One Month LaterI was going to be sick. I was becoming more and more accepting of my fate as the minutes ticked by. My wolf and life-long companion would never forgive me if I embarrassed us that way, but the anxiety was twisting and turning my stomach until nausea was left in its wake.This was our time to shine, a test that would prove what exactly we could handle. We had battled rogues, vampires, and a hot-headed Alpha or two, but never this. This was entirely new, in the best and worst of ways. Give me something to fight, and I'll win or lose with pride, but I wasn't quite sure I could handle this.This would be the first act that would propel us from simple werewolf, into the infuriatingly complex role of tribrid Luna.It was a coveted position, one that plenty of she-wolves wanted. They had a glamorized version of the life of a Luna in their head. One where they would oversee the women of the pack, and greet their mate as he came home from work that

Two Days Before Announcement"You're sure they're going to accept me?" I asked for the thirtieth time since passing the 'Welcome to the town of Pine Plains."I had yet to see a single building, house, or spec of life since passing that sign. There seemed to be nothing but unending forest, caps of juniper and pine that inched higher and higher as they veered up the slopes of the mountainous terrain.The scent of sap and earth permeated the air, mixing with the richness of the trees, slipping through the sliver in the window as we coasted down the highway. The views were incredible; jagged walls of earth surrounded us as we drove through and around mountains.We had been driving for hours now, but the finality of everything hadn't truly set in until I saw the sign, reminding me that we were growing closer and closer to the capital of Asher's--of our pack."I have no doubt they'll accept you." Asher replied from the driver's seat, the depth of his voi

There was something so satisfying about disobeying my mate, no matter how selfish and conceited it sounded. Perhaps it was the way his eyes darkened and nostrils flared whenever rage surged through him, or maybe it was the fact that deep down, my disobedience turned him on.The respected and feared Alpha Asher, tormented and denied by a girl.From the possessive touches that reminded me who my body responded to, and with the looks that held just a flicker of anger, I knew what Asher had planned for me the moment we made it back to the house.Luckily, the things he wanted to do weren't suited for his parents' house, so I was in the clear for the time being.A silent game played between the two of us, one where I seldom won--but I wasn't through trying.Later that night, like many previous nights, sleep was an elusive beast that even I couldn't tame.I woke up with foggy eyes and a bit of drool on my face, torn from what could have been the be

I had promised myself I’d go through those files as soon as we made it back to the house, but the moment I curled up into the warmth of Asher’s teenage bed, my looming exhaustion swallowed me whole.“What happened to those important files?” He asked, his voice gravely.“This is the seventh three a.m. call in a month.” I grumbled when Asher began to move me, his muscular arms forming a cage around my torso. His eyes dripped honey and were hooded as he watched me, “As Luna and Vampire Queen, I declare that just this once, we’re going back to sleep.”His reply fell on deaf ears, because my eyes had already closed, and my mind plunged into darkness.The last few weeks, my sleeping moments were plagued with strange dreams. Much different than Holly’s nightmares, which tore her from sleep with screams of mania, these dreams were bursts of color and sound. Jumbled images that burned into one another, le

I had just cut the engine and stepped from the Escalade when Breyona stepped onto the wrap around porch, her shoulder length hair damp and curling at the ends. The long sleeve t-shirt she wore had a bunch of wet patches from where she had hurried to dress. Her cheeks were still rosy from the shower. She grinned and waved but froze midway when Asher’s voice popped into both of our heads. ‘I’m assuming the two of you are together, yes?’ ‘Sure are.’ I responded seconds before Breyona’s, ‘Yep.’ His frustration felt like coarse sandpaper as it vibrated down the bond. Before either of us had the chance to ask what had happened, his next words sent us both into stunned silence. ‘Good, meet me at Town Hall. One of the witches we picked—she’s here and she wants to speak with you.’ I could taste the ire in Asher’s every word and wondered if it was the pre-school teacher slash blood witch or the middle-aged protection witch who ordered my Alpha o

The moment the sun began to settle in the sky, the countdown began in the back of my mind. It inched closer with each ticking second, until I found myself standing before thousands of werewolves. My heart hammered in my chest as I looked out at the sea of people, thousands of features illuminated from the last shreds of fading sun. Even with the little jitters of panic that raced down my spine, I reminded myself that I wasn’t alone. The words of my family and friends circled my mind, chasing away the doubt that lingered at the corners. The hairs along my arms lifted as I dared to look past the sprawling crowd, towards the forest that seemed near pitch black. I could see the tendrils of darkness slithering far from the lights reach, merely observing…watching and waiting for blood. To my right stood Asher, tall and proud in a long sleeve shirt, darker than the encroaching night sky. He stood tall and confident, like a ki

I had never quite become used to pain, even after enduring so much. Every time it ripped the breath from my lungs, unique in how it seared and tore at my insides.As I clutched my shoulder, feeling the heat of my own blood as it wept in between my fingers, its sweet scent spilled into the air. I ground my teeth together and steeled my spine, even though the dark spots dancing behind my eyes grew in size.I could hear Asher’s muffled yet powerful voice, silencing the deafening thunder that came from hundreds of snarls. He eased the panic from the crowd, and the tension from the warriors among them.My shoulder was throbbing and burning from the silver bullet lodged within it. Once I managed to straighten without vomiting, I peeled back the layers of my shirt and swallowed as I looked at the gaping hole in my shoulder.I’ll admit, it wasn’t the most pleasant of plans, but we knew this moment would draw them out. The crusade of Vampire&rsqu

“What are you doing, Lola? Did you not hear me? Your mate has sent me. I’m here to protect you.” The gruff male voice sounded deeper…distorted in a way that made my breath catch.‘What is this? This isn’t a vampire.’ Maya snarled, her hackles raising. ‘Her scent is…wrong. Asher isn’t answering us…something must have happened. I think you should call on the shadows, Lola…’This was bad, it had to be if Maya was condoning channeling the power of the shadows. The moment I reached out, feeling that bitter frost curl across my fingers like the greeting of an old friend, that voice sounded behind me.It was different, this time. No longer the deep rasp of a man, but the watery rasp of a woman. She hacked and coughed, but there was an accuracy to her voice that sounded deadly.“Turn around.”I reacted without thinking my eyes darting to either side of me whilst m

The morning was much quieter than either one of us expected. I was thankful Brandon rarely seemed to be home, since he loved to stir things up between him and Asher. How Asher hadn’t lost his temper and banished Brandon from the pack was beyond me, but I treasured every peaceful moment his infuriating brother was absent for.We had expected a small uproar. It wasn’t everyday your Luna was revealed to double as the Vampire Queen. My priorities were quite literally divided down the center, between two groups of people that wanted to kill one another. While there was some outcry by many of the older, seasoned members of the pack, there hadn’t been the large-scale uproar we were expecting.During the battle and warring back home, rumors had spread across the country. The struggle between our pack and the Vampire’s was common knowledge. Thankfully, us werewolves were a tough breed. There weren’t many of us who feared a murderous Vampire or rogu

“Brandon.” Asher’s voice held a warning beneath its calm façade, as did his eyes, which were currently latched onto where his brother stood.“Oh, relax. You’re awful uptight considering the big secret is now out. What was that saying—oh, that’s right. The truth will set you free. Do you feel free, brother?”He held a beer bottle in his hand, the condensation still running down the sides in thin rivulets. With both Asher and Brandon standing before me, shirtless and in swimming trunks, it was easy to see the similarities between the two.Asher’s hair was a tad darker, but both had the same jaw shape and broad shoulders, the athletic body that bordered on massive in size. Where Asher was stingy with his facial expressions, Brandon held absolutely nothing back—even when he should.“How can I ever feel free, Brandon? I’m Alpha to the largest pack in the country, and you’re my