Uninterested in fighting her, I sprint past her, heading for the maze. She howls behind me and chases after me. I can smell Grace''s scent all over the hay bales at the entrance. She''s in the maze and I''m going to find her. Rorynds on my back and I growl at her. She grips on tightly, sinking her teeth into my shoulder. I buck my back legs, trying to shuck her off. She holds on tight, so I run over to one of the bales and throw myself against it, effectively mming Rory against it, too. She groans and loosens her grip enough for me to knock her off. I run into the maze, following Grace''s scent. I follow her deeper into the maze, with Rory hot on my heels. It doesn''t take long to catch up with her. I reach the center of the maze. My mate is trapped in a clearing made by stacked hay bales. She looks like a deer caught in headlights as I enter the space. She backs up against the bales, panting heavily. I can hear her frantic heartbeat from here. I approach her slowly, keeping my body low and unthreatening. Grace watches me with wide eyes, terror on her face. ''Rory! Help me!'' My mate screams for our friend. I get within a meter of her, and Rory calls out, obviously having shifted back into human form. ''Axel!'' She shouts. ''Don''t do it!'' Grace looks over my head at Rory, her face bing even more surprised as takes in her state of undress. ''Rory What do you mean ''Axel'' Where is he'' She asks breathily. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 49 Book 3 Chapter 49 Axel''s POV. I can feel myself already getting calmer by being near her. Her scent alone is satiating my wolf. I look up at her, watching her chest rise and fall with eachbored breath. Her fingers are white with the tight grip they have on the hay bales behind her. ''Grace, I need you to remain calm,'' Rory calmly orders from behind me. ''If you run, it will make him want to chase you. So please, stay put.'' Grace looks between me and Rory, her eyes wide and frantic. ''Why is a wolf chasing me'' She asks, her voice a breathless whisper. ''That wolf¡­is Axel,'' Rory answers. I can hear the hesitation in her voice. ''He is a werewolf.'' Grace lets out a small, humorlessugh. I think she might be getting hysterical. I''m doing everything I can to hold my wolf back. I''m trying to keep him focused on the fact that our mate is here, in front of us, unharmed. ''I know it sounds crazy, but that is Axel, and he isn''t going to hurt you.'' Grace''s brows knit together, and her mouth opens and closes a few times, nothinging out. She looks down at me, staring into my eyes. In my wolf form, my eyes are the only human thing that remains. She gasps loudly as realization dawns on her. She can tell it is me from my eyes. ''Axel'' She whispers. I nod my big head and take a step towards her. I nudge her leg with my nose. She squeaks in surprise and steps to the side, away from me. That panics my wolf. He worries that she is trying to escape. I shift back into my human form and grab her. I wrap my arms around her waist and press her to my body in a bone¡ªcrushing grip. Pinned between me and the bales, trapped in my arms, she has nowhere to go. ''Rory!'' Grace cries, trying to wriggle out of my grip. I growl loudly and she stills instantly, her body freezing. I bury my face in her neck and inhale deeply, trying to calm myself with her scent. ''Don''t fight him, Grace,'' Rory warns her. ''You''ll make it worse. Don''t move, just let him hold you.'' Grace nods frantically. ''But I can''t breathe!'' She gasps. Rory is suddenly behind me; I can feel her near. ''Axel,'' she says softly. ''You''re hurting your mate. You need to let go a little.'' I growl at her, not liking that idea one bit. She is my mate; I am not letting her go. ''Just loosen your grip, you are hurting her. Do you hear me You are hurting your mate.'' Guilt floods through me. I loosen my grip on Grace, but don''t let go. She takes a deep breath and rxes a little in my arms. ''Thank you,'' Grace whispers to Rory. The three of us stay like that for a moment. No one says a word. I listen to Grace''s heartbeat thumping steadily in my ear. ''Ror What''s going on'' Xaden''s voice calls out. I growl and hold Grace tighter again, nuzzling my face into her neck. She tenses up against my touch. ''Don''t scare him,'' Rory hisses. ''Find some clothes for us, Xaden. I''m fucking freezing.'' Rory turns her attention back to us again. ''I promise you that we will exin everything. We will answer every question you have. But right now, we need to be very careful. It''s a full moon and Axel doesn''t have control of his body, his wolf does,'' Rory exins slowly. ''His wolf'' Grace whispers. ''Yes, it''s part of him and usually, it''s under control. Not tonight. His wolf wants to mark you, which would turn you into one of us, which I don''t think you''re ready for yet.'' Grace shakes her head vehemently, her body quaking at the idea. ''So, you need to stay still. If Axel thinks you''re trying to leave or we''re trying to take you away from him, he will mark you. Stay still and let him hold you. It might be better if you touch him.'' ''Touch him'' Grace''s voice sounds small and scared. I nuzzle my face into her neck again and she lets out a quiet giggle. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ''That tickles,'' she murmurs. I do it again. ''Yes, your touch calms him. Just hug him back and it should help.'' Hesitantly, Grace releases her grip on the hay bales and wraps her arms around my body. I rx into her touch and sigh contently. We remain like that for some time. Grace stops trembling and rxes into my touch. Her heartbeat returns to a normal speed. Xaden returns with clothes for Rory. A nket is wrapped around my shoulders and Grace holds it against me. ''What do we do now'' She whispers to Rory. ''Um, this,'' she replies anxiously. A secondter, there is a sharp jab in my neck, and I growl in anger. The sedative takes hold quickly. I try to keep my eyes open, but the ckness consumes me before I can stop it. ????????????? I wake up, groggy and sore, but in my own bed. It takes a few minutes for everything to catch up to me. I climb out of bed and stretch, popping my joints. After pulling on some clothes, I go downstairs to find my parents and get some answers. Xaden is eating breakfast with them at the table. ''Sorry aboutst night,'' I tell him as I sit down next to him. Dad serves me up a te full of food and ces it in front of me. ''No problem,'' he says with a shrug. ''How''s Grace'' ''Rory took her back to her house to stay over. She texted this morning to say that she''d had a chat with Grace, and she was going to take her home. Her mum is going to talk to her and exin everything and then, you can visit her in the afternoon.'' I groan and rub my hands down my face. ''Fuck, I really messed this up.'' ''It could have gone better, yeah.'' Xaden snorts. ''But, it also could have gone worse. You didn''t mark her.'' Thank Goddess I didn''t mark her. ''How am I going to survive waiting all day to see her'' I whine, pushing the food about on the te with my fork. ''I want to speak to her.'' Mum puts her arm around my shoulders. ''Give her time, darling. This is a lot to adjust to, she needs some space right now.'' I know she''s right, but it doesn''t make it any easier. ''Rory said that she''s okay. She''s a bit shaken up, but she''s not crying or screaming or anything.'' I wince at that thought. Poor Grace. She must be so confused. ''So, her mum is going to tell her about biological father today'' I ask and Xaden nods. ''Yeah. I''m d I''m not gonna be there for that conversation. Can you imagine how awkward it''s gonna be'' I''m so relieved her mum knows about our kind and can help me exin everything. This would have been so much harder if we had to keep the secret from her too. ''I wonder how Grace will take it, finding out that her father abandoned her mother for his soul mate, and that she is mine. Will she hate me because of him'' Xaden shakes his head. ''Axe, man, you know it''s physically impossible for her to hate you.'' ''Yeah, I suppose,'' I mumble glumly. ''I just want to see her.'' ''You will,ter on. She needs time to adjust to all of this. Just think, you seeing herter will be a lot more productive than seeing her now.'' I try to tell myself that, but it hurts to be away from her. ????????????? The hours pass painfully slowly. Xaden makes me go out on a run with him. I think he''s trying to get revenge for our fightst night. He makes me run until I copse on the ground, begging for a break. When we get back, I shower and wash the sweat from my body. I stand in front of my wardrobe with a towel around my waist, wondering what I should wear. It''s not something I usually put much thought into, but I''m nervous about seeing Grace. I want her to see it''s the same old me. I haven''t changed, not really. In fact, she now knows me better than I ever. I pick out some in jeans and t¡ªshirt and then pull on a hoodie sheplimented once. I let her wear it and it still smells of her. It makes me smile as I sniff the fabric. I''m nervous as hell as I get into my car and drive over to her house. Please, let her still love me. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 50 Book 3 Chapter 50 Axel''s POV. I feel like my heart is in my throat as I knock on her door. It''s an eternity before it swings open. I''m confused for a millisecond, because there is no one at the door. Then, my gaze lowers and I look at George, standing in the doorway with a lollipop in his mouth. He takes it out with a pop and looks me up and down assessing me. ''You''re tall,'' hements. ''You''re perceptive,'' I retort. ''Can Ie in'' He shrugs but steps to one side. He puts the lollipop back in his mouth and swaggers back into the yroom. Kids. I take off my shoes and close the front door behind me. It appears no one else heard me knock. I push open the door of the yroom to find Grace''s three younger siblings in there. After scanning the room to ensure Grace isn''t in it, I quickly withdraw, not wanting to get pulled into more of their games. I find her mother in the kitchen. Jete jumps up when I walk in. ''Axel, hi!'' She gives me a tired smile. ''How are you'' I was expecting worse, a lot worse. ''Um, I''m okay, thanks. How are you How''s Grace'' Jete''s smile drops from her face. ''She''s¡­alright. She''s upstairs in her room, I think she was having a nap.'' The horrible feeling of dread sat in my stomach, intensifies at her reply. This doesn''t sound good. ''How did she take it'' I ask, drawing up a chair and sitting down on it. Jete sits back down and rests her elbows on the table. She puts her head in her hands and sighs heavily. ''Not well. She was all stressed out about you, understandably, and I just went and dropped another bombshell on her. It all spilled out; I couldn''t stop it. She cried, swore at me, cursed her father to the fiery pits of hell.'' She scoffs. ''Like I haven''t done that enough times for the both of us.'' ''She was just tired when we were done, so I let her rest.'' Jete looks up at me and smiles weakly. ''I think she''s okay with you, you know She''s mad about her father and that I kept it from her, but she understands. Hopefully, her anger will pass in the next few days.'' Relief fills me. I really hope she''s okay with me. We''ve just said ''I love you'' to one another, I''d hate to go back to not saying it. I''d hate her to take it back. I''m praying to the Moon Goddess that she still loves me. ''Do you think I should go up and see her'' I ask and Jete nods. ''Better now than never, hey Good luck and please, be gentle with her, she''s had a rough night.'' I wince. ''Don''t I know it.'' I creep past the yroom, not wanting her siblings to hear me and try and get involved. I don''t know where Grace''s room is, so I have to follow her scent. It lingers at the end of the hall; I knock softly on the door. A mumbled e in'' sounds out and I turn the handle. The first thing I notice; how perfect the room smells. It''s filled with Grace''s scent, and I make the mental decision to stay in it as long as possible. Fuck, if we lived together, would our whole house smell this good I look around the room, taking in the simple design. It''s decorated in cream and blues, mostly. There''s a desk, overspilling with papers, notebooks and textbooks. Pictures are stuck on the walls. Endless snaps of Grace with her mother, her siblings and random photos of the scenery. I smile as I spot one of us, snapped by Rory at Fiy''s party. She got it printed. I turn around to see Grace lying on her double bed. She realizes it''s me and quickly sits up, patting down her hair self¡ªconsciously. Her red curls are tied up in a messy bun, loose tendrils frame her beautiful face. Her eyes are puffy like she''s been crying, and her face is free of make¡ªup. She''s wearing pajama bottoms and big, fluffy socks, but what makes me grin is the fact she''s paired the outfit with a hoodie I let her borrowst week. She blushes as I grin like a maniac at her. ''You''re wearing my hoodie,'' I note happily. She blushes some more and pulls the sleeves down over her hands. ''It smells good,'' she mumbles. I slowly approach the bed. ''Can I sit down'' I ask, gesturing to the plushforter at the end of it. She nods slowly, watching me with those big blue eyes of hers. I sit down at the edge of the bed and lean my back against one of the posts. ''How are you'' I ask gently. She shrugs and looks out of the window. ''Tired,'' she replies simply. ''Your mum told me that you were upset about your dad. I''m so sorry that he left.'' She scoffs. ''You can''t even call him my dad. He was a sperm donor,'' she replies bitterly. ''I''m d he''s gone; I just wish Mum had told me about who he was and about¡­what I am.'' ''Half¡ªhuman, half¡ª'' ''Werewolf.'' Grace finishes the sentence for me. She looks at me and I can''t read her expression. I hate it. I can usually tell what she''s thinking, but right now, I have no idea if she wants to hug me or break up with me. ''How are you feeling about us'' I ask quietly, my voice cracks a little on thest word, my vulnerability showing through. Grace leans back against the pillows propped against her headboard. She chews on her bottom lip for a moment before responding. ''You scared the hell out of mest night,'' she starts. ''If my mum had told me about my father beforest night, I would never have believed her. I would have thought she''d gone mad. But I saw you. I saw Xaden change, his body morphed.'' Her eyes are wide as she talks, relieving the trauma ofst night. Trauma that I put her through. Guilt fills me and I look down at my hands. ''I''m so sorry, Grace. I never wanted you to find out that way.'' I can feel her eyes on me, so I look back up. She''s looking at me thoughtfully. ''When were you going to tell me'' ''Soon. I''d been waiting to tell you that I loved you. I wanted us to be in a good ce before I changed your entire opinion of me. I wanted you to see that we could be happy together¡­'' I trail off, sadness filling me. I''ll be honest, so far, this conversation hasn''t been the least bitforting. Sure, she''s responding, which is a good sign. She could have locked the door in my face or driven far away from her. She''s willinglymunicating, which is a start. ''Rory told me thatst night happened because you haven''t marked me. Will it be like that every full moon until you do'' I nod stiffly. ''Yes. But I won''t mark you without your permission. It''s a big deal for you. We will be irreversibly linked, and you will be able to turn into a wolf, like me.'' She swallows visibly, her lips parting in a silent gasp. ''I could turn'' ''Yes. My auntie was a human, you know, Myra You met her yesterday. She was human before she met my uncle. He marked her, turning her.'' Grace looks down at her pajamas and starts fiddling with a loose thread. ''She looked so happy.'' ''She is happy. She has a beautiful family with her soul mate.'' ''Is that why we talked of soul mates on our first date You said your family believes in them. What you actually meant is that your family has them'' I nod my head. ''Yes. I''ve never lied to you, Grace, I''ve just had to be careful with what I''ve said to you.'' Her eyebrows knit together as she thinks. ''Am I definitely your soul mate'' At that, I can''t help but smile. ''Yes. Although, my kind shorten the word to mates. You are my mate.'' ''And you want to turn me'' N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I shrug. ''Of course, I would like to eventually. I am in no hurry, Grace. I don''t want to rush you or pressure you. I just want to love you.'' ''Even if I never let you turn me'' My heart aches as she says the words. I don''t know what will happen if she never lets me mark her. I swallow the lump in my throat and lick my suddenly dry lips. ''I''ll take you any way I can.'' Her eyes level with mine. ''Because you love me,'' she states bluntly. ''Yes, because I love you.'' I hesitate for a second. ''Do you still love me'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 51 Book 3 Chapter 51 Axel''s POV. Grace''s eyes soften and she holds out her arms for me. I need no further encouragement. I shuffle across the bed and pull her into my arms. I crush her to my chest and inhale her perfect scent. ''Of course, I still love you,'' she whispers in my ear. Her warm breath hits my neck and sends a shiver down my spine. Relief floods through me. She still loves me. I hold onto her tightly, closing my eyes and silently praying that I never have to let go. ''I''m so sorry,'' I mumble into her hair. ''I never wanted you to find out like this.'' ''I know,'' she replies softly. ''I know that wasn''t youst night, you were too different.'' I pull back and slowly brush her hair off her face. ''It wasn''t me. I would never want to scare you.'' Grace opens her mouth and then hesitates. I wait patiently for her to speak. ''Can we not talk about it today That''s all I''ve done since I woke up and I feel so tired and overwhelmed. Can we just¡­can we cuddle instead'' I smile at her cute request. ''Of course.'' I move up to the top of the bed and sit with my back against the headboard. Grace snuggles into my side, and I wrap my arms around her, keeping her close. I don''t know how long we stay like that for. Grace falls asleep and so do I, shortly after. ????????????? It''s dark outside when her mother calls up to us. I blink a couple of times, trying to get my brain to catch up. Grace wakes with a start, jumping in my arms. I feel stiff as I climb off her bed, rolling my shoulders and stretching my arms above my head. Grace slides off after me and we silently go downstairs. Jete invites me to stay for dinner, but I think I should give Grace some space. Now that I''ve seen that she''s okay and we''ve spoken, I can give her some time to think everything over. I kiss my girl on the forehead and take my leave. When I get home, Grace has texted me. She wants to meet up tomorrow, on Sunday, and we can talk properly. Although things aren''t back to normal between us, we''re definitely on the right track to getting back to it. ????????????? I pick Grace up from her house at about 10 AM. We drive into town and park up. With her hand in mine, we walk through the park and find our bench. It''s quiet for a moment when we sit, and I wait for her to say something. Nerves build in me the longer the silence drags on. Finally, Grace turns to me, her expression thoughtful. ''Can you exin what happened on Friday Rory said that your wolf was in control.'' Okay, wasn''t expecting that question. I don''t really know what I was expecting her to say, really. ''Sure. Basically, our wolves are part of us. It''s kind of like our alter ego, they''re part of our personality. When we feel a strong emotion like anger or fear, our wolves tend to take control of our bodies, to handle the situation better.'' Grace listens intently as I try my best to exin our kind to her. ''Our primary goal in life is to find our mate and im them. I''ve found you, but I haven''t imed you, and my wolf doesn''t like that. Good thing is, I''m usually the one in control. However, if a shifter hasn''t marked their mate by the time a full moones around, the wolf can take control back.'' ''And that''s what happened on Friday'' Grace says uncertainly and I nod. ''Yes. My wolf took control of my body. It was never going to hurt you, it only wanted to mark you. I was N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. doing everything I could to try and stop it from doing that.'' ''That''s why Rory was asking me not to move'' ''Yeah. I was holding you, which was keeping him calm. But if you''d ran, it would have set him off again.'' I look out around theke and sigh heavily. ''I should never have gone to the dance; it was too risky. But I didn''t want to disappoint you, I wanted to go. I took a sedative that calmed my wolf up until midnight. After that, it wore off.'' Grace remains silent, thinking over everything I''ve said. ''I don''t want you to have to go through that every month, every time there is a full moon,'' she says quietly, ying with her fingers. ''But I''m scared. I don''t mind you marking me, I understand that we''re mates, and we''re meant to be together. That''s the part I like.'' That makes me smile. ''You''re happy to be my mate'' I ask, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. Grace shoots me a small smile. ''Yes, I am.'' The smiles fades from my face as I realize what she said before. ''So, what''s the part you don''t like'' Grace''s throat moves as she swallows. ''The part where I have to turn. I don''t want to have a wolf and be a ve to my own body when they take over.'' I can hear the fear in her voice, and I hate it. Instinctively, I reach over and hold her hand. Lacing our fingers together, I squeeze her hand tightly in mine. ''What happened to me on Friday, will never happen to you. You won''t ever be out of control like that. Sure, you might feel your wolf more strongly when you''re experiencing a fight or flight response, but it won''t be anything like I was.'' My words seem to offer somefort. She meets my eyes. ''Really'' ''I promise you,'' I tell her softly. ''You will never experience that.'' She lets out a sigh of relief. ''Thank God. But what about you I don''t want you going through that.'' I shrug. ''We still have another three weeks to work it out. Don''t worry, Strawberries, I''ll be fine.'' ''Will you really though Doesn''t it hurt'' I promised I wouldn''t lie to her. ''It does hurt, but it''s bearable. Ironically, the one thing that causes my madness, also cures it.'' Grace''s eyebrows draw together as she thinks. ''Me'' I squeeze her hand again. ''Yes, Strawberries, you. Although the full moon makes me go crazy for you, you are also the cure. As you saw on Friday, just holding you calms me down. You keep me sane.'' A light blush spreads across her cheekbones and a soft smile graces her lips. I can see that I''m slowly getting my happy mate back. ''There are lots of good things about being a shifter, too. We heal really quickly; we don''t get diseases or infections. We live a lot longer than your average human.'' Grace mulls the perks over for a moment. ''What about shifting Does it hurt'' I shake my head and reassure her, ''No. Not anywhere near as much as you''d think it would, what with your skeleton changing shape and all. It''s ufortable the first time, but after that, it''s like stretching.'' ''Would you be with me, if I shifted, I mean'' ''Of course, I would. If you wanted me to be, anyway.'' She shudders. ''Definitely. It would be so scary to do that alone.'' ''My auntie did,'' I reply with a shrug. ''Upset my uncle because she went off and shifted by herself the morning after he marked her. She was okay.'' ''And now when she shifts¡­'' ''It''s a simple as blinking.'' Grace nods seemingly encouraged. ''Can I see you shift'' She asks, hurriedly adding, ''I mean, if you''re okay with it.'' ''Really'' I''m surprised she wants to again, so soon after Friday. ''Yeah.'' She blushes. ''I want to see your wolf properly. I didn''t really get to see him on¡­'' I stand up and pull on her hand, taking her with me. We walk out of the park and down the street, until we reach the forest. There''s a patch of No Man''s Land in the forest in town. Alpha Damien''s territory is cordoned off by huge fencing. Grace follows me into the trees, until we''re deep enough in that no one will stumble across us, unless they''re hiking or something. ''You sure'' I check and Grace nods eagerly. There''s even excitement in her pale blue eyes. I take off my top and she immediately blushes. Her gaze drops to the forest floor whilst I strip down. When my boxersnd on the pile in front of her, she gasps in surprise and covers her eyes with her hands. ''Come on, Strawberries,'' I tease her gently as I approach her. ''It''s nothing you haven''t seen before. Touched before, even.'' Grace''s blush spreads up to her hairline. I pull her hands back from her face and she keeps her eyes solely on mine. ''Change please, before someone finds us and thinks you''re a naturist or something.'' I chuckle and take a few steps back. Grace watches me intensely as I kneel down on the floor and get onto my hands and knees. Please don''t let her freak out. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 52 Book 3 Chapter 52 Axel''s POV. I rx my body and clear my mind. Focusing on my wolf, I feel my body change shape. My bones pop out of joints and click back in a different way. My muscles move under my skin and my face tingles as it changes. Grace''s eyes remain on me the whole time, wide with awe and slight apprehension. When I''ve finished shifting, I wait for her to make the first move. I remain perfectly frozen on four paws. Grace stares at me, her eyes trailing over every inch of my fur¡ªcovered form. I sit down and lower my head, trying to look less intimidating. Grace takes a cautious step forwards and I let out a quiet whine. She takes another step closer and reaches out to me. Her handshakes as it nears my head. Slowly, she strokes the side of my face with her fingers. It feels nice and I can''t resist nudging my head into her hand. A lightugh escapes her lips, and she buries her fingers deeper into my fur. My tail wags on the ground, making her smile. She rubs behind my ears, filling me with happiness. She''s not scared of me! I drop the ground and roll onto my back, bearing my stomach to her. Graceughs and crouches down next to me. ''You''re like a dog,'' shements amusedly, rubbing my belly. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I let my tongue hang out of my mouth, lolling to the side as I pant. Grace pats me for a bit longer and then I sit up again, an ideaing to me. I shift back, leaving me naked and in a crouch. Grace squeaks with surprise and jumps back. ''Sorry,'' I apologize quickly. ''But I''m just wondering¡­do you want to ride on me'' Her lips part in shock, her eyes as wide as saucers. ''What'' I chuckle. ''Nothing sexual about it, I promise. But you can ride on my back. Do you want to try it'' ''Is it safe'' ''Yes.'' I would never hurt her or let her get hurt. ''Um.'' She bites her bottom lip. ''Okay.'' I shift back into my wolf form and tten my stomach against the ground, lowering myself as much as possible. Carefully, Grace swings her leg over and climbs onto my back. She sits just behind my shoulder des. Her fingers delve into my fur. I gently get stand up. Her feet leave the ground and Grace cries out in surprise, but she sounds happy, not scared. She holds on tightly to my fur and I take a few experimental steps forward. She weighs next to nothing on my back and doesn''t move about. I break into a trot, testing out her bnce. When she doesn''t slide off, I speed up bit. Grace lowers her body against my back, tucking her face behind my right ear. When I''m confident she''sfortable and will be safe, I break into a sprint. I weave through the trees, straddling the fence that indicates the border of Alpha Damien''s territory. ''This is amazing!'' Grace exims excitedly in my ear. I run until I''m exhausted, and then run a bit more. I love hearing Grace''sughs and gasps of excitement. She''s enjoying it and I love that she''s happy. Eventually, I loop us back to where we left my clothes. Thank Goddess, they''re still there, or I might have had to take up naturism. Iy down on the ground and let Grace climb from my back. She''s bouncing up and down with adrenaline as I shift back to my human form. She averts her gaze as I pull on my clothes. I cough to get her attention. ''I''m decent.'' She spins around to look at me, grinning happily. ''That was incredible!'' She yells and throws her arms around my neck. Iugh and catch her. I lift her off her feet and spin her around, making her giggle into my neck. When I put her down, I can''t help myself, I kiss her. Gently cradling her face in my hands, I capture her lips with mine. Grace kisses me back, holding onto my t¡ªshirt with both of her hands. Her lips move confidently against mine, kissing me with equal enthusiasm. I swipe my tongue over her bottom lip and then pull back, remembering to be a gentleman and give her space. Grace pouts, disappointed that I''ve pulled away before deepening the kiss. That makes me hopeful that we''re making progress. ''I wanted you to see that being a wolf isn''t all bad. It''s a lot of fun, most of the time,'' I tell her. I take a strand of her red hair and twirl it between my fingers. ''If you want, you can ask Rory, Xaden, Luke, Fiy or Nick about it. They can give you different perspectives on what their lives are like.'' Grace''s expression turns serious. ''Okay, I''ll talk to them on Monday.'' I take her hand and we stroll through the trees, back into town. For the rest of the day, we don''t mention anything supernatural. We get lunch at one of the vendors, eat by theke and then go to the cinema in the early afternoon. We talk about the movie, the food, what assignments we have this week. It''s a wee break that definitely helps to get us back on track. Grace is grinning from ear to ear when I drop her back at her house. We arrange for her to stay over at my house on Tuesday night. Staying away from her is just going to get harder from now on, but luckily, Grace now understands that. Although she found out about my secret in the worst way, a way I never wanted her to find out, I''m d that she now knows. This is one less thing for me to worry about. I have no idea how I was going to tell her anyway, it''s not something you just blurt out. When I get home, Grace has texted me whilst I was driving. I smile as I read her text. I love you. ????????????? School sucks. Monday drags and I feel tired and grumpy. Grace is the only shining light in the day. I practically beg her to sit on myp at break and lunch, so that I can hold her and bury my face in her neck and never Tuesday is better by far, because I can count down the hours until school ends and I get to drive Grace and I back to mine. It feels like a lifetime, but the bell finally rings, and we are free to leave. I hold Grace''s hand as I drive us back to my house. She has gone back to her old self with me. I know she had a good talk with the guys yesterday. She asked them their favorite things about being supernatural, and then their least favorite. Their answers made meugh. Xaden said having a mate was the worst thing, Luke said it was the constant fear of being caught out, like if you hurt yourself in a match and suddenly your injury heals. Fiy told her it was knowing you''ll have to move at some point, because we age so much slower than humans. And Nick said there wasn''t a single downside to be a shifter. I think she was rtively encouraged by their answers. The only thing I''m concerned about, is that her family is human. One day, she will outlive her mum and all of her siblings. That''s a lot for a seventeen¡ª year¡ªold to make peace with. We enjoy dinner with my parents. They force us to participate in family movie night, rather than ''go upstairs to Netflix and chill'' as my mum so nicely puts it. Grace''s cheeks burn when she says that. Just after nine, they finally let us go. Grace and I rush up to my room, before we made it to watch another film with them. I love my parents, but I want to spend some alone time with my girl. We get ready for bed, and I wait impatiently to have my mate in my arms again. I sigh,pletely content, when I finally have her cuddled into my side. Wey like that for a while, just enjoying each other''s presence. ''You know when you mark me'' Grace starts, surprising me and breaking the silence. ''Do you just bite me Is that it'' ''Yes, it can be. But the bite is really pleasurable, for both of us. Usually, couples do it during sex. If I only marked you, we would still need to sleep together topletely solidify the bond.'' ''Pleasurable'' Grace repeats the word, and ites out sounding like a question. I kiss her forehead. ''Yeah, you''d probablye from it.'' Her cheeks burn in the darkness, making me chuckle. ''Oh,'' she whispers. Iugh again. ''Yes, oh. I told you there were some perks.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 53 Book 3 Chapter 53 Axel''s POV. For two blissful weeks, Grace and I live our lives. We don''t talk supernatural or future or full moons. They''re like forbidden topics that we have both silently agreed to avoid. We celebrate her eighteenth birthday. I shower her with presents. Sheins that I''ve spoiled her and spent too much, but I can see how happy she is with all of her gifts. I give her a lot of birthday orgasms. We both want to take things further, but we decide against it. Not until Grace is ready for me to mark her, and neither of us is ready to discuss it yet. We get to be Grace and Axel, the cute couple in the sixth form who fell in love after only a few weeks of knowing each other. We go to Luke''s garden party and have an amazing night. We get drunk and fool around in the trees. Rory identally disturbs us, finding me on my knees with Grace''s legs over my shoulders and my head up her dress. Grace can''t look Rory in the eye for days afterward, despite Rory''s insistence aboutughing it off. Jete lets me start staying over at the house. She even lets me share a bedroom with Grace, much to the delight of her younger siblings, who take it upon themselves to barge into Grace''s room at unexpected times. That''s why, when Grace suggests that she stay over at mine on Saturday night, I think nothing of it. She''s saving up for her own car, so I pick her up and drive us back to mine. I don''t mind being the R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only driver all of the time. I like looking after her, it makes me feel useful. She''s wearing the gold pendant I got her for our one¡ªmonth anniversary, and the promise ring I got her for her birthday. This morning, I went for a run with Rory and Xaden whilst Grace caught up on some of her physics work. My parents are out when we arrive home, so we take up our usual position on the couch. We watch a film and Grace is uncharacteristically quiet. Sure, we don''t often talk during a movie, but sometimes she makes ament or suggests something. She remains silent even when it ends, and I try to find something else for us to watch. In the end, I switch off the TV and turn to her. ''What''s wrong You''re quiet.'' Grace chews on her bottom lip. I reach over and pull it free from her teeth, taking the opportunity to run my thumb over her soft skin. Her pale blue eyes meet mine and I can see how nervous she is. ''I, um, I want to have sex tonight,'' she says quickly, letting the words out in a rush. My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets and my mouth drops open like a cartoon character. Here I was panicking, thinking she didn''t want to be with me anymore, or that she''d finally decided that she can''t see past the whole werewolf thing and it''s over. I really was not expecting sex. Grace''s cheeks are the color of her hair as she stumbles over her words, obviously determined to get them out. ''But I was panicking because I didn''t know how to tell you and then you asked what was wrong and it just kinda came out. Rory made me get a wax with her, which, by the way, fucking wrecks. And she told me to wear this¡ª'' Grace quits her rambling to lift up her jumper, revealing her breasts, pushed up and presented beautifully in acy white bra. She''s wearing the white lingerie set. Moon Goddess, give me strength. I can''t take my eyes off her boobs. They look amazing and I just want to touch them, kiss them¡­I open my mouth to reply, to try and reassure her. That''s when the front door opens. Panic grips both of us as we realize my parents are home. Grace hurriedly pulls her jumper down and sorts herself out just as my parents walk into the kitchen. They look over at us on the sofa and greet us. ''What''s up with you two'' Mum asks suspiciously. ''You look like you''ve seen a ghost. Have you been watching horrors again'' Grace chuckles nervously. ''Guilty.'' I give her a sideways smirk. Look at my little mate, lying to my mum. ''Honestly, you''re going to give yourself nightmares!'' She exims dramatically. ''Watch something nice. Isn''t there that new romance movie on'' Grace starts talking to my mum about some new film, but I tune out. I can''t believe what my beautiful mate has said. I want our first time to be special, not on some random Saturday after spending the evening with my parents. I always thought I''d get my parents to go out for the night and we''d have the house to ourselves. I would make the effort to either cook something or we''d go for a romantic dinner. At the back of my mind, I hear my mum talking about having fish and chips for dinner. Fish and chips. Not exactly the epitome of romance. There''s nothing I want more than to take things further with Grace, but this will be her first time, I want to spoil her. I want it to be memorable. I don''t get a chance to talk to Grace before dinner. We eat with my parents and enjoy a ssic English takeaway of fish and chips. It is onlyter on, after we''ve eaten, that I tell my parents that Grace and I will be watching films upstairs in my room. They''re not dragging us into another family movie night. Not tonight. Grace is nervously twisting her hands when she enters my room. She spins around to face me, her pupils dted with nerves and excitement. I close my door behind us and try to think of a way to turn her down gently. ''Grace, about what we''re talking about earlier¡­before my parents came home¡­'' Her cheeks turn pink at the mention of our earlier conversation. A mental image of her shing her breasts to me fills my mind and I quickly shake the thought away. I reach for her hands and hold them in mine. ''I want your first time to be special. I want to take you out for dinner and then have a nice night to ourselves. I want to give you a memorable night, maybe even put rose petals on the bed or some shit that girls like,'' I tell her, shrugging at the end. Her expression turns sad, and her shoulders drop. I try to exin myself. ''It''s not that I don''t want to, because Goddess, do I want to, it''s just that I want it to be special. A random Saturday night, with both of my parents'' home, after a takeaway from the chippy isn''t exactly the night I imagined for you.'' Graceughs lightly at that. She shakes her head and looks at me, amazement on her face. ''I love that you''re sweet to think of this for me. But Axel, you don''t understand do you'' Her question is rhetorical, but I shake my head anyway, not understanding what she is getting at. Grace smiles softly. ''I don''t care about the dinner or the night or even the ce. It''s you I want. Not the extras or the romance. Just you.'' A lump rises in my throat and my heart beats faster. I love her, so much. ''But don''t you want your first time to be special'' Grace''s smile turns into a grin. ''Special Of course it will be special! It''s with you, my boyfriend, the guy I''m in love with. Not to mention, he''s a supernatural creature and I''m his soulmate. That''s pretty damn special already, don''t you think'' Shaking in disbelief, I pull her into my arms. I kiss the top of her head and breathe in her wonderful scent of honeysuckle and strawberries. ''I love you, Grace Barlow.'' She giggles against my chest. ''I love you too, Axel Archer.'' I step back and release her. ''You can use the bathroom first.'' Grace grabs her toiletry bag and goes into my en suite. I set up the TV with the new romance film she was talking about with my mum. It sounds like a total chick flick, but I''ll watch it for her. I''m lying on my bed on my phone when Gracees out. She clears her throat, making me look up. Holy. Shit. She''s taken off her clothes and is wearing white lingerie. She''s even got the garter belt around her waist. It doesn''t matter that she''s not wearing stockings with it, she looks sexy as hell. My mouth goes dry, and my cock hardens in my jeans. ''Holy shit, Grace,'' I mutter, sitting up in bed. She''s blushing the color of her hair again as she nervously approaches the bed. ''That''s a good curse, right'' She checks anxiously. As soon as she''s within reaching distance, I grab her and pull her between my legs at the side of the bed. I press my face into her cleavage, kissing her breasts until she giggles. ''Definitely good. Better than good. You look so sexy, Strawberries,'' I reply as a knead her butt¡ªcheeks with my hands. It''s a certainty. We''re having sex tonight. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 54 Book 3 Chapter 54 Axel''s POV. Grace waits for me on the bed whilst I use the bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror and try to calm my racing heartbeat. I''ve had sex before. Sure, it was a while ago now, but it''s not like it''s easy to forget. I''ve never felt this nervous beforehand, ever. It''s because it''s Grace. I want to please her, impress her. It''s her first time and I''m feeling a lot of pressure to make it good. I can practically hear my heartbeat in my ears when Ie back out. Grace puts down her phone and sits upon the bed. She looks perfect with her face bare of make¡ªup and her hair down. I take off my t¡ªshirt and jeans, stripping to my boxers. I leave them on, not wanting to assume anything. I crawl onto the bed next to her and Grace shuffles up to me. I''m about to ask her if she really wants to go through with this, but Grace grabs the back of my neck and pulls me in for a kiss. I kiss her back instantly. She climbs onto myp; her little body is no weight on me. Our tongues collide as she buries her fingers in my hair, pulling gently and scraping her nails over my scalp. This little minx is trying to drive me crazy. She grinds against my erection, pressing herce¡ªcovering crotch to mine. I don''t know where this seductress hase from, but I''m not going toin. My fingers dig into her skin as my hands move with her waist, encouraging her to grind against me. I let her have her way for a short while, let her think that she''s in control. When she almost makes mee in my boxers, I lift her off me. Her lips break from mine and Grace pouts when I ce her on the bed next to me. Before she can protest to me stopping her, I push her back on the bed and start attacking her breasts with my mouth. They''ve been pressed against my chest, teasing me and now I want to y. I fumble with the bra hooks and get them undone. Grace helps me take it off, bearing her breasts to me. Itch my mouth down over her left nipple, circling it with my tongue as I trace the are of her right one with my finger. I love how sensitive my mate''s breasts are. I barely have to touch her for her to start squirming beneath me, begging for more. I kiss down her cleavage and over her stomach, going straight for the ce I want to taste next. I stroke my finger along the top of the garter belt, feeling her soft skin. A trail of goose¡ªbumps forms on her thighs as I drag my hand down it. I pull off her garter belt and then hercy thong. Her perfect little pussy is exposed to me,pletely bare from her wax. I inhale deeply and growl at the mouth¡ªwatering scent. I blow gently on her pussy and Grace shivers. ''Axel,'' she moans my name. I don''t tease her any longer. Inguidly drag my tongue up from her entrance to her clit. I spread her thighs wider and focus on sucking on her clit. I Her legs shake as her orgasm builds. Quiet moans escape her plump lips as her sweet juices leak from her lower ones. I flick my tongue faster over her bundle of nerves. ''Axel!'' She cries out my name as her orgasm hits. I lick up every drop of her wetness. When shees down from her high, I push two fingers inside her, trying to stretch her out in preparation for me. Grace wriggles on the mattress, looking up at me with her big doe eyes. Her lips are parted, and her chest is heaving up and down with every breath. ''Do you want me to¡­'' she asks breathily, gesturing at my cock straining against my boxers. I shake my head. ''I want to be in you. But only if you want it, too.'' Grace nods slowly and I don''t move. I wait for her to say the words. ''Please, Axel,'' she gasps. ''Take me.'' Desire rushes through me and my cock twitches. I yank off my boxers, freeing my cock. I grasp the base and sit between Grace''s legs. The head leaks a drop of pree and Grace sits up quickly. She wraps her mouth around my cock before I can stop her. My hips twitch forward involuntarily, pushing my cock further into her mouth. Grace hums with approval and takes me deeper. Despite what I said earlier, I don''t try and stop her. My hand goes to her hair, cradling her head as she works my cock. Her mouth is too skilled, too good. Her tongue swirls around my cock, licking the sensitive underside. I pull her back, making my dick slip from her mouth with a pop. ''I need to be inside you,'' I tell her. Grace nods knowingly andys back on the bed. She looks up at me, looking like a pure angel. Her red waves are sprawled across my pillows, her beautiful bodyying before me. ''I''ve been getting the injection,'' she whispers. ''No condom.'' My heart clenches at the thought of this perfect girl offering herself up to me. She has deemed me worthy. She trusts me with her body and her heart, and that''s not something I take for granted. I know in my gut that I will love her forever and do whatever I can to make her happy and keep her safe. ''This is the one and only time I will hurt you, Grace,'' I tell her softly as I line the tip of my cock up with her entrance. ''I will try and make it as painless as possible.'' Grace looks anxious, but not scared. Her eyes meet mine as I slowly push inside her. Her wet heat encases me and pleasure hits like me like a truck. Shit. ''You feel incredible, Strawberries,'' I rasp huskily. I pull back and push another few inches in. Grace winces but remains quiet. She chews on her bottom lip and keeps her body rxed, letting me in. I pull all of the ways out of her and surge forwards, seating myself in herpletely. She takes all of me, with only a small gasp. ''You okay, Strawberries'' I check. She nods quickly. ''Yeah,'' she whispers. ''Can you move, please'' I withdraw from her and slide back in. Grace moans and arches her back. Encouraged, I start thrusting in and out of her at a steady pace. Grace reaches up and grabs my shoulders, digging her nails slightly into my skin. I don''t mind, it turns me on. When I''m sure she''s enjoying it, I thrust harder, pounding into her until she''s whimpering beneath me. She clenches around me, spurring me on. I want her toe around my cock. ''Axe,'' she gasps. ''Mark me.'' N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I freeze instantly, balls¡ªdeep inside her. ''What'' Grace nods, knowing I heard her. ''I want you to mark me.'' I swallow the lump in my throat, staring deep into her eyes to try and determine her state of mind. ''Are you sure'' ''Yes. I want to be yourspletely.'' ''But you''ll shift, you''ll change like me,'' I remind her. She smiles. ''I''m ready, Axel. I want to be with you forever.'' I stare at her for a moment longer, trying to see if she''s serious. She smiles back, letting me see the honesty shining in her pale blue eyes. I lean down and capture her lips with mine. It''s a sweet kiss, no tongue but still full of passion. I show her how much I care about her and Grace kisses me back with equal fervor. Moving from her lips to her cheek, to her jaw, I kiss down to her neck. I kiss along to her shoulder and back again, searching for the right spot. When I find it, I suck on the sensitive skin. ''Please,'' Grace moans breathily. Without needing further encouragement, I bite down on her neck. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 55 Book 3 Chapter 55 Axel''s POV. My mate''s sweet little body convulses underneath me. Pleasure consumes us both and my hips thrust back and forth of their own ord. Grace cries my name and I moan against my mark on her neck. Our orgasms grip us both and stars burst behind my eyelids. The pleasure is overwhelming. It takes a while for us both toe down from our highs. I retract my teeth from her neck and lick away the stray drops of blood. Grace shivers and wraps her arms around me, keeping me close to her. ''I love you,'' she murmurs in my ear. I kiss her cheek. ''I love you.'' After cuddling for what seems like forever, we eventually decide to move. Grace goes to the bathroom and cleans up. When shees back in, she''s walking gingerly, and guilt floods me. ''Oh, Strawberries, I''m sorry,'' I apologize and pull her into bed as soon as she''s close enough. She shrugs in my arms. ''It''s okay. It gets easier each time, right'' This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ''Yes, it does,'' I respond and kiss the top of her head. ''I''m kinda sleepy now,'' she mumbles, making me chuckle. ''Let''s go to sleep, then. Night, Strawberries.'' ''Night, Axe.'' ????????????? There''s a smile on my face when I wake up. My beautiful mate is spread across the mattress, next to me. Her hair is a wild mess of a mane, strands going in every direction. She''s naked underneath the duvet, which has ridden down a bit to show off her breasts. I feel myself getting hard just looking at them and I quickly pull the covers up to her neck. Grace stirs at the movement. She opens her eyes and blinks a couple of times. When her pupils focus on me, she smiles and stretchesnguidly. ''Morning,'' she mumbles, her eyes falling closed again. ''Morning,'' I reply and lean over to kiss her lips. Grace responds to me instantly, wrapping her arms around my neck. She pulls me against her, pressing her naked body to mine under the covers. My hard cock rubs against her soft stomach and I pull back, not wanting her to feel it. Grace moves with me, rubbing herself against my erection. This little seductress has no idea what she does to me. I roll back and Grace rolls with me, straddling my waist. She presses her crotch down against mine and gently grinds her pussy against my erection. I groan into the kiss, a shudder of pleasure shaking my body. ''Grace,'' I warn her softly. ''Aren''t you sore'' She shrugs and kisses my nose. ''Maybe¡­maybe not. Want to find out'' Her coy expression is everything, it turns me on even more. Her small hand reaches between us and grabs my cock. She lines herself up above me and then slowly sinks down, taking me inside her. A grunt leaves my lips at the exquisite feel of her tight body mping down around my cock. I grab her hips, feeling her hot skin beneath my fingertips. Grace starts lifting herself up and down, riding me. She looks like an angel with her red waves tumbling around her shoulders. Her breasts move up and down as she rides my cock. She takes me all the way in and then lifts up until only the head of my cock is inside her. She does this again and again, working up a rhythm. Grace puts her hands t on my chest to support herself, and I frown as I feel how she''s burning up. ''Grace, you''re burning up,'' I tell her, concern in my voice. I reach up and feel her forehead, it is damp with sweat. Her panicked eyes meet mine. ''Axe,'' she gasps. ''I feel weird.'' Realization dawns on me. ''You''re going to shift.'' I grab her hips and lift her off of me. I jump to my feet and throw a t¡ªshirt at her. ''Put that on, we need to get you outside.'' Grace yanks the t¡ªshirt over her head, shoving her arms through the sleeves. I pull on a pair of shorts and the two of us rush downstairs. I unlock the backdoor and take Grace''s head. I practically drag her into the trees, just as she drops to her hands and knees on the ground. ''Axel,'' she whimpers. ''I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.'' I crouch down next to her. ''It''s okay, Grace. Don''t fight it. Take deep breaths.'' Her body shakes and, momentster, starts shifting. Her bones move under her skin. My nails dig into my palms as I clench my fists, trying to contain my anger at being so helpless. There''s nothing I can do but try and reassure her as she lets out a scream of pain. Her body changes before me, shifting into a small, auburn¡ªfurred wolf. She falls to the ground, her chest moving up and down as she pants. I reach out and stroke her fur, feeling how soft it is beneath my fingers. ''You''re okay, Grace,'' I reassure her soothingly. ''You did it.'' She blinks her blue eyes up at me and then sighs, the breathing out in a foggy pants. ''You did it, Strawberries,'' I tell her softly. ''That''s the hardest it will ever be. Every time will be easier now.'' I take my shorts off and shift into my wolf. I nudge my snout against hers, encouraging her to get up. Shakily, Grace gets to her paws. She stretches out and then wags her tail. I nod my head in the direction of the trees, indicating we should go for a run. Grace breaks into a trot, trying out her new legs. I follow closely behind, keeping my eyes on her for any sign of pain. Once I''m sure that she''s okay, we start running. I don''t know how long we''re out in the trees, ying and chasing one another. Grace adapts quickly, showing off her swiftness due to her small size. I barrel along behind her, much bigger but also slower. She''s a faster runner than me, and I''ll admit that needles me a bit. It''s amazing to see her adapt so well, so fast. I was so worried that she wouldn''t ept me or this life. That she would be scared of shifting forever, but she''s done it. The hardest part is over, and now we can start enjoying the rest of our lives together. I don''t have to worry about my mate being human anymore. She will heal faster; she''ll be faster and stronger. She''s more capable of defending herself and that is very reassuring. Eventually, we decide to return to the house. Grace remains in her wolf form because my t¡ªshirt ripped when she first shifted. I pull on my shorts and jog into the house to get her some clothes. I get her some underwear, a top and sweatpants from her bag and rush back downstairs. My parents are in the kitchen, making breakfast. I take the clothes to Grace first and exin to her how to shift back. After a few attempts, she turns back into her human form. She gets dressed and then I take her hand, leading her back into the house. I''m beaming with pride as we enter the kitchen. My mum rushes over to hug her. ''Congrattions, darling!'' She gushes. ''You''re one of us, now.'' My dad gives her a quick hug, too. ''Congrattions, Grace. Both of you.'' We have a celebratory breakfast. Grace texts Rory to let her know and my mum starts baking a cake. We invite our friends around in the afternoon, so that we can share the cake and celebrate together. This is a huge deal and, despite the permanent blush on Grace''s cheeks from so much attention, I know she''s really happy. Now that I''ve marked her, there is a strong connection between the two of us. I can feel her emotions as strong as my own. I feel closer to her than ever and I love it. As our friends arrive, we start to really celebrate. Dad pops open the champagne, and we drink and eat cake in the garden. Grace sits on myp, grinning from ear to ear. My mark is clear on her neck, making me burst with pride. I finally imed my mate, after 9 weeks! ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 56 Book 3 Chapter 56 Axel''s POV. ''How are things with you and Grace'' Rory makes conversation as we wait for Xaden and Grace to get to school. Luke, Nick and Fiy are with us, but they''re huddled around Nick''s phone, talking about some new game or something. I''m sat with my feet up,fy on one of the plushmon room chairs. Rory sits opposite me, iting her hair to keep herself upied. ''Really good,'' I reply to her. I''m unable to resist smiling at the mere mention of my mate. It''s only been one week since wepleted the mating process and Grace shifted, but we''ve been inseparable. Grace now feels the bond at full force, being one of our kind. The bond was dulled slightly when she was a human, but now, she feels everything that I do. It''s made keeping our hands off of each other difficult, and we''ve had more ''sleepovers'' than ever. ''You two are so loved up,'' shements. ''It makes me wish I''d find my mate.'' ''You will soon,'' I try to reassure her. She shrugs. ''The Moon Goddess knows what''s best for me, I trust her judgment. She''ll send him when it''s the right time.'' Grace suddenly enters themon room and my heart beats faster. I grin as I see her. She''s wearing her long red hair in two ponytails on either side of her head. Her pinafore dress makes her look adorable and she has on bright tights and a matching cardigan. Her face lights up as she spots me, and she heads over to us. She throws her backpack to the ground and plops herself onto myp. I no longer have to encourage her or pull her onto it, she just seats herself here now. Rory gets out her phone to give us some privacy, a wry smile ying on her lips. I wrap my arms around my mate''s perfect body. I bury my nose in her neck and inhale her scent. Her mark is just visible over the top of her long¡ªsleeved jumper. Humans can''t see it, only super¡ªnaturals can. I press a kiss to it, and she shivers. ''Not at school, Axe,'' she whispers, chastising me. I don''t care, I''ve just earned my first blush of the day. With my mate sat on myp, I can already feel myself getting hard. I don''t try and hide it from her, I flex my hips upwards and let her feel it against her cute butt. She gasps and ps my chest. ''What did I say We''re at school!'' She hisses in my ear, but I know she''s not really mad. ''Not my fault you''re looking so sexy this morning,'' I retort. She gives me a deadpan look. ''I''m in a pinafore dress, Axe. Don''t be pervy.'' I roll my eyes at her. ''You could wear anything, and I''ll always find you sexy, Strawberries.'' She blushes at that but remains tense on myp, no doubt feeling me pressing hard and heavy against her crotch. Thank Goddess her dress is covering everything. I rub my hand up and down her thigh and she leans back against my chest. ''We still on for tonight'' I ask her and Grace nods. ''Yep. Oh, but the Mum had to work, so she''s not taking the kids out for dinner. That means they''ll be home all night.'' N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. My heart sinks. Her siblings were meant to be out for dinner with her mum tonight, giving Grace and I some alone time. The smile drops from my face and my shoulders drop. Grace bursts outughing, making me narrow my eyes at her. ''I''m joking! They''re still going out. God, your disappointment at potentially not getting sex is hrious.'' I pout at her. ''That wasn''t very nice.'' She finally stopsughing, but still grins at me. ''Sorry, Axe, couldn''t resist.'' ''I''m sorry, but you know how much I crave you since I marked you,'' I tell her huskily, kissing her neck. She squirms away from me. I mp my hands down on her waist, keeping her butt over my crotch. I really don''t need her shing my hard¡ªon to the whole of the sixth form. ''I know,'' she says softly. ''I do, too, don''t worry.'' I lean forwards and kiss her. She kisses me back, although she keeps it purely PG. Xaden suddenlyes in, joining us. He drops his bag to the floor with a thud and slouches into one of the chairs. There''s a scowl on his face and he crosses his arms over his chest. Rory puts down her phone and leans forwards. ''Xaden What''s up'' He scoffs. ''Ie in five minutester than normal, and some bitch has parked her girly Fiat 500 in my spot!'' My lips twitch with amusement. He''s this bent out of shape over his parking spot for all reasons. ''You sure you''re just not grumpy because you''re not getting any'' Rory teases and Xaden bares his teeth at her. ''Don''t try me today, Aurora. It has been 8 weeks since I wasst balls¡ªdeep in some girl. I''m in desperate need of a good fuck, but I can satisfy myself with killing you instead.'' Rory bursts outughing. ''Your threat doesn''t scare me, blue balls,'' she snaps back. ''I''m just surprised you''ve kept it in your pants for two months.'' I nod along in agreement. I really didn''t think he wouldst that long. Xaden scowls again. ''It''s been fucking torture. My mate better appreciates this.'' His expression turns thoughtful, and he looks at me. ''Nudes don''t count, right'' ''What'' I respond confusedly. ''With this whole no¡ªsex, respect¡ªmy¡ªmate bollocks, nudes don''t count, do they'' Grace sighs heavily and Rory res at him. ''Yes, they do!'' Rory answers for me. ''Of course they do. Ew, who have you been sending dick pics to'' Xaden shrugs. ''I haven''t sent any, I''ve just received some, that''s all. That''s not my fault, either. I didn''t ask for them! Besides, it would be rude not to look if a girl''s gone to the effort of taking and sending it.'' We all look at him with disbelief. He is unbelievable. ''Dude,'' Luke cuts in. ''How would you feel if your mate was getting dick pics of other guys right now'' Xaden considers it for a moment and his face goes from irritated to furious. His expression is thunderous. He growls under his breath and then curses. ''Fuck. Point taken. No nudes.'' ''Hey, have you guys heard that we have a new student arriving Her parents have just moved from the West Hills, West Mountain, I don''t know, West¡ªsomething pack,'' Fiy says. This causes intrigue in our group. It''s rare that shifters move packs. They''re usually like your family, where your roots and loyalties lie. For you to move, there must be a good reason. Sometimes, it''s to do with job opportunities, but most of the time, it''s because there''s a problem with the Alpha or another shifter in the pack. I''ll admit, I''m curious. As if on cue, the double doors open and a girl that none of us recognize strolls in. The confidence rolls off her in waves, but it isn''t arrogance. She is sure of herself but doesn''t look like a bitch. Her skin is the color of dark chocte, her eyes even darker. They assess the crowd, her face expressionless. Everyone is looking at her and she doesn''t appear the least bit bothered. Her hair is in box braids down to her waist and she''s wearing a very tight dress that shows off her curves. I look away and back at Grace, before my mate gets the wrong idea. I tighten my arm around Grace''s waist and squeeze it, silently reassuring her. She leans into my touch and kisses my temple. Before the girl can do anything else, the bells ring. Everyone disperses, heading to their first sses. Thankfully, I''ve calmed down and don''t embarrass myself when Grace gets off myp. Fiy walks with us to our lesson. ''Apparently, her name is Noelle.'' ????????????? Part Three Book 3 Chapter 57 Book 3 Chapter 57 Noelle''s POV. I grip the shoulder strap of my handbag tightly as I stand at the school gates. Mum has driven off and I''m on my own. I''m surprised she even managed to have to drop me off at school. Both of my parents have full¡ªtime jobs and I only see them early in the morning andte at night. There''s a mixture of shifters and humans walking into the buildings. We got permission from the Alpha for us to move to their pack, but my parents asked him to hold off on introducing us to the other members until I''ve settled in a bit. I''m grateful for it. As confident as I normally am, I''ve been taken out of myfort zone and it''s going to take me a while to getfortable again. I straighten my spine and steel myself. I can do this. I rap some Cardi B in my head and march into school with the rest of the students. I find the reception using the signs and collect my timetable. It looks bearable. Thank Goddess I''ve got photography every day, it''s my lifeline. I go up to the sixth formmon room and my stomach twists the second I enter. Everyone''s eyes are on me, they don''t even try and be subtle about it. They all stare, and I feel like running out of the room and hiding. But I refuse to. I meet their stares with a hard look of my own. Fuck them, I don''t care what they think. The bell rings, saving me. I let out a sigh of relief and try to find my way to my form room. In registration, I''m forced to stand up and introduce myself. It''s horrible, but if I can get through that, then I can get through the rest of the day. I have a free period first thing and I''ve been assigned some human to show me around. She doesn''t seem pleased that she''s been given the task, but she isn''t rude. I forget her name as soon as she tells me it and I nod absentmindedly as she shows me around the buildings. All I care about is where the art department is. I''m taking photography, art and graphics. We get outside and she points out the different areas. It''s November now and it''s getting colder. I pull my scarf up to my chin. My eyes are drawn to the school field, where some students are ying rugby. They''re definitely sixth formers and I recognize some from my form room, so they''re my year. The girl and I stop for a few minutes and watch them. She doesn''tin, no doubt wanting to ogle guys in shorts tackling each other. It''s sexy and muddy and I like it. One of the yers in particr catches my eye. His powerful thighs are on disy in the shorts he''s wearing, despite the fact it''s November and flipping cold. His biceps are impressive, shown off by his tight P.E t¡ªshirt. He''s strong but fast, he dodges tackles easily and barges other yers out of the way. He''s impressive to say the least. It''s just a shame I can''t see his face properly. He''s wearing one of those rugby caps that protect your ears. Not sexy in the slightest, but somehow, he''s making it work. ''Who''s that'' I ask her, pointing to the guy. The human girl looks in the direction I''m pointing and grimaces. ''Ugh, that is Xaden Moretti,'' she says with disdain. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise at her reaction. Perhaps he''s an ex ''I''m guessing you don''t like him much,'' Iment dryly. She scowls and crosses her arms over her chest defensively. ''He''s the school''s yer, which, I know, sounds totally clich¨¦, but he actually is. Think of every stereotype of a man¡ªwhore and he will tick every fucking box,'' she snaps bitterly. ''Pro athlete Check. Seen with a different girl every week Check. Gets with multiple girls at a party Check. Flirts with the teachers to get out of detentions'' She mimes ticking a box with her finger, making me snort withughter. ''Wow, you really don''t like him,'' I reply. ''I take it you''ve been one of the girls'' The human girl groans and waves me off. ''Don''t remind me. Huge mistake two years ago at a party.'' She sighs heavily. ''He only sleeps with each girl once, hence why he''s had to move on to girls at other schools, he''s fucked his way through our one.'' ''Charming,'' I respond sarcastically. ''I''ll be sure to keep my distance.'' ''Unless you want to be treated like a sexual object and get an STI for Christmas, yeah, you should stay away.'' Lovely. We decide to move on. I look over at the yer onest time, surprised to find his eyes on me. He''s probably looking at me as fresh meat. Not a chance in hell, sweet¡ªcheeks. The human girl finishes her tour and takes me back to themon room in time for the second period. I''m happy now, I''ve got photography. ????????????? There weren''t many people in my photography ss, I honestly thought there would be more. I tried to make conversation, but a lot of them were absorbed in their work. So much for making friends. It''s break time and I make my way outside. It''s chilly, but the sun is shining. It''s lower in the sky so seems brighter, blinding you the way that winter sun does sometimes. I find an area of a low wall with no one sitting on it, around the back of the buildings. I perch myself on it and get out my phone to check my messages. There''s only one; from my friend back at my old pack. She wishes me luck on my first day, I quickly type out a reply and send it. ''Hey! New girl!'' Ugh. That''s me, isn''t it This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I look up and scan the surroundings, trying to see who is calling on me. I spot a brte, sat with some other students on benches. ''Come sit with us'' She shouts, gesturing me over. Reluctantly, I grab my handbag and approach them. The brte actually has pieces of hair dyed purple and she has hair tied up in two space buns. She pats the space next to her and I sit down. She turns to me with a grin, and I smile awkwardly back. ''So, you''re the new girl. I''m Aurora, but everyone calls me Rory.'' ''I''m Noelle,'' I tell her. ''This is Luke, Nick and Fiy,'' Rory says as she points to three guys who are lying on the grass in front of the benches. They lift their heads and wave at me. ''And the loved¡ªup couple on that bench is Grace and Axel.'' I look over at the redhead sitting on the brown¡ªhaired guy''sp. ''Grace was human until a week ago.'' I''ve never met someone who was human and changed before. I eye the redhead with curiosity, and she blushes. Realizing that I''m being rude, I look away. ''I think you''re taking photography, aren''t you'' Rory asks. ''Yeah, I am.'' ''I''m taking it, too. I wasn''t in the ss this morning cause I had this stupid careers meeting, but at least now you''ll know someone in that ss,'' she says chirpily. I like this girl. ''What else are you taking'' ''Art and Graphics,'' I tell her. ''Awesome! Me too!'' She exims happily. ''This is great! None of this lot is artistically inclined, so it''ll be good to have someone on my side for once.'' Iugh lightly, unsure what to say. I''m not usually this shy but having all six of them look at me is pretty intense. ''Have you joined our pack Alpha Damien is really nice,'' Rory makes conversation and I turn my attention back to her. ''Yes, we have,'' I reply. ''He''s not introducing us until I''ve settled in some more.'' ''Of course! It can be really intimidating joining a new school, let alone a new pack. Good thing you''ve got us now,'' she reassures me. I''m so relieved at how nice she is being. Finally, I''m making friends. ''Join us for lunch as well'' Grace suggests. ''Then we can get to know you better.'' ''I''d love that,'' I reply shyly. ''Where''s Xaden'' Axel asks. Xaden, the yer man¡ªwhore. ''I think he''sing, he had to get his drink or something,'' Luke, I think, says. ''I''m here!'' A male voice calls out and goose¡ªbumps instantly form on my arms. I look over to see Xaden jogging over to us. He''s showered and changed since the rugby match. Now that he''s not wearing the rugby cap, I can see his face clearly. He has ck hair, tanned skin and the most handsome face I have ever seen. My breath catches in my throat and my palms turn sweaty. No. This cannot be happening. How is the school man¡ªslut my mate ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 58 Book 3 Chapter 58 Xaden''s POV. ''Have you seen the new girl She''s fucking hot.'' I grit my teeth as one of the idiot humans talks about that new girl in the locker room. I pull my clean clothes on, trying to block out their conversation. Yeah, they''re right. She is fucking hot. But I don''t like them talking about her like that. I''m trying to be the new Xaden, the Xaden that doesn''t talk about girls as if they''re pieces of meat. It''s not respectful, Rory tells me. And now, hearing it for myself, I can understand why it wouldn''t be considered respectful. I''d be pissed off if I was a girl and heard guys talking about me like that. I don''t see the new girl again until the break. I go over to everyone, they''re in our usual spot, behind the building. My heart starts beating faster as the new girl looks up and locks eyes with me. She''s stunning. Her braids reach her waist, her dark chocte skin practically glows in the sunlight and her hazel eyes are huge and round. My eyes drop to her lips, and it feels like my heart stops beating for a moment. They''re so fucking plump and full, they''re the stuff of dreams. Holy fucking shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. She''s my mate! Nerves fill me as I approach the group. Fuck, what do I say to her Maybe I should start by asking her name I don''t even know it yet. Yeah, that''s what I do. I''ll walk up and introduce myself. I take a deep breath and direct myself towards the bench with Rory and my mate on it. ''I''ll uh, catch up with youter, Rory,'' my mate says quickly. She doesn''t meet my eyes as she hurries off, leaving me filled with disappointment. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ''Why did she leave'' I ask Rory, staring despondently after my mate''s retreating figure. ''I don''t know, that was weird. It must have been your personality, repelling women everywhere,'' she teases. I don''t say anything, I just watch her go. Rory tugs on my wrist. ''Hey, Xaden, I was just joking. I''m sorry¡ª'' ''She''s my mate,'' I tell her, and her mouth drops open. ''Shut. Up.'' She gasps. ''Are you serious'' I nod and sit down on the bench next to her, where my mate was sitting. ''Oh my Goddess! This is incredible!'' Rory squeals. ''Guys, Noelle is Xaden''s mate!'' Noelle. That''s her name. I love it. I repeat it over and over in my head as everyone ps me on the back and congrattes me. ''I can''t believe that we''ve been telling you that this day woulde, and now, it''s actually here,'' Axel says, shaking his head with disbelief. ''What am I going to do'' I ask them all. They stare back at me like I''ve just asked the most stupid question in the world. ''Uh, I don''t know, Xaden, get to know her maybe'' Rory replies sarcastically. ''Ask her out Compliment her'' ''Yes, I know that,'' I snap. ''I mean, what am I going to do when she finds out about my less¡ªthan¡ª perfect past'' Rory looks contemtive for a moment and then realization dawns on her face. ''What if she''s already found out Might exin her speedy exit when you arrived.'' Dread settles in my stomach and I lean forwards. I rest my elbows on my knees and put my head in my hands. Fuck. I really hope she doesn''t know. How could she know ''How would she know, though She doesn''t know anyone here, does she'' I look up and Rory shrugs. ''Not sure.'' The bell rings, signifying the end of break and the countdown before I see my mate again. She''s having lunch with us, Rory tells me. I only have one hour to go and then I can see her. I''ll be charming,plimentary, smooth¡­anything to win her over. I don''t know how she would have heard anything about me, but I''m not risking it. The next hour drags, all I can think about is my mate. I''m not even sure I''ll be able to eat lunch, I feel sick to my stomach. I''ve never felt nervous around a girl before, ever. It''s not something I struggle with, speaking to girls. Everyone has their strengths, mine is women. I know what they want and what they like, but my mate Whole different story. I have this horrible feeling that my usual moves won''t work on her. The way she ran away earlier and wouldn''t even look at me¡­it doesn''t exactly make me feel good about this. She must have sensed that we''re mates. She''s a shifter, she would have known the moment we made eye contact, like I did. Axel and I get our lunch and sit down at our table. My mate isn''t here yet. I bounce my leg nervously under the table and drum my fingers on the surface. ''Will you rx She''ll be with Rory,'' Axel says. Gracees in and joins us. Luke, Fiy and Nicke, too. I get them to leave the chair next to me and the one next to that, empty for Rory and my mate. Noelle. I love saying her name. I mouth it with my lips, just as she and Rory walk into the canteen. I watch them as they get their lunches. My heart starts beating faster when they walk over to us. My mate hurries forwards and takes the chair next to Luke, furthest away from me. ''Are you sure you wouldn''t rather sit here'' Rory asks her, gesturing to the seat next to me. My mate shakes her head and keeps her eyes on her food. Rory reluctantly sits down next to me, sending me an apologetic smile. I start picking at my food, not hungry, but not knowing what else to do. My mate doesn''t want to be near me, and I don''t know if it''s because she''s shy or what. I don''t even know if she knows we''re mates or not. I know nothing about her. ''So, Noelle, do you have a car, or do you walk to school'' Rory asks, making conversation. I subtly listen in. ''Um, I can drive but I don''t have a car.'' Her voice is so perfect. I feel happier just hearing it. I could listen to her all day. ''Mum insisted on dropping me off this morning cause it was my first day, but I''ll walk from now on. I think it''s only like fifteen minutes.'' ''Oh, that''s alright,'' Rory replies. ''Is it just you and your mum'' ''No, my dad, too and my annoying little brother.'' Rory snorts. ''I feel you; I could kill mine sometimes. How old is he'' ''Sixteen. He''s at this school actually, um¡­that''s him over there,'' she says, pointing him out. I look where she''s pointing and spot a boy who looks simr to her, they have the same facial structure and identical chocte skin. I realize that he''s sat at the same table as my sister, Tahlia and her mate. My sister is sat on her mate''sp. Gross. They met just over two months ago, and I haven''t heard the end of it. Hees round all of the time, and they stay up in her room. I don''t know why my parents allow it, but I guess being mates is like a free pass on rules. My sister and her mate start making out in some kind of frenzy. Do they not realize they''re in the middle of the fucking cafeteria I stand up and Rory quickly grabs my wrist and pulls me back down. ''Leave her be,'' she says. ''Don''t make a scene in front of everyone, talk to her about itter.'' I grit my teeth and look over at the table, where her mate has his hands all over my little sister. He''s stroking her back and whispering shit in her ear. I don''t like it. ''Look at Noelle,'' Rory whispers in my ear. ''Calm down.'' I do as she suggests and look over at my mate, who is currently talking to Luke. She eats her carrot sticks, crunching adorably. She giggles at something he says, and jealousy fills me. Her whole face lights up and her smile reveals her perfect white teeth. Everything about her is perfect, but I want to be the one to make herugh. I try to join the conversation, but it''s difficult with Rory between us. Eventually, I give up and fall back in my chair with a sigh. Axel pats my shoulder sympathetically. She obviously doesn''t want to be around me, so I''m going to have to do something to change that. When she starts to walk home today, I''ll offer her a lift. That will give us a chance to talk. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 59 Book 3 Chapter 59 Xaden''s POV. I don''t get any chances to see Noelle again until the end of the day. We''re talkingpletely different subjects. Suddenly, I wish I was good at art. I''m so jealous of Rory, she gets to spend every lesson with my mate because they''re taking the exact same A¡ªLevels. Not fair. I get in my car and pull up on the road outside of school. I wait for my mate toe out and then start the engine. When she gets out of school, she turns left and starts walking down the street. I follow her and pull up next to the pavement in front of her. I roll down the window and lean out. Noelle looks up from her phone and her eyes widen in surprise. ''Noelle! Do you want a lift'' I ask her hopefully. Her lips press into a line, and she shakes her head. ''No, thanks.'' I frown at her blunt reply. ''Come on, I don''t mind.'' She narrows her eyes at me. ''I''m good.'' She keeps walking and I have to drive forwards to keep up with her. I knock the car into first gear and slowly cruise next to her. ''Come on, please let me give you a lift I want to get to know you.'' She snorts and I wonder what I said that''s so funny. ''Stop trying to get into my pants, Xaden,'' she snaps irritably. ''I know I''m new here, but I''m not stupid.'' What. The. Fuck. I gawp at her, my mouth ck and open. She honestly thinks that''s what I''m after I mean, sure, I would love to get her into bed. But, contrary to what she thinks, that''s not my only goal. Plus, if I got her into it, she''d never be leaving. She''d be thest one to ever get into it. ''Do you think that''s what I want from you Noelle, I want to get to know you, not sleep with you.'' She stops walking and turns to face me. She gives me a cold, deadpan expression and crosses her arms over her chest. ''Really You don''t want to sleep with me'' Shit. I can''t lie to my mate. It''s almost impossible. ''Well¡­'' I reply sheepishly. ''Obviously I want to sleep with you, but that''s not all I want.'' I wince at how bad the wordse out. Shit, that didn''t sound good. She scowls and starts walking again. ''Sure, it isn''t,'' she says sarcastically. ''Just leave me alone, Xaden.'' I love hearing my name from her lips. I pull over and cut the engine. I jump out of the car and jog to catch up with her. Noelle scoffs and stops walking. ''Will you stop stalking me I just told you to leave me alone!'' She says, her tone exasperated. ''That''s not going to happen, sugar,'' I reply. She scrunches up her nose. ''Sugar'' ''Yeah, cause you''re sweet as sugar.'' Noelle looks at me like she can''t believe that I''m being serious. ''You are unbelievable,'' she says with a groan. She turns on her heel and starts to walk away again. I reach out and catch her hand, pulling her back to me. It''s the first time we''ve touched, and sparks ignite on my skin where we touch. Noelle gasps and looks down at our joined hands. ''Did you realize'' I ask her softly. ''Do you know that we''re mates'' She slowly looks up and meets my eyes. Her hazel ones blink up at me, surrounded by the longest ''Yes, I knew,'' she murmurs. She tugs her hand free of my grip and I feel lost without her touch. ''But it doesn''t mean anything.'' She walks away again, leaving me staring after her, dumbfounded. I run to catch up to her and then jump in front of her, making her stop suddenly. She res at me for blocking her way. I put my hands on her shoulders, gently but firmly, stopping her from going anywhere. ''What do you mean it doesn''t matter'' I demand. ''We''re soul mates. That''s not something you just brush off.'' Her eyes narrow further and she pushes my hands off her shoulders. ''Tell me something, Xaden, and I know that you can''t lie to me because we''re mates. So, tell me the truth¡­'' My stomach twists and I feel instantly sick. I''m not going to like this question, I know it. ''How many girls have you slept with'' She asks angrily. My heart sinks and my shoulders drop. Someone told her. She knows. ''Look, it''s really not like it seems¡ª'' I start to defend myself, but she cuts me off. ''How many'' She punctuates her question. I swallow the lump in my throat and shrug. ''I don''t know, I haven''t kept count.'' She closes her eyes and inhales deeply through her nose. ''There must be quite a few for you to lose count. More than thirty More than fifty'' She says quietly. She looks up and meets my eyes. My heart breaks as I see hers shining with unshed tears. ''More than a hundred'' I let out a shaky breath. ''I don''t know, Noelle,'' I whisper. She shakes her head and blinks the tears away. ''Do something for me, Xaden,'' she replies, her voice thick with emotion. ''Stay the hell away from me.'' She storms past me and this time, I don''t try and stop her. I let her walk away and I think she must take my heart with her, cause my chest feels tight and empty as she goes. ????????????? I take my time driving home. I''m lost in my thoughts and caught in a period of self¡ªloathing. I resent the old me so much. The one who fucked up, constantly. I made so many mistakes. I don''t me Noelle for wanting to stay far away from me. Why did I do it Why did I sleep with girls who aren''t my mate I know why. It was fun. It felt good. It made me feel wanted. It made me feel less empty. But it was only a temporary fix and now, I feel even worse than I did before I started. When I get in, all of my siblings are already in the kitchen with my parents. My parents; Rixon and Lexi Moretti. To be fair, they hardly had it easy when they met. My grandparents really hated my dad and didn''t want him to be with my mum. My sister Tahlia is gushing about her mate to Mum whilst Dad helps Talen and Malika with their homework. I say a quick ''Hi'' and then go upstairs to my room. Iy down on my bed and stare at the ceiling, trying to think of what I''m going to say to her tomorrow. It''s obvious that we need to talk. I need to exin myself, try and get her to see how sorry I am for the mistakes that I''ve made. Also, I need to know if she''s considering rejecting me. I wouldn''t me her, but I really hope she doesn''t. It''ll kill me. ????????????? In the morning, I get in early and wait anxiously for Noelle in themon room. As soon as shees in, I stride right up to her. She''s surprised to see me when I stop in front of her and then she grimaces and tries to side¡ªstep me. I keep blocking her attempts to leave. ''You''re not getting away from me, sugar,'' I tell her smoothly. ''We need to talk.'' I grab her hand and pull her out of themon room. She scoffs and tries to pull her hand free of my grip, but I hold on tightly. I take her down to the silent study, which is empty this early in the morning. The door closes behind us and she spins around to face me. She crosses her arms over her full chest, pops her hip and res at me. ''What'' ''Are you going to reject me'' I ask her outright. Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise and her full lips part slightly. She closes her mouth and I watch her swallow. It feels like time drags on forever, waiting for her to reply. Eventually, she clenches her jaw but shakes her head. ''No.'' I let out the breath I didn''t know I''d been holding. I sink into one of the nearby chairs, sighing with relief. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ''Thank Goddess,'' I murmur. Noelle watches me with interest. ''You would be upset if I rejected you'' She asks. I frown in confusion. ''Obviously! You''re my mate, Noelle. I want to be with you.'' Her hazel eyes narrow at me. ''Yet you slept with other girls'' Shit. ''The keyword being ''slept'' in that sentence. Past tense. Used to. Not anymore,'' I tell her firmly. She remains silent, watching me curiously. I take a cautious step towards her. She doesn''t back away, just watches me. I take another and another, until I''m right in front of her. I slowly reach out and run my thumb over her cheekbone. She inhales sharply at the contact and happiness fills me. ''I''ve made a lot of mistakes, Noelle,'' I tell her huskily. ''I''ve fucked up. But I''m trying to do better. Please, give me a chance.'' Please. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 60 Book 3 Chapter 60 Xaden''s POV. She looks up and meets my eyes. I feel like my heart is on my sleeve right now, I''m giving her everything. Noelle considers my plea and I wait impatiently for her reply. Finally, she opens her mouth to respond. The fucking bell rings. She quickly shuts it and shakes her head. She takes a step back. ''I need to get to form,'' she mumbles and rushes out of the room. ''Noelle! Wait!'' I shout after her, but she disappears into the crowd, leaving me bereft and alone. What the fuck do I do ????????????? At break time, I find Rory before we go outside and meet everyone. ''Look, I really need you to talk to her,'' I beg her urgently. ''She won''t listen to me, and I don''t think she believes a word I say.'' Rory gives me a sympathetic look and pats my shoulder. ''Fine, I''ll have a word.'' ''You''re the best, thank you.'' Everyone is already sitting on the benches when we go over. My mate is sat talking with Grace, who is on Axel''sp. She looks up as we approach, and Rory quickly takes a seat next to her. It kills me to stay away from her, but I know she needs some space right now. I sit down with the boys on the grass, trying to reassure myself that at least she is near me. We hang out for the next twenty minutes, until the bell goes. When the rest of us go inside, Rory hangs back with Noelle. Hopefully, even if she won''t listen to me, she''ll listen to Rory. ????????????? Noelle''s POV. ''What did you want to talk about'' I ask Rory as we walk to our art ss. ''I know that you and Xaden are mates,'' she says, and I grimace. ''He told us because he was so excited. There''s a lot you need to know about Xaden.'' I scrunch up my nose at her statement. ''I already know all that I need to, he''s an asshole who sleeps with women for sport.'' Rory grabs my hand and pulls me down an empty corridor. ''What about ss'' I protest and she shrugs. ''This is more important. Anyway, listen to me. There''s no denying that Xaden has seriously fucked up in his past. He''s made mistakes. But what you need to know, is that he''s changed.'' I snort in disbelief and Rory narrows her eyes at me. I wait for her to continue. ''A few months ago, Axel and I spoke to him. He never believed that he had a mate. He didn''t think that the Moon Goddess deemed him worthy of one.'' That''s so sad. ''Why did he think that'' ''Because he''d made so many mistakes. He thought he didn''t deserve you, still thinks that, probably. Anyway, we managed to convince him that you were out there, and that he could make up for his past by being better in the future. He hasn''t slept with anyone since that day.'' I raise one eyebrow dubiously. ''Really'' ''Why don''t you ask him He can''t lie to you. He''s been good for thest few weeks; he wants to prove himself to you.'' ''And what about his past Am I just supposed to magically forget about that'' I demand. Rory looks sympathetic. ''No, you''re not. You need to talk to him about it, see his side and understand why he did it, but also let him know how upset you are that he did.'' I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and chew on it as I think it over. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ''Okay, I''ll talk to him.'' ????????????? At lunchtime, I eat my food and then lean over to Xaden. ''Can we go outside and talk'' I ask him nervously. His eyes light up with excitement and I''ll confess, it is quite cute. ''Of course,'' he replies with a grin. We leave everyone in the cafeteria, but I can feel their eyes on us as we walk away. It''s cold outside, but not freezing. ''How about over there'' Xaden suggests, pointing at an empty bench in the corner near the wall. I nod and follow him. We take a seat on the bench and face each other. I twist my fingers nervously, trying to find the right words. ''I spoke with Rory,'' I start. Xaden looks at me hopefully, patiently waiting for me to carry on. ''She told me that you''ve changed, apparently you haven''t slept with anyone in a while,'' I tell him, letting the doubt creep into my voice. Xaden nods enthusiastically. ''I haven''t! I stopped weeks ago. Eight, actually.'' He''s seriously proud of himself because he hasn''t slept with anyone in 8 weeks ''It''s been a year and a half for me,'' I reply and Xaden''s eyes widen. ''You''re not a virgin'' I scoff at him. ''No, I''m not. But then, I didn''t sleep with half of my school, either.'' Xaden looks down guiltily. ''It''s not half the school,'' he mumbles. ''Look, you say that you want to be with me and that you won''t sleep around¡ª'' ''I do! And I swear to you, I won''t even look at another girl. They don''t interest me, Noelle. It''s only you.'' His voice is emphatic, pleading with me to believe him. ''But I need you to prove it,'' I exin. ''For me to trust you, I need you to prove that you''re not like that anymore. It''s going to take some time for me to trust you.'' His eyes soften. ''I understand that. And don''t worry, I will prove it to you.'' I nod awkwardly, wondering what to say now. ''To start proving it to you, I want to take you on a date. I want you to get to know me, the real me. I''ve never taken a girl on a proper date before; it''ll be my first real one.'' Okay, so I kind of like that I''ll be the first in that sense. ''Okay. When'' He grins, obviously happy that I''ve agreed. ''How about this Friday'' I think about it and then nod my head. ''Yes, okay.'' ''Great,'' he replies with a grin. ''And, until then, I''d like to sit with you at lunch, if you''re okay with that'' Seeing him this happy is making me happy. I might not like his choices or his past, but he is still my mate and I like seeing him smile. ''Sure.'' With Xaden in higher spirits, we go back into the cafeteria and join everyone else. I don''t really concentrate on my next lesson, I think of Xaden and what I''m going to do. Ever since I turned sixteen almost two years ago, I''ve wondered who my mate would be. What would he look like Would we click instantly Would we have loads inmon I never expected him to have slept with a lot of people. It''s not often that shifters do sleep around. I''ve only slept with one person, and I know I''m going to have to tell Xaden about that properly at some point. I''m already dreading that conversation. ????????????? Xaden''s POV. I have a smile on my face for the rest of the day. I didn''t tell my parents that I''d met my mate yesterday. I didn''t want to have to tell them that she currently hates me for my past. There''s no way that they won''t ask about the grin on my face when I get home, so I brace myself for their reaction. ''What''s got you so happy'' My mum asks the second I get through the door and enter the kitchen. ''I met my mate,'' I tell her proudly. She squeals and throws her arms around me. She pulls me into a bone¡ªcrushing hug,pletely winding me. ''Rixon!'' She cries in my ear, making me wince. ''Our son found his mate!'' My dades into the kitchen, surprise on his face. ''Congrattions, son,'' he says warmly and ps me on the back. ''So, what''s she like'' Mum asks eagerly. ''What''s her name Do you have a picture When can we meet her'' I lose the next half hour of my life to my mum, telling her all about my mate. I go quiet towards the end, when she asks if she''sing round. ''She''s upset with me, someone told her about my not¡ªso¡ªgreat track record.'' My mum''s eyes soften, and she tousles my hair, making me scowl. ''Aw, darling, it''ll be okay. We''ve all made mistakes. The only thing you can do now is to show her the real you, the changed you.'' ''Yeah,'' I reply sullenly. ''That''s the n.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 61 Book 3 Chapter 61 Xaden''s POV. For the next few days, Noelle lets me sit next to her at lunch. Little by little, she starts to warm up to me. She even agrees to let me drop her home every day after school. She won''t let me pick her up, but I enjoy our ten minutes together alone at the end of the day. I want to spend as much time with her as possible. It isn''t only because she''s my mate, I also want to prove to her that I will be loyal. When I''m spending time with her, she knows that I''m behaving. The more time I spend with her, the more she can trust me. As usual, we go to the diner on Friday. Our booth is ready and waiting for us. Noelle scans over the menu and I point out the best dishes that I''ve had. We order and the conversation flows. Noelle rxes around my friends. It helps that Grace is rtively new to our group and she takes Noelle under her wing a bit, making her feel wee. I make a joke and my mate actuallyughs along with my friends. I''m bursting with pride for the rest of the meal. I made my mateugh. I never thought I''d see the day where I''m acting whipped over a girl. It''s always the other way round. I never usually care if I make a girlugh or not. It''s so different with Noelle, all I care about is seeing her happy. When we return back to school, I ask Noelle for her number so that I can text herter with the details of our date. It was too short notice to get into Olivier''s, so I booked it for next week in the hopes that she''ll agree to go on another date with me. Instead, I managed to get us in at this bistro that''s been in the town for like a hundred years. Generations of the same family have been running it and it''s really well. I drop Noelle off at her house and let her know that I will be back at six to pick her up. It''s torture going home and waiting for time to pass until I can go and see her again. I choose an outfit for my date and take a shower. I try and style my hair with some y stuff, which I never normally do. I''m making an effort for her, and I want her to see that. My phone buzzes and I get excited, hoping it''s Noelle. My heart sinks as I see that it''s from Shona, a girl I slept with a few months ago. I shudder just thinking about it. I open the text to be able to ess her contact. My eyes widen as I see the picture of her tits, pushed up to her chin by a silk bra. Fucking hell. What was I thinking I quickly go on to her contacts and select to block her number. Then, I go to my contacts page and spend the next ten minutes deleting every girls'' number on my phone except family, Noelle''s, Grace''s and Rory''s. Unable to resist, I text my mate when I''m done. I''ll be there in fifteen minutes. Can''t wait to see you. I''ll confess, I''m disappointed when she doesn''t reply. I drive over to her house five minutes early and park on the road outside. I give myself a mental pep¡ª talk. I''ve got this, just be charming and smooth. You can flirt, Moretti, it''s fine. I hear the door open, and I look up. My mate ising out of her house wearing a tight dress with a slit up the thigh. Forget what I said about it being fine. It''s not fine. SHE is fine. Am I sweating I feel like I''m sweating¡­ Fumbling with the car door, I eventually get it open and practically fall onto the pavement. ''Noelle¡­holy¡­you look so amazing,'' I blurt as shees over. She blushes and smiles. ''Thanks.'' I get the car door for her and help her in. Then Ie round and get in, starting the engine. ''I''m sorry that I didn''t reply to your text,'' she says. ''I was having a bit of a panic about what to wear.'' That makes me feel better. ''That''s okay. You look stunning, you made a good choice.'' She ducks her head to hide her blush. ''So, what''s the food like at this ce'' I tell her all about the long history of the bistro and their specialty dishes. When I park up, I race around the car to open the door for her and help her out. Hoping it''s not too forward, I ce my hand on her lower back and guide her towards the bistro. Soft music is ying when we walk in,plemented by the quiet chatter of the patrons. It''s a sweet restaurant, with candles and a single rose on each table. I state my name and we''re shown to our table. The waiter hands us two menus and we start browsing. ''Wow, it all looks good,'' Noellements. ''But I''m kind of craving beef.'' ''I hope you''re talking about the food not the drama,'' I reply dryly, and she gives me a look over the menu. ''That was a bad joke.'' ''It made you smile though,'' I retort, and she can''t argue with that. ''Are you ready to order'' A feminine voice breaks through our choosing. I look up and practically choke on air. Shona is stood in front of our table, holding a pad and pen in her hand. Her eyes narrow as she recognizes me. ''Oh, hey, Xaden,'' she says with a grin. ''Did you get my¡­um¡­text, earlier'' I nce at Noelle in a panic. She is ring at Shona, but quickly directs that energy to me. I swallow hard and look back at Shona. ''Uh, no, I didn''t. I blocked your number,'' I tell her bluntly. Shona looks shocked and blinks a couple of times. ''Why I thought we had fun together¡­'' Okay, I feel bad for being a dick to Shona, but she can clearly see that I''m on a date with Noelle. She''s human, so she doesn''t know about mates, but still, it''s obviously disrespectful to mention the nude she sent whilst I''m on a date. ''That was a long time ago, Shona. Anyway, I''m on a date,'' I respond firmly, gesturing at Noelle, who lookspletely unimpressed. Shona looks Noelle up and down and then turns back to me. ''What is she Your girlfriend'' Noelle remains silent, but I can feel her eyes burning holes into the side of my face. ''Not yet, but I want her to be, and I''d prefer you not refer to Noelle as she, her name is Noelle. Could I politely request another waiter, please'' I am praying for this dreaded moment to end. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I hope Noelle isn''t too mad. I handled that the right way Right Shona scoffs. ''Of course, enjoy your night,'' she says in a bitter way that tells me she doesn''t mean that one bit. As soon as she''s gone, I nce at Noelle. ''I am so sorry about her. It was a one¡ªtime thing, months ago.'' Noelle stares at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. ''What did she text you'' I swallow the lump in throat. Fuck, my hands are sweating. ''A picture. I blocked her as soon as ites through,'' I reply hurriedly. I pull my phone from my pocket, unlock it and open the contacts app. ''Look, you can see that I''ve blocked every girl on my phone.'' I scroll through the contacts as Noelle watches, unimpressed. ''I blocked them all, it''s only you that I want, I swear it.'' She''s silent for another minute. The longest minute of my life. Then, she sighs. ''I''m going to order the steak with tarragon. Is that a good choice, do you think'' I let out a sigh of relief. Disaster avoided. The rest of the evening goes without a hup. We have a great meal, and, with a different waiter, Noelle rxes around me. We talk and get to find out about each other. I still don''t ask why she moved packs. The opportunity for her to boratees up several times, but she never takes them, making me think that it was for a personal reason. She obviously doesn''t feel ready to share that reason with me yet, and I''m not going to push her. She''ll tell me when she''s ready. I insist on paying for dinner. I drive her home and walk her to her front door with my hands in my pockets. I want nothing more than to lean in and kiss her, but I restrain myself. She doesn''t want me yet. ''I had an amazing evening. Can we do it again, next week'' Noelle nods shyly. ''So did I. I''d like that.'' ''Great,'' I respond, grinning at her. ''Goodnight, Noelle.'' I give her an awkward wave and then start towards the path. ''Night, Xaden,'' she replies quietly. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 62 Book 3 Chapter 62 Xaden''s POV. On Saturday, I text Noelle and ask her if she wants to go on a run with me. Thankfully, she agrees. Axel isn''t too pleased about me bailing on him, but I''m sure that he''s more than happy to spend the extra time with Grace. We meet in the woods near my house. I change behind a tree far away from her, wanting her to feel as When Ie out, I''m in my wolf form. Noelle is a pale grey wolf, with fur that ripples in the breeze. I can''t resist trotting over to her. She doesn''t make any move to step back, so I keep approaching her. Once I reach her, I bump my snout with hers. She snorts air out of her nostrils, which I can''t tell if it is a good or bad thing. I move down her body and rub myself against her. I give her my scent, but also get hers on me. Even if she won''t let me mark her yet, we can still scent each other. She lets me rub against her for a bit, and then she nips yfully at my ear. She flicks her tail in my face and starts to y. We yip back and forth a few times, and then Noelle bolts off into the trees, starting a chase. Excited at the prospect of chasing her, I take off after her. We fly through the trees, leaping over fallen logs and dodging low¡ªhanging branches. I catch up with Noelle and gently nip her rump with my teeth. She yelps yfully and suddenly changes direction, making me lose my footing. I almost fall to the ground. Almost. After chasing each other for almost an hour, we finally stop to catch our breath back. Wey down on the cold ground, panting heavily. Once we''ve recovered, we make our way back to the trees where we left our clothes. We shift back and get changed. I step out from behind the tree and lean against it, waiting for Noelle. Shees out a momentter, patting down her hair. ''That was fun,'' I tell her. She smiles back. ''Yeah, it was.'' We walk through town, and, at my suggestion, we get some hot chocte because the temperature has dropped. Later on in the afternoon, I walk Noelle home with the promise of seeing her on Monday at school. ????????????? Monday morning brings a surprise. We''re all sat in themon room before the first bell goes. Noelle is even sitting next to me, making me very happy. ''Aurora Hitchfield, what is that on your neck'' Grace says usingly. Everyone looks over at Rory, who has just walked in and sat down. She turns the color of Grace''s hair and pulls her top up to cover her neck. ''What'' Axel asks for us. We all look at her confused. I sniff the air and a new scent reaches me. ''You''re marked'' I blurt out. Rory keeps on blushing as everyone looks at her for answers. ''Um, yeah,'' she mumbles shyly. ''This weekend.'' ''You met your mate!'' Grace squeals excitedly and then ps her hands over her mouth when a few people nearby turn around. ''Sh!'' Rory hisses. ''And yes, I did.'' ''Tell us everything,'' Noelle gushes, moving away from me to sit next to Rory. I try not to let that sting. Grace moves next to her, too. The guys and I don''t move, but we all lean in, wanting to hear the story. Mates meeting is a big deal, we''re all interested in it. ''I went to visit my auntie in the North Shore pack this weekend and my mate has just moved to that area. We met at a party in the pack hall, and everything was just¡­perfect.'' I''m happy for my friend. Her whole face has lit up at the mention of her mate. ''Honestly, my mate is so perfect, I can''t wait for you to meet them. I''ve never met someone so dreamy,'' she gushes affectionately as the girls ''aw''. Once the happiness settles, jealousy kicks in. I''ve known my mate a week now, and we still haven''t even kissed because of my fucked¡ªup past. I really need to keep proving myself to her. ????????????? I keep working on getting Noelle to trust me. She''s definitely warming up to me. Likest week, we spend every break, lunchtime and after school together. I drive her home each day, where she tells me all about her day and her art projects. I wish I was better at art, so that I could know what she''s talking about half of the time. But I don''t really mind if she confuses me with her fancy wording and names, I just like hearing her talk about something she''s passionate about. She never invites me in when I drop her at her house, and I never see any other cars on the drive. Her brother says hi to us if we see him around school, but she doesn''t talk about her parents much. At the diner on Friday, we end up squashed together in the booth because the boys decided toe. I''m notining, I love having Noelle close to me. As we talk, I notice that her dark brown eyes keep dropping down to my lips, like she wants to kiss me. I don''t try anything, because I''m trying to earn her trust, but I''m hoping to get a kiss on our date tonight. The rest of Friday passes quickly, and before I know it, I''m outside her house to pick her up for our date. I''ve dressed a bit more smartly tonight, considering that we''re going to Olivier''s. Noellees out in another dress that has my heart beating faster. This time, she''s paired it with heels and her braids are tied up on her head. She looks so perfect. I tell her how perfect she looks when I get her into the car. She''s excited as I drive us to the restaurant, and I feel happy at the notion that she''s enjoying going on a date with me. We are seated near the back of the restaurant, where it is quieter and more intimate. Noelle hungrily looks over the menu,menting on a few dishes she likes the sound of. I order a side of chips with my food. It isn''t ssy, but I love fries and Noelle doesn''t seem to mind. Our foodes and the conversation is momentarily put on pause as we tuck in. I can see Noelle eyeing my chips and I nudge the bowl towards her. ''Are you sure'' She asks with surprise. ''Yeah, of course.'' ''Wow, you must care about me,'' she says jokingly. ''I do. A lot,'' I tell her seriously and she looks at me with an unreadable expression. I hope she took that in a good way. We''re too full for dessert at the time, but when we get back in my car, I suggest that we go to All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Giovanni''s Gto. We get a tub of ice cream each and eat it in the car. I drive us back to her house and park on the pavement. Remembering something, I pull my phone from my pocket. ''I had an idea,'' I tell her. ''About something that might make you trust me more.'' Noelle looks at me with interest as I unlock my phone. I bring up settings and go to the fingerprint ID. ''I want you to add your fingerprint, that way you have ess to my phone at any time,'' I exin, and she looks shocked. ''You can go on anything; photos, phone history, messages, I don''t mind. I want you to know that I''m not hiding anything and that you can trust me.'' ''Xaden,'' she says softly. ''I don''t have to do that.'' ''Please,'' I almost beg her. ''It would make me feel better. I want to prove myself to you, Noelle.'' She gives me a warm smile and leans in closer, over the console. ''I know you do. And I wanted to tell you this tonight. I see how hard you''re trying, okay You''re doing good, I''ll admit. I appreciate you making this effort for me, it doesn''t go unnoticed.'' Her words reassure me that we''re making progress. ''Yeah'' I ask with a grin. ''Do you trust me yet'' Her lips twitch with a smile. ''Notpletely, but we''re getting there.'' ''Great! Add your fingerprint though, just for reassurance.'' She loads her fingerprint into my phone and then I pocket it. I look up and notice that Noelle is looking at my lips again. ''Would it be too cheeky to ask for a kiss'' I murmur. Noelle meets my eyes and then slowly shakes her head, no. Encouraged, I close the distance between us. My eyes fall closed as my lips meet her full ones. They''re so soft against mine and I feel my heart start beating faster with excitement. She kisses me back, her fingers gripping onto my shirt. I gently cup the back of her head and move my lips against hers. I pull back before I can get too excited and try to deepen the kiss. Noelle blushes and leans back in the seat. ''Thank you for tonight,'' she says sweetly. ''The first of many good nights with me, sugar,'' I reply with a wink. She groans and rolls her eyes. ''Not the sugar nickname again,'' sheins as she gets out of the car. Iugh and walk her to her door. ''You love it really, sugar.'' She narrows her eyes at me. ''Sure, I do. Goodnight, Xaden.'' ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 63 Book 3 Chapter 63 Xaden''s POV. I don''t stop smiling for the next few days. Things are going great with Noelle; she even agrees to another date after school on Wednesday. Instead of dropping her home school, I take her back to my house. My parents have taken Malika and Talon swimming, meaning it will only be my sixteen¡ªyear¡ªold sister in the house. ''Malika probably has her mate over, so they''ll stay in her room the whole time,'' I tell Noelle as I let her into the house. As expected, all you can hear is giggling as we pass Malika''s room. I lead Noelle to my bedroom and suddenly feel self¡ªconscious. I''m d I tidied a bit this weekend, the room is usually a dump. I grab a couple of t¡ªshirts off the floor and throw them in theundry basket. Noelle slowly walks around the room, looking at my photos and trophies. I sit down on my bed and turn on the TV, flicking through channels until I find something to leave on in the background. Noellees over and hesitates, obviously reluctant to sit on the bed with me. ''How many girls have you uh¡­slept with in this bed Is it safe to sit down'' She says only half¡ªjoking. I wince and my heart fills with regret again. I wish I could go back in time and tell old me what an asshole he was being. ''When I told my mum about you, she went out and brought new sheets. She said she understood how you''d feel and that you''d probably be morefortable staying over in ''untainted'' bed sheets,'' I exin to her. She smiles and sits down next to me. ''I think I''m gonna like your mum.'' ''I''m sorry, Noelle,'' I apologize quietly as I crack my knuckles. She sighs heavily andys down on the bed. ''I know you are, and you are making up for it, so thank you.'' She gives me a brief smile and then changes the subject. ''Where do you want to eat tonight'' ''Axel and Grace are always raving about this food van in the park, but it''s gonna be coldter and it''s not very romantic.'' Noelle shrugs. ''I don''t mind. What kind of food is there'' ''They say that the burritos are the best,'' I reply, and Noelle looks interested. ''I like burritos.'' ''Okay, so we''ll go to the burrito van,'' I tell her with augh. ''What else Should we get milkshakes'' She nods eagerly. ''Sounds good to me. Are there any movies on at the cinema'' We have a look on my phone and choose a couple that looks good. After checking the screening times, we pick one at just before seven. We hang out in my room for a bit, watching TV and talking. I offer for us to leave before my family gets back, but Noelle shyly declines, saying that she would like to meet my parents. They get home at about half five. The noise generated by my two youngest siblings alerts us of the fact they''re home. Noelle follows me downstairs, looking nervous. I take her hand and she gives me a grateful smile. ''Mum, Dad, I''d like you to meet my mate,'' I tell them as we enter the kitchen. ''This is Noelle.'' Malika and Talon look up from where they''re sat eating their snacks at the kitchen table. Dad is in the kitchen prepping dinner, whilst Mum is faffing about with their school bags and swim kit. ''Noelle, honey! It''s so nice to meet you,'' my Mum gushes. She pulls Noelle into a hug, who promptly hugs her back. ''This is my mate, Rixon,'' Mum introduces Dad to Noelle. He gives Noelle and brief hug and then introduces my siblings, Talon and Malika. Noelle seems a little overwhelmed, but happy that they''re so weing. ''We''re going out to see a movie,'' I tell my parents. ''We''ll get dinner so don''t worry about saving any. I''ll be home by ten, is that okay'' Mum''s eyes soften. ''Of course, sweetheart. Have a great time.'' I drive Noelle and I into town and find somewhere to park my car on the high street. I take Noelle''s hand, proudly walking with her down the street, towards the park. ''What do you think of my family, then They''re a bit intense.'' Noelle chuckles. ''No, I loved them. They were so weing, your mum especially.'' ''Yeah, she''s been dying for me to meet my mate. I think she was almost as excited as me.'' Noelle blushes and looks away. I squeeze her hand and we cross over the road to enter the park. ''When my parents first met, my dad was a branded rogue. He''d been kicked out of his pack for defending his sister, my auntie. My grandparents didn''t approve of them being together at all and they tried to keep them apart,'' I tell Noelle my parent''s history as she listens, her eyes wide with curiosity. ''I think that''s why my mum will make every effort to be so weing to you and has done the same to my sister''s mate. She never wants anyone to go through what she did, having to choose between her parents and her mate.'' Noelle nods. ''I can''t imagine what that must have been like. I take it your grandparents get on with your dad now'' ''Yeah. When Mum got pregnant with me, actually, they changed their minds. Mum was attacked by this psycho Alpha, she nearly died. It changed their perspective on things, and they realized how prejudiced they were being.'' ''Wow, attacked Gosh, your parents'' lives sound so adventurouspared to ours. That''s crazy.'' ''I know. I''m d we don''t have to go through what they did,'' I reply. We reach the food vendor and I treat us both to burritos. Noelle epts, on the condition that she gets to pay for the movie tickets. Eating our burritos, we stroll around theke in the park, even though it is cold. We''re both wrapped up, so it''s not too bad. Afterward, we walk on to the cinema and watch the movie. When wee out, I''m not quite ready for the evening to be over. It''s only 9 PM and I still have an hour before I told my parents that we''d be home. The wind has dropped, removing the chill factor, so the night air isn''t that cold. I suggest we go for a walk¡ªthrough town and Noelle happily agrees. I don''t think she wants the evening to be over yet, either. ''Can I ask you something'' Noelle says as we stroll along the sidewalk, holding hands. ''Anything.'' ''I promise this isn''t me trying to cause an argument or look for more reasons to get mad at you, I just want to know,'' she says nervously. ''Why did you sleep around so much Why did you lose your virginity in the first ce I know, I lost mine, too and I''ll tell you why if you want.'' I blow out an exhale and run my hand through my hair. Shit. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I didn''t expect an evening walk after a date to get deep, but she has the right to know why I fucked up so badly. ''I don''t even really know, for sure,'' I tell her. ''But I''ll try and exin the best that I can.'' I take a full breath and decide to start from the beginning. ''I lost my virginity at fourteen. It was a house party, and we were dared to y seven minutes in heaven. The girl and I were both a little tipsy, but nothing that would constitute assault, don''t worry. She''d already had sex before and told me I''d enjoy it. I guess I was just a stupid fourteen¡ªyear¡ªold boy who thought it would make him cool if he had sex. ''Anyway, the next morning, I regretted it because it meant I hadn''t waited for my mate. The guilt was horrible, and I didn''t want to feel like that, so I remember thinking, how is having sex twice any different from once When I slept with someone else, I won''t lie, it was pretty good. I realized how good sex could be and I didn''t feel guilty during it, only after.'' I anxiously nce over at Noelle to see how she''s taking all of this. I''m trying to be 100% honest with her, even if she doesn''t like what I''m saying. Her expression is unreadable, but she nods at me to continue. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 64 Book 3 Chapter 64 Xaden''s POV. ''Anyway, I kind of spiraled. I kept telling myself that five was no different from two. Then, ten was no different from five. I''d already fucked up by losing my virginity, so how could sleeping with other people be any different I know, it''s stupid logic.'' I stop walking and turn to face Noelle, she mirrors my actions, facing me. I run my hand down my face and try to find the right words. ''As the oldest in my family, I''ve always been expected to set an example. My mum found condoms in my room when I was fifteen and she was so disappointed in me, I can''t exin how shit I felt. Things weren''t the same between us, so I slept around even more, because I enjoyed feeling wanted. I didn''t feel wanted at home. ''I told myself that I''d fucked up too much to deserve a mate and that, even if I did meet her, she''d never forgiven me for what I''d done and would reject me. I snowballed, basically. ''I don''t know whether this makes it worse or better, but the girls never meant anything to me. I rarely slept with the same girl twice and I never went on dates or that kind of stuff. It was nothing in my mind.'' Noelle looks thoughtful for a moment. ''I guess I''m relieved that they didn''t mean anything to you, but it does make you look like an asshole for never caring about someone you were intimate with.'' I nod quickly. ''Totally agree with you, I was an asshole.'' ''So, what changed your mind again'' I smile at that question, and we start walking forwards again. ''Rory had been getting on at me for ages, just like my mum, telling me that I would regret everything when I met my mate. Then, Axel met Grace and I saw how things changed for him. They all agreed that, if I changed my ways and behaved from now on, it would help towards proving myself to my mate when I finally met her.'' Noelle gives me a small smile. ''Well, I''m d you decided to stop.'' ''Does that answer your question'' I ask hopefully. I really don''t want to talk about my mistakes anymore. I hope this gives her some closure on the topic and we can move on from this. ''Yes, it does.'' ''Now¡­do you wanna tell me your story'' I coax her. Noelle grimaces and holds my hand a little tighter. ''Okay, but please, as I tell you this, remember that everything is different now,'' she says and she sounds nervous, which makes me worried. ''Okay¡­'' I reply uncertainly. Noelle swallows and then begins. ''When I was thirteen, I fell in love with the Alpha''s son in my old pack. I know it sounds silly, saying I was in love at thirteen, but I really was. We be inseparable and the ''power'' couple at our school,'' she tells me. I grit my teeth, not enjoying hearing her tell me about being in love with another guy. ''When I turned fifteen, we slept together for the first time. It was our two¡ªyear anniversary; we were in love and convinced that we were mates. Our parents thought we were going to be mates, too. Everyone in the pack did. ''On my sixteenth birthday, I felt no sparks with him. I was heartbroken, but we waited a few months for his birthday. He found his mate that day, and it wasn''t me.'' All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Her voice is even as she exins. She stops walking and pulls on my wrist to get me to look at her. ''I don''t love him anymore, please know that Xaden,'' she says urgently. ''After he found his mate, we stopped talking. I was hurt and I begged my parents for us to move, I couldn''t be around them every day, seeing how happy they were.'' She takes a deep breath, and her dark eyes meet mine. ''By the time my parents had found new jobs and bought a house here, I had moved on from him, but we were happy to move, nheless. I ampletely over him; I was able to say goodbye before I left and leave without regrets. I don''t even think about him anymore, it''s only you.'' Relief floods through me. I needed that reassurance. Just to check, I ask her. ''You''re sure'' ''You know that I can''t lie to you.'' She looks me straight in the eye. ''I don''t care about him anymore.'' ''Good,'' I reply with a sigh of relief. Noelle looks up at me with a thoughtful expression. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, and I wait for her to say her thoughts aloud. ''Seeing as we''ve put everything out there, told each other our pasts and regrets, do you think that¡­ maybe¡­we could start over You''ve tried so hard to show me that I can trust you and you know that I''ve moved on from my past. Could we just be us now'' A grin stretches across my face. ''Just us Mates with no past'' She nods. ''No past, no drama.'' ''Does this mean I can kiss you now Noelle grins back at me. ''Yes.'' She must lift up onto her tiptoes, because I don''t have to bend down as far as I usually do for our lips to meet. My hands instinctively go to her waist, both to support her and keep her exactly where I want her. Our lips touch hesitantly at first, but soon, we sink into each other. Our bodies meld together, and she softens in my arms. I hold her tighter, loving the feel of her heaving chest against mine. I swipe my tongue across the seam of her lips, and she hesitantly opens up to me. The kiss deepens and my desire for her bes impossible to ignore. With a low growl at the back of my throat, I kiss her more fervently. Noelle isn''t rmed or put off by my outburst, she kisses me back with equal enthusiasm, matching my tongue with her own. To anyone passing by, we look like horny teenagers making out in the middle of the pavement, but I really don''t care. My mate has just agreed to let bygones be bygones and start fresh. We can finally act like a normal shifter couple. When we finally pull back for air, both of us are panting and our lips are swollen. Noelle gives me a shy smile. Instead of taking her hand, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and keep her close to my side. We walk back to my car, and I drive her home. Although I''m disappointed the date was over, it ended so well that I''m just happy we went on it. I kiss Noelle goodnight and thank her for a great date. I''m whistling with happiness when I get back home, making both of my parents smile knowingly. They force me to sit down and tell them about my date. I pull a face but don''t mind it too much, I like talking about my mate. ''Invite Noelle round for dinner on Friday,'' Mum calls out as I head upstairs for bed. I text Noelle, asking if she wants to. Her reply is almost instant. Yes!! ????????????? School is great for the rest of the week. Noelle and I start acting like a proper couple. She holds my hands in the halls, sits on myp at break and chats away with me at lunch. Friday, we go to the diner for lunch. Finn, Nick and Lukee too, not wanting Rory to be left fifth¡ª wheeling. We all agree that we need a house party soon. It''s Axel''s birthday in a month, so we start nning a party. It means that Rory can bring her mate and we can finally meet him. After school, Noelle insists on walking back to her house and I return home. I''m confused to see my auntie''s and uncle''s car on the drive. When I get in, my Auntie Myra and Uncle Jayce are in the kitchen with my parents. They''re not my auntie and uncle by blood, but I''ve called them that since I was a kid. My dad, Rixon and my uncle, Jayce have been friends for years. ''Hey guys,'' I greet them. ''What are you doing here'' Myra pouts. ''Is that any way to greet family Give me a hug you,'' she says warmly. I hug my auntie and shake hands with Jayce. Naevia, my cousin and their daughter,es out from the bathroom, grinning when she sees me. ''Hey, cuz! I heard you met your mate'' ''Yeah, her name''s Noelle.'' ''Congrats!'' Naevia says and pulls me into a hug. Naevia is four years older than me and found her mate a year ago. ''So, what''s everyone doing here'' I ask again. ''I invited them over for a family dinner,'' Mum replies with a shrug. I give her a ''you''re joking'' look. ''But Noelle ising over tonight'' ''And The family wanted to meet her,'' Mum retorts. ''That''s not fair on her! It''s an ambush,'' I protest, and everyoneughs. ''We''ll be nice to her, Xaden, don''t worry,'' Naevia says, nudging me yfully. I pull out my phone and text Noelle to warn her. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 65 Book 3 Chapter 65 Xaden''s POV. Noelle is dropped off by her mother and I rush out to meet her. It''s only a brief introduction, but her N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. mum gets out of the car to hug me, and I see that as a good sign. I just need to meet her dad now. I take Noelle''s hand and lead her inside; she looks even more nervous than she didst time. ''I''m sorry about the ambush. I really didn''t know that my family wasing over.'' She gives me a weak smile. ''It''s okay, I just hope they like me.'' ''How could they not You''re perfect, Noelle, don''t worry.'' We enter the house and I introduce Noelle to my auntie, uncle and my cousin. She shyly responds to each of their greetings. As the evening goes on, Noelle rxes more. By the time that we''re eating, she''sfortable again. I help my mum fix the dessert in the kitchen, and when I return, Naevia and Noelle are giggling together like gossiping schoolgirls. I sit down next to Noelle and eye her warily. ''What were you two talking about'' I ask and Naevia smirks. ''Naevia was just telling me that she would have waited even longer to forgive you after what you''d done,'' Noelle says teasingly, smiling the whole time she tells me. I look over at Naevia and narrow my eyes at my cousin. ''We''re family. How could you screw me over like this'' Naeviaughs. ''Oh, rx. I just said I''d wait a little while before mating. You know, really make you earn it.'' I re at her and Noelle giggles sweetly next to me. She reaches over and squeezes my hand on my I don''t get the opportunity to defend myself, because dessert is served. Later on, we say goodbye to my family. They''re allpletely enamored with Noelle, just like I knew they would be. I take Noelle up to my room for a bit, seeing as we still have some time before her mumes to collect her. We sit down on my bed and Noelle rests her head on my shoulder. We talk for a while, discussing the evening and my family. She sees the side of me that not many get to, the rxed, non¡ªcocky side that only my family usually get to see. What should have been a simple kiss goodbye turns into a heavy make¡ªout session. Before I know it, I have Noelle pinned under me on the bed and my hands are feeling every curve in her body whilst she moans into the kiss. Her phone vibrating with iing calls snaps us out of our lustful haze. ''My mum''s outside,'' she says sheepishly. I give her onest kiss and walk her downstairs and to her mum''s car. ????????????? The next week passes like normal. Noelle and I spend every minute we can together, both at school and after. At the weekend, she invites me to stay over at her house. Her parents are cool with us staying in her room, which is a relief. Saturday night, the roles are reversed. I''m the one who stood nervously outside her house, mentally praying that her family likes me. I''ve met her mum already, but everyone knows it''s the dad that the sons¡ªinw dread meeting. Noelle invites me in and leads me through to the living room, where her parents are waiting. Her mum greets me with a hug and then I turn to her dad, who looks me up and down with an assessing gaze. ''It''s a pleasure to meet you, Sir,'' I tell him in the most respectful tone I can. He looks down at my hand and then back up at me. His jaw is set as he gives me a stiff nod and a very firm handshake that has me wincing internally. ''Xaden,'' he says formally. ''Dad,'' Noelle warns him. He grimaces and forces a smile at me. ''It''s nice to meet you,'' he says through gritted teeth. I smile ufortably. ''Well! How about some food'' Noelle''s mum suggests, breaking the tension. She calls Noelle''s brother toe down and everyone helps to set the table. Dinner isn''t as awkward as I worried it would be. Everyone seems to rx once the food is served. Even Noelle''s brother joins in the conversation, but he starts off by mostly grunting his answers. Noelle''s mum suggests that we take dessert in the living room, and they put some film on in the background. I''m relieved when it finishes, and Noelle tells her parents that she and I are going to go upstairs to her room. Her father doesn''t look best pleased and res at me as we leave. ''Your dad hates me,'' I whine to Noelle as we brush our teeth in her en suite. She chuckles and spits her toothpaste into the sink. ''He doesn''t hate you; he just hates the fact that we''re going to have sex at some point. He hated my ex too, for a long time, so don''t worry.'' I guess it''s slightly reassuring that I''m not the first boyfriend, he might have actually killed me. I strip down to my boxers and climb into Noelle''srge, king¡ªsized bed. It''sfy as hell and I patiently wait for her toe out of the bathroom. When she does, I''m not disappointed. Wearing only a silky top and a pair of shorts, she looks incredible. She rushes nervously across the room, desperate to get under the covers. I lift them for her, and she slides in next to me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and she cuddles into my side. I close my eyes andy back against the pillow,pletely content. ''I was thinking,'' Noelle muses aloud. ''maybe we could mark each other soon'' I tense up, surprised by her suggestion. ''What made you think of that'' ''Well, in the interest of us moving on from our pasts and trusting one another, I think marking each other will help. We will be able to feel each other''s strong emotions, we can solidify our bond and show that we''re bothmitted to this.'' I smile at her passionate reply and kiss the top of her head. ''I''m all for it.'' She lifts her head to look up at me with excited eyes. ''Yeah'' ''Yeah,'' I reply with a nod. She turns shy all of a sudden and bites down on her bottom lip. ''Do you want to do it tonight'' My eyes widen and my lips part. I can feel myself getting hard under the covers at the thought of it. ''You know you''lle right'' I ask her. ''It''ll be¡­further than we''ve gone before.'' Noelle grins. ''You''re my mate, silly. It''s not a problem.'' ''Okay.'' I smile at her. Noelle rolls onto her side and faces me. I lean in and kiss her. As our lips move in sync, my hands roam her body, feeling every dip and curve under the satin material. Daringly, I slide my hand under her top, to feel the smooth skin of her hip. I squeeze gently and trace patterns on her skin whilst her tongue ys with mine. Slowly, I slide my hand higher. My fingertips brush the underside of her breast, and she moans, encouraging me to continue. I move higher, brushing my thumb over her hard nipple. I take it between my fingers and roll it back and forth. Noelle arches her back and presses her body against mine. My tongue explores every inch of her mouth, whilst my hand explores her breast. She lifts her leg and rests it on my hip, bringing our groins closer together. I can feel the heat radiating from the junction between her legs, it''s pressed against my erection. Unable to resist, I roll on top of Noelle, not breaking the kiss. I nestle myself between her open legs and grind my hard erection against her hot core. She moans into the kiss and digs her nails into my scalp. I pull away and start kissing along her jawline, gently nibbling with my teeth. Noelle leans her head to one side, giving me full ess to her neck. I lick along the column of her neck and then kiss her shoulder and back, trying to find the right spot. My neck is exposed, too and Noelle takes full advantage of that. She kisses my neck, finding her own ce. When we''ve both found the spots we''re looking for, we mark each other at the same time. We sink our teeth into each other''s necks, iming each other. An orgasm hurtles through me, shaking my body with its intensity. Noelle moans into my neck and I feel her tremble in my arms. We grind against each other uncontrobly, fuelled by our bodies and their desire to increase the pleasure we''re feeling. We hold each other close, even as wee down from our highs. We marked each other. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 66 Book 3 Chapter 66 Xaden''s POV. Fortunately for me, Noelle''s parents have already gone out by the time wee downstairs for breakfast. After eating, I suggest we go over to my house for the day. Noelle is all shy again when we arrive at mine. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only My mark is clear on her neck, and I haven''t made any attempt to cover hers on my neck. She''s embarrassed that my parents will know what we didst night. I''m just d I didn''t have to look her dad in the eye this morning. Something tells me that wouldn''t have gone down well. Mum squeals with excitement when she sees our necks. ''Congrattions!'' She gushes. ''This is wonderful.'' My dad groans and rolls his eyes. ''You''ve set her off again. Congrats guys,'' he says, sighing heavily. ''I wish you weren''t growing up so fast. Before I know it, Talen and Malika will be meeting their mates.'' Noelle and I go for a run in the afternoon, making the most of our time together before school tomorrow. Later on, I drop her home, but I make sure to stay in the car. I don''t want her dad to see the mark on her neck and then have me nearby. ????????????? The next two weeks feel like the shortest and longest weeks of my life. We''ve all been busy with schoolwork and the excitement for Christmas has well and truly settled in school. Everyone''s been nning Axel''s birthday party. He''s having a day¡ªparty with his family first, and then his parents are letting him have the house to himself for a house party in the evening. I''ve already bought a ton of alcohol for it. Luke, Nick and Fiy won''t stop talking about it and Rory has invited her mate. Noelle has been both the most amazing mate and the most annoying little tease. We''ve been staying over at each other''s houses, and she keeps teasing me. She touches me, gets me hard and ys with me, and then says that I have to wait a little longer before she''ll have sex with me. She''s punishing me for my past, and I know I deserve it but man, it''s killing me. She keeps wearing sexy underwear or worse, nothing to bed. She presses her naked body against mine and even lets me touch her. She lets me pleasure her and make here, but as soon as I try and initiate sex, she justughs and tells me I have to wait longer. It''s been torture, but it''s also making me so excited for when we finally do it. Sure, I hate being teased, but I kind of like the build¡ªup. It means that, when we finally do sleep together, it''ll be epic. ????????????? Noelle stays at my house on Friday night. Axel''s party is in a week and we''re looking over presents to get him. She''s already shown me what she''s wearing to the party. Let''s just say, I really hope we''ve had sex by then. It''s going to be impossible to keep my hands off her when she looks that good and she''s all mine, wearing my mark. I wait in bed for Noelle, wondering how far she''s going to take the teasing tonight. I''m already hard when she finally turns out the bathroom light and steps into my room. She slides off her t¡ªshirt, leaving herpletely naked beneath. My eyes widen at the sight of her perfect, ebony body. Her breasts are the perfect size, like they were made for my hands. Her hips re out in the sexiest way and don''t even get me started on her ass. Just perfect. ''Guess what'' She says as she climbs onto the bed. She pulls the covers back, leaving me exposed in my boxers. She grabs my erection and squeezes it through the material. My hips buck upwards, pushing my cock further into her hand. She swings her leg over me, so that she is straddling my waist. ''What'' I manage to choke out the word. Noelle leans down, letting her breasts sway in my face. ''I want toplete the bond tonight,'' she whispers. ''No teasing, no ying¡­I want all of you.'' All of the blood in my body rushes to my groin, making it hard for me to reply. My mouth suddenly feels dry, and I lick my lips. ''Really'' She gives me a slow, sexy grin. ''Really.'' Noelle kisses me before I can respond, teasing my lips with her tongue. Just as I''m getting into the kiss, she breaks it and starts trailing kisses down my jaw, my neck, my chest¡­ My breathing hitches as she gets lower and lower, going exactly where I want her to. Excitement bursts inside me as she slips her fingers into the waistband of my boxers and pulls them down. I want to tell her that she doesn''t have to do this, not if she doesn''t want to, but the lustful look in her eyes tells me that she''s up for this. I''m certainly not going to stop her. She takes my hard cock into her mouth and sucks on the head until my breathes out in a hiss between my teeth. She smirks around my cock and makes eye contact with me, I feel winded. I gasp for breath as she takes me as deep as she can. I feel myself bump the back of her throat, but she keeps taking me until her lips touch my pelvic bone. With her mouth full, Noelle starts to suck. Her lips protect my cock from her teeth, and she begins bobbing her head up and down on my cock. Each time it leaves her mouth, it''s glistening with her saliva. I let out a grunt and throw my head back. My hand finds its way to her hair, gripping the strands tightly. It feels so fucking good. I stop her before she can make mee. I push Noelle onto her back and shuffle between her legs. I lower my mouth to her core and give her the same treatment she gave me. Her hands find their way into my hair as I lick and flick at her clit. I push two fingers inside of her and work my mouth and fingers together to drive her over the edge. I don''t stop until her body is shaking with numerous orgasms. She''s panting above me, her voice hoarse from screaming. Thank the Goddess for sound¡ªproof walls. Only once I am sure she is ready for me, do I sit up and hover over her. Supporting my weight on my hands, I line my cock up with her entrance. My eyes meet hers. ''You''re sure'' She nods eagerly. ''Yes.'' Her verbal confirmation is all I need. I push forwards, sliding inside her. It''s made easier by how wet she is, but it''s still a tight fit. Noelle winces but recovers quickly. She puts her arms around my neck, crossing her wrists at my nape. I lean down and capture her lips with mine. Our lips move in sync with one another as I slowly start to move. I slide out of her and push back in slowly. After a few thrusts, Noelle starts lifting her hips up to meet mine. I take that as a sign that it feels good and increase my pace. Soon, I''m thrusting into her hard and fast. We break the kiss, panting for breath. Our breaths mingle in front of each other, and Noelle smiles up at me. She clenches around me, letting me know that she is close. I thrust harder, trying to hit the right spot inside her. Her whole body tenses and her eyes close. Her lips part and form the shape of an ''O'' as her climax hits. ''Xaden,'' she moans my name as her body trembles beneath mine. Feeling her pussy spasm around my cock is too much, my orgasm hits with no warning. I grit my teeth and force myself to keep thrusting, wanting to prolong her orgasm for as long as possible. The pleasure overwhelms me, and my arms shake. Eventually, Ie down from my high and pull out of Noelle. I lie down beside her and instantly pull her into my arms, wanting her close. ''Well, that was fun,'' shements, sounding very satisfied. I chuckle and kiss the top of her head. ''Yes, it was.'' Afortable silence falls on us. I''m so grateful that she decided to forgive my past mistakes and give us a chance. I won''t mess up. I will show her how good I can be, when I try. It''s easy with Noelle, I honestly don''t even look at other girls, I''m not interested. I have everything I could ever want right next to me. ????????????? Book 3 Chapter 67 Book 3 Chapter 67 Xaden''s POV. ''You wrapped the present, right'' I ask Noelle as we step out of the car. She gives me a duh look and pulls out a gift bag from the boot. ''Obviously. I was never going to let you wrap it, would probably look like a child did it,'' she teases, and I yfully nudge her in the ribs. ''Don''t be mean to your mate,'' I scold her, and she snorts. ''Yeah, yeah, whatever,'' she mumbles. She looks beautiful. She''s wearing a pale pink dress that contrasts perfectly with her ebony skin. Her braids are tied up in a bun and she''s chosen eye shadow that matches her dress. ''You look beautiful,'' I tell her as I take her hand. Her face softens and she gives me one of my favorite smiles. ''You''re a softie, Xaden Moretti,'' shements dryly. ''And you love it, Noelle Wilson.'' My mark is clear to see on her neck. She''s showing it off proudly and I''m beaming with pride next to her. The door opens before we can knock on it. Axel''s mum and my auntie usher me inside. ''Come on through, everyone''s in the garden!'' Auntie Callie exims excitedly. True to her word, everyone is in the garden. My entire family is here for Axel''s eighteenth birthday. The birthday boy himself is stood with his dad, Nate and his mate, Grace. Rory, Fiy, Luke and Nick are with them. My parents, Lexi and Rixon, are working the barbecue. My auntie and uncle, Myra and Jayce, are sat down with their daughter Naevia and her mate. We put Axel''s present on the table overflowing with gifts and go over to say hi. Grace is grinning from ear to ear, her arm around Axel''s waist. Rory is texting and looks up when we ''Where''s your mate'' I ask her. We''re all keen to finally meet Rory''s mate. He goes to a different school, so we''ve never met him before. ''Working,'' Rory says and pulls a face. ''Don''t worry, they''reingter.'' It''s really great, having the whole family together for the afternoon. We eat too much food, and then too much cake. I guess all the food will provide a good lining for our stomachs tonight when we drink too much. Afternoon turns into evening, and we all leave to return to our homes and get ready. Rory, Grace and Noelle insist on getting ready together at Grace''s house. The guys and I don''t get ready together. We''re not bothered about each other''s outfits, unlike the girls. I go round to Axel''s and find the boys already there. We crack open some beers and watch TV in his living room, waiting for everyone to arrive. The girls arrive first and I''m grateful that I''m sitting down. Although I''ve already seen what Noelle is wearing, I''m not ready to see her again. She looks incredible. I want to throw her over my shoulder, take her upstairs and strip that dress off of her. I stand up and eye her appreciatively, hungrily taking in every inch of her curves. Noelle blushes and Grace scoffs. ''Stop eye¡ªfucking her and say hi,'' Grace chastises me and then greets the birthday boy. I take her advice and walk up to my gorgeous mate. ''You look¡­I can''t even describe how good you look,'' I tell her, a little bashful. Noelle giggles and pulls me in for a kiss. She leans up on her tiptoes and presses her lips to my ear. ''If you''re lucky, you can take it off of meter,'' she whispers. I grab her waist and squeeze tightly. ''I''m feeling very lucky today,'' I murmur back. She chuckles and pulls back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. ''We''ll see.'' People start arriving fast and the party begins. It''s too cold to go outside, so everyone is rammed into the house. Most of the bedrooms upstairs have been locked. Axel wants people to have a good time, but he doesn''t want his parents'' house turning into a brothel. I''m stood with the group in the kitchen, chatting, when Rory shyly announces that her mate has arrived. She goes to get him and thenes back in, hand¡ªin¡ªhand with a¡­she. I try to keep the surprise off of my face. Rory is holding hands with a pretty blonde who has her hair up those space¡ªbun things. ''Guys, this is Lydia,'' she says nervously. ''My mate.'' Luke recovers first. ''Awesome! Great to meet you, Lyd, I''m Luke.'' All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. After the silence is broken, the rest of us follow. It''s not that any of us were judging, it''s the fact that Rory has never even mentioned liking girls. But does it matter No. We congratte our friend and wee her mate into the group. With everyone now here, we can enjoy our night. Poor Axel gets hammered pretty quickly. Everyone wants to make drinks for the birthday boy, and I can see Grace''s expression bing more and more concerned as the night goes on. When he starts throwing up in the garden, Grace announces that it''s time for her boyfriend to go to bed. We allugh as she guides a staggering Axel upstairs. Luckily for him, he''s a shifter, he''ll be fine tomorrow. Noelle doesn''t drink very much, so I don''t either. I''ve got high hopes for sex tonight and I want to make sure that alcohol doesn''t stop me from having it. Once it hits morning and the sun starts rising, people start leaving. The house bes emptier and there''s actually space to breathe. Noelle gives me the look and I hurriedly collect one of the room keys from the hiding ce. I unlock the door to the spare bedroom and eagerly usher my mate inside. I kiss her senselessly, fumbling with the zipper on her dress. I eventually manage to get it down. I break the kiss to pull the material down, revealing her sexy body to me. She''s goingmando under her tight dress, and I groan in appreciation. ''I''m so d I didn''t know you weren''t wearing any underwear,'' I mutter. ''Or we would have been up here a lot earlier.'' Noelle chuckles and reaches for my t¡ªshirt. I help her undress me and, before I know it, we''re both naked and kissing passionately. I push Noelle back onto the bed, getting her to lie down. I kneel at the end, between her legs and lower my mouth to my core. I kiss her inner thighs and along her lower lips, teasing her. I keep this up, never going where she wants me. ''Xaden,'' she moans. ''Please.'' I chuckle and finally give her what she wants, closing my lips around her clit. Her hips buck, pushing her core against my face. I lick her happily, giving her pleasure with my tongue. When I add two fingers, her orgasm hits. I pump them in and out of her as I make figures of eight around her bundle of nerves. Her body tenses up and then rxes as she reaches her climax. I can feel how wet she has be, just from that one orgasm. Too desperate to be inside her, I stand up and get between her legs. Noelle moves further up the bed, giving me space to climb over her. She lifts her knees to her chest, opening herself up and giving me more ess. I run the head of my cock up and down her entrance, making sure that it''s well¡ªlubricated before I start to push inside her. She gasps as I enter her, arching her back and throwing her head back against the mattress. I let out a satisfied grunt as I slide into her fully. I drop my head down and rest my forehead against hers. ''You feel so good,'' I whisper. She smiles up at me. ''So do you.'' Gradually, I start to move and build up at a faster pace. Noelle''s fingernails dig into my arms as I pound into her, shaking the bed with the force of my thrusts. She moans loudly as her orgasm hits. I grit my teeth and hold off, wanting her to have at least two during sex. I manage to keep my own climax at bay, focusing on pleasing her. She''s panting when shees down from her high. I flip us over, surprising her. Lying on my back, I let her straddle me. ''Ride me,'' I tell her. Noelle grins and raises herself up and down on my cock. With her hands on my chest, she rides me. She feels too good like this, so deep. I can''t hold off my orgasm when it approaches the second time. Noellees hard, shouting my name as her body clenches. Ie with her, my fingers gripping her waist and my hips thrusting upwards. Noelle falls forwards andys in my arms as our breathing evens out. ''I love you,'' she murmurs sleepily. I brush the hair back from her face and kiss her forehead. ''I love you, too.'' The End. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 1 Book 4 Chapter 1 Grace''s POV. I look down at the stic stick in my hands. A tiny little stic stick, with two bars that mean a change in my life forever. Pregnant. I read the word in the box over and over again, not quite believing it. When Axel and I agreed to have my imnt removed a few months ago, I didn''t expect to get pregnant so quickly. The nurse told me it could be anything from 6 months to 18 months. It''s been three. I''m so nervous and excited at the same time, and I can''t wait to tell him! A knock on the front door almost makes me drop the stick into the sink. I ce it on the side and wash my hands quickly. I rush down the stairs and open the door to find Noelle grinning on my doorstep. ''Hey! How are you'' I greet her and pull her in for a hug. She squeezes me back. ''I''m feeling okay, thank you. How are you'' ''I''m good,e on in,'' I usher her into the house. After school, Axel and I went to university. Now, four yearster, we have our own home. We''re still on Alpha Damien''s territory. Shifters rarely move, we like to stay near our pack and our family. Axel and I are twenty¡ªthree now, we wanted to start a family early. He''s at work at the moment, Tuesdays are my day off. I lead Noelle into the kitchen and pull out a chair for her. She rolls her eyes but sits in it anyway. ''Do you want a drink'' ''Green tea, please.'' I make us the drinks and then sit down at the table, opposite Noelle. ''So, how''s the morning sickness treating you'' She scrunches up her nose at my question. ''It''s turned into evening sickness, but it''s made going to work in the morning a lot easier.'' Noelle found out she was pregnant two weeks ago. You''re supposed to wait until your second trimester to tell people, but it''s only close family that she has told. She kind of had to tell us, she kept throwing up all of the time, we were getting worried. ''I''m here because Xaden and I have just booked ake house for a long weekend the week after next. Do you think you and Axel coulde'' My face lights up at the sound of a weekend away. ''Definitely!'' I reply eagerly. ''I''ll check with Axe, but he should be able to.'' Noelle grins. ''Great. I''ll tell Rory and see if she and Lydia cane. It has three bedrooms. I thought it would be a nice treat for the six of us.'' ''That''s such a lovely idea.'' Noelle gets out her phone and shows me pictures of the house online. It''s on Alpha Elijah''s territory. His mate, Alena, is a family friend. It looks great, the perfect getaway. When she''s done showing me, Noelle slips her phone back into her handbag. She studies my face, and her expression turns curious. ''What''s up with you'' She asks bluntly. ''There''s something different¡­you''re not telling me something.'' That''s the problem with best friends, they know you too well. ''I wanted Axel to be the first to know, but I''m dying not telling you,'' I blurt and Noelle gasps. ''No way! You''re not pregnant, too'' I nod. ''Yep!'' ''Oh, my Goddess!'' She squeals. ''This is so exciting! Our babies will be besties.'' Iugh and my eyes fill with happy tears as she hugs me around the table. ''Congrattions, mama!'' She says and kisses my cheeks. ''Wee to the nauseous club.'' Noelle stays for another cup of tea. I give us both decaf, it''s better for the babies. Rory calls my phone whilst Noelle and I are sitting at the table. I answer it and put it on speaker. ''Hey, Ror!'' I greet her. ''Noelle''s here.'' ''Hey!'' Noelle chips in. ''Oh, perfect! I''m so d you''re both here,'' she cries excitedly. ''We got approved! We are officially allowed to take Orelia home in three weeks'' time!'' We both scream with excitement and give Rory our congrattions. Rory and Lydia have been going through the process of adoption for thest two years. It''s been a long journey for them, but they finally found Orelia. She''s a one¡ªyear¡ªold with an adorable personality and a warm heart. Once we''ve finally stopped gushing over Rory''s good news, Noelle tells her all about theke house. I can''t wait for Axel to get home so that I can tell him all this amazing news! ????????????? ''Hey, Strawberries! I''m home!'' My mate''s voice makes me grin as I hear it. After all this time, he still calls me Strawberries. I swing my legs off of the bed ande downstairs. Axel is in the hallway, taking off his coat. ''Hey, beautiful.'' He smiles. ''You look sexy.'' Iugh at hisment and look down at my jumper and sweatpants. ''Sure, I do,'' I reply and give him a quick kiss. ''How was your day, handsome'' He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back against his chest. ''That wasn''t a proper kiss,'' heins. ''I want a longer one.'' I chuckle but lean up on my tiptoes to kiss him again. This time, my lips move over his and my body sinks against his muscr one. He holds me close, rubbing his hands up and down my back. ''Mm,'' he responds when I pull back. ''Much better.'' ''I''m pregnant.'' The words tumble from my mouth before I can stop them. I couldn''t think of a good way to tell him, so why not just blurt it out Axel''s eyes go as wide as saucers. ''What Really'' He asks happily and a grin breaks out on his face. ''Yep. I''ve taken four tests to be certain.'' He lets out augh of joy and hugs me to his chest again. ''Strawberries¡­this is amazing. Thank you.'' He bends down and captures my lips again. I kiss him back, pouring my love and happiness into our kiss. He pulls back and looks down at me, his eyes filled with desire. ''Is it bad timing if I tell you that I want you right now'' He murmurs huskily. I shake my head. ''I think celebratory sex is the way to go.'' Axel wastes no more time. He gently picks me up, bridal style, and carries me upstairs. Once in our bedroom, he ces me on the bed and starts removing his clothes. I follow suit, pulling my jumper over my head. He undoes his jeans and shucks them off, taking his boxers with them. He helps me with my underwear and just like that, we''re both naked. He climbs on top of me and starts kissing along my body. Iy back and let him take his time, worshipping me like the incredible mate that he is. He kisses his way down to between my legs. He spreads my thighs and blows gently on my core. I shudder in response and grip the bedsheets in my hands. Slowly, teasingly, he licks up and down my folds. My body quakes with the desperate need for more. ''Please, Axel,'' I moan, begging for more. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He chuckles but pushes two fingers inside of me. He makes figures of eights around my clit whilst scissoring the two fingers inside me. I gasp and arch my back, sumbing to the pleasure. It doesn''t take me long to orgasm. It hits me hard, shaking my body. As Ie down from my high, Axel climbs over me and lines himself up with my entrance. I bring my knees up to my chest and open my legs wider, giving him more room. He slowly pushes inside me, and my hands go to his shoulders, my fingers biting into his skin, just the way he likes it. ''Axe,'' I moan as he slides fully inside. He drops his head and kisses me. ''I love you,'' he murmurs and then, he starts to move. ''I love you too,'' I gasp as he increases his pace, thrusting in and out of me with a force that has another climax building. We grip hold of each other, mumbling affectionate words as we chase our orgasms. Wee together, crying each other''s names and falling apart. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 2 Book 4 Chapter 2 Grace''s POV. The days fly by as we get ready for the weekend away. Axel and I both get permission to have time off of work. We pack our bags for a three¡ªnight stay and load everything in the back of our car. I get in the passenger seat, letting Axe drive. We drive to Rory and Lydia''s house first. We all live about ten minutes away from each other, it''s a pretty perfect setup. The two mates lock up their house and then get into the back of the car. Once they''re buckled up, we set off for theke house, following the directions that Noelle sent us. Noelle and Xaden are meeting us there. They had their 12¡ªweek scan this morning and went to the house as soon as they were done. It takes a couple of hours for us to drive to theke. It''s in the center of Elijah''s territory. His territory is known to have great beaches, we might visit them on one of the days. The car ride is a lot of fun. We sing along to the radio and chat about random things. I love that, even years after we''ve finished school, we''re all still so close. ????????????? I gasp as we pull up to theke house. Even though I''ve seen photos of it, it looks even better in person. Axel parks up next to Xaden''s car and the couple step out of the house as we get out. ''Wee!'' Xaden shouts, drawing our attention. ''Isn''t this awesome'' We unload our things from the car and haul them up the steps to the house. After we''ve put them in our rooms, Noelle and Xaden give us a tour. It''s a beautiful house, decorated in light colors with wooden furniture. It''s situated right on the edge of theke. Floor¡ªto¡ªceiling ss doors lead out onto a balcony that sits over the water. I can just picture us having breakfast out here in the mornings. Theke is vast. The water doesn''t look particrly warm, but it''s clean and I might be tempted to go in if the weather is hot enough. ''We thought we could go for a run this afternoon and then have a barbecue out back'' Noelle suggests. ''I''ve brought all the stuff for making s''mores.'' ????????????? The six of us go for a run in the woods. We act like kids again, chasing and ying with one another. We''re sweaty and out of breath when we finally get back to the house. There are two bathrooms, so we take turns showering, but we shower in pairs, with our mates. In the afternoon, Iy on the sofa, reading. Lydia sits on the opposite sofa, sketching. Noelle and Axel are in the kitchen, prepping the food. We offered our help, but those are the best when ites to BBQ''s. Xaden and Rory are out at the front of the house, getting the fire pit going for the barbecue. As evening settles and the Sun gets lower in the sky, we all go outside and sit in a circle around the fire pit on camping chairs. The barbecue is a sess. We have kebabs and skewers filled with meat and vegetables. We grill halloumi and eat it straight from the skewer. Afterward, Noelle hands out toasting forks and we pass around a bag of marshmallows. Using chocte biscuits, we melt the marshmallows and make s''mores. We stay upte around the fire, talking about everything; funny stories from school, wondering what the future holds for us. Noelle and Xaden take each other''s hands and look at us. ''We have some news,'' Xaden says, grinning from ear to ear. ''At the scan today¡­'' He looks at Noelle, who grins back at him before turning to face us. ''We found that we''re having twins.'' We rush to congratte them, overjoyed for our friends. ????????????? In the morning, we have breakfast out on the balcony. It''s as perfect as I imagined it would be. I take some pictures of us all. I hope that one day, we bring our children out here. ''What''s the n for today'' Axel asks as we demolish the fry¡ªup buffet spread across the table. ''We were thinking of going to the beach for the day,'' Xaden suggests, and we all agree that it''s a good idea. We pack everything we''ll need into Xaden''s car. His car can fit all six of us. Axel and I opt to squeeze in the back. It takes less than an hour to drive through the woods to the beach. As it is on Alpha Elijah''s territory and privatend, there are no humans. There are other people on the beach, but mostly we have space to ourselves. We set up a little camp with our towels and bags. I strip down to my bikini andy on my towel, soaking up the sun. I smile as I feel Axel''s lips kissing up my arm. ''I really wish I could take this bikini off you,'' he murmurs against my skin. I chuckle, my eyes are still close as I sunbathe. ''I don''t think the other families on this beach would appreciate that,'' I reply amusedly. ''Or they would appreciate it far too much,'' Axel mutters and I snort at his jealousy. ''Don''t be jealous, baby,'' I mumble. ''No one is looking but you.'' He kisses up my stomach to my breasts. ''Good.'' ''We''re going in the water,'' Rory announces. ''Want toe'' I peek open one eye and look at my friends, who stood above me in their bikinis. ''Sure.'' The six of us wade into the water. It''s cool, but the baking sun above us makes it bearable. Axel grabs my waist and lifts me above the waves. ''Stop! Put me down!'' I squeal withughter as he carries me deeper into the water.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Once he is at shoulder height, he lowers me into the water. I cling onto him, wrapping my arms around legs around his body. ''Meanie,'' I pout, shivering from the sudden change in temperature. He grins at me. ''I''ll warm you up if you like, Strawberries.'' He kisses me, pushing his tongue into my mouth even though we are not exactly alone in the water. I kiss him back, unable to resist him. ''Oi, lovebirds!'' Xaden''s voice pulls us apart. He grins at us and holds up an intable ball. ''Wanna y'' ''I thought we were supposed to be adults now'' Axel asks. Iugh and push off his chest, swimming away from him. ''Adults can still y, Axe. Come on!'' We mess around in the water, hitting the ball to one another and getting drenched by iing waves. When we get tired, wee back ontond and dry off in the sun. There is a caf¨¦ next to the car park and we buy fish and chips for lunch. We stay on the beach untilte afternoon, when the sun starts to lower in the sky. We climb back into the car and Xaden takes us back to the house. ''Ror and I will cook tonight,'' Lydia says when we get home. I decide to take a shower to get the sand out of my hair, and my lovely mate chooses to join me. I don''t realize he''s behind me until his chest presses against my back. I scream in surprise and spin around to see Axel grinning. ''Sorry, did I scare you'' He says insincerely. I know he''s not sorry at all, he''s grinning far too much. ''You idiot! You terrified me!'' Iin, making him chuckle. ''You''re the idiot that left the door unlocked.'' I huff and turn my back to him. ''Don''t be mad, Strawberries,'' he mumbles and starts peppering kisses up my shoulder. ''I can''t resist you.'' I hum in response, my anger slowly fading. He grabs my breasts from behind and massages the shower gel into them. My head falls back to rest on his chest. ''That feels nice,'' I whisper. Axel smiles against my skin and kisses up my neck, to my mark. ''I can make it feel even nicer,'' he replies huskily. He washes one hand free of the suds under the water and then moves it between my legs. I spread my feet a little wider, giving him more ess. He sucks and nibbles at his mark whilst rubbing my clit. The pleasure is indescribable. My eyes fall closed and my toes curl against the shower tiles. Axel rubs me in fast little circles that have me gasping. As my orgasm is building, he scrapes his teeth along my neck and then bites down, re¡ªmarking me. He likes to do this a lot because it intensifies my climax. I tremble in his arms, moaning his name as the pleasure overwhelms me. He holds me until I stop shaking and finally open my eyes. My mate smirks at me. ''You still mad, Strawberries'' Nope. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 3 Book 4 Chapter 3 Grace''s POV. That night, Rory and Lydia serve us a delicious meal of tbreads, mintedmb and a side of roasted vegetables. We eat on the balcony because the sunset is beautiful, and the air is still warm. Instead of ying drinking games, because the two of us can''t drink, we y eating games. For dessert, we are each given a big bowl of sweets. We y Never Have I Ever, a game that holds a special ce in my heart because Axel asked me out when we yed it at a house party five years ago. We adapt other drinking games into eating games, too. There''s one where you have to vote for a person after someone reads a statement like ''who is most likely to¡­''. Whoever was voted for by the most people, couldn''t eat any of their sweets for that round. Games are yed until we all feel sick and can''t eat anymore. Just before midnight, we head up to bed. ????????????? On Sunday, we go for a hike in the woods. The weather is warm and there''s a gentle breeze. It''s the perfect temperature. ''What do you think it will be'' I ask Axel as we walk together at the back of the group. I gesture down at my stomach, and he grins. ''I don''t know. Most parents usually have a slight preference, but I''m really not bothered either way. I just want it healthy.'' I nod in agreement. ''I''d like one of each, maybe,'' I reply. ''I don''t mind whiches first. But then, you don''t know if maybe the sex they''re given at birth is who they will stay as.'' Axe nods. ''Very true. We''ll support them no matter what.'' Axel and I start discussing baby names. I know it''s far too early, but it''s a long hike and I''m just too excited. The gang overhears and starts chipping in their ideas. Xaden and Noelle share their favorites. They have two to pick¡­I don''t know if that makes it harder or easier When we get hungry, we stop for a break in a pretty clearing. I take some pictures to post on my social media and get ripped for it by Axel and Xaden. ''Hashtag at one with nature,'' Xaden mocks me. I shoot him a re and throw a cocktail sausage at him. He catches it in his mouth, chews and grins, his mouth full of sausage. Him and his damn quick reflexes. ''Hashtag so peaceful,'' Axel pipes up and I scowl. ''Hashtag weekend away,'' Xaden adds. ''Hashtag tree hugger.'' I re at my mate. ''Hashtag wish this was a girls¡ªonly trip,'' I retort, and the girlsugh. ''Amen,'' Noelle mutters and Xaden gasps in fake horror. ''I am the father of our unborn children! Don''t pretend you don''t love me being here,'' he pouts. Noelle snorts. ''Sorry baby, I love you being here.'' Xaden nods, satisfied that she was joking. Noelle looks at me and sends me an ''I''m not joking'' look, making meugh. I force myself to keep a straight face when Xaden looks up. We eat the pic that we brought with us in the backpacks and they''re a lot lighter when we pack the rubbish back up in them. We hike back to the house, singing old camp songs on the way. We''re all tired by the time theke housees into view. ''I say we do pizzas tonight,'' Xaden says, gesturing at the brick pizza oven around the back. ''Definitely,'' Lydia agrees and we all nod. ''I''m so down for a pizza,'' I reply. Noelle unlocks the house, and we traipse inside. I drop my backpack on the floor with a sigh and kick off my hiking boots. I reluctantly climb the stairs and go to our bedroom. Once I''m within reach, I copse onto the bed. ''That was so long,'' I grumble when Axeles up. ''It was good, though.'' ''Yeah, but I''m exhausted. I think I need to sleep for about 36 hours.'' Heughs and lies down next to me. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and brings me into his chest. ''My little dramatic Strawberry,'' he says affectionately and kisses my forehead. Axel and I nap on top of the covers, we don''t even bother getting under them. I wake up first and check my phone. We''ve only been asleep about fifty minutes, that''s not too bad. I sit up and stretch my arms over my head. My movement rouses Axel and he pulls me back down next to him. ''Feel better'' He asks, his eyes still closed. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ''Much,'' I reply. My eyelids don''t feel heavy, and I''ve lost the urge to yawn every two minutes. Oddly enough, my tiredness has been reced with horniness. I roll onto my side to face Axel and run my hand up and down his arm. He opens his eyes and looks at me. One look and he knows exactly what I want. Sometimes, he knows my body better than I do. He leans over me, making me roll onto my back. He drops his head and captures my lips, kissing me until I''m breathless. His hands grab the bottom of my t¡ªshirt. I break the kiss and lift my arms above my head to help him get it off. He reaches underneath me and unsnaps my bra. I throw that to one side and start working on my shorts. Axel sits back on his heels and takes off his t¡ªshirt. As I''m shimmying out of my underwear, I admire his muscr chest. He gets off the bed and takes his shorts and boxers off, leaving him naked before me. He takes his cock in his hand and fists it. I watch him heatedly as he strokes himself, putting on a little show for me. I spread my legs for him and slide my hand down my body. Axel''s eyes lock onto my core as I start running my fingers up and down my lower lips. When we first met, I would have rather died before doing this in front of him. But after years of loving one another, I know that I have nothing to be embarrassed about around him. From the heated way he is watching me, I can see how much he''s enjoying this. ''Fuck,'' he curses under his breath and climbs onto the bed. ''You''re irresistible, Strawberries.'' He crawls over me, and Iy back, bringing my legs up and around his waist. I press my heels into his backside, drawing him closer to me. Axel chuckles and reaches down to line his cock up with my entrance. He rubs the blunt tip up and down my folds, getting it slick with my juices. Then, he moves lower and slowly pushes inside me. I moan as he thrusts forwards and fills mepletely. The perfect fit. ''Axel,'' I moan his name as my mate starts to steadily and firmly pound into me. He uses his hips to slide his cock in and out of my sensitized channel. I hold on tightly to him, gripping at his arms and digging my heels into his ass to spur him on. ''Touch yourself,'' he orders huskily. He looks down at me with lust and affection in his eyes. Following hismand, I ce my hand between my legs and rub my clit. It takes only moments for an orgasm to build, he feels so good inside me. I cry out his name as I reach my climax. Axel moves faster, fucking me through it and increasing my pleasure. My body is still trembling from aftershocks when I finally finishing. Axel drops his head and kisses me, pushing his tongue into my mouth. My tongue nudges his at the same time I clench my pussy. He grunts and moves even faster. I know he is chasing his own climax, so I keep clenching and hold him tightly. He breaks the kiss. His breathinges in shallow pants as he races topletion. I get to watch his beautiful face as hees. His lips part and his eyes squeeze closed, it''s the hottest sight. ''I love you,'' he murmurs in my ear as his dick pulses inside me. ''I love you, too.'' ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 4 Book 4 Chapter 4 Noelle''s POV. ''What was with you saying amen when Grace made that joke about it being a girls'' weekend only'' Xaden pouts behind me when we get into our room. I roll my eyes and walk over to him. I put my arms around his neck and lean up on my tiptoes to press my lips to his. ''Stop reading too much into baby,'' I murmur against his lips. ''I''m so happy that we''re here together.'' He pouts some more, but less than he was before. I take his hand and pull him over to the bed. He sits down on the edge, and I stand in front of him. ''What if¡­'' I ask, dropping to my knees. ''I show you how much I love you being here'' His face lights up when I reach for his trousers. He grins and leans back, giving me full ess to his zipper. ''I think I would be okay with that,'' he replies casually. I pull my hands back and he frowns. ''You think you would be okay with that'' He panics and grabs my hands, bringing them back to his crotch. ''I know I would be okay with that,'' he corrects himself. ''Please. Show me.'' I almost want tough at his desperation. Xaden will do anything for head. I know how to treat my mate. I finish undoing them and he helps me shuck them down his legs. Once he''s naked from the waist down, I shuffle forwards and grasp his cock. I hold the base in my left hand and ce a kiss on the head. I''m rewarded with a pearly drop of pre¡ª cum. I swipe my tongue across the smooth tip and the sweet but salty taste explodes in my mouth. Looking up into his eyes, I open my mouth and take him deep. He groans as I slide my lips down his shaft. He hits the back of my throat and I force myself to rx and let him slide deeper. He goes down my throat until I take him all. Inhaling through my nose, I pull back and then take him into my mouth again. I do this a couple of times, making him slick with my saliva. Once I''mfortable, Xaden grabs the back of my head and thrusts his hips. He takes over, fucking my mouth as he grunts and groans. I love seeing him like this, vulnerable and ''Noelle,'' he moans my name and I know that he is close. With his cock still thrusting in and out of my mouth, I slide my hand down to his balls and cup them. I caress them in my hand, rubbing and stroking them until he is grunting above me. He stills suddenly and, a few secondster, hot jets of hise hit the back of my throat. I wait for him to finish pulsing in my mouth before swallowing it all. Softening, he slips from my mouth, and I lick my licks. I smile up at a panting Xaden, who is looking down at me with love and lust. ''You are something else, Noelle Moretti,'' he murmurs lovingly. I get to my knees and Xaden gets me to climb onto the bed. Tenderly, he removes my clothes. He kisses my skin whenever he exposes it, murmuring how beautiful I am. Iy on the bed, feeling worshipped and appreciated, a wide smile on my face. When I''m finally naked, Xaden gets onto the bed next to me and smoothes his hands up and down my ebony skin. ''My perfect cocoa queen,'' he says between kisses up my stomach to my cleavage. He kisses my breasts, alternating with sucking my nipples into his mouth and rolling them between his fingers. I shiver and tremble under his ministrations, slowing being driven wild by his teasing touches. His hands stay everywhere up top, never dropping below my waist, where I want them. ''Xaden, stop teasing,'' I moan. He chuckles against my skin and then bites one of my nipples gently. ''As you wish, lovely mate.'' He moves to get in between my thighs. He kisses my inner thighs and coaxes them further apart with his hands. I spread them eagerly, desperate for him to touch me. He trails his tongue tentatively up my lower lips, sending a shudder through me when he drags it back down. He licks me innguid, long licks that have me curling my toes and begging for more. Eventually, he starts eating me properly. He pushes his tongue inside me and then pulls it out to swirl my clit. He circles the bundle of nerves, applying just the right amount of pressure. With how worked up he has me, it takes no time at all for me toe. I scream his name, uncaring if the others hear. No doubt, they''re doing dirty deeds of their own. He flicks my clit back and forth with his tongue repeatedly, not stopping until another two orgasms have rippled through me. I''m panting and sticky with sweat when he finally climbs up my body. He flips me over onto my front and I quickly find the strength to get on all fours, eager for this position. He surges into me from behind, his hands grabbing my waist for grip. I clench down around him, still so sensitive from my orgasms. Xaden pounds into me from behind. His cock bumps the top of my cervix with every thrust. It feels so incredible, my eyes almost roll back into my head. A fourth and final orgasm ploughs through me. I cry out Xaden''s name as it hurtles through me, taking my breath away. I clench around him and Xaden curses under his breath. His thrusts be sloppy as he chases his climax. His fingers dig into my hips and little grunts leave his lips. ''Noelle,'' he moans my name. I keep myself mped around him as he releases inside me. We fall onto the bed together, panting but very sated. After a few minutes, we get up and clean ourselves up in the en suite. I take a shower and change into warmer clothes for the evening. When Ie downstairs, Xaden is with Lydia in the kitchen, prepping the pizzas. Axel and Gracee down a few minutester, with that just¡ªfucked look in their eyes. Apparently, R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only love is in the air at the moment. Roryes down the stairs and Lydia eyes her appreciatively from the kitchen. I don''t miss the kiss Rory blows in her mate''s direction. Something tells me they will be getting hot and heavyter. Using the amazing array of toppings avable, we each personalize our pizzas, putting on everything we want. When we''re done, we carefully carry them outside. We sort out our drinks whilst the pizza oven warms up to temperature. Once everything is ready, we start putting them in the oven to cook. We sit around the fire pit and eat our pizzas, reminiscing on a good weekend considering tonight is our Tomorrow, we will head home and have to return to our realities for a little longer. I''m so happy for Rory and Lydia. They''re finally getting their dream of bing parents. They''ve worked so hard and waited so long to get the adoption approved. I know they''re going to give their daughter the most amazing life. I can''t wait until all of our children are grown up and are friends like we are. I hope they go on weekends like this together. I can''t believe that, in six short months, we will have twins. It doesn''t feel real, but I''m so excited. Xaden reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it. I look at him and see the same thoughts shining back in his eyes. We''re both so excited. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 5 Book 4 Chapter 5 Rory''s POV. ''Oh,e on!'' Xaden says emphatically. ''What''s wrong with the name Chad'' Noelle scrunches her nose up at it and Grace shakes her head. ''No! It''s too American. I''ll just think of that Cindere film,'' Noelle replies. Xaden frowns. ''What Cindere film'' ''That one with Chad Michael Murray in,'' I chip in helpfully and the girls nod. ''Alright, then.'' Xaden sighs dramatically. ''What boy''s names do you like'' Noelle shrugs. ''Something different, something that no one else is called. Maybe something like Sinn'' ''Sinn What kind of a name is Sinn'' Her mate retorts irritably. Noelle narrows her eyes at me. ''I don''t know, what kind of name is Xaden'' That shuts him up. ''All of your family has unusual names pretty much,'' Noellements. ''I think we should continue that tradition.'' Xaden puffs air out of his mouth and crosses his arms over his chest. ''From someone who knows what it is like to grow up with an unusual name, I don''t want to put our kids through it. It sucks. No one knows how to spell it or pronounce it. You get sick of having to correct them.'' ''I''m so d our daughter is already named,'' Lyd whispers next to me. I chuckle and nod my head. ''Me, too.'' In a few weeks, we will get to bring Orelia home, and she will officially be our daughter. We''ve waited so long for this day. Almost a year. We''ve known from the moment we first met Orelia that she was meant to be with us, she''s family. She''s the sweetest, gentlest and bubbliest little girl that we''ve ever met. Lydia must know that I''m thinking about our daughter, because she gets up andes to sit on my chair with me. It''s a tight squeeze, but I love having my mate close. ''Can we go to bed early tonight'' She asks me, pressing her lips to my ear so only I can hear. ''Why do you want to do that'' I reply, feigning ignorance. She grins and leans in to kiss me. ''You know why, baby,'' she purrs, and I chuckle. ''Of course.'' We talk for a little longer and then decide to call it a night. We bring everything back inside and fortunately, Axel and Grace nominate themselves to wash up, leaving the rest of us to go upstairs. I follow Lydia up the stairs, shamelessly checking out her butt as I go. My mate has a damn fine ass. We''vee a long way since we first go together. Neither of us had told anyone in our lives about our sexualities. We kept it to ourselves, which meant that, when we met each other, our sexual orientation was out. Luckily for us, we both have incredible friends. It took longer for Lyd''s family to ept us, but they''ve Once in our room, the two of us get ready for bed. I get in first and go on my phone until Lydiaes out of the bathroom. She''s wearing a pastel pink,ce underwear set. She knows it''s my favorite color on her. It I put down my phone straight away, having found something way better to look at. She saunters across the room and slides into bed next to me. ''Hey, gorgeous,'' she whispers. I grab the back of her neck and pull her in for a kiss. Her soft lips instantly respond to mine. Our lips move in perfect sync with one another. I roll on top of her and her legs automatically open to amodate me. She wraps her legs around my waist, drawing me closer to her body. I lick along her bottom lip, silently asking her to open up to me. She does so eagerly and our tongues touch. Desire builds in me and grinds against her core. She moans into my mouth and buries her fingers in my hair, pulling gently on the strands. I break the kiss to take off her bra. Her breasts, perky and sizeable, are revealed to me. I bend down and take one of her rose¡ªcolored nipples into my mouth. I suck on it and gently scrape my teeth over it. She shivers underneath me. I pinch her other nipple and tug on the bud until it is distended. She''s writhing and moaning beneath me as I y with her breasts. I kiss and suck on them, molding them up and together with my hands. They''re so sensitive, I know that she cane just from me touching them. I gyrate my hips, grinding on her. I switch to sucking on her other nipple and I y with the one that has just been in my mouth. I pinch and roll it and that''s all it takes. My little mate quivers and moans my name. Her body trembles beneath me and her hips buck involuntarily as her orgasm rolls through her. I tease and y until the aftershocks stop. When she''s recovered, I move under the covers and pull down her panties. She''s soaked from her orgasm and ready for me. I push two fingers inside her and close my lips over her clit. ''Aurora,'' she gasps my name as I add a third finger. I make figure eights around her clit with the tip of my tongue, driving her wild. I have to hold her hips down with my free hand whilst I pump my fingers inside her with the other. In only a few minutes, she''sing again. I carry her through it, licking and fingering her as she gushes onto my hand, covering my fingers in her sweet juices. As she catches her breath, I clean up her mess, licking up every drop. Her body is still shaking when Ie to lie next to her. She''s on me in an instant, helping me take off the t¡ªshirt I chose to sleep in. I''m naked beneath it and she kisses my breasts hungrily. She sucks on my nipple whilst her hand slides between my legs. Oral is my thing. Magic fingers are Lydia''s. I''ve tried to get her to teach me what she does, but there''s just something about her. She pushes two fingers inside me to get them coated in my wetness, then she brings them up to rub my clit. It''s like she knows my own body better than I do. She rubs it in just the right position with just the right pressure, it''s uncanny. I try to keep my hips still, knowing it will feel better if I let her pleasure me. She moves up from my breasts to kiss me again. I grip her shoulders and moan into her mouth, my orgasm building. ''Lyd,'' I gasp her name as my orgasm approaches. ''Don''t stop.'' She answers my breathless plea, rubbing my clit faster until I hit my climax. The pleasure that hits me takes both my breath and my vision. Ie hard, crying out my mate''s name and jerking my hips up and down against her hand. ''Fuck,'' I mutter under my breath as Ie down from my high. ''That was amazing.'' Lyd giggles and lies down next to me. I pull her into my arms, and we snuggle up, getting as close as possible. She runs her fingers up and down my arm. ''I love you,'' she whispers. I find her lips and kiss them. ''I love you more.'' She chuckles. ''Never,'' she disagrees with me. We hold each other and fall asleep that way. ????????????? The next day is ourst. We have breakfast together on the balcony and cheers our coffees to a great weekend. In the afternoon, we drive home. Axel and Grace drive us, whilst Lydia and I sit in the back. ''We need to do this again,'' I suggest, and everyone agrees. ''I hope our kids do stuff like this together,'' Gracements. I smile, imagining it. In a few weeks, our life will change forever when we bring Orelia home. By the end of the year, the lives of our friends will be changed, too. There''s so much to look forward to in our future, I can''t wait. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 6 Book 4 Chapter 6 India''s POV. ''Remember that, if it is a six¡ªmark question, you are going to earn a mark for spelling, punctuation and grammar,'' I remind the ss. I turn away from the board and back to my desk. The door swings open and ricochets off the wall, disturbing the pupils working. All our eyes turn to the doorway, where the Alpha''s son stands. He''s thirteen, with blonde hair swept across his face and mischievous green eyes. Even at his young age, I can see how beautiful he is going to be. He is going to break hearts when he''s older. Maybe, he already has. If being a thirteen¡ªyear¡ªold boy isn''t enough of a handful, being the Alpha''s son makes him ten times worse. The boy has more confidence than everyone in the schoolbined, and a distorted view of thinking he''s invincible because Dad will get him out of any trouble he gets into. The Alpha''s son deems school unimportant; his future job is lined up and ready for him, all he has to do is get through high school. You don''t need qualifications to be an Alpha, so why bother That''s his opinion, and he makes his disdain for science quite clear. He swaggers over to his desk and ms his bag down on it. Wearing a non¡ªregtion hoodie, missing his tie and having his shirt untucked, he''s breaking three school dress codes. I take a deep breath and force a smile. ''Thank you for joining us, Mr. Lockwood,'' I address him and walk over to his desk. He sits down and smirks at me. ''Hoodie off, tie on, tuck in your shirt and if you get your head down and actually do the work this lesson, I will ignore the fact you were ten minuteste,'' I tell Jake and ce a textbook down in front of him. I hear him scoff as I walk away. I suddenly turn on my heel, in time to see his middle finger raised at my back. His eyes widen and he quickly puts down his hand, I smirk. ''After¡ªschool detention is what''s waiting for you if you keep this up.'' I smile smugly and get him the same worksheets the other pupils are working on. The next twenty minutes of the lesson are blissfully easy, the worksheets keep the pupils busy, and I wander around the room, answering any questions. When Jake finishes his work, he fidgets. I get the extension sheets and put them in front of him. Usually, my sses are a lot more interactive, but I need to find out what their prior knowledge is on this topic. This is my first¡ªyear teaching at this school, and we are only two weeks in. As I exin a question to one of the other pupils, my back is to Jake. I jump as a pencil flies past my shoulder andnds on the floor near the bin. I turn around and he''s smirking at me. ''Don''t start,'' I warn him, and he grins, knowing I won''t sanction him because my back was turned. I can''t prove it was him. I turn back to the pupil and continue exining. I peek a quick nce over my shoulder and see Jake with a pencil raised in the air. ''If that leaves your hand, you leave this ssroom,'' I snap and he sighs, putting the pencil back down. I''m relieved when the lesson ends without any more issues from Jake. That evening, I pour myself arge ss of wine and sit down on my sofa with myptop. I break off from looking at the screen and survey the room around me. Unpacked boxes are strewn around the room, the floor is in great need of a hoover and littered with debris, the paint is peeling on the walls. I epted the job as a science teacher at Lockwood Academy a couple of months ago, eager to move out of the city I had grown up in. I love my parents, don''t get me wrong, but living with your parents at twenty¡ªfour is a struggle. They still treat me like I''m a teenager. Axel and Grace Archer are as loved up as they have been my whole life. All I ever hear is, ''I bet you can''t wait to have what your parents do'' or ''I hope your mate treats you as good as your dad treats your mum''. It''s amazing that my parents are still so madly in love after years of being together, but that''s what the mate bond does to you. It doesn''t fade over time. I just only wish that I will find my mate soon. My grandparents, Nate and Callie, didn''t find each other until they were twenty¡ªeight. My parents met in the sixth form. I''m six years over the age they met, still mateless and alone. Two weeks ago, school started back after summer, and I have been settling in since. I have a new apartment that I really need to clean and make my own. I''ve been so busy with schoolwork that I haven''t been bothered to work more when I get home. This weekend, I resolve to go out and buy some supplies and do this ce up. ????????????? I groan and ce my head on my desk. Is it Friday yet I hate Wednesdays, they drag so much. They particrly suck because I have Jake Lockwoodst period. He''s always more riled up in thest lesson, it''s so hard to get him to focus. As usual, Jake turns up 10 minutes after thete bell has rung. I catch him up on the work we''re doing and start exining the topic I''ve detailed on the board. Jake talks continuously with his friend, and I give them both warnings. I let the ss start writing down the paragraph on the board and I circte through the desks, checking their work. Arge snap makes everyone jump and I turn to see Jake has broken the ruler I gave him, in half. ''Jake, that was my ruler. I hope you''re going to buy me a new one,'' I say disapprovingly, but joking. He scoffs at me. I turn my attention back to the other pupils, only to jump again when a loud bang echoes around the room. I nce over to see that Jake has thrown his book at the door. ''That''s it. You werete, you''ve had a verbal and written warning, you''ve broken a ruler and now, you''ve thrown your book. You''ve got a break time detention tomorrow,'' I scold him, and he res at me. ''You can''t do that! My father won''t let you!'' He protests and I walk over to him. ''Do not raise your voice at me, get on with your work,'' I tell him and pick up his book from the floor. I ce it back in front of him. ''I''m not doing your stupid work. Give me a detention, see if I care,'' he sneers and crosses his arms over his chest. ''Bitch,'' I hear him mumble under his breath and I see red. ''That''s an after¡ªschool detention, now.'' I march over to the phone and dial pastoral. ''Hi, could someonee and collect Jake Lockwood from Lab 2 please Thank you,'' I request and hang up. Jake scowls and slings his bag over his shoulder. ''Whatever, I''m leaving anyway,'' he mutters and skulks out of the room, mming the door shut behind him. Well, that went well. ????????????? ''Honestly, you''re going to die when you meet him, he''s delicious.'' Miss Aitken, the art teacher, fans herself with her hand dramatically. ''Stop it, na, you''re fifteen years older than him,'' Mr. Johnson, the Spanish teacher, reprimands her and she sticks her tongue out at him. ''Age is just a number sweetie.'' She batters hershes at him andughs loudly. ''I''m joking, obviously, but a girl can look! Plus, he happens to be the best Alpha we''ve ever had.'' I sit back and listen to them talk about their Alpha Lockwood. His family has run this pack for thest six generations, that is why the school is named after them. I haven''t met the Alpha yet, he was away when I was interviewed, I met the Beta instead. The Beta was a little older than me at twenty¡ªeight, and very nice. ''Are you going to be okay tomorrow, India'' na''s voice draws my attention back to her. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ''I''ll be fine, I''ve got some fun activities for the rest to do,'' I reply absentmindedly. I wonder what their Alpha is like. My old Alpha is called Alpha Damien, he''s a good man who looks after his pack. I know that the Alpha of this pack is much younger than Alpha Damien. I don''t know when I''ll get to meet him, but I''m looking forward to it. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 7 Book 4 Chapter 7 India''s POV. Later on, in the evening, I decide to stop by the pack house. I park in front of the huge building. It looks like an old¡ªfashioned boarding school from the outside. When I enter, the bustling noise hits me. Children are running around; delicious smells are wafting from the kitchen and the whole ce is filled with chatter. ''Hey, India,'' Josie greets me and rushes past with her arms full of bed sheets. ''Hey, Josie, are you okay'' I ask, rather amused by the disheveled appearance of my friend. Josie was one of the first people to wee me to the pack three weeks ago. She''s thirty and the housekeeper for the main pack house. ''I''m alright, just a little stressed because it was wash day today and the dryer decided to break. I''m having to hang everything out instead,'' she exins and begins draping damp sheets over the backs of chairs in the long dining hall. ''Do you want any help'' I offer and she smiles gratefully at me. ''No, it''s okay, I''ve got this. But could you do one favor for me, please'' ''Of course.'' ''Alpha decided to use the pack gym upstairs, we have a spare room for him in case he wants to crash here rather than at his own house.'' I know from being informed earlier that the Alpha and his son have their own house on the territory, separate from the pack house. ''Anyway, I realized there are no towels upstairs, wash day, of course.'' She gestures to the stacks of washing around the room ''It''s the room adjoining to the gym upstairs, number 23, just knock on the door and give him these will you Thank you so much.'' She hands me two folded towels. I make my way up the huge double staircase and along the corridor, the room numbers increase as I walk along until eventually, I reach a door that says ''Gym''. I knock on it and open it when there''s no reply. I nce around the spacious room filled with various gym equipment. The walls are covered in mirrors and there are two TV screens attached to the walls for entertainment whilst working out. My eyesnd on a door on the far side of the room that says ''23''. I walk over to it and knock, but there''s no answer. Cautiously, I open the door and peek around it. The room is empty. It is a in room with a king¡ªsized bed, TV, dresser and desk. The sound of a shower reaches me, and I look over to see steaming from a slightly ajar door. Obviously, the en suite. I step into the room and pause for a moment, wondering what I should do. The Alpha is presumably in the shower, so I decide to leave the towels on the bed. I walk over to the bed and my eye is caught by a movement. The door to the bathroom is only slightly pulled to, he probably thought it was safe to leave it open because no one would being into his bedroom. Standing in the wet¡ªroom style shower, is the Alpha. It''s a walk¡ªin shower that doesn''t have a ss panel to shield my view. He is stood in all his naked glory under the shower spray. I freeze,pletely entranced by him. He''s tall, taller than 6 feet. His muscr build is impressive to say the least. His dark, tan skin is decorated with numerous ck tattoos. I gasp quietly as I realize, he is pleasuring himself. Hisrge hand moves up and down his evenrger cock. I remain both horrified and transfixed, unable to move, as he pumps his hand along his length. His eyes close and his head falls back. His lips part and the sexiest grunt can be heard over the spray of the shower. Hees over his hand, the white liquid instantly washed away by the water. I drop the towels. They slide out of my hands in shock and fall gently to the floor. It''s at this precise moment the Alpha turns to get out of the shower and his eyesnd on me. I''m on my knees, picking up the towels. His eyes widen in shock but seeing as he makes no move to cover his delicious, muscr, naked, wet body, I quickly avert my eyes. ''Your towels, Alpha,'' I stutter. I hurriedly put them on the bed and practically run to the door. I''m running across the gym when I hear him call out. ''Wait!'' He shouts, but I ignore him and run out of the door, along the corridor and down the stairs. Secondster, I''m sat behind the wheel of my car, panting from adrenaline. I just saw my new Alpha naked and masturbating. Goddess save me. ????????????? ''What do you mean he canceled the detention'' I splutter at Becky in reception. ''I''m sorry, India, but the Alpha just called, and he said to cancel Jake''s after¡ªschool detention you gave him,'' she informs me and anger bubbles inside me. ''Thank you, Becky,'' I force the words out and hang up. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Without stopping to think, I look up the Alpha''s number on the system and dial it. I tap my fingers against the desk as the phone rings. ''Alpha Lockwood,'' a husky voice answers the phone. For a few, long seconds, I''m stunned into silence at the unbelievably sexy sound. ''Alpha'' I ask and then clear my throat. ''This is Miss Mitchell, I''m your son''s science teacher,'' I introduce myself. Thank Goddess he didn''t know who I wasst night, otherwise this could be very awkward. ''Ah, Miss Mitchell, what can I do for you'' I can hear the smugness in his voice, he knows exactly why I''m calling. ''Your son was incredibly rude to me in my lesson on Wednesday. I followed the sanction system and gave him plenty of chances to change his behavior, but he didn''t, and he swore at me. I gave him an after¡ªschool detention, which I have been informed that you have canceled'' I enquire, trying to keep my tone polite, because this is my Alpha after all. ''Look, Miss Mitchell, I know Jake can be a little free¡ªspirited,'' he starts, and I roll my eyes, grateful he can''t see me. ''But he has training after school tonight, so he can''t attend your detention,'' he protests, and I take a deep breath. ''That''s fine, we can rearrange it for Monday,'' I huff and the Alpha sighs. ''I try to train him most days, can''t you just let him off this once'' ''Your son called me a bitch, Alpha Lockwood. I do not take insults lightly. Any other child would not get out of detention, your child should be no different,'' I snap and he''s silent for a moment. ''I see, I''ll have a word with him, okay I''m sorry he called you that. In the meantime, would you like to go for coffee'' He asks and I nearly choke on air. ''Excuse me'' My eyes widen and my grip loosens on the phone in shock. ''Do you want to go for coffee I''ve yet to meet you and I like the sound of your voice, I''d love to know what the rest of you is like,'' hements, and I don''t know whether to feel ttered or outraged. I can hear the confidant and flirty tone of his voice and it both pisses me off and turns me on. Images of his naked form in the shower sh through my mind and I quickly push them aside. ''I''m not in the habit of going for coffee with my student''s parents, Alpha. Thank you, but I''ll politely decline,'' I tell him, and he pauses again so I decide to finish things. ''I hope you have a lovely day, and, with respect, I''ll see Jake in detention on Monday. Goodbye.'' I put down the phone and nervously chew my nails. I just hung up on an Alpha. What the hell was I thinking! ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 8 Book 4 Chapter 8 India''s POV. I sit in my ssroom, reying that awful conversation in my head. God, he must really dislike me. I have an empty ssroom for another five minutes, giving me time to gather my thoughts. Today, 233 of the 294 pupils at the school, are off on a field trip. They are visiting the two neighboring packs. Some of the older kids will potentially find their mates, they will learn about pack life (how it might differ from their own) andpete in games and sports. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The 61 pupils remaining are split into three sses, one of which I am teaching. These pupils either declined to go on the trip, or pupils are deemed too naughty to go on the trip. We still need our school represented by good pupils, and those who have gotten into fights or vandalized school property are not going to represent us. To my irritation, Jake Lockwood is not going on the trip. ording to him, mates are for ''pussies'', and he''s already visited neighboring packs with his dad. Honestly, I think he wants free rein in a half¡ªempty school, with his naughty friends who weren''t allowed to go. Remaining in the school are the 61 pupils and about seven members of staff, myself included. I''m relieved that I''m staying behind, the trip sounds stressful. The school buses leave at 9 am and will return at 3 pm for the usual end of school time. In the morning, the remaining students had their form time (homeroom) extended to an hour. After that, they had math. In five minutes, they have science with me. After lunch they have English and a movie. After a few minutes, students start trickling into the room. ''Bags to one side of the room, please. We''re going to be doing a practical and I don''t want anyone tripping over anything,'' I call out. The fourteen students in the ss, including Jake Lockwood, move their bags to the left¡ªhand side of the room. I nce at Jake and try not to think about the fact I saw his dad in the showerst night. Completely inappropriate. I decided they could do the fun practice of the squeaky pop test for hydrogen today. I light my Bunsen burner at the front as they sit quietly and read through the method. ''Miss, what''s with all the soldiers outside'' A boy at the back asks. I frown and follow his gaze out of the window. My eyesnd on the group of people, dressed in full ck attire. They''re marching across the school field towards the main building, our building. Is there a drill going on I wasn''t told of any emergency protocol practices today. I step closer to the window to get a better view and inhale sharply when I see the huge guns in their hands. I watch as the leader, arge man at the front of the group, begins gesturing with his hands and the people start breaking off in twos and threes. I do a quick headcount, sixteen trespassers. I rush to my desk, pick up the phone and press the number for the reception. ''Hello, reception,'' Becky answers and I struggle to get my words out. ''Sixteen peopleing across the field, with guns, Becky, guns! Get the children hidden now, call the Alpha!'' I shout and panic ensues in the room. The pupils get out of their seats and head towards the door which I quickly jump in front of. ''No one leaves. It''s toote, they''re almost here,'' I tell them, and kids start screaming, one burst into tears. ''Silence!'' I shout and, amazingly, it goes quiet. ''Give me a second to think,'' I tell them and nce around the room. ''Right, everyone into the chemicals cupboard, now,'' I order them. I unlock the cupboard and they all crush inside. There are only fourteen of them and they just manage to fit. ''I am going to lock this door. Do not open it, for anyone, understand Do not make a sound. I mean it, you''re going to be okay,'' I tell them. ''I''m not staying in here, I''ll fight them,'' Jake says aggressively and pushes his way to the front, to leave the cupboard. ''Absolutely not, Jake,'' I reply and push him back inside. ''I''m the future Alpha! I must protect everyone!'' He yells and I want to roll my eyes. He''s got good Alpha instincts; I''ll give him that. ''Exactly. If anything happens to you, your father will kill me. You are thirteen years old; you are not fighting anyone.'' I shut the door and lock it. I sneak a nce out of the window and see that the soldiers are gone from the field, which means they''re inside. I look around the room and spot all of their bags in the corner, I begin frantically throwing them in cupboards. I shove pencil cases and pens inside them until it doesn''t look like there are any pupils in this lesson. I need to cover their scent. I unlock the cupboard door again and one of them screams. ''It''s just me. Please hand me the ammonia, NH3 1M. Yes, the big bottle, thank you.'' I take it off them and lock the door again. Then, I unscrew the cap from the two¡ªliter bottle and pour it into beakers, the strong smell instantly fills the room. I listen out for footsteps down the corridor and curse as I hear the children whispering and scuffling against each other. I knock on the cupboard door. ''Silent guys, I can still hear you,'' I hiss, and it goes a bit quieter. My eyesnd on the fume cupboard and I turn it on, the loud whirring noise drowns out everything else. That''s how the soldier finds me, he opens theb door and I''m stood by the fume cupboard pouring out more ammonia. ''You, out here, now,'' he orders, pointing hisrge gun at me. I swallow hard and put down the ammonia bottle with shaking hands, purposefully leaving the lid off. I stumble towards him, when I am within reaching distance, he grabs my arm and pulls me through the door. ''What''s going on'' I ask as he drags me not¡ªso¡ªgently by my arm down the corridor. He doesn''t answer, but I spot two more soldiers opening doors and scouring the ssrooms. I''m taken outside onto the main field, where the other pupils are stood in a huddle with three soldiers surrounding them. I''m shoved towards a group of teachers, six of them, all on their knees. ''To your knees,'' one of the soldier''s orders, nudging me with the barrel of his gun. I drop to my knees next to Becky. ''Right, ss.'' The leader casually leans his gun on his shoulder and addresses us. ''Today, we are looking for a specific pupil, I know he''s not on your little trip.'' He nces down at his watch. ''We have eight minutes to find him before Daddy shows up. So. tell me¡­'' he pauses, and I know what he''s going to ask. ''Where is Jacob Lockwood'' My heart sinks. He''s in my chemicals cupboard in Lab 2. Damn it, Jake. ''We don''t have all day people; the Alpha will be here soon and the whole point of this was to do it without him.'' The leader marches up and down arrogantly in front of us. He''s only thirty¡ªish, with an attractive face and brown hair. ''Okay, no one is going to talk That''s fine. Student number one, please,'' he calls. I watch in horror as a Year 8 (12¡ª13) girl is pulled forward by a soldier and forced to her knees, crying hysterically. The leader presses a handgun to her temple. ''Someone tell me where I can find the Alpha''s son or this little one will die in three¡­'' He pauses and nces at each one of us teachers. ''Two.'' Becky wails next to me, and my hands shake. ''One.'' A scream sounds out and the leader pauses. ''He was in Miss Mitchell''s ss!'' Debbie, the ICT teacher, shouts next to me. Damn it, Debbie. ''Who''s Miss Mitchell'' The leader asks and everyone turns to face me. His dark eyesnd on me and he grins evilly. I''m lifted by my arms and suddenly, I''m on my feet with the leader''s face right up in mine. ''Come on, Miss Mitchell, where are you hiding him'' He taunts and I swallow hard, biting my tongue. ''Are you really going to let this little one¡­'' He turns back to the girl. ''What''s your name'' ''Daisy,'' she sputters, and he looks at me. ''Are you going to let Daisy die, Miss Mitchell'' He asks and a lone tear rolls down my cheek. ''I''m not telling you where he is,'' I bite the words out and he res at me. If I can just drag this out as long as possible, it gives the Alpha and our guards more time to get here. ''I''m here! Take me and don''t hurt anyone else!'' I hear Jake''s voice and my shoulders sag in defeat. So much for that n. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 9 Book 4 Chapter 9 India''s POV. I look over to see he has left the cupboard and is running across the field. ''Smart move, Jacob. Tie him up,'' the leader orders and then turns back to me. ''And take this one, too. She''s a stubborn little bitch.'' He smirks and I flinch as someone ties my hands tightly behind my back. That''s the second time in two days I''ve been called a bitch. I''m not happy about it. I kick and yell as I''m dragged towards a ck van and thrown in the back. Secondster, Jakends next to me with a grunt. I look at the teachers staring back in horror as the van doors close. The engine rumbles to life and we drive away. The road is bumpy and the two of us roll about, unable to stabilize ourselves because our hands are tied. ''Are you okay'' I ask Jake in a hushed whisper, he nods silently. We don''t say anything else as we are driven to our destination. I''d estimate about an hourter, the van finally judders to a stop and the back doors are swung open. An intimidating woman and creepy¡ªlooking guy drag us out by our ankles. I kick and try to dislodge myself from their grip until we are out of the van. That''s when I see what us is around. Nothing but endless forest, and in front of us, the most nondescript, run¡ªdown building. It seems pointless to try and escape, so I remain still as they put us on our feet and guide us by our forearms inside. Within the building, it is less run¡ªdown, the walls are exposed brick, and the floor is concrete. We are led down a corridor and a set of metal stairs, to a row of holding cells. I''m pushed inside one. I turn to see the gate close, and Jake is thrown into the cell opposite me. We''re left alone. I lean back against the wall and try to rub my rope ties against the jagged brick. Within a few minutes, I''ve broken through the rope, and I stretch my wrists out. I get to my feet and walk over to the gate. cing my hands on the bars, I try to look down the corridor, but the angle is too tight. Jake watches me silently, but then starts to work through his ties too. ''Are you alright, Jake'' I ask, knowing it''s a stupid question, but I want to know he''s not hurt. He bristles slightly, obviously not used to me being caring. ''Yeah, I''m fine,'' he snaps and walks over to the bars on his gate. ''How are we going to get out of here'' I wonder aloud, looking around. ''Dad wille for us,'' Jake says with confidence and I force a smile. I''m not sure how his dad is going to know we''re here, but I don''t want to scare him. We both jump as the sound of a door opening travels down the corridor, a few momentster, a soldier appears with a vicious sneer on his face. He has ck, cropped hair. Every visible part of him, except his face, is covered in tattoos. ''Lunch,'' he announces and pushes a tray through a gap in the bars to Jake, and then another one to me. Surprisingly, the food looks alright. A ss of water and a sandwich. I don''t even consider there might be poison in it and eagerly eat my lunch. Jake does the same and we both sit down, facing each other in our opposite cells. It''s silent for a while, and I try to think of something to say. I need to distract him from this awful situation. ''Why do you hate my sses so much'' I ask Jake and he stares at me for a moment before shrugging. ''Dunno, they''re boring,'' hements, and I snort. ''They are not boring! I try really hard to make them interesting,'' I tell him, and he rolls his eyes. Teenagers. ''Science is boring, I don''t need it to be an Alpha,'' he defends, and I raise an eyebrow at him. ''Actually, you might. You need to have chemistry and physics skills to use weapons like bombs and explosives, it is always good to learn stuff you might not need,'' I try to exin, ''you should learn things because you want to expand your knowledge, not because you think you need it. ''It might not seem like it, but school is very important for a future Alpha, you need to learn social skills, how to lead, how to set a good example, how to study, even,'' I continue, and he looks skeptically at me. Before he can reply, the soldier returns for the trays. He unlocks Jake''s gate and instead of picking up the tray, he grabs Jake by his hair and lifts him off the ground. ''Hey!'' I shout, leaping to my feet. Jake''s feet dangle above the ground, he kicks and tries to pry himself from the soldier''s grip. ''So, you''re the little Alpha I can''t see what all the fuss is about,'' the man jeers and Jake grunts. ''Let him go! Don''t hurt him!'' I yell and the guard nces over his shoulder at me. He drops Jake to the ground, who scurries away from the soldier. The soldier kicks the tray into the corridor, shuts Jake''s gate and unlocks mine. I swallow hard as he steps towards me. ''Listen here, whore, I give the orders around here. You don''t get to tell me what to do,'' he growls and soon he''s right in front of me. I stand my ground and look him in the eyes. ''I don''t want you to hurt him, that''s all. He''s thirteen,'' I say, and he smirks. ''Alright then, I won''t touch him. I can''t say the same for you,'' he replies, and pain erupts in my cheek. It takes me a dazed moment to realize he''s pped me, and I''m lying on the ground from the blow. The soldier takes my tray and leaves. ''Are you alright, Miss'' Jake''s voice calls out and I wince as I sit up. ''Yeah, I''m fine, don''t worry,'' I tell him and lean back against the wall. ''And Jake You can call me India.'' ????????????? The day passes slowly, Jake and I chat, as there is nothing else to do. I try to take his mind off of our situation by asking him questions or getting him to y silly games with me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The guards bring us dinner, another sandwich, and then take us to the toilet. It''s a simple one at the end of the corridor with nothing I could use as a weapon. Once they return us to our cells, they switch the lights off. We both have a basic cot¡ªbed in the room, with no nket. Luckily, it is not that cold down here and we both fall asleep at some point. The next morning is the same, but this time breakfast is two buttered slices of toast each, with a ss of water. ''What are you thinking about'' I ask Jake, spotting the pensive look on his face. He looks over at me through the bars. ''I was thinking about what my dad is doing right now. I bet he''s on his way here. We have really good trackers in our pack.'' I force a smile. ''I hope so.'' I know that his mother isn''t in the picture. The Alpha rules the pack alone. It''s a personal question to ask and I decide to approach it sensitively. ''Do you have any other family Grandparents'' I ask casually. Jakes nods. ''Yeah, my grandparents. They''re my dad''s parents.'' ''Anyone else'' He raises one eyebrow at me, obviously catching on to my questioning. ''My mum''s dead,'' he says bluntly. ''She left me with my dad and died yearster.'' Now that shocks me. I thought maybe she had died when he was younger, I was not expecting him to say that his mother abandoned him. ''Oh, Jake,'' I respond softly. ''I''m so sorry.'' He shrugs. ''I don''t remember her, so it''s fine.'' Suddenly, I''m seeing Jake in a whole new light. No wonder he works so hard to impress his dad, he''s all he has. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 10 Book 4 Chapter 10 India''s POV. Shortly after, we are taken to the toilet again, but this time it is a different one, upstairs. We''re taken separately and I''m surprised to see a new toothbrush and a towel on the side of the sink. ''Shower, you have ten minutes,'' the guard orders and shuts the door. Not wanting to give him time to change his mind, I hurriedly peel off my clothes and step under the water''s spray. Ten minutester, I''m dressed with my hair in a towel, finishing cleaning my teeth when the guard just walks in. ''Time to go back,'' he snaps, and I quickly spit out the toothpaste and wipe my mouth. ''I just need to get dressed,'' I reply and the guard smirks. He straightens up and crosses his arms over his chest. ''Go ahead.'' I look at him for a moment and realize he''s not going to move. ''Please could you turn around'' I ask and he smiles evilly. ''No way, sweetheart.'' With no other choice, I change in front of him. I try to keep the towel around me at all times, not giving him a view of anything important. He seems amused by my attempt to cover myself. I feel much more refreshed when he puts me back in the cell. He takes Jake and about ten minutes This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ''I can''t believe they let us shower,'' Jake says in disbelief and I nod in agreement. It is only when it gets to lunchtime that things start to take a more sinister turn. The leader who took us to the school,es down with our trays of food. I watch nervously when he unlocks Jake''s door and hands him the lunch. He turns and unlocks my gate; I shift ufortably under his gaze. ''Stand,'' he orders after putting my tray down. I do as he asks and wait for him to say something. His dark eyes run over my face and then lower, to my silk blouse. I cross my arms over my chest subconsciously. ''Did you enjoy your shower'' He asks, his question surprises me. ''Yes, I did, thank you,'' I answer hesitantly. I flinch as he leans in close. So close that I can feel his hot breath on my face. ''Good, I wanted you all clean,'' he whispers creepily. I remain frozen as he runs his thumb over my bottom lip. Oh Goddess, no¡­ ''Now that I''ve given you shower privileges, how are you going to repay me'' He asks quietly. I swallow hard and stay silent. He doesn''t like myck of response. His eyes narrow and he frowns at me. ''You are going to repay me, or I will unlock his gate and break his nose,'' he threatens Jake, and my heart starts beating overtime in panic. ''No! Don''t hurt him,'' I plead and the leader smirks cruelly. ''Good, so you''ll behave. Because, if you don''t, I''ll just start breaking parts of his little body.'' He grins. ''I''ll do anything you want,'' I whisper, and his grin widens. ''Perfect. Follow me,'' he orders, and I slowly walk after him. ''Miss'' Jake frowns questioningly at me, I force a smile. ''I''ll be back in a bit, Jake. Don''t worry,'' I tell him and quickly follow the leader down the corridor and up the stairs. I grip my hands together and nervously twist my fingers, following him quietly up another flight of stairs. He opens a door and gestures for me to step inside. My heart sinks as I look around the bedroom, it stinks of his sickly¡ªsweet scent. I jump as hees from behind and presses his hand in between my shoulder des, pushing me towards the bed. I dig my feet into the ground, and he turns me around to face him. ''You said you''d do anything I want,'' he goads me, and I stare at him with wide eyes. He pushes my hair out of my face, and I close my eyes, not wanting to see his smug face as he touches me. I try to think of something else, anything else, when he pushes my blouse off of my shoulder. Bile rises in my throat as he slides my bra strap down. A single tear rolls down my face and he curses loudly. I squeal when he rips the front of my blouse open, buttons fly everywhere and tter to the floor beside us. I open my eyes to see him ring at me. His eyes lower to my chest and he stares openly at my bra. He runs his fingers over the tops of my breasts, and I swallow hard. Just as he starts to push my bra cup down, another couple of tears slide down my face. ''Stop crying!'' He roars, making more tears flow down my cheeks. ''Stupid bitch,'' he grunts and ps me across the face. Ind on the floor and stay there, waiting for the next blow, but it doesn''te. Instead, a siren sounds out and my first thought is they''vee to get us. The leader swears loudly and disappears out of the room, leaving me alone on the floor with a ripped top. I get to my feet and run over to the window, I can see members of our pack appearing from the trees and running towards the building. They''vee to save us! My next thought is Jake, I open the door and hesitantly check the corridor. It''s clear, so I sprint down to the basement. I check my bra to make sure it is covering everything. My torn shirt is billowing open, and I quickly knot it closed, before I see Jake. He doesn''t need to know what happened, or rather, almost happened. ''Jake! The pack is here, they''ve found us!'' I tell him and reach for him through the bars. He grins and runs over to me. ''I told you they woulde!'' He replies and then looks at his gate. ''Get me out of here!'' ''Hold on, I''ll find a key card,'' I reply and run down the corridor. I take a left, remembering from yesterday and open a door. I step outside into chaos. There are wolves fighting everywhere. A cacophony of snarls, growls, shouts and gunfire overwhelms me. A few meters away, lying on the ground, is a dead guard with a key card attached to his trousers. I rush over to him and grab the card. As I stand, I look up and meet the most beautiful green eyes. A brown wolf, by far thergest in the clearing, is stood above a dead body, staring at me. I feel entranced by its gaze and for a moment, I freeze, unable to look away. Jake pops into my head and I snap out of my trance. I take off back inside. Jake shouts my name as I rush to his cell and unlock the door. I yank open the gate and my heart bursts as he pulls me in for a hug. The cute moment is ruined when the sound of approaching footstepses down the corridor, my blood freezes and I have to think fast. ''Jake, go upstairs to the left and out of the door. Find someone in the pack, go!'' I urge him quietly and push him towards the stairs. ''I''m not leaving you,'' he says, just as the leader shouts my name. ''You have to, I''ll be right behind you, go!'' I shove him and he takes off just as the leaderes around the corner and grabs me. ''Come here, you stupid bitch. Why did you leave my room'' He growls in my face and grabs a fistful of my hair. I cry out in pain, and he drags me along the corridor and upstairs. He kicks his bedroom door open with his foot and throws me inside. I fall onto the bed and roll over to face him. The second I do, he punches me, right in the eye. I scream in pain and instinctively put my hands up to protect my face, leaving my body exposed. His foot hits my abdomen and I yell out again. ''Stay here this time,'' he snarls and storms out. Iy on the bed in agony, with endless tears running down my face. I try to focus on anything but the pain, but it feels like I can''t breathe and like my eye is exploding. I reach up to tentatively touch it, it feels almost boiling under my touch, probably from all the blood that has rushed to it. Did Jake get out ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 11 Book 4 Chapter 11 India''s POV. Jake is my motivation. I groan and I force myself to roll over. I gingerly lift myself up off of the bed, hissing as my ribsin against the movement. I hobble over to the window and look down. My vision blurs and I feel lightheaded, but I force myself to focus. My eyesnd on the Alpha, I recognize him instantly from the awkward shower voyeurism experience. I smile with relief as I see Jake tucked under his arm. He''s safe, he''s with his dad. Knowing he''s okay, I slide down the wall to sit on the floor. I can barely hold myself up, let alone get down those stairs. I lean my head back and close my eyes, holding onto my throbbing ribs on my right side. I know that I''ll fall if I try and walk by myself. I don''t know how long, maybe a few minutester, the door opens. My eyes sh straight to the doorway, terrified that it is the leader, back for more. My eyes widen as I take in the beautiful sight of Alpha Lockwood, who stood in the doorway, staring at me. ''Hi,'' I croak. I reach for the windowsill above me, to help pull myself up. Instantly, he is in front of me and swoops me up into his arms, bridal style. ''My son told me that you saved his life,'' he says, and I scoff. ''Not really, is he okay'' I ask, trying not to focus on how close our faces are. ''He''s fine, thanks to you,'' he replies and carries me out of the room. He takes me downstairs and outside. ''He''s in the car, let''s get you both home.'' We fall silent as he carries me towards the waiting SUVs. I keep my eyes on his face, taking in his bright green eyes, his chiseled jaw, full lips and tousled hair. I don''t want to see the carnage surrounding us, and his face is definitely nice to look at. He ces me inside the SUV, Jake is in the front seat. Alpha Lockwood gets into the back, next to me, and the driver pulls off. I doze in the back of the car, falling in and out of consciousness as we drive back to the pack house. I''m in pain and I''m emotionally exhausted. Despite my objections, Alpha Lockwood carries me into the house and down to the medical unit in the basement. I sit on the hospital bed in a white, clinical room. ''Jake''s getting checked out next door, he''s just fine,'' Alpha Lockwood exins and I feel so relieved that he''s alright. The nursees in and checks me over. He tells me that I''ve bruised my ribs and he wants me to stay overnight. Fortunately, there''s no sign of a concussion. Alpha Lockwood remains by my bed the whole time I''m being examined. I wonder silently why he is still here. The nurse eyes my ripped shirt and his expression softens. ''Do I need to get the sexual assault kit, miss'' He asks gently and I jump when a loud, angry growl ''No, he uh, he didn''t get to touch me,'' I reply nervously and out of the corner of my eye, I see the Alpha''s shoulders rx. Why does he care so much ''I''ll get you some clean clothes,'' the Alpha says before leaving the room. The nurse shows me the bathroom and I begin running the hot water. I peel off my clothes and slip into the water when it''s ready. It feels so good to be out of those clothes, I can''t wait to bin that blouse. I soak in the hot water, letting it soothe my body and my nerves. I emerge almost half an hourter, feeling rxed and refreshed. Wrapped in a towel, I peek my head around the door and spot some clothes on the bed. I pull on the fresh underwear, they still have tags on. Did Alpha Lockwood really go and get me brand new clothes I take thebel off a pair of leggings and pull them on. I freeze as I pull the jumper over my head. It smells like the Alpha. And there are no tags on it. It smells delicious. Too delicious. I finish putting it on and then lift it to my nose and breathe in. His scent is addictive, so masculine and mouth¡ªwatering. Feeling confused, I lower the jumper and pause for a moment. Why does he smell so good And how have I only just noticed this To be fair, I guess I''ve had other things on my mind, like being kidnapped and assaulted. Think of the devil. The door opens, and Alpha Lockwoodes in. He almost fills the doorway with his huge, muscr form. Despite him being fully clothed, all I can focus on is the memory of his wet, naked body in that shower. Totally inappropriate, India. He looks at me and for a strange moment, we just stare at each other. This is the third time we''ve had locked eye contact. My breath catches in my throat when he strides across the room to me. He reaches out with hisrge hand and brushes the back of his knuckles over my cheeks. My stomach lurches and my heart quickens as I feel the pull. Mate. A low rumblees from his chest, and he gently pulls me into his arms. My head rests on his shoulder as I once again inhale his intoxicating smell. ''You smell incredible, mate,'' he growls, and I feel the vibration of his chest rumbling against me. ''Mate'' I ask quietly. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I''m not sure why, because I felt the sparks, I know he''s my mate. But sometimes, you just want confirmation of things. He gently holds my face and makes me look up into his jade eyes. ''You''re my mate, India,'' he says softly and presses his lips to my forehead. The simple gesture sends chills down my arms. ''What about Jake'' I ask, wondering if there is a significant other in his life. I didn''t see any mention of a mother on his school record. The Alpha''s face hardens. ''She''s gone. She was a rogue who agreed to provide me with an heir as long as I didn''t mark her,'' he exins, and my eyes widen. ''She left shortly after Jake turned one and I was informed of her death a few yearster.'' That''s a weird situation, I''ve never heard of something like that before. ''So...you''re single'' I press and he chuckles. ''Yes, mate, and I''m all yours,'' he hums happily. I can''t help but smile at that. ''Does Jake know'' I blurt out. Jake was never my biggest fan anyway; I can''t imagine this will help things. The Alpha nods. ''Yes, I told him when you were in the shower. He took it surprisingly well. Apparently, you have worked your way into his good books.'' I let out a sigh of relief. ''Oh, thank Goddess,'' I breathe. ''Can I see him'' My question brings a smile to the Alpha''s face. ''Of course.'' ''Oh, by the way.'' I catch his wrist as we go to leave the room. ''What''s your name'' He chuckles and I blush, realizing I still don''t know it. ''My name is Sebastian.'' I nod and follow him across the corridor to Jake''s room. He''s on the bed, but he leaps up when we enter. ''Miss! Are you alright'' He asks quickly and I feel touched by his concern. ''Yes, Jake, I''m fine. Are you okay'' ''Yeah, I''m alright.'' It goes silent for a moment and Jake awkwardly looks between us. ''This is weird, but you''re alright, Miss. You did save me after all.'' Iugh quietly. ''Thank you, Jake, it means a lot that we have your blessing.'' He scrunches up his nose and asks, ''Do I still have detention on Monday'' ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 12 Book 4 Chapter 12 India''s POV. After I have spoken with Jake and Sebastian, I go back to my hospital bed. My mate joins me and sits beside me. Sebastian announces that the school will be closed for a week, whilst stricter security precautions are put in ce. I know he''s sore about his son and mate being kidnapped on school property. I''m happy because it gives me a week off. I exin to him in great detail what happened, from the moment we were taken to the moment he found us. He grips my hand tightly through it, squeezing hard when something upsets him. He tells me that he killed their leader. Whilst I''m not a fan of physical violence¡­I do feel a little relieved that he is gone. I''ve never been in the position where I''ve had to kill someone before, and I''d like to keep it that way. Sebastian has my things sent over from the school, which means I can get my phone from my handbag. I call my mum, Grace, and tell her everything. She cries on the phone to me, reacting dramatically. She never wanted me to leave the pack to begin with, so this is just ammunition for her to insist that I return. I''m given a fifteen¡ªminute lecture on why it wasn''t a good idea to leave my home territory and move to a new pack. How, if I''d been at home, this never would have happened. She tells me that I shoulde home and live near her, my dad and my brother, Rian. As she''s building into a crescendo with a conclusion of how my life has been ruined by leaving, I tell her about Sebastian. Her tone changes almost entirely. She asks every question possible about my mate and his son. I can''t tell her much about the situation with Jake''s mother, because I only know what little he has told me. I know that we have to have a longer conversation about it at some point, but I literally just found out we were mates. We both need some time before we broach that subject. After asking for every specific detail about Sebastian, my mum moves on to grilling me about when I''m going to bring him and his son home so that they can meet them. Her excitement and enthusiasm are infectious. I can''t wait for them to meet my family, either. I''m exhausted by the time I get off the phone with my mum. We spent over an hour talking and now, my social meter has run out. I spend the night in the clinic. The Alpha makes up one of the beds near me and stays with me. I manage to get him to return home to have dinner with Jake, but then he drops his son with his parents and returns to me. I try to insist that he go home, but he refuses to leave. I feel bad that I''ve taken him from his son, but I''m grateful that he stays with me. ????????????? In the morning, I am discharged from the clinic by the doctors. My ribs are fully healed, and the bruises have faded on my skin. Sebastian takes me back to his house and shows me around. I have breakfast with him and Jake. Afterward, Jake is allowed to meet up with his friends and the Alpha gives me a tour of his pack. I''ve only been here once before, for my registration, so it''s nice to get a proper tour of the territory. ''This is all yours now, too,'' Sebastian tells me, squeezing my hand. I blush at the notion and then think of something. ''I still get to keep my job, right'' Some Lunas give up their day jobs to be a Luna full¡ªtime. I don''t think I will be like that. I don''t mind assisting Sebastian in his role, but teaching is my passion, and I don''t want to give it up. My mate smiles at me. ''Of course. The school tells me that you''ve settled in really well.'' ''I love it at the academy,'' I tell him honestly. ''It''s the best job I''ve ever had.'' ''That''s good,'' he responds. ''But I hear that teaching my son is a bit of a hard task.'' I frown and try to think of the right thing to say. ''Teaching him isn''t hard, it''s getting him to focus. I know he doesn''t rate science very highly. But, honestly, since this whole kidnapping thing, I think we''vee a long way since he called me a bitch.'' Sebastian grimaces. ''I am sorry about that.'' ''Sorry that he called me it or sorry that you canceled his detention and tried to ask me out over the phone'' I ask teasingly. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The tips of the Alpha''s ears turn pink with embarrassment, making meugh. ''Both, to be honest,'' he admits guiltily. He stops walking and turns to face me. He gets this mischievous, seductive glint in his eyes and I look at him curiously, wondering what he is thinking about. ''I can''t believe that we actually met before all of this. When you brought me towels.'' My face heats up as I think back to that moment from a few days ago. ''I''m really sorry,'' I tell him hurriedly. ''I never intended to peek or try and look at you. I really was just bringing you towels.'' Sebastian smirks and brushes my hair back from my face. ''It''s okay, mate. I know you got quite an eyeful.'' My cheeks turn even pinker, and I break eye contact to look down at our feet. He gently ces his hand under my chin and makes me lift my gaze. ''You saw me, but you didn''t look away,'' he murmurs huskily. ''At least, not straight away.'' I bite down on my bottom lip and his heated gaze drops to my mouth. He wants to kiss me. I want to kiss him. He must read the silent plea in my eyes, because he leans forwards and seals his lips over mine. I press my lips back against his eagerly, leaning into his body. In the middle of the pathway, we kiss. I lift up on my tiptoes to be able to kiss him harder. Sebastian responds in kind, moving his lips confidently over mine. The kiss sparks excitement and desire inside me. When we pull away, my lips feel swollen, and my breathing is shallow. If there was any doubt in my mind that I want my mate, it has definitely gone now. I look up at him and see the desire that I am feeling reflected in his eyes. He clears his throat, takes my hand and starts walking again. I nce around self¡ªconsciously, but luckily, no one is around to catch me making out with their Alpha. ''I know this is rather early,'' I tell him. ''But my parents would like to meet you. They are on Alpha Damien''s territory.'' Sebastian nods, smiling widely at me. ''I have a good rtionship with him, he shouldn''t mind me visiting. I would love to meet your family.'' ''Great! Obviously not straight away, but do you think Jake would be up to it It must be weird for him.'' My mate shrugs. ''He''s a good kid, I think he wants me to have someone. He''s mentioned before that he hopes I meet my mate. I think it''s been just the two of us for so long, that he kinda wants a female influence in his life.'' That makes my heart warm. Jake Lockwood and I might not have had the best rtionship in the past, but I''m really hoping thest few days change things and we can move forwards. I feel nervous as hell, but when Sebastian goes to collect Jake from his parent''s house, I go with him. He introduces me to his parents. My nerves fade the moment they both hug me. They''re weing and lovely. I''m relieved that they are just as excited about us meeting as my mum was on the phone. It will make my mum look less crazy if my mate''s parents are a little over¡ªexcited, too. Sebastian is reluctant for me to stay in my t by myself. After the ordeal that I have been through the I feel safe around him and I haven''t felt that during the recent events. It''s not as weird as I thought it might be, sitting and having dinner with Jake and his dad. Jake seems perfectly chilled about it. He doesn''t speak much, mostly focusing on shoveling food into his mouth, but he doesn''t call me a bitch either, so that''s a plus. There might be hope for Jake Lockwood and me yet. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 13 Book 4 Chapter 13 India''s POV. Staying overnight at Sebastian''s house turns from one night¡­to two¡­to three. On the fourth day, I realize that I don''t want to go home. I''m happy here, with him and Jake. On Monday, Sebastian gets Jake to sit down with us and he asks how he would feel if I moved in permanently. He just shrugs and says that he assumed that I already would be moving in. Filled with relief, I hug him, surprising both of us. He awkwardly pats my back and then asks if he can go to his room now. He leaves the room and Sebastian grins at me. ''You''re moving in,'' he states happily. Later on in the day, he drives me back to my t and helps me load my things to take back to his. Fortunately, I had barely started unpacking from moving into this t a couple of weeks ago. I''ve been so swamped with schoolwork that I haven''t had time to unpack and make the ce my own. Considering what a shithole my apartment is, Sebastian''s mansion is aplete upgrade. He gives me my own bedroom to start with, iming that he respects me and understands that I might want my space. I want to argue with him and say that I will share his room, but, once I get to see the beautiful guest room, I decide to let him have his way. It''s gorgeous. It''s probably best that I have my own room for a while at first, whilst Jake adjusts to his teacher living in the same house as him. It''s perfectly normal for shifters to move in with their mates straight away, so that''s not a worry for us. In fact, it is healthier for us if we spend a lot of time together before we''vepleted the mating process. I talk with Jake and Sebastianter in the week and we decide that, as long as Jake''s happy, he can stay in my lessons. If he feels ufortable at all, he can be moved so that I don''t teach him. ????????????? It''s a Thursday night and Sebastian and I are lying on the sofa together. Jake randomly decided he would stay at a friend''s house tonight and he had a knowing look on his face when he left. Something tells me it was his way of trying to give us some alone time, I appreciate that. It''s pretty considerate of a thirteen¡ªyear¡ªold boy. ''I''m so pleased that you and Jake get on,'' Sebastian states. My head isid on his chest, I lift it up so that I can look at him. ''So am I, especially after our rocky start this year.'' Sebastian sighs and leans back against the sofa. ''After the disaster that was his mother at parenting, I really hoped that. when I met my mate, she would get on with my son. To find out that you''re his teacher and you care about him so much already, it''s a wonderful relief for me, you don''t understand.'' I smile at his words, but there is something I want to ask. ''How old were you when you had Jake'' He smiles sadly. ''You''re probably wondering why I didn''t wait to find you,'' he says, and I shrug. He sits up so that we can talk properly. I mirror his movements and we face each other on the sofa. ''Hunters were a real problem when I took over the pack,'' Sebastian starts and runs his hand through his inky¡ªck locks. ''They were attacking all of the time; they were out of control. I inherited the pack at eighteen, after my parents were both severely injured when returning from a visit to another pack. They needed to recover, not lead. ''I realized pretty quickly that something needed to be done, but I knew I was going to risk my life fighting these hunters, I needed an heir and fast. A rogue entered our territory, she was feisty and beautiful, but she was obsessed with running free.'' He shakes his head in disbelief. ''I couldn''t believe how obsessed she was with going wherever she wanted, nomitments. She told me she had rejected her mate; she didn''t want any ties or responsibilities. She had attacked my patrol when she crossed the border, and I had her imprisoned. ''She tried to bargain her freedom. Somehow, she knew what I needed, so she offered it to me. I''m not proud of the deal I made, but I was desperate for an heir, and I was eighteen. After she got pregnant, she wouldn''t talk to me much.'' He grimaces, obviously worrying that he is hurting my feelings. ''For the sake of our son, I tried to form some sort of rtionship between us, even just a tonic one. She had Jake and stayed around long enough to nurse him. When she weaned him and he could feed without her, she left.'' I watch as his green eyes lose their light. He looks so sorrowful as he talks, my heart clenches in sympathy. I reach over and slip my hand into his. I squeeze it gently and he squeezes it back. ''I really didn''t think she would leave, but she did. I was twenty, with a one¡ªyear¡ªold and a ton of hunters to fight. I still can''t believe it, but we managed to eradicate the hunters in this area. My pack was crucial in helping me fight them off and raise my son at the same time. I knew I''d meet my mate All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. one day and I just hoped she could forgive me for making a choice I never wanted to make.'' I smile at him and kiss his cheek. ''She forgives you,'' I reply softly, and he chuckles. He picks me up and I settle myself in hisp. I wrap my arms around his neck, my legs on either side of his. ''You know, my parents have suggested that we go and visit them this weekend. What do you think'' I ask him. Seb nods. ''Sounds good to me. I''ll give Jake the choice. Don''t be offended, he''ll probably say no and stay with his grandparents.'' ''That''s alright, I understand that he needs time. My family would just be strangers to him.'' ''Not for long, hopefully.'' ????????????? On a Friday evening, Sebastian and I drive to Alpha Damien''s pack. As expected, Jake declined to visit with us. I know my parents will be disappointed, they wanted to meet their adoptive grandson, but they''ll understand. This is a lot for him to process and ept, we need to give him time. It''s night¡ªtime when we arrive at my childhood home. My parentse out as we''re getting our bags from the car. My mum, often mistaken for my sister by humans, still looks the same as she did when I was born. The benefits of being supernatural. Her auburn red hair is tied up in a messy bun and she''s clinging onto my dad''s arm excitedly. He looks down lovingly at his mate and kisses her forehead. ''Mum, Dad,'' I greet them, giving them a quick hug each. ''This is my mate, Alpha Sebastian.'' ''Sebastian, this is my mum and dad; Grace and Axel.'' My mum barely gives my mate any time to react. She grabs him and pulls him into a tight hug. ''It''s so great to meet you, Sebastian!'' She cries happily. ''Please, call me Grace or Mum, I don''t mind.'' My dad eyes my mate up and down and is obviously impressed by what he sees. He gives him a firm nod and then holds out his hand. My mate nods back and shakes my father''s hand. With introductions out of the way, we go inside. ''Your brother was just on the phone; he should be down¡ª oh! Here he is,'' Mum says as we enter the house. Rian, my older brother,es down the stairs and gives me a lop¡ªsided grin. He pulls me into a rough hug, making me grunt. ''Little sis! How are you'' I push off his chest, making him let go of me. I scowl at him and pat my hair down. ''Rian, this is my mate, Sebastian,'' I introduce him. I point at Rian with my thumb. ''This is my idiot brother.'' ''She means incredibly handsome, genius and all¡ªroundedian brother, actually,'' Rian says jovially and shakes Sebastian''s hand. I can''t wait until he finds his mate and someone else has to put up with his annoying ass. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 14 Book 4 Chapter 14 ''I know I tease you a lot, sis,'' Rian says. ''But honestly, it''s so great to see you this happy.'' The two of us are up the earliest on Sunday morning. Our parents are still in bed, and I left Sebastian snoring softly on his back. I loved having him in my old bedst night. It was the first time that Sebastian and I have shared a bed together. I had such a good night''s sleep; I will definitely ask him if I can move into his room when we get home. ''Thanks, Ri,'' I reply as I''m setting the table. I step back and admire the table settings that I''veid out. ''It''s been a while since we''ve made the table, hasn''t it'' Rian nods. ''A long while. You need toe see my t soon, I think you''d be impressed.'' ''Oh, yeah You managed to keep it clean'' My brother snorts. ''Of course! It was so expensive that I never let it get messy.'' ''Makes a change from your old bedroom, then,'' Iment dryly. He rolls his eyes but nods in agreement. ''Yeah, I guess. But I''ve decorated it real nice, you know, for when I meet my mate.'' ''I can''t wait for you to find her,'' I tell him. I avoid the usual response of; you''ll meet her soon. I hate that. I''ve been told that for years. It''s not what you want to hear. By the time the rest of the household is up, Ri and I have finished cooking breakfast and serve everything up as a buffet. My matees down and kisses me good morning. We te up our food and sit together at the table. There are a few discussions about when we will next visit and how, next time, we will see Rian''s t, too. We leave after lunch in the afternoon. Jake chooses to stay over at his friend''s house for a sleepover. Sebastian doesn''t mind because it gives us some alone time. In the evening, we cuddle on the sofa. ''I still think about you in that shower,'' I mumble, my cheeks burning at the memory. He chuckles and kisses my neck. ''Yeah Do you want another look A closer one this time'' I bite down on my bottom lip and roll over to face him. I nod in answer to his question. ''I don''t like sleeping around, so I have to handle my needs myself,'' he exins. ''It was just a bit of a surprise to have my mate catch me in the act.'' His words please me greatly. ''d to hear it,'' I tell him. I sit up and straddle hisp on the sofa. Feeling bold, I reach for the bottom of his t¡ªshirt and tug it gently. He gets the hint and helps me slip it off, over his head. I discard it on the floor behind us. His jade eyes darken to forest green when I remove my jumper, leaving my breasts in his face. ''You''ve met your mate now, I''d be happy to help you take care of your needs,'' I whisper, in a voice that I hope is seductive. He groans and leans his head back against the sofa. ''Fuck, you''re incredible, little mate,'' he says huskily. I smirk at him. He''s not seen anything yet. I slide from hisp onto the floor. He watches me with hooded eyes as I kneel between his legs and unbuckle his jeans. I unzip them and he lifts his hips, helping me slide them off his legs. I do the same with his boxers, until he''s sitting naked on his sofa. His cock looks just how I remember it, even if I only saw it from afar the first time. It''s huge and angry looking, my mouth waters at the sight. My eyes nce up to meet his. His eyes are wide with anticipation and excitement. I think he likes me kneeling between his legs. I ce my hands on his thighs and gently scrape my nails down them, drawing a shiver from him. I wrap my right hand around the base of his dick and pump twice. A pearly drop of pre¡ªcum oozes from the tip, I lean forwards and swipe my tongue across the head to taste it. I almost moan at the explosive taste, it''s tangy and delicious. I maintain eye¡ªcontact as I wrap my lips around the head of his cock. I suck on it and swirl my tongue around it, getting it wet. Then I slip it from my mouth and rub the head across my lips, spreading out my saliva so my lips are wet. This time, when I wake him into my mouth again, I slide my lips down his full length. His cock hits the back of my throat, I rx it and take him deeper, until I''ve taken it all. He groans and throws his head back. ''India, that''s so good,'' he moans, and I love hearing my nickname from his lips. I very gently graze my teeth over his cock as I slide up it. I protect him from my teeth with my lips on the way back down. His hands bury themselves in my hair as I begin bobbing up and down on him, sucking hard. My cheeks are hollow and my lips form a suction around his shaft. He thrusts his hips, pushing his cock into my mouth at his pace. I take it all, until my nose runs, and tears roll down my cheeks. ''Baby, you gotta stop, you''re gonna make mee otherwise,'' he says huskily, his voice thick with desire. He grabs me under my armpits and pulls me up onto the sofa. He guides me toy down on my back across the seats. Hisrge hands grip my thighs and push them open. He settles between them and blows gently on my exposed pussy. ''It''s been a long time since anyone has touched me baby, I want you to know that,'' he whispers as he strokes my pussy lips up and down, ''I only want you; you are my one and only.'' He presses a thick finger inside of me and I know he can tell how long it has been for me, from how tight I am. ''It''s been a while for me, too,'' I mumble back, and he chuckles. ''I can tell,'' hements and adds another finger, stretching me. I throw my head back as he pumps his fingers and swirls my clit with the tip of his very skilled tongue. ''Goddess, you taste incredible,'' he rasps against my pussy. His words only turn me on more. He fingers and licks me until he draws an orgasm from me. I gush against his face and clench down on his fingers as I reach a high, I didn''t know was possible. In myedown, I realize he''s sat me up and is now cing me on hisp. He holds his dick up, rubbing it along my pussy, to get it wet. I hold myself up with my thighs and ce my hands on his shoulders for support. I line myself up with him and I feel his head at my entrance. I look up and we make eye contact. We remain eye¡ªlocked as I sink down onto him. We moan together at the feel of us bing one. His strong hands grasp my hips, his fingertips dig into my flesh. I use my thigh muscles to lift myself off his dick and slide back down it, slowly riding him. His head falls back against the sofa as I set the pace. Gradually, I increase the pace, working my thighs as I ride him. His fingers dig in harder and little grunts escape his soft lips. Unable to resist, I lean forwards and kiss him. He moves his hands up to my hair and holds me in ce whilst he fucks my mouth with his tongue. My hips are still as he takes over, thrusting upwards, into me. I moan into his mouth as my orgasm starts to form. My pussy clenches around him and he groans back. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. We pull back and rest our foreheads together, panting heavily. I roll my hips and whimper as I start to ''Baby, I''m going toe,'' Sebastian groans and begins pistoning his hips up into me. I throw my head back and moan as my orgasm overwhelms me. Sebastian''s thrusts slow and then stop as he releases himself inside me. We slowlye down together, holding each other tightly. He''s still inside me as Iy my head on his chest. ''How about we take a shower Together, this time,'' he suggests, and I chuckle. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 15 Book 4 Chapter 15 India''s POV. Fast forward a week and things have be even better with Jake. He isn''t a star student in my lessons, but he isn''t getting himself kicked out, either. He doesn''t try and throw things or swear at me. He sits sullenly and does the work. I treat him like I would any other student and don''t embarrass him by letting the world know I''m fucking his dad. Family wise, things are mostly good. But I''m a bit worried about my twin cousins; Phoebe and Paige. They are Auntie Noelle and Uncle Xaden''s daughters. They''ve been arguing a lot recently. Phoebe recently split from an Alpha who kind of controlled everything she did. I know she''s been in bad headspace about it. I really need to call her. Things are perfect at home. Sebastian encouraged me to add my own touches to the house and gave me free rein to redecorate our bedroom. I went a bit nuts and he drew the line after I put the fifth throw pillow. Rian finds our silly bickering about throw pillows hrious. I can''t wait until he finds his mate and he suddenly understands exactly what I''m talking about. ????????????? Rian''s POV. ''I''ll call youter on, okay I''m driving,'' I reply loudly enough that my phone can pick up my reply. It''s sat in the hands¡ªfree holder. ''Okay, darling. Just remember you''reing round for dinner tomorrow, you promised.'' I roll my eyes and shift gears. ''Yeah, Mum, I remember.'' ''Good. Speak to youter, Ri.'' ''Bye, Mum.'' I end the call and turn my full attention back to the road. I curse under my breath and m my foot down on my brake as a blue Corsaes flying around the corner. There''s the horrible sound of metal crunching against metal. The front of my car ms into hers and I screech to a stop. I''m jolted backward in my chair, the seatbelt winding me. As the seconds pass, my brain catches up to the fender¡ªbender I''ve just had. I manage to get my mind in gear again. I turn off the car''s engine and unbuckle my seatbelt. I open my door and step out, tentatively feeling my body. No damage, I''m okay, just a bit shaken. The blue Corsa is crumpled at the front, but the damage looks superficial. I rush over to the driver''s side of the blue car and knock on the window. A beautiful woman is behind the wheel, her hands shaking on herp. I open the car door and she flinches. ''Miss Are you alright'' I ask gently. She looks up at me with wide green eyes and nods. ''Yes. Yes, I''m okay. Gosh, I''m so sorry. Are you alright'' She asks hurriedly and gets out of the car. I scan my eyes over her body, trying to ignore her luscious curves and focus on looking at her body in a purely medical mindset. She doesn''t appear injured, thank Goddess. ''I''m fine. Are you sure that you''re not hurt'' She shakes her head. ''Yes. I''m sorry, my tire burst back there, and I lost control of my car.'' I''m trying to concentrate on what she is saying, but it is hard to focus right now. My entire body is drawn to hers. My hands are in fists at my sides to stop myself from reaching out to touch her. My heart is beating a mile a minute in my chest, and it is nothing to do with the adrenaline from the car crash. It is everything to do with the fact that the ck¡ªhaired beauty who has hit my car¡­is my mate. She stops talking and stares at me. At first, she looks wary and vaguely concerned by my staring. A breeze hits me and travels downwind to her. She catches my scent, and her reaction is instantaneous. Her eyes widen and her pupils dte. She straightens her shoulders, tensing up, and her full lips part in surprise. ''What''s your name'' I ask her, still studying her face. She''s so beautiful. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ''Adriana,'' she replies softly. ''What''s yours'' ''Rian.'' There''s this short moment of silence, where we just stare into each other''s eyes. Her car makes a hissing noise, making us both jump. ''I guess I should call for services,'' she says, gesturing at her steaming car. ''Let me,'' I tell her. I retrieve my phone from my car and unlock it. I pull up the number of my breakdown and car insurance It''ste on a Sunday afternoon and oddly, they''re having a busy day. Seeing as we''re not in any danger and the cars are only superficially damaged, it will be two hours before they can get out to us. I tell Adriana and she grimaces. We discuss the idea of getting picked up by family members, but we''re both reluctant to leave our cars. Two hours isn''t that long to wait. She turns to the cars and gestures at them. ''We should try and move them off the road. We''re blocking it,'' she says. We both get back into our vehicles and attempt to start our engines. I''m relieved when mine turns on without a hitch. Adriana''s does, too. I reverse backward and pull over on the grass verge bordering the road. Adriana pulls up behind me. I cut the engine and climb out. I walk over to where the debris is and pick up therge pieces that might damage someone else''s car if they drive past. It''s unlikely, though. I use this road as a shortcut home from work, I rarely see other cars on it. Adriana helps me and we put the pieces in my trunk for me to dispose ofter. ''So, I guess we have some time to get to know each other, then,'' shements warmly. ''Do you want to sit in my car'' I ept her offer and get into the passenger seat. The vehicle smells of sweet citruses, like blood oranges. It smells just like her. I''m addicted to her scent already. We sit in her car and talk for almost an hour. I tell her about my life, my job, my family. I find out that she is awyer that lives in a city about an hour away from here. She was visiting a client and was on her way home. She has two brothers and two sisters. Her family still lives on the same pack territory that she grew up on. She is the youngest of her siblings and thest to find her mate. I''m relieved to find out that she is a shifter. I''ve heard all about the lengths my dad, Axel, had to go to, to woo my mum, Grace. She knew nothing of our kind, and he had to be careful around her. Luckily, I won''t have to keep any secrets from Adriana. I consider calling my parents and telling them about the ident and finding my mate, but my mum will probably make me put Adriana on the phone. She''s already been so overly excited since India found her mate; I don''t want to set her off again. Adriana checks her watch and then looks coyly at me. ''We still have over an hour. Do you want to get to know each other a little better in the back of my car'' The sultry tone of her voice paired with her sexy smirk and lust¡ªfilled eyes sends me crazy. My cock is instantly hard in my jeans. ''Are you sure'' I ask her. She rolls her eyes and grins at me. ''Of course. You''re my mate. Do you have any idea how long I''ve waited to meet you'' She retorts emphatically. ''Twelve years. Since I turned sixteen.'' She leans forward over the console. Her eyes drop to my lips and then back up to my eyes again. ''Twelve years is a long time, Rian.'' I smirk back at her. ''Yes, it is.'' ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 16 Book 4 Chapter 16 Rian''s POV. I open the door and get into the back of the car at lightning speed. Adriana chuckles and follows after me. She climbs into the back seat and shuffles over to me. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. We meet in the middle, our lips sealing over one another. Her hands fist my t¡ªshirt, bunching the material and giving her a good grip. She holds me close to her. I tentatively ce my hands on her trim waist. I slide them up, over her arms and shoulders to her neck. One hand grips the back of her neck whilst the other find the clip in her ck hair. I unclip it and let it fall to the floor. Her hair, now free of any restraints, falls in waves to her shoulders. I run my hands through it, marveling at its silky softness. I tug gently on the strands and Adriana moans against my mouth. Her wet tongue swipes over my bottom lip and I take that as an encouragement to deepen the kiss. I push my tongue past her lips and into her mouth. She moans again, vibrating my tongue. The noise goes straight to my crotch. I can feel my cock straining against my jeans, begging to be released. As if Adriana knows the internal struggle that I am going through, she releases my shirt and her hand her hand through my jeans. She squeezes my cock over the fabric, and I let out a grunt in response. My heart rate spikes again as she starts to unbuckle my jeans. Our tongues continue caressing one another. I slide my hands back down her body, to her breasts. She''s wearing a silk blouse. I can feel herce bra under the top. I work on undoing the buttons, my fingers stumble when she reaches her hand into my boxers. Her hand wraps around my cock and her bare skin touching mine is incredible. I sit back and let her have better ess to me. We break the kiss and I undo her blouse. Adriana doesn''t shrug out of it but leaves it open. My eyes widen as she unhooks her bra from the front. The two cups hang from her body, leaving her breasts exposed to me. Her nipples are hard, small and round. They''re a soft rosy pink and I want them in my mouth. I lean down and suck the left one into my mouth. Adriana moans and pushes her breast further into my face. I graze my teeth over her nipple and suck harder. I cup her breasts with my hands, feeling the weight of them. I massage them whilst alternating between sucking on her nipples. She lets me have my fun for a while, worshipping her breasts. Eventually, she grabs my face and pulls it upwards. Her lips find mine and we kiss heatedly. This time, her tongue pushes into my mouth. She pulls my cock free of my boxers and jeans. I shuck them down a little, giving her more ess. Her tongue caresses mine whilst her hand strokes my cock. Her thumb strokes the head of my cock. She spreads the pre¡ªcum over it and a shiver runs down my spine. She moves my foreskin up and down, pumping her hand around my cock. Breaking the kiss, Adriana sits back and reaches under her skirt. My mouth suddenly feels dry, and I lick my lips, watching her as she removes her underwear. Thecy pink thong draws my attention immediately. She drops it to the floor and then turns to me with azy grin. She lifts her thigh and I know she wants to straddle me, but I haven''t tasted her properly yet. I gently take her shoulders and push her back. I get her to lie down on the backseat and spread her legs for me. I look out of the window. There is no one around, we''re alone. I push skirt up her thighs. My breath catches in my throat as I catch sight of her glistening pussy. So pink and wet. So ready for me. I can''t wait any longer, I lean down and bury my face between her legs. I swipe my tongue from her entrance to her clit, tasting the sweet juices on her lower lips. I moan against her pussy as my taste buds explode. She tastes incredible. Ip up every drop and decide that I want more. I focus on her clit, flicking it back and forth with the tip of my tongue. I want her toe, and I want more of her juices. Adriana moans and bucks against my face. I ce my hands on her hips, holding her steady as I pleasure her. She trembles under my hands, whimpering loudly. She tenses up and I know she is close. I speed up, flicking my tongue as fast as I can. Her hands find their way to my hair. She pulls on it, sending a shudder through me. ''Rian!'' She cries out my name as her back arches off of the seat. Her orgasm rushes through her. She shakes under me, moaning uncontrobly. A rush of juices hits my tongue and Ip them up eagerly. She tastes so sharine. I pull back and kiss her inner thighs. I give her a few minutes to get her breath back. Sheys down properly on the seat again and releases her death¡ªgrip on my hair. I''m nowhere near done with her. When she has recovered, I ce my mouth back over her pussy and lick her again. I coax another two orgasms from her quaking body. She''s moaning, mumbling mess when I''m done. I sit up and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. My mate has this sexy, lust¡ªfilled look in her eyes. She grabs the back of my neck and kisses me. She pushes her tongue into my mouth, tasting herself on me. She straddles myp, holding my shoulders for support. Together, we line me up with the entrance. Slowly, she lowers herself onto my cock. The head of my cock enters her, and I inhale sharply. She''s so hot and tight. She''s soaked from her orgasms, and it is easy for her to slide down. She takes me all the way and I feel myself filling herpletely. I put my hands on her hips and help her start to ride me. There isn''t much space in the back of the car, but we make it work. I help her lift and lower herself on and off my cock. She feels so good, sliding me in and out of her wet heat. I groan and rest my head back on the seat. Her sexy moans and pants are turning me on. She rides me like she was made to do it, bringing us both towards our climaxes. ''Fuck,'' she moans. ''I''m going toe again.'' ''So am I,'' I bite out the words. I grit my teeth and try tost longer. I don''t want this to end. Her tight pussy bes even tighter around me as she clenches. Her orgasm hits her and I''m powerless to stop mine. I thrust my hips upwards, filling her with my cock. I grunt her name and bury my face in her neck. The temptation to mark her is overwhelming, but I haven''t asked for her permission. My gums and teeth ache with the need to stake my im, but I resist. I can feel Adriana''s lips on my neck, but she manages to hold herself back as well. Our heavy breathing fills the car. We stay in each other''s arms, unmoving. I don''t ever want to let go. In the space of an hour, this woman has be the most important thing in the world to me. A knock on the door makes me jump and Adriana scream. Our heads snap over to the window, where the breakdown guy is stood with an amused smirk on his face. ''I''ll give you two a minute, but I need to check your car,'' he says and turns his back to us. ''Oh, my Goddess,'' Adriana mutters. She buries her face in my neck. ''This is so embarrassing.'' I chuckle and rub her back. ''And I''m still inside of you.'' ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 17 Book 4 Chapter 17 Rian''s POV. After we manage to get dressed and sort ourselves out, we climb out of the car and let the breakdown guy check out the damage. He takes some notes, checks Adriana''s engine and lets us go. I refuse to let Adriana drive almost an hour back home and insist on her staying with me. She drives close behind me, following me back to my t. Once there, I give her a change of clothes ¡ªmy clothes¡ª and set about making dinner for us. During the meal, I invite her to the family dinner tomorrow. I want my parents to meet her and no doubt, they will be buzzing to meet her. Later on in the evening, she gets into bed next to me. We talk and cuddle some more, discussing what will happen. ''It''s your choice, honestly, but I''m happy for you to move in here,'' I tell her. She chews on her bottom lip, considering it. ''I don''t really like my apartment. I''ve been looking for somewhere new¡­'' ''Perfect. That settles it, then.'' We talk some more about her moving in and after, afortable silence settles between us. Iy on my back,zily drawing patterns on her bare arm as we cuddle. ''I wanted to mark you earlier,'' Iment to her casually. She looks up and smiles at me. ''So, did I. Could you tell by the way I was kissing your neck'' I chuckle and peck her forehead. ''Yes, I was doing it, too.'' ''You know, you can mark me. If you were waiting for permission, here it is.'' I can''t help but smile at that. ''Well, you can mark me, too.'' My sexy mate grins and sits up. She straddles my waist and runs her hands down my chest seductively. She leans down, giving me a great view of her breasts as the cor of her shirt hangs down and shes me. ''You could mark me now¡­if you want'' She says coyly. She batters her eyshes and that''s all it takes for my control to snap. I grab a fistful of her hair and drag her head down to me. My lipsnd on hers and I kiss her with enthusiasm. She moans and kisses me back, moving her lips over mine. The kiss turns heated quickly. She grinds against me, dragging her nails down my bare chest. I tighten my grip on her hair and squeeze one of her breasts through my t¡ªshirt that she is wearing. I want nothing more than to rip it off her, so that is what I do. The sound of fabric tearing makes my mate jump. The cool air hits her skin and her nipples pebble instantly. She brushes the scraps of material free from her arms and then lunges herself at me. Completely naked, she straddles me. Her hot core is pressing down on my boxers and making me wish I wasn''t wearing them. I hook my thumbs in the waistband and shove them down. Adriana lifts up, helping me to get them off. With no barriers between us, her wet pussy presses against my erection,ying on my stomach. She runs herbia up and down it. I swallow hard as I look at my cock, glistening with her juices. If that isn''t the hottest thing¡­ Adriana lifts up, grasps my cock and then sinks back down it. My fingers bite into her hips as she takes me into her body. I want to fill her faster. I try to thrust upwards, but she lifts up with a chuckle. She forces us to go at her pace. I grit my teeth as she gradually lowers herself, taking my cock inch by inch. It''s sweet torture. She''s so hot, so tight. It''s fucking heaven. Finally, she takes me fully. Iy back and savor the feeling. My eyes snap open when she begins to ride me. Supporting herself with her hands on my chest, she raises up and lowers down on my cock. It slides in and out of her easily. I let her have her fun for a while, I let her think that she''s in control. When she starts to clench around me, letting me know that she is close, I take the opportunity to flip us both. My mate lets out a squeak of surprise when her back hits the mattress. Still inside her, I pound into her R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only before her brain has caught up. She stares up at me with wide eyes and parted lips. Her breasts shake on her chest, bouncing with each thrust and keeping me entranced. I want her toe, so I reach down and rub her clit with my thumb. The little bundle of nerves is slippery with her wetness and slides easily beneath my touch. Adriana whimpers and presses her nails into my shoulders. ''Rian,'' she gasps my name. ''I''m going to¡ªah!'' She mps down around me as her orgasm hits. I get to watch the euphoria wash over her face. I lean forwards and bite her neck, marking her as mine. It''s too much for me. I reach my own climax, grunting as I thrust inside her. She takes everything I give her, all whilst moaning my name and holding me tight. Adriana grabs the back of my neck and pulls me down within reach. She sinks her teeth into my neck and marks me as hers. ????????????? The next evening, I bring Adriana around to my parents'' house. Our parents answer the door with matching grins on their faces. It''s adorable to see them so excited. ''Come on in,'' Mum says, ushering Adriana inside. Once she has enough space in the hallway to do so, she pulls Adriana into a hug. ''It''s so great to meet you. I''m Grace and this is my mate, Axel.'' Adriana introduces herself. She''s less shy than I was worried she would be, but I think my mum has quite a rxing effect on people. Everyone knows that Grace Archer is a sweetheart. I''ve been told my whole life how lucky I am to have such great parents. I don''t need to be told, though, I know it. Once everyone has been introduced, Dad fetches the drinks and Mum takes us through to the lounge. She pulls Adriana next to her and immediately starts getting to know her. I watch with amusement from the opposite sofa, ready to jump in should my mate need saving. She actually is handling herself very well. She rxes back into the sofa and chats away to my mum. Dades back with the drinks and takes a seat next to me. He taps his beer on mine and we both take a swig. ''So, you met because of a fender¡ªbender, huh'' He says conversationally. I smirk and nod. ''Yeah. What are the chances'' He lifts one shoulder in a half¡ªshrug. ''I think if you were to ever doubt that the Moon Goddess exists, situations like yours prove that She does. She obviously orchestrated fate for you two to meet like that.'' I nod in agreement. ''You''re right.'' ''Have you spoken to your cousinstely'' Dad asks. I shake my head. I haven''t spoken to Paige or Phoebe in a few months. We usually keep in contact because we''re quite a close¡ªknit family, and we''re all around the same age. ''I haven''t, no. Why Are they okay'' Dad grimaces. ''It''s a nasty business, Phoebe''s breakup with Alpha Harrison. He''s an ass.'' I remember hearing about my cousin dating an asshole Alpha nearby. ''I''m d they''ve broken up.'' ''So am I. But Noelle and Xaden are trying to get Phoebe to get counseling. They want her to talk to someone about how controlling he was. I think she''s pretty upset about it.'' ''Shit¡­I guess counseling might be a good idea.'' ''Yeah, but you know your cousin, she''s more stubborn than your Mum, and that''s saying something.'' I chuckle at thatment. ''Yeah, I guess it is.'' I look over at my mate, who is chatting away with my mum and grinning from ear to ear. This is perfect. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 18 Book 4 Chapter 18 Phoebe''s POV. I apply thest of my lip¡ªgloss and then step out of the bathroom. I''m wearing a short ck skirt and crop top. It''s summer and the evenings are still warm, and I want to show off some skin. Now that I finally can. My twin sister is waiting in the kitchen, texting on her phone. She looks up and smiles as Ie in. ''It''s a really beautiful ce you have here,'' Ipliment her apartment. ''Thank you,'' she replies with a smile. Her brows furrow slightly as she thinks of something. ''You know, you can stay over any time that you like You''re wee here whenever.'' I give her a tight smile back. She better not start this tonight, I''m not in the mood. This is the first time we''ve spent time together alone in a while. I want it to be a good night, not one filled with arguments. ''Thanks,'' I reply bluntly. ''You look great!'' Paige says, trying to lighten the mood. ''Thank you, so do you.'' We have some drinks at hers, picking safe topics to talk about. Our parents, Xaden and Noelle, are one of the topics we avoid. When we''re feeling a light buzz, we get a taxi into the city center. It''s a Saturday night and the streets are filled with people. Paige takes me to her favorite bar first. I order a cocktail and we find a table on the upstairs floor. We''re identical twins. We both have dark hair, dark skin and dark eyes. We take after our mother in our looks, which I am very thankful for. Our mother, Noelle, is stunning. Paige''s walnut¡ªcolored skin is contrasted beautifully by her orange dress. Not many people can confidently pull off orange, but my twin and I can. ''Mum and Dad stopped byst week,'' she says casually. I narrow my eyes at her. ''Don''t start.'' She shrugs, feigning innocence. ''I''m just saying that they stopped by. They asked about you.'' I roll my eyes and down thest of my drink. ''I texted herst week, I don''t know what more Mum wants.'' My twin frowns at me. ''She wants to see you, Phoebe. She misses you.'' Guilt fills me and I hate it. ''I''m getting another drink. Do you want one'' Paige shakes her head. I buy my drink and return to her, hoping that we can change the topic of conversation. Paige doesn''t mention our parents again. We continue enjoying our evening. We move on to another bar and have augh. We drink some more and dance together. It''s nice to feel so carefree after stressing for so long. After we''ve danced for a while, we sit down again to cool off. I''m sipping on my cocktail when I make eye contact with a guy across the bar. He''s human for sure, but he''s cute. He smiles at me, and I smile back. Paige catches our interaction and rolls her eyes. ''He''s human,'' shements. ''I know,'' I reply and take another sip of my drink. A few momentster, the humanes over to us. ''Hey, I''m Grant,'' he introduces himself. ''I''m sorry to disturb your evening, I promise I''ll be quick.'' I smirk at him. ''I hope not.'' He grins back at me. ''I just wanted to say that you''re gorgeous and I''d love to get your number so that I could take you out sometime.'' ''Thank you, Grant. I like your confidence. I''m Phoebe.'' I put out my hand for his phone. Grant smiles excitedly and hurriedly pulls his phone from his pocket. He unlocks it and hands it to me. I input my number and give it back. ''I hope to hear from you,'' I tell him. ''You definitely will. Have a good night,dies.'' My twin remains silent, judging me from across the table. I sigh as Grant walks away and she''s still eyeballing me. ''What'' I ask irritably. ''Go on, say it. It''s written all over your face.'' ''You have a mate,'' she says disapprovingly. ''Oh, yeah Where is he'' ''He''s a human. You shouldn''t date him, a rtionship with a human is a bad idea.'' I snort and shake my head. ''Who said anything about a rtionship It''s just a bit of fun.'' She doesn''t understand how good it feels to be able to do this, go out and get guys'' numbers.. Paige''s shoulders drop. I break eye contact, unable to handle the look of disappointment in her eyes. ''Dad regretted sleeping around,'' she states. ''You will, too.'' ''I don''t need a mate,'' I tell her. She snorts. ''That''s a stupid thing to say.'' ''Time for another drink, I think,'' I retort and get to my feet. ''I think we''ve had enough,'' Paige states, grabbing my hand. I tug my hand free from her grip. ''I want another.'' I strut over to the bar and order another two cocktails. When theye, I down one and take the other R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only back to the table. ''I know you''re going to hate me for saying this¡­'' Paige says. I scowl and roll my eyes. ''But you''re going to say it anyway.'' She grimaces. ''I want you toe over to Mum and Dad''s next weekend. We could have lunch together, or dinner, whichever works best for you.'' ''I don''t want to, Paige.'' ''Why not They''re our parents, Phoebe. You can''t avoid them forever.'' I know I can''t. But I need more time. ''They will try and make me go to therapy.'' ''Maybe you should. You need help.'' ''No, what I need is for everyone to back off and leave me be. I''m fine.'' ''You''re not fine, Pheebs.'' I re at her. ''You have no idea what I feel, Paige. Don''t sit there thinking you have any idea what I went through.'' Her eyes soften and she reaches for my hand over the table. I pull it back, out of her reach and pain shes across her face. ''I know, sis. I get that. I have no idea what you went through.'' My eyes burn with unshed tears, and I curse under my breath. This is why I don''t like seeing them, they force me to talk about it. ''Please, Paige, drop it.'' She does, for all of an hour. We move onto a club, and I get well and truly hammered. At 3 AM, Paige demands that we leave and says she is taking me home. I refuse to get in the taxi she orders and wander off. She follows me down the street. ''What has gotten into you I don''t even recognize you anymore,'' she shouts at me. I spin around and re at her. ''You know, I expected our parents not to understand, but I really thought my own twin might.'' Hurt crosses her face again. Paige stops walking and crosses her arms over her chest. ''I''m not chasing you all around the city. I''m going home, Phoebe and you need toe with me.'' ''I''ll see you soon, Paige,'' I call over my shoulder and march away from her. She calls my name, but I ignore her and keep walking. I''m too drunk to deal with this right now. She runs after me and grabs my arm, trying to drag me over to a cab that has stopped. I shove her off me and she trips in her heels. She falls to the floor. Paige and I both stare at each other, shocked by my actions. ''I''m sorry,'' I mumble. After seeing that she''s okay, I run off. I don''t know where I''m going, but I run into the trees in my heels. Luckily, they''re wedges, and I don''t sink into the leaf litter. I walk for ages. I recognize that the scent changes and I''ve crossed a border, but I don''t know the area well enough. I don''t know who owns whatnd around here. Eventually, I find a patch of grass in a small clearing. I lie down and pretty much pass out on the ground. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 19 Book 4 Chapter 19 Phoebe''s POV. ''Miss You need to wake up.'' I groan as the voice keeps repeating itself. Why won''t it shut up ''You need to get up or we will carry you.'' ''Fuck off,'' I grumble and roll over, smashing my face into the grass. I let out a groan as my upper arms are gripped firmly and I''m lifted up. I''m ced on my shaky feet and a wave of nausea washes over me. ''What the fuck'' I mumble as I open my eyes. It''s bright as fuck. It is well and truly morning. I''m still in the same clearing, but this time, there are three armed guards surrounding me. Two are holding my arms. ''You''re trespassing on Alpha Hyde''s territory.'' Fuck. ''I didn''t mean to,'' I reply and try and pull my arms free. ''Yo, let me go!'' They hold onto me firmly. ''The Alpha will decide what is done with you, we will take you to the cells. Hold out your wrists for the cuffs.'' I scowl and do as they ask. There''s three of them, one of me and I''m hangover. I don''t have a chance. They clip cold cuffs around my wrists, and I let them lead me further onto the territory. ''I''ve done nothing wrong,'' I tell them, hupping at the end of my sentence. ''Just tell your Alpha that I''m sorry and let me go.'' I''m stumbling all over the ce. I can hear the guards sighing with irritation at me, but I don''t care. They hold onto me tightly and keep me upright. It''s a busy Sunday morning and a lot of people witness my shameful ass getting frog¡ªmarched to the cells. They put me in and lock the door behind me. At least they take my handcuffs off. Still tired, I lie down on the floor and go back to sleep. Maybe, when I wake up, this will all be some horrid dream. ????????????? Oberon''s POV. ''Alpha, a rogue has been picked up at the border. They''re bringing her over now,'' my Beta, Anthony, informs me. I look up, vaguely interested. ''Her What''s she like Why do you think she was on the territory'' I ask him, putting down my pen. ''I don''t know. Apparently, she''s a bit...inebriated.'' I nce at the clock. She''s drunk at 9 AM ''Interesting. Put her in the holding cells and I''lle down when I''m finished with this,'' I reply. Anthony nods and leaves my office. Afterpleting the form, I lean back in my chair. A drunk, female rogue on my territory. You really can''t predict what will happen next when you''re Alpha. I''m rather curious as to why this female is on my territory and why she''s intoxicated so early in the morning. Maybe she never stopped drinkingst night. I get to my feet and make my way over to the cells. The guards open the doors for me, and I take the steps down. Currently, the cells are empty. Our drunken rogue is the first trespasser that we''ve had in weeks. I approach the bars and cautiously look into the cell. The rogue is lying on the floor on her side. Her ebony hair is covering most of her face, but I can see that her eyes are closed. She''s wearing a small top and an even smaller skirt, with a pair of very high heels. She''s been out partying. That''s why she''s drunk. She probably never went home. I feel vaguely irritated that she let herself get in this state. She''s so vulnerable. She''s lucky that my patrol found her. At least she can sleep off the alcohol in here. I gesture for one of the guards toe over. ''Please ask the kitchen to get a ss of water, some aspirin and a sandwich for this rogue. We need to sober her up.'' The guard nods and sets off on his task. I sigh and lean back against the wall, choosing to wait. The rogue rolls over and pushes her hair out of her face. With a groan she sits up and blinks a couple of times. I watch, with amusement, as she scowls and kicks off her killer heels. I don''t me her, they look painful. Her eyesnd on me and narrow. They''re an enchanting hazel and I find that I can''t look away. ''Where am I'' She asks. Her voice is thick, so she clears her throat. I push up off the wall and approach the bars. ''You are in the cells, on my pack territory. I am Alpha Oberon Hyde of the Hyde Forest pack.'' Her eyebrows knit together as she frowns. ''Oberon Like King of the fairies, Oberon'' My lips twitch upwards with amusement. Growing up, I''ve always had people recognize my name from A Midsummer Night''s Dream. ''Yes, like that.'' ''You''re an Alpha...that sucks.'' I don''t manage to ask what she means by that insult, because she pushes her hair back, revealing all of her beautiful face to me. She has pixie¡ªlike features, with a cute, upturned nose, covered in freckles. Her lips are pouty and full. She''s stunning. The rogue stretches her arms above her head, making my eyes drop to her breasts, pushed up in her pathetic excuse of a top. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ''What is your name'' I ask her. She cracks her neck and sighs. ''Phoebe.'' ''Like Phoebe Buffay'' I tease back and she res at me. ''I''m twice as weird and half as funny,'' she retorts. The guard returns with a tray containing her food. I take it from him and unlock the gate with my fingerprint. She stands up when I enter the cell with her. Her eyesnd on the door and I can see her mentally judging if she could make it. ''Don''t even think about it,'' Iment dryly. ''You are going to eat this.'' She scowls and sits down on the cot¡ªbed. I ce the tray next to her and finally, I inhale her scent. My whole body goes rigid as I inhale the honeysuckle smell. Mate. She tenses too, and I know she has caught my scent. ''Oh, fucking fantastic,'' she mutters under her breath. She stands up and bolts for the door. I''m too fast for her. I wrap my arms around her waist from behind and lift her in the air. She kicks her legs and scratches at my arms, trying to get free. ''Let me go, you stupid brute!'' She shouts. With one arm around her waist, I capture her wrists in my other hand. I carry her to the wall and then press her against it. Pinned between me and the wall, she stops fighting. She huffs in irritation and blows her hair out of her face. ''Let me go!'' She protests, wriggling under my grip. ''No,'' I reply firmly. ''I''m quite enjoying this position.'' She scowls and wriggles some more. What she doesn''t realize, is that she''s rubbing her delectable ass against my crotch. She freezes as she feels just how much I am enjoying this position. ''Get your wood out of my butt,'' she snaps angrily. ''I can feel it!'' I smirk. ''I should certainly hope so. He''s rather big.'' ''Ugh! Could you be any more obnoxious!'' She cries, trying to get free again. I pin her harder, until her face presses against the wall. ''Fucking brute,'' she murmurs. ''Is that any way to talk about your mate'' I ask teasingly. I won''t hide it; I''m enjoying this immensely. I''m just so happy that I''ve finally found her. ''I don''t want you as a mate!'' She yells. Now, that hurt. ''And why not'' I ask through gritted teeth. ''Because you''re an Alpha! I''ve dated one of you before. You''re fucking controlling,'' she snarls. She attempts to head butt me, but I push her face against the wall until she groans in annoyance. I purposefully brush my lips against her ear, enjoying hearing her breath catch in her throat. ''What''s wrong with a little control'' I ask, taunting her. She scowls again. ''I like my freedom, Alpha. So please, be amb and let me go.'' I chuckle at her overly polite request. ''But I''m not amb, little mate. I''m a wolf and I''d quite like to keep a hold of you. I hold onto what''s mine.'' ''I''m not yours,'' she says through gritted teeth. We''ll see about that. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 20 Book 4 Chapter 20 Oberon''s POV. She grunts in frustration, and I finally put her down. Antagonizing her isn''t going to get us anywhere. I m the gate closed before she gets out, locking us both in the cell. She crosses her arms over her chest and res at me. ''Look here, Alpha, I don''t want to be your mate.'' I shrug, trying not to show how much that hurts. ''You haven''t got a choice.'' She narrows her eyes at me. ''I could reject you.'' I feel like I''ve been kicked in the stomach. ''I wouldn''t do that if I were you,'' I advise quietly. I take a step towards her, and she takes a step back. ''If you reject me, you put yourself through a world of pain, as well as me. It will take you years to feel like yourself again and there''s no guarantee that the Moon Goddess will bless you with a second mate,'' I goad her, stepping towards her until her back hits the wall. I ce my hands on the wall on either side of her head, pinning her in. I lean in close, smirking when I hear how fast her heart is beating. ''Your body wants me, so why are you fighting it'' I question her. I hold up a strand of her hair and twirl it between my fingers. ''The Moon Goddess paired us together for a reason. She obviously thinks we''re the perfect match.'' Phoebe res stubbornly. ''She was wrong.'' I re back. ''The Moon Goddess is never wrong, and you know it.'' To use our Goddess of making a mistake is sphemous. My little mate looks embarrassed with herself for insulting our deity. ''I know,'' she admits quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor. She takes a deep breath and looks me in the eye. ''You can''t keep me locked in here forever,'' she says defiantly. ''If I''m your mate, I demand you respect my wishes and let me go.'' I smirk at her. ''No can do, little mate.'' I step back and cross my arms over my chest. ''I can''t have you hurting yourself or putting yourself in danger. I''m not letting you go by yourself. I want you to eat that food and take those pills, I will check on you in half an hour.'' I turn to leave, and she lets out a cry of anger and frustration. She hurls herself at me, jumping onto my back. The guardse running up to the cell, just as I''m trying to pry her off my back. She yanks on my hair, making me growl in pain. The guards unlock the door and pull her from me. ''Don''t hurt her!'' I snap at them as they cuff her wrists to the metal handcuffs chained to the wall. She growls and snarls at them and they both step back quickly. The three of us leave the cell and my mate pulls on her restraints, ring at me. ''I will see you in half an hour,'' I tell her calmly. My scalp is still throbbing from her yanking on my hair. That isn''t exactly how I pictured my mate pulling on my hair, if she ever did. I kind of hoped that it would be during the throes of fucking. ''You''re an asshole! You can''t lock up your own mate!'' I ignore her shouts as I walk down the corridor. It hurts me that she doesn''t want me as a mate. I don''t know what else to do. She attacked me, twice. ''Um, Alpha'' One of the guards gets my attention. ''This is what she had on her; someone keeps ringing her phone.'' I thank him and take my mate''s handbag. I carry it back to my office. As I open it, the whole thing starts vibrating with an iing phone call. I dig out the phone and swipe to take the call. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ''Phoebe! Where the fuck are you I''ve been worried sick! Why weren''t you answering your phone'' A female voice shouts angrily down the line, I grimace and pull the phone away from my ear. ''This is Alpha Hyde of Hyde Forest Pack. Phoebe was found trespassing and drunk on ournd this morning; she is currently in our holding cells. Who is this please'' It''s silent for a moment before the woman starts up again. ''Oh my gosh! Alpha, I''m so sorry. We went out drinkingst night and we got into a fight, Phoebe took off and I didn''t see her again. I''m her twin, Paige. Is she okay'' ''She''s fine. It appears that she is my mate. Although, Phoebe hasn''t taken the news too well.'' To my surprise, Paige bursts outughing. ''Oh, Alpha, I feel so sorry for you. This is hrious! We were fightingst night because Phoebe insisted that she doesn''t need a mate, how ironic that she found him the very next day!'' I chuckle awkwardly. This woman seems a little more excitable than what I''m used to. Apparently, passion runs in her family. ''If you don''t mind, I would like her to stay with me until I can make some progress with her. At the moment, she keeps trying to escape.'' Paige sighs heavily. ''Yeah, I bet she does. I feel better knowing that you''re her mate, at least I know that she is in good hands. Has she told you why she hates Alphas'' I frown at that statement. ''She dated a controlling Alpha before, apparently'' ''Yeah. We were part of the Lothian pack, she dated the Alpha, Harrison, for about a year. It ended badly. Phoebe and I have a lot of guy friends and he forbade her from seeing them, he tried to control where she went, what she wore. We left his pack after they broke up a few months ago and we haven''t joined another one since.'' I grip the phone tightly and then quickly release it, worried I might break it. I can''t believe Harrison treated her like that. I''ve known him for years, but we''re not friends, merely allies. ''Is there anything I can do to make her warm up to me'' I ask pathetically. ''She''s in denial that she needs a mate. I can only rmend that you show her that deep down, she does want you. And try not to be too controlling, it''s a trigger for her anger and she can be right firecracker when she loses her temper.'' ''Don''t I know it. I''ve got a bald patch thanks to her,'' I joke and Paigeughs. ''Oh, Alpha, I am sorry. I cane and talk to her if you want Shall Ie round'' I''m so d that Paige is supportive of our bond, even if Phoebe isn''t. ''Honestly, at this point, I''ll take all the help that I can get. Do you know where our main entrance is'' ''No, can you send it to me Look, I cane after I finish my shift. I can''t get time off, I''m afraid, I''m a nurse. I finish at 6 PM.'' I jot down Paige''s number and send her directions to get to the pack. With renewed hope, I wait another twenty minutes before checking on my mate. Phoebe has eaten all of the food when I return to the cell. I''m carrying a towel, a bag of toiletries and one of my t¡ªshirts. ''I''ve brought you these, I thought you might want to freshen up,'' I tell her. She looks at the things in my hands and stands up. ''How am I going to do that'' She asks me. ''I will let you use one of the bathrooms in the pack house. One with no windows.'' She res. ''Fine.'' ''Do you promise to behave I can put you in cuffs if I need to.'' I can''t help but smirk as I think of having her handcuffed for me. She res, knowing exactly which direction my thoughts have taken. ''Pig,'' she mutters, but her flushed cheeks give her away. ''I promise.'' I think my little mate likes that idea. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 21 Book 4 Chapter 21 Oberon''s POV. I unlock the gate and uncuff her. True to her word, she doesn''t try anything and dutifully follows me out of the cells. She''s barefoot on the ground but refuses to put on her heels. I ask one of the guards to find her some spares shoes. I lead her to the downstairs bathroom and hand her everything. I wait outside the door as she freshens up. When shees out ten minutester, she has showered and cleaned her teeth. She''s washed off the make¡ªup and now her bare face is revealed to me. She''s fucking beautiful. ''You''re beautiful,'' I tell her, unable to stop myself. She blushes and won''t meet my eyes. I frown as I see that she has refused to wear my shirt and is back in her skimpy clothing. The guard brought her a pair of flip flops, and she wears them as I take her back to the cells. I don''t want to put her back in them, but I don''t trust her not to run yet. I follow her into the cell. ''I spoke to your sister, Paige. She''sing over to the territory this evening,'' I tell her. Phoebe res. ''You invited my sister toe here'' I shrug. ''Yes. I think she wants to see you.'' My little mate scowls and takes a threatening step towards me. I smirk and meet her in the middle. ''Careful, little mate, I can have you in those cuffs again in a second,'' I warn her, amusement in my voice. She narrows her eyes at me. ''You wouldn''t dare.'' I chuckle. ''You know I would.'' ''Don''t you dare touch me, I''m not yours.'' Owned by N?velDrama.Org. That pisses me and my wolf off. ''You are mine,'' I snap at her. ''Just as I am yours.'' She bares her teeth at me. ''I belong to no one.'' I growl and grab her wrists. I hold them above her head and pin her against the wall. She tries to struggle, but I grab the cuffs and clip them around her wrists easily. She tugs on them and growls in frustration. A foot shorter than me, she res up at me. ''You are mine,'' I tell her again. A sweet smell hits me and I almost fall over at the scent. My teeth elongate and I''m instantly hard in my jeans. She''s aroused. I think my little mate likes me dominating her. Or at least, her body does. When I look at her, she seems to be fighting an internal battle. Her body wants this, and her mind is fighting it. ''Does my little mate like being tied up'' I ask her huskily, my voice thick with desire. She squirms against the wall and refuses to meet my eyes. ''No,'' she mumbles petntly. ''I think you do. In fact, I know you do. I can smell it.'' She blushes a dark shade of pink. Our eyes meet and desire races through me. I want her, bad. I''ve waited years to find her and here she is,pletely at my mercy, chained up. Her hazel eyes drop to my lips, and she runs her tongue over her bottom lip. I can barely contain the low growl at the back of my throat. I grab the back of her neck and capture her lips with mine. She moans as our lips touch and the little devil kisses me back. Her lips move perfectly against mine. I grip her hair tightly, holding her exactly where I want her as I push my tongue into her mouth. She moans around it and then hesitantly nudges her tongue against mine. I struggle to hold myself back. The way her tongue is caressing mine makes me want to take her right here. With one hand gripping her hair, I slide the other down her body, feeling her curves. She makes a mewling sound and presses her body closer to mine. I take that as encouragement, and I slide my hand up her top. My hand cups her bare breast and she gasps into the kiss. My fingers graze the ring through her nipple and surprise fills me. I feel the nipple piercing again, running my fingers over the ring in fascination. Phoebe seems to like her nipple being yed with, because she rubs herself against me unashamedly. I break the kiss and pull back. Phoebe looks up at me with lust¡ªfilled eyes, her lips parted and swollen. ''How can you say you don''t want me as your mate'' I ask her and her face quickly turns from aroused to piss off. ''How can you kiss me like that and say you don''t want me'' Phoebe res stubbornly. ''I am not your mate.'' It''s a stupidment. She knows it''s not true and she knows it will piss me off, but she says it anyway. I grab her chin and force her to look me in the eyes. ''Tell me that you don''t want me,'' I demand. She res at me for a few seconds before growling in frustration. She can''t lie to me convincingly and we both know it. She leans up on her tiptoes and presses her lips to mine, surprising me. I kiss her back, holding the back of her neck so that I can keep her in ce. My other hand roams her body. I slide my hand under her top and feel as if her other nipple is pierced. It is, too. I y with the piercing, gently pulling on it. Phoebe moans into my mouth and I don''t stop. I push her top up, over her breasts. I break the kiss to shout over my shoulder. ''Leave us!'' I order the guards. As soon as I hear the door close, I kiss Phoebe again. With her breasts exposed to me, I squeeze and massage them, using both of my hands now. Her desire is tangible. The scent of it fills the air and her beautiful body writhes against mine. She isn''t protesting, so I move my right hand lower, to her skirt. She makes no move to stop me as I lift it up, to her waist. I push her thong to one side and part her lower lips with my finger. She''s soaking. Dripping wet, all for me. I growl into the kiss and push two fingers inside her. She gasps and keens against me in response. With my body pinning her against the wall, I begin pumping my fingers in and out of her. Her juices coat my fingers and drip down my hand. She loves it. It doesn''t take long to have hering apart at my touch. She moans my name against my lips and her little body shakes. It''s the hottest fucking thing I''ve ever witnessed. I''m addicted instantly, wanting to see it again and again. I can feel my control slipping. My wolf wants to mark her and mate her, right now. She doesn''t seem to be wanting me to stop. Her hands tug against her restraints and she growls in frustration. I''m tempted to untie her, but this might be a trick to get me to do so. I leave her cuffed and a part of her likes it. I start moving my fingers and soon, I make here again. This time her hips move back and forth, fucking my fingers. ''More,'' she demands huskily. Her voice is filled with desire, her eyes are almost ck with arousal. The pupils so dted there is barely any of her irises visible. I can''t deny her, even if I wanted to. The way she''s looking at me¡­I feel as though I''m burning. It''s not with hate or annoyance for once. The emotions swirling in her eyes are pure lust and need. She needs me. I should take a moment to think about this, to make the right call. I should realize that she might just be using me. I should consider that, maybe, I don''t want our first time to be in my holding cells. I should talk to her properly, find out what Alpha Harrison did to her. I should wait for her twin to arrive so that they can talk and clear things up. But I don''t do any of those things. Instead, I undo my jeans. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 22 Book 4 Chapter 22 Oberon''s POV. She watches heatedly, licking her lips, as I push down my trousers. I free my cock and pull it out, enjoying the way her eyes widen at the size of it. She bites her bottom lip, and I can tell she wants to touch me, maybe even suck me. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ''What is it you want, little mate'' I ask. My voice is raspy with how turned on I am. My mate tugs on the chains and tries to take a step towards me. ''Tell me,'' I order her. She groans in frustration and drops her head. ''You,'' she snarls. ''I want you to fuck me.'' I don''t need to be told twice. I grab one of her thighs and pull it up, around my waist, opening her up to me. With my cock in my other hand, I rub myself against her pussy, getting it slick with her juices. It only takes a few strokes before her wetness coats mepletely. My eyes meet hers as I slowly push inside of her. Her big hazel eyes widen and watch me intensely. She moans and her lips part. She looks so fucking sexy as she takes my cock. I stretch her out and she takes every single inch until I fill herpletely. Once I''m fully seated inside of her, I pause. She tries to wiggle her hips, desperate to get me to move. I grit my teeth and force myself to remain still. ''More,'' she whines impatiently. ''Look at me, Phoebe.'' Those perfect hazel eyes meet mine and nothing else matters. I force myself to concentrate. I need to reassure her. ''I won''t try and control you. I won''t tell you what you can and can''t wear. I won''t tell you who you can and can''t hang out with. I will respect you to make your own decisions.'' She swallows hard, taking in my words with wide eyes. ''More,'' she repeats. I chuckle and lift her other leg. She''s very flexible, she lifts her knees up to her chest, opening herself fully for me. I pin her between myself and the wall and when I''ve got her exactly where I want her, I begin fucking her. I pound into her, supporting myself on the wall whilst I hold her leg with my other hand. I grit my teeth, trying to focus on her pleasure and not how fucking hot and tight she is. She leans her head back against the wall and moans loudly. ''Fuck!'' She cries out. Her body shakes and I realize she''sing already. Her already tight pussy clenches around me with an iron¡ªlike grip. Her body shudders and the sexiest moans escape her lips. I can feel my own climax nearing and my gums ache. My incisors start to lengthen with the urge to mark her. ''Who do you belong to'' I demand she answer. My voice barely sounds like my own. ''Who'' She looks at me, her eyes wide with lust and desire. She doesn''t answer, only bites that fucking bottom lip. ''Who do you belong to'' I ask again. I reach up and wrap my hand around her throat. Her eyes roll back in pleasure, and shees again on my cock. ''Submit,'' I order, squeezing her throat in warning. ''You!'' She cries out. ''I''m yours.'' She turns her head to the side, submittingpletely. She offers her neck to me, and I don''t deny her. I bury my face in her neck and find the right spot. Then, I sink my teeth into the sensitive skin, marking her. We climax together, wing at each other like animals as pleasure consumes us. ???????????? ''How is she'' Paige asks as I lead her down the steps to the cells. ''She''s a bit tired, she''s just recovering,'' I tell her. Paige nods sympathetically. ''It was a big night; we drank a lot.'' I chuckle. ''Oh, she''s sober now. What I meant is, she''s recovering from being marked.'' Paige''s eyes widen and her lips part in shock. ''She let you mark her'' I smirk triumphantly. Wee to her cell, and I smile proudly at my beautiful mate. She''s asleep against the wall, her wrists still handcuffed above her head. After we had finished our mating, I helped her get her clothes back into ce, covering her beautiful body. A lot of it is still on show, revealing the many marks littering her body. I feel proud at the sight of my beautiful mate, covered in my bites. They''re dotted across her arms, legs, breasts and neck. To thoroughly convince her that she is mine, I marked her multiple times. She came every time. Tomorrow, the majority of them will fade, leaving the ones on her neck. ''Do you want a drink It might be a while before she wakes up, I tired her out a lot.'' Paige raises her eyebrows. ''Shit...I can see that. Yeah, okay.'' I lead my future sister¡ªinw into the house, leaving my mate to recover in the cells. When she wakes up, I''ll let her out. She can''t leave me now that we''vepleted the mating process. Something tells me I''ll have her in cuffs again at some point, my little nympho likes them. ???????????? A half hour or soter, we go and check on Phoebe. She''s awake in the cells and is surprised to see Paige next to me. I open the gate and she steps out sheepishly, standing near me for support. I love how her natural instinct is to be near me. This mark is already improving things. ''I''ll leave you two to talk. It was lovely meeting you, Paige. Phoebe,e find me in your office when you''re done, okay'' ???????????? Phoebe''s POV. My twin looks me up and down, a wide smile on her face. ''I cannot believe that, after our conversationst night, you''re here, fully mated.'' I blush up to my hairline and shift awkwardly from foot to foot. ''I know.'' ''I''m so happy for you, Phoebe,'' she says. ''This is what you needed.'' She''s right, I know she is. I already feel better. I feel as though a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I''d been carrying guilt for so long. The guilt of dating the other Alpha. I was worried that my mate wouldn''t be able to forgive me for dating others. I was worried that he might reject me. But Oberon is everything that I could have wanted and more, even if he does have a rather silly name. ''I''m sorry aboutst night,'' I tell Paige. ''I was drunk and angry and wrong. I didn''t mean anything by it.'' My twin pulls me into a hug. ''I know. I''m sorry, too. I pushed you too hard.'' ''Let''s forget about it.'' She smiles at me. ''It''s forgotten. Now, the question is, who is going to tell Mum and Dad'' I grimace and point at her. ''You can tell them. If I call, Mum won''t let me off the phone until I''ve agreed toe and visit.'' ''You should visit them! I''m sure your mate would like to meet his inws.'' ''But they''re nuts. He''ll run for the hills after they pounce on him.'' Paige snorts and rolls her eyes. ''Stop being so dramatic. They will be so happy for you.'' I guess I have to see them eventually¡­ ''Fine. But I''m not calling her until tomorrow!'' Paige sighs. ''Fine, deal.'' I talk with my twin a little longer and then walk her to her car. I watch her drive off, returning home. I can''t believe how much my attitude towards my mate has changed since this morning. His marks helped dissolve my anger and bitterness towards Alphas. They helped me to just focus on our bond. I better go to his office and find him. When I do, I know that he deserves some answers. He deserves to know the reasoning for my awful behavior. I''m not sure he''s going to like it, though. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 23 Book 4 Chapter 23 Phoebe''s POV. I knock on the office door. I twist the handle and enter when Oberon calls out. He is seated at his desk, but he stands up when I walk in. He smiles at me and opens his arms as a silent invitation for me toe over. I cross the room in a few steps and step into his arms. I wrap my arms around my waist as he holds me close to him. I rest my face on his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat thumping in my ear. ''How did things go with your sister'' He asks me. He sits down and pulls me onto hisp, as if it is the most natural thing in the world. ''Good, thanks,'' I reply. ''You probably have worked out that we don''t have the easiest rtionship in the world.'' He shrugs, but I know he is just being polite. ''I sensed a little tension. Is it because you are twins Do your parentspare you a lot'' I scrunch up my nose. ''I guess being twins doesn''t help. They don''tpare us, but I know that, recently, they have wished that I acted more like Paige.'' ''How have you been acting recently, then'' I can hear the curiosity in his voice, and I grimace. I''m not proud of who I have been thest few months. ''I won''t go into too much detail,'' I tell him, knowing that he probably doesn''t want to hear about my ex. ''But I had a very toxic rtionship with Harrison. He controlled me and my life. It took weeks for me to work up the courage to leave him and even longer to actually get out of his control.'' Oberon holds me tightly, his hands gripping me as though Harrison might barge in now and try to take me away from him. ''I was¡­I guess, traumatized, from it all. My family wanted me to talk about it, but that made it worse for me, which is perverse, I know. They''ve been nagging at me to see someone about it or to be with them more, but I''ve been avoiding them.'' My mate''s eyes soften, and he brushes my hair back from my face. ''Why have you been avoiding them Just so you didn''t have to talk about it'' I shrug. ''Not just that. I guess I feel as though I''ve let them down in some way¡­I let myself down by staying in that rtionship for too long. I should have left at the first red g. I feel as though I''ve disappointed them.'' ''I don''t know your family, Phoebe, but I guarantee that you have not disappointed them.'' ''I know it''s irrational to think that way, but I''ve kinda been in my own head recently. Until I met you. Marking me helped to clear things up in my mind.'' He grins at me. ''d I could help.'' ''You know.'' I turn towards him, straddling hisp and hooking my arms around his neck. ''You could help me in other ways.'' ''Oh, yeah Like how'' I smirk at him. ''Sexually.'' He smirks back at me. ''I''m sure I can.'' His lips meet mine in a passionate kiss. I kiss him ardently, tangling my fingers in his hair and grinding on hisp. He growls at the back of his throat and pushes his tongue into my mouth, deepening the kiss. I tug on his hair and bite his bottom lip. Our tongues collide and rub against each other, building us up into a frenzy. In a fumbled blur of hands and clothes, we strip each other of our clothing. All that remains is Oberon''s shirt and my bra, but he disposes of that quickly. Stark naked on hisp, he helps me line his cock up with my entrance and sink down onto him. I moan at the exquisite feeling of him filling me. There''s some mild difort but it vanishes as soon as I start moving. Bracing myself with my hands on his shoulders, I start riding him on the chair. He grunts and throws his head back. He holds my hips, helping me lift myself up and down. We both moan at the feeling of him sliding in and out of my pussy. It''s indescribable. ''Oberon,'' I moan his name. ''I''m going toe.'' He buries his face in my neck and licks one of my marks. ''Then,e for me, little mate.'' He sinks his teeth into my neck just as my orgasm hits. The euphoria is so intense that it blurs my vision. I give up trying to see and close my eyes, riding the pleasurable waves that wash through me. Hees shortly after, releasing inside me as he moans my name. We remain in each other''s arms, savoring this moment. ''I''m so happy that you stumbled onto my territory,'' my mate says with a chuckle. ''Even if you were hangover.'' ''I''m happy I did too, it could have been much worse.'' ''Are you okay, now I can arrange for you to see the pack therapist.'' ''I''m honestly fine. But, if I do feel anxious about something, I promise to take you up on that offer,'' I mumble into his neck. ''Thank you. Your happiness is my priority, Phoebe.'' Could he be any cuter ''I want you to meet my parents,'' I tell him. ''They''re crazy, but they will be dying to meet you when I finally tell them, I know it.'' He chuckles and rubs my back. ''I''d love that.'' ???????????? Just under a weekter, we pull up in front of my parents'' house. Paige is already there and has been texting me. She''s been trying to calm Mum down, who is bursting with excitement. She''s been waiting for the day that we meet our mates and now, one of us finally has. And it''s me, the twin who we all thought would be thest to meet their mate. ''I want to warn you that my parents might be really intense and cringing, okay They''re so excited about me meeting you,'' I tell Oberon as we get out of the car. The front door flies open. ''Goddess, Noelle, watch the hinges!'' I hear Dad''s voice, closely followed by a shriek that can only be from my mother. ''My baby!'' She cries. ''You have a mate!'' She runs across the drive towards me. Luckily, I have enough time to drop my bags and open my arms to her. She pulls me into a death¡ªgrip hug that has me gasping. ''I''ve missed you so much,'' she cries in my ear. Oh no, the waterworks have started. ''And you must be Oberon!'' She turns her attention to my mate and releases me. I inhale deeply, drawing air back into my lungs. ''It''s so lovely to meet you! Thank you for looking after my baby.'' Oberon smiles politely and hugs my mum back when she pulls him into her arms. ''It''s lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Moretti.'' ''Call me Noelle! And this is my mate, Xaden.'' This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Dades over and offers out his hand. He changes his mindst minute and pulls Oberon into a hug, surprising my mate. ''Thank you for looking after her,'' I hear him say to my mate. ''Let''s go inside! Paige has made lunch for us all.'' Five minutester, we''re all sat around the table together. ''Cheers to family!'' Mum says, holding up her ss. ''Let''s hope, the next time we''re together, Paige has her mate too. You''re identical twins, you won''t be that far apart in meeting your mates.'' Mum is right and Paige knows it, too. There''s a glint of excitement in my twin''s eyes. She knows that she''s going to meet her mate soon and, unlike how I was, I know she is very much looking forward to it. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 24 Book 4 Chapter 24 Paige''s POV. I swear to Goddess, if one more person tells me that I will meet my mate soon and not to worry, I might actually have to kill someone. Twins often meet their mates around the same time. My twin met her mate three weeks ago. Ever since then, all I have heard is reassurances. I''m sick of them. They don''t understand how irritating it is to be told to be patient, to just wait and see. I''ve waited long enough. Where is he I''m so happy for my twin, don''t get me wrong, but it sucks to be alone whilst she is loved up. It is particrly ironic that she didn''t even want her mate. She was convinced she wouldn''t have one, just like Dad was with our mum at first. I take after our mum, Noelle, more than I do our dad, Xaden. Whereas my twin, Phoebe, is the opposite. I''ve been patient. I''ve been calm. I''ve done my time, now, I want to meet him. I''ve been dreaming of my mate since I was a little child. I''ve pictured how we might meet a thousand times in my head. I''m desperate but I know that I need to remain calm and not think about it too much. Things always happen when you stop trying to force them. I run my finger around the rim of my coffee cup. My chin is resting on my hand as I people¡ªwatch out of the window. As a nurse, I rarely get time to really rx and unwind. Going to this coffee shop is my refuge. It offers a rxing, warm atmosphere. The sounds of the hissing coffee machines, frothing milk and abundant chatter fill my ears. The air is permeated with the smell of roasted coffee beans. I''ve been given two days off after working nights, and then I have the weekend. I don''t know what I''m going to do with the next four days of my life, but I thought I would start with a Owned by N?velDrama.Org. coffee in my favorite caf¨¦. My thoughts are interrupted by a young, human barista delivering two cups of tea to a couple in front of me. He''s wearing the required uniform, a green t¡ªshirt and trousers. The t¡ªshirt is tight on his arms. He must work out a lot, his biceps arerge. I run my tongue over my bottom lip as I check him out. He straightens up and asks the couple if they want anything else. He scratches the back of his head, an action that is oddly attractive. He has coal¡ªck hair and coffee¡ªbrown eyes. His skin is caramel¡ªcolored, maybe West Asian Turkish or Syrian He''s beautiful. He turns around, catches me looking, and smiles sweetly. He can''t be more than a day over twenty. He''s younger than me. I can''t seem to make myself look away. I watch him as he returns to behind the bar and continues making drinks. I watch as his muscles flex as he pulls down on the handle on one of the machines. There''s a look of concentration on his face as he pours the right amount of milk into the drink and taps the bottom of the cup on the surface. My sharp eyes focus on hisrge hands. They grip the cup firmly, with the right amount of pressure. How would they feel around my breasts Squeezing and gripping them ''Ma''am'' A voice snaps me out of my lustful trance. I look up at the female barista, holding a tray next to my table. ''Are you done Would you like me to take your cup'' She asks, gesturing to my empty cup. ''Yes, thank you,'' I mutter. I shake my head and try to clear my lustful thoughts. But I can feel how wet I am between my legs. My eyes widen and my heart rate picks up. Fuck. It''s my heat. I curse myself and grab my handbag. No wonder I am lusting after that young man, a human no less! It''s the first day of my heat. It''s a rare urrence, not all female shifters have to go through it. It cane any time between when you turn sixteen. It''s meant to onlyst a couple of days. I''ve experienced it once before, years ago. I guess it''s time again. Itsted three daysst time. The first day is horniness followed by blinding pain. The second day is horrendous horniness. The third day is just pain and difort. I should have recognized the signs earlier. I mentally curse myself again as I stumble out of the caf¨¦. I should have known it wasing. I''ve been warmer than usual thisst week, but I thought it was the heat wave that we''re experiencing in the city. These dirty thoughts are just the beginning. In a couple of hours, blinding pain wille. It''s like period pains, but ten times worse. I rush across the road and into the trees. I cannot let myself be near humans when this happens, they might try to take me to the hospital. I can''t be near other wolves either, I''ll probably jump on them. I remember reading that, sometimes, it helps to shift. Shifting into your wolf can help with the pain. When a female goes into heat in her pack, she is usually kept in an air¡ªtight room until it passes. The pheromones send other shifters wild. Luckily, rtives cannot smell a family member''s pheromones, but unmated shifters can. But, like I said, it''s rare. I don''t know of anyone else who has gone through it other than me. My mum didn''t even know what it was when it happened. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to who it happens to and when or why. I hurry deeper into the trees. This forest is on No Man''snd, I should be safe here. The fallen leaves and debris crunch underneath my hiking boots. I stride through the trees, trying to get as deep as possible, far away from civilization. I grip the straps of my backpack tighter and pick up my pace. It''s almost lunchtime, after lunch, it''ll hit me. I would shift, but I don''t want to travel too far and reach the edge of the No Man''snd. I need to stay right in the middle of it. ???????????? After an hour or so, Ie across a stream. The water is cold, butpletely clear. I put down my bag and take off my shoes. I strip down to my underwear and cautiously put a toe in the water. It''s freezing, but it feels like heaven on my hot skin. I step onto the smooth pebbles and wade into the stream, up to my thighs. I move over to arge rock and sit down on it, my feet still in the water. I decide to have my lunch here, whilst I can remain cool. I bought a sandwich earlier, so I eat it and drink some water. The view is beautiful, so I take a couple of snaps on my phone. I''m rtively new to this area, so I haven''t explored much. Seeing how beautiful it is, I regret not exploring earlier. My twin is mated with Alpha Oberon Hyde. His territory is near my apartment, but that''s on the other side of town. I''m grateful because thest thing I need is for my sister and her mate to see me in this state. Once I''ve finished eating, I set off again, walking up the river. The gradient increases and I hike up the hill. From the top, I can see for miles. I can just make out the buildings of the city. I''m slowly descending the other side, when a wave of pain washes over me. I gasp loudly and grab the nearest tree trunk. I double over as another stab of pain shoots through my stomach. I wrap my arms around myself and lean against the tree. My eyes squeeze shut, and I breathe rapidly, trying to ignore this horrible feeling. It passes, much like contractions, and I manage to straighten up. I take a few more steps, trying to get down this stupid hill. Another wave of pain washes through me, much harder this time. I fall to my knees and tumble forwards. Grunting and squealing, I tumble down the hillside. I bump into a couple of trees, but I manage to miss most of the foliage. The soft, mossy floor breaks most of my fall. I roll down for what seems like a lifetime, unable to stop myself as pain overrides everything in my brain. I finallye to a halt at the bottom. I''mid on my back, staring at the sky through the tree''s canopy. The pain bes too much, and my vision blurs. I scream in agony, my voice breaking. ck spots dance across my eyes and I feel my mind slipping away. All I can think is, I''d rather be out cold than feeling this pain. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 25 Book 4 Chapter 25 Paige''s POV. When I wake, it is dark. The sun has long set, and night has fallen. I can feel that the temperature has dropped dramatically, but my body is so hot. If you put water on me right now, it would probably turn to steam. I groan and manage to sit upon the forest floor. Everything hurts. I reach for my handbag, which is lying next to me. Some of my things have fallen out and I put them back into it. I pull my handbag under my head andy back, so my head is resting on it. I can barely move my arms, but I manage to pull the pieces of leaf and twig out of my hair. I brush down my clothes and check myself with my phone torch. Any cuts are already healing. I look surprisingly good for someone who just took the quick route down a hill. Pain floods through me again and I shove my phone back in my bag. Iy back and close my eyes, hoping to sleep this off. ????????????? ''Oi, wake up.'' A gruff voice disturbs my sleep. I scrunch up my eyes as sunlight invades my sight. I roll over and peer at the two blurry faces leaning over me. ''State your name,'' one of them orders. ''Paige Moretti,'' I mumble and rub my eyes. ''State your intentions on the Ash Mountain pack''snd.'' I wince and slowly sit up. ''I thought this was No Man''snd,'' I reply. I nce up at the two men standing over me, and the one watching from against a tree. They''re wearing matching navy uniforms and hard expressions. ''Our territory starts at the bottom of this hill. You are trespassing.'' I groan and slowly get to my feet. All three of them tense up, anticipating an attack. ''I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to, I fell down that stupid hill,'' I tell them. I stretch my arms above my head and pick up my handbag. ''You''reing with us,'' the patrol guard closest to me, snaps aggressively. I protest as he grabs my handbag from my hands. Another yanks my arms behind my back and clips handcuffs onto them. ''This isn''t necessary, it was a simple mistake! I''m sorry,'' I blurt out. One of the guards carries my handbag. The three of them ignore me and lead me through the trees. They threaten to gag me, so I stop protesting. I can''t believe that I''m in the same situation that my twin was in two weeks ago. I guess lives are linked more closely than we think. We reach the pack grounds. They march me past the pack house, where curious pack members stare at me. They head straight for the prison cells. ''You will meet with the Alpha this afternoon and you can plead your case,'' a guard tells me as he shoves me into a cell. They check my handbag to ensure I don''t have any weapons, and then throw it into the cell with me. ''Please, let me out!'' I shout after them, but they disappear down the corridor. I look around and see that the other cells are either empty or are holding people that I definitely do not This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. want to associate with. I turn around and look at the cell. It''s actually not that bad. There''s a cot¡ªbed, a sink and a basic toilet tucked into an alcove. There''s no door, but at least there''s some privacy. Feeling desperate, I quickly use the toilet. I sip some of my water and check my phone, no signal. I find a cereal bar in my handbag and eat it. I take my book out of my bag and try to pass the time by reading. I need to warn the guards about my heat, but something tells me that this is not going to go well. After a while, I feel myself bing hot and bothered again. I don''t want to embarrass myself by begging one of the guards to have sex with me, so I decide to take a nap instead. ???????????? When I wake up, my body temperature has raised again. I''m d I''m only in a vest and shorts. I feel too hot in them, but I''m not about to strip with all these prisoners around me. I spot a tray with a sandwich on it, they must have put it in my cell when I was sleeping. I eagerly eat the food. I wash my face after eating, trying to cool myself down. I''m meant to see their Alpha soon, but this is dangerous. My heat is probably going to be worse in the afternoon. Already, I can feel that my thong is wet for no apparent reason. Totally inappropriate and awful timing. Another hour passes and I have to lie down on the bed, clutching my stomach. I bite down hard on my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming out in pain. ''What''s wrong with her'' I hear two of the guards discussing me at the gate. ''Fuck, can you smell that She''s in heat.'' ''Shit, she can''t see the Alpha like this.'' I watch as they open my gate. ''We need to get her into the air¡ª tight cell.'' They grab my arms and I wail in pain as they drag me to my feet. They lead me out of my cell and down the corridor. We walk past other cells, filled with rogues and trespassers. The male ones growl and snarl, grabbing their bars as I walk past. It''s not their fault or mine. My pheromones are driving them crazy. ''Wait, that rogue is in there,'' one of the guards says as we stop outside the vaulted door. ''It''s okay, he''s in silver chains. He can''t break out,'' the other guard replies. ''No! If there''s someone in there, you can''t put me in with them. It''s not safe!'' I plead with them, but they ignore me and punch in the code to open the door. There isn''t even a window in the door, I can''t see what''s inside. The thick door swings open, revealing a cell simr to mine, only slightly bigger. The walls are thicker and painted white. In the far corner, there is a giant of a man. He''s on his knees, his head bowed. His wrists are chained with huge, silver chains that are drilled into the wall. They chink and clink when he moves. The guards push me inside and then throw in my bag. I stumble into the room, my eyes on the prisoner. What is he in here for I''m d he is chained up; his sheer size terrifies me. ''Please, don''t leave me in here with him!'' I shout. The guards ignore me. The door swings closed, and silence descends on us. Apparently, this room is both airtight and soundproof. The only light ising from a small window in the ceiling. I hesitantly walk over to the cot and sit down on it. The rogue slowly lifts his head. He pins me with his ck eyes. I quickly look away; he looks dangerous as hell. I can feel his gaze on me as I pull my knees up to my chest. This timing couldn''t be any worse. Why couldn''t I have just stayed home today But then, my pheromones might have permeated the walls in my t. I don''t know if there are any shifters in my building, but if they''re unmated, I would have found out. It''s times like these that you need to be part of a pack. They should always have one of these cells just in case a shifter randomly experiences heat. I just wish I was alone in here. This would be the perfect, safe environment for me to get through this. But no. I''m not alone. There''s a terrifying man chained in the corner. He''s twice my size and ring at me. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 26 Book 4 Chapter 26 Paige''s POV. He sniffs the air and then growls. It''s a low sound that vibrates around the cell in the most bone¡ª chilling way. ''You''re in heat'' He snarls the question angrily, usingly, like I have any control over it. I look up and meet his livid gaze. He res at me as though he wants to kill me. ''I tried to tell them, but they wanted me in an air¡ªtight room,'' I reply quietly. The man growls again, making me flinch. ''Fucking perfect,'' he snaps and pulls at his chains. ''They''re trying to torture me.'' I want to tell him that it''s ten times worse for me, but I keep my mouth shut. I hold my legs closer to my chest, hoping I can hold off this wave as long as possible. The chains look strong, hopefully strong enough to hold him. But honestly, it''s not him I''m worried about. Heat makes you horny as hell. You''ll take pretty much any unmated, age¡ªappropriate person you can get when a wave hits you. It depends on who you''re attracted to and, unfortunately for me and this prisoner, I''m hetero. It''s going to be twice as hard, when the guy who is near you, is fucking gorgeous. He might be a prisoner, but holy shit. He would make it onto the inmate''s calendar. His hair is messy and tousled but is golden blonde. His eyes are jet ck, but I think that''s due to anger and attraction. I wonder what color they are when he is calm. Tattoos and scars adorn his tanned skin. His muscles are both tempting and daunting. I really hope those chains can hold him, because if his body is any indication of what his dick is like, he''ll split me in half. We sit in silence for maybe half an hour. It''s hard to tell how much time passes. We avoid eye contact. He closes his eyes and leans back against the wall. I stare at the polished concrete floor. My eyes betray me and stray across the room to look at him again. His body is powerful and seems to ooze dangerous vibes. I bite my lip as I wonder what he did to get in here. He doesn''t smell like he belongs to a pack; he smells of the forest and of alluring male pheromones. He''s a rogue. But what did he do to get locked up in the most secure cell of a pack''s dungeon ''Stop staring at me,'' he snaps, with his eyes still closed. I jump at the sound of his rough voice breaking through the silence. ''Sorry,'' I mumble and return my gaze to the floor. I rest my chin between my knees. ''What'' He asks and I look up at him in confusion, he sighs and rolls his eyes. ''I can sense you have a question. What'' I run my tongue over my top teeth and wonder whether to ask it. Might as well, we are stuck in here together. Maybe, I can distract us both from my heat Yeah, no chance, Paige. ''What did you do to get in here'' I ask nervously and he narrows his pitch¡ªck eyes at me. ''I''m a rogue. I protect other rogues. One of them stumbled onto this territory and I tried to stop the guards from taking him. I fought them off and he got away, but they shot me with silver bullets and dragged me back here. I''m still waiting for the Alpha to get round to putting me on trial.'' I listen to his exnation. Some packs don''t care about trespassers, but other ones take it really seriously. They''re usually ones that have been attacked in the past and are now really cautious about rogues. ''I trespassed on their territory, too,'' I admit, and he shakes his head. ''It''s stupid. They''re just going to put us in front of the Alpha, who will say not to do it again and let us go,'' he grumbles angrily. ''Do you live around here, then'' I ask, trying to keep the conversation going. The rogue is silent for a moment, probably pondering how much to tell me. ''I live about ten miles south of this territory, I like to live alone, by my own rules,'' he says and surprises me by indulging me with more information. ''I never wanted to be an Alpha, I don''t like having responsibility for all those pack members, I want to be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want.'' I nod, understanding that. Goddess knows how much my twin values her freedom. ''I left my old pack and got a job as a nurse in the city. I haven''t gotten round to joining a new one yet.'' His hard eyes watch me with interest, an emotion I haven''t seen on him yet. Feeling like we''re making progress, I add, ''I''m Paige, by the way.'' He doesn''t reply straight away, and I fear that I''ve somehow lost him again. But then his gruff voice fills the cell. ''Logan.'' I pause for a moment, trying to think of something else to say or ask him. I open my mouth to speak, but suddenly a wave of pain radiates through my stomach. I groan and fall back against the bed. ''Paige'' Logan''s voice reaches me, sounding oddly concerned. ''I''m fine,'' I gasp and wrap my arms around my midsection. Fuck, it''s only a matter of seconds before my pheromones reach him. They''ll be stronger this time. Iy on my back, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the inevitable. Logan growls darkly and I know they''ve reached him. I hear the clinking of him moving in his chains. ''Fuck,'' he grunts. ''You smell incredible.'' I wince and shut my eyes. The paines first, the next wave, will be very different. I grip the sides of the bed tightly and count the seconds before desire overwhelms me. Above my head is the skylight window, showing the dimming sun. The afternoon is turning into evening, and my time is running out. My whole¡ªbody shivers as a wave of pleasure washes over me, almost like a mini orgasm. When I open my eyes, I can feel that they''ve turned ck. Oh, shit. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. My back arches off the bed and I squirm, trying to find any sort of relief from this burning need inside me. My body temperature skyrockets, and I sit up, wing at my clothes. I pull my top off and then my shorts, leaving me in my ck underwear. I can feel Logan''s eyes on me as I throw myself onto the floor. I press my sweltering body against the concrete, reveling in its cold surface. But it only works for a moment. Soon, my body heat conducts into the floor, warming it up. I whine and roll onto my back, wanting to feel cool again. Desire floods through me and suddenly, all I can think about is the beautiful hunk of a man in the corner of the room. I sit up and look over at him. His eyes are full of lust. His shorts are tented and straining against his erection. My eyes drop to it, and I lick my lips. ''No, Paige,'' he groans, as if it is truly painful to say no. ''Don''te any closer.'' His words make me realize that I have started crawling towards him. I freeze, on all fours, a few short meters away from him. I try to stop myself; I really do. It''s an internal battle that I''m never going to win. Another wave of desire rolls through me and I shut my eyes, drawing back, away from him as I try to ride it out. It''s too much, though. My nipples harden and my clit throbs. My limbs, of their own volition, bring me towards him. I kneel in front of him. Both of our chests heaving withbored breaths. Our eyes are matching obsidian, swirling with lust. I reach my hand out and run my index finger along with the full, oh¡ªso¡ªlong, length of his dick, over his shorts. His hips jerk forwards into my touch. ''Paige...'' he huskily moans out my name. ''You really need to get away from me, go to the other side of the cell, I don''t want you to regret anything.'' He bites out the words, squeezing his eyes closed. I retract my hand as though he''s burned me. I don''t want to take advantage of him. My pheromones are doing that, putting it in his head that he fancies me, even if he doesn''t. He doesn''t want me to regret anything, but I don''t want him to regret anything either. ''I''m sorry,'' I reply quietly, another wave runs through me, I shake my head, but the words leave my lips. ''But I can''t make myself go; my body won''t let me.'' ''I don''t want to hurt you,'' Logan growls and pulls on his chains. ''But I can''t resist wanting to touch you. This isn''t right.'' ''I know, I''m sorry,'' I whisper, but as I''m apologizing, my hands are reaching for him again. I ce them on his inked chest. I slide them up his abs, over his pecs, along his neck, to his face. I hold his cheeks and stare into his eyes. Warmth and tingles radiate through my fingertips. Oh. Shit. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 27 Book 4 Chapter 27 Paige''s POV. I flinch back as though he''s burned me. I fall backward,nding on my butt and hands. Logan stares at me with wide eyes. ''Mate'' He mumbles the word, looking both ted and confused. I try to get my brain to focus. He''s my mate, which is a good thing, it means I''m not stuck in here with some stranger. I can''t believe that I''ve been waiting so long for this. I''ve been counting the days since my twin found her mate, waiting anxiously to meet mine. Just my luck that I would meet him under these circumstances. A prison cell is hardly romantic. The bad news, however, is that my mate is a rogue that is currently chained up and awaiting trial. As mates and with me in heat, there''s nothing stopping us frompleting the mating process. I really don''t think we''re ready for that, we only met a couple of hours ago. I wanted my mating to be sweet and romantic and tender. It will be none of those things with me in heat. This isn''t what I wanted for us. I wanted cute dates and sweet words and affection. Another wave hits me and clutches my stomach, breathing rapidly through the pain. The pleasure that follows has me falling onto my back. The chains clink and I open my eyes to see Logan standing up from his position on the floor. He towers over me, looking down with thunderous eyes. He looks determined and aroused. I swallow hard, my mouth feeling suddenly dry. He clenches his fists and lifts his arms, pulling against the chains. My eyes widen as they creak and strain under his strength. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Holy shit, he''s trying to break out of them. I start backing up, towards the other side of the cell. I keep my eyes on him the whole time, as does he with me. I use my hands and feet to push myself backward on my bum. He growls loudly. It''s a murderous sound that shakes the walls of the cell. His muscles pop and flex as he yanks his arms forwards. With a metallic snap, the chains break and fall to the ground. My mate stands before me, his chest heaving up and down with his ragged breaths. All that remains of his restraints, are the two cuffs around his wrists. Pain and pleasure shoot through me and I fall back onto the floor again. My head hits the concrete with a smack, and I groan at the shooting pain. When I open my eyes, Logan kneels in front of me. His chest rumbles with endless growls, his golden skin is covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He looks delicious. I can''t help myself. My fingernails shift into ws, and I sh my hand out, carefully shredding his shorts. They fall in scraps to the floor below him. Even through my lust¡ªfilled haze, I can appreciate the beauty of his dick. Long, thick and covered in veins, it''s a sight to behold. The head is red and shiny with pre¡ªcum. I want it in my mouth, so, that''s what I do. I lean forwards and wrap my lips around his dick. He grunts and jerks his hips forwards, pushing me further into his mouth. I rx my throat and take him deep. Fabric tearing reaches my ears, and I feel my bra and thong dropping to the floor. Naked and bent over before him, I suck his dick like it''s thest dick on earth. For me, it is thest dick I''ll ever have and I''m very happy about that. His enormous hands tangle into my hair, he holds me in ce as he does the work, fucking my mouth. Tears roll down my face, my nose runs, saliva drips down my chin. It''s not an attractive sight, I imagine, but I''m so ovee with desire that I don''t care. I feel him tense up and I know he''s close. I''m d, because I can feel my juices dripping down my thighs. I want him to touch me. He grunts loudly and he stills, releasing hise into my mouth. I take it all, but don''t swallow it. He slides from my mouth, and I look up at him. He puts his thumb on my bottom lip and pulls down. I respond to his silent request to open my mouth, showing him his whitee before I swallow it all. His eyes turnpletely ck, even the sclera. He growls and grabs my shoulders. He pulls me up, only to throw me back down on the bed. He snarls aggressively and dives down between my legs. The upper half of my body lurches up, off the bed, as his tongue dives into me. He loudlyps up my juices, the squelching noises fill the room. I fall back against the mattress again as he begins licking up and down my pussy. His actions are frantic, when I look down at his face between my legs, he looks possessed. I probably look the same way. He moves his tongue higher, over the bundle of nerves that is practically on fire. A mini¡ªorgasm tears through me the second he circles my clit with his tongue. Every nerve ending is so on edge from my heat, I feel like I''m going to melt under his touch. Another pleasurepain wave starts to hit and in response, Logan shoves two thick digits inside me. The wave stops in its tracks, and I moan as only pleasure overwhelms me. He is the cure to my heat; he can take away the pain. He begins quickly pumping his fingers in and out of my pussy whilst he licks my clit. He is relentless, carrying me through three, toe¡ªcurling orgasms. My heat is not gone, it won''t be until the morning. All he can do is fuck it out of me. And that''s what he does. Logan grabs my hips and lifts me up. I know from the look in his eyes that he is ready for us to mate. I don''t have much of a choice on whether I am ready or not, my body will take over my mind. I thought it would be romantic, soft, that there would be sweet words spoken. Neither of us is capable of forming a sentence right now. All I can focus on is that we can do it slow and romantic at ater time. There''s going to be nothing sweet about our mating. It''s going to be raw, carnal fucking. Logan kneels on the floor, his dick pointed upright between his thighs, reaching his navel. He lines me up with his cock and then sits me down on it. He sinks fully into me, and my thighs touch the concrete floor. I gasp loudly as he stretches me to the point of pain. Tears roll down my face as my pussy burns around him. Instead of doing what most guys do, which is to freeze and give the girl time to adjust, Logan begins brutally fucking me. His hips piston up and down, thrusting repeatedly into me as I grip his shoulders. My fingertips dig into his skin as I try to ignore the pain. I know he''s caught up in my heat, he''s not in control of himself right now, and neither am I. The pain is oddly addictive, and I find myself moving down to meet his upward thrusts. The slight burn remains, but the stinging pain fades. I grasp his shoulders and meet him with every thrust. I start to adjust to the position, but he stands up. He takes me with him, his cock still inside me. He presses my back against the cold wall and begins fucking me against it. He holds my butt cheeks as he violently pounds into me, pinning me to the wall. I lean my head back and take his delicious pounding. He releases little grunts into my ear as he fills me. His muscles tense and strain with exertion. The feeling of his veiny cock repeatedly dragging over my walls is too much. I mp down around him and scream out my orgasm. He doesn''t relent as he fucks me through my orgasm, drawing it out for me. As Ie down from my high, I unclench my pussy from around him and he groans. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 28 Book 4 Chapter 28 Paige''s POV. The room blurs as he changes positions again. He pulls himself from me and I widen my eyes as I see his cock, balls and thighs literally coated and glistening with my juices. Oops. Apparently, I was enjoying myself. With wild eyes, he grabs the back of my neck and smashes his lips to mine. Our teeth sh as our tongues push into each other''s mouths. It''s a messy, aggressive kiss. We w at each other, desperate for more. Logan pulls away and grabs my hair. He forces me to bend over the bed and the breath is knocked out of me when he enters me from behind. I fall forwards and catch myself on the bed. I grip the frame for support as he hammers into me from behind. His hands grip my hips, holding me in ce whilst he fucks me relentlessly. My body feels like it''s on fire, I can feel myself dripping with sweat. My long hair is stered to my back. My lips are parted as I pant, trying to get my breath back. I''m not even doing any of the work, I All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. don''t know why I''m so breathless. Within seconds, he has me falling off the precipice again. Ie hard, throwing my head back and pushing my hips back to meet his thrusts. My legs copse from underneath me, and I drop to my knees. Logan moves with me, he merely pushes on my back, so that I drop to all fours. He continues fucking me, doggy style now. My cheek presses against the cold floor and I close my eyes, reveling in the amazing feeling of being fucked senseless by my mate. ''Paige'' He bites out my name, obviously struggling to control himself. Above the arousal and desire coating his voice, I can hear the concern. He''s worried that he''s hurting me. Somewhere, under all of this animal instinct he''s currently showing, is my sweet mate. ''I''m good,'' I whisper, knowing he will hear it. I know that''s all he wants to hear; he''s checking I''m still with him. Even through this heat¡ªinduced state, he''s checking on me. His thrusts be faster. My entire body shakes with every jerk of his hips. I can feel that he''s close, so I clench my pussy around him. ''Fuck!'' He roars loudly and empties himself inside me. We both copse to the floor in a heap. I feel hise dripping out of me and onto the floor. It''s disgusting, but I can''t bring myself to move. Logan''s hand wraps around mine and squeezes it. It''s a silentmunication that expresses everything we can''t say at the moment. I think I fall asleep for a little while, although I''m not sure for how long. ???????????? I wake up to my mate shaking me. I open my eyes and rub them when my vision blurs. Logan''s eyes are back to being pitch ck, and I realize my heat has picked up again. My body is boiling once more. He helps me to a sitting position and then turns me over. I automatically get on my hands and knees for him. He dips his cock into my pussy, coating himself in both of our juices. My breath catches in my throat when he probes his slippery cock at my asshole. I squeeze my eyes shut and rx my muscles as he pushes the head of his cock inside me. He pulls back and thrusts in another inch, a pained whimper leaves me. He''s so big, and I''ve never taken anyone up there before. As I''m struggling to breathe, a wave of pleasure and pain starts radiating out from my pussy. My clit throbs and I push back against Logan. With the final thrust, his cock sinks the full way in. My asshole burns with the stretching sensation of Logan''s huge girth. Sensing my pain, he begins fucking me gently, whilst rubbing my clit. I feel his weight on my back, his chest pressed against me whilst he pleasures me. Ie quickly, the feel of him in my ass is driving me insane. I never thought I would like this. I always thought it was gross and dirty, but he''s making me change my mind. My orgasm seems to reassure him that I''m okay, because he begins fucking me like he did my pussy. His hands grip my hips again and he pounds into me with such force, I fall forwards. I swear that we must move across the floor with every thrust. Somewhere between orgasms four and five, I ckout for a few seconds. When Ie back around, Logan is groaning and finishing inside me. He falls on top of me, pinning me to the floor. I hope this heat ends soon, because I''m not sure how much more of this I can take. My body is shaking with the pleasure that it has taken. Slowly, Logan takes himself off me. He slides from inside me and I wince at the unpleasant feeling. He lies down on the floor next to me and pulls me into his arms. My body temperature is dropping again now that we have slept together. I can touch him without feeling like I''m burning up. I cuddle into him and rest my head on his chest. I listen to his heartbeat slow down to a steady thump. It''sforting and helps me rx. Somewhere during our cuddle, I fall asleep. ????????????? I don''t know how long we''re out for, but the sun still hasn''t risen when I awake again. I remember this from my first heat and from what I read online afterward. Even sex doesn''t really cure it, it just relieves the pain. Ites in waves and then backs off for a few hours. This will probably continue until the morning. In my mind, I silently ask the Moon Goddess why she decided to punish me in this way. Heat is random and only affects a few shifters. Why am I one of the unlucky ones I''d love to know what I did in a past life to deserve this pain. I''m not a saint, but I certainly can''t think of anything I might have done to earn this punishment. I hear Logan moving behind me and he gets up to clean himself off. He uses the sink to wash his face and then his body. He cleans the sweat off and washes his cock, no doubt it''s covered in my juices. When he is done, I shakily get to my feet and do the same. I clean myself up, feeling much better when I''ve done. I drink some water from the tap andy back on the floor next to him. We fall asleep again for a little while. When I wake up for a second time, Logan is still snoring softly next to me. Desire grips me and I rise up from the floor. My back is stiff from lying there. Despite me cleaning myself, my pussy and ass are throbbing from their vigorous use. Logan is lying next to me, still asleep. His huge cock is hard again and lying heavily against his stomach. I can''t stop myself. I reach out and grab it. I pump my hand up and down a few times and then bring my mouth down over it. Logan''s eyes fly open, and he looks down to see me looking back up at him, my mouth full of his dick. His dark eyes turn ck, and he thrusts his hips up, shoving his cock to the back of my throat. I gag slightly but manage to recover. I close my eyes and focus on taking him deeper again. The grunts and groans I elicit from his mouth make the effort worth it. My mouth coats his dick in saliva, I use both of my hands to stroke the base of his shaft, whilst my tongue torments the head. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 29 Book 4 Chapter 29 Paige''s POV. Logan lets me have my fun for a while, then he pushes me away. He stands up and grabs my hair, dragging me up until I''m kneeling before him. He wraps his hand around my hair, tightening his grip so that he can hold me in ce. Hisrge hand epasses his dick, and he begins stroking himself. His hand rapidly pumps up and down, gripping himself hard until he grunts with pleasure. I run my hands up his thighs as I look up at him. I caress and stroke his balls as he strokes himself. His whole¡ªbody tenses and I know he is close. Daringly, I run my finger over his perineum and then press gently on his asshole. He growls so loudly it hurts my ears. He slows his strokes as he aims his dick at my face and releases himself. Streams of whiteend on my face, covering my nose, mouth and cheeks. He pulls my head back and continues releasing himself on my breasts as he grunts. Finally, he finishes and let go of my hair. He hooks his hands under my arms and lifts me to my feet so that I''m standing in front of him. He wraps his right hand around my throat and presses me against the wall, choking me. I inhale sharply, trying to drag air into my lungs, but his grip is tight. His hand is wet with hise, he loosens his grip and leans into me. I gasp as he shoves two fingers into my pussy. He fingers me, his fingers thrusting powerfully into me until an orgasm builds. He sends me over the edge by adding a third finger into my ass. I cry out as the orgasm rips through me. My eyes fall closed as I clench around his fingers. They shoot back open as I feel his teeth sink into my neck, marking me as his. It prolongs my orgasm and Ie again, releasing my juices onto his hand until they drip down his wrist. When he pulls back and removes his hands from me, I grab his shoulders. I lift myself up and waste no time in sinking my teeth into his neck, marking him back. I can taste hise in my mouth, on his skin. He moans and wraps his arms around my waist, keeping me against him. We''re both a sticky mess, but we''re already obsessed with one another. ????????????? Everything hurts when I wake up again. I''m on the bed and the sun is shining through the skylight. I have no idea how I got on the bed, but when I look down, I see that Logan is sleeping on the floor. He put me onto the bed, whilst he took the floor. My nose scrunches up at the smell of the cell. It stinks of sweat and sex. I look down at my body and gasp in horror. Driede is spread across my chest and breasts, I can feel it on my face. This is disgusting. To make matters worse, my entire body is littered with pale purple bruises, all in the shape of Logan''s fingers. I nce over at him, seeing him properly this time. His body is the same as mine. My bruises cover his skin, in all the ces that I gripped onto him. Eight What the hell did we do to each other Piece by piece, memories ofst nighte flooding back to me. I groan and put my head in my hands, only to grimace when I feel the driede on my face. I nearly gag as I scratch and rub it off. I gingerly get up and cross over to the sink. I wash my face and chest, cleaning myself up. Logan stirs on the floor and sits up to stretch. He looks over at me, his eyes first narrowing on his mark on my neck, and then on the bruises covering my body. His eyes darken and a horrified lookes over his face. ''Baby, I''m so sorry,'' he apologizes gruffly, his voice sounds broken. I shake my hands dry and approach him, uncaring of my naked form. He''s seen it all now, anyway. ''Don''t be! I''m sorry if I hurt you, this heat is all my fault,'' I reply. I sit myself in hisp and he wraps his arms around me. ''I''m so sorry that I hurt you, you didn''t hurt me,'' he murmurs and kisses my forehead. ''I fucking loved it, Logan,'' I reply honestly. ''Don''t apologize.'' It''s true. No matter how gross and carnal our mating was, I really did love it. ''I promise you, the next time we have sex, it will be gentle and slow,'' he says with a groan. His promise makes me chuckle. ''What if I want it to always be likest night'' I ask coyly and his eyes darken. ''I don''t ever want to hurt you, baby.'' ''Like I said, you didn''t. The heat made us crazy and unfortunately, we still have one more day of it.'' Even though he has marked me, the heat will stillst the three days it was meant to. But I will never have to go through this again, thank Goddess. Logan looks over at the door. ''We need to get out of here.'' ????????????? We wait for the guards toe. They don''t know that Logan has broken out of his chains. I''m d that this room is soundproof, it means that they wouldn''t have heard the noises of our mating. I''m not sure I would have been able to look them in the eye if they had. I''m dressed, clean and somewhat presentable again. Logan stands behind the door whilst I hover in front of it. When the door opens, Logan grabs the guard. He pulls him into the cell and holds him still. I punch him and knock him out. Pain shoots through my hand as the guard''s body bes limp in Logan''s hands. I feel bad, he didn''t deserve that, but we need to get out of here. Using the keys on the guard''s belt, Logan removes the cuffs from his wrists. The broken chains hang from them and fall to the floor. We cautiously step into the hallway. It''s deserted, there are no other guards. The prisoners call out to us as we walk out, begging for us to release them. Together, we sneak out of the dungeons. Logan knocks the guards by the door unconscious, and we step out into the sunshine. I never thought I would be so relieved to feel the sun on my face. I shift and carry my handbag in my mouth, it must look like an odd sight to a human. We run across the territory, only stopping when we''ve crossed the border into No Man''snd. We''re finally off the Alpha''s territory. We''re safe. We stop by a river and jump in. We wash ourselves, gettingpletely clean. Words cannot describe how much better I feel. I step onto the bank, naked, and shake excess water from my body. Two thick arms wrap around my waist and pull me back into the river. ''Logan!'' I squeal as he holds me tightly to his wet chest. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ''Yes, mate'' His voice is husky in my ear. I twist around in his arms and press my lips to his. I can feel him hard and press against my stomach. His lips move firmly against mine and his hands gently hold my face as he kisses me. Whilst he''s distracted, I take the opportunity. I pull away and use all of my weight to dunk him down, under the water. Once he''s submerged, I mber onto the bank and run out of the water. I can hear the sshing of him having broken the surface. He''s chasing after me. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 30 Book 4 Chapter 30 Paige''s POV. I squeal as I see him over my shoulder. He''s sprinting towards me, cock swinging with the momentum of his run. I dodge through the trees, not caring that my feet are getting dirty, or that I''m naked and drenched, too. He catches up to me and grabs my waist, hoisting me into the air. He ms me against a particrly faux¡ªangry expression. ''Where were you trying to run to, baby'' He taunts me as I try to catch my breath. He leans in and grazes his lips against mine. He kisses down my jaw, down my neck. He softly bites his mark and I moan in response, writhing against him. He moves his hands to my thighs. He lifts me up so that my legs wrap around his waist. In one swift thrust, he enters me. I moan loudly and throw my head back as he fills mepletely. ''You''re not getting away from me, ever,'' he grunts in my ear as he begins pounding into me. I clench around him and wrap my arms around his neck. ''I don''t want to,'' I manage to gasp out the words. He pins me against the trunk as he fucks me with fervor. His right handes up to wrap around my All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. throat again, not enough to choke me, but enough to hold me in ce. He kisses down my neck and it''s all too much. I climax around his cock as he sinks his teeth into my neck, remarking me. When he retracts his teeth, I push his hand away from my throat and wrap my own around the back of his neck. I pull him towards me. As he thrusts in and out of my pussy, I sink my teeth into his throat, marking him again. He grunts loudly and I feel him empty himself inside me. We sink to the forest floor together, our limbs entangled, our bodies still connected. We breathe heavily and rest our foreheads against each other. A wave of pain and pleasure hits me. When I open my eyes, I can see that Logan''s have turned ck again, my pheromones having surrounded him. ''Ready for round twenty¡ªfive'' I ask casually, he growls in response. ????????????? After a second wash in the river, we dry off and get dressed. The worst of my heat is behind us. We return to civilization, stepping out of the forest, casual as hell. Some humans give us strange looks, but they probably think we''re avid hikers or something. I take Logan back to my t, where we shower properly. It''s a tight squeeze in my shower, but we make it work. I clean my teeth and find him a new toothbrush to use. I brush my hair, apply a bit of make¡ªup and dress in clean clothes. Logan gets a taxi back to his house; it is on the other side of the city. When hees back, he is wearing fresh clothes. I make some food for us, and we eat it in my lounge. ''So, where do we go from here, then'' I ask him. ''Neither of us belong to a pack.'' He shrugs and finishes swallowing. ''I don''t know. Now that we''ve mated, I want to move in with you. We can remain without a pack if you like, we just need to find somewhere for us both to live.'' I look around my apartment. ''You could move in here It took me ages to find the right ce. It''s only a ten¡ªminute walk from the hospital and I think it will be big enough for both of us.'' ''You will be okay with that Me moving in here'' I smile at him, surprised by his question. ''Of course! We''re mates.'' The rest of the day is quite rxed. I call my parents and let them know what has happened in thest two days. They are bursting with excitement, just like they were when Phoebe met Oberon. We arrange toe over the following weekend. They''re desperate to meet Logan. Logan doesn''t have any family other than a cousin who lives a couple of hours away. He works for a constructionpany, so he gets weekends off. He speaks to hisndlord and terminates his contract. He''s given one week to move out and we start making the arrangements for him to move his stuff to mine. He helps me clear some stuff out of the near¡ªempty spare room. Now that he is moving in, we can do something with the room. Maybe make it a guest room or an office. In the evening, we watch TV and eat dinner. We talk andugh and get to know each other. It''s backward, the way we''ve done things. Instead of getting to know each other and thenpleting the mating bond, we did it the other way. There''s still so much we need to find out about each other, but I love that. It isn''t until we get into bed that night that I panic. I spot my birth control pills on the bedside table and my stomach flips. I wasn''t able to take my birth control and we have had a lot of sex. Oh, Goddess, what if I''m pregnant We only met yesterday. Logan is going to freak out! He finds me in the bedroom, sat on my bed and chewing my nails. I need to go and get the morning after pill tomorrow. But it''s a Sunday, the pharmacies will be closed¡­ ''Are you okay'' Logan asks worriedly. ''What''s wrong'' He sits down next to me, and I hold up my pills. ''I didn''t have them with me, I missed yesterday''s pill.'' He looks between the blister pack and me. ''Is that so bad'' I blink a couple of times, surprised by this reaction. That really isn''t what I was expecting him to say. ''It''s a bit soon, don''t you think'' I say andugh awkwardly. ''We only met yesterday.'' He shrugs and sits back on the bed. ''We''re mates, Paige. We''re going to have children eventually, what''s wrong with having them earlier than expected'' He studies my face and then smiles. ''I''m letting you know that I''m cool with it. I want to have children with you. I would be excited if you did get pregnant, but it is your body, so it is your choice. If you want to get that after pill, you can. It is up to you.'' I feel touched by his sweet response. Who would have thought that scary rogue chained in the cells is actually so sweet and loving ''Okay,'' I reply and put my arms around his neck. ''I guess we''ll see what happens.'' He grins and then leans in to kiss me. As always with us, the kiss turns heated. Logan pushes me back onto the bed and hovers over me. His lips never stray from mine as he pushes my t¡ªshirt up to y with my breasts. I arch my back, pushing them into his hands as encouragement. He checks that I am wet enough, which I most certainly am, and he enters me a few secondster. I savor the perfect feeling of him inside me. I''ve experienced this so much thest two days, but I''m not bored or sick of it in the slightest. We rock against each other, helped to bring our bodies to new heights. The pleasure that hits us is intense and overwhelming. I cry out as my climax hits. Logan holds me close to him, grunting into my neck as he finds his release. Wey on my bed, wrapped up in each other''s arms. Whatever happens, whether we have a baby now orter, I know we''re going to be okay. ????????????? Book 4 Chapter 31 Book 4 Chapter 31 Paige''s POV. By Friday, Logan has moved all of his things into my t. It''s a bit tight now, with all of his stuff as well as mine. We''ve both had to get rid of a few things, but we''ve made it work. We''re both back at work, which means less time with each other, but it''s okay because we have the evenings. I''m back on day shifts which are good, it means that we''re on the same schedule. Logan and I take it in turns to make dinner. We both like cooking and we can makepletely different dishes, we kind ofplete each other in that way. On Friday evening, Logan goes out to the shops to get some final ingredients for the casserole he is making. Left alone in the apartment, I decide to finally take a pregnancy test. It''s been almost a week, although it might still be a bit early, I''ll give it a go. After the longest two minutes of my life, I stop pacing and sneak a nervous nce at the test. Positive. I had a feeling I would be. From the way we''ve been going at it since we met, I''m not surprised. I am, however, very happy. I do a little dance around the bathroom, fist¡ªpumping the air. I decide to take another two tests, just to be sure. I down a ss of water and manage to find enough pee in me to do another two sticks. I wait for their results and they both say the same thing. I''m pregnant. I''m going to have a baby, Logan''s baby. This is crazy! A week ago, I was upset and desperately waiting to meet my mate. Fast¡ªforward seven days and I''m fully mated and pregnant. I never would have believed someone if they had told me this a week ago. I''m hopping from foot to foot as I stand by the door, waiting for Logan toe home. The moment he steps through the door, he freezes. He looks me up and down and gives me a quizzical look. ''Are you okay'' He asks and sets the bags of groceries on the floor. I rub my hands together nervously and smile at him. ''I''m pregnant.'' His expression is shocked for a moment and then lights up. ''What'' He cries. ''Really'' ''Yeah,'' I respond with a nod. He picks me up and spins around,ughing happily. ''This is amazing,'' he says warmly. I slide down his body until my toes touch the floor. Grasping the back of my neck, Logan kisses me. I tangle my fingers in his hair and kiss him back. Our tongues collide and caress one another. Uncaring of the shopping still in the bags on the floor, Logan pins me to the wall and starts exploring my body with his hands. He pushes down my leggings, taking my underwear with it. I fumble with his jeans, pulling down the zipper. He breaks the kiss to shuck his trousers and boxers down. Once we''re both ready, he lifts my legs up, around his waist. In one swift thrust, he enters me fully. I gasp at the sudden feeling of being filled. His hands hold my thighs as he fucks me against the wall. I w at his shoulders for grip and rest my head on the wall. His pace is steady as he thrusts in and out of me. It feels so good. He feels so good. I moan loudly, letting him know how much I''m loving this. ''Logan.'' His name falls from my lips as a breathy plea. He kisses his mark and speeds up, pounding into me until my toes curl against his backside. My orgasm hits without warning. I clench down around him and my mate curses. Together, we reach our climax. We cry out each other''s names, panting and moaning. We sink to the floor in a heap of tangled limbs. ''I should probably put that shopping away,'' Loganments, gesturing at the bags. Iugh and brush my hair back from my face. ''Probably.'' ???????????? On Saturday, we arrive at my parents'' house. Phoebe and her mate, Oberon, pull up as we''re getting out of the car. Mum and Dade rushing out, eager to meet Logan. After greeting and hugging me, I introduce them to my mate. It''s the first time I''ve seen Logan look nervous. He''s hugged by them both and ushered into the house. My mate is basically taken off me by my parents. Phoebeughs and puts her arm around my shoulders. My twin, her mate and I go into the house. After my parents have stopped pping over my mate, we sit down to lunch together. It''s my childhood dreame true. My whole family is round the table, both my twin and I have found our mates. It''s crazy how happy we all are. Mum is grinning from ear to ear, she''s barely able to keep still in her chair. Goddess knows what she is going to be like when we give her our news¡­I know it''s too early, but it''s too hard to keep this big a secret from my family. ''Everyone.'' I draw their attention by gently tapping my fork against my ss. Silence falls on my family, and they look at me expectantly. I reach under the table and hold Logan''s hand. ''We have some exciting news,'' I tell them. Phoebe''s eyes widen and Mum lets out an ecstatic squeak. ''We''re going to have a baby,'' I announce. Mum screams, scaring the shit out of Dad, who is sat next to her. ''Oh, my Goddess!'' She cries. ''That''s incredible!'' Everyone congrattes us and we toast our non¡ªalcoholic drinks. I look across the table and catch my twin''s eye. She gives me a sheepish smile and my mouth drops open. ''No way,'' I blurt, and everyone looks at me. ''You''re pregnant, too'' Now that really sets my mum off. I''m surprised she doesn''t have a heart attack with the way she reacts. Happy tears roll down her face as she hugs us both at the same time. I hug my twin, congratting her. I hug Oberon and he and Logan smack each other on the back and exchange congrattions. When everyone has calmed down, Phoebe and I help carry the empty tes through to the kitchen. ''I can''t believe this,'' she says. ''Our children are going to grow up together. They''re going to be best friends!'' I nod excitedly. ''This is crazy. It''s perfect timing.'' ''Were you and Logan expecting it It was aplete surprise for us, a happy surprise.'' ''We talked about taking the morning¡ªafter pill, but then we decided to see whether it happened or not. I stopped taking my birth control when we got back to my t and honestly, I can''t believe it happened this quickly.'' ''I know! It''s so rare. I wish I had taken a photo of the look of shock on Oberon''s face when I told him, I don''t think he believed me.'' ''I wish you had; I would have loved to see that!'' I check that we''re alone and lean in close. ''I ambushed Logan when he got home from the store, and we ended up having sex against the wall in the hallway.'' ''Shut up!'' Phoebe replies, nudging me gently. ''No freaking way! You guys are wild.'' ''Says the woman whopleted her mating in handcuffs.'' My twin snorts and epts my retort.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ''It''s actually crazy that we bothpleted our mating in prison cells,'' shements. ''I guess identical twins have matching fates.'' We stay a couple of hours more, but eventually we have to go. Mum cries again when we leave, and we promise to return soon. I''m exhausted when we get back to the t. Logan offers to cook, and I put my feet up on the sofa. After eating, we cuddle in bed, discussing baby names. I''ve never been this happy. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 32 Book 4 Chapter 32 Paige''s POV. ''Baby, you know that I would never lie to you.'' I scrunch up my nose and keep staring. ''Stop staring, let it go.'' ''You promise'' I pout. Logan sighs andes over to stand next to me. He ces his hands on my shoulders and makes me face him. ''Look at me,'' he urges. I look up and meet his eyes. ''I''m telling you; your ankles are not fat.'' I push my bottom lip out and then try to see my ankles. I can''t even see them if I look down; my bump is too big. I resort to the mirror and inspect them once more. They''re definitely bigger than they used to be. I hope they go back to their normal size after this pregnancy. ''You are gorgeous,'' Logan says warmly. ''Now, I''ve got to go. Promise me that you won''t spend the afternoon looking in that damn mirror'' ''I promise,'' I reply glumly. ''I love you,'' my mate tells me and kisses my forehead. ''I love you, too,'' I reply, already feeling better now that I''ve heard those words from him. Seven months pregnant and I feel enormous. I have just finished myst week at work and now, I''m officially on maternity leave. I don''t know whether to be happy or sad about that. I love being a nurse and it keeps me so busy. I have this horrible fear of being sat around the house, bored out of my brain. I grab my handbag and lock it up. We moved out of my t a couple of months ago and bought this house. Logan and I both agreed that we needed somewhere bigger if we were going to have a baby. I drive around to my parents'' house. My twin, Phoebe, is already there when I arrive. We have matching bumps seeing as our due dates are so close. I catch up with her, discussing the joys of pregnancy. I''ll confess, it really isn''t what I expected. The morning sickness thates in the afternoon and the constant need to pee are not fun. But I''m still stupidly happy. Phoebe is the same, she''spletely loved up with Oberon. India, our cousin, arrives and joins us outside for lunch. ''How are things going with Sebastian and Jake'' I ask her. She grins at the mention of her mate and his teenage son. ''Amazing, thank you. Jake has actually started to call me Mum, believe it or not,'' she replies excitedly. ''It slipped out by ident one time and now, he''s said it a couple of times.'' ''That''s amazing!'' ''I''m just so excited for school to be over, one month left,'' India exims. She works as a secondary¡ªschool teacher. I honestly don''t know how she does it. I thought being a nurse was hard, but you couldn''t pay me to teach a room of children with attitude problems. No, thank you. ''Have you decided whether you''re going to have the babies at home yet or not'' India asks us. I look at Phoebe, who shrugs. ''I''m not sure. I keep bouncing between home birth and hospital. I think we''ll probably end up going to the hospital because it''s a bitte to be nning it now.'' ''I''m sticking with the hospital. I think Logan will be traumatized if I set up a birthing pool in our living room, he only finished decorating it two weeks ago.'' ''You should speak to Orelia, she might be able to offer some advice.'' Orelia is the adopted daughter of Lydia and Aurora (Rory). Rory went to school with my parents and India''s parents. Orelia and her adopted sister, Ines, are like family to us. We call them cousins, even though they''re not technically family. Orelia is trained as a midwife, so she''s already been answering every panicked text I''ve sent her ever since I found out I was pregnant. We don''t work in the same hospital; she works in the hospital in a city about an hour from mine. ''I think I''ve probably been driving her crazy with all the texts I''ve sent her,'' I respond with a guiltyugh. Phoebe nods, her face sympathetic. ''Poor Orelia, I''ve been sending so many questions, too. She must be sick of us.'' ''She''s probably used to it. Of course, you''re going to have questions, this is a serious thing you''re doing. You''re bringing life into the world.'' I smile and rub my belly. Yeah, I am. ???????????? Phoebe''s POV. After spending the afternoon with my parents, my twin and my cousin, I return home to my mate. Oberon is working on the study when I get home. ''Hey, honey,'' I call out as I kick off my shoes. He appears in the hallway a momentter. ''Hi, beautiful. How are you feeling'' I embrace my mate. I lean upon my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck. His arms circle around my waist. ''I''m okay, thank you. No nausea today. How are you'' He leans back and lovingly strokes my face. ''That''s good. I''m alright. Come on, I''ve got a surprise for you.'' He leads me through to the kitchen. Sitting on the side are two huge dishes of enchdas. ''You made my favorite!'' I exim happily. I''ve been craving enchdas my entire pregnancy. I''ve lost track of how many I have eaten, which is probably a good thing. ''I did.'' I go over to my mate and grab the back of his neck. I pull him down for a kiss. He chuckles at my impatience but humors me by bending down and pressing his lips to mine. I kiss him hard, moving my lips over his. I swipe my tongue along his bottom lip, deepening the kiss to let him know how grateful I am for him. Our tongues touch and caress one another. When we pull back, his eyes are dark, and his lips swollen. ''Whoa,'' he says. ''I should make them more often.'' I grin up at him. ''Definitely.'' I trail my finger up and down his chest, feeling another rush of hormones. I meet his eyes and he already knows what I want. ''Do you have half an hour or so to spare before going back to work'' Oberon smirks and wraps his hand around mine. ''Is my little mate horny'' ''Maybe,'' I reply coyly and start backing up to the stairs. My mate smirks and follows me. I turn on my heel and head upstairs, to our bedroom. I strip out of my top and work on my leggings when I get to the room. Oberon follows suit, removing his top. I admire his delicious chest whilst I shimmy out of my leggings and underwear. I sit on the bed and Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. unhook my bra. Oberon removes thests of his clothes and approaches me; his cock is already hard. It really doesn''t take much. He climbs over me, and I open my legs for him. He settles himself between my thighs and enters me in one thrust. He''s gentler with me now that I''m pregnant, and it means our lovemaking is sweet and affectionate. It will probably go back to how it was before when I''ve had the baby. We used to make the bed and the walls shake. Now, we hold each other and whisper sweet things. It''s more romantic than sexy. To be honest, I''m just d that we''re still having sex. There are some days where I can''t bear the thought of being kissed, let alone fucked. He''s lucky on days like today, when I''m actually in the mood. Our bodies rock against one another. I lift my hips to meet his every thrust. Oberon has to hold himself up in his arms because he can''t get down to kiss me with my enormous bump. Together, we reach our climax. He rolls to my side and holds me for a while. ''I love you,'' he says softly. ''I love you, too,'' I reply happily. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 33 Book 4 Chapter 33 Orelia''s POV. ''Is it just me, or did everyone decide to have a baby today'' I let out a lightugh at Carol''sment. ''It does seem like it,'' I reply to her. ''God herees another one,'' she mutters. ''I''ll get it.'' I finish my cup of coffee, rinse out the mug and leave it on the side. I squirt some antiseptic on my hands and rub it in. I pick up the chart for Mrs. Navis and walk along to her room. One hourter, she is well on her way to activebor, and I swap over with another midwife. I''m only a couple of hours into this shift, but Mrs. Navis is assigned a different midwife to me, the other one has been with her throughout her pregnancy. I got back to the main reception, ready to be reassigned to an expectant mother or person. ''Oh, good, you''re here,'' one of the nurses greets me as I approach. ''We''ve just had a woman brought in from the supermarket. She copsed in the aisle and her waters broke. She''s quite upset but, from what I can tell, Dad is on the way.'' ''Okay, I''m on it.'' I make my way to the room she is assigned. I knock on the door and poke my head around. One of the nurses is already checking her vitals beside the bed. ''Hi, Letitia,'' I greet her after checking her name on the chart. ''How are we doing'' Her face is pink and streaked with tears. She''s panting in small, shallow breaths and holding her stomach protectively. I start putting the monitor on her abdomen. ''Okay,'' she gasps between tears. ''Just in a lot of pain.'' ''Well, we can help you with that, honey,'' I tell her. I time her contractions and check how much her cervix is dted. She''s at 7cm and is in activebor. I get her gas and air. She breathes deeply through the mask, inhaling the gas. ''Letitia,'' I call her name to get her attention. She pulls back the mask and forces a smile. ''Lettie, please.'' ''Lettie,'' I correct myself. ''Do you have a birthing partner Anyone I should call'' ''Xavier is on his way,'' she replies and winces when a contractiones. ''Okay, no problem.'' I go and check on a couple of other rooms and return a half¡ªhourter. Lettie is now nine centimeters dted. Her contractions are 2 minutes apart andsting about forty¡ªfive seconds. I stay with her for the next half hour, waiting for her to get to 10cm. We keep her walking around and she goes to the toilet twice. When she''s ready, we get her back onto the bed. The second midwife and the doctor arrives. ''Okay, Lettie, you''re at 10 centimeters now,'' the doctor urges her. ''When the next contractiones, I need you to give me your first push, okay'' She bites her bottom lip and nods. She reaches out for me, and I offer her my hand. She squeezes it tightly and I squeeze it back. ''You''ve got this,'' I tell her quietly. ''Each contraction takes you closer to meeting your baby.'' Tears are streaming down Lettie''s face, but she manages to give me a weak smile. The contraction When it''s over, she falls back against the bed, breathing heavily. ''Where is he'' She cries. ''Where is Xavier'' ''He''ll be here soon,'' I try to reassure. ''Don''t worry. He''sing.'' The baby''s head is crowning. The midwife and I monitor both baby and Mum whilst the doctor focuses on delivering. All of a sudden, the door bursts open. One of the midwives pops her head into the room. ''Dad''s here!'' She ims excitedly and then disappears. A few secondster, a man stumbles in. A man so handsome that I almost drop my clipboard. His eyes ''I''m so sorry, there was so much traffic! Did I miss it'' I''m frozen, struck silent by the sound of his voice. It''s a mixture of raspy huskiness and smooth sexiness. It''s like listening to whiskey and honey, if they were sounds. I stare at the man, trying to get my brain to catch up. My body refuses to move, so I remain frozen, hands gripping the clipboard, eyes locked on him. He has shiny ck hair, light hazel eyes and the longest freaking eyshes I''ve ever seen. His face is marred with worry, but he''s still beautiful. ''No, you didn''t miss it!'' Lettie screeches. My body finally breaks the freeze by wincing at the noise. ''I''m in the middle of birth!'' The man, Xavier, I presume, takes her hand. ''I''m so sorry,'' he apologizes again. ''I''m here, now.'' ''Another big push, Lettie,'' the doctor encourages her. With the next contraction, Lettie curls up her body and grits her teeth, pushing as hard as she can. Xavier stands next to her, rubbing her back with one hand and holding her hand with the other. His scent finally reaches me, and my body bes a statue again. My mate. I''m watching my mate touch another woman,fort another woman. A woman who is currently giving birth to his child. The clipboard slips from my fingers and tters to the floor. Xavier looks up and finally notices me. My heart stops as our eyes lock. All of the warm feelings that I should be feeling are flooding through me, but they''re wrong. This is all wrong. He shouldn''t be with her. He shouldn''t be a father. This is all so wrong. His eyes widen as recognition shes on his face. His lips part, but no wordse out. We both just stare at one another, equally as surprised. ''Orelia'' The nurse next to me calls my name. ''Are you alright You dropped your chart.'' I snap out of the trance and manage to get my body to crouch down. I pick the clipboard up off of the floor and straighten back up again. My mate''s eyes are still on me. ''It''s almost here, Lettie,'' the doctor says joyfully. ''Stop pushing now and take some short breaths.'' Xavier snaps out of it and breaks our eye contact. On autopilot, he encourages Lettie through her next contraction, but his eyes are still wide and his face nched. I take a step back, suddenly desperate to get out of here. The baby is only one push away, I can see the size of its heading out the business end of Lettie. The nurse steps forward and administers an injection of oxytocin into Lettie''s thigh to speed up the afterbirth. ''One more, that''s it, well done!'' The baby is out. The other midwife wraps the baby in a towel and wipes its face. I stand next to her and focus my attention on the new¡ªborn. We clear its nasal passages and then the nurse hands him over to Lettie. She ces him on the mother''s stomach. Her hands instinctively wrap around him. Tears are streaming down her face. She looks exhausted, but so deliriously happy. Xavier is grinning, looking between Lettie and their baby. Their baby. I''m looking at a family. A family that I should never be a part of. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. I need to get out of here. The doctor is clearing away. I go to the door. ''We''ll give you some time alone,'' the other nurse tells them. ''I''ll be in the corridor, and I''lle back in about fifteen minutes to check on you. You should be ready for birth the centa in about twenty¡ªfive minutes.'' Xavier looks up, as if suddenly remembering me. Yeah, I''m still here. Your mate. Remember me I quickly rush out of the door. I powerwalk to the reception and m the chart down on the desk. I shouldn''t have taken it with me, but I don''t care right now. ''I''m going on a break,'' I tell the receptionist. ''Five minutes, don''t worry.'' I jog into the break room and close the door behind me. I copse onto one of the armchairs and put my head in my hands. Worst. Day. Ever. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 34 Book 4 Chapter 34 Orelia''s POV. I give myself five minutes to get my shit together. I''m a midwife. I deal with stressful situations daily. I need to think of this as being no different. I need to keep my game¡ªface on, remain calm and deal with this logically. He has a family with another woman. I do not want to be involved with a father. How can I have children with him The birth of our first child will only be a first for me, not for him. How can I ask him to leave his girlfriend She''s a new mother, I would never want her heart broken like that. How would it even work It wouldn''t, that''s the thing. He might not even choose me. Let''s be honest, he''s already made his choice. Goddess, this sucks. What did I do to deserve this I''m not a saint, but I really don''t think I deserve to be punished like this. I need to reject him, get this bond over with before it even starts. This needs sorting. Resolved in my decision, I stand up and steel myself. I leave the break room and head to the reception. I''m surprised to find my mate leaning across the desk and talking to the nurse. He looks up as I approach, and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. ''It''s okay, she''s here,'' he says to the nurse and then looks at me. ''Please, could we talk'' ''I think that''s a good idea,'' I reply tersely. ''Let''s step outside.'' It''s a warm night. We both go through the revolving doors in separatepartments and step outside. I move out of the way of the entrance, and he follows me. He stands before me, nervous and sheepish. He shoves his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. ''Congrattions,'' I tell him bitterly. He frowns and I roll my eyes. Is he really going to y dumb ''Congrattions on bing a father,'' I snap, annoyed that he has made me spell it out. Xavier''s eyes widen and he puts his hands up in defense, as though I''m going to hit him. ''I''m not the father!'' He blurts, looking worried. ''Goddess, no!'' Sorry, what now I stare at him, shocked and dumbfounded. ''I''m not the father,'' he repeats quickly. ''I''m her friend.'' He''s not the¡ª ''You''re not the father'' His eyes are wide as saucers as he shakes his head emphatically. ''No!'' Relief barrels through me and my shoulders sag. I feel ted and exhausted at the same time, it''s a strangebination. ''She''s my friend,'' he tells me, his eyebrows drooped at the end in sympathy. ''I had to tell the nurse I was the father to be able to be there for the birth. They were trying to stop me froming in.'' Goddess, this is a lot. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I lean back on one of the metal posts that stop cars froming onto the pavement. She''s his friend. He''s not the father. ''I would never do that to you,'' he says. ''I know that we haven''t met, but I knew you existed, and I wouldn''t do that to you, have a family with someone else.'' I cannot exin how much better I feel. My mind is still reeling, but I feel a darn sight better than I did five minutes ago. ''I, I don''t know what to say,'' I reply tiredly. ''I''m so relieved.'' He smiles sheepishly. ''I''m sorry. I know it looked so bad. I was so caught up with Lettie.'' Lettie. I check my watch. ''She''ll be going into the third stage ofbor soon. We should go back inside.'' My mate nces anxiously over his shoulder, at the door. ''Can we talk after this When she''s recovering'' ''I think that''s a good idea,'' I agree. We go back inside and head to Lettie''s room. I stand to one side and watch the nurse deliver to the centa. My mate holds her hand, and it doesn''t bother me half as much this time. She''s his friend, nothing more. Once Lettie has recovered, I give my mate my number and then, I have to leave them. I still have four hours left on my shift and after that, I want to sleep for twelve hours. ???????????? I copsed on my bed a few moments after I got through the door after my shift. I was emotionally and physically drained. After doing as I promised myself ¡ªsleeping for twelve hours¡ª I felt much better. I wake to a text from my mate, Xavier. He said that Lettie and the baby are doing well. He invited me to meet him for lunch. I check the time. I have two hours before he wants to meet. I take a shower and make myself a small breakfast. I take my time getting ready for our date. I want to look good for him. I cover up my tired bags with concealer and choose an outfit more ttering than my scrubs. He offers to pick me up from my ce, but it seems easier just to meet him there. He tells me that he lives on Bell Avenue, which I know is closer to the caf¨¦ than it is my apartment. I arrive ten minutes early out of nerves and wait in my car, calming myself down. I have a view of the entrance from my spot, and I notice him approach the ce. He stops outside the window and pulls out his phone. A secondter, I get a text from him. I''m here ) I grab my bag and get out of the car. I lock it and approach him. A smile breaks out on his face when he looks up and sees me. ''Hey,'' he says when I get close enough. His eyes trail up and down my body. ''You look great.'' ''Thank you,'' I reply. ''So do you.'' With all the usual nerves of a first date, I follow him into the caf¨¦. He''s reserved a table for us, and we get one in front of one of the windows. I start looking at the menu, even though I already know what I''m going to have. I love this ce; I''ve beening for years. Their bacon and cheese toasties are to die for. ''What are you thinking of ordering'' Xavier asks. ''The bacon and cheese toast. It''s my favorite,'' I confess. He grins and puts the menu down. ''It''s settled, then.'' The waitresses over and he orders two lots of the toasties for us. I order some lemonade and he gets a coke. When the waitress goes, we''re left alone again. ''I''d like to apologize again,'' he starts. ''For the way things came across yesterday. I honestly did not expect my mate to be in the delivery room, that was a hell of a shock.'' I chuckle at that. ''Yeah, I bet it was.'' ''I''m sorry about what you must have gone through, I can''t imagine it was a nice surprise for you to meet your mate in those circumstances.'' ''Not how I imagined it would be,'' I mutter, and he nods sympathetically. ''Well, I''m sorry. Letitia and I have been friends since we were kids. She met her mate about ten months ago. They got pregnant and he was killed in a rogue attack before they could finish the mating process.'' My eyebrows shoot up in shock at his admission. ''I think that''s why she managed to get through it; because they hadn''tpleted their bond and because she was carrying their baby. She had a reason to live for.'' ''That''s so awful,'' I murmur. ''I''m so sorry.'' ''It''s been a tough couple of months,'' he says, sounding tired. ''She doesn''t have any family other than an elderly aunt. I''ve been trying to support her as much as I can. When she asked me to be her birthing partner, I couldn''t refuse her.'' ''No, I get that. Don''t worry.'' The waitress interrupts our moment, bringing over our drinks. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 35 Book 4 Chapter 35 Orelia''s POV. ''What''s going to happen when Lettie is discharged'' I ask him whilst we wait for our food to be cooked. Xavier sighs and rests his elbows on the table. ''We both have our own houses on the territory, we''re only about five minutes from each other. I''ll be on hand to help her when she needs it. She has a friend from work who has offered to help out, too.'' My reply is out of my mouth before I''ve really considered it. ''I can help.'' Xavier looks surprised by my offer. ''I''m happy to help her,'' I tell him. ''If she has any questions or is worried about anything regarding her son, I''m happy to help.'' His eyes soften and he smiles at me. ''Thank you. I know that she would really appreciate that. She''s very nervous about being a mum.'' ''That''s perfectly normal. I''m not sure anyone ever feels 100% ready to have a baby.'' ''What about you'' Xavier asks, his face showing interest. ''Do you want children'' I smirk at him. ''Why are you asking'' ''You deliver babies for a living,'' he says with a shrug. ''Sometimes, people who are around children all day, don''t want their own. It''s like teachers who don''t have kids because they see them every day at school.'' ''I guess,'' I respond. ''But no, I want children. Two, maybe.'' Xavier''s face lights up. ''Good, because I want two. Twins would be nice.'' ''My cousins are twins. It was a bit of a surprise for my auntie and uncle, and I know it made things a Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. little harder when they were growing up, but they''re very close.'' ''I always wanted siblings, I hated being an only child,'' he confesses. ''Do you have any siblings'' ''Yeah, I''ve got a sister,'' I reply and decide to tell him the whole story. ''I have two mums Rory and Lydia. They adopted me and my sister, Ines.'' Xavier''s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but he smiles. ''That''s awesome.'' ''They''re pretty cool. They''d like you, don''t worry.'' He grins. ''Mums always like me, I''m charming.'' I roll my eyes at thatment. ''I''m d you think so.'' ''Do you not think so'' He asks, pouting yfully. I don''t get to answer his question because the waitress brings our food over. The toasties are served with sd and crisps. My mouth waters as I pick up the first half and take a bite. ''This ce does the best toasties I''ve ever had,'' I tell him after I''ve swallowed my mouthful. Xavier nods in agreement and takes a huge bite. ''Definitely,'' he mumbles through the bite. We stay and talk throughout the meal. When we finish up, I ask Xavier to give Lettie my number in case she has any questions. We agree to meet up again tonight, for dinner. It seems a little eager, going on two dates in one day, but he''s my mate. There''s no ''ying it cool'' when ites to mates. You know from the first time you make eye contact, that you''re going to be together for the rest of your life. I return home and go shopping for groceries. I restock my fridge and make up my lunch for my shift tomorrow. I give my apartment a bit of a clean and finally put my feet up in thete afternoon to catch up on TV. I''m ready for six, when Xavier knocks on my door. He lookspletely gorgeous. He''s wearing a ck shirt, open at the cor, and ck jeans. He''s like a hot bad boy without the emotional stunting or anger issues. ''You look beautiful,'' he says the moment I greet him. ''Thank you,'' I reply shyly. I grab my handbag and lock the door behind me. It took me over an hour to get ready. I must have changed my outfit about three different times. I can''t remember thest time I went on a date. We choose a sushi bar about five blocks from my apartment. It''s raining, which makes for an interesting walk. The two of us huddle under my small umbre, taking up most of the pavement. Xavier uses the opportunity to put his arm around my waist and hold me close. I''m notining. I got to breathe in his delicious smell the whole way there. Instead of having a table in front of the chefs cooking, we ask for one in the window, so that we can people¡ªwatch. It turns out that we both enjoy doing that. You don''t order with a waiter. It''s quite a modern restaurant; each table has an iPad that you use to order your drinks and food. We both select our drinks and two different types of sushi for our starter. I take arge sip of my ss of wine when the waiter brings it over. ''Tell me more about your family,'' Xavier urges. I don''t know whether he''s digging for more information on my adoption, but I decide to tell him anyway. ''My parents adopted me when I was a year old,'' I exin to him. ''My parents were rogues who had been killed by hunters. They somehow managed to hide me in some undergrowth and I was found by a patrol member from the pack I''m in now.'' Xavier listens to me with interest, his eyes wide. ''They brought me back and took me to the orphanage, where I stayed for a few months. My mum came to visit and apparently, we clicked instantly. They came back again and again and spent ages going through all of the paperwork for adopting me. ''I don''t remember any of this, of course. All I know is them, they''re the only family I''ve ever known. They adopted my sister, Ines, when I was eight and she was five. She had a tougher time than me, I think she still remembers some of her biological family.'' ''Poor Ines,'' Xavier says sympathetically. ''Do you know what her situation was Or is it private'' I shrug. ''It''s her story, she isn''t too bothered by it. Basically, her father was killed in an ident, and it wrecked her mum. She had some kind of breakdown and neglected Ines. She was taken off her when child services got involved.'' ''That''s so awful.'' ''She''s fine, now. We''re a happy little family, the four of us.'' Xavier smiles at that. ''I bet. I''d like to meet them at some point.'' ''I''d like that, too,'' I tell him. ''I haven''t even called to tell them about you yet, how bad is that I''m sorry, it''s nothing personal, I just forgot to tell them. I''ve been so focused on our date that I forgot to this afternoon.'' ''Why were you so focused on our date'' Xavier questions me, but I think he''s happy about that statement. ''I was nervous,'' I answer honestly. ''I haven''t been on a date in a long time. Months, even.'' Xavier nods. ''It''s a difficult situation for shifters, I think,'' he muses aloud. ''We''re supposed to meet our mates any time from sixteen onwards, but we''re both twenty¡ªsix. ''We''re social creatures. Most shifters I know have dated around before they met their mate. It seems impossible to ask us to stay single for ten or so years.'' ''I agree with you,'' I say. ''My friends have all dated, too. As long as it''s not serious, I''ve never known their mates to have a problem with it.'' ''Exactly. Although, I am relieved to hear that it''s been so long since youst went on one.'' ''Then you will also be relieved to hear that I''ve never had a boyfriend.'' Xavier grins across the table. ''I am definitely relieved to hear that. I haven''t had a girlfriend, either.'' I should bloody hope not. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 36 Book 4 Chapter 36 Orelia''s POV. The date is aplete sess. The food is amazing, and thepany is even better. Xavier and I talk continuously,ughing loudly and annoying the patrons around us. It has stopped raining when we walk back to my t, but he holds my hand and keeps me close to him, nheless. He takes me right up to my door and waits for me to unlock it and step inside. I turn around to face him and my breath catches in my throat. His eyes, intense and dark, drop to my lips. I instinctively rub them together and his eyes follow the movement. He looks back up at me and leans in slightly. With my heart thumping wildly in my chest, I lean in, too. Our eyes fall closed at the same time our lips meet. Kissing my mate is the cherry on top of a perfect evening. His lips are soft but insistent, coaxing me to respond with equal fervor. I lean into his touch and sink against him. Xavier''s arms wind around my waist, his hands gently pressing on my upper and lower back. I drop my handbag on the floor with a soft thud and wrap my arms around his neck. I lift onto my tiptoes to kiss him harder. Encouraged by my reaction, his tongue nudges against my lips. I open my mouth to him, and our tongues collide. Instantly, I''m addicted to his taste. I want more of him the second I taste him. My hands pull him closer to me and my body rubs against his. Thankfully, Xavier has more control than I. He slows our kiss down. When he pulls back, I eventually set my feet t on the floor again. My lips are swollen and tingling from our kiss. I want to do it again. Xavier smiles down at me, looking both turned on and amused. ''I should go,'' he says. ''Can I see you again tomorrow'' ''Yes,'' I reply a little too quickly. Xavier chuckles and kisses my forehead, sending a flurry of flutters through me. Reluctantly, I say goodbye and watch him walk down the hall. With a sigh, I step into my t. ???????????? The next week is perfect. We go on another three dates. One is a brunch date before I start my shift and the other two are dinner dates. Like before, Xavier walks me to my door but doesn''t make any move to take things further ore in. I know that he is stressed from everything that is going on with Lettie and her son. He''s looked tired on our dates. Handsome, but tired. I love that he is so supportive of Lettie, she needs him right now, I get that. She texted me at the beginning of the week, telling me that she has named him Anthony after his father, but she is worried about a rash he developed on his back. I ask toe round and see him in person, and she agrees. Xavier picks me up and drives us both over to her house. I feel nervous when we first arrive and knock on the door. Lettie answers it, looking like a typical mum who is almost a week postpartum. Her hair is unwashed and in a messy bun on her head, she''s in ''You look great,'' Xavierments dryly and she res at him. ''Don''t be a dick, Xavier,'' she snaps. ''I''m not in the mood. Orelia,e on in.'' ''Aw, don''t be like that, Lettie!'' Xavier whines childishly. ''I was only kidding!'' ''Don''t kid with a woman on the edge, Xavier,'' Lettie says firmly. ''Come in and be nice, I''m sensitive at the moment.'' Hesitantly, I enter her house. It''s only decorated with the basics but is really open and weing. Anthony is in a Moses basket by the sofa in the living room. I watch her pick him up and take off his baby¡ªgrow to show me the rash. I recognize it instantly. There are red blotches above his bottom with yellow dots in the middle of them. ''Don''t worry,'' I reassure Lettie. ''This is Erythema toxicum neonatorum. It is amon rash, lots of babies have it in their first week out of the womb. It should clear up in a few days.'' Lettie sighs with relief and hugs Anthony close to her chest. ''Thank Goddess,'' she whispers. ''I''m sorry to have dragged you all the way over here just for that.'' ''Don''t apologize, it''s perfectly fine. It''s better to be safe than sorry.'' She gives me a weak smile. ''That''s what I thought. I''m panicking about everything nowadays.'' ''That''s understandable. You have the most precious thing in your life in your arms,'' I reply warmly. ''You''re pretty wonderful, you know that'' She says sweetly. ''Hey! What about me'' Xavier protests from the other side of the room. Lettie ignores him. ''You helped deliver my baby, allowed your mate to see me more often than he sees you and now, you''ve rushed over to put my mind at ease.'' ''I''m sorry, allowed your mate'' Xavier calls out, clearly annoyed by the wording. We both ignore him. ''It''s really not a big deal,'' I reply. ''I''m happy to help.'' Lettie''s smile widens. ''We''re going to be good friends, I know it. Come on, do you want a drink'' ''I''d like a drink!'' Xavier whines behind us. Xavier makes us all a cup of tea whilst we sit in the kitchen. Lettie takes the opportunity to shower whilst Xavier and I are around. I hold her son, pulling faces and cooing at him. ''I want one,'' Xavierments from next to me. ''Down boy, we''ve only kissed,'' I reply with augh. Xavier grins at me. ''I''m just saying. One day, it would be nice.'' Anthony starts fussing and fussing quickly bes crying hysterically. ''Okay, maybe a day long in the future,'' Xavier mutters and helps me settle Anthony. Lettiees down, looking refreshed and a little better. She takes Anthony from me and sits down with us. We stay all afternoon, helping Lettie out. I offer toe back next week, and she eagerly agrees. I can see how much she''s grateful for help. ''Do you think Lettie would be offended if we offered to clean next week'' I ask Xavier when we get into his car. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ''No, I think she''d be alright with it. Needs a hoover, right'' I shrug. ''It''s honestly not bad, but I''m sure she''d feel morefortable in a clean environment.'' ''You''re right. We''ll give it a blitz.'' I twist my hands on myp nervously. I look over at him and Xavier smiles back, silently encouraging me to share what I want to say. ''My parents and my sister want to meet you,'' I tell him. ''I called them and told them all about you, and now, they want to meet you.'' Xavier grins. ''I''d love that. When works'' ''They were thinking this weekend. Would that be alright'' ''This weekend would be perfect.'' Xavier drops me home and walks me up to my t again. ''Hey, I was wondering, do you want toe round to mine on Friday night'' ''Yeah, I''d like that,'' I reply and lean against my doorjamb. ''Great. You good with roast chicken'' ''Definitely!'' Xavier turns to leave, and I panic. I want to ask him, but I''m nervous. I somehow manage to find my courage. ''Xavier'' I call and he turns around. ''Would you like it if I stayed over'' The surprise on his face is worth it. His smile lights up his face and makes my heart flutter. ''I''d love that.'' I enter my apartment with a grin on my face. Hopefully, we can move past just kissing on Friday. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 37 Book 4 Chapter 37 Orelia''s POV. Friday night, I drive over to Xavier''s house, following the directions he sent me. He offered to pick me up, but it seemed silly for him toe all the way to mine just to drive back to his. Besides, I enjoy driving. I arrive earlier than we agreed, out of eagerness. I''m excited to see him and we have the whole night together. I''ve shaved and moisturized and done everything possible to make myself tempting to him. Xavier answers the door with a wide smile. ''Hey, you look great! Come in,'' he says warmly. I step past him, into the house, and he kisses my cheek. The smell of rosemary and roast chicken reaches my nose. ''Oh, my gosh, it smells incredible!'' Xavier grins and I suddenly spot the oven gloves on his hands. I love a man who can cook. ''Should be good, hopefully. It''ll be ready in about fifteen minutes. Do you want to leave your bag down here and I''ll show you around after dinner'' ''Yeah, sure.'' ''Let''s get you a drink. Alcoholic or non'' ''I''d love some wine if you are having some, please,'' I respond and follow him down the corridor, through to the kitchen. Pans are simmering on the hob, and I can see the small roast chicken in the oven. My stomach rumbles with excitement, but the noise is drowned out by the extractor fan. We sit with a ss of wine each and chat whilst the food finishes cooking. We talk about the normal things, each other''s day, Lettie and her baby, our families. It''s easy and rxed and perfect in the simplest way. When the food is ready, we eat at the table in the kitchen. If I didn''t know it already, I definitely know it now. Xavier is made for me. The man can cook for me every day for the rest of my life if he likes, because wow. ''I can''t remember thest time I had a roast that good,'' I tell him when we''re clearing the dishes. ''But don''t tell my mum that I said that!'' Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He chuckles. ''I promise not to bring it up tomorrow.'' Tomorrow, Xavier and I are going round to meet my parents and sister. I know they''re going to love him. We getfortable on the sofa, cuddling in front of the TV. The TV show we''re watching doesn''t interest me. Not because it''s not a good show, simply because who I have next to me is far more interesting. With Xavier''s eyes on the TV, I lean closer to him and softly press a kiss to the top of his corbone. He shudders and tightens his arm around my waist. He''s wearing a t¡ªshirt and the crew neckline gives me plenty of ess to his neck. I peck kisses up and down his throat. Only when I scrape my teeth over the skin does Xavier finally let out a low growl and react properly. He turns to face me and kisses me, taking me by surprise. I slowly start to kiss him, letting my lipszily follow his lead. He coaxes me to respond more firmly. He parts my lips with his tongue and it''s like he sparks a fire inside me. I''m filled with a burning need to feel more of him. I straddle hisp on the sofa and thread my fingers into his hair. I tug on the strands and Xavier grunts against my lips. Our tongues rub and y together whilst his hands steadily move higher from my waist. They slide under my top and make me shiver when he skims them over my ribs. His fingers gently stroke the tops of my breasts, which are heaving with every breath in my prettyce bra. I can feel how excited he is underneath me. He is digging into a very sensitive area. But I still need more. I break the kiss and look at him with heated eyes. ''Bedroom'' Xavier''s own eyes darken. ''Yes.'' He stands up, taking me with him. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he carries me up the stairs. I look around at his house as he takes me to his room, but I know he can give me a proper tourter. Once we''re in his room, he ces me on the bed and starts stripping me of my clothes. I eagerly help him, raising my arms above my head when needed. We make quick work of my clothes and then start on his. He left my underwear, so I lie in thece set in the center of the bed, watching him remove his boxers. Fully revealed to me, my mate is perfection. Toned and hard in all of the right ces, but not so much that he looks like he''s popped steroids all his life. He''s just¡­perfect. Anticipation blooms in my stomach as he grasps my ankles and pulls in one sharp tug. I shoot down the bed towards him. Goosebumps break out on my skin as Xavier kisses up my legs, getting closer and closer to where I want him. I''m practically shaking with excitement when his fingers skim over myce panties. He grips the material and slides it down my legs, baring me to him. Iy perfectly still, nervous and desperate for his touch. Xavier''s gaze is filled with lust as he heatedly looks at me. He parts my thighs, exposing my core to his view. I resist covering my face with my hands. I force myself to remember that he is my mate, I shouldn''t be embarrassed around him. Boldly, I watch his face as he watches me. Xavier''s hand slide higher up my thighs. His thumbs brush over my lower lips, sending a shiver through me. My hands tightly grip the bed covers as I try to stop myself from grabbing his face and shoving it between my legs. This build¡ªup is killing me, and he knows it. He smirks and blows gently, making my hips lurch up and off the bed. ''Stop teasing,'' I plead with him. ''Please.'' His face turns serious, and he lowers himself between my legs. Oncefortable, he nudges my thighs further apart with his shoulders. He leans forwards and presses a kiss to my clit. The small action has tingles exploding in my lower region. His tongue darts out and swirls around the bundle of nerves. He looks up at me with his mouth still between my legs. I can''t hold his gaze, it''s too intense. I let my head fall back on the bed and I look up at the ceiling, focussing on everything that he is making me feel. He rubs his tongue back and forth over my clit, stimting it with the exact right amount of pressure. It''s addictively good. I worry that my fingers are going to rip his sheets with how tightly I''m gripping them. One of Xavier''s handses to rest on my abdomen, pinning me down to the bed and stopping me from bucking my hips. With the other, I feel a finger probing at my entrance. He pushes one inside me, and then two, and finally three. Stretched and full, I''m breathless when he picks up rubbing my clit again. It''s all so much. My eyes squeeze shut and my back arches off the bed. Xavier keeps his hand firmly on my stomach, not letting me move a lot. His tongue flicks faster, building an intense orgasm. ''Xavier,'' I gasp his name when my orgasm hits. He only gets faster, causing the pleasure to plough through me with relentless force. White spots burst behind my eyelids, my heart beats rapidly in my ears and pleasure consumes me. Itsts for seconds upon seconds, fading only when I think it will never stop. Xavier slows his ministrations to a stop and gives me a moment to catch my breath. Only when my breathing is even, does he lower his mouth back to my core. ''Another,'' he murmurs against my sensitive skin. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 38 Book 4 Chapter 38 Orelia''s POV. His tongue and fingers bring me to the edge again and again. I don''t know what Xavier thinks I did to deserve this, but I''m notining. I wouldn''t be able to, even if I wanted to. By theedown of my fourth orgasm, I''m not sure I''m even capable of saying my own name. My breathing is all over the ce and my body is covered in a thin Xavier arises from between my legs andes to lie next to me. I reach for his hand and squeeze it. Wey there for a few moments as I recover. ''That was amazing,'' I mumble, still unable to open my eyes. Xavier chuckles and kisses my forehead. ''Good.'' He rolls onto his side and cuddles into me. I feel his erection pressing against my thigh. It''s like a hot rod of metal against my skin. Suddenly, I don''t feel so out of it anymore. I sit up, taking Xavier by surprise. He watches me with interest as I kneel by his side and reach for his cock. He lets out a hissed breath through his teeth as I begin stroking him. I want to taste him, too. I lean down and wrap my lips around the head of his cock. I swipe it with my tongue, tasting his salty tang. He tastes delicious. Xavier grunts and rxes back on the bed, letting me pleasure him. I take my time sucking him. Hearing his low moans and gasps is honestly almost as good as feeling the orgasm myself. I can''t exin how much pleasure I get out of pleasuring him. I can''t fit all of him into my mouth. I have to use my hand to stroke the base. I move my hand and mouth in time, working up a rhythm. I can feel his cock pulsing in my mouth. His hips buck up and down and his thigh is tense under my hand. His handse to my hair, gripping it tightly. He doesn''t try to force my head down or apply any pressure, he merely buries his fingers in the locks and holds on. I pick up my pace, sucking him harder and faster. With my free hand, I cup his balls and stroke them back and forth. It seems to work, because Xavier groans my name and suddenly tenses up. Warm semen hits the back of my throat. I don''t swallow at first. Instead, I wait for the final spurts to stop. With a full mouth, I swallow his load and lick his cock clean. He tastes salty but pleasant enough. I pull back from his crotch, sit up and wipe my mouth. Xavierys panting on the bed, looking up at me in lust and awe. ''Thank you,'' he says huskily. ''That was¡­fuck.'' I can''t help butugh at the adorable, dazed expression on his face. He''s too cute. He sits up suddenly, making me jump. He grabs the back of my neck and kisses me like I haven''t just finished sucking him off. Uncaring, his tongue enters my mouth and caresses my own. I kiss him back eagerly, putting my hands on his shoulders to keep him close. Together, we fall back onto the bed. I''m pinned underneath him whilst Xavier supports himself with his hands on either side of my head. I spread my legs and wrap them around his waist. Pushing my feet into his lower back, I usher him closer. Xavier breaks the kiss to reach between us. He grasps the base of his cock, lines it up and rubs it between my lower lip. My breath catches in my throat and my heart thumps quickly. We''re both silent in anticipation as he first eases himself inside of me. Our breathing is shallow and quiet. Inch by inch, he slides inside my channel. My hands grip his shoulders as my body is ovee with emotions. It already feels so good, and he is barely moving. I feel so connected to him at this moment. Our eyes Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. meet and the amount of affection we convey to one another leaves me breathless. As if knowing what I want, Xavier starts to move. He pulls back almost all of the way and then thrusts back inside. My back arches and my eyes fall closed as the pleasure starts to build almost instantly. It''s orgasmic, feeling him rub the sensitive flesh of my inner walls. Xavier is on the same cloud nine as me. His jaw is clenched, and I can see the tension in his muscles from holding himself back. I reach up and stroke his cheek. His eyes meet mine. ''Don''t hold back,'' I whisper. ''Please.'' My plea sets something off inside my mate. It''s like a switch is flicked or something. He suddenly starts pounding into me. His thrusts shake both me and the bed we''re on. Overwhelmed by the pleasure, I pull his face down to mine and kiss him. Our teeth bash together, and our breaths mix but we don''t care. We kiss as he fucks me, taking me to the peak of orgasm again. My climaxes hard and fast. We break the kiss, panting heavily. I cry out Xavier''s name as I clench around him. Happy tears pool in my eyes and stream down my face. As the throes of my climax start to clear, a need to im him powers through me. I lean forwards and find the exact spot on his neck where my mark should go. I bite down and im him. The pleasure that runs through him must be intense, because his body shakes. I cling to him for dear life as he reaches his climax. Xavier slows his thrusts as he finds his release. He eventually stops and falls on top of me, ensuring that most of his weight is still on his arms. I pull back and admire my mark on his neck. My heart swells with pride. He is mine. Xavier recovers and kisses my neck. I turn my face to the side, giving him as much ess as possible. It''s a silent encouragement to mark me and he takes it. I wince when his teeth pierce my skin, but the pain is only temporary. The pleasurees next, barreling through me in waves. Xavier retracts his teeth and holds me whilst Ie down from the high. I don''t know how long we lie there, still connected and holding onto one another. I never want to move or let go, I''ve found my happy spot. After we''ve cleaned up, we get into the bed and cuddle again. Xavier squeezes me tightly and kisses my forehead. I''m cocooned in the covers and his arms, loved and safe. ???????????? Dinner with my family is a joyous affair. My parents are delighted to meet Xavier, and even more excited to see our marks on each other''s necks. My sister only smirked when she saw it, but I imagine it won''t be long before the teasing starts. We sit down to eat, and my family starts firing questions at Xavier, eager to get to know him. The story of how we met is a funny one that I let him tell. I only told my parents that I''d met him at the hospital, not the weird misunderstanding that actually happened. I tell them about Lettie and her son and how good Xavier has been for her. He really is an angel. ''What about you, Ines What have you been up to'' I ask my sister. She shrugs at the end of the table. ''Not much, really. Still not heard back from the clinic since they cut back my hours.'' My sister works as a guidance counsellor at a clinic near her t. Recently, they gave her some time off and announced they were cutting back her hours. They still haven''t asked for her back in yet. I''m worried for her; they seem to be letting a lot of people go. ''That sucks.'' She shrugs again. ''It''ll be alright. Besides, I''m going out with Eleanor tonight and that always solves my problems.'' ''For a short while,'' I mutter. Eleanor is Ines'' human friend and is a big drinker. If Eleanor is going out, it''s going to be a messy night. I hope she''s okay. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 39 Book 4 Chapter 39 Ines'' POV. Meeting my sister''s mate is a double¡ªedged sword. I''m so happy for her, truly. It''s amazing to see her smiling andughing and just¡­blissfully happy. But it also sucks to be single and mateless. I want what she has. Seeing it up close and personal is simply a reminder of what I haven''t got. I really hope that I meet my mate soon. I meet Ellie at our favorite bar in town. The cocktails are 2¡ª4¡ª1 before 6 PM and you are served quickly. It''s a busy night in town. People are out and enjoying themselves. There''s a mixture of human and supernatural in the bars, which is perfect for a good time. Ellie is hitting the alcohol hard tonight and I''m all for it. I''m single as fuck and alone whilst everyone around me is finding their mates and happiness. Excuse me for wanting to drink my problems away for one night. Ellie knows about shifters since a member of her family was turned by one. We''ve been friends for a while now and she''s great, but she can''t handle her liquor. ''Don''t you think we should slow down'' I suggest when she finishes her third mojito. She rolls her eyes at me and grabs the drinks menu. ''Um, no Let your hair down and pick another cocktail, girl.'' After a moment''s hesitation, I do as she suggests and order another cocktail. The night continues like this, me suggesting that we slow down and Ellie refusing to. We move from bar to bar and eventually, to the clubs. We dance until we''re sweating and have to stand All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. outside and cool off. At 3AM, the clubs shut, and we''re kicked out onto the street. Police are patrolling the area, keeping an eye out for predators and fights. Ellie and I burst out into the street. We walk down the road, heading for the taxi rank. After seeing how many people are in the queue for the taxis, I pull out my phone and start ordering us a cab from a differentpany. I look up just as Ellie loses her footing. She flies forwards and into the road. My heart stops as I lurch forwards on instinct, trying to reach her. I''m not fast enough and I''m too far away. She goes headfirst into the road and bounces off the hood of a slow¡ªmoving car. The driver ms the brakes on and Ellie slides from the bo to the ground. ''Eleanor!'' I shout and run over to her. ''Are you okay'' She''s lying on her back on the tarmac. The car is inches from her body. The door opens and the driver steps out. ''I''m so sorry! She came out of nowhere! She fell into my car, is she okay'' I get down on my knees to look at her. Ellie blinks blearily up at me and then gives me a lop¡ªsided smile. ''I feel weird,'' she mumbles. ''And my arm hurts.'' There''s the crackling of radio interference and then I hear an officer calmly call for an ambnce. I look up and spot the officer approaching us. ''Ma''am Can you tell me where and what is hurting, please'' He asks Ellie and crouches by her. I step back and let him take over. I back up without looking, though. I trip on the curb behind and fall backward. Ind hard on my butt on the pavement, groaning in pain. ''Ma''am'' I look up at the police officer from the pavement. He''s frowning at me. ''I''m going to take you to the station. Stand up and put your hands behind your back.'' Confused, I struggle to get to my feet. ''Pardon'' The officer sighs and approaches me. We''ve gathered quite a crowd, now. He grabs my upper arm and hauls me to my feet. I protest, but he''s gripping me tightly. He spins me around and, a secondter, the cold bite of metal is on my wrists and clicking noises reach my ears. I''m in cuffs! ''I''m going to take you to the police station. I''m taking you in for being drunk and disorderly.'' He tells me my rights and advises this will probably end in an overnight stay at the police station and a small fine in the morning. I ask to wait until my friend is taking away in an ambnce, I want her to be okay. The police officer puts me in the back of the car, locks the door and goes to sit with Eleanor. I watch from the window and wait for the ambnce toe. It arrives quickly and the paramedics put Ellie in the back. Once they''ve driven off, the officer returns to the car. He gets into the front and starts the engine. ''She''s got a mild fracture in her humerus, but she''ll be okay.'' I''m taken back to the police station, booked and put into a 2 x 2 cell. This is really not how I expected tonight to go. I sit down on the cot bed and getfy. It''s going to be a long night. ???????????? In the morning, I''m awoken by the bright light shining through the bar window near the ceiling. My mouth is dry, and my eyes feel like sandpaper. I sit up and crack my neck. I roll my shoulders and slowly stand up. I kicked my heels offst night, so I pad across to the barred door barefoot. ''Excuse me'' I call out, waiting for a reply. ''Hello'' A police officer appears in my line of view. ''I''m sorry, but do you know when I''ll be released please'' ''One moment,'' he replies bluntly. Hees back about five minutester. ''We''re waiting for the station Sergeant to arrive. He will decide when you are released. I think he''ll want to take your statement, too.'' ''Okay,'' I reply glumly. ''Please could I have some water I''m parched.'' The police officer nods and disappears down the corridor. Ten minutester, he still hasn''t returned. Another officeres past, this time it''s a woman. ''Excuse me Please could I have some water I''m so thirsty.'' ''I''ll be right back.'' Unlike the other officer, she actually returns. She hands me a small cup of water. I thank her and take it gratefully. She surprises me by pulling a packet of gum from her pocket and giving me a piece. ''Thank you!'' I tell her and pop the piece in my mouth. Feeling refreshed, I return to the bed and lie down on it. I don''t know how long I lie there, wondering how Ellie is and contemting what a messst night was. That''s thest time I got out drinking with her for a while, she''s a damn liability. I sit up when I hear the clicking of polished boots against the concrete floor. A handsome face appears at the door and, a momentter, the door hisses and opens. Fully revealed to me, the police officer leaves me speechless. The most handsome man I''ve ever seen stands in the hallway with his hands on his hips. He''s wearing the typical police uniform, but he has the symbol of Sergeant on his right arm. ''Ines Willows'' He asks firmly. Goddess, his voice is as perfect as the rest of him. ''Yes,'' I respond quickly and get to my feet. ''Grab your things and follow me. We need to take your statement.'' I hurriedly pick up my shoes. I slip them on and follow him down the corridor, wincing at the loud clicks my heels make. He takes me to an interrogation room and holds the door for me whilst I enter. I take a seat and he sits down opposite me. He getsfortable in the chair whilst I admire his biceps straining against his ck uniform. ''So, tell me,'' he starts casually. ''What is my mate doing in a police cell'' ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 40 Book 4 Chapter 40 I swallow hard and meet his honey¡ªcolored irises. Mate. Mate. Mate. The word resonates around my brain and fills my mind, making it hard to concentrate on anything but him. An amused smile forms on his face, causing my gaze to drop to his lips. They are full and plump and oh, so kissable¡­ The smile widens, revealing straight teeth. I drag my gaze back up to appreciate the exquisite bone structure that is his face. He honestly could model. I bet he gets harassed by prisoners all of the time. He probably spends his life being sexualized and here I am, simply adding to it. ''Miss Willows, I need to take your statement of what happenedst night. Please could you confirm your date of birth'' I recite my birthday to him, letting him know that I am twenty¡ªthree. He hands me a notepad and a pen for me to write my statement. Our fingers touch when he hands me the pen and my heart jolts in my chest. I focus on writing down what happened. Making my ount sinct and clear, I ce the pen down and slide the notepad back to him. ''Due to extenuating circumstances, I have managed to get your fine cleared. You are free to go after this, Miss Willows.'' ''Extenuating circumstances'' I ask. He smirks at me. ''The fact that you are my mate.'' Hearing the words said out loud makes it all the more real. Before, I could kid myself that I had imagined this and made it all up in my head. Maybe I was the only one feeling the bond. Obviously, we truly are mates. ''I am Lance, by the way,'' he introduces himself. ''Sergeant Lance Owens.'' ''Nice to meet you, Lance. I''m Ines,'' I respond quietly. I can''t stop staring at him. I know it''s rude and a little creepy, but he''s just so damn attractive. ''Can I give you a ride home, Ines'' Spend more time with you Yes, please! ''Um, yes. I''d like that, please,'' I tell him shyly. His smirk turns into a smile, and he stands up from the table. I follow suit and he leads me out of the building and into a lift at the end of the corridor. It takes us down to the car park below. I get to sit in the passenger seat this time. He pulls out of the station and into the main road. ''Whereabouts do you live'' He asks me as we drive in the direction of the city center. ''Over on Westbrook,'' I reply, and he takes a right at the next roundabout. ''How long have you been a police officer'' I ask him, wanting to know more about him. ''About four years, now. Started fresh out of uni.'' ''Do you enjoy it'' ''Most days, I love it. Like all jobs, you have days that you wish you were doing something else. What about you Do you have a job'' ''I''m a guidance counselor at a clinic in Davenford.'' ''That''s cool. Do you enjoy it'' I shrug. ''I enjoy the sessions and the patients. The clinic has been screwing me overtely, though. They''ve cut my hours, so that sucks.'' ''I''m sorry. Have you looked for another job elsewhere'' ''Not yet. I was waiting for a breaking point, but I guess I''ve reached that now.'' ''It can''t hurt to have a look, right You need to work somewhere that people appreciate you.'' Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Before I know it, he''s pulling up in front of my t. He cuts the engine and turns to face me in the car. ''So, do I get to see you again'' I ask lightly. ''Preferably somewhere else other than the police station.'' His lips twitch and he smiles. ''Yes, you do.'' ''Like¡­on a date'' I ask shyly. He smirks at me. ''I''m not supposed to date criminals.'' I pout at him. ''I wasn''t even charged!'' ''I know.'' He chuckles and shakes his head. ''I want to take you out to dinner. Does tonight work for you'' I can''t help but grin. I''m so excited at the prospect of seeing him again so soon. ''Yes! Definitely.'' His grin matches mine. ''Perfect. I''ll be round at seven'' ''Okay.'' For a second, we both hesitate. He leans in suddenly and pecks my cheek. I feel my face starting to heat up from the tingles erupting across my face. I hurry up and get out of the car before he sees how red I have turned. ???????????? I get all flustered choosing my outfit for the date. When Lance knocks on my door at exactly the right time, I''m not quite ready. I answer the door with my make¡ªup half done and my hair in a knot on top of my head. ''Hey! I''m so sorry, I just need five more minutes, I''m not quite ready yet.'' He smiles and looks me up and down. ''No problem. You look great, anyways.'' I shoot him a grateful smile and open the door wider. ''Thanks. Come on in.'' Lance patiently sits and waits for me in my living room. I finish getting ready in a rush. I manage to ''I''m sorry about that,'' I apologize again. ''I wasn''t sure what to wear and it all kind of went downhill from there.'' He smiles andes over to me. ''You look amazing. You are well worth the wait.'' My heart flutters at hispliment. ''Thank you,'' I respond and shyly look down. It''s hard to maintain eye contact with those intense green orbs. Lance takes my hand and leads me downstairs. He takes me over to his car and holds the door open for me. ''It''s only a five¡ªminute drive to the restaurant, but I didn''t want to make you walk in case you decided to wear heels,'' he exins and nces at my feet. ''Which you did.'' ''Thanks, that''s very considerate of you,'' I reply, smiling widely. Once at the restaurant, we''re taken to our table and given the menus. It''s basically a posh fish and chip restaurant. ''I''ve never been here before, but I''ve heard good things,'' I tell Lance as I browse the menu. ''I promise, it''s amazing. I''m sorry that it doesn''t seem very fancy for a first date, but I wanted to take you somewhere that had good food.'' I lower my menu to be able to meet his eyes. ''Food over fanciness, every time,'' I respond. ''I''ll take a good My''s over a gourmet meal on a dish the size of a side te any day.'' ''Me, too.'' As promised, the food is incredible. To reduce the restaurant to a fish and chip bar would be sphemy, the food is far too good to be considered take¡ªout. When we''ve paid up, we walk hand in hand around the city for a bit. Lance tells me funny stories of people he''s encountered and arrests he''s had over the years. He mentions how much he loves steak and I invite him round on Saturday night. I make a mean steak and I want to cook it for him. My wonderful mate walks me all the way to my door. He waits patiently for me to unlock it and step inside. When I turn back to face him, we are suddenly much closer. My breath catches and my eyes drop to his lips. So full and kissable. I don''t realize that I''m leaning in until Lance is leaning, too. We meet somewhere in the middle. Our lips collide and my heart starts beating twice as fast. Warmth and tingles spread around my body at his touch. Our bodies automatically get closer, pressing against one another with equal intent. Lance''s hands rest on my hips and my grip his jacket. The kiss is passionate but reserved, as if we''re both conscious that this is our first date and we''re still in the hallway of my building. When we finally break the kiss, our lips are swollen, and our pupils dted. Lance says goodnight with a husky rasp, and I watch him go, reluctantly. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 41 Book 4 Chapter 41 I feel like I blink and it''s Saturday. I thought time would go slowly whilst I anticipate our date, but it actually goes really fast. Lance ising round tonight and I''m cooking for the two of us. I''m so happy he agreed to this, it''s been a while since Ist got to cook for anyone. It''s one of my favorite hobbies, but it''s just not the same when it''s only for yourself. I go out in the morning and buy everything that I will need from the supermarket. I choose my outfit in advance this time, so that it can''t make mete again. I take a shower and shave my body in all the required ces. I''m not counting on getting lucky tonight, but it''s always good to be prepared. It takes me a while to get ready. I pick at my appearance, finding endless things to tweak and adjust. When I''m finally satisfied, I only have ten minutes before Lance will be here. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Luckily, I did lots of the food prep earlier. I pop into the kitchen and get the cooking started before he arrives. Exactly on time, Lance knocks on my door. I don''t hear it over the extractor fan, but my phone lights up with a text saying he''s just knocked and he''s outside. I rush to the door and open it in a hurry. He''s stood on my doorstep, wearing a smart shirt that is open at the cor and tight jeans that show off every inch of his muscr legs. Damn. ''Whoa,'' I mutter, unable to stop myself. ''You look really good.'' He grins at mypliment. He leans forwards and kisses my cheek. ''Thank you. You look beautiful, I love that color on you.'' I look down at my purple dress and then back at him. ''Thank you! Come on in.'' In Lance''s hands are a bottle of wine and a bouquet of tulips. I thank him when he offers them and lead him into the kitchen. Lance uncorks the wine and pours us sses whilst I start grilling the steaks. He likes his medium¡ª rare, so it only takes a couple of minutes. We sit in the kitchen. I only have a small t, so my dining table set is in the open¡ªn kitchen. Lance doesn''t seem to mind. We both tuck into the steak and I''m relieved to taste that it''s a good I usually make it. I want to impress him. After clearing our tes, I bring out dessert; salted caramel profiteroles. We share them together whilst regaling each other with stories of our university experiences. At some point, we move onto the sofa. It starts innocent, with us talking and cuddling. The talking leads to kissing. I don''t remember when his lips met mine, but suddenly, I''m lying on my back and he''s hovering over me. Our lips are still connected, moving over one another in perfect sync. Desire floods through me. I slide my hands up to his hair and tangle my fingers in it. He''s right where I want him, and I don''t want him to move. Lance doesn''t seem to have any ns to. His tongue teases my bottom lip. My tongue meets his and instantly, we''re both addicted to each other. The kiss turns heated and desire licks at my body. I grind my hips against the erection at his crotch. I want him inside me more than anything. He''s all I can focus on, all I want. Lance gets the memo. He pulls back and breaks the kiss. His eyes are hooded when he looks down at me. ''Bedroom'' He asks huskily. I nod quickly. ''Yes!'' He stands up and then draws me into his arms. I put my arms around his neck and hold on whilst he carries me through the open door of my bedroom. He sets me on my feet, and I immediately start on his shirt, undoing the buttons with frantic need. He chuckles and lets me undress him. I get to admire every inch of his magnificent chest as I peel his shirt back. It drops from his arms andnds on the floor with a fabric whoosh and thud. I trace my hands over his muscles, feeling the hot, taut skin. ''You enjoying yourself, baby'' He asks with a chuckle. My face heats up as I realize that I''ve just been stood there, stroking his chest like a weirdo. ''Sorry,'' I mumble and drop my hands. Lance chuckles and kisses my forehead. ''Don''t apologize. You can touch me as much as you want, anywhere you like.'' I smirk mischievously. ''Anywhere'' He grins and winks at me. ''Anywhere.'' My hands go for the button on his jeans. He reaches around me and unzips the back of my dress. As I shuck out of it, he pulls down the zipper and then removes his jeans. We''re both left in our underwear, greedily taking in each other''s bodies. He doesn''t get to ogle me for long, because I drop to my knees in front of him. His eyes widen in shock. I reach for his boxers and pull them down. His cock springs free and bounces in my face. I wrap my hand around the thick base and take a tentative lick of the head. He hisses in a breath between his teeth. Emboldened, I take more of him into my mouth. Lance gasps and puts out his hand against the wall to catch himself. ''Shit, baby,'' he grunts. ''That feels so good.'' I work him faster, taking him all of the ways to the back of my throat. I swirl my tongue around him whilst caressing his balls. My eyes are streaming already, but I don''t care. ''You don''t have to do this,'' he gasps. A moan escapes his lips and I know that I''m not stopping until hees. I want to taste him. I want to feel him release in my mouth. I pull backpletely and kiss the head of his cock. ''I want to,'' I tell him. ''I love this.'' I take him deep again before he can reply. A shudder runs through him and his hips jerk forwards, pushing his cock further into my mouth. He grunts an apology. I can feel the tension in his body as he tries to stop himself from doing it again. I grab his hand and ce it on my head. His fingers automatically tangle in my hair, holding it tight. I rx my throat and bob my head back and forwards. Gradually, he realizes that I''m happy for him to take control. He thrusts his hips forwards, fucking my throat at a pace that he wants. I love it, I want to give him as much pleasure as possible. With him in control, he chases his climax without hesitation. When I look up at him, our eyes meet and he''s looking down at me with such devotion. I take everything he gives me. He moans my name in warning. I brace myself for his orgasm. His cock pulses in my mouth and jets of hote hit the back of my throat. I swallow it all and smile up at him. He helps me to my feet, and I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. He takes my cheeks in his hands and stares lovingly at me. ''You are incredible,'' he murmurs and leans in to peck my lips. ''Thank you so much. That was fucking amazing.'' I grin and kiss him again. ''There''s more where that came from.'' His eyes darken and Lance pushes me back onto the bed. He spreads my legs, gripping my thighs and opening them wide. ''It''s your turn,'' he announces huskily. My heart beats rapidly with excitement as he lowers himself between my legs. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 42 Book 4 Chapter 42 Everything inside me clenches as his lips first ce a tentative kiss directly over my clit. He blows gently on the sensitive bundle of nerves and my body thrums with excitement. His tongue swipes up and down my lower lips, parting them to taste my juices. My eyes fall closed, and my head falls back against the bed. It''s like all strength leaves me, I''m hopeless under his touch. Lance licks and teases my pussy, trying different pressures in different areas. He pushes his tongue inside me as deep as it will go. He makes circles around my clit and sucks on mybia. After finding what I like most; my clit stimted, he stays there, flicking the bud back and forth with his tongue. He makes shapes around it and rubs it with the perfect amount of pressure. The pleasure is indescribable. My first orgasm hurtles through me without warning. My back arches up off of the bed and Lance has to pin me down to stop me from writhing all over the ce. I''m panting when Ie down from my high. Lance smiles up at me from between my legs. His warm hands massage my inner thighs, and he ces sweet kisses on my pussy. He''s adorable. ''You ready for another'' He asks huskily. I stare at him in shock but find my head nodding without my permission. Lance grins and gets back to work. I fall back onto the mattress and let him pleasure me. He uses his skilled tongue to draw another two orgasms from my body. I''m shaking with the aftershocks when he finally relents. He climbs up my body andys next to me on the bed. He props himself up to look at me and runs his hand up and down my arm. ''You okay, Ines'' He asks softly. I nod and manage to peel my eyes open. I give him a dazed smile. ''More than okay,'' I whisper. He chuckles and pecks my lips. I grab the back of his neck and pull his mouth back to mine. I plunge my tongue into his mouth, tasting myself on him. He rolls me onto my back and kisses me. It''s a hot kiss that has me wanting him with renewed vigor. I slide my hands up and down his body, feeling the smooth ins of his muscr form. I want him. I kiss down his neck. I know when I''ve found the right spot because he shudders above me. I suck on the small area of skin, and he grunts. ''Mark me,'' he orders lowly. I don''t need to be told twice. Without hesitating, my canines elongate, and I bite down on his neck. I mark him as mine, feeling the bond solidify inside me. Lance gasps my name and grips me tightly. He nudges my hips apart and pokes my entrance with the head of his cock. My teeth are still in his neck when I spread my legs for him, and he slides inside me. He sinks in until we arepletely joined. My whole body is vibrating with pleasure and happiness All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. right now. I finally retract my teeth from his neck. ''Ines,'' he moans my name and starts thrusting in and out of me. ''You feel¡­incredible.'' I lick my lips and lean my head to one side, exposing my neck to him. Lance''s eyestch onto it and he lowers his head. He kisses the sensitive skin, trying to find the right spot. It takes him mere seconds to locate it. He bites down on my neck before I''m ready, making me jump. I''m not ready for the flood of pleasure thates with the bite, either. I shake underneath him, my fingers digging into his biceps. I can feel his muscles all knotted under my hands. He bites down hard, ensuring that his mark is made. There''s no doubt about it, we''re bonded now. When Lance pulls back, he licks the blood from his lips and smiles down at me. ''Thank you,'' I murmur, still dazed from the pleasure. He kisses me softly. ''Thank you.'' Now that we have both marked each other, he can really start moving inside me. I bring my legs up to rest on either side of his hips. This position allows him to enter me even deeper. He draws back, only to thrust forwards again. My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head with how good this feels. I feel as though I''m going tobust, but in the best possible way. Lance kisses me again, silencing my moans with his tongue. We w and paw at each other, desperate for a closer hold as he pounds into me. We chase our climaxes together. I clench around his cock, trying to make myself as tight as possible for him. He grunts into the kiss in response. He rubs my clit with one hand whilst propping himself up with the other. My sensitized nipples rub against his chest with every thrust. He fucks me in long, hard strokes that have my toes curling against his buttocks. The tell¡ªtale signs of an impending climax ripple through me. My body clenches, my breathing quickens and my heart rate soars. ''Lance,'' I moan his name in warning. ''I know, baby,'' he murmurs and kisses my cheek. ''I''ve got you.'' My orgasm hits and I cry out his name. I throw my head back and an endless stream of moans escapes my lips. Lance fucks me through my climax, drawing it out as long as possible for me. I hold onto him tightly, as if scared that I might lose him if I let go, as if it might stop feeling this good. Somewhere in myedown, Lance finds his pleasure. He groans loudly. His thrusts turn messy and he pistons in and out of me like a man possessed. He chases his pleasure and I get to watch him fall off the metaphorical edge. His face contorts sexily with pleasure. His lips part and he looks down at me with lust and love. I stroke my hands up and down his back soothingly as he slowly stops shuddering. ''Shit,'' he murmurs and pulls out of me. He copses onto the bed next to me and I roll over to cuddle into him. His arm automaticallyes around my shoulders, pulling me closer. ''That was¡­'' ''Incredible,'' I finish for him. ''Yeah,'' he says lightly. ''It really was.'' ''Wait ten minutes then go again'' I ask hopefully. He chuckles and kisses my forehead. ''Anything you want, baby.'' We sort ourselves out in my en suite and then get back into bed. We actually get under the covers this time. I fall asleep in my mate''s arms. ???????????? My neck is a little stiff when I wake up in the morning. Lance is already up; I can hear the water running in the shower. I slip out of bed and go over to the mirror. I tentatively move my hair to one side and check on my mark. It''s red and a little raw, as a fresh bite mark should look, but it makes me smile just looking at it. Lance suddenly appears behind me, in nothing but a towel which is wrapped around his waist. He puts his arms around me and pulls me back against his bare chest. ''I love your mark,'' he says. My eyes go to my mark on his neck. It''s red like mine, but it fills me with pride to see it. ''Mine looks good on you,'' he murmurs huskily. His eyes darken with desire, and he runs his fingers over the mark on my neck. It isn''t sore when he touches it. Quite the opposite, it feels so good when he touches it. His other hand kneads my waist whilst he strokes his bite mark. I shiver and meet his heated gaze in the mirror''s reflection. He smiles and takes a step back, leaving me bereft. ''Sorry, I should let you get ready instead of groping you.'' I was quite enjoying the groping. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 43 Book 4 Chapter 43 Lance and I go out for breakfast together. His shift doesn''t start till 11 AM, so we have time. We are a proper loved¡ªup couple at the diner. We sit on the same side of the booth and cuddle up to each other. I''m sure we make the waitress feel nauseous, but I don''t care, I''m happy. I''m disappointed when I have to say goodbye to my mate. He has worked and so do I, albeit my shift startster in the afternoon. We agree to meet again tonight. He gives me his address after I offer to drive around and see him for dinner. My shift at the clinic is three until six. Following Lance''s suggestion, I go online and look around to see if there are any job openings in other ces. When I have applied for a couple, I give my mum a call. I let her know that I''ve found my mate. She is so excited for me. She wants to meet Lance and I tell her that I''ll mention it to him tonight. I call my sister, too. Orelia is loved¡ªup with her mate, so she understands the pure happiness in my voice when I tell her all about Lance. She wants to meet him, too. I''ll need to arrange something with Lanceter. Mum texts me just as I''m arriving for my shift at the clinic. The text is a reminder that, in a week, it is my Auntie Noelle''s birthday. The whole family is getting together for it. ???????????? It''s a long shift and I''m grateful when it finally ends, and I can go home and get ready to see my mate. I change and fix my make¡ªup. Following the directions, I drive over to Lance''s house. Being a sergeant must pay quite well, because he lives in a very nice neighborhood. His house isn''t huge, but it''s impressive. It''s bigger than my t, to say the least. I park in the drive and lock my car. The front door opens before I can reach it. Lance is dressed in a muscle¡ªhugging t¡ªshirt and smart joggers. ''Hello,'' he says warmly. Once I''m within reaching distance, he snakes his arm around my waist and pulls me against his chest. He kisses me senselessly on his doorstep and I have to ce my hands on his pecs to steady myself. Earlier on, he texted me and asked me to stay over, instead. I''ve got my bag with all my things in over my shoulder. Lance ushers me into the house and takes my bag off of me. He gives me a tour, showing me all of the rooms. It''s definitely bigger than my little t. We enjoy a beer each before we sit down for dinner. I ask about his shift and then I tell him about mine. The evening offers a glimpse into what our future looks like, and I love it. ''My family wants to meet you,'' I tell him. ''Do you think you''d be up to it on Thursday night'' He grins and sits back in his chair. ''Yes, definitely.'' Seeing as he took that so well¡­ ''My auntie''s birthday is in a week. My whole family is getting together for it. I''d love for you toe and meet everyone, but I totally understand if it''s too soon and you want to wait a bit.'' He shakes his head. ''No way, I''d love toe!'' ''Aw, amazing. They''re going to love you, don''t worry.'' After dinner, we sit on his balcony up in his bedroom. He has an outdoor heater set up next to the garden furniture. We cuddle on the sofa, perfectly content. When it getste, we decide toe in. I help Lance turn everything off and lock up downstairs. We clean our teeth in his en suite,ughing and messing about like we''re half the age that we actually are. I always hoped my mate would be someone I could have augh with and have fun with. Lance is definitely someone I can act like that with. His bed is huge and extraordinarilyfortable. Wey in each other''s arms for a while, talking about random things. He rolls over and gets closer to me and that''s when I feel it. Hard and hot, pressing against my hip. I run my hand teasingly down his chest and skim my nails along the waistband of his boxers. I hear Lance inhale sharply and I look up to meet his heated gaze. Daringly, I move my hand lower and stroke him over the material of his boxers. He''s already excited, I can feel a small wet patch soaking through the fabric. Excitement fills me as I push the boxers down. He takes over, shoving them down his thighs and kicking them off. With nothing blocking my way, I wrap my hand around his cock and stroke him. I squeeze him, feeling the velvety skin wrapped around a hard interior. I stroke him until he stops me. He grips my wrist tightly and gets his breathing under control. ''Stop,'' he whispers. ''Or you''re going to make mee.'' I smile at him. ''That''s the idea, silly.'' ''I want to be inside you,'' he says. ''Please.'' ''How can I say no to that'' I reply teasingly. Iy back and Lance gets on top of me. He parts my legs and settles himself between them. He kisses me at the same time he enters me. He thrusts in and out of me, fucking me until my toes curl. As he''s pounding into me, an idea pops into my mind. Lance must see ite over my face, because he stops thrusting and smirks at me. ''What is it'' He asks. I blush even thinking about saying it out loud. ''What, baby'' He probes. I know he isn''t going to let it go, so I close my eyes and decide to spill. ''Have you got your handcuffs with you'' It''s quiet for a moment and I eventually open my eyes. Lance is grinning down at me. ''You want me to tie you up'' He asks, sounding excited. I look shyly at him. ''Maybe.'' He chuckles and slides out of me. ''Don''t go anywhere, baby.'' I watch my mate,pletely naked, climb out of the bed and disappear out of the door. A few minutes I wait anxiously on the bed as he climbs into it. He drops the cuffs on the mattress and grabs my waist. He flips me onto my front. ''Hands behind your back,'' he orders. I quickly do as he says and rest my hands on my lower back. The metal is cold on my skin as he clips the cuffs around them. The metal clicks are loud between us. He pulls on my hips, lifting me up so that I am on my knees with my face pressed into the mattress. He enters me again, filling mepletely. This position changes everything. He feels so deep. I curl my fingers behind my back. Having my Owned by N?velDrama.Org. hands restrained adds another level to the sex, making me feel hot from being bound. ''You good'' Lance asks from behind yes. ''Yes,'' I mumble into the bed. Holding my bound wrists, he begins pounding into me. My body shakes with the force of the thrusts. He is hitting just the right spot inside of me, I feel an orgasm start to build. Lance must feel that I''m close, that I''m starting to clench around him, because he fucks me faster and harder. The ps of our bodies echo around the room. ''Lance,'' I moan his name against the bed sheets. ''Please, more.'' He responds instantly, fucking me even harder. His cock hits the top of my cervix and the slight bite of pain mixed with pleasure is what sends me over the edge. I cry out and mp down on his cock, my pussy spasm around it. He moans my name and finds his release, too. He finishes inside me, thrusting slowly and holding me close. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 44 Book 4 Chapter 44 ''Do you know what you''re wearing yet'' My mother asks through the phone. ''Not yet, Mum, no. The party isn''t for another five days.'' ''It doesn''t hurt to be prepared.'' ''True. I''ll probably just wear a dress.'' ''Okay. And we''re still on for tonight'' ''Yes. Lance and I will be there about five o''clock.'' ''Perfect, I can''t wait! See you then.'' ''See youter, Mum.'' I hang up and pull up my sister''s contact details. I click on her number and call her. ''Hey, sissy,'' she replies chirpily. ''Hey, Orelia. Are you stilling tonight'' ''Yes! Xavier and I will get there just after five.'' ''Perfect. By the way, do you know what you''re wearing to Noelle''s birthday party'' ''Goddess, you sound just like Mum.'' ''I know! She''s just been asking me. I don''t know yet.'' ''Neither do I. It''s going to be warm so probably a skirt or shorts.'' ''Cool. Okay.'' I spot the police car rounding the corner in the distance. ''I gotta go. I''ll see youter tonight.'' ''Alright! See youter, sis.'' I hang up and slip my phone into my handbag. A secondter, the police car pulls up in front of me. The window rolls down and my handsome mate leans out. ''Well, hello beautiful,'' he drawls the cheesy line. ''I''m afraid I''m going to have to pick you up for being too attractive. It''s dangerous. You''re causing a public disturbance.'' I roll my eyes at him and round the car. I get in on the passenger side and put my handbag down at my feet. ''How was your day'' I ask him as he pulls away from the curb and back into the road. ''Pretty average,'' he replies with a shrug. ''It''s getting a whole lot better now.'' I smile at his corniness. ''What''s with all the cheese today'' He grins back at me. ''I guess I''m just extra appreciative of how amazing my mate is today.'' ''Are you sure that''s nothing to do with having cop¡ªcar sex'' He winks as a response and turns his attention back to the road. He drives us out of the city and into the outskirts, where there is mostly countryside. Lance turns off down a dirt road and pulls into a desertedyby. There''s no one around for miles; we''re safe. Once there, we both get out of the car and into the back of it. Thankfully, Lance gave it a good cleaning this morning. Goddess knows who has been in the back of this car. The moment we get in, Lance grabs my thighs and lifts me onto hisp. Straddling him, I get When his eyes open again, they are dark with desire. I love seeing how much he wants me, it''s such a confidence boost. His hands go for my skirt. He pushes it up until it is bunched around my waist. With one sharp tug, he rips myce thong from my body. The action makes me gasp and we both look down at my bare pussy, He discards the scraps ofce on the seat next to him and then begins working on his belt. I push his hands away and take over, wanting to undress him. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He sits back in the seat and lets me free his cock. My hand delves eagerly into his boxers and wraps around the throbbing length. I pull it free and stroke him. Lance lifts his hips and pulls his trousers and boxers down, giving me more ess. As I stroke his cock, his fingers move between my legs. He slides them up and down my lower lips, getting them slick. When he thinks I''m ready, he pushes two fingers inside of me. I can''t believe that we''re out here, in the middle of nowhere, and that I''m being finger¡ªfucked in the back of a police car. He scissors his fingers inside of me, sending desire burning through me like a wildfire. He doesn''t stop until I climax. I mp down on his fingers and ride out my orgasm. Lance whispers words of encouragement and kisses my mark, only increasing the euphoria that I''m feeling. I''m shaking when I finally catch my breath. I think that one is the only one I''m getting, and I start stroking his cock again. Lance has other ideas. His fingers move inside me. He pumps them in and out, working up a frenzy inside me again. I didn''t think it was possible toe again so soon, but suddenly my body is convulsing and I''m moaning loudly. When I catch my breath after my second orgasm, he goes again for a third. I try to tell him that I can''t, but he proves me wrong. Pleasure goes hurtling through me again. My body is weak from pleasure when he finally relents and pulls his hand back. I can feel my wetness dripping down my thighs. Determined to have him inside me, I spread my legs wider and grasp his cock. Lance helps me line his cock up and together, we join our bodies. I sink down on hisp, taking every inch of him. He lets out a low groan as I take him to the hilt. His fingers bite into my hips and his hips thrust upward. ''Fuck, baby,'' he moans. ''You feel so fucking tight.'' I put my hands on the seats on either side of him for support, but Lance grabs my wrists and puts my hands on his shoulders. Steadying myself, I raise up and let his cock slide out of me. When he is almostpletely out of me, I sink back down on him. I repeat this action again and again, riding him in the backseat of the car. Gradually, I increase my pace. Lance bucks his hips, meeting my thrusts halfway. We bring each other towards our climaxes. The car shakes with our movements but we don''t care. We have other things on our minds right now. ''Ines,'' Lance gasps. ''I''m close.'' ''Me too,'' I whisper. Almost as soon as I''ve finished my reply, my orgasm hits me. It barrels through me, knocking me breathless and making my vision blur. The pleasure is all¡ªconsuming. Lance wraps his arms around my waist and holds me against him. He takes over thrusting up, filling me with each stroke upwards. He grunts in my neck as he finds his release. ???????????? ''So, how has your day been, Lance'' My mother asks from across the dining room table. My mate gives me a sideways nce and I give him a knowing smile in return. ''Pretty much perfect, actually, Aurora,'' he replies smoothly. ''It''s been a great day.'' She grins. ''Good. And please, call me Rory.'' My other mother, Lydia,es in with dessert. We all tuck into our portions. My sister, Orelia, is sat with her mate, Xavier, across the table from Lance and me. My two mothers sit at opposite ends of the table, at the heads. ''Please tell me that you have the presents for Auntie Noelle covered'' I ask my mums. They both snort like I''ve just asked a stupid question. ''Of course, we do,'' Lydia replies. ''Great. Can Ines and I get in on those'' Orelia asks. ''We''ll give you some money for them.'' ''Sure, but the money isn''t necessary.'' The dinner conversation moves onto Noelle''s birthday party. It''s a big deal for the family to get together. It doesn''t often happen that we manage to get all of us in one space. There are so many of us and we all have such different lives that it is hard to find a time where everyone is avable. We have to savor events like birthdays, weddings and holidays because it''s the only time that we''re all together. I can''t wait to see everyone. ???????????? Book 4 Chapter 45 (End) Book 4 Chapter 45 (End) ''Your sister is here,'' Lance calls from the hallway. I finish putting in my earrings and check my reflection. It''s going to be a hot day today; I think we''re lucky enough to maybe hit thirty degrees (C). I smooth down my dress and nod in satisfaction. After grabbing my handbag, I meet my mate in the hallway. I lock up my t and we walk downstairs and out of the building. Orelia and Xavier are in their car, waiting for us. Lance and I get in the back, and we drive off. It doesn''t take too long for us to arrive at Xaden and Noelle''s house. I''ve beening here since I was a child. The driveway is already filled with cars, so Orelia has to park on the road. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. We grab the cakes that our mum, Rory, baked, from the boot and carry them into the house. Auntie Noelle answers the door. She looks incredible with yellow, and orange braided into her hair. ''You made it!'' She cries with a grin. ''Come in, guys. Goddess, it''s so good to see you again. It''s been too long.'' We do all of the introductions in the hallway. We drop the cakes in the kitchen and carry on through to the garden, where everyone else is. Our parents, Rory and Lydia, are already in the garden. They''re talking with Axel and Grace, my other auntie and uncle, and Uncle Xaden, Auntie Noelle''s mate. The twins, Phoebe and Paige are already here with their mates. They are Noelle and Xaden''s daughters. We stillugh about how they both met their mates. They were both locked up in prison cells when they first met them. Phoebe had been locked up in the cells for trespassing on Oberon''s territory because she got too drunk. Paige was in heat and identally trespassed on an Alpha''s territory. She was locked up in a cell with her mate, Logan, whilst being in heat. I''ve heard it was quite the experience. Pornpanies would have paid millions for the footage, I imagine. Needless to say, they''re both heavily pregnant now. They will be having the first babies of our generation, I can''t wait. I''m sure children are on the cards for Lance and me in the future, but I think we both want to be selfish and have some time alone together before we think about starting a family. Axel and Grace''s daughter, India, arrives with her mate, Sebastian and his son from his previous rtionship, Jake. I know that India had a bit of a tough time with Jake at the beginning, but from the way they''re all smiling now, I think things have improved drastically. India''s brother, Rian arrives next. He is with his mate, Adriana. Lance and I speak to them for a bit. I never heard the full story of how they met. The two lovebirds share an amused look. ''It''s a funny story, really,'' Adriana says. ''We crashed into each other at an intersection.'' ''No one was hurt,'' Rian adds quickly. ''But we had to wait a while for the breakdownpany toe and check the vehicles.'' ''One thing led to another¡­and yeah,'' Adriana says with a grin and a blush. ''Let''s just say that car sex is a lot of fun.'' Now it''s Lance and I''s turn to share a knowing look. ''Something tells me we''re talking to people who already know that,'' Rianments,ughing loudly. ''Aren''t you a police officer'' Lance smiles. ''Yes, I am.'' ''Oh, my Goddess!'' Adriana squeals. ''Have you two done it in the police car'' Our silence is an admission of guilt. Rian and Adriana burst outughing. ''That''s amazing!'' She cries. Suddenly, my mum, Lydia, appears next to us. ''What''s amazing'' Adriana recovers quickly. ''Ines was just telling us about how Lance and she met.'' Lydia''s eyebrows draw together. ''I thought your mother already told you the story'' ''She did,'' Adriana responds quickly. ''But, you know, you get more details when ites straight from the horse''s mouth.'' I give her a deadpan look. ''Thanks, Adriana.'' She grins at me. ''No offense.'' We stay all afternoon in the garden, long after the sun has started to set. It''s still light out and we sit out on the garden furniture, talking endlessly and catching up. Eventually, it getste, and people start to leave. Lance and I help to clear up a bit and then take our leave with my sister and her mate. At Lance''s request, Orelia drops us off at his house instead of my t. I''m confused when he asks me to get into his car with him instead of going inside. ''You''re not hoping for round two of car sex, are you'' I ask as I strap myself in. He chuckles and starts the engine. ''No, baby. I just want to show you something, that''s all.'' Intrigued, I let him drive me across a few streets. It''s only about four minutes before he pulls up in front of a beautiful, detached, two¡ªstory house. ''Do you like it'' He asks, looking nervous. I look at the house, illuminated by streemps. ''It''s gorgeous. Why are you showing me it Does it belong to someone you know'' He waits until I turn to face him properly. ''I was hoping you would like it, so that I could go ahead and buy it,'' he says anxiously. The silence drags on between us and I stare at him in shock. Buy a house For us ''You want to buy a house for us'' I murmur. He nods. ''I want to start our lives together, Ines. No pressure, no kids or anything like that yet. I want us to live together.'' ''What''s wrong with your house'' ''I want us to have somewhere that''s our own. Somewhere that you can customize and decorate how you like it. I know that, if you moved into my house, you would still always think of it as my house and not ours.'' Happy tears fill my eyes. ''Sergeant Lance Owens, you are the most perfect man I have ever met.'' He grins at me. ''So, is that a yes'' ''Yes, it''s a yes!'' I cry. He hugs me across the console. When he pulls back, he grabs the back of my neck and kisses me. ''Am I allowed to take you home and fuck you, now'' ''Yes, please,'' I whisper back. We get home in record time. Lance sweeps me off my feet the moment he has the front door unlocked. He carries me upstairs, but we don''t make it as far as the bedroom. We''re too busy pawing at each other. He sets me down on my feet in the hallway. His hands go under my dress and find my underwear. He pulls it down quickly and I step out of it. My hands go to his trousers, getting them undone. Once they are round his ankles, he lifts my legs. I jump up and wrap them around him. My arms go around his neck, holding on to him. He lines himself up and fills me up in one thrust. We both gasp at the incredible feeling of our joined bodies. He pins me to the wall, fucking me in long, smooth strokes. I grab at his hair, pulling and tugging on it until he grunts in my ear. Our bodies rock against one another, the pleasure taking over and making us more animalistic. In the heat of everything, I start kissing his neck. I find my mark instantly and drag my tongue over it. A shudder wracks through Lance''s body and I do it again, desperate to feel hime apart. Lance obviously wants to return the favor, because he drops his head and buries his face in my neck, too. He sucks and nibbles on his bite, sending exquisite shivers of pleasure through my body. At the peak of my climax, I sink my teeth into his neck, remarking him. Lance does the same with his bite, remarking me. I think I almost ckout from the euphoria that crashes through me. We grip onto each other tightly and I know that we''ll never let go. The End. ???????????? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!