Aurora's P.o.v I wiped the napkin across my damp forehead, grimacing at the ridiculous amount of flour I had managed to get on my clothes.  The uniform looked much like the inside of the bakery; pink and white. Even Jake had to wear one, sporting a pink and white apron as though it were the next fashion statement. Of all the things Jake complained about, the uniform wasn't one of them.  A white shirt with the words 'Beth's Bakery' stitched into it with golden thread, followed by a pair of jeans and a pink and white apron. As I walked small puffs of flour filled the air, originating from my messy uniform.  Within the first three hours I was coated in a thin layer of sweat. The hot ovens and constant running about did nothing to help. Despite the sweat, I was having the time of my life.  I didn't have to trudge home

Kade's P.o.v One Week Later With each passing day, my patience seemed to thin. We could find no witnesses who spotted Aurora that night. Our first step was heading to the nearest bus terminals, speaking with security to access the camera's. After an agonizing three days, two of four bus terminals had searched through their footage. Two had not gotten back to Alec or I. It was reasonable to assume Aurora had taken a bus to Atlanta airport and then flew from there. When my patience had run too thin, Alec contacted the Atlanta Airport on my behalf. Our territory covered Atlanta, meaning we had the authority to demand this of our people. Alpha Garrett was determined to help us locate Aurora, though his reasons differed from our own. He was still unhappy with his daughter's mates, but I could've cared less. I couldn't risk hurting Aurora or Alpha Garrett would have been rotting in the dunge

Aurora’s P.o.v One Week Later I had somehow managed to survive the week. Not only was I baking things on my own, Beth let me create some new desserts myself. I experimented with puff pastry, sugar icing, and fresh fruit. Some things turned out better than others, but Beth had a knack for selling. Jake was supportive as always with his sarcastic commentary, but the moment he had tasted the chocolate croissants I made, he was hooked.While Beth had known my actual name for an entire week, she never pushed me to give anything more. Jake had taken my abrupt name change with little more than a shrug, flashing his lop-sided grin as he told me he liked the name Aurora more than Amber. While at first, I had listened to the two of them joke and bicker, I was now joining in. Each night I left the store, I smelled like roasted cinnamon and freshly baked puff pastry.

Thalia's frantic voice spurred something within me, and I took off in a desperate sprint. My feet slapped against the sidewalk, the sound bouncing off buildings and echoing down the barren street.  'They're werewolves.' Thalia hissed, 'You need to run faster.' I veered across the street and down the sidewalk, my breaths emerging in short pants. My legs were already beginning to burn, and I thanked the heaven's I removed the boot from my foot days ago. My foot had been completely healed, a perk of being half-werewolf, I suppose. My lungs screamed in my chest, making me want to scream. While my speed and strength were heightened, my werewolf side did not affect my horrible stamina.  'Don't look behind you.' Thalia hissed as I started to turn my head.  A ragged scream tore through my throat as a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. A hand clamped over my mouth,

For a moment, I convinced myself I was at home with my Grandma. The smell of soup filled the air, thick with garlic, thyme and oregano. The tomato mixture invaded my senses and left me with the feeling of comfort and security. My Grandma's humming floated through the kitchen into the living room where I laid on the couch. The heat lingering in the California air warmed my skin, soothing my aching muscles.  It was when I found the strength to open my eyes that I realized how wrong I was. I wasn't in California, and my Grandma was dead. The peaceful humming was coming from an old woman, whose hair was white as snow. She stood in the kitchen, stirring something in a large iron pot. The heat that danced along my skin was from the crackling fire, just a few feet in front of me. Horror flooded through me as I realized I had been naked when I was found, and that I now wore a long nightgown. A thick quilt was placed over my body, smelling of lavender and other

Only when Kade and Alec stepped into the room, did I realize the horrible mistake I had made.  I had kept an image of them in my mind, committing it to memory so that I might never forget them. They looked different from that image, their eyes dark and haunted. I could see the toll my leaving had taken on them, and felt horrifically guilty. Part of me wanted to run into their arms, the other part of me wanted to cower and beg for their forgiveness.  Kade's hair remained the same, short on the sides and long on the top. Alec's hair had grown, almost grazing his shoulders. Apart from the pain in their eyes, they had remained the same. Their scent filtered into the house, relaxing some of my nerves as it registered with my senses. Sage stood behind them, nodding at me encouragingly, but I couldn't force myself to move. I felt absolutely ridiculous standing here, a floor length nightgown draped over my body. If the twin's noticed my attir

My heart sputtered in my chest as I realized Sage had meant for the three of us to share a room. Even after accepting Alec and Kade as my mates, the thought of sharing a bed with them made me horribly nervous. It took a couple deep breaths for me to realize, I wasn’t sure I wanted to sleep alone. I could feel the twin’s relief as they came to the same realization as I had, and knew they felt the same. My week away from the twins had felt like years for all three of us, though they seemed to have suffered worse than I. I wondered if I’d ever forgive myself for leaving them, even if they managed to forgive me first.The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence as Alec and Kade’s dark eyes settled on my face. The air was full of tension as they looked at me, thick with longing and jagged with pain. I opened my mouth and then closed it, realizing nothing I said would excuse my actions.A large bed sat against the wall; a maroon quilt draped ove

"Time to wake up, doll." Alec murmured; a gentle hand pressed against my shoulder.  "No." I groaned, grasping at the warmth that remained in bed.  My source of heat was coming from the other man in my bed, the one who curled his arms around my waist, nuzzling his face into my hair with a content groan. The heat seemed to radiate from the twins in waves, and I noticed the thin sheen of sweat that coated my body. Kade smelled of citrus and wood, a crackling bonfire, comfort and safety. His scent lulled me into sleep, only for Alec's voice to tug me into awareness.  "We have a long day ahead of us, doll." Alec chuckled lowly, another gentle shove to my shoulder.  I mustered up the strength to open my eyes, giving Alec a half-hearted glare. Kade snored softly, his dark lashes fanned out against his cheeks. All signs of stress and anger had been wiped from his face, making him look peaceful and angelic. Kade groaned

"Justin?"  "Another friend from town?" Alec asked, his eyes glued to Justin who hadn't yet noticed us.  "No." I shook my head, my voice filled with unease. "I met him on the bus leaving town. He said he was coming from Florida, and that he was heading to Virginia. I wonder what he's doing here." "This is a long way from Virginia." Alec grunted, his eyes narrowing. Just then, the wind shifted. A thick breeze wafted across the street, and I watched as Justin's short hair ruffled under the current. His scent hit me like a ton of bricks, and I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before.  "Justin--he was one of the guys who tried to kidnap me." My words set many things in motion. Justin's head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine, filled with what looked like surprise. Kade was across the street before I could blink, moving faster than I thought possible. Justin turned on his heel, his cellphone clatte

Alec and I drove the hour to the airport in comfortable silence. It gave me plenty of time to stew in my anxiety. Not only had I ran away from Alec and Kade, but I had left Tori. Part of me desperately hoped she would forgive me, but I wouldn't blame her if she couldn't. After all, she had done nothing but support me, and I had still left.  Alec and Kade seemed to understand my reasons for leaving, though the pain still echoed in the back of their minds. I hoped Tori would understand as well. It was a reunion I was both anticipating and dreading. I hadn't given much thought to Garrett and how he would feel about my leaving, nor did I care.  He had gone about everything completely wrong. From using me for my future position, to breaking the news that I wasn't human. From the very beginning, he had never been a father figure in my life. He had never wanted to see me, just me as I am. He wanted the werewolf version of me, the version where I stepped up and too