Chapter 97

Mom had warned me about this as a child. It was a way to ensure children, to make the mating process faster. Shortly after marking your mate, the female wolf would go into heat. It always varied, sometimes happening a month after being marked. A she-wolf's heat was short, typically only occurring once a year. Mom had told me how brutal it was, how it felt like your body had been doused in gasoline and lit on fire. Once I was older, she told me what would happen during my heat. That other males would take notice, that some might even fight over the she-wolf.

Chapter 98

Asher’s POVOne week--one entire week of planning out escape routes, defensive strategies, and safe evacuations. Getting through the week, knowing Lola was in constant danger, was the hardest thing I had endured since becoming Alpha. Each minute I felt the absence of the mind-link between us, was another minute I became closer to losing my sh*t.

Chapter 99

Lola’s POVAs Asher's voice faded from my mind, the heat encompassing my body increased. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin, unbearably warm and antsy. I struggled to sit up in the sedan, but could hardly move my limbs. I knew Maya was fighting for control, pushing back against her instincts in order to give me a reprieve from the intense heat. My eyes fluttered closed, and I cher

Chapter 100

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

Chapter 101

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

Chapter 102

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

Chapter 103

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

Chapter 104

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