We all know Hunter’s mother needs help, she has a mental illness, one that she is not allowed to treat because Peter, the asshole, doesn’t believe in modern medicine. It’s why we all are so worried over her disappearance.

  And why it’s even more strange that Hunter doesn’t seem to care.

  He’s a mama’s boy. Whether it be because that’s who he is, or because he feels he has to protect his mother, I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. It’s who he has always been. Until recently. The Hunter I know would have gone into a fit over his mother’s disappearance.

  Why doesn’t he care?

  “You think he has something to do with it?”

  I shake my head slowly. Castor always knows what I’m thinking even when I don’t say it out loud. He can’t read my thoughts, but I feel like it’s more intuition.

  “I can’t see that happening, Cas. I really can’t.”

  “We’re missing something.”

  I lean back into the couch, crossing my arms over my chest.

  We spend the next hour hashing through everything from start to finish. Everything we know. From when we met Leona, to everything that happened with her. We move on to everything that’s happened with us. Could they be related? It’s possible but unlikely.

  “Do you think Julian is involved somehow?” I ask, knowing it’s crossed my mind once or twice.

  “It’s possible. But if he is I’m not sure Hunter knows he is. He’d kick his lanky ass all over the pack grounds if he so much as looked at his mom the wrong way.”

  I let out a laugh. He’s right. Hunter was always the troublemaker out of us. The one that pushed the boundaries, but he’s a good guy. Always has been.

  “What are you up to, Hunter?” I mumble to myself as I look over the notes again.

  “Should we check on her?” I look at my phone. She’s been testy lately and I’m trying to let it go. She’s going through some changes that she doesn’t realize. Even though she hasn’t shifted yet, her wolf is still bleeding out into her. Those traits will shine through more than they have before. The defiance, the need to be in charge, to be independent. Leona is a wolf and wolves are headstrong. Until she gets her emotions under wraps, we need to tread lightly. It’s possible she could shift at any moment. She was never properly trained on how to keep her wolf away, like other female wolves. She really could be like a ticking time bomb.

  This whole situation is fucked up.

  Nothing about it is normal.

  But they will be soon.

  Because as much as I’m worried that Hunter is up to something, even though my gut is telling me there is more to this than I can see, I am hoping that he means well. That his intentions are good. We deserve this, deserve to have each other and be together. We’re going to figure this out and make it right. The ritual will be completed. Leona is going to shift and she’s going to be fine. We will find out who is after her and kill whoever it is. We’re going to take our home within our pack and when the time is right, we’re going to take the pack.

  Because it’s ours and it’s time we take it.

  Forty-one

  Leona

  “Leona,” Hunter growls out my name through clenched teeth as my hand moves further down, finding him as hard as steel. “We shouldn’t do this.”

  “And why not?” I ask, looking up at him. His hips press up just the slightest as my hand rubs over him.

  “We just shouldn’t.”

  My hand wraps around him, squeezing. “Tell me to stop then,” I taunt.

  A low groan sounds in his throat. I watch as his Adam’s apple bobs, his body tense with the need to hold back. Why? I have no idea.

  “I can’t. Fuck, I can’t.”

  He opens his eyes and they’re a much brighter blue than normal, almost glowing. I smile, knowing how much I’m affecting him. The eyes of his animal are shining through. My wolf urges me on, wanting me to touch him more. All these dirty thoughts go through my head, all these dirty things that I want to do to him.

  Why are these emotions so strong with him but not with the other guys? Don’t get me wrong, they have been a bit more intense, but not like this.

  A deep primal growl leaves Hunter’s throat before I’m flipped onto my back, him hovering above me with his hardness pressing between my legs. His mouth finds my neck and he nips at it before dragging his tongue across.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks. “I don’t know what’ll happen.”

  I’ll come, hopefully.

  I don’t answer him with words, instead, my hands slide down his sides and I push his briefs off. He loses them the next instant. His mouth crashes to mine with a heated kiss. His tongue moves slowly across mine but his kiss is not loving, it’s bruising.

  “I want to taste you,” he says, taking my bottom lip between his teeth and sucking. “Will you let me?”

  “Y—” His mouth finds my nipple and my yes gets cut off, turning into a moan.

  He moves down, settling between my legs. He rubs his nose along my panties, nudging at my swollen clit.

  “Hunter… fuck,” I groan, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. My hands grip the sheets as I lay back and let Hunter enjoy me.

  Hunter

  “Hunter… fuck.”

  I’m barely touching her and I can already tell she is so close to coming all over my face. She smells fucking delicious and I can’t wait to get a taste.

  I swore I wasn’t going to do this, but I can’t deny that I’ve wanted to since the day I met her.

  I still have my reservations with her, but right now I don’t give a fuck about anything. This girl could have kicked my puppy and I still wouldn’t leave my spot between her legs. I know we should wait. I know we should not be doing this. Not with the other guys so far away and definitely not without knowing what’s going to happen. Her wolf has been set free; it’s in there somewhere. I also know she was never trained on how to keep her away. She doesn’t know how to control her shifts.

  But she’ll be fine. She has to be. Because I cannot for the life of me, find it in me to walk away now.

  I’m in. All fucking in with this girl.

  I pull her panties to the side, sliding my finger between her folds.

  “Fuck, you are so wet. Is this all for me?” I ask, spreading her legs further apart so I can get a good look. Her pussy glistens in the moonlight and I lick my lips before diving in. She tries to answer me, but yet again her words are cut off with strangled moans. She tastes better than any meal I have ever put into my mouth. I could stay here forever and still not have enough of this sweet pussy.

  Her animal calls to mine, making my owl vibrate with need. Sure, in the animal world an owl would not mate with a wolf. But this isn’t the animal world, this is the Paranormal world. And our animals don’t even need to touch to be mated. Because when my human hands run through her folds, when my human fingers sink into her tightness, my animal, he feels it too. Just as hers does.

  I add another finger, sliding in and out of her slowly as my tongue strokes her clit. She’s throbbing for me and as her fingers tangle in my hair, I know she can’t hold on any longer.

  “Come on, baby,” I say right into her pussy, between licks. “Give it to me.” I run my tongue around her clit once more before sucking on it. She’s a fucking goner. She pulses around my fingers, her juices running down my hand and onto my bed. My cock aches for release and I need to be inside of her warmth.

  I crawl on top of her.

  “Tell me to stop,” I say, watching as her chest heaves up and down, trying to catch her breath.

  This is a dangerous game we’re playing here. I don’t know what could happen when I do this. I never learned that before. Different animals have different rituals and we always follow what the female does. We’re taught of the different kinds, but we’re never taught what happens when you don’t follow the ritual. I mean, we all have our suspicions, but it’s not something that is talked about freely.

  We shouldn’t be doing this.

  But I can’t fucking stop.

  Not now.

  Not ever.

  “Tell me to stop, Leona. This is your last chance.” I line up with her opening, she’s so fucking wet and swollen. I press the head of my cock forward, sliding into her the tiniest bit. She whimpers below me, her fingers digging into my back. She slides her nails across my skin, surely causing blood. The thought and feeling makes goosebumps erupt over my entire body and I slide into her with ease. She whimpers again as she gets used to me inside of her. She’s so fucking tight. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.

  I pull out and slide back in, trying not to go too fast because I refuse to let go of this feeling too soon. Hell, even if I came right now I’d keep fucking her.

  She drags her nails up my back again, a slight growl to her moans. I keep moving my hips, picking up the pace and slamming into her a little harder each time. I’m going to come, but I’m not going to fucking stop.

  I’m never going to stop.

  “Fuck, Leona,” I growl, sliding in one last time before I unload inside of her. The orgasm hits so hard that my vision blacks out for a moment. I press my hips into her, grinding against her. She moans with each push of my hips. I reach down, my thumb stroking her clit as I start to fuck her again.

  Like I said, I’m not done.

  It’s a little much at first, but I work through it until it starts to feel good again. Her pussy clamping around my cock keeps me hard. Her moans and whimpers keep me moving, keep me eager to please her, to make her come again. Only this time I want to feel it on my dick. I want to feel that pulsing around me as she comes.

  “I’m so close,” she says, her eyes screwing shut and her fingers digging into my sides. I lean back, getting to my knees, allowing me to get even deeper than I was before. A few more thrusts and her body is convulsing beneath me. A smile crosses my lips as I watch how beautiful she is as she comes. My eyes dart to where we’re connected and I love seeing how tight she is around me. Almost as much as I love how her face looks when I make her come.

  I’m thoroughly enjoying this moment when I’m struck with this burning, searing pain on my wrist.

  “The fuck!” I shout, moving back and grabbing at my arm. I grit my teeth so tight they feel as if they may break. My breathing picks up as I try to ignore the pain but it’s impossible. I’ve never felt anything like this before.

  “Hunter? Are you okay?” Leona sits up in a panic. Her hair is wild, her eyes are wide. She looks terrified. I wish I could tell her that I’m okay, but I don’t think I am.

  Forty-two

  Castor

  We’re looking over these notes again, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Trying to figure out if all of this is connected in a way we haven’t noticed before. There are so many things that have happened throughout our lives, so many things we’ve been stripped of. What if they are all related? Every single one of them. It’s possible. Unlikely, maybe, but definitely possible.

  A tingling starts at my wrist and I reach over to itch it.

  The same time Thorne does.

  We look at each other, both sharing a confused look.

  The itching soon turns to a scathing burn and we’re both groaning in pain. I have no idea what is going on or why this is happening. The pain is so fierce I can’t even think straight. I want to ask Thorne what is going on but I can’t find the words. My vision is darkening around the edges and I’m starting to panic.

  What is happening?

  Why is this happening?

  Suddenly, all is dark.

  I come to confused as all hell. My vision is blurry and Thorne is passed out on the floor beside me. I can’t recall what happened but I know something did. A slight tingling on my wrist has the memories flooding back to me. Even the thought of feeling that pain again has me cringing. I hold my wrist up.

  Holy shit.

  “Thorne,” I call, my eyes still on my wrist. “Thorne!”

  He groans, rolling over and his eyes finding me. He looks just as rough as I feel.

  I grip Thorne’s wrist, turning it over to get a look.

  Fuck.

  I can’t believe this just knocked us on our asses like that.

  “Oh no,” Thorne says. “That fucking prick,” he growls.

  “He’s going to get his ass beat.”

  We’re both off the floor and out the door in seconds.

  Hunter has royally fucked us over this time.

  Forty-three

  Leona

  Hunter is curled over in pain, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. When he stops moving, I think he’s dead. I start to really freak the fuck out until I see his chest is still moving. It makes me feel a little better, but I still don’t know what the hell to do or what is wrong with him.

  I race to my phone on the desk. I pick it up and realize it’s about to die. I press the phone button, trying to call Thorne or Castor but that’s when it shuts off. I rush to his bedside table, needing to find a charger. I pull the cord that I find plugged into the wall behind the bed, but it’s the wrong kind.

  Of course, it’s the wrong kind!

  “Think, Leona. Think!” A loud banging from downstairs has me racing back to the bed, jumping under the blankets, and pulling them up to my chin. My heart is racing and all of the hairs on my body stand on end. “Hunter!” I hiss.

  Something is wrong. I don’t feel right.

  I shake his body, keeping my eyes on the door. He doesn’t wake. Another loud bang sounds downstairs that has me jumping. My entire body is tingling, my skin crawling. My stomach is turning and my head is starting to hurt.

  Something definitely isn’t right.

  Panic is rising up, and I think I’m going to be sick. My wolf is growling, making her way up.

  No, this can’t be happening.

  Not now.

  Not like this.

  I’m losing control, my body going weak right before the pain strikes.

  A pain so unbearable I can’t even describe it.

  My vision blacks out as the snapping sounds. Every bone in my body is bending, snapping, and full on breaking. The screams leaving my lungs are sickening even to my own ears. The crunching of bones has me dry heaving. My throat burns as I scream, but it’s nothing compared to how the rest of my body feels. It continues for what feels like hours. Until it’s over. Just like that, as if it never happened at all. I lie curled up in bed, my heart thundering and my chest heaving.

  The banging downstairs gets louder until it’s making its way up the stairs. I want to be on guard, I feel as if I should warn this predator away, but I’m just too tired. I can barely move. I’m surprised I’m even still breathing. My entire body aches as if I spent hours at the gym. Every muscle and bone is sore.

  The loud bangs are right outside the door now, and when it’s flung open, I almost can’t believe it.

  “Holy shit,” Castor says, his eyes roaming over my body.

  I whimper, lying my head over Hunter’s body.

  “Is he dead?” Thorne whispers and I growl, teeth bared. He holds his hands up in a placating manner. I wasn’t growling at him like I want to attack him. The thought of one of my mates dead does not sit well with me. I can’t help but growl at the thought.

  “Leona?” Castor says sweetly, taking soft steps towards me. “Are you okay?” I whine again. I want to use my words, but I know that I can’t. I nudge Hunter with my snout. Yeah, my snout. Because I just fucked Hunter and shifted for the first time, all in the same night.

  “I don’t know. I have no idea. She can’t tell me. It’s been at least two hours. What do you mean? I don’t know, maybe because we don’t need to run to you for everything. No, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Castor lets out a sharp breath, holding the phone to his ear and looking up at the ceiling as if it will give him whatever answers he needs. His eyes dart to me. “She seems okay. She’s just… a wolf.”

  Hunter woke up about forty-five minutes ago. The moment Thorne made sure he was okay, Castor was there with a right hook, knocking him on his ass once again. I growled deeply, my head low and they stopped immediately, Castor backing up with his hands up while Hunter lies groaning on the floor.

  I don’t want them fighting. There is too much going on right now. The last thing any of us need to do is fight.

  Hunter and I really should not have done what we did. But how was I supposed to know what was going to happen? He kept saying we shouldn’t do this, but I didn’t know why. He didn’t say this was a possibility. I mean, I’m not sure it would have stopped me anyway. I don’t know what came over me, but I needed him. I just had to have him. There was no saying no. And now, here I am stuck as a wolf. Unsure of how to shift back.

  “Yeah, okay. Thanks. Talk to you soon.” Castor ends the call.

  “Callan is going to find out what he can and call us back when he has news.”

  My body still aches and I would love nothing more than a hot bath right now, but I’m not so sure it will feel as good in my wolf form.

  My wolf form.

  I still cannot believe that I am a wolf.

  Thorne takes a tentative step forward. He sits on the bed carefully, as if it may explode under his weight. Or maybe he’s just worried I will attack.

  “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” The corner of his mouth turns up in a smile. He stretches his arm towards me, placing his hand on my head and running it down my back. I’m lying belly down on the bed. Have been for some time now. “You okay, baby?” He asks in that tone that sends shivers up my spine and makes me want to melt into a puddle at his feet. If I could kiss him right now, I would.