Novel-novel oleh LNCWrites/Nisha T.

*Three Months Later*~Akia~I turn and look at the closed door again, almost trying to will it open. I sigh and roll my eyes, turning back and walking down the hall. I swear it makes no sense. I have no idea what’s going on.Esme got in last night and was supposed to be up this morning to go shopping with me. She knows that I need all the help I can get, yet I haven’t been able to find her. I wanted to leave at ten so we could get in and get out. It’s going on noon, and I still have no idea where she could be.I let out a breath and slowly make my way down the stairs. I keep trying to think where she could be, where I could have missed her, but I can’t figure it out. I step off the last step and stand with my hands on my hips. Where the hell could Esme be?Sparks erupt on my arms, and his

“Ares laughed at me. He asked me if I understood yet. He told me that HE was the one who saw me and instantly had to have me. He said that Adolf was along for the ride, but the actions taken were his, Ares. He thought and decided before acting.” I notice the change in Atlas’s breathing and how his body reacts to what I’m saying. “I need you to understand, Atlas. Your brother, Ares, made the choices that impacted both of our lives so severely. He decided to try to hold on to something that wasn’t his. He decided to eliminate who he perceived to be a threat. Ares did all of this, not Adolf. He wasn’t corrupted by a wolf spirit, he was the corruption.” I push myself up and lean forward. My hands wrap around Atlas’s face. I pull it forward and let my lips rest on his forehead for a bit. “You saved us from more torment and pain. Even if Adolf was removed, your brother would have still been a problem all by hims

~Akia~I didn’t plan to fall asleep, but I couldn’t help it. Everything was a lot, and I was running on fumes. I can’t even remember how all of this started because it feels like I’ve been going for days and not hours. I guess life gets like that when facing circumstances like the ones I just escaped from. Settling against Atlas made me feel safe, and sleep came quickly.My body is moving slowly, but it’s enough to wake me out of my sleep. I blink rapidly, trying to get my eyes to adjust. When I open my eyes, I find myself gliding in the air, wrapped in the arms of one of my mates. I want to look and see who it is, but the exhaustion is overwhelming. I let my eyes close and snuggle against the warmth that’s surrounding me.⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲⇱⇲I wake up startled and sit up in bed. I gently touch my head and find it

~Akia~I don’t know what to say right now. Ares is bleeding out on the ground right now. Apollo is standing over him, but there’s no emotion on his face. Atlas has passed out next to Ares’s body, the stress having gotten to him. I’m standing here, not knowing what to do.My mate is gone… one of my mates is gone. I should feel sad, heartbroken. My heart should be shattered, and I should be trying to figure out how to survive without him. This is what I should be doing, but I’m not. I’m actually okay, and that’s a bit terrifying to say.If I’m being honest with myself, it feels like there’s a weight that has been lifted off me. Ares and Adolf are gone, and I’m not even mad about it. It’s crazy how calm I feel, but the truth is what it is.I know that Ares is the first of my mates that I met, b

~Atlas~The pain in my chest was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. It didn’t hurt this much when I was told that my mom had walked away from us or when we found out that she hadn’t left, but she’d been killed. I never knew something could hurt this much.There’s a warm hand on my back, tracing small circles. The feeling is soothing, but I don’t want it… I don’t deserve it. My head rests on softness, but it’s different from a pillow.I’ve stopped screaming and begging for something different. My throat is dry, and there are no more tears. I’m just left with the horrific pain. I killed my brother. I ended the life of my blood brother. I can never face anyone again; I can never be forgiven. “It’s okay, my child.” I slowly lift my head, struggling against the intense desire to disappear.

~Nyx~I stand and watch Adolf lose his sh.it. He huffs and puffs for a while, his eyes shut. I’m sure he’s trying to contact his human, but that isn’t happening. His connection with Ares has been severed by me.When that doesn’t work, he runs toward the others, but he moves right through them like a gas. It’s kind of funny, and if this weren’t a dire situation, I’d probably laugh at him. I can laugh later, right now, I will let him exhaust himself.His growl is strong enough to shake the trees if they were in the same plane that we are in. Adolf turns his head toward us and sneers. All of his teeth are visible, and there’s saliva dripping off the sharp tips. What did you do?!I scoff and roll my eyes. “What are you talking about?”Don’t play with me, bitch! Wh

6 Months Later~Paul~It’s been six long months, and Nikki still hasn’t woken up. Owlyn has been here and tried to get a response from her. Nothing has worked because she says it has nothing to do with magic. The doctors don’t have an answer, and I’m just lost without her.I knew she shouldn’t have volunteered. I felt in my heart that it wasn’t the right choice, but what could I do? I love her with everything I have, and I couldn’t tell her not to do what her heart said was the right thing.I run my hands through my hair and then over my face. I haven’t left her side in six months, and I’m beyond tired of seeing these walls. My sons have tried to get me to leave, and so has Tia. I refuse them because this is where I’m meant to be. As long as my heart is here, I will be here. Tia has been here often and has brought our grandchild, but besides those visits, it’s just been Nikki and me. I refuse to believe that I finally found my fated mate just to lose her so quickly.I put my head in m

~Devonte~The pain in my heart is all-consuming. I want the pain to stop, but I don’t know how to make that happen. I curl up tighter, hoping that the pressure will help with the pain. It’s all too much, and I don’t know what to do to make it better.Abe has gone silent, and I’m not surprised. He’s been struggling the most, and I have no words to soothe him. I wish I could wake up yesterday when things were what they were. I’d give anything to go back.“BROTHER?! BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU?!” I curl up tighter as if that’s going to keep me from being found. I don’t think I can handle the words and emotions that will surely follow my brother. I can’t take what that would mean.His thudding footsteps get closer and closer. I know I can’t hide myself; there’s no way to become invisible. I can’t keep this from happening. I hold my breath, waiting for the inevitable. “D, I found you. I’ve been looking everywhere. Our mate, she needs us. She needs you.” I’m trying to block out his words, but I’m

~Third Person~Everything seemed to happen all at once. Andricia is thrown against a tree trunk and curls up with a whimper. The pain is too much, causing Andricia to shift back into Tia. The twins witness this, and all restraint is lost. They shift and run at Imogene, who quickly wraps them up in blue light.Nikki hasn’t taken her eyes off Imogene, so she’s ready to interfere. As she shoots her light at Imogene, it strikes her in the stomach. Imogene is taken off guard and loses her grip on the twins. They fall to the ground and falter as they try to get on their feet. Eventually, they gain their footing and try to attack Imogene again.Imogene defends herself, reduced to hand-to-hand combat with the edge of magic. She repeatedly strikes the wolves as they throw themselves at her. They are taking a lot of punishment, but they refuse to stop. Their only goal is to defend their love, though they’d rather take the time to see about her.The group is joined by vampires and rogues alike.

~Jenna~I scramble backward, making sure my back is flush against the tree trunk. I try to quiet my breathing, but it's proving to be a task. I search around me, but there’s only darkness. The night air is still filled with the sounds of a battle, but I can’t see what’s going on.“Ughhhhh.” I slap my hand over my mouth in an attempt to stay quiet. I look down and see the bright red blood. I shut my eyes tight and try to think about anything else. If I freak out right now, I won’t be able to get back to safety.Every inch of my body hurts, but I can’t think about that now. I need to get out of here and make it back to the packhouse. I struggle to my feet, using only my right arm. My left just hangs against my body. Every twist and turn of my body brings a wave of excruciating pain, but I have to ignore it right now.I finally get to my feet and stand against the tree trunk. My breathing is erratic, and my chest is heaving up and down. “Where’d she go? I don’t see her.”“Sniff her out.”

~Aida~I’m applying pressure to my sister’s neck, and I feel her body giving in. This is so easy it’s pathetic. I would have thought that she would have trained during my absence. She had to know that I would return, and with my return would come the fight for her life. I guess having a brain doesn’t guarantee that you’ll use it.Portia’s body slumps to the ground, and her breathing gets heavier. I swear she’ll be dead in a minute. While part of me is rejoicing, the other part of me feels that she’d be getting off too easily. She’s the cause of all my problems, even the cause of Adela’s death. I may have administered the final blow, but it wouldn’t have come to that if she hadn’t disrupted our plans.Portia completely falls under, and I let her go with a thud on the ground. I get to my feet and walk around her limp body. Her breathing is shallow, so I know I can still play around with her before I kill her. I just need to figure out what games will be fun to engage in.I walk around h

~Ivan~One of the twins lunges at me, and I step out of the way. The other twin moves toward me, causing me to dodge slightly. This can’t be how they expect to beat me. If things continue this way, I’m going to win without breaking a sweat.I don’t want to spend a lot of time with these two. I need to go find Aida and so help anyone who has tried to put their hands on her. No one will hurt my love and live to tell the tale. I’d scorch the Earth before I let anyone hurt her.These imbeciles are staring at me but have stopped lunging. I guess they realize that it’s useless. It doesn’t matter what they do to me, they won’t win. I’m a vampire, so my natural state is on a different level. On top of that, I’ve been around for a long time. There isn’t much that I haven’t seen before, so they are hard-pressed to find something new to throw at me. “We’re wasting time, boys. I have more pressing matters.” I flip two fingers in the air back and forth. I hear reinforcements moving in. “Let me jus

*Six Months Later*~Houston~“Hey, babe?” I walk down the hallway, searching open rooms as I go. “Love?” I continue down the hall, wondering where this woman is. “Daddy?” I turn to look at Zara. She’s coming out of the bathroom, using the wall to guide her. “Yes, Miss Zara, how can I help you?” Zara smiles and giggles at me. She loves it when I call her that. She says it makes her feel important. “Where’s mommy?” I walk over to Zara and pick her up. She settles against me, her arms wrapped around my neck. “That, my dear, is exactly what I’m trying to find out myself. I haven’t seen her.” I hear the door open ahead of me, and a smile grows on my face. I turn us toward the sound, catching her footsteps as they grow closer. “Hello, my two favorite people.” She kisses Zara on the forehead before turning her lips to me. Alayasia aims for my cheek, but I turn at the last minute so her lips land on mine. I use my free hand and bring her in closer, angling my head to deepen the kiss. I

~Shiloh~I step back in horror and conflict. My heart was in my throat when I thought that Houston was gone. I was grieving for the man I had wanted all my life. I knew he was gone, and my heart couldn’t take it. I rejoiced when I saw that he was still alive, but I was confused as to how that could be possible. Watching Geoffroy die is a lot. I’m not sure what I should do with myself now. Geoffroy was my ticket to getting those two removed from this pack. He was going to take both of them, and all I had to do was figure out who marked my man so I could get rid of her. Now, my chance is lost. I turn around and walk away from the crowd, trying to figure out how I can salvage this mess. The sounds behind me are loud, and they’re keeping me from thinking clearly. I continue to move away from the scene, the sounds thinning out. I find myself closer to the packhouse, but not too far from the crowd that I can’t see what’s going on. I stop in my tracks when I see that Gamma bitch outside.

~Geoffroy~There’s no way, there’s no fucking way! The gasps around me made me feel like I was in a tunnel. Everyone is looking at what I’m looking at; everyone saw what I did. I’m not crazy; this isn’t all in my mind. I know I cut him deep. I felt my claw slice through a few layers, not just skin. I know we heal fast as wolves, but the damage I inflicted doesn’t heal that fast. I quickly look around me before letting my eyes land back on the pup. He’s slowly standing to his feet, his eyes stuck on me. He stands tall and flexes his upper body. He makes a point of stretching his neck this way and that. It’s almost like he’s making sure I see that there’s no damage there. His expression is growing more and more smug, and I’m getting even more pissed off. The whispers have started, and I hate that. It’s like they are so taken with him because of some lame magic trick. I growl out in frustration, wanting to make everyone pay. “What type of trickery is this?! What pack uses a witch to d

~Third Person~A small crowd has gathered as word spread fast. It isn’t every day that there’s a challenge issued. On top of that, it was issued on packlands, which probably hasn’t happened in anyone’s lifetime. To add more fuel to the fire, the challenge involved the Beta of the pack.They are a bit beyond the training area, with nothing but open land. Those gathered have formed a loose circle around the Alpha and Beta. Alpha Tyrice is standing with Alayasia, Jakob, and Elder Haynes.Houston has stripped down to a pair of athletic shorts with no shirt. He’s pacing a bit, stretching out his arms and legs. Geoffroy stands tall, watching him in amusement. As far as the Alpha is concerned, this will be a quick battle where he will definitely come out on top. He will take Alayasia and her child back with him. He plans to punish Alayasia before handing her over to Leon. She’s done too much and needs to remember what she’s on this Earth for. Alayasia watches the men in the middle of the ri

~Third Person~As soon as those words leave Houston’s lips, everyone stops. Alayasia is horrified that Houston could be so spontaneous. Houston is determined to protect his family, and the Elder is lost. The air becomes still, and silence envelopes the room. It is broken by the sinister laugh that slips from Geoffroy’s lips. Geoffroy steps forward again, making sure to invade Houston’s space. “What did you say, little pup?” Houston makes himself taller and squares his shoulders. He truly isn’t afraid of Geoffroy. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to challenge him in front of Alayasia, but there’s no turning back now. “You and everyone else heard me; I didn’t stutter. I challenge you.” Houston moves in closer. “You walk around, thinking you can do whatever you want, treat people however you like. A breeder, really?! You’re fucking disgusting and pathetic!” Houston spits at his feet, making sure to maintain eye contact. Geoffroy closes the distance between them. They are almost the same

~Alayasia~Come in now. I walk into the office and stand next to my mate. “Hello, I’m Alayasia, the Beta female. I hear you were looking for me.” Geoffroy's body is rigid, and his jaw is ticking. I know he’s pissed, and he wants to grab me, but he can’t show his hand right now. The Elder looks completely confused; his head keeps moving between me and Geoffroy. “Uh, yeah, uh, hello. I’m Elder Haynes. I came here in regards to the young Zara.”“Zara is my daughter. What do you need with her?” He clears his throat and sits up in his seat. “I was under the impression that Zara was being held here when her family was looking for her.” I tilt my head to the side, making sure my eyes never leave his. “I’m not sure what you were told and by who, but my daughter is safe here. This is her family, with me being her mom and Houston being her dad.”“He isn’t her dad! Her DNA came from Maxim!” I lift my eyes to look at Geoffroy, but I say nothing. I want to see how far he plans to go. “You were

~Deacon~As soon as those words slip out of my mouth, she takes a step back and lifts a hand to her neck. WHAT THE FUCK, TY?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!I did what I’m supposed to do. I claimed and marked my mate.WITHOUT HER PERMISSION?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?! Ty doesn’t respond and has a look of triumph, as much as a wolf can have any one type of look. I’m practically hyperventilating. My wolf just marked an Alpha female without her permission. It doesn’t matter that she’s my fated mate. This should have been a conversation. Now, we are tied together, and she probably didn’t even want me in the first place. I know that her being marked isn’t permanent. It isn’t like she’s tied to me for life without a way out. She can still reject me and live how she wants. It’s just that a rejection after marking will be much more painful. I would never want to cause her any pain, no matter whether she wants me or not. “You marked me.” Her voice snaps me back to the present. I drop my head, hat

~Mikayla~I was grateful that Bruno pulled me out of there when he did. My mind was all over the place, and I knew that I would have trouble keeping it together. I’m a strong woman, but I’m also partly human.My thoughts were all over the place as I changed into workout gear. There’s a part of me that always wanted my fated mate. I wanted to find that perfect match, the perfect person for me. The other part of me knew that a fated mate would be an issue.Too many men can’t handle a woman like me. Too many men want a smaller personality, a smaller person standing beside them. I could never be smaller; I could never be less than. I was always scared that my fated mate wouldn’t want me. Scared that he would take one look at me and reject me. I guess I was right. “Let’s go, cuz.” I sigh and walk out of the room, skipping my socks and shoes.The walk to the training area is silent, and I’m not upset about that. We get there quickly, and I’m kind of mad at myself for missing the journey the

~Deacon~I’ve been pacing in the woods for who knows how long now. I didn’t know what to do after leaving the dining room. I just knew that I needed some air.I can’t believe this; I really can’t. I finally find my fated mate, and I won’t even be able to enjoy it. What the hell do I have to offer someone like her? She’s an Alpha for Goddess’ sake, and I’m only a Gamma. I wasn’t even supposed to be a Gamma. I am not of Gamma blood, and I never aspired to be more. I wanted to be a warrior; I wanted to serve my pack. If it hadn’t been for everything that happened with Alpha Aston, I probably would have only been able to become a warrior. When Aston and Katarina were looking for a Gamma, I never thought I’d be a candidate. I didn’t express an interest in becoming more in life. I figured they would find someone they were close to and someone who excelled at fighting. I also figured that Dominic would have a significant say in who was chosen to be the Gamma. I was wrong on all counts, an

“Good morning, Mikky, Bruno.” Aston’s voice barely breaks me out of my thoughts, but my tongue sours at the name. I’m not trying to be messed up toward my mate, but the name 'Mikky' doesn’t sit well. Also, who the fuck is this ‘Bruno’ character?My emotions are immediately flooded with jealousy. I want to rip that man apart. He’s standing too close to my fated mate, and he seems like he’s too familiar with her. I literally have no idea who he is or what he means to her, but I don’t care. I really want to make him disappear, and I know that Ty feels the same way.They walk over to our table, and every step she takes has me mesmerized. “I told you that I hate when you call me Mikky.” Aston throws his head back and laughs. “I’m Mikayla.” As she looks around the table, her name settles into my bones, and my body vibrates in satisfaction. “Alpha Mikayla Davis.”

~Aston~I tighten the towel around my waist and let my dreads down. They’ve grown longer, and I thought about cutting them. Katarina practically had a meltdown when I suggested it. She said I can never change my look so drastically unless I want to make sure that she leaves me forever. I don’t really think she will leave me, but why tempt fate?The door opens, and I hear babbling before I set eyes on them. I turn to find my beautiful mate with our just-as-beautiful daughter in her arms. My heart leaps at the sight of them, but that’s a regular occurrence. “Morning, beautiful ladies.” Skye turns to me and holds her arms out. I slowly walk over to her, never taking my eyes off Katarina. I notice the exact moment that my gaze starts to get to her because a flush moves across her face and her eyes darken. “Good morning, baby girl.” I slowly take Skye from Katarina, making sure to convey my thoughts through my gaze.“Uh

~Dominic~It’s late, and I’m tired. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Skye, and I know I tired her out. She’s out like a light right now, and her parents are grateful. Now I just need to go down a floor and find my mate.I hadn’t planned on being away from Jamorea for so long, but the day got away from me. I’m eager to see how she’s feeling and how her phone call went. I want to reassure her that we have Mercedes well watched.There’s a tug on my mindlink, making me stop in my tracks. I let out a sigh and roll my eyes. I should have known that I wouldn’t be able just to do what I wanted. What is it?We have a visitor, and I couldn’t reach the Alpha or Luna. Of course not. I just delivered a depleted child to them. It would be foolish to think they wouldn’t take advantage. That means that I have to pause my plans and deal with this visitor.I’ll be right there. I close the mindlink and make my way further down the stairs than I originally planned. When I hit the bottom of the stairs,